ULTRAMagic (Before) Prelude - Chapter 6
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The following day, a majestic, four-winged, avian dragon landed in the main courtyard, catching any guild members present off guard. Once the dragon’s passenger hopped off, it reverted back into a beautiful woman in an elegant coat who was accompanied by a quirky man in formal attire. Aava Janzen-Caden and Mind-Wraith Caden had returned from their journey to the border of The Deep Realm of Chaos after needing to assist the Discordant Gods Nacht and Paradoxos with something that concerned the two in regards to the Lost Era. As they made their way inside they were greeted by their fellow guild mates, and while things seemed to be fairly jovial, the two could sense that the guild was abuzz with excitement. Given the news they had received while away it was to be expected and had their interest peaked.
It was lunch time when they entered the sconce and chandelier-lit great hall and they immediately recognized the boy they had been informed about. Mind-Wraith wanted to meet him as soon as possible, so he strolled right up to where Blood-Wraith, Scotty, and Zara were sitting. “My my my! Would this happen to be the intrepid, young boy we’ve been hearing so much about?” Mind-Wraith asked aloud, catching everyone’s attention.
“Mind, great to have you back!” Scotty replied as he swallowed his food and set his sandwich down. “Blood, this is Mind-Wraith, our resident bard and thermomancer.”
Blood-Wraith got a good look at Mind-Wraith and could immediately tell he was a splendid person to be around. His demeanor was friendly and welcoming, his hair and small beard were nice and tidy, and his golden eyes looked like they had ages of experience behind them. “Nice to meet you, Mind-Wraith,” he replied as he shook his hand. “What’s a thermomancer though?”
“Temperature manipulation,” Scotty answered. “Mind can do all sorts of crazy things by making it hot or cold around him.”
“And I dabble in a little alchemy here and there,” Mind-Wraith added. “Blood, this is my wife, Aava,” he introduced, with the two shaking hands. “Also goodness, If nothing else he would be spectacular at going trick or treating as a ghost, ha.”
“Oh, Mind… It is a pleasure to meet you, Blood-Wraith,” Aava said with a sweetness in her voice that gave the impression she wanted to be a mother some day. “Hopefully that dreadful encounter with Damien didn’t frighten you too badly…”
Aava was incredibly interesting as Blood-Wraith could sense something great and terrible within her, like something that had persisted long past its time. Aava’s avian iconography-decorated coat and the way her silver hair resembled feathers at the ends betrayed the presence of stone and dust deep within her. Still, he could easily tell she was one he could trust if he was ever in a spot of trouble. “It was definitely scary, but I’m not going to let him fill me with fear again.”
“Now that’s the spirit, Blood,” Mind-Wraith said with a snap of his fingers, causing glittering snow to fall from them. “The Cosmos is a scary place in general, but as mages and warriors we can’t ever let that get us down. We’d be cowards no more fit to be a poor man’s jester if we hid and cowered at the first breeze that hit our faces. And besides, fear is the catalyst for creativity…”
Zara snickered a little as she set her mug down. “Careful, Blood, Mind can get a little artsy-fartsy at times…”
“Well I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it, Ms Teagann. I’d rather be a smart fella than fart smella…” That idiom made Blood-Wraith laugh and got a chuckle out of Scotty and Aava. “Now pay attention, Blood: fear may be a terrible feeling, but it is what helps us move forward in life. Without it we’d know no danger or safety. Let it be a muse for your problem solving, and as Spiritus Magni Drusa once said; every problem has a solution and every solution has a problem.”
Blood-Wraith took a moment to think that wisdom over as it began to subtly resonate with him. “That feeling of dread Damien filled me with was awful, but I know what I need to do now. I need to practice my magic so I can help Leif stop The Eternal Order.”
“A wonderful resolution, Blood,” Aava complimented. “And just remember that we will always be here to help you. You’re only as strong as the people you have in your life.”
Scotty finished his sandwich, wiped his face, and nodded with a clearing of his throat. “And you’re always close to someone that can help you, even if you don’t realize it. Never forget that, Blood.”
Blood-Wraith was about to speak further, but was cut off by Leif, who was approaching with Nosmirc. “Mind-Wraith, Aava! Thank goddess you’re finally back.”
“Hello, Leif,” Mind-Wraith replied. “Looks like things have been quite hectic for all of you…”
“A roller coaster and a half,” Zara put in, with Leif nodding as she had taken the words right out of his mouth.
