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 19

Adiran and Adrian arrived at the forges as the silverware was being fed into the crucible. It had taken them a moment longer that usual to find the Queen. She did not usually come to this part of the castle at all, but when she was not in the throne room, Adrian had led the way unerringly to where Magna was standing with her mother.

Adiran could sense nothing magical about the boy or the girl when he did this and this made Adiran ponder the implications of the origin of this strange ability.

"My Queen." Adiran said in greeting, he eyed the silverware meaningfully.

"My brother split his armor during his transformation. It is lined with silver. We need more to seal it up and dampen the effect of the beast within him." She explained.

"Seems like more than what is needed to repair some armor." The Wizard remarked.

Mary nodded. "Indeed. I intend to lock him away in the crypts while we can come up with a solution, where he can hurt no-one."

Adiran shifted his feet, thinking quickly.

The Queen scowled. "Out with it Mage... you might not be the Prince here but you are partly my son and across time and space I know with a mother's instinct that you know something and have something you are not telling me. Out with it."

Adiran shrugged and gave a smile. "I find that rather reassuring."

"Don't get mushy on me." Mary said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You're still older than I am."

Adiran sighed. "Indeed. Well... King Sebastian seeks to lift his curse. We need the original Lifedrinkers, like Lucien, to manage that. Or to even have a chance at that."

He paused and Mary nodded.

"I cannot find Lucien without Rhys and Rhys has been captured." He explained.

"Who?" Mary asked.

Adrian interrupted Adiran's explination. "He is my friend! He kept me safe on the other side! He's a huge lizard!"

"A lizard?" Mary's tone was a bit more shrill than she intended.

Adiran waved a hand at Adrian and turned back to the Queen. "He will be able to track the Life Drinkers. I can track where he has gone and I need a party of warriors to accompany me."

Mary nodded. "You can take whatever resources you need. Up to half the army if you need to, especially if Noxus stays and Millmor agrees to seal our borders during the knight. I will be able to manage the staff shift around that."

"No need for that many soldiers." Adiran replied. "I need a small task force to accompany me."

The Queen's head snapped up and locked him in a stare. "You cannot have them!"

"I need them." Adiran said calmly.

The Queen's composure nearly broke. She steeled herself. This was too important to leave to chance and they were the obvious choice.

"If the children go then so do I!" Both Mary and Adiran jumped as they had not realized that Mortis had been standing there, fully armored. The undead revenant had been standing as still as a statue.

"And of course I am coming along!" Derric appeared, suddenly close to Magna. "Millmor will gladly guard the night for you!"

"You might want to actually ask him young man." Queen Mary instructed. "He and I have realized long ago how quick you answer for him when you have not spoken to him at all. You should respect him more."

Derric smiled sheepishly. "Yes your Grace."

Mary sighed. "Who else?"

"Sebastian." Adiran said, again very calmly.

"Impossible!" Mary thundered. "He would put everyone in the mission in danger!"

"He would actually be safer out there than in here, cooped up with his frustrations." Adiran reasoned. "In the field we could watch him and there would be no casualties among the castle folk should he fail... then myself, Mortis, the twins and Derric can deal with him well enough."

"The King would never agree to go out on his own." Adrian pointed out. "Or at least, should he agree, his people would not."

The party was silent for a while.

"If additional members of Sebastian's forces go with the party might get too large." Adiran said eventually.

"Perhaps instruct him to be allowed but a single officer to accompany him?" Mary suggested.

"In that case, we would need at least two more warriors to ensure an easy victory should both of them become beastial." Adiran said. "That would be the absolute limit of our party. Nine... and ten once we find Rhys."

"I shall provide the final two members of our party." Mortis said.

"You will?" Mary asked incredulously, but when Adiran gave a small guffaw she realized what the Revenant meant. "Oh, the Blaze Knights! Have you finally accepted their fealty then?"

Mortis did not seem impressed. Even for an undead person, his reply was curt. "This serves the family well. I will take two capable swordsmen from amoungst them."

"Right it is settled then." Adiran said.

"What about my silver?" The Queen asked. "I wanted to secure my Brother in the crypts, now you are going to put him out in the wilds.

Adiran considered it for a moment. "I can make an enchantment. Have your smith fashion me four hoops of silver and I shall put them to work to prevent Sebastian's transformation in times of need. Repair the armor first, of course. And then the hoops."

The Queen nodded towards the blacksmith and the bearded man, quietly working around all these strange people merely nodded his head and continued to work.

Over to you @lex-zaiya!

Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library

Mortis Custos

Start

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
Part 17	Part 18
You are here!	Coming soon!

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