ULTRAMagic Interlude

Chapter 6

Brenna was waiting patiently by her truck for Blood-Wraith. She had woken up early that day to get everything set for the journey. "There you are. Ready to go?"

Blood-Wraith took a second to catch his breath as he leaned on Voidborne. "Yup, I just had to say bye to everyone. Vex is looking after the house, Kresimira is worried for me, and I'm concerned about Desislav..."

She nodded. "Yeah, poor guy has a lot on his mind. I wouldn't worry too much though. Drago will take care of him."

"Haha! Ha! Wait for me!" Auda called out as she ran up. "I'm all ready to go, Brenna, Ma'am!"

Brenna laughed. "Good to hear. Now let's get moving."

"Hey, Auda," Blood-Wraith said as she gave him a hug. "Did Sigmund and Tusk change their minds?" he asked as he climbed up into the truck.

"Hehe, nope. I snuck out. Now let's go before my parents show up." She quickly shut the door and sat down.

"You sneaky little rogue, you" Brenna remarked. "I figured that was the case." She started the engine, the truck roaring to life. "What's in the backpack?" She asked as she began driving.

Auda brought her pack to her legs. "Oh, just some stuff. I brought with me a compass, a first-aid kit, some snacks, water, some tools, books, a blanket, and a light crystal. Also this special stone that can take me back to the forest in case something bad happens."

"Huh... should I have brought a little more myself?" Blood-Wraith wondered.

As the truck pulled away into the horizon, Tusk rushed with Auda's parents to The Singing Storm Tower. They were too late. Englehart recognized their plight and assured them that Brenna would make sure Auda came home safe and sound. Auda's mother, Cordelia, was beside herself in worry. Skari, Auda's father, took the opportunity to ask about Blood-Wraith and the others. The King was more than happy to answer whatever questions the two had. It was the least he could do.

Riding in Brenna's truck was interesting. It was a lot bumpier than Blood-Wraith initially thought it would be. Auda was thrilled to see all the sights pass by them. She knew the Unlight was big, but she had no idea it was this big. They reached the Northern Living Ocean and Proteus raised the highway once again. Midway through, he stopped them for a quick chat. He was happy to see Blood-Wraith again and was dying to properly meet Brenna. Once everyone had stretched their legs, they were back on the road again.

The truck made its way into the Deep Unlight and carried on without a problem. Blood-Wraith looked out the window and could see a giant woman in the distance, waving at them. He waved back as she felt incredibly familiar. After some more traveling and Auda getting bored, they finally arrived at their destination. Getting out of the truck, they beheld the Magician's Labyrinth. It was an incomprehensibly large structure that looked like an ever shifting amalgamation of towers and fortresses. An imposing, great wall surrounded it as it gave off a foreboding feeling. Everyone was a little nervous and hesitant to move forward.

While Brenna looked for an entrance, Blood-Wraith explored the area. There was not much aside from dusty rocks, but then he spotted something that caught him off guard. "No way, Val!?"

A sullen angel in dark armor was sitting on a large rock. Her long, silver hair was flowing in the wind. She felt poorly, but her heart skipped a beat when she heard a familiar voice. "Blood-Wraith?"

"Val! Hey Val! It's been a while!" Blood-Wraith exclaimed as he ran over to her. He tried to hug her, but the armor was getting in the way.

"Blood, it's been so long..."

Brenna and Auda came by, searching. "Hey Blood!? Where are you? I think I found an entrance" Brenna called out. "Ah, there you are... Who's this?"

"Brenna, Auda, this is Valentina. She's the dark angel who gave me my one Alchemy book. Unfortunately she had to go fight the good fight a couple of weeks ago..."