ULTRAMagic (Before) Prelude - Chapter 12
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In celebration of their victory and defeating the last of the Audoan Knights, a feast was held and the majority of the guild was in attendance. Prior to the arrival of Scotty, things had been quiet and calm, leading to the guild never really having a cause for celebration like the one they had been presented with. The members were easy going and laid back, but now they felt truly rallied and united. The Eternal Order was not going to be content with going after The Unlight. Leif’s heroism and persistence told them that not only can they rise to meet the challenge, but that they can also thrive and keep rolling with the punches no matter what happens. They would valiantly hold the line until the next ULTRAMagic Guild rose, and the Dark Divers would continue to be by their side for the foreseeable future.
Despite the merry and triumphant attitude of the guild, Leif had a knot in his stomach that soured his dinner somewhat. Blood-Wraith was never meant to go into the conflict knowing what he now knew. The entire situation with The Lich of Old, Milosh Proch, and The Eternal Church occupying Shadowland was incredibly delicate and one wrong move could lead to a war or worse. With a heavy heart Leif made the decision to suppress Blood-Wraith’s memories until such a time where it would be safe for him to remember his adventures with The Dark Divers Guild. He would at least wait until the next day, however, as Blood-Wraith was having fun and Leif did not want to ruin the mood.
Blood-Wraith was up and ready to go first thing the next morning. He made his bed, got cleaned up, and raced to the great hall to have breakfast. Scotty and Zara were not too far behind him, with Scotty being impressed with his energy. Once settled in and almost done with his meal, Blood-Wraith smiled as soon as he saw Leif walk up with Nosmirc and Erikson. “Good morning, Leif!” he said with enthusiasm. “I’m ready to go, as soon as you're ready!”
Leif was taken off guard by this cheeriness. “You’re ready?”
“Of course–ready to go to The Unlight to help you, Dragoslava, and King Englehart stop The Eternal Order! Those bad guys won’t know what hit them,” he said as he did a few shadow punches. Mind-Wraith and Aava had also stepped over, concerned given what was about to happen next.
“About that, Blood…” Leif started to say. As Blood-Wraith’s carefree attitude faded, Leif turned to Erikson.
“You have to tell him…”
Leif then glanced over to Nosmirc who gave a calm nod. “Blood? How do I put this… You… you can’t just go to The Unlight in the state you're in.”
The good mood drained from the room for the group as Blood-Wraith grew confused. “What do you mean? I have my magic now–look!” Blood-Wraith went back over to the table and clapped his hands together, then held his left palm in the air as electricity arced from it and created what looked like a statuette that immediately crumbled. “Well, I’m working on it…”
“That’s not what I mean, Blood,” Leif clarified as he sat down beside him. “You see, the conflict in The Unlight between The Descendants, Shadowland, and The Eternal Church is very, very delicate right now. I… I–you haven’t done anything wrong, but you know way too much, Blood…”
Blood-Wraith looked over and noticed Scotty taking off his hat with a slightly sorrowful look on his face. “But isn’t knowing that much a good thing?”
“It is, Blood,” Nosmirc answered. “But there are so many things that could go wrong with the conflict, and one bad move could throw everything into total chaos.”
This was gravely concerning to Blood-Wraith and the fear was starting to creep in. “So what do we do then? I mean, I can stay quiet, easily!”
Leif winced as he felt a sharp pain in his heart. “Blood, I’m… I’m going to have to suppress your memories for the time being…”
It took a second for it to sink in, but Blood-Wraith felt the sadness finally overwhelm. “Forget? But Scotty and Zara, Nosmirc, you and…” And then he started to cry, no longer able to hold it back. It was heartbreaking to see, as he had been so strong up until then. The idea of losing those memories was worse than death to him.
“Come–come here, Blood,” Leif struggled to say as he was about to start crying himself. He gave him a big hug, trying his best to reassure the boy it was going to be alright. “I don’t want to do this either, Blood, but the fate of the Cosmos hangs in the balance…”
“Don’t worry, Blood, we won’t ever forget you,” Aava assured him in her most gentle voice. “We’ll always be here no matter what.”
“Sacrifice and compromise go hand in hand with heroism and bravery, Blood,” Mind-Wraith stated. “Much like how Scotty had to leave his Earth to stop Audoin, we all have to give something up in order to achieve what we want. It’s inevitable that we’ll reach our lowest point, but it makes climbing out of the valley all the more worth it.”
