ULTRAMagic Interlude BC - Chapter 36
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“Hey, here comes Blood and Mal,” Drusa pointed out.
“Well then, figured they would have spent more time exploring” Tiberius remarked.
Vexation got up from the picnic table, followed by Drusa. “Knowing Blood, he probably wants to show Mal something.”
“So he does act like a child then?”
“Indeed, Tiberius. I’m not sure if that’s a benefit or a hindrance though.”
Tiberius sighed, thinking about the issue. “I don’t know if having what essentially amounts to a baby lead us is such a good idea…”
“A baby with a three-story house, but I get where you’re coming from, Tiberius,” Drusa replied.
“And he lives by himself?”
“Not quite,” Vexation pointed out. “Me and Drusa are there, and his parents are right across the street.”
“Here’s hoping he asks me or one of us to take charge of the guild…” Tiberius remarked.
Blood-Wraith touched down, shaking the ground a little. Once Mal was safely off his back, he returned to normal. “That was fun. I had no idea the moon was so beautiful.”
Mal started to move towards the tents set up for the workers. “Uncle Tiberius? I’m moving back into the tower.”
“Already? Fine with me then. Do you still want a room in the guild hall or do you think you can manage a commute between here and the tower?”
There was a brief pause as Mal stopped to think. “You know what? I think I can manage.” She then went into one of the tents.
Barry tilted his head a little. “Was there a reason she couldn’t go back in the first place?”
“I’d imagine it was anxiety and mixed emotions from the Epoch,” Tiberius answered. “Eustorgio’s betrayal was a troubling time.”
Cronus nodded. “Such feelings can cause us to do things we normally wouldn’t.” He averted his gaze when he noticed Drusa crossing her arms with an unapproving look on her face.
“Oh hey, Tiberius?” Blood-Wraith said. “You can take as much time as you need with the guild.”
“And why is that, Sir Blood-Wraith?”
“Mom and Drago suggested I go to school for a semester for the fun of it.”
Tiberius nodded in steady approval. “Alright then, sounds good to me. There are some things I wanted to add to the guild hall that’ll need time. Plus some of the members we’ve recruited are taking their time getting here…”
“Oh, and the Shadowland stuff too,” Barry added.
“Good point, Barry,” Cronus agreed. “It would be obnoxious to have Milosh meddling in our affairs. I’m not truly worried, but still.”
A thought occurred to Drusa in relation to Shadowland. “Hey, why don’t you guys go over and help? I mean, things are getting pretty crazy over there.”
“A fair question,” Tiberius replied. “May I ask why you haven’t?”
“Well obviously I was over there and honestly it looks like Barna and Dunja have things under control…”
“Precisely. Plus I’d rather not broadcast our actions to the enemy.”
Vexation chuckled. “And the less time spent near that slime Milosh, the better.”
“Guys, you’re making me want to go visit Aureolus…” Blood-Wraith pointed out.
Tiberius laughed in sympathy. “My apologies, Blood.”
Mal had finally returned with a case full of her belongings. “Alright, ready to go.” She seemed nervous, but also fairly eager to return home.
“Alright then” Vexation said as he cast a spell on the ground that opened up his portal once more. “Keep your hands and arms inside the corridor at all times.”
“See you guys later” Blood-Wraith called out. “And don’t be strangers.”
“Likewise, Sir Blood-Wraith,” Tiberius said as they waved goodbye and the portal closed.
The walk through the corridor was a quick one… the only issue was that they were not where they were supposed to be. “Hey, Vex? Why are we outside my house?” Blood-Wraith asked.
He was confused. “Um, give me a moment… Shoot, well, all I can say is that my method of getting around ain’t an exact method…”
Drusa snickered. “Science ain’t an exact science” she said in a raspy voice.
“Pardon?”
“Oh, sorry, Rich. Just a movie I saw recently that had a line I thought was relevant.”
Someone then cleared their throat. “Sir Blood-Wraith, ten-hut!”
“Yes sir!” Blood-Wraith went to Radovan’s side, who was accompanied by a royal guard. “What are your orders, sir-dad-father-your grace-sir, ARGH!”
