ULTRAMagic Eon 2 - Chapter 17
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The Temple of The Lost resided in an unholy, mind-rending city that denoted a time that existed before even the Outer Void itself. Such a forbidden location normally would have been truly and irrevocably lost to the sands of time, but realms such as The Unlight allowed it to cling to the last threads of existence it had left. Why Karnage chose it for the center stage of his plan was born of arrogance, thinking the core personality of The Tyrant God would not be able to follow him to a place where reality ceased to conform to the standards of the modern Cosmos. How wrong he was, but it was not for The Tyrant God to punish at that point in time. Regardless of whether or not all of his opponents showed up, Karnage, that bloodthirsty despot, waited at the entrance to the pyramid atop the grand steps while his subordinates took care of the busy work.
Gudrun and Volf were not in the greatest of moods for a multitude of reasons. The city of The Lost Shadows God was far from dead, despite its abandoned appearance. Emerging from the buildings of impossible architecture beneath an inverted sky of warping and contorting fractals of unthinkable proportions were just as incomprehensible automatons. These strange entities of the Lost Era vaguely seemed like machines, and were more than a match for the shadow constructs. There was no doubt that they would go after Karnage and Anne, so Gudrun and Volf had to fend them off while being pushed towards the center of the city. It was a maddening fight for the two, as the automatons were made of a strange metal that did not properly exist in their reality. Just when they thought they had destroyed a group of them, the automatons would just reassemble themselves in ways that seemed to defy all forms of logic.
Volf watched as the activists that had accompanied them, the more fervent ones, were hopelessly overwhelmed by the automatons. These individuals were smothered in liquid metal that turned them into even more automatons. “What a waste…” he said as he blasted them with his magic a ways back, only for them to regenerate. “How are you doing, Gudrun?” he asked in a slightly mocking tone, trying to hold back a cheeky grin at her current predicament.
Initially Gudrun had taken on her dragon form and had been using her breath of molten gold to deal with the automatons, but she had been taken by surprise by an attack consisting of giant strips of metal that wrapped around her. She was forced to the ground with a massive thud, fully enveloped in a banded metal cocoon. In truth she was actually panicking for once as she could hear incomprehensible words burrowing into her brain as the metal grew tighter and tighter, forming into one solid mass. Finally reaching her breaking point, the metal began inflating and glowing as it did before finally exploding into a rain of molten gold that melted any being it touched. The automatons were not giving up, however, and the metal strips kept trying to wrap around Gudrun as she fought back.
“HOW ABOUT YOU QUIT GAWKING AND ACTUALLY HELP ME FOR ONCE!?!” she barked at Volf as another round of metal reached her head.
“Aw come on, I’m into that stuff though!” he continued to mock, only to be engulfed in molten gold as Gudrun was fully wrapped up once again. “Alright, fine, jeez…” He snapped his fingers, causing lightning made of electronic static to cut the cocoon so Gudrun could escape. The electricity then began to electrocute the attacking automatons. “Can’t those bastard curses of yours do anything? Lord knows we went through a hassle and a half to help you learn them…”
“SHUT UP AND KEEP THEM OFF MY BACK!” she exclaimed as she just narrowly dodged more metal strips, the two heading up the pyramid temple in the center of the plaza. “These things are immune to them! Trust me, I’ve tried multiple times!”
“They really want you, don’t they?” Volf casually remarked as he dropped a torrent of molten metal made of more electronic static, freezing the group of automatons that were trying to capture Gudrun in place for all of eternity… or at least that is what it was supposed to do. They broke free and changed their target to Volf, quickly wrapping him up in the metal strips. “HEY, at least take me out to dinner first…!” Upon being fully mummified he struggled a few times, impressed by how they were able to contain a god. In a flurry of static, Volf absorbed the metal and laughed maniacally. “Alright then, COME ON DOWN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” Metal strips shot out from his arms, wrapped up the automatons, and pulled them into him to absorb them. He also took the opportunity to retrieve the assimilated activists and convert them back to their side. “Funding for tonight’s program is provided by The Lost Shadows God and…”
“Save it and just spit the activists back out, we’ve got more automatons inbound!” Gudrun pointed out as a battalion of strange, truly-alien tanks made their way down the roads towards them.
“Right, right…” Volf dismissively replied as he snapped his fingers, causing the activists to reappear from metallic puddles. Any semblance of their old identities were gone and were reduced to mere metal and light constructs. “Don’t think you lot are getting off easy because your old lives were converted into monstrosities from before the Outer Void itself-GET BACK OUT THERE, or it’s another pay cut for all of you!”
