ULTRAMagic Prelude - Chapter 4
Before the two eager explorers could set out again, Kresimira took a week to give the duo some tutoring. She wanted to check on her sister’s skill level and help Blood-Wraith progress a little further with his alchemy. Her suspicions towards Dragoslava were correct in that her sister had been neglecting her Alchemy in favor of exploring. The fact that she was also looking into other forms of magic did not help either. This was typically a good thing, but there were concerns that this would skew Blood-Wraith’s studies.
As Kresimira walked around the alchemical lab, she noticed Dragoslava making a fatal error in her notes. “Drago, dear, no. Do not add that much gunpowder to the barrel.”
“Ah come on sis, what’s the worst that could happen? The more the…”
She then took Dragoslava’s quill and began making corrections. “Adding that much gunpowder to the transmutation will overpower the projectile and create a back blast that would do more harm than good.”
“Sounds like it would clear the whole room. Lord knows I could have used that level of crowd control during that one trip to the Valley of Eons…”
“...It would also destroy the weapon. This would further force you into a down time, that you could not afford, to heal and repair” Kresimira replied sternly.
Dragoslava worked a kink out of her jaw and nodded. “Alright, fair enough.”
“Teacher, can I have some help?” Blood-Wraith put in.
“Yes. What’s the matter, Blood-Wraith?”
“So let’s say I use my Pneuma to turn a rock into metal. Is that a fire transmutation? Or does it fall under Azoth?”
“Good question…” Kresimira then went to write on the chalkboard. “If you are working with the corporeal, it’s fire. If it’s incorporeal, it’s Azoth. If you were to turn a fraction of your life force into a piece of metal, it is the aforementioned Azoth. Note that Pneuma and Azoth are one in the same, however.”
“Well technically they are. They’re not identical to each other…” Dragoslava put in.
“They come from the same source, hence the similarity I asserted. Also your ratios better be correct, little miss gunpowder” Kresimira chided. Dragoslava waved her hand dismissively, then went back to her notes.
Blood-Wraith gestured for his teacher to lean in. “Is she like this normally?” he whispered.
Kresimira giggled. “Only at school. She’s always been a bit headstrong” she whispered back.
“Ahem, teacher? What kind of transmutation do you think was used on my body? It’s been nagging me at the back of my mind ever since we started studying.”
“Are you sure it was a transmutation?” Kresimira inquired.
Blood-Wraith thought back for a second. “Hum… yes, I think.”
“Truthfully it depends on who did it and how. At first I’d say fire, but looking at you pushes me towards Azoth. Or it could be both. The 5th element is compatible with all other base elements. Also consider that all souls fall under fire. This change was most likely meant to enable you to perform magic easier. Ultimately we might just have to wait and see what happens with you” Kresimira concluded.
“Alright, I’m done!” Dragoslava announced as she got up to stretch. “And yes, I got the ratios right this time”
Kresimira looked through the notes. “Acceptable… but what is the practical application of a gun that fires… Explosion Death Cannon Blasts?”
“Stomping power, sister. Stomping power.”
“I’m really starting to question you breaking off from the great hunt, sister…”
Blood-Wraith was also confused. “What would we need that for exactly?”
Dragoslava was doing a talking gesture with her hand. “Oh my Dragoslava, why do we need it? Why don’t we need it!? Blood, buddy… It’s better to have something and not need it than need it and not have it.”
Blood-Wraith pondered that logic for a moment. “Seems wasteful, but I guess it makes sense…”
Kresimira looked towards the clock. “Oh wow, 4 already? Alright, you two are free to go. Same time tomorrow.”
“Finally… don’t get lost again, sis,” Dragoslava said as she and Blood-Wraith left the lab.
The two parted ways as Dragoslava wanted to explore the city a bit, feeling nostalgic for the good old days of her youth. Blood-Wraith felt like reading some more, so he headed towards his sister’s office. He had been reading a book about a man. That man had been quietly living in the Unlight until his favorite towel had gone missing. The man then began searching for his favorite towel, taking him all over space and time. Desislav had recommended that Blood-Wraith start reading more than just Alchemical texts. A good story was perfect for a developing mind. Initially he was not sure where to start, so he just grabbed a random book off of the shelf. Interestingly it already had a bookmark in it. He figured it was best to leave it alone.
Midway through his read, at chapter 16, Blood-Wraith paused. Was this book really that important? Nope. Was it fun? Absolutely. Sure, he could have been studying more Alchemy, but the novel felt great to experience. After a few more chapters, Blood-Wraith closed the book and set it down. He had been getting a bit tired from all the reading and studying he had done that day. A quick nap would not hurt, so he rested his head on a throw pillow and fell asleep.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Desislav was preparing dinner while Leif watched. “Hey Leif, do you actually eat anything?”
“During the Epoch I did, but now I find it unnecessary.”
“Shame, but I’m not 5th dimensional,” Desislav replied with a chuckle.
After a pause, Leif asked an interesting question. “Why did you leave Earth, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Desislav felt his blood run a little cold. “Heh, shouldn’t you know that already?”
“Tell us anyway!” Tyrant exclaimed. Leif growled at him in response.
