The Curse of Arnford Manor

By Mythical Traveller
[mythmanxvi (at) hotmail.com]

CHAPTER IX: Ritual


Functions Room B, The Arnford, Holliston, NC
July 16th, 1931, 12:17am.
The chamber was brightly illuminated by a plethora of candles and a handful of oil 
lamps that had been placed all around. The witches had also turned the large cooking 
pots from the kitchen into makeshift braziers. The large dining table and its chairs had 
been pushed to one side of the chamber to make room.

In the middle of the room, just in front of the stage, Nina and Swift Coyote stood side-
by-side in a large pentacle scrawled upon the floor in chalk. Nina wore nothing but 
her magic amulet and her black casting robe, with the hood lowered. Clutched in her 
hands was a modest bouquet, made of flowers that Demi had puckishly pilfered from 
a garden along the way. Upon her face was an utterly blissful smile.

Swift Coyote was dressed only in his traditional breechcloth, leggings and moccasins. 
He had marked his body with the tribal designs that had been worn by his father and 
his father before him. He, like Nina, appeared unusually happy.

Nerine stood before the couple, presiding over the ceremony as high priestess. Demi 
and Levinia stood off to one side, acting both as witnesses and as Nerines assistants. 
Demi, Nerine and Levinia were dressed much the same as Nina, except they had the 
hoods of their casting robes pulled up.

They were conducting a handfasting ceremony  a witchs wedding, in which Nina 
and Swift Coyote were forging a lifelong unity together. At Nerines cue, Demi 
stepped forward with the covens athame and held it before Swift Coyote.

Touch the tip of the blade, Nerine instructed him. He complied. Swift Coyote, as 
you stand before the Gods, will you take this witch as your partner and mate? Will 
you swear upon this sacred athame to love her, comfort her and honor her in sickness 
and health, for as long as you both shall live?

I will, he replied. Without a word, Demi bowed her head and stepped back. Levinia 
stepped forward, carrying one of the covens ceremonial chalices, which she held out 
in front of Nina. Nina reached forward and touched the center of the chalices bowl 
with her index finger.

Nina, High Priestess of Fire, as you stand before the Gods, will you take this man as 
your partner and mate? Will you swear upon this sacred chalice to love him, comfort 
him and honor him in sickness and health, for as long as you both shall live? Nerine 
asked.

I will, Nina chimed. Levinia solemnly moved back to Demis side.

Your intentions are have been heard, Nerine declared. The God and Goddess have 
been called upon to join you in holy matrimony, with the vows you shall make to each 
other on this night. Swift Coyote, please repeat after me.

Swift Coyote turned to gaze into his brides doting eyes. Nerine guided him a 
sentence at a time and he repeated her words, verbatim, I, Swift Coyote, do 
recognize in you, my love, the form of the Goddess, the vessel of new life, the 
gateway to ecstasy; my perfect other half. I promise to honour, love and revere you as 
both holy and human, for as long as my heart beats.

Nina, please repeat after me, Nerine requested.

Nina spoke precisely as instructed, I, Nina of the Coven of the Four Paths, do 
recognize in you, my love, the form of the God, the spark of new life, the bringer of 
fulfilment; my perfect other half. I promise to honour, love and revere you as both 
holy and human, for as long as my heart beats.

Hold hands, Nerine instructed. Before placing her hand in Swift Coyotes, Nina 
removed her arm from her sleeve and slipped it out through the part in the front of her 
robe. She knew doing so now would make later parts of the ritual easier.

Levinia presented Nerine with a long strip of aquamarine silk. Nerine proceeded to 
bind Swift Coyote and Nina together at the wrist with the strip, as she spoke the final 
decree of matrimony, With the fashioning of this knot do I tie all the desires, dreams, 
love, and happiness of the lives you have freely offered each other. Here, in the sight 
of your friends and family, the two of you have become one. May your union be 
forever blessed. So mote it be.

Now husband and wife, the joyful couple embraced and shared a long, tender kiss. 
Swift Coyote slipped his unbound hand inside his brides robe, to explore the shapely 
curves of her waist, hips and ass.

Swift Coyote, Nerine interrupted after an appropriate length of time. The 
newlyweds broke off their kiss and looked at her. As a high priestess of The Coven 
of the Four Paths, it is my pleasure to welcome you into our order. You are family, 
now, she said with a broad smile. Swift Coyote nodded in thanks then turned his 
attention back to Nina.