“We’re not paying them for anything, you dingbat…” Gudrun scolded as the group ran off to go fight. Notably they stood a better chance than before thanks to having the technology and magic of the automatons on their side. “How in the blue blazes did that imbecilic Lich even figure out how to capture one of those to convert Ekaterina? What a waste of a test subject…”
“Hey, want to know what they would have turned you into?” Volf inquired, no doubt trying to get on Gudrun’s nerves.
“You breathe any word of this and I’ll…” Gudrun was overwhelmed by visions of a dragon made of metal and molten gold, completely subservient to The Lost Shadows God. She would be lying if she claimed such a fate would have been the worst from a power and visual point of view…
“Quit your bellyaching, you would have looked hotter than a sun about to go supernova.”
It could not be seen in her dragon form, but Gudrun was blushing. “You bawdy excuse for a god… HEY, focus on the task at hand!”
“Oh yeah, we got a scheme to fail…”
“Wait, excuse me?” Gudrun was caught off guard by that as she reverted back to her human form. She had her own doubts about Karnage’s plan, but something about Volf stating it caused her to worry. “What did you mean by that?”
Volf groaned as a series of explosions went off around them as what once were the activists fought with the more elite automatons. “Don’t play dumb, Gudrun, you sensed it too. I know you did…”
“I’d rather not acknowledge Lord Anti right now…”
“Oh come on, you and I both know that Karnage is too stupid to recognize that he’s walking right into a trap…” Just as he was about to spell it out for Gudrun, Volf noticed two dragons approaching the city from the air. “Blast, looks like the preshow is over.”
Gudrun glanced up and put her fingers together in a contemplative way. “How should we handle this arrival?”
“Well we’re certainly not going to get any help, as the automatons are going to fight with Blood-Wraith and his allies. Also Tressacht and Seigeberht are with them…”
“Damn it!” Gudrun complained as she kicked a statuette down the stairs.
“Why are you complaining if you know how this is going to end?”
Gudrun growled and slapped Volf across the face. “At least pretend like the plan is going to succeed! I have a migraine that would kill any normal human trying to maintain those stupid bastard curses that that utterly insufferable dictator is making me cast on the guild and the arbiters!”
Volf had a subtle, condescending grin creep across his face. “So you have accepted that this plan is going to fail?” he said as he crossed his arms.
“Shut it before they get down here and hear you!”
“Source, I should have stayed in the stars…” Volf complained, stretching and yawning as Blood-Wraith and Morrigan soared past them with the others landing not too far away from the plaza. He then noticed something was off about the arriving group. “Huh, I thought Ludwig was with them… oh, I see what they did. Clever…”
“Well I’d dare say we’re late to the party!” The Golem declared as Aureolus reverted back to normal and Tressacht and Seigberht emerged from their portal. His sudden cavalier attitude was a mask for the anxiety he was feeling at that very moment.
Adalwin was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of dread as he gazed upon the eldritch majesty that was the city, looking so close to a modern city yet sending his flight response into overdrive. “Mother of God, what even is this place…?”
David was thrown off too, but caught Adalwin as he stumbled. “Don’t give up on us yet, Adalwin, we’ve still got work to do.”
“Right, right…” he said with a shudder as he steadied himself. “God, I wish Ensio or Milan was here…” he muttered, praying that they showed up out of the blue.
“To answer your question, Adalwin,” Tressacht started to say. “This is the city of the Lost Shadows God. It is one of many Lost Era realms that have survived to the modern era, and one we should not tread lightly in…”
“The Lost Shadows God may be asleep like the other Lost Gods should, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t aware of our presence,” Seigeberht added. “And we shouldn’t consider it a blessing that the Lost Shadows Shards are ignoring us to focus on our enemies. The Lost Shadows God was one of the more roguish Lost Gods from what our sources tell us. No doubt he has own interests and plans for us some day.”
“It is certainly curious that they are only going after Volf and…’ The Golem started to say before noticing the elephant in the room standing with Volf atop the plaza pyramid. “SOURCE, IT’S GUDRUN! We need to move swiftly to deal with her, but be careful, everyone!”
Aureolus drew some of his cards and began moving forward. “Well, let’s not keep them waiting then.”
