UMAE - Chaos Angel (2026 Update)
Master Post - Patreon - Original
Chronology: Following the events of Schwarzes Biest and ULTRAMagic Interlude (Bonus Chapters)
It was going to be a fairly interesting day at the Pari Mansion. Valentina had been expecting her good friend, the angel Achasiah, as he had something important to tell her. It related to everything she had been going through in regards to Heaven’s armies, Inferno, and the conflicts within The Unlight. In particular the fight to free the kingdom of Shadowland had been particularly involved, and Valentina had fought in a great war for Heaven against The Sons of Muspel leading up to the brouhaha in Shadowland. Truthfully the final push against the villainous Milosh Proch and his bumbling Eternal Church (or ‘The Eternal Cult’ as they colloquially called it) seemed tame in comparison. Still, Achasiah had something important to tell her that would connect all the dots for the dark angel. Valentina’s daughter, Gabriella, already knew what he was going to say. The conversation was not going to be pretty, so she planned to nap through the whole thing. Just as she began to fall asleep, she felt something slam up against a wall…
“WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING!?!” her mother could be faintly heard shouting.
Gabriella knew this would happen and tried to plug her ears while hiding her head under a pillow. All of it was incredibly distressing for her. Despite everything she had gone through alongside Weaver and the others in Shadowland, something like this shook her to her core. It was one thing to fight the good fight against the forces of evil… but dealing with an upset family member was something else entirely. Being an angel herself, she could have easily just left right then and there until Valentina calmed down. Something kept her there though, most likely concern for her mother… but there was something else she could not shake that compelled her to get involved. Taking an uneasy breath, Gabriella left her room and crept downstairs. What she saw was an utter mess, in more ways than one.
“YOU LIED TO ME!!” Valentina screamed at Achasiah.
“Well yes, but we had to be mindful of the cult…”
“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THIS BEFORE YOU GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD!?!” Valentina threw another vase. “WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST TELL THE TRUTH!?”
“Well hey, sometimes we lie because we care, Zozena…” Achasiah could see her eyeing something else to throw. “And hey, we saved the Unlight! You should be grateful…”
“EXCUSE ME!?!”
If Achasiah had not struck a nerve before, he certainly had now. “NO NO–it wasn’t supposed to come out like that!!” he pleaded.
“I WENT THROUGH A WAR AND UP AGAINST THAT STUPID CULT AND I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL!?!”
“Zozena, please!”
“YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL I DON’T RUN MY GREATLANCE THROUGH THAT FIRE PLANET YOU’VE BEEN OBSESSING OVER!!!”
“Look, I’ll make it up to you, somehow…”
Valentina had had enough. She picked up Achasiah by the scruff of his clothes, hauled him to the door, and chucked him outside. “GET LOST!!!” She screamed as she slammed the door as hard as she could, shaking the entire mansion.
Gabriella watched from the window as Achasiah began to cry and fly off. “MOTHER!”
She glared at her daughter. “You knew this entire time AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME!?”
That made her daughter recoil. “M-mother, that tantrum was uncouth of you…” Gabriella was trying her best not to have a mental breakdown.
“Don’t talk back to me!” Valentina snapped. “Not after everything I’ve gone through!” Seeing Gabriella shaking frustrated her to no end. “Don’t look at me like that–he lied to me, there’s no getting around that.”
“Ye-yes, but was it really that bad? Surely you don’t regret everything?”
“Of course not! Blood’s like a son to me…” Valentina groaned loudly and stomped her foot. “Nearly everyone’s been treating me like a little girl since day one!” Her anger seemed to subside when she remembered something crucial, however. “Huh, maybe I should take his majesty up on his offer then…”
“Mom, no! Come on–you have no idea what The Vermilion King even has in mind!”
Valentina snapped her fingers, summoning her fearsome, dark armor. It clanked and clicked into place around her, making sure it was nice and secure. She then went right for the door, with nothing being able to change her mind as her heavy boots marched across the floor. “I don’t care what it is, it’s time for this nonsense to end! Don’t worry, dear–I will be back before supper. Until then, you have free reign of the house.”
Gabriella nearly broke down into tears once the door shut, but maintained her composure long enough to fumble for her phone and dial a number. “Weaver? I’m sorry if you’re busy, but I need you here right now…”
That fiasco with Achasiah was the final straw. Valentina was done being a puppet and was going to take matters into her own hands. Had the conflict with The Sons of Muspel not been so chaotic, she probably would have had a different attitude–a charitable one perhaps… but that conflict made her realize how grave things were, even if it did not seem like it at first glance. She looked all over the Cosmos for The Vermilion King, realm to realm and universe to universe. Eventually she returned to her Inferno to rest for a bit. Stopping in the great forest behind her mansion, Valentina thought about how angry she had become while eating an apple. Hopefully Gabriella had not been too disturbed by her… of course, the thought of Achasiah reignited her rage. Just what in the Cosmos had gotten into him?!
“Blast it all, he wasn’t like this before becoming a constraining angel…” Valentina grumbled.
“Really now?” A male voice questioned with legitimate concern, albeit it was subtle. “He seems like such a cheery chap though…” Standing behind Valentina was a tall man with crystalline skin and glowing red eyes. He was wearing a crimson cloak over his obsidian armor, and a crown of black and orange metal adorned his head.
“Excuse me, but where were you just now, your majesty? I went and scoured the whole Cosmos looking for you!”
The King chuckled. “Just helping Mr. Schwarzes Biest get to where he needed to be and starting to get my kingdom back in order.”
Valentina studied him for a moment, also noting how weirdly familiar that name was (it was on the tip of her tongue). “Is it just me or do you seem different from the last time we met? It wasn’t that long ago, was it?”
“I’ve been recovering from past battles and had some fantastic discussions that helped open my eyes further to the truth.”
“Right,” she said with a slightly awkward smile, not grasping the full nuance of what he had been through. “Your majesty, I’m up for that task you need taken care of. Let’s go!” Valentina said as she got up and began walking… somewhere.
The King was pleasantly surprised and followed. “That’s great, but don’t you want to hear the full details first?”
“No need, let’s roll!” She declared before stopping, dropping the apple core into a small portal that deposited it in the trash can of her kitchen. “Well, actually–where are we heading again?”
The King rubbed his hands together with an endeared chuckle. “Let’s not be so hasty–this is going to be fairly difficult as we will be heading to the remains of my realm, The Vermilion Kingdom.”
Valentina unfurled her shadowy wings, with both of them flying up into the sky. “And what will we be doing there exactly?”
“To put it plainly, we’re taking my kingdom back.”
As the pair flew amongst the colossal nebula and great streams of energy of the void of the Cosmos, the king explained what had happened to The Vermilion Kingdom. It had long since fallen in his defeat at the hands of Ignatius, The Arbiters of Droom, and The Madman of Old–but one of the king’s generals had continued the wars the king had foolishly started so long ago. In The Vermilion King’s repentance, The Scarlet God had long since been defeated by his majesty and The Arbiters of Droom, but a revenant of the god had persisted and was quietly causing chaos across the Cosmos. This haunted The Vermilion King–despite working to right his wrongs, he could not figure out how to save his son… up until now.
“...the poor boy can’t be allowed to continue on like this, so it’s our duty to put him out of his misery,” The King lamented.
“Goodness, is there any other way to solve this?” Valentina asked.
“Well actually it’s not as simple as I’m implying. We can’t just defeat him, as that repugnant Lost Darkness God most likely wants his power to give to the reincarnation of The Behemoth God–that ever so charming Karnage Dethgrave–and The Crimson God left behind the magic to facilitate such a theft. Furthermore, the boy is shackled by the chains of want and desire by that arrogant King in Yellow–the one I was enraptured by when I intruded into Lost Carcosa to claim my power. My sins will haunt me for eternity, but I can at least clean up after my mess and make sure no one suffers the mania I willingly gave into.”
“Adonai, help us–the conflict is worse than we could have ever imagined,” Valentina worried, but kept it together. “So what’s the solution you have in mind?”
“Hold on, we’re crossing over into the Dream Realm–brace yourself!”
The Cosmos had thinned greatly at this point, opening up into a wild space of churning energy and matter. This was well beyond anywhere Valentina had ever been in the Cosmos. The Dream Realm was before them, with the portion they were crossing through manifesting as colossal, billowing thunder clouds with the color of sunset. Transitioning into the realm was rough, as it almost felt like Valentina was being torn apart and rebuilt. With a mighty flap of her wings, she rocketed past the barrier of clouds. Wherever in the Dream Realm Valentina was, it was truly beyond beauty. She beheld what looked like a universe that had been meticulously crafted by the most skilled artisans possible. There was also a noticeable tranquility, like the realm had not been tainted by the turmoil of the Cosmos. A tear rolled down Valentina’s cheek, as she was witnessing a true paradise.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” The King asked. “This is Somnium, a transitional realm within the Dream Realm that serves as a bridge between the Cosmos and the Outer Void. And to think I almost forsook this glorious place… Come, The Vermilion Kingdom isn’t far from here.”
The two resumed their journey, with Valentina wanting to marvel at her surroundings–but knowing they still had a job to do. “So how do I play into all of this, if you don’t mind me asking, your majesty?”
“I need to find a new vessel for my boy’s power, and I think you are the dark angel for the job.”
“Wait, really?!” That had caught her off guard, disbalancing her flight for a second. “I mean, I’m honored–but I had no idea we were going to go that far…”
The King was silent for a second, as it was clear that this plan was not a guaranteed success, to say the least–and this gave him pause for concern over anxieties he could not quell with tact and reassurances.. “I’ve been thinking about it for some time, Zozena. Either way, I need to free The Scarlet God from his bondage so he can move on and my kingdom can heal from the wounds I inflicted so long ago. You’ve got the strength and bravery to inherit this power, I can feel it…”
“Hold up, are you getting at what I think you’re getting at?”
“Zozena, would you do me the honor of becoming one of my new generals? I have no plans to ever declare war on God or the Cosmos again, but I know I’ll have to fight tooth and nail to maintain our freedom and peace. I see great potential in you, and I’d hate to see it not acted upon given your current, aimless path in life–no offense.”
“Oh my… err, none taken…” Valentina thought about it for a moment, as it was an unbelievable responsibility. On the other hand, it was the perfect opportunity to gain what she wanted. “If it’ll help me keep the ones I love safe, I happily accept.”
“Thank you, Zozena. I promise I won’t let you down…” Valentina laughed a bit. “What’s so funny?”
