ULTRAMagic Shadowland - Chapter 4
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“I was thinking of a void spell to use, you know?” Aureolus pointed out as they walked. People were beginning to emerge from their homes as they saw Maximus escort The Rumbling Beast.
“You don’t say,” Torunn remarked. “I take it you can use void magic too?” she inquired.
“Yes, but I haven’t really had a chance to come up with anything meaningful. I suppose that fact wouldn't have helped us earlier…”
“I presume you’re going to be training him, Dunja?” She glanced over and the queen nodded. “Also don’t fret, Aureolus. Don’t rush yourself if you’re not ready.”
Upon walking past a street lined with shops, a young, red-haired boy ran out before the group and stood in front of The Rumbling Beast. “RAGHH!” He playfully roared. The beast feigned fear in response, causing the boy and the onlookers to laugh.
Torunn chuckled. “Feeling better, Timothy?”
“Yeah! Mom says I’m well enough to go outside. Hold on a second…” He then presented her with a small basket of cookies. “...Mom made this as thanks for getting the medicine I needed.”
“Aw shucks, you’re all very welcome. Mind if I share this with my friends?”
Timothy smiled. “Go ahead… except Dunja, because she’s a big meanie!” The group, barring Dunja, laughed. Naturally she felt her guilt come back.
“Don’t worry, Tim,” Barna interjected. “Dunja ain’t a meanie anymore” he vouched, patting her on the back.
“Hmm…” Timothy inspected Dunja. “Are you sure? Hum…”
Claudius stepped forward. “Most certainly, Tim. I can feel it from her actions thus far.”
“Well if Dr. Claudius trusts you… Pinky promise you won’t be a meanie!” Timothy stuck his little finger up at her majesty.
Dunja was trying so hard not to giggle. She still felt bad, but the boy was too adorable between his tenacity and messy clothes. She got down and took off her gauntlet. “I promise, Timothy. And I’m truly sorry for all the trouble I put you through.” Her pinky dwarfed his, but she did her best.
“Alright, Ms. Torunn, Dunja can have a cookie now…” Timothy decided. Unfortunately he started coughing soon after.
“I’d dare say it’s time to go back inside, Tim,” Claudius observed.
A female shopkeep walked over and picked him up so he could get his coughing under control. “Aw man, goodbye everyone,” said Timothy. “See you all later.” The shopkeeper walked down the street with him, entering what appeared to be a bakery.
Torunn smiled and handed Dunja a cookie. She noticed some of the other people were muttering amongst themselves, but it seemed to be positive. “Well no use dawdling, let’s get back to heading to the castle. Aureolus, if you really like these, definitely swing by Gertrude’s bakery when you get the chance.”
“Is that his mother?” He asked.
“Yup. She is a fantastic baker. Her husband also owns a butcher’s shop. Not only do they have great baked goods, but they also have some of the finest cuts of meat around.”
“I see. So what was he sick with?”
“A dreadful fever that would not go away,” Claudius explained. “My treatments were not strong enough, so Torunn went looking for better medicine.”
“Nearly had a run in with Gratiana, but it was worth it.” Torunn looked at Maximus. “Hey, what’s The Beast of Old up to?”
The mechanical Knight glanced around. “Well I don’t mean to alarm everyone, but he thinks there might be another primordial nearby.”
“What makes him say that?” Barna questioned.
Maximus put his helm back on. “Some odd things have been happening ever since Dunja left and Milosh started losing his mind. A lot of circumstantial evidence, but enough to rouse our suspicions. If it’s all the same, I’d rather discuss the rest of this with Sten. He may know something we don’t.”
Barna nodded in agreement. “Good point… Goodness. Not to throw you guys under the bus, but I figured we’d be done with primordials after we got Leif all squared away…”
Elsewhere, Gabriella and Weaver were losing track of Gummi. The man was cunning and eluded them with ease. No traps or obstacles got in the way of the two, which was odd to Gabriella. Weaver explained this as Gummi preferring not to fight. In the past he would have called this cowardice, but in recent times he considered it practical on Gummi’s part. Gummi was not a fighter, so it would be smart to avoid getting into confrontations.
