ULTRAMagic Eon 2 - Chapter 7
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“Well that was a thing that happened,” Blood-Wraith remarked as he leaned back in his chair at the main hall. “The issue, Ludwig, is that The Roaring Mountains are a bit of a gray area…”
“How so?” he inquired as he tapped his finger on the wooden table.
“The Iron City and Shadowland own the mines and quarries, but everything else is open territory. If Feuerland was still around as an active kingdom, they could provide help as the range used to be their territory… but obviously they’re not around anymore.”
Ludwig patted the table a couple of times, trying to think. “Well wait, couldn’t King Sten claim the area? Given that his family was fairly important in Feuerland before it fell?”
“Yeah, but according to Folkvar, Sten doesn’t feel right about doing it…”
“A reasonable stance to take,” David commented as he walked over to the table. “His majesty is a relatively new king born in Shadowland, so would it be seen as reclamation or conquest?”
“Scheiße, politics and technicalities,” Ludwig groaned. “Never did like politics…”
David chuckled. “We can’t escape them, even in The Unlight, can we? Now, Blood? Would you like to hear about my plans for tomorrow?”
He sat up and stretched a little, ears open. “Sure, Dr. Livesey. What do you have in mind?”
“To put it simply, I plan to debate Gore in front of the activists and win,” David said as he sat down. “Far be it from me to know what Gore is actually up to, but I can certainly tackle the mentality of the activists. They say we are not inclusive enough which makes us weak, but I say we are, we just require our members to bring their A-game. The Eternal Order is incredibly dangerous and our conflict with them is no laughing matter…”
Ludwig laughed a little, recalling a previous detail about the activists. “Not to mention I’m pretty sure The Sepulcher God could win some of them over with an all-you-can-eat buffet…”
“Ludwig…” Blood-Wraith chided, trying not to laugh.
“A lifestyle change would definitely be in order either way for some of them,” David asserted. “Furthermore I feel some of that lot don’t want to admit they are wrong, hence why they dig their heels into the ground…”
Blood-Wraith got up and went to one of the side tables to get a mug of water from one of the kegs. “I can certainly relate to that mentality…” he admitted as heated the water with his magic and dropped a teabag into the mug. “Swallowing your pride can be difficult at times.”
“Most certainly, Blood,” David agreed. “I can understand your desire to rough up those troublemakers, Ludwig, especially given what’s happened this past week. We should be guiding them to the right path rather than punishing them, however. God judges a man not for his words, but for his actions…”
“Despite them trying to beat up Blood?” Ludwig reminded him.
David sighed. “That… that does muddy the water a bit… Obviously they only did that out of arrogance, but you do have a point.”
Blood-Wraith took a sip of his warm tea that felt soothing going down his throat and sighed as he slightly zoned out looking at one of the sconces. “I know I get pretty combative with people like Rick, but I would give him a second chance if he came in here right now and apologized. He won’t, but I’m just saying.”
“And after all that just went down?” Ludwig questioned.
“I won’t forgive what he’s done, but it pays no one to hold grudges.”
Ludwig smiled and gave a relaxed sigh. “You’re a good person, Blood. We live a rough life, but it’s great to know you haven’t given up on your morals.”
“Thanks, Ludwig,” Blood-Wraith replied as he took another sip of his tea. “Going to The Uncity isn’t going to be fun. That place always overwhelms me…”
“How so, Blood?” David inquired.
“It’s too big…”
“And the Market District isn’t?” Dragoslava said, having just walked up.
“Ah, Drago!” Blood-Wraith exclaimed as he nearly spilled his tea. “The Market District is focused and straightforward. It’s something I can wrap my mind around. The Uncity on the other hand is a mess of different worlds all crammed into one place.”
She patted his shoulder and set the papers she was carrying on the table. “Well I can’t really fault you there, brother. Now, Dr. Livesey, I’ve got a place and time for the debate-Night Salem Park at 2…” Dragoslava then sighed. “I talked to Morrigan and she’ll also be bringing Volf and Fran along…”
Blood-Wraith gave an unenthusiastic “Hurrah…”
Ludwig on the other hand gave another quick laugh. “If it boils down to it we can potentially expose those three for who they really are…”
“Pardon, Ludwig?” Dragoslava interjected.
