ULTRAMagic Eon 1 - Chapter 25
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“Is Will still off with Dunja and Aureolus?” Guinevere wondered. “He hasn’t returned since yesterday…”
“Can confirm, he is still at the tower,” Rostislav announced as he entered the conference room with Ludwig.
“How’s he doing?” Blood-Wraith inquired
“Not sure, but no one said he was doing bad when I checked earlier,” Ludwig answered as the two sat down. “Honestly it’s a bit of a relief to have him preoccupied. He’s a good guildmate, but he does have a knack for getting himself into trouble. I can only begin to imagine the tales Captain Briggs has to tell about his antics…”
“Ha, figured Will’s schtick would’ve been mine, truth be told,” Rostislav stated, making the others chuckle.
“Oh, before we get started,” Guinevere interjected. “This conference room is gorgeous, Tiberius.”
“Thank you, Guinevere,” he replied. “But be sure to also thank Alexia as she primarily handled the interior design. I’ve always figured myself more of an architect… of course, don’t let my parents hear me saying that, as they’d start hounding me to learn interior design,” he said with a laugh.
“Perfectionists I presume?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Sometimes, but they were more parents who were proud of my accomplishments and wanted to foster my talents and creativity wherever they could.”
Rostislav was nodding along until he remembered something that brought up a curious inconsistency. “Hold up, I thought primordials couldn’t have children given what Will told us about Doc Reynard.”
“Assuming his parents were primordials,” Ludwig pointed out.
“That is a complex subject, gentlemen,” Tiberius put forth. “One second though… Reynard? Oh right, The Sulfur of Old. Ahem, If I recall correctly, God did not want primordials creating their own primordials. Two primordials having a child who just so happened to become a primordial was okay, however. I’d imagine Reynard might still be a little bitter, so he may have left some details out. Both of my parents were primordials in case you’re wondering.”
Blood-Wraith was surprised by this. “Wow, really? Fascinating. Which ones were they?”
“The Alchemist of Old, Gragmund Skull, and The Witch of Old, Geloyra Abeln-Skull. I found my father at The Great Stone Lake upon returning to The Unlight, but my mother's location eludes me at the moment. It’s a shame too as I really want both of them to see my work on the guild. I think they’d be very proud of me.”
Deimos could not help but laugh, recalling memories from the Epoch. “If you guys think Tiberius is a stern leader, you should’ve seen Gragmund at the helm. Ermenrich didn’t dare pull any pranks when he was around.”
Tiberius also laughed. “Where do you think I got it from, Eustorgio?”
“True, true,” he replied with a chuckle before turning his attention back to the others. “A little fun fact: Gragmund took a liking to Mal and was proud of Leif for taking her in. She learned a great deal of her magic from Tiberius’ old man.”
“How wonderful,” Guinevere complimented. “Ahem, not to change the subject, but you guys wanted to discuss my mother’s actions?”
“Ah yes, that,” said Tiberius, getting back on track. “As much as I enjoy recounting the past, the present is more important at the moment. What are your thoughts on the duel, Guinevere?”
She looked up for a moment, then sighed. “Well, I wanted my mother to take things seriously and I guess this will have to do. A little unorthodox if you ask me…” Guinevere then turned to Blood-Wraith. “I’m not angry, but did you really have to egg her on that night?”
Blood-Wraith slowly nodded with a subtle look of guilt on his face. “That keeps me up at night… and my arguments with Tiberius… and the time I yelled at dad over Dunja…”
Deimos shook his head. “Blood, do I need to go get your dad so he can talk to you about this stuff again?”
“Ah…!” Blood-Wraith paused, realizing he was dwelling on the past again. “No…”
“Reminds me of when I left Universe-X090X,” Ultimatum remarked as he entered from a turquoise portal. “I still question my clean up efforts in that universe.”
Tiberius noticed that Ultimatum looked a little upset as he took a seat at the table. “Schwarzes, my boy, what’s the matter?”
