ULTRAMagic Eon 1 - Chapter 31
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“My goodness, Deimos, John and Brandr can definitely play some excellent music,” Valerie commented as they made their way to the main hall of her castle.
“Most certainly,” he replied with a laugh as he carried a box of food. “I’d expect no less from a pair of sailors. You should have heard some of the tunes The Privateer of Old whipped up back in the day to alleviate his boredom on the high seas. You wouldn’t have been wrong in thinking he was The Musician of Old instead.”
Guinevere was about to comment on that as they entered the dining hall, but was interrupted by Edmund running up to a cake golem and bobbing his head at it. “Edmund, don’t!” she called out as she went to calm him, with Valerie and Deimos chuckling. “They're here to protect and take care of us,” she assured. Edmund seemed to heed those words, staring at the golem and giving one more head bob before going off to wander around the hall.
“Energetic little reptile,” Deimos remarked as he set the box down on the table. “Baxter has been asking for a pet, but I’m unsure what to get for a living planet of polymateria.”
“Maybe a simple dog or cat then, as I’d imagine they’d be easy to take care of… although, Baxter would have to keep his environments under control,” Valerie suggested. She then went to a special phone near the side entrance and entered a number into the rotary dial. “Eloise, dear, please come to the dining hall… Odd, no response,” she noted as she set down the phone.
“Perhaps she went to bed early?” Deimos reasoned.
“Potentially, but the phones are loud enough to interrupt sleep,” Guinevere pointed out, with Edmund giving Deimos a skeptical chirp.
Valerie took a deep breath as her worry grew. “Deimos, stay here and look after Edmund while Guinevere and I go check on Eloise.”
“Sure thing,” he replied as they left, with Edmund eyeing him strangely. He then stuck his hand out to pet him. “Hey there, Ed…” The playful dinosaur then leapt up to bite Deimos’ hand, causing him to quickly retract it.
Up on the second floor, Valerie opened the ornately-carved, wooden door to Eloise’s room a crack. “Sweetie? We brought you some dinner…” Receiving silence, Valerie stepped in and turned on the lights. “She’s gone!”
“What?!” Guinevere questioned as she walked in.
“Eloise!? Where are you?!”
The two looked around the whimsical room to find Eloise’s usual mess all tidied up. The bed in her loft was made, her book and media shelves were all straightened out, the wardrobe was the neatest it had ever been, and the lounge was spic and span. Valerie was ready to tear the castle apart until Guinevere found a note placed on the lounge coffee table. Further inspection revealed it was a letter addressed to them.
“Mother, come here,” Guinevere called out.
Valerie took the plain parchment and read it aloud. Eloise had seen the duel and relented on her anger. She was proud of her mother as she had fought well and it was clear that she had not actually given up. Blood-Wraith had earned his victory and was clearly fit to protect the Cosmos, but Eloise still felt that she needed to take matters into her own hands. One way or another, she would go out and build her might to conquer The Unlight… or at the very least, come back with a force strong enough to protect it. Valerie was beside herself in worry, unsure what to think.
Back at the dining hall, Deimos was guiding a magical orb around with his finger, with Edmund eagerly chasing after it like a hyperactive cat. “Hey, you two… where’s Eloise?”
“We don’t know,” Guinevere answered.
Valerie inhaled to keep her emotions in check. “She’s… she’s gone off on some foolish quest. I should have… Damn it! I should have seen this coming! Deimos, your magic is greater than mine could ever be. Is there anything you can do?”
Deimos sighed in uncertainty as all of it was incredibly sudden. He carefully contemplated what to do as he stroked his chin, the coarseness of his stubble scratching his fingers. “Well, it’s going to be 50-50, but I do know someone who could help. One second…” He put his fingers in his mouth and gave a quick whistle.
A second later a screaming, mauve flame appeared from the floor and out stepped a young man in a college uniform with dark aqua hair and amber eyes. The golems were startled by the terrible presence of the man, but Valerie gestured for them to remain at ease. “Hey, Deimos!” The Screaming God said. “It’s a bit late and I was studying for an exam, but I need to let my head rest. What do you need?”
“Scream, Eloise ran off on her own and Valerie’s worried sick. Can you find her for us?”
The Screaming God glanced at the Ter Avest’s, back to Deimos, and then looked up at the ceiling to think. “I mean, um, I can go find her if you want…”
“Can you bring her back too?” Guinevere inquired.
“Not really…”
Deimos was a bit confused by that. “What’s the matter, Scream? Is there something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that this is important and I get where Eloise is coming from…”
“Screaming God, please bring her back,” Valerie beseatched. “I know I am in no position to ask this of you, but I at least want to say goodbye to her.”
