ULTRAMagic Interlude - Chapter 17
Previous | First | Next
Master Post - Patreon
The audience was silent in anticipation of the final duel as Dunja fidgeted around, getting herself ready. She brushed off her mage robes, checked her royal sword, and looked around anxiously. Opposite of her was Englehart, standing still and waiting patiently. His robes were more akin to armor, invoking the image and heraldry of their great ancestors.
“Nervous, dear?” he asked.
Dunja exhaled. “Yeah... Alright, so what's the goal of this?”
“We cast magic, responding to the other caster’s spells. This goes on until one of us is disarmed. Any form of magic is permitted, within reason.”
“Alright, so flashy and bombastic I take it?”
Englehart chuckled. “If you feel that’s the way to go. It wouldn’t hurt to give the audience a performance to remember.”
Out of courtesy, the queen was given the first cast. Drawing her silver sword, she ran her first two fingers down the flat edge of the blade, causing it to ignite with brilliant, lilac fire. Swinging it around rhythmically, she summoned a pack of spectral wolves made of flames. They gave a mighty chorus of howls before charging at Englehart. The king drew his dark royal blade, causing a blizzard that brought forth a group of serpents made of ice and snow. They collided with the wolves and fought fiercely, amazing the audience who were already impressed.
The serpents had the upper hand, so Dunja cast a torrent of fire towards the battle. As the heat overwhelmed the king’s spell, he started using his free hand to direct the inferno into a giant sphere that moved towards the queen. She responded with the same tactic. The globe soon turned into a column of swirling fire that kept going up and up until it fell apart into a rain of glittering embers. The audience applauded the beauty of it all.
Dunja nodded in admiration, thinking of her next spell. “VEY, XRU, TZA!”
Beneath her feet came a rushing surge of water that she rode atop of. Her following move was to charge at Englehart, but he countered with strong winds that howled around him. The two made many attempts to strike each other only to be foiled each time. It had become like a dance, the wind and water flowing and swirling like it would in nature, albeit more akin to a raging storm. This time Dunja planned to come out on top, however. She used the wind to climb to the top of Englehart’s vortex and dove down to the center.
Certainly a clever tactic, but the intent was obvious. Englehart froze the water before it could get to him. With his guard down, Dunja brought back the fire. This was stopped by a barrier of earth that was propelled into the air with the wind. A truly impeccable counter to behold and the audience loved every bit of it. Dunja found herself caught off guard by the maneuver. She had to think quickly on how to respond as she dropped to the ground.
Fortunately the earth she had been launched on was perfect for her next move. Dunja swiftly turned it into a massive boulder and set it ablaze. What looked like a meteor rocketed towards her opponent. Englehart stood his ground and began speaking what sounded like a void spell of his own. Two ethereal arms manifested above him and slammed the rock into the ground. Dunja was thoroughly impressed as it seemed like he had been studying void magic.
“Engle, was that what I thought it was?” Dunja questioned as she touched back down in the arena.
“Aye. I spent time practicing in your absence. I felt bad for not being able to perfect what you taught me so long ago…”
She smiled with warmth. “Well, your spells still need some work… but I’m certainly in the mood to provide some tutoring… AR, VEY, XRU, TZA, RAS!” Four, colossal stone arms appeared behind Dunja, causing the entire arena to tremble.
Englehart did not expect this, but he was not going to back down. It was clear that Dunja had also improved her magic over the years. With a deep breath, a fierce aura enveloped the king. His gaze was intense and his body looked like it could barely contain his might. He effortlessly dodged Dunja’s strikes and batted away any that caught him. The duel had ramped up in intensity with the audience on the edge of their seats once again. Blood-Wraith in particular was utterly enthralled by all of this.
“Wait a second… Alchemy, soul, void, and now aura… How is the king doing all of that?” He questioned.
“ULTRAMagic, son,” Radovan replied. “You haven’t looked at the king’s soul yet?”
“No, I guess not… how did he achieve it?”
“Tusk isn’t the only one Chief Sigmund has taught in his time in the Unlight…”
Blood-Wraith turned back to the duel. “Whoa, incredible.”
