ULTRAMagic Eon 1 - Chapter 13

Previous | First | Next

Master Post - Patreon


    “Being a member of The Liger Brigade has been a wild ride, no two ways about it,” Will explained to the rest of the guild as they all enjoyed lunch in the main hall. “You’d think you’re just doing some desk jobs because Captain Briggs wanted to keep me out of the military, but no. Apparently I needed to actually justify my membership in the brigade to the suits over in the Pentagon. I was asked to come along on a mission to Ohio as a fly on the wall and that spiraled into a whole career! There was a murder mystery in Minnesota, a magic anomaly in Maine, and a shark-human hybrid in Florida. I’ve even been to France, Japan, Ireland, Mexico, and Brazil. Japan and Ireland were my favorites.”

    “I wasn’t sure what to make of him when he first joined, truth be told,” Rostislav said after sipping some of his drink and clearing his throat. “But then he told us about the stuff he had gotten up to beforehand. Honestly it puts my story to shame. I went to a magic academy in Londinium with Ludwig as a lad, then sat on my bum back at my family’s manor in Dacia up until I joined the PMRDO when the time was right.”

    “Hold up,” Blood-Wraith interjected. “What’s ‘Londinium’ and ‘Dacia’?”

    “London and Romania, I believe,” Gabriella answered. “Those are classical names for those places, I believe originating from Ancient Rome in my timeline.”

    “And that’s what I’ve been told,” Rostislav replied, followed by him taking a bite of his sandwich.

    Blood-Wraith nodded, then looked at Ludwig. “So is Almany your equivalent of Germany?”

    “Ja,” he replied. “It was incredibly confusing when I arrived in the Unlight and people kept referring to me as ‘German.’”

    “A little trivia, his Germany did not have to deal with the dictatorial mustache man,” Will added, his humor a tad awkward. “Sebastian on the other hand I have no idea.”

    Tiberius looked over to Deimos and Vexation, who seemed to share his unease. “Such things are unknowable unless we look into them, so let’s hope Sebastian-0X either did not come to be or chose to live a normal life.”

    “If it helps, Tiberius,” Ludwig started to say. “I am fully aware of the ongoing manhunt for Hecate-23 and it is of great concern to the PMRDO. Fortunately our Spiritus Magni Hecate has been on the lookout for The Eternal Order, ever since the third cataclysm.”

    “Well that is good to hear, Ludwig. Drusa, do you have any thoughts on this matter?”

    “Alternate timelines are weird…” she remarked. “I wonder what that version of me is up to right now…”

    “Our Drusa tends to mingle amongst humanity from the shadows,” Ludwig answered. “She and our Octavia are on the PMRDO’s side and have been pivotal in convincing Spiritus Magnus Vita-bless her magnificence-not to wipe the slate clean.” The others noticed a brief hint of dread when Ludwig gave praise.

    “Sounds about right to me,” Drusa said with a smile. “Although that Vita sounds a little more hot-headed then ours…”

    “Our Drusa has also been somewhat interested in our Valentina, which…” Ludwig ended with a slight shudder.

    Valentina could not help but notice that reaction and had to speak up on the matter. “Pardon my asking, but what is so bad about whatever my counterpart is doing that’s so… disconcerting?”

    “The dukedom of Donnerherz, while prosperous, does lean into hedonism and mild decadence,” Ludwig elaborated. “I respect the advances they have made in magic and alchemy, but I could care less for their pursuits of pleasure and pride.”

    Gabriella looked at her mother with a mild glare. “You better not be getting any ideas…”

    “Oh no, sweetie, I was just curious.” Valentina received a skeptical look from her daughter. “Although I may have to do a quick victory lap around Ellen when I get the chance…”

    “Mother!” Gabriella scolded, with Weaver and some of the others chuckling.

    Rostislav laughed to himself. “Fido’s only testy because one of his friends went all in on the Donnerherz lifestyle and…” He was cut off by a small thunder crack and a growl from Ludwig, mildly startling the others. “Alright, Jesus, chill, Rover.” He then glanced around, looking for something he could switch subjects to. “Oh hey, Weaver? You kind of remind me of Will now that I think about it…”

    He was a little surprised by that comment, but laughed. “Yeah, I can see that,” Weaver replied. “Hey, Will? Do you have any interest in smithing?”

    “I mean, I could if I wanted to…”

    “Well feel free to swing by the shop when you get the chance, even in the future.”

    “Thanks, Weaver. I’ll keep that in mind.”

