#WRITERSLIFT

[queerism1969]

[sudharsanuniverse]

Top 20 beyond basic tips to improve your descriptive writing 💭✒️

1. Involve your senses in descriptive writing, appealing to sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

2. Integrate dialogues effectively to bring characters and situations to life.

3. Use metaphors and similes to make your portrayals more vivid and imaginative.

4. Experiment with unique perspectives or points of view to add a fresh angle to your narrative.

5. Create a strong sense of atmosphere and mood to enhance the overall tone of your piece.

6. Include suspense or surprise elements to enchant your readers.

7. Use symbolism to add layers of meaning to your writing.

8. Develop a consistent and original voice that reflects your personal style.

9. Play with pacing to control the rhythm and flow of your narrative.

10. Show empathy in your character portrayals to make them more relatable.

11. Build pressure gradually and release it strategically for a compelling storyline.

12. Blend humor to inje1ct a touch of personality into your writing.

13. Employ the "show, don't tell" method by allowing actions to reveal emotions and motivations.

14. Break away from linear storytelling with non-linear narrative structures.

15. Try different genres to broaden your writing skills.

16. Frame memorable and thought-provoking endings that leave a lasting impression.

17. Invent a strong opening and closing sentence for each paragraph to enrich structure.

18. Capture unique and conceivable dialogue patterns to make characters distinct.

19. Develop a balance between description and action to maintain a dynamic pace.

20. Use literary devices like foreshadowing or symbolism to add depth to your writing.

Was it helpful?

Like and reblog the tips you loved.

For more writing topics, follow me at @sudharsanuniverse

[eitwrites]

The 'trying' takes too long, met enough people telling me it's the part that matters most.

I'm tired of trying, I need it to happen.

[markwatsonsbooks]

#Amreading #Newrelease: My Observation Journal of Bugs, Insects and All Things That Creep, Crawl or Slither by Katherine J Ebert

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[ultramagicalternate]

ULTRAMagic Chaos Chapter 5

Previous | First | Next

Master Post

Ealdhelm was relieved to see everyone arrive at city hall. “Adelheid, Ulrich, glad you two could make it.”

“Good to see you’re doing well, Ealdhelm” Ulrich replied as he took a seat. “Hopefully Wulfric hasn’t given you too much trouble.” 

“It’s been the usual…”

Adelheid went straight to Ealdhelm. “How wonderful to see you again, my dearest Ealdhelm.”

He kissed her hand. “I feel the same, my love.”

That threw Tusk for a slight loop. “Hold the phone! Ealdhelm, did I just hear all of that right?”

“Indeed, Tusk” he answered with a chuckle. “Is there a problem with that?”

“Well howdy-do! As an aside, I’m getting married when this is all said done.”

Now Ealdhelm was thrown for a loop. “You don’t say! Who’s the lucky girl, Tusk?”

Tusk laughed. “Come on, who do you think?”

“I figured it’d be Donia,” Ultimatum pointed out. “I saw how close you two are when I visited the forest.”

“Well congratulations, Mr. Willfort” Adelheid said with a light applause. “I’ll have to put together a wedding present for the occasion.”

Tusk shifted his gaze in contemplation. “Hum, I probably should work on getting a present of my own while I’m here…”

“Don’t worry, Tusk, you’ll figure it out” Razor reassured as he patted him on the back. He then looked around, noticing things were slightly vacant. “Hey, where did the others go?”

“They all retired for dinner,” Ealdhelm answered. “Speaking of which, I had some food arranged in the mess hall. It may not be the most fancy dinner, but it’s better than nothing given how hectic today was.”

“Oh come now, Ealdhelm,” Adelheid replied. “You know I don’t mind. Besides, I’ve grown a bit bored of the more luxurious meals served at the cathedral. You can only have prime cuts and meat pies for so long before they lose their appeal.”

“Well all of that’s fine with me,” Razor interrupted. “It feels like I just ran a Moon Wolf Relay with all the running around we just did.”

That caught Adelheid’s interest, despite the intrusion into the conversation. “A Moon Wolf Relay? Do tell, Mr. Scully.”