Blood-Wraith was starting to calm down, but he needed something else to pacify him. Scotty stood up, walked over to Blood, and got on his knee so he could look him in the eye. “Blood? Look at me, Blood…” Upon the two looking each other in the eye, Blood-Wraith could not look away as he could feel a great sorrow that Scotty once felt. “Nothing lasts forever, Blood. It’s how God made it, and we wouldn’t need to exist if everything was perfect. Now listen here: The next step of your journey is going to be a rough one. You’re going to have to go ahead without us, but I know you can do it. I’ve seen it in you–you’ve got the makings of greatness in you, and one day soon that star within you will be burning brighter than any flare or supernova. And we’ll all be there to catch some of that greatness when you finally take your place amongst the stars. Now, are we going to keep crying, or are we going to stick it to The Eternal Order and show them we mean business?”
Blood-Wraith was able to finally get it together and gave Scotty a hug. “Thank you, Scotty. I’m sorry…”
“Hey hey, no need to apologize for crying, kiddo,” he replied as he patted him on the shoulder. “Sometimes we just need to put all the cards on the table and say it like it is. As long as you keep a stiff upper lip and keep moving forward, nothing can stop you. And Leif?”
“Yes, Scotty?” He was still trying to hold back his tears.
“A great sheriff once said one man’s sunset is another man’s dawn. We don’t know what’s out there beyond that horizon ahead of us; but if you keep moving, head up, eyes steady, and heart open, everything will work out in the end and you’ll find the answers you need.”
With a subtle breath to steady his nerves, Leif stood up and shook Scotty’s hand. “Thank you Scotty, and you're absolutely right. I’ll… I’ll give you time to say goodbye, Blood…”
“Thank you, Leif,” Blood-Wraith said with another hug.
The news quickly spread across the guild and saddened everyone, but there was hope and that hope was more powerful than any farewell to be had. With Blood-Wraith ready to go, the next step of the fight against The Eternal Order could begin. Even with Blood-Wraith having to forget the Dark Divers, the guild was more united than ever and he was always welcome there no matter what. After saying goodbye to Mind-Wraith, Aava, Charles, Carol, Cynfelyn, Alexander, Barry, Vapor 6, The Highway Knight, Sander, Erikson, and The Metal God, Blood-Wraith went to the main courtyard with Scotty, Zara, Leif, Nosmirc, The Automaton, and Tiberius. It was time for him to head to The Unlight, and they had to be quick before Dragoslava wandered off again…
“So this is it, isn’t it?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Looks like it, sweetie,” Zara said as she gave him a hug. “Don’t worry, me and Scotty will stay close by until Drago finds you.”
“Blood-Wraith, I wish you the best of luck and may your time with The Descendants be just as fortuitous as your time with us,” The Automaton added. “And don’t worry, you’ll see Leif again very soon.”
Blood-Wraith chuckled. “I just wish I could remember him…”
“Oh, Blood-Wraith,” Tiberius interjected. “I need to go to Ar’tonius Proxima in The Trench Unlight to investigate an anomaly and make sure The Eternal Order isn’t causing trouble there, but when I’m done I will be returning to The Unlight to help get the next ULTRAMagic Guild up and running. It would be an honor if you’d consider joining us.”
“But don’t you need ULTRAMagic for that?”
Tiberius smiled, recalling Mind-Wraith’s uncertainty from the Epoch. “Don’t worry, Blood, I think you’ve got more potential than you realize.”
“I can attest to that,” Nosmirc agreed with a chuckle, catching a concerned glance from The Automaton.
With that assurance in mind and a nod to Tiberius, Blood-Wraith sighed and turned to Leif. “Alright, I’m ready…”
Saying nothing, Leif’s hand began glowing with a white light that was soothing to the eyes. He gingerly touched Blood-Wraith’s head, causing the boy to enter a trance like state, with Scotty catching him as he fell over. “There, it’s done…” Leif lamented. “Place him outside the city where Dragoslava can find him and the spell or Drago should wake him up.”
Scotty nodded, but it felt a little strange to see Blood-Wraith in the state he was in. “Right. Welp, let’s get a move on, Zara…”
“Right…” she nodded, sharing Scotty’s unease.
“Here, allow me,” Nosmirc said as he snapped his fingers, opening up a crimson portal.