“We need to head out soon,” Leif instructed, handing some papers to the couple that had been prepared by Nosmirc. “We’ve already got a beat on Damien thanks to the efforts of Barry and The Highway Knight, and we don’t know how long he’ll stay in Thunderfall Gorge.”
Mind-Wraith nodded as he skimmed through the papers, followed by his stomach growling. “Right, we’ll get going as soon as I get some food in me.” The two could see Leif getting nervous as he started to fidget around a little.
“I’m afraid I'm a bit peckish too, Leif,” Aava added.
Leif groaned softly, only for his stomach to growl too. “Well you three can’t just rush out on an empty stomach, can you?” Nosmirc pointed out with a laugh. He then snapped his fingers, causing a strange, crimson apparition to manifest and fly out of the great hall. “Here, that should keep Damien distracted for a little bit.”
“Oh alright…” Leif said with a sigh as he sat down next to Blood-Wraith.
“Don’t worry, Leif, we’ll bring back some quick and filling for you,” Mind-Wraith assured as he and Aava started to make their way towards the kitchens.
Blood-Wraith waited a second for Leif to finish rubbing his face, then tugged on his sleeve. “Leif? I was talking with Charles last night and I’ve decided I’m going to study alchemy, even though I don't have any magic at the moment.”
Leif paused for a second, seeing the look of determination in him. “You don’t have to do that, Blood…”
“I insist! This battle sounds really important to you.”
The drive brought a smile to his face, causing Leif to calmly shake his head. “Alright then, but it can get a little complicated at times…”
“Yeah, Scotty and his friend, Tasgall, warned me about that.”
“You have great things planned for him after all, Leif,” Nosmirc reminded him.
“You know what, Blood?” Leif started to say with pride in his voice. “I’ve got several, entry-level alchemy grimoires in my office. If you think you can handle it, help yourself to them.”
This made Blood-Wraith bounce around happily on his seat. “Yes, thank you, Leif. I won’t let you down!”
Things then went still for the briefest of seconds, like something truly great had slipped in through a crack in reality, and all breath ceased for the moment as a cloaked figure of shadows and smoke joined the group. What could be seen through the darkness of his form were glowing, red lights for eyes and a wicked grin that was strangely comforting. “Well, this has certainly been an interesting turn of events in the battle with The Sepulcher God…” he said with a bizarre voice that was deep, yet distant.
Blood-Wraith and Nosmirc jumped, but Leif calmed the former. “Don’t worry, Blood, this is The Dread God, master of the Dark Void.” It felt so odd to casually refer to a god like that, but Leif had grown used to his routine visitations to The Dark Divers Guild.
The Dread God held out his pitch black hand. “It is an honor to meet you, Blood-Wraith, especially given how some will come to call you ‘the one who defies the Cosmos.’”
Blood-Wraith hesitated, but accepted the hand shake regardless. “What am I going to be defying exactly?”
“It is hard to say, as my protégé is playing a very interesting game against his former friend, The Sepulcher God.” The Dread God then turned to Nosmirc, giving him a slight chill. “I’d be careful if I was you, as Damien is looking for you…”
Nosmirc had a cold sweat for a moment, but shook himself to brush it off. “He should be none the wiser with the diversion I came up with.” Nosmirc knew exactly what The Dread God was getting at and it unnerved him every single time. He knew who he was and was terrified of the mighty god revealing his true identity for reasons Nosmirc could not begin to fathom.
The Dread God then turned to Scotty and produced a sheathed sword from his cloak. “Scotty, The Virus God has finished purifying your new sword.”
Scotty took a breath as he took the sword and pulled part of it out of the brown leather. The blade was now a pleasant spring green, surrounded by sterling, golden iron. “Not to sound ungrateful, but just like that? It’s mine now?”
“Of course, Scotty, as you tend to keep what you conquer in the Dark Void. Put Karnage’s formerly foul power to good use, as it should help you greatly in the battles just beyond the horizon.”
Setting the blade down on the table so Blood-Wraith could get a good look at it, Scotty took off his hat, put it over his heart, and gave a slight bow. “Thank you, Dread God, and give The Virus God my regards.”
“Of course, Scotty. Now if you’ll pardon me, I need to speak with The Automaton at the behest of The Madman. Have a good day, Blood-Wraith. And best of luck to you, Aava, and Mind-Wraith, Leif,” The Dread God said as he stepped away, his form having a gliding appearance to it rather than proper walking.