“He’s on board with my theories,” Blood-Wraith clarified.
“Ah, yes. Anyways, Ludwig, you and John are going to be our muscle just in case…”
“Fine with me,” he replied with satisfaction.
Dragoslava then turned to David, who was thumbing through the documents. “Dr. Livesey, you and Blood shall handle all of the intellectual stuff.”
“A task we shall not fail, Lady Raynot,” David assured her.
“And I’ll write everything down,” Dragoslava finished as she showed her notepad real quickly.
“Are you sure you can handle it, sister?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Arm writing, Blood. Arm writing.”
“Right, that. Got to remember to learn that for my knight’s reports…”
David gave Blood-Wraith a surprised look. “Goodness, my boy, you write with your wrist?”
Dragoslava gave a calm laugh. “His handwriting isn’t the best, something he got marked down for during his time at school.”
Blood-Wraith finished the last of his tea and groaned a little. “Writing is not my forté. I prefer reading and working with magic to pen & paper…”
“You’re much like a young John in that regard, Blood,” David commented. “Regardless, I have multiple writing exercises that will have you writing cursive with your arm in no time.”
Blood-Wraith shook his head with a smile. “If you insist, Dr. Livesey. I’m going to head back to my place to get ready for tomorrow. See you all later. Aru!” The void door showed up out of nowhere in a cloud of sparkling smoke, with Blood-Wraith stepping into it. Exiting into his living room, he turned on the lights, took a seat on the dark green couch, and let out a sigh as the afternoon sun beamed in through his windows. The warm glow was certainly relaxing as it hit his cream-colored walls.
Another void door then opened and out stepped Mal. “Hey, Blood, mind if I sit with you?”
“Hey, Mal, go ahead,” he replied as he turned on the television with the remote and began flipping through the channels.
Once she was comfy and Blood-Wraith found something to watch, Mal spoke up. “So, how are things going?”
“Alright. Scream’s temple is all clear and I’m going to the Uncity tomorrow so David can debate Gore.”
Mal nodded with a hint of surprise. “Wow, Dr. Livesey is really making big moves, isn’t he?”
“Oh yeah, definitely.”
“Heh, he would’ve liked Francis Firehardt, or ULTRAMagic Executor from the Epoch guild. Francis was always debating and philosophizing with the other members. He even taught Leif and I some debate strategies.”
“It’d be nice to have him along then. Where is he now?”
“Not sure, as he vanished after the Epoch.”
“Ah, a non-evergreen member I take it?”
“Unfortunately.”
Blood-Wraith gave a light sigh as he watched a man finish an argument on the show they were watching. “I’m not looking forward to going to The Uncity tomorrow…”
“Isn’t Dr. Livesey doing the debating though?” Mal asked.
“Yeah, but the city as a whole is overwhelming. There are so many people there that it makes it hard to focus at times…”
Mal nodded as she was familiar with the issue in question. “While I’m not an ar’ton like you, It’s definitely tricky to use my void magic there, given all the cosmic noise.”
That warranted an exhale as Blood-Wraith rubbed his face. “Don’t even get me started on that…”
“Who are you going with tomorrow?”
“Aside from Dr. Livesey, John, Drago, and Ludwig. And we’ve got our roles all set too.”
Mal took a second to go over that in her head. “Aside from Ludwig, that sounds like a perfect team. Blood, don’t panic. Go in and remain calm. If Gore and his cronies pull anything, everyone in the area will see it.”
Blood-Wraith nodded in agreement as the television show depicted the protagonist succeeding in making his way through a large group of people. The timing made him smile. “You’re right, Mal. I Just got to keep a level head and It’ll all be fine…”
“Exactly. Don’t let Gore or Volf get into your head. Focus on the task at hand.”
“Yeah, and if things truly get out of hand, we’ll call in the rest of the guild.”
“Precisely.”