Dunja cast another void spell, summoning the lower half of a stone face. From its mouth shot an intense beam of energy towards her opponent. Englehart used a protective aura technique to deflect it, but was still pushed back. This left him trying to catch his breath. Dunja was not going to let up, but she was starting to lose control of her manifestations. They phased in and out of reality as she tried to attack. Soon her focus was gone and they vanished for good.
“Engle… you’re not giving up yet, are you?” She asked as she panted.
The king was still trying to catch his breath. “No, no. Just a little winded is all…”
“Argh, jeez. We’re not spring chickens anymore, are we?”
He shook his head. “I’d dare say not.”
“Vey… ras…” Dunja muttered, hoping to reinvigorate herself. No luck. She knew she overexerted herself. “You wouldn’t be mad if I just stopped? Not that I’m going to…”
Englehart smiled. “Not at all, my dear. I commend your drive to keep going.”
Both of them then summoned flocks of birds made of arcing, intense lightning. Dunja’s were as red as a sunset and Englehart’s were blue like the sky at noon. They sent them towards each other, with the swarms gradually soaring higher into the sky as they repeatedly charged at each other. Loud thunder rumbled above as the two swarms danced through the sky with grace and ferocity. Both of the flocks were evenly matched, leading to a stalemate that was still a sight to behold. Such an impasse did not last long as the two monarchs added more magic to the spells. The red flock became enwreathed in lilac fire while the blue flock was shrouded in a powerful snowstorm.
As if barreling headfirst towards the climax of the battle, both flocks became mighty, serpentine dragons. The two, electric phantasms slammed into each other with great force, causing immense explosions each time. A great and beautiful aurora had formed, with waves of energy emanating across the land from the incomprehensible amounts of magic being cast. The clashes shook the entire colosseum, rumbling the very foundation of the entire structure. The audience was in awe of the strength and power that could be felt radiating from the bout, feeling like The Unlight itself could be destroyed at any minute. Dunja and Englehart looked as if they were about to collapse, but the dragons kept fighting with all of their might.
With one last great push, the two dragons collided for the final time. The explosion of epic proportions that resulted left neither dragon in its wake, save for a series of powerful firework-like bursts where they once were. Dunja and Englehart were finally and truly overwhelmed, with a great wave of energy sending them flying back into the walls. What caught the audience off guard was that both of them had dropped their royal swords at the same time. This made everyone’s mind race with worry and fear. What did a draw mean? The king did not mention that, nor did the queen. They expected a winner and a loser, and this result threw a wrench in that notion.
Medic mages and the royal court raced to the arena as fast they could. Radovan led half of the group to the king while Blood-Wraith and Aureolus took the other half to the queen. Both monarchs slowly got up, realizing what had happened. They no longer cared about the duel and began slowly moving towards each other. They stumbled here and there, but the two could not be stopped. Each had tears in their eyes and running down their faces. Upon reaching each other, they embraced for the first time in what felt like an eternity. The orchestra quickly started the victory symphony and the audience cheered and applauded as loud as they could.
Overwhelmed with joy and relief, Radovan turned to the audience. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE IRON CITY! OUR QUEEN HAS RETURNED!” He proclaimed as proudly as he could. This was met with everyone cheering and applauding, chanting Dunja’s name with fervor.
While the duke and duchess gave a speech about how it was a glorious new era for The Iron City and The Descendants, the king and queen were hurried to the medical ward. Naturally it was a little difficult to get the two to stop hugging so they could be looked at. Reflecting on what had transpired, Blood-Wraith realized something that stoked the flames of his curiosity.
“Hey, wait a second! Dunja, where was all that during our duel?”
“Blood, sweetie, I could have severely hurt you had I-oh jeez, are you limping?!”
He looked down at his left ankle. “It’s just a sprain, it’ll heal…” Dunja was not pleased by this fact, causing everyone else to laugh. “What? What did I say?”
“Keep on trucking, Blood” Dragoslava said as she patted his back.