Radovan and the guard laughed. “At ease, Sir Blood-Wraith.”
Vexation looked a bit concerned. “Um, what’s the matter, your grace?”
“I figured this would happen,” Drusa admitted. “I sort of came here without telling anyone.”
“No worries, ma’am. His majesty merely wishes to speak with you about your presence here…”
“Permission to speak… dad,” Blood-Wraith requested.
“Granted.”
“Drusa is a Spiritus Magni, an Atlantean goddess from universe-23.”
“Really now? My apologies, your divinity.”
Drusa rubbed the back of her head and chuckled. “No worries, your grace. Let’s go talk to Englehart.”
Radovan was about to lead everyone to the tower when he finally noticed the tall entity behind Drusa. He felt a surge of adrenaline in his blood given the odd appearance of them. “Blood, who is that?”
“Oh, that’s The Malformed of Old, but you can call her Mal. Leif found and adopted her back during the Epoch. She was staying at the guild construction site with Tiberius.”
Mal held out her hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, your grace.”
Radovan shook her hand, despite the unease. Her echoing voice and height was messing with him. “Well, I’m sure the king would also like to meet you too.”
As they began to walk, Blood-Wraith tapped his father’s arm. “What’s the matter, dad?” he whispered.
“I always thought she was just a myth… Just a little surprise is all. It’ll wear off,” he quietly replied.
The group definitely caught some eyes as they made their way through the tower. Mal was somewhere between fascinating and unnerving to everyone. This was nothing new for Mal. Man during the Epoch were scared of her, so the reactions she was getting now were actually fairly comforting. It was going to take some time to get used to all of the new faces, but she was just happy to be home again. Since Radovan had things to tend to, he handed duties off to Blood-Wraith once they were outside of Englehart’s office. Blood-Wraith took a breath, knocked, and was invited in.
Englehart was at his desk, writing some documents. “Blood-Wraith, good to see you again. Take a seat, everyone.”
“Any news from Shadowland, your majesty?” Blood-Wraith inquired.
“No, things seem to be quiet at the moment, which is rarely a good sign on the battlefield. Regardless, I have been sensing some strange things coming from that direction. Speaking of one of them…” He indicated for Drusa to speak.
“Right. Pleasure to meet you, King Englehart. I’m Spiritus Magni Drusa.”
“It is an honor to have you grace our fine city, venerable goddess.”
“You’re familiar with the Spiritus Magni, your majesty?” Vexation asked.
“Aye, I am. During my early days as king, I met one named Maxima…”
Drusa clapped. “That would be one of my students!” she said with pride.
Englehart smiled. “So Drusa, what brings you to The Iron City on this excellent day?”
“Primarily I was looking for my husband and I found him.” Drusa put her arm around Vexation’s shoulders.
“How wonderful. I imagine that was quite the occasion for you, Vexation.”
He nodded. “Absolutely. Englehart, can she live in the city with us? She’s looking for a place to stay…”
“Of course she can. Make yourself right at home, Drusa.”
“Thank you, Englehart,” Drusa replied with a bow. “There is another reason why I’m here, however. You see, I’m looking for one of my fellow Spiritus Magni. Her name is Julia and she’s been missing for some time. She was even missing during the fall of Atlantis.”
“And how can we help with this search?”
“Simple: Rich and all of the knowledge collected in this tower. I firmly believe Julia is in the Dream Realm and I need to be 6th dimensional to go there properly.”
Vexation took a breath. “Ohh boy, that’s quite the tall order, dear.”
Englehart nodded in agreement. “Aye, but if anyone can help her, it’d be you, Vexation. I have to ask, Drusa; How advanced would Julia have to be to be in such a position?”
“She went missing when she became 7th dimensional.”
“Then suppose she most likely knows that Atlantis fell due to the knowledge she has access to.”
Drusa sighed. “I know, but I want peace of mind.”
“Fair enough.”
“6th dimensional, my goodness…” Blood-Wraith commented. “I can’t even begin to imagine that. Oh, your majesty, this here is The Malformed of Old, but you can call her Mal.”
