74 The Ritual Pt.3 (1/2)

Walking towards the next woman. I found that the symbol that was branded into her back was different than the first one. This one depicted a similar scene to the first woman's back. But there were slight variations in the image.

The image of the inverted cross was present. So was the image of the two snakes. However, at this point, the snake to the left had begun to consume the other snake. Blood began to drip from the snake to the right.

Also, at the top of her neck, there was a number that was burned into her neck. It was in a language that I was not familiar with though. But I knew that it was a numerical symbol.

”The first woman didn't have that,” I point out.

Odd and the woman both look towards her neck and begin to examine the symbol.

”Call for the Commander. I want priests and scribes. We need to take down the symbols. We'll probably find more on some of the other women,” Odd tells the blonde guard.

She nods her head and quickly takes off looking for the Commander from earlier.

”What does that symbol mean?” I ask him.

He looks away from her neck and back towards me. His green eyes are flickering between curiosity and disgust.

”It's a holy symbol. Or father an unholy symbol. It's from the ancient language. You must be younger than I assumed,” he says seriously till the end.

I grit my teeth and don't respond to the jab.

”What does it mean?” I ask him.

He continues walking towards the next woman. The darkness of the night was being combated by the light of torches. More and more people were setting up torches so that we could see what was happening.

I didn't need them, since, I could see in the dark.

”That particular symbol is a number. That number represents death. That all is the language of the profane god that dominion is over death and the unholy,” he explains.

Arriving at the next woman, it was a branding that showed the progression of what had happened on the back of the two other women. However, she didn't have anything burned into her neck this time.

But the image that was in front of her was different from the branding. The line that reached from her fingertip was connected to a symbol. The lines also ran up onto the statue that was dripping blood. It touched the bottom of the goddess's feet.

We continue onwards.

”You seem to know a lot about all this,” I say.

He doesn't turn to look at me. He inspects the tenth woman. So far, we had seen three others that had a symbol burned into their necks.

”Are you suspecting me?” He asks with a small laugh.

I raise an eyebrow. Although, he was not the first person that came to mind. He knew a lot about the woman and knew to look for the brandings. But anyone might have opened their clothing up to check for other things.

However, the fact that he knew what the language meant and had an assumption about what this ritual was for… Lead me to suspect him a little.

”I wouldn't explicitly say that. However, it's convenient that you know about all this!” I tell him simply.

He pauses.

”It would be a little suspicious wouldn't it?” He mumbles to himself.

We stood in front of a woman's body as he looks towards me. His eyes are brimming with pain. But that quickly vanishes.

”I've just seen something very similar to all of this,” he says smiling.

I pause.

”What do you mean?” I ask sliding the weight and shifting my position.

He does not seem alarmed even though it sounds like he just admitted that he did it.

”Well I survived a similar ritual to this is all,” he tells me.

My mind crumbles and I shift out of my defensive stance. Did he do that intentionally?