ULTRAMagic Eon 2 - Chapter 3
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Thankfully things were quiet the next day as a specific train pulled into Ironfire Station. And even if the activists had stuck around, they would have had to deal with the two other arrivals to the guild that day. Cronus stepped out of the passenger car followed by two others of vastly differing origins. One was a British man in a green frock coat with brown hair and gray eyes, and his gait was brimming with confidence. The other was a man in a strange, black bodysuit that appeared to be made out of a flexible glass with a cat-like motif to it. He slouched a little, but it was easy to tell he had a lot on his mind.
“Here we are at last, gentlemen,” Cronus announced. “Shall we head to the guild or see the sights a little, David?”
“Well since this is a fantastic station, a quick walk around the city would be a fine aside. And if our current setting is anything to go by, we should be in for a treat for the mind and soul.”
“Hey, hold up a second,” the third man objected. “We have an ongoing situation at the moment, so I don’t think sight seeing is exactly a good idea…”
“Come now, Ludwig,” David replied. “If the news we received has held true, the activists should be back in The Great Uncity, and it is of no doubt that the guild would have prepared for another confrontation.”
Ludwig gave it some thought and sighed. “Fair enough, I suppose…”
“Well we can always ask if anything’s going on,” Cronus reasoned as he looked around for someone. He then spotted a woman with brown hair in a bob cut at a reception desk. “Ah, Mariya!”
The woman looked up from her paperwork and smiled. “Cronus, welcome back!”
“Is everything all clear at the guild at the moment?” he inquired as the three approached.
“Well I haven’t heard of anything since yesterday. And oh, is this them?”
“Yes indeed. David, this is Mariya Radovich. Maria, Dr. David Livesey.”
“A pleasure to meet you, madam,” David said as he shook her hand.
“Likewise, Doctor,” she replied with a slight giggle. Mariya then turned to Ludwig. “Ludwig, goodness… Um, good to see you? Oh, wait a second…”
He dispelled his helmet to reveal a smile on his face. “Don’t worry, Cronus told me some stuff about the events surrounding the Future Squad,” he pointed out as he shook her hand.
“Cronus, are there things we shouldn’t say to him?” Mariya inquired.
Cronus put his hands on his hips and exhaled through pursed lips. “I talked to Zal-Rint about this and he said anything that could actually affect his timeline is beyond our reach at the moment… easy for him to say and whatnot.”
“It is a frustrating conundrum, and one I surmise will be unavoidable going forward,” David noted, then glanced around real quickly. “Ludwig?”
He had stepped over to gaze up at the magnificent sky light which let the warm sunlight beam into the station. “Despite this being my first time here, it does feel like I’ve been here before.”
Mariya smiled again, feeling a bit relieved by Ludwig’s relaxed demeanor. “Well either way the guild is eager to see you again. And Blood-Wraith is in the city at the moment if you want to see him now, currently at Crasher Cliff’s.”
“What’s he doing there?” Cronus inquired.
“He’s… he spoke to the Captain-General about yesterday and he’s not taking Theobold’s orders well…”
“They’re not arguing again, are they?”
“No, it’s just that he told Blood to stop messing around and get serious.” Mariya then leaned in a little. “I don’t think he wants to admit that he was wrong about Morrigan…”
“Oof, that has to sting,” Ludwig remarked.
David nodded, sighed, and adjusted his belt. “Then let’s go see him, as the lad sounds in need of a pep talk and a vote of confidence.”
As the trio stepped out of the station, Cronus noticed the two men were in immediate awe of The Singing Storm Tower floating in the sky above the city. “Impressive, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Blimey!” David exclaimed. “Words don’t do it justice!”
“Unglaublich, how does it even stay up in the air like that?” Ludwig wondered.
“Tiberius’ work and the residual magic of The War Machine of Old,” Cronus proudly stated.
“Beyond belief, I must say,” David concluded, still amazed by the grand, golden tower. “So what is this ‘Clasher Cliff’s’ Miss Radovich told us about?”
“Yes, that,” Cronus said as he indicated for them to begin walking down the sidewalk. “It’s a restaurant that serves pizza, chicken wings, burgers-you know, party night food. They even serve alcohol, primarily at night though.”
“Ah, a pub I see?” David noted.
“You could call it that. They also have a bowling alley, billiards, darts, an arcade with mature games, and a poker table. Gummi loves to show up every Friday night for a game and is the reigning champion.”
Ludwig chuckled, recalling faint memories of his old life. “Me and my squad used to play cards during the down time between missions… can’t remember if I was any good though.”
