ULTRAMagic Interlude - Chapter 4
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Following breakfast, Brenna took Blood-Wraith for a walk around the neighborhood, using the opportunity to recount her experiences with the Magician’s Labyrinth. The biggest obstacles they would have to deal with was the layout of the labyrinth. It was a unique realm in its own right and constantly shifted around. Things from places unknown were also all over the labyrinth. Blood-Wraith was not sure what to make of what he was told and it seemed like he was stepping into a mess with this quest.
“This seems, hmm… this seems like it’s going to be tricky,” Blood-Wraith concluded.
“Yup. So how do you plan to find your mom? I got a few ideas, but they’re just ideas at the moment” Brenna replied as she sat down at the grand fountain.
Blood-Wraith thought about it for a second, his mind wandering to all sorts of ideas. “Er, I guess we could ask around?”
“Well it’s better than mindlessly trudging around the labyrinth. The only hiccup is finding someone willing to talk.
As the two brainstormed, Radovan walked by. He was on his way to meet with a city architect. “Blood, there you are. I wanted to tell you something real quickly...”
“Oh, hey dad. What’s up?”
“Hey, Radovan,” Brenna replied.
“Greetings, Brenna. Now I presume you two are discussing the Magician’s Labyrinth? Blood, I need you to go to the mansion real quickly and ask Kresimira to get you a blank family crest. Then take the badge to Barna and have him engrave it with your name.”
“Okay, what for? Aside from the obvious.”
“Word of your adventures thus far have had a good chance of reaching Rose and she is trusting, but I want you to present it to her just in case.”
Blood-Wraith processed that and it made sense. “Yeah, I get it. Okay, I’ll go do that. Let’s go, Brenna. Best of luck to you, dad.”
“You too, kids” Radovan said as they all went about their business. Fortunately he had ordered extra crests in the distant past to accommodate for new family members.
Over at the mansion, the two ran into Desislav. He looked a bit disheveled, but greeted them warmly with his usual energy. Kresimira was busy touching up some paintings when Blood-Wraith and Brenna approached her. Upon having Radovan’s idea presented to her, she darted off and returned with a crest. The dull badge depicted a sword behind a shield and a fist in front of the shield. The blade represented Rose and the fist represented Radovan (the idea being that Radovan would put himself first so that his family and his people would be safe). Before Blood-Wraith and Brenna left, Kresimira gave each of them a cookie from a batch she had made the day before.
The next stop was Barna’s home, with Aureolus accompanying them. He had been wandering around to fetch some smithing supplies and figured he would go with them back to his house. They were greeted and welcomed by Corentin once again. “Hey, dad!” Aureolus called out. “I’m here and Blood needs a favor.
“Does he now?” Barna said as he put down the piece of metal he was working on. “What’s the job, Blood?”
Blood-Wraith handed the crest to him. “Barna, can you engrave my name in this?”
He looked at the dull crest for a moment, feeling a sense of nostalgia. “Ah, I remember the day I fulfilled this order. Sure, Blood. It’ll need a little a restoring though…”
Barna got to work by getting out a bottle of liquid and an old rag. He explained that the polish he was using was his own recipe, based on one he had learned on a trip to Shadowland. He gave the bottle a squeeze and out came a cloudy, orange fluid with a flatulent sound that made the others giggle. It was amazing how quickly it worked as Barna rubbed it into the metal. The badge shone brightly with a luster close to when it was first made. Next it was left to air dry, as that would help the polish work.
“Sometimes it’s better to rely on a little elbow grease than resort to magic or alchemy” Barna stated. “You can use magic, obviously. It’s just that I feel your skills can degrade if you ask for everything on a silver platter.”
“But magic is so easy,” Blood-Wraith pointed out. “Why not rely on it, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“True, very true-It is easy. Firstly, I believe in the value of hard work. Secondly, I’ve always been worried about losing the ability to perform alchemy. I know it’s highly unlikely, but I don’t want to be up a creek without a paddle.”