He sighed as he sank into his seat and popped a peppermint candy into his mouth. “Ealdhelm finally got on our case for the time travel business…”
“Aw, that’s no good,” Deimos sympathized. “He wasn’t angry, was he?”
“No, just disappointed… Beorhtric more so than Zal and I.”
Rostislav appeared to be a bit confused. “Wait, hold up. Are you telling me this mission wasn’t fully approved?” The worry in his voice was noticeable.
“You really thought someone like Ealdhelm would approve of our recklessness?” Ludwig reasoned. “Honestly I think the only reason this mission wasn’t vetoed was because a lot of this stuff needed to happen.”
“Wait, pardon me?” Guinevere interrupted. “Everything?”
Ludwig nodded. “More or less.”
Blood-Wraith patted Guinevere on the shoulder. “That keeps me up at night too…”
“Why do you think us higher dimensionals refuse any form of omniscience?” Ultimatum clarified. “Ignorance at our scale is bliss.”
Tiberius felt bad for Guinevere, and was hoping he could console her as he could see the dread on her face. “If it’s any consolation, Guinevere, we’re all here now, aren’t we? It’s not an ideal way to get to where we need to go, but we are moving forward at the end of the day. I’d be lying if such things did not weigh on my mind too.”
“Goodness, do I… am I even in control of my own actions? Am I just someone’s tool to fix the machine?”
“Welcome to the club,” said Blood-Wraith. “We’ve got jackets…’
“Well I suppose if it leads to us being able to defend the Cosmos…” Guinevere’s reflection was interrupted by Edmund running down the hallway, chattering as he went, with Alexia and Mizuki chasing after him. “Edmund, be careful!” Guinevere called out. “Pardon me for a second, everyone…” she said as she went after the three. This made the others laugh.
Tiberius stood up with a smile on his face. “Perhaps a brief recess is in order.”
“Yeah,” Blood-Wraith agreed. “Want to go play some video games, Schwarzes?”
“Sure, Blood. That'll be fun,” he said as he got up and started to follow him out of the room.
“Tiberius, do you need my input for the rest of this meeting?”
He took a second to think about it. “If it comes up, we’ll call. Otherwise you’re clear to go have some fun, the both of you.’
“Thanks, Tiberius,” Ultimatum replied. “I think I need to unwind a little…”
The following day was a bit more upbeat and Blood-Wraith wanted to go check on Will, but Deimos needed his help. Specifically he needed Blood-Wraith, Dragoslava, Desislav, and Tusk to come with him to Aqua World as the denizens of the stranded spaceship above the planet were starting to explore the islands below. Thankfully Ludwig and Rostislav volunteered to go check on Will in Blood-Wraith’s stead. It was a peaceful day in The Iron City, with a gentle breeze and an occasional cloud passing by above in the azure sky. The contented residents of the city were going about their daily business, vaguely aware of what was going on with the guild.
Ludwig and Rostislav were enjoying the walk to The Singing Storm Tower as The Iron City of the past experienced a kind of peace that could have only existed during that exact point in time. As they neared the lift station, the two ran into Barna and Gratiana. Barna was Englehart’s brother, a strong and tall man with slightly messy, blonde hair and a fairly kept, full set of facial hair. His clothes were stained with dirt and had signs of repairs here and there, but he was a blacksmith after all. As for Gratiana, she was a beautiful woman with flowing, golden hair and wore elegant, yet casual attire. She had gone through a great deal of strife in her past before joining The Blades of Dunja and marrying Barna. The couple was hoping they would run into the two men and were quick to get their attention.
“Hey, future squad boys!” Barna called out as they walked up. “Got a moment?”
“Hello, Prince Barna, Lady Gratiana,” Ludwig said with a bow.
“Salutations, you two,” Rostislav greeted as he shook their hands. “What can we do for you?”
Gratiana chuckled as Rostislav’s friendliness and casual nature was endearing to her. “Well firstly it is a pleasure and an honor to meet both of you. We were wondering if you could answer a curiosity we’ve had even since you arrived here. It has nothing to do with Valerie, rather it’s a matter personal to us.”
