ULTRAMagic Babel - Chapter 17
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Mal was happily talking to Gratiana when the four entered the parlor. The former leader of the Blades of Dunja was of utmost beauty with magnificent, blonde hair and dressed in regal attire. She smiled and stood up upon seeing her son. “Gummi, there you are…”
“Hey, mom,” he replied as he went to hug her. “Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks…”
“Of course, but let’s have a little tea first,” she said as they sat down. “Blood, Lia, welcome.”
“Good to see you again, Gratiana… er, permission to speak freely, ma’am,” Blood-Wraith replied, realizing he was technically on duty.
“Granted, Sir Raynot,” she answered with a giggle.
Lia sighed as she poured herself some tea. “I suppose all of you want to know the particulars of The Homunculus Project, correct?”
“Ideally,” Gummi confirmed. “Given that some of the gemstones I was tasked with acquiring were fairly dangerous to get a hold of.”
“By the source,” Mal put in. “Just what were you guys up to if it was that perilous?”
“Stronger and better constructs,” Lia began to explain after a sip of her tea. “When I was brought into the Blades to replace Torunn, many ideas were being floated around as to how we could regain the advantage against King Sten. Adriana was sent off by Andelin and Torunn obviously leaked a good deal of our secrets…”
“Aren’t you glad I had Adriana go off exploring given that she was going to kill Milosh?” Andelin interrupted with a cheeky smile.
Lia shook her head, holding back a laugh. “So I took a look at a shadow construct that had returned and wondered if they could be improved. My proposal was to vastly upgrade Dunja’s work and thus the Homunculus Project was born. Warehouse Omicron was set up as a secret lab so we could work without King Sten noticing us…”
“With a hex to hide it, from yours truly,” Adriana added.
“So how far did you get before the project was scrapped when Blood and Leif went to challenge The Lich?” Gratiana inquired.
Lia took a breath as there was clear worry in her voice. “The Mimics were a success, for the most part. Valdemaras made use of one in the Tower of Babel, but that was one we had already deployed. The Symbiont type was meant to be worn as a living suit and would bring out the full potential of the construct rather than the wearer. Haze was the only one we made and I heard it escaped…”
“Hold up, Haze?” Blood-Wraith cut in, then turned to Mal. “Mal, remember that one construct Dunja told us about?”
“Yeah… Lia, Dunja gave that one a soul fragment so it could leave and live a better life.”
While certainly endearing, Lia quickly realized something crucial. “Wait, do we know where he is right now? And how he’s doing?”
“Um, Lia?” Gummi interjected, unsure of her intentions.
“Oops, sorry-it’s just that we never accounted for Haze being given a soul fragment and I’m curious to know what that did to him.”
Gratiana pondered the thought, also curious. “Well if he left The Unlight we’ll just have to wait for him to show up again.”
“Ha, I’ll bet he’ll turn up with Will in the future,” said Blood-Wraith, certain of himself.
“What makes you say that, Blood?” Gummi wondered.
“A hunch… And Will told me some top secret stuff when he was in the past with us. Apparently the ACF, M.A.I.G., and The Liger Brigade were moving around an anomaly and it makes me wonder…”
“Oof, careful, Blood,” Mal cautioned. “That’s probably some really sensitive information…”
“Guess I’m a professional leaker then, hehe,” Blood-Wraith mischievously remarked as he bounced around in his seat, causing the others to chuckle. “Keep that on the down low, aye, guys?” They all agreed.
“Anyways, any others we should know about, Lia?” Gummi inquired. “Any other symbionts?”
Lia would have laughed if she did not have to discuss the last two types of constructs she had worked on. “Next was the Juggernaut, which was meant to be a super soldier. Anne was interested in that one, and especially the last type we worked on.”
“One second again,” Blood-Wraith interrupted once more. “Lia, Will said he had fought against some stronger than normal constructs during the incident at Red River City, of which Anne was heavily involved. You don’t think she turned the Juggernaut blueprints over to that awful Sebastian, do you?”
Lia took a second to contemplate that notion. She was not thrilled about it in the slightest. “I wouldn’t be surprised, Blood. Now as for the last type, the Imperator was designed to have an artificial soul that would give him potential. Audamar was the only one we made and Anne really wanted him, but he was just not ready yet. And as to be expected Dunja found out about the whole thing and wanted the entire project shut down. The Lich’s defeat pretty much doomed it all and I am praying that Audamar has shut down, as I still do not fully know what he can do. You can understand now why I have been so nervous about all of this.”