“Thank you, Dread God,” Leif replied. “Don’t worry, Blood, The Unlight is nowhere near as weird, ha.”
“Well that’s not necessarily a bad thing, given what Mind-Wraith said,” Blood-Wraith pointed out as he continued to marvel at the blade with Zara as Mind-Wraith and Aava returned with some food.
After a good lunch, Leif, Aava, and Mind-Wraith set out to go find Damien. Leif assumed his dragon form of black scales and Mind-Wraith rode atop Aava in her beast form. Thunderfall Gorge was a majestic location, but one that was quite dangerous in the same breath. The rivers and waterfalls were a once in a lifetime sight, but the strangeness came from the namesake of the gorge. There were many landslides that shook the land like the strongest thunder, but they ran up the cliffs rather than down them. Those who dared to brave the strangeness of the gorge were rewarded vast resources of ores, metals that had the properties of the classical elements. While Damien’s motive for being there was difficult to discern on account of his incoherence, he was most likely trying to gather resources for something dastardly. And thankfully Nosmirc’s distraction had worked perfectly as Damien rode around in circles, thinking he was establishing communion with the corrupted gods of The Eternal Order, The Crimson God in particular for this case.
Touching down on a great, grassy hill where Damien could not easily discern, Leif began scoping out the situation. “Alright, you blaggard, what’s it going to take?” he muttered to himself as Damien kept meandering about.
“Should we just charge in, or would it be better to sneak up on him?” Mind-Wraith put forth. “Either way I’d say the odds are in our favor.”
“Time is not on our side, Mind,” Leif stated. “We need to take him now or never.”
Aava took a breath, as she could feel the ancient power within her becoming restless. “Are you sure about this Leif? There’s no one around, but what if he has a trap waiting for us?”
“It’s a chance we’ll have to take…”
Aava took slight offense at that brazen attitude. “Leif, I know things are not going according to plan, but this is a minion of Audoin Dethbrand we’re talking about.”
Leif grunted as he had the displeasure of getting closer to Audoin than he wanted to in recent times. “I know, but we need that power and… Damn it! He’s leaving! MOVE!” he ordered as he ran down the hill.
“Looks like we have no other choice, dear!” Mind-Wraith said as he followed Leif.
Aava shuddered, but steadied her nerves. “Alright, but be careful, both of you!”
Next:
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
The following day, a majestic, four-winged, avian dragon landed in the main courtyard, catching any guild members present off guard. Once the dragon’s passenger hopped off, it reverted back into a beautiful woman in an elegant coat who was accompanied by a quirky man in formal attire. Aava Janzen-Caden and Mind-Wraith Caden had returned from their journey to the border of The Deep Realm of Chaos after needing to assist the Discordant Gods Nacht and Paradoxos with something that concerned the two in regards to the Lost Era. As they made their way inside they were greeted by their fellow guild mates, and while things seemed to be fairly jovial, the two could sense that the guild was abuzz with excitement. Given the news they had received while away it was to be expected and had their interest peaked.
It was lunch time when they entered the sconce and chandelier-lit great hall and they immediately recognized the boy they had been informed about. Mind-Wraith wanted to meet him as soon as possible, so he strolled right up to where Blood-Wraith, Scotty, and Zara were sitting. “My my my! Would this happen to be the intrepid, young boy we’ve been hearing so much about?” Mind-Wraith asked aloud, catching everyone’s attention.
“Mind, great to have you back!” Scotty replied as he swallowed his food and set his sandwich down. “Blood, this is Mind-Wraith, our resident bard and thermomancer.”
Blood-Wraith got a good look at Mind-Wraith and could immediately tell he was a splendid person to be around. His demeanor was friendly and welcoming, his hair and small beard were nice and tidy, and his golden eyes looked like they had ages of experience behind them. “Nice to meet you, Mind-Wraith,” he replied as he shook his hand. “What’s a thermomancer though?”
“Temperature manipulation,” Scotty answered. “Mind can do all sorts of crazy things by making it hot or cold around him.”
“And I dabble in a little alchemy here and there,” Mind-Wraith added. “Blood, this is my wife, Aava,” he introduced, with the two shaking hands. “Also goodness, If nothing else he would be spectacular at going trick or treating as a ghost, ha.”
