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“I always wanted two women fighting over me, but this is a little ridiculous.” Muttered the head as it swung back and forth from Letulah’s grip.
Magna stood before Letulah while Adrian attempted to calm the orc before him. Back-to-back, the two tried to prevent a fight from breaking out. Adiran couldn’t help but feel a loss he hadn’t felt in some time. This should have been his sister and him.
He shook his head and was about to bring an end to the fight when Gorma slammed the axe into the earth, narrowly missing the sleeve of Adrian’s shirt.
“We can all agree he’s an evil prink, right?” demanded Gorma.
“Yes.” Said Adrian as he held a hand up, looking relieved that it hadn’t been taken with the swing.
“That thing had a hand in my people being locked up for as long as they were! I have every right to crack it open.”
“I get that. I understand, but you have to realise that…”
“No! I need to…”
A white blur suddenly materialised behind the large orc, and a serpentine creature seemed to hold her in place, even though she was trying to reach for her axe.
I understand.
This wasn’t a form that Gorma had seen before, but she knew that it was Derrick. His coils were keeping her muscles moving but he wasn’t hurting her.
I want to rip his head apart too. I understand. But I also know when an opportunity is presented to us that we need to look at from a different perspective.
“My people were trapped, and yours were consumed.” Grunted the orc.
“Not all of them!” sang the skull.
“Not helping!” snapped Magna as she lightly kicked the skull.
We only need him for a short time.
Gorma was sure that this message was only between Derrick and herself, as no one else seemed to react. She relaxed a little.
We only need him long enough to use what he knows, and then, then you and I can do what we want. For now, play nice. Understand?
Gorma relaxed her arms and nodded her head.
“Excellent. Do I not die now?” mocked the skull.
Before anyone could stop him, Derrick released the orc, shot forward, gripped the skull in his powerful jaws, and swallowed it whole. There was a second of silence before there was an eruption of shrieking and laughter.
Letulah looked about ready to gut Derrick, and now it was Magna’s turn to hold her back while trying not to laugh at the mess that had developed. Derrick, grinning the only way that a snack could, slithered his monstrous form into the castle.
“He’s fine!” said Adiran as he tried to not chuckle at the situation. “I believe this particular species that Derrick is mimicking has a crop, similar to a bird, Barakus won’t be dissolved. However, we’ll be free from his chides for a while at least.”
He then turned and went to find Mary, so he could let her know that a new discussion needed to be had.
“You good?” asked Magna when Letulah collapsed.
“I’ll live. Your pet, not so much.”
Magna released her and said softly, “Be kind to my partner.”
Letulah fixed her with a look of disdain before her words sunk in. There was so much Letulah wanted to ask and even more she didn’t want to know. Instead, she touched the now rebleeding wound in her face. She needed to have a healer take a look at it.
“Let’s get you to the castle surgeon. He’s pretty decent. Sewed my face up more times than I can count, and you can barely tell!” Magna dragged Letulah to her feet.
As they made their way into the castle, she looked at her brother and nodded her head in thanks. He truly was the shield she needed at her back. He smiled back before turning his attention to the angry orc before her. Her face was twisted in controlled rage, and she refused to look at him. He wondered if she felt betrayed by his actions, but then she sighed and looked at him with soft eyes.
“I find it difficult to forgive like a human.”
Adrian laughed and said in a slightly harsh tone, “You think this is forgiveness? Oh no, what my uncle did is akin to torture. You wouldn’t have seen the seals that have been placed on that thing to keep him as he is. He is practically powerless unless he is pointed at something and commanded to do magic. He is fairly talkative, which is annoying. Maybe I should have let you crack his skull open.”
Gorma chuckled and wrenched her weapon from the ground. “Does this mean that there will be a change of parties?”
“Likely, especially when my mother sees Derrick.”
“How come?”
“Oh, she’s terrified of snakes.”
Adiran had tried to warn Mary of the situation, but when she saw the giant snake curled up in her throne room, with its head looking at her from on top of its coils, she nearly screamed in a panic.
To make matters worse, Derrick stuck his tongue out at her before making several dry heaving sounds and spitting up the soaked skull. Mary almost kicked the thing across the throne room.
“Ah! Your majesty! A pleasure…if I could see you.” Said the skull as it looked into the carpet.
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library
And back to you Zak.
Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
Vetitum Nemus
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