Introduction
This will probably not be a long one, but another part shall be written today!
The last part of the story is here: Mortis Custos Part 85 by @lex-zaiya.
To start at the beginning of the story please see the links provided at the end of this post!
Viewer discretion is advised due to gory violence! Undead! Swords! Death! Beware!
Part 86
There was fire.
The fire came towards him and settled in his veins. It made him feel very hot. There was meant to be a cleansing moment where all your darkness and sin was exposed and burned away. But all the boy could feel was pain.
There had been pain when he had been linked to the Prince to keep him alive. That had been nothing compared to what he felt now.
There was no more boy, there was no more feeling or touch.
There is only pain. There is burning. My skin feels like fire. My gut feels like a boiling cauldron. My eyes see nothing but a hot white light. My ears hear nothing but the roar of flames. My nose smells nothing but fumes and flame.
There is no boy here. Only Fire. Only Pain.
He becons me. I can feel it. More fire, more heat, more light, but there is a promise. A soothing fire will take away the pain. I must give it to HIM. I must give HIM my pain and myself as well.
He reached out. He did not know if he did so with his hands, or even if he had hands anymore. He knew only pain. He reached out will all of his might and intent instead.
Come to me my Lord!
There was a sound of roaring fire. There were also screams. It sent shivers down Cedric’s spine. What manner of unholy deeds were these corrupt pries doing?
Cedric had his crossbow cocked and ready and held it, somewhat shakily in both hands. He tried to steady his breathing and his nerves. Jason on the opposite site of the corridor looked as though he was nauseous and pained. The man rocked back and forth on his heels, muttering a prayer but he held his sword with both hands in the guard position.
It was hot. Ever since they had gone down the stairs it was like an oven. Their faith kept them strong. Their God was the lord of cleansing fire and by reciting the Catechism of Cleansing Flame were they able to withstand the environment here.
Twice they had been attacked by priests. These ones had been very different. They had worn red robes and had charged the Blaze Knights with weapons that seems to have been plucked out of the forge, glowing red hot. There were fanatics but they were not very good fighters and the pair had slain them easily.
The scream up ahead increased in pitch. It was painful. The emotion and pain that the screamer felt emanated through the sweltering atmosphere like waves.
Jason was trying to say something to him and Cedric strained to hear. The man’s face looked like he was screaming but somehow the pained screams were louder. He moved closer. More through lip reading and Jason’s hand signs, did he deduce what the other Blaze Knight was saying.
“It sounds like a boy.”
Cedric then realized that it did sound like a boy. A young boy was screaming. What were these heretics doing? There was no time to call for the Cleric and their brethren. They needed to act right now. Perhaps they could still save the boy.
They nodded to one another, Jason had come to the same conclusion as him and they charged into the next chamber. Jason led out forward and Cedric had his crossbow ready to fire over the other’s left shoulder. Just as they had done countless times. Often the bolt would speed through the air on the left as the sword blow came from the right and one or the other would kill an opponent.
Cedric had barely seen the red robe when his finger squeezed the trigger. Jason’s sword slashed out and another cultist priest fell to the ground. There were at least a two dozen or more of the red robes in the chamber and Cedric quickly began loading his crossbow again.
He then noticed that none of the priests had turned to face the new threat. Those closest to the door had not even made a move when the priests nearest to them had fallen.
Cedric’s attention was drawn to the far end of the room, in the centre he recognized High Priest Darius vaguely. His attention however was drawn to the other figure, floating around three feet in the air was a body. It must have been the boy that they could still hear screaming.
The body was a shining beacon, every surface of its body was white hot and even brighter points of light shone from its mouth, eyes and faintly, its nostrils. There was an emanation of pure power around this boy’s body. It was something akin to the brightest and hottest of holy fire Cedric had ever seen in his own order.
Yet there was a malice there. That burning intensity held a feeling of intent that made Cedric certain of one thing and one thing only – He was going to die.
Movement in the corner of his eye made him flinch away as Jason jumped back from the body that had lain on the ground. The body was moving!
The blood that had spilled out from the sword wound was the first to be drawn toward the floating boy. Then chunks of flesh and skin sheared off from the rest of the corpse and was drawn towards the floating manifestation like a stream of blood and gore. Soon, even the bloodied bones and the remaining viscera was drawn towards the other end of the room.
