ULTRAMagic Chaos - Chapter 15
The heavily armored god sat at his throne, contemplating everything that had transpired thus far. Dull light from the overcast sky illuminated the room and there was a distinct chill in the air from all of the wind. Wulfric was full of anxiety and what he was sensing was not helping in the slightest. Nothing was going according to plan, and it felt like someone was stabbing him in the back every step of the way. His mind was a haze as random thoughts as stress and anxiety drifted around his exhausted mind. Was he doing the right thing? Where was all of the support he imagined he would have? Maybe he was in the wrong, as everyone was telling him to stop his campaign to unite the Cosmos…
“Why is everyone all up in arms at the moment?” He groaned as he looked into a glass orb next to his seat. “I didn’t call for any mobilization…”
“My lord?” an armored man with silver hair and colbalt eyes asked as he entered the throne room, looking quite worried. This was Colonel Anara Abadjiev, the leader of the cavalry forces. He was one of Wulfric’s best and was in strong consideration for a promotion given recent events.
“What is it, Colonel?”
“Your wife’s here… and she’s not happy.”
“Dear, where is that insufferable ingrate, Karnage?” Delphine asked as she marched in. “I’m going to kill him, for real this time.”
Wulfric had a look of utmost, mortified disdain on his face. “What did he do this time?”
“He sent those loathsome Death Riders into my realm to kill Raisa, and presumably Hannibal while they were at it.”
“WHAT!?!” Wulfric’s voice thundered through the throne room, and possibly the realm itself. Whatever funk he was in was gone as has blood surged like flaming ice through his veins
“That slippery bastard!” Anara exclaimed. “Just who does he think he is? We’re in the middle of a war!”
Wulfric tried to take a breath to keep his nerves steady, but the realm shook regardless. “This campaign was a mistake…” he angrily muttered.
Delphine turned to Anara. “Where is he?”
“We’re not sure. He’s been fairly quiet this past week…”
“Wulfric, you’re being played like a damn fiddle!” Ealdhelm declared as he came in through a side door with Waltheof. Both of them were fully suited in their black, obsidian-like metal armor.
Wulfric slammed his fist on his arm rest. “Well that’s just swell!!” That was the last thing he wanted to hear as the winds outside the fortress intensified.
“Ah, Ealdhelm, I trust Adelheid told you about what’s going on?” Delphine asked.
“Well actually Dragutin came back early and told us, which confirmed a great deal of suspicions Cyneberht and Wynnstan had dug up.”
Wulfric gave a harsh sigh, his aggravation mounting. “I kept telling myself it wasn’t Karnage. I wanted all of this to be an actual threat…”
“Ealdhelm, do you have any idea why Karnage is doing this?” Anara inquired.
“Outside of delusions of grandeur, we’re not sure.”
“I don’t mean to pry, but it could be jealously over Wynnstan,” Waltheof put forth. “Given that Wulfric favored Karnage prior to his son’s birth…”
That thought ignited Wulfric’s blood. “Excuse me?! I raise Karnage up from squalor and this is how he repays me!?”
“Wulfric, I highly suggest we end this conflict and focus on the bigger issue at hand” Ealdhelm proposed.
He thought about it for a second… as if the right choice needed much thought. “You know what, brother? You’re right. It’s about time we…”
“Ealdhelm, we have a problem here in the city…” one of the arbiter’s voices said through the glass orb.
“What is it, Osbeorn?”
“It looks like Karnage sent Milosh’s militia to attack Droomopolis.”
Wulfric shot up from his throne, gritting his teeth and knocking it over with a loud crashing thud. “IT’S ABOUT TIME WE RIPPED THAT TRAITOR’S SPINE OUT THROUGH HIS THROAT!” He roared as he stomped towards the exit.
“Don’t you want to hear the rest of the intel?” Waltheof questioned.
“All of you follow me!” Wulfric ordered. The arbiter shrugged and gave a light sigh.
Ealdhelm turned to the orb. “Hold the line until we get back, Osbeorn.”
While this was happening, the rest of Hannibal’s army had rallied together the Windsword tribe and Anara’s army to launch an assault on Karnage’s fortress. It was out of line, but Wulfric had no tolerance for dishonor and treachery. Their duty was to purge Karnage from the realm, even if the ex-general’s raw strength defied them. As for the composite army itself, the Windswords were sellswords and Anara’s army was armored, mounted cavalry. Together with the Void Orcs they made a truly unorthodox army, but it would have to do. Unfortunately Karnage’s army was no laughing matter, consisting of all forms soldier, knight, and gunnery.