Ludwig and Rostislav looked at each other and nodded, as they knew what was about to be asked. It was a subject Ultimatum had cautioned them about. “While we’ll have to see what I can reveal, go ahead,” said Ludwig.
Barna took a quick breath and tapped his boot on the sidewalk. He felt awkward, but he had to ask. “So as you two know, Gratiana and I are married, making me Gummi’s new father… New being the key word here. You two are familiar with Milosh Proch, right?”
“Certainly, your highness.”
“Your or ours?” Rostislav snuck in, only to get a light whack from Ludwig.
“It’s okay, lads,” Barna said with a guilty laugh. “Obviously you two know the story of how he died and… oh boy… I noticed that day the anomaly used lightning magic and… Ludwig? Was… was that you?”
Ludwig sighed as unpleasant memories returned to him. “Yes, that was me. It was a moment of blind fury and weakness as a result of the mission to rescue Bravo Squadron going south at my hands…”
“To be fair, it was also my fault…” Rostislav added.
“No, it wasn’t…”
“Come on, Fido, you know it just as well as I do that I messed up that mission.”
“How so?”
“Is this some kind of backwards reprimand?!” Rostislav shot back. Barna and Gratiana were trying not to chuckle, as they felt bad for the two. “I disobeyed direct orders, throwing the entire mission into chaos!”
“Well yes, but it was my inflexible leadership that prompted you to disobey my orders in the first place” Ludwig reminded him.
“Um, gentlemen?” Gratiana interjected. “I’m sure both of you fought valiantly that day. The battlefield is a truly chaotic, unpredictable place. Trust me, I know it all too well.”
Ludwig had to laugh a little as Rostislav gave him a mild glare. “Thank you, Lady Arlotti-Schindewolf. Criticize yourself all you want, Private, but I still take full responsibility for that mission.”
Rostislav kicked a pebble aside, looking up at the sky and sighing. “Well there’s no arguing with him when he gets all formal like that…”
“If it’s any consolation, both of you deserve recognition as that harrowing day’s victory at The Storm Plateau also belongs to the both of you,” Barna asserted. “We were in deep trouble, and on behalf of The Iron City and Shadowland, we thank you as we couldn’t have done it without you.”
“But is any glory deserved given the elephant in the room?” Ludwig asked.
Barna paused and averted his gaze for a second as a knot of sorrow formed in his chest. “Killing a boy’s father is something you don’t just walk away from. I may have not pulled the trigger that day, but I was going to and might as well have. I pray I never have to fight a war like that ever again, and I’ll protect Gummi as if I had helped give birth to him. My demons will always follow me, but they’ll have to buy a good pair of sunglasses as I’m not leaving the light anytime soon.” Gratiana was holding his hand, which gave him the warmth he needed.
“Well said, your highness,” Rostislav said with a bow, making Ludwig smile. “My dad, Zoltan, would raise a mug to that fortitude.”
“Keep moving forward, Prince Barna,” Ludwig reassured. “It’s all we can do at the end of the day, even with blood on our hands. We did what we had to and there’s no undoing that.”
“Thank you, lads,” Barna replied. “I know that was a heavy subject, but I greatly appreciate you hearing me out.” He then checked his watch and chuckled. “Well now, best not keep you two any longer.”
“Farewell for now, you two,” said Gratiana. “Best of luck to you and the guild. And give Will our regards. If he wishes to visit us, he’s more than welcome to.”
“Good day, and thank you,” Ludwig said with one last bow.
“See you two back in the future if we don’t see you later!” Rostislav called out as he headed into the lift station with Ludwig. As they walked across the somewhat busy platform to one of the lift carriages, he let out a sigh of relief. “How did I do, Ludwig?”
“You did fine, Rostislav,” he said as he got a carriage ready. “Just work on your manners for next time. They were fine for that conversation, but just keep in mind our relation to the Iron City royalty.”
“Rostislav chuckled. “Ha, noted. Manners were never my strong suit, but keep moving forward, am I right?”
