ULTRAMagic Interlude BC - Chapter 21
Interlude | Introduction | Next
Master Post - Patreon
It was the first morning of Barna and Dunja’s important mission to Shadowland, far to the east of The Iron City. They were to drive out the vile Milosh Proch and his infernal cult one way or another. Blood-Wraith had trouble sleeping that night due to a myriad of factors. He was worried about the group, Aureolus, the villainous Milosh, and was concerned about the near future. The boy woke up in a state of discomfort, realizing that his left arm felt numb. He must have slept on it wrong at some point during the night. Rolling onto his back, he did not want to get out of bed… Unfortunately he had to go to the bathroom.
Blood-Wraith eventually made his way to the dining room for breakfast, continuing to feel a bit groggy. “Good morning…” He mumbled as he slumped in his chair.
Vexation was taking some notes from one of his books. He stopped what he was doing to address him, noticing Blood-Wraith’s seemingly depressed attitude. “Good morning, Blood. Are you feeling alright?” Vexation asked as he swept his dirty blonde hair aside. He had recently removed the hood from his suit, wishing to embrace his old identity.
“Yeah, just a little tired…” Blood-Wraith said with a yawn. “Where’s Aureolus?”
Valentina uncovered a plate of food and brought it over to him. There was toast, eggs, and bacon, accompanied by a glass of orange juice. “Good morning, sweetie…” She waved her hand over the food, making it fresh again with her magic. “Everyone’s in Shadowland by now I’d imagine. They all got up at six and left around six-thirty. Aureolus didn’t want to wake you since it was so early.”
“Oh, okay… What time is it?”
“Nine forty-five” Vexation answered. “Blood, when did you get to sleep last night?”
“I don’t know, around two-ish?”
Valentina sat down next to him and rubbed his back. “Oh dear. Blood, I know you’re worried, but you can’t let this stuff bog you down. It’s not healthy and it won’t get you anywhere. Besides, Barna and Dunja were going to go off no matter what from the looks of it.”
“I know… I’m still worried about Aureolus and the others though.”
Vexation shuffled through his notes, trying to think of something to say. “Well, we got several routines I’d like you to do today. If all goes well with your magic training, we may be able to get done early and go help everyone out. Milosh may have money and charisma, but that’s no match for curse magic.”
Blood-Wraith smiled, ate some of his food, then frowned once a realization dawned on him. “Sure, but peering into the collective unconscious isn’t easy, especially since I keep messing up…”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Blood. I made the seal difficult on purpose. Honestly you’re doing a lot better than I thought you would.”
Valentina nodded and lightly patted Blood-Wraith’s back. “All the more reason not to worry. If it’s anything consolation, I am incredibly worried about Gabriella. We may be angels, but were not truly invincible. Still, it’s my responsibility to let her go off and do her own thing…”
“Well what if Milosh shoots her in the shoulder or something like that?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Oh, then I’ll drop everything and go smite him from existence, simple as that.” This made the other two chuckle. “Otherwise, I’ll let my daughter cook, as they say in Vlastimir’s time,” Valentina concluded with a giggle.
Vexation paused, as Valentina’s comment made him think. “I’ve heard of that phrase from Earthlings passing through The Uncity. I believe that ‘meme’ as they call it has negative connotations… but I could be wrong about that.” He leaned back in his chair and groaned. “Earthlings are weird like that, hemming and hawing about what something means or where they stand. All a load of rubbish if you ask me, as there are way bigger things to worry about in the Cosmos than who’s in line with whatever petty zeitgeist is in right now..”
Valentina went silent, feeling a little awkward. “Um, well, I am going to let Gabriella do her own thing regardless. It’s as simple as that.”
Blood-Wraith finished his meal and got up. “Come to think of it, I need to see how he’s doing… Vlastimir, that is.” He sighed and stretched, working out the last of the nighttime kinks from his back. “I’m going to go for a walk.”
“Sure, Blood,” Vexation replied. “Some fresh air always does a man good. And when you get back, I’ll have everything ready to go.”
“Cool. See you two later then” Blood-Wraith said with one last yawn as he left the house.