“Here’s hoping it doesn’t come to that though,” said Blood-Wraith. “As much as I’m ready to throw down, I’d rather not do so in a place as big and chaotic as The Great Uncity…”
Despite his anxiety, Blood-Wraith slept reasonably well that night. He still was not thrilled, but encouragement from Drusa and Vexation helped a great deal. Once at the guild, he opened a void door to The Iron City Embassy and began to mentally prepare himself. He could already sense the vast amount of souls and entities in the city. Not helping his case was David’s eagerness to leave the embassy, but there was no denying that his positive attitude was uplifting for the others. Blood-Wraith took a deep breath, received a pat on his shoulder from Dragoslava, and opened the embassy doors with the group behind him.
The Great Uncity was beyond words and one’s wildest imagination in how grand it was. Towers and buildings from all sorts of eras of humanity were as far as the eyes could see, creating a sprawling jungle of civilization that was truly fathomless. The group was in Night Salem City, a district of The Uncity that was eclectic, but seemed to take influence from New York City of the 1990s. There were all sorts of people from differing timelines and universes, which all looked incredibly content, despite the usual hustle and bustle of any city. Rumor had it that parts of Night Salem City extended into various Earth’s, especially Earth-23. Truthfully Blood-Wraith was hoping Will was right around the corner with the Future Squad in tow…
After stopping by the food cart of a friend of Dragoslava’s for some hot dogs, the group began their walk to Night Salem Park. “Damn, Zach is getting better and better at these,” Dragoslava remarked as they made their way down the somewhat dirty sidewalk.
“Geez, I can see why Blood is so leery about coming here…” Ludwig said as he finished his food, then covered his face back up.
Blood-Wraith sighed and tossed his paper wrapper in the nearby garbage can. “Yeah, and imagine being an ar’ton like me. Are you hanging in there, Ludwig?”
“For the most part…” While not as bad as Blood-Wraith, the cosmic noise was definitely bothering him.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it,” Blood-Wraith reassured him.
“Good lord, it’s like I’m in an auditorium and everyone won’t stop talking,” Ludwig complained. “John, David, how do you two even put up with it?”
“Sorry, matey, but I can’t hear anything other than the usual noise,” John answered.
“Same here, Ludwig,” David added.
“I know how you feel, Ludwig,” Brandr commented. “I have similar problems on Earth. Personally I think it’s because linear, rational realms focus and hold in the noise. Obviously The Uncity is emulating that effect.”
“A reasonable deduction, Brandr, given that the city serves to be like the homes of the wayward who make their way here,” said David.
“Yeah, that’s probably the best way to sum it up…” Blood-Wraith agreed.
“Oh Bloody-Buddy!” a very familiar, female voice called out to them.
“Aw jeez, here she comes…” Blood-Wraith groaned, albeit with a hint of an endeared attitude in his voice.
A woman in beat up jeans, a T-shirt, and hoodie ran up and gave Blood-Wraith a bear hug. Notably she had glowing purple eyes, dark purple hair that was past her shoulders, and a rich-purple tail. “Blood, good to see you again!”
“Good to see you too, Morrigan,” Blood-Wraith replied. Suffice it to say Ludwig was a bit confused by how cordial they were being.
“Oh shoot, are these two some of your new members?” Morrigan asked, indicating Ludwig and David.
“Yes indeed,” Blood-Wraith replied. “Ludwig, David, this is Morrigan Devilfay.”
“A pleasure, Miss Devilfay,” David said as he shook her hand.
“Grüße…” Ludwig said, clearly nervous.
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet both of you!” Morrigan replied with friendliness in her voice that only served to compound Ludwig’s confusion. “So, Blood, ya’ready for the great debate at the park?”
“As we’ll ever be… Morrigan, your, um, supporters are going to behave themselves this time, right?”
“Of course yes indeedy, Blood,” she answered with a sort of overly-energetic enthusiasm. “In fact those previous ruffians have been kicked to the curb and anyone else will be held accountable!” Ludwig was stunned by what he was hearing, as that was not a healthy dynamic for any alliance. He turned to look at Johnathan, and while his guild mate could not see his stunned expression, Jonathan nodded regardless. It was easy to tell how much disbelief Ludwig was going through in experiencing Morrigan’s antics first hand.
