ULTRAMagic Interlude - Chapter 1
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It was a time of great change for the mighty Descendants, sons and daughters of the ancient Primordial Hunters. They had just returned to The Iron City from The Great Hunt… after learning that it was all a giant ruse. All of them and The Beast of Old had been tricked by Dunja and the loathsome Milosh Proch. Thankfully the Descendants had protectors looking after their great city, but the whole affair was still cause for concern. The Lich of Old was a mighty ally of Milosh, so it was anyone’s guess as to how the rogue would respond. Either way, the heroes that had pursued The Lich needed to be located and retrieved. Blood-Wraith and his compatriots had earned a well deserved rest for their incredible deeds.
Duke Radovan was making good time traveling to the Basalt Monolith Forest as his car rocketed across the Unlight. Close behind was Brenna Thompson, in her military truck. King Englehart had asked her to tag along and make sure Radovan did not get himself into trouble. Brenna could sense that time was on their side, but the duke was steadfast. He would rip the Lich to shreds with his bare hands if he had to. After a trip across the Northern Living Ocean (via a highway created by Proteus), the two found themselves in the Deep Unlight. Naturally Brenna was a little uneasy. No matter how many times she visited it, it always gave her goosebumps. His grace was not phased in the slightest.
Over at the Basalt Monolith Forest, Blood-Wraith’s group was approaching the border of the strange land. “Well that wasn’t so bad” he playfully remarked.
“Yeah-Tusk lost an arm, Desislav feels like crap, my life flashed before my eyes! No biggie…” Dragoslava chided back. This made everyone chuckle and giggle, despite everything that had transpired.
Vexation looked over to Ekaterina. “Perhaps you should make yourself more modest before his grace shows up.”
She looked down at her beat up clothing, an armored one-piece. “Do you have anything else for me to wear?” Ekaterina seemed a little on edge.
Vlastimir looked like he had an idea. He reached into an odd rift and pulled out a set of men’s dress clothes. “Here you go! That's all I can do on such short notice, ha.”
“Um, a bit formal, but I guess it’ll do…” Ekaterina stepped behind a rock formation and put on the pants, shirt, and shoes. Truthfully it was the least weird thing that had happened to her by that point.
Desislav gave her a thumbs up when she reemerged. “Looking pretty spiffy to me.”
Dragoslava nodded. “Agreed, very sharp…hehe, sharp.”
Tusk was scanning the horizon, looking for something. “So, where is his grace?”
“Tusk, you can call him by his name,” Dragoslava pointed out. “He’s cool like that…” A very familiar engine roar could be heard in the distance. “There he is!”
Radovan could see a group of people in the distance. His heart relaxed as he let out a sigh of relief, bringing his car to a gradual stop. Getting out and seeing Dragoslava put a smile on his face. Naturally he was still worried, but seeing his daughter in the flesh made his day. He was also curious to meet everyone else she was accompanied by, with a couple of them seeming very familiar. Before getting out he straightened out his hair and dusted off his sleeves. He did not want to look messy, which was a matter of him being fussy about how he presented himself.
“You’re just like your mother,” Radovan remarked as stones crunched beneath his well-worn boots. “You know that, right, Drago?”
“Dad Dad Dad!” Dragoslava exclaimed as she ran over and hugged him. “I’ve missed you, dad!”
“Same here, sweetie. Same here. Ha, I’d dare say you earned your indomitable title…”
“Dad, not in front of the others…” She was a bit embarrassed.
“Speaking of which, where are you, Blood-Wraith?”
He nervously approached with his hands behind his back. The Duke was quite intimidating and imposing, towering above Blood-Wraith. “Um, right here…”
Radovan took a good look at the boy, then picked him up and gave him a big hug. “Welcome to the family, Blood.”
Blood-Wraith was simultaneously surprised and happy. “Thank you, father…” As Radovan put him down, Brenna’s truck came rolling up. “Who’s that?”
“That would be Brenna Thompson, a royal guardsman and one of Drago’s best friends.”
“Jeez, just how fast is your car, Radovan?” Brenna called out as she climbed down. She had brown hair tied back in a ponytail, blue eyes, dark skin, and wore an Iron City military uniform.
“356 miles per hour was my last recorded top speed.”