“The Moon Wolf Relay is a rite of passage for when we Sunset Wolves turn 16. We run the perimeter of The Unending Forest, mimicking the cycle of the sun and moon.”

“How fascinating…” She was about to ask about the symbolism when she was cut off by a young boy with white hair entering the hall.

“Dad! Dad!”

Ulrich smiled. “Quasar! What are you doing all the way here?”

“Dad!” He shoved a book in his face. “You have to read me a story tonight.”

“Goodness, Quasar!” A man wearing an old fashion lab coat said as he caught up, out of breath. “Where do you get all this vigor from?” Notably he had a German accent.

Ulrich lightly cleared his throat. “For those of you that are new, this is Doctor Alfred Schwartz, my champion.”

“A good evening to you all,” Alfred said after a round of greetings. “Quasar, you shouldn’t go running off like that.”

The boy’s father picked him up and set him on his lap. “Aw don’t worry, Alfred. You can’t fault him for wanting a bedtime story.”

Quasar looked over to the podium. “Hey, Aunt Adelheid.”

“Good to see you again, Quasar,” she said with a smile.

“So my boy, you really want that story?” Ulrich asked. Quasar nodded. “You know what? How about we have a little vacation to Droomopolis, since I’m going to be busy working. Does that sound good?”

Quasar nodded again. “Sure, dad! That’d be really cool.”

“Dr. Schwartz? You have free reign of the space station until we get back.”

Alfred was a little surprised, but accepted the responsibility. “Very well, my liege. I shall make sure everything is spick and span for your return.”

Before he could leave, Ealdhelm spoke up. “Keep your eyes and ears open, Doctor. General Karnage is up to no good again and General Raisa was antagonizing Ultimatum.”

“Duly noted, Ealdhelm. I shall spread word to Leonard and Rahela.” He then vanished into a cloud of sparkling particles.

Ulrich then turned to Tusk and Ultimatum. “Hey, guys? Can Quasar join your guild eventually?”

“So he does have the potential for ULTRAMagic?” Adelheid questioned, receiving a nod in return.

Ultimatum shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I’m sure Blood-Wraith and Deimos would say yes.”

Tusk bent down and leaned on his knees. “So, you think you got what it takes, kiddo?”

“Yes I do, Mr. Willfort” Quasar replied. “Dad’s been telling me all about what’s been going on. I want to be strong, just like you guys.”

“That’s the spirit. Consider yourself an honorary member of the guild. We’ll promote you to full membership when you’ve got your ULTRAMagic all sorted out.” He then held out his hand. “Shake on it?”

“Thank you, Mr. Willfort,” Quasar answered as he accepted.

Ulrich also shook Tusk’s hand. “You have my gratitude. This little vortex here has been talking about ULTRAMagic nonstop.”

Tusk dusted off his hands. “So what do you think, Ultimatum? We’ve barely started on this little escapade and we already have three new members.”

He smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “A job well done, Tusk. Here’s hoping future recruitment goes well.”

Razor went over to Quasar and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Quasar. I’m Razor Scully. I’m going to be joining the guild too.”

“Nice to meet you too, Razor.” The handshake triggered a very weird sensation in Razor, causing him to vibrate a little.

“Whoa, what was that?”

Quasar burped. “Oops, sorry, Mr. Scully. I ate some of your energy by accident.”

“How…?”

“I’m a black hole.”

Razor looked at him weird. “Come again?”

Ulrich nodded. “My son is a gravitational singularity. What you see before you is his event horizon.”

That was bizarre to hear, causing Razor to take a step back. “Uh, Tusk? Haven't you been in one of these gravitational thingies before?”

“I’d prefer not to think back to that, but yes.”

The wolf man took a deep breath. “Incredible…”

“Don’t put your fingers in my mouth” Quasar cautioned. “It won’t end well.”

Razor nervously chuckled. “No pressure…”

Adelheid had a look of curious amusement on her face. “Truthfully the only thing you’d have to worry about is how long it would take us to reconstitute you, Mr. Scully.”