Next: Chapter 26
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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“Is Will still off with Dunja and Aureolus?” Guinevere wondered. “He hasn’t returned since yesterday…”
“Can confirm, he is still at the tower,” Rostislav announced as he entered the conference room with Ludwig.
“How’s he doing?” Blood-Wraith inquired
“Not sure, but no one said he was doing bad when I checked earlier,” Ludwig answered as the two sat down. “Honestly it’s a bit of a relief to have him preoccupied. He’s a good guildmate, but he does have a knack for getting himself into trouble. I can only begin to imagine the tales Captain Briggs has to tell about his antics…”
“Ha, figured Will’s schtick would’ve been mine, truth be told,” Rostislav stated, making the others chuckle.
“Oh, before we get started,” Guinevere interjected. “This conference room is gorgeous, Tiberius.”
“Thank you, Guinevere,” he replied. “But be sure to also thank Alexia as she primarily handled the interior design. I’ve always figured myself more of an architect… of course, don’t let my parents hear me saying that, as they’d start hounding me to learn interior design,” he said with a laugh.
“Perfectionists I presume?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Sometimes, but they were more parents who were proud of my accomplishments and wanted to foster my talents and creativity wherever they could.”
Rostislav was nodding along until he remembered something that brought up a curious inconsistency. “Hold up, I thought primordials couldn’t have children given what Will told us about Doc Reynard.”
“Assuming his parents were primordials,” Ludwig pointed out.
“That is a complex subject, gentlemen,” Tiberius put forth. “One second though… Reynard? Oh right, The Sulfur of Old. Ahem, If I recall correctly, God did not want primordials creating their own primordials. Two primordials having a child who just so happened to become a primordial was okay, however. I’d imagine Reynard might still be a little bitter, so he may have left some details out. Both of my parents were primordials in case you’re wondering.”
Blood-Wraith was surprised by this. “Wow, really? Fascinating. Which ones were they?”
“The Alchemist of Old, Gragmund Skull, and The Witch of Old, Geloyra Abeln-Skull. I found my father at The Great Stone Lake upon returning to The Unlight, but my mother's location eludes me at the moment. It’s a shame too as I really want both of them to see my work on the guild. I think they’d be very proud of me.”
Deimos could not help but laugh, recalling memories from the Epoch. “If you guys think Tiberius is a stern leader, you should’ve seen Gragmund at the helm. Ermenrich didn’t dare pull any pranks when he was around.”
Tiberius also laughed. “Where do you think I got it from, Eustorgio?”
“True, true,” he replied with a chuckle before turning his attention back to the others. “A little fun fact: Gragmund took a liking to Mal and was proud of Leif for taking her in. She learned a great deal of her magic from Tiberius’ old man.”
“How wonderful,” Guinevere complimented. “Ahem, not to change the subject, but you guys wanted to discuss my mother’s actions?”
“Ah yes, that,” said Tiberius, getting back on track. “As much as I enjoy recounting the past, the present is more important at the moment. What are your thoughts on the duel, Guinevere?”
She looked up for a moment, then sighed. “Well, I wanted my mother to take things seriously and I guess this will have to do. A little unorthodox if you ask me…” Guinevere then turned to Blood-Wraith. “I’m not angry, but did you really have to egg her on that night?”
Blood-Wraith slowly nodded with a subtle look of guilt on his face. “That keeps me up at night… and my arguments with Tiberius… and the time I yelled at dad over Dunja…”
Deimos shook his head. “Blood, do I need to go get your dad so he can talk to you about this stuff again?”
“Ah…!” Blood-Wraith paused, realizing he was dwelling on the past again. “No…”
“Reminds me of when I left Universe-X090X,” Ultimatum remarked as he entered from a turquoise portal. “I still question my clean up efforts in that universe.”
Tiberius noticed that Ultimatum looked a little upset as he took a seat at the table. “Schwarzes, my boy, what’s the matter?”
