ULTRAMagic Babel - Chapter 20
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Leonard’s realm was a great, majestic city perpetually adrift in an everlasting thunderstorm. The Maelstrom Colosseum, whose architecture was like someone from another dimension drawing inspiration from ancient Greek temples, sat atop of a great tornado and was a breathtaking sight to behold. Gratiana felt incredibly nostalgic and complete as she entered the arena with Lia. The subjects of the realm, consisting of man, dragon, and jabberwock cheered and applauded the return of the Discordant Champion of Lightning. And of course seeing that Rahela had finally picked her champion was also fantastic to see.
Audamar was even more intimidated now given that he was unsure what his magic even was and he knew a thing or two about Gratiana’s past. The pressure of knowing he was being watched by a massive audience also did not help. Out of courtesy he was given the first move of the duel and he put his hand forward. Audamar hoped for anything really, and out of his palm shot a strange beam of crystalized magic. It was a strange feeling and he was not sure what it was, but he could make it work.
The duel quickly went into full swing with Lia discovering a new grasp on her pyromancy. The techniques Waramunt had taught her came naturally now and the honors granted to her by Rahela were allowing her to truly experiment. Since Lia and Audamar were getting the hang of their magic, Gratiana held back in order to not overwhelm them. In return her lightning spells were flashier than usual to amaze the audience, and could also be studied by aspiring mages. Normally Leonard would have objected to such theatrics and punch-pulling, but he was willing to let it slide since he was in a good mood.
As Audamar fought against Lia and Gratiana, a curious individual entered Leonard’s box. He was a horned man in worn, traveler’s robes, with digitigrade legs. Given his long hair, beard, and spiraling horns, it was easy to confuse him for an upright goat. The man was also carrying a staff made of petrified ebony, with a sickle affixed to the top that held a floating gem which resembled a glowing moon. While few would recognize this man in the modern era of the Cosmos, Leonard immediately knew who it was. It was Losian, Forlorn God of Dusk. The Forlorn Gods were the Discordant Gods of the Epoch, ancient even to gods such Leonard and Nacht.
“Losian!” Leonard welcomed as he shook the god’s hand. “What brings you here on this fine day?”
“It’s great to see you’re doing well, Leonard. I have news from Fume Lord Charlemagne about the whereabouts of Hecate and the battle with The Mad God. And I see today is no doubt a cause for celebration,” he said, indicating the bout in the arena.
“Yes, yes indeed!” Leonard replied with excitement in his voice and a clap. “I’ve got my champion back and Rahela finally decided on hers.”
Losian took a seat in a chair that appeared for him, appreciating being able to rest his legs after the long journey he made to the realm. “And you’re sure about Lia, Rahela?”
“Yes, Lord Losian… or at least I’m pretty sure I am…” Rahela thought about it further, as things had happened so quickly. “I mean, she stuck her neck out for Odo and Buster Ash, and I admire that kind of courage.”
“Then it was meant to be, like an artist finding inspiration in the most obscure corners of his land.” A steward approached Losian and offered him a drink of which he happily accepted for his somewhat parched throat. “I envy your luck, Rahela, as I wish my matters were so easily fixed. Now, Leonard, it appears that Gudrun roused The Witch of Old, as I can sense Geloyra heading towards the Dark Void in pursuit of Hecate, as the latter has been sighted in The Undead Desert.”
“Shoot, that means Gudrun must have found The Codex of Old in the Tower of Babel…” he noted. “What of The Mad God?”
“He has shown no interest in joining The Sepulcher God, but he is still trying to awaken the lost god, Alltinn-Zeckthis. Anton has stated that there is nothing to fear from Alltinn, but I’d rather not take any chances.”
Leonard chuckled, fully aware of Anton’s methods of getting things done. “Yeah, I hear you there. Any updates on the Audoin Dethbrand situation?”
“Ah yes, Earth-231218 has fully entered the Dark Void. Balthazar has assured us that the seal will hold. For good measure, the Azoth Mages sent Scotty Cottonwood to join the Dark Divers Guild.”
