ULTRAMagic Shadowland - Chapter 22
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Gratiana was a bit confused when Torunn showed up at the house, telling her that Sten wanted to see her. Naturally she became fairly annoyed when Torunn brought up that she had told Sten everything. On one hand, it was a relief to know that it was not an arrest. On the other hand, this threw a massive wrench into her plans. Gratiana set her book down, got up, and rightfully slapped Torunn across the face. To be fair, she was expecting that.
Not wanting to be spotted, Gratiana led Torunn to a secret passageway in an alley near Hawk Street. It was dank and wet, with grime all over the place. Since the two needed to walk for a bit, Torunn took the opportunity to ask Gratiana about her skills and magic. Likewise, she talked about hers. The fact that her new leader was so eager to bury the hatchet baffled Gratiana. At the same time, she was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The door to the throne room was guarded by a goopy shadow construct, but it bowed once it saw Gratiana and opened the grinding door. “By the Source, Torunn, I keep forgetting how unbearable the mustiness of those tunnels are.” Gratiana rightfully took a deep breath of fresh air once the door was shut.
“You thought that was bad? We had livestock everywhere in my village back home. Summers were brutal when the fertilizer was ready…”
She gagged at the mere thought. “Torunn, please. I do not envy you in the slightest…”
Torunn laughed. “Alright, Sten, we’re here.”
“Very good. Gratiana, it is quite the occasion that you stand before me as an ally, given what Andelin has told me. Furthermore, I have been informed that you wish to duel for your honor?”
“Yes, your royal highness…” She turned to glare at Torunn. “Is there something about this that you wish to know?”
“No, because I hereby veto this duel…” This caused Gratiana to flare her nostrils at Torunn, holding back the urge to throttle her as she held her hands up to do so. “Now hold up, Lady Arlotti. I have a good reason for this…”
She relaxed with a deep breath. “And what would that be?”
“Dunja has informed me that Milosh still has a card up his sleeve, in the form of a secret stockpile of shadow constructs…”
“Gratiana, remember when Lia went over my head that one time?” Dunja inquired.
She thought about the incident in question. “Wait, she actually went through with setting up the delta plan?”
Dunja regretfully nodded. “Yup… Some of Sten’s spies within the cult have noticed Milosh going to check on them.”
“So the concern is that he might try to unleash them…”
“...during the demolition” Andelin continued. “A trivial threat, but they could complicate Barna’s plans greatly.”
Gratiana considered the ramifications of such an upset. “Fair enough, I’ll concede on this one.”
“We’re not trying to rain on your parade” Torunn assured. “It’s just that Barna may need more help than we initially thought.”
“Wait a second, Sten? What about my past actions with the cult?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” he replied. “Aside from what I’ve been told, it’s clear that you’re making an effort to right your wrongs. You can’t just tell me that multiple people and stations relevant to you just decided to give up. Someone in the upper echelons of the cult would have had to have orchestrated those.”
Dunja had a smug grin on her face as she looked directly at Gratiana. “Okay fine, Dunja; I was being a bit hypocritical for calling out your handwriting in regards to Albrecht.”
Sten gestured for a steward to hand a rolled up paper to Gratiana. “Aside from your recent actions, I am also fully aware of your secret acts of charity in the past. And since you have made it clear where your allegiance lies as of late, I have prepared your pardon.”
She was silent for a moment. “All of you are too nice…” Gratiana pointed out as she read, trying to hold back her tears. Dunja then gave her a hug.
Odo had been listening in from a side table and walked over. “All’s well that ends well, Gratiana. Given what Andelin has been telling me, I was hoping it’d come to this…”
“... agreed” Andelin said as she shuffled her deck. “Now if only Feuerland could have also gotten such a happy ending… Regardless, we’re all here now and that’s what matters. We can finally move on from all that cult nonsense.” Despite her positive outlook, something warranted a regretful sigh. “Too bad Lia’s still out there…”
“Yeah, I was going to ask about that,” Odo replied. “Who exactly is this Lia individual?” This elicited groans from Gratiana and Dunja.
“Lia Ascher, or Lia the Proselytizer” Dunja answered. “She was the unofficial fourth blade, a role originally meant for Adriana Hawthorne… Andelin, what in blue blazes ever happened to Adriana? She’s not in your deck, is she?”