A timer on the podium went off, with Ealdhelm going to stop the ringing. “Well how about we cease this worrying and put some food in our mouths instead?”

Dinner was quite good. It was nothing fancy, just a mix of roast beef, barbecued pork, and hamburgers. For sides, there was a choice of fried foods or vegetables. Ealdhelm figured he would have some younger guests along in addition to Adelheid, so he made sure there was some variety. Quasar definitely appreciated the hamburgers and french fries while Adleheid preferred the roast beef and vegetables. Mizuki and Cyneberht had shown back up and were talking to Ealdhelm and Adelheid, accompanied by the others. Tusk on the other hand wanted to speak to Ultimatum alone.

"So, Ultimatum, you hear about the results of Blood and Dunja’s duel?” Tusk asked.

“Yup…” he answered as he took a bite of his burger.

Tusk then ate some more of his pork. “I’m a bit concerned about his mental state. I just know losing is going to mess with him. He was adamant about proving Dunja wrong.”

Ultimatum sighed. “Deimos and Achasiah’s plan worked, but I share your concerns. I’m really hoping Blood is able to pursue a normal childhood, despite everything going on with the guild. Of course, Karnage’s scheming has me gravely concerned that a certain event will come to pass…”

“And what’s that?”

“I can’t say yet. What I will say is that Karnage pursuing ULTRAMagic will be disastrous for us all.”

Tusk did not like the sound of that. “Should we stop him then?”

“That’s the part that worries me. I have no idea. I want to, but Leif asked me not to. Tusk, Blood-Wraith is Leif’s successor. Do you know what that means?”

“Do I want to know?”

“It means that Leif has plans for him, even if they get a bit messy.”

Tusk groaned and shuddered. “I hate it when things get uncertain like this…”

“Ha, how do you think I feel?”

The tension was broken by Ealdhelm, as he could sense what they were discussing. He knew it too. “You two look uneasy. Come on over and join the conversation.”

Tusk and Ultimatum looked at each other and nodded. They needed to get their minds off of the future, so they scooted over to the group. Mizuki asked what was up, leading to the two replying that it was complicated. It was definitely a bit concerning, given that she was going to be potentially joining the guild soon. Ealdhelm wanted to say something to comfort the pair, but he was at a loss just like Ultimatum. Regardless, the rest of the meal went well.

That night, Tusk, Razor, and Mizuki were invited to stay at the monastery of the arbiters. It sat atop an artificial, forested hill in the far north of the city (which was no problem to travel to given the power of the arbiters). Ealdhelm was planning to switch operations to the monastery, so it made sense to have the three sleep there. Plus the cozy, impenetrable nature of the monastery made everyone feel more secure. As for Tusk, it was a wonderful trip down memory lane.

The next morning was fairly calm as it was a day to rest up while Ealdhelm finalized everything. Tusk this opportunity to show Razor and Mizuki around. The monastery was quite fascinating, having traditional, wooden architecture that blended with the techno-organic nature of Droomopolis. Seeing the arbiters in a more casual setting was also fascinating for Razor and Mizuki. Despite their immense power, they felt like regular people. Eventually Tusk brought the two to one of the zen gardens to relax and have some lunch. The garden surprised Mizuki as it had grass and flowers as opposed to something like sand and rocks.

“Training here was quite the privilege,” Tusk said as he looked up at the old oak, reminiscing. “I really hope the arbiters can go back to that.”

“Hey, Tusk?” Razor asked as he flipped through a book he had borrowed. “I was reading about ULTRAMAgic. Is it really this complicated? I’m a little concerned when it talks about stuff like over exerting oneself.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much, Razor. That’s more directed at people from the Cosmos Proper…” Mizuki raised an eyebrow. “...who haven’t had proper training beforehand.”

Razor nodded. “I see. Still, I’m worried about my energy. We wolves eat a lot, you know?”

“Have you had any problems yet?” Tusk questioned.

“No, just a little more hungry at mealtime.”

“The key is to not go overboard with your magic. Just because you’re more powerful does not mean you're invincible…”

“What about Blood-Wraith though? I’ve heard he’s been going crazy with his powers.”

