ULTRAMagic Eon 1 - Chapter 10
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“And just what do you think you are doing, Sir Raynot?” Tiberius inquired as Blood-Wraith set up some sigils and candles on a table in the main hall.
“No use trying to put the breaks on this, it’s going down…”
“Shoot, he’s really doing it,” Weaver remarked. “That explains why you’re here, Gabriella, not that I’m complaining.”
Gabriella gave a slightly uneasy sigh as she took off her tricorn hat. “Now, Blood, mom isn’t exactly fully free at the moment.”
“But she isn’t fully busy, is she?”
“Well, um, she does have a moment I suppose…”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” Blood-Wraith said as he lit the candles with his magic and placed a black and red feather in the center of the main seal.
“Just as a warning, she’s been a little, um, overzealous as of late…”
Weaver knew exactly what she was referring to, with a slight expression of worry appearing on his face. “Oh yeah… You might want to slow down a bit, Blood…”
“I compel you, Zozena!” Blood-Wraith declared, causing the flames to go out.
“Have things gotten hectic between her and Achasiah again, Gabriella?” Tiberius wondered.
“No, it’s something else…”
Before she could continue, some of the loudest cracks of thunder shook the guild hall, startling everyone except for Blood-Wraith (he still jumped a little though). “Huh, she’s louder than usual…” he noted.
The four hurried outside, with Tiberius calming guild members along the way. Standing in the courtyard was Valentina, a former dark angel turned chaos angel. She wore fierce, black and red armor, her long, silver hair was braided behind her, and what looked like red electricity arced like lightning through her pitch black wings. A close friend of Blood-Wraith, she had seemingly met him by chance when he was first born, going on to become his alchemy mentor. Blood-Wraith also saw Valentina as one of his aunts, despite the lack of a familial relationship.
“Val!” Blood-Wraith called out as he hurried over. “I missed you.”
She smiled and snapped her fingers, switching out to casual attire. “Blood, I missed you too, sweetie!” she said as she picked him up for a hug. “What are you doing in your pajamas though?” she asked as she set him back down.
“Oh yeah, that. I had to rush out the door this morning.”
“Goodness, you’re that busy already?” She then ruffled his hair, with him chuckling in response. “Hello Gabriella, Weaver. I trust you two have been doing alright?”
“Indeed, mother,” she replied as she gave her a hug.
“Good to see you too, Val. Dang, have you been that busy as of late or what?”
“Oh I know, dear,” she said as she patted him on the shoulder. “Ever since becoming one of the Vermilion King’s generals I’ve been all over the place. It doesn’t help that The Storm God showed up recently, trying to convince The Verdant Prince to get back into conquering…”
“Wow, sounds frustrating,” Blood-Wraith commented.
“Very,” Valentina replied, a hint of frustration in her voice. “Sorry I couldn’t be here for the inauguration, Blood. I saw it on TV, however, and I am so proud of you.”
Blood-Wraith chuckled again, accepting that dose of pride. “Thanks, Val. Now let’s head in and get you up to speed on what’s happening!” he said as he started to walk towards the guild hall.
“Well actually, sweetie, I’d like to go see the city first and go say hi to the others, if that’s okay with you.”
Blood smiled and nodded in acceptance. “Fine with me.”
“Hold on one second, Blood,” Gabriella interrupted. “Mother, to be clear, you’re over that bout of zealotry you had during your last visit to Earth, correct?”
Valentina looked incredibly guilty for a moment. “Do we have to bring this up now?”
Blood-Wraith crossed his arms, as he could sense something troubling. “Val? What is she talking about?”
The angel averted her gaze for a second, then noticed Blood-Wraith’s inquisitive look and sighed. “Blood, I may have had a real gaffe moment recently…”
“What happened?”
“I… I may have been considering trying to unite Earth under my direction…”
“And it was going to be a borderline hivemind, had Ellen the Wayward not intervened,” Gabriella put in with a disapproving tone similar to the one she had back when the event had transpired.