It was a lovely, sunny day in The Iron City. Something Blood-Wraith had noticed in recent times was that the sky had changed. Prior to Dunja’s return, it was always a starry night. Following Corentin and Kresimira’s wedding, it had turned a beautiful, light azure. Despite how pretty it was, Blood-Wraith was not fond of how it obscured Leif’s constellation during the day. Still, it was a nice change of pace and did make him feel better. Blood-Wraith’s walk took him to Harrison Street, a road lined with many stores and businesses. He took a quick trip into a convenience store, bought a sparkling water, and left to go drink it. The fizzy carbonation of the drink was always an exciting experience for him, and hopefully it would calm his anxiety.
As he stood on the sidewalk, sipping his beverage, someone greeted him. “Hey, Blood! What’s up?”
“Hey, Desislav. Doing some shopping?”
He held up the bag he had, with it looking fairly heavy for an average person. “Yeah. Drago asked me to grab some small stuff for some cooking and cleaning we’re doing later.” The former satyr was properly dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, tidy with his brown hair cut and combed, and was full of energy that could be seen as plain as day in his eyes. “You don’t look well, Blood. Rough night?”
“Yeah… I slept wrong and woke up with my arm all tingly…”
“Oof, you got to be careful of that. I highly advise sleeping on your back.” Of course he could tell that was not all of it. “It’s also Shadowland, isn’t it?”
Blood-Wraith finished his drink and tossed the bottle in a nearby recycling bin with a satisfying kathunk, but he sighed regardless. “Well yeah. And everything else…”
“That’s what I figured. I thought being knighted would’ve kept you chipper…”
“It’s just a title…”
“No, it’s not! It’s a position of office and honor, Blood. Although I suppose I can’t fault you for being this way though. It’s rough feeling like the whole world is on your back. I know the feeling all too well...”
The two started walking, with Blood-Wraith wanting to head back home. “You do?”
“Of course I do. War is Hell and I don’t wish it upon anyone.”
Blood-Wraith thought about it for a moment, realizing what he was referring to. “Oh right, The Great War…”
“I wouldn’t worry about the future, Blood. Things are going to be rough, but at least we have The Iron City to back us up once the guild’s up and running.”
“I guess you're right… but it’s all these what-if’s that’s sending me into orbit.”
Desislav nodded. “Understandable. I felt similar back on Earth. If it helps, something my mother always said was ‘If you are not in need of a hero, you are the hero someone else needs.’”
“I guess so… but what if I’m not strong enough?”
“Then you need a hero! Seriously, Blood, enough with the what-if’s. It’s not good for you to worry like this.”
Blood-Wraith sighed once more, albeit with a hint of concession this time. “Yeah, Val said the same thing…” The two had approached the great fountain sitting in the square before The Singing Storm Tower, so he took a seat. The sound of the fountain’s flowing water was nice and relaxing, helping to ease Blood-Wraith’s nerves “Speaking of your mom, how’s it going with relocating your people?”
Desislav smiled, like he had been waiting for someone to ask him about the subject. “Fantastic. I’ve been talking with Sigmund and Englehart. They’re ready to go as soon as the Shadowland conflict is resolved. Sigmund and I even have a nice spot picked out that’s not too far from the village. It feels just like home.”
“That’s good to hear. I hope it goes well for all of you. So how’s your training going?”
“Pretty good too,” he answered as he sat down. “Me and Drago are hunting for rogue soul fragments since I’m so new around here.”
“Wait, weren’t you Ethor in your past life?”
“Well, yeah, but it’s not like I really remember anything from that time. It's a shame too because apparently Ethor had some friends here…”
“Um, why not become friends with them again? It’s better than nothing…”
Desislav legitimately considered that idea for a moment. “I don’t know, Blood. Building friendships takes time, I’m kind of shy, and that was a different me.”
“Fair point, I guess.”
“Yeah… I mean hey, I’d love to go out and make more friends as the Descendants are great people, but it would be kind of weird if I did that just to achieve ULTRAMagic.”
Blood-Wraith exhaled as he felt a little weird over his query. “Er, yeah, that’s a good point too. Sorry…”
“Hey, it’s alright. You proposed a legitimate question and it deserved to be answered. There’s no shame in admitting when something is causing trouble for you.”
The two went quiet after that, relaxing and enjoying the peace. Both of them had a lot on their minds, but the soothing sounds of the water from the fountain continued to ease their worries. Looking up at the fluffy white clouds, Blood-Wraith mused in his head about what it would have been like to be one of them. He would just float up there, not a care in the world. The only responsibility he would have would be to occasionally drop rain on the world below him. Of course, he realized that that could get incredibly boring after a while… Blood-Wraith’s thoughts were eventually interrupted by another familiar voice.