Englehart slowly stood up and steadied himself. “Keep that flame burning bright, Sir Blood-Wraith. Now if I may address the elephant in the room, the end result of the duel… Everyone? I shall not be abdicating my throne. Alas, I wish I had a bit more foresight earlier…”
Barna shook his head and laughed. “Good lord, brother, haha. It’s all set and done, don’t worry about it. You both won and you both loss. Dunja’s our queen again and you need to train your magic skills. It’s as simple as that.”
“He needs to train?” Dunja exclaimed. “I need to train! I’ve spent too many years letting my blades fight for me” she remarked with regret in her voice. “The minute Torunn hear’s about this she’s never going to let me hear the end of it…”
“Blades?” Blood-Wraith inquired. “What blades? Who’s Torunn?”
“The Blades of Dunja, Blood” Barna answered. “They’re three women Dunja appointed as her champions that we have clashed with before.”
“Well actually now it’s just two,” Dunja clarified. “Torunn joined with Sten while Andelin and Gratiana remained loyal to Milosh… I think. Andelin was always weird about it and Gratiana only ever took orders from me.” She had a guilty look on her face that shifted to a realization that had been nagging her at the back of her mind. “Barna, can I ask a question about our past clashes, since we’re on the same side again?”
“Sure, Dunja. Shoot.”
“So something I noticed was that my men got mysteriously ill after a certain doctor we know treated them… Claudius was poisoning them, wasn’t he?”
Barna grinned. “Guilty as charged.” He took a little too much joy in that.
Dunja exhaled. “I FIGURED THAT WAS WHAT WAS HAPPENING. Everyone told me I was nuts, but I told them I knew Engle and Barna all too well. I was RIGHT the entire time!” This elicited a round of sympathetic laughter.
“Speaking of all that, Dunja, would you be willing to accompany me to Shadowland once you’re all patched up?” Barna requested.
“Absolutely!” she answered without hesitation. “It’s my mess and I need to take responsibility for it.”
“And I’m going with you!” Aureolus stated. In the past this would have startled everyone, but now it was to be expected.
“Son, Shadowland is pretty dangerous right now…” Barna pointed out.
“Heed dad’s word, Aureolus,” Corentin added. “He means it. Milosh’s cult of idiots is no laughing matter.”
“Duly noted-and ignored!” Aureolus exclaimed. “I’m going. Just try to stop me.”
Englehart gave a hearty laugh. “Well it looks like the lad is dead set on this. Why do you want to go, nephew?”
“Well firstly I want to meet dad’s friends. Secondly I want to get strong, like Blood. Thirdly, I want Aunt Dunja to teach me her void magic…”
Kresimira inhaled, then exhaled loudly. “Blood is a bad influence on you-Alright then, as long as Dunja promises to keep you safe.”
Dunja also took a breath, given that all of them had left her out of the discussion. “BOY. GIRL. BOTH OF YOU… fine, you have my word. This is going to be interesting… Barna, any thoughts on this? He is your son after all…”
He shrugged, eliciting some groans. “Fine with me, if he’s that insistent about it. You don’t say no to that kind of zeal. Just as a warning though, son: Our foes won’t be messing around. You’ll need to be ready to fight at all times. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, sir, father!” Aureolus replied confidently.
“That’s the spirit. And if things get too hairy, I’ll leave him with Sten, Yngvild, and Folkvar. They’ll keep him safe.”
“Indeed, Sten is a mighty king after all” Englehart commented. He then looked over at Dunja, who appeared troubled. “Dunja, what’s the matter?”
She thought for a second further. “There’s something I need to tell you, but I’d like to wait until things settle down a bit first…”
“Ah, I see. I take it that it is very important?”
Dunja nodded. “Very. It relates to someone in Shadowland.”
Englehart could sense that it was a bit of a messy subject and that Dunja felt really bad over it. “Well whoever it is, we’ll work through it. Is this individual an ally?”
“Yup… or, he should be, at least.”