Blood-Wraith had a look on his face that was the epitome of a disappointed parent (despite being vastly younger than Valentina). “Val! You and I both know that would not work. You have to let people fix their own issues… I’m aware of the elephant in the room, Tiberius.”
He laughed and patted him on the back. “Points for honesty, Blood. Although I have to question what would prompt such a drastic intervention in the first place, Valentina…”
“Oh, you know,” she started to say. “The wars, the Black Death, the rapid expansion of humanity, Demeter giving Hades and Persephone unbelievable amounts of grief over their marriage-It’s an utter madhouse at the moment.”
“Indeed…” Tiberius slightly regretted asking as he could hear the stress in her voice. “Well your heart was definitely in the right place, but that idea was indicative of tunnel vision. Now, Blood? How about you get ready for the day while we explain to Valentina what’s been going on. And when you return, Valentina should be free to go see The Iron City with you. Does that sound good?”
Blood-Wraith looked down at his slightly muddied pajama pants and nodded. “Good idea, Tiberius. I’ll be back soon.” He then turned into Indigo Wolf and took off as quickly as he could.
Valentina sighed. “I still disagree with Ellen a little given the apocalypse that’s set to happen in the late 2020s…” She then realized the obvious. “Oh jeez, where are my manners? It is an honor, Tiberius.”
“Likewise, Valentina. It has been quite the roller coaster ride ever since Valerie issued her challenge to us and Blood ruined my attempt to recruit her into the guild…”
Once Blood-Wraith had changed his clothes and Valentina was fully informed about Valerie, the two went for a walk around The Iron City, accompanied by Gabriella and Weaver. Tiberius had to take a moment after they had left to confide in Alexia that Valentina was just as rambunctious as Blood-Wraith and that it concerned him. Showing Valerie that they had powerful allies as a means of proving their worth was a good idea on paper, but he was worried that it could potentially get everyone riled up again. Alexia was of the mindset that they had nothing to lose from this, as Blood-Wraith was not out to challenge Valerie. While a bit gung-ho, he was bound to learn something from the encounter either way. Tiberius was not fond of such bravado, but he conceded that it was preferable to let Blood-Wraith trip and fall one time than to coddle him.
Seeing the Raynot’s and Schindewolf’s again was a delight for Valentina as she was happy to see that they were all doing well. Dunja also told Valentina about some of her experiences with Valerie, which made her eager for the next day. That morning Valentina rounded up Blood-Wraith and Dragoslava, got them ready to go, and teleported them to Castle Ter Avest. Valerie was a bit shocked by the unannounced arrival, but welcomed it regardless. Once herself and her daughters were ready, they made their way down to the lush courtyard to greet their newest guest.
“Goodness, Sir Blood-Wraith!” Valerie said as she walked up. “This early in the morning? Well to be fair it’s not that early…”
“Yes, Valerie, because we’re laying down the law,” he replied with confidence.
“Ooh, and I can feel it too-you mean business this time, no two ways about it.” Blood-Wraith gave a slightly smug nod to her.
“Hey, it’s my boyfriend!” Eloise announced.
Blood-Wraith blushed a little as Valentina and Dragoslava quietly giggled. “I’m not your boyfriend!” he declared.
“Aw, but I got these books while I was out shopping yesterday… for my boyfriend…”
He started to feel bad, but was also curious. “So, um, what did you get me?”
She happily handed him three, thick graphic novels. “You know Redman’s Pen and Quill down on Bloom Street? Shadowland is opening back up to outside stuff and the store finally has manga again. I really want you to read this shonen exorcist series. Let me know if you like it and I’ll buy you the rest of the volumes.”
Dragoslava laughed. “Still fraternizing with our opponents, Blood?”
