Greeting Readers
I hope your week has been going well. 
“Uhm, excuse me.” A voice cut through the air.
It was at that moment that the adults turned and seemed to take note of Derric still within the room. Mary could have sworn the boy had run after Magna but clearly, she had been wrong.
“Didn’t you go after Magna?” asked Adiran.
“Obviously not if I am still here.” Said the boy snarkily. “Anyway, have you tried to speak sense into the woman when she gets like this?”
Mary immediately wanted to say girl but paused. Derric was right. Despite her attitude, Magna had been a woman for almost two years now and it was time to let the reins loosen a little.
“Anyway, I know exactly where she is going.”
“Mortis.” Said Noxus. “I thought he was resting after your grand adventure.”
“He is, that doesn’t stop Magna.”
Mary cleared her throat and said as gently as she could. “Derric, this meeting doesn’t…”
“I think it does. While Magna seems to want to fly the nest, it’s not like I have lands or even a title to offer. What happens to her kingdom will affect me directly. I may look young, Your Majesty, but I have a few brain cells to rub together. You may as well make use of me.”
“The boy has a point.” Said Adiran.
Noxus cleared her throat.
“Of course, young man.” Corrected Adiran.
“All I wanted to say was that I am perfectly capable of changing into a subtle creature and getting closer to this approaching army. Perhaps I can learn something that can be useful to you.”
“Use him, Mary.” Said Adiran. “It’s not common that you have a subject that is willing to assist with the skills Derric has, nor one that has a literal goddess on his side.”
Mary took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. Despite her youth, she was ready to retire and leave the kingdom to Magna. However, the girl was even more stubborn than her father and it was sometimes difficult to get through to her. She missed the little girl who dogged her steps to learn to fight with a blade.
“Very well, Derric.”
The young man grinned and bowed before leaving the room.
“Please change into something that is normal!” yelled Mary after him.
Mortis had been resting, a skill he had learned thanks to Bellum. The two of them would sit in silent contemplation for hours. The revenant had never truly felt tired thanks to his undead nature, but after these sessions, he had always felt lighter and more relaxed. Bellum was sharing so much knowledge with him that he had longed for the god to have been by his side when he had been king.
He had just finished a session with the god when Magna had stormed into his crypt. He didn’t need to use his eyes to know it was her. Her anger permeated through the room, disrupting his calm. He slowly rose from the floor as the young woman started on a tirade about her mother not respecting her and how she couldn’t wait to leave the castle.
Mortis slowly got to his feet, waiting for her to get to the end of the rant but it went on and on, with new grievances being added to the list. Grudges that had nothing to do with the fight that had clearly long before this particular spat.
“And where will you go?” asked Mortis.
That calmed Magna right down as her temper suddenly turned on him.
“How can you be on her side?”
“I am not on anyone’s side, but your mother has a point. Derric needs to keep Vitex on a short leash. You know what she did to Rex, what we had to do to keep him alive. She is a loose cannon.”
“But she doesn’t trust me!”
“She never said that. You took it that way.”
Magna wanted to argue but knew then she had been wrong. Instead of admitting it, she tried to double down.
“And where would you and Derric go if you were to leave these lands?” Mortis queried. “He would be hunted down by witch hunters, and you would likely be burned at the stake for witchery.”
“We don’t burn witches at stakes anymore.” She muttered.
“It doesn’t change the fact that there will be no titles, no lands, and you will wander until you find your place. What will you do if there are children? What if they are like Derric? What if they inherit your nature and treat you the way you treat your mother?”
Magna sighed loudly before loudly erupting. “We both know I am not mad at my mother!”
“Indeed. What are you mad about?”
“My brother! I need his support and he keeps himself holed up in his room all the time and won’t come out to see me.”
And back to Zak.
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library
Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
Vetitum Nemus
by  | by |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | Part 2 |
| Part 3- You’re Here | Part 4 - Incoming |
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