“No, it’s alright. This has been weighing on my shoulders for a bit now and I probably should talk about it eventually.” Desislav sighed as he closed the oven. “My homeland was located in a very chaotic region of Earth. There were a lot of countries with widely differing viewpoints and ideals. Typically it was the humans where this was the most prominent. Us Fairy-folk kept to ourselves… or at least tried to…”
“Let me guess, the humans were expanding into your realm?” Leif asked.
“Unfortunately. Every decade we lost more and more land to them. Thankfully they left the forests alone… and then the wars started. We could only hide for so long before soldiers came barreling through our lands…” Desislav clenched his fist, then let it go. “The vast majority of humans put their pride before anything else. Nothing else matters but their ambition and goals. My people were always on the run because of the great war. You would go to sleep one night, then wake up to the centaurs sounding the alarms that the humans were coming.”
Leif was beginning to regret asking and being nosy, but he felt that he had to keep going. “How were you affected by this?”
“The morning started out as you would expect it to, the warning horns signifying humans approaching. I could hear the gunshots and screaming getting close. We were rapidly on the move when I caught a burning village out of the corner of my eye. Something was screaming in my head that I needed to help, so I did. Racing off in that direction…” Desislav paused and exhaled. “...soldiers were attacking a village, burning buildings and going after the innocent. Typical humans. After knocking out a few of the heathens, I came across something that curdled my blood; Two children were screaming in terror as a soldier pointed his gun at them. Naturally I decked that soldier so hard that I may have taken his life on the spot. Good riddance I say.” He shuddered afterwards.
“Do you know whose side you fought for that day? Leif inquired.
Desislav shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. An honorable soldier never attacks the innocent. Fight the war, not your morals. Now after that, the children told me their mother was still in their home-which was on fire-because why not? My lungs stung from the smoke and fire, but damn it, I am not going to stand by and let a family be broken apart like that.” He would have continued, but then he noticed that he needed to check on the food. “Shoot, shoot, shoot… speaking of fire, haha!”
“Were you able to save the mother?”
“Yes. She was a bit roughed up, but she pulled through. Of course it wouldn’t be easy to get out of there as a squadron of enemy soldiers was quickly approaching. I was lost on what to do as I couldn’t escape with the family and fend off the soldiers at the same time… but then something unexpected happened. A giant, burning oak tree called out to me, ordering me to use all my strength to tip it over on the soldiers. I like to think that was that tree’s last act of defiance towards the humans.”
“What do you think they saw in their last moments?”
“Honestly? Rage, anger, sorrow, and vengeance. Annoyingly two survived and pointed their guns at me… but then the strangest thing happened. A lot of unexpected turns, but bare with me: a demon with stone hands swooped in and picked off the stragglers. I mean, he was in human form, but I could see through his disguise. Thankfully his squadron was there to save the villagers. And on top of that, he helped me out by opening up a portal to let me escape.”
“There you go!” Leif was happy to hear things had a happy ending… for the most part. “Where did you end up though?”
“I flew through space for a bit as the demon wasn’t sure where the portal would go. Eventually I landed on the ground outside the city and passed out. Next thing I knew I was in the tower with Dragoslava tending to my wounds. The rest is history.”
“Desislav, you have that spark of selflessness that is rare, but brilliant. You legitimately remind me of the great heroes of my time, the Epoch of the Cosmos.”
“It’s because that spark comes at a hefty toll. You need to be either fearless or mad… I’m probably the latter, haha.” Desislav began getting the food trolley ready.
Leif laughed too. “Well whatever the case, never lose sight of that spark.”
“I don’t plan to. As an aside, I hope I meet that stone handed demon again some day. I need to repay him with a big mug of mead for saving my hide that day… Oh! You want to know the kicker? The humans had the gall and audacity to call that The War to End All Wars…”
Leif scoffed so hard that he accidentally let loose some sparks and embers. “HA! AS IF! Humans, always assuming they’re in control.”
“Yeah, although sometimes we Satyr’s share that lie too. Such is life.” Desislav then began wheeling the trolley into the dining hall, with Leif following him. “Alright everyone! Tonight it’s roast ham, buttery rolls, creamy mashed potatoes, and steaming, tender vegetables!”
Desislav was feeling a lot better after talking to Leif about his past. In fact, he felt good enough to regale the others with his story. It was a rough memory, but he realized that it would be bad if he started trying to bury it. It was sudden, but it felt good to get it off of his chest. Blood-Wraith was stunned by this tale, having no idea such things could happen. He was not clueless, but that was a new one for him. Would this ever happen in the Unlight he wondered. First things first, he gave the satyr a big hug after dinner. Secondly, this gave him a further push to become stronger. He was already doing that, but now it felt like something in his mind was trying to get his attention.
Blood-Wraith thought long and hard that night. What was the thing that he needed? A rock? A spell? A formula? A sword? Maybe he needed to read more? That last one would have to do for now. It was one mystery after another as of late. The confusion frustrated him, yet compelled him to resolve the issue. He thought about this problem so hard that he lit up the room like an overly bright candle, causing the others to check on him. After reassuring them he was alright, he wrapped himself up in his blankets and calmed down.
“Life is so confusing…” He mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.
Next: Chapter 5
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Comments
Post a Comment