Eventually Gabriella and Weaver lost track of their target. “Damn! He got away…” Weaver complained as he kicked a garbage can.
“Well shoot, a crafty one I presume?” Gabriella inquired as she tied her now messy hair back.
“Yeah. He’s actually pretty intelligent, unlike his father. Milosh would’ve just stood there, gloating like a bellend, allowing us to knock him upside the head. I have no idea why Gummi still serves him, truth be told.”
“Familial bonds, I’d imagine. He most likely still feels instinctual love for his father as his child, despite Milosh’s appalling actions. It’s quite sad really.”
It clicked with Weaver. “Ah, I see. Loyalty, basically… Jeez, Gummi, you really need to ditch him… Gabriella, I got an off-topic question: Do angels form families?”
“Why yes, they do. Shouldn’t the fact that my mother exists be evidence of that?” She replied with a chuckle.
Weaver laughed. “Yeah, of course. My bad… So who did Valentina marry? I mean, who’s your father?”
“Oh, I don’t have one. I sort of just popped up one day. If I had to pick one, however, I’d choose Achasiah. My mom is good friends with him after all.”
Weaver nodded. “That’s a shame. Also Achasiah, that’s very familiar to me…”
Gabriella then noticed an odd feeling coming off of Weaver. “Mr. Craddock? May I ask you a question?”
“Uh, sure…”
“What is the nature of your questions? They seem fairly specific.”
Weaver blushed. “Er, no reason. Just curiosity…”
She could sense there was something else. “Really now? Then allow me to satisfy my curiosity: Do you find me alluring?”
“Yes. No… YES! ARGH!”
Gabriella laughed. “That’s completely fine, Weaver. I don’t mind at all. I figured as much given how forthright you were earlier.”
“Oh… really?”
“Indeed. I must say you are quite handsome yourself. If you wish, we can even go on a date after this is all said and done…”
This was a pleasant surprise. “For real!? Ahem, it would be a pleasure, Ms. Pari.”
“Very good. You must show me your mettle and spirit before we do, however.”
“No problem, I’ll start right now…” Weaver began looking around. Sadly it was of no use, causing him to sigh. “A part of me wishes Dunja were here. She’d probably know where Gummi is hiding.”
“Well don’t fret, we can still look for him regardless.”
The two began exploring, asking anyone they came across if they had seen Gummi. Some did, but that was it, as they had no idea where he could have gone. It was pretty much a dead-end search at that point. Weaver did not want to give up, but he knew it was best to just head to Sten’s castle. Gabriella felt bad for him and wanted to keep going, but she did not even know the map of Shadowland. As they made their way back to the others, they encountered a strange man along the way.
He noticed the duo approaching. “Ah, greetings, my wandering fellows. Could you lend a spot of assistance?” The man was clad in armor that looked organic and resembled bone.
“Sure, but who are you?” Weaver inquired.
“Goodness, how rude of myself: I am Sir Odo Ash, Knight of the Unlight and a Vector Child,” he said as he snapped his fingers, causing his helm to vanish. His skin shared a similar tone to his armor, and he had periwinkle hair with blue eyes. “His majesty, King Sten, requested my service. Normally I’d be patrolling The Market District, but this is a matter of utmost importance.”
Weaver nodded and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Weaver and this is Gabriella. We were after Gummi Proch, but that trail went stone cold.”
“Most unfortunate” Odo sympathized. “Perhaps you’d like to know what I’m after?”
“Do tell, honorable knight,” Gabriella replied.
“I am in search of an anomaly I suspect to be a forbidden primordial,” Odo responded. “It may be responsible for the odd behavior of Sten’s people in the recent past.”
Weaver was familiar with this premise. “Yeah, The Beast of Old has been on about something like this for a bit now. What’s your angle on this, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I believe the loathsome Milosh may have discovered a primordial who has the ability to influence people. I do not think this entity is evil, merely manipulated. If we can find this primordial, I believe it will tip the scales firmly in our favor.”
Gabriella liked the sound of this. “Very good, very good. On what grounds shall we start looking?”
