ULTRAMagic Shadowland - Chapter 5
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At the center of Shadowland was Castle Haugen, named for the current ruler. It was a mix of a stone keep and a concentric castle. Two sets of walls protected the giant tower that watched over the entire city. Approaching the fortress revealed it was a lot bigger than it initially appeared. This was intimidating, yet conveyed a sense of indestructibility. If anyone was going to try and topple it, it would take several armies at least. The original architect (hailing from the Epoch-to-modernity transition phase of the Cosmos) was lost to time, but it was clear that they went out of their way to make the castle as strong as possible.
Sten was not in a good mood, but this went without saying. Everything was a mess in the kingdom, as to be expected. He finally had control back in his hands, but every attempt to get things back in order was halted by Milosh and his obnoxious cult. The remaining Blades of Dunja were not helping either. Normally Sten would have sent his knights to execute the traitors, but he was hesitant to do so. The last thing he needed was making his people fearful of him again. That anomaly was what prompted him to seek outside help in the first place.
“FOR THE LOVE OF THE SOURCE! Take whatever you need, just get those supplies to the south-east quadrant… Again, as much as I would love to blow that loathsome church sky high, let’s hold off on the explosives… The Descendants are in Dead Man’s Pass? I see. Interesting… Has Torunn found Rumbler yet?” Sten inquired amongst his orders and instructions. That next piece of information sent him to orbit, however… “WHAT DO YOU MEAN MAXIMUS ENGAGED HIM!?” He roared at his stewards.
Allan came running into the throne room, with Folkvar still over his shoulder. “Phew! That was quite the sprint…” He admitted while trying to catch his breath.
“You can put me down now…” Folkvar pointed out.
“Oh, right… haha.”
Sten noticed the two and went right over to them, his footsteps thundering through the hall. “BOYS! What’s even going on right now!? Where’s Barna and the others?!”
“Let Folkvar explain it…” Allan answered. “I need some water…” A steward promptly brought him the drink he needed.
“Oh boy, where do I start… um…” Folkvar said to himself. “Barna had arrived with Dunja and we were getting ready to come here, but then we heard roaring in the distance. And then Barna spotted Gummi down the way…”
“Then what happened?” Sten was incredibly uneasy.
“...We’re not… sure” Allan continued, wiping his face. “Weaver went after him and Barna had me bring Folkvar here just in case.”
A guard approached the three. “Your majesty? Barna and Claudius are on their way to the castle. The Rumbling Beast is with them and only has minor injuries.”
Sten felt a wave of relief wash over him. He sat down on his throne and exhaled a deep breath. “Send Rumbler to the courtyard, have the doctors tend to his wounds, and tell him I will be there as soon as I’m done here.”
“Yes, your majesty!”
“Allan, head to the entrance and bring everyone here when they arrive” Sten instructed.
“Already on it, your majesty” he said as he started walking.
Folkvar knew what his father would say next and took a seat at his throne. There was also a third for the queen, but she was not present. “Where’s mother?”
“Her gardens, I believe. She’s been working day and night to get them restored. And I imagine she’ll get to Rumbler before I do.”
Not too far outside, Barna and the group were nearing the castle and were soon crossing the drawbridge. They were greeted by Allan and several guards. “I understand how this looks, but don’t worry everyone” Barna announced. “Everything’s good… for the most part”
“Great to hear,” a guard replied, a little nervous. “And welcome back, Mr. Schindewolf.” He then gestured and called for The Rumbling Beast to follow him.
Torunn went over to Allan and gave him a big hug. “And how’s my boy doing?” This caused Dunja to avert her gaze ever so slightly.
“I’m fine, Ma. I take it Rumbler’s alright now?”
“Yeah, he’ll be okay. He’s definitely staying inside until all of this mess is cleaned up, however.” Torunn then turned to Maximus. “You might want to go tell Captain Ahlgren what’s up.”
“Right, see you guys later,” Maximus said as he walked off in the other direction.
“Shall we go see Sten then?” Dunja asked, a bit nervous.
Torunn nodded and turned to see Barna and Claudius introducing Aureolus to various guardsmen. “Hey guys, we need to go see the king, remember?”
“Right!” Barna replied. “Pardon us gentlemen, but we shouldn’t keep his majesty waiting.”