The other witches took a moment to delight in their sisters wedded bliss before 
making their preparations for the second part of the cleansing ritual. Nerine relieved 
Nina of her bouquet. Demi assisted Nina out of her robe, while Levinia helped Swift 
Coyote undress. They were no simple tasks as the couple had already begun their 
foreplay. Once the newlyweds were completely naked, Demi and Levinia stepped 
away to prepare the ceremonial relics.

Public consummation was not normally part of a handfasting ceremony. But in this 
case, it was important for Nina and Swift Coyote to seal their marriage, physically, in 
the exact spot where they had been wed.

Remember, yours is the most important role in the ritual, so no matter what happens, 
dont stop, Nerine instructed them. Let us worry about Serina Arnford. Nina 
nodded in agreement while her husband adored the side of her neck. Oh, and try to 
stay within the bounds of the pentacle, Nerine added as she headed over to assist 
Levinia and Demi with the ritual preparations.

Nina and Swift Coyotes kisses grew more and more passionate. Swift Coyote slipped 
a hand between their bodies and began to rub Ninas crotch in a way he knew she 
liked. Most of his fingers stayed on the outside but one moved back and forth between 
her lips, while putting just a little pressure on her clit. Nina purred in approval.

After several more kisses, she leaned back so that he could enjoy her tits. He removed 
his hand from her sex so he could knead one of the gorgeous mounds while kissing 
and suckling its twin. Nina wrapped her fingers around his manhood and began to 
calmly work it up and down. The bigger and firmer it got, the more she yearned to 
thrust it into her dripping canal. Swift Coyote began to touch her down there again, 
this time he actually penetrated her with his finger. Nina couldnt stand such exquisite 
teasing for long.

She leapt off the ground and wrapped her legs tightly around his hips. Swift Coyote 
grabbed one of her buttocks firmly, to help support her weight. Her hot snatch was 
pressed against his adamant rod. In between their increasingly lusty kisses, the two 
newlyweds began to pant like wild beasts.

I want you inside me, Nina cooed softly. Without letting go of her, Swift Coyote sat 
down on the floor, right in the center of the pentacle.

Nearby, Nerine, Levinia and Demi had gathered in a small circle. High above their 
heads, Nerine held the ceremonial chalice while Levinia likewise held the golden 
athame. In unison, the three witches began to chant powerful incantations over and 
over, in an unbroken cycle.

Once Swift Coyote was sitting comfortably, Nina guided his maleness into her 
womanhood. She moaned as it gradually filled her tingling hollow. Once he was deep 
inside, Swift Coyote pulled Ninas body as close as possible to his own and the pair 
resumed their passionate kissing. Ninas hips began to grind industriously against her 
husband.

A faint rumble could be heard within the chamber, growing louder by the second. The 
furniture in the corner began to shake and soon the witches felt the floorboards 
trembling beneath them. Small wisps of white smoke began to rise from the edge of 
the pentacle inscribed on the floor.

As their arousal built to a head, Swift Coyote was making love to his wife with short, 
sharp thrusts that rocked her entire body and elicited gasps of pleasure from her lips. 
They slowed down for a second to embrace and kiss some more, while stroking each 
others hot spots.

Then they repositioned themselves. Swift Coyote was moving to take Nina from 
above, missionary style, when she unexpectedly pounced upon him, hurling him to 
the ground. The wanton gaze in her eyes was almost manic  her voracious libido had 
taken over. Swift Coyote smiled as he realized he was about to have the most 
incredible experience of his life. Nina began to ride.

With a hellish roar, a black cloud of smoke appeared out of nowhere, at the far end of 
the chamber. It quickly spiralled into a huge black twister that stretched the entire 
height of the room. By now, everything within the room was shuddering.

The smoky twister began to drift erratically around the room. At first, it meandered 
around in the area it had first appeared, but then it moved perilously close to the 
witches and the newlyweds. The three chanting witches continued their ritual and 
didnt react at all to the appearance of the sinister tornado. Nerine held the chalice out 
in front of her and with a smooth motion, Levinia plunged the athame into its bowl, 
symbolically penetrating the feminine vessel with the masculine blade.