“Haha, you’re being upfront, unlike a certain blacksmith angel I know…”
“Ah, I see. My Kingdom is up ahead, right over there…”
The two then touched down in a dead field of dried out brush in a land that had been long since ravaged by the flames of war. The sky was a dying red, the stars could barely maintain their light, gloomy towers of scorched iron loomed in the distance, and an eerie wind whistled past them. An aging castle could be seen far away and before them was a withering township. Morose birds with drooping feathers and necks gave off raspy croaks as they had run out of carrion to eat and were planning to depart from the land. The realm was on its last legs, but there was a hidden vigor lost deep within in the darkness of despair and sorrow–one that needed a mere hand to help it crawl out of the abyss. Valentina was overwhelmed by a feeling of sadness that yearned to give all the help she could as she witnessed beggars and the forlorn gather around The Vermilion King, expecting help. He had nothing to give at the moment and it was clear through his words that it pained him to say that, but he promised with utmost certainty to them that he would set things right.
A young girl in ragged clothes walked up to Valentina. “Are you here to help us?”
Valentina noticed a large, infected gash on the girl’s arm. It tugged at her heartstrings greatly as the girl looked just like Gabriella when she was young. “You poor thing… come here, sweetie.”
As Valentina healed the girl, a man who shared a passing resemblance to Achasiah stepped over. He picked up the girl once Valentina was done. “Thank you for healing my daughter, kind angel.”
“You’re very welcome.” Valentina then looked at the girl. “And don’t worry, dear–me and your king are going to fix everything up…”
The conversation was interrupted by a loud, menacing foghorn in the distance. What looked like a pair of great machines were slowly making their way towards them. They were far off, but the villagers cowered in fear regardless. The Vermilion King clenched his fists, reluctantly ready to fight. “Well, it looks like someone knows we’re here…” his majesty lamented, his regret coming to the surface as hard as he tried to hide it.
Valentina summoned her majestic greatlance–it gleamed against the decayed realm and amazed the citizenry, filling them with a subtle hope they had not felt in ages. “Your majesty, protect your people–I’ll deal with our little welcoming party…” she expanded her wings, rose into the air, and took off like a bullet towards the machines as fast as she could.
“Just who is that, your majesty?” The father asked.
The King chuckled in confidence. “That is Zozena, one of my new generals…”
“Your majesty? You’re not considering…”
He shook his head. “No–the days of us fighting to usurp the Cosmos have long since ended” The King replied as he crossed his arms in a relaxed manner. “Should everything go according to plan, we’ll be protecting the Cosmos and then some.”
Both of the colossal machines trudged their way towards the village, shaking the earth beneath them with every step. Each were bipedal automatons that looked like they were also designed to be mobile fortresses. Although their metal frames were greatly tarnished, one could still observe their gothic-esque construction and stylization, with their bodies being impossible to construct within the constraints of the Cosmos. As much as Valentina wanted to marvel at their terrifying magnificence, she had to deal with them as they were after her and The Vermilion King. Despite being hulking, lumbering machines, they were surprisingly nimble. While not winning any medals for dexterity, Valentina had a few close calls with their hands just narrowly missing her. The angel responded by summoning a star that appeared to be the size of a ball. She held it up, then clenched her fist–it imploded, sending a shower of exploding star matter at the first machine. The impacts had no effect, bouncing off the metal body as the machine continued onwards. Next Valentina created another star, but this time she punched it. An immensely powerful, gamma ray burst shot forth, stunning the first machine.
The second machine then began an onslaught from an uncountable amount of roaring cannons. Valentina tried to evade in a way to cause friendly fire, but the first machine proved impervious to the accidental assault. While dodging the cannon fire, Valentina had noticed an opening in the second machine. Destroying it from the inside out was a gamble, as she had no idea what their interiors were like. A near miss from a devastating laser from the recovered first machine prompted her to make up her mind, however. Flying through the second machine was a herculean task for Valentina. Both were the size of two mountains stacked on top of each other and the interior was a labyrinthian expanse of cogs, gears, and furnaces that erupted with smoke and steam. The cacophony of mechanical sounds all of it created would have permanently deafened any mortal foolish enough to enter, and their death would be assured amidst all of the intricate, moving parts. Making things worse, getting lost in the maze of metal was easier than finding what one needed. Fortunately the persistent dark angel had a hunch that led her to a giant, metal sphere the size of an asteroid–it was clearly the core of the colossus.
At first Valentina tried to punch the sphere to no avail. Next she attempted to use her alchemy to transmute part of the hull into a door, but nothing happened. This was incredibly confusing as that implied the material was something other than prima materia at its root, or at least well beyond her current knowledge of alchemy. Valentina was sixth dimensional, meaning she could perceive the material at the smallest particle possible. This glimpse confirmed her suspicions, forcing her to think outside the box. Looking at her weapon, Valentina considered using it to pierce through the hull to the core. The metal was physical enough and her lance could easily destroy an entire planet, so it was worth a shot. After making sure she was off just by a little bit in case she hit something that could detonate, Valentina reared up and rocketed forward with a mighty wing flap. She broke through the outer shell of the core, finding a strange crystal on what appeared to be an altar. Taking the crystal caused her ears to be assaulted by the thunderous sounds of the machine shutting down.
Making her way outside, Valentina saw two things that simultaneously filled her with relief and urgency. One was that the second machine had locked up, standing completely still. The other was that both of them were closer to the village. Acting fast, Valentina lined herself up with where she assumed the core of the first machine was and did another charge with her lance. The machine was scared as it froze–unsure how to react as he knew he would share the fate of his compatriot. He soon stopped moving, accepting that he could not stop the dark angel now that she knew how to subdue them. The sound of another horn shook the land, but this one felt like a sigh of defeat as Valentina flew into the opening she needed. She quickly emerged with the other crystal, causing the first machine to also shut down. After doing a quick victory flight over the village, Valentina flew to a great hill where The Vermilion King was. He was waiting patiently, looking at his castle.
“Well done, Valentina,” The King commended. “Very few have the fortitude to take on a Death Engine all by themselves, let alone two at once.”
“There isn’t anymore, is there?”
“No, Cyrillus and Orrgun were the last of their kind–all the others shut down a long time ago. It’s sad to see those two go as they were brothers and the first two ever made…”
“Wait, hold on a second…” Valentina smiled, reached into her wing, and handed the king the two crystals. “I could sense something noble within them–and I was concerned about them detonating, so I kept them intact.”
“Haha, my goodness! Well, it looks like these two will get a second chance after all,” The King remarked as he gingerly tucked them away in his cloak. “I definitely think a more charitable name for them is in order–perhaps ‘Vermilion Engines…’” He smiled as he could feel the two brothers breathe a sigh of relief. “How about we take a quick rest before we head to my castle?” Mind if I ask about Achasiah?”
Valentina groaned as she relaxed her body, her armor clanking as it went a little slack. “What about him?”
“What’s the matter between you two? I could sense it when I entered your Inferno.” Valentina looked away and rolled her eyes. “Is it really that bad? I’ve been around the bend with turmoil before, so perhaps I can help…”
After an exasperated sigh, Valentina relented. “He LIED to me! My best friend lied to me! I joined Heaven’s armies thinking he wanted to further my honors when in reality he was doing this stupid little ‘I have to mastermind everything’ nonsense. He has all these delusions of grandeur from becoming a constraining angel and I can’t stand it!”
“Huh, sounds familiar…” The king noted to himself. “Does this all center around The Iron City and Shadowland?”
“Yeah…”
“Ah, Ignatius and Schwarzes told me about that recently. Apparently Achasiah was being very secretive about the whole matter when he didn’t need to be–reminds me of myself from so long ago in a way.”
“Exactly!” Valentina cried… to the part about Achasiah. The other part confused her… “He just had to be the clever hero who solved everything and saved the day! Had I known the biggest threat at the time was Dunja and her blades, I would’ve just gone and punched Milosh in the face until he stopped moving!”
“Assuming Anne didn’t deploy a rogue god in the process…” The King pointed out, referencing what Valentina had heard about The Shadow God.
“Ah…” Valentina paused. “Fair point, but still! Did you know that Hasiel was supposed to handle the Shadowland situation? He is fantastic at subterfuge and strategy–why didn’t Achasiah just listen to him!?” She then kicked a boulder, cracking it in half. “I remember when we were young–he worked his wings off for his honors, but now the fame’s gone to his head…”
“Or it could be the enthrallment of Want… either way, it sounds like he felt he was under pressure to produce results. I know for a fact that God–or Adonai in this case, expects the best from his children. I have the battle scars to show for it, ha!”
“Are you implying he was afraid of looking like a fool? Because it’s a little late for that…”
The King chuckled. “If Achasiah got into a ‘success no matter what’ mindset, then he was most likely afraid of failure. And that would be compounded in his current role, given the responsibilities he now has.”
“He didn’t fail Heaven, he failed me…”
“Failure is inevitable, no matter how high or powerful we are. Everything around us wouldn’t exist without it. And of course, the possibility of failure provokes fear, which leads to irrational decisions. Just look at me: I was afraid the Cosmos would give way to evil, degeneracy, and be snuffed out–leading to me having the bone-headed idea to challenge God for his throne. Like I could have done a better job…”
“What are you getting at?”
“Achasiah feared failure and hit his lowest point possible. In trying to avoid our destiny we often hasten our journey towards it. He will either learn from this or run from it. And with a little help, I feel he’ll make the right choice…”
Valentina gave the king an incredulous look. “Are you saying I should just go and forgive him like it’s nothing at all?”
“I’m saying you should look at the big picture here. What Achasiah did was insensitive, but his heart was in the right place. It’s obvious he wanted all of you to live happily ever after at the end of the day. When something falls over, you rebuild it, not kick it to the winds.”
“Well, we are arguably in a better place now… And I suppose slamming the door on him was a little too harsh…”
“And isn’t Gabriella looking forward to a father? Perhaps in Achasiah?”
Valentina gave an annoyed smile, calling out his snooping. “Excuse me, how do you know that?”
The King chuckled again. “Whispers in the wind and whatnot…”
Valentina sighed. “I suppose I should let it go then–no use dwelling on it forever, because forever is a long time after all.”
“Don’t abandon him, Zozena. Loneliness kills and lets in all sorts of unscrupulous villains.”
That hit Valentina directly in her emotions, pushing her to the verge of crying. “You know what? When I become stronger, I’m going to make sure he never has to pull a thing like this ever again!”
“That’s the spirit. Come, The Scarlet God is bound to send my old soldiers after us eventually.”