“I’ve been seeking out rifts in the area. They’re all around us…” Odo opened one, revealing a realm of pulsating orbs of energy and warping clouds. “These are what some call Reality Errors, places where the Cosmos and The Unlight overlap. Obviously this isn’t the one we’re looking for” he said as he closed it.
“Ah yes, I used one of these to get to The Unlight in the first place, The Ghost Realm specifically. We need to be careful of the ones we do explore as they can be quite treacherous” Gabriella cautioned.
“Duly noted,” Weaver replied. “Now let’s get looking before Milosh finds out and tries to pull something.”
Unbeknownst to the trio, someone had been watching them in secret. It was a woman in a black and red tuxedo. She had long, wild, black hair with a top hat sitting atop her head. Her wine-colored eyes focused on them as she quietly shuffled a deck of what resembled playing cards. As they talked and made plans, she got out a card. It buzzed and hummed until the face of another woman appeared on it. Once she was sure the card bearer was in the shadows, the other woman spoke.
“Andelin, report.”
“Gratiana, Odo is still looking for the Fear. And now he has Weaver and some angel joining him. Should I confront them?”
“No. Only engage them if they actually find the Fear.”
Andelin was apprehensive. “Are you sure about this?”
“Do not question me, Andelin” Gratiana responded sternly. “It is bad enough that our numbers are dwindling as they are; we cannot afford to lose someone like you or bring unwanted attention to ourselves.”
Andelin sighed. “Fine…”
“And Andelin? Beware of Dunja. Our spies have confirmed that she has reunited with Englehart and joined up with Sten.” The card then went blank and silent.
“Yeah, I know. I didn’t build a secret tunnel over to Blood-Wraith’s house for nothing…”
Putting away her cards, Andelin began stalking. She was as quiet as a mouse and kept to the dark. Honestly she had no idea why she kept serving Milosh at this point. It was not worth it, especially with Dunja as her enemy now. She really liked her, truth be told. Perhaps it was time for Milosh to step down… A back stab? A coup? A hostile takeover? How devious she thought. Perhaps she could take control of Shadowland herself? She could even use what was left of the cult to make a new Shadow Orb… well maybe not that last part. Either way, she had a task to carry out in the meantime.
Next: Chapter 5
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
“I was thinking of a void spell to use, you know?” Aureolus pointed out as they walked. People were beginning to emerge from their homes as they saw Maximus escort The Rumbling Beast.
“You don’t say,” Torunn remarked. “I take it you can use void magic too?” she inquired.
“Yes, but I haven’t really had a chance to come up with anything meaningful. I suppose that fact wouldn't have helped us earlier…”
“I presume you’re going to be training him, Dunja?” She glanced over and the queen nodded. “Also don’t fret, Aureolus. Don’t rush yourself if you’re not ready.”
Upon walking past a street lined with shops, a young, red-haired boy ran out before the group and stood in front of The Rumbling Beast. “RAGHH!” He playfully roared. The beast feigned fear in response, causing the boy and the onlookers to laugh.
Torunn chuckled. “Feeling better, Timothy?”
“Yeah! Mom says I’m well enough to go outside. Hold on a second…” He then presented her with a small basket of cookies. “...Mom made this as thanks for getting the medicine I needed.”
“Aw shucks, you’re all very welcome. Mind if I share this with my friends?”
Timothy smiled. “Go ahead… except Dunja, because she’s a big meanie!” The group, barring Dunja, laughed. Naturally she felt her guilt come back.
“Don’t worry, Tim,” Barna interjected. “Dunja ain’t a meanie anymore” he vouched, patting her on the back.
“Hmm…” Timothy inspected Dunja. “Are you sure? Hum…”
Claudius stepped forward. “Most certainly, Tim. I can feel it from her actions thus far.”
“Well if Dr. Claudius trusts you… Pinky promise you won’t be a meanie!” Timothy stuck his little finger up at her majesty.
Dunja was trying so hard not to giggle. She still felt bad, but the boy was too adorable between his tenacity and messy clothes. She got down and took off her gauntlet. “I promise, Timothy. And I’m truly sorry for all the trouble I put you through.” Her pinky dwarfed his, but she did her best.
“Alright, Ms. Torunn, Dunja can have a cookie now…” Timothy decided. Unfortunately he started coughing soon after.