Tusk paused. “Blood is a special case even I’m not sure of.”

“Perhaps he’s meant to have ULTRAMagic?” Mizuki suggested.

“Well obviously considering he was created to stop The Lich, return Deimos to his body, and shake things up enough for Shadowland to break free of Milosh’s clutches. Sometimes I wonder if whoever truly created him just gave him ULTRAMagic by default and the fragments were just there to unlock abilities he already had…”

“Would you be surprised if that was the case given his origins?” a voice asked.

This startled Tusk. “Cyneberht! Where did you come from?”

He chuckled. “Waltheof and I would like to speak to you, if you have a moment. You’re welcome to come too, Razor and Mizuki.”

“Sure,” Razor replied. “It’d get me away from this book.” Out of courtesy, Cyneberht snapped his fingers, teleporting the book back to where it came from.

Mizuki also stood up. “That would be nice. What shall we be discussing?”

Cyneberht began to lead them towards Waltheof’s room. “This and that, relating to the arbiters. Given all of the hullabaloo with Wulfric, it feels good to talk about to outsiders and get fresh perspectives.”

Tusk moved his jaw back and forth. “I’m going to assume this is in regards to Ealdhelm and his rapport with Adelheid last night.”

“Very astute, Tusk. I’ll admit that there is some context and concerns we’d like to talk about to you. I figure since he’s your godfather, you deserve to know.”

Tusk nodded. “Given that relationships have never been his strong suit, I’d say yes. I’ll admit my memory is a bit fuzzy though.”

“Ealdhelm has been single?” Mizuki wondered. “That’s surprising.”

“Love and romance has not been a concern for the arbiters” Cyneberht explained. “This was until Ealdhelm witnessed the union of Wulfric and Delphine, however.”

Razor had a good idea of what was going on. “Oh, so he wants some of that, helped by realizing he doesn’t have his own kid thanks to Tusk.”

“A very good deduction, Razor” Cyneberht complimented. “I must admit that I’ve begun to yearn for such a relationship myself. A fair lady in the upper class district has stolen my heart, so it would behoove us to finish this conflict of ours as soon as possible.”

Next: Chapter 6

ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)

[outlandidol]

We're LIVE! An Oath of Fire - my debut fantasy novel - is officially available on Amazon! This has been the culmination of so much work, I'm so proud to finally have it out there. Please consider supporting me by picking it up! https://amazon.com/dp/B0BN4VR3Y6

Joslyn Lys enjoys living unseen. 

 There’s no better place for a recluse than the vast and strictly regimented companies of the Imperial Garthearian army. Separated from their ranks in battle, she slays one of the Four Princes—the would-be heir to the Aefyrian throne whose vacancy leaves a void of power that could collapse the Garthearian province. Newly knighted and a threat for Aefyr’s retaliation, Joslyn is sent far from the frontlines to the coastal Rheinashi Peninsula, a land as beautiful as it is dangerous, and populated by the elven peoples once targeted by her homeland during the bloodiest war in memory.  

Deep in a territory still reeling from her empire’s transgressions, Joslyn joins Bastard Company, an army of masons and their eccentric knight-captains, in their mission to accord peace by constructing an aqueduct for the Rheinashi people. Joslyn is unsure of her place, her abilities, and for what she stands, but she’ll have to learn quickly if she wants to survive in the land of sea salt, citrus, and bad blood—and if she is to thwart the mad attempts of new enemies to wrest control of the Northern World.

[deanoaklyauthor]

A Journey Beyond Imagination!

Halley’s ordinary life is shattered when he finds out he’s a Sagopian—a member of an ancient race with a hidden destiny. Transported to the mysterious land of Sagopia, Halley and his friends must face dangerous foes, uncover family secrets, and find the legendary Avichian’s Box. But with powerful enemies on their trail, will they survive long enough to unlock its power? Discover the adventure in "Halley Hunt and The Avichian's Box" now!