Turning his attention back to the duel, Leonard sighed, letting his anxiety be known. “Is Anton sure we can make use of Audoin? That sleaze of an archmage tried to merge his universe with Universe-23, so pardon me if I’m a little leery of this gamble…”
“Wait, since when are you this worried, Leonard?” Rahela questioned.
“One stray lightning bolt can easily destroy a forest, potentially adversely affecting all future storms,” Losian pointed out. “I fully understand Leonard’s apprehension. Anton's plan to use Audoin’s arrogance against The Sepulcher God is a sound one, but the plan in and of itself is fairly delicate and will require everyone to be on top of their game.”
“Ah, I see…” Rahela replied, unsure how to feel. “Jeez, Audoin tried to merge two universes… Just why?”
“Delusions of grandeur fueled by Karnage, with that vile tyrant promising him power beyond his wildest imagination,” Losian answered.
“That miserable traitor… Do we have anything to indicate our success? I know we shouldn’t look forward in time, but…”
Losian gave a remorseful chuckle. “I understand how you feel, lass. I may have something to help you sleep at night, as I have found a truly pathetic man in Universe-23 whose life is a laughing stock for all of society. If this individual is Audoin-as a story he wrote eerily mirrors Audoin’s original plan-it is a fate worse than death that I wouldn’t even wish upon The Sepulcher God… Karnage, perhaps, haha.”
Leonard took a second to think, as the gears in his brain were turning. “Hold on, there’s someone in the ULTRAMagic Guild from Universe-23 who could easily look into this, what was his name?” He pondered as he snapped his fingers, causing sparks and hums to emanate from them. “Oh yeah! Will! We’ll have to see what he can dig up…”
Rahela sensed something from Leonard’s tone of voice. “Leonard, what are you thinking?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Leonard, I know that look…”
“Kid, please…”
“You’re going to mess with that individual, aren’t you?”
Leonard had a mischievous grin on his face. “Hehe, maybe…”
“Leonard! Don’t meddle with the Cosmos proper like that!”
“Oh come on, kid, you have to give me that-that it would be karmic justice if I sent someone to troll the living daylights out of Audoin…”
“Assuming it is Audoin, Leonard,” Losian reminded him.
Rahela groaned. “Exactly!”
Leonard clapped. “Oh yeah, definitely going to employ Will to look into it.”
Rahela slouched in her chair and sighed, but then perked up when she noticed an interesting development in the duel. “Hey, look! Audamar is powering up!”
Leonard and Losian fully turned their attention to the arena to see a flash of light where Audamar stood. “Ooh, things just got interesting,” Leonard stated. “Audamar has an artificial soul that was blessed by God, Losian.”
That piqued his interest as he leaned forward to get a better look. “How intriguing… a fine lump of coal that could easily be refined into a diamond with proper guidance, no doubt.”
“Interested, Losian?”
“Perhaps, Leonard. Perhaps. We’ll have to see what he can do…”
Lia was a bit out of breath as she processed Audamar’s new, insectoid form. “Well, level 4… I’m kind of glad Milosh canned the Homunculus Project now…”
Audamar was impressed with his new crystal and chitin body. “Nice! Hey, Lia, you’re not out of steam already, are you?”
“No, just out of shape…” she said with what almost sounded like a wheeze. “Geez, just how did I make it through the tower? How did I even cut it in The Eternal Church?”
Gratiana could see Lia eyeing the exit and shook her head with a smile. “You may retire, Lia. I’ll handle the rest of the duel.”
“Thank you, Gratiana.” Despite leaving the arena, Lia still received a round of applause.
Audamar nodded, amazed by how far Lia had made it into the duel. “You know? I never really saw her as much of a fighter…” he commented.
“No doubt Torunn will have her in tip-top shape in no time. Now, Audamar, hit me with your best shot!” Gratiana declared as she readied her spears with a crack of thunder.
Audamar’s nervousness was back, but something about going all out set his blood on fire. Gratiana was openly inviting him after all, and it would be rude to refuse. Holding out his hand, a spiky, crystal orb flew up into the air and unleashed massive beams of magic energy that would have annihilated any normal battlefield. Gratiana took her right spear and threw it as hard as she could, shattering the orb and causing it to explode. On the return trip the spear came right for Audamar. He blocked it with a crystal barrier, but the spear pushed him towards Gratiana regardless. Her other spear was charged with lighting and was ready to be slammed into him.
