ULTRAMagic Interlude - Chapter 2
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After quickly speaking to the rest of the group, Englehart did the best he could to organize an impromptu ceremony. Ideally this would have been done in the Singing Storm Tower, but he recognized that Dragoslava and Kresimira had been using the vast libraries inside it in addition to things not being fully ready yet. Plus it was a nice day out. The royal mages set up a series of magic broadcasting devices and the king snapped his fingers to dispel the storm around the tower as there was no need for it now. The group lined up with the nobles and the royal guard as audience. People nearby even paused what they were doing to watch.
“Are we on the air, as you youngsters say?” The king asked.
“Give us one second… and… There!” one of the royal mages replied. “We should be good to go, your majesty.”
Englehart cleared his throat. “Most excellent. Greetings everyone. If you are busy, feel free to continue your work. Listening in will suffice. It has been years since we last set foot in our glorious city and… well, I should’ve recognized that the great hunt was just a ruse for the start. All of you have my greatest apologies for that blunder. Thankfully the Source smiled upon us and delivered a group of valiant protectors to safeguard the Iron City.”
Radovan spoke next. “Yes indeed. Leading the group were my daughters and Barna’s son, Corentin. I cannot begin to express how proud of our children we are. Of course they weren’t alone. Drago rescued Desislav Robles, a proud satyr who looked after the three and assisted them greatly. Following that was Blood-Wraith, the newest member of the Raynot family. His unyielding bravery despite his age was invaluable. And it is an honor to know that Tusk Willfort, son of Sigmund Willfort, joined the team to tutor Blood and even gave his own arm to stop the Lich. An unexpected addition, Vlastimir Dracul, lent his blade during the darkest hour and helped turn the tide of battle. As for Ekaterina and Vexation, they have sworn fealty to the king despite having previously served our enemy. We welcome them with open arms…”
“If I may speak, father…” Blood-Wraith jumped in. “...we couldn’t have done this without Lief.” A tear ran down his cheek.
Radovan smiled. “Right you are, Blood-Wraith. Ladies and Gentlemen, one hero could not be with us today. The Dragon of Old made the battle with the Lich his final act before passing on. Wherever he is now, may he rest in peace.”
“His deeds shall not go in vain” Englehart continued. “The fight with Dunja and Milosh is not over, but for now we can rest easy knowing that we are united with some of the bravest and finest souls we have ever seen. Kresimira, Corentin, Dragoslava, Desislav, Blood-Wraith, Tusk, Vlastimir, Ekaterina, Vexation, and Leif: Thank you for everything that you have done.” With that, the audience applauded and cheered, making the group feel warm and triumphant.
After some closing remarks, everyone returned to their homes. Vlastimir and Ekaterina were the exception, but Englehart invited them to stay in the tower for the time being. Over at Blood-Wraith’s house, he was sitting in the living room with Aureolus and Vexation. He was crying, but this was out of joy for all that he had done. Upon getting his emotions out, Blood-Wraith composed himself and was able to speak properly again. Vexation was a bit concerned, however. How this boy was able to handle all of that was beyond him at the moment.
“Are you sure you’re alright, Blood?” Aureolus asked.
“If you need to talk about your feelings further, you’re more than welcome to do so” Vexation proposed.
Blood-Wraith sniffled. “No, I’m alright now… that was just a lot to take in.”
“Well don’t worry about people showing up out of the blue” Aureolus reassured him. “A lot want to thank you personally, but Uncle Englehart asked everyone to give you some space.”
“Really? Oh well, I don’t think…” Blood-Wraith was cut off by the door bell ringing.
“Now who could that be?” Vexation wondered. “I hope that it’s something important…”
“Come in…” Blood-Wraith called out.
Standing in the doorway after the door was opened was a 5’5 foot tall tree person with long hair and two horns… who promptly rushed over to Blood-Wraith. “Mr. Fire!” She exclaimed as she hugged and swung him around. “Oops, sorry. I should probably call you ‘Blood’ now…”
“Hey, Auda! Is that-you’re so tall now! Have we been gone for that long?”
She laughed. “Haha, no. It’s just that… um, Blood, I’m actually 12 years old.” She set him down. “That mean old Lich had me all scared to grow up… but you fixed that, hehe.”
“Fascinating…” Vexation quietly remarked.
Blood-Wraith nodded in acceptance, amazed at Auda’s new body (so-to-speak given that it was just her, but older). “Well that makes two of us that have changed.”