The man that Cedric had killed with his crossbow also stirred. The pool of blood beneath the body was drawn forward first, then the rest of the man began shearing off as the first had done, even though he had only pierced the man’s body with a bolt.
By this time, the first blobs of blood and viscera had reached the shining figure. It touched the body and slid along it, temporarily blocking out some of the light until it too began glowing. At first it was a bright yellowed flash but as more meat and blood coated the figure and squirmed its way around to cover the boy the light became orange, then right red until finally a deep dark red.
Priests nearest to Cedric and Jason merely fell over, they screamed or shuddered and then were still, their bodies being stripped and added to the gross mix of meat, organs and blood. The clump that had surrounded the boy had swallowed him completely and now long legs and arms were being made. Bones were being dragged into position forming a layer of armour on the outside the being’s flesh.
All except for the High Priest was absorbed into the being and it stood, towering over the priest, like golem of flesh and bone that was glowing a ruddy sullen red. The boy’s screams had died away. In its place there was a sound of a dull roar, like a distant fire. An new head had formed above where the child’s body had been, an amalgamated skull with a grinning skull face and a long jaw filled with sharp teeth. Bones had speared out in a crown-like fashion on the top of its head.
Its eyes shone with an internal fire.
“Oh my Lord!” Darius’s voice could be heard, loud and shrill. “Avatar of the Bright One, our Burning Crusader of Light! Accept these offerings so that you have flesh made manifest to combat against the darkness of the world!”
“Who…” The voice did not come from the being’s throat, but seemed to echo inside Cedric’s skull. “Are you… mortal?”
“I am High Priest Darius of your Church my Lord!” Darius proclaimed “I am one of your more devout followers and I give my all to serve you!”
“Oh really?” The massive being seemed amused.
“Yes my Lord! I have summoned your essence here because we are beset on all sides, there are corrupted Knights in my Abbey, the Queen consorts with evil powers and there is an undead army at our walls! We gave our all in your name.”
“What about you?” The question was full of malice.
“My…my Lord?” Darius stammered.
“What about your body? Your soul?” The being asked. Cedric had to wonder if this were not some demon playing at being his God. How could Darius, the corrupt High Priest have summoned their God? Surely it was a trick.
“I… I give you my all!” Darius stammered some more, stunned in fear. “You will need someone to lead your armies, your congregation, your church!”
“I am the Burning One! I am the Light Bringer! I am the Destroyer of Darkness! I am the Revenger of Stagnation!” The Avatar took a step forward, gesticulating with one clawed hand. “I shall choose what I NEED. Mortal.”
Darius cowered back, not daring to speak.
“The truth is that I know exactly who you are Darius the High Mage.” The Avatar said. “Long have you fallen away from the true tenets of my Church. Your faith is lacking!”
Darius fell to his knees. “Forgive me my Lord! Forgive my shortcomings!”
The Avatar stalked forward. From a sullen red, it glowed somewhat brighter, illuminating the whole room. “Do not fret my mortal servant. Though you have many failings, I still have a use for a twisted, jealous little soul such as yours!”
It strode forward and grabbed the High Priest by the chest. It raised the shrieking, flailing man clean into the air. The screams intensified until there was a loud snap and Darius was still. The priest’s body seemed to melt and lengthened. Bones snapped together and solidified and other materials were formed that where not part of a human body to create a broad blade.
The Avatar slammed the massive polearm’s haft into the ground next to it.
For a long moment there was silence.
Cedric and Jason dared not move.
“Blaze Knights.” The creature said. “True servants of the Lightbringer, the Incinerator of Corruption. The High Priest understood incorrectly. I am not HE.”
Cerdric’s hands tightened on his weapon. Running now would prove nothing but cowardly and disgraceful. He would stand and die here to uphold the honour of the Knights. He glanced briefly and saw that Jason was just as determined in the face of certain death.
There was a ghastly laughter that echoed in Cedric’s head. “No need to prepare to die at my hand. I am the Avatar of Wrath. I am as a hand or finger to your Lord. I am of His essence and I speak for Him.” The creature strode forward, holding its broad bladed polearm in one hand. Its flesh was boiling and light and flames seeped out between the joins in its form.
“You are HIS Blaze Knights. Your Cleric will understand. I am in command now.”
Wrapup
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and the current Chainstory Library
Mortis Custos Parts:
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