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[ebere1]

"If shadows could breathe There're places it wouldn't go"

[rmmcdermott]

[myhauger22]

Hi, everyone, I'm M.Y. Hauger. I am an author/writer. I'm also a solo game developer who creates games, many of which are based on the stories that I write. Writing is something that I've always been passionate about, and it's one of my favorite things. I also enjoy creating games. It was something that I wanted to do since the beginning of my second book series that I wrote. Stranded is the first game that I created and is based on the first story of my second book series, Union Of Sorrows.

My hope is to connect with other creatives, whether they would be new friends or fellow creatives who I already know from other platforms. I would also like to support creatives with #writerslifts if it is permitted on this platform. I will #followback anyone who follows me.

[agnusfidelis]

I don’t think I’ve uploaded these here, yet! These are the ref sheets for the character lineup for my ongoing 🔞 novel, Tracks.

If you’re looking to read a dark, erotic hurt/comfort mlm slow burn, please consider having a look.

It features an interracial gay couple that have to navigate their relationship through a very unique problem… One of them is a ghost.

I hope you’ll give Tracks a read!

Thank you! 🔴

[drllboone]

When I rest my eyes and fall into that place of disconnection from my surroundings, I slide over into a land of creative, colorful narrations. My dreams are often so eventful that I wake up exhausted. Now, I'm sharing those dreams in my new book, Dear Dream Maker. You can grab a copy of my boook thru these links.

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[sudharsanuniverse]

This is highly relatable 😂

[autumnalsunrises]

Unfortunately, Whitney doesn't do mornings. However, as part of her guild requirements, she has to get up early for flying practice.

Luckily, Rodger will come by with giant iced coffee.

[markwatsonsbooks]

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[ultramagicalternate]

ULTRAMagic Chaos Chapter 8

Previous | First | Next

Master Post

Maxima was expecting Percival to pull a fast one here and there, but that did not happen. The only time he deviated from his swordsmanship was to erect a magical barrier to stop Razor from sneaking past him. Tusk and the group were strategically taking turns against Percival. It was a little tricky to coordinate everyone given that Vlastimir’s magic was not present, but they managed.

Percival made notes of his opponent’s fighting styles. Maxima was well refined and relied on finesse to catch her foe off guard. Mizuki was predictable, yet hard to evade and devastating when her attacks landed. Her sword was also interesting, as it gave off a glorious aura. Razor needed practice. His style was using alchemy to fortify his arms and hands so he could brawl. Tusk was the most intriguing as his style was that he lacked style. Any technique was fair game, which made him tricky to read. One constant was his love of greatswords, however.

Tusk ran up and slammed his makeshift sword into Percival’s, shattering it. “SHOOT!” He then belted out a burst of air from his lungs to propel himself back.

Percival laughed, as it was quite unexpected. “I’m not sure what you were trying to accomplish, but I’ll commend your recovery.”

He coughed and sighed. “I was never supposed to be a fighter,” Tusk said as he waved the hilt around before tossing it aside.

“Well then all the more reason for Wulfric’s mission.” Everyone paused to let Percival speak. “We could easily find a place for all of you amongst our ranks.”

“I suppose such a conquest could be fruitful” Maxima began to say as she cleaned the dirt off of her rapier. “If your leader wasn’t a Discordant God of Chaos. You’ll have to pardon our apprehension. Now I will give you credit in that all of you are vastly better behaved than the things calling themselves the Gods of Order over in Purgatory. Of course you surely must realize that there is a reason why the Cosmos proper is so hard to traverse…”

Percival nodded. “Aye, I am aware of the eldritch barrier. I’ll concede that Wulfric has handwaved that, much to our chagrin.”

Mizuki eased her stance. “The eldritch barrier?”

Tusk cleared his throat since he was a little hoarse. “There’s a moral and ethical concern to universes coming into contact with each other. Can people handle the fact that patterns of matter eventually repeat and how will they react to alternate timelines?”

“Yeah, dad and Chief Sigmund told me about a battle that happened in The Unlight before I was born,” Razor added. “Basically two groups of people from different universes couldn’t stand that the other was in the opposing political party. They ended up wiping each other out because they couldn’t come together in understanding.”