It was risky, but Audamar used his wings to bail and fly across the arena. He was quickly learning why Milosh held Gratiana in such high regards back in the day, given that he was now being chased around by her lighting bolts. Taking to the sky, he tried to fire off a barrage of magic beams, but Gratiana dodged each one. She was moving so fast that she could not be seen at points. And then Audamar lost track of his opponent. A swift kick from behind sent him crashing to the ground, leaving Audamar laying on his back in his level 2 state. The battle was decided when Gratiana pointed a spear at his face, followed by a massive round of applause from the audience.
The rest of Gratiana’s family had been invited to watch the duel and they were so proud of her. Aureolus was happy to see how far Gratiana had come since the final battle for Shadowland and Thaddeus made it clear that he wished to be held by his grandmother. What ensued was a series of pantomimes accompanied by a speech of ‘ba’s,’ clearly expressing how cool he thought the duel was. It was incredibly endearing, causing Leonard to bless him on the spot. And since Gratiana had been away for so long, the entire Schindewolf family was invited for a quick tour of the city.
Audamar was not sure what to do as he stood around, feeling a bit out of place. Losian took the opportunity to speak to him, stating he was impressed with Audamar’s magic. The boy needed tutoring, no two ways about it. He would be brought to the Desert of Los, Losian’s domain, where he would be taught some of the greatest magic in the Cosmos. Audamar was nervous and unsure at first, but Rahela assured him that Losian was one of the best teachers around. She had studied under him after all. Once the two were off, Rahela went over to Lia and the others, of which the Ascher’s were hurrying over to congratulate their daughter.
“Lia, my little angel!” A middle-aged woman with reddish-brown hair cried as she hugged Lia.
“Mom! I’m so glad you're safe! I’m so sorry for all those awful things I said with Milosh.”
“It’s okay, sweetie-we’re all here now and that’s all that matters.”
“Lia, I cannot begin to express how proud of you we are right now!” Angus exclaimed, then hugged her. “You’re made all of Glacierhaven proud today!”
“Mister and Missus Ascher?” Rahela put in. “I’m Rahela, The Discordant God of Rubber.”
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rahela,” Angus said as he shook her hand.
“Hello, Rahela,” Yvette added. “Goodness, aren’t you a pretty little dear? And did you make this outfit yourself?”
Rahela giggled. “Thank you, and I did. Now I saw Lia’s actions to protect the Ash brothers, and the other gods said I should pick a hero like that as my champion.”
“No doubt that advice was in relation to the fiascos some of the other Discordant Gods went through,” Angus pointed out, causing the others to laugh.
“It is an honor that you picked Lia, Rahela,” said Yvette.
“Don’t mention it,” she replied with a smile. “Now obviously you three need to visit my realm, if that’s okay with you?” They all agreed. “Blood, Mal, Andelin? Would you three like to come along?”
“I don’t see why not,” Andelin replied. “You’re not doing anything later, are you, Blood?”
“Nope, I was just going to play video games and…” he answered, then stopped as he remembered something crucial. “Mal, Auda’s still back at the house! I completely forgot about the slumber party!”
“Right,” Mal said with a nod as she patted Blood-Wraith’s shoulder. “I’m surprised she didn’t come looking for us…”
“Shoot, what time is it?” He then checked his watch, which said 4 o’clock. “Would all of you like to come to my house for dinner?”
“Goodness, thank you, Sir Raynot,” Yvette replied. “That would be lovely.”
“Is it okay with you, Rahela?” Blood-Wraith inquired.
“Of course, Blood,” she said as she snapped her fingers, summoning a doorway that they all proceeded to walk through.
“All of you need to meet Auda, Vex, and Drusa,” Blood-Wraith stated as he went to open his front door. “They’re all really cool.”
“Sounds fine with me,” Angus said as he straightened out his coat. “And tell you what, I’ll even help cook tonight.”
“Ooh, yes, Blood,” Lia agreed. “Dad is a phenomenal cook…” She could not wait to have a meal made by her parents after everything she had been through.