“Well no need to worry about it then. I trust our friends in Shadowland are taking good care of him” Englehart concluded. “Now then, let’s head topside and see what’s happening…”
Next: Chapter 18
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
The audience was silent in anticipation of the final duel as Dunja fidgeted around, getting herself ready. She brushed off her mage robes, checked her royal sword, and looked around anxiously. Opposite of her was Englehart, standing still and waiting patiently. His robes were more akin to armor, invoking the image and heraldry of their great ancestors.
“Nervous, dear?” he asked.
Dunja exhaled. “Yeah... Alright, so what's the goal of this?”
“We cast magic, responding to the other caster’s spells. This goes on until one of us is disarmed. Any form of magic is permitted, within reason.”
“Alright, so flashy and bombastic I take it?”
Englehart chuckled. “If you feel that’s the way to go. It wouldn’t hurt to give the audience a performance to remember.”
Out of courtesy, the queen was given the first cast. Drawing her silver sword, she ran her first two fingers down the flat edge of the blade, causing it to ignite with brilliant, lilac fire. Swinging it around rhythmically, she summoned a pack of spectral wolves made of flames. They gave a mighty chorus of howls before charging at Englehart. The king drew his dark royal blade, causing a blizzard that brought forth a group of serpents made of ice and snow. They collided with the wolves and fought fiercely, amazing the audience who were already impressed.
The serpents had the upper hand, so Dunja cast a torrent of fire towards the battle. As the heat overwhelmed the king’s spell, he started using his free hand to direct the inferno into a giant sphere that moved towards the queen. She responded with the same tactic. The globe soon turned into a column of swirling fire that kept going up and up until it fell apart into a rain of glittering embers. The audience applauded the beauty of it all.
Dunja nodded in admiration, thinking of her next spell. “VEY, XRU, TZA!”
Beneath her feet came a rushing surge of water that she rode atop of. Her following move was to charge at Englehart, but he countered with strong winds that howled around him. The two made many attempts to strike each other only to be foiled each time. It had become like a dance, the wind and water flowing and swirling like it would in nature, albeit more akin to a raging storm. This time Dunja planned to come out on top, however. She used the wind to climb to the top of Englehart’s vortex and dove down to the center.
Certainly a clever tactic, but the intent was obvious. Englehart froze the water before it could get to him. With his guard down, Dunja brought back the fire. This was stopped by a barrier of earth that was propelled into the air with the wind. A truly impeccable counter to behold and the audience loved every bit of it. Dunja found herself caught off guard by the maneuver. She had to think quickly on how to respond as she dropped to the ground.
Fortunately the earth she had been launched on was perfect for her next move. Dunja swiftly turned it into a massive boulder and set it ablaze. What looked like a meteor rocketed towards her opponent. Englehart stood his ground and began speaking what sounded like a void spell of his own. Two ethereal arms manifested above him and slammed the rock into the ground. Dunja was thoroughly impressed as it seemed like he had been studying void magic.
“Engle, was that what I thought it was?” Dunja questioned as she touched back down in the arena.
“Aye. I spent time practicing in your absence. I felt bad for not being able to perfect what you taught me so long ago…”
She smiled with warmth. “Well, your spells still need some work… but I’m certainly in the mood to provide some tutoring… AR, VEY, XRU, TZA, RAS!” Four, colossal stone arms appeared behind Dunja, causing the entire arena to tremble.
Englehart did not expect this, but he was not going to back down. It was clear that Dunja had also improved her magic over the years. With a deep breath, a fierce aura enveloped the king. His gaze was intense and his body looked like it could barely contain his might. He effortlessly dodged Dunja’s strikes and batted away any that caught him. The duel had ramped up in intensity with the audience on the edge of their seats once again. Blood-Wraith in particular was utterly enthralled by all of this.
“Wait a second… Alchemy, soul, void, and now aura… How is the king doing all of that?” He questioned.
“ULTRAMagic, son,” Radovan replied. “You haven’t looked at the king’s soul yet?”
“No, I guess not… how did he achieve it?”
“Tusk isn’t the only one Chief Sigmund has taught in his time in the Unlight…”
Blood-Wraith turned back to the duel. “Whoa, incredible.”