“Hey, it’s just manga and I like this kind of stuff…”
Valentina could not help but also laugh. “How sweet… Now, Valerie Ter Avest?” She stomped her foot and spread out her majestic wings, with a magnificent and intense aura emanating like fire around her. “I am Chaos Angel Zozena, General of The Vermilion King’s Army!”
Valerie clapped, definitely impressed. “I’ve heard of you, Ms. Pari. You turned Sir Raynot into a fine alchemist and helped The Vermilion King reclaim his kingdom. Very impressive.”
“And I heard you sabotaged Milosh and The Lich, of which we are very grateful for.”
“Don’t mention it,” she replied with a bit of pride laced with vindictiveness (obviously directed at Milosh) in her voice.
“Now, Valerie, there is no need to worry as The Vermilion King plans to secure the Cosmos from that loathsome Sepulchure God. His majesty also bestowed me with enough power to make me eighth dimensional. I can assure you that we can save the Cosmos.”
“Good, good…” she replied. Valerie’s tone had subtle hints she was waiting for something, however.
“Uniting The Unlight is a good idea on paper, but as someone who considered uniting her Earth under her wings, it doesn’t work in execution…”
And there it was, the doubt Valerie was expecting. She wanted to speak her mind on it, but maintained her composure as she wanted to stay on top. “I see, I see… Can your companions vouch for your prowess?”
Blood-Wraith nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely.”
“I second that,” Dragoslava added. “Would have been nice to have had her along during the fight with The Lich, but that’s in the past now.”
As much as she appreciated their attitudes, Valerie could tell that Valentina still had some growing to do. “Girls, what do you think?”
“Very powerful indeed,” Eloise stated. “I’m a bit jealous, not going to lie.”
“She would be a truly valuable ally, no doubt about it,” Guinevere asserted.
Valerie gave an approving nod, but those who were aware knew what she was planning. “Another hard bargain, Sir Blood-Wraith. Now, Valentina, are you sure you can handle The Eternal Order? They are quite the handful, let me tell you…”
Valentina was about to reply, but hesitated a little. “Er, yes, despite the chaos certain members are causing for Earth and Atlangea…”
Valerie did not like the sound of that, but continued to maintain her composure. She then got out a deck of cards and fanned it out face down. “Valentina? Pick a card, any card…”
Upon taking one of the crystalline cards and studying it, Valentina knew exactly what kind of magic she was dealing with. “Oh shoot! Is that the time? Sorry, Valerie, but we’ll have to resume this some other time. Muffins in the oven, transmutations in the furnace, you know, the usual…” She quickly grabbed Blood-Wraith and Dragoslava by the arms, catching them off guard. “Bye for now, Valerie, and thanks for having us!”
“Wait a second!” Blood-Wraith realized. “Val!?” The three then vanished in a flurry of black and red feathers.
“Shoot, that wasn’t the exact card I wanted to give her…” Valerie lamented as she put away her deck. “Oh well, a wild card is a wild card.”
“What was all that?” Eloise questioned.
“A test, my dear. I needed to see how she would react…”
Guinevere sighed. “So this little contest is going to keep going then, mother?”
“Well I wasn’t just going to blindly accept her offer, sweetie.”
“That’s not what I meant…” Guinevere quietly grunted.
Eloise picked up one of the feathers, with it fading in the sunlight as she held it. “Do you think you could have defeated someone like her, mom?”
“Truthfully, no, even with my hexes. They’re strong, but they’re not that strong. Ahem, make note of the power of the bluff, girls. It’s not going to work again, but it can get you out of a tight situation.”
Guinevere chuckled. “How devious, mother,” she complimented as began to head inside.
Eloise sighed as she gazed out into the horizon, the sun shining over the glistening snow of mountain tops. “I hope those manga volumes help cheer Blood up…”
“I’m sure they will, dear,” Valerie reassured her daughter with a rub on the back. “Boys love action packed stories like that and that one in particular seems like it is right up Blood-Wraith’s alley. Now come, let’s go have some lunch and then get tonight’s dessert ready.”
