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Bookbound Bunny: Chapter 31
🕑 Added 2025-01-25 08:15:01 +0000 UTCChapter 31 - Ritual Start
Thanks to their well-practiced routine expeditions they made it back to the glade in no time. While some small monsters were roaming about the forest, unlike their daytime treks, nothing had approached them, thanks to their shadowy cloaks concealing their presence.
As they stepped into the small forest glade, a sense of tranquility enveloped them. The night was quiet, save for the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant call of an owl. Above, the dark night sky was sprinkled with shimmering stars that felt close enough to touch.
The full moon cast a silvery glow in the center of the glade, illuminating everything in its path. The stone disc appeared to be drinking in the moonlight as each of the six sub-ritual circles had somehow seized a column of the celestial glow and redirected it to itself.
The moonlight danced across the ground, creating ethereal patterns among the ferns and wildflowers. Shadows played softly, shifting and swaying as a light breeze passed through the trees, creating a bewitched ambiance.
The air was crisp and fragrant with the scent of pine and earth, enhancing the feeling of being in a hidden sanctuary. Lily could see the delicate details of the leaves glistening like tiny jewels in the moonlight.
As Lily stood there, she couldn't help but feel a deep connection while surrounded by the enchanted splendor. It was a moment of pure wonder that bolstered her resolve even further.
Tonight was the night!
"I know I keep saying this, but this really makes me think it's all real," Rose mumbled.
Lily giggled. "I'm surprised that you had doubts after everything you've seen? The stone circle, the enchanted Mana array, six sub-rituals, the shadow cloak, and now this?" Lily shook her shadowy head.
"I know, I know…" Rose said after a soft chuckle. "Still, even you must admit it's a bit crazy, right? I mean, you're going to be the first Lagia mage! My little sister is going to be famous!"
Lily blushed deeply and was grateful it was still hidden by their shadowy cloaks. "I couldn't have done this without your help, Rose. Thank you!"
"Anything for you," Rose said before planting her shadowy hand on Lily's head and ruffling her hair and floppy ears, even if they were hidden.
Lily grumbled a mild complaint about messing up her hair before ripping off the shadow cloak talisman with her free hand. "Let's do it! Before we run out of moonlight!"
Rose copied her gesture, "Ready when you are!"
They rushed to the center of the stone dias, and Lily placed her basket down. She pulled out the instructions that Arakil had written and read them aloud.
[Below are the instructions to be followed in order. Ensure that you read through the entire list before initiating anything.
Begin pouring the liquified Fairymoss or glyph ink into each sub-ritual site. Administer them carefully and stop once each one glows gold.
Once all six sites are ready, activate the inscription to create the engraving for the primary ritual. Ensure that it is directly placed in the center of the stone circle. Remember to retreat while it is engraving!
Begin filling the primary ritual with all leftover liquified Fairymoss or glyph ink. We cannot afford to be frugal.
Once out of the liquids mentioned above, pour the Mana potion into the primary ritual engraving; however, ensure that one sip remains for yourself. This is crucially important; you will need to ingest a sip of Mana potion later!
Lily, you must sit in the center of the primary ritual in a comfortable position to meditate. Pour the remaining potion liquid into your mouth, but DO NOT swallow.
Rose, take the empty potion bottle from Lily and keep it safe. Do not let it break. Then, vacate from the stone circle.
Lily, before swallowing the potion, you must key the ritual to yourself. This can be done with a drop of your blood. I know you are averse to such things, but even the smallest drop will suffice. Be brave!
Once the drop of blood touches the ritual, it will activate. Ensure you promptly swallow the Mana potion, shut your eyes, and begin the breathing and meditation technique immediately. I believe in you, Lily; you can do this! Imagining the spiral will guide you.
Rose, once Lily has begun her meditation, tear the page given to you to ensure the safety of the ritual. The ritual will be over when the last light fades from the engravings. Lily will likely pass out at the end, and you will need to carry her safely home.
I fully believe in all the preparations we have made. This is our moment of triumph, and I urge you to remain confident in yourself! Regardless of my conviction, however, I still wish you good luck.
~Arakil.]
"That's quite a lot. Although nothing that sounds too hard…" Rose muttered in thought.