“Oh, Mind… It is a pleasure to meet you, Blood-Wraith,” Aava said with a sweetness in her voice that gave the impression she wanted to be a mother some day. “Hopefully that dreadful encounter with Damien didn’t frighten you too badly…”
Aava was incredibly interesting as Blood-Wraith could sense something great and terrible within her, like something that had persisted long past its time. Aava’s avian iconography-decorated coat and the way her silver hair resembled feathers at the ends betrayed the presence of stone and dust deep within her. Still, he could easily tell she was one he could trust if he was ever in a spot of trouble. “It was definitely scary, but I’m not going to let him fill me with fear again.”
“Now that’s the spirit, Blood,” Mind-Wraith said with a snap of his fingers, causing glittering snow to fall from them. “The Cosmos is a scary place in general, but as mages and warriors we can’t ever let that get us down. We’d be cowards no more fit to be a poor man’s jester if we hid and cowered at the first breeze that hit our faces. And besides, fear is the catalyst for creativity…”
Zara snickered a little as she set her mug down. “Careful, Blood, Mind can get a little artsy-fartsy at times…”
“Well I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it, Ms Teagann. I’d rather be a smart fella than fart smella…” That idiom made Blood-Wraith laugh and got a chuckle out of Scotty and Aava. “Now pay attention, Blood: fear may be a terrible feeling, but it is what helps us move forward in life. Without it we’d know no danger or safety. Let it be a muse for your problem solving, and as Spiritus Magni Drusa once said; every problem has a solution and every solution has a problem.”
Blood-Wraith took a moment to think that wisdom over as it began to subtly resonate with him. “That feeling of dread Damien filled me with was awful, but I know what I need to do now. I need to practice my magic so I can help Leif stop The Eternal Order.”
“A wonderful resolution, Blood,” Aava complimented. “And just remember that we will always be here to help you. You’re only as strong as the people you have in your life.”
Scotty finished his sandwich, wiped his face, and nodded with a clearing of his throat. “And you’re always close to someone that can help you, even if you don’t realize it. Never forget that, Blood.”
Blood-Wraith was about to speak further, but was cut off by Leif, who was approaching with Nosmirc. “Mind-Wraith, Aava! Thank goddess you’re finally back.”
“Hello, Leif,” Mind-Wraith replied. “Looks like things have been quite hectic for all of you…”
“A roller coaster and a half,” Zara put in, with Leif nodding as she had taken the words right out of his mouth.
“We need to head out soon,” Leif instructed, handing some papers to the couple that had been prepared by Nosmirc. “We’ve already got a beat on Damien thanks to the efforts of Barry and The Highway Knight, and we don’t know how long he’ll stay in Thunderfall Gorge.”
Mind-Wraith nodded as he skimmed through the papers, followed by his stomach growling. “Right, we’ll get going as soon as I get some food in me.” The two could see Leif getting nervous as he started to fidget around a little.
“I’m afraid I'm a bit peckish too, Leif,” Aava added.
Leif groaned softly, only for his stomach to growl too. “Well you three can’t just rush out on an empty stomach, can you?” Nosmirc pointed out with a laugh. He then snapped his fingers, causing a strange, crimson apparition to manifest and fly out of the great hall. “Here, that should keep Damien distracted for a little bit.”
“Oh alright…” Leif said with a sigh as he sat down next to Blood-Wraith.
“Don’t worry, Leif, we’ll bring back some quick and filling for you,” Mind-Wraith assured as he and Aava started to make their way towards the kitchens.
Blood-Wraith waited a second for Leif to finish rubbing his face, then tugged on his sleeve. “Leif? I was talking with Charles last night and I’ve decided I’m going to study alchemy, even though I don't have any magic at the moment.”
Leif paused for a second, seeing the look of determination in him. “You don’t have to do that, Blood…”
“I insist! This battle sounds really important to you.”
The drive brought a smile to his face, causing Leif to calmly shake his head. “Alright then, but it can get a little complicated at times…”
“Yeah, Scotty and his friend, Tasgall, warned me about that.”
“You have great things planned for him after all, Leif,” Nosmirc reminded him.
“You know what, Blood?” Leif started to say with pride in his voice. “I’ve got several, entry-level alchemy grimoires in my office. If you think you can handle it, help yourself to them.”
This made Blood-Wraith bounce around happily on his seat. “Yes, thank you, Leif. I won’t let you down!”
Things then went still for the briefest of seconds, like something truly great had slipped in through a crack in reality, and all breath ceased for the moment as a cloaked figure of shadows and smoke joined the group. What could be seen through the darkness of his form were glowing, red lights for eyes and a wicked grin that was strangely comforting. “Well, this has certainly been an interesting turn of events in the battle with The Sepulcher God…” he said with a bizarre voice that was deep, yet distant.
