Greetings Readers!
This weekend was crazy busy, and I only just finished the update, which should have been out yesterday!
Wednesday afternoon, I was given a 10-day-old rat, which I have been hand-rearing, so I haven't had much time for myself between his needs and getting stuff done.
Anyway, here is my update, but make sure that you stay up to date with what @zakludick is writing and we are jumping between the different parties! Enjoy the update.
Mortis stood bare-faced as Magna circled him. She had taken to sparing with him the last few days as Letulah was recovering from her injuries. He hadn’t minded the distraction. The more he trained with Magna, the less Belum nagged at him to speak to the Flame Knights.
The old king just wanted to rest. His bones were old, and he had already been reborn once into their realm, but that didn’t seem to stop the cold ache that he could feel despite having nothing to feel with.
He had hoped he could discuss the changes he had started feeling with Adiran, but the attack on Letulah had caused all their plans to change, and he never had the opportunity to have the discussion he wanted to have.
He parried a blow from Magna, who seemed to be getting more and more frustrated with no attacking from the revenant. He couldn’t blame her. He had agreed to this sparring session, but now he was distracted and wasn’t giving her the attention she deserved.
Focusing his balefire eyes on her, he stepped forward to bat her sword aside, then raised a gauntlet-clad fist to strike. While it collided with the princess’s jaw, it was a glancing blow, as she spun in place, using the momentum of the strike to spin around the revenant, who hadn’t expected it.
The soft ting of a sword point against his armour told him immediately that his poor focus had cost him this match. He pulled air into his lungs and sighed heavily.
“It was a fair fight!” declared Magna, as hot-headed as always.
“No it wasn’t. I didn’t give you the attention you asked for, leading to a poorly…”
“I know.” Said Magna as she sheathed her sword. “You have been distracted for the last ten minutes of the match.”
She walked over to a wooden chair to grab a cloth from a bucket. She dunked it in, wrung it out, and wiped her face and head. In a separate bucket, she lifted a ladle and drank deeply. She grimaced at the pounding in her jaw.
“Not going to complain about the blow?”
“Why? It’s not that our enemies are going to show any sort of mercy. I’m glad you fought dirty. Wish you had been more focused, but I am starting to get tired. We’ll call it a draw.”
“You are calmer about this than I expected.” Mortis came to stand beside her as she sat down, now ladling water over her seat-damp hair.
“I’m worried.” Sighed Magna as she shook her damp hair.
“The Death Cult?”
“We don’t know much, and we’re going in with zero mage support. That seems so dangerous.”
“Mages sense mages. Anyway, I hear your uncle left an artefact for us that can offer some protection from being sensed.”
“Even then, Mortis. Think about it. A shapeshifting rogue, burglar, whatever Letty is, and two warriors, on a recon mission. Am I missing something?”
And a God.
Mortis almost groaned with Belum surfacing into the conversation loud enough for Magna to hear.
“And a God, but my point remains. Don’t you think that Adiran and Adrian would have been better suited for this mission?”
“No.” said Mortis simply.
Magna fixed him with a glare and spun her hand in the air, indicating that she needed more information from him.
“Think about it for a moment.” Said Mortis softly. “How did all of this start?” “My brother was attacked, and my father was killed.”
Mortis remained silent, waiting for Magna to see the connection. She just needed some time to mull over the facts she had.
“They know my brother and uncle because of the part of the soul they stole. If the Death cult is connected to the man that orchestrated all of this…wait, not the man. The Cold One? You think the Cold One is behind this?”
“We don’t know, thus we need to go instead of those linked to the Cold One.” Magna shook her head, annoyed that she needed this spelled out to her after all this time.
“And with you linked to the Fiery One, well, they won’t be keeping too close an eye on those with that mark.” Mortis looked out a window close by. “Belum can also shield us from spies that are beyond any realm that we cannot see.”
“That’s handy.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’ve always been the martial one. Magic makes me uncomfortable, and the thought of going headlong into an area that may be swarming with the undead…I’m sorry, is that offensive?”
“Not at all. The mindless walkers are somewhat disturbing, even to us intelligent undead.” Mortis would have smiled if his face wasn’t plastered in a permanent grin. “Come. Let’s try another round, so that you have my full attention.”
Magna gave one pant before reaching for a dry cloth to dry her hair and hands before taking up the sword again to face Mortis.
Letulah hadn’t trusted the revenant when they had first been met. She had kept her distance from the undead but had watched at a distance. She had been so sure that he would turn on them at any given moment, but he never had.
He wasn’t being controlled by anything. Even the god that had attached itself to him had no control over the revenant if Mortis wished to remain in control. Letulah still felt her skin crawl when he spoke. She was forced to remind herself over and over that, especially when she randomly ran into him. Except, she knew it wasn’t random.
Mary had insisted that he ensure that she didn’t exacerbate her injuries while recovering from the attack that had nearly killed her. She still couldn’t believe that Barakus had willingly given himself up to save her, but she was sure somewhere, this had all worked into his schemes.
She sat and watched the revenant and princess continue the duel they had started, and this time, the undead knight was more engaged. Magna was tired from earlier, but she still fought him to a near standstill before the knight had touched his blade to the back of her arm. The blow would have easily taken the arm off a foe, yet this one was halted just in time for it to be nothing more than a tap.
The shapeshifter heard laughter from the princess, who collapsed to the ground panting. She heard her mutter something about winning the next round. Letulah then pulled back into the shadows.
As she made her way to her quarters, she couldn’t help but wonder if this time she would be successful in returning her husband to the life they had once had. She sighed and shook her head violently. There was no use dreaming until she could see him take his first breath once more. And for that to occur, she needed the revenant, even though she could barely stand to have him around her.
And back to you Zak.
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library
Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
Vetitum Nemus
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