Artifact Name: Bloody Chalice/Unknowns Blood
Type: Unknown
Grade: 0 (Must remain Sealed permanently)
Number: 004
Code: 0:004
Rathcliffe recalled the information on this artifact. Something that many of his comrades had died to secure.
Its origins were unknown, its usages incomprehensible.
No one knew what it actually did, only tales of its power and its might.
The Chalice wasn't the major factor of this artifact, but the drop of blood that lay undisturbed in it.
The Unknowns Blood
Believed to be the blood of an unknown and unfathomable existence, many believed and even claimed that drinking it would grant eternal life and infinite power.
But no one who ever ingested it survived.
Instead, all that was always left was the Chalice with the bright red drop of blood.
The blood could not be destroyed or annihilated, it was virtually indestructible. The only thing keeping it sealed was the Chalice itself, which was quite easy to seal.
The artifact was usually silent in its magical barrier, unmoved and unshaken.
But for the first time in a year, the Artifact reacted.
The last time it did react was during the Blue Sun Phenomena.
And currently…
It was vibrating incessantly.
A solemn and melancholic hum that resounded like the whispers of an unknown voice.
Reality shifted and boiled in chorus to its soothing song, like vapour on a hot afternoon.
"How long has it been like this?" Rathcliffe asked with a serious look.
Freya turned her gaze to a figure who had suddenly appeared before them, signalling with a shake of her head.
The figure, garbed in a long robe and hood like the guardians of the outer Tomb, stood over 8 feet tall, a giant.
He lifted a palm, his six fingers showing a figure of two…
"About two days huh?" Rathcliffe incurred from his gesture. He went into deep thought on what had happened two days ago.
A thought suddenly jumped into his mind, a look of unbelief painted his eyes.
"Ratchliffe, what do you know?" Father Eric asked as he noticed his change of emotion.
It can't be. That was when I started the dream therapy on Abel.
The large figure nodded to him, as if agreeing with his conjecture.
Freya looked directly at Rathcliffe, her eyes widened.
Father Eric also reacted the same way.
Rathcliffe had told them what he'd been doing two days ago…
"But that kid… what does he have to do with the Chalice?" Freya spoke her thoughts aloud to the large figure.
The figure made no gestures, not answering at all.
Rathcliffe tried to think of anything himself, but nothing could come to mind. The kid was clean for any corruption; he spent over four months in the Mental Hospital with him and confirmed it.
Even the Church's higher-ups confirmed this with him.
So why?...
What was so special about this kid who survived the Blue Sun without Transcending?
***
Currently, Abel and Michelle stood back to back with each other, guns primed and aimed at every shadowed corner of this ritualistic sanctum.
The candle light flickered, the shadows shifting and dancing with dim orange flame.
Michelle was currently sweating and thinking profusely.
'How the hell did the situation turn out like this?' she thought. It was supposed to be a two man raid of some underworld drug dealers hiding in the depths of the sewers, as she was told.
So how was it that they were fighting against shadows, and the dead bodies of officers she didn't recognize either.
And an inspector who seemed to believe that they were four who entered instead of just the two of them.
What the Hell is going on?
Abel on the other hand felt like his brain was on fire.
He was using his Time Dilation ability to try to stay alert of his surroundings. He didn't want to be caught unaware.
Now he was sure of what he was up against.
It was a Shadowmancer, an experienced one at that.
Shadowmancers were transcendents who could manipulate and hide in shadows.
And from the ability to hide in shadows, he was most likely a Grade 5 Transcendent.
And he was holding an Artifact most likely.
None of the Shadowmancers abilities affected the memories of others.
Whatever he was using was very dangerous.
The room remained quiet, as if nothing was wrong.
Abel knew for a fact that something would go wrong if he let his guard down.
Then, as if a feather had tickled his neck, he felt a short burst of killing intent.
He remained vigilant, feeling that his opponent might have been probing him for his reaction.
Then the feeling stopped, catching Abel unawares.
It felt as if the shadows had become… lighter.
Just then, a thought came to his mind as he swung his arm and grabbed at Michelle's coat, pulling her away from where he stood.
SWISH!!!