“Blood! How’s it going, my all powerful buddy-chum-pal?”
“Fine, Vlastimir.” An odd greeting, but it was to be expected.
“Hey, Vlastimir, Ekaterina,” Desislav greeted. “What are you two up to?”
“Oh not much, just a little walk” Ekaterina answered. “Kresimira invited us to come hang out with her and her friends later today.”
Blood-Wraith noticed that just like Desislav, the couple were looking great, well dressed, and radiating positivity. It made him realize that he was being a little too sullen, so he quit slouching and stood up straight. “That’s cool. As for me, I got more training to do…” He could not help sighing again because of that, which indicated his progress.
“Still having trouble I take it?” Ekaterina inquired.
“Yeah…”
Vlastimir chuckled. “You see, Blood, the mind is like a plate of spaghetti: Complicated, messy, and hard to grasp.”
Blood-Wraith gave him a weird look. “Interesting comparison…”
“Don’t worry, Blood. You’re not me, so you’ll do fine, haha. Of course, you would have to be a little mad to delve into the collective unconscious like that…”
Ekaterina nudged him a little. “Careful, dear. We don’t want to psych him out…”
Blood-Wraith laughed. “No, he’s right. And I get the comparison now.”
Desislav wanted to comment, but he heard someone call his name. “Whoops, forgot about the groceries… over here, Drago!”
“There you are!” Dragoslava stated as she approached. “Come on, we need to get working.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Hey Blood, Vlastimir, Eka. Sorry to run, but we got stuff to do…” Dragoslava said as she walked off with Desislav.
“See you later, sister,” Blood-Wraith called back.
Vlastimir waited for a second, then cleared his throat. “Hey, Blood? Do you have a minute?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Well firstly I’d like to apologize for my actions back in the Basalt Monolith Forest and the Crimson Mega Abyss. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that and I shouldn’t have been playing around with the abyss like I did. My madness was acting up really bad…”
“Don’t worry about it, Vlastimir. It all turned out fine in the end.” He then had a realization about some of the things that occurred during that time. “Wait, is that why Leif and Darkness put you in that weird time out?”
He nodded. “In hindsight, yes.”
“So, how did you get to the Dark Grand Desert then?”
“Me and The Screaming God had parted ways by then, but he did me a favor for old time’s sake.”
“Oh, okay then. It was a good thing he did then.”
Vlastimir nodded again. “Secondly, I’d like to thank you for putting up with my nonsense, all of you. I’ve been able to think clearly for once, not to mention that the voices have calmed down.”
Blood-Wraith smiled and gave him a hug. “Glad to hear it, Vlastimir. We really did that much for you?” He nodded once more.
“You also have my gratitude, Blood,” Ekaterina stated.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I know, Eka. We’ve been over this: You didn’t deserve to die and you’d do the same for me…” The two fist bumped each other, followed by Blood-Wraith glancing in the direction of his home. “Guess I better get back to Vex. See you two later.”
“Bye, Blood,” Vlastimir replied.
“Best of luck to you,” Ekaterina called out.
“And let me know when your parents get here, Vlastimir. I still want to meet them!” Blood-Wraith called out as he neared his house.
Once he was far enough away, Vlastimir gave a slight grimace. “Oh yeah, them…”
Ekaterina gave him a hug. “Don’t worry, we’ve talked about this. Besides, we still have a week to go…”
Vlastimir nodded and sighed. “I know. It’s not… It’s… It’s just…” He pinched his bridge. “It feels so strange…”
“Yeah, I feel you there… but didn’t you tell me your mother cared for you deep down?”
“Yes, I did…”
“Well there you go: Clearly they care about you if they’re coming out all the way here to find you.”
He chuckled. “I suppose you’re right…” Vlastimir looked up, only to see a bird flying into the tower. “Was that an owl?”
“Yeah…” Ekaterina confirmed. “A shiny one at that…”
“Well I’ll be!” Corentin exclaimed. “That had to have been Turi, Dunja’s owl,” he pointed out as he walked up.
“Oh, hello, Corentin. What’s good?” Vlastimir inquired.
“Oh I was just looking for you two and was wondering if you could humor me with a quick experiment for a minute or two over at my place.”
Ekaterina shrugged. “Sure, we got time.”
