Tales of Malus: Chapter Two

Chapter Two

         Morius smirked inwardly, letting loose  a long, wracking laugh from within his  hollow chest. The man before him trembled, quivering with fear. “So, it is my understanding that you were sent here by the mayor to tell me that I must leave Nirinthal immediately, correct?” he mused. “Perhaps,” he continued in a patronizing voice, “he  finds  my new look offensive.” With this last word he stood from his position at the head of the large wooden table  that filled most of the dark chamber, striding across its dark confines until he was less than three strides away from the messenger.

         “You . . . you’re a monster!” the man stuttered. “Just leave our town in  peace and stop your mad experiments!”

         Morius chuckled, a cold, sinister sound. He enjoyed hearing himself speak, the echoing hollowness of his voice made it so much easier to frighten information out of the pathetic fools that surrounded him. “I find it quite humorous,” he said slowly, drawing out each word, “that you have the nerve  to come into my manor and demand things of me.” He maneuvered himself so that he was behind the hapless messenger.

         “Look at me, do you not like what you see?” he said, not intending on letting the man answer. “I spent many years researching the proper rituals  to attain this body, this perfection. Death was only the beginning, now I am much, much more.” With this final word, he drew a long dagger from the folds of his black robe.

         “Here, I expect you and all of your peasant friends have wanted to do this to me for quite some time now. Go ahead, run me through if you wish.” He held the dagger out to the messenger, who quickly grabbed hold of the weapon. However, he was too frightened  to strike, all he could do was stand there, feebly brandishing the dagger. “What do you wait for, you do wish to strike me down in the name of your god, do you not?”

         His eyes wild, the terrified man finally caved in and threw himself at the lich, driving the blade deep into the pale, thin flesh of his chest. For a moment, he simply stood  there waiting to see what the outcome  would be, not knowing what to do next. Morius made the next move, shoving the messenger backwards and pulling the dagger from his chest.

         The man could only watch in horror as the taut flesh reformed tightly over the undead’s gaunt chest, leaving no mark from the assault. “You see fool, I am now immortal. Nothing the mayor or anyone else does can make me leave this town when it is so ripe with fresh test subjects.” Morius’s eyes narrowed, causing the burning blue flames that filled his eye sockets to flare up. “You belong to me now wretch, and your first job will be to deliver this message to Bartran Elder, the so called leader of this city.”

         The messenger finally  found his voice, “No! I won’t work for you demon! Just leave our town in peace!” he shouted  shrilly. This only made the lich cackle louder.

         “You don’t have much of a choice,” Morius said, infusing these words with pure malice.

         Suddenly, the messenger found himself unable to move, his body had simply locked  up. Slowly and deliberately, Morius drew his long, ebony staff from the table, grinning cruelly. Placing the tip of the staff against the man’s chest, he drew a symbol of necromantic power. The messenger knew no more, his mind had been seized by the lich.

         “Go now, my newest servant, tell Bartran Elder that he can stay mayor of this pitiful city. We all know who the real leader is, and sooner or later I will take what is mine!”