To be Continued…
Next: Eon 2
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
Leonard’s realm was a great, majestic city perpetually adrift in an everlasting thunderstorm. The Maelstrom Colosseum, whose architecture was like someone from another dimension drawing inspiration from ancient Greek temples, sat atop of a great tornado and was a breathtaking sight to behold. Gratiana felt incredibly nostalgic and complete as she entered the arena with Lia. The subjects of the realm, consisting of man, dragon, and jabberwock cheered and applauded the return of the Discordant Champion of Lightning. And of course seeing that Rahela had finally picked her champion was also fantastic to see.
Audamar was even more intimidated now given that he was unsure what his magic even was and he knew a thing or two about Gratiana’s past. The pressure of knowing he was being watched by a massive audience also did not help. Out of courtesy he was given the first move of the duel and he put his hand forward. Audamar hoped for anything really, and out of his palm shot a strange beam of crystalized magic. It was a strange feeling and he was not sure what it was, but he could make it work.
The duel quickly went into full swing with Lia discovering a new grasp on her pyromancy. The techniques Waramunt had taught her came naturally now and the honors granted to her by Rahela were allowing her to truly experiment. Since Lia and Audamar were getting the hang of their magic, Gratiana held back in order to not overwhelm them. In return her lightning spells were flashier than usual to amaze the audience, and could also be studied by aspiring mages. Normally Leonard would have objected to such theatrics and punch-pulling, but he was willing to let it slide since he was in a good mood.
As Audamar fought against Lia and Gratiana, a curious individual entered Leonard’s box. He was a horned man in worn, traveler’s robes, with digitigrade legs. Given his long hair, beard, and spiraling horns, it was easy to confuse him for an upright goat. The man was also carrying a staff made of petrified ebony, with a sickle affixed to the top that held a floating gem which resembled a glowing moon. While few would recognize this man in the modern era of the Cosmos, Leonard immediately knew who it was. It was Losian, Forlorn God of Dusk. The Forlorn Gods were the Discordant Gods of the Epoch, ancient even to gods such Leonard and Nacht.
“Losian!” Leonard welcomed as he shook the god’s hand. “What brings you here on this fine day?”
“It’s great to see you’re doing well, Leonard. I have news from Fume Lord Charlemagne about the whereabouts of Hecate and the battle with The Mad God. And I see today is no doubt a cause for celebration,” he said, indicating the bout in the arena.
“Yes, yes indeed!” Leonard replied with excitement in his voice and a clap. “I’ve got my champion back and Rahela finally decided on hers.”
Losian took a seat in a chair that appeared for him, appreciating being able to rest his legs after the long journey he made to the realm. “And you’re sure about Lia, Rahela?”
“Yes, Lord Losian… or at least I’m pretty sure I am…” Rahela thought about it further, as things had happened so quickly. “I mean, she stuck her neck out for Odo and Buster Ash, and I admire that kind of courage.”
“Then it was meant to be, like an artist finding inspiration in the most obscure corners of his land.” A steward approached Losian and offered him a drink of which he happily accepted for his somewhat parched throat. “I envy your luck, Rahela, as I wish my matters were so easily fixed. Now, Leonard, it appears that Gudrun roused The Witch of Old, as I can sense Geloyra heading towards the Dark Void in pursuit of Hecate, as the latter has been sighted in The Undead Desert.”
“Shoot, that means Gudrun must have found The Codex of Old in the Tower of Babel…” he noted. “What of The Mad God?”
“He has shown no interest in joining The Sepulcher God, but he is still trying to awaken the lost god, Alltinn-Zeckthis. Anton has stated that there is nothing to fear from Alltinn, but I’d rather not take any chances.”
Leonard chuckled, fully aware of Anton’s methods of getting things done. “Yeah, I hear you there. Any updates on the Audoin Dethbrand situation?”
“Ah yes, Earth-231218 has fully entered the Dark Void. Balthazar has assured us that the seal will hold. For good measure, the Azoth Mages sent Scotty Cottonwood to join the Dark Divers Guild.”