“Er, no… I just sent her off on a wild goose chase.”
“To where, exactly?” Gratiana questioned.
“Oh, The City of Mages to find an artifact I’m pretty sure doesn’t exist. Don’t worry, she’s still alive.”
Sten’s interest peaked. “Curiously, what were you planning to do with her, Dunja?”
“Well, she was a bookworm, soldier, and a good writer. Milosh wanted her on board as a propagandist, but obviously Andelin took issue with that…”
She chuckled. “Punish me as you see fit, Dunja.”
“Right… Sten, what do you want to do about her? As much as I wanted her on board, I have no idea what Adriana would do if she was here,” Dunja said with concern behind her words.
“Given that she never actually served Milosh, I see no reason to keep her away” Sten put forth. “Could you summon her back, Andelin?”
“Sure thing.” She got out a card and prepared to speak into it. “Adriana, drop what you’re doing and head to The Iron City to standby.”
“The Iron City?” Odo asked, wondering.
“The City of Mages is no walk in the park and she’s prone to getting lost. Milosh will probably be long dead by the time she makes it out of there, hehe.”
Odo nodded, accepting that fact as he had heard tell of how confusing The City of Mages was. “Ah, I see. Anyways, back to Lia. Dunja?”
“Right…” She sighed. “So Lia became the spokesperson for the cult. She was good at it too. Young, gorgeous, charismatic, and a way with words. The issue was that me and Gratiana never approved this recruitment. I wanted Adriana as a replacement for Torunn, as she came off as quiet and obedient. Lia on the other hand was proactive and shrewd, so you can imagine my anxiety back then.”
Torunn shook her head. “It’s surreal to hear you talk about me like that, you know?” The two chuckled.
“As for where she is now? Well Milosh sent her out to find new recruits when Blood and Leif flew over Shadowland…”
Sten thought about that, pondering what could have happened in the time between the flight of the dragons and the present. “Hmm… and given the lack of new cult members, she either died or got caught up in something. Knowing our luck, it’s probably the latter.”
“Well that’s concerning,” Odo replied. “I may have to pull double duty at the market district for a while…”
The rest of the meeting consisted of discussing concerns over the demolition. As it went on, Gratiana was growing more and more convinced that her original plans for a duel at the same time was not a good idea. It was unfortunate as Dunja had truly inspired her. Afterwards, to make things easier for all of them, Sten had Gratiana stay in the castle until everything was ready. She was hesitant at first, but everyone insisted. Plus there was the fact that Sten wanted to know more about Feuerland. Yngvild also wished to get to know her better, despite their past.
Back at Claudius’ home, Aureolus was showing The Fear all sorts of stuff and telling him all about Blood-Wraith in particular. Entities like him were very rare and hard to come by, fascinating the primordial. The fact that Blood-Wraith had inherited The Dragon of Old’s power, making him Leif’s successor, deepened The Fear’s interest even further. Of course Aureolus joked that his friend was The Worrywart of Old in response to this idea of succession. While they laughed at the irony, it could not hide the legitimate concern behind it.
“I am worried for him,” Aureolus asserted. “He’s been through a lot since his birth. A little too much if you ask me.”
The Fear thought about something relating to Milosh for a moment. “Hm, I hope Valerie doesn’t end up causing trouble, given that she’s still out there. That’ll probably drive Blood crazy.”
“Agreed. Unfortunately I have a feeling she’s up to something. Ultimatum was hinting at it before I left. Either way, I’m hoping the stuff I’m learning will cheer Blood up. And taking care of Milosh will probably help him sleep well too.”
“Hey, Aureolus? Do you think I could also achieve ULTRAMagic some day?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, Fear. Do you think you have the fortitude for it?”
“Hum… I’m not sure…”
“Then don’t worry about it for now. Don’t push yourself into it if you don’t feel up to it. It’ll come to you when you’re ready.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right…” The Fear got up, only for his stomach to growl. This made him chuckle. “Well I guess I’m The Hunger rather than The Fear right now.”
Aureolus laughed. “Well it is close to dinner time after all. Let’s go see what Claudius is cooking up.”
The smell of pasta, tomato sauce, and fresh bread was wafting through the air as Aureolus and The Fear entered the dining hall. Several people were waiting at the table, that being Barna, Weaver, Albrecht, and Gabriella. The aromas became even greater as the boys entered the kitchen. Claudius was going back and forth, tending to various foods. From how things appeared, he was adding the finishing touches.
