ULTRAMagic Chaos - Chapter 19
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It was the day of the festival and Ultimatum was out and about. He wandered the fairgrounds line with colorful tents and stands, taking in the sights and sounds of the festivities. People from all over the Realm of Chaos were present, some performing and others selling items and curios. The aromas of all sorts of foods were everywhere, with the music from various corners of the grounds making the whole thing a treat for the senses. Ultimatum would have loved to attend with his parents
The overall atmosphere was that of rejoice and comradery. It was easy to tell that everyone had grown weary of Wulfric’s conquest. People from rival Discordant realms were having a drink with each other like they were long time friends. After grabbing a large, chewy pretzel at one of the food stands, Ultimatum noticed Tusk and Donia walk by.
“Hey, Tusk!” Ultimatum called out as he walked over.
“Hey, Ultimatum. Dad went and brought the whole family here.”
“Fantastic, but aren’t you not supposed to see the bride before the wedding?” This caused Donia and Tusk to laugh.
“I love festivals and I’m not going to turn one down with Tusk,” Donia replied.
Auda hurried over, super excited. “Aunt Donia, look what I won!” She presented a metal crest encrusted with unique gems.
“Oh wow! Good job, Auda.”
Tusk studied it, quickly realizing what the regalia represented. “Oh my goodness…”
“What’s the matter?” Donia asked.
He snickered. “That’s an Arlotti family crest. They ended up all over the place after the fall of Feuerland.”
Auda looked at it for a second. “Neat!”
Ultimatum chuckled, the irony lost on the girl. “Auda, Tusk and your grandfather fought Gratiana the other day.”
“Oh, I see… Did they win?” This made the other three burst out laughing.
“Well I’d like to think so given that I’m standing here!” Tusk proclaimed.
Ultimatum composed himself. “Leonard did intervene, but yes.”
Auda nodded. “Amazing. I’m still keeping this and I’m going to clean it up when I get home.” She put the crest in her pack, then started looking around for something else to do.
“Well someone has to preserve that history,” Donia pointed out.
“Yeah,” Tusk agreed, followed by him twitching a little.
“Ooh, that looks cool!” Auda exclaimed as she rushed over to a stand run by a couple of void orcs. It appeared to be hosting several high striker games.
“Wait for us, sweetie,” Donia called out.
“Or I’ll never hear the end of it from Skari!” Tusk added.
Ultimatum chuckled to himself as continued his walk. Occasionally he would pass by one of the arbiters. Ealdhelm was nowhere to be seen as he was getting ready for his duel, but the others were either walking around or attending their own activities. Osbeorn was hosting a cooking contest, with himself, his wife, and his friends as the judges. Wynnstan then approached Ultimatum, having been watching the competition.
“Hey, Schwarzes! Things are getting pretty crazy at the cookoff.”
“You’re not going to participate, Wynnstan?” Ultimatum inquired.
“Nah, not today. Besides, I saw Dragoslava earlier and had to get her autograph. She was thrilled when I told her her bullets worked fantastically in the battle.”
“I figured she would show up at some point.”
“Oh, Beorhtric wants to talk with you. Follow me” Wynnstan said as he began to walk in the opposite direction.
The two made their way to a group of people watching a stage. Beorhtric was there with several knights and performers, reciting lines from a play in the manner of a poetic song. The play in question was a comedy about a foolish general and the song in question was Beorhtric’s favorite part. He was a good singer, carrying the tempo with his energetic, somewhat baritone voice.
The audience clapped when the song finished, with Beorhtric leaving the stage after giving a bow. He then noticed Ultimatum. “Schwarzes, there you are. Good to see you again.”
“You wanted to speak to me, Beorhtric?”
“Most certainly, in regards to the ULTRAMagic Guild.” He then led the two over to a food stand for some mugs of mead.
Ultimatum was handed his and took a sip. “So what do you want to discuss?”
“You’ll have to pardon my prying eyes, but I did look ahead into the future a little bit. Valerie and her family are going to give you, Blood, and Tusk a run for your money.”
“Yeah…” Ultimatum said with a sigh. “I don’t think anyone is ready for her.”
“Crazy dame’s getting ready to pull a hair-brained conquest like dad did,” Wynnstan remarked.
“I talked to Tusk and Dragoslava and I think Sir Raynot is going to need a curveball to get his head on straight,” Beorhtric concluded.