Many of Wulfric’s forces were under the command of Karnage. They were slowly defecting, but many had sworn allegiance to the traitor. The battle was fierce as armored warriors clashed with blades, clubs, and gunfire. Of course Karnage stood at the top of his fortress, laughing as he thought he had an ace up his sleeve… until Wulfric showed up. The Discordant God approached, his scarlet cape fluttering in the wind and the sunlight shining off of his dark gray armor. A good portion of Karnage’s army surrendered when they saw his angered expression and those dumb enough to attack were smited where they stood.
Karnage leapt down and stepped up to his former lord. “Well, well, well, Wulfric. Come to cry and snivel over how your war is going nowhere?” His lackeys tried to laugh, but it was all incredibly nervous.
“You have a lot of nerve, boy. I made you who you are, and this is how you repay me?” Wulfric’s fury was so great that it caused all of the combatants to pause their fighting. “What is it? Is it my rightful son? The fact that Anara has been outperforming you? Are you truly that petty?”
“Oh cut the bravado, you pompous windbag!” Karnage sneered as he began to walk back and forth. “You and I both know you don’t have the mettle to truly lead the Cosmos into a new era. You're an old hat, over the hill! A mere child with a stick compared to the raw might of the gods of the Epoch! I, The Behemoth God, put you to shame to such a humiliating degree that you are a supreme insult to the mere concept of a god itself!! And you’re so blinded by your nature that you couldn’t even lead a parade…”
Wulfric cut him off with a strong punch that sent Karnage flying into the wall of his fortress. “I can destroy you just as easily as I made you.” He declared as he summoned his greatsword, the realm trembling and screaming as he ripped it out of thin air. “I’ll tear this entire realm asunder if I have to, and even the gods shall rue the day THEY TRIED TO DESTROY WULFRIC THORNE AND ALL HE HOLDS DEAR!!”
Karnage laughed maniacally as he got up and summoned two, oversized bastard swords. “You’ve made something beyond your comprehension” he growled. “It’s about time I showed you what a real god is, you pathetic whelp…”
With Wulfric taking great exception to that blasphemous comment, the battle reignited, with Anara taking command of the composite army. Ealdhelm and Waltheof joined him while Delphine assisted Wulfric. Karnage was incredibly strong, despite not being in Wulfric’s league. He was able to hold his own against him and Delphine, like someone greater was helping him. Their blades clashed fiercely as the battle between the two armies raged on around them. Ultimately the tenacity of the Void Orcs and the grit of their allies ended up winning out in the end.
Despite the help he was receiving Karnage could sense he was on the ropes and figured it was time to cut his losses. Given that Delphine had called in her army, he needed to split. After creating some distance between him and Wulfric, Karnage flew into the air and snapped his fingers. His fortress began to phase away, prompting what remained of his forces to pile inside.
“While it has been fun, this is where we must part ways!” Karnage declared with a great degree of taunting in his voice. “Dasvidaniya, Wulfric!”
Wulfric was not having any of this and grabbed the fortress, ripping it out of the ground with a mighty heave. “Don’t forget your parting gift!” He then hurled it straight at Karnage with all of his strength. “AND NEVER COME BACK!” He shouted as it disappeared into the great beyond. This elicited great cheers and applause from the composite army.
“Poo, I really wanted to strangle him…” Delphine lamented.
“You’re not going to finish him off, brother?” Ealdhelm asked.
“As much as I want to, now’s not the time. And that’s not to mention the strange presence that was aiding him…” Wulfric turned to face what remained of the traitors. “Would anyone else like to join him?!” They all got on their knees and begged for mercy like the pathetic cowards they were. “Good, just what I thought.”
“That’s awfully generous of you, Wulfric,” Waltheof observed.
“I’m fully aware. It would be a waste of good talent if I executed them. I’ll make sure they work long and hard to repent for what they’ve done.”
“Very good, my lord,” Anara complimented.
“Speaking of which, Anara, you have been a true soldier and leader in these trying times…”
Anara bent the knee, having a good feeling about what was about to happen. “My lord…”
“Arise, General Anara Abadjiev, my new champion.” Everyone applauded and cheered as a new fortress arose from the ground behind them.
“You will not regret this, my lord!” Anara declared with pride and gratitude.
Wulfric smiled and laughed for the first time in a while. “Make me proud, General. Now, the rest of you! Our conflict with the arbiters is officially over. Return to your realms to rest up. We have bigger issues on the horizon to worry about. And as for Hannibal, he will receive special honors when he returns.” This caused particularly fervent applause and cheers from the Void Orcs.
