Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Enrique Santer slammed the big mausoleum doors behind him. He stripped off the old man make-up and hobo clothes. In their place stood a stately man, tall and dark, indicative of his Spanish heritage. Enrique smiled as he removed his camouflage, pleased with the way he had been able to trick young Ryan into thinking he wasn't Immortal. He was Immortal, but he was also a mutant, one of the first documented cases. He was telepathic, and could create beams of intense, very destructive, psychic energy. Enrique liked to use the name Energon. He walked into the middle of the room, where the sarcophagus was, placed his hands on top of it and said,

"It is done, Morriganu. Macleod is told."

A statuesque woman walked out of the shadows, she strode towards her cohort.

"Perfect. Ready the altar. I must prepare myself."

"Of course." He turned and went to a chest in the corner. He took out an armful of magical items. He took several trips to get them all to the altar in the center of the room. As the woman went into another room he arranged all but two black candles in a circle around the altar. He placed the other two on the altar, one on either side. A yellow candle he placed in the third point of an imaginary triangle, pointing away from the doorway. A human skull went in the center of the triangle. A jewel-encrusted dagger was placed in front of the skull, and an ancient tome off to the side, opened to a certain page. When he was done setting up, the woman appeared again. This time she was wearing a long black robe with flowing sleeves that reached the floor. Around her tiny waist was a sash of silver cloth. On her forehead, in charcoal colored paint, was an inverted pentagram. Her hair was long, and the color of night. She strode up to the altar and took her place in front of the tomb. She stood facing away from the door, and Enrique retired to the corner. All the candles in the ring around her suddenly lit. She smiled enigmatically and started to chant.

"Ego habere finis quo quinque caerimonia. Hic ad quo sexieth et novissimus pars de quo incantamentum ad erigere quo Atrax Quidam."

I have finished the first five ceremonies. This is the sixth and last part of the spell to raise the Dark One.

"Ad hodiernox, quo novissimus plenilunium de quo mille anni, ego, Morriganu, appellare inde quo Atrax Quidam!"

On tonight, the last full moon of the millennium, I, Morriganu, call forth the Dark One!

"Ego convocare quo Atrax Quidam!"

I summon the Dark One!

Enrique watched in awe. It was coming close to the best part of the ceremony. Morriganu picked up the Dagger in her right hand, and held her left hand out over the skull. Then she intoned, with her eyes half closed,

"With the blood of an Immortal, I call forth the Dark One!" And with that, slit her palm with the jeweled dagger. Exactly six drops fell onto the skull, then the cut healed up, without even a scar to show where it had been.

The skull started to glow, first white, then red, and the flame on the pale yellow candle grew and grew, till it was almost as long as the candle itself. A cosmic wind blew from out of nowhere, and swirled around in circles inside the ring of candles. Then suddenly, a beam of bright white light shot out from the skull, straight up to the ceiling. It was so bright; Enrique was blinded momentarily, although Morriganu didn't seem to notice it. When the light dissipated, a huge, hulking form stood on top of the sarcophagus and the skull was gone.

Enrique looked up at the creature. It was at least 10 feet tall in a vague humanoid shape. It had matted, black fur all over it's huge form, and long black hair hanging down its back. Long, razor sharp tusks protruded from it's mouth. It's eyes were a deep black, cold and unfeeling like a shark's. The skin one could see was dark, the color of mud, and its arms and legs were each as thick as Enrique's waist, which to Enrique wasn't a very happy thought. As for clothing, it wasn't really wearing any. Just a leather loincloth, and sandals. Around it's massive waist was strapped a huge broadsword, as long as Enrique was tall. He looked at the sword and gulped. If the Dark One could wield that thing, let alone carry it, it must be very strong. But then he remembered The Dark One was on his side. He wouldn't have to worry about it. The only person who would have to worry about it would be Macleod.

Enrique was about to start laughing evilly, but Morriganu had started to talk.

"Dark One, do you know why I summoned you?"

"Yes, Mistress." The huge demon boomed. Enrique was a little shocked. He never expected something like the Dark One to call anyone "Mistress", but, as he now realized, anything was possible.

"Tell me why I have summoned you." Morriganu instructed.

"To rid the world of Duncan Macleod of the Clan Macleod, and anyone close to him."

"Yes." Morriganu commended it. "Now, Go."

"Yes, Mistress." The demon responded, and jumped off the altar. Enrique was shoved into the wall by the force of the shock wave it's landing created. The huge behemoth made it's way to the door of the mausoleum, the floor shaking with every step. Several of the still lit candles fell over, and the demon stepped on them, squishing wax everywhere. As it tried to open the door, it came right off in its hand. Crouching down to fit through the doorway, it squeezed through.

"So," Asked Morriganu of her friend, "What do you think of him?"

"He's perfect." Enrique said, smiling after the retreating form disappearing into the darkness, "He's absolutely perfect."

The Dark One tromped through the cemetery, knocking over gravestones, and scaring mourners. It made it's way through the city causing panic and riot. Eventually it arrived at its goal. The Watcher Headquarters. The Dark One crashed through the gate and kicked in the front door. The agitated Watchers ran from it like mice in the presence of the cat.

"Where is Duncan Macleod?" It boomed

"What? Who?" One extremely scared woman asked from her place under a desk. The Dark One picked the desk up and tossed it towards the wall, where it shattered into a million pieces. Then it picked up the woman and held her at head height and repeated its question.

"Where is Duncan Macleod?"

The poor woman stuttered piteously as she responded,

"J-Joe's-s B-Bar." Then she fainted. The Demon snorted contemptuously and tossed her at the same wall as the desk. She landed limply on the broken pieces. The Dark One tromped away towards his quarry.