The Vermilion King’s castle was a brutalist-gothic masterpiece, made of black steel and red obsidian. Despite the ages of wear and tear, it stood proudly above all in the realm. Even the ruined, majestic city that surrounded it still retained some of its old glory. Upon touching down, Valentina observed the sad state of things–but this time she felt resolve and the bravery needed to help them. The skeletal remains of citizenry and soldiers sat there in silence, waiting even in death for their king to return. The Vermilion King felt a pain in his chest as it was heartbreaking to see his once grand kingdom in rack and ruin like this. Reaching the city square, the two were confronted by a group of knights in fearsome, black armor. They were led by Colonel Silas Haedan, a stoic knight who stood tall and proud, despite being ravaged by eons of decay. He was greatly upset at his king for abandoning them, but remained professional and honorable. Silas declared that The Vermilion Kind had to prove himself in order to pass.
Valentina stepped forward in the name of Heaven, Inferno, and the honor of the king himself. She was going to finish her quest to become stronger, stating her desire to protect the ones she loved. Silas could see the determination in her eyes and respected that. The two went silent for a moment before a great vortex of intense energy surrounded them. A contest of wills was commencing as the knights marveled at the sights and sounds of the bout. Flashes of light, bolts of lighting, intense auroras, and great storms erupted all around them. All of this was accompanied by a heavenly choir and an eldritch orchestra, from no identifiable source, performing a truly grand symphony beyond comprehension that ended in a crescendo that dispelled the vortex.
After a moment of silence, Silas bent the knee in respect. “I concede–go forth and reclaim your throne, my king. You have cast off the shackles of that foul King in Yellow, and you have my sword once again.”
The Vermilion King stepped forward to address him. “Arise, Colonel Haedan.”
“Your majesty?”
“We’re not out of the woods yet and we will need your help. The Scarlet God won’t go down without a fight–you know it just as well as I do...”
“I shall fight alongside you with utmost pride, your majesty. Hopefully we can free the prince from his chains.”
“Thank you, Silas. It is the dawn of a new era, in which we will protect and elevate the Cosmos, not burn and conquer it. Your suffering is at an end and shall not be in vain.”
Feeling overwhelming joy flowing into his withered body, Silas turned to his men and raised his tarnished sword–It gleamed in the light despite enduring eons of strife. “Our king has returned!” he proudly declared. “Even though our bones ache and our blood is dust, we shall reclaim Castle Vermilion–even if it’s the last thing we do!!”
Silas’ men roared and cheered with a fervor that the realm had not seen in a very long time. They hollered and charged through the dusty streets, rallying anyone who remained. Even the ghosts of citizens who had long since turned to dust rose from their graves to join the march. The Vermilion King nearly cried seeing his subjects stand by his side. Even after all of his missteps, they still believed in him. Heading to the castle was not as simple as it seemed, however. The soldiers still loyal to The Scarlet God stood in the way and their numbers were great. Silas and the king stood strong, pushing forward even though they were outnumbered. In truth, Valentina had never wanted to be a warrior. She had only joined Heaven’s armies so she could explore the Cosmos. The desire of the king’s subjects to restore their home filled her with the will to fight, however. She truly understood it now–that sometimes one had to take a stand and fight for what was right no matter what. Valentina was fully on board at this point, lending all of her abilities as they entered the castle courtyard.
While Silas and his men distracted the opposing soldiers, The Vermilion King and Valentina made their way to the throne room. “It feels surreal to be here again–after all that I’ve done,” The King admitted. He then noticed Valentina looked fairly nervous and chuckled–he knew the feeling all too well. “What’s the matter, Zozena?”
“Oh, nothing much–just the fact that we’re about to confront a rogue god…”
“You took on two Death Engines at the same time single handedly, didn’t you?”
“That’s a bit apples to oranges, don’t you think? I’m not The Madman of Old…”
The Vermilion King laughed, despite the gravity of the situation. “Well I don’t think he would feel any more comfortable than you right now.”
Valentina sighed and shook her head. After a moment of mentally preparing herself, she faced the ornate, double doors. “Alright, I’m ready…”
The king snapped his fingers, causing a series of gear-powered locks to disengage. It was most likely a fairly complex means of keeping them out–but it was the king’s castle, so it did what he commanded. The once grand throne room was in disarray, with the throne itself on the far end. Sitting there was the corpse of The Scarlet God. Being nothing more than a skeleton in a set of black armor, it was fairly unassuming. An uninformed onlooker would have thought that it was the king himself. Valentina felt a wave of great sadness hit her, like that of a lost child. Before she could ask the king what she was supposed to do, the dark angel was pulled into a distorted, crumbling realm in the image of The Vermilion Kingdom. Standing before her was the withered husk of the god. He looked hollow and defeated, yet stubbornly clung to a hope he had nearly given up on.
“Who are you?” The Scarlet God asked. “Why are you here?” His words sounded bitter, like he did not want the angel to be there so he could wallow in his misery.
“I’m here to help you…”
He laughed, but it seemed sad and pleading. “Help? HELP? I don’t need help, fool–You and all of your ilk are the ones that need help! The whole Cosmos needs help! It needs to be reset so we can return–”
“Excuse me? Return to what?”
“The past!” The god snapped. “There will be no conflict if we go back to what things once were, casting off the shackles of modernity and progress! Damn it all–none of you understand what’s even going on right now!”
“You don’t actually believe all of that, do you? I mean, Modernity is subjective and things progress naturally–all of it is inevitable.”
“All of this is inevitable!” he mocked. “I know the damn truth–A lie will remain a lie! That’s just what they say to justify Want and conquest–like that vile Lost Darkness God, or foolhardy King in Yellow!”
Valentina knew she had a counter to the logic of The Scarlet God, but she had to dodge a storm of crimson lightning. She then countered with a hail of exploding stars. The Scarlet God shrugged off most of it, only staggered by a few stray bursts. He could tell his opponent was holding back, and he knew what she was after… “You can’t just return things to the past like that!” she shot back. “You really think giving The King in Yellow back his full power is going to help anyone? Your father made it clear what happened to you!”
“The King in Yellow has lost his power–Raziel made sure of that! I know how to handle that foul monarch now!”
She fumbled her response, but knew she had to keep going. “But you’re in no condition to fight! The Eternal Order is after your power and–”
“So you’re just here for my power–is that it?!”
“No!” Valentina felt her regret kick in at the worst possible moment–she could do better than that! “Err, well yes–but it’s not like that,” she stated as she avoided another flurry of attacks.
“It would be hypocritical of me to criticize your want. I wanted to continue the good fight–fighting alongside a like-minded comrade…” After summoning a storm of comets, he resumed his thoughts. “But then THAT TREACHEROUS STORM GOD STABBED ME IN THE BACK AND REVEALED HIS TRUE ALLIANCE!”
“Are you referring to The Crimson God?”
The Scarlet God seemed fairly angry over that, increasing the intensity of his attacks for a brief moment. “IT’S NOT JUST THOSE FOOLS! The Vermilion King… a king of cowardice! All that bravado about rebuilding the Cosmos and he just abandons it after his plans have one hiccup?! HE COULD HAVE KEPT FIGHTING EVEN AFTER IGNATIUS MADE IT INTO CARCOSA!”
Valentina’s endurance was starting to falter, so she needed to do something about it quickly. “But your father legitimately wants to protect the Cosmos now! He’s done being a conqueror…”
“Protect?” The Scarlet God felt a rage building up that had long since been absent. “WHY!? WHAT’S THE DAMN POINT NOW!? THE LOST DARKNESS GOD AND SURTR ARE HERE TO STAY! WE MIGHT AS WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN AND DESTROY THE LOST ERA WHILE WE’RE AT IT!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his face. His attacks reached a fever pitch, the barrage of magic and fury pushing Valentina to her absolute limit. He then fell to his knees as the attacks began to weaken. “I can’t take this anymore!! HELP ME–SOMEONE! ANYONE!!” The Scarlet God paused. “Oh what am I saying? I’m too pathetic to help…”
“What are you talking about!?” Valentina demanded to know. “Of course you’re worthy of help!”
“After the sins I’ve committed? War is sin, stranger… Want is a sin… And I have my share of blood on my hands…”
Valentina summoned her remaining might and created a shield around her to hold off what was left of The Scarlet God’s attacks. “By the authority of Heaven and the mercy of God–I HEREBY GRANT YOU ABSOLUTION!” Her voice rumbled with immense power as the god was enwreathed in golden light.
He was beside himself, utterly speechless. “You can’t just…” In his amazement, he had not realized that the dark angel had charged forward and plunged her hand into his chest. “You… how clever… but… di-did you really mean it?”
She gave him a warm smile. “Of course I did.”
The Vermilion King had been waiting in nervous anticipation. While he was usually a confident man, this had him legitimately concerned–matched only by the anxiety he had for his future plans that hinged on Valentina’s success. Then it happened… Valentina was shot back from the corpse, her form having turned into a shining mass of red energy. She then flew out of the castle and high into the sky, resembling an exploding star. Everyone watched as the great transformation began, in awe of its beauty. Valentina felt her life end, only for a new one to begin right then and there. Untamed power ripped her a sunder only to rebuild her into something truly magnificent. Her pitch black armor turned into fierce, black and red armor–and six, shadowy wings of majestic fire emerged from her back. The dark angel was no more, and had become Chaos Angel Zozena.
Of course Valentina did not have long to relish her newfound power, as a gruesome dragon came flying towards her. “Ah, that awful Crimson God, I presume.”
“GIVE ME THAT POWER!!!” it bellowed, albeit sounding like it struggled to speak, forcing air through its throat. It was clear that someone’s plans had failed, and Valentina had a feeling Karnage would be seething…
“How about no?” Valentina rebuked with a smug grin as she began forming a sphere of immense energy in her hand–what the citizenry witnessed was creation itself. Once enough energy had been collected, the sphere shrunk into seeming nothingness until it reappeared as an entire universe in the palm of her hand. It was not perfect, far from it–but it would have to do. Valentina had to be careful, or her attack would spell disaster for the whole kingdom. She threw the universe at the dragon, causing it to be absorbed like it had come into contact with a black hole. Valentina then threw it again with all of her might, casting it into an unknown region of the Cosmos.
The Vermilion King applauded as Valentina returned to the throne room. “Well done, General Zozena! A fantastic showing indeed.” He then paused and sighed with sympathy for her. “Alas, I regret to inform you that that was just an emanation of The Crimson God…”
“That’s what I figured… Still, I like to think I handled that fairly well.”
“Absolutely–even the smallest fragment of a rogue god can cause great turmoil. We may have to keep an eye on that universe you created, however–I’m certain it survived, along with that emanation. Here’s hoping it makes the right decisions going forward in life…”
Valentina nodded, and then noticed that the king looked normal–like a man, despite his eldritch nature. “Your majesty, you look different…”
He chuckled. “Well, it looks like God kept his promise.”