“He’s got a good point,” Brenna pointed out. “Been there, done that.”
Blood-Wraith nodded. “Fair enough, I suppose.”
Soon the crest was ready for engraving. Despite what he had said, Barna got out a magic-powered torch. He wanted to make sure the engraving was perfect. After accidentally burning himself trying to get the thing to work and cursing, he started the process. A strange, focused flame cut into the metal like a knife through cake, with sparks thrown up as the name appeared across it. Barna was deep in concentration as the bright light reflected off of everyone’s goggles. Once he was done, he gave a second to cool. He then took off his goggles and gave the crest back to Blood-Wraith.
“There you go, lad. Ready to go”
“Thank you, Barna. Wow, this looks amazing. These must’ve taken a while to make” Blood-Wraith commented.
“When you first start, absolutely. It can take weeks to come up with a finalized product. Once you get the design down, you can crank out a dozen in a couple of days. It just takes a little patience.”
Aureolus took a second to marvel at the shiny badge as Blood-Wraith held it steady to let everyone look at it. “Amazing… Alright, dad, teach me how to smith!” He said with enthusiasm.
Barna laughed with a hint of triumph in his voice. “Then let’s get to work. Corentin, can Aureolus borrow your childhood tools?”
Corentin looked a little surprised. “Oh, sure. Jeez, I haven’t touched those in ages…” He went over to his side of the shop and began rummaging. “... If he wants, he can have them. I just have to make sure they still work.”
Aureolus was happy to hear this. “Thank you, brother.”
With all of that done, Blood-Wraith and Brenna said goodbye and departed. On their way back to Blood-Wraith’s house, Kresimira passed by them. She needed to see Corentin as one of the mansion’s painting frames broke. The two Schindewolf’s were also fairly knowledgeable in woodwork, in addition to blacksmithing. All of this caused Blood-Wraith to notice how busy things were. Seeing so many people going back and forth was incredible. Some even stopped to meet him and were very kind and welcoming. It made Blood-Wraith feel warm inside, like he was truly one of them.
“This city feels so different from a couple of months ago.” Blood-Wraith’s stomach growled. “And now I’m hungry.”
“Yeah, it was very surreal coming here while it was deserted. And it is lunch time. Here, we’ll stop by Herman’s. I’m pretty sure he’s back open for business” Brenna replied.
“Herman’s?”
“You know, that parlor Drago took you to.”
“Oh, right, that place. That ice cream was really good…”
Returning to the ice cream parlor was quite the experience. It was lively with people eating food, talking, and even a few dancing near the jukebox. Several waitresses were moving about, taking orders and delivering meals. At the counter were two waiters and Herman Lydon himself. He had tidy, short, red hair and stood roughly 5 and a half feet tall. The eponymous owner was jotting down some notes over at one of the cash registers when he saw Blood-Wraith and Brenna approach.
“Brenna! How are you doing?” he welcomed.
“Heya, Mr. Lydon. Just stopping in for some lunch.”
“Well you’ve come at the right time… wait a second. Kid, you wouldn’t happen to be Blood-Wraith, would you?” Herman inquired. The six eyes were a dead giveaway and some of the customers were whispering about this.
Blood-Wraith nodded. “Yup. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ha, I noticed some of my stock was gone when I got back, but then I saw the money in the register and the note Drago left behind. It’s an honor to finally meet you. I’d do an on the house order, but I uh, haven’t quite gotten things straightened out yet, haha…”
“It’s alright, Mr. Lydon. I understand.” Blood-Wraith took a menu… and looked confused. “Brenna? Help, I don’t know what to order.”
Herman and Brenna chuckled. “Don’t worry, Blood, I’ll take care of it,” Brenna replied. “We’ll have two burgers, two soda’s, and two orders of fries” She said as she placed the money on the counter. “Oh, and the same for on the go. I just hope Vex doesn’t eat lunch before we get back, ha.”