He sighed as he sank into his seat and popped a peppermint candy into his mouth. “Ealdhelm finally got on our case for the time travel business…”
“Aw, that’s no good,” Deimos sympathized. “He wasn’t angry, was he?”
“No, just disappointed… Beorhtric more so than Zal and I.”
Rostislav appeared to be a bit confused. “Wait, hold up. Are you telling me this mission wasn’t fully approved?” The worry in his voice was noticeable.
“You really thought someone like Ealdhelm would approve of our recklessness?” Ludwig reasoned. “Honestly I think the only reason this mission wasn’t vetoed was because a lot of this stuff needed to happen.”
“Wait, pardon me?” Guinevere interrupted. “Everything?”
Ludwig nodded. “More or less.”
Blood-Wraith patted Guinevere on the shoulder. “That keeps me up at night too…”
“Why do you think us higher dimensionals refuse any form of omniscience?” Ultimatum clarified. “Ignorance at our scale is bliss.”
Tiberius felt bad for Guinevere, and was hoping he could console her as he could see the dread on her face. “If it’s any consolation, Guinevere, we’re all here now, aren’t we? It’s not an ideal way to get to where we need to go, but we are moving forward at the end of the day. I’d be lying if such things did not weigh on my mind too.”
“Goodness, do I… am I even in control of my own actions? Am I just someone’s tool to fix the machine?”
“Welcome to the club,” said Blood-Wraith. “We’ve got jackets…’
“Well I suppose if it leads to us being able to defend the Cosmos…” Guinevere’s reflection was interrupted by Edmund running down the hallway, chattering as he went, with Alexia and Mizuki chasing after him. “Edmund, be careful!” Guinevere called out. “Pardon me for a second, everyone…” she said as she went after the three. This made the others laugh.
Tiberius stood up with a smile on his face. “Perhaps a brief recess is in order.”
“Yeah,” Blood-Wraith agreed. “Want to go play some video games, Schwarzes?”
“Sure, Blood. That'll be fun,” he said as he got up and started to follow him out of the room.
“Tiberius, do you need my input for the rest of this meeting?”
He took a second to think about it. “If it comes up, we’ll call. Otherwise you’re clear to go have some fun, the both of you.’
“Thanks, Tiberius,” Ultimatum replied. “I think I need to unwind a little…”
The following day was a bit more upbeat and Blood-Wraith wanted to go check on Will, but Deimos needed his help. Specifically he needed Blood-Wraith, Dragoslava, Desislav, and Tusk to come with him to Aqua World as the denizens of the stranded spaceship above the planet were starting to explore the islands below. Thankfully Ludwig and Rostislav volunteered to go check on Will in Blood-Wraith’s stead. It was a peaceful day in The Iron City, with a gentle breeze and an occasional cloud passing by above in the azure sky. The contented residents of the city were going about their daily business, vaguely aware of what was going on with the guild.
Ludwig and Rostislav were enjoying the walk to The Singing Storm Tower as The Iron City of the past experienced a kind of peace that could have only existed during that exact point in time. As they neared the lift station, the two ran into Barna and Gratiana. Barna was Englehart’s brother, a strong and tall man with slightly messy, blonde hair and a fairly kept, full set of facial hair. His clothes were stained with dirt and had signs of repairs here and there, but he was a blacksmith after all. As for Gratiana, she was a beautiful woman with flowing, golden hair and wore elegant, yet casual attire. She had gone through a great deal of strife in her past before joining The Blades of Dunja and marrying Barna. The couple was hoping they would run into the two men and were quick to get their attention.
“Hey, future squad boys!” Barna called out as they walked up. “Got a moment?”
“Hello, Prince Barna, Lady Gratiana,” Ludwig said with a bow.
“Salutations, you two,” Rostislav greeted as he shook their hands. “What can we do for you?”
Gratiana chuckled as Rostislav’s friendliness and casual nature was endearing to her. “Well firstly it is a pleasure and an honor to meet both of you. We were wondering if you could answer a curiosity we’ve had even since you arrived here. It has nothing to do with Valerie, rather it’s a matter personal to us.”
