ULTRAMagic Interlude - Chapter 3
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“I have to say, Blood, you’ve stirred up quite the commotion over in Shadowland” Barna said before taking a drink from his mug.
“We have? Already?” Blood-Wraith asked. “Were we gone for that long?”
Aureolus swallowed his food and nodded. “Yeah. I’d say you were gone for about a week.”
Blood-Wraith gave a massive sigh and slouched in his chair a little. “That’s a relief, I was paranoid we had been gone for longer…”
“It took Radovan that long to get to you,” Barna continued. “He can only go so fast. Now I got a contact over in Shadowland who keeps me up to speed. He’s a doctor who goes by the name Claudius Alfieri. Probably an outsider given the odd name, but either way, he’s a long time friend who’s been keeping Dunja and Milosh on their toes by spreading disease amongst their ranks…”
Blood-Wraith was shocked. “Goodness!”
“All’s fair in love and war, Blood,” Corentin added as he sipped his drink.
“Ha, I’d argue that’s fairly civil compared to what Sten’s doing” Barna replied. “He’s been going to town with his greatsword. I crafted the bloody thing and had no idea he planned to use it for battle. I thought it was just going to be a badge of honor or some kind of ornament, but no. He’s definitely been putting it through its paces.”
“Can you tell us more about his majesty, Barna?” Vexation inquired.
Barna cleared some food from his throat. “Well first things first: He gives me and Claudius the chills. King Sten Haugen is a 9 foot tall giant, built like a mountain, and looks like he just emerged from a crypt. He and my brother are friends, but I can tell that Sten can easily spot his flaws.”
Blood-Wraith was trying to wrap his mind around someone being taller than his dad and Englehart. Both were already 7-8 feet tall. “So what kind of king is he?”
“From what Claudius tells me, he’s incredibly stern, yet fair-stoic, if you will. You have to work to earn your keep in Shadowland, but Sten will make sure that you can serve the kingdom in some way. Of course I think he should tone it down with that a little before he gives the wrong impression. Also people who start yellin’ at him tend to stop and lose their nerve. Sten has this sort-of-deadpan stare when he gets annoyed. My brother has stated numerous times that he admires that level of fortitude, but it’s debatable whether or not that’s fortitude if you ask me.”
“Hmm, that makes me wonder if he isn’t related to The General of Old…” Vexation wondered. “...he also had a very stoic approach to adversity.”
“Well whatever the case, King Sten sounds like a fine enough king” Aureolus stated.
“Aside from the sternness…” Blood-Wraith interjected as he ate some of his food. “Barna, I don’t mean to change the subject, but can I ask about Corentin? Specifically, why does he look the way he does? No offense, Corentin. It’s just that I always wondered why he doesn’t look like the others.”
Before Barna could answer, Corentin spoke up. “You know? I’ve always wondered about that myself. My torso is some kind of rubber, my bones are metal, and the rest of my body makes use of heavy duty stitching. Ha, did something happen to mom during my birth, Father?”
“Son… oh boy. Son, um, you don’t have a mother…” Barna looked a little uncomfortable, but remained firm.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Ahem, you don’t have one because I created you.”
Corentin took a second to process this. Once it hit him, he was beside himself in disbelief. “You created me… just… why then?”
“Well, it all started back when that rat Milosh caused your grandfather to go off on his own so he could come back and humiliate him. Gunnar went missing, brother took the throne, and I inherited my dad’s mission. I thought about it for a while until I had an idea: Since I hadn’t found the woman for me yet, why not create a son? It was perfect…”
Corentin cut him off. “Hold up. Why didn’t you get married afterwards?”
“Like I said, I haven’t found the woman for me yet.” Blood-Wraith made a note of this for some reason. Barna took a second to clear his throat a little, then resumed. “Making a second Philosopher’s Stone for a Corentin was a pain and there were a few SNAFUs while making his body, but hearing my boy cry for the first time brought a tear of joy to my eye…” Aureolus and Blood-Wraith were enthralled at this point. “... and the pathetic look on Milosh’s face when he saw my boy blowing him the raspberry was a nice bonus.”
Corentin was slightly shaking his head, trying to take it all in. “Well, that definitely answers a lot of questions I’ve had over the years… but dad… am I just one of your projects to you?”
“Yes… and no,” He answered sheepishly. “... you are one of my projects, but you are also so much more than that. You are hands down my greatest achievement and nothing will ever top you. I’m not even going to try. Are there things I would do differently if I created you today? Absolutely, but that’s purely in hindsight…”
“Jeez…” Corentin got up, picked up a pack of cigars, and began heading downstairs. “I need a smoke. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
After they were sure he was outside, Vexation spoke after a moment’s silence. “How did that not come up sooner, Barna?”
“I told myself I’d tell him eventually, but I guess it got shifted to the back of my mind. Plus he never asked about it…” Barna answered.
“Impressive amount of trust I must say. He seems to be retaining it given his… amicable reaction.”
“Yeah, I suppose…”
“What’s the matter, dad?” Aureolus asked, concerned. He could see Barna’s unease as clear as day.
Barna began picking up the plates since everyone was done. “Oh, it’s just that he had a similar reaction when he and Kresimira split up all those years ago.”
“Well I doubt he’s angry with you-just overwhelmed” Blood-Wraith pointed out.
“I know he’s not angry. Sometimes he just needs to be alone.”
While Barna cleaned up and got dessert ready, Corentin gazed at the stars. Finding out he was an alchemical construct was something else. There were definitely some positive aspects to this. He was a lot more durable, a cigar or two did not bother him, and he could eat whatever he wanted since his body would process it no matter what. The thing that was bothering him was the fact that his father had not told him up until then. He was disappointed, but also in himself for not asking sooner. Blaming Barna was not going to solve anything. If anyone was to blame, it was his grandfather, whoever that was. Ultimately all of this was just something he would have to accept and move on with.
“I don’t have a mother…” Corentin sighed and doused his cigar. “Oh well, we’ll figure it out eventually.” Going inside, he was greeted by the smell of chocolate cake as he went upstairs. “Well it looks like I came back in just in time.”
“Hey, brother,” Aureolus replied as he brought him over to the table. “Feeling better?”
Corentin smiled and sat down. “Yeah. Not perfect, but better.”
“Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, son” Barna apologized as he began serving slices of cake.
“Don’t worry about it, dad. Ha, I made sure to tell Maximus I created him right out the gate, no doubt about it.”
Barna laughed. “Don’t make the same mistake I made.”
“Which one? Not telling me or not getting a woman?”
This caused all of them to laugh. “Goodness, you’re full of wit tonight, aren’t you?” Barna said as he sat down.
Over at the Raynot mansion, Radovan and his daughters were also eating dinner. Desislav did not join them as he had gone to bed early. The lights were dim as there was not much activity in the mansion, with Desislav’s sleep taken into consideration. There was also the fact that for Radovan it did not feel right to have the lights at full without Rose. Truthfully he was having a hard time eating given that his guilt was also eating at him from the inside. His daughters noticed this, in addition to how quiet he was being. He was quite the talker at the dinner table, and anyone familiar with him knew he had a lot on his mind if he was not speaking up.
“It feels odd without your mother here, girls,” Radovan commented.
Kresimira sighed. “Yes, it does feel a bit empty… speaking of which, Drago? What has gotten into Blood’s head? That wasn’t your doing, was it?”
“Nope. I am DONE exploring for a while. That last adventure was too much to handle. Vlastimir stalking us, venturing through a living organism, and the Dark Grand Desert itself? Honestly I have no idea where Blood got all that zeal. And he came face to face with the Lich more than I did…”
“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s that energy we all have as children” Radovan deduced. “Since Blood is incredibly mature for his age, it’s being focused into something truly productive. Although I hope the boy’s dreams don’t bother him. I’d have nightmares for weeks if I was in his situation.”
Kresimira nodded. “That’s most likely the case… the former, not the latter-although I do firmly agree with your notion, papa. And Drago, are you implying you’re not going with him?”
Dragoslava slouched in her chair. “Sister, I’ve had my life flash before my eyes multiple times over the past couple of months. I’m going to bug Brenna to go with him. She’s actually been inside the labyrinth, after all.”
“Fair enough I suppose.”
“Brenna is a capable soldier,” Radovan stated. “She and her brother get that from Ivar. Still, I wish I could’ve gone and found Rose myself. Now that I’m back here, I have mountains of work to do. I’m glad to be back, but a part of me will miss the great hunt.”
After a moment of no talking, Dragoslava shifted in her chair. “Hey, dad? I’m giving my action figures to Blood.”
Radovan smiled. “Well now, I was wondering what you were going to do with them now that you’re all grown. That’s quite nice of you.”
“Yeah, well they’re doing nothing but collecting dust in my room and I need the space. Why not give them to him?”
Once everyone was finished, Kresimira began cleaning up. “I assume you’ll be busy tomorrow, papa?”
“Unfortunately,” Radovan answered. “We need to plan out a program for repairs to the city and a sub-program to address all the repairs Blood and Aureolus made. Bless their hearts-but boys, that’s more paperwork for the king and I.” His daughters chuckled.
Since it was getting late, the three retired for the night. Not feeling truly sleepy yet, Dragoslava sat at her desk with a pen and papers. She thought about doing a write up about the Dark Grand Desert for The Central Unlight Explorers Guild, but decided against it. Instead she figured she would write up some plans for her room. Firstly she needed to hand off all of her old toys over to Blood-Wraith. Next she had to get a queen-sized bed for her and Desislav… or did she? What if they needed space one night? The mansion did have extra rooms after all.
Feeling a sudden bout of nostalgia, Dragoslava got out a golden action figure from an old toybox and fiddled around with it. It was still in great condition, with only minor scratches here and there. The quest to stop the Lich made her miss her childhood. Rummaging through the rest of her old toys, she found a large, dragon action figure. It was quite fearsome, reminding her of Leif. She could definitely feel her emotions starting to pile up as she held back a tear. This toy would not be going to Blood-Wraith, as it now held sentimental value for her. Dragoslava even felt obligated to clean the toy up and put it on display, but this would have to wait until the next day as she was finally starting to fall asleep.
The following morning, Blood-Wraith woke up feeling great. He went downstairs to the dining room and was greeted by Aureolus and Vexation, who were waiting patiently. “Morning, guys. What’s going on?”
“Good morning, Blood,” Vexation replied. “Ms. Thompson stopped in to serve breakfast and meet with you.”
“Oh? Well good thing given that…”
Brenna walked into the dining room with the rest of the food. “Morning, Blood! I hope you don’t mind me dropping by. I didn’t get a chance to chat with you back in the Deep Unlight” she said as she began serving the food.
Blood-Wraith yawned, still waking up a bit. “Thanks for the breakfast. Mind if I ask a question?”
“Sure, ask away.”
“Would you be willing to go with me to the Magician’s Labyrinth?”
Brenna then sat down with a smile on her face. “That’s exactly what I wanted to discuss. You’re taking a lot after Drago, you know?”
He chuckled. “She is the first person I met after all.”
“To answer your question: Absolutely. Now Blood, I have to warn you that that place is dangerous. It’s huge and I’m pretty sure Deimos is the only one who can properly navigate it. Fortunately I do have a rough idea on how it works though.”
Vexation thought for a second, indicating he knew something they did not. “If only Deimos wasn’t so busy…”
Auroleus nodded as he ate some of his pancakes. “Yeah, but it’s like what dad says: The harder the challenge, the greater the reward.”
“Well sure, but this isn’t training or a treasure hunt,” Blood-Wraith replied. “I just want to find my mom and Tusk’s mom.”
Brenna scooped some scrambled eggs onto her buttered toast. “True, but you’ll need to be in top shape regardless,” she reasoned as she ate. “Blood, I got a proposal for you: I want to take over as your teacher.”
“Wait, really? Why?”
“Tusk seems out of his depth from what I’ve been hearing. Plus I’m dying to see your abilities in action. I talked to Sigmund and he agreed. Tusk wasn’t ready for ULTRAMagic and he wasn’t ready to be a teacher.”
Blood-Wraith sighed. “I suppose you’re right, Brenna. I just hope this doesn’t bother him.”
Next: Chapter 4
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
“I have to say, Blood, you’ve stirred up quite the commotion over in Shadowland” Barna said before taking a drink from his mug.
“We have? Already?” Blood-Wraith asked. “Were we gone for that long?”
Aureolus swallowed his food and nodded. “Yeah. I’d say you were gone for about a week.”
Blood-Wraith gave a massive sigh and slouched in his chair a little. “That’s a relief, I was paranoid we had been gone for longer…”
“It took Radovan that long to get to you,” Barna continued. “He can only go so fast. Now I got a contact over in Shadowland who keeps me up to speed. He’s a doctor who goes by the name Claudius Alfieri. Probably an outsider given the odd name, but either way, he’s a long time friend who’s been keeping Dunja and Milosh on their toes by spreading disease amongst their ranks…”
Blood-Wraith was shocked. “Goodness!”
“All’s fair in love and war, Blood,” Corentin added as he sipped his drink.
“Ha, I’d argue that’s fairly civil compared to what Sten’s doing” Barna replied. “He’s been going to town with his greatsword. I crafted the bloody thing and had no idea he planned to use it for battle. I thought it was just going to be a badge of honor or some kind of ornament, but no. He’s definitely been putting it through its paces.”
“Can you tell us more about his majesty, Barna?” Vexation inquired.
Barna cleared some food from his throat. “Well first things first: He gives me and Claudius the chills. King Sten Haugen is a 9 foot tall giant, built like a mountain, and looks like he just emerged from a crypt. He and my brother are friends, but I can tell that Sten can easily spot his flaws.”
Blood-Wraith was trying to wrap his mind around someone being taller than his dad and Englehart. Both were already 7-8 feet tall. “So what kind of king is he?”
“From what Claudius tells me, he’s incredibly stern, yet fair-stoic, if you will. You have to work to earn your keep in Shadowland, but Sten will make sure that you can serve the kingdom in some way. Of course I think he should tone it down with that a little before he gives the wrong impression. Also people who start yellin’ at him tend to stop and lose their nerve. Sten has this sort-of-deadpan stare when he gets annoyed. My brother has stated numerous times that he admires that level of fortitude, but it’s debatable whether or not that’s fortitude if you ask me.”
“Hmm, that makes me wonder if he isn’t related to The General of Old…” Vexation wondered. “...he also had a very stoic approach to adversity.”
“Well whatever the case, King Sten sounds like a fine enough king” Aureolus stated.
“Aside from the sternness…” Blood-Wraith interjected as he ate some of his food. “Barna, I don’t mean to change the subject, but can I ask about Corentin? Specifically, why does he look the way he does? No offense, Corentin. It’s just that I always wondered why he doesn’t look like the others.”
Before Barna could answer, Corentin spoke up. “You know? I’ve always wondered about that myself. My torso is some kind of rubber, my bones are metal, and the rest of my body makes use of heavy duty stitching. Ha, did something happen to mom during my birth, Father?”
“Son… oh boy. Son, um, you don’t have a mother…” Barna looked a little uncomfortable, but remained firm.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Ahem, you don’t have one because I created you.”
Corentin took a second to process this. Once it hit him, he was beside himself in disbelief. “You created me… just… why then?”
“Well, it all started back when that rat Milosh caused your grandfather to go off on his own so he could come back and humiliate him. Gunnar went missing, brother took the throne, and I inherited my dad’s mission. I thought about it for a while until I had an idea: Since I hadn’t found the woman for me yet, why not create a son? It was perfect…”
Corentin cut him off. “Hold up. Why didn’t you get married afterwards?”
“Like I said, I haven’t found the woman for me yet.” Blood-Wraith made a note of this for some reason. Barna took a second to clear his throat a little, then resumed. “Making a second Philosopher’s Stone for a Corentin was a pain and there were a few SNAFUs while making his body, but hearing my boy cry for the first time brought a tear of joy to my eye…” Aureolus and Blood-Wraith were enthralled at this point. “... and the pathetic look on Milosh’s face when he saw my boy blowing him the raspberry was a nice bonus.”
Corentin was slightly shaking his head, trying to take it all in. “Well, that definitely answers a lot of questions I’ve had over the years… but dad… am I just one of your projects to you?”
“Yes… and no,” He answered sheepishly. “... you are one of my projects, but you are also so much more than that. You are hands down my greatest achievement and nothing will ever top you. I’m not even going to try. Are there things I would do differently if I created you today? Absolutely, but that’s purely in hindsight…”
“Jeez…” Corentin got up, picked up a pack of cigars, and began heading downstairs. “I need a smoke. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
After they were sure he was outside, Vexation spoke after a moment’s silence. “How did that not come up sooner, Barna?”
“I told myself I’d tell him eventually, but I guess it got shifted to the back of my mind. Plus he never asked about it…” Barna answered.
“Impressive amount of trust I must say. He seems to be retaining it given his… amicable reaction.”
“Yeah, I suppose…”
“What’s the matter, dad?” Aureolus asked, concerned. He could see Barna’s unease as clear as day.
Barna began picking up the plates since everyone was done. “Oh, it’s just that he had a similar reaction when he and Kresimira split up all those years ago.”
“Well I doubt he’s angry with you-just overwhelmed” Blood-Wraith pointed out.
“I know he’s not angry. Sometimes he just needs to be alone.”
While Barna cleaned up and got dessert ready, Corentin gazed at the stars. Finding out he was an alchemical construct was something else. There were definitely some positive aspects to this. He was a lot more durable, a cigar or two did not bother him, and he could eat whatever he wanted since his body would process it no matter what. The thing that was bothering him was the fact that his father had not told him up until then. He was disappointed, but also in himself for not asking sooner. Blaming Barna was not going to solve anything. If anyone was to blame, it was his grandfather, whoever that was. Ultimately all of this was just something he would have to accept and move on with.
“I don’t have a mother…” Corentin sighed and doused his cigar. “Oh well, we’ll figure it out eventually.” Going inside, he was greeted by the smell of chocolate cake as he went upstairs. “Well it looks like I came back in just in time.”
“Hey, brother,” Aureolus replied as he brought him over to the table. “Feeling better?”
Corentin smiled and sat down. “Yeah. Not perfect, but better.”
“Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, son” Barna apologized as he began serving slices of cake.
“Don’t worry about it, dad. Ha, I made sure to tell Maximus I created him right out the gate, no doubt about it.”
Barna laughed. “Don’t make the same mistake I made.”
“Which one? Not telling me or not getting a woman?”
This caused all of them to laugh. “Goodness, you’re full of wit tonight, aren’t you?” Barna said as he sat down.
Over at the Raynot mansion, Radovan and his daughters were also eating dinner. Desislav did not join them as he had gone to bed early. The lights were dim as there was not much activity in the mansion, with Desislav’s sleep taken into consideration. There was also the fact that for Radovan it did not feel right to have the lights at full without Rose. Truthfully he was having a hard time eating given that his guilt was also eating at him from the inside. His daughters noticed this, in addition to how quiet he was being. He was quite the talker at the dinner table, and anyone familiar with him knew he had a lot on his mind if he was not speaking up.
“It feels odd without your mother here, girls,” Radovan commented.
Kresimira sighed. “Yes, it does feel a bit empty… speaking of which, Drago? What has gotten into Blood’s head? That wasn’t your doing, was it?”
“Nope. I am DONE exploring for a while. That last adventure was too much to handle. Vlastimir stalking us, venturing through a living organism, and the Dark Grand Desert itself? Honestly I have no idea where Blood got all that zeal. And he came face to face with the Lich more than I did…”
“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s that energy we all have as children” Radovan deduced. “Since Blood is incredibly mature for his age, it’s being focused into something truly productive. Although I hope the boy’s dreams don’t bother him. I’d have nightmares for weeks if I was in his situation.”
Kresimira nodded. “That’s most likely the case… the former, not the latter-although I do firmly agree with your notion, papa. And Drago, are you implying you’re not going with him?”
Dragoslava slouched in her chair. “Sister, I’ve had my life flash before my eyes multiple times over the past couple of months. I’m going to bug Brenna to go with him. She’s actually been inside the labyrinth, after all.”