Tressacht cracked his knuckles with a chuckle and followed with the others. “Well this is going to be interesting…”
Karnage was waiting patiently with an evil, joyous smile on his face as Blood-Wraith flew right into his clutches. Everything was going perfectly and it never once occurred to him that he was falling for one of the biggest ruses he had ever been subjected to. Not even the voice inside of him telling him to quit while he was ahead could be heard, as its cries were snuffed out like anyone who would dare oppose the regime. “And thus the main event begins…”
And despite all of her evil gusto and bravado, Anne could not help but feel something was off. “Karnage, has it occurred to you that something isn’t right in the slightest?”
Karnage snapped his head towards her with a look of menace and anger in the glint of his eyes. “What? You, of all people, dare question my plan? The acolyte of The Sepulcher God is questioning me? Have you lost your mind or are your loyalties faltering?” He was starting to draw one of his swords on the last question, as he would not tolerate insubordination at the apex of his triumph.
“Put your sword away, brute. You know just as well as I do that Lord Anti and his allies would not let something like this transpire, so why are we only dealing with Blood-Wraith at the moment? You know how much they value the boy…”
As Anne began to lecture Karnage on how they should exercise great caution with the next phase of the plan, Karnage felt his rage begin to build. Out of all the people to criticize him, a woman dared to speak out against him?! “SILENCE, WENCH!!” Karnage roared, cutting her off. “Lord Anti is a pathetic coward who knows he’s done for once I reclaim my power! How truly repugnant that you, one of my own underlings, dares to speak out against me! Are you dumb, woman!? We have the upper hand! That sodding brat has walked right into my hands and all I need to do is take his ULTRAMagic right out from under his sniveling little nose! Your concerns are not only ignored, but I refuse to even acknowledge your mindless prattlings about things that have already been decided! Now head to the altar and prepare the ritual, as a new recruit will be joining The Eternal Order soon…”
Anne turned her nose up at Karnage and grunted. “Your wish is my command, Behemoth God…” As she headed in and made her way to the stone altar, she stewed in her anger and offense. Anne then got out Karnage’s shadow orb and was tempted to destroy it to spite him. The red and black, crystal skull shone in the light seeping through the openings in the wall as vile energy writhed within it, and all the task would require was a void spell and a flick of the wrist. Karnage was not worth the hassle, but there was someone else she had in mind that could make better use of the orb… “Well, Sebastian, my dear, we may have to pick up the slack where your master has failed…” Anne did not want to admit that the plan had a good chance of failing, but even she could see the writing on the wall.
Next: Chapter 18
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
The Temple of The Lost resided in an unholy, mind-rending city that denoted a time that existed before even the Outer Void itself. Such a forbidden location normally would have been truly and irrevocably lost to the sands of time, but realms such as The Unlight allowed it to cling to the last threads of existence it had left. Why Karnage chose it for the center stage of his plan was born of arrogance, thinking the core personality of The Tyrant God would not be able to follow him to a place where reality ceased to conform to the standards of the modern Cosmos. How wrong he was, but it was not for The Tyrant God to punish at that point in time. Regardless of whether or not all of his opponents showed up, Karnage, that bloodthirsty despot, waited at the entrance to the pyramid atop the grand steps while his subordinates took care of the busy work.
Gudrun and Volf were not in the greatest of moods for a multitude of reasons. The city of The Lost Shadows God was far from dead, despite its abandoned appearance. Emerging from the buildings of impossible architecture beneath an inverted sky of warping and contorting fractals of unthinkable proportions were just as incomprehensible automatons. These strange entities of the Lost Era vaguely seemed like machines, and were more than a match for the shadow constructs. There was no doubt that they would go after Karnage and Anne, so Gudrun and Volf had to fend them off while being pushed towards the center of the city. It was a maddening fight for the two, as the automatons were made of a strange metal that did not properly exist in their reality. Just when they thought they had destroyed a group of them, the automatons would just reassemble themselves in ways that seemed to defy all forms of logic.
Volf watched as the activists that had accompanied them, the more fervent ones, were hopelessly overwhelmed by the automatons. These individuals were smothered in liquid metal that turned them into even more automatons. “What a waste…” he said as he blasted them with his magic a ways back, only for them to regenerate. “How are you doing, Gudrun?” he asked in a slightly mocking tone, trying to hold back a cheeky grin at her current predicament.
Initially Gudrun had taken on her dragon form and had been using her breath of molten gold to deal with the automatons, but she had been taken by surprise by an attack consisting of giant strips of metal that wrapped around her. She was forced to the ground with a massive thud, fully enveloped in a banded metal cocoon. In truth she was actually panicking for once as she could hear incomprehensible words burrowing into her brain as the metal grew tighter and tighter, forming into one solid mass. Finally reaching her breaking point, the metal began inflating and glowing as it did before finally exploding into a rain of molten gold that melted any being it touched. The automatons were not giving up, however, and the metal strips kept trying to wrap around Gudrun as she fought back.