“Hello, your majesty,” she said.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mal.” Englehart got up and gave her a hug. “I’ve heard a great deal about you. Welcome home, my dear.”
“Leif told me about the whole schism incident. Is my room still intact?”
Englehart laughed. “Well considering how locked down Tiberius has those rooms, I doubt Dunja was able to get into them back then.”
“Oh right, duh. Of course Uncle Tiberius thought ahead. He was always good at that stuff.”
“Now Mal, will you be okay with our presence in the tower? I can make it so that your wing is less frequented if you feel that we’ll cause you any anxiety.”
Mal took a second to contemplate that. “It’s alright, your majesty. I’d rather have people get to know me then avoid me. All I really need is some privacy and personal space.”
“Fine with me. Still, would you like to have a couple of stewards assist you in getting your room in line? I’d imagine it needs it given how long you’ve been away.”
“Um… sure. Would you like to come along too, your majesty?” Mal wondered.
“It would be an honor, Mal. In fact, right now would be great. Those documents are killing my hands.” The two laughed. “Drusa, you’re free to go. And don’t be afraid to attend tonight’s dinner. You too, Vex and Blood.”
“Thank you, Englehart,” said Vexation. “We’ll be sure to do that”
“See you guys later,” Blood-Wraith replied. “Oh, Mal, I’ll send Drago here as soon as I see her.”
“Ooh, thank you, Blood.”
With everything all squared away, Blood-Wraith, Vexation, and Drusa made their way home. “Well that went well,” Blood-Wraith remarked.
“Drusa, honey, please check in with the king next time,” Vexation requested.
“Will do, Rich. Will do.”
Just as Blood-Wraith was about to open his door, he noticed his sister off in the distance. “Oh, Drago… Hey, sister!” He called out as he ran over, with Vexation and Drusa following.
“Hey, Blood,” Dragoslava said as she finished jotting something down in her notepad. “What have you been up to?”
“Firstly, this here is Drusa, Vex’s wife…”
She held out her hand. “Hello, Dragoslava.”
“Hello, Drusa. Nice to meet you.”
“Secondly, there’s a fan of yours in the tower,” Blood-Wraith continued.
Dragoslava looked at him weirdly. “Wait, like, an actual fan?” He nodded. “Well hot dog! Desislav, come on!” She said as she reached over and grabbed his arm.
“Whoa, easy, Drago. What about the plants?”
“No time, we got to go see my fan! Blood, take them to the mansion, please!” she trailed off.
Drusa waved as they left. “Good to see you again, Desislav.”
Vexation raised his eyebrows inquisitively. “You know him?”
She nodded. “Yup. I’ll end up being a guardian angel of sorts for him a few times in the future.”
Blood-Wraith tried to process that and quickly became confused. “But Rome… and the 1900s?”
This caused Drusa to cackle a little. “What they don’t tell you is that Rome and the middle ages never actually happened…” She could sense Blood-Wraith’s mind melting, so she laughed and stopped. “I’m just messing with you, Kiddo. But in all seriousness, I know this stuff is going to happen ahead of time due to being 5th dimensional. Now let’s move these plants.”
After a quick trip to the mansion and saying hello to Rose, the three could finally return to Blood-Wraith’s house. “Drusa, keep the time-talk to a minimum” he said as he sat on the couch.
“Sure thing, Blood,” she replied with a giggle.
Vexation took a seat in his usual recliner. “Well so much for getting anything done today.”
Drusa thought about something for a second, a thought she wanted to present to Blood. “Hey, Blood? I have an idea I’d like you to try tomorrow in regards to learning curse magic.”
This caught his attention. “Really?”
She nodded. “Yup. And if it works, I’m going to try it too…”
Now Vexation’s attention was caught. “Wait, you want to learn it too, Drusa?”
“Yup, and you can’t stop me, dear.”
Vexation laughed. “You know what, Drusa? It’s probably about time you learned it. Just run any further students by me first, okay?”
“Of course. I know how much curse magic means to you after all. I honestly think this is my ticket to becoming 6th dimensional.”
“Well, here’s hoping,” Blood-Wraith said as he turned on the television.
Next: Chapter 37
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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“Hey, here comes Blood and Mal,” Drusa pointed out.
“Well then, figured they would have spent more time exploring” Tiberius remarked.
Vexation got up from the picnic table, followed by Drusa. “Knowing Blood, he probably wants to show Mal something.”
“So he does act like a child then?”
“Indeed, Tiberius. I’m not sure if that’s a benefit or a hindrance though.”
Tiberius sighed, thinking about the issue. “I don’t know if having what essentially amounts to a baby lead us is such a good idea…”
“A baby with a three-story house, but I get where you’re coming from, Tiberius,” Drusa replied.
“And he lives by himself?”
“Not quite,” Vexation pointed out. “Me and Drusa are there, and his parents are right across the street.”
“Here’s hoping he asks me or one of us to take charge of the guild…” Tiberius remarked.
Blood-Wraith touched down, shaking the ground a little. Once Mal was safely off his back, he returned to normal. “That was fun. I had no idea the moon was so beautiful.”
Mal started to move towards the tents set up for the workers. “Uncle Tiberius? I’m moving back into the tower.”
“Already? Fine with me then. Do you still want a room in the guild hall or do you think you can manage a commute between here and the tower?”
There was a brief pause as Mal stopped to think. “You know what? I think I can manage.” She then went into one of the tents.
Barry tilted his head a little. “Was there a reason she couldn’t go back in the first place?”
“I’d imagine it was anxiety and mixed emotions from the Epoch,” Tiberius answered. “Eustorgio’s betrayal was a troubling time.”
Cronus nodded. “Such feelings can cause us to do things we normally wouldn’t.” He averted his gaze when he noticed Drusa crossing her arms with an unapproving look on her face.
“Oh hey, Tiberius?” Blood-Wraith said. “You can take as much time as you need with the guild.”
“And why is that, Sir Blood-Wraith?”
“Mom and Drago suggested I go to school for a semester for the fun of it.”
Tiberius nodded in steady approval. “Alright then, sounds good to me. There are some things I wanted to add to the guild hall that’ll need time. Plus some of the members we’ve recruited are taking their time getting here…”
“Oh, and the Shadowland stuff too,” Barry added.
“Good point, Barry,” Cronus agreed. “It would be obnoxious to have Milosh meddling in our affairs. I’m not truly worried, but still.”
A thought occurred to Drusa in relation to Shadowland. “Hey, why don’t you guys go over and help? I mean, things are getting pretty crazy over there.”
“A fair question,” Tiberius replied. “May I ask why you haven’t?”
“Well obviously I was over there and honestly it looks like Barna and Dunja have things under control…”
“Precisely. Plus I’d rather not broadcast our actions to the enemy.”
Vexation chuckled. “And the less time spent near that slime Milosh, the better.”
“Guys, you’re making me want to go visit Aureolus…” Blood-Wraith pointed out.
Tiberius laughed in sympathy. “My apologies, Blood.”
Mal had finally returned with a case full of her belongings. “Alright, ready to go.” She seemed nervous, but also fairly eager to return home.
“Alright then” Vexation said as he cast a spell on the ground that opened up his portal once more. “Keep your hands and arms inside the corridor at all times.”
“See you guys later” Blood-Wraith called out. “And don’t be strangers.”
“Likewise, Sir Blood-Wraith,” Tiberius said as they waved goodbye and the portal closed.
The walk through the corridor was a quick one… the only issue was that they were not where they were supposed to be. “Hey, Vex? Why are we outside my house?” Blood-Wraith asked.
He was confused. “Um, give me a moment… Shoot, well, all I can say is that my method of getting around ain’t an exact method…”
Drusa snickered. “Science ain’t an exact science” she said in a raspy voice.
“Pardon?”
“Oh, sorry, Rich. Just a movie I saw recently that had a line I thought was relevant.”
Someone then cleared their throat. “Sir Blood-Wraith, ten-hut!”
“Yes sir!” Blood-Wraith went to Radovan’s side, who was accompanied by a royal guard. “What are your orders, sir-dad-father-your grace-sir, ARGH!”
Radovan and the guard laughed. “At ease, Sir Blood-Wraith.”
Vexation looked a bit concerned. “Um, what’s the matter, your grace?”
“I figured this would happen,” Drusa admitted. “I sort of came here without telling anyone.”
“No worries, ma’am. His majesty merely wishes to speak with you about your presence here…”
“Permission to speak… dad,” Blood-Wraith requested.
“Granted.”
“Drusa is a Spiritus Magni, an Atlantean goddess from universe-23.”
“Really now? My apologies, your divinity.”
Drusa rubbed the back of her head and chuckled. “No worries, your grace. Let’s go talk to Englehart.”
Radovan was about to lead everyone to the tower when he finally noticed the tall entity behind Drusa. He felt a surge of adrenaline in his blood given the odd appearance of them. “Blood, who is that?”
“Oh, that’s The Malformed of Old, but you can call her Mal. Leif found and adopted her back during the Epoch. She was staying at the guild construction site with Tiberius.”
Mal held out her hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, your grace.”
Radovan shook her hand, despite the unease. Her echoing voice and height was messing with him. “Well, I’m sure the king would also like to meet you too.”
As they began to walk, Blood-Wraith tapped his father’s arm. “What’s the matter, dad?” he whispered.
“I always thought she was just a myth… Just a little surprise is all. It’ll wear off,” he quietly replied.
The group definitely caught some eyes as they made their way through the tower. Mal was somewhere between fascinating and unnerving to everyone. This was nothing new for Mal. Man during the Epoch were scared of her, so the reactions she was getting now were actually fairly comforting. It was going to take some time to get used to all of the new faces, but she was just happy to be home again. Since Radovan had things to tend to, he handed duties off to Blood-Wraith once they were outside of Englehart’s office. Blood-Wraith took a breath, knocked, and was invited in.
Englehart was at his desk, writing some documents. “Blood-Wraith, good to see you again. Take a seat, everyone.”
“Any news from Shadowland, your majesty?” Blood-Wraith inquired.
“No, things seem to be quiet at the moment, which is rarely a good sign on the battlefield. Regardless, I have been sensing some strange things coming from that direction. Speaking of one of them…” He indicated for Drusa to speak.
“Right. Pleasure to meet you, King Englehart. I’m Spiritus Magni Drusa.”
“It is an honor to have you grace our fine city, venerable goddess.”
“You’re familiar with the Spiritus Magni, your majesty?” Vexation asked.
“Aye, I am. During my early days as king, I met one named Maxima…”
Drusa clapped. “That would be one of my students!” she said with pride.
Englehart smiled. “So Drusa, what brings you to The Iron City on this excellent day?”
“Primarily I was looking for my husband and I found him.” Drusa put her arm around Vexation’s shoulders.
“How wonderful. I imagine that was quite the occasion for you, Vexation.”
He nodded. “Absolutely. Englehart, can she live in the city with us? She’s looking for a place to stay…”
“Of course she can. Make yourself right at home, Drusa.”
“Thank you, Englehart,” Drusa replied with a bow. “There is another reason why I’m here, however. You see, I’m looking for one of my fellow Spiritus Magni. Her name is Julia and she’s been missing for some time. She was even missing during the fall of Atlantis.”
“And how can we help with this search?”
“Simple: Rich and all of the knowledge collected in this tower. I firmly believe Julia is in the Dream Realm and I need to be 6th dimensional to go there properly.”
Vexation took a breath. “Ohh boy, that’s quite the tall order, dear.”
Englehart nodded in agreement. “Aye, but if anyone can help her, it’d be you, Vexation. I have to ask, Drusa; How advanced would Julia have to be to be in such a position?”
“She went missing when she became 7th dimensional.”
“Then suppose she most likely knows that Atlantis fell due to the knowledge she has access to.”
Drusa sighed. “I know, but I want peace of mind.”
“Fair enough.”
“6th dimensional, my goodness…” Blood-Wraith commented. “I can’t even begin to imagine that. Oh, your majesty, this here is The Malformed of Old, but you can call her Mal.”