Dunja cast another void spell, summoning the lower half of a stone face. From its mouth shot an intense beam of energy towards her opponent. Englehart used a protective aura technique to deflect it, but was still pushed back. This left him trying to catch his breath. Dunja was not going to let up, but she was starting to lose control of her manifestations. They phased in and out of reality as she tried to attack. Soon her focus was gone and they vanished for good.
“Engle… you’re not giving up yet, are you?” She asked as she panted.
The king was still trying to catch his breath. “No, no. Just a little winded is all…”
“Argh, jeez. We’re not spring chickens anymore, are we?”
He shook his head. “I’d dare say not.”
“Vey… ras…” Dunja muttered, hoping to reinvigorate herself. No luck. She knew she overexerted herself. “You wouldn’t be mad if I just stopped? Not that I’m going to…”
Englehart smiled. “Not at all, my dear. I commend your drive to keep going.”
Both of them then summoned flocks of birds made of arcing, intense lightning. Dunja’s were as red as a sunset and Englehart’s were blue like the sky at noon. They sent them towards each other, with the swarms gradually soaring higher into the sky as they repeatedly charged at each other. Loud thunder rumbled above as the two swarms danced through the sky with grace and ferocity. Both of the flocks were evenly matched, leading to a stalemate that was still a sight to behold. Such an impasse did not last long as the two monarchs added more magic to the spells. The red flock became enwreathed in lilac fire while the blue flock was shrouded in a powerful snowstorm.
As if barreling headfirst towards the climax of the battle, both flocks became mighty, serpentine dragons. The two, electric phantasms slammed into each other with great force, causing immense explosions each time. A great and beautiful aurora had formed, with waves of energy emanating across the land from the incomprehensible amounts of magic being cast. The clashes shook the entire colosseum, rumbling the very foundation of the entire structure. The audience was in awe of the strength and power that could be felt radiating from the bout, feeling like The Unlight itself could be destroyed at any minute. Dunja and Englehart looked as if they were about to collapse, but the dragons kept fighting with all of their might.
With one last great push, the two dragons collided for the final time. The explosion of epic proportions that resulted left neither dragon in its wake, save for a series of powerful firework-like bursts where they once were. Dunja and Englehart were finally and truly overwhelmed, with a great wave of energy sending them flying back into the walls. What caught the audience off guard was that both of them had dropped their royal swords at the same time. This made everyone’s mind race with worry and fear. What did a draw mean? The king did not mention that, nor did the queen. They expected a winner and a loser, and this result threw a wrench in that notion.
Medic mages and the royal court raced to the arena as fast they could. Radovan led half of the group to the king while Blood-Wraith and Aureolus took the other half to the queen. Both monarchs slowly got up, realizing what had happened. They no longer cared about the duel and began slowly moving towards each other. They stumbled here and there, but the two could not be stopped. Each had tears in their eyes and running down their faces. Upon reaching each other, they embraced for the first time in what felt like an eternity. The orchestra quickly started the victory symphony and the audience cheered and applauded as loud as they could.
Overwhelmed with joy and relief, Radovan turned to the audience. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE IRON CITY! OUR QUEEN HAS RETURNED!” He proclaimed as proudly as he could. This was met with everyone cheering and applauding, chanting Dunja’s name with fervor.
While the duke and duchess gave a speech about how it was a glorious new era for The Iron City and The Descendants, the king and queen were hurried to the medical ward. Naturally it was a little difficult to get the two to stop hugging so they could be looked at. Reflecting on what had transpired, Blood-Wraith realized something that stoked the flames of his curiosity.
“Hey, wait a second! Dunja, where was all that during our duel?”
“Blood, sweetie, I could have severely hurt you had I-oh jeez, are you limping?!”
He looked down at his left ankle. “It’s just a sprain, it’ll heal…” Dunja was not pleased by this fact, causing everyone else to laugh. “What? What did I say?”
“Keep on trucking, Blood” Dragoslava said as she patted his back.