“Excellent, let’s roll. Besides, you two have to see the renovations I’ve been working on. If me and the missus are going to have a child soon, things need to be ready to go…”
Next: Chapter 22
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
It was the first morning of Barna and Dunja’s important mission to Shadowland, far to the east of The Iron City. They were to drive out the vile Milosh Proch and his infernal cult one way or another. Blood-Wraith had trouble sleeping that night due to a myriad of factors. He was worried about the group, Aureolus, the villainous Milosh, and was concerned about the near future. The boy woke up in a state of discomfort, realizing that his left arm felt numb. He must have slept on it wrong at some point during the night. Rolling onto his back, he did not want to get out of bed… Unfortunately he had to go to the bathroom.
Blood-Wraith eventually made his way to the dining room for breakfast, continuing to feel a bit groggy. “Good morning…” He mumbled as he slumped in his chair.
Vexation was taking some notes from one of his books. He stopped what he was doing to address him, noticing Blood-Wraith’s seemingly depressed attitude. “Good morning, Blood. Are you feeling alright?” Vexation asked as he swept his dirty blonde hair aside. He had recently removed the hood from his suit, wishing to embrace his old identity.
“Yeah, just a little tired…” Blood-Wraith said with a yawn. “Where’s Aureolus?”
Valentina uncovered a plate of food and brought it over to him. There was toast, eggs, and bacon, accompanied by a glass of orange juice. “Good morning, sweetie…” She waved her hand over the food, making it fresh again with her magic. “Everyone’s in Shadowland by now I’d imagine. They all got up at six and left around six-thirty. Aureolus didn’t want to wake you since it was so early.”
“Oh, okay… What time is it?”
“Nine forty-five” Vexation answered. “Blood, when did you get to sleep last night?”
“I don’t know, around two-ish?”
Valentina sat down next to him and rubbed his back. “Oh dear. Blood, I know you’re worried, but you can’t let this stuff bog you down. It’s not healthy and it won’t get you anywhere. Besides, Barna and Dunja were going to go off no matter what from the looks of it.”
“I know… I’m still worried about Aureolus and the others though.”
Vexation shuffled through his notes, trying to think of something to say. “Well, we got several routines I’d like you to do today. If all goes well with your magic training, we may be able to get done early and go help everyone out. Milosh may have money and charisma, but that’s no match for curse magic.”
Blood-Wraith smiled, ate some of his food, then frowned once a realization dawned on him. “Sure, but peering into the collective unconscious isn’t easy, especially since I keep messing up…”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Blood. I made the seal difficult on purpose. Honestly you’re doing a lot better than I thought you would.”
Valentina nodded and lightly patted Blood-Wraith’s back. “All the more reason not to worry. If it’s anything consolation, I am incredibly worried about Gabriella. We may be angels, but were not truly invincible. Still, it’s my responsibility to let her go off and do her own thing…”
“Well what if Milosh shoots her in the shoulder or something like that?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Oh, then I’ll drop everything and go smite him from existence, simple as that.” This made the other two chuckle. “Otherwise, I’ll let my daughter cook, as they say in Vlastimir’s time,” Valentina concluded with a giggle.
Vexation paused, as Valentina’s comment made him think. “I’ve heard of that phrase from Earthlings passing through The Uncity. I believe that ‘meme’ as they call it has negative connotations… but I could be wrong about that.” He leaned back in his chair and groaned. “Earthlings are weird like that, hemming and hawing about what something means or where they stand. All a load of rubbish if you ask me, as there are way bigger things to worry about in the Cosmos than who’s in line with whatever petty zeitgeist is in right now..”
Valentina went silent, feeling a little awkward. “Um, well, I am going to let Gabriella do her own thing regardless. It’s as simple as that.”
Blood-Wraith finished his meal and got up. “Come to think of it, I need to see how he’s doing… Vlastimir, that is.” He sighed and stretched, working out the last of the nighttime kinks from his back. “I’m going to go for a walk.”
“Sure, Blood,” Vexation replied. “Some fresh air always does a man good. And when you get back, I’ll have everything ready to go.”
“Cool. See you two later then” Blood-Wraith said with one last yawn as he left the house.
It was a lovely, sunny day in The Iron City. Something Blood-Wraith had noticed in recent times was that the sky had changed. Prior to Dunja’s return, it was always a starry night. Following Corentin and Kresimira’s wedding, it had turned a beautiful, light azure. Despite how pretty it was, Blood-Wraith was not fond of how it obscured Leif’s constellation during the day. Still, it was a nice change of pace and did make him feel better. Blood-Wraith’s walk took him to Harrison Street, a road lined with many stores and businesses. He took a quick trip into a convenience store, bought a sparkling water, and left to go drink it. The fizzy carbonation of the drink was always an exciting experience for him, and hopefully it would calm his anxiety.