The twister suddenly raced towards the couple in the pentacle. But before it could run 
them down, a huge column of protective flame encircled the pentacle. The twister 
bounced right off it, letting out an inhuman scream of anger. Ninas rational mind had 
been completely overcome with desire. Her powers over the element of fire, which 
were intensified by her own passion, were acting beyond her control. Yet they still 
worked exclusively in her interests. The two lovers were so preoccupied, they didnt 
even notice the inferno that had surrounded them.

A harsh wind had built around the twister. It was so strong that it threatened to rend 
the witches robes from their bodies. Yet they endured it and continued their 
incantations. Most of the candles in the room were blown out. Soon after, small 
objects, such as vases, framed pictures and the lanterns began to fly through the air. 
Before long, the only sources of light remaining were the improvised braziers (which 
were burning brighter thanks to Ninas magic) and the column of flame.

Ninas autonomous magic began to singe seven-foot-tall sigils for the God and 
Goddess into the side walls of the chamber. On the back wall, the secret symbol for 
the Coven of the Four Paths was branded for posterity.

The twister began to lift the chairs near the dining table and hurl them through the air. 
One of the airborne chairs smashed into Demi, side-on and knocked her to the ground.

IM FINE! she assured her sisters as a nasty cut above her ear began to weep blood. 
She practically had to shout to be heard over the howling wind. DONT STOP THE 
RITUAL! Respecting her wishes, Nerine and Levinia continued their chant with 
redoubled volume.

Outside, dozens of lightning bolts struck the ground in rapid succession. Forces 
beyond human comprehension were closing the spiritual wound hanging over The 
Arnford.

Unable to resist his goddess perfect flesh for another instant, Swift Coyote arched his 
back and roared like a lion. His massive load of scalding semen rocketed into the 
vice-like grasp of Ninas womanhood. Nina, who was well into her own climax, 
continued to shift up and down his hard cock. An innately fantastic lover, she shrieked 
ever louder as she bought them both to greater and greater heights of ecstasy.

With an ear-splitting scream, the swirling cloud of black smoke began to slow down 
and dissipate. The winds and earthquake stopped, as did the lightning storm outside. 
Sensing that the danger had passed, Ninas magic rescinded the column of fire that 
had been shielding her.

As the cloud of smoke disappeared altogether, a figure appeared in the middle of it, 
sitting up upon the floor. It was a completely naked woman, pale-skinned, slightly 
dishevelled-looking, with uncombed black hair: Serina Arnford. Her connection to a 
source of dark magic had been severed. She was now just a regular mortal.

She remained there for several seconds with her face sunk towards the floor. Sitting 
virtually motionless, she shuddered as if silently weeping.  Nerine and Levinia 
watched cautiously, joined by Demi who had just gotten back on her feet.

All of a sudden, Serina lifted her head and looked over the other people in the room 
with mad, bloodshot eyes. She hissed at the three witches with bared teeth, before 
getting to her feet and racing for the door.

Dont let her escape! Nerine cried. Levinia extended her hand and summoned a gust 
of wind to close the doors and block Serinas escape. But Serina was surprisingly 
nimble and managed to slip between the doors just before they closed.

Damn! Levinia cursed. The three witches took off in hasty pursuit. They chased 
Serina Arnford through the halls of the old hotel, across the wide front lawn and down 
the hillside road to Holliston proper. Serina Arnford was a superior sprinter to all 
three of her pursuers and managed to extend her initial lead. Regardless, the witches 
followed her relentlessly. Demi tried to trap Serina by opening sinkholes beneath her, 
but she was still a bit dazed from her earlier injury and her aim was way off.

Serina managed to make it all the way to the town center, which was brightly lit by 
the headlights of many large vehicles. The witches arrived on the scene just in time to 
see Serina Arnford being chased by a half-dozen soldiers.

Every lawman in the county, along with the national guard, had been called into 
Holliston to deal with the aftermath of the riot. Dozens of bloody local men stood in 
shackles, awaiting transport to some unknown jail. Numerous stretchers moved to and 
fro, carrying the bodies of the dead and seriously injured.

From the shadows of a distant building, the three witches watched as the soldiers 
cornered Serina Arnford against a couple of shop fronts. After hesitating for a second 
Demi began to step forward.