Turning his attention back to the duel, Leonard sighed, letting his anxiety be known. “Is Anton sure we can make use of Audoin? That sleaze of an archmage tried to merge his universe with Universe-23, so pardon me if I’m a little leery of this gamble…”
“Wait, since when are you this worried, Leonard?” Rahela questioned.
“One stray lightning bolt can easily destroy a forest, potentially adversely affecting all future storms,” Losian pointed out. “I fully understand Leonard’s apprehension. Anton's plan to use Audoin’s arrogance against The Sepulcher God is a sound one, but the plan in and of itself is fairly delicate and will require everyone to be on top of their game.”
“Ah, I see…” Rahela replied, unsure how to feel. “Jeez, Audoin tried to merge two universes… Just why?”
“Delusions of grandeur fueled by Karnage, with that vile tyrant promising him power beyond his wildest imagination,” Losian answered.
“That miserable traitor… Do we have anything to indicate our success? I know we shouldn’t look forward in time, but…”
Losian gave a remorseful chuckle. “I understand how you feel, lass. I may have something to help you sleep at night, as I have found a truly pathetic man in Universe-23 whose life is a laughing stock for all of society. If this individual is Audoin-as a story he wrote eerily mirrors Audoin’s original plan-it is a fate worse than death that I wouldn’t even wish upon The Sepulcher God… Karnage, perhaps, haha.”
Leonard took a second to think, as the gears in his brain were turning. “Hold on, there’s someone in the ULTRAMagic Guild from Universe-23 who could easily look into this, what was his name?” He pondered as he snapped his fingers, causing sparks and hums to emanate from them. “Oh yeah! Will! We’ll have to see what he can dig up…”
Rahela sensed something from Leonard’s tone of voice. “Leonard, what are you thinking?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Leonard, I know that look…”
“Kid, please…”
“You’re going to mess with that individual, aren’t you?”
Leonard had a mischievous grin on his face. “Hehe, maybe…”
“Leonard! Don’t meddle with the Cosmos proper like that!”
“Oh come on, kid, you have to give me that-that it would be karmic justice if I sent someone to troll the living daylights out of Audoin…”
“Assuming it is Audoin, Leonard,” Losian reminded him.
Rahela groaned. “Exactly!”
Leonard clapped. “Oh yeah, definitely going to employ Will to look into it.”
Rahela slouched in her chair and sighed, but then perked up when she noticed an interesting development in the duel. “Hey, look! Audamar is powering up!”
Leonard and Losian fully turned their attention to the arena to see a flash of light where Audamar stood. “Ooh, things just got interesting,” Leonard stated. “Audamar has an artificial soul that was blessed by God, Losian.”
That piqued his interest as he leaned forward to get a better look. “How intriguing… a fine lump of coal that could easily be refined into a diamond with proper guidance, no doubt.”
“Interested, Losian?”
“Perhaps, Leonard. Perhaps. We’ll have to see what he can do…”
Lia was a bit out of breath as she processed Audamar’s new, insectoid form. “Well, level 4… I’m kind of glad Milosh canned the Homunculus Project now…”
Audamar was impressed with his new crystal and chitin body. “Nice! Hey, Lia, you’re not out of steam already, are you?”
“No, just out of shape…” she said with what almost sounded like a wheeze. “Geez, just how did I make it through the tower? How did I even cut it in The Eternal Church?”
Gratiana could see Lia eyeing the exit and shook her head with a smile. “You may retire, Lia. I’ll handle the rest of the duel.”
“Thank you, Gratiana.” Despite leaving the arena, Lia still received a round of applause.
Audamar nodded, amazed by how far Lia had made it into the duel. “You know? I never really saw her as much of a fighter…” he commented.
“No doubt Torunn will have her in tip-top shape in no time. Now, Audamar, hit me with your best shot!” Gratiana declared as she readied her spears with a crack of thunder.
Audamar’s nervousness was back, but something about going all out set his blood on fire. Gratiana was openly inviting him after all, and it would be rude to refuse. Holding out his hand, a spiky, crystal orb flew up into the air and unleashed massive beams of magic energy that would have annihilated any normal battlefield. Gratiana took her right spear and threw it as hard as she could, shattering the orb and causing it to explode. On the return trip the spear came right for Audamar. He blocked it with a crystal barrier, but the spear pushed him towards Gratiana regardless. Her other spear was charged with lighting and was ready to be slammed into him.
