Introduction
Welcome back to Maledicturs Terra. This is a Chain Story between myself and @lex-zaiya, meaning that we each write the parts alternatively.
If you have not read Maledictus Terra Book 1: Mortis Custos yet, it starts HERE at Part 1 and ends at Part 101 HERE. At the end of the Part 101 post you will find links to all 101 Parts!
The previous part by @lex-zaiya can be found HERE.
Part 57
"But that did not work did it?" Adrian asked. "That logic was flawed but your Master pursued it anyway."
Lucien nodded. "And in the end, he failed to resolve the curse, the hunger. The Hungers and the Lifedrinkers were all affected by that flesh and blood curse though my kind and kin have found that we can abate the drinking of physical blood for a time."
"And how is that done?" Trix asked.
Lucien lowered his gaze to the floor. "It is something that takes hundreds of years to learn. Some of my kind, our kin... they were what had spread the disease through the land. They failed to control themselves and other paid the price."
Sebastian had been silent for a long time, which was unlike him. He cleared his throat in a guttural bass tone that shook the room. He was still not completely out of his beastial form. The change had lasted so long in him that it was uncertain if he was going to change back at all.
Everyone stopped talking and looked at the feral Lifedrinker.
“I have heard enough.” Sebastian grumbled and stood to his full height. “You talk about experiments and theories and excuses!”
“Come again?” Lucien asked calmly.
“What you are saying is that you are not responsible for what happened to me and my beloved and my whole Kingdom!” Sebastian's arms went wide to indicate the castle walls. “Though your kind are connected to all of this, you are telling me that you had no part in the creation of what we became. So at least tell me one thing: Who or what can undo the curse?”
After this Sebastian did not go into a fit of rage as he had usually done or given in wholly to his thirst. Instead the man set himself stoically before Lucien and made it impossible for the ancient Lifedrinker to ignore. Nobody else felt like they could say or ask anything in that moment and thus they all waited for the question to be answered.
Lucien's expression changed to that of pained exasperation and then he looked sullenly at the floor. “You are right. It is all mostly theoretical. My Lifedrinker kin have all lived for a very long time and yet we are the products of our Master's work, not the originators of them. Some of the old Masters are still on this plane of existence. Some are dead and others have left to places we could not follow. There are two that were involved in what made us... and accidentally made you.”
“Are those two still alive?” Lucien asked.
“I do not know.” Lucien admitted. “I have been searching for them for as long as I can, after our kin had taken time to settle into our small Kingdom. I have travelled the lands for more than three hundred years in search of clues that would lead me to them. That is why I am here. I realized that I would also need to locate something else.”
Sebastian growled when Lucien paused for dramatic effect.
“I wanted to determine if the sundered Godling that was experimented on was here, at the scene of the last major infestation of the Hunger.”
“Did you find it?” Mortis asked, cutting through the tense exchange between the two Lifedrinkers. His tone was so commanding and intense that even Sebastian did not seem like he wanted to obstruct this question. Besides, it was a valid one.
All eyes went back to Lucien as he answered. “I have reason to believe that it is here. I have not seen it for many years. The Hungers in this area are changing and it might just the Hunger-incarnate is in the Kingdom, or perhaps in the City...”
He was interrupted by a scream within the castle walls. It was a sound that was both shrill and mournful as well as guttural and full of threat. It was impossible to not know instantly who had made the noise for the sound emanated pure hatred, lust for flesh... a scream of pained Hunger.
Adrian felt as though there were things biting him or attempting to bite at him. All over his body. He looked at his arms and legs, there was nothing there and no damage had been caused but there was a crusting feeling of rows of teeth clamped on sections of his skin... they had a texture, it was unmistakable... The feel of human teeth clamped on his limbs, threatening to squeeze with bone-crushing force and rip into his body.
Magna sneezed, holding her nose. It was burning as though she had two hot peppers stuck inside them.
Mortis's body blazed with a power, his sword clasped in both hands. “It is here.”
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Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
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