“Yeah! I can see that. Maybe I should try that ULTRAMagic-thingy too… Speaking of that, I came here to get Uncle Tusk. Grandpa wants to see him. Want to come along?”
“Oh, sure. Before we go though; Auda, this is Aureolus and Vexation. Aureolus? Vex? This is Auda. She’s Tusk’s niece.”
“Hi there!” Aureolus welcomed as he gave her a hug.
Vexation shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Same here. Alright, Blood, let’s go. Grandpa’s also eager to see you again!”
Tusk was waiting nearby with a cab hailed by Radovan. They were swiftly driven to the edge of the city where they began their walk to The Unending Forest. Tusk felt weird going back so soon as he carried his backpack full of scrolls and books. He did not want to argue with his father’s wishes, however. This was great for Blood-Wraith as he wanted to tell Sigmund about his plans. He also handed Tusk the book he had picked up in the desert, as he was not sure what it was about. Tusk definitely looked interested and mentioned something about it being a void grimoire. As for Auda, she was happy to have her uncle back home. She did not want him to go away for too long.
Sigmund was waiting at the gates of the rustic village, accompanied by some of the townsfolk. They all looked incredibly proud. “Tusk, my boy! When I said you needed to do something with yourself, I didn’t mean go out and save the entire Cosmos, haha! Come here!” He gave him a big hug, with the others clapping. “You’ve done your old man and the forest proud!”
“Thanks, dad… Can I come home now? I got a bunch of stuff to read and study…”
“Of course you can. What happened to your arm though?”
Tusk looked at his stone arm once more and closed his hand, the stone scraping against itself. “It’s complicated and something I will never do again.”
Sigmund sighed and shook his head. “Well either way, come with me, all of you. And Blood! You must tell me all about your ULTRAMagic.”
The three followed the chief, with other villagers warmly welcoming Tusk back and commending Blood-Wraith. Of course some still yanked Tusk’s chain a little, but they were so proud of him regardless. The formerly sullen mage could not help but smile as he walked. It felt like his home was truly coming back to life for him, even though there were still some loose ends to tie up.
“Chief, there’s something I want to do…” said Blood-Wraith.
“What’s that, Blood?” Sigmund asked as he let the three into his home.
“I’m going to the Magician’s Labyrinth to find my mother,” Blood-Wraith replied. “And while I’m there, I’m going to locate Tusk’s mother.” Sigmund then looked at Blood-Wraith with a bit of surprise.
“He’s serious, dad,” Tusk stated as he sat down.
“By the gods, boy; even after all you just went through?” Sigmund questioned.
Auda was also surprised, wondering about how such a quest would even happen. “Whoa, you think you can find Grandma Thora, Blood?”
Blood-Wraith took a quick breath, as he was still nervous despite his eagerness. “Yes. Yes I do. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
Sigmund pondered his thoughts on the matter, as he knew Blood-Wraith had no idea what he was about to get himself into it. “You’ll need help, preferably someone that’s been there before at the very least…” he said with a tap of his staff on the hardwood floors.
Everyone took a moment to think about who it could be. Blood-Wraith then had an idea. “Oh! Drago and Kresimira have mentioned Brenna Thompson. She helped escort us back to the city.”
“Yes, I have heard of her adventures, especially to the Magician’s Labyrinth,” Sigmund recalled. “She’s even been to the village a few times before.”
“I’ll go too!” Auda blurted out.
“Oh no you don’t, young lady.”
“Agreed, it’s way too dangerous,” Tusk added.
Donia then walked into the room. “Ha, good luck trying to stop her…”
“Donia, there you are,” Sigmund announced. “What took you so long, lass?”
“Sorry, I had to clean up an experiment. Tusk, sweetie, what happened to your arm?”
Tusk went over and hugged her tightly. “Sorry about that, Donia. Things got complicated. That was… That was scary.”
After some much needed consoling, the two sat back down and discussed Blood-Wraith’s plans. Sigmund knew Thora was still alive, as he could sense her as they spoke. What she was doing was unclear and so was the why. Thora was known for getting sidetracked, but there must have been something truly momentous to cause her to forget her mission. Originally she went to the Magician’s Labyrinth to find answers to the problem with the Lich, but her failure to return shook the village and made the future uncertain. Tusk and his siblings naturally took it the hardest…
“Knowing what I found in the Unspeaker’s libraries, I can’t say I blame mom for whatever she found…” Tusk conceded.