“Brenna!?” Dragoslava said in surprise.
“Drago!” She replied as she hugged her best friend.
“How do I keep missing you on my adventures? Anyways, good news: I finally have a…”
“Boyfriend? Yeah, I know. I’ve met him. I think it was while you were checking out the Southern Sky Mountains.”
“What?! Excuse me?”
“Yup” Desislav replied. “Hey Brenna, long time no see.”
Radovan walked over to the rest of the group. “Desislav Robles I presume?”
“Indeed I am, sir. It’s an honor to meet you” he replied as he shook hands. He was very nervous.
“And it’s a pleasure to meet you too… also my goodness boy, you look like you’ve been through an active war zone…”
“When? Back on Earth or thirty minutes ago?” Desislav smiled, but on the inside he was screaming at himself. What was that? Was cracking a joke in front of his grace really a good idea? He must have been delirious from exhaustion…
Radovan laughed in sympathy. The Satyr had moxie and he liked that. “Haha, don’t worry, my boy; We’ll get you all settled in once we get back home so you can rest up.” He then went to Tusk. “You’re one of Sigmund’s boys, correct?”
Tusk nodded and saluted. “Yes sir!”
“Goodness, ha, maybe I should have reserved my warzone comment…” Now Radovan felt bad. The lad was missing an arm…
Tusk gave him a thumbs up with his stone arm. “My crazy plan to weaken the Lich did cost me an arm, but I think it was worth it-I will never do that again…”
Radovan shook this hand. “You’ve done your father proud. If there is ever anything me and my family can do to help you in the future, do not hesitate to speak up.” This made Tusk smile like a giddy goofball. “Now you wouldn’t happen to be Vlastimir Bartholomew Dracul, would you?” Radovan asked the pink haired man.
He nodded multiple times. “Yes, yes, yes sir!”
“Your father, Zoltan, came looking for you while we were out on the great hunt. You wouldn’t mind staying in the Iron City for a bit while we get in contact with him? Your parents appear to be worried sick about you.”
Vlastimir was surprised by this. “Oh, um… uh… well, I got a date with Ekaterina here, so sure I guess…”
“Most excellent.”
Ekaterina had a sinking feeling when she looked at the duke. There was no way she could have ever defeated him and she knew it. “He-hello, your grace…”
“Dad!” Dragoslava interrupted. “So I fought… ‘fought’ her as one of the Lich’s commanders. I lost, but Desislav covered for me. Then we spared her. Can she come home with us?”
“Well I don’t see why not, since you clearly vouch for her-but how in the Unlight did she beat you?”
Dragoslava nudged Ekaterina with a metal arm. She began playfully wobbling a magnetic strip, then it clung to Dragoslava’s arm. “That…”
Radovan stroked his square chin. “Mm-hmm… I see. We’ll have to work on that, Drago.” Finally he arrived at Vexation.
“Yes, Blood-Wraith spared me and wishes for me to stay with him.”
Brenna immediately realized something. “Hey, Blood? You realize that’s a Primordial, right?”
“Wait, really?” Blood-Wraith began looking up and down, visually inspecting Vexation. It certainly seemed plausible.
“The Hexer of Old, if my studies are correct” Radovan pointed out.
Vexation gave a dignified bow. “Indeed, I am.”
Dragoslava thought back to the feast at the Dark Grand City. “Wait! Why did you hide that from us?”
“I wasn’t sure how that information would affect the situation at the time. Plus the focus was on Leif and his passing. I figured it would be gauche to divulge such trivial matters during such a heavy event. And don’t worry, Leif was fully aware of who I was.”
Dragoslava scoffed a little. “I don’t know if I’d call having another primordial with us just trivial…” she muttered.
Brenna spoke further. “In particular he’s a reincarnated Primordial, but why were you working with the Lich?”
“To spare all of you a needlessly long explanation, I planned to betray the Lich for selling me out to the Descendants,” Vexation elaborated. “I was not ready to move on, so I planned to do to him what he had done to me, one could say.”
“Even as a child, I knew something wasn’t right about that hunt” Radovan reflected. “I suppose we’ll have to update the history books now. Either way, you are free to come and go as you please, Vexation. It’s the least we can do.”