The two then noticed something pushing its way out of the corpse of The Scarlet God as armor fell to the floor with loud clangs. A boy dressed in regal, emerald-colored attire emerged, causing the old body to fade away into dust. He brushed himself off, looking around to get his bearings. The boy then coughed a bit, excusing himself afterwards. “Oh my, dusty! Very dusty…” He then sneezed.
“Bless you,” The King replied.
“Thank you…” he then realized who said that. “Dad!”
“Come here, my son,” The King said as the prince ran to him for the biggest hug.
Once done, The Vermilion King led the two to the balcony, which oversaw the whole city. The once sickly, dying red sky was turning a rich, lively shade of bright azure. As this happened, a wave of light washed over the realm, breathing life into it once again. With the citizenry emerging from their dormancy and making their way to the castle, the king addressed his subjects–who now looked alive and well. With a good breath to prepare himself, his majesty declared in the proudest voice possible that it was the beginning of a new era for the kingdom–one focused on learning, progress, and the light. His subjects cheered for and celebrated the long awaited rebirth of their home, and all of it nearly brought The Vermilion King to tears. He had made many mistakes since the death of his father, but now he knew, once and for all, that he was on the right path.
Heading back inside, the king took a seat on his throne for the first time in eons. He gave a sigh of relief as all of it was finally over… or the strife surrounding his kingdom at least. “It feels amazing to be here with all of you like this…”
The Verdant Prince conjured up his own throne. “Thank you for giving me a chance, General Zozena. If you had listened to me… erm, let’s not think about that…”
Valentina chuckled. “You’re welcome, your highness. Just remember that you matter no matter what, and everyone deserves a second chance…” The King then chuckled. “What? Oh, right, Achasiah…”
“Are you still mad at him, Zozena?” The King inquired.
She sighed. “Honestly? I’m over it. He made a mistake, but I shouldn’t beat him up over it.”
“Oh, Zozena!” The Prince interjected. “I am feeling a lot better now, but I stand by what I said about modernity. Many kingdoms in the sphere of man will use it as a distraction to control people. My head was not in the right place, confused by that stupid King in Yellow–but I only said that out of legitimate concern I have. I understand that technically this here is ‘modernity,’ but don’t let others use that to hide the nefarious deeds they are committing… and don’t even get me started on The Lost Darkness God and his cronies…”
Valentina took a second to process that and nodded. “Ah, I see what you were getting at now–it’s certainly an issue, but it’s also a bit of an unavoidable one. That’s just how man is until they finally wake up to the light.”
“Good lord, on a regular basis? For the love of God… Dad? Is there anything meaningful we can do about this dilemma?”
“Off the top of my head? No, but I have some ideas in mind though.”
“Well either way I think everyone should take a moment to return to simpler times and appreciate what they have instead of what they don’t have,” The Verdant Prince concluded.
Valentina smiled. “Agreed, as a simple walk through the woods does one a lot of good.”
“If only it were that simple…” his highness remarked as he leaned his head on his hand. “Want is a wicked beast at the end of the day–You know Karnage, right? Did you know he was never originally a god? The Lost Darkness God gave him those honors and no one noticed until it was too late…”
“Indeed,” The Vermilion King confirmed. “It was one of the great lies of the Epoch…”
Valentina nodded as she stroked her chin. “Now that you mention it… The archangels were being pretty tight-lipped about the origins of The Behemoth God–story of my life…” That comment warranted a few chuckles. “And it clears up some confusion I had about certain suspicions… OH SURE, NOW WE KNOW!”
The Vermilion King nodded. “Why do you think I lost my mind in the first place? Amongst so many other factors…”
Just then, three men burst into the room, followed by Silas. One of the men was a giant, brutalist stone man who looked very happy. There was eons of power and knowledge beneath the rocky exterior of his body. The second was a youthful, brown-haired man in a space-age bodysuit–someone all too familiar to the king, and the last was a tall, strong man, wearing dark gray armor–noble in his demeanor with a casual side that made him very approachable, despite his might. The last two looked fairly concerned, and The Vermilion King smiled upon seeing all of them. Not only did he regain his kingdom, but everything was turning into a happy little reunion. Truthfully the day could not get any better for him.
Silas took a second to catch his breath, then introduced the three. “Your majesty–The Madman of Old, Ignatius Ford, and Ealdhelm Thorne wish to speak with you–my apologies for how sudden this is.”
“It’s alright, Silas–I was expecting them. Gentlemen–haha, welcome back to my kingdom!”
“King, just what in the blue blazes are you even up to!?” Ignatius demanded to know.
“Let’s not get too heated, Ignatius,” Ealdhelm cautioned. “Obviously the king has a good explanation for this turn of events.”
The Madman gave a joyful laugh. “Most certainly, as this was all a part of a deal his majesty made with God.”
The Vermilion King nodded. “Correct, venerable primordial. If I got things all straightened out with The Scarlet God, God promised to help me get my realm back in order.”
Ignatius then realized something and put two and two together. “Wait, so when you showed up to help me and Schwarzes, you were serious about getting your act together?”
“Indeed, Ignatius.”
Ealdhelm gave a slight chuckle. “Well then, good on you, your majesty. I knew you could turn things around.”
The Madman nodded, his stone body scraping up against itself. “Same here. The Chronomaton was unsure, so we put it to a bet. Guess who has to pay up now?” he asked with a quick laugh.
“Shall I go fetch the rest of the Arbiters of Droom then?” Ealdhelm inquired.
“Absolutely, as The Cerulean Queen will be here very soon,” The Vermilion King replied.
“Wait–her majesty is still around?” The Verdant Prince inquired. “Where did she disappear to?”
“Following my defeat, she went after The Storm God as repentance, but was unable to bring the god to justice… which is no longer an issue I’ve been told, as The Storm God went turncoat on The Eternal Order.” The Madman nodded to confirm this. “Regardless, she’ll be here soon, given that I gave her the heads up on what was happening.”
“Oh, okay–so you tell her and not me?” Infinity quickly snuck in, warranting some chuckles.
“Fantastic!” The Verdant Prince replied to his father as he stood up and straightened himself out. “Hold on, I need to go clean my regalia real quickly!” he said as he rushed out of the throne room.
The Vermilion King then turned to his commander. “And Silas–prepare yourself for the ceremony later, as I fully intended to bestow you the honors of a general for your unwavering loyalty and fortitude.”
Silas knew it was unprofessional, but he laughed for joy. “Of course, your majesty–it is truly an honor!” He then bowed to his king and made his way out of the throne room.
As Ealdhelm left to go get the other Arbiters, Valentina went up to the Madman. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, Madman of Old–in person at least, finally…”
“Likewise, General Zozena,” he said as he shook her hand. “You’ve done your old man, Belymoht, proud.”
She then turned to Ignatius. “Hello, young man–you seem familiar to me. Have we met before?”
Ignatius smiled and shook her hand. “You don’t know me yet, but we’ll get to meet through the ULTRAMagic Guild. I’m Ultimatum’s older brother, by the way–I wanted to bring him here for obvious reasons, but he was a little busy.”
“How wonderful–And it’s nice to meet you, Ignatius… even if we're not supposed to meet yet,” she said with a laugh.
“Zozena,” The King cut in. “Would you like to go talk to Achasiah while we wait for everyone to get here?”
“Oh yes, I was just about to ask about that! Mind if I bring him along if he’s up to it?”
“Go on right ahead, my queen is a massive people person.”
Valentina snapped her fingers, opening up a portal. “Alright, I’ll be back in a flash!”
Returning to Inferno was incredibly easy now, and it was even easier to find Achasiah. He was at The Rumbling Barrel, drowning his sorrow in pints. Valentina shook her head with a smile and strode down the street, making her way towards the pub. Many demons and angels were surprised by Valentina’s new power, wondering what had happened in the time she was gone. Valentina did not want to show it, but she was proud to be marveled at. The Rumbling Barrel was fairly active that day–with people eating, chatting, and having a drink. It was a modest and cozy establishment, taking inspiration from pubs across the British isles and a little into Scandinavia. Everyone was fairly cheerful and having a good time–baring Ahcasiah, who was sulking at the far end of the countertop. Valentina quietly went over and sat next to him, gesturing for one of the barkeeps to walk over.
“Bartender? One mead and one rainwater, please.”
Achasiah jumped a little. “Zozena!?”
She smiled. “Hey, how are you doing?”
He quickly wiped his cheeks dry and straightened out his hair. “Look, I am sor–”
“Ah, I should be the one apologizing at the moment–I’m sorry for throwing you out and slamming the door. That was a bit uncalled for...”
Achasiah swallowed hard and took a quick breath. “Zozena, I’m going to apologize regardless–I’m sorry for lying to you. I got so caught up with Sten and Blood-Wraith that I failed to realize that I could trust you. Shoot, we probably could have cleaned up things a lot quicker with your might involved.”
The bartender brought over their drinks, with Valentina taking a sip of hers. The nice flavor helped to keep her nerves steady. “What happened, Achasiah? I mean, I know stuff you probably don’t–but what got into your head?”
He took a sip of his water. “I don’t know… I guess I felt so much pressure that I started overworking myself. It doesn’t help that that stupid cult is working with rogue gods and there was this strange feeling with yellow intruding in my dreams… Going forward, I’m going to take it easy. We have so many great friends and allies that they can easily help us if things get out of hand.”
Valentina patted him on the back. “There’s the Achasiah I know–there’s nothing wrong with asking for help.”
Achasiah nodded, then finally noticed the elephant in the room. He studied Valentina for a moment, drank some of his water, then looked at her again. “Zozena, what happened to you? You seem more… powerful.”
She gave him a big smile. “I went from sixth dimensional to eighth dimensional with The Vermilion King’s help. Don’t worry, I’ve got everything under control.”
“Wow… have I got a lot to strive for or what?” Achasiah remarked as he took another sip.
“It’s not that big of a deal–what matters is that I can finally protect all of you now.” She then finished her drink. “Come, let’s go check on Gabriella, as I was a bit short with her after our spat…”
Achasiah finished his water, got up, and left a tip. “I’m sure she called Weaver over after that.”
“Yeah, but we still need to go tell her everything is okay. And then we’ll all head to the Vermilion Kingdom as The Cerulean Queen is due to arrive soon.”
He laughed as he opened the door for Valentina. “Hey, maybe the king can hook me up with some honors too, ha,” Achasiah jokingly pointed out as they left the pub.
Valentina also laughed. “Hey, maybe–he’s the closest thing to a miracle worker I’ve ever seen.”
