For about ten minutes Ishtar continued to chant, wondering if her chant was having any affect. Just as she was ready to stop, the young woman noticed something was wrong with the bowl of water. To her amazement she watched as the water simply vanished from the bowl. It was then that she could smell something like a fish. At first it was pretty faint, then it grew stronger and stronger until suddenly there was a flash of light that made the blue haired woman hide her eyes.

Only when she opened her eyes, did Ishtar see the small creature that was trapped in the circle. It was very menacing and hostile, and it claws and teeth terrified the young woman. Will that barrier keep the creature in the circle?

"Y-Y-Yes," it was evident that Nina was facing some sort of shock here as she gazed at the creature that pressed against the invisible barrier only to recoil at the shock that it received by testing out the strength of the barrier.

Lidless eyes gazed out at the two from beyond the barrier, it's mouth pulled back in a sneer as the servant of Chthulu observed the pair, snarling out in protest of being here.

Ishtar initially was frightened by the creature as it studied the two of them before it pressed itself against the barrier and was driven back by the force of the barrier. Slowly Ishtar managed to collect her nerve and began to ask some questions. S-so c-can anyone ask it a question or do you h-have to?

"Anyone can, though it can refuse to answer though if it refuses to answer me it gets wracked by pain."

The creature studied the two girls, tested the strength of the barrier again then glared at the two girls.

I shall delight in flaying your flesh from your bones for calling me here. This barrier is but a respite, a brief respite against my power, I shall bring it down in time and strip the two of you of your protection.

Ishtar watched as the creature attempted to go through the barrier but was repelled. It words frightened the young woman but so far the barrier held and the two were safe. S-so do you know why the families in this town keep disappearing? Ishtar continued to position herself behind Nina to keep the creature focus on the two of them. She could help but notice that she felt safer near Nina as well.

"Don't worry, it's bluffing ... outside of those claws and teeth it has no real power outside of claiming to be a servant of a powerful entity." Nina stated as she was wrapped up in observing this thing. But it looked at Ishtar blankly until Nina spoke up.

"Answer her!"

"Were am I?" Once this information was supplied it chortled. "My master has marked them, and he always gets what he wants."

Marked? What do you mean marked? Ishtar was still a bit scared of the creature but having Nina there to reassure her made feel alot better. He took them? How?

The fish-like humanoid gazed at her with unblinking eyes, he seemed to sense her fear and was silent for a long moment.

"Yes, marked. Lord Chtulu has honored them by selecting them as sacrifices for his return. Deep Ones, his children, have been gathering those that he selects up until the day of reckoning when he shall return to this dimension free from the shackles placed on him by the Elder Ones."

Ishtar could only look on as the unblinking creature kept her hanging on its next word. But they have already disappeared, does that mean he will be returning today?

The fish-like creature chortled as it regarded her, perhaps appraising her as a finger reflexively moved back, testing the barrier that entrapped it.

"I am unaware of the Lord's plans, or for that matter some of his servants but I can only imagine that it will be soon, sacrifices have been gathered up for the ceremony, it needs only be performed before he shreads the fabric between the worlds and is released from the constraints of the Elders, still ... it does appear that this shall be done sooner rather than later."

Ishtar watched as the creature tested the barrier, but it was still too weak.

How would these sacrifices be conducted? Ishtar was now concerned for those family lives, it would be horrific for somebody to die just to allow some sort of monster to come in and take over the world. Where would they be conducted?

It grinned at her with a mouth full of needle-like teeth.

"I know not of those things, that is for the priests to conduct and do all their ceremonies but I imagine that it will be done during the ceremony, the priests will probably kill them during."

It thought for a moment, probably about her motives or the fact that she might try to get some help if he revealed where the sacrifices were but there were wards in place, stronger summoned minions to deal with any problems. Still, would it be worth any inconvience?

"The factory district, or what was once it before they were closed one by one during the depression. The buildings still remain and as such they are still imprisoned there. One of the buildings use to be a shoe company, they are there."

It had not even waited for Nina to ask the question and cause it pain by refusing to answer, it learned rather quick in it's day and rather than be resistant it seemed as if it were summoned before and wanted to avoid mistakes of the past.

Every time the creature grinned, Ishtar recoiled in horror. The thought of the teeth getting near her body frighten the young woman.

They are going to k-kill them? Nina, we can't let do that, we have to tell police somehow? Ishtar struggled to recompose herself. The police are never going to believe us, but we have to figure out someway to get them to the warehouse.

The Deep One chortled. "Even if they do believe you they cannot hope to overcome what is there even if they do check the place out. I'd imagine it would only speed up their time line since theyd have unwanted attention."

Nina gazed at her, half in concern half in disbelief. "What should we do? Perhaps occult power will give us a way to sneak past guardians and barriers or do we try to take them down, perhaps make a crank call to the police and when they check the place out they can go inside unmolested?"

The Deep One continued to chortle as it gazed between the two.

Ishtar looked at her fellow student, I guess that is what we have to do if we going to have any chance of preventing this. We have to sneak past the guardians and barriers to see what is going on and then attempt to break them down. It will be the only way the police will be able to make it in.

The Deep One nearby continued to chortle as it gazed at them. But first, how do we dismiss him.