Leif indicated for Scotty and Zara to hold on for a second as he caressed Blood-Wraith’s face. “See you soon, Blood.”
Scotty felt a little strange entering The Unlight, but shook it off. Seeing the mighty walls of The Iron City was a blast from the past for Zara, but she had to admit it was eerie to see it mostly abandoned. She was never fond of the great hunts and had always been a vocal critic of them. Sure, it was a moment of history in the making for The Descendants, but given what they knew about Milosh’s scheming made it anything but momentous. The spot the couple needed to set Blood-Wraith was close by and he stood perfectly still as they set him up. With all of that taken care of they just needed to wait for Dragoslava, hiding behind a boulder when they heard someone approaching. She was in the distance with her signature, beat up trench coat, but she did not seem to notice Blood-Wraith. Getting nervous, Scotty tossed a big enough rock against Zara’s advice and this seemed to do the trick…
“Where… Where am I?”
“Hey!”
“Who am…” Blood-Wraith then noticed the person addressing him. “Uh, me?”
“Yes, you. Hello there. What's your name, stranger?” Dragoslava asked.
“Oh…um… Blood-Wraith, I think?”
Dragoslava slightly tilted her head. “Blood? Quite an odd name given that you don’t seem particularly bloody. All of this fire kind of goes against that, ha. I’d say you’re more of a ‘Fire-Wraith.’”
Scotty gave Zara a smug smile and she knocked his hat off. “Ha, told you it would work,” he whispered. The two continued to watch the two talk and introduce each other (worrying that Leif may have suppressed too much when Blood-Wraith had to figure out what a handshake was) and noticed Blood-Wraith pick up the rock. Upon Dragoslava’s encouragement, he threw it as hard as he could, utterly impressing Scotty with his strength. “Dang, didn’t know the boy was that strong…” he whispered again.
Zara panicked when Dragoslava seemingly glanced their way and hit him upside the head. “You idiot!” she whispered-yelled.
Dragoslava then looked around, spotting something in the distance that gave her pause for concern. “Um, perhaps we should head to my place, if that’s okay with you?”
“Uh, sure…” Blood-Wraith replied as he looked around nervously.
Next: Chapter 13
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
In celebration of their victory and defeating the last of the Audoan Knights, a feast was held and the majority of the guild was in attendance. Prior to the arrival of Scotty, things had been quiet and calm, leading to the guild never really having a cause for celebration like the one they had been presented with. The members were easy going and laid back, but now they felt truly rallied and united. The Eternal Order was not going to be content with going after The Unlight. Leif’s heroism and persistence told them that not only can they rise to meet the challenge, but that they can also thrive and keep rolling with the punches no matter what happens. They would valiantly hold the line until the next ULTRAMagic Guild rose, and the Dark Divers would continue to be by their side for the foreseeable future.
Despite the merry and triumphant attitude of the guild, Leif had a knot in his stomach that soured his dinner somewhat. Blood-Wraith was never meant to go into the conflict knowing what he now knew. The entire situation with The Lich of Old, Milosh Proch, and The Eternal Church occupying Shadowland was incredibly delicate and one wrong move could lead to a war or worse. With a heavy heart Leif made the decision to suppress Blood-Wraith’s memories until such a time where it would be safe for him to remember his adventures with The Dark Divers Guild. He would at least wait until the next day, however, as Blood-Wraith was having fun and Leif did not want to ruin the mood.
Blood-Wraith was up and ready to go first thing the next morning. He made his bed, got cleaned up, and raced to the great hall to have breakfast. Scotty and Zara were not too far behind him, with Scotty being impressed with his energy. Once settled in and almost done with his meal, Blood-Wraith smiled as soon as he saw Leif walk up with Nosmirc and Erikson. “Good morning, Leif!” he said with enthusiasm. “I’m ready to go, as soon as you're ready!”
Leif was taken off guard by this cheeriness. “You’re ready?”
“Of course–ready to go to The Unlight to help you, Dragoslava, and King Englehart stop The Eternal Order! Those bad guys won’t know what hit them,” he said as he did a few shadow punches. Mind-Wraith and Aava had also stepped over, concerned given what was about to happen next.
“About that, Blood…” Leif started to say. As Blood-Wraith’s carefree attitude faded, Leif turned to Erikson.