Aureolus was amazed by Castle Haugen. It was large on the inside, as if made for giants. This filled him with a sense of awe, like he was witnessing a work of art beyond his understanding. Much like The Singing Storm Tower, it was very busy with people moving to and about. The familiarity he felt was contrasted by the paintings and sculptures all over the place. They told the story of Shadowland and the fallen kingdom of Feuerland, which was quite different from that of The Iron City. Aureolus would occasionally get curious, with nearby stewards or guards explaining a particular piece in brief to him.
Outside the throne room, Aureolus glanced over to Dunja. “Still nervous, Aunt Dunja?”
She nodded. “Yeah…”
“Well you’ve gotten this far, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, I have.”
“Then stop worrying. I’m sure it’ll be fine” Aureolus stated as the door opened. Of course he was a little nervous for Dunja himself.
Seeing Sten for the first time startled the boy. Everything Barna had told Aureolus seemed to be correct. He was a giant at nine feet tall, sported long black hair, and had an eerie face that was aged yet proud. His attire seemed dreary at first, but still retained a regal nature. Of note was his voice. It was somewhere between Welsh and Slavic, albeit a bit raspy and deep. Just like with the castle itself, Sten also had Aureolus in awe.
“Sten, It’s been a while,” Barna declared.
“Aye, that it has, Barna. I trust that you have been in good health and spirit?”
“Well definitely health… spirit has been here and there. Regardless, let me start off by introducing my newest son, Aureolus…”
“And still no wife I see?” Sten jabbed, to Barna’s chagrin. Everyone else quietly chuckled.
Aureolus did a proper bow. “It’s an honor to meet you, your high… royal highness! Royal highness. Sorry, sorry…” That was embarrassing as he mentally kicked himself for that gaffe…
Sten chuckled. “Don’t fret, my boy. It’s understandable given your origins. In that regard, you have my utmost condolences for what that heathen Milosh did to you. I trust that things haven’t been too bothersome for you?”
Well it was at first, but Blood-Wraith made it all worth it.”
“That’s good to hear. Speaking of Sir Raynot, I’m disappointed he’s not with you. I’d really like to meet him, given all that he’s done for both of our kingdoms.”
“Don’t worry, Sten,” Barna replied. “The lad just needs a bit of a break is all.”
Sten nodded and looked at Dunja. “Certainly… and I have a good idea as to why that is.”
The amount of anxiety his gaze put on Dunja made her want to scream surrender right then and there… despite having done that to a degree already. Still, she maintained her fortitude… barely. “Hehe, hey Sten, cousin. Long time no see…”
The king took a breath to make sure he spoke calmly. “Am I to understand you have renounced your past misdeeds and transgressions?”
Dunja went over to a table and emptied out a pouch of red gem shards. “I am beyond sorry at this point. I just want things to go back to normal and I fully intend to fix everything, even if I have to do it with my bare hands.”
Sten’s eyes lit up as a cathartic smile stretched across his face at the shattered remains of the Shadow Orb. Composing himself, he spoke. “Well well well then. Obviously you’ll need to speak with your actions, Dunja. This, however, is a very good start. Now what do you plan to do about Andelin and Gratiana?”
“I’m hoping to win them over to our side and recruit them into the new Blades of Dunja, in service to The Iron City. Torunn has already accepted this.”
Torunn gave a thumbs up. “Yup, it all sounds like a good time to me.”
“Very well then. Under normal circumstances I would have had them executed, but anyone who knows me knows that I hate wasted potential” Sten pointed out. “On top of that, I can tell that none of you actually swore loyalty to Milosh…” That last comment had a bit of snark to it.
Dunja shook her head in confirmation. “Despite all the going-behind-my-back nonsense that worm did, I was supposed to be in charge… and the less said about his god awful mother, the better.”
“... furthermore, Andelin and Gratiana are survivors of the fallen kingdom of Feuerland,” Sten continued. “Andelin is of particular interest, being a bearer of gold blood. You can understand my hesitance to execute such an individual.”
“Be careful, Sten,” a voice cautioned. A surge of bright fire erupted from the ground, with a gleaming figure emerging from it like it was a doorway. The man was an angel with a muscular build and long, blonde hair. “... such beings are quite the wild card. There’s a reason why Feuerland had so many problems, amongst others.”
“Achasiah, I was wondering when you would arrive,” Sten commented.
“Oh, hey, Achasiah,” Dunja welcomed. “What are you doing here?” she inquired.
“Dunja, perfect! Where’s Weaver and Gabriella? Weren’t they with you?”
“They went off to pursue Gummi while we were calming down Rumbler” Barna answered.