“Alright then” Herman said as he took the order and collected the money. “Don’t worry, Blood, I still owe you a couple of ice cream cones no matter what.”
Adding to the new experiences, this lunch was incredible for Blood-Wraith. He knew it was not the healthiest, but it tasted so good. The hamburger and soda nearly overwhelmed his senses, causing him to briefly shift back to his true form as he vibrated with glee. Naturally Herman had to chat with him, which was to be expected. Blood-Wraith talked about his adventures thus far and Herman told him about his sister’s when they were young. Herman also had a bit of business history with Gustav Dahlberg over in the market district. Once lunch was done, one of the employees packed up Vexation’s lunch and handed it to the two. They then departed once again and began making their way home.
“Vex, we brought you something to eat…” Blood-Wraith called out as he and Brenna entered his house.
“I wondered what I was sensing not too long ago. Thank you.” Vexation sat down in the dining room and started eating. They were worried he would not be interested, but he ate the meal and seemed to like it. “Come, sit, you two.”
“Is something the matter, Vex?” Blood-Wraith asked as he took a seat.
“Blood, I’ve been contemplating everything that has happened to me recently. For the longest time, I was jaded and cynical. Being betrayed by the Lich was not fun and suffice it to say I had lost my drive to learn and teach… but then you fought and defeated me. Your courage and perseverance made me realize that the Cosmos still has that spark it had back during the Epoch. Blood, do you know what kind of magic I used on you back in our battle?”
Blood-Wraith thought back to the weird, magic suit that scrambled his magic. “Um… I’m not sure? Aberrant?”
Vexation took a sip of his soda. “That was a curse. It’s a powerful form of magic that is lost to the Cosmos…”
“It doesn’t seem all that lost to me because… well… you know…” Brenna pointed out, making her indication obvious.
Vexation smiled and chuckled. “Guilty as charged, I was the one who sealed it away from Man. I was afraid it would be abused and I wanted to make it so it could only be taught to those who possess ULTRAMagic.”
“I’m guessing you want to teach me this?” Blood-Wraith assumed.
“Yes, precisely. There is a catch, however. You need to prove yourself to me. If you can bring Rose and Thora back in a reasonable amount of time, I’ll teach you my knowledge of curses. I don’t want my work to fade away, truth be told.”
Brenna looked really excited. “Ooh, Ooh! What about me?”
Vexation studied her for a second. “Hmm… not yet. I’ll need time to judge your skills and character.”
“I… but I…err… um… Aw shucks… Alright, fair enough. Just know that I am not going to let you forget though!”
This made Vexation laugh. “Very well then. To be fair, you already seem capable enough.”
“Vex, can you use that one curse on me?” Blood-Wraith inquired. “The one that would’ve sealed me away? I want to know what it’s like. It’s been bugging me at the back of my mind ever since. And since you're so knowledgeable, I imagine you can immediately reverse it…”
“Weird request, Blood, but okay…” Brenna remarked. “I suppose it would hurt to see this stuff in action in a friendly context.”
Vexation looked a bit guilty. “About that… I was lying. Truth is that it was a curse that would’ve turned you into my personal servant of sorts. And I already used it on you. That magic suit was the first part of it. The reason why you were able to exploit it was because I made it on the fly. I realized that I could not let the Lich get his hands on you or your power…”
Blood-Wraith cut him off with a hug. “I’m sorry I was so rough on you!”
This made Vexation’s old heart feel warm and soft. “Don’t worry about it, Blood. I forgive you. You did what you had to do. If anything, that means I have to start training again.”
“Uncle Vex, I will happily help you train… once I bring mom back” Blood-Wraith stated.
“Fine with me, nephew. And I’ll help you with the ULTRAMagic Guild…”
“Excuse me, what?”
