Moonrise

Timestamp: Ostiarium forests- Sacred grove

IslanaTime had run out. Although you could not tell the exact time you felt nigh had come. From your burrow in the ground you start to hear several voices nearby. Jovial and happy. The mood seems festive. Your stomach churns. Time's up it seems. Two men in cloaks come for you. They grab you and pull you into the night air. It's cold and windy but the sky is clear. The light of the full moon illuminates the grove. Tall dark, twisted trees surround the clearing. Shadows are casted in all directions across the forest floor. You see around twenty people standing around a few fires. All turn to you as you emerge from the ground. A great cheer goes up when they see you.

Standing near a huge sacrificial rock, is the man with the boar's head. The Preacher of the Creed. The proxy of Slivikhi on Arcadia. He beckons to the man to bring you closer raising a stone blade in the night air. As you pass among the small crowd some reach out to touch you. Others whisper, "Bless you..." and "Thank you..."

As you draw closer to the rock, everyone pulls their cloaks down revealing their faces and start to chant. Slowly at first. No more than a whisper...

It is time, Lord
From the dry dust
Out of these chains
From the Pillar's house

It is time, Lord
Take her, from the dry dust
Break her, from these chains
Bring her, from the Pillar's house
Take her, out of darkness
Walk her, out of blindness,
Lift her, out of sadness
Save us, from our Damnation
Please, Lord...

Take her blood
And take her spit
And take her bones
And take her mouth
Take her hair
And take her heart
And take her tongue
And take her breath

Take her blood
And take her spit
And take her bones
And take her mouth
Take her hair
And take her heart
And take her tongue
And take her breath

It is time, Lord
From the dry dust
Out of these chains
From the Pillar's house...

And so it went and it seemed to build to a crescendo as Islana drew inexorably closer to what was to be her place of death...