Greetings Readers
Our story is progressing and our characters are preparing. Be sure to read @zakludick's post to see all the preparations that are being made.
Magna sat on her father’s stone coffin. One leg was tucked under the other while it swung back and forth. She was watching Mortis, who sat in what seemed a silent meditation pose with Vitex and Robert. She had found them like this, hours ago and was now curious as to what they were doing.
Derrick had long since wandered off in boredom, likely gone to see Rex and Millmor and see how their planning was going. But she was curious as to what the two gods were doing with the man before her.
She still found it highly amusing that Darian had been the one to be turned into a blade for a master he barely understood. However, she paused in her mirth. She had heard the scream and felt the bloodlust of the weapon as it tried to convince her to take it.
The man who had been the one to uphold the country’s religion was no more. Even if he could be rescued from the blade, what was truly left of him? If his mind was intact, what horrors was he witnessing and why was he screaming?
Magna was shaken from her musings as she heard the familiar groan of leather as Mortis turned his grinning skull to her. She viewed him for a second and was almost sure that his leathery skin was starting to get flaky and peel away, revealing the pearl-white bone beneath it.
“You have been most patient.”
She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. This wasn’t Mortis, this was Belum, and she never knew how to handle him.
“I was curious as to what you three are doing.”
“And you will be rewarded for that curiosity.” More leather creaked and armour clanked as the undead knight rose to his feet. “May I see the silver bracelet around your wrist?”
Magna had almost forgotten about the only piece of jewellary she ever wore. It had once linked her and her uncle, a way to even the two of their natures. Now it was ineffective in that magic, but it was a lesson, the same as the scars around her throat. It was something to learn from and grow.
She hopped off the coffin and presented her wrist to Belum. The god tentatively took her hand and inspected the metal with his balefire eyes. They were oddly white when the god was in charge, as opposed to the green that Mortis’ eyes usually were.
“Your uncle made this, no?”
“He did.”
“Vitex, could you mimic this?”
The goddess, now in her adult form sprang to her feet and peered at the silver with a hint of disgust.
“I don’t work with metal, that is our other sister. The one the orcs are looking for.”
“Not the material but what it does.”
Pouting, Vitex touched the metal to try and ascertain what its function was. She frowned a little and then smiled. She then looked at Mortis and asked, “And who would you bind this poor wretch to?”
“Rex. Between the two of them, there should be some control.”
“Not Millmor?”
“Not with the ancient disaster that runs in his veins, no. Also, with him being partially undead, I don’t think it would work.”
“Goul Kings are not undead they are…”
“Their magic is of the undead persuasion; we can’t use him.”
“Excuse me.” Said Magna as she took her arm back, “What?”
Robert looked up mournfully and said, “They want a way to bind me so there is no reason to take the sword until Kai deems it a worthy item to bring to the islands.”
Magna knew Kai was a many-faced god, but she wasn’t sure if the god was still present the way Vitex and Belum were. As if sensing her question Vitex dropped her face to Magna’s face height and grinned.
“Kai was the best and most paranoid of all of us. We should have listened when we had the opportunity to. Oh well, they were right, and we were wrong. Likely they don’t want to see us at this point. Hasn’t even tried to connect with us. So rude.”
Belum rolled the balefire in his eyes and muttered, “Kai doesn’t know we’re out here and even if they did, the welcome wouldn’t be a warm one. Which is why I am going with Magna, and you are staying here.”
“Are you saying there is another god?”
“Oh darling, there are many. What do you think keeps this castle standing? Those glyphs carved into the coffins all around us hold the magic of the gods that take care of stone and earth…”
Magna waved her answer away, “You know what I mean!”
“Oh, physical god, as in has a body like us? That’s a little tricky with Kai. They’re called the god of many faces for a reason. Could be splintered amongst many, could be a shapeshifter, who knows after all this time.”
Magna couldn’t help but long for the days when her father begrudgingly trained her to wield a sword.
“When are we going to discuss how we move out?” she asked Mortis, hoping to get an answer from him. Belum shook his head and said, “What Robert carries needs to be controlled first. Perhaps you should seek out Letty and get more answers about the Death Cult so that you have a general idea of where you will need to go when we’re all ready to go.”
Magna knew she was being dismissed, and it irked her. However, this little song and dance was starting to bore her.
“Fine. I’ll leave to give you the privacy you need.” She shrugged and made her way to leave the family crypt.
“And be a darling and find Rex and Millmor. I think they may want to hear the preposition we have.” Called Vitex after her.
And back to Zak.
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library
Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
Vetitum Nemus
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