“Oops! I was not supposed to say that yet…”
Next: Chapter 5
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Following breakfast, Brenna took Blood-Wraith for a walk around the neighborhood, using the opportunity to recount her experiences with the Magician’s Labyrinth. The biggest obstacles they would have to deal with was the layout of the labyrinth. It was a unique realm in its own right and constantly shifted around. Things from places unknown were also all over the labyrinth. Blood-Wraith was not sure what to make of what he was told and it seemed like he was stepping into a mess with this quest.
“This seems, hmm… this seems like it’s going to be tricky,” Blood-Wraith concluded.
“Yup. So how do you plan to find your mom? I got a few ideas, but they’re just ideas at the moment” Brenna replied as she sat down at the grand fountain.
Blood-Wraith thought about it for a second, his mind wandering to all sorts of ideas. “Er, I guess we could ask around?”
“Well it’s better than mindlessly trudging around the labyrinth. The only hiccup is finding someone willing to talk.
As the two brainstormed, Radovan walked by. He was on his way to meet with a city architect. “Blood, there you are. I wanted to tell you something real quickly...”
“Oh, hey dad. What’s up?”
“Hey, Radovan,” Brenna replied.
“Greetings, Brenna. Now I presume you two are discussing the Magician’s Labyrinth? Blood, I need you to go to the mansion real quickly and ask Kresimira to get you a blank family crest. Then take the badge to Barna and have him engrave it with your name.”
“Okay, what for? Aside from the obvious.”
“Word of your adventures thus far have had a good chance of reaching Rose and she is trusting, but I want you to present it to her just in case.”
Blood-Wraith processed that and it made sense. “Yeah, I get it. Okay, I’ll go do that. Let’s go, Brenna. Best of luck to you, dad.”
“You too, kids” Radovan said as they all went about their business. Fortunately he had ordered extra crests in the distant past to accommodate for new family members.
Over at the mansion, the two ran into Desislav. He looked a bit disheveled, but greeted them warmly with his usual energy. Kresimira was busy touching up some paintings when Blood-Wraith and Brenna approached her. Upon having Radovan’s idea presented to her, she darted off and returned with a crest. The dull badge depicted a sword behind a shield and a fist in front of the shield. The blade represented Rose and the fist represented Radovan (the idea being that Radovan would put himself first so that his family and his people would be safe). Before Blood-Wraith and Brenna left, Kresimira gave each of them a cookie from a batch she had made the day before.
The next stop was Barna’s home, with Aureolus accompanying them. He had been wandering around to fetch some smithing supplies and figured he would go with them back to his house. They were greeted and welcomed by Corentin once again. “Hey, dad!” Aureolus called out. “I’m here and Blood needs a favor.
“Does he now?” Barna said as he put down the piece of metal he was working on. “What’s the job, Blood?”
Blood-Wraith handed the crest to him. “Barna, can you engrave my name in this?”
He looked at the dull crest for a moment, feeling a sense of nostalgia. “Ah, I remember the day I fulfilled this order. Sure, Blood. It’ll need a little a restoring though…”
Barna got to work by getting out a bottle of liquid and an old rag. He explained that the polish he was using was his own recipe, based on one he had learned on a trip to Shadowland. He gave the bottle a squeeze and out came a cloudy, orange fluid with a flatulent sound that made the others giggle. It was amazing how quickly it worked as Barna rubbed it into the metal. The badge shone brightly with a luster close to when it was first made. Next it was left to air dry, as that would help the polish work.
“Sometimes it’s better to rely on a little elbow grease than resort to magic or alchemy” Barna stated. “You can use magic, obviously. It’s just that I feel your skills can degrade if you ask for everything on a silver platter.”
“But magic is so easy,” Blood-Wraith pointed out. “Why not rely on it, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“True, very true-It is easy. Firstly, I believe in the value of hard work. Secondly, I’ve always been worried about losing the ability to perform alchemy. I know it’s highly unlikely, but I don’t want to be up a creek without a paddle.”