“You have my gratitude, your grace. Know that I bear no ill will towards you or your people.”
Radovan shook Vexation’s hand, then cleared his throat and clapped. “Now as much as I would like to keep admiring the strange beauty of the Deep Unlight, let’s head home. Drago, Blood, Desislav, come with me. Brenna? Could you accommodate our friends here?”
“Righty-o! Come with me, guys. It’ll be a bit bumpy, but we’ll be back in no time.”
As everyone got into the vehicles, Radovan looked towards the sky. “I don’t know if you can hear us, Leif, but thank you for all the help. Have a good rest, you magnificent dragon.”
Riding in a car was a new and fun experience for Blood-Wraith. The sights zipped past them as he relaxed on the comfy back seat. Desislav was at a slight awkward angle due to his legs, but enjoyed the ease of the trip regardless. In the front seat was Dragoslava, who was loving the nostalgia. Looking out the window, Blood-Wraith could see Brenna’s truck following close behind. He was curious to know what riding in it would be like, but that would have to be for another time.
“You’ll have to pardon the mess” Radovan apologized. “I rushed right out once I knew where to go when we got back.”
“It’s alright,” said Desislav. “I’ve lived out in the wilderness for the longest time. It takes a lot to phase me.”
“Dad, it’s not that messy in here” Dragoslava pointed out.
“I know, but still,” Radovan dismissed with a chuckle. “It’s unbecoming of someone of my status.”
Blood-Wraith then remembered the quest he wanted to embark on. “Oh, father? I want to go find mom…”
“Oh? Do you now? Rose is currently in the Magician’s Labyrinth. I don’t doubt your abilities, given all that you just went through-but are you sure you want to undertake such a task? Like I told Kresimira before I left: I would’ve done it myself had things not been so dire.”
“Yes! Yes I am!”
“You’re not going to stop him, dad,” Dragoslava pointed out once more. “When Blood sets his mind to it, he does it.” Desislav nodded in agreement as she finished her statement.
Radovan chuckled again. “Well now, I can't argue with that tenacity.”
Eventually the two vehicles made it back to the Iron City. It was surreal having the streets be full of people again. Seeing Radovan and Brenna bring home the heroes of the city brought smiles and joy to the citizens. Dragoslava could not help but roll down the window and wave back to everyone as they passed. This was the happiest she had been in a long time. Pulling into the city square, the group were greeted by the king, the royal court, the nobles, the royal guard, and their friends and family.
“Haha, where’s the young lad?” Englehart inquired. “Where’s Blood-Wraith Raynot?”
“Right here!” He stated as he walked up.
First Englehart gave him a hug, then set him down with a ruffle of his hair. “My boy, it’s a pleasure and an honor to finally meet you. I may be repeating myself, but I cannot begin to express my eternal gratitude for all that you have done…”
“Dragoslava Juniper Raynot, don’t you ever do that again!” Kresimira scolded… then she hugged her sister. “I was so worried about you!”
Blood-Wraith and Englehart smiled, with Barna stepping over to them. “All that done and that boy’s just a newborn too. Nice to meet you, Blood. I’m Barna, Corentin’s father.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Schindewolf,” Blood-Wraith replied as he shook hands.
“Oh my goodness, Blood!” Corentin exclaimed. “Look at how much you changed.”
“Hey, Corentin! Um, yeah It kind of just happened with my ULTRAMagic and whatnot…”
“We’ll definitely have to discuss this later. For right now, we got a bit of a surprise for you and it’s not the basement, ha. I’ll let him tell you about it…”
“Blood!” Aureolus hugged him. “I got adopted!”
“Aureolus!” Blood-Wraith was happy to see his best friend again, but it quickly occurred to him what had just been said. “...wait, pardon?”
Barna chuckled. “Yup. I couldn’t let the boy go without a family and since Radovan is a bit busy, I figured I’d take care of it. Plus Corentin needs a little brother.” This made Corentin chuckle.
“Don’t worry, Blood, I’ll still stay with you. But yeah! Barna and Uncle Englehart are really cool” Aureolus stated.
Englehart then looked around and figured it was time. “Since we got most of the introductions out of the way, let’s proceed to the ceremony.”
“Ceremony?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Well of course, my boy! Someone needs to commemorate your deeds after all.”