“You have to tell him…”
Leif then glanced over to Nosmirc who gave a calm nod. “Blood? How do I put this… You… you can’t just go to The Unlight in the state you're in.”
The good mood drained from the room for the group as Blood-Wraith grew confused. “What do you mean? I have my magic now–look!” Blood-Wraith went back over to the table and clapped his hands together, then held his left palm in the air as electricity arced from it and created what looked like a statuette that immediately crumbled. “Well, I’m working on it…”
“That’s not what I mean, Blood,” Leif clarified as he sat down beside him. “You see, the conflict in The Unlight between The Descendants, Shadowland, and The Eternal Church is very, very delicate right now. I… I–you haven’t done anything wrong, but you know way too much, Blood…”
Blood-Wraith looked over and noticed Scotty taking off his hat with a slightly sorrowful look on his face. “But isn’t knowing that much a good thing?”
“It is, Blood,” Nosmirc answered. “But there are so many things that could go wrong with the conflict, and one bad move could throw everything into total chaos.”
This was gravely concerning to Blood-Wraith and the fear was starting to creep in. “So what do we do then? I mean, I can stay quiet, easily!”
Leif winced as he felt a sharp pain in his heart. “Blood, I’m… I’m going to have to suppress your memories for the time being…”
It took a second for it to sink in, but Blood-Wraith felt the sadness finally overwhelm. “Forget? But Scotty and Zara, Nosmirc, you and…” And then he started to cry, no longer able to hold it back. It was heartbreaking to see, as he had been so strong up until then. The idea of losing those memories was worse than death to him.
“Come–come here, Blood,” Leif struggled to say as he was about to start crying himself. He gave him a big hug, trying his best to reassure the boy it was going to be alright. “I don’t want to do this either, Blood, but the fate of the Cosmos hangs in the balance…”
“Don’t worry, Blood, we won’t ever forget you,” Aava assured him in her most gentle voice. “We’ll always be here no matter what.”
“Sacrifice and compromise go hand in hand with heroism and bravery, Blood,” Mind-Wraith stated. “Much like how Scotty had to leave his Earth to stop Audoin, we all have to give something up in order to achieve what we want. It’s inevitable that we’ll reach our lowest point, but it makes climbing out of the valley all the more worth it.”
Blood-Wraith was starting to calm down, but he needed something else to pacify him. Scotty stood up, walked over to Blood, and got on his knee so he could look him in the eye. “Blood? Look at me, Blood…” Upon the two looking each other in the eye, Blood-Wraith could not look away as he could feel a great sorrow that Scotty once felt. “Nothing lasts forever, Blood. It’s how God made it, and we wouldn’t need to exist if everything was perfect. Now listen here: The next step of your journey is going to be a rough one. You’re going to have to go ahead without us, but I know you can do it. I’ve seen it in you–you’ve got the makings of greatness in you, and one day soon that star within you will be burning brighter than any flare or supernova. And we’ll all be there to catch some of that greatness when you finally take your place amongst the stars. Now, are we going to keep crying, or are we going to stick it to The Eternal Order and show them we mean business?”
Blood-Wraith was able to finally get it together and gave Scotty a hug. “Thank you, Scotty. I’m sorry…”
“Hey hey, no need to apologize for crying, kiddo,” he replied as he patted him on the shoulder. “Sometimes we just need to put all the cards on the table and say it like it is. As long as you keep a stiff upper lip and keep moving forward, nothing can stop you. And Leif?”
“Yes, Scotty?” He was still trying to hold back his tears.
“A great sheriff once said one man’s sunset is another man’s dawn. We don’t know what’s out there beyond that horizon ahead of us; but if you keep moving, head up, eyes steady, and heart open, everything will work out in the end and you’ll find the answers you need.”
With a subtle breath to steady his nerves, Leif stood up and shook Scotty’s hand. “Thank you Scotty, and you're absolutely right. I’ll… I’ll give you time to say goodbye, Blood…”
“Thank you, Leif,” Blood-Wraith said with another hug.
The news quickly spread across the guild and saddened everyone, but there was hope and that hope was more powerful than any farewell to be had. With Blood-Wraith ready to go, the next step of the fight against The Eternal Order could begin. Even with Blood-Wraith having to forget the Dark Divers, the guild was more united than ever and he was always welcome there no matter what. After saying goodbye to Mind-Wraith, Aava, Charles, Carol, Cynfelyn, Alexander, Barry, Vapor 6, The Highway Knight, Sander, Erikson, and The Metal God, Blood-Wraith went to the main courtyard with Scotty, Zara, Leif, Nosmirc, The Automaton, and Tiberius. It was time for him to head to The Unlight, and they had to be quick before Dragoslava wandered off again…
“So this is it, isn’t it?” Blood-Wraith asked.