As he stood on the sidewalk, sipping his beverage, someone greeted him. “Hey, Blood! What’s up?”
“Hey, Desislav. Doing some shopping?”
He held up the bag he had, with it looking fairly heavy for an average person. “Yeah. Drago asked me to grab some small stuff for some cooking and cleaning we’re doing later.” The former satyr was properly dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, tidy with his brown hair cut and combed, and was full of energy that could be seen as plain as day in his eyes. “You don’t look well, Blood. Rough night?”
“Yeah… I slept wrong and woke up with my arm all tingly…”
“Oof, you got to be careful of that. I highly advise sleeping on your back.” Of course he could tell that was not all of it. “It’s also Shadowland, isn’t it?”
Blood-Wraith finished his drink and tossed the bottle in a nearby recycling bin with a satisfying kathunk, but he sighed regardless. “Well yeah. And everything else…”
“That’s what I figured. I thought being knighted would’ve kept you chipper…”
“It’s just a title…”
“No, it’s not! It’s a position of office and honor, Blood. Although I suppose I can’t fault you for being this way though. It’s rough feeling like the whole world is on your back. I know the feeling all too well...”
The two started walking, with Blood-Wraith wanting to head back home. “You do?”
“Of course I do. War is Hell and I don’t wish it upon anyone.”
Blood-Wraith thought about it for a moment, realizing what he was referring to. “Oh right, The Great War…”
“I wouldn’t worry about the future, Blood. Things are going to be rough, but at least we have The Iron City to back us up once the guild’s up and running.”
“I guess you're right… but it’s all these what-if’s that’s sending me into orbit.”
Desislav nodded. “Understandable. I felt similar back on Earth. If it helps, something my mother always said was ‘If you are not in need of a hero, you are the hero someone else needs.’”
“I guess so… but what if I’m not strong enough?”
“Then you need a hero! Seriously, Blood, enough with the what-if’s. It’s not good for you to worry like this.”
Blood-Wraith sighed once more, albeit with a hint of concession this time. “Yeah, Val said the same thing…” The two had approached the great fountain sitting in the square before The Singing Storm Tower, so he took a seat. The sound of the fountain’s flowing water was nice and relaxing, helping to ease Blood-Wraith’s nerves “Speaking of your mom, how’s it going with relocating your people?”
Desislav smiled, like he had been waiting for someone to ask him about the subject. “Fantastic. I’ve been talking with Sigmund and Englehart. They’re ready to go as soon as the Shadowland conflict is resolved. Sigmund and I even have a nice spot picked out that’s not too far from the village. It feels just like home.”
“That’s good to hear. I hope it goes well for all of you. So how’s your training going?”
“Pretty good too,” he answered as he sat down. “Me and Drago are hunting for rogue soul fragments since I’m so new around here.”
“Wait, weren’t you Ethor in your past life?”
“Well, yeah, but it’s not like I really remember anything from that time. It's a shame too because apparently Ethor had some friends here…”
“Um, why not become friends with them again? It’s better than nothing…”
Desislav legitimately considered that idea for a moment. “I don’t know, Blood. Building friendships takes time, I’m kind of shy, and that was a different me.”
“Fair point, I guess.”
“Yeah… I mean hey, I’d love to go out and make more friends as the Descendants are great people, but it would be kind of weird if I did that just to achieve ULTRAMagic.”
Blood-Wraith exhaled as he felt a little weird over his query. “Er, yeah, that’s a good point too. Sorry…”
“Hey, it’s alright. You proposed a legitimate question and it deserved to be answered. There’s no shame in admitting when something is causing trouble for you.”
The two went quiet after that, relaxing and enjoying the peace. Both of them had a lot on their minds, but the soothing sounds of the water from the fountain continued to ease their worries. Looking up at the fluffy white clouds, Blood-Wraith mused in his head about what it would have been like to be one of them. He would just float up there, not a care in the world. The only responsibility he would have would be to occasionally drop rain on the world below him. Of course, he realized that that could get incredibly boring after a while… Blood-Wraith’s thoughts were eventually interrupted by another familiar voice.
“Blood! How’s it going, my all powerful buddy-chum-pal?”
