Greetings Readers
I hope all of you have had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. This year is going to be filled with writing and work as I am already fully booked till April. I am so grateful for the work!
Don't forget to read the [update] (@zakludick/maledictus-terra-book-2-sanguifex-20d0170cf8912) by @zakludick before getting stuck into this update! I hope you all enjoy it!
“Where is the damn Lifedrinker?” demanded Sebastian.
“That is a very good question.” Said Magna as she joined her twin. “I told you they were fine. You did no wrong.”
“The boy nearly fried us.” Snapped Sebastian.
Trix drove the point of her elbow into his midriff and he doubled over in pain with a grunt. Trix lightly patted the top of Adrian's head and smiled at him.
“Ignore your uncle. He hates magic. You did well in defending those I couldn’t.”
Derric clapped his hands together once, loud enough to make everyone turn to him. He grinned and pointed to Anna.
“She needs to sleep. Her magic and the pain herbs can only do so much.” He then turned to Leopold and nodded his head. “You are also exhausted. You have been awake for too many hours.”
The forest prince then turned to those he hadn’t addressed yet.
“The mortals need to sleep and rest for more than a few hours. We need a small, defensible structure where we can get the rest we need. The magic users also need time to replenish their magic spells or energy or whatever you use to defend us the way you have.”
He then looked at the revenant and the two cursed before asking, “How do you three feel after your little adventure?”
“Oddly well rested.” Said Mortis, “Which is strange as I don’t expend any energy.”
Derric looked at Sebastian and grinned ferally before asking, “Where is the closest hunting cache?”
Sebastian seemed surprised by the question at first, but then realisation dawned on his face. It didn’t take Trix much longer afterward to realize what Derric was asking. She turned to Sebastian.
“Would they still stand? After all this time?”
“I have no idea.” Sebastian looked around and took note of the creatures just within the limits of the forest.
“Hello? The rest of the party would like to be privy to the information you three clearly have.” Said Magan sarcastically.
“When I was growing up, I would often find hunting caches scattered throughout the forest. Food, weapons, other miscellaneous items that could be useful.” Derric looked over the forest and then continued, “I assume the forest didn’t yield many hunting opportunities, so I can only assume that hunts normally took place in the mountains.”
Mortis nodded his head, “Small, defensible, but would it be big enough for our whole party?”
“I know of one.” Said Sebastian slowly. “However, once we are within it, it will be difficult to get out if we are attacked in it.”
“You have been granted a day.” The voice startled the group as Lucien suddenly scaled the wall and leapt to land between all of the party.
“Where the hell have you been?” demanded Magna.
“My dear, your mother can speak to me like that, you aren’t upon the throne yet, so keep your emotions in check.”
Adrian fixed the Lifedrinker with a glare and he quickly muttered an apology.
“What do you mean we have been granted a day?” demanded Sebastian.
“I told you. I know how to save that creature down there, but it will require the essence of two gods.”
Sebastian roared with laughter and then shook his head. “Everyone knows that the gods have long abandoned us. The fallen are nothing but curses and monsters, where do you think you’re going to find the essence of a god, much less two?”
Lucien looked at the twins and grinned, “I believe the twins can help with that, but let’s first get the rest that is required, as it will take some time to explain.”
Mary sat on her throne and contemplated the report that sat on her lap. She had read it several times but still hadn’t believed it. She had thought him to be one of those lost to the titan monsters. Yet, no one had found his body, so it was possible.
“Noxus, what do you think of this report?” asked the queen after some time.
Noxus jolted from her meditation in the centre of the room. The two women had taken to reading reports from their respective occupations in a small gathering room in the castle. At first, it had just been Noxus, but Mary had stumbled upon the room in an attempt to seek a few minutes of respite to continue her mourning. Noxus had inadvertently been allowed to see a side of the queen that she had shown to no one. The experience had allowed Mary to finally mourn the way she desperately needed without having to appear all-powerful before her people. It had deepened the women’s friendship tremendously.
Noxus had read the report earlier and wasn’t sure what to make of it. She had not known the man who had led the Blaze knights to the castle and couldn’t really give her opinion. However, from the report, she knew that something was deeply wrong with him.
“What happened to him the last time you saw him, Your Majesty?”
“The last I saw of him was racing toward my children as they fought the Titans. After that, no one saw him, and no one knew what had occurred. Magna mentioned that he had stared down the Flame One, but that he had been thrown aside as if a child. No body was found.”
“Did he have abilities as the report suggests?”
Mary shook her head and whispered, “I didn’t know much about it until he showed up. If the report is to be believed, he has been cursed with some form of lycanthropy. That said, the transformation that is described is unlike any lycanthropy that I have ever heard of.”
“His weapon is what interests me.” Said Noxus.
“Indeed.” Mary looked at the rapier sketch that had accompanied the report.
The rapier was gaudy, appearing gold with jewel inlays. Something the man would never have touched but now kept close to him. There was something so familiar about the weapon, but the queen couldn’t put her finger on it.
“It’s odd that his weapon is so similar to the one that killed the farmer and his son.” Said Noxus offhanded.
Then it was as if both women realised what she had said and Mary got to her feet. She remembered the sound the weapon had made when she was near it. If this was the same weapon and the man wielding it was lost within a lycanthropy curse, he would be exceedingly dangerous.
“We must find Robert. Send for my castle guard.” Ordered Mary.
Ball is in your court Zak. I hope you enjoy!
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Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
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