“What do you think it could be?” Blood-Wraith inquired.
Sigmund stroked his beard with a light sigh. “The Forest and I have speculated on this. It believes she encountered Rose Raynot who may have stumbled on Deimos’ old research. What that is eludes us, however. While I have a few ideas, the Forest dares not find out.”
Donia glanced at Tusk’s books, having an idea she wanted to get out of her head. “Hey, Tusk? You wouldn’t have happened to…”
“If the answer is in those, I have yet to find it.”
Auda stood up and paced back and forth for a moment, making all sorts of ‘hum’ sounds. “Grandma and Mrs. Raynot probably found a new Unlight to explore.”
“Rose is a duchess, sweetie,” Donia clarified with a chuckle.
“Whoops, sorry, hehe…”
“Another Unlight?” Tusk chuckled. “Auda, there’s only one Unlight…”
“No, I mean another layer, Uncle Tusk. Like an onion!” This made the others laugh.
Sigmund coughed a little as he composed himself. “As crazy as that sounds, the Deep Unlight does exist after all.”
“I mean, is it possible?” Blood-Wraith questioned.
“Well, theoretically,” Tusk replied. “Deimos’ research has never left The Magician’s Labyrinth, to our knowledge, so it’s hard to say.”
They all talked for a bit longer until dinner time rolled around, pondering The Unlight and the secrets it could hold beyond the Deep Unlight. Sigmund invited Blood-Wraith to eat with them, but he needed to get back to the city. Still, he encouraged Blood-Wraith to bring the group along sometime so he could commemorate them with his own ceremony. Not wanting to bother anyone during their respective dinners, Blood-Wraith took on his dragon form once he was out of the forest and flew back to his home. Many saw this and were utterly amazed at his abilities. Back at the house, Aureolus and Vexation were waiting for him outside.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” Blood-Wraith asked once he returned to normal.
“Blood, dad wants us to eat over at his place” Aureolus replied.
“Mr. Schindewolf was most insistent,” Vexation confirmed.
That was fine with Blood-Wraith, as he wanted to get to know the rest of the Schindewolf’s. Aureolus led the two to a large, barn-like building and knocked on a door at the side. The structure looked quite old with the dark wood having aged considerably. It definitely had a cozy vibe to it, despite how rough it looked, however. Blood-Wraith was definitely eager to see inside. They were soon greeted by Corentin, who looked happy to see them.
“Hey there, come on in. Mind the mess and watch your feet…”
There were tools, abandoned projects, forges, anvils, and bags of coal all over the place. Something that had definitely seen better days was the floor, which was a mix of dirt and worn out planks. The four then made their way to a set of stairs that took them to the upper loft. Things were still a bit messy, but were a lot more homey. The guests sat down in the living room where there was a couch, two recliners, a homemade coffee table, and a radio across from them. The loft itself overlooked the workshop, which had a pretty nice view of everything. Corentin then switched places with his father, who had been in the kitchen.
“Hello, lads, glad you all could make it. You’ll have to forgive the clutter. I was in the middle of an order when the great hunt started.”
“That’s quite understandable, Mr. Schindewolf…” Vexation replied.
“Ah, no need to be formal, Vex. You can call me by my name.”
“As you wish, Barna. I must say that I’m quite impressed with your projects, despite their unfinished state.”
“Really now? Well thanks. You fancy yourself a blacksmith?”
“No, but I did work with The Blacksmith of Old on occasion. Your work is very reminiscent of his.”
Barna nodded, secretly proud of that compliment. He was having a hard time holding back a giddy smile. “Ah, I see. As for tonight’s dinner, how does pulled pork, mashed potatoes, and seasoned, steamed vegetables sound?” Everyone was all for it as Aureolus vouched for his father’s cooking skills.
Blood-Wraith went over and looked at the bottom floor, wanting to satisfy a curiosity he had. “Hey, Barna?” Does your blacksmithing make use of magic?”
“It can and I’m glad you asked. Blood, I’d like to teach you and Aureolus some of my alchemical skills, if you’d be interested.”
Blood-Wraith thought about this for a moment. “Sure, that’d be great. Aureolus?”
“Yup. I mean, dad has already shown me some cool stuff already, haha.”
“Father, food’s done,” Corentin called out.
“Very good, dining table’s right over there, lads. Just let Corentin know what you’ll drink and we’ll get started.” Barna hurried back into the kitchen as the three seated themselves at the table, ready to eat.
Next: Chapter 3
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
After quickly speaking to the rest of the group, Englehart did the best he could to organize an impromptu ceremony. Ideally this would have been done in the Singing Storm Tower, but he recognized that Dragoslava and Kresimira had been using the vast libraries inside it in addition to things not being fully ready yet. Plus it was a nice day out. The royal mages set up a series of magic broadcasting devices and the king snapped his fingers to dispel the storm around the tower as there was no need for it now. The group lined up with the nobles and the royal guard as audience. People nearby even paused what they were doing to watch.
“Are we on the air, as you youngsters say?” The king asked.
“Give us one second… and… There!” one of the royal mages replied. “We should be good to go, your majesty.”
Englehart cleared his throat. “Most excellent. Greetings everyone. If you are busy, feel free to continue your work. Listening in will suffice. It has been years since we last set foot in our glorious city and… well, I should’ve recognized that the great hunt was just a ruse for the start. All of you have my greatest apologies for that blunder. Thankfully the Source smiled upon us and delivered a group of valiant protectors to safeguard the Iron City.”
Radovan spoke next. “Yes indeed. Leading the group were my daughters and Barna’s son, Corentin. I cannot begin to express how proud of our children we are. Of course they weren’t alone. Drago rescued Desislav Robles, a proud satyr who looked after the three and assisted them greatly. Following that was Blood-Wraith, the newest member of the Raynot family. His unyielding bravery despite his age was invaluable. And it is an honor to know that Tusk Willfort, son of Sigmund Willfort, joined the team to tutor Blood and even gave his own arm to stop the Lich. An unexpected addition, Vlastimir Dracul, lent his blade during the darkest hour and helped turn the tide of battle. As for Ekaterina and Vexation, they have sworn fealty to the king despite having previously served our enemy. We welcome them with open arms…”
“If I may speak, father…” Blood-Wraith jumped in. “...we couldn’t have done this without Lief.” A tear ran down his cheek.
Radovan smiled. “Right you are, Blood-Wraith. Ladies and Gentlemen, one hero could not be with us today. The Dragon of Old made the battle with the Lich his final act before passing on. Wherever he is now, may he rest in peace.”
“His deeds shall not go in vain” Englehart continued. “The fight with Dunja and Milosh is not over, but for now we can rest easy knowing that we are united with some of the bravest and finest souls we have ever seen. Kresimira, Corentin, Dragoslava, Desislav, Blood-Wraith, Tusk, Vlastimir, Ekaterina, Vexation, and Leif: Thank you for everything that you have done.” With that, the audience applauded and cheered, making the group feel warm and triumphant.
After some closing remarks, everyone returned to their homes. Vlastimir and Ekaterina were the exception, but Englehart invited them to stay in the tower for the time being. Over at Blood-Wraith’s house, he was sitting in the living room with Aureolus and Vexation. He was crying, but this was out of joy for all that he had done. Upon getting his emotions out, Blood-Wraith composed himself and was able to speak properly again. Vexation was a bit concerned, however. How this boy was able to handle all of that was beyond him at the moment.
“Are you sure you’re alright, Blood?” Aureolus asked.
“If you need to talk about your feelings further, you’re more than welcome to do so” Vexation proposed.
Blood-Wraith sniffled. “No, I’m alright now… that was just a lot to take in.”
“Well don’t worry about people showing up out of the blue” Aureolus reassured him. “A lot want to thank you personally, but Uncle Englehart asked everyone to give you some space.”
“Really? Oh well, I don’t think…” Blood-Wraith was cut off by the door bell ringing.
“Now who could that be?” Vexation wondered. “I hope that it’s something important…”
“Come in…” Blood-Wraith called out.
Standing in the doorway after the door was opened was a 5’5 foot tall tree person with long hair and two horns… who promptly rushed over to Blood-Wraith. “Mr. Fire!” She exclaimed as she hugged and swung him around. “Oops, sorry. I should probably call you ‘Blood’ now…”
“Hey, Auda! Is that-you’re so tall now! Have we been gone for that long?”
She laughed. “Haha, no. It’s just that… um, Blood, I’m actually 12 years old.” She set him down. “That mean old Lich had me all scared to grow up… but you fixed that, hehe.”
“Fascinating…” Vexation quietly remarked.
Blood-Wraith nodded in acceptance, amazed at Auda’s new body (so-to-speak given that it was just her, but older). “Well that makes two of us that have changed.”
“Yeah! I can see that. Maybe I should try that ULTRAMagic-thingy too… Speaking of that, I came here to get Uncle Tusk. Grandpa wants to see him. Want to come along?”
“Oh, sure. Before we go though; Auda, this is Aureolus and Vexation. Aureolus? Vex? This is Auda. She’s Tusk’s niece.”
“Hi there!” Aureolus welcomed as he gave her a hug.
Vexation shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Same here. Alright, Blood, let’s go. Grandpa’s also eager to see you again!”
Tusk was waiting nearby with a cab hailed by Radovan. They were swiftly driven to the edge of the city where they began their walk to The Unending Forest. Tusk felt weird going back so soon as he carried his backpack full of scrolls and books. He did not want to argue with his father’s wishes, however. This was great for Blood-Wraith as he wanted to tell Sigmund about his plans. He also handed Tusk the book he had picked up in the desert, as he was not sure what it was about. Tusk definitely looked interested and mentioned something about it being a void grimoire. As for Auda, she was happy to have her uncle back home. She did not want him to go away for too long.
Sigmund was waiting at the gates of the rustic village, accompanied by some of the townsfolk. They all looked incredibly proud. “Tusk, my boy! When I said you needed to do something with yourself, I didn’t mean go out and save the entire Cosmos, haha! Come here!” He gave him a big hug, with the others clapping. “You’ve done your old man and the forest proud!”
“Thanks, dad… Can I come home now? I got a bunch of stuff to read and study…”
“Of course you can. What happened to your arm though?”
Tusk looked at his stone arm once more and closed his hand, the stone scraping against itself. “It’s complicated and something I will never do again.”
Sigmund sighed and shook his head. “Well either way, come with me, all of you. And Blood! You must tell me all about your ULTRAMagic.”
The three followed the chief, with other villagers warmly welcoming Tusk back and commending Blood-Wraith. Of course some still yanked Tusk’s chain a little, but they were so proud of him regardless. The formerly sullen mage could not help but smile as he walked. It felt like his home was truly coming back to life for him, even though there were still some loose ends to tie up.
“Chief, there’s something I want to do…” said Blood-Wraith.
“What’s that, Blood?” Sigmund asked as he let the three into his home.
“I’m going to the Magician’s Labyrinth to find my mother,” Blood-Wraith replied. “And while I’m there, I’m going to locate Tusk’s mother.” Sigmund then looked at Blood-Wraith with a bit of surprise.
“He’s serious, dad,” Tusk stated as he sat down.
“By the gods, boy; even after all you just went through?” Sigmund questioned.
Auda was also surprised, wondering about how such a quest would even happen. “Whoa, you think you can find Grandma Thora, Blood?”
Blood-Wraith took a quick breath, as he was still nervous despite his eagerness. “Yes. Yes I do. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
Sigmund pondered his thoughts on the matter, as he knew Blood-Wraith had no idea what he was about to get himself into it. “You’ll need help, preferably someone that’s been there before at the very least…” he said with a tap of his staff on the hardwood floors.
Everyone took a moment to think about who it could be. Blood-Wraith then had an idea. “Oh! Drago and Kresimira have mentioned Brenna Thompson. She helped escort us back to the city.”
“Yes, I have heard of her adventures, especially to the Magician’s Labyrinth,” Sigmund recalled. “She’s even been to the village a few times before.”
“I’ll go too!” Auda blurted out.
“Oh no you don’t, young lady.”
“Agreed, it’s way too dangerous,” Tusk added.
Donia then walked into the room. “Ha, good luck trying to stop her…”
“Donia, there you are,” Sigmund announced. “What took you so long, lass?”
“Sorry, I had to clean up an experiment. Tusk, sweetie, what happened to your arm?”
Tusk went over and hugged her tightly. “Sorry about that, Donia. Things got complicated. That was… That was scary.”
After some much needed consoling, the two sat back down and discussed Blood-Wraith’s plans. Sigmund knew Thora was still alive, as he could sense her as they spoke. What she was doing was unclear and so was the why. Thora was known for getting sidetracked, but there must have been something truly momentous to cause her to forget her mission. Originally she went to the Magician’s Labyrinth to find answers to the problem with the Lich, but her failure to return shook the village and made the future uncertain. Tusk and his siblings naturally took it the hardest…
“Knowing what I found in the Unspeaker’s libraries, I can’t say I blame mom for whatever she found…” Tusk conceded.
“What do you think it could be?” Blood-Wraith inquired.
Sigmund stroked his beard with a light sigh. “The Forest and I have speculated on this. It believes she encountered Rose Raynot who may have stumbled on Deimos’ old research. What that is eludes us, however. While I have a few ideas, the Forest dares not find out.”
Donia glanced at Tusk’s books, having an idea she wanted to get out of her head. “Hey, Tusk? You wouldn’t have happened to…”
“If the answer is in those, I have yet to find it.”
Auda stood up and paced back and forth for a moment, making all sorts of ‘hum’ sounds. “Grandma and Mrs. Raynot probably found a new Unlight to explore.”
“Rose is a duchess, sweetie,” Donia clarified with a chuckle.
“Whoops, sorry, hehe…”
“Another Unlight?” Tusk chuckled. “Auda, there’s only one Unlight…”
“No, I mean another layer, Uncle Tusk. Like an onion!” This made the others laugh.
Sigmund coughed a little as he composed himself. “As crazy as that sounds, the Deep Unlight does exist after all.”
“I mean, is it possible?” Blood-Wraith questioned.
“Well, theoretically,” Tusk replied. “Deimos’ research has never left The Magician’s Labyrinth, to our knowledge, so it’s hard to say.”
They all talked for a bit longer until dinner time rolled around, pondering The Unlight and the secrets it could hold beyond the Deep Unlight. Sigmund invited Blood-Wraith to eat with them, but he needed to get back to the city. Still, he encouraged Blood-Wraith to bring the group along sometime so he could commemorate them with his own ceremony. Not wanting to bother anyone during their respective dinners, Blood-Wraith took on his dragon form once he was out of the forest and flew back to his home. Many saw this and were utterly amazed at his abilities. Back at the house, Aureolus and Vexation were waiting for him outside.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” Blood-Wraith asked once he returned to normal.
“Blood, dad wants us to eat over at his place” Aureolus replied.
“Mr. Schindewolf was most insistent,” Vexation confirmed.
That was fine with Blood-Wraith, as he wanted to get to know the rest of the Schindewolf’s. Aureolus led the two to a large, barn-like building and knocked on a door at the side. The structure looked quite old with the dark wood having aged considerably. It definitely had a cozy vibe to it, despite how rough it looked, however. Blood-Wraith was definitely eager to see inside. They were soon greeted by Corentin, who looked happy to see them.
“Hey there, come on in. Mind the mess and watch your feet…”
There were tools, abandoned projects, forges, anvils, and bags of coal all over the place. Something that had definitely seen better days was the floor, which was a mix of dirt and worn out planks. The four then made their way to a set of stairs that took them to the upper loft. Things were still a bit messy, but were a lot more homey. The guests sat down in the living room where there was a couch, two recliners, a homemade coffee table, and a radio across from them. The loft itself overlooked the workshop, which had a pretty nice view of everything. Corentin then switched places with his father, who had been in the kitchen.
“Hello, lads, glad you all could make it. You’ll have to forgive the clutter. I was in the middle of an order when the great hunt started.”
“That’s quite understandable, Mr. Schindewolf…” Vexation replied.
“Ah, no need to be formal, Vex. You can call me by my name.”
“As you wish, Barna. I must say that I’m quite impressed with your projects, despite their unfinished state.”
“Really now? Well thanks. You fancy yourself a blacksmith?”
“No, but I did work with The Blacksmith of Old on occasion. Your work is very reminiscent of his.”
Barna nodded, secretly proud of that compliment. He was having a hard time holding back a giddy smile. “Ah, I see. As for tonight’s dinner, how does pulled pork, mashed potatoes, and seasoned, steamed vegetables sound?” Everyone was all for it as Aureolus vouched for his father’s cooking skills.
Blood-Wraith went over and looked at the bottom floor, wanting to satisfy a curiosity he had. “Hey, Barna?” Does your blacksmithing make use of magic?”
“It can and I’m glad you asked. Blood, I’d like to teach you and Aureolus some of my alchemical skills, if you’d be interested.”
Blood-Wraith thought about this for a moment. “Sure, that’d be great. Aureolus?”
“Yup. I mean, dad has already shown me some cool stuff already, haha.”
“Father, food’s done,” Corentin called out.
“Very good, dining table’s right over there, lads. Just let Corentin know what you’ll drink and we’ll get started.” Barna hurried back into the kitchen as the three seated themselves at the table, ready to eat.
Next: Chapter 3
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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