“Fine, Vlastimir.” An odd greeting, but it was to be expected.
“Hey, Vlastimir, Ekaterina,” Desislav greeted. “What are you two up to?”
“Oh not much, just a little walk” Ekaterina answered. “Kresimira invited us to come hang out with her and her friends later today.”
Blood-Wraith noticed that just like Desislav, the couple were looking great, well dressed, and radiating positivity. It made him realize that he was being a little too sullen, so he quit slouching and stood up straight. “That’s cool. As for me, I got more training to do…” He could not help sighing again because of that, which indicated his progress.
“Still having trouble I take it?” Ekaterina inquired.
“Yeah…”
Vlastimir chuckled. “You see, Blood, the mind is like a plate of spaghetti: Complicated, messy, and hard to grasp.”
Blood-Wraith gave him a weird look. “Interesting comparison…”
“Don’t worry, Blood. You’re not me, so you’ll do fine, haha. Of course, you would have to be a little mad to delve into the collective unconscious like that…”
Ekaterina nudged him a little. “Careful, dear. We don’t want to psych him out…”
Blood-Wraith laughed. “No, he’s right. And I get the comparison now.”
Desislav wanted to comment, but he heard someone call his name. “Whoops, forgot about the groceries… over here, Drago!”
“There you are!” Dragoslava stated as she approached. “Come on, we need to get working.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Hey Blood, Vlastimir, Eka. Sorry to run, but we got stuff to do…” Dragoslava said as she walked off with Desislav.
“See you later, sister,” Blood-Wraith called back.
Vlastimir waited for a second, then cleared his throat. “Hey, Blood? Do you have a minute?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Well firstly I’d like to apologize for my actions back in the Basalt Monolith Forest and the Crimson Mega Abyss. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that and I shouldn’t have been playing around with the abyss like I did. My madness was acting up really bad…”
“Don’t worry about it, Vlastimir. It all turned out fine in the end.” He then had a realization about some of the things that occurred during that time. “Wait, is that why Leif and Darkness put you in that weird time out?”
He nodded. “In hindsight, yes.”
“So, how did you get to the Dark Grand Desert then?”
“Me and The Screaming God had parted ways by then, but he did me a favor for old time’s sake.”
“Oh, okay then. It was a good thing he did then.”
Vlastimir nodded again. “Secondly, I’d like to thank you for putting up with my nonsense, all of you. I’ve been able to think clearly for once, not to mention that the voices have calmed down.”
Blood-Wraith smiled and gave him a hug. “Glad to hear it, Vlastimir. We really did that much for you?” He nodded once more.
“You also have my gratitude, Blood,” Ekaterina stated.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I know, Eka. We’ve been over this: You didn’t deserve to die and you’d do the same for me…” The two fist bumped each other, followed by Blood-Wraith glancing in the direction of his home. “Guess I better get back to Vex. See you two later.”
“Bye, Blood,” Vlastimir replied.
“Best of luck to you,” Ekaterina called out.
“And let me know when your parents get here, Vlastimir. I still want to meet them!” Blood-Wraith called out as he neared his house.
Once he was far enough away, Vlastimir gave a slight grimace. “Oh yeah, them…”
Ekaterina gave him a hug. “Don’t worry, we’ve talked about this. Besides, we still have a week to go…”
Vlastimir nodded and sighed. “I know. It’s not… It’s… It’s just…” He pinched his bridge. “It feels so strange…”
“Yeah, I feel you there… but didn’t you tell me your mother cared for you deep down?”
“Yes, I did…”
“Well there you go: Clearly they care about you if they’re coming out all the way here to find you.”
He chuckled. “I suppose you’re right…” Vlastimir looked up, only to see a bird flying into the tower. “Was that an owl?”
“Yeah…” Ekaterina confirmed. “A shiny one at that…”
“Well I’ll be!” Corentin exclaimed. “That had to have been Turi, Dunja’s owl,” he pointed out as he walked up.
“Oh, hello, Corentin. What’s good?” Vlastimir inquired.
“Oh I was just looking for you two and was wondering if you could humor me with a quick experiment for a minute or two over at my place.”
Ekaterina shrugged. “Sure, we got time.”
“Excellent, let’s roll. Besides, you two have to see the renovations I’ve been working on. If me and the missus are going to have a child soon, things need to be ready to go…”
Next: Chapter 22
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Comments
Post a Comment