Wait! Nerine instructed in a loud whisper.

We cant just let her go! Demi asserted.

If anyone finds out there was a witch coven in town on the same night as this riot, 
well be lynched without trial! Nerine pointed out, gesturing at her own distinctive 
casting robes.

The soldiers pinned Serina Arnford to the ground and bound her hands with sturdy 
iron cuffs. She didnt make it easy for them, thrashing around, snarling, screaming 
and even trying to bite one of the soldiers. But in the end, she was impossibly 
outnumbered. 

Besides, they realize how dangerous she is. Theyll make sure shes kept secure, 
Nerine said.

Once she was restrained, a soldier tried to offer Serina some dignity by wrapping a 
blanket over her, but she defiantly shook it off every time. They led her off to the far 
side of the town square, away from all the male prisoners. A sheriff, his deputy and a 
military officer of some kind gathered near her to talk, most likely about what they 
were going to do with her.

Thats a nasty wound, Nerine remarked, looking at the side of Demis head. Lets 
go back and Ill tend to it. I dont think its wise to stay here with these guys hanging 
around, anyway. 


------------------------------------

Back in The Arnford, Swift Coyote and Nina layed within the smouldering circle of 
their pentacle. Holding each other in a lazy embrace, they nuzzled each other and 
shared an endless series of gentle kisses. The silken fabric still tightly bound their 
wrists to one another. 


------------------------------------

The Arnford, Holliston, NC
July 16th, 1931, 7:04am.
Nerine wandered into the large kitchen to find a freshly boiled kettle steaming near an 
open jar of ground coffee. She tracked down a mug and made herself a cup. As she 
did so, she noticed Levinia sitting on the step outside, cradling her own cup of hot 
coffee while she watched the sunrise.

Hi, Levinia turned to greet her as she heard her approach from behind.

Morning, Nerine replied. Levinia shuffled over so that there was room for both of 
them on the same step. Nerine sat down beside her.

Nina and Swift Coyote were fast asleep in the hotels bridal suite, having celebrated 
their nuptials several times during the night. They still had not untied their 
handfasting knot, nor had they spoken to the others about what became of Serina 
Arnford. Demi was resting in a separate bedroom, with one of Nerines salves already 
healing her wound.

Look at that, Levinia said with admiration as she gazed at the golden dawn sky. 
Ill bet this is the first good morning this place has seen in a loooooooooooooong 
time.

I think youd win that bet, Nerine agreed.

The curse was gone. Thanks to their ritual, the chapel chamber and, by extension, the 
entire building had been reconsecrated. Except this time, the building had been 
consecrated under the practices of witchcraft, not Christianity. The Arnford was now 
a safe haven for virtuous souls who followed the path of witchcraft. It was a place 
where their connection to the God and Goddess would always be clearer and hence, it 
was a place where their magic would naturally be stronger.

Do you think the challenges will always be this bad? Levinia solemnly asked after a 
brief pause. After taking stock of all the terrible dangers they had faced in the past 
couple days, the time when they had been naive acolytes, so eager to take their places 
as the high priestesses seemed like a lifetime ago.

I dont know, Nerine honestly replied. But I dont think so. What I do know is that 
were stronger now than we were before. Levinia thought about that and seemed 
encouraged.

You know, with the special connection this place now has with the God and 
Goddess, it would make a wonderful home for a coven, Nerine casually mentioned. 
Levinia looked over at her sister with a smirk.

Oh, really? You dont say, she facetiously replied.

Actually, I was thinking. All those children Serina Arnford had... they will always 
carry the corruption inside them, even with the curse gone. If any of those children 
ever meet up and mate... Well, I just thought that seeing as this is where they all 
originated from, this would be the best place to base ourselves and keep an eye on 
things, Nerine suggested.

And how, pray tell, do you expect well be able to afford to buy a luxury hotel? 
Levinia asked in a playful tone. This financial crisis isnt going to last forever. 
Sooner or later, somebodys gonna want to move back in here. Levinia only mocked 
her sister because she found the idea so appealing. The Arnford would make an ideal 
home to raise their daughters in, not only because of its resplendent architecture and 
wonderful space, but also because of its newfound spiritual warmth.

Nerine shrugged. The God and Goddess will guide us to a solution, if its our destiny 
to find one, she said with a hopeful smile.