Achasiah nodded, as if looking like he was reformulating something in his head. “Ah, I see. Aureolus, how are you doing?”
Aureolus shook his hand. “Great. I still need to visit Fire World and I haven’t quite gotten used to being corporeal yet, but great.”
The angel then turned his attention to Dunja. “To answer your question, I’ve been helping Sten out for some time now. At the moment I’ve been asked to elucidate all of you.”
She looked puzzled. “Really now? Just what have you been up to?”
“A lot my dear, a lot,” he said with a chuckle. “Before we get into that, would you like to tell Allan the truth before we get into my story?” He glanced over to Sten, who nodded.
“Right, let’s get that out of the way…” she muttered.
Allan stepped over to Dunja. “Alright, let’s spill the beans then. Who are my parents?” Torunn put her hand on his shoulder.
Dunja was unbelievably nervous. “Well… to start off, both of your parents are alive and well. In fact, one of them is closer than you think…”
“Okay… how close? Like, within Shadowland or The Iron City?”
“Here close. And, you’ll have to bear with this parent in particular as… er, they’ve done some stupid things, but she’s trying to make up for them…”
Torunn audibly cleared her throat, trying to push her along. “Dunja…”
“I know, I hear you… so about this parent…”
“Ma, what is she getting at?” Allan was weirded out by Dunja’s hesitation.
Dunja was somewhat starting to wish she had died at the hands of Englehart at this point. “Don’t worry, I just need to… um… well, preface this parent I guess, because she’s pretty noteworthy here…”
Sten squeezed his temples and groaned. “By the gods! Out with it, Dunja!”
“RIGHT. Sorry… Allan, this will come as a shock, but I’m your mother. Your real name is Albrecht Schindewolf and you’re the rightful prince of The Iron City…”
The silence was deafening. Those who already knew were quiet while Allan was utterly stunned. If that was true, it changed a lot. Barna tugged on his collar as he could see his nephew getting visibly upset, felt bad for him, and had a good idea what was going to happen next. Allan was on the verge of having a breakdown. The ensuing tirade that occurred was possibly the most confused Allan had ever been in his life. Dunja wanted to hug him so badly, but she knew that would not help in this situation.
Next: Chapter 6
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
At the center of Shadowland was Castle Haugen, named for the current ruler. It was a mix of a stone keep and a concentric castle. Two sets of walls protected the giant tower that watched over the entire city. Approaching the fortress revealed it was a lot bigger than it initially appeared. This was intimidating, yet conveyed a sense of indestructibility. If anyone was going to try and topple it, it would take several armies at least. The original architect (hailing from the Epoch-to-modernity transition phase of the Cosmos) was lost to time, but it was clear that they went out of their way to make the castle as strong as possible.
Sten was not in a good mood, but this went without saying. Everything was a mess in the kingdom, as to be expected. He finally had control back in his hands, but every attempt to get things back in order was halted by Milosh and his obnoxious cult. The remaining Blades of Dunja were not helping either. Normally Sten would have sent his knights to execute the traitors, but he was hesitant to do so. The last thing he needed was making his people fearful of him again. That anomaly was what prompted him to seek outside help in the first place.
“FOR THE LOVE OF THE SOURCE! Take whatever you need, just get those supplies to the south-east quadrant… Again, as much as I would love to blow that loathsome church sky high, let’s hold off on the explosives… The Descendants are in Dead Man’s Pass? I see. Interesting… Has Torunn found Rumbler yet?” Sten inquired amongst his orders and instructions. That next piece of information sent him to orbit, however… “WHAT DO YOU MEAN MAXIMUS ENGAGED HIM!?” He roared at his stewards.
Allan came running into the throne room, with Folkvar still over his shoulder. “Phew! That was quite the sprint…” He admitted while trying to catch his breath.
“You can put me down now…” Folkvar pointed out.
“Oh, right… haha.”
Sten noticed the two and went right over to them, his footsteps thundering through the hall. “BOYS! What’s even going on right now!? Where’s Barna and the others?!”
“Let Folkvar explain it…” Allan answered. “I need some water…” A steward promptly brought him the drink he needed.
“Oh boy, where do I start… um…” Folkvar said to himself. “Barna had arrived with Dunja and we were getting ready to come here, but then we heard roaring in the distance. And then Barna spotted Gummi down the way…”
“Then what happened?” Sten was incredibly uneasy.