Ludwig and Rostislav looked at each other and nodded, as they knew what was about to be asked. It was a subject Ultimatum had cautioned them about. “While we’ll have to see what I can reveal, go ahead,” said Ludwig.
Barna took a quick breath and tapped his boot on the sidewalk. He felt awkward, but he had to ask. “So as you two know, Gratiana and I are married, making me Gummi’s new father… New being the key word here. You two are familiar with Milosh Proch, right?”
“Certainly, your highness.”
“Your or ours?” Rostislav snuck in, only to get a light whack from Ludwig.
“It’s okay, lads,” Barna said with a guilty laugh. “Obviously you two know the story of how he died and… oh boy… I noticed that day the anomaly used lightning magic and… Ludwig? Was… was that you?”
Ludwig sighed as unpleasant memories returned to him. “Yes, that was me. It was a moment of blind fury and weakness as a result of the mission to rescue Bravo Squadron going south at my hands…”
“To be fair, it was also my fault…” Rostislav added.
“No, it wasn’t…”
“Come on, Fido, you know it just as well as I do that I messed up that mission.”
“How so?”
“Is this some kind of backwards reprimand?!” Rostislav shot back. Barna and Gratiana were trying not to chuckle, as they felt bad for the two. “I disobeyed direct orders, throwing the entire mission into chaos!”
“Well yes, but it was my inflexible leadership that prompted you to disobey my orders in the first place” Ludwig reminded him.
“Um, gentlemen?” Gratiana interjected. “I’m sure both of you fought valiantly that day. The battlefield is a truly chaotic, unpredictable place. Trust me, I know it all too well.”
Ludwig had to laugh a little as Rostislav gave him a mild glare. “Thank you, Lady Arlotti-Schindewolf. Criticize yourself all you want, Private, but I still take full responsibility for that mission.”
Rostislav kicked a pebble aside, looking up at the sky and sighing. “Well there’s no arguing with him when he gets all formal like that…”
“If it’s any consolation, both of you deserve recognition as that harrowing day’s victory at The Storm Plateau also belongs to the both of you,” Barna asserted. “We were in deep trouble, and on behalf of The Iron City and Shadowland, we thank you as we couldn’t have done it without you.”
“But is any glory deserved given the elephant in the room?” Ludwig asked.
Barna paused and averted his gaze for a second as a knot of sorrow formed in his chest. “Killing a boy’s father is something you don’t just walk away from. I may have not pulled the trigger that day, but I was going to and might as well have. I pray I never have to fight a war like that ever again, and I’ll protect Gummi as if I had helped give birth to him. My demons will always follow me, but they’ll have to buy a good pair of sunglasses as I’m not leaving the light anytime soon.” Gratiana was holding his hand, which gave him the warmth he needed.
“Well said, your highness,” Rostislav said with a bow, making Ludwig smile. “My dad, Zoltan, would raise a mug to that fortitude.”
“Keep moving forward, Prince Barna,” Ludwig reassured. “It’s all we can do at the end of the day, even with blood on our hands. We did what we had to and there’s no undoing that.”
“Thank you, lads,” Barna replied. “I know that was a heavy subject, but I greatly appreciate you hearing me out.” He then checked his watch and chuckled. “Well now, best not keep you two any longer.”
“Farewell for now, you two,” said Gratiana. “Best of luck to you and the guild. And give Will our regards. If he wishes to visit us, he’s more than welcome to.”
“Good day, and thank you,” Ludwig said with one last bow.
“See you two back in the future if we don’t see you later!” Rostislav called out as he headed into the lift station with Ludwig. As they walked across the somewhat busy platform to one of the lift carriages, he let out a sigh of relief. “How did I do, Ludwig?”
“You did fine, Rostislav,” he said as he got a carriage ready. “Just work on your manners for next time. They were fine for that conversation, but just keep in mind our relation to the Iron City royalty.”
“Rostislav chuckled. “Ha, noted. Manners were never my strong suit, but keep moving forward, am I right?”
Next: Chapter 26
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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