“Well Gummi would definitely be willing to teach you if need be,” Cronus replied.
Over at Crasher Cliff’s Blood-Wraith was at the bartop, eating a slice of pizza and having a mug of rootbeer for lunch. Despite all of the hustle and bustle of the customers and the loud rock music playing over the building’s speakers, Blood-Wraith felt fairly relaxed. Things felt normal in the restaurant, like it was a neutral realm where no one could cause him any trouble. An animatronic moose head on the wall high above him proudly announced it was 1 o’clock twice, which put a smile on Blood-Wraith’s face… which turned back into a frown when he remembered the elephant in the room. The bartender noticed this, walked over, and rested his strong arm on the bartop.
“What’s the matter, kid?” he asked in a concerned, deep voice. “I can tell from across the way that something is bugging you…”
Blood-Wraith groaned a little and sighed as he sat up. “Mick, I shouldn’t tell you this, but Theobold told me to get serious about Morrigan…”
“Things not panning out, I take it?”
“No, not at all… Jeez, you’d think after living with my sisters, dealing with Valerie, and going strong with Eloise I’d know how to handle women by now.” This made them both laugh. “And Gore? I have no idea what he’s up to. He’s playing games and I don’t like it.”
“Sounds like a rough time, Blood,” Mick said as he cleaned up a glass. “With dirtbags like Gore you need to put your foot down and make it clear you’re not going to be pushed around. Don’t let people like him walk all over you. He clearly has no respect for you or the guild…”
Blood-Wraith chuckled. “You think?”
Mick shook his head with a smile. “That’s life for you-people like that come in spades and are going to come and try to mess with you. You need to push back or they’ll just keep picking on you. Your friends and family can only help you so far…”
“I know, Mick. I know…” Blood-wraith conceded with a sip of his rootbeer. He then glanced over to his left for a pleasant surprise. “Hey, Cronus!”
“Blood, my boy!” he said as he approached, accompanied by two others. “I’m back for real this time and everything went perfectly… for the most part. Blood, this Dr. David Livesey, who will be joining the guild as a tactician and our doctor.”
“It’s a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Sir Raynot,” David said as he shook Blood-Wraith’s hand with vigor. He had to pull it back, however, as the boy had some pizza grease on his hand.
“Likewise, Doctor.” Blood then shifted his attention to Ludwig, whose black suit surprised him a little. “Ludwig! I’d say I’m glad to see you again, but this is your first time meeting me…” He then realized the gaffe he had made. “Oh, oops…”
Ludwig laughed and shook his hand. “Don’t worry about it. Cronus told me about the Future Squad stuff since it was a bit unavoidable. It’s all still weird though, as it really does feel like I’ve met you guys already… that’s not weird to you, is it?”
“Not at all, as it felt like I had already met Will when I first met him as Zasiel.” Blood-Wraith then got out his wallet and rummaged through it. “Hey, have you guys eaten already?”
“No, as we were going to do that at the guild,” Cronus answered.
Blood-Wraith then put some bills and coins on the bartop. “Mick, can you get them some pizza?”
“Of course I can, Blood,” he replied as he took the money. “What will you three have to drink?”
“Why thank you, Blood, Mick,” David said as he took a seat alongside Cronus and Ludwig. “I’ll have an ice cold rainwater…”
“Not a drinker, doc?”
“No no,” he answered with a chuckle. “It’d go against my profession as a doctor and a magistrate… and, well, after the run in with Billy Bones at the Admiral Benbow I have no desire for any alcoholic drink really.”
Cronus nodded to Mick’s somewhat surprised expression and then spoke. “I’ll have a mead.”
“And I’ll have what Blood’s having,” Ludwig added.
“Alright then,” Mick noted as he finished jotting down the order. “I’ll be back momentarily.”
Blood-Wraith chuckled to himself, thinking of a certain guild member who had occasionally talked about David. “The Admiral Benbow, southwest of Bristol? Do you know John Hawkins, Dr. Livesey?”
“Why yes I do, Blood. Cronus has informed me and I am so happy to hear that Jim’s boy is safe and sound after departing on his ‘grand voyage,’ especially given that he never returned.”
Mick then returned with the food and drinks and began serving them. “Here you go, gentlemen.”
“My gratitude for your hospitality, Mick,” David thanked as he went for a fork and knife.
Ludwig saw this and tried not to laugh. “David, I know you’re from the 1700s, but you don’t eat pizza like that…”
“I begged a differ, my boy, as I’d prefer not to get my hands all dirty. No sense in getting them messy when you don’t have to.”