Next: Chapter 2
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
It was a time of great change for the mighty Descendants, sons and daughters of the ancient Primordial Hunters. They had just returned to The Iron City from The Great Hunt… after learning that it was all a giant ruse. All of them and The Beast of Old had been tricked by Dunja and the loathsome Milosh Proch. Thankfully the Descendants had protectors looking after their great city, but the whole affair was still cause for concern. The Lich of Old was a mighty ally of Milosh, so it was anyone’s guess as to how the rogue would respond. Either way, the heroes that had pursued The Lich needed to be located and retrieved. Blood-Wraith and his compatriots had earned a well deserved rest for their incredible deeds.
Duke Radovan was making good time traveling to the Basalt Monolith Forest as his car rocketed across the Unlight. Close behind was Brenna Thompson, in her military truck. King Englehart had asked her to tag along and make sure Radovan did not get himself into trouble. Brenna could sense that time was on their side, but the duke was steadfast. He would rip the Lich to shreds with his bare hands if he had to. After a trip across the Northern Living Ocean (via a highway created by Proteus), the two found themselves in the Deep Unlight. Naturally Brenna was a little uneasy. No matter how many times she visited it, it always gave her goosebumps. His grace was not phased in the slightest.
Over at the Basalt Monolith Forest, Blood-Wraith’s group was approaching the border of the strange land. “Well that wasn’t so bad” he playfully remarked.
“Yeah-Tusk lost an arm, Desislav feels like crap, my life flashed before my eyes! No biggie…” Dragoslava chided back. This made everyone chuckle and giggle, despite everything that had transpired.
Vexation looked over to Ekaterina. “Perhaps you should make yourself more modest before his grace shows up.”
She looked down at her beat up clothing, an armored one-piece. “Do you have anything else for me to wear?” Ekaterina seemed a little on edge.
Vlastimir looked like he had an idea. He reached into an odd rift and pulled out a set of men’s dress clothes. “Here you go! That's all I can do on such short notice, ha.”
“Um, a bit formal, but I guess it’ll do…” Ekaterina stepped behind a rock formation and put on the pants, shirt, and shoes. Truthfully it was the least weird thing that had happened to her by that point.
Desislav gave her a thumbs up when she reemerged. “Looking pretty spiffy to me.”
Dragoslava nodded. “Agreed, very sharp…hehe, sharp.”
Tusk was scanning the horizon, looking for something. “So, where is his grace?”
“Tusk, you can call him by his name,” Dragoslava pointed out. “He’s cool like that…” A very familiar engine roar could be heard in the distance. “There he is!”
Radovan could see a group of people in the distance. His heart relaxed as he let out a sigh of relief, bringing his car to a gradual stop. Getting out and seeing Dragoslava put a smile on his face. Naturally he was still worried, but seeing his daughter in the flesh made his day. He was also curious to meet everyone else she was accompanied by, with a couple of them seeming very familiar. Before getting out he straightened out his hair and dusted off his sleeves. He did not want to look messy, which was a matter of him being fussy about how he presented himself.
“You’re just like your mother,” Radovan remarked as stones crunched beneath his well-worn boots. “You know that, right, Drago?”
“Dad Dad Dad!” Dragoslava exclaimed as she ran over and hugged him. “I’ve missed you, dad!”
“Same here, sweetie. Same here. Ha, I’d dare say you earned your indomitable title…”
“Dad, not in front of the others…” She was a bit embarrassed.
“Speaking of which, where are you, Blood-Wraith?”
He nervously approached with his hands behind his back. The Duke was quite intimidating and imposing, towering above Blood-Wraith. “Um, right here…”
Radovan took a good look at the boy, then picked him up and gave him a big hug. “Welcome to the family, Blood.”
Blood-Wraith was simultaneously surprised and happy. “Thank you, father…” As Radovan put him down, Brenna’s truck came rolling up. “Who’s that?”
“That would be Brenna Thompson, a royal guardsman and one of Drago’s best friends.”
“Jeez, just how fast is your car, Radovan?” Brenna called out as she climbed down. She had brown hair tied back in a ponytail, blue eyes, dark skin, and wore an Iron City military uniform.
“356 miles per hour was my last recorded top speed.”
“Brenna!?” Dragoslava said in surprise.