Blood-Wraith and Nosmirc jumped, but Leif calmed the former. “Don’t worry, Blood, this is The Dread God, master of the Dark Void.” It felt so odd to casually refer to a god like that, but Leif had grown used to his routine visitations to The Dark Divers Guild.
The Dread God held out his pitch black hand. “It is an honor to meet you, Blood-Wraith, especially given how some will come to call you ‘the one who defies the Cosmos.’”
Blood-Wraith hesitated, but accepted the hand shake regardless. “What am I going to be defying exactly?”
“It is hard to say, as my protégé is playing a very interesting game against his former friend, The Sepulcher God.” The Dread God then turned to Nosmirc, giving him a slight chill. “I’d be careful if I was you, as Damien is looking for you…”
Nosmirc had a cold sweat for a moment, but shook himself to brush it off. “He should be none the wiser with the diversion I came up with.” Nosmirc knew exactly what The Dread God was getting at and it unnerved him every single time. He knew who he was and was terrified of the mighty god revealing his true identity for reasons Nosmirc could not begin to fathom.
The Dread God then turned to Scotty and produced a sheathed sword from his cloak. “Scotty, The Virus God has finished purifying your new sword.”
Scotty took a breath as he took the sword and pulled part of it out of the brown leather. The blade was now a pleasant spring green, surrounded by sterling, golden iron. “Not to sound ungrateful, but just like that? It’s mine now?”
“Of course, Scotty, as you tend to keep what you conquer in the Dark Void. Put Karnage’s formerly foul power to good use, as it should help you greatly in the battles just beyond the horizon.”
Setting the blade down on the table so Blood-Wraith could get a good look at it, Scotty took off his hat, put it over his heart, and gave a slight bow. “Thank you, Dread God, and give The Virus God my regards.”
“Of course, Scotty. Now if you’ll pardon me, I need to speak with The Automaton at the behest of The Madman. Have a good day, Blood-Wraith. And best of luck to you, Aava, and Mind-Wraith, Leif,” The Dread God said as he stepped away, his form having a gliding appearance to it rather than proper walking.
“Thank you, Dread God,” Leif replied. “Don’t worry, Blood, The Unlight is nowhere near as weird, ha.”
“Well that’s not necessarily a bad thing, given what Mind-Wraith said,” Blood-Wraith pointed out as he continued to marvel at the blade with Zara as Mind-Wraith and Aava returned with some food.
After a good lunch, Leif, Aava, and Mind-Wraith set out to go find Damien. Leif assumed his dragon form of black scales and Mind-Wraith rode atop Aava in her beast form. Thunderfall Gorge was a majestic location, but one that was quite dangerous in the same breath. The rivers and waterfalls were a once in a lifetime sight, but the strangeness came from the namesake of the gorge. There were many landslides that shook the land like the strongest thunder, but they ran up the cliffs rather than down them. Those who dared to brave the strangeness of the gorge were rewarded vast resources of ores, metals that had the properties of the classical elements. While Damien’s motive for being there was difficult to discern on account of his incoherence, he was most likely trying to gather resources for something dastardly. And thankfully Nosmirc’s distraction had worked perfectly as Damien rode around in circles, thinking he was establishing communion with the corrupted gods of The Eternal Order, The Crimson God in particular for this case.
Touching down on a great, grassy hill where Damien could not easily discern, Leif began scoping out the situation. “Alright, you blaggard, what’s it going to take?” he muttered to himself as Damien kept meandering about.
“Should we just charge in, or would it be better to sneak up on him?” Mind-Wraith put forth. “Either way I’d say the odds are in our favor.”
“Time is not on our side, Mind,” Leif stated. “We need to take him now or never.”
Aava took a breath, as she could feel the ancient power within her becoming restless. “Are you sure about this Leif? There’s no one around, but what if he has a trap waiting for us?”
“It’s a chance we’ll have to take…”
Aava took slight offense at that brazen attitude. “Leif, I know things are not going according to plan, but this is a minion of Audoin Dethbrand we’re talking about.”
Leif grunted as he had the displeasure of getting closer to Audoin than he wanted to in recent times. “I know, but we need that power and… Damn it! He’s leaving! MOVE!” he ordered as he ran down the hill.
“Looks like we have no other choice, dear!” Mind-Wraith said as he followed Leif.
Aava shuddered, but steadied her nerves. “Alright, but be careful, both of you!”
Next:
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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