“Ciao, ragazzi,” Claudius said, greeting the boys. “Getting hungry, I take it?” he asked as he dropped something into a saucepan.
“Definitely” The Fear replied. “Hey, what did you just add to that?”
“Sugar. It balances out the acidity of the tomato sauce, but just a pinch. We don’t want to go overboard.”
“Oh, fascinating. Need any help?”
“Actually yes. Could you boys get the bread out of the oven? Use the oven mitts as they’ll be hot.”
Aureolus got ready and pulled out a loaf on a tray, followed by The Fear. They smelled amazing as they put them on the counter. “I take it that it’s pasta tonight?” Aureolus asked.
“SÌ. Something compelled me to do some cooking today, like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I figured why not do a big dinner tonight? Again, it’s the strangest feeling…”
The Fear put two and two together for a second, then giggled. “Well actually, Mr. Alfieri, that was probably my doing.”
He looked at The Fear, then nodded. “Then you have my gratitude. Moltobene.”
Just as Claudius and the boys began bringing the food trolleys out, Dunja and Torunn entered the hall. “Hungry is the name of the game!” Torunn proclaimed.
“Ma, mom! There you are” Albrecht welcomed. “Hey, where’s Andelin?”
“At the castle with Gratiana” Dunja replied. “Sten’s probably having them write an entire set of history books on Feuerland at this point.”
“I trust you guys got the letter we sent out?” Torunn asked as they sat down.
Barna nodded and put away his papers. “Definitely. Quite the shake up I have to say. I’ll have to treat Gratiana to a drink later for all the help she’s provided.”
“We would have told you about it sooner,” Weaver put in. “She wanted to be sneaky and clever, however.”
“Speaking of which, a drink to you too, when we get the chance. Well done for talking some sense into her.”
Weaver chuckled. “Hey, all in a day’s work.”
“It’s a shame she couldn’t be here, but there’s always next time” Claudius remarked. “Alright, everyone, come and get your food. Buon appetito.”
Next: Chapter 23
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
Gratiana was a bit confused when Torunn showed up at the house, telling her that Sten wanted to see her. Naturally she became fairly annoyed when Torunn brought up that she had told Sten everything. On one hand, it was a relief to know that it was not an arrest. On the other hand, this threw a massive wrench into her plans. Gratiana set her book down, got up, and rightfully slapped Torunn across the face. To be fair, she was expecting that.
Not wanting to be spotted, Gratiana led Torunn to a secret passageway in an alley near Hawk Street. It was dank and wet, with grime all over the place. Since the two needed to walk for a bit, Torunn took the opportunity to ask Gratiana about her skills and magic. Likewise, she talked about hers. The fact that her new leader was so eager to bury the hatchet baffled Gratiana. At the same time, she was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The door to the throne room was guarded by a goopy shadow construct, but it bowed once it saw Gratiana and opened the grinding door. “By the Source, Torunn, I keep forgetting how unbearable the mustiness of those tunnels are.” Gratiana rightfully took a deep breath of fresh air once the door was shut.
“You thought that was bad? We had livestock everywhere in my village back home. Summers were brutal when the fertilizer was ready…”
She gagged at the mere thought. “Torunn, please. I do not envy you in the slightest…”
Torunn laughed. “Alright, Sten, we’re here.”
“Very good. Gratiana, it is quite the occasion that you stand before me as an ally, given what Andelin has told me. Furthermore, I have been informed that you wish to duel for your honor?”
“Yes, your royal highness…” She turned to glare at Torunn. “Is there something about this that you wish to know?”
“No, because I hereby veto this duel…” This caused Gratiana to flare her nostrils at Torunn, holding back the urge to throttle her as she held her hands up to do so. “Now hold up, Lady Arlotti. I have a good reason for this…”
She relaxed with a deep breath. “And what would that be?”
“Dunja has informed me that Milosh still has a card up his sleeve, in the form of a secret stockpile of shadow constructs…”
“Gratiana, remember when Lia went over my head that one time?” Dunja inquired.
She thought about the incident in question. “Wait, she actually went through with setting up the delta plan?”