“Drago!” She replied as she hugged her best friend.
“How do I keep missing you on my adventures? Anyways, good news: I finally have a…”
“Boyfriend? Yeah, I know. I’ve met him. I think it was while you were checking out the Southern Sky Mountains.”
“What?! Excuse me?”
“Yup” Desislav replied. “Hey Brenna, long time no see.”
Radovan walked over to the rest of the group. “Desislav Robles I presume?”
“Indeed I am, sir. It’s an honor to meet you” he replied as he shook hands. He was very nervous.
“And it’s a pleasure to meet you too… also my goodness boy, you look like you’ve been through an active war zone…”
“When? Back on Earth or thirty minutes ago?” Desislav smiled, but on the inside he was screaming at himself. What was that? Was cracking a joke in front of his grace really a good idea? He must have been delirious from exhaustion…
Radovan laughed in sympathy. The Satyr had moxie and he liked that. “Haha, don’t worry, my boy; We’ll get you all settled in once we get back home so you can rest up.” He then went to Tusk. “You’re one of Sigmund’s boys, correct?”
Tusk nodded and saluted. “Yes sir!”
“Goodness, ha, maybe I should have reserved my warzone comment…” Now Radovan felt bad. The lad was missing an arm…
Tusk gave him a thumbs up with his stone arm. “My crazy plan to weaken the Lich did cost me an arm, but I think it was worth it-I will never do that again…”
Radovan shook this hand. “You’ve done your father proud. If there is ever anything me and my family can do to help you in the future, do not hesitate to speak up.” This made Tusk smile like a giddy goofball. “Now you wouldn’t happen to be Vlastimir Bartholomew Dracul, would you?” Radovan asked the pink haired man.
He nodded multiple times. “Yes, yes, yes sir!”
“Your father, Zoltan, came looking for you while we were out on the great hunt. You wouldn’t mind staying in the Iron City for a bit while we get in contact with him? Your parents appear to be worried sick about you.”
Vlastimir was surprised by this. “Oh, um… uh… well, I got a date with Ekaterina here, so sure I guess…”
“Most excellent.”
Ekaterina had a sinking feeling when she looked at the duke. There was no way she could have ever defeated him and she knew it. “He-hello, your grace…”
“Dad!” Dragoslava interrupted. “So I fought… ‘fought’ her as one of the Lich’s commanders. I lost, but Desislav covered for me. Then we spared her. Can she come home with us?”
“Well I don’t see why not, since you clearly vouch for her-but how in the Unlight did she beat you?”
Dragoslava nudged Ekaterina with a metal arm. She began playfully wobbling a magnetic strip, then it clung to Dragoslava’s arm. “That…”
Radovan stroked his square chin. “Mm-hmm… I see. We’ll have to work on that, Drago.” Finally he arrived at Vexation.
“Yes, Blood-Wraith spared me and wishes for me to stay with him.”
Brenna immediately realized something. “Hey, Blood? You realize that’s a Primordial, right?”
“Wait, really?” Blood-Wraith began looking up and down, visually inspecting Vexation. It certainly seemed plausible.
“The Hexer of Old, if my studies are correct” Radovan pointed out.
Vexation gave a dignified bow. “Indeed, I am.”
Dragoslava thought back to the feast at the Dark Grand City. “Wait! Why did you hide that from us?”
“I wasn’t sure how that information would affect the situation at the time. Plus the focus was on Leif and his passing. I figured it would be gauche to divulge such trivial matters during such a heavy event. And don’t worry, Leif was fully aware of who I was.”
Dragoslava scoffed a little. “I don’t know if I’d call having another primordial with us just trivial…” she muttered.
Brenna spoke further. “In particular he’s a reincarnated Primordial, but why were you working with the Lich?”
“To spare all of you a needlessly long explanation, I planned to betray the Lich for selling me out to the Descendants,” Vexation elaborated. “I was not ready to move on, so I planned to do to him what he had done to me, one could say.”
“Even as a child, I knew something wasn’t right about that hunt” Radovan reflected. “I suppose we’ll have to update the history books now. Either way, you are free to come and go as you please, Vexation. It’s the least we can do.”
“You have my gratitude, your grace. Know that I bear no ill will towards you or your people.”
