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 43

As Mortis walked further into the camp, the rest of the party became aware of him. The Life Drinkers acknowledged him with a glance and a nod. He was back, that was all.

Adrian sat on his bedrolls where he had been in the morning. There were slight differences that told Mortis that he might have gotten up and refolded the material.

Magna had the look of having been pacing up and down. When she turned and saw him approaching her face flew through a series of emotions. She first wore a look of relief, then that of anger and finally she calmed down and seemed to be doing her utmost to remain calm.

"Where have you been?" She asked tightly, she was keeping her voice soft.

"Just clearing my head." Mortis said casually.

Before Magna could say something, which looked to be something angry and impulsive by the frown on her face, her brother interrupted her. "He has been making contact with the magic of this place." The boy indicated the ruins.

"How could you possibly know this?" Mortis asked softly.

"I can see the glow aftermath of an energy around you as though you had interacted with something powerful." Adrian said.

"But it's not magic." Magna said and crossed her arms.

This time her brother looked up at her. "Oh? How can you be so sure? When were you ever a study of magic?"

"Its not about study. Its about what I know. Whenever you or uncle or Mortis or anyone uses their magic, there is a smell. Each one of you are different, though I should have known all along that you and Adiran smell just about the same." She looked at Mortis closely and stepped towards him, sniffinf the air. "None of his magic or another magic are on him."

"And yet I see energy." Adrian insisted. "If that is not from magic, then from what is it?"

Mortis did not really know how to answer. He was also not sure if he could explain his encounters with the shades of this place, these elder Gods. Would the twins sleep soundly if they knew they were being watched?

"It is because he is a God." Another voice said sofly. They turned to see the Blaze Knight Anna. He voice was choked in emotion. "Today is a special day in our faith. It had always been the Day of Benediction. Those knights in the castle and others of our order in the lands would be praying today and giving thanks. I think... that our Lord Mortis has been feeling our prayers. Since we no longer pray to the false God and have chosen him instead."

Magna and Adrian turned to look at Mortis expectantly, waiting for him to confirm this statement.

Mortis frowned, the action causing the tight skin on his forehead to crack. He did not enjoy this... he did not know how to feel about it.

"Well?" Magna prodded.

"I have been aware of the prayers." Mortis said simply.

The reactions of each of the humans he was seeing before him were a further cause of annoyance. Anna clasped her hands before her and toucher her fingers to her forehead in thanks. Magna gasped and seemed somehow torn between excitement and surprise. Adrian also looked excited, but his curiosity was peaked and Mortis could see the boy evaluating him the same way his older copy sometimes did.

He did not see what the other's reactions were, nor did he care.

"I hear that you have learned something of importance to us?" Mortis asked Adrian, ignoring everyone else.

It worked well enough on Adrian, pulling him away from his calculating stare and into an account of having met the other version of himself that was within the stone. Or perhaps it was through the stone and not inside of it, it barely made sense to Mortis.

"Yes! I believe that I will be able to find the location of Rhys." Adrian said. "Or at least, I will know in which direction to go in. Prince Adrian explained to me how I must do a certain spell. Only..." He trailed off, thinking.

"Only what?" Magna asked him. "You didn't tell me that there was a problem."

"Prince Adrian had never met Rhys." He answered.

"Wait a minute." Derric said from the side. "What do you mean Prince Adrian? You are Prince Adrian."

Adrian shook his head. "Yes I am, but this is what I call this Adrian. The one I go to see with the power of the stone. He is old. Older than Adiran and its how I distinguish between the two." He glanced up at Magna and smiled. "In his timeline, Magna took the throne and he remained in the castle as the crown prince."

Magna smiled briefly, then frowned. "But he never met Rhys?"

"Actually, I think Adiran never met Rhys either. Not from where or when he is from. He only found him here, in our timeline."

Sebastian groaned. "This all sounds like a bunch of hogwash to me. Alright boy. Let's just keep things simple. We are looking for a lizard. Where are we headed?"

"I need to do the spell, but there is a part missing that Prince Adrian could not teach me. Once I complete it, I should know in which direction I need to go." Adrian said.

Over to you @lex-zaiya!

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Mortis Custos

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