Greetings everyone
I hope you have all had a great week. Mine has been a flurry of work and sample writing for clients that want to see how I write without asking for freebies. I hate it when clients do that. Luckily this sample is being paid for so I am happy to do it.
Sadly, this means I had very little time to do much writing. I do hope you enjoy what I wrote though. If not, @zakludick will need to do better.
“You seem to do that a lot.” Said Stephan somewhat with a hint of sarcasm.
“Sounds like Adiran wants to send us on another adventure.” Commented Derric as he threw an arm around Magna, also enveloping her twin.
Magna blazed the colour of the flames within her, and this time Adrian grinned. The princess elbowed Derric in the ribs. He choked back a cry of pain and released her. The forest prince clutched at his chest and whined somewhat like a wolf and looked at Magna as if she had betrayed her.
“Not here.” She said softly.
And then louder, “What are you even doing out of bed?” You are still injured from the fight!”
“As you said.” He wheezed. “Daisy was attacked. She came running into my home yowling about a hunger loose in the castle. What the hell is a hunger? All I saw was a Lifedrinker.”
“What Lifedrinker do you know that transforms into beasts?” scoffed Stephan.
“Will all of you be quiet for one minute? I must think!” demanded Adiran as he ran his hands through his hair with an intense look of concentration on his face.
Derric, done nursing his aching ribs turned to Magna and demanded, “What? No hello? It’s been a few days.”
Adrian heard his sister mumble something under her breath blood poured into her face. While he was unable to hear what she had said, Derric had, and he chuckled.
“Fine. I’ll wear a shirt if you’re that uncomfortable.”
Adrian watched in fascination as the man before him clicked his fingers and a cotton shirt appeared on his form.
“Well, that’s a neat trick. You’ll have to teach me how to do that.”
Derric laughed but was cut off by a heavy weight being thrown against the kitchen door. He frowned and looked at Stephan, “I believe you are the only one who is capable of going in there without getting hurt.”
Stephan shook his head, “There is nothing more for me to do here. If you want the hunger to speak, bring one that is close to him. However, the transformation may be permanent at this point.”
“I need to find Rhys. He must remember what I did. He was around back then.” Said Adiran as he swiftly turned from the group.
He paused, sighed, and said, “Magna, go get your mother. Adrian, come with me, I will need your help. Stephan, stay here until the Queen arrives.”
Adiran then fixed Derric with what appeared to be a look of disappointment and said, “You’re trying a little too hard to get what is already yours. Tone it down.”
Derric snorted but his cheeks were a definite pinker shade than earlier. Magna didn’t even look at him as she marched from the room with her brother hot on her heels.
“Mom was sleeping when I left her.” He said as he ran past her to catch up to their uncle.
Mary hadn’t expected to be woken by her daughter less than an hour after she had dismissed her. Annoyance didn’t even begin to describe how she felt, but the look on her daughter’s face let her know that something serious had occurred.
“Something happened with Uncle Sebastian.” Was all she offered as she roused her mother.
Mary at first reached for the silver gauntlets on the bedside table but decided against them. Sebastian didn’t need to see weapons coming at him at this stage. She was sure he too suffered from the loss of their parents as she did.
Ignoring the fact that it looked like her daughter had been in a fight, she quickly followed her to the kitchen where the door still stood barred. She didn’t miss the fact that Derric was standing close by chatting with Stephan. She liked the boy, even though he seemed to change his shape and age as he wished. There was something about him that was so familiar, but she couldn’t place her finger on it. She wasn’t blind to the not-so-secret romance happening between the boy and her daughter. Unlike Johnathan and her parents, she had no wish to marry her daughter off to gain lands or people. As long as her partner was strong enough to protect her when the time came, she didn’t mind who or what her daughter chose to be at her side.
“Where is Sebastian?” she demanded of the spirit.
“He went rabid and attacked your daughter.”
“Not entirely true.” Said Mortis who was standing close to the door. “He lost the fight with the beast within.”
Mary had seen this before. The changing that caused people to lose their sense of self. If her brother had become this, it was too late for him.
“He went for the pig instead of me.” Said Derric after some time. “He actively chose to attack it instead of me. He may not be completely gone.”
“Open the door, Mortis.” Demanded the Queen.
“Are you sure?”
“Have your blade at the ready just in case.”
She prepared herself to see the horrors of her youth when the door opened. A madman ready to pounce and kill anything in its way. But after a few pushes to get the door open, thanks to the butchered pig carcass blocking it, all Mary could see was blood and the crumpled form of her brother. Half of his armour lay to one side, and she watched the sicken black veins run across his back.
“I didn’t mean to.” He whispered into the stones of the floor. “But it is getting too strong.”
While Mary had been the younger of the two, she had always been the one to bandage injuries and ease any pains. It hurt to see her brother like this, and she stepped forward.
“Stop! Least I hurt you too!” he screamed.
Whether from bravery or stupidity, Mary came to kneel next to her brother and pulled his unarmoured half into her arms. While she whispered words of comfort to her half-beast brother, he wept for what he had become.
Stephan watched this for a few minutes before he said to Mortis, “The hunger is strong, but the king is stronger. There may be hope for him yet if the curse can be broken.”
I wanted to give a feel that although Sebastian is trying to act high and mighty, he is truly struggling with the thing inside of him. Now it's up to Zak to continue the story.
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library
Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
| by @zakludick | by @lex-zaiya |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | Part 2 |
| Part 3 | Part 4 |
| Part 5 | Part 6 |
| Part 7 | Part 8 |
| Part 9 | Part 10 |
| Part 11 | Part 12 |
| Part 13 | Part 14 |
| Part 15 | Part 16 – You are Here |
| Part 17 – Coming Soon | Part 18 – Coming Soon |
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