He then looked up and gave a hearty laugh. “Oh mein gott! Alright then, gent in ordnung,” Ludwig said, followed by a bite of his pizza.
David then cleared his throat after eating some of his pizza. “Now, Blood, Cronus has been keeping me up to date on what’s been going on with the guild and the current situation with Gore and Morrigan. Firstly, my heart goes out to you, Blood. No boy should ever have to go through what you’re going through…”
“I’d imagine Jim and his mother would also beg to differ,” Ludwig snuck in with a chuckle.
David paused and sighed with a subtle, guilty smile. “Touché, Ludwig. Now secondly, while I may not be able to stop Gore and Morrian by myself, I am a veteran and a magistrate with many years of service under my belt. I can provide leadership and guidance in the toughest situations, and Cronus has informed me that the guild is in need of some organization.”
Blood-Wraith quickly shot Cronus a slightly incredulous look. “Thank you, Dr. Livesey. We’ll take any help we can get. Although I have to ask if you can handle the activists. They are the kind of people who bully you, scream at you, and try to hit you in the head with a bike lock…”
David subtly nodded, growing more concerned for Blood-Wraith. “Well me and my good friend, Séamus Gallagher, have dealt with our fair share of drunken Scots and Irishmen across many pubs, so I can’t imagine these ‘activists’ would be any worse.”
“I scared them off by turning into a T-Rex, so we should be good for a while…”
“Crickey!” David said after a sip of his water. “A tyrannosaurus? Just how did you pull that one off?”
Blood-Wraith smiled, feeling his pride reemerge. “Void magic. Normally I’d turn into a dragon, but me and The Screaming God are both on the same wavelength when it comes to the activists… and we also like the same dinosaur movies”
“Bloody Hell, a dragon too? Blood, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d love to see a demonstration of your abilities when you have a moment.”
“Same here,” Ludwig added. “Cronus has my interest piqued over what you can do.”
“Sure, Ludwig, Dr. Livesey,” Blood-Wraith replied. “Shaye and Ahhotep have also been asking to see them in action. And if any of those activists are lurking about, they’ll get front row seats, ha.”
Next: Chapter 4
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
Thankfully things were quiet the next day as a specific train pulled into Ironfire Station. And even if the activists had stuck around, they would have had to deal with the two other arrivals to the guild that day. Cronus stepped out of the passenger car followed by two others of vastly differing origins. One was a British man in a green frock coat with brown hair and gray eyes, and his gait was brimming with confidence. The other was a man in a strange, black bodysuit that appeared to be made out of a flexible glass with a cat-like motif to it. He slouched a little, but it was easy to tell he had a lot on his mind.
“Here we are at last, gentlemen,” Cronus announced. “Shall we head to the guild or see the sights a little, David?”
“Well since this is a fantastic station, a quick walk around the city would be a fine aside. And if our current setting is anything to go by, we should be in for a treat for the mind and soul.”
“Hey, hold up a second,” the third man objected. “We have an ongoing situation at the moment, so I don’t think sight seeing is exactly a good idea…”
“Come now, Ludwig,” David replied. “If the news we received has held true, the activists should be back in The Great Uncity, and it is of no doubt that the guild would have prepared for another confrontation.”
Ludwig gave it some thought and sighed. “Fair enough, I suppose…”
“Well we can always ask if anything’s going on,” Cronus reasoned as he looked around for someone. He then spotted a woman with brown hair in a bob cut at a reception desk. “Ah, Mariya!”
The woman looked up from her paperwork and smiled. “Cronus, welcome back!”
“Is everything all clear at the guild at the moment?” he inquired as the three approached.
“Well I haven’t heard of anything since yesterday. And oh, is this them?”
“Yes indeed. David, this is Mariya Radovich. Maria, Dr. David Livesey.”
“A pleasure to meet you, madam,” David said as he shook her hand.
“Likewise, Doctor,” she replied with a slight giggle. Mariya then turned to Ludwig. “Ludwig, goodness… Um, good to see you? Oh, wait a second…”
He dispelled his helmet to reveal a smile on his face. “Don’t worry, Cronus told me some stuff about the events surrounding the Future Squad,” he pointed out as he shook her hand.
“Cronus, are there things we shouldn’t say to him?” Mariya inquired.
Cronus put his hands on his hips and exhaled through pursed lips. “I talked to Zal-Rint about this and he said anything that could actually affect his timeline is beyond our reach at the moment… easy for him to say and whatnot.”
