Salt and Sugar: Tools of a Litanist

Angelo took a canister of salt out of his satchel and began throwing some at the area around Rusl. The auburn-haired man chuckled as his partner threw a fistful at the painting.

"Just a feeling," Angelo said, feeling the need to explain himself.

Still using the salt, Angelo then made a circle centered around Rusl. He then drew a triangle so that its top vertex pointed to the deeper part of the house.

"Your drawing skills have improved. Impressive."

"A month of serious practice does that to anyone."

"Oh, playing the humble card as usual, huh?"

"Focus!"

Rusl shrugged and smiled. Angelo believed his actions, mundane as it was, were now part of the preparations needed for this ritual, which, from how things stood, was quite big.

Exorcism rituals were intricate ceremonies performed by a Litanist alone, but with Angelo present, his partner planned on attempting something bigger.

"You know the responses? Good. I'm planning on using the diagram of their failed summon. Just a heads up: we'll be performing a communion with the sovereign, but this is a very truncated version. This prodigy right here had his limits, so, I'll be counting on you to do the right thing, partner."

"Can't we just do a normal exorcism?"

Rusl cocked his head. "With this negative energy lingering all over the place? No. We need a higher authority."

"Rusl," Angelo's tone made the man look at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Be very careful."

Rusl smirked and held out the talismans he plucked over the lighter. Once the flames licked the talismans, the ritual began. He chanted:

"O, Great One, I beseech TheeGrant this soulAudienceSo it may communeWith the sovereign of wrathUnfathomable,Whose will shatters the very foundationOf the temple.O, Odiar, of wrath unfathomable,Hear us,Douse the plight of this soul;We pray…"

This time, Angelo uttered the response. "Himm'laroj daliah yul Comsas, daliah wen Shaa'tul."

"Daliah wen shaa'tul.Odiar, of wrath unfathomable…"

"Hear us."

Phase one: Invocation.

The Litanist. A job that's often likened to a janitor. Menial yet necessary.

After receiving the covenant from the saint, anybody could perform these rituals provided they had the proper training. Unfortunately, some people, especially those who had a lot of free time on their hands, made these ceremonies a hobby and even formed secret groups where they'd abduct unfortunate individuals—commonly from the lower classes, and use them as sacrifices for their entertainment.

The results were often gruesome. Many had died in strange ways while the handful who survived were stripped of their sanity. As if a warning from the sovereign that magic must never be misused.

Unfortunately, the aftermath of these novice rituals was fraught with dangerous, negative karma that might seem insignificant, but with hundreds of cases each day, the negativity would often spread and harm the citizens. That's where the Litanists came in. Trained to perform exorcisms and purification rituals, among other things, only they could clean up these messes and restore the purity of the area.

The first phase of the ritual seemed to be successful. The beads on Angelo's bracelet began quivering as the energies in the mansion clashed.

The sovereign's karma… It's not exactly pure. Angelo felt three different energies swirling around. He took another canister and chomped a fistful of sugar. He needed to focus on the task. Scrutinizing these details won't help Rusl at all.

The bloody talismans that still burned in Rusl's hand were finally released. As it fell and touched the carpet, smoke began rising. First from the carpet itself, then from the walls, the ceiling, everywhere. Panicked whispers and murmurs filled their ears despite nobody else being around. Cold, invisible things brushed past Angelo's skin from time to time, making him shudder and, in turn, take another helping of sugar.

On the other hand, Rusl, whose eyes were shut the whole time, proceeded to the next phase.

Phase two: Exhaustive Adoration.

His voice became quieter by then. Angelo noticed the line of crimson dripping from his jaw. Rusl was bleeding. Despite that, the Litanist chanted with gritted teeth.

Reciting the many names of the sovereign was merely a matter of memorization, while the rest could be made up, provided they still fulfill the role of adornment. Summoning the sovereign was one thing, but getting it to listen required honeyed words. Lots and lots of it.

As they continued with the second phase, the accumulated smoke slowly took form. Slowly, slowly, the smoke converged and began slithering in the spacious reception hall, its hazy form scratching the carpet's rough surface.

The chandelier's lights pulsated as it gently rocked to and fro, adding a dangerous creaking that Angelo needed to watch out for.

Phase three: Exhortation.

Finally, we can begin the actual exorcism.

Rusl was supposed to be reciting what the sovereign needed to do, but his voice was reduced to a murmur. Angelo's senses burned as he focused every bit of his attention possible and continued providing the ritual responses despite barely hearing anything amidst the rattling of the furniture, the chandelier, and, more importantly, the spine-chilling coldness of the giant snake slithering all over them.

Odiar, the sovereign's form when summoned under a weak ritual, was a serpent.

"Sovereign, cleanse the evil that plagued the house of your servant," Rusl's voice picked up when he felt the snake wasn't doing anything.

"Hear us," Angelo responded.

"By the covenant, we implore you, O sovereign of wrath unfathomable."

"Have mercy on us."

"Meka'en Comsas wen, daliah hashid Exorcis…"

"Daliah wen Shaa'tul."

They repeated this for about thirty minutes before the snake hissed and finally got a move on. The sovereign accepted the task.

It began absorbing the black mist seeping out from the mansion. That's it. However, the process was either too slow or the negative karma was too great; it's taking a while to finish.

"There's so much… anguish…" Angelo muttered as the black cloud completely enveloped the space beyond as if the reception hall were a pocket dimension.

Angelo poured some salt overhead and uttered a prayer before he returned the salt canister and exchanged it for a knife. He's preparing to rush at Rusl and give him a ton of sugar or, should the situation call for it, attempt to break the ritual.

At this point, Angelo could hear the blood mixed in Rusl's weak song-like chants. This time, it's recitation of the scripture. Reminiscent of the chanting done by clergymen, this enabled the performer to focus on themselves so as not to collapse in the middle of the crucial part of the ritual. A forced meditative state is done to mitigate the loss of senses and resolve.

As for Angelo, he didn't need to force himself to stay alert. For one, he needed to listen to recite the correct response. Although it's not a problem for someone who's committed to the task, it's quite taxing when a huge snake slithers around, often brushing its cold, smoke scales into his back.

The exorcism continued. All the resentment, the malevolence, and loathing filling the mansion were being absorbed by the sovereign, replacing the surroundings with its overwhelming aura. While Angelo hadn't received the covenant yet, even he could feel the change in atmosphere. The air felt good to breathe for one, and the sickening weight of despair became just the sickening stench of blood.

The exorcism was definitely according to plan. Despite the very tedious process, the sovereign was surprisingly easy to summon.

As comfort and ease filled Angelo, his focus began mellowing out. It was said that during these times, when everything was nice and easy, the heart would be most vulnerable.

The giant snake stirred as it also noticed.

Then, in one fluid motion, it gobbled up Rusl.