Introduction
Welcome back to Maledicturs Terra. This is a Chain Story between myself and @lex-zaiya, meaning that we each write the parts alternatively.
I have not written any Maledictus Terra since my PC died. Well... that ends now. Time to get back into it!
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!
But for now, we are going to flip back to the events within Chezon with Magister Illian, King Djonn and their invisible fiend.
Part 52
The Magister waited in the side passage, his confidant would bring the Mage to him tonight and he hoped that the Mage would live up to his name. The Temples of Kai were legendary. Surely if there was something wrong with his King, this Mage would be able to figure it out.
Finally they arrived, though the woman stopped a ways away and waved at him and then left out of sight. The robed mage came closer to Illian and he saw that that the Mage wore purple robes and was fairly short.
It was then that Illian realized that this Mage was a woman, just as she removed her hood.
"I am Nidal, Adept of Hiral Kai." She bowed her head. "I believe you suspect that the King is under some sort of influence?"
The Magister nodded. "Indeed I do."
"Why do you think that he is not acting like himself?"
"The King and I have known each other for very long. I know him better than any other person. Nothing important happened but suddenly one day his attitude changed dramatically and I have not been able to get through to him." The Magister explained. "I am usually able to give him advice and give suggestions but he has been closed off from me."
"I see." The Mage said. "Where is the King now?"
"He is in the throne room. It is nearly the end of the time of deliberations. I am going to get you into the throne room in the upper wings. That way you shall have a clear view of the King. Will that help?"
The Mage nodded. "That is good."
He led the woman into a the castle and up a flight of stairs. They were in the gallery, there was a public gallery for members of the peasantry and this one, reserved for nobility or those persons deemed important to the state. Magister Illian waved the Mage Nidal past the guard stationed at the entrance to the private gallery.
The soldier stood aside since the Magister had the clearance to allow anyone up to this position.
The Mage sat down in the gallery and the Magister excused himself. He took the flight of stairs out of the gallery and joined the King in the Throne room. He looked up as he entered and he could see the Mage sitting where he had left her.
The King was dealing with a foreign merchant who had fallen to his knees before the King. "King Djonn, oh glrorious ruler! Have pity on me! My caravan was attacked on your soil, the country that is yours. Bandits perhaps but I tell you this! These were no mere vagabonds. They wore a uniform of sorts. They carried colors, black and red and white. Some wore robes and others wore armor."
"We are deeply disturbed by this event my good man." The King said. The words were correct but the tone in which he had said it was at odds. He sounded bored and unconcerned. "We shall dispatch a patrol to investigate these people you speak of."
"King Djonn? What of recompense? What of my people that were slaughtered in the attack? I am the only one who survived!"
"There will be no talk of recompensation until we have determined the origin and affiliation of these attackers." The King drawled.
"What am I to do now?" The merchant demanded.
The King seemed to take a moment before he answered. "You shall need to wait. We will prepare a place for you to stay while we... conduct our investigation."
The way the King spoke sent shivers up Illian's spine. He looked at the King. Bored and exhausted, the King looked ill. The King waved a hand and the man was escorted out of the room. The man was protesting, demanding that he say more but the King gestured for the man to be taken away.
The soldiers began clearing out the remaining peasants and they were alone. Illian looked up at the gallery to where the Mage was sitting and realized that her seat was empty.
Perhaps she had moved her position in the Gallery? He kept looking for movement but saw none.
"Magister." The King addressed him.
"Yes my King?" He replied.
"What are you looking for?"
"There was an agent I had stationed there for your protection your Majesty." Illian's heart beat faster as he realized that he would need to lie a little. He did not know how the King would react if he told him what Nidal truly was and why she was there."
"An agent? I think not. There is nobody up there." The King said lazily.
"True, I cannot see her. I will go have a look my King." The Magister paused but King Djonn said nothing to forestall him. The King was not even looking at him.
Illian left the throne room and went up the stairs to go see where the Mage had gone off to.
"Did the woman leave through here?" He asked the soldier on guard.
"Nobody has passed through here since you left Magister." The soldier responded.
Illian nodded and walked through the door. There was a smell in the air that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He looked through the whole gallery and could see no person there. He went to the sea where the Mage had been sitting.
The seat where she had been sitting was smeared with blood. That was the smell he could not place. He stood up, fear gripping his heart and looked down the gallery and into the throne room.
King Djonn looked up at him then. His bored expression changed suddenly and the King was grinning. Illian stared the King and just as suddenly he King's grin disappeared and he we looking around a second time.
"Did you find who you were looking for Magister?" The King asked.
Illian stared. Had it just been his imagination? A trick of the light? Did the King know what he had done, that he had tried to see if there was something with a hold over him?
Had Illian just alerted the King and whomever was behind this to his knowledge. The compulsion to flee was overwhelming and fought with his sense of duty and love for the King.
His feet were moving anyway to carry him out of the throne room. As he left the room he tripped over a heavy object. He fell badly and landed on his face and shoulder. He rolled over and got up.
"Oh no!"
The object that he had fallen over had been the soldier that had been guarding the door. He went closer. There was a pool of blood around the soldier's body and the Magister checked for breathing but the man was dead.
And just like that... I shall pass it on to @lex-zaiya
Thank you for reading!
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library
Vetitum Nemus
The Reader List
If you would like to be tagged in every episode of Mortis Custos/Sanguifex/Vetitum Nemus, leave us a comment and get added in, miss nothing!
The Watchlist:
@weone, @merenludick, @clairemobey, @therneau, @blitzzzz, @pravesho, @joetunex, @captainquack22, @irisworld, @braaiboy, @sketchygamerguy, @fuego-oscuro, @felt.buzz, @dibblers.dabs, @brittandjosie, @tamacvet, @alonicus, @joetunex, @stdd, @uop, @luizeba, @cryptoniusrex, @agreste, @itzchemaya, @darthsauron, @seki1
If for any reason you do not want to be tagged for a future episode, please let us know and we will remove you from the watchlist.
Cheers!
@zakludick