“It is a frustrating conundrum, and one I surmise will be unavoidable going forward,” David noted, then glanced around real quickly. “Ludwig?”
He had stepped over to gaze up at the magnificent sky light which let the warm sunlight beam into the station. “Despite this being my first time here, it does feel like I’ve been here before.”
Mariya smiled again, feeling a bit relieved by Ludwig’s relaxed demeanor. “Well either way the guild is eager to see you again. And Blood-Wraith is in the city at the moment if you want to see him now, currently at Crasher Cliff’s.”
“What’s he doing there?” Cronus inquired.
“He’s… he spoke to the Captain-General about yesterday and he’s not taking Theobold’s orders well…”
“They’re not arguing again, are they?”
“No, it’s just that he told Blood to stop messing around and get serious.” Mariya then leaned in a little. “I don’t think he wants to admit that he was wrong about Morrigan…”
“Oof, that has to sting,” Ludwig remarked.
David nodded, sighed, and adjusted his belt. “Then let’s go see him, as the lad sounds in need of a pep talk and a vote of confidence.”
As the trio stepped out of the station, Cronus noticed the two men were in immediate awe of The Singing Storm Tower floating in the sky above the city. “Impressive, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Blimey!” David exclaimed. “Words don’t do it justice!”
“Unglaublich, how does it even stay up in the air like that?” Ludwig wondered.
“Tiberius’ work and the residual magic of The War Machine of Old,” Cronus proudly stated.
“Beyond belief, I must say,” David concluded, still amazed by the grand, golden tower. “So what is this ‘Clasher Cliff’s’ Miss Radovich told us about?”
“Yes, that,” Cronus said as he indicated for them to begin walking down the sidewalk. “It’s a restaurant that serves pizza, chicken wings, burgers-you know, party night food. They even serve alcohol, primarily at night though.”
“Ah, a pub I see?” David noted.
“You could call it that. They also have a bowling alley, billiards, darts, an arcade with mature games, and a poker table. Gummi loves to show up every Friday night for a game and is the reigning champion.”
Ludwig chuckled, recalling faint memories of his old life. “Me and my squad used to play cards during the down time between missions… can’t remember if I was any good though.”
“Well Gummi would definitely be willing to teach you if need be,” Cronus replied.
Over at Crasher Cliff’s Blood-Wraith was at the bartop, eating a slice of pizza and having a mug of rootbeer for lunch. Despite all of the hustle and bustle of the customers and the loud rock music playing over the building’s speakers, Blood-Wraith felt fairly relaxed. Things felt normal in the restaurant, like it was a neutral realm where no one could cause him any trouble. An animatronic moose head on the wall high above him proudly announced it was 1 o’clock twice, which put a smile on Blood-Wraith’s face… which turned back into a frown when he remembered the elephant in the room. The bartender noticed this, walked over, and rested his strong arm on the bartop.
“What’s the matter, kid?” he asked in a concerned, deep voice. “I can tell from across the way that something is bugging you…”
Blood-Wraith groaned a little and sighed as he sat up. “Mick, I shouldn’t tell you this, but Theobold told me to get serious about Morrigan…”
“Things not panning out, I take it?”
“No, not at all… Jeez, you’d think after living with my sisters, dealing with Valerie, and going strong with Eloise I’d know how to handle women by now.” This made them both laugh. “And Gore? I have no idea what he’s up to. He’s playing games and I don’t like it.”
“Sounds like a rough time, Blood,” Mick said as he cleaned up a glass. “With dirtbags like Gore you need to put your foot down and make it clear you’re not going to be pushed around. Don’t let people like him walk all over you. He clearly has no respect for you or the guild…”
Blood-Wraith chuckled. “You think?”
Mick shook his head with a smile. “That’s life for you-people like that come in spades and are going to come and try to mess with you. You need to push back or they’ll just keep picking on you. Your friends and family can only help you so far…”
“I know, Mick. I know…” Blood-wraith conceded with a sip of his rootbeer. He then glanced over to his left for a pleasant surprise. “Hey, Cronus!”
“Blood, my boy!” he said as he approached, accompanied by two others. “I’m back for real this time and everything went perfectly… for the most part. Blood, this Dr. David Livesey, who will be joining the guild as a tactician and our doctor.”
“It’s a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Sir Raynot,” David said as he shook Blood-Wraith’s hand with vigor. He had to pull it back, however, as the boy had some pizza grease on his hand.