“A curveball?” Ultimatum questioned. “What do you mean?”
Beorhtric cleared his throat. “A challenge that will make him think outside the box, ideally while benefiting other aspects of the guild.”
Ultimatum nodded, contemplating the idea. “Perhaps, especially if we need help against Valerie. Help from the future would bolster our numbers without having to recruit new members…”
“Time travel is a messy business, guys,” Wynnstan stated.
“It’s not a big deal,” Ultimatum replied. “I’ll just talk to Zal-Rint about who would cause the least amount of friction in the flow of time.”
Beorhtric set his mug down and indicated for the two to walk with him. “Personally I think the future members Shadow, Lance, and Richter would be ideal for this task. They can work together, but they’d also potentially quarrel with each other and the guild. The chaos spurned by Valerie would get them to be serious and should get Blood-Wraith to step up his game as a founder of the guild.”
“Interesting…” Ultimatum said to himself. “Are you sure this will work?”
“Honestly, no, but it’s worth a shot regardless. And if things go south, I’ll intervene and get things back on track. It’s the least I can do for suggesting such an out there course of actions.”
“Beorhtric as much as I appreciate your help, this isn’t assuaging my worries. If anything, this is just confirming that Karnage is going to commit the dumbest sin imaginable…”
“Dad and Uncle were talking about that,” Wynnstan added. “It doesn’t sound good.”
Beorhtric nodded. “Unfortunately it sounds like we’re going to have to play along with whatever nonsense Karnage has planned, lest we hasten our destiny.”
Ultimatum groaned. “Now I know how The Vermilion King felt… the flow of time is still intact so I can’t imagine things went that poorly for us.”
Beorhtric patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, lad, we’ve got your back.”
Despite the uncertainty, that did make Ultimatum feel better. Wynnstan hung out with him going forward to ease his nerves. The Festival went on into the night, with Ealdhelm and Wulfric finally declaring the start of their duel. Everybody gathered on the outskirts of the battlefield, where bleachers had been set up. The match would be overseen by Osberon, Beorhtric, Driskoll, and Leonard. This was a formality, but it made everything feel right. Waltheof called over Wynnstan and Ultimatum, having selected excellent seats to watch the event.
The two, mighty brothers prepared their blades and charged forward when the signal was given. Their swords slammed into each other, sounding like a mighty crack of thunder each time. The duel then quickly went into full gear, putting everybody on the edge of their seats. Ealdhelm and Wulfric were hamming it up a bit, but the audience did not mind. It made things more exciting.
Just when it seemed like one brother was about to give, they would pull out an ace up their sleeve. Both combatants began using magic, utterly amazing the audience. Ealdhelm’s magic was more refined, focusing on technique while Wulfric focused on power. Paying attention to the lightning bolts, ice boulders, and fireballs flying around, one could see aspects of both brothers in their respective spells.
“By the Source, brother,” Ealdhelm cried as their blades met. “I’m not sure I could’ve bested you had we fought in earnest.”
Wulfric laughed. “Don’t patronize me, Ealdhelm. I know you’re holding back.”
Ealdhelm chuckled. “Well we can’t go too overboard, can we?” He was indicating the audience.
“Better not let father hear you talking like that, ha!” Wulfric then called down a comet that rocketed towards the battlefield.
Ealdhelm summoned a large spear and hurled it as hard as he could, causing the comet to burst into a glittering snowfall. “Well I could say the same about your previous ambitions.”
Wulfric stopped, then laughed. “Touché, Ealdhelm. You know, he probably already knows what we’re up to…”
“No doubt about it,” Ealdhelm replied as he sent a tornado towards Wulfric.
The Cyclone was cleaved in half with a clean cut, causing it to explode in a burst of wind and rain. It was an impressive sight, leading to the audience clapping and cheering. Annoyingly the brothers could feel that their fortitude was waning as they had been dueling for a while. They ran at each other for one last barrage of sword clashes as a final hurrah. The exchange was an incredible sight, ending with the two simultaneously bending the knee in exhaustion. The audience still celebrated like one of them had won regardless.
Leonard laughed. “I guess we have a draw then!” he declared. This was followed by thunderous applause, with him using his magic to launch some celebratory fireworks.
