The Tale of Tomaki (Chapter 41)

The city of Mogui. Years ago it was a town that was prosperous and rich…but now was little more than a ghost town, thwarted by untold calamities and misfortunes. Those who remained clung to strange and bizarre ways of surviving. Now, all were gathered around the town square, murmering in hushed whispers. The moon was high in the sky and it was yellow in color…the harvest moon was upon them. The night of his return was nigh.
Three men wearing long black cloaks and hoods over their heads approached the center of the town. There, standing erect in the focus was a large stone slab, shaped not unlike a coffin. Etched upon it was what appeared to be a humanoid shape…a most grotesque design that would strike discomfort and fear into any who gazed upon its visage…however, to the three men, it was nothing short of inspiring. One drew from his cloak a long ceremonial dagger with a blood red handle. He held it up to the harvest moon, before the strange stone carving and began mumbling a strange incantation before finally speaking.
“Oh great master…hear our cry! Thy sleep cometh to an end! Under the light of this evil night, we beckon you back to this mortal world! Arise, Demon Lord! Arise and be free again!” The crowd around them raised their hands up to the moon as well and repeated the mantra.
“Arise, demon lord! Arise and be free again!” After they spoke, the two men on either side of the dagger holder stepped back and turned to the crowd, who quickly thrust towards them a girl wearing a lovely dress and make up. She was smiling…a deranged and excited grin of glee.
“And lo, we do not call to thee without offering. We give to thee a sacrifice of purity…of flesh…and blood!” The girl was lead to the stone visage and shoved against it, forcing her to hug it tightly. “Behold, master…we give to thee a willing offering! Arise! By blood and flesh shall we call to thee! ARISE DEMON LORD! ARISE AND BE FREE AGAIN!” Without another word, the speaker plunged his dagger into the chest of the woman who cried out in pain…and then began to laugh as her blood oozed upon the stone carving. Her cackles mixed with the chanting of the crowd…it was a low and haunting metranom. The wind began to pick up…and animals near the town began to run in anticipation of what was to come.
The woman fell to the ground, her blood smearing the figure. The three cloaked men bowed low to it and stepped closer. They reached within their cloaks and pulled out three shining white jewels, setting them down around the statue. After the jewels were in place, they dropped to their knees and threw their hands to the sky as blood dripped along the soil.
“We return to you that which was once yours. Your faithful servants call to you! Great demon lord, we beseech you! Return to us in our hour of wanting…and lend us your power! They thirst for power shall be quenched! They lust for destruction shall be appeased! We give you our lives and our offering in humility and in expectation of your might! NOW ARISE! ARISE DEMON LORD! ARISE AND BE FREE AGAIN!” And so the crowd chanted…and began repeating the dreaded metronome, just as the clock struck midnight.
“ARISE, BOALAK THE ANCIENT! BE FREE ONCE MORE!” The middle man cried.

All feel silent as even the wind seemed to lessen. The stone slab before them suddenly began to hum. The blood that had dripped down around the dead girl was now climbing its way back up to the slab, turning the image upon it a horrifying bloody red. The rock began to crack and crumble like bread as bits and pieces fell off. The earth shook like an earthquake, and the townsfolk all cried out in surprise and amazement. The sky around the moon turned a strange red shade, like the blood. The image on the slab suddenly began to move…taking a more distinct shape. The ground cracked and opened as terrifying light could be seen bursting up from the netherworld itself! A great power had been brought…an evil the world had not seen for centuries.
There was a roar like a wild beast and then the slab exploded in all directions. The townsfolk hit the ground in fear…and when they looked up once more…where the slab once stood was a figure…a figure that made blood run cold and breath catch in ones throat. Heart beats quickened as fear became the air itself; so thick one could scarely breathe. His very presence was like being baptized in evil.
Before them stood a man…but not a man. His body was pale, thin, and naked, covered only by a white cloth around his waist. His hair was long, dirty, and grey as it covered his face like a frightening veil. Three large horns could be seen protruding from his head…two on either side, and one on his forehead. As he stood there in silence, he raised his head slightly and a single eye could be seen behind his veild…a single…terrifying…ruby red eye; so deep that those who saw it felt they would fall into it, never to climb out. He stood up straight again and flames crawled around him like coiling tentacles, licking and caressing their master. The fire, to the shock of the onlookers, felt cold. It was…a horrific creature that stood before them. This was no man….it was a monster.
The creature looked around slowly, turning his head to look at the viewers around him. The three robed men closest threw their faces to the ground in worship.
“Lord Boalak the Ancient!” They cried. “Our prayers have been answered! You’ve come! You’ve returned to us at long last!”
“…” Boalak did not answer them, but merely glared around him, his infinitely deep gaze paralyzing the town.
“It’s been many centuries since you were imprisoned by the Exorcists…the world has changed, and your humble followers have suffered greatly without you! But now that can all change! Please, Lord Boalak…master…we urge you…we beseech you…grant us your blessing and your power! Take back this world under your rule! None shall dare oppose you!”
“…” Boalak remained silent and then began looking at his own hands, flexing them and closing them over and over, getting the feel for his own body now. The hooded men seemed a little taken aback.
“My Lord…um…we are here to serve you! You can have whatever you desire! We are your tools to be used as you see fit! We are ready to be yours!” One cried. At this Boalak paused a moment and then he smiled…a sadistic, fanged, horrible grin that stretched across his face like a tapestry. Slowly…oh so lowly did he raised his right hand up over his head, until his open hand faced the moon above. All looked up a moment to see him…his arm now pointed directly at the heavens.

“Your first order…” Boalak finally croaked, “…is sacrifice.”

The screams could be heard from miles around as every townsman there, man, woman, and child felt the pain of a millennium of depraved malice. Blood pooled the earth that day in the City of Mogui. Bodies fell like raindrops upon the earth and only the three cloaked priests remained, trembling like a rabbit before a hungry wolf. It was only then did they understand the gravity of their actions…the consequences. But far too late. The blood upon the ground suddenly levitated upwards like a snake and flew towards the monster, surrounding him like a shield and then latching onto him, taking a solid form as blood red armor. Red spiked shoulder pauldrons now lay upon his shoulders and a chest guard the color of death guarded his body. Gauntlets laced with human blood now clenched his fists for him. His boots, ready to crush the hearts of millions, burnt stone beneath him. He raised his head, revealing a human like face…but with the expression of a being so inhumane. And then those eyes...two bright and deep eyes that held no life...no compassion...no light. They were empty as a hollow tomb. And a third eye sat just under his horn, as deeply red as to bring shame to the blood at his feet. It felt like it’d crawled from the darkest corners of hell.

“N-n-no…th-th-this is not…this is NOT what we wanted!” The first priest cried. “Master! You were going to reward us! W-We…we brought you back! We revived you!” He cried. Boalak’s eyes fell upon the priest and his sinister smile returned. He had no words for them…only that terrifying smile.
“P-Please…sp-spare us!” One finally pleaded. “We are your loyal priests! We will do as you please, just spare our lives!”
“…Your lives…are mine.” Boalak hissed. “So it was…and so it shall be again. This world…shall once again…belong to me.”

Far away from this, Spirit felt her whole body tremble…a cold sweat ran down her forehead and she shook her head.
“This…this is SERIOUSLY bad.” She growled. “Boalak the Ancient…of all the prehistoric monsters they dug up, it had to be HIM!? Tomaki…I gotta get Tomaki and fast.”