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 53

Lucien stepped back. It was as though there was a flicker of light, but the light was only the Lifedrinker and he was free of Trix's grasp.

She fell forward for a second but caught herself smoothly, looking down at her own hand as though there had been some sort of trick.

"Cure?" Lucien asked. "As I said those things out there cannot be reversed. As for what I can see of the two of you, why would you want to change yourselves? You far surpass regular humanity! You are far better than humans and have now become something far greater!"

"What?!" King Sebastian exploded into forward movement even as he began to change. He became even more feral, his body contorted and clothing split where muscles grew. His voice was difficult to control. "What... you... mean... must... save... Kingdom!"

A massive clawed hand slammed down onto the floor where Lucien had been. The Lifedrinker did not look like he had moved. He was simply a foot further back in the same position. The King did not hesitate for a second, a second claw slammed into the flagstones ahead of him.

It was clear to Mortis that he would have hit with the other hand even if the first one had connected and mauled his target without a second thought. He was full of rage.

That rage put Magna on her knees. She felt as though there was fire in her brain and in her eyes while the palm of her sword hand itched with the need to grab hold of her sword and yank it out of the scabbard.

"Wait!" A faint voice yelled.

The King barreled forward, while Lucien merely stepped back again. The next clawed attack that had been aimed at him sped down and he backed off. The hand was however filled with a fistful of flagstone rubble and even though the striking hand missed the rubble took the Lifedrinker by surprise.

His movements to evade the shower of stones were a lot more animated than his previously lazy attempts. The claw attacks were so powerful that they made the King flip over himself and his power legs, now ruptured out of their boots and clawed flashed down on top of Lucien. The Lifedrinker had to dive aside to avoid this unexpected attack.

"Stop!" The faint voice cried again. Magna couldn't think. There were more people moving in the room. Trix was in front of her, making a lunge for the Lifedrinker. It did not make sense to her at the time but Magna was also travelling in the same direction.

Now, with this mysterious shadow creature materialized before her and her brain burning with rage she did not even know her sword was slashing down towards Trix. At the same time Trix had similarly lashed out in a blood rage with her clawed hand at Magna.

A clash of steel rang out as Manga's sword was intercepted by another, held by Anna, the Blazeknight's face grim. Trix's claws also had not reached their mark but had instead embedded themselves into a shield that Leopold had thrust into the space. His intervention had been a lucky guess.

Magna was about to kick out at the Blazeknight...
Trix's other had had just begun to twitch to rip into the man before her...
Sebastian had succeeded in getting his claws within a hand's span from the Lifedrinker on either side...
Lucien had no wish to be injured an had about half his rapier out of its scabbard...

... and then it happened.

"Stop!" Came that same voice but this time at a boom that nearly deafened everyone who could hear it. There was a simultaneous crash of lightning and a blinding explosion that detonated in pockets all around the room.

The summoned electricity was faster than any man, beast, Lifedrinker or shadow. Combatants were blown apart from one another. Magna and Anna flew through the air. Leopold knocked into his cousin as they had been back to back. Trix was shunted back so far that she hit a wall, her form apparently lighter compared to the force that pushed her.

Sebastian was blasted with such a force that he was burned across his chest and arms and he fell down on his back. Lucien was also touched by the lightning, burning holes into his cape and spearing him through his sword hand. The explosion also carried him back from his opponent but he kept his balance and stance.

"Stop this madness!" Prince Adrian of Dragonshold, Magna's brother, screamed. "Will none of you listen to reason?" The boy strode into the center of the room flanked by a massive wolf the size of a bear and an armored knight that had his sword out, gripped in both hands.

Her rage momentarily forgotten, Magna stared at her brother who was glowing with energy and lightning danced between his outstretched palms. He was furious, but he was not enraged as she, her uncle and her aunt had been. It was a shock to realize that though she had fell to her uncle's rage and Trix had also lashed out at her, Adrian had kept his own head.

No. This anger was his own. Like her had never seen before and it was terrifying to behold.

The smell of pungent spices lashed at her nostrils. She recognized it as the sort that Adiran used, but it was raw and wild. He was still a boy, unrefined but he had a Demi-God's power.

He had been an Avatar vessel after all.

Bars of light shot out from his palms and wrapped themselves around Sebastian's form, pinning him. A web of the same glowing yellow light weaved a tight pattern that held Trix to the wall.

A veil of yellow stars sparked into life around Lucien and the Lifedrinker recoiled but could go nowhere. He took a step but the lights stayed in a fixed position around him and the movement seemed to drain him of a massive amount of energy. He fell down to his knees.

Magna tried to get up but found that she was being held down by the same bars of light as her uncle.

Only the Blazeknights were not held down and they picked themselves up and dusted themselves off briefly before joining Adrian and the others in the centre of the room, shields and swords protecting the boy's back.

"Now that I have you all... stopped... perhaps you can finally listen to me for once!" Adrian thundered.

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
Part 19	Part 20
Part 21	Part 22
Part 23	Part 24
Part 25	Part 26
Part 27	Part 28
Part 29	Part 30
Part 31	Part 32
Part 33	Part 34
Part 35	Part 36
Part 37	Part 38
Part 39	Part 40
Part 41	Part 42
Part 43	Part 44
Part 45	Part 46
Part 47	Part 48
Part 49	Part 50
Part 51	Part 52
You are here!	Coming soon!

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