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
The King in Yellow © 1895 Robert W. Chambers
Chronology: Following the events of Schwarzes Biest and ULTRAMagic Interlude (Bonus Chapters)
It was going to be a fairly interesting day at the Pari Mansion. Valentina had been expecting her good friend, the angel Achasiah, as he had something important to tell her. It related to everything she had been going through in regards to Heaven’s armies, Inferno, and the conflicts within The Unlight. In particular the fight to free the kingdom of Shadowland had been particularly involved, and Valentina had fought in a great war for Heaven against The Sons of Muspel leading up to the brouhaha in Shadowland. Truthfully the final push against the villainous Milosh Proch and his bumbling Eternal Church (or ‘The Eternal Cult’ as they colloquially called it) seemed tame in comparison. Still, Achasiah had something important to tell her that would connect all the dots for the dark angel. Valentina’s daughter, Gabriella, already knew what he was going to say. The conversation was not going to be pretty, so she planned to nap through the whole thing. Just as she began to fall asleep, she felt something slam up against a wall…
“WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING!?!” her mother could be faintly heard shouting.
Gabriella knew this would happen and tried to plug her ears while hiding her head under a pillow. All of it was incredibly distressing for her. Despite everything she had gone through alongside Weaver and the others in Shadowland, something like this shook her to her core. It was one thing to fight the good fight against the forces of evil… but dealing with an upset family member was something else entirely. Being an angel herself, she could have easily just left right then and there until Valentina calmed down. Something kept her there though, most likely concern for her mother… but there was something else she could not shake that compelled her to get involved. Taking an uneasy breath, Gabriella left her room and crept downstairs. What she saw was an utter mess, in more ways than one.
“YOU LIED TO ME!!” Valentina screamed at Achasiah.
“Well yes, but we had to be mindful of the cult…”
“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THIS BEFORE YOU GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD!?!” Valentina threw another vase. “WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST TELL THE TRUTH!?”
“Well hey, sometimes we lie because we care, Zozena…” Achasiah could see her eyeing something else to throw. “And hey, we saved the Unlight! You should be grateful…”
“EXCUSE ME!?!”
If Achasiah had not struck a nerve before, he certainly had now. “NO NO–it wasn’t supposed to come out like that!!” he pleaded.
“I WENT THROUGH A WAR AND UP AGAINST THAT STUPID CULT AND I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL!?!”
“Zozena, please!”
“YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL I DON’T RUN MY GREATLANCE THROUGH THAT FIRE PLANET YOU’VE BEEN OBSESSING OVER!!!”
“Look, I’ll make it up to you, somehow…”
Valentina had had enough. She picked up Achasiah by the scruff of his clothes, hauled him to the door, and chucked him outside. “GET LOST!!!” She screamed as she slammed the door as hard as she could, shaking the entire mansion.
Gabriella watched from the window as Achasiah began to cry and fly off. “MOTHER!”
She glared at her daughter. “You knew this entire time AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME!?”
That made her daughter recoil. “M-mother, that tantrum was uncouth of you…” Gabriella was trying her best not to have a mental breakdown.
“Don’t talk back to me!” Valentina snapped. “Not after everything I’ve gone through!” Seeing Gabriella shaking frustrated her to no end. “Don’t look at me like that–he lied to me, there’s no getting around that.”
“Ye-yes, but was it really that bad? Surely you don’t regret everything?”
“Of course not! Blood’s like a son to me…” Valentina groaned loudly and stomped her foot. “Nearly everyone’s been treating me like a little girl since day one!” Her anger seemed to subside when she remembered something crucial, however. “Huh, maybe I should take his majesty up on his offer then…”
“Mom, no! Come on–you have no idea what The Vermilion King even has in mind!”
Valentina snapped her fingers, summoning her fearsome, dark armor. It clanked and clicked into place around her, making sure it was nice and secure. She then went right for the door, with nothing being able to change her mind as her heavy boots marched across the floor. “I don’t care what it is, it’s time for this nonsense to end! Don’t worry, dear–I will be back before supper. Until then, you have free reign of the house.”
Gabriella nearly broke down into tears once the door shut, but maintained her composure long enough to fumble for her phone and dial a number. “Weaver? I’m sorry if you’re busy, but I need you here right now…”
That fiasco with Achasiah was the final straw. Valentina was done being a puppet and was going to take matters into her own hands. Had the conflict with The Sons of Muspel not been so chaotic, she probably would have had a different attitude–a charitable one perhaps… but that conflict made her realize how grave things were, even if it did not seem like it at first glance. She looked all over the Cosmos for The Vermilion King, realm to realm and universe to universe. Eventually she returned to her Inferno to rest for a bit. Stopping in the great forest behind her mansion, Valentina thought about how angry she had become while eating an apple. Hopefully Gabriella had not been too disturbed by her… of course, the thought of Achasiah reignited her rage. Just what in the Cosmos had gotten into him?!
“Blast it all, he wasn’t like this before becoming a constraining angel…” Valentina grumbled.
“Really now?” A male voice questioned with legitimate concern, albeit it was subtle. “He seems like such a cheery chap though…” Standing behind Valentina was a tall man with crystalline skin and glowing red eyes. He was wearing a crimson cloak over his obsidian armor, and a crown of black and orange metal adorned his head.
“Excuse me, but where were you just now, your majesty? I went and scoured the whole Cosmos looking for you!”
The King chuckled. “Just helping Mr. Schwarzes Biest get to where he needed to be and starting to get my kingdom back in order.”
Valentina studied him for a moment, also noting how weirdly familiar that name was (it was on the tip of her tongue). “Is it just me or do you seem different from the last time we met? It wasn’t that long ago, was it?”
“I’ve been recovering from past battles and had some fantastic discussions that helped open my eyes further to the truth.”
“Right,” she said with a slightly awkward smile, not grasping the full nuance of what he had been through. “Your majesty, I’m up for that task you need taken care of. Let’s go!” Valentina said as she got up and began walking… somewhere.
The King was pleasantly surprised and followed. “That’s great, but don’t you want to hear the full details first?”
“No need, let’s roll!” She declared before stopping, dropping the apple core into a small portal that deposited it in the trash can of her kitchen. “Well, actually–where are we heading again?”
The King rubbed his hands together with an endeared chuckle. “Let’s not be so hasty–this is going to be fairly difficult as we will be heading to the remains of my realm, The Vermilion Kingdom.”
Valentina unfurled her shadowy wings, with both of them flying up into the sky. “And what will we be doing there exactly?”
“To put it plainly, we’re taking my kingdom back.”
As the pair flew amongst the colossal nebula and great streams of energy of the void of the Cosmos, the king explained what had happened to The Vermilion Kingdom. It had long since fallen in his defeat at the hands of Ignatius, The Arbiters of Droom, and The Madman of Old–but one of the king’s generals had continued the wars the king had foolishly started so long ago. In The Vermilion King’s repentance, The Scarlet God had long since been defeated by his majesty and The Arbiters of Droom, but a revenant of the god had persisted and was quietly causing chaos across the Cosmos. This haunted The Vermilion King–despite working to right his wrongs, he could not figure out how to save his son… up until now.
“...the poor boy can’t be allowed to continue on like this, so it’s our duty to put him out of his misery,” The King lamented.
“Goodness, is there any other way to solve this?” Valentina asked.
“Well actually it’s not as simple as I’m implying. We can’t just defeat him, as that repugnant Lost Darkness God most likely wants his power to give to the reincarnation of The Behemoth God–that ever so charming Karnage Dethgrave–and The Crimson God left behind the magic to facilitate such a theft. Furthermore, the boy is shackled by the chains of want and desire by that arrogant King in Yellow–the one I was enraptured by when I intruded into Lost Carcosa to claim my power. My sins will haunt me for eternity, but I can at least clean up after my mess and make sure no one suffers the mania I willingly gave into.”
“Adonai, help us–the conflict is worse than we could have ever imagined,” Valentina worried, but kept it together. “So what’s the solution you have in mind?”
“Hold on, we’re crossing over into the Dream Realm–brace yourself!”
The Cosmos had thinned greatly at this point, opening up into a wild space of churning energy and matter. This was well beyond anywhere Valentina had ever been in the Cosmos. The Dream Realm was before them, with the portion they were crossing through manifesting as colossal, billowing thunder clouds with the color of sunset. Transitioning into the realm was rough, as it almost felt like Valentina was being torn apart and rebuilt. With a mighty flap of her wings, she rocketed past the barrier of clouds. Wherever in the Dream Realm Valentina was, it was truly beyond beauty. She beheld what looked like a universe that had been meticulously crafted by the most skilled artisans possible. There was also a noticeable tranquility, like the realm had not been tainted by the turmoil of the Cosmos. A tear rolled down Valentina’s cheek, as she was witnessing a true paradise.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” The King asked. “This is Somnium, a transitional realm within the Dream Realm that serves as a bridge between the Cosmos and the Outer Void. And to think I almost forsook this glorious place… Come, The Vermilion Kingdom isn’t far from here.”
The two resumed their journey, with Valentina wanting to marvel at her surroundings–but knowing they still had a job to do. “So how do I play into all of this, if you don’t mind me asking, your majesty?”
“I need to find a new vessel for my boy’s power, and I think you are the dark angel for the job.”
“Wait, really?!” That had caught her off guard, disbalancing her flight for a second. “I mean, I’m honored–but I had no idea we were going to go that far…”
The King was silent for a second, as it was clear that this plan was not a guaranteed success, to say the least–and this gave him pause for concern over anxieties he could not quell with tact and reassurances.. “I’ve been thinking about it for some time, Zozena. Either way, I need to free The Scarlet God from his bondage so he can move on and my kingdom can heal from the wounds I inflicted so long ago. You’ve got the strength and bravery to inherit this power, I can feel it…”
“Hold up, are you getting at what I think you’re getting at?”
“Zozena, would you do me the honor of becoming one of my new generals? I have no plans to ever declare war on God or the Cosmos again, but I know I’ll have to fight tooth and nail to maintain our freedom and peace. I see great potential in you, and I’d hate to see it not acted upon given your current, aimless path in life–no offense.”
“Oh my… err, none taken…” Valentina thought about it for a moment, as it was an unbelievable responsibility. On the other hand, it was the perfect opportunity to gain what she wanted. “If it’ll help me keep the ones I love safe, I happily accept.”
“Thank you, Zozena. I promise I won’t let you down…” Valentina laughed a bit. “What’s so funny?”