Despite being worn out, the brothers both gave a bow to the audience. As they left, warriors from each of the Discordant realms made their way to the arena. They were full of energy and ready to give the audience their own show. While Driskoll cautioned the combatants to go easy on each other, he gave them the go ahead. The audience would thin over the night, but the ones who stayed were glad they did.
Tusk would sleep at the monastery that night and head back home in the morning. The village was thrilled to have him back, congratulating him on his victory and wedding to be. In truth things were like the good old days for Tusk, before Thora went missing. It filled him with a warm feeling and a sweet nostalgia. And this time there was no bumbling Lich to ruin the good mood.
Needing some time to think before his wedding the next day, Tusk went back to the spot he had sat in for so long. “What a wild journey it’s been…”
“Hey, Tusk?”
“Razor, what’s up?”
“Nothing much,” he said as he sat down beside him. “I heard the festival was fun.”
He nodded. “You should’ve come along.”
“I was too worn out… and the rest of the wolves wouldn’t stop asking me about our adventure.” The two chuckled.
“Anyways, don’t mind me, I just wanted to think.”
“About your big day?” Razor wondered.
“That, and everything that’s led up to this point. It’s funny how it all works out in the end. One minute you're stuck in a rut unsure what to do and next your thrust in front of one of the Discordant Champions. Razor, I want you to remember that even at your lowest, there’s always an answer. It could be your niece, your lover, or even a boy that wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place. Don’t turn your back on that answer, no matter how perilous things seem.”
Razor smiled and nodded. “Well hey, I’m a wolf. If the rain ever gets too heavy, I’ll just hide out under a tree until it passes…”
“Assuming the tree isn’t shirking his duties.”
“Well even then, you’re helping to keep that wolf safe from the elements” Razor pointed out.
“True, very true,” Tusk admitted. “Still want to join the guild? It’s only going to get more challenging from here on out.”
“I thought about it and I’m in for the long haul, Tusk.”
He patted Razor on the back. “Glad to hear it, Mainchín.”
Auda came scurrying up to the two. “Uncle Tusk? Grandpa needs your help with the planning stuff.”
Tusk stood up and stretched. “I thought I gave him clear instructions, heh. Want to lend a hand, Razor?” He happily accepted, following Tusk as they returned to the village.
Next: Chapter 20
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
It was the day of the festival and Ultimatum was out and about. He wandered the fairgrounds line with colorful tents and stands, taking in the sights and sounds of the festivities. People from all over the Realm of Chaos were present, some performing and others selling items and curios. The aromas of all sorts of foods were everywhere, with the music from various corners of the grounds making the whole thing a treat for the senses. Ultimatum would have loved to attend with his parents
The overall atmosphere was that of rejoice and comradery. It was easy to tell that everyone had grown weary of Wulfric’s conquest. People from rival Discordant realms were having a drink with each other like they were long time friends. After grabbing a large, chewy pretzel at one of the food stands, Ultimatum noticed Tusk and Donia walk by.
“Hey, Tusk!” Ultimatum called out as he walked over.
“Hey, Ultimatum. Dad went and brought the whole family here.”
“Fantastic, but aren’t you not supposed to see the bride before the wedding?” This caused Donia and Tusk to laugh.
“I love festivals and I’m not going to turn one down with Tusk,” Donia replied.
Auda hurried over, super excited. “Aunt Donia, look what I won!” She presented a metal crest encrusted with unique gems.
“Oh wow! Good job, Auda.”
Tusk studied it, quickly realizing what the regalia represented. “Oh my goodness…”
“What’s the matter?” Donia asked.
He snickered. “That’s an Arlotti family crest. They ended up all over the place after the fall of Feuerland.”
Auda looked at it for a second. “Neat!”
Ultimatum chuckled, the irony lost on the girl. “Auda, Tusk and your grandfather fought Gratiana the other day.”
“Oh, I see… Did they win?” This made the other three burst out laughing.
“Well I’d like to think so given that I’m standing here!” Tusk proclaimed.
Ultimatum composed himself. “Leonard did intervene, but yes.”
Auda nodded. “Amazing. I’m still keeping this and I’m going to clean it up when I get home.” She put the crest in her pack, then started looking around for something else to do.
“Well someone has to preserve that history,” Donia pointed out.
“Yeah,” Tusk agreed, followed by him twitching a little.
“Ooh, that looks cool!” Auda exclaimed as she rushed over to a stand run by a couple of void orcs. It appeared to be hosting several high striker games.