“He’s got a good point,” Brenna pointed out. “Been there, done that.”
Blood-Wraith nodded. “Fair enough, I suppose.”
Soon the crest was ready for engraving. Despite what he had said, Barna got out a magic-powered torch. He wanted to make sure the engraving was perfect. After accidentally burning himself trying to get the thing to work and cursing, he started the process. A strange, focused flame cut into the metal like a knife through cake, with sparks thrown up as the name appeared across it. Barna was deep in concentration as the bright light reflected off of everyone’s goggles. Once he was done, he gave a second to cool. He then took off his goggles and gave the crest back to Blood-Wraith.
“There you go, lad. Ready to go”
“Thank you, Barna. Wow, this looks amazing. These must’ve taken a while to make” Blood-Wraith commented.
“When you first start, absolutely. It can take weeks to come up with a finalized product. Once you get the design down, you can crank out a dozen in a couple of days. It just takes a little patience.”
Aureolus took a second to marvel at the shiny badge as Blood-Wraith held it steady to let everyone look at it. “Amazing… Alright, dad, teach me how to smith!” He said with enthusiasm.
Barna laughed with a hint of triumph in his voice. “Then let’s get to work. Corentin, can Aureolus borrow your childhood tools?”
Corentin looked a little surprised. “Oh, sure. Jeez, I haven’t touched those in ages…” He went over to his side of the shop and began rummaging. “... If he wants, he can have them. I just have to make sure they still work.”
Aureolus was happy to hear this. “Thank you, brother.”
With all of that done, Blood-Wraith and Brenna said goodbye and departed. On their way back to Blood-Wraith’s house, Kresimira passed by them. She needed to see Corentin as one of the mansion’s painting frames broke. The two Schindewolf’s were also fairly knowledgeable in woodwork, in addition to blacksmithing. All of this caused Blood-Wraith to notice how busy things were. Seeing so many people going back and forth was incredible. Some even stopped to meet him and were very kind and welcoming. It made Blood-Wraith feel warm inside, like he was truly one of them.
“This city feels so different from a couple of months ago.” Blood-Wraith’s stomach growled. “And now I’m hungry.”
“Yeah, it was very surreal coming here while it was deserted. And it is lunch time. Here, we’ll stop by Herman’s. I’m pretty sure he’s back open for business” Brenna replied.
“Herman’s?”
“You know, that parlor Drago took you to.”
“Oh, right, that place. That ice cream was really good…”
Returning to the ice cream parlor was quite the experience. It was lively with people eating food, talking, and even a few dancing near the jukebox. Several waitresses were moving about, taking orders and delivering meals. At the counter were two waiters and Herman Lydon himself. He had tidy, short, red hair and stood roughly 5 and a half feet tall. The eponymous owner was jotting down some notes over at one of the cash registers when he saw Blood-Wraith and Brenna approach.
“Brenna! How are you doing?” he welcomed.
“Heya, Mr. Lydon. Just stopping in for some lunch.”
“Well you’ve come at the right time… wait a second. Kid, you wouldn’t happen to be Blood-Wraith, would you?” Herman inquired. The six eyes were a dead giveaway and some of the customers were whispering about this.
Blood-Wraith nodded. “Yup. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ha, I noticed some of my stock was gone when I got back, but then I saw the money in the register and the note Drago left behind. It’s an honor to finally meet you. I’d do an on the house order, but I uh, haven’t quite gotten things straightened out yet, haha…”
“It’s alright, Mr. Lydon. I understand.” Blood-Wraith took a menu… and looked confused. “Brenna? Help, I don’t know what to order.”
Herman and Brenna chuckled. “Don’t worry, Blood, I’ll take care of it,” Brenna replied. “We’ll have two burgers, two soda’s, and two orders of fries” She said as she placed the money on the counter. “Oh, and the same for on the go. I just hope Vex doesn’t eat lunch before we get back, ha.”
