Greetings Hive Readers
What a week! I'm testing to do copywriting and I am hoping that goes well, as that opens a whole new range of work for me!
Be sure to read the action-packed part by @zakludick before you get started on mine.
Sighing heavily, Mary limped toward her throne and sat down heavily. She was getting too old for these sorts of fights against monsters.
“Everything was fine until Johnathan died.” She muttered under her breath as she looked around the room.
Devastation, more dead soldiers she would need to explain to their families. Sighing more audibly, she looked up at Vitex and said, “Are you only the goddess of the harvest or one of life?”
Vitex looked around and said, “There are only two I can save. Not much I can do for the one who had his head removed.”
“Then do it.”
Vitex’s eyes flicked to Derric, and the creature he had become only nodded his head one. The goddess went to two bodies and started working her magic.
“So, Adiran, why does the Fiery One hate me? Yes, I’m not much of a believer, but that hardly seems like a good reason.”
“I can only guess it’s because you were pivotal when the curse was placed, at least in the eyes of the Fiery One.”
“Why not me?” asked Magna as she returned her blade to its scabbard.
“Because by the time you became a threat, the avatar had been defeated. Curses can’t easily be overwritten once they are in effect.”
“Did Robert know? Was he complacent?” asked Magna.
“No, definitely not.” Said Millmor. “He didn’t want to come back here. He only came because I believed he shouldn’t hide. I didn’t realise that this curse would manifest like this.”
“Manifest? You mean you’ve seen that creature before?” demanded Mary.
“When we were in the endless swamp, we were attacked by another Ghoul King. Robert ripped it apart as if it were nothing in the form we all saw. However, he never changed as long as that sword was with him.”
Mary looked at the blade and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She recognized it, but the last time she had seen it, it had been a cleaver, and it had been central to the death of a farmer and his son.
“Wait, I remember something.” Said Magna as she stepped a little closer to Robert.
“I was wondering if you would.” Said Adrian. “It was the main reason I didn’t want you to hold onto the blade at all.”
“The avatar, it wielded this blade, didn’t it? My memories are fuzzy but, I remember a blade, it was screaming, I am sure of it. But it can’t be. How does a giant blade change into a rapier?”
“The same way that a cleaver does.” Said Mary.
Adiran snapped his attention to the queen and whispered, “What?”
“When you all travelled with my brother, there was a murder. A farmer and his son went crazy and killed each other over a gaudy cleaver. I only saw it for a moment, and when I looked again, it was gone. It had a strange influence.”
“You never told me.” Stated Adiran.
“You’ve barely been home!” snapped Mary.
“True, I apologise, that was uncalled for in more than one way.”
Mary pursed her lips and then said, “You mentioned bad news.”
“The sword is cursed too.”
“Obviously!”
“No, no, you don’t understand. It’s not an inanimate object. It’s an agent of the Fiery One, or at least it used to be.”
Magna went pale and muttered something under her breath. Her brother heard and swung to look at her. “Are you sure?”
“The voice, the screaming, he’s been missing since the final battle, and the castle soldiers never found it.”
Adiran held his hand up, effectively silencing his niece before she could say the name. “Wait, we don’t know what else saying the name could trigger but know that I agree with you. Until I can figure out what the connection between the blade and Robert is, don’t say anything.”
The blade clattered to the ground as Robert stirred slowly. He slowly got to his knees and then pressed his forehead to the ruined carpet. His body was shivering and soon his sobs filled the room.
“I didn’t want to come back. Please, banish me, kill me, anything, but don’t let this continue.” He begged.
“I can’t grant that.” Said Mary with more gentleness than she expected from herself.
“I want to rip your head from your shoulders, spill your entrails, drink your blood. Please. I don’t know if I can control this.”
“What happened Robert?”
“Please.” He begged.
“I need to know why I would condemn a cursed man to death. Did you do this to yourself?”
“Mary, this is the work of the Fiery One. Likely because of Robert’s earlier alignment to a god disguised as the Fiery One.”
Magna surprised everyone as she stepped forward to Robert and pulled him to his feet. She wasn’t as tall as the man, but she was strong enough to lift him to his knees and look him in the eye.
“Do you remember your vows?” she demanded.
“Magna!” exclaimed Adiran. You shouldn’t…”
“I was the chosen one of the Fiery One. Those who are cursed are my subjects, no?”
Adiran halted, blinked a few times, and raised a hand to rub at his beard. Magna was correct. Being the chosen vessel for the Fiery One would grant her the ability to rule over those who are cursed. However, with everything that had been done to expunge her of the Fiery touch, would she still have that power? But with that said, these curses were placed before any of that happened.
Mary looked at Adiran and waited to see what he would do. She wanted to give her daughter the opportunity to be queen, but she couldn’t allow danger to the kingdom.
“Do you remember your vows?” demanded Magna once more.
“The god was false.” Stammered Robert.
“But your oath to protect isn’t. Swear it again, here, before me.”
Something stirred within Robert. It wasn’t the thing that lived under his skin, no, this was him, his goals, his ideals reacting to the princess’s request.
“Magna, doing this could make you visible to the Fiery One again. Are you willing to risk that?” hissed Adiran.
“Can you think of another way to protect our kingdom? And what about the other name that Millmor said? Barracus was it? Things are stirring again, and while we have gods on our side, we may need the help of more than just that.”
Adiran couldn’t help but realise that she was correct. Every time he had travelled to, the Magnas were the first to be destroyed because they had a way of just rallying people to their sides. He smiled softly at her, his love for her undeniable, as both his sister and niece. He looked around the room at the gods already on their side.
Mortis, stiff as a board, but ready to spring into action, looking down at his charge. Vitex had already revived one soldier and was furiously working on another. They would do anything for Magna and Derric. He was about to say something when the throne room’s doors burst open.
Gorox stepped into the room with several soldiers behind him. His hammer was primed for combat, and Adiran almost laughed when he saw the disappointment on the man’s face.
“I was trying to settle the Warg in the stable with the horses and you people throw a party without me.” He grumbled. “Rude.”
And back to you Zak.
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library
Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
Vetitum Nemus
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