Greetings Readers
I hope all of you have had an awesome week and plan to have an even more awesome weekend. I unfortunately have a lot of work I need to get through before the end of the year as I have one more project that is due to end on Christmas Eve. Yay.
But anyway, I am jumping away from the scene that was left by @zakludick in part 63 to bring us back to our hunting party, I hope you all enjoy! However, before any of you read further, I want to set the scene a little.
To get a feeling for the voice that is within the forest, there are two clips that really gave me inspiration. Firstly, the elk bugle: 
To me, this is one of the most unnatural sounds I have ever had the displeasure of hearing. Causes goosebumps every time I hear it.
The second video, which is incredibly gruesome, is from the movie Annihilation, which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful horror movies I have ever seen in my life! In this clip, the bear hybrid uses the stolen voice of a woman screaming for help. I want you all to picture this as the creature speaks.
As for the inspiration of the beast itself, blame Centaurworld and the Nowhere King
Site
While I tweaked some aspects of the beast in the forest, I thought I'd share what was in my head while I was writing this piece.
Now that you all have enough nightmare fuel, please enjoy this piece.
Adrian was sitting on the battlements. His mind was racing from what Lucien had told the group. A way to reverse a curse, not break it. This was something he hadn’t expected. His uncle had warned him that Lucien would stop at nothing for more knowledge and power. Adiran had been so adamant that Adrian be wary of Lucien. However, now hearing what he had, he had doubts.
He allowed his eyes to scan over the forest below as the moon crested the mountains. While not full, its borrowed light was more than enough to illuminate everything around the prince. Below he could hear the shuffling that he assumed was nothing more than the mindless undead. He had heard them for a while, but now he could see them.
They were unlike the bodies that would occasionally be in the general vicinity of the castle. These looked more like animals than people. They would shuffle around and then a smell would catch their attention before they bound off in a specific direction at a speed that wasn’t undead-like.
There were a few that tried to remain in the shadows, but now that the moonlight had ousted them, they quickly scurried back into the forest. There had been more looking up at the castle now.
The prince looked up at Mortis who was standing guard duty with him. The remainder of their party had tried to get some sleep now that the excitement of battle was over. Sebastian and Magna had quickly fallen asleep, while the rest of the party had set up rudimentary protection on the battlements before they too fell asleep.
As Mortis didn’t require sleep, he had taken the first watch. Adrian hadn’t wanted to sleep, remembering the screaming faces of the beast they had vanquished. He doubted that he would be sleeping well for some time after this.
Adrian looked over to where his sister lay asleep. She was propped up against Derric, who curled around her in one of his various large wolf forms. Adrian couldn’t help but smile. After the horrors she had been through, it was good to see that she had someone else to open up to. Someone who saw her for more than just being a princess and a way to a prominent throne.
Adrian then allowed his gaze to fall on the Lifedrinker who sat on the battlements to his right. He had also noticed the gathering creatures in the forest. Adrian wondered if they were here for the Lifedrinker or if they were curious. If they were curious, were they truly undead? The thought puzzled him at first, but then he looked back at the undead that was standing next to him. He wrestled with asking a few deeply personal questions before he thought better of it and turned to the Lifedrinker.
“I owe…” he started.
“No, you don’t.” said the Lifedrinker abruptly.
An awkward silence descended on the group. Mortis made as if he hadn’t heard the confrontation and continued to watch the gathering undead and hungers below.
Lucien sighed and continued, “Your uncle knows me too well. He likely filled your head with warnings to keep you safe, and he had every right so. I wasn’t a good person when I was in my earlier years. I may not even be doing the good work I think I am doing. In fact, I’m doing this purely for selfish reasons. I hate watching young Lifedrinkers having to face their individual hunger curses. So many of the older generations are losing a grip on their sanity and the curse grows stronger. I want to free us from that. To do that, the creature within the forest needs to be freed from its hunger.”
“I thought you were free of the hunger.”
“It comes and goes in cycles. Those cycles are getting closer and closer. We are not the mighty kingdom we once were. Of the soldiers I had with me a few weeks ago, one in ten have already started rambling and secluding themselves in their homes.”
“It has sped up with the Fire and Dark one playing with a world they shouldn’t have.” Said Mortis.
The Lifedrinker and prince looked to Mortis. If the king of old could blush, he would of. Once more the entity, which still resided within him had decided to speak its mind.
“When are you going to explain what this is?” asked Lucien as he indicated all of Mortis.
Mortis’s head snapped toward the Lifedrinker as Adrian exclaimed, “You knew?”
“I noticed something. I don’t know what but there is something odd about our friend here.”
“Not now.” Said the voice within Mortis as he snapped his jaw closed with an audible snap.
Lucien chuckled and turned his gaze back to the forest. “Keep your secrets for now. In time, you’ll have to tell us.”
All their gazes returned to the forest as all the creatures gathered suddenly disappeared. Something else was moving in the forest now. The sounds were muffled at first, but then there was a clear snap of a branch. Afterward, there was no sound, but Magna sat bolt upright. She looked confused at first, rubbing at her nose and then her eyes.
“Thought Mom was here.” She muttered as she got to her feet. “I smelled rose perfume…”
Magna’s sentence was cut off by the bugle of an elk. It was a sound both children were familiar with, as they had hunted with their father. It was eerie enough coming from a normal elk, but whatever was producing this sound was ungodly. The sound seemed to cut through the sleep of the rest of the party as they immediately woke and rolled to get their weapons.
“Is…is that a voice?” asked Magna as she stared out toward the forest.
Adrian listened carefully within the distorted bugle. It took a few distorted calls for him to hear what his sister was hearing. There was indeed a voice, and it was calling to someone.
“Help…me…brother…”
The sound brought pure panic to Adrian’s mind as goosebumps rose along his arms. The voice was horrifying, but what stepped from the woods was even worse. The visage shocked the prince so much, that he launched himself backward off the battlements and scrambled away. Even Magna was shocked. She had seen big elk before. She had once hunted a nine-point elk with her father. The elk had been massive and had killed two hunting hounds before disappearing. She had had nightmares for days about being run through, and now that she was staring at this creature, she felt that old childhood fear creeping back.
Twelve, she counted twelve points on each antler, which weren’t coming from the normal spot on the elk’s head. They were growing from the creature’s eyes. Its entire body was slick with a black ooze and something seemed to be undulating under the ooze. Broken bones jutted from the ooze as the creature walked purposefully forward. It was massive, far bigger than it had right to be.
“No…” Magna shook her head and took a step back.
Mortis continued to look at the creature with pity and sadness, yet neither emotion was his own. The presence within him was in agony at seeing the beast before them. Mortis was made annoyingly aware of the emotions as moisture gathered in his eye sockets and rolled down his cheeks.
Here is an explanation of Chain Stories and here is the current Chainstory Library
Mortis Custos
Sanguifex
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