“Haha, you’re being upfront, unlike a certain blacksmith angel I know…”
“Ah, I see. My Kingdom is up ahead, right over there…”
The two then touched down in a dead field of dried out brush in a land that had been long since ravaged by the flames of war. The sky was a dying red, the stars could barely maintain their light, gloomy towers of scorched iron loomed in the distance, and an eerie wind whistled past them. An aging castle could be seen far away and before them was a withering township. Morose birds with drooping feathers and necks gave off raspy croaks as they had run out of carrion to eat and were planning to depart from the land. The realm was on its last legs, but there was a hidden vigor lost deep within in the darkness of despair and sorrow–one that needed a mere hand to help it crawl out of the abyss. Valentina was overwhelmed by a feeling of sadness that yearned to give all the help she could as she witnessed beggars and the forlorn gather around The Vermilion King, expecting help. He had nothing to give at the moment and it was clear through his words that it pained him to say that, but he promised with utmost certainty to them that he would set things right.
A young girl in ragged clothes walked up to Valentina. “Are you here to help us?”
Valentina noticed a large, infected gash on the girl’s arm. It tugged at her heartstrings greatly as the girl looked just like Gabriella when she was young. “You poor thing… come here, sweetie.”
As Valentina healed the girl, a man who shared a passing resemblance to Achasiah stepped over. He picked up the girl once Valentina was done. “Thank you for healing my daughter, kind angel.”
“You’re very welcome.” Valentina then looked at the girl. “And don’t worry, dear–me and your king are going to fix everything up…”
The conversation was interrupted by a loud, menacing foghorn in the distance. What looked like a pair of great machines were slowly making their way towards them. They were far off, but the villagers cowered in fear regardless. The Vermilion King clenched his fists, reluctantly ready to fight. “Well, it looks like someone knows we’re here…” his majesty lamented, his regret coming to the surface as hard as he tried to hide it.
Valentina summoned her majestic greatlance–it gleamed against the decayed realm and amazed the citizenry, filling them with a subtle hope they had not felt in ages. “Your majesty, protect your people–I’ll deal with our little welcoming party…” she expanded her wings, rose into the air, and took off like a bullet towards the machines as fast as she could.
“Just who is that, your majesty?” The father asked.
The King chuckled in confidence. “That is Zozena, one of my new generals…”
“Your majesty? You’re not considering…”
He shook his head. “No–the days of us fighting to usurp the Cosmos have long since ended” The King replied as he crossed his arms in a relaxed manner. “Should everything go according to plan, we’ll be protecting the Cosmos and then some.”
Both of the colossal machines trudged their way towards the village, shaking the earth beneath them with every step. Each were bipedal automatons that looked like they were also designed to be mobile fortresses. Although their metal frames were greatly tarnished, one could still observe their gothic-esque construction and stylization, with their bodies being impossible to construct within the constraints of the Cosmos. As much as Valentina wanted to marvel at their terrifying magnificence, she had to deal with them as they were after her and The Vermilion King. Despite being hulking, lumbering machines, they were surprisingly nimble. While not winning any medals for dexterity, Valentina had a few close calls with their hands just narrowly missing her. The angel responded by summoning a star that appeared to be the size of a ball. She held it up, then clenched her fist–it imploded, sending a shower of exploding star matter at the first machine. The impacts had no effect, bouncing off the metal body as the machine continued onwards. Next Valentina created another star, but this time she punched it. An immensely powerful, gamma ray burst shot forth, stunning the first machine.
The second machine then began an onslaught from an uncountable amount of roaring cannons. Valentina tried to evade in a way to cause friendly fire, but the first machine proved impervious to the accidental assault. While dodging the cannon fire, Valentina had noticed an opening in the second machine. Destroying it from the inside out was a gamble, as she had no idea what their interiors were like. A near miss from a devastating laser from the recovered first machine prompted her to make up her mind, however. Flying through the second machine was a herculean task for Valentina. Both were the size of two mountains stacked on top of each other and the interior was a labyrinthian expanse of cogs, gears, and furnaces that erupted with smoke and steam. The cacophony of mechanical sounds all of it created would have permanently deafened any mortal foolish enough to enter, and their death would be assured amidst all of the intricate, moving parts. Making things worse, getting lost in the maze of metal was easier than finding what one needed. Fortunately the persistent dark angel had a hunch that led her to a giant, metal sphere the size of an asteroid–it was clearly the core of the colossus.
At first Valentina tried to punch the sphere to no avail. Next she attempted to use her alchemy to transmute part of the hull into a door, but nothing happened. This was incredibly confusing as that implied the material was something other than prima materia at its root, or at least well beyond her current knowledge of alchemy. Valentina was sixth dimensional, meaning she could perceive the material at the smallest particle possible. This glimpse confirmed her suspicions, forcing her to think outside the box. Looking at her weapon, Valentina considered using it to pierce through the hull to the core. The metal was physical enough and her lance could easily destroy an entire planet, so it was worth a shot. After making sure she was off just by a little bit in case she hit something that could detonate, Valentina reared up and rocketed forward with a mighty wing flap. She broke through the outer shell of the core, finding a strange crystal on what appeared to be an altar. Taking the crystal caused her ears to be assaulted by the thunderous sounds of the machine shutting down.
Making her way outside, Valentina saw two things that simultaneously filled her with relief and urgency. One was that the second machine had locked up, standing completely still. The other was that both of them were closer to the village. Acting fast, Valentina lined herself up with where she assumed the core of the first machine was and did another charge with her lance. The machine was scared as it froze–unsure how to react as he knew he would share the fate of his compatriot. He soon stopped moving, accepting that he could not stop the dark angel now that she knew how to subdue them. The sound of another horn shook the land, but this one felt like a sigh of defeat as Valentina flew into the opening she needed. She quickly emerged with the other crystal, causing the first machine to also shut down. After doing a quick victory flight over the village, Valentina flew to a great hill where The Vermilion King was. He was waiting patiently, looking at his castle.
“Well done, Valentina,” The King commended. “Very few have the fortitude to take on a Death Engine all by themselves, let alone two at once.”
“There isn’t anymore, is there?”
“No, Cyrillus and Orrgun were the last of their kind–all the others shut down a long time ago. It’s sad to see those two go as they were brothers and the first two ever made…”
“Wait, hold on a second…” Valentina smiled, reached into her wing, and handed the king the two crystals. “I could sense something noble within them–and I was concerned about them detonating, so I kept them intact.”
“Haha, my goodness! Well, it looks like these two will get a second chance after all,” The King remarked as he gingerly tucked them away in his cloak. “I definitely think a more charitable name for them is in order–perhaps ‘Vermilion Engines…’” He smiled as he could feel the two brothers breathe a sigh of relief. “How about we take a quick rest before we head to my castle?” Mind if I ask about Achasiah?”
Valentina groaned as she relaxed her body, her armor clanking as it went a little slack. “What about him?”
“What’s the matter between you two? I could sense it when I entered your Inferno.” Valentina looked away and rolled her eyes. “Is it really that bad? I’ve been around the bend with turmoil before, so perhaps I can help…”
After an exasperated sigh, Valentina relented. “He LIED to me! My best friend lied to me! I joined Heaven’s armies thinking he wanted to further my honors when in reality he was doing this stupid little ‘I have to mastermind everything’ nonsense. He has all these delusions of grandeur from becoming a constraining angel and I can’t stand it!”
“Huh, sounds familiar…” The king noted to himself. “Does this all center around The Iron City and Shadowland?”
“Yeah…”
“Ah, Ignatius and Schwarzes told me about that recently. Apparently Achasiah was being very secretive about the whole matter when he didn’t need to be–reminds me of myself from so long ago in a way.”
“Exactly!” Valentina cried… to the part about Achasiah. The other part confused her… “He just had to be the clever hero who solved everything and saved the day! Had I known the biggest threat at the time was Dunja and her blades, I would’ve just gone and punched Milosh in the face until he stopped moving!”
“Assuming Anne didn’t deploy a rogue god in the process…” The King pointed out, referencing what Valentina had heard about The Shadow God.
“Ah…” Valentina paused. “Fair point, but still! Did you know that Hasiel was supposed to handle the Shadowland situation? He is fantastic at subterfuge and strategy–why didn’t Achasiah just listen to him!?” She then kicked a boulder, cracking it in half. “I remember when we were young–he worked his wings off for his honors, but now the fame’s gone to his head…”
“Or it could be the enthrallment of Want… either way, it sounds like he felt he was under pressure to produce results. I know for a fact that God–or Adonai in this case, expects the best from his children. I have the battle scars to show for it, ha!”
“Are you implying he was afraid of looking like a fool? Because it’s a little late for that…”
The King chuckled. “If Achasiah got into a ‘success no matter what’ mindset, then he was most likely afraid of failure. And that would be compounded in his current role, given the responsibilities he now has.”
“He didn’t fail Heaven, he failed me…”
“Failure is inevitable, no matter how high or powerful we are. Everything around us wouldn’t exist without it. And of course, the possibility of failure provokes fear, which leads to irrational decisions. Just look at me: I was afraid the Cosmos would give way to evil, degeneracy, and be snuffed out–leading to me having the bone-headed idea to challenge God for his throne. Like I could have done a better job…”
“What are you getting at?”
“Achasiah feared failure and hit his lowest point possible. In trying to avoid our destiny we often hasten our journey towards it. He will either learn from this or run from it. And with a little help, I feel he’ll make the right choice…”
Valentina gave the king an incredulous look. “Are you saying I should just go and forgive him like it’s nothing at all?”
“I’m saying you should look at the big picture here. What Achasiah did was insensitive, but his heart was in the right place. It’s obvious he wanted all of you to live happily ever after at the end of the day. When something falls over, you rebuild it, not kick it to the winds.”
“Well, we are arguably in a better place now… And I suppose slamming the door on him was a little too harsh…”
“And isn’t Gabriella looking forward to a father? Perhaps in Achasiah?”
Valentina gave an annoyed smile, calling out his snooping. “Excuse me, how do you know that?”
The King chuckled again. “Whispers in the wind and whatnot…”
Valentina sighed. “I suppose I should let it go then–no use dwelling on it forever, because forever is a long time after all.”
“Don’t abandon him, Zozena. Loneliness kills and lets in all sorts of unscrupulous villains.”
That hit Valentina directly in her emotions, pushing her to the verge of crying. “You know what? When I become stronger, I’m going to make sure he never has to pull a thing like this ever again!”
“That’s the spirit. Come, The Scarlet God is bound to send my old soldiers after us eventually.”