“I… wow…” Mizuki was having a hard time processing the idea of such an event happening. “I would have hoped other timelines would be more sensible than mine, not ten times worse.”

The magus twirled his sword. “Adding insult to injury, The Running God has been going to various universes to use the eldritch barrier as an excuse to stifle learning and progression.”

Maxima took offense to this. “That impudent, vile little waste of enlightenment! All that advancement and he uses it to spread irreverence!?

“If nothing else, we can all agree that the rogue gods are a menace to the Cosmos” Percival stated as he got ready to fight again.

Just as the bout was to resume, something stopped it in its tracks. It was a great presence, similar to that of Adelheid and Ulrich. A giant cloud of thunder and crystals rushed down to the group. What emerged was a man in black robes with dazzling, blue stripes. His hair was messy and his smile looked as if it was struggling to keep itself from laughing. The man’s eyes studied everyone before him, gleaming in an impossible shade of blue. Tusk and the others quickly realized it was Kleitos himself.

“That’ll do, Percival. Come in, all of you!”

“My liege! You can’t just let them in…”

He held up his hand. “Ah, I’ve been intrigued ever since they arrived.”

Percival could sense he was not going to change his lord’s mind and sheathed his sword. “Very well, my lord. You four may enter.”

Kleitos’ castle was the pinnacle of his realm. The interior was gorgeous, made of rare metals and gemstones. Along nearly every wall were countless bookshelves, stuffed to the brim with tomes and grimoires. Lizard-like entities were climbing all over them, moving around the books and returning some to their rightful places The organization and beauty of it all was truly mesmerizing.

“Normally all of you wouldn’t be able to get in here so easily, but this is a special occasion after all” Kleitos remarked with a chuckle.

“I trust you know that we’re here to address the obvious then?” Maxima asked as they were led to a rather cozy parlor.

The discordant god sighed. “Given my boundless wisdom, I figured this would come up eventually. I’ll admit that I thought it was going to be Cynerberht and Beorhtric that would speak to me, however.”

“I can’t say I blame Wulfric for his ambitions given the nonsense I had to go through with the Lich” Tusk said as he took a seat. “I’m sure King Sten would also be sympathetic towards him too.”

“Mm, yes, it is quite the conundrum” Kleitos replied as he lit the fireplace and took his seat. “There’s no doubt that Wulfric’s war against the rogue gods would be a time of great learning, as conflict is the catalyst of progress. Alas, books are usually the first to go on the field of battle. I’m torn between fostering the Cosmos and securing it, truth be told.”

Maxima nodded sympathetically. “I can certainly relate to this plight. The Atlantean civil war taught us a lot at the cost of our peace. This is what I hate about learning: It requires a reason. It can’t just be I want to learn, no, it has to be because one of your sisters went off her rocker!”

Kleitos laughed. “And sadly the solution isn’t getting rid of conflict. I can’t even begin to tell you how many fools have to come to me asking how to do that. Not to throw Aeron under the bus, but he was one of the first.”

Tusk thought back for a moment. “Well it’s just like The Child of Old once said: It’s all just something that happens. Otherwise life would be meaningless… Don’t quote me on that, I’m paraphrasing from memory.”

That seemed incredibly familiar to Maxima. “Tusk, do you mean Hermes Trismegistus?”

“Is that what he’s called now? Again, I’m drawing from a lecture my father attended in The Magician’s Labyrinth a while before I was born.”

“That Hermes is quite the special one” Kleitos asserted. “He was visiting my realm not too long ago. In fact we discussed my current state of affairs. He suggested I really start spreading my knowledge amongst the Cosmos. The problem is that I don’t know what to do at the moment. I’m a scholar, not a soldier; but I feel that I need to take up arms and fight alongside my brother. And here I thought everything would become clear to me when I inherited my honors from Zertherhar. I guess I know how dad felt when he was in my position.”

“It’ll be alright, Kleitos” Maxima assured. “You’ll just have to be patient and keep searching for those answers. It sucks when you find nothing, but it will be all the more sweeter when you find what you’re looking for.”