Next: Chapter 11
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
“And just what do you think you are doing, Sir Raynot?” Tiberius inquired as Blood-Wraith set up some sigils and candles on a table in the main hall.
“No use trying to put the breaks on this, it’s going down…”
“Shoot, he’s really doing it,” Weaver remarked. “That explains why you’re here, Gabriella, not that I’m complaining.”
Gabriella gave a slightly uneasy sigh as she took off her tricorn hat. “Now, Blood, mom isn’t exactly fully free at the moment.”
“But she isn’t fully busy, is she?”
“Well, um, she does have a moment I suppose…”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” Blood-Wraith said as he lit the candles with his magic and placed a black and red feather in the center of the main seal.
“Just as a warning, she’s been a little, um, overzealous as of late…”
Weaver knew exactly what she was referring to, with a slight expression of worry appearing on his face. “Oh yeah… You might want to slow down a bit, Blood…”
“I compel you, Zozena!” Blood-Wraith declared, causing the flames to go out.
“Have things gotten hectic between her and Achasiah again, Gabriella?” Tiberius wondered.
“No, it’s something else…”
Before she could continue, some of the loudest cracks of thunder shook the guild hall, startling everyone except for Blood-Wraith (he still jumped a little though). “Huh, she’s louder than usual…” he noted.
The four hurried outside, with Tiberius calming guild members along the way. Standing in the courtyard was Valentina, a former dark angel turned chaos angel. She wore fierce, black and red armor, her long, silver hair was braided behind her, and what looked like red electricity arced like lightning through her pitch black wings. A close friend of Blood-Wraith, she had seemingly met him by chance when he was first born, going on to become his alchemy mentor. Blood-Wraith also saw Valentina as one of his aunts, despite the lack of a familial relationship.
“Val!” Blood-Wraith called out as he hurried over. “I missed you.”
She smiled and snapped her fingers, switching out to casual attire. “Blood, I missed you too, sweetie!” she said as she picked him up for a hug. “What are you doing in your pajamas though?” she asked as she set him back down.
“Oh yeah, that. I had to rush out the door this morning.”
“Goodness, you’re that busy already?” She then ruffled his hair, with him chuckling in response. “Hello Gabriella, Weaver. I trust you two have been doing alright?”
“Indeed, mother,” she replied as she gave her a hug.
“Good to see you too, Val. Dang, have you been that busy as of late or what?”
“Oh I know, dear,” she said as she patted him on the shoulder. “Ever since becoming one of the Vermilion King’s generals I’ve been all over the place. It doesn’t help that The Storm God showed up recently, trying to convince The Verdant Prince to get back into conquering…”
“Wow, sounds frustrating,” Blood-Wraith commented.
“Very,” Valentina replied, a hint of frustration in her voice. “Sorry I couldn’t be here for the inauguration, Blood. I saw it on TV, however, and I am so proud of you.”
Blood-Wraith chuckled again, accepting that dose of pride. “Thanks, Val. Now let’s head in and get you up to speed on what’s happening!” he said as he started to walk towards the guild hall.
“Well actually, sweetie, I’d like to go see the city first and go say hi to the others, if that’s okay with you.”
Blood smiled and nodded in acceptance. “Fine with me.”
“Hold on one second, Blood,” Gabriella interrupted. “Mother, to be clear, you’re over that bout of zealotry you had during your last visit to Earth, correct?”
Valentina looked incredibly guilty for a moment. “Do we have to bring this up now?”
Blood-Wraith crossed his arms, as he could sense something troubling. “Val? What is she talking about?”
The angel averted her gaze for a second, then noticed Blood-Wraith’s inquisitive look and sighed. “Blood, I may have had a real gaffe moment recently…”
“What happened?”
“I… I may have been considering trying to unite Earth under my direction…”
“And it was going to be a borderline hivemind, had Ellen the Wayward not intervened,” Gabriella put in with a disapproving tone similar to the one she had back when the event had transpired.