“HOW ABOUT YOU QUIT GAWKING AND ACTUALLY HELP ME FOR ONCE!?!” she barked at Volf as another round of metal reached her head.
“Aw come on, I’m into that stuff though!” he continued to mock, only to be engulfed in molten gold as Gudrun was fully wrapped up once again. “Alright, fine, jeez…” He snapped his fingers, causing lightning made of electronic static to cut the cocoon so Gudrun could escape. The electricity then began to electrocute the attacking automatons. “Can’t those bastard curses of yours do anything? Lord knows we went through a hassle and a half to help you learn them…”
“SHUT UP AND KEEP THEM OFF MY BACK!” she exclaimed as she just narrowly dodged more metal strips, the two heading up the pyramid temple in the center of the plaza. “These things are immune to them! Trust me, I’ve tried multiple times!”
“They really want you, don’t they?” Volf casually remarked as he dropped a torrent of molten metal made of more electronic static, freezing the group of automatons that were trying to capture Gudrun in place for all of eternity… or at least that is what it was supposed to do. They broke free and changed their target to Volf, quickly wrapping him up in the metal strips. “HEY, at least take me out to dinner first…!” Upon being fully mummified he struggled a few times, impressed by how they were able to contain a god. In a flurry of static, Volf absorbed the metal and laughed maniacally. “Alright then, COME ON DOWN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” Metal strips shot out from his arms, wrapped up the automatons, and pulled them into him to absorb them. He also took the opportunity to retrieve the assimilated activists and convert them back to their side. “Funding for tonight’s program is provided by The Lost Shadows God and…”
“Save it and just spit the activists back out, we’ve got more automatons inbound!” Gudrun pointed out as a battalion of strange, truly-alien tanks made their way down the roads towards them.
“Right, right…” Volf dismissively replied as he snapped his fingers, causing the activists to reappear from metallic puddles. Any semblance of their old identities were gone and were reduced to mere metal and light constructs. “Don’t think you lot are getting off easy because your old lives were converted into monstrosities from before the Outer Void itself-GET BACK OUT THERE, or it’s another pay cut for all of you!”
“We’re not paying them for anything, you dingbat…” Gudrun scolded as the group ran off to go fight. Notably they stood a better chance than before thanks to having the technology and magic of the automatons on their side. “How in the blue blazes did that imbecilic Lich even figure out how to capture one of those to convert Ekaterina? What a waste of a test subject…”
“Hey, want to know what they would have turned you into?” Volf inquired, no doubt trying to get on Gudrun’s nerves.
“You breathe any word of this and I’ll…” Gudrun was overwhelmed by visions of a dragon made of metal and molten gold, completely subservient to The Lost Shadows God. She would be lying if she claimed such a fate would have been the worst from a power and visual point of view…
“Quit your bellyaching, you would have looked hotter than a sun about to go supernova.”
It could not be seen in her dragon form, but Gudrun was blushing. “You bawdy excuse for a god… HEY, focus on the task at hand!”
“Oh yeah, we got a scheme to fail…”
“Wait, excuse me?” Gudrun was caught off guard by that as she reverted back to her human form. She had her own doubts about Karnage’s plan, but something about Volf stating it caused her to worry. “What did you mean by that?”
Volf groaned as a series of explosions went off around them as what once were the activists fought with the more elite automatons. “Don’t play dumb, Gudrun, you sensed it too. I know you did…”
“I’d rather not acknowledge Lord Anti right now…”
“Oh come on, you and I both know that Karnage is too stupid to recognize that he’s walking right into a trap…” Just as he was about to spell it out for Gudrun, Volf noticed two dragons approaching the city from the air. “Blast, looks like the preshow is over.”
Gudrun glanced up and put her fingers together in a contemplative way. “How should we handle this arrival?”
“Well we’re certainly not going to get any help, as the automatons are going to fight with Blood-Wraith and his allies. Also Tressacht and Seigeberht are with them…”
“Damn it!” Gudrun complained as she kicked a statuette down the stairs.
“Why are you complaining if you know how this is going to end?”
Gudrun growled and slapped Volf across the face. “At least pretend like the plan is going to succeed! I have a migraine that would kill any normal human trying to maintain those stupid bastard curses that that utterly insufferable dictator is making me cast on the guild and the arbiters!”