The Screaming God chuckled as he could not refuse a concerned mother and knew what she was trying to do. “Alright. She won’t be thrilled, but I’ll see what I can do. Give me a couple of minutes…”
A strange door of metal and stone appeared in the dining hall, with The Screaming God departing through it. The wait felt like it dragged on forever, but around five minutes later it opened and Eloise was pushed through. She was dressed in durable traveler's clothes and wore a comfy cloak that looked quite warm. All of it was a far cry from her usual armor and dresses. Notably she looked incredibly annoyed as the door vanished.
“Hey!” she exclaimed at the dissipating cloud that had been the door. “What’s the big idea?!”
“Eloise!” Valerie cried as she hugged her daughter. “What has gotten into you?! You know it’s dangerous to go out on your own right now!”
She took a step back once let go and grunted. “Mom… Mom! Look, I get it now: You’re trusting Blood to keep the Unlight safe. Fine, I trust him too. I need to do this though! I need to get stronger!”
“But sweetie…”
“But nothing. If I can’t beat you, then what chance do I stand against Gudrun and Anne? Ground me all you want, mom-I’ll just keep sneaking out!”
“And we can’t convince you to train with the guild?” Guinevere questioned.
Eloise crossed her arms and turned away. “I’ve made up my mind, sister.”
Valerie shook her head and sighed. She knew she was not going to convince her daughter otherwise and smiled as she had the same level of determination in her youth. “Fine, but on several conditions, Eloise…”
“Eh?” She was confused as she turned around, having expected more pushback. “Conditions?”
“You are still grounded, but I am willing to suspend that until you are finished. You will have to spend a week here when you return.”
“Um, sure?”
“And you must stay in contact with us, be it a letter or phone call. Ask us or the guild for help if things get out of hand, no matter what.”
Eloise shrugged. “Fair enough, I guess…”
“And lastly, please have some dinner and stay the night. Desislav and the others did a fantastic job on the feast; and you wouldn’t want to start this journey tired and hungry, would you?”
Seeing her family’s concerned, yet hopeful looks, Eloise sighed. She wanted to strike out on her own, but on the other hand she had to admit to herself that she was being a bit headstrong. “Oh alright,” Eloise conceded as she noticed Deimos setting up some plates of delicious smelling food. She then hugged her mother and sister. “You’ve got me, I’m actually pretty hungry… What’s Deimos doing here though?”
“Oh don’t mind me, Eloise,” he said as he sat back down. “I just want to get to know your mother and see her no-doubt-incredible research.”
Eloise nodded, reading him like an open book. “Ah, I see… well welcome to the castle, Deimos.” She then noticed the little dinosaur steadily bobbing its head at her. “Hey, Guinevere? Is this…?”
She nodded with a proud smile. “Yup. His name is ‘Edmund.’”
After waiting a second for him to calm down, Eloise petted the curious dinosaur to the response of a happy series of chirps. “Aw, cool. I couldn’t leave before getting to meet this little, scaly nugget…” She then took her seat at the head of the table, picked up a fork and knife, and cut into a piece of thick, juicy steak. The savory aroma was a delight to her nose, making her glad she chose to stay for the night.
“Now, Eloise, could you tell us what you’re planning?” Valerie asked as she and Guinevere took a seat.
“I do want it to be a bit of a surprise and it is a bit nebulous at the moment, but I can give you some general ideas of what I have in mind…”
The following day, Blood-Wraith, Dragoslava, and Ultimatum were heading to Ironfire station with The Future Squad to see them off. With Valerie all taken care of, there was no need for them to remain in the past. It was bittersweet as everyone had grown attached to the four, but it was for the best. Besides, they would all meet again in due time. Blood-Wraith was quietly taking it the hardest as he was still worried for them (especially Will). As the whistle for The Ertheval Express screeched in anticipation of its return voyage, Will and Rostislav stopped to address the others.
“Well, guys, it’s been a blast, but our train’s here,” Rostislav said as he glanced at the passenger cars. “Looks like we have to head back.”
“Yeah,” Blood-Wraith admitted. “I’m going to miss all of you. Tell Vlastimir and Ekaterina we said hi, Will.”
“Will do, Blood.” Will then noticed that Ludwig was not heading to the car with them. “Hey, Ludwig? Coming with?”
“You guys go ahead. Zal-Rint and Schwarzes asked me to hang back and take care of some things in the past.”
A bit curious, Will glanced over to Ultimatum. “Schwarzes?”