“...We’re not… sure” Allan continued, wiping his face. “Weaver went after him and Barna had me bring Folkvar here just in case.”
A guard approached the three. “Your majesty? Barna and Claudius are on their way to the castle. The Rumbling Beast is with them and only has minor injuries.”
Sten felt a wave of relief wash over him. He sat down on his throne and exhaled a deep breath. “Send Rumbler to the courtyard, have the doctors tend to his wounds, and tell him I will be there as soon as I’m done here.”
“Yes, your majesty!”
“Allan, head to the entrance and bring everyone here when they arrive” Sten instructed.
“Already on it, your majesty” he said as he started walking.
Folkvar knew what his father would say next and took a seat at his throne. There was also a third for the queen, but she was not present. “Where’s mother?”
“Her gardens, I believe. She’s been working day and night to get them restored. And I imagine she’ll get to Rumbler before I do.”
Not too far outside, Barna and the group were nearing the castle and were soon crossing the drawbridge. They were greeted by Allan and several guards. “I understand how this looks, but don’t worry everyone” Barna announced. “Everything’s good… for the most part”
“Great to hear,” a guard replied, a little nervous. “And welcome back, Mr. Schindewolf.” He then gestured and called for The Rumbling Beast to follow him.
Torunn went over to Allan and gave him a big hug. “And how’s my boy doing?” This caused Dunja to avert her gaze ever so slightly.
“I’m fine, Ma. I take it Rumbler’s alright now?”
“Yeah, he’ll be okay. He’s definitely staying inside until all of this mess is cleaned up, however.” Torunn then turned to Maximus. “You might want to go tell Captain Ahlgren what’s up.”
“Right, see you guys later,” Maximus said as he walked off in the other direction.
“Shall we go see Sten then?” Dunja asked, a bit nervous.
Torunn nodded and turned to see Barna and Claudius introducing Aureolus to various guardsmen. “Hey guys, we need to go see the king, remember?”
“Right!” Barna replied. “Pardon us gentlemen, but we shouldn’t keep his majesty waiting.”
Aureolus was amazed by Castle Haugen. It was large on the inside, as if made for giants. This filled him with a sense of awe, like he was witnessing a work of art beyond his understanding. Much like The Singing Storm Tower, it was very busy with people moving to and about. The familiarity he felt was contrasted by the paintings and sculptures all over the place. They told the story of Shadowland and the fallen kingdom of Feuerland, which was quite different from that of The Iron City. Aureolus would occasionally get curious, with nearby stewards or guards explaining a particular piece in brief to him.
Outside the throne room, Aureolus glanced over to Dunja. “Still nervous, Aunt Dunja?”
She nodded. “Yeah…”
“Well you’ve gotten this far, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, I have.”
“Then stop worrying. I’m sure it’ll be fine” Aureolus stated as the door opened. Of course he was a little nervous for Dunja himself.
Seeing Sten for the first time startled the boy. Everything Barna had told Aureolus seemed to be correct. He was a giant at nine feet tall, sported long black hair, and had an eerie face that was aged yet proud. His attire seemed dreary at first, but still retained a regal nature. Of note was his voice. It was somewhere between Welsh and Slavic, albeit a bit raspy and deep. Just like with the castle itself, Sten also had Aureolus in awe.
“Sten, It’s been a while,” Barna declared.
“Aye, that it has, Barna. I trust that you have been in good health and spirit?”
“Well definitely health… spirit has been here and there. Regardless, let me start off by introducing my newest son, Aureolus…”
“And still no wife I see?” Sten jabbed, to Barna’s chagrin. Everyone else quietly chuckled.
Aureolus did a proper bow. “It’s an honor to meet you, your high… royal highness! Royal highness. Sorry, sorry…” That was embarrassing as he mentally kicked himself for that gaffe…
Sten chuckled. “Don’t fret, my boy. It’s understandable given your origins. In that regard, you have my utmost condolences for what that heathen Milosh did to you. I trust that things haven’t been too bothersome for you?”
Well it was at first, but Blood-Wraith made it all worth it.”
“That’s good to hear. Speaking of Sir Raynot, I’m disappointed he’s not with you. I’d really like to meet him, given all that he’s done for both of our kingdoms.”
“Don’t worry, Sten,” Barna replied. “The lad just needs a bit of a break is all.”
Sten nodded and looked at Dunja. “Certainly… and I have a good idea as to why that is.”