“Wait for us, sweetie,” Donia called out.
“Or I’ll never hear the end of it from Skari!” Tusk added.
Ultimatum chuckled to himself as continued his walk. Occasionally he would pass by one of the arbiters. Ealdhelm was nowhere to be seen as he was getting ready for his duel, but the others were either walking around or attending their own activities. Osbeorn was hosting a cooking contest, with himself, his wife, and his friends as the judges. Wynnstan then approached Ultimatum, having been watching the competition.
“Hey, Schwarzes! Things are getting pretty crazy at the cookoff.”
“You’re not going to participate, Wynnstan?” Ultimatum inquired.
“Nah, not today. Besides, I saw Dragoslava earlier and had to get her autograph. She was thrilled when I told her her bullets worked fantastically in the battle.”
“I figured she would show up at some point.”
“Oh, Beorhtric wants to talk with you. Follow me” Wynnstan said as he began to walk in the opposite direction.
The two made their way to a group of people watching a stage. Beorhtric was there with several knights and performers, reciting lines from a play in the manner of a poetic song. The play in question was a comedy about a foolish general and the song in question was Beorhtric’s favorite part. He was a good singer, carrying the tempo with his energetic, somewhat baritone voice.
The audience clapped when the song finished, with Beorhtric leaving the stage after giving a bow. He then noticed Ultimatum. “Schwarzes, there you are. Good to see you again.”
“You wanted to speak to me, Beorhtric?”
“Most certainly, in regards to the ULTRAMagic Guild.” He then led the two over to a food stand for some mugs of mead.
Ultimatum was handed his and took a sip. “So what do you want to discuss?”
“You’ll have to pardon my prying eyes, but I did look ahead into the future a little bit. Valerie and her family are going to give you, Blood, and Tusk a run for your money.”
“Yeah…” Ultimatum said with a sigh. “I don’t think anyone is ready for her.”
“Crazy dame’s getting ready to pull a hair-brained conquest like dad did,” Wynnstan remarked.
“I talked to Tusk and Dragoslava and I think Sir Raynot is going to need a curveball to get his head on straight,” Beorhtric concluded.
“A curveball?” Ultimatum questioned. “What do you mean?”
Beorhtric cleared his throat. “A challenge that will make him think outside the box, ideally while benefiting other aspects of the guild.”
Ultimatum nodded, contemplating the idea. “Perhaps, especially if we need help against Valerie. Help from the future would bolster our numbers without having to recruit new members…”
“Time travel is a messy business, guys,” Wynnstan stated.
“It’s not a big deal,” Ultimatum replied. “I’ll just talk to Zal-Rint about who would cause the least amount of friction in the flow of time.”
Beorhtric set his mug down and indicated for the two to walk with him. “Personally I think the future members Shadow, Lance, and Richter would be ideal for this task. They can work together, but they’d also potentially quarrel with each other and the guild. The chaos spurned by Valerie would get them to be serious and should get Blood-Wraith to step up his game as a founder of the guild.”
“Interesting…” Ultimatum said to himself. “Are you sure this will work?”
“Honestly, no, but it’s worth a shot regardless. And if things go south, I’ll intervene and get things back on track. It’s the least I can do for suggesting such an out there course of actions.”
“Beorhtric as much as I appreciate your help, this isn’t assuaging my worries. If anything, this is just confirming that Karnage is going to commit the dumbest sin imaginable…”
“Dad and Uncle were talking about that,” Wynnstan added. “It doesn’t sound good.”
Beorhtric nodded. “Unfortunately it sounds like we’re going to have to play along with whatever nonsense Karnage has planned, lest we hasten our destiny.”
Ultimatum groaned. “Now I know how The Vermilion King felt… the flow of time is still intact so I can’t imagine things went that poorly for us.”
Beorhtric patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, lad, we’ve got your back.”
Despite the uncertainty, that did make Ultimatum feel better. Wynnstan hung out with him going forward to ease his nerves. The Festival went on into the night, with Ealdhelm and Wulfric finally declaring the start of their duel. Everybody gathered on the outskirts of the battlefield, where bleachers had been set up. The match would be overseen by Osberon, Beorhtric, Driskoll, and Leonard. This was a formality, but it made everything feel right. Waltheof called over Wynnstan and Ultimatum, having selected excellent seats to watch the event.