Dunja regretfully nodded. “Yup… Some of Sten’s spies within the cult have noticed Milosh going to check on them.”
“So the concern is that he might try to unleash them…”
“...during the demolition” Andelin continued. “A trivial threat, but they could complicate Barna’s plans greatly.”
Gratiana considered the ramifications of such an upset. “Fair enough, I’ll concede on this one.”
“We’re not trying to rain on your parade” Torunn assured. “It’s just that Barna may need more help than we initially thought.”
“Wait a second, Sten? What about my past actions with the cult?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” he replied. “Aside from what I’ve been told, it’s clear that you’re making an effort to right your wrongs. You can’t just tell me that multiple people and stations relevant to you just decided to give up. Someone in the upper echelons of the cult would have had to have orchestrated those.”
Dunja had a smug grin on her face as she looked directly at Gratiana. “Okay fine, Dunja; I was being a bit hypocritical for calling out your handwriting in regards to Albrecht.”
Sten gestured for a steward to hand a rolled up paper to Gratiana. “Aside from your recent actions, I am also fully aware of your secret acts of charity in the past. And since you have made it clear where your allegiance lies as of late, I have prepared your pardon.”
She was silent for a moment. “All of you are too nice…” Gratiana pointed out as she read, trying to hold back her tears. Dunja then gave her a hug.
Odo had been listening in from a side table and walked over. “All’s well that ends well, Gratiana. Given what Andelin has been telling me, I was hoping it’d come to this…”
“... agreed” Andelin said as she shuffled her deck. “Now if only Feuerland could have also gotten such a happy ending… Regardless, we’re all here now and that’s what matters. We can finally move on from all that cult nonsense.” Despite her positive outlook, something warranted a regretful sigh. “Too bad Lia’s still out there…”
“Yeah, I was going to ask about that,” Odo replied. “Who exactly is this Lia individual?” This elicited groans from Gratiana and Dunja.
“Lia Ascher, or Lia the Proselytizer” Dunja answered. “She was the unofficial fourth blade, a role originally meant for Adriana Hawthorne… Andelin, what in blue blazes ever happened to Adriana? She’s not in your deck, is she?”
“Er, no… I just sent her off on a wild goose chase.”
“To where, exactly?” Gratiana questioned.
“Oh, The City of Mages to find an artifact I’m pretty sure doesn’t exist. Don’t worry, she’s still alive.”
Sten’s interest peaked. “Curiously, what were you planning to do with her, Dunja?”
“Well, she was a bookworm, soldier, and a good writer. Milosh wanted her on board as a propagandist, but obviously Andelin took issue with that…”
She chuckled. “Punish me as you see fit, Dunja.”
“Right… Sten, what do you want to do about her? As much as I wanted her on board, I have no idea what Adriana would do if she was here,” Dunja said with concern behind her words.
“Given that she never actually served Milosh, I see no reason to keep her away” Sten put forth. “Could you summon her back, Andelin?”
“Sure thing.” She got out a card and prepared to speak into it. “Adriana, drop what you’re doing and head to The Iron City to standby.”
“The Iron City?” Odo asked, wondering.
“The City of Mages is no walk in the park and she’s prone to getting lost. Milosh will probably be long dead by the time she makes it out of there, hehe.”
Odo nodded, accepting that fact as he had heard tell of how confusing The City of Mages was. “Ah, I see. Anyways, back to Lia. Dunja?”
“Right…” She sighed. “So Lia became the spokesperson for the cult. She was good at it too. Young, gorgeous, charismatic, and a way with words. The issue was that me and Gratiana never approved this recruitment. I wanted Adriana as a replacement for Torunn, as she came off as quiet and obedient. Lia on the other hand was proactive and shrewd, so you can imagine my anxiety back then.”
Torunn shook her head. “It’s surreal to hear you talk about me like that, you know?” The two chuckled.
“As for where she is now? Well Milosh sent her out to find new recruits when Blood and Leif flew over Shadowland…”
Sten thought about that, pondering what could have happened in the time between the flight of the dragons and the present. “Hmm… and given the lack of new cult members, she either died or got caught up in something. Knowing our luck, it’s probably the latter.”