“Fair enough I suppose.”
“Brenna is a capable soldier,” Radovan stated. “She and her brother get that from Ivar. Still, I wish I could’ve gone and found Rose myself. Now that I’m back here, I have mountains of work to do. I’m glad to be back, but a part of me will miss the great hunt.”
After a moment of no talking, Dragoslava shifted in her chair. “Hey, dad? I’m giving my action figures to Blood.”
Radovan smiled. “Well now, I was wondering what you were going to do with them now that you’re all grown. That’s quite nice of you.”
“Yeah, well they’re doing nothing but collecting dust in my room and I need the space. Why not give them to him?”
Once everyone was finished, Kresimira began cleaning up. “I assume you’ll be busy tomorrow, papa?”
“Unfortunately,” Radovan answered. “We need to plan out a program for repairs to the city and a sub-program to address all the repairs Blood and Aureolus made. Bless their hearts-but boys, that’s more paperwork for the king and I.” His daughters chuckled.
Since it was getting late, the three retired for the night. Not feeling truly sleepy yet, Dragoslava sat at her desk with a pen and papers. She thought about doing a write up about the Dark Grand Desert for The Central Unlight Explorers Guild, but decided against it. Instead she figured she would write up some plans for her room. Firstly she needed to hand off all of her old toys over to Blood-Wraith. Next she had to get a queen-sized bed for her and Desislav… or did she? What if they needed space one night? The mansion did have extra rooms after all.
Feeling a sudden bout of nostalgia, Dragoslava got out a golden action figure from an old toybox and fiddled around with it. It was still in great condition, with only minor scratches here and there. The quest to stop the Lich made her miss her childhood. Rummaging through the rest of her old toys, she found a large, dragon action figure. It was quite fearsome, reminding her of Leif. She could definitely feel her emotions starting to pile up as she held back a tear. This toy would not be going to Blood-Wraith, as it now held sentimental value for her. Dragoslava even felt obligated to clean the toy up and put it on display, but this would have to wait until the next day as she was finally starting to fall asleep.
The following morning, Blood-Wraith woke up feeling great. He went downstairs to the dining room and was greeted by Aureolus and Vexation, who were waiting patiently. “Morning, guys. What’s going on?”
“Good morning, Blood,” Vexation replied. “Ms. Thompson stopped in to serve breakfast and meet with you.”
“Oh? Well good thing given that…”
Brenna walked into the dining room with the rest of the food. “Morning, Blood! I hope you don’t mind me dropping by. I didn’t get a chance to chat with you back in the Deep Unlight” she said as she began serving the food.
Blood-Wraith yawned, still waking up a bit. “Thanks for the breakfast. Mind if I ask a question?”
“Sure, ask away.”
“Would you be willing to go with me to the Magician’s Labyrinth?”
Brenna then sat down with a smile on her face. “That’s exactly what I wanted to discuss. You’re taking a lot after Drago, you know?”
He chuckled. “She is the first person I met after all.”
“To answer your question: Absolutely. Now Blood, I have to warn you that that place is dangerous. It’s huge and I’m pretty sure Deimos is the only one who can properly navigate it. Fortunately I do have a rough idea on how it works though.”
Vexation thought for a second, indicating he knew something they did not. “If only Deimos wasn’t so busy…”
Auroleus nodded as he ate some of his pancakes. “Yeah, but it’s like what dad says: The harder the challenge, the greater the reward.”
“Well sure, but this isn’t training or a treasure hunt,” Blood-Wraith replied. “I just want to find my mom and Tusk’s mom.”
Brenna scooped some scrambled eggs onto her buttered toast. “True, but you’ll need to be in top shape regardless,” she reasoned as she ate. “Blood, I got a proposal for you: I want to take over as your teacher.”
“Wait, really? Why?”
“Tusk seems out of his depth from what I’ve been hearing. Plus I’m dying to see your abilities in action. I talked to Sigmund and he agreed. Tusk wasn’t ready for ULTRAMagic and he wasn’t ready to be a teacher.”
Blood-Wraith sighed. “I suppose you’re right, Brenna. I just hope this doesn’t bother him.”
Next: Chapter 4
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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