The group went quiet for a second as Lia’s words and concerns sent a chill down their spines. “Well no use sitting around here,” Gummi concluded as he got up. “Let’s keep our guards up and hope for the best.”
Lia’s house sat on Dove Street, placing it a bit out of the way of the main roads. It was a modest, three-story house with an octagon window, all of it being fairly unassuming in the grand scheme of things. Oddly there was a vacant lot for a backyard and it was just big enough for a warehouse. Lia would have loved to go for a casual walk around Shadowland, as she always enjoyed the Victorian architecture. Alas she had more important things to take care of at the moment. Two knights were standing outside the property, one with his helm on and the other without. While Lia’s arrival was a big deal, Sten did not want to bring attention to it. The Eternal Church had truly died out ages ago, but Sten never considered himself a betting man.
“Hey, Boris!” Gummi called out as the group approached. “Hey, where’s your shield-cannon?”
“Good to see you, Gummi. And I would have brought it along, but Captain-General Karlov advised against it. Oh, everyone? This is Stanislav, my squad mate and a skilled pyromancer.”
“Greetings, everyone,” Stanislav said in a slightly raspy voice, followed by an attempt at a proper bow that was hindered by his armor.
“Now, Lia, shall we head in?”
She sighed as she looked at her old home. “Of course, Boris. As a warning, it’s probably a bit dusty…”
“One second, everyone,” Andelin interjected as she went over to the front gate. “I bet all of you are wondering where Omicron is?”
“Surely it’s underground, isn’t it?” Stanislav reasoned.
“Nope.” She snapped her fingers, causing a card to fly to her. Slowly a large warehouse faded back into existence behind the house. “Viola! I mean, there were plans for it to be underground, but obviously those never materialized.”
Once his amazement wore off, Boris gave Andelin a concerned look. “Just how many of your cards are still around the city?”
“Actually that was the last of my old hexes.”
“And you’re sure about that?”
Andelin laughed as Lia led the way inside. “You have my word on the honor of my gold blood, Boris.”
Dust and cobwebs were everywhere as they all entered a modest living room. With everyone coughing and sneezing, Andelin tossed out one of her hexes. It flew around the house and did its best to collect the copious amount of dust. Andelin was not thrilled over having to eventually empty the card, but the improved air quality was worth it. The hex obviously could not clean up the general mess and clutter, however. Lia was not sure how to feel as she wandered her old home. The memories of her time in The Eternal Church were not pleasant to revisit. On top of the mantle was a photograph of her, Milosh, and several other high ranking members of the church from so long ago. She was about to take it out of the frame and tear it up with bladed fingers, but Gummi stopped her.
“Let’s… let’s not forget our past mistakes…”
Lia sighed and set the frame face down. “No, let’s not.”
“I trust we need a key to get into the warehouse?” Boris asked. “Or should we knock the door down?”
“No no, the key is in my bedroom. Blood, Gummi? Could you both stay here with Boris and Stanislav and make sure nothing happens?” They both nodded and agreed. “Everyone else, follow me…”
Lia led Gratiana, Andelin, and Mal up the creaking stairs into a long hallway with a window at the far end. The door to Lia’s room had already been opened thanks to Andelin’s hex, so they went on in. The room was a bit lavish (if a tad disorganized for the time being), but Andelin’s house still topped it. Pardoning herself as she did, Lia flopped onto her bed and allowed herself a moment to relax as the others looked around. She was not out of the woods just yet, but it felt so good to lay on her own bed for once. It would have been perfect if Waramunt, Odo, and Buster were still around… and Omicron was not looming over her head. Lia then noticed Mal looking into her closet and sat up.
“Wow, these armored dresses are actually quite impressive,” Mal remarked.
Lia shook her head with a calm sigh. “I’ll admit that they got the job done, but at the same time I have to roll my eyes over how much cleavage they show…”
“Well it doesn’t look too bad, all things considered… What the…?”
“What’s the matter… oh,” Lia replied as she realized Mal was looking at her more risqué attire. “Ha, now you know why I didn’t want the boys up here. Either way I don’t ever plan to wear those again. Those days are behind me and… well…” Lia put her hand on her belly and sighed. She was not exactly out of shape and still retained a mostly healthy physique, but it was easy to tell she had put on some weight since her days with The Eternal Church.
“Goodness, dear,” Gratiana said with concern in her voice. “You didn’t let your diet slip too much, did you?”