“True, but is it worth the hassle to do so?” Tusk put forth. Both Maxima and Kleitos groaned as he had a point.

Kleitos exhaled and pinched his bridge. “Tusk, you wouldn’t believe how many times that has kept me up at night, amongst a myriad of other quandaries. Being the Discordant God of Knowledge isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.”

Tusk turned to Razor. “Hey, have anything you want to say?”

“Not really. It would just amount to stuff you guys have already said.” He shifted slightly. “What I can say is that this is confusing, but I’m not complaining, as usual.”

This made Kleitos chuckle again. “I bet you were expecting more action, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, but I won’t curse that fact. This is giving me a good feel for what I have gotten myself into.”

“Many think we gods of chaos are mere, identical hooligans, but in reality we’re all vastly different from each other” Kleitos replied. “Keep that in mind as you traverse our domains.” He then turned to Mizuki. “You may have the floor, Ms. Kitagawa.”

“My apologies, but I don’t have much to say as all of this is well beyond the knowledge of my people…” Mizuki could not just leave it at that. She had to say something worthwhile. “Kleitos? Do you know what happened to the demon I was pursuing?”

“Well if my sources are correct, he’s dead. A beastman with electrified, purple fur defeated him in Great Torrent Canyon in The Unlight.”

“Ha, told’ya” Tusk cut in.

This caused Mizuki to slump in her chair. “Now what do I do with myself? That was the reason I left my homeland in the first place.”

“Don’t despair, dear,” said Kleitos. “You could join that ULTRAMagic guild Ultimatum is working on.”

She sat up. “Tusk, would you have me as a member of the guild?”

He smiled and shook her hand. “Welcome to the guild, Mizuki.”

A steward entered the parlor, informing everyone that dinner was ready. Naturally Kleitos invited the four to come eat and they happily accepted. Within the grand dining hall was a majestic long table adorned with a lavish feast. There was a wide variety of meats, vegetables, breads, and fruits with every dish meticulously prepared. The scents wafting through the air were incredibly delectable and one would be forgiven for thinking they were in Delphine’s realm.

All of this was thanks to Kleitos and his followers having too much time to study on their hands. Why not learn how to cook and prepare meals? The feast reminded Maxima of her time in Atlantis, given how luxurious the whole situation was. Kleitos was flattered to receive her praise. Despite being a god higher than her, manners and first impressions were paramount for him.

Tusk was enjoying a plate of spaghetti and bread when he thought of something to say. “You know, Kleitos? If Wulfric had come to me back when I was a tree, I probably would’ve sided with him.”

“Oh? What changed your mind?”

“Blood-Wraith. His determination inspired me to get off of my roots and do something. Life is annoying and uncertain, but do what you think is right. And if not, oh well, there’s always next time.”

“Tusk, you have a very good outlook on life” Percival complimented.

“Thanks. I mean, it cost me an arm, but all miracles require some form of sacrifice” he remarked as he flexed his stone hand.

Percival patted him on the back. “The man who gives the most receives the most. Never forget that.”

“Well spoken, the both of you” Kleitos concluded. He then noticed something. “Hold, on the walls have ears…”

Upon Kleitos snapping his fingers, someone was sent flying from the outside of the castle. General Karnage had been listening in, but now he was rocketing back to his fortress in Wulfric’s domain as a ball of fire. He landed by crashing through his roof. His servants then came to assist him as he frantically put himself out.

“YOU WORTHLESS, BOOK-HUFFING COWARD!” Karnage cursed as loud as he could. His servants coward away, except for one who looked to be of fairly high rank.

“My liege, what happened?”

“Never mind that!” Karnage snapped. “I think we now have another target for my plans to revive The Tyrant God” he explained as he doused a tiny flame on his facial hair. There was a hint of foul pride in his voice, like he could barely contain his excitement.

“And who would that be, General?”

Karnage went over to his study. “Send a message to Anne Vozenilek. Tell her to have that miserable son of hers and that infernal gold digger he bums around with to start gathering information on Blood-Wraith Raynot and The ULTRAMagic Guild. Perhaps that bumbling cult Milosh was so insistