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!

Maledictus Terra Book 2: Sanguifex started HERE with Part 1 and ends at Part 111 HERE

The previous part by @lex-zaiya can be found HERE.

I shall choose to treat the end of @lex-zaiya's last part as an end of a scene and start a new one...

Part 22

The time had come.

The Disciples did not know how they knew, no command had been given. No message or sign was seen and yet they all came.

The Disciples had taken turns to watch and guard the Flesh Maw. Others had gone out to tend to the Cult and the army of undeath that they had amassed. The Dark Apostle had been the one that had commanded the undead but some of the Disciples had found that they had the ability to command and some could even raise more of the undead to their cause.

The Undead were arranged all around the Cult Temple. Cultists were streaming toward the Temple.

At the head of the Temple, the Disciples knelt. There were eight who were the strongest of their number, those that had presented with abilities before the Flesh Maw had taken the Dark Apostle.

More Cultists had been blessed with gifts. Many in fact. One day the number of the new Disciples reached an apex and one of the High Disciples decreed that the number was set.

Each of the High Disciples were given eight of the new Disciples as their servants, making eight units of nine. There had been much debate regarding the meaning of these numbers.

The Cult no longer thought of the Flesh Maw as just a symbol. Their leader was in there... nascent, brooding. There was an awareness near it.

Perhaps it was this that drew all the Disciples to the Temple. They all knelt, servant Disciples behind the High Disciples, taking up half of the Temple spaces. At the back of the Temple, Cultists took up the rest of the space, also kneeling.

Cultists were kneeling around the Temple as well. Hundreds of them. The undead merely stood in their hundreds in the clearing around the Temple and the forest beyond.

There was a constant drone of voices, intoning prayers and salutations to the blackness and the lord of the blackness who comes.

The Flesh Maw had grown into a large mass that throbbed and beat like a heart. The pounding of its vitality was the rhythm of the chants and prayers. The tempo throbbed outwards from the Temple to the edges of the mass of Cultists.

And then the beating stopped.

All was still.

No prayers, no hum.

All of the Cult and their Disciple leaders were silent and those that could stared intently at the knot of flesh and bone.

A single sharp object appeared at the centre of the mass. It extended longer and it became apparent that it was a finger, tipped in a claw. Blood beaded around the finger and began to spill down the front of the fleshy mass and onto the floor.

The claw tore downwards then, all at once cutting open the divide and the blood and gore that was in the sac exploded outwards, falling to the Temple floor and spilling nearly to where the Disciples kneeled.

Stepping out of the fleshy cocoon was an image of divine horror and the lesser Disciples pressed their foreheads to the Temple floor. Some of the Cultists burst out in prayer, some got up and cursed and tried to leave only to be cut down by the faithful and yet others fainted with shock.

The High Disciples stared in adoration. He came, representing parts of what had become of them, their blessings and abilities formed together into one perfect being.

Inhumanly tall, the figure stood to its full height, it had been contorted inside the Flesh Maw. Skinless muscle wept blood and protruding organs throbbed with vitality and live behind a lattice of bone.

The figure had a bone ribcage that was longer than a man's and it became clear why when the second set of arms became visible and folded themselves across its torso while the upper arms were raised wide, showing off an incredible span and reach as well as long clawed fingers like swords.

Initially there was only silence. Some thought that nothing was happening when they feel the vibration. Then there come a deep noise, like the groaning of the the deep earth that was the mosaleum of all living things through the ages.

More Cultists succumbed to dread or madness. The faithful were ever more enraptured by the spectacle of their leader.

The sound ended and the figure lowered its arms.

"I..." Came a voice. One that was layereded as though spoken by more than one person. Or more than one set of vocal chords.

"...am Temolach!"

You're up again @lex-zaiya!

Thank you for reading!

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

Vetitum Nemus

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
You are here!	Coming soon!