"Well, except for the meditation… And the blood…" Lily shuddered a little.
"Come on, Lily. Arakil said it could be a tiny amount—a small pinprick on your finger!" Rose said reassuringly.
"I know… I just… Don't like it…" Lily mumbled.
Clinking could be heard as they began carefully withdrawing their supplies from the basket. Bottle after bottle filled with either glyph ink or liquified Fairymoss.
Arakil had told them it really didn't matter as long as it was in a liquid form, so they had spent quite some time grinding it and then dissolving it in boiling water rather than trying to refine it further.
They each took some bottles and began carefully pouring the liquified contents into the engraved grooves of the sub-rituals, slowly filling them out. One by one, each of the six sub-rituals began to glow with golden light.
"Okay… That's all six," Rose confirmed. "Looks like we have a decent amount left over for the next part."
Lily nodded. "Next is creating the primary ritual."
Lily found the page and placed it in the center of the ring. Like they had done with all the sub-rituals beforehand, she activated it and retreated to a safe distance with Rose to anticipate the spectacle.
This one was drawn with a golden light rather than a reddish light, similar to the very first sub-ritual that Arakil had drawn. An impossibly complex inscription was drawn in the air, with strange, alien symbols far beyond Lily's comprehension.
Some of the stuff Arakil had drawn before looked like a foreign language to her, but this seemed utterly alien as if it shouldn't even exist. Most bizarre of all, if she stared at the symbols too much, she actually started getting a throbbing headache and bubbling anxiety.
I guess I'm not ready for whatever that is… Gods, will I ever be ready? This feels like something beyond understanding…
Once the drawing was complete, it sunk into the stone and began engraving deep into it—an impossibly intricate carving that could only be made with magic.
"Man, that was crazy!" Rose said, breaking the silence. "I swear I heard voices in my head when I stared at it too deeply."
"Yeah… I've never seen symbols like that before," Lily admitted.
"Shall we start filling it up?" Rose asked with a clap of her hands.
Lily nodded, and they got to work. The liquid began taking on a brighter, glowing coloring with each bottle they poured out. When Lily finally got to the Mana potion, she held her breath, poured it out with the utmost caution, and ensured enough was left behind for her sip.
Filling the primary ritual took longer than all six sub-rituals combined. It didn't look nearly as bright as the sub-rituals, which made Lily slightly concerned, but she believed in Arakil's preparations.
Plus, I still need to key it. That might be why it's dormant, unlike the sub-rituals…
"Okay… Just the moment of truth, then?" Rose asked expectantly.
"I guess…" Lily gulped. "I think I've got a bit of stage fright."
Rose patted her gently on the shoulder, reassuringly. "You can do it, Lily, I believe in you, and the stuffy old book believes in you. You can do this!"
Lily sucked in the air and nodded. "Can you prick my finger for me?"
Rose chuckled. "Of course. Just be careful to not let it drip until the right moment!"
She extended the claw on her pinkie and ever so gently gave Lily's thumb a poke before hastily retracting it. Lily winced as a bright red blob of blood began to seep out.
"Don't be such a baby! I'm sure you didn't even feel it!" Rose teased.
"I'm not… Ugh… Let's do this!" Lily grumbled, her nervousness now replaced with some vindication. She then realized that this might have been why Rose teased her in the first place.
Am I really that predictable?
After uncorking the remaining Mana potion, she shook the errant thoughts away and poured it into her mouth. She was instantly grateful that it didn't have a foul taste, as that might have made her either retch it or swallow it involuntarily. It had a faint, rooty licorice flavor that, thankfully, her tongue could withstand.
With her cheeks puffed out as she held the liquid, she handed the bottle to Rose, who took it and the basket and left the stone platform.
"Good luck, you can do it!" Rose shouted in encouragement.
With Lily now alone, she had to fight back a nervous gulp that would have caused the potion to be prematurely ingested.
Okay… Let's start!
She squeezed her thumb so the blood would drip and watched it slowly plummet into the Mana concoction, sparkling in the engraved inscriptions. Lily swallowed down the potion and shut her eyes tight.