It was risky, but Audamar used his wings to bail and fly across the arena. He was quickly learning why Milosh held Gratiana in such high regards back in the day, given that he was now being chased around by her lighting bolts. Taking to the sky, he tried to fire off a barrage of magic beams, but Gratiana dodged each one. She was moving so fast that she could not be seen at points. And then Audamar lost track of his opponent. A swift kick from behind sent him crashing to the ground, leaving Audamar laying on his back in his level 2 state. The battle was decided when Gratiana pointed a spear at his face, followed by a massive round of applause from the audience.
The rest of Gratiana’s family had been invited to watch the duel and they were so proud of her. Aureolus was happy to see how far Gratiana had come since the final battle for Shadowland and Thaddeus made it clear that he wished to be held by his grandmother. What ensued was a series of pantomimes accompanied by a speech of ‘ba’s,’ clearly expressing how cool he thought the duel was. It was incredibly endearing, causing Leonard to bless him on the spot. And since Gratiana had been away for so long, the entire Schindewolf family was invited for a quick tour of the city.
Audamar was not sure what to do as he stood around, feeling a bit out of place. Losian took the opportunity to speak to him, stating he was impressed with Audamar’s magic. The boy needed tutoring, no two ways about it. He would be brought to the Desert of Los, Losian’s domain, where he would be taught some of the greatest magic in the Cosmos. Audamar was nervous and unsure at first, but Rahela assured him that Losian was one of the best teachers around. She had studied under him after all. Once the two were off, Rahela went over to Lia and the others, of which the Ascher’s were hurrying over to congratulate their daughter.
“Lia, my little angel!” A middle-aged woman with reddish-brown hair cried as she hugged Lia.
“Mom! I’m so glad you're safe! I’m so sorry for all those awful things I said with Milosh.”
“It’s okay, sweetie-we’re all here now and that’s all that matters.”
“Lia, I cannot begin to express how proud of you we are right now!” Angus exclaimed, then hugged her. “You’re made all of Glacierhaven proud today!”
“Mister and Missus Ascher?” Rahela put in. “I’m Rahela, The Discordant God of Rubber.”
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rahela,” Angus said as he shook her hand.
“Hello, Rahela,” Yvette added. “Goodness, aren’t you a pretty little dear? And did you make this outfit yourself?”
Rahela giggled. “Thank you, and I did. Now I saw Lia’s actions to protect the Ash brothers, and the other gods said I should pick a hero like that as my champion.”
“No doubt that advice was in relation to the fiascos some of the other Discordant Gods went through,” Angus pointed out, causing the others to laugh.
“It is an honor that you picked Lia, Rahela,” said Yvette.
“Don’t mention it,” she replied with a smile. “Now obviously you three need to visit my realm, if that’s okay with you?” They all agreed. “Blood, Mal, Andelin? Would you three like to come along?”
“I don’t see why not,” Andelin replied. “You’re not doing anything later, are you, Blood?”
“Nope, I was just going to play video games and…” he answered, then stopped as he remembered something crucial. “Mal, Auda’s still back at the house! I completely forgot about the slumber party!”
“Right,” Mal said with a nod as she patted Blood-Wraith’s shoulder. “I’m surprised she didn’t come looking for us…”
“Shoot, what time is it?” He then checked his watch, which said 4 o’clock. “Would all of you like to come to my house for dinner?”
“Goodness, thank you, Sir Raynot,” Yvette replied. “That would be lovely.”
“Is it okay with you, Rahela?” Blood-Wraith inquired.
“Of course, Blood,” she said as she snapped her fingers, summoning a doorway that they all proceeded to walk through.
“All of you need to meet Auda, Vex, and Drusa,” Blood-Wraith stated as he went to open his front door. “They’re all really cool.”
“Sounds fine with me,” Angus said as he straightened out his coat. “And tell you what, I’ll even help cook tonight.”
“Ooh, yes, Blood,” Lia agreed. “Dad is a phenomenal cook…” She could not wait to have a meal made by her parents after everything she had been through.
To be Continued…
Next: Eon 2
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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