Maledictus Terra Book 3: Vetitum Nemus Part 41

Greetings all

I hope your week has been amazing! Mine has been filled with completing my copywriting training and doing a sample. Other than that, there has been nothing else that has been major.

Monday as I believe these characters will be integral later.Be sure to ready up on the developments that @zakludick dropped on

With Gorox’s entrance, it was as if a spell had broken. Vitex was the first to approach Robert’s side and said, “Perhaps, I should take this one.”

“No.” said Mortis.

“No? You’re a bag of bones, don’t tell me no!” she snapped.

“Hold your tongue.” Said Mortis as he held a hand up. “I had my own powers before I allowed your brother into this ' bag of bones’ you described me as.”

Listen to him. Derric ordered, now back in his wolf form. Robert isn’t life. He’s destruction, death, raw power. He is not for you, for us, for Loghaven. No. Let Mortis and Bellum deal with him. There will be more people, but not now.

Robert couldn’t look at the princess that had offered him a place once more. He couldn’t, but he had to. He then looked to the old mage who was frowning deeply.

“How can you stop me harming the regent?” he begged.

Magna took a deep breath and looked to Mortis.

“You’ll have to be bound, soul and word, but it’s possible that we can prevent the creature from coming out with no mind.” Said Mortis.

“I didn’t ask you to help.” Magna snapped at Mortis.

Adrian approached his sister and gently laid a hand on her shoulder, soothing the flames sprouting in her soul.

“You shouldn’t do this alone, sister.” He said softly. “The more the binding is spread between people, the less you’ll be noticed.”

“Noticed?” asked Gorox. “I thought the Flamed One was defeated.”

“Only the avatar.” Said Magna. “He’s always there, deep down, everywhere. I can’t…”

“You know you can use blood to bind, and not a soul, at least not always.”

Adiran looked at the Marauder of Vallox Kai and fixed him with a confused look.

“When initiates take their first rites, we swear an oath, well a temporary oath. Something that an initiate can break if they can’t make the cut. It’s akin to a phylactery, where some blood is set aside with the promise of giving yourself to Kai.”

Mary swung to look at Noxus, who paled and stared at Gorox in horror.

“Gorox! You can’t speak about this to those who aren’t in the fold.” She chastised the warrior.

Gorox sneered then shook his head. “Vallox Kai has no secrets, unlike Hiral Kai.”

Noxus frowned before she said softly, “I am no longer an initiate, I cannot talk for Hiral Kai anymore, but if Vallox Kai can help with binding this beast…pardon, help Robert, then we should try.”

“A phylactery I can make, but blood binding can be dangerous if both parties aren’t willing.” Said Adiran.

As if on cue, Magna placed her blade on the back of her forearm and ran the entire length along the skin until blood started to trickle from the wound.

“No one deserves to be cursed.” She said as she held her arm out to Robert. “No one. Not you, not that bastard sword.”

“How can you trust me? When I first came here, I tried to kill him!” he pointed to Mortis.

“You followed a false god, many of us did. That shouldn’t have to mark you forever. If you truly want to die, I’ll do it myself, but you deserve a chance to redeem yourself.”

“It’s highly unlikely that anything could kill him.” Said Vitex.

Vitex, there is still a man bleeding all over the carpet.

“Oh shoot!” the goddess zipped off to deal with the last living guard.

“You don’t have to do this alone.” Said Adrian as he offered his sister his arm.

Adiran snatched Adrian’s arm away. He seemed wordless for a minute before he said softly.

“You are ambitious Magna. You want to be a good queen, and you will, in time. However, this is more than just spilling blood.”

Magna wanted to argue but she felt another set of hands grip her bleeding arm before a cloth was pushed into the wound. She looked up to see her mother with a small smile on her face.

“If we are to become a family of curse breakers let’s do it correctly and safely.” She whispered.

“You aren’t going to stop me?”

“Your uncle is correct. You are driven to be a good leader, but like all leaders, you need to use your head and not your heart. Let’s overlook all our options and we go from there.”

Vitex turned her head to look at Mortis and said, “Bellum should cage him for now.”

Robert made to push the sword away from him, as if ready to surrender. Mary quickly released her daughter to grip the swordman’s hand around the blade. She looked the man in the eye and saw no malice, regardless of what had happened earlier.

“I think you should hang onto this blade.” She whispered as she stood back.
Gorma remained silent as she viewed those around her. This was all very confusing to her, but she understood comradery, and that was all she needed to understand until such time that they started their search for Innana.

“I will need time to think.” Said Adiran.

“Do we have time?” asked Mortis.

“For now. I agree that Robert needs to be caged, but I need time to study this phylactery business before I attempt it. I may be well-read, but this is a little above my pay grade. If Gorox would teach me…”

Gorox boomed out laughing before controlling himself.

“I have no magic. For this rite to work, you will need to go to the isle of Kai.”

The marauder then turned to address the orc warrior. “I also believe that there may be a history of your Innana on the isle. Vallox Kai is a warrior sect, it is likely in the past that Innana may have crossed their path.”

“Gorox, you know the Kai Isles only show themselves to those who are initiates and those who intend to become initiates. It’s not like we can just set sail.” Said Noxus.

“I’m here.” Said Gorox.

“I don’t think that is enough.”

“That’s where the cage for Robert comes in.”

Noxus was confused at the grinning face of her old friend. Then it hit her. Vallox Kai wasn’t only the overseer of warriors but also of berserkers and madmen. The magic of this face of Kai was said to calm those behaviours.

“Do you see now why Vallox Kai gets so many followers?”

“You intend to make Robert an initiate?”

“Will it solve our problems?” Gorox turned to Adiran and said, “You knew about the initiates when we first met. You must know that this could work better than anything you can do.”

Adiran didn’t want to admit the hulking warrior was right, but he was, and this could be Robert’s only salvation. The mage turned to the queen and said, “He’s right. The faces of Kai could likely be of more assistance to us in this regard.”

Mary only nodded her head. She knew he was right, but before they all embarked on another journey, she needed to tell them what she knew of Barakus.

“Adiran, we need to tell them about Barakus and why he was ousted by your grandfather.”

And it's back to Zak!

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

Mortis Custos

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Sanguifex

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Vetitum Nemus

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