She immediately went into the breathing technique as she tried to settle her mind. Whatever she had swallowed was now causing her insides to swirl uncomfortably. Doubt began to slowly infest her mind. Was she doing the meditation technique wrong? Had they screwed up the preparations? Did they not have enough Mana? Lily tried her hardest to shake out those negative feelings and focus on the confidence both Rose and Arakil had expressed in her.
Inward spiral, endless flow,
Gather Mana, steady and slow.
Turning, drawing, deep and pour,
Condense to essence, form the Core.
She breathed out, and when she inhaled again, she found... something? It felt almost like an ethereal gas was somehow floating inside her. It felt cold yet soothing.
Lily began the meditation exercises, and in her mind, she saw what looked like a silvery gossamer. Trying to retain her joy, she focused on the mental image of the infinite spiral Arakil drew for her. She focused with all her might on getting the silvery substance to shape itself into that spiral, to coalesce infinitely into a Core.
The substance began to swirl. Lily smiled.
***
Rose was staring at Lily, almost holding her breath. It was the point of no return, but she had the utmost confidence in the little bunny.
She's put in tremendous effort; she deserves it! Rose declared sternly as if scolding anyone who would dispute this.
Something was building up, but she wasn't sure what yet. She recalled the final instructions Arakil had given and placed the basket down to look for the last remaining page she was instructed to tear.
"Found it!" Rose said confidently as she pulled it out, but before she could proceed, something had changed. She gasped.
The air had thickened as an iridescent silver glow appeared beneath Lily, tracing a perfect circle around her. This light pulsed rhythmically, as if it had a heartbeat of its own, before solidifying into a lustrous golden ring enclosing the area.
In the center of the circle, a silver line had sparked to life, extending and shifting to form the outline of a triangle between the sub-ritual sites. As if by its own mystical will, another line intersected it, creating a second triangle upside down.
Together, they created a unicursal hexagram, giving the impression of an ancient and powerful magical force taking shape around Lily. The lines seemed almost alive as they carved themselves onto the stone, leaving trails of shimmering silver energy in their wake.
In the middle of this star, a smaller, brighter triangle ignited with a fierce, radiant light, casting a shimmering glow on Lily's tightly shut face. The central triangle pulsed powerfully, like a heart at the spell's core, anchoring the ritual magic taking hold.
Slowly, arcane symbols had begun to appear along the outer ring, emerging one by one in a ripple of light that spiraled around the platform. Each symbol glowed with an intense, mystical energy, hinting at forbidden knowledge and arcane power. These inscriptions glowed, burning their presence into the air with a light that felt ancient and profound.
As the final symbol blazed to life, the whole seal glowed with an intensified, almost blinding brightness that surged outward, casting a silvery hue across the area. The space within the ritual felt entirely transformed as if it existed outside of normal reality—a domain for the whims of magic.
Rose muttered a quiet curse under her breath. "Gods, what have we gotten ourselves into?" She said it out of half fear and half awe.
Comments
TheShadowOfChange
He totally put Eldritch magic into it, didn't he? I remember Arkil commenting that he loved the stuff before.
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter! So powerful the ritual literally corrupts the mind holy fuck??!! Now to see what exactly goes wrong lmao!!!
mbncd
Thank you for the chapter! And it's a bit late to be asking yourself that, Rose! This could be some sort of summoning or possession spell to release him from the book for all they know but it's too late to wonder now!
CataFlan
TFTC
Engineer4God
Tank oo fur da chap!
crazybot
Rose, you MIGHT want to get to tearing that page... There might be something important on it.
Fi
Tftc ❤️
Kail311
Hopefully this isn't enough to ping any warning alarm they might've set up for Arakil related events, those eldritch sigils are kinda worrying. The last thing they need is Gods showing up mid ritual because they think Arakil found new ways to cause them migraines, lol.
Daniel Mountain
Huh. Maybe the page is a redundant measure and they'll never know what's on it... heh. Yeah right. See everyone on Tuesday!
Blanc
TFTC! "Gods, what have we gotten ourselves into?" I believe it was singular god that got you into it
Lionheart Copperhead
Dang I was really wondering what the message for Rose was, also this sounds like an eldritch symbol was used in the main ritual. TFTC!
Shai182
TFTC! here we Go!
Wensber
Thanks for the chapter!