Volf had a subtle, condescending grin creep across his face. “So you have accepted that this plan is going to fail?” he said as he crossed his arms.
“Shut it before they get down here and hear you!”
“Source, I should have stayed in the stars…” Volf complained, stretching and yawning as Blood-Wraith and Morrigan soared past them with the others landing not too far away from the plaza. He then noticed something was off about the arriving group. “Huh, I thought Ludwig was with them… oh, I see what they did. Clever…”
“Well I’d dare say we’re late to the party!” The Golem declared as Aureolus reverted back to normal and Tressacht and Seigberht emerged from their portal. His sudden cavalier attitude was a mask for the anxiety he was feeling at that very moment.
Adalwin was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of dread as he gazed upon the eldritch majesty that was the city, looking so close to a modern city yet sending his flight response into overdrive. “Mother of God, what even is this place…?”
David was thrown off too, but caught Adalwin as he stumbled. “Don’t give up on us yet, Adalwin, we’ve still got work to do.”
“Right, right…” he said with a shudder as he steadied himself. “God, I wish Ensio or Milan was here…” he muttered, praying that they showed up out of the blue.
“To answer your question, Adalwin,” Tressacht started to say. “This is the city of the Lost Shadows God. It is one of many Lost Era realms that have survived to the modern era, and one we should not tread lightly in…”
“The Lost Shadows God may be asleep like the other Lost Gods should, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t aware of our presence,” Seigeberht added. “And we shouldn’t consider it a blessing that the Lost Shadows Shards are ignoring us to focus on our enemies. The Lost Shadows God was one of the more roguish Lost Gods from what our sources tell us. No doubt he has own interests and plans for us some day.”
“It is certainly curious that they are only going after Volf and…’ The Golem started to say before noticing the elephant in the room standing with Volf atop the plaza pyramid. “SOURCE, IT’S GUDRUN! We need to move swiftly to deal with her, but be careful, everyone!”
Aureolus drew some of his cards and began moving forward. “Well, let’s not keep them waiting then.”
Tressacht cracked his knuckles with a chuckle and followed with the others. “Well this is going to be interesting…”
Karnage was waiting patiently with an evil, joyous smile on his face as Blood-Wraith flew right into his clutches. Everything was going perfectly and it never once occurred to him that he was falling for one of the biggest ruses he had ever been subjected to. Not even the voice inside of him telling him to quit while he was ahead could be heard, as its cries were snuffed out like anyone who would dare oppose the regime. “And thus the main event begins…”
And despite all of her evil gusto and bravado, Anne could not help but feel something was off. “Karnage, has it occurred to you that something isn’t right in the slightest?”
Karnage snapped his head towards her with a look of menace and anger in the glint of his eyes. “What? You, of all people, dare question my plan? The acolyte of The Sepulcher God is questioning me? Have you lost your mind or are your loyalties faltering?” He was starting to draw one of his swords on the last question, as he would not tolerate insubordination at the apex of his triumph.
“Put your sword away, brute. You know just as well as I do that Lord Anti and his allies would not let something like this transpire, so why are we only dealing with Blood-Wraith at the moment? You know how much they value the boy…”
As Anne began to lecture Karnage on how they should exercise great caution with the next phase of the plan, Karnage felt his rage begin to build. Out of all the people to criticize him, a woman dared to speak out against him?! “SILENCE, WENCH!!” Karnage roared, cutting her off. “Lord Anti is a pathetic coward who knows he’s done for once I reclaim my power! How truly repugnant that you, one of my own underlings, dares to speak out against me! Are you dumb, woman!? We have the upper hand! That sodding brat has walked right into my hands and all I need to do is take his ULTRAMagic right out from under his sniveling little nose! Your concerns are not only ignored, but I refuse to even acknowledge your mindless prattlings about things that have already been decided! Now head to the altar and prepare the ritual, as a new recruit will be joining The Eternal Order soon…”
Anne turned her nose up at Karnage and grunted. “Your wish is my command, Behemoth God…” As she headed in and made her way to the stone altar, she stewed in her anger and offense. Anne then got out Karnage’s shadow orb and was tempted to destroy it to spite him. The red and black, crystal skull shone in the light seeping through the openings in the wall as vile energy writhed within it, and all the task would require was a void spell and a flick of the wrist. Karnage was not worth the hassle, but there was someone else she had in mind that could make better use of the orb… “Well, Sebastian, my dear, we may have to pick up the slack where your master has failed…” Anne did not want to admit that the plan had a good chance of failing, but even she could see the writing on the wall.
Next: Chapter 18
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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