Greetings Everyone
I am back from Comicon and I am exhausted! What a fantastic day. Thursday saw hundreds if not thousands of people coming in and out of the CTICC. Nick and I were working at Sinbin for a friend of ours and I loved every second. I'll do a post on it later to show off all the awesome cosplayers I saw and the swag I came home with. But more now, all of you will just have to deal with an update from Sanguifex. Enjoy.
Mortis viewed the warrior that stood before him. While his aggression had faded, he was far from being calm. His yellow eyes darted around the room the two men stood in, looking for potential exits if things went sour for him. The revenant looked at the holes Mary’s gauntlets had torn through Sebastian’s armour. There had been blood that ran from those wounds earlier, but now the flow had halted, and Mortis was sure the wounds themselves would have healed by now.
“The gauntlets cut deep, and healing took longer than expected, but I can heal from silver wounds if they don’t cause a normal mortal wound.” Said Sebastian, as if answering what Mortis was considering.
The revenant nodded his head before he slowly raised his hands to remove his helm. It was rare for him to do this within the castle. However, there was no one here that would die of fright if they were to see him, and Sebastian already knew what he was. Even then, Mortis wasn’t prepared for the look of pity that shone on the Lifedrinker’s face when he looked upon his visage.
“I at least don’t look like a dried-out corpse.” Whispered the man.
“Trust me, this was hardly what I imagined my duty would cause.”
Sebastian drew himself up to his full height and demanded, “I know some of the curses placed upon the land. Summoning a past king meant a king lay down his ancestral sword. The brute couldn’t even protect his son.”
“He lay down his sword in hopes of protecting his son.” Said Mortis, as he had later discovered what had truly summoned him.
“Do you think that I cannot see that part of his soul isn’t his own? Do you take me for a fool? What power do you truly wield here corpse?”
“I have your sister’s ear, which is more than what I can say for you.”
Sebastian immediately raised his hand to grip the hilt of the sword on his back. Mortis quickly stepped forward to grasp the wrist, bringing his face in close to issue a warning to the Lifedrinker. Those yellow eyes flashed with feral rage, and instead of wrestling away from the undead, Sebastian opened his mouth with a hiss before he lunged.
Sharp teeth grazed the leathery skin of the revenant who didn’t both backing away. This was a dominance fight, and he wasn’t about to lose to a child throwing a temper tantrum. As the sharp teeth sunk into the withered neck, Sebastian recoiled as his mouth filled with what he could only equate to week-old blood that had been left out during peak summer. He reared back, gagging and spitting the vile fluid. He was so preoccupied by this, he failed to realise his only weapon had been taken from him. He only realised when he straightened up and saw Mortis admiring his blade.
“Fine craftsmanship, it’s rare to see this work outside of Clarprati. I wish my country had been on better terms with yours when I was still alive.”
Sebastian tried to hide his surprise when the revenant threw his sword back at him. It had been a long time since he had been bested, not since his sister was forced to leave. It irked him that this creature shared blood with the brute that she had been forced to marry. Yet there was something else in the blood he had tasted, something familiar.
A rage built in his chest when he realised it was the blood of a Clarprati. He fixed the revenant with his hate before he hissed, “Is she under your spell? Is that why my sister lets you run her council!”
With what little control Mortis had over his face, he pulled it to appear confused before realisation dawned upon him.
“No, not your sister. Your niece gifted me her blood at a time it was needed. Though the magic has faded, it’s still within me.” Mortis squared himself and continued, “Now, are we going to continue strutting like roosters, or will you converse as a dignitary of royal standing?”
Everything in Sebastian wanted to tear this creature apart, but he knew he couldn’t. Mary trusted him, and the children seemed at ease with him. There was more to this walking pile of jerky than what the Lifedrinker could give him credit for. Sebastian took a deep breath, sheathed his blade and said, “I yield, old man, let’s talk.”
“Let’s.”
The larger of the men started, “Our country has been besieged by bestial Lifedrinkers for as far back as I can remember. They would strike at night, carry away babes, slash throats, and even tear into the livestock. We had had years to develop weapons to keep them at bay. No one knew where these creatures came from. They were unlike the sophisticated Lifedrinkers we had read about in books.”
He started pacing, “Sometimes people would survive their wounds, only to be seen later running with the very creatures that had attacked them. Only the dead were safe. One scratch with the teeth was all it ever took to possibly cause someone to turn.”
“So, it didn’t happen all the time?”
“No. We could never figure out what the triggering factor was that kept people from turning or not. We just kept those that came into contact with the creatures as far away from us as possible. It was too difficult to slaughter innocent people who had gotten infected by a scratch before they turned. It was likely what caused the disease to spread.”
“The disease?”
“Yes, soon people were turning without having come into contact with a beast. We never knew how to stop the spread. And it didn’t help that we were at war with this country. We should have been looking to make peace, not steal land to escape this curse. My father was an idiot. At least my mother had enough sense to broker a treaty and save those that weren’t afflicted by this curse.”
“How could you tell who was afflicted and who wasn’t?”
“The answer is in the gauntlets my sister wears. The beasts can’t handle coming into contact with silver, and neither could those who developed the curse.”
“And does this lead to why you killed your parents?”
“I’m getting to that.” Sebastian sighed and walked to a window to look out over the land.
And this is where I pass the ball onto @zakludick so hang onto your seats.
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 - You are Here |
| Part 9 – Coming Soon |
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