“I’d dare say it’s time to go back inside, Tim,” Claudius observed.
A female shopkeep walked over and picked him up so he could get his coughing under control. “Aw man, goodbye everyone,” said Timothy. “See you all later.” The shopkeeper walked down the street with him, entering what appeared to be a bakery.
Torunn smiled and handed Dunja a cookie. She noticed some of the other people were muttering amongst themselves, but it seemed to be positive. “Well no use dawdling, let’s get back to heading to the castle. Aureolus, if you really like these, definitely swing by Gertrude’s bakery when you get the chance.”
“Is that his mother?” He asked.
“Yup. She is a fantastic baker. Her husband also owns a butcher’s shop. Not only do they have great baked goods, but they also have some of the finest cuts of meat around.”
“I see. So what was he sick with?”
“A dreadful fever that would not go away,” Claudius explained. “My treatments were not strong enough, so Torunn went looking for better medicine.”
“Nearly had a run in with Gratiana, but it was worth it.” Torunn looked at Maximus. “Hey, what’s The Beast of Old up to?”
The mechanical Knight glanced around. “Well I don’t mean to alarm everyone, but he thinks there might be another primordial nearby.”
“What makes him say that?” Barna questioned.
Maximus put his helm back on. “Some odd things have been happening ever since Dunja left and Milosh started losing his mind. A lot of circumstantial evidence, but enough to rouse our suspicions. If it’s all the same, I’d rather discuss the rest of this with Sten. He may know something we don’t.”
Barna nodded in agreement. “Good point… Goodness. Not to throw you guys under the bus, but I figured we’d be done with primordials after we got Leif all squared away…”
Elsewhere, Gabriella and Weaver were losing track of Gummi. The man was cunning and eluded them with ease. No traps or obstacles got in the way of the two, which was odd to Gabriella. Weaver explained this as Gummi preferring not to fight. In the past he would have called this cowardice, but in recent times he considered it practical on Gummi’s part. Gummi was not a fighter, so it would be smart to avoid getting into confrontations.
Eventually Gabriella and Weaver lost track of their target. “Damn! He got away…” Weaver complained as he kicked a garbage can.
“Well shoot, a crafty one I presume?” Gabriella inquired as she tied her now messy hair back.
“Yeah. He’s actually pretty intelligent, unlike his father. Milosh would’ve just stood there, gloating like a bellend, allowing us to knock him upside the head. I have no idea why Gummi still serves him, truth be told.”
“Familial bonds, I’d imagine. He most likely still feels instinctual love for his father as his child, despite Milosh’s appalling actions. It’s quite sad really.”
It clicked with Weaver. “Ah, I see. Loyalty, basically… Jeez, Gummi, you really need to ditch him… Gabriella, I got an off-topic question: Do angels form families?”
“Why yes, they do. Shouldn’t the fact that my mother exists be evidence of that?” She replied with a chuckle.
Weaver laughed. “Yeah, of course. My bad… So who did Valentina marry? I mean, who’s your father?”
“Oh, I don’t have one. I sort of just popped up one day. If I had to pick one, however, I’d choose Achasiah. My mom is good friends with him after all.”
Weaver nodded. “That’s a shame. Also Achasiah, that’s very familiar to me…”
Gabriella then noticed an odd feeling coming off of Weaver. “Mr. Craddock? May I ask you a question?”
“Uh, sure…”
“What is the nature of your questions? They seem fairly specific.”
Weaver blushed. “Er, no reason. Just curiosity…”
She could sense there was something else. “Really now? Then allow me to satisfy my curiosity: Do you find me alluring?”
“Yes. No… YES! ARGH!”
Gabriella laughed. “That’s completely fine, Weaver. I don’t mind at all. I figured as much given how forthright you were earlier.”
“Oh… really?”
“Indeed. I must say you are quite handsome yourself. If you wish, we can even go on a date after this is all said and done…”
This was a pleasant surprise. “For real!? Ahem, it would be a pleasure, Ms. Pari.”
“Very good. You must show me your mettle and spirit before we do, however.”
“No problem, I’ll start right now…” Weaver began looking around. Sadly it was of no use, causing him to sigh. “A part of me wishes Dunja were here. She’d probably know where Gummi is hiding.”