The amount of anxiety his gaze put on Dunja made her want to scream surrender right then and there… despite having done that to a degree already. Still, she maintained her fortitude… barely. “Hehe, hey Sten, cousin. Long time no see…”
The king took a breath to make sure he spoke calmly. “Am I to understand you have renounced your past misdeeds and transgressions?”
Dunja went over to a table and emptied out a pouch of red gem shards. “I am beyond sorry at this point. I just want things to go back to normal and I fully intend to fix everything, even if I have to do it with my bare hands.”
Sten’s eyes lit up as a cathartic smile stretched across his face at the shattered remains of the Shadow Orb. Composing himself, he spoke. “Well well well then. Obviously you’ll need to speak with your actions, Dunja. This, however, is a very good start. Now what do you plan to do about Andelin and Gratiana?”
“I’m hoping to win them over to our side and recruit them into the new Blades of Dunja, in service to The Iron City. Torunn has already accepted this.”
Torunn gave a thumbs up. “Yup, it all sounds like a good time to me.”
“Very well then. Under normal circumstances I would have had them executed, but anyone who knows me knows that I hate wasted potential” Sten pointed out. “On top of that, I can tell that none of you actually swore loyalty to Milosh…” That last comment had a bit of snark to it.
Dunja shook her head in confirmation. “Despite all the going-behind-my-back nonsense that worm did, I was supposed to be in charge… and the less said about his god awful mother, the better.”
“... furthermore, Andelin and Gratiana are survivors of the fallen kingdom of Feuerland,” Sten continued. “Andelin is of particular interest, being a bearer of gold blood. You can understand my hesitance to execute such an individual.”
“Be careful, Sten,” a voice cautioned. A surge of bright fire erupted from the ground, with a gleaming figure emerging from it like it was a doorway. The man was an angel with a muscular build and long, blonde hair. “... such beings are quite the wild card. There’s a reason why Feuerland had so many problems, amongst others.”
“Achasiah, I was wondering when you would arrive,” Sten commented.
“Oh, hey, Achasiah,” Dunja welcomed. “What are you doing here?” she inquired.
“Dunja, perfect! Where’s Weaver and Gabriella? Weren’t they with you?”
“They went off to pursue Gummi while we were calming down Rumbler” Barna answered.
Achasiah nodded, as if looking like he was reformulating something in his head. “Ah, I see. Aureolus, how are you doing?”
Aureolus shook his hand. “Great. I still need to visit Fire World and I haven’t quite gotten used to being corporeal yet, but great.”
The angel then turned his attention to Dunja. “To answer your question, I’ve been helping Sten out for some time now. At the moment I’ve been asked to elucidate all of you.”
She looked puzzled. “Really now? Just what have you been up to?”
“A lot my dear, a lot,” he said with a chuckle. “Before we get into that, would you like to tell Allan the truth before we get into my story?” He glanced over to Sten, who nodded.
“Right, let’s get that out of the way…” she muttered.
Allan stepped over to Dunja. “Alright, let’s spill the beans then. Who are my parents?” Torunn put her hand on his shoulder.
Dunja was unbelievably nervous. “Well… to start off, both of your parents are alive and well. In fact, one of them is closer than you think…”
“Okay… how close? Like, within Shadowland or The Iron City?”
“Here close. And, you’ll have to bear with this parent in particular as… er, they’ve done some stupid things, but she’s trying to make up for them…”
Torunn audibly cleared her throat, trying to push her along. “Dunja…”
“I know, I hear you… so about this parent…”
“Ma, what is she getting at?” Allan was weirded out by Dunja’s hesitation.
Dunja was somewhat starting to wish she had died at the hands of Englehart at this point. “Don’t worry, I just need to… um… well, preface this parent I guess, because she’s pretty noteworthy here…”
Sten squeezed his temples and groaned. “By the gods! Out with it, Dunja!”
“RIGHT. Sorry… Allan, this will come as a shock, but I’m your mother. Your real name is Albrecht Schindewolf and you’re the rightful prince of The Iron City…”
The silence was deafening. Those who already knew were quiet while Allan was utterly stunned. If that was true, it changed a lot. Barna tugged on his collar as he could see his nephew getting visibly upset, felt bad for him, and had a good idea what was going to happen next. Allan was on the verge of having a breakdown. The ensuing tirade that occurred was possibly the most confused Allan had ever been in his life. Dunja wanted to hug him so badly, but she knew that would not help in this situation.
Next: Chapter 6
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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