“Well that’s concerning,” Odo replied. “I may have to pull double duty at the market district for a while…”
The rest of the meeting consisted of discussing concerns over the demolition. As it went on, Gratiana was growing more and more convinced that her original plans for a duel at the same time was not a good idea. It was unfortunate as Dunja had truly inspired her. Afterwards, to make things easier for all of them, Sten had Gratiana stay in the castle until everything was ready. She was hesitant at first, but everyone insisted. Plus there was the fact that Sten wanted to know more about Feuerland. Yngvild also wished to get to know her better, despite their past.
Back at Claudius’ home, Aureolus was showing The Fear all sorts of stuff and telling him all about Blood-Wraith in particular. Entities like him were very rare and hard to come by, fascinating the primordial. The fact that Blood-Wraith had inherited The Dragon of Old’s power, making him Leif’s successor, deepened The Fear’s interest even further. Of course Aureolus joked that his friend was The Worrywart of Old in response to this idea of succession. While they laughed at the irony, it could not hide the legitimate concern behind it.
“I am worried for him,” Aureolus asserted. “He’s been through a lot since his birth. A little too much if you ask me.”
The Fear thought about something relating to Milosh for a moment. “Hm, I hope Valerie doesn’t end up causing trouble, given that she’s still out there. That’ll probably drive Blood crazy.”
“Agreed. Unfortunately I have a feeling she’s up to something. Ultimatum was hinting at it before I left. Either way, I’m hoping the stuff I’m learning will cheer Blood up. And taking care of Milosh will probably help him sleep well too.”
“Hey, Aureolus? Do you think I could also achieve ULTRAMagic some day?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, Fear. Do you think you have the fortitude for it?”
“Hum… I’m not sure…”
“Then don’t worry about it for now. Don’t push yourself into it if you don’t feel up to it. It’ll come to you when you’re ready.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right…” The Fear got up, only for his stomach to growl. This made him chuckle. “Well I guess I’m The Hunger rather than The Fear right now.”
Aureolus laughed. “Well it is close to dinner time after all. Let’s go see what Claudius is cooking up.”
The smell of pasta, tomato sauce, and fresh bread was wafting through the air as Aureolus and The Fear entered the dining hall. Several people were waiting at the table, that being Barna, Weaver, Albrecht, and Gabriella. The aromas became even greater as the boys entered the kitchen. Claudius was going back and forth, tending to various foods. From how things appeared, he was adding the finishing touches.
“Ciao, ragazzi,” Claudius said, greeting the boys. “Getting hungry, I take it?” he asked as he dropped something into a saucepan.
“Definitely” The Fear replied. “Hey, what did you just add to that?”
“Sugar. It balances out the acidity of the tomato sauce, but just a pinch. We don’t want to go overboard.”
“Oh, fascinating. Need any help?”
“Actually yes. Could you boys get the bread out of the oven? Use the oven mitts as they’ll be hot.”
Aureolus got ready and pulled out a loaf on a tray, followed by The Fear. They smelled amazing as they put them on the counter. “I take it that it’s pasta tonight?” Aureolus asked.
“SÌ. Something compelled me to do some cooking today, like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I figured why not do a big dinner tonight? Again, it’s the strangest feeling…”
The Fear put two and two together for a second, then giggled. “Well actually, Mr. Alfieri, that was probably my doing.”
He looked at The Fear, then nodded. “Then you have my gratitude. Moltobene.”
Just as Claudius and the boys began bringing the food trolleys out, Dunja and Torunn entered the hall. “Hungry is the name of the game!” Torunn proclaimed.
“Ma, mom! There you are” Albrecht welcomed. “Hey, where’s Andelin?”
“At the castle with Gratiana” Dunja replied. “Sten’s probably having them write an entire set of history books on Feuerland at this point.”
“I trust you guys got the letter we sent out?” Torunn asked as they sat down.
Barna nodded and put away his papers. “Definitely. Quite the shake up I have to say. I’ll have to treat Gratiana to a drink later for all the help she’s provided.”
“We would have told you about it sooner,” Weaver put in. “She wanted to be sneaky and clever, however.”
“Speaking of which, a drink to you too, when we get the chance. Well done for talking some sense into her.”
Weaver chuckled. “Hey, all in a day’s work.”
“It’s a shame she couldn’t be here, but there’s always next time” Claudius remarked. “Alright, everyone, come and get your food. Buon appetito.”
Next: Chapter 23
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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