[center][h1][color=B22222]Rocco Moretti[/color][/h1] [h2]June 20, 2021 8:24pm Rock Island Cove Salt Marsh[/h2][/center] The lighter blazed to life in his hand, its flame whipping back and forth in the sea breeze. The ex-hitman raised the dancing fire to the end of his fourth cigarette of the hour and looked over the circle that he had been carefully constructing. It looked right, as far as he could tell. He’d spent the last few days scouting out a perfect area to perform the summoning. The Rock Island Cove Salt Marsh had proven to be the most discreet location he could find, and the patch of trees that he had ultimately decided on would hide him effectively from any passers-by, or at least he hoped so. If not… well, he’d dealt with witnesses before. A small piece of stone rested in the center of the ring, a fragment that had been broken from the Lia Fail by some bandit years ago. He’d had to reach out to the most distant of his contacts to get the relic delivered from Ireland, and its timely arrival had required substantial compensation. He’d managed to scrape everything together with a bit over a week to spare. Still, there was no guarantee that it would work. Even with everything somehow coming together all he could do was hope for the best. The sun was beginning to set. The time had come. Rocco took a long, deep drag from his cigarette. He held it in for a few seconds before blowing out a considerable cloud of smoke and taking a step toward the circle. “Here goes nothing, Bianca.” He pulled his glove from his left hand with his teeth and shoved it in his coat pocket. Clearing his throat, he raised his bare hand over the circle, the jagged, blood-red lines glowing in the dying light. [i][center]“Blood and lead to the origin. Earth and the archduke of contracts to the foundation. The ancestor, the sorcerer Ruggeri. Let the wind bar the gates. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. When each is filled burn it away.”[/center] [/i] The exact words of the chant were escaping him, even as the circle before him began to spark to life. He gritted his teeth, shouting out into the twilight. [i][center]“Your blade carves my destiny! The Grail calls out! Answer, if you would hear me! I make no oath to virtue! Nor to harm! But to my singular purpose! If you would claim this victory, And rise to this challenge Then come forth! Ti evoco, Rispondi alla mia chiamata!”[/center][/i] The Command Seals burned brightly, and Rocco could feel a searing pain in his hand as a whirlwind of flame burst from the center of the circle. He held his breath. The moment of truth was upon him.