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 47
Adrian looked around. Everyone was looking at him for answers. This was not a place that rage or skill at arms was going to be of any use.
Adrian could feel Trix's demeanour and he hoped that it was shared with King Sebastian. She was keeping herself level-headed and calm. Now was not the time to strike.
He realized then that she was always ready to strike but had now switched that part of herself off. She merely waited until this part of their journey was over. He tried not to let his doubts filter through as an emotion that she would sense.
A cavernous and ancient hallway stretched out to either side of them. There was no indication as to whether or not one way was different from the other.
There was a stone ceiling, they were indoors and there were no torches. Yet they could all see perfectly into the distance. There was no source of light but it was as though there was a dull greyness to everything except one another. Everyone was perfectly visible.
"Well?" Magna prompted her brother to answer Mortis' question.
"I... I do not know." Adrian sighed. "I lost my concentration." He looked sheepishly at the wolf.
The wolf turned his head sideways. Why would I have startled you?
"Where does that voice come from?" Anna gasped, whipping her sword out and looking up and down the hallway. "Show yourself!"
What do you mean? Derric said. I am right here.
"Put your sword away." Mortis commanded. "It is the wolf that speaks."
Derric shook his head. *I had not meant for her to hear. What does that mean?"
"We can all hear you!" King Sebastian said, pointing at the side of his head. "With our ears no less. I have heard you speak before boy and it never came into my ears. Only into my mind. As for what that means, don't ask me. Magic... pah!"
"Right. There is something strange about this place of course." Mortis looked towards the twins. "Magna? Anything that you can tell us?"
Magna looked up starled. "Me? Don't you mean to ask my brother?"
Mortis pointed to the center of his helmet. "You possess a certain skill." He explained patiently.
Realization dawned on the Princess' face. She looked up and down the corridor. Without making a big show of smelling the air, it was something she tended to keep a secret from others she looked back at Mortis and shook her head. "There is nothing. Nothing magical at all that I can tell."
She then looked at Adrian and he knew what her look meant. She expected him to answer and explain why this was possible. Clearly, they were in a place that should be magical. If any place was meant to be steeped in the stuff, it had to be Adiran's trove.
"I think that perhaps we are not where we were meant to be completely..." Adrian said carefully.
"Are we in a trap?" Sebastian asked, his voice thick with suspicion. He glared up and down the corridor.
Adrian shook his head. "I do not think so. If it had meant to harm us, it would have done that already. Instead... I think we just did not get all the way through."
Perhaps there is a way that leads there in one of the directions in the corridor?
"Fine." Sebastian said. "But which way?" Again attention was on Adrian. How was he meant to know this?
He pointed to his right. "I think we should try going in one direction for a few minutes and see if we discover something." He cringed inwardly, expecting his Uncle or his venerable ancestor to snap at him.
I have a better idea. Derric interjected. I am much faster than you all. Let me go in that direction for a while and I will come back to you to tell you what I find.
"Be careful." Magna said.
I will. He replied and set off at a sprint.
Nobody had any better ideas and so they let the wolf go. The wolf got smaller and smaller in the distance. Faintly they could hear him call back at them. I see something!
The wolf got smaller.
It looks like people!
Derric was practically imperceptible to Adrian at this distance and whatever he was saying was difficult to hear.
"I cannot see him any longer." Sebastian said, saying what was plain to everyone.
"Come back!" Magna yelled into the distance. "They might be dangerous!"
"Wait! Prepare yourselves!" Trix said and sprung into a fighting stance. "Something has been advancing on us from behind while we were looking at Derric!"
Adrian whipped his head around to see something on the other side of the corridor. It was still far away but it was getting bigger.
"Should we stand and fight or evade it?" Anna asked.
What? Derric's voice was much clearer now.
Adrian looked back in the direction that Derric had gone but could see nothing of the shape shifter.
I am going to get a closer look... oh... now that's odd...
Sebastian growled as the shape coming from the other side came into sharper focus finally. "Bloody magic."
The wolf was now in clear focus of everyone. "Derric?" Magna asked, wanting to make sure that it was the same wolf. It was a kind of ludicrous concept. It was both impossible that Derric could come from direction and for there to be another talking wolf in this place.
Yeah? I thought it was strange that I could smell you guys from this direction.
"This is deep magic boy. Not the sort that is an active thing." Adrian and Mortis locked eyes with one another. "I think we need to give Adrian some time to figure it out. Moving right now seems pointless."
"Aye." Sebastian agreed, sticking a pinkie into his ear and rubbing it around, attempting to look bored. Magna rolled her eyes and Adrian could tell that he probably did not feel as laid back as he pretended to be.
Trix had been strung like a bow, she relaxed sensing that she needed to give Adrian some peace of mind to figure things out.
With nothing else to do, Adrian sat down on the stone floor and crossed his legs. He took out the pouch with the stone inside and wondered if it would work here....
... and I will leave it on that perplexing note to @lex-zaiya! Enjoy!
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library
Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
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LOVIT! 👏📖👓
Interesting! I like this concept.
Enjoy the loop! Lol
Lovely predicament here 😂😂
A loopy predicament! Lol
Let's see what Lex does with it!
I am currently re-reading this, I've read some and I think it's a great story too! Do you ever plan on making this into a novel?
Heya. Thank you for reading it!
Yeah. Lex and I did plan on editing it all possibly and possibly publishing it on KDP or something.
We just need to find the time to do the editing bit!
Kdp has a strict rule of your work not being published anywhere else before though...
Online platforms (hive) included...
Indeed? But the final result would be different since we need to edit it.
Perhaps...
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Awesome story! I need to reread some parts :)
Thank you so much!
Oh man, I have so much to catch up on. But this looks so great!
Lol. Thanks.
It starts with Mortis Custos!