“Hello, your majesty,” she said.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mal.” Englehart got up and gave her a hug. “I’ve heard a great deal about you. Welcome home, my dear.”
“Leif told me about the whole schism incident. Is my room still intact?”
Englehart laughed. “Well considering how locked down Tiberius has those rooms, I doubt Dunja was able to get into them back then.”
“Oh right, duh. Of course Uncle Tiberius thought ahead. He was always good at that stuff.”
“Now Mal, will you be okay with our presence in the tower? I can make it so that your wing is less frequented if you feel that we’ll cause you any anxiety.”
Mal took a second to contemplate that. “It’s alright, your majesty. I’d rather have people get to know me then avoid me. All I really need is some privacy and personal space.”
“Fine with me. Still, would you like to have a couple of stewards assist you in getting your room in line? I’d imagine it needs it given how long you’ve been away.”
“Um… sure. Would you like to come along too, your majesty?” Mal wondered.
“It would be an honor, Mal. In fact, right now would be great. Those documents are killing my hands.” The two laughed. “Drusa, you’re free to go. And don’t be afraid to attend tonight’s dinner. You too, Vex and Blood.”
“Thank you, Englehart,” said Vexation. “We’ll be sure to do that”
“See you guys later,” Blood-Wraith replied. “Oh, Mal, I’ll send Drago here as soon as I see her.”
“Ooh, thank you, Blood.”
With everything all squared away, Blood-Wraith, Vexation, and Drusa made their way home. “Well that went well,” Blood-Wraith remarked.
“Drusa, honey, please check in with the king next time,” Vexation requested.
“Will do, Rich. Will do.”
Just as Blood-Wraith was about to open his door, he noticed his sister off in the distance. “Oh, Drago… Hey, sister!” He called out as he ran over, with Vexation and Drusa following.
“Hey, Blood,” Dragoslava said as she finished jotting something down in her notepad. “What have you been up to?”
“Firstly, this here is Drusa, Vex’s wife…”
She held out her hand. “Hello, Dragoslava.”
“Hello, Drusa. Nice to meet you.”
“Secondly, there’s a fan of yours in the tower,” Blood-Wraith continued.
Dragoslava looked at him weirdly. “Wait, like, an actual fan?” He nodded. “Well hot dog! Desislav, come on!” She said as she reached over and grabbed his arm.
“Whoa, easy, Drago. What about the plants?”
“No time, we got to go see my fan! Blood, take them to the mansion, please!” she trailed off.
Drusa waved as they left. “Good to see you again, Desislav.”
Vexation raised his eyebrows inquisitively. “You know him?”
She nodded. “Yup. I’ll end up being a guardian angel of sorts for him a few times in the future.”
Blood-Wraith tried to process that and quickly became confused. “But Rome… and the 1900s?”
This caused Drusa to cackle a little. “What they don’t tell you is that Rome and the middle ages never actually happened…” She could sense Blood-Wraith’s mind melting, so she laughed and stopped. “I’m just messing with you, Kiddo. But in all seriousness, I know this stuff is going to happen ahead of time due to being 5th dimensional. Now let’s move these plants.”
After a quick trip to the mansion and saying hello to Rose, the three could finally return to Blood-Wraith’s house. “Drusa, keep the time-talk to a minimum” he said as he sat on the couch.
“Sure thing, Blood,” she replied with a giggle.
Vexation took a seat in his usual recliner. “Well so much for getting anything done today.”
Drusa thought about something for a second, a thought she wanted to present to Blood. “Hey, Blood? I have an idea I’d like you to try tomorrow in regards to learning curse magic.”
This caught his attention. “Really?”
She nodded. “Yup. And if it works, I’m going to try it too…”
Now Vexation’s attention was caught. “Wait, you want to learn it too, Drusa?”
“Yup, and you can’t stop me, dear.”
Vexation laughed. “You know what, Drusa? It’s probably about time you learned it. Just run any further students by me first, okay?”
“Of course. I know how much curse magic means to you after all. I honestly think this is my ticket to becoming 6th dimensional.”
“Well, here’s hoping,” Blood-Wraith said as he turned on the television.
Next: Chapter 37
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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