Next: Chapter 8
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
“Well that was a thing that happened,” Blood-Wraith remarked as he leaned back in his chair at the main hall. “The issue, Ludwig, is that The Roaring Mountains are a bit of a gray area…”
“How so?” he inquired as he tapped his finger on the wooden table.
“The Iron City and Shadowland own the mines and quarries, but everything else is open territory. If Feuerland was still around as an active kingdom, they could provide help as the range used to be their territory… but obviously they’re not around anymore.”
Ludwig patted the table a couple of times, trying to think. “Well wait, couldn’t King Sten claim the area? Given that his family was fairly important in Feuerland before it fell?”
“Yeah, but according to Folkvar, Sten doesn’t feel right about doing it…”
“A reasonable stance to take,” David commented as he walked over to the table. “His majesty is a relatively new king born in Shadowland, so would it be seen as reclamation or conquest?”
“Scheiße, politics and technicalities,” Ludwig groaned. “Never did like politics…”
David chuckled. “We can’t escape them, even in The Unlight, can we? Now, Blood? Would you like to hear about my plans for tomorrow?”
He sat up and stretched a little, ears open. “Sure, Dr. Livesey. What do you have in mind?”
“To put it simply, I plan to debate Gore in front of the activists and win,” David said as he sat down. “Far be it from me to know what Gore is actually up to, but I can certainly tackle the mentality of the activists. They say we are not inclusive enough which makes us weak, but I say we are, we just require our members to bring their A-game. The Eternal Order is incredibly dangerous and our conflict with them is no laughing matter…”
Ludwig laughed a little, recalling a previous detail about the activists. “Not to mention I’m pretty sure The Sepulcher God could win some of them over with an all-you-can-eat buffet…”
“Ludwig…” Blood-Wraith chided, trying not to laugh.
“A lifestyle change would definitely be in order either way for some of them,” David asserted. “Furthermore I feel some of that lot don’t want to admit they are wrong, hence why they dig their heels into the ground…”
Blood-Wraith got up and went to one of the side tables to get a mug of water from one of the kegs. “I can certainly relate to that mentality…” he admitted as heated the water with his magic and dropped a teabag into the mug. “Swallowing your pride can be difficult at times.”
“Most certainly, Blood,” David agreed. “I can understand your desire to rough up those troublemakers, Ludwig, especially given what’s happened this past week. We should be guiding them to the right path rather than punishing them, however. God judges a man not for his words, but for his actions…”
“Despite them trying to beat up Blood?” Ludwig reminded him.
David sighed. “That… that does muddy the water a bit… Obviously they only did that out of arrogance, but you do have a point.”
Blood-Wraith took a sip of his warm tea that felt soothing going down his throat and sighed as he slightly zoned out looking at one of the sconces. “I know I get pretty combative with people like Rick, but I would give him a second chance if he came in here right now and apologized. He won’t, but I’m just saying.”
“And after all that just went down?” Ludwig questioned.
“I won’t forgive what he’s done, but it pays no one to hold grudges.”
Ludwig smiled and gave a relaxed sigh. “You’re a good person, Blood. We live a rough life, but it’s great to know you haven’t given up on your morals.”
“Thanks, Ludwig,” Blood-Wraith replied as he took another sip of his tea. “Going to The Uncity isn’t going to be fun. That place always overwhelms me…”
“How so, Blood?” David inquired.
“It’s too big…”
“And the Market District isn’t?” Dragoslava said, having just walked up.
“Ah, Drago!” Blood-Wraith exclaimed as he nearly spilled his tea. “The Market District is focused and straightforward. It’s something I can wrap my mind around. The Uncity on the other hand is a mess of different worlds all crammed into one place.”
She patted his shoulder and set the papers she was carrying on the table. “Well I can’t really fault you there, brother. Now, Dr. Livesey, I’ve got a place and time for the debate-Night Salem Park at 2…” Dragoslava then sighed. “I talked to Morrigan and she’ll also be bringing Volf and Fran along…”
Blood-Wraith gave an unenthusiastic “Hurrah…”
Ludwig on the other hand gave another quick laugh. “If it boils down to it we can potentially expose those three for who they really are…”
“Pardon, Ludwig?” Dragoslava interjected.