The Vermilion King’s castle was a brutalist-gothic masterpiece, made of black steel and red obsidian. Despite the ages of wear and tear, it stood proudly above all in the realm. Even the ruined, majestic city that surrounded it still retained some of its old glory. Upon touching down, Valentina observed the sad state of things–but this time she felt resolve and the bravery needed to help them. The skeletal remains of citizenry and soldiers sat there in silence, waiting even in death for their king to return. The Vermilion King felt a pain in his chest as it was heartbreaking to see his once grand kingdom in rack and ruin like this. Reaching the city square, the two were confronted by a group of knights in fearsome, black armor. They were led by Colonel Silas Haedan, a stoic knight who stood tall and proud, despite being ravaged by eons of decay. He was greatly upset at his king for abandoning them, but remained professional and honorable. Silas declared that The Vermilion Kind had to prove himself in order to pass.
Valentina stepped forward in the name of Heaven, Inferno, and the honor of the king himself. She was going to finish her quest to become stronger, stating her desire to protect the ones she loved. Silas could see the determination in her eyes and respected that. The two went silent for a moment before a great vortex of intense energy surrounded them. A contest of wills was commencing as the knights marveled at the sights and sounds of the bout. Flashes of light, bolts of lighting, intense auroras, and great storms erupted all around them. All of this was accompanied by a heavenly choir and an eldritch orchestra, from no identifiable source, performing a truly grand symphony beyond comprehension that ended in a crescendo that dispelled the vortex.
After a moment of silence, Silas bent the knee in respect. “I concede–go forth and reclaim your throne, my king. You have cast off the shackles of that foul King in Yellow, and you have my sword once again.”
The Vermilion King stepped forward to address him. “Arise, Colonel Haedan.”
“Your majesty?”
“We’re not out of the woods yet and we will need your help. The Scarlet God won’t go down without a fight–you know it just as well as I do...”
“I shall fight alongside you with utmost pride, your majesty. Hopefully we can free the prince from his chains.”
“Thank you, Silas. It is the dawn of a new era, in which we will protect and elevate the Cosmos, not burn and conquer it. Your suffering is at an end and shall not be in vain.”
Feeling overwhelming joy flowing into his withered body, Silas turned to his men and raised his tarnished sword–It gleamed in the light despite enduring eons of strife. “Our king has returned!” he proudly declared. “Even though our bones ache and our blood is dust, we shall reclaim Castle Vermilion–even if it’s the last thing we do!!”
Silas’ men roared and cheered with a fervor that the realm had not seen in a very long time. They hollered and charged through the dusty streets, rallying anyone who remained. Even the ghosts of citizens who had long since turned to dust rose from their graves to join the march. The Vermilion King nearly cried seeing his subjects stand by his side. Even after all of his missteps, they still believed in him. Heading to the castle was not as simple as it seemed, however. The soldiers still loyal to The Scarlet God stood in the way and their numbers were great. Silas and the king stood strong, pushing forward even though they were outnumbered. In truth, Valentina had never wanted to be a warrior. She had only joined Heaven’s armies so she could explore the Cosmos. The desire of the king’s subjects to restore their home filled her with the will to fight, however. She truly understood it now–that sometimes one had to take a stand and fight for what was right no matter what. Valentina was fully on board at this point, lending all of her abilities as they entered the castle courtyard.
While Silas and his men distracted the opposing soldiers, The Vermilion King and Valentina made their way to the throne room. “It feels surreal to be here again–after all that I’ve done,” The King admitted. He then noticed Valentina looked fairly nervous and chuckled–he knew the feeling all too well. “What’s the matter, Zozena?”
“Oh, nothing much–just the fact that we’re about to confront a rogue god…”
“You took on two Death Engines at the same time single handedly, didn’t you?”
“That’s a bit apples to oranges, don’t you think? I’m not The Madman of Old…”
The Vermilion King laughed, despite the gravity of the situation. “Well I don’t think he would feel any more comfortable than you right now.”
Valentina sighed and shook her head. After a moment of mentally preparing herself, she faced the ornate, double doors. “Alright, I’m ready…”
The king snapped his fingers, causing a series of gear-powered locks to disengage. It was most likely a fairly complex means of keeping them out–but it was the king’s castle, so it did what he commanded. The once grand throne room was in disarray, with the throne itself on the far end. Sitting there was the corpse of The Scarlet God. Being nothing more than a skeleton in a set of black armor, it was fairly unassuming. An uninformed onlooker would have thought that it was the king himself. Valentina felt a wave of great sadness hit her, like that of a lost child. Before she could ask the king what she was supposed to do, the dark angel was pulled into a distorted, crumbling realm in the image of The Vermilion Kingdom. Standing before her was the withered husk of the god. He looked hollow and defeated, yet stubbornly clung to a hope he had nearly given up on.
“Who are you?” The Scarlet God asked. “Why are you here?” His words sounded bitter, like he did not want the angel to be there so he could wallow in his misery.
“I’m here to help you…”
He laughed, but it seemed sad and pleading. “Help? HELP? I don’t need help, fool–You and all of your ilk are the ones that need help! The whole Cosmos needs help! It needs to be reset so we can return–”
“Excuse me? Return to what?”
“The past!” The god snapped. “There will be no conflict if we go back to what things once were, casting off the shackles of modernity and progress! Damn it all–none of you understand what’s even going on right now!”
“You don’t actually believe all of that, do you? I mean, Modernity is subjective and things progress naturally–all of it is inevitable.”
“All of this is inevitable!” he mocked. “I know the damn truth–A lie will remain a lie! That’s just what they say to justify Want and conquest–like that vile Lost Darkness God, or foolhardy King in Yellow!”
Valentina knew she had a counter to the logic of The Scarlet God, but she had to dodge a storm of crimson lightning. She then countered with a hail of exploding stars. The Scarlet God shrugged off most of it, only staggered by a few stray bursts. He could tell his opponent was holding back, and he knew what she was after… “You can’t just return things to the past like that!” she shot back. “You really think giving The King in Yellow back his full power is going to help anyone? Your father made it clear what happened to you!”
“The King in Yellow has lost his power–Raziel made sure of that! I know how to handle that foul monarch now!”
She fumbled her response, but knew she had to keep going. “But you’re in no condition to fight! The Eternal Order is after your power and–”
“So you’re just here for my power–is that it?!”
“No!” Valentina felt her regret kick in at the worst possible moment–she could do better than that! “Err, well yes–but it’s not like that,” she stated as she avoided another flurry of attacks.
“It would be hypocritical of me to criticize your want. I wanted to continue the good fight–fighting alongside a like-minded comrade…” After summoning a storm of comets, he resumed his thoughts. “But then THAT TREACHEROUS STORM GOD STABBED ME IN THE BACK AND REVEALED HIS TRUE ALLIANCE!”
“Are you referring to The Crimson God?”
The Scarlet God seemed fairly angry over that, increasing the intensity of his attacks for a brief moment. “IT’S NOT JUST THOSE FOOLS! The Vermilion King… a king of cowardice! All that bravado about rebuilding the Cosmos and he just abandons it after his plans have one hiccup?! HE COULD HAVE KEPT FIGHTING EVEN AFTER IGNATIUS MADE IT INTO CARCOSA!”
Valentina’s endurance was starting to falter, so she needed to do something about it quickly. “But your father legitimately wants to protect the Cosmos now! He’s done being a conqueror…”
“Protect?” The Scarlet God felt a rage building up that had long since been absent. “WHY!? WHAT’S THE DAMN POINT NOW!? THE LOST DARKNESS GOD AND SURTR ARE HERE TO STAY! WE MIGHT AS WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN AND DESTROY THE LOST ERA WHILE WE’RE AT IT!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his face. His attacks reached a fever pitch, the barrage of magic and fury pushing Valentina to her absolute limit. He then fell to his knees as the attacks began to weaken. “I can’t take this anymore!! HELP ME–SOMEONE! ANYONE!!” The Scarlet God paused. “Oh what am I saying? I’m too pathetic to help…”
“What are you talking about!?” Valentina demanded to know. “Of course you’re worthy of help!”
“After the sins I’ve committed? War is sin, stranger… Want is a sin… And I have my share of blood on my hands…”
Valentina summoned her remaining might and created a shield around her to hold off what was left of The Scarlet God’s attacks. “By the authority of Heaven and the mercy of God–I HEREBY GRANT YOU ABSOLUTION!” Her voice rumbled with immense power as the god was enwreathed in golden light.
He was beside himself, utterly speechless. “You can’t just…” In his amazement, he had not realized that the dark angel had charged forward and plunged her hand into his chest. “You… how clever… but… di-did you really mean it?”
She gave him a warm smile. “Of course I did.”
The Vermilion King had been waiting in nervous anticipation. While he was usually a confident man, this had him legitimately concerned–matched only by the anxiety he had for his future plans that hinged on Valentina’s success. Then it happened… Valentina was shot back from the corpse, her form having turned into a shining mass of red energy. She then flew out of the castle and high into the sky, resembling an exploding star. Everyone watched as the great transformation began, in awe of its beauty. Valentina felt her life end, only for a new one to begin right then and there. Untamed power ripped her a sunder only to rebuild her into something truly magnificent. Her pitch black armor turned into fierce, black and red armor–and six, shadowy wings of majestic fire emerged from her back. The dark angel was no more, and had become Chaos Angel Zozena.
Of course Valentina did not have long to relish her newfound power, as a gruesome dragon came flying towards her. “Ah, that awful Crimson God, I presume.”
“GIVE ME THAT POWER!!!” it bellowed, albeit sounding like it struggled to speak, forcing air through its throat. It was clear that someone’s plans had failed, and Valentina had a feeling Karnage would be seething…
“How about no?” Valentina rebuked with a smug grin as she began forming a sphere of immense energy in her hand–what the citizenry witnessed was creation itself. Once enough energy had been collected, the sphere shrunk into seeming nothingness until it reappeared as an entire universe in the palm of her hand. It was not perfect, far from it–but it would have to do. Valentina had to be careful, or her attack would spell disaster for the whole kingdom. She threw the universe at the dragon, causing it to be absorbed like it had come into contact with a black hole. Valentina then threw it again with all of her might, casting it into an unknown region of the Cosmos.
The Vermilion King applauded as Valentina returned to the throne room. “Well done, General Zozena! A fantastic showing indeed.” He then paused and sighed with sympathy for her. “Alas, I regret to inform you that that was just an emanation of The Crimson God…”
“That’s what I figured… Still, I like to think I handled that fairly well.”
“Absolutely–even the smallest fragment of a rogue god can cause great turmoil. We may have to keep an eye on that universe you created, however–I’m certain it survived, along with that emanation. Here’s hoping it makes the right decisions going forward in life…”
Valentina nodded, and then noticed that the king looked normal–like a man, despite his eldritch nature. “Your majesty, you look different…”
He chuckled. “Well, it looks like God kept his promise.”