“Alright then” Herman said as he took the order and collected the money. “Don’t worry, Blood, I still owe you a couple of ice cream cones no matter what.”
Adding to the new experiences, this lunch was incredible for Blood-Wraith. He knew it was not the healthiest, but it tasted so good. The hamburger and soda nearly overwhelmed his senses, causing him to briefly shift back to his true form as he vibrated with glee. Naturally Herman had to chat with him, which was to be expected. Blood-Wraith talked about his adventures thus far and Herman told him about his sister’s when they were young. Herman also had a bit of business history with Gustav Dahlberg over in the market district. Once lunch was done, one of the employees packed up Vexation’s lunch and handed it to the two. They then departed once again and began making their way home.
“Vex, we brought you something to eat…” Blood-Wraith called out as he and Brenna entered his house.
“I wondered what I was sensing not too long ago. Thank you.” Vexation sat down in the dining room and started eating. They were worried he would not be interested, but he ate the meal and seemed to like it. “Come, sit, you two.”
“Is something the matter, Vex?” Blood-Wraith asked as he took a seat.
“Blood, I’ve been contemplating everything that has happened to me recently. For the longest time, I was jaded and cynical. Being betrayed by the Lich was not fun and suffice it to say I had lost my drive to learn and teach… but then you fought and defeated me. Your courage and perseverance made me realize that the Cosmos still has that spark it had back during the Epoch. Blood, do you know what kind of magic I used on you back in our battle?”
Blood-Wraith thought back to the weird, magic suit that scrambled his magic. “Um… I’m not sure? Aberrant?”
Vexation took a sip of his soda. “That was a curse. It’s a powerful form of magic that is lost to the Cosmos…”
“It doesn’t seem all that lost to me because… well… you know…” Brenna pointed out, making her indication obvious.
Vexation smiled and chuckled. “Guilty as charged, I was the one who sealed it away from Man. I was afraid it would be abused and I wanted to make it so it could only be taught to those who possess ULTRAMagic.”
“I’m guessing you want to teach me this?” Blood-Wraith assumed.
“Yes, precisely. There is a catch, however. You need to prove yourself to me. If you can bring Rose and Thora back in a reasonable amount of time, I’ll teach you my knowledge of curses. I don’t want my work to fade away, truth be told.”
Brenna looked really excited. “Ooh, Ooh! What about me?”
Vexation studied her for a second. “Hmm… not yet. I’ll need time to judge your skills and character.”
“I… but I…err… um… Aw shucks… Alright, fair enough. Just know that I am not going to let you forget though!”
This made Vexation laugh. “Very well then. To be fair, you already seem capable enough.”
“Vex, can you use that one curse on me?” Blood-Wraith inquired. “The one that would’ve sealed me away? I want to know what it’s like. It’s been bugging me at the back of my mind ever since. And since you're so knowledgeable, I imagine you can immediately reverse it…”
“Weird request, Blood, but okay…” Brenna remarked. “I suppose it would hurt to see this stuff in action in a friendly context.”
Vexation looked a bit guilty. “About that… I was lying. Truth is that it was a curse that would’ve turned you into my personal servant of sorts. And I already used it on you. That magic suit was the first part of it. The reason why you were able to exploit it was because I made it on the fly. I realized that I could not let the Lich get his hands on you or your power…”
Blood-Wraith cut him off with a hug. “I’m sorry I was so rough on you!”
This made Vexation’s old heart feel warm and soft. “Don’t worry about it, Blood. I forgive you. You did what you had to do. If anything, that means I have to start training again.”
“Uncle Vex, I will happily help you train… once I bring mom back” Blood-Wraith stated.
“Fine with me, nephew. And I’ll help you with the ULTRAMagic Guild…”
“Excuse me, what?”
“Oops! I was not supposed to say that yet…”
Next: Chapter 5
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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