Radovan shook Vexation’s hand, then cleared his throat and clapped. “Now as much as I would like to keep admiring the strange beauty of the Deep Unlight, let’s head home. Drago, Blood, Desislav, come with me. Brenna? Could you accommodate our friends here?”
“Righty-o! Come with me, guys. It’ll be a bit bumpy, but we’ll be back in no time.”
As everyone got into the vehicles, Radovan looked towards the sky. “I don’t know if you can hear us, Leif, but thank you for all the help. Have a good rest, you magnificent dragon.”
Riding in a car was a new and fun experience for Blood-Wraith. The sights zipped past them as he relaxed on the comfy back seat. Desislav was at a slight awkward angle due to his legs, but enjoyed the ease of the trip regardless. In the front seat was Dragoslava, who was loving the nostalgia. Looking out the window, Blood-Wraith could see Brenna’s truck following close behind. He was curious to know what riding in it would be like, but that would have to be for another time.
“You’ll have to pardon the mess” Radovan apologized. “I rushed right out once I knew where to go when we got back.”
“It’s alright,” said Desislav. “I’ve lived out in the wilderness for the longest time. It takes a lot to phase me.”
“Dad, it’s not that messy in here” Dragoslava pointed out.
“I know, but still,” Radovan dismissed with a chuckle. “It’s unbecoming of someone of my status.”
Blood-Wraith then remembered the quest he wanted to embark on. “Oh, father? I want to go find mom…”
“Oh? Do you now? Rose is currently in the Magician’s Labyrinth. I don’t doubt your abilities, given all that you just went through-but are you sure you want to undertake such a task? Like I told Kresimira before I left: I would’ve done it myself had things not been so dire.”
“Yes! Yes I am!”
“You’re not going to stop him, dad,” Dragoslava pointed out once more. “When Blood sets his mind to it, he does it.” Desislav nodded in agreement as she finished her statement.
Radovan chuckled again. “Well now, I can't argue with that tenacity.”
Eventually the two vehicles made it back to the Iron City. It was surreal having the streets be full of people again. Seeing Radovan and Brenna bring home the heroes of the city brought smiles and joy to the citizens. Dragoslava could not help but roll down the window and wave back to everyone as they passed. This was the happiest she had been in a long time. Pulling into the city square, the group were greeted by the king, the royal court, the nobles, the royal guard, and their friends and family.
“Haha, where’s the young lad?” Englehart inquired. “Where’s Blood-Wraith Raynot?”
“Right here!” He stated as he walked up.
First Englehart gave him a hug, then set him down with a ruffle of his hair. “My boy, it’s a pleasure and an honor to finally meet you. I may be repeating myself, but I cannot begin to express my eternal gratitude for all that you have done…”
“Dragoslava Juniper Raynot, don’t you ever do that again!” Kresimira scolded… then she hugged her sister. “I was so worried about you!”
Blood-Wraith and Englehart smiled, with Barna stepping over to them. “All that done and that boy’s just a newborn too. Nice to meet you, Blood. I’m Barna, Corentin’s father.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Schindewolf,” Blood-Wraith replied as he shook hands.
“Oh my goodness, Blood!” Corentin exclaimed. “Look at how much you changed.”
“Hey, Corentin! Um, yeah It kind of just happened with my ULTRAMagic and whatnot…”
“We’ll definitely have to discuss this later. For right now, we got a bit of a surprise for you and it’s not the basement, ha. I’ll let him tell you about it…”
“Blood!” Aureolus hugged him. “I got adopted!”
“Aureolus!” Blood-Wraith was happy to see his best friend again, but it quickly occurred to him what had just been said. “...wait, pardon?”
Barna chuckled. “Yup. I couldn’t let the boy go without a family and since Radovan is a bit busy, I figured I’d take care of it. Plus Corentin needs a little brother.” This made Corentin chuckle.
“Don’t worry, Blood, I’ll still stay with you. But yeah! Barna and Uncle Englehart are really cool” Aureolus stated.
Englehart then looked around and figured it was time. “Since we got most of the introductions out of the way, let’s proceed to the ceremony.”
“Ceremony?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Well of course, my boy! Someone needs to commemorate your deeds after all.”
Next: Chapter 2
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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