Written for - QL - Semi-finals - Holyhead Harpies - Chaser 2 - Prompt: Only Power Remains
Optional prompts
[emotion] love (platonic or romantic) / [colour] amber / [number] five
Lines of the song used for inspiration:
The sky was ash to match the headstones / when he was born between gothic graves / it's only a matter of time / You're playing a dangerous game / Love: when all has ended / no good or evil / Only power remains / I am fire and fear and dry bones / Time to die / some rules even you can't bend / love alone remains.
Bound
Warnings: Minor character death / demon summoning
Sirius' hands shake as he drips the blood onto the ground, following the painted outline of the star and circle. There are other symbols but he doesn't have names for those ones and he doesn't want to think about them too much, because what they're doing is already so very cursed.
This is the best chance they have — possibly their only chance to save the people of the kingdom, and they've already spent enough time — maybe too much time — researching the ritual, taking into consideration all of the things that could go wrong. They've looked up contingency plans, loopholes, workarounds for the sacrifices that the ritual suggests.
They're hopeful that the loophole they've found with the wording will work. That where it wants five bodies, it doesn't mean living ones. That's why they're in the graveyard right now, drawing the star so the five corners of it sit at five different graves on the ground. The bodies under the dirt will be the bodies the ritual requests. And failing that…
There are five of them. Five lives to save the kingdom. He can ignore the overpowering smell of blood that makes him want to throw up. James had offered to paint the blood on the floor, but Sirius had refused to let him. James Potter is sunshine, and placing blood is more fitting for someone from Sirius' bloodline.
Sirius looks around. James is going over the ancient text, Caradoc is ensuring all of the parts of the ritual are in place, and Peter is placing the candles. James is the only one of them that is that well versed in Latin and therefore able to read from the book for the ritual. The only other person who can best James at Latin is Regulus, and Sirius had forbidden him from coming here with them.
Well, forbidden is a strong word. He just got Regulus a cup of tea that made him fall asleep, and set a lot of spells that'll lift at sun-up. Or, when Sirius is dead. Whichever happens first. He doesn't want to think about any of that, or how angry Regulus will be, or… or how upset. This is for the best.
He dips the brush back into the blood. Some splatters onto his hand and with this, he does gag. The bucket is taken from his hand in an instant.
"Let me," Remus says, amber eyes fixed on Sirius. "I'll finish this, you lay out the offerings."
Sirius wants to argue, but the drops of blood on his hand have him nodding quickly. He moves to a bush, pulling off some large leaves and using them to wipe as best he can. He moves to their supplies and starts to pull out the large bag, and he looks to the top of the star.
He takes out the aventurine first. The stone of opportunity. The luckiest of all crystals which symbolises confidence and optimism. It encourages leadership qualities, which is why this stone was picked as an offering from James. It was the best thing to represent him.
He heads to the tip of the star and places it down on the blood, nodding to James so James knows that's where he'll stand.
Amber is the next one. Sirius picked this one himself, because the colour always makes him think of Remus' eyes, but what's more, Remus carries a small piece of this stone around, around his neck - a gift from Sirius. It's about healing, and Remus suffers each and every month and heals and gets strong every single time.
It's a piece of Jet for Peter, symbolism protection and to release negative emotions, and Sirius knows how Peter tries his best to fight the negativity, stress, anger and fear. He tries to always look on the bright side of things, though Sirius suspects that Peter isn't doing all that well this evening. None of them are.
Two stones remain, and Sirius frowns between them for a moment. He can't figure out which has been chosen for him, and he glances around at the others. Amber, Aventurine and Jet. Yes, those are all correct.
After a moment of thought, he starts to set the tanzanite down. Optimism and support, it doesn't sound like him at all, but it's very much Caradoc. But that means that he's left with the emerald.
He doesn't hear Remus approach. "This is right," Remus says, guessing Sirius' worries. "Love, positivity and strength. Don't overthink this, this is the right stone for you. Trust me."
Sirius does trust Remus, so he does as he's told and he sets the last stone between James' and Remus' points on the star, wanting their strength surrounding him.
"It's time," James says, glancing over. "Is everything ready?" The question is aimed Caradoc's way, and Caradoc looks over the circle. If he's nervous about this, he hides it well.
"Ready as we'll ever be," he says. "We just need to get in place and make the offerings and hopefully the ritual will use the five bodies in the ground."
They can only hope.
The moment that James starts to chant, a glowing light — a fire-like surge of energy — appears from the middle of the circle, stretching out to touch each of the graves. It sinks into the ground and the ground reddens around the gravestones.
All seems to be going well. The five sacrifices have been taken, and now they just bind the demon. Caradoc — in ill health — is the one who is going to make himself the offering. He's going to be the one whose life is bound with the demon's very existence.
What could go wrong?
Caradoc's body dropping is the first indication of things going wrong. Very wrong.
James' voice cracks and shakes, but he doesn't stop the chanting, and the others don't move from their places. Caradoc is dead, but the sacrifice has been taken and they can't stop now. He wasn't supposed to die here, just be bound, and Sirius doesn't know what the plan is now.
Red smoke billows up from the centre, dust swirling in the air and flying out to all of them, causing them to cough, and it's a miracle that James can continue, because right now, Sirius can barely see through the dust and the red and the ash rising from the graves, filling the sky above them.
The red smoke billows, and it looks as though it's turning, looking at each of them in turn. Sirius wants to tell himself that he's being stupid, but when it seems to turn his way, he feels a wave of heat. Dry, itchy, painful heat, and then the figure in the flames seems to move closer and closer.
It's his turn, he realises. He's next. And as the fire seems to reach out, he feels a hand pull him away.
"No," Remus snaps. "You had your bodies, you've stolen a sacrifice for yourself. You've taken something that doesn't belong to you. He is not yours."
Sirius isn't sure that this is right, but Remus sounds confident enough so he's going to trust him.
The figure pushes towards the both of them this time, but hits what seems like an invisible wall.
"Love," the figure snarls. It lingers and Sirius thinks that it's going to return to the middle. But in the blink of an eye, the figure moves, finding itself in front of Peter.
Before any of them can take a step, the figure reaches out, and Peter's skin reddens, becoming enveloped by the ash and the heat and the red flames, and they can only watch in horror as the being makes its mark on Peter.
His life is bound to the demon's life now. Little Peter who certainly isn't strong enough for this burden.
Peter falls to the floor, catching himself on his hands, and James finishes speaking. The demon is bound, for now, and now they have a chance to save their kingdom.