Maledictus Terra Book 3: Vetitum Nemus Part 76
Introduction
Welcome back to Maledicturs Terra. This is a Chain Story between myself and @lex-zaiya, meaning that we each write the parts alternatively.
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!
Part 76
Barakus looked annoyed at the question but Mary thought that it was an act. He merely was trying to pretend that it was not an important question.
"You came as soon as Letulah was injured." She stated. She had been thinking about what Derric had told her in his summary about the whole encounter. "It was as though you either knew that the attack was going to happen, or that you could feel it happenings... and you weren't too far away either."
Tiny head scowled. "What's your point?" Barakus said sullenly.
"My point is that you came immediately. You were desperate to get to her to cure her and that you agreed to these ridiculous terms with Adiran and now you are a shrunken head, hanging by a handful of hairs." Mary said these things, not asking anything but leaning into a narrative of sorts.
She had a feeling that if she were incorrect, Barakus was the type to prove her wrong. He would also defend his own ego should she make it out that he appeared to be a moron. He would try to prove her wrong.
Barakus stared at her coldly so she decided that she would press on. There was definitely something that he was hiding. "This must mean that you need her alive for some reason. You are desperate and unable to suffer her demise. This is probably because your magic is not good enough to penetrate into the area around this cult in the east and..."
"You underestimate my abilities Queen!" The shrunken head fumed. "I am able to see what the Temple and their leadership are up to. Sure Letulah was assisting me on my scouting and information gathering of the Cult but I am quite capable of collecting what I need without her."
"Then if you are able to, why not do it yourself?" She shot back.
"I would not reveal myself if I do not need to. I was studying them while being subtle."
"Not subtle enough. Now Letulah's partner is dead." Her tone held an edge of scorn.
"That was hardly my fault! They shadowed a hunter, an assassin of sorts. They knew he was dangerous." Barakus huffed.
"So now if I wanted my friend to live, I would force her to retire from this business of sneaking and scouting and fighting. I would take her away and remove you from her too."
"No!" He yelled. For the first time he seemed agitated. Mary thought that this must be the way he behaved when he had made his deal with Adiran. "She will not survive without me! Without my contract and without me, she will never see her husband!"
"And without her, you will perish." Adiran said, shaking the head in his hand slightly.
Mary smiled. This was what was on her mind. She could see the former High Mage try to come up with some alternative story but it was no use. He had not been prepared for this kind of cross questioning.
"I think it is safe to say that you need Letulah." Mary said. "It does not help that you try to hide this fact. I don't need to understand magic to understand the motivations of greedy men. Someone like you hardly does what you have done out of a bleeding heart of charity. You need her."
Barakus huffed and rolled her eyes. "Yes yes! I need her. Is that what you wanted me to admit? My lichdom was... imperfect. I had started another way, but when I had met Letulah, her curse gave me another way to sustain myself. So I have been studying and feeding off that curse."
"This is why Letty would not let us remove the curse!" She said.
Barakus groaned. "You are a meddlesome lot. You somehow purified the Goddess that the 17... at the time... that we had captured."
"You wanted to give up the 17 as an exchange. Are you not counted amongst them?" Mary asked.
"Let's just say that there was a conflict of interest... they have chosen another to replace me." He frowned. "Surely you must want them? It only makes sense that you would want to pin them down and stop them from doing any more evil."
Over to you Lex!
Thank you for reading!e
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Vetitum Nemus
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