He nodded, sensing the expected unease over timeline concerns. “Don’t worry, Dad, it’s all minor stuff meant to happen that we specifically need his expertise for.”
“Interesting,” Yale commented. “Still a little concerning, so we’ll definitely have to ask about it when we get back, Will.”
“Agreed,” he replied.
“Oh, Will,” Blood-Wraith interjected. “Don’t forget to hang out with me when you get back. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing at the moment. And hey, maybe we’ll even unlock your memories.”
“Don’t worry, Blood, I’ll take us over to The Critical Chance Arcade the minute I… wait, what?”
The others laughed and said their final goodbyes as the train gave another toot of the whistle. Once the passengers were seated and ready, the mighty locomotive gave a loud, long whistle and belched out a plume of steam from its chimney as it slowly pushed forward. The sound of the wheels pulling the colossal weight of the train overwhelmed other noises as the rhythm began to speed up. Will and Rostislav opened their windows and waved goodbye as The Ertheval Express left the station, eventually vanishing into a magical mist once it was out far enough. Blood-Wraith stared at the empty tracks for a moment, with Dragoslava patting him on the back to comfort him. Once he was ready, the four went outside to a bright, sunny, cerulean sky with a gentle breeze caressing their faces.
Ludwig sighed as he assumed his true form, his electrified fur shining in the sunlight. “And now it's time to go find The Colossus… wish me luck,” he said as he stretched out his wings. With a running start, he leapt into the air with several, strong wingbeats.
Dragoslava shook her head with a smile and crossed her arms as Ludwig disappeared into the horizon with a crack of thunder. “What a wild ride that was… So, Schwarzes, I take it it’s going to get crazier from here on out?”
He nodded with a nervous chuckle. “You guys have no idea… for better or for worse.”
Blood-Wraith grew a bit concerned over that answer, but shook it off. “Well no use worrying about the guild’s future, as I’d say it’s pretty bright if we’ve got great members like them. I think we can handle whatever The Eternal Order is going to throw at us…”
“Right you are, Blood,” Ultimatum said with confidence.
“Schwarzes, were you supposed to say that?”
“No, but I’m saying it anyway, ha!” This made Blood-Wraith and Dragoslava laugh, as his cavalier attitude was comforting.
Next: Epilogue
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
“My goodness, Deimos, John and Brandr can definitely play some excellent music,” Valerie commented as they made their way to the main hall of her castle.
“Most certainly,” he replied with a laugh as he carried a box of food. “I’d expect no less from a pair of sailors. You should have heard some of the tunes The Privateer of Old whipped up back in the day to alleviate his boredom on the high seas. You wouldn’t have been wrong in thinking he was The Musician of Old instead.”
Guinevere was about to comment on that as they entered the dining hall, but was interrupted by Edmund running up to a cake golem and bobbing his head at it. “Edmund, don’t!” she called out as she went to calm him, with Valerie and Deimos chuckling. “They're here to protect and take care of us,” she assured. Edmund seemed to heed those words, staring at the golem and giving one more head bob before going off to wander around the hall.
“Energetic little reptile,” Deimos remarked as he set the box down on the table. “Baxter has been asking for a pet, but I’m unsure what to get for a living planet of polymateria.”
“Maybe a simple dog or cat then, as I’d imagine they’d be easy to take care of… although, Baxter would have to keep his environments under control,” Valerie suggested. She then went to a special phone near the side entrance and entered a number into the rotary dial. “Eloise, dear, please come to the dining hall… Odd, no response,” she noted as she set down the phone.
“Perhaps she went to bed early?” Deimos reasoned.
“Potentially, but the phones are loud enough to interrupt sleep,” Guinevere pointed out, with Edmund giving Deimos a skeptical chirp.
Valerie took a deep breath as her worry grew. “Deimos, stay here and look after Edmund while Guinevere and I go check on Eloise.”
“Sure thing,” he replied as they left, with Edmund eyeing him strangely. He then stuck his hand out to pet him. “Hey there, Ed…” The playful dinosaur then leapt up to bite Deimos’ hand, causing him to quickly retract it.
Up on the second floor, Valerie opened the ornately-carved, wooden door to Eloise’s room a crack. “Sweetie? We brought you some dinner…” Receiving silence, Valerie stepped in and turned on the lights. “She’s gone!”
“What?!” Guinevere questioned as she walked in.
“Eloise!? Where are you?!”