“Well don’t fret, we can still look for him regardless.”
The two began exploring, asking anyone they came across if they had seen Gummi. Some did, but that was it, as they had no idea where he could have gone. It was pretty much a dead-end search at that point. Weaver did not want to give up, but he knew it was best to just head to Sten’s castle. Gabriella felt bad for him and wanted to keep going, but she did not even know the map of Shadowland. As they made their way back to the others, they encountered a strange man along the way.
He noticed the duo approaching. “Ah, greetings, my wandering fellows. Could you lend a spot of assistance?” The man was clad in armor that looked organic and resembled bone.
“Sure, but who are you?” Weaver inquired.
“Goodness, how rude of myself: I am Sir Odo Ash, Knight of the Unlight and a Vector Child,” he said as he snapped his fingers, causing his helm to vanish. His skin shared a similar tone to his armor, and he had periwinkle hair with blue eyes. “His majesty, King Sten, requested my service. Normally I’d be patrolling The Market District, but this is a matter of utmost importance.”
Weaver nodded and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Weaver and this is Gabriella. We were after Gummi Proch, but that trail went stone cold.”
“Most unfortunate” Odo sympathized. “Perhaps you’d like to know what I’m after?”
“Do tell, honorable knight,” Gabriella replied.
“I am in search of an anomaly I suspect to be a forbidden primordial,” Odo responded. “It may be responsible for the odd behavior of Sten’s people in the recent past.”
Weaver was familiar with this premise. “Yeah, The Beast of Old has been on about something like this for a bit now. What’s your angle on this, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I believe the loathsome Milosh may have discovered a primordial who has the ability to influence people. I do not think this entity is evil, merely manipulated. If we can find this primordial, I believe it will tip the scales firmly in our favor.”
Gabriella liked the sound of this. “Very good, very good. On what grounds shall we start looking?”
“I’ve been seeking out rifts in the area. They’re all around us…” Odo opened one, revealing a realm of pulsating orbs of energy and warping clouds. “These are what some call Reality Errors, places where the Cosmos and The Unlight overlap. Obviously this isn’t the one we’re looking for” he said as he closed it.
“Ah yes, I used one of these to get to The Unlight in the first place, The Ghost Realm specifically. We need to be careful of the ones we do explore as they can be quite treacherous” Gabriella cautioned.
“Duly noted,” Weaver replied. “Now let’s get looking before Milosh finds out and tries to pull something.”
Unbeknownst to the trio, someone had been watching them in secret. It was a woman in a black and red tuxedo. She had long, wild, black hair with a top hat sitting atop her head. Her wine-colored eyes focused on them as she quietly shuffled a deck of what resembled playing cards. As they talked and made plans, she got out a card. It buzzed and hummed until the face of another woman appeared on it. Once she was sure the card bearer was in the shadows, the other woman spoke.
“Andelin, report.”
“Gratiana, Odo is still looking for the Fear. And now he has Weaver and some angel joining him. Should I confront them?”
“No. Only engage them if they actually find the Fear.”
Andelin was apprehensive. “Are you sure about this?”
“Do not question me, Andelin” Gratiana responded sternly. “It is bad enough that our numbers are dwindling as they are; we cannot afford to lose someone like you or bring unwanted attention to ourselves.”
Andelin sighed. “Fine…”
“And Andelin? Beware of Dunja. Our spies have confirmed that she has reunited with Englehart and joined up with Sten.” The card then went blank and silent.
“Yeah, I know. I didn’t build a secret tunnel over to Blood-Wraith’s house for nothing…”
Putting away her cards, Andelin began stalking. She was as quiet as a mouse and kept to the dark. Honestly she had no idea why she kept serving Milosh at this point. It was not worth it, especially with Dunja as her enemy now. She really liked her, truth be told. Perhaps it was time for Milosh to step down… A back stab? A coup? A hostile takeover? How devious she thought. Perhaps she could take control of Shadowland herself? She could even use what was left of the cult to make a new Shadow Orb… well maybe not that last part. Either way, she had a task to carry out in the meantime.
Next: Chapter 5
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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