The two then noticed something pushing its way out of the corpse of The Scarlet God as armor fell to the floor with loud clangs. A boy dressed in regal, emerald-colored attire emerged, causing the old body to fade away into dust. He brushed himself off, looking around to get his bearings. The boy then coughed a bit, excusing himself afterwards. “Oh my, dusty! Very dusty…” He then sneezed.
“Bless you,” The King replied.
“Thank you…” he then realized who said that. “Dad!”
“Come here, my son,” The King said as the prince ran to him for the biggest hug.
Once done, The Vermilion King led the two to the balcony, which oversaw the whole city. The once sickly, dying red sky was turning a rich, lively shade of bright azure. As this happened, a wave of light washed over the realm, breathing life into it once again. With the citizenry emerging from their dormancy and making their way to the castle, the king addressed his subjects–who now looked alive and well. With a good breath to prepare himself, his majesty declared in the proudest voice possible that it was the beginning of a new era for the kingdom–one focused on learning, progress, and the light. His subjects cheered for and celebrated the long awaited rebirth of their home, and all of it nearly brought The Vermilion King to tears. He had made many mistakes since the death of his father, but now he knew, once and for all, that he was on the right path.
Heading back inside, the king took a seat on his throne for the first time in eons. He gave a sigh of relief as all of it was finally over… or the strife surrounding his kingdom at least. “It feels amazing to be here with all of you like this…”
The Verdant Prince conjured up his own throne. “Thank you for giving me a chance, General Zozena. If you had listened to me… erm, let’s not think about that…”
Valentina chuckled. “You’re welcome, your highness. Just remember that you matter no matter what, and everyone deserves a second chance…” The King then chuckled. “What? Oh, right, Achasiah…”
“Are you still mad at him, Zozena?” The King inquired.
She sighed. “Honestly? I’m over it. He made a mistake, but I shouldn’t beat him up over it.”
“Oh, Zozena!” The Prince interjected. “I am feeling a lot better now, but I stand by what I said about modernity. Many kingdoms in the sphere of man will use it as a distraction to control people. My head was not in the right place, confused by that stupid King in Yellow–but I only said that out of legitimate concern I have. I understand that technically this here is ‘modernity,’ but don’t let others use that to hide the nefarious deeds they are committing… and don’t even get me started on The Lost Darkness God and his cronies…”
Valentina took a second to process that and nodded. “Ah, I see what you were getting at now–it’s certainly an issue, but it’s also a bit of an unavoidable one. That’s just how man is until they finally wake up to the light.”
“Good lord, on a regular basis? For the love of God… Dad? Is there anything meaningful we can do about this dilemma?”
“Off the top of my head? No, but I have some ideas in mind though.”
“Well either way I think everyone should take a moment to return to simpler times and appreciate what they have instead of what they don’t have,” The Verdant Prince concluded.
Valentina smiled. “Agreed, as a simple walk through the woods does one a lot of good.”
“If only it were that simple…” his highness remarked as he leaned his head on his hand. “Want is a wicked beast at the end of the day–You know Karnage, right? Did you know he was never originally a god? The Lost Darkness God gave him those honors and no one noticed until it was too late…”
“Indeed,” The Vermilion King confirmed. “It was one of the great lies of the Epoch…”
Valentina nodded as she stroked her chin. “Now that you mention it… The archangels were being pretty tight-lipped about the origins of The Behemoth God–story of my life…” That comment warranted a few chuckles. “And it clears up some confusion I had about certain suspicions… OH SURE, NOW WE KNOW!”
The Vermilion King nodded. “Why do you think I lost my mind in the first place? Amongst so many other factors…”
Just then, three men burst into the room, followed by Silas. One of the men was a giant, brutalist stone man who looked very happy. There was eons of power and knowledge beneath the rocky exterior of his body. The second was a youthful, brown-haired man in a space-age bodysuit–someone all too familiar to the king, and the last was a tall, strong man, wearing dark gray armor–noble in his demeanor with a casual side that made him very approachable, despite his might. The last two looked fairly concerned, and The Vermilion King smiled upon seeing all of them. Not only did he regain his kingdom, but everything was turning into a happy little reunion. Truthfully the day could not get any better for him.
Silas took a second to catch his breath, then introduced the three. “Your majesty–The Madman of Old, Ignatius Ford, and Ealdhelm Thorne wish to speak with you–my apologies for how sudden this is.”
“It’s alright, Silas–I was expecting them. Gentlemen–haha, welcome back to my kingdom!”
“King, just what in the blue blazes are you even up to!?” Ignatius demanded to know.
“Let’s not get too heated, Ignatius,” Ealdhelm cautioned. “Obviously the king has a good explanation for this turn of events.”
The Madman gave a joyful laugh. “Most certainly, as this was all a part of a deal his majesty made with God.”
The Vermilion King nodded. “Correct, venerable primordial. If I got things all straightened out with The Scarlet God, God promised to help me get my realm back in order.”
Ignatius then realized something and put two and two together. “Wait, so when you showed up to help me and Schwarzes, you were serious about getting your act together?”
“Indeed, Ignatius.”
Ealdhelm gave a slight chuckle. “Well then, good on you, your majesty. I knew you could turn things around.”
The Madman nodded, his stone body scraping up against itself. “Same here. The Chronomaton was unsure, so we put it to a bet. Guess who has to pay up now?” he asked with a quick laugh.
“Shall I go fetch the rest of the Arbiters of Droom then?” Ealdhelm inquired.
“Absolutely, as The Cerulean Queen will be here very soon,” The Vermilion King replied.
“Wait–her majesty is still around?” The Verdant Prince inquired. “Where did she disappear to?”
“Following my defeat, she went after The Storm God as repentance, but was unable to bring the god to justice… which is no longer an issue I’ve been told, as The Storm God went turncoat on The Eternal Order.” The Madman nodded to confirm this. “Regardless, she’ll be here soon, given that I gave her the heads up on what was happening.”
“Oh, okay–so you tell her and not me?” Infinity quickly snuck in, warranting some chuckles.
“Fantastic!” The Verdant Prince replied to his father as he stood up and straightened himself out. “Hold on, I need to go clean my regalia real quickly!” he said as he rushed out of the throne room.
The Vermilion King then turned to his commander. “And Silas–prepare yourself for the ceremony later, as I fully intended to bestow you the honors of a general for your unwavering loyalty and fortitude.”
Silas knew it was unprofessional, but he laughed for joy. “Of course, your majesty–it is truly an honor!” He then bowed to his king and made his way out of the throne room.
As Ealdhelm left to go get the other Arbiters, Valentina went up to the Madman. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, Madman of Old–in person at least, finally…”
“Likewise, General Zozena,” he said as he shook her hand. “You’ve done your old man, Belymoht, proud.”
She then turned to Ignatius. “Hello, young man–you seem familiar to me. Have we met before?”
Ignatius smiled and shook her hand. “You don’t know me yet, but we’ll get to meet through the ULTRAMagic Guild. I’m Ultimatum’s older brother, by the way–I wanted to bring him here for obvious reasons, but he was a little busy.”
“How wonderful–And it’s nice to meet you, Ignatius… even if we're not supposed to meet yet,” she said with a laugh.
“Zozena,” The King cut in. “Would you like to go talk to Achasiah while we wait for everyone to get here?”
“Oh yes, I was just about to ask about that! Mind if I bring him along if he’s up to it?”
“Go on right ahead, my queen is a massive people person.”
Valentina snapped her fingers, opening up a portal. “Alright, I’ll be back in a flash!”
Returning to Inferno was incredibly easy now, and it was even easier to find Achasiah. He was at The Rumbling Barrel, drowning his sorrow in pints. Valentina shook her head with a smile and strode down the street, making her way towards the pub. Many demons and angels were surprised by Valentina’s new power, wondering what had happened in the time she was gone. Valentina did not want to show it, but she was proud to be marveled at. The Rumbling Barrel was fairly active that day–with people eating, chatting, and having a drink. It was a modest and cozy establishment, taking inspiration from pubs across the British isles and a little into Scandinavia. Everyone was fairly cheerful and having a good time–baring Ahcasiah, who was sulking at the far end of the countertop. Valentina quietly went over and sat next to him, gesturing for one of the barkeeps to walk over.
“Bartender? One mead and one rainwater, please.”
Achasiah jumped a little. “Zozena!?”
She smiled. “Hey, how are you doing?”
He quickly wiped his cheeks dry and straightened out his hair. “Look, I am sor–”
“Ah, I should be the one apologizing at the moment–I’m sorry for throwing you out and slamming the door. That was a bit uncalled for...”
Achasiah swallowed hard and took a quick breath. “Zozena, I’m going to apologize regardless–I’m sorry for lying to you. I got so caught up with Sten and Blood-Wraith that I failed to realize that I could trust you. Shoot, we probably could have cleaned up things a lot quicker with your might involved.”
The bartender brought over their drinks, with Valentina taking a sip of hers. The nice flavor helped to keep her nerves steady. “What happened, Achasiah? I mean, I know stuff you probably don’t–but what got into your head?”
He took a sip of his water. “I don’t know… I guess I felt so much pressure that I started overworking myself. It doesn’t help that that stupid cult is working with rogue gods and there was this strange feeling with yellow intruding in my dreams… Going forward, I’m going to take it easy. We have so many great friends and allies that they can easily help us if things get out of hand.”
Valentina patted him on the back. “There’s the Achasiah I know–there’s nothing wrong with asking for help.”
Achasiah nodded, then finally noticed the elephant in the room. He studied Valentina for a moment, drank some of his water, then looked at her again. “Zozena, what happened to you? You seem more… powerful.”
She gave him a big smile. “I went from sixth dimensional to eighth dimensional with The Vermilion King’s help. Don’t worry, I’ve got everything under control.”
“Wow… have I got a lot to strive for or what?” Achasiah remarked as he took another sip.
“It’s not that big of a deal–what matters is that I can finally protect all of you now.” She then finished her drink. “Come, let’s go check on Gabriella, as I was a bit short with her after our spat…”
Achasiah finished his water, got up, and left a tip. “I’m sure she called Weaver over after that.”
“Yeah, but we still need to go tell her everything is okay. And then we’ll all head to the Vermilion Kingdom as The Cerulean Queen is due to arrive soon.”
He laughed as he opened the door for Valentina. “Hey, maybe the king can hook me up with some honors too, ha,” Achasiah jokingly pointed out as they left the pub.
Valentina also laughed. “Hey, maybe–he’s the closest thing to a miracle worker I’ve ever seen.”
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
The King in Yellow © 1895 Robert W. Chambers
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