Published via Ecency

Morning all, I hope you had an awesome weekend. I have been busy as always. Between writing and researching, I somehow had time to update Mortis Custos.
I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as what I enjoyed writing it.

“But I need my sword.”

“Stay here and get eaten. Come, I need time!” Derric pulled at her harder. “And I need someone to talk me down when the time comes.”

“Wha…”

Magna was almost pulled off her feet. It was as if the young child had suddenly grown in strength. She needed her sword, she pulled back against the child who suddenly turned. Something had changed, something in his eyes.

“MOVE!” He roared.

She didn’t need to be told twice as rotting fingers glided through her hair. She bolted, yet somehow Derric managed to remain ahead of her as he ran on all fours. Why did he seem bigger?

He barged through the door of the cottage before her but held it open for her to enter. He was furiously indicating that she needed to hurry. She dove through the opening and heard a satisfying crunch as he slammed the door in something’s face. As Magna scrambled to her feet she noted Derric pacing on his back feet, muttering under his breath. It took her a while to figure out what he was saying.

“I am the forest; the forest is one with me.” He muttered over and over.

“What are you saying?”

Derric pointed to a chest in the corner of the room, “Weapons. There. Take. Need…”

A growl escaped his throat instead of words, and he sank to all fours once more. “Don’t let me hurt you.”

What?

The boy’s eyes looked up at her and she saw them change from black to orange, to yellow. She didn’t need to be told twice to get a weapon. She backed to the chest and rummaged around in it until she pulled a blade from it. The scabbard was flecked with old blood. She was momentarily distracted by the sight that she took her eyes off Derric.

It was the sound of ripping that made her turn back to look at him once more. She had only read of this in books before. This was old magic, from old blood. They were meant to be extinct. Where a boy had stood earlier, a twisted form of man and beast lay whining on the floor. At that moment, Magna didn’t know if she was in more danger being inside trapped with Derric, than outside with the undead.

“Speak!” Roared the beast.

Startled, Magna almost dropped her sword, all her training forgotten.

“Speak!” This time the voice was desperate.

“I am Magna, my family rules close by. I…I think I am well out of my depth.”

“More…” The mass was starting to take shape, and white fur sprouted along the elongated limbs.

“My twin brother is dying, and I don’t know how to save him. If I cannot be stronger, I will lose him. I already lost my dad.” Emotion flooded her terrified body and the tears started falling. “I don’t know what I am doing here.”

A growl echoed from the creature as it struggled from the floor. Its vulpine head swung to look at her, this time there were no words, only the look of hunger.

“Millmor asked us to help you, Derric.” She whispered. “Do you even want help from a human?”

The beast’s ears flicked at the word human, and it huffed. It was still growing and eventually, it was sitting crouched in the cottage. It viewed Magna with saliva dripping from its bared teeth. It cocked its head slowly before lying on the ground.

Let’s show them hell, Magna.

Mortis felt powerful magic erupt from the cottage as he put a fist through a rotten face. He knew what was coming long before it burst through the walls. Ignoring the mage’s furious casting, he grabbed Adiran and leapt aside as an ear-splitting roar was heard.

Momentarily stunned by the blow, Adiran looked up to see slavering jaws crunch around a skull, while a sword lopped off another head. A set of claws cleared the wall of undead that had started to surround them. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. A massive wolf with his niece riding on its back. She looked like she was having the time of her life.

“Well, I never.” Laughed Mortis. “I thought I smelt lycanthrope.”

Millmor!

The wolf bound off in the direction of where trees were being uprooted and thrown around. Mortis continued to laugh and pull Adiran to his feet.

“Aren’t you going to help them?” Demanded Adiran, as he continues to pull magic into his hands.

Mortis waved his hand to show the devastation the pair of children had caused. “A Ghoul King and a lycanthrope, in my lifetime, unbelievable. There isn’t much more I need to do here.”

“A blood feeder and a lycanthrope. What is this? A crappy romance?” Spat the mage.

Adiran looked around and saw the undead dropping one by one. Whatever had been controlling them had clearly not wanted to stick around. That only left the Dreadthing.

“Magna, no!” Screamed Adiran as he started to run after her.

Mortis caught his collar and held him aloft. “She is not in danger. Let her fight this battle.”

Magna had to fight for consciousness. Her world was collapsing around her, and the only thing which was keeping her awake was the instinct to swing the blade as the white beast tore through the undergrowth after the Dreadthing.

Millmor!

“Stop screaming in my head.” She yelled.

Her own screams were drowned out by the roaring of the Dreadthing and the Ghoul King as they fought. It didn’t take long for the two of them to land in the middle of the fight. The beast bowled the undead creature over, throwing Magna from his back. She hit the centre of the Dreadthing’s chest. Her mother’s training immediately took over.

Gripping a handful of fur with one hand, she drove the blade into the creature’s chest. It reared in mid-flight backwards and promptly fell on its back. The white vulpine didn’t give it a chance to get up as it encased the skull with its massive jaws and bit down. Blood exploded out of the remanets. Magna drove the sword up as the screaming started to bubble from the mess. She had nowhere to go. She was trapped between the Dreadthing and the white creature above her.

Move!

She released the sword and rolled away as two sets of claws came down on the Dreadthing’s chest to rip it apart. The dying scream of the creature was cut off abruptly. The beast then picked up the body and started shaking it around.

“Derric!” Screamed the Ghoul King as he picked himself up. “Stop!”

The beast didn’t. He continued to shake the creature before finally dropping it. It then turned its attention to Millmor. Everything in Magna screamed at her to stay where she was, but she couldn’t. Sprinting under the creature, she came up under its head and stood before Millmor with her arms outspread. Her one shoulder burned in pain, but she refused to drop her arms. The beast cocked its head and saliva once more started to drip from its teeth.

“I am Magna.” She started in a shaky voice. “And I am your friend.”

The beast snarled and lunged at her, but she refused to move, even when its nose collided with her hard enough to make her fall backwards. Although she struck her head, she quickly got back to her feet and raised her arms again.

“I am Magna, and I am your friend.”

The wolf looked at her with disdain before it noticed the blood dripping from her injuries. This creature dared to stand before him. A human, a hated human. A growl built in his chest, and he was prepared to lunge again, but this time Magna sidestepped and grabbed his snout.

“Stop.” She whispered. “I don’t have the strength or want to fight you. I am your friend.”

Friend?

“Please.” The voice sounded desperate.

He was on the edge of shaking her loose when she slipped from his snout and collapsed to the ground. Startled, and thinking it was a trick, he nosed her, trying to get a response. There was none. The forest grew silent as Millmor got to his feet. Startled by the sudden movement, the beast put himself between Magna and the Ghoul King.

Friend!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I took a shot at twilight. I'm sure I managed to get a laugh or two out of some people. Hope you all enjoyed where this battle scene ended up. Because now I have left the rest of the story in the hands of @zakludick . Have fun!

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