“He’s on board with my theories,” Blood-Wraith clarified.
“Ah, yes. Anyways, Ludwig, you and John are going to be our muscle just in case…”
“Fine with me,” he replied with satisfaction.
Dragoslava then turned to David, who was thumbing through the documents. “Dr. Livesey, you and Blood shall handle all of the intellectual stuff.”
“A task we shall not fail, Lady Raynot,” David assured her.
“And I’ll write everything down,” Dragoslava finished as she showed her notepad real quickly.
“Are you sure you can handle it, sister?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Arm writing, Blood. Arm writing.”
“Right, that. Got to remember to learn that for my knight’s reports…”
David gave Blood-Wraith a surprised look. “Goodness, my boy, you write with your wrist?”
Dragoslava gave a calm laugh. “His handwriting isn’t the best, something he got marked down for during his time at school.”
Blood-Wraith finished the last of his tea and groaned a little. “Writing is not my forté. I prefer reading and working with magic to pen & paper…”
“You’re much like a young John in that regard, Blood,” David commented. “Regardless, I have multiple writing exercises that will have you writing cursive with your arm in no time.”
Blood-Wraith shook his head with a smile. “If you insist, Dr. Livesey. I’m going to head back to my place to get ready for tomorrow. See you all later. Aru!” The void door showed up out of nowhere in a cloud of sparkling smoke, with Blood-Wraith stepping into it. Exiting into his living room, he turned on the lights, took a seat on the dark green couch, and let out a sigh as the afternoon sun beamed in through his windows. The warm glow was certainly relaxing as it hit his cream-colored walls.
Another void door then opened and out stepped Mal. “Hey, Blood, mind if I sit with you?”
“Hey, Mal, go ahead,” he replied as he turned on the television with the remote and began flipping through the channels.
Once she was comfy and Blood-Wraith found something to watch, Mal spoke up. “So, how are things going?”
“Alright. Scream’s temple is all clear and I’m going to the Uncity tomorrow so David can debate Gore.”
Mal nodded with a hint of surprise. “Wow, Dr. Livesey is really making big moves, isn’t he?”
“Oh yeah, definitely.”
“Heh, he would’ve liked Francis Firehardt, or ULTRAMagic Executor from the Epoch guild. Francis was always debating and philosophizing with the other members. He even taught Leif and I some debate strategies.”
“It’d be nice to have him along then. Where is he now?”
“Not sure, as he vanished after the Epoch.”
“Ah, a non-evergreen member I take it?”
“Unfortunately.”
Blood-Wraith gave a light sigh as he watched a man finish an argument on the show they were watching. “I’m not looking forward to going to The Uncity tomorrow…”
“Isn’t Dr. Livesey doing the debating though?” Mal asked.
“Yeah, but the city as a whole is overwhelming. There are so many people there that it makes it hard to focus at times…”
Mal nodded as she was familiar with the issue in question. “While I’m not an ar’ton like you, It’s definitely tricky to use my void magic there, given all the cosmic noise.”
That warranted an exhale as Blood-Wraith rubbed his face. “Don’t even get me started on that…”
“Who are you going with tomorrow?”
“Aside from Dr. Livesey, John, Drago, and Ludwig. And we’ve got our roles all set too.”
Mal took a second to go over that in her head. “Aside from Ludwig, that sounds like a perfect team. Blood, don’t panic. Go in and remain calm. If Gore and his cronies pull anything, everyone in the area will see it.”
Blood-Wraith nodded in agreement as the television show depicted the protagonist succeeding in making his way through a large group of people. The timing made him smile. “You’re right, Mal. I Just got to keep a level head and It’ll all be fine…”
“Exactly. Don’t let Gore or Volf get into your head. Focus on the task at hand.”
“Yeah, and if things truly get out of hand, we’ll call in the rest of the guild.”
“Precisely.”