The sound of a blade swung screamed in the air.
Michelle's eyes widened, shock mixed with fear caused her heart to palpitate rapidly.
She had suddenly felt a force behind her grab her, and then…
A blade cut the space where she had once stood.
The next thing was a sharp Bang!!!
A gunshot.
And the tumbling of a body nearby.
By the time she had orientated herself, she saw Inspector Lucien before her, and a figure standing in front of him with a hand over a bleeding wound.
The figure was that of an elderly man who looked like he was suffering from severe malnutrition.
His flesh was thin and pale, his joints looked like they were wasting away.
But he had a spark in his deep dark eyes, as if he was still in his prime.
He wore nothing but a pair of torn trousers. On his right hand was a dagger that looked like the skull of a bird with its blade like sharpened beak.
Michelle knew for a fact that this man was not a normal human being.
He just popped out of the shadows goddamnit she cursed inwardly.
The old man looked deep into Abel's eyes, his face revealing a dirty smile as he licked his lips.
"Oh? So someone like me was amongst the humans?" He asked with a gruff voice, his tone showing confidence, even with the bullet wound in his side that was bleeding.
Abel didn't reply, he couldn't now. His Time dilation was in full effect, and talking would break his focus.
The man tilted his head as he chuckled.
"Oh? Is the little sow over there your lover?... Well I didn't know that. It would be a shame if I killed your bed warmer now wouldn't it?"
Abel didn't even reply, keeping his eyes glued on him, his gun aimed and his dagger armed.
The old man looked even more curiously. Seeing that Abel didn't flinch, he decided to make the first move.
He dashed towards Abel, who fired two shots immediately.
The old man shifted his body in unorthodox angles, weaving through the bullets trajectory, dodging them.
Then he swung his dagger downwards in an arc, and suddenly, he disappeared.
Abel froze, his mind startled as he immediately, without looking back, shot his last two bullets from his six round revolver towards an angle behind him…
Towards where Michelle was just about to stand up from.
The shots caused Michelle to duck over away from Lucien, in shock of why he was shooting her for a second, but then suddenly alerted to a dagger swinging just past her neck, nicking at it.
Blood gushed out as she fell on her back, falling unconscious soon after.
The old man emerged from a shadow immediately after, flicking his dagger which seemed to hum in delight.
"The Bed warmer is down, she'll be dead soon… now" he said with a maniacal smile, pointing his blade to Abel with anticipation in his gaze…
Abel was currently reloading his weapon, pointing at the old Transcendent.
"Let's dance with death shall we?" The man yelled as he dashed at Abel and vanished.
***
On the Surface by the docks…
In an isolated corner of a warehouse.
A pile of bodies were heaped on each other, most of them dead or dying.
A body slammed on the wall, his chest caved in as blood poured from within.
His eyes widened in fear and despair as he looked at a looming shadow walking towards him.
A figure walked towards him, his large gait towering over the door as he cracked his knuckles.
"Ahhh! Feels good ta let loose once a while, ey?" Boris let a haughty laugh as he lifted the body of the dying man before him.
"Now I'm gonna to say dis one more time?... Where …. Is…. HE???" Boris's voice became feral, like an enraged animal.
The man coughed out blood as he smiled, one part of his face crumpled.
"F…f…f…fuck you dog… your kind… are … shit…"
Bang!!!
His body was slammed into the wall, exploding into a blood mist.
"Farking slaves to a demon… can't they just talk nicely for once?" He roared as he looked at the mess of blood on his arm and wall.
"Uncle! I told you to keep him alive damnit" a voice came from outside.
It was Dorothy holding the head of another cultist in her hand.
"Hmph? Whut happened to the other one? Couldn't keep his 'ead in one piece ey?"
Dorothy snorted as she tossed the head away with disgust.
Just then, a sudden premonition hit her senses. She looked back at the entrance of the sewer she had come out from.
Then everything around her suddenly warped as the figure of Rathcliffe appeared before her from that same entrance.
"Where is Abel?" He asked in a hurry.
"Can't you just find him, he's underground cleaning up" she asked with a lifted brow.
"That's the thing… I can't sense him"