Blood-Wraith had a look on his face that was the epitome of a disappointed parent (despite being vastly younger than Valentina). “Val! You and I both know that would not work. You have to let people fix their own issues… I’m aware of the elephant in the room, Tiberius.”
He laughed and patted him on the back. “Points for honesty, Blood. Although I have to question what would prompt such a drastic intervention in the first place, Valentina…”
“Oh, you know,” she started to say. “The wars, the Black Death, the rapid expansion of humanity, Demeter giving Hades and Persephone unbelievable amounts of grief over their marriage-It’s an utter madhouse at the moment.”
“Indeed…” Tiberius slightly regretted asking as he could hear the stress in her voice. “Well your heart was definitely in the right place, but that idea was indicative of tunnel vision. Now, Blood? How about you get ready for the day while we explain to Valentina what’s been going on. And when you return, Valentina should be free to go see The Iron City with you. Does that sound good?”
Blood-Wraith looked down at his slightly muddied pajama pants and nodded. “Good idea, Tiberius. I’ll be back soon.” He then turned into Indigo Wolf and took off as quickly as he could.
Valentina sighed. “I still disagree with Ellen a little given the apocalypse that’s set to happen in the late 2020s…” She then realized the obvious. “Oh jeez, where are my manners? It is an honor, Tiberius.”
“Likewise, Valentina. It has been quite the roller coaster ride ever since Valerie issued her challenge to us and Blood ruined my attempt to recruit her into the guild…”
Once Blood-Wraith had changed his clothes and Valentina was fully informed about Valerie, the two went for a walk around The Iron City, accompanied by Gabriella and Weaver. Tiberius had to take a moment after they had left to confide in Alexia that Valentina was just as rambunctious as Blood-Wraith and that it concerned him. Showing Valerie that they had powerful allies as a means of proving their worth was a good idea on paper, but he was worried that it could potentially get everyone riled up again. Alexia was of the mindset that they had nothing to lose from this, as Blood-Wraith was not out to challenge Valerie. While a bit gung-ho, he was bound to learn something from the encounter either way. Tiberius was not fond of such bravado, but he conceded that it was preferable to let Blood-Wraith trip and fall one time than to coddle him.
Seeing the Raynot’s and Schindewolf’s again was a delight for Valentina as she was happy to see that they were all doing well. Dunja also told Valentina about some of her experiences with Valerie, which made her eager for the next day. That morning Valentina rounded up Blood-Wraith and Dragoslava, got them ready to go, and teleported them to Castle Ter Avest. Valerie was a bit shocked by the unannounced arrival, but welcomed it regardless. Once herself and her daughters were ready, they made their way down to the lush courtyard to greet their newest guest.
“Goodness, Sir Blood-Wraith!” Valerie said as she walked up. “This early in the morning? Well to be fair it’s not that early…”
“Yes, Valerie, because we’re laying down the law,” he replied with confidence.
“Ooh, and I can feel it too-you mean business this time, no two ways about it.” Blood-Wraith gave a slightly smug nod to her.
“Hey, it’s my boyfriend!” Eloise announced.
Blood-Wraith blushed a little as Valentina and Dragoslava quietly giggled. “I’m not your boyfriend!” he declared.
“Aw, but I got these books while I was out shopping yesterday… for my boyfriend…”
He started to feel bad, but was also curious. “So, um, what did you get me?”
She happily handed him three, thick graphic novels. “You know Redman’s Pen and Quill down on Bloom Street? Shadowland is opening back up to outside stuff and the store finally has manga again. I really want you to read this shonen exorcist series. Let me know if you like it and I’ll buy you the rest of the volumes.”
Dragoslava laughed. “Still fraternizing with our opponents, Blood?”
“Hey, it’s just manga and I like this kind of stuff…”
Valentina could not help but also laugh. “How sweet… Now, Valerie Ter Avest?” She stomped her foot and spread out her majestic wings, with a magnificent and intense aura emanating like fire around her. “I am Chaos Angel Zozena, General of The Vermilion King’s Army!”