“No, it’s just… Well, hot fudge sundaes are to die for and Odo makes a mean chilidog.”
Andelin could not help but laugh a little, as she had indulged herself in the past with similar concoctions under her own stressful circumstances. “Well don’t worry, as Torunn will certainly be coming up with all sorts of exercise routines to get you back into shape in no time. Now, Lia, the key?”
“Ah yes, that,” she said as she went over to a cupboard with a vanity mirror above it. Lia had to stop for a second as she was caught off guard by the woman staring back at her from the somewhat dirty glass. For a moment she did not recognize herself as the woman she saw had gone through Hell and back to atone for her sins and protect the innocent. Lia smiled, not regretting a single choice. Buster was a sweetheart she vowed to keep safe and she did just that. Maybe there was hope for her after all. After opening up a secret compartment in the top drawer, she held up a dull, gold key. “Alright, let’s go.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Andelin questioned, knowing what was ahead of them.
“I have no idea, but I’ve got nothing to lose… er, I mean that in a good way!”
Mal giggled. “Lia?”
“I mean Buster’s not here, so we’re good to go… Damn it! That sounded so insensitive!”
“I know what you mean, Lia,” Mal assured her as she put her hand on her shoulder. “Buster may be safe and sound in Universe-23, but you’re going to keep fighting no matter what…”
“Exactly! Thank you, Mal,” Lia said with a hug. “Argh, it still feels like I’m on the run… and well, I haven’t exactly had a moment to clear my head and whatnot…”
“Understandable,” Andelin replied. “Perhaps a quick visit to the lab might help then?” she proposed as she gestured for the four to head out.
“Andelin!” Gratiana chided as they entered the hallway.
“What? I meant that in ernest… and also I couldn’t resist,” she replied with a giggle.
“It’s alright, Gratiana,” Lia conceded. “It’s all still bothersome, so perhaps going in and confirming that everything is all good will finally let me move on.”
“Don’t worry, Lia, we’ve got your back,” Mal reassured.
“Truthfully it’s not my back we should be worried about-it’s whatever unholy creation that was left behind in the warehouse.”
Andelin did not want to admit it, but she felt the same dread. “Well, here's hoping the boys brought their A-game today. Not to be a prophet of ill-fortune, but I can sense something stirring in the warehouse…”
Next: Chapter 18
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
Mal was happily talking to Gratiana when the four entered the parlor. The former leader of the Blades of Dunja was of utmost beauty with magnificent, blonde hair and dressed in regal attire. She smiled and stood up upon seeing her son. “Gummi, there you are…”
“Hey, mom,” he replied as he went to hug her. “Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks…”
“Of course, but let’s have a little tea first,” she said as they sat down. “Blood, Lia, welcome.”
“Good to see you again, Gratiana… er, permission to speak freely, ma’am,” Blood-Wraith replied, realizing he was technically on duty.
“Granted, Sir Raynot,” she answered with a giggle.
Lia sighed as she poured herself some tea. “I suppose all of you want to know the particulars of The Homunculus Project, correct?”
“Ideally,” Gummi confirmed. “Given that some of the gemstones I was tasked with acquiring were fairly dangerous to get a hold of.”
“By the source,” Mal put in. “Just what were you guys up to if it was that perilous?”
“Stronger and better constructs,” Lia began to explain after a sip of her tea. “When I was brought into the Blades to replace Torunn, many ideas were being floated around as to how we could regain the advantage against King Sten. Adriana was sent off by Andelin and Torunn obviously leaked a good deal of our secrets…”
“Aren’t you glad I had Adriana go off exploring given that she was going to kill Milosh?” Andelin interrupted with a cheeky smile.
Lia shook her head, holding back a laugh. “So I took a look at a shadow construct that had returned and wondered if they could be improved. My proposal was to vastly upgrade Dunja’s work and thus the Homunculus Project was born. Warehouse Omicron was set up as a secret lab so we could work without King Sten noticing us…”
“With a hex to hide it, from yours truly,” Adriana added.
“So how far did you get before the project was scrapped when Blood and Leif went to challenge The Lich?” Gratiana inquired.
Lia took a breath as there was clear worry in her voice. “The Mimics were a success, for the most part. Valdemaras made use of one in the Tower of Babel, but that was one we had already deployed. The Symbiont type was meant to be worn as a living suit and would bring out the full potential of the construct rather than the wearer. Haze was the only one we made and I heard it escaped…”
“Hold up, Haze?” Blood-Wraith cut in, then turned to Mal. “Mal, remember that one construct Dunja told us about?”