    The Future Squad talked for a little bit longer about themselves until lunch was finished. The conversation was more of the usual, consisting mostly of Will’s Liger Brigade stories. Nobody complained as they were quite interesting and the parts tangentially related to the guild were of particular note (even though Will had to leave out certain details for obvious reasons). Tiberius and Blood-Wraith would show the squad to their quarters for the duration of their stay and they were pleased by what they were presented. It was a spacious room with three separate beds, a series of bookshelves with things for them to read, and a nice, wooden table at the back. Will went and picked a bed, easing into the cushy mattress. His only complaint was that there was no television, but fortunately Ludwig found a modestly sized one in the closet and got it set up.

    Not too long before dinner, the trio were visited by Tusk and Deimos. Tusk knew he was going to get a laundry list of questions from his niece and Deimos was keen to hear about Will’s friendship with Vlastimir. Of interest was also the fact that Rostislav hinted at being a vampire, Ludwig was a winged dog demon named Caacrinolaas, and Will was a primordial reincarnated as a dullahan. Dinner that night was pasta focused, being prepared by Desislav, Valentina, and Xavier Dufort (an Earth devil that served Valentina and her family). Not everyone was there, but it was still a delight for the future squad. Will could easily spot Valentina’s cooking as it was just like Antonio’s.

    Ludwig was able to settle down that night with ease, but Will and Rostislav were a little hyper. Being in the past was a big deal, and sleeping in it was unheard of for the two. Ludwig wanted to get to bed early, but his teammates kept talking about the guild of the past. Such excitement was to be expected, so he would humor them and occasionally chime in on their conversation. Truthfully their enthusiasm was infectious and they all stayed up until around 11 PM. Fortunately they were able to sleep quietly and peacefully, save for Will who had to go to the bathroom occasionally.

    An hour after lunch the following day, Blood-Wraith went to the squad’s quarters, as he had some questions for Will. “Hey, Will?” he called out as he knocked. “You there?”

    “One second,” his voice called back. “Come on in!”

    Stepping inside, Will looked like he had just hid something (presumably things from the future). “Will, you got a moment?”

    “Sure, shoot.”

    “So you really don’t remember that time we hung out at The Critical Chance Arcade or those times you visited me in the city?”

    Will felt bad again, but this time he would do better. “Alright, here’s what I remember: I remember that I’m Zasiel, I’m a member of the Tah family, Stolas and Cynassa are my best friends, and Gabriella I vaguely remember. You? I don’t know. It’s all hazy, like a dream from a long time ago.”

    Blood-Wraith sighed. “I see. Well no use trying to push it as Val said these kinds of memories need to come back naturally.”

    Will nodded, followed by a moment’s pause. “Hey, Blood? Can we be friends?”

    “We’re not friends already? I make it a point to get to know my fellow guildmates.”

    It was tempting to say the obvious, but Will held his tongue, wanting to choose his words carefully. “I can’t say why, but let’s just say you’re in and out a lot. I’ve met you, but I haven’t gotten the chance to sit down and talk with you.”

    “Oh, well that won’t do…” Blood-Wraith then thought about a solution for a moment. “When you get back, ask me to hang out with you. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, I’ll make time.”

    This made Will smile. “Sure thing, Blood. Oh hey!” He then retrieved a card from the table. “In regards to Valerie, I’ve had experience with hexes before…”

    The conversation was interrupted by Yale flying in and buzzing in his face. “Will, be careful what you say…”

    Will gave a light, dismissive sigh with an eye roll. “Don’t worry, I read the guide more thoroughly. Anyways, this card is from my friend, Valentin…”

    “Jeez, a lot of ‘Val’s’ recently, am I right?” Yale remarked, causing Will and Blood-Wraith to snicker.

    Blood-Wraith took the shiny card and marveled at it, then handed it back. “So who is Valentin?”

    “Valentin Karppinen is a cunning and clever mage who has been scorned many times by Sebastian,” Yale explained. “He fought back with guile and planning, even managing to sabotage and outwit the Death Knell Coven.”

    “Annoyingly we were enemies at first…” Will added.

    “Wow, impressive… the cleverness, I mean,” Blood-Wraith commented. “How did you even deal with that, Will?”

    Will was about to speak, but Yale cut him off. “We had M.A.I.G. and The Liger Brigade by our side, keeping us safe. And things would have gone smoothly if Will had not walked right into several of Valentin’s traps…” Will groaned, causing Yale to chuckle a little.