Upon returning to his fortress with Delphine, Ealdhelm, and Waltheof, Wulfric was greeted by Kleitos and Driskoll. “Please tell me you two didn’t already know about this…”
“Nope,” Kleitos replied. “I’m not surprised though… Well, I did have some suspicions.”
“I had my suspicions too, but I didn’t want to say anything lest Karnage retaliated” Driskoll answered. “To be fair I could have easily unleashed a horrid, devastating plague on his forces, but you can understand my hesitation to resort to such tactics.”
“Good call,” Wulfric said as he sat down on his throne. “Your subjects don’t deserve such a fate, and such a plague could easily escape its intended target.” He then took his helm off and brushed his silverish-brown hair aside, massaged his temples, and sighed. His rust-red eyes looked tired, but held firm as he knew there was a lot of work ahead of him.
“Not to rub salt into the wound, but where has all of this gotten us?” Driskoll questioned.
Wulfric nodded, which was a little surprising for the others. “Nowhere, and that’s what angers me.”
Kleitos moseyed over to a chair and sat down. “War was never my forte anyways…”
“It wouldn’t hurt for you to learn regardless,” Walthoef pointed out. “Especially given what just transpired.”
“Fair point. Now that we’re done with this fighting nonsense, I want to sit down and get to know our new and old brothers and sisters. Ulrich’s been discovering all sorts of fascinating stuff at his space station.”
“Ah yes, it’s interesting how we have been having new Discordant Gods of Chaos pop up,” Diskoll acknowledged. “With Rahela finishing up her ascension, it would behoove us to be there for them, Wulfric.”
“Especially given all the ruckus we just stirred up…” Wulfric admitted. “Delphine, are you and Adelheid still…?”
“We’ve started to reconcile with each other,” she replied. Wulfric knew it was more complicated than that, but took her word for it with a smile.
Ealdhelm was surprised by this. “Really now? Well that makes things a whole lot easier. Brother, if you’re still worried about the rogue gods, the arbiters and I have your back.”
Wulfric sighed a little. “Well that and the gods of order… and the bizarre gods. Regardless, I think it’s safe to say that brute force isn’t the answer. As the Discordant God of War, I’ve shown a distinct lack of discipline, looking back on it. Conquering the Cosmos? What was I even thinking? If I did that then there would be no true conflict!” The others laughed.
“Fear is a powerful thing, Wulfric,” Driskoll said as he stroked his beard. “It makes us do things we normally wouldn't do out of desperation. It is a poison that creates a plague that eclipses anything I could ever dream up in my worst nightmares. And the only cure is to face it head on, as terrifying as that prospect is.”
“Huh, it’s surprising that a Discordant God of Fear didn’t pop up now that I think about it...” Kleitos started to say.
Delphine appeared behind him and put her hand over his mouth. “Shh! Don’t say that or one will start gestating.” This warranted some chuckles.
“Then again, we already have Nacht in the domain of terror… You know what, I’m going to stop talking now.”
Wulfric paused to think. “Speaking of our fellow gods, I wish to study under Leonard. What about all of you?”
“I see no reason to discontinue my partnership with Adelheid,” Driskoll answered.
“I’ll take care of Rahela,” Delphine said with a giggle. “She’s such a little darling.”
“Ooh, I got Ulrich!” Kleitos said eagerly.
“Most excellent,” Ealdhelm replied. “Although interestingly I’ve noticed a previously unknown Discordant God start to emerge who focuses on sin and retribution. Perhaps you could look into it, brother.”
Wulfric felt that that was a slight jab for his rashness, but accepted it. “An interesting observation, Ealdhelm. I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled.”
“Now given how certain kingdoms in the Unlight are getting back on their feet, I think we’ve got a bright future ahead of us. Personally I am really looking forward to the ULTRAMagic Guild…”
“Ealdhelm, the city!” Walthoef interjected after a sudden realization.
“SHOOT! Brother, help?!”
Wulfric stood right up. “Let’s roll! Kleitos, Driskoll, head back to your realms real quickly and make sure Karnage didn’t pull anything!”
“Already on it!” Kleitos said as the two vanished.
“Delphine, let’s go check on our niece.” The four then entered the portal Ealdhelm had created.
There was no getting around it, Wulfric was still worried. He was aware deep down that Karnage was working with rogue gods. Wulfric’s pride had blinded him to that fact and now he had to deal with the consequences. It was going to require an arm and a leg to regain his honor, but the god of war was more than willing to pay that price. Knowing his brother still cared for him also helped a great deal. The Eternal Order backed by rogue gods was a nearly insurmountable threat, but Wulfric had renewed confidence and vigor now that Karnage was gone, preventing that traitor from insulting and putting him down.
Next: Chapter 16
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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