“Yeah… Lia, Dunja gave that one a soul fragment so it could leave and live a better life.”
While certainly endearing, Lia quickly realized something crucial. “Wait, do we know where he is right now? And how he’s doing?”
“Um, Lia?” Gummi interjected, unsure of her intentions.
“Oops, sorry-it’s just that we never accounted for Haze being given a soul fragment and I’m curious to know what that did to him.”
Gratiana pondered the thought, also curious. “Well if he left The Unlight we’ll just have to wait for him to show up again.”
“Ha, I’ll bet he’ll turn up with Will in the future,” said Blood-Wraith, certain of himself.
“What makes you say that, Blood?” Gummi wondered.
“A hunch… And Will told me some top secret stuff when he was in the past with us. Apparently the ACF, M.A.I.G., and The Liger Brigade were moving around an anomaly and it makes me wonder…”
“Oof, careful, Blood,” Mal cautioned. “That’s probably some really sensitive information…”
“Guess I’m a professional leaker then, hehe,” Blood-Wraith mischievously remarked as he bounced around in his seat, causing the others to chuckle. “Keep that on the down low, aye, guys?” They all agreed.
“Anyways, any others we should know about, Lia?” Gummi inquired. “Any other symbionts?”
Lia would have laughed if she did not have to discuss the last two types of constructs she had worked on. “Next was the Juggernaut, which was meant to be a super soldier. Anne was interested in that one, and especially the last type we worked on.”
“One second again,” Blood-Wraith interrupted once more. “Lia, Will said he had fought against some stronger than normal constructs during the incident at Red River City, of which Anne was heavily involved. You don’t think she turned the Juggernaut blueprints over to that awful Sebastian, do you?”
Lia took a second to contemplate that notion. She was not thrilled about it in the slightest. “I wouldn’t be surprised, Blood. Now as for the last type, the Imperator was designed to have an artificial soul that would give him potential. Audamar was the only one we made and Anne really wanted him, but he was just not ready yet. And as to be expected Dunja found out about the whole thing and wanted the entire project shut down. The Lich’s defeat pretty much doomed it all and I am praying that Audamar has shut down, as I still do not fully know what he can do. You can understand now why I have been so nervous about all of this.”
The group went quiet for a second as Lia’s words and concerns sent a chill down their spines. “Well no use sitting around here,” Gummi concluded as he got up. “Let’s keep our guards up and hope for the best.”
Lia’s house sat on Dove Street, placing it a bit out of the way of the main roads. It was a modest, three-story house with an octagon window, all of it being fairly unassuming in the grand scheme of things. Oddly there was a vacant lot for a backyard and it was just big enough for a warehouse. Lia would have loved to go for a casual walk around Shadowland, as she always enjoyed the Victorian architecture. Alas she had more important things to take care of at the moment. Two knights were standing outside the property, one with his helm on and the other without. While Lia’s arrival was a big deal, Sten did not want to bring attention to it. The Eternal Church had truly died out ages ago, but Sten never considered himself a betting man.
“Hey, Boris!” Gummi called out as the group approached. “Hey, where’s your shield-cannon?”
“Good to see you, Gummi. And I would have brought it along, but Captain-General Karlov advised against it. Oh, everyone? This is Stanislav, my squad mate and a skilled pyromancer.”
“Greetings, everyone,” Stanislav said in a slightly raspy voice, followed by an attempt at a proper bow that was hindered by his armor.
“Now, Lia, shall we head in?”
She sighed as she looked at her old home. “Of course, Boris. As a warning, it’s probably a bit dusty…”
“One second, everyone,” Andelin interjected as she went over to the front gate. “I bet all of you are wondering where Omicron is?”
“Surely it’s underground, isn’t it?” Stanislav reasoned.
“Nope.” She snapped her fingers, causing a card to fly to her. Slowly a large warehouse faded back into existence behind the house. “Viola! I mean, there were plans for it to be underground, but obviously those never materialized.”
Once his amazement wore off, Boris gave Andelin a concerned look. “Just how many of your cards are still around the city?”
“Actually that was the last of my old hexes.”
“And you’re sure about that?”
Andelin laughed as Lia led the way inside. “You have my word on the honor of my gold blood, Boris.”