“Likewise, Doctor.” Blood then shifted his attention to Ludwig, whose black suit surprised him a little. “Ludwig! I’d say I’m glad to see you again, but this is your first time meeting me…” He then realized the gaffe he had made. “Oh, oops…”
Ludwig laughed and shook his hand. “Don’t worry about it. Cronus told me about the Future Squad stuff since it was a bit unavoidable. It’s all still weird though, as it really does feel like I’ve met you guys already… that’s not weird to you, is it?”
“Not at all, as it felt like I had already met Will when I first met him as Zasiel.” Blood-Wraith then got out his wallet and rummaged through it. “Hey, have you guys eaten already?”
“No, as we were going to do that at the guild,” Cronus answered.
Blood-Wraith then put some bills and coins on the bartop. “Mick, can you get them some pizza?”
“Of course I can, Blood,” he replied as he took the money. “What will you three have to drink?”
“Why thank you, Blood, Mick,” David said as he took a seat alongside Cronus and Ludwig. “I’ll have an ice cold rainwater…”
“Not a drinker, doc?”
“No no,” he answered with a chuckle. “It’d go against my profession as a doctor and a magistrate… and, well, after the run in with Billy Bones at the Admiral Benbow I have no desire for any alcoholic drink really.”
Cronus nodded to Mick’s somewhat surprised expression and then spoke. “I’ll have a mead.”
“And I’ll have what Blood’s having,” Ludwig added.
“Alright then,” Mick noted as he finished jotting down the order. “I’ll be back momentarily.”
Blood-Wraith chuckled to himself, thinking of a certain guild member who had occasionally talked about David. “The Admiral Benbow, southwest of Bristol? Do you know John Hawkins, Dr. Livesey?”
“Why yes I do, Blood. Cronus has informed me and I am so happy to hear that Jim’s boy is safe and sound after departing on his ‘grand voyage,’ especially given that he never returned.”
Mick then returned with the food and drinks and began serving them. “Here you go, gentlemen.”
“My gratitude for your hospitality, Mick,” David thanked as he went for a fork and knife.
Ludwig saw this and tried not to laugh. “David, I know you’re from the 1700s, but you don’t eat pizza like that…”
“I begged a differ, my boy, as I’d prefer not to get my hands all dirty. No sense in getting them messy when you don’t have to.”
He then looked up and gave a hearty laugh. “Oh mein gott! Alright then, gent in ordnung,” Ludwig said, followed by a bite of his pizza.
David then cleared his throat after eating some of his pizza. “Now, Blood, Cronus has been keeping me up to date on what’s been going on with the guild and the current situation with Gore and Morrigan. Firstly, my heart goes out to you, Blood. No boy should ever have to go through what you’re going through…”
“I’d imagine Jim and his mother would also beg to differ,” Ludwig snuck in with a chuckle.
David paused and sighed with a subtle, guilty smile. “Touché, Ludwig. Now secondly, while I may not be able to stop Gore and Morrian by myself, I am a veteran and a magistrate with many years of service under my belt. I can provide leadership and guidance in the toughest situations, and Cronus has informed me that the guild is in need of some organization.”
Blood-Wraith quickly shot Cronus a slightly incredulous look. “Thank you, Dr. Livesey. We’ll take any help we can get. Although I have to ask if you can handle the activists. They are the kind of people who bully you, scream at you, and try to hit you in the head with a bike lock…”
David subtly nodded, growing more concerned for Blood-Wraith. “Well me and my good friend, Séamus Gallagher, have dealt with our fair share of drunken Scots and Irishmen across many pubs, so I can’t imagine these ‘activists’ would be any worse.”
“I scared them off by turning into a T-Rex, so we should be good for a while…”
“Crickey!” David said after a sip of his water. “A tyrannosaurus? Just how did you pull that one off?”
Blood-Wraith smiled, feeling his pride reemerge. “Void magic. Normally I’d turn into a dragon, but me and The Screaming God are both on the same wavelength when it comes to the activists… and we also like the same dinosaur movies”
“Bloody Hell, a dragon too? Blood, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d love to see a demonstration of your abilities when you have a moment.”
“Same here,” Ludwig added. “Cronus has my interest piqued over what you can do.”
“Sure, Ludwig, Dr. Livesey,” Blood-Wraith replied. “Shaye and Ahhotep have also been asking to see them in action. And if any of those activists are lurking about, they’ll get front row seats, ha.”
Next: Chapter 4
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Treasure Island © 1883 Robert Louis Stevenson
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