![cover_zak.png](https://images.ecency.com/DQmNau6oMVnWW3KMrMuboLZVkB6ALjkx89jn2G5hhqVAVJG/cover_zak.png)

# Introduction

Good day all! This week has been hell. Been trying to complete our work on this ship so my apologies that this episode is out late... and short, but it is here!

The last part of the story is here: Mortis Custos [Part 73](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-73) 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!

![mortis_custos_divider.png](https://images.ecency.com/DQmQz6qkkxS89GR6Cph2nEXoXvCgbVmRvYHNbQ8KejduPfF/mortis_custos_divider.png)

# Part 74
<br>
The courtyard exploded in a flare of magical energy. Some of the soldiers raised their arms as though to defend themselves, others fled or threw themselves to the ground. 

There were all futile attempts. If the forces at play here had been used to cause harm, none of their actions would have increased the chances of their survival.

Instead Mary stood there and peered intently at the bright light.

Her eyes did not burn. Dimly, she was aware of the cries of anguish from the soldiers around her, yet she was able to focus and see the shapes emerge from within the circle before others. The largest shape in the group was not human. It was on all fours, but before the light died down, that shape was shrinking. There was a flare of wings on a humanoid body that she did not recognize. Another figure was tall and cloaked and she knew this would be Adiran.

She saw another figure and her heart was in her throat. Magna did not make it! There is only the warrior with the sword!

The light diffused more and more and the mop of unruly hair came into focus. *It's Her!*

Soon enough everyone were able to see the party that had suddenly arrived in the courtyard. Magna stood in the centre of the party, her one arm hold aloft the sword of the Dragonshold Kings, the sword of her father. In her other arm was a simple shield.

Mary was at once simultaneously proud as well as worried to see the dents and scratches on Magna's armor.

The party had seemed locked in time while they were coming out of the light, not one had moved unit suddenly they all burst into movement.

"Mortis!" Magna yelled and then swung her sword in the open air. "Where is he?" She whirled around at Adiran. "Where is he?!"

"I don't know!" He hollered back at her. "I needed to protect us and bring us here. I could not all that and save him as well!"

"No!" She cried.

Mary closed the space and Magna had barely a moment to register the movement, Mary sidestepped the reflexive swing and grabbed her daughter in an embrace.

*She's home. That's all that matters.*

And then the clarion call sounded from the walls.

"Oh no." She muttered.

"Mom? What is it?"

"The attack has begun."

![mortis_custos_divider.png](https://images.ecency.com/DQmQz6qkkxS89GR6Cph2nEXoXvCgbVmRvYHNbQ8KejduPfF/mortis_custos_divider.png)

He seemed to float.

He was no longer near his sister.

He was no longer near his great-grandchildren.

He was not even sure that he had a body.

There was no sound.

There was no light.

There was no touch.

After what seemed like an eternity things began to solidify all around him.

He still had no idea where he was but all around him was pressure that pressed in on him. He had been buried before. He did not mind the feeling.

*Perhaps I will rest here a while.*


![mortis_custos_divider.png](https://images.ecency.com/DQmQz6qkkxS89GR6Cph2nEXoXvCgbVmRvYHNbQ8KejduPfF/mortis_custos_divider.png)

# Wrapup

Back to you @lex-zaiya 

Here is an explanation of [Chain Stories](https://ecency.com/chainstory/@zakludick/introducing-chain-stories-interactive-fiction-writing) and the  current Chainstory [Library](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/chainstory-library-19-04-2022)

### Mortis Custos Parts:

| by @lex-zaiya | by @zakludick |
| ------------ | ------------ |
|     [**Part 1**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-one)  |     [**Part 2**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-2)       |
| [**Part 3**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/part-3)| [**Part 4**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-4)|
|[**Part 5**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-5)| [**Part 6**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-6)|
|[**Part 7**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-7)| [**Part 8**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-8)|
|[**Part 9**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-9)|[**Part 10**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-10)|
|[**Part 11**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-11)|[**Part 12**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-12)|
|[**Part 13**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-13)|[**Part 14**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-14)|
|[**Part 15**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-15)|[**Part 16**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-16)|
|[**Part 17**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-17)|[**Part 18**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-18)|
|[**Part 19**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-past-19)|[**Part 20**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-20)|
|[**Part 21**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-21)|[**Part 22**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-22)|
|[**Part 23**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-23)|[**Part 24**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-24)|
|[**Part 25**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-25)|[**Part 26**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-26)|
|[**Part 27**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-27)|[**Part 28**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-28)|
|[**Part 29**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-29)|[**Part 30**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-30)|
|[**Part 31**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-31)|[**Part 32**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-32)|
|[**Part 33**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-33)|[**Part 34**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-34#@lex-zaiya/re-zakludick-202276t141947442z)|
|[**Part 35**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-35)|[**Part 36**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-36)|
|[**Part 37**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-37)|[**Part 38**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-38)|
|[**Part 39**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-39)|[**Part 40**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-40)|
|[**Part 41**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-41)|[**Part 42**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-42)|
|[**Part 43**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-43)|[**Part 44**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-44)|
|[**Part 45**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-45)|[**Part 46**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-46)|
|[**Part 47**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-47)|[**Part 48**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-48)|
|[**Part 49**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-48)|[**Part 50**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/mortis-custos-part-50)|
|[**Part 51**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@lex-zaiya/mortis-custos-part-51)|[**Part 52**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-52)|
|[**Part 53**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-53)|[**Part 54**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-54)|
|[**Part 55**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-55)|[**Part 56**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-56)|
|[**Part 57**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-57)|[**Part 58**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-58)|
|[**Part 59**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-58)|[**Part 60**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-60)|
|[**Part 61**](https://www.ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-61)|[**Part 62**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-62)|
|[**Part 63**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-63)|[**Part 64**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-64)|
|[**Part 65**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-65)|[**Part 66**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-66)|
|[**Part 67**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-67)|[**Part 68**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-68)|
|[**Part 69**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-69)|[**Part 70**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-70)|
|[**Part 71**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-71)|[**Part 72**](https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@zakludick/fiction-mortis-custos-part-72)|
|[**Part 73**](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@lex-zaiya/fiction-mortis-custos-part-73)|You are here!|

### The Reader List
If you would like to be tagged in every episode of Mortis Custos, leave us a comment and get added in, miss nothing!

The Watchlist:
@weone, @merenludick, @clairemobey, @therneau, @blitzzzz, @pravesho, @joetunex, @captainquack22, @irisworld, @braaiboy, @sketchygamerguy, @fuego-oscuro, @felt.buzz, @dibblers.dabs, @beeber, @brittandjosie, @tamacvet, @thinkrdotexe, @alonicus, @joetunex, @stdd, @uop, @luizeba, @cryptoniusrex, @agreste, @itzchemaya, @darthsauron

If for any reason you do not want to be tagged for a future episode, please let us know and we will remove you from the watchlist.