The two looked around the whimsical room to find Eloise’s usual mess all tidied up. The bed in her loft was made, her book and media shelves were all straightened out, the wardrobe was the neatest it had ever been, and the lounge was spic and span. Valerie was ready to tear the castle apart until Guinevere found a note placed on the lounge coffee table. Further inspection revealed it was a letter addressed to them.
“Mother, come here,” Guinevere called out.
Valerie took the plain parchment and read it aloud. Eloise had seen the duel and relented on her anger. She was proud of her mother as she had fought well and it was clear that she had not actually given up. Blood-Wraith had earned his victory and was clearly fit to protect the Cosmos, but Eloise still felt that she needed to take matters into her own hands. One way or another, she would go out and build her might to conquer The Unlight… or at the very least, come back with a force strong enough to protect it. Valerie was beside herself in worry, unsure what to think.
Back at the dining hall, Deimos was guiding a magical orb around with his finger, with Edmund eagerly chasing after it like a hyperactive cat. “Hey, you two… where’s Eloise?”
“We don’t know,” Guinevere answered.
Valerie inhaled to keep her emotions in check. “She’s… she’s gone off on some foolish quest. I should have… Damn it! I should have seen this coming! Deimos, your magic is greater than mine could ever be. Is there anything you can do?”
Deimos sighed in uncertainty as all of it was incredibly sudden. He carefully contemplated what to do as he stroked his chin, the coarseness of his stubble scratching his fingers. “Well, it’s going to be 50-50, but I do know someone who could help. One second…” He put his fingers in his mouth and gave a quick whistle.
A second later a screaming, mauve flame appeared from the floor and out stepped a young man in a college uniform with dark aqua hair and amber eyes. The golems were startled by the terrible presence of the man, but Valerie gestured for them to remain at ease. “Hey, Deimos!” The Screaming God said. “It’s a bit late and I was studying for an exam, but I need to let my head rest. What do you need?”
“Scream, Eloise ran off on her own and Valerie’s worried sick. Can you find her for us?”
The Screaming God glanced at the Ter Avest’s, back to Deimos, and then looked up at the ceiling to think. “I mean, um, I can go find her if you want…”
“Can you bring her back too?” Guinevere inquired.
“Not really…”
Deimos was a bit confused by that. “What’s the matter, Scream? Is there something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that this is important and I get where Eloise is coming from…”
“Screaming God, please bring her back,” Valerie beseatched. “I know I am in no position to ask this of you, but I at least want to say goodbye to her.”
The Screaming God chuckled as he could not refuse a concerned mother and knew what she was trying to do. “Alright. She won’t be thrilled, but I’ll see what I can do. Give me a couple of minutes…”
A strange door of metal and stone appeared in the dining hall, with The Screaming God departing through it. The wait felt like it dragged on forever, but around five minutes later it opened and Eloise was pushed through. She was dressed in durable traveler's clothes and wore a comfy cloak that looked quite warm. All of it was a far cry from her usual armor and dresses. Notably she looked incredibly annoyed as the door vanished.
“Hey!” she exclaimed at the dissipating cloud that had been the door. “What’s the big idea?!”
“Eloise!” Valerie cried as she hugged her daughter. “What has gotten into you?! You know it’s dangerous to go out on your own right now!”
She took a step back once let go and grunted. “Mom… Mom! Look, I get it now: You’re trusting Blood to keep the Unlight safe. Fine, I trust him too. I need to do this though! I need to get stronger!”
“But sweetie…”
“But nothing. If I can’t beat you, then what chance do I stand against Gudrun and Anne? Ground me all you want, mom-I’ll just keep sneaking out!”
“And we can’t convince you to train with the guild?” Guinevere questioned.
Eloise crossed her arms and turned away. “I’ve made up my mind, sister.”
Valerie shook her head and sighed. She knew she was not going to convince her daughter otherwise and smiled as she had the same level of determination in her youth. “Fine, but on several conditions, Eloise…”
“Eh?” She was confused as she turned around, having expected more pushback. “Conditions?”
“You are still grounded, but I am willing to suspend that until you are finished. You will have to spend a week here when you return.”
“Um, sure?”
“And you must stay in contact with us, be it a letter or phone call. Ask us or the guild for help if things get out of hand, no matter what.”
Eloise shrugged. “Fair enough, I guess…”
“And lastly, please have some dinner and stay the night. Desislav and the others did a fantastic job on the feast; and you wouldn’t want to start this journey tired and hungry, would you?”