Valerie clapped, definitely impressed. “I’ve heard of you, Ms. Pari. You turned Sir Raynot into a fine alchemist and helped The Vermilion King reclaim his kingdom. Very impressive.”
“And I heard you sabotaged Milosh and The Lich, of which we are very grateful for.”
“Don’t mention it,” she replied with a bit of pride laced with vindictiveness (obviously directed at Milosh) in her voice.
“Now, Valerie, there is no need to worry as The Vermilion King plans to secure the Cosmos from that loathsome Sepulchure God. His majesty also bestowed me with enough power to make me eighth dimensional. I can assure you that we can save the Cosmos.”
“Good, good…” she replied. Valerie’s tone had subtle hints she was waiting for something, however.
“Uniting The Unlight is a good idea on paper, but as someone who considered uniting her Earth under her wings, it doesn’t work in execution…”
And there it was, the doubt Valerie was expecting. She wanted to speak her mind on it, but maintained her composure as she wanted to stay on top. “I see, I see… Can your companions vouch for your prowess?”
Blood-Wraith nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely.”
“I second that,” Dragoslava added. “Would have been nice to have had her along during the fight with The Lich, but that’s in the past now.”
As much as she appreciated their attitudes, Valerie could tell that Valentina still had some growing to do. “Girls, what do you think?”
“Very powerful indeed,” Eloise stated. “I’m a bit jealous, not going to lie.”
“She would be a truly valuable ally, no doubt about it,” Guinevere asserted.
Valerie gave an approving nod, but those who were aware knew what she was planning. “Another hard bargain, Sir Blood-Wraith. Now, Valentina, are you sure you can handle The Eternal Order? They are quite the handful, let me tell you…”
Valentina was about to reply, but hesitated a little. “Er, yes, despite the chaos certain members are causing for Earth and Atlangea…”
Valerie did not like the sound of that, but continued to maintain her composure. She then got out a deck of cards and fanned it out face down. “Valentina? Pick a card, any card…”
Upon taking one of the crystalline cards and studying it, Valentina knew exactly what kind of magic she was dealing with. “Oh shoot! Is that the time? Sorry, Valerie, but we’ll have to resume this some other time. Muffins in the oven, transmutations in the furnace, you know, the usual…” She quickly grabbed Blood-Wraith and Dragoslava by the arms, catching them off guard. “Bye for now, Valerie, and thanks for having us!”
“Wait a second!” Blood-Wraith realized. “Val!?” The three then vanished in a flurry of black and red feathers.
“Shoot, that wasn’t the exact card I wanted to give her…” Valerie lamented as she put away her deck. “Oh well, a wild card is a wild card.”
“What was all that?” Eloise questioned.
“A test, my dear. I needed to see how she would react…”
Guinevere sighed. “So this little contest is going to keep going then, mother?”
“Well I wasn’t just going to blindly accept her offer, sweetie.”
“That’s not what I meant…” Guinevere quietly grunted.
Eloise picked up one of the feathers, with it fading in the sunlight as she held it. “Do you think you could have defeated someone like her, mom?”
“Truthfully, no, even with my hexes. They’re strong, but they’re not that strong. Ahem, make note of the power of the bluff, girls. It’s not going to work again, but it can get you out of a tight situation.”
Guinevere chuckled. “How devious, mother,” she complimented as began to head inside.
Eloise sighed as she gazed out into the horizon, the sun shining over the glistening snow of mountain tops. “I hope those manga volumes help cheer Blood up…”
“I’m sure they will, dear,” Valerie reassured her daughter with a rub on the back. “Boys love action packed stories like that and that one in particular seems like it is right up Blood-Wraith’s alley. Now come, let’s go have some lunch and then get tonight’s dessert ready.”
Next: Chapter 11
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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