“Looks like it, sweetie,” Zara said as she gave him a hug. “Don’t worry, me and Scotty will stay close by until Drago finds you.”
“Blood-Wraith, I wish you the best of luck and may your time with The Descendants be just as fortuitous as your time with us,” The Automaton added. “And don’t worry, you’ll see Leif again very soon.”
Blood-Wraith chuckled. “I just wish I could remember him…”
“Oh, Blood-Wraith,” Tiberius interjected. “I need to go to Ar’tonius Proxima in The Trench Unlight to investigate an anomaly and make sure The Eternal Order isn’t causing trouble there, but when I’m done I will be returning to The Unlight to help get the next ULTRAMagic Guild up and running. It would be an honor if you’d consider joining us.”
“But don’t you need ULTRAMagic for that?”
Tiberius smiled, recalling Mind-Wraith’s uncertainty from the Epoch. “Don’t worry, Blood, I think you’ve got more potential than you realize.”
“I can attest to that,” Nosmirc agreed with a chuckle, catching a concerned glance from The Automaton.
With that assurance in mind and a nod to Tiberius, Blood-Wraith sighed and turned to Leif. “Alright, I’m ready…”
Saying nothing, Leif’s hand began glowing with a white light that was soothing to the eyes. He gingerly touched Blood-Wraith’s head, causing the boy to enter a trance like state, with Scotty catching him as he fell over. “There, it’s done…” Leif lamented. “Place him outside the city where Dragoslava can find him and the spell or Drago should wake him up.”
Scotty nodded, but it felt a little strange to see Blood-Wraith in the state he was in. “Right. Welp, let’s get a move on, Zara…”
“Right…” she nodded, sharing Scotty’s unease.
“Here, allow me,” Nosmirc said as he snapped his fingers, opening up a crimson portal.
Leif indicated for Scotty and Zara to hold on for a second as he caressed Blood-Wraith’s face. “See you soon, Blood.”
Scotty felt a little strange entering The Unlight, but shook it off. Seeing the mighty walls of The Iron City was a blast from the past for Zara, but she had to admit it was eerie to see it mostly abandoned. She was never fond of the great hunts and had always been a vocal critic of them. Sure, it was a moment of history in the making for The Descendants, but given what they knew about Milosh’s scheming made it anything but momentous. The spot the couple needed to set Blood-Wraith was close by and he stood perfectly still as they set him up. With all of that taken care of they just needed to wait for Dragoslava, hiding behind a boulder when they heard someone approaching. She was in the distance with her signature, beat up trench coat, but she did not seem to notice Blood-Wraith. Getting nervous, Scotty tossed a big enough rock against Zara’s advice and this seemed to do the trick…
“Where… Where am I?”
“Hey!”
“Who am…” Blood-Wraith then noticed the person addressing him. “Uh, me?”
“Yes, you. Hello there. What's your name, stranger?” Dragoslava asked.
“Oh…um… Blood-Wraith, I think?”
Dragoslava slightly tilted her head. “Blood? Quite an odd name given that you don’t seem particularly bloody. All of this fire kind of goes against that, ha. I’d say you’re more of a ‘Fire-Wraith.’”
Scotty gave Zara a smug smile and she knocked his hat off. “Ha, told you it would work,” he whispered. The two continued to watch the two talk and introduce each other (worrying that Leif may have suppressed too much when Blood-Wraith had to figure out what a handshake was) and noticed Blood-Wraith pick up the rock. Upon Dragoslava’s encouragement, he threw it as hard as he could, utterly impressing Scotty with his strength. “Dang, didn’t know the boy was that strong…” he whispered again.
Zara panicked when Dragoslava seemingly glanced their way and hit him upside the head. “You idiot!” she whispered-yelled.
Dragoslava then looked around, spotting something in the distance that gave her pause for concern. “Um, perhaps we should head to my place, if that’s okay with you?”
“Uh, sure…” Blood-Wraith replied as he looked around nervously.
Next: Chapter 13
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
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