Seeing her family’s concerned, yet hopeful looks, Eloise sighed. She wanted to strike out on her own, but on the other hand she had to admit to herself that she was being a bit headstrong. “Oh alright,” Eloise conceded as she noticed Deimos setting up some plates of delicious smelling food. She then hugged her mother and sister. “You’ve got me, I’m actually pretty hungry… What’s Deimos doing here though?”
“Oh don’t mind me, Eloise,” he said as he sat back down. “I just want to get to know your mother and see her no-doubt-incredible research.”
Eloise nodded, reading him like an open book. “Ah, I see… well welcome to the castle, Deimos.” She then noticed the little dinosaur steadily bobbing its head at her. “Hey, Guinevere? Is this…?”
She nodded with a proud smile. “Yup. His name is ‘Edmund.’”
After waiting a second for him to calm down, Eloise petted the curious dinosaur to the response of a happy series of chirps. “Aw, cool. I couldn’t leave before getting to meet this little, scaly nugget…” She then took her seat at the head of the table, picked up a fork and knife, and cut into a piece of thick, juicy steak. The savory aroma was a delight to her nose, making her glad she chose to stay for the night.
“Now, Eloise, could you tell us what you’re planning?” Valerie asked as she and Guinevere took a seat.
“I do want it to be a bit of a surprise and it is a bit nebulous at the moment, but I can give you some general ideas of what I have in mind…”
The following day, Blood-Wraith, Dragoslava, and Ultimatum were heading to Ironfire station with The Future Squad to see them off. With Valerie all taken care of, there was no need for them to remain in the past. It was bittersweet as everyone had grown attached to the four, but it was for the best. Besides, they would all meet again in due time. Blood-Wraith was quietly taking it the hardest as he was still worried for them (especially Will). As the whistle for The Ertheval Express screeched in anticipation of its return voyage, Will and Rostislav stopped to address the others.
“Well, guys, it’s been a blast, but our train’s here,” Rostislav said as he glanced at the passenger cars. “Looks like we have to head back.”
“Yeah,” Blood-Wraith admitted. “I’m going to miss all of you. Tell Vlastimir and Ekaterina we said hi, Will.”
“Will do, Blood.” Will then noticed that Ludwig was not heading to the car with them. “Hey, Ludwig? Coming with?”
“You guys go ahead. Zal-Rint and Schwarzes asked me to hang back and take care of some things in the past.”
A bit curious, Will glanced over to Ultimatum. “Schwarzes?”
He nodded, sensing the expected unease over timeline concerns. “Don’t worry, Dad, it’s all minor stuff meant to happen that we specifically need his expertise for.”
“Interesting,” Yale commented. “Still a little concerning, so we’ll definitely have to ask about it when we get back, Will.”
“Agreed,” he replied.
“Oh, Will,” Blood-Wraith interjected. “Don’t forget to hang out with me when you get back. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing at the moment. And hey, maybe we’ll even unlock your memories.”
“Don’t worry, Blood, I’ll take us over to The Critical Chance Arcade the minute I… wait, what?”
The others laughed and said their final goodbyes as the train gave another toot of the whistle. Once the passengers were seated and ready, the mighty locomotive gave a loud, long whistle and belched out a plume of steam from its chimney as it slowly pushed forward. The sound of the wheels pulling the colossal weight of the train overwhelmed other noises as the rhythm began to speed up. Will and Rostislav opened their windows and waved goodbye as The Ertheval Express left the station, eventually vanishing into a magical mist once it was out far enough. Blood-Wraith stared at the empty tracks for a moment, with Dragoslava patting him on the back to comfort him. Once he was ready, the four went outside to a bright, sunny, cerulean sky with a gentle breeze caressing their faces.
Ludwig sighed as he assumed his true form, his electrified fur shining in the sunlight. “And now it's time to go find The Colossus… wish me luck,” he said as he stretched out his wings. With a running start, he leapt into the air with several, strong wingbeats.
Dragoslava shook her head with a smile and crossed her arms as Ludwig disappeared into the horizon with a crack of thunder. “What a wild ride that was… So, Schwarzes, I take it it’s going to get crazier from here on out?”
He nodded with a nervous chuckle. “You guys have no idea… for better or for worse.”
Blood-Wraith grew a bit concerned over that answer, but shook it off. “Well no use worrying about the guild’s future, as I’d say it’s pretty bright if we’ve got great members like them. I think we can handle whatever The Eternal Order is going to throw at us…”
“Right you are, Blood,” Ultimatum said with confidence.
“Schwarzes, were you supposed to say that?”
“No, but I’m saying it anyway, ha!” This made Blood-Wraith and Dragoslava laugh, as his cavalier attitude was comforting.
Next: Epilogue
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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