    Blood-Wraith could not help but laugh a little himself. “Don’t worry, Will. You’re here now and that’s what matters.”

    He nodded and sighed again. “I suppose you’re right…”

    “So does that hex do anything?”

    Will wobbled the card a little, inspecting it. “I think it’s a blank at the moment…”

    “Hmm, let me see it for a second. Aureolus has been teaching me stuff about this kind of magic.” Blood-Wraith studied the card for a moment, then focused on the idea of it having an effect. Rich, blue flames swirled into it, causing it to glow bright azure for a moment. “Here you go!” he said as he returned the card.

    “Wow, thanks, Blood.” Will was amazed by the incredible picture of Azure Spider, but noticed it was surrounded by clouds. It also did not feel like there was anything to it at the moment. “Um, is it finished yet? It doesn’t look like it…”

    “Probably not,” Yale assessed. “You’re not a hexer, this is a unique situation, we’re still in the past…”

    “Yeah, Aureolus told me these things can take time to form and finalize,” Blood-Wraith pointed out.

    “Fine with me, I can wait,” Will admitted.

    Yale gave a slightly mocking laugh. “Like how you waited for Rostislav back in Firesnow Valley?” This made Will cross his arms with an annoyed look on his face, causing Blood-Wraith to giggle.

    Before anything else could be said, the guild’s alarm system went off. It was loud, yet urgent with a reassuring nature to it. Will was startled at first, but perked right up and looked Blood-Wraith in the eye. “Hey hey hey, they’re playing our song. Come on, Blood, let’s go fight some monsters,” he said as he patted his shoulder and started to head out.

    “Is that a reference? I feel like that’s a reference,” Blood-Wraith remarked with a laugh. Will’s upbeat disposition was definitely something to be admired.

    Yale also laughed. “You would not believe the amount of film references he and Rostislav try to make given all the movies they watch…”

    Once enough members were assembled in the situation room, Tiberius gave a run down of the intel that had been gathered. Valerie had deployed Guinevere to Fallwater Basin, presumably to retrieve an artifact the royal mages of The Iron City were interested in. Wanting to put his best foot forward, Blood-Wraith elected to take Dragoslava and The Future Squad along with him. The trio anticipated this and were ready to go. While it was ideal to retrieve whatever Valerie was after, the main priority of the mission was overcoming Guinevere. And Tiberius knew it was going to be interesting as he could tell that Guinevere was a clever one.

    Blood-Wraith and his teammates took a second to go over some last minute details while Dragoslava made some preparations of her own. Upon heading out to the front gates, the four saw Dragoslava preparing her motorcycle. “Alright, gents, let’s go moving,” she said as she tested the gauges.

    “Not going to travel with us, sister?” Blood-Wraith inquired.

    “Fallwater Basin is within the Central Unlight, so I should be fine.”

    Blood-Wraith shrugged in acceptance. “Fine with me. I’ll be overhead regardless.”

    “That’s a nice motorcycle, Drago…” Will complimented, utterly amazed by the condition and craftsmanship.

    “Thanks. Took a while to figure out how to get it just the way I wanted, but it was worth it. See you guys at the basin.” She then put her helmet on and tore out of there with a loud roar of the bike’s engine.

    Blood-Wraith nodded and turned to Ludwig. “Need a lift? Golden Dragon has plenty of room…”

    “Thank you, Blood, but I’ve got this.” Ludwig hovered a good distance into the air, surrounded himself in storm clouds, and flew off accompanied by the sound of thunder.

    “Alright, I guess you two will definitely need a lift then…” Blood-Wraith focused and briefly shone with a golden light, assuming the form of Golden Dragon. “Air-dragon boarding now!” he said as he lowered himself to allow his passengers to climb up.

    Will could feel his excitement building as he clambered up Blood-Wraith’s scales. “This is going to be so cool!” He could feel his inner child brimming with anticipation.

    “Just wait until the guys back home hear that I got to ride a dragon,” Rostislav commented as he followed behind.

    “What about your parents, Rostislav?” Blood-Wraith questioned.

    “Oh? Er, yeah, them too, hehe.”

    Blood-Wraith then fanned out his gigantic wings and prepared for take off. “Hold on tight, guys. This is going to be a bumpy ride.”


Next: Chapter 14

ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

ULTRAMagic Alternate Legal Disclaimer

ULTRAMagic Alternate Master Post

ULTRAMagic Archive - Entry 27