Dust and cobwebs were everywhere as they all entered a modest living room. With everyone coughing and sneezing, Andelin tossed out one of her hexes. It flew around the house and did its best to collect the copious amount of dust. Andelin was not thrilled over having to eventually empty the card, but the improved air quality was worth it. The hex obviously could not clean up the general mess and clutter, however. Lia was not sure how to feel as she wandered her old home. The memories of her time in The Eternal Church were not pleasant to revisit. On top of the mantle was a photograph of her, Milosh, and several other high ranking members of the church from so long ago. She was about to take it out of the frame and tear it up with bladed fingers, but Gummi stopped her.
“Let’s… let’s not forget our past mistakes…”
Lia sighed and set the frame face down. “No, let’s not.”
“I trust we need a key to get into the warehouse?” Boris asked. “Or should we knock the door down?”
“No no, the key is in my bedroom. Blood, Gummi? Could you both stay here with Boris and Stanislav and make sure nothing happens?” They both nodded and agreed. “Everyone else, follow me…”
Lia led Gratiana, Andelin, and Mal up the creaking stairs into a long hallway with a window at the far end. The door to Lia’s room had already been opened thanks to Andelin’s hex, so they went on in. The room was a bit lavish (if a tad disorganized for the time being), but Andelin’s house still topped it. Pardoning herself as she did, Lia flopped onto her bed and allowed herself a moment to relax as the others looked around. She was not out of the woods just yet, but it felt so good to lay on her own bed for once. It would have been perfect if Waramunt, Odo, and Buster were still around… and Omicron was not looming over her head. Lia then noticed Mal looking into her closet and sat up.
“Wow, these armored dresses are actually quite impressive,” Mal remarked.
Lia shook her head with a calm sigh. “I’ll admit that they got the job done, but at the same time I have to roll my eyes over how much cleavage they show…”
“Well it doesn’t look too bad, all things considered… What the…?”
“What’s the matter… oh,” Lia replied as she realized Mal was looking at her more risqué attire. “Ha, now you know why I didn’t want the boys up here. Either way I don’t ever plan to wear those again. Those days are behind me and… well…” Lia put her hand on her belly and sighed. She was not exactly out of shape and still retained a mostly healthy physique, but it was easy to tell she had put on some weight since her days with The Eternal Church.
“Goodness, dear,” Gratiana said with concern in her voice. “You didn’t let your diet slip too much, did you?”
“No, it’s just… Well, hot fudge sundaes are to die for and Odo makes a mean chilidog.”
Andelin could not help but laugh a little, as she had indulged herself in the past with similar concoctions under her own stressful circumstances. “Well don’t worry, as Torunn will certainly be coming up with all sorts of exercise routines to get you back into shape in no time. Now, Lia, the key?”
“Ah yes, that,” she said as she went over to a cupboard with a vanity mirror above it. Lia had to stop for a second as she was caught off guard by the woman staring back at her from the somewhat dirty glass. For a moment she did not recognize herself as the woman she saw had gone through Hell and back to atone for her sins and protect the innocent. Lia smiled, not regretting a single choice. Buster was a sweetheart she vowed to keep safe and she did just that. Maybe there was hope for her after all. After opening up a secret compartment in the top drawer, she held up a dull, gold key. “Alright, let’s go.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Andelin questioned, knowing what was ahead of them.
“I have no idea, but I’ve got nothing to lose… er, I mean that in a good way!”
Mal giggled. “Lia?”
“I mean Buster’s not here, so we’re good to go… Damn it! That sounded so insensitive!”
“I know what you mean, Lia,” Mal assured her as she put her hand on her shoulder. “Buster may be safe and sound in Universe-23, but you’re going to keep fighting no matter what…”
“Exactly! Thank you, Mal,” Lia said with a hug. “Argh, it still feels like I’m on the run… and well, I haven’t exactly had a moment to clear my head and whatnot…”
“Understandable,” Andelin replied. “Perhaps a quick visit to the lab might help then?” she proposed as she gestured for the four to head out.
“Andelin!” Gratiana chided as they entered the hallway.
“What? I meant that in ernest… and also I couldn’t resist,” she replied with a giggle.
“It’s alright, Gratiana,” Lia conceded. “It’s all still bothersome, so perhaps going in and confirming that everything is all good will finally let me move on.”
“Don’t worry, Lia, we’ve got your back,” Mal reassured.
“Truthfully it’s not my back we should be worried about-it’s whatever unholy creation that was left behind in the warehouse.”
Andelin did not want to admit it, but she felt the same dread. “Well, here's hoping the boys brought their A-game today. Not to be a prophet of ill-fortune, but I can sense something stirring in the warehouse…”
Next: Chapter 18
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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