Englehart slowly stood up and steadied himself. “Keep that flame burning bright, Sir Blood-Wraith. Now if I may address the elephant in the room, the end result of the duel… Everyone? I shall not be abdicating my throne. Alas, I wish I had a bit more foresight earlier…”
Barna shook his head and laughed. “Good lord, brother, haha. It’s all set and done, don’t worry about it. You both won and you both loss. Dunja’s our queen again and you need to train your magic skills. It’s as simple as that.”
“He needs to train?” Dunja exclaimed. “I need to train! I’ve spent too many years letting my blades fight for me” she remarked with regret in her voice. “The minute Torunn hear’s about this she’s never going to let me hear the end of it…”
“Blades?” Blood-Wraith inquired. “What blades? Who’s Torunn?”
“The Blades of Dunja, Blood” Barna answered. “They’re three women Dunja appointed as her champions that we have clashed with before.”
“Well actually now it’s just two,” Dunja clarified. “Torunn joined with Sten while Andelin and Gratiana remained loyal to Milosh… I think. Andelin was always weird about it and Gratiana only ever took orders from me.” She had a guilty look on her face that shifted to a realization that had been nagging her at the back of her mind. “Barna, can I ask a question about our past clashes, since we’re on the same side again?”
“Sure, Dunja. Shoot.”
“So something I noticed was that my men got mysteriously ill after a certain doctor we know treated them… Claudius was poisoning them, wasn’t he?”
Barna grinned. “Guilty as charged.” He took a little too much joy in that.
Dunja exhaled. “I FIGURED THAT WAS WHAT WAS HAPPENING. Everyone told me I was nuts, but I told them I knew Engle and Barna all too well. I was RIGHT the entire time!” This elicited a round of sympathetic laughter.
“Speaking of all that, Dunja, would you be willing to accompany me to Shadowland once you’re all patched up?” Barna requested.
“Absolutely!” she answered without hesitation. “It’s my mess and I need to take responsibility for it.”
“And I’m going with you!” Aureolus stated. In the past this would have startled everyone, but now it was to be expected.
“Son, Shadowland is pretty dangerous right now…” Barna pointed out.
“Heed dad’s word, Aureolus,” Corentin added. “He means it. Milosh’s cult of idiots is no laughing matter.”
“Duly noted-and ignored!” Aureolus exclaimed. “I’m going. Just try to stop me.”
Englehart gave a hearty laugh. “Well it looks like the lad is dead set on this. Why do you want to go, nephew?”
“Well firstly I want to meet dad’s friends. Secondly I want to get strong, like Blood. Thirdly, I want Aunt Dunja to teach me her void magic…”
Kresimira inhaled, then exhaled loudly. “Blood is a bad influence on you-Alright then, as long as Dunja promises to keep you safe.”
Dunja also took a breath, given that all of them had left her out of the discussion. “BOY. GIRL. BOTH OF YOU… fine, you have my word. This is going to be interesting… Barna, any thoughts on this? He is your son after all…”
He shrugged, eliciting some groans. “Fine with me, if he’s that insistent about it. You don’t say no to that kind of zeal. Just as a warning though, son: Our foes won’t be messing around. You’ll need to be ready to fight at all times. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, sir, father!” Aureolus replied confidently.
“That’s the spirit. And if things get too hairy, I’ll leave him with Sten, Yngvild, and Folkvar. They’ll keep him safe.”
“Indeed, Sten is a mighty king after all” Englehart commented. He then looked over at Dunja, who appeared troubled. “Dunja, what’s the matter?”
She thought for a second further. “There’s something I need to tell you, but I’d like to wait until things settle down a bit first…”
“Ah, I see. I take it that it is very important?”
Dunja nodded. “Very. It relates to someone in Shadowland.”
Englehart could sense that it was a bit of a messy subject and that Dunja felt really bad over it. “Well whoever it is, we’ll work through it. Is this individual an ally?”
“Yup… or, he should be, at least.”
“Well no need to worry about it then. I trust our friends in Shadowland are taking good care of him” Englehart concluded. “Now then, let’s head topside and see what’s happening…”
Next: Chapter 18
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Comments
Post a Comment