“Here’s hoping it doesn’t come to that though,” said Blood-Wraith. “As much as I’m ready to throw down, I’d rather not do so in a place as big and chaotic as The Great Uncity…”
Despite his anxiety, Blood-Wraith slept reasonably well that night. He still was not thrilled, but encouragement from Drusa and Vexation helped a great deal. Once at the guild, he opened a void door to The Iron City Embassy and began to mentally prepare himself. He could already sense the vast amount of souls and entities in the city. Not helping his case was David’s eagerness to leave the embassy, but there was no denying that his positive attitude was uplifting for the others. Blood-Wraith took a deep breath, received a pat on his shoulder from Dragoslava, and opened the embassy doors with the group behind him.
The Great Uncity was beyond words and one’s wildest imagination in how grand it was. Towers and buildings from all sorts of eras of humanity were as far as the eyes could see, creating a sprawling jungle of civilization that was truly fathomless. The group was in Night Salem City, a district of The Uncity that was eclectic, but seemed to take influence from New York City of the 1990s. There were all sorts of people from differing timelines and universes, which all looked incredibly content, despite the usual hustle and bustle of any city. Rumor had it that parts of Night Salem City extended into various Earth’s, especially Earth-23. Truthfully Blood-Wraith was hoping Will was right around the corner with the Future Squad in tow…
After stopping by the food cart of a friend of Dragoslava’s for some hot dogs, the group began their walk to Night Salem Park. “Damn, Zach is getting better and better at these,” Dragoslava remarked as they made their way down the somewhat dirty sidewalk.
“Geez, I can see why Blood is so leery about coming here…” Ludwig said as he finished his food, then covered his face back up.
Blood-Wraith sighed and tossed his paper wrapper in the nearby garbage can. “Yeah, and imagine being an ar’ton like me. Are you hanging in there, Ludwig?”
“For the most part…” While not as bad as Blood-Wraith, the cosmic noise was definitely bothering him.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it,” Blood-Wraith reassured him.
“Good lord, it’s like I’m in an auditorium and everyone won’t stop talking,” Ludwig complained. “John, David, how do you two even put up with it?”
“Sorry, matey, but I can’t hear anything other than the usual noise,” John answered.
“Same here, Ludwig,” David added.
“I know how you feel, Ludwig,” Brandr commented. “I have similar problems on Earth. Personally I think it’s because linear, rational realms focus and hold in the noise. Obviously The Uncity is emulating that effect.”
“A reasonable deduction, Brandr, given that the city serves to be like the homes of the wayward who make their way here,” said David.
“Yeah, that’s probably the best way to sum it up…” Blood-Wraith agreed.
“Oh Bloody-Buddy!” a very familiar, female voice called out to them.
“Aw jeez, here she comes…” Blood-Wraith groaned, albeit with a hint of an endeared attitude in his voice.
A woman in beat up jeans, a T-shirt, and hoodie ran up and gave Blood-Wraith a bear hug. Notably she had glowing purple eyes, dark purple hair that was past her shoulders, and a rich-purple tail. “Blood, good to see you again!”
“Good to see you too, Morrigan,” Blood-Wraith replied. Suffice it to say Ludwig was a bit confused by how cordial they were being.
“Oh shoot, are these two some of your new members?” Morrigan asked, indicating Ludwig and David.
“Yes indeed,” Blood-Wraith replied. “Ludwig, David, this is Morrigan Devilfay.”
“A pleasure, Miss Devilfay,” David said as he shook her hand.
“Grüße…” Ludwig said, clearly nervous.
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet both of you!” Morrigan replied with friendliness in her voice that only served to compound Ludwig’s confusion. “So, Blood, ya’ready for the great debate at the park?”
“As we’ll ever be… Morrigan, your, um, supporters are going to behave themselves this time, right?”
“Of course yes indeedy, Blood,” she answered with a sort of overly-energetic enthusiasm. “In fact those previous ruffians have been kicked to the curb and anyone else will be held accountable!” Ludwig was stunned by what he was hearing, as that was not a healthy dynamic for any alliance. He turned to look at Johnathan, and while his guild mate could not see his stunned expression, Jonathan nodded regardless. It was easy to tell how much disbelief Ludwig was going through in experiencing Morrigan’s antics first hand.
Next: Chapter 8
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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