The two, mighty brothers prepared their blades and charged forward when the signal was given. Their swords slammed into each other, sounding like a mighty crack of thunder each time. The duel then quickly went into full gear, putting everybody on the edge of their seats. Ealdhelm and Wulfric were hamming it up a bit, but the audience did not mind. It made things more exciting.
Just when it seemed like one brother was about to give, they would pull out an ace up their sleeve. Both combatants began using magic, utterly amazing the audience. Ealdhelm’s magic was more refined, focusing on technique while Wulfric focused on power. Paying attention to the lightning bolts, ice boulders, and fireballs flying around, one could see aspects of both brothers in their respective spells.
“By the Source, brother,” Ealdhelm cried as their blades met. “I’m not sure I could’ve bested you had we fought in earnest.”
Wulfric laughed. “Don’t patronize me, Ealdhelm. I know you’re holding back.”
Ealdhelm chuckled. “Well we can’t go too overboard, can we?” He was indicating the audience.
“Better not let father hear you talking like that, ha!” Wulfric then called down a comet that rocketed towards the battlefield.
Ealdhelm summoned a large spear and hurled it as hard as he could, causing the comet to burst into a glittering snowfall. “Well I could say the same about your previous ambitions.”
Wulfric stopped, then laughed. “Touché, Ealdhelm. You know, he probably already knows what we’re up to…”
“No doubt about it,” Ealdhelm replied as he sent a tornado towards Wulfric.
The Cyclone was cleaved in half with a clean cut, causing it to explode in a burst of wind and rain. It was an impressive sight, leading to the audience clapping and cheering. Annoyingly the brothers could feel that their fortitude was waning as they had been dueling for a while. They ran at each other for one last barrage of sword clashes as a final hurrah. The exchange was an incredible sight, ending with the two simultaneously bending the knee in exhaustion. The audience still celebrated like one of them had won regardless.
Leonard laughed. “I guess we have a draw then!” he declared. This was followed by thunderous applause, with him using his magic to launch some celebratory fireworks.
Despite being worn out, the brothers both gave a bow to the audience. As they left, warriors from each of the Discordant realms made their way to the arena. They were full of energy and ready to give the audience their own show. While Driskoll cautioned the combatants to go easy on each other, he gave them the go ahead. The audience would thin over the night, but the ones who stayed were glad they did.
Tusk would sleep at the monastery that night and head back home in the morning. The village was thrilled to have him back, congratulating him on his victory and wedding to be. In truth things were like the good old days for Tusk, before Thora went missing. It filled him with a warm feeling and a sweet nostalgia. And this time there was no bumbling Lich to ruin the good mood.
Needing some time to think before his wedding the next day, Tusk went back to the spot he had sat in for so long. “What a wild journey it’s been…”
“Hey, Tusk?”
“Razor, what’s up?”
“Nothing much,” he said as he sat down beside him. “I heard the festival was fun.”
He nodded. “You should’ve come along.”
“I was too worn out… and the rest of the wolves wouldn’t stop asking me about our adventure.” The two chuckled.
“Anyways, don’t mind me, I just wanted to think.”
“About your big day?” Razor wondered.
“That, and everything that’s led up to this point. It’s funny how it all works out in the end. One minute you're stuck in a rut unsure what to do and next your thrust in front of one of the Discordant Champions. Razor, I want you to remember that even at your lowest, there’s always an answer. It could be your niece, your lover, or even a boy that wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place. Don’t turn your back on that answer, no matter how perilous things seem.”
Razor smiled and nodded. “Well hey, I’m a wolf. If the rain ever gets too heavy, I’ll just hide out under a tree until it passes…”
“Assuming the tree isn’t shirking his duties.”
“Well even then, you’re helping to keep that wolf safe from the elements” Razor pointed out.
“True, very true,” Tusk admitted. “Still want to join the guild? It’s only going to get more challenging from here on out.”
“I thought about it and I’m in for the long haul, Tusk.”
He patted Razor on the back. “Glad to hear it, Mainchín.”
Auda came scurrying up to the two. “Uncle Tusk? Grandpa needs your help with the planning stuff.”
Tusk stood up and stretched. “I thought I gave him clear instructions, heh. Want to lend a hand, Razor?” He happily accepted, following Tusk as they returned to the village.
Next: Chapter 20
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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