The room was lit by candle, the walls a dark beige with a dark wood wainscoting, the floor hardwood to match the wainscot. Drawn on the floor was a large pentacle, with candles at each point, and in the middle lay a man, staring upward at the ceiling. Upon closer inspection, the room was a bit of a disaster, with books and papers strewn everywhere.
Jeremy was annoyed, on the verge of giving up. He just could not get the spell right – everything kept going wrong. He didn’t dare go to anyone for help, fearing he might be mocked, or worse, made outcast within the chantry. It was supposed to be a simple thing, but he’d gotten far too frustrated and nearly frenzied because he couldn’t get it right. That’s how he found himself in the middle of the floor, staring at the dark ceiling.
After a while, and with a heavy sigh, he got up, and flicked on the lights before going about and extinguishing the candles. Staring at the mess of tossed books, scattered papers and flipped furniture, he took a moment to focus and calm himself, before gathering things together, and setting everything right.
As he gathered the loose papers, something caught his eye. Something he’d missed. Of course! It was vitae he’d needed, not just blood. He sighed, annoyed with himself for such a rookie mistake. Feeling extra grateful he hadn’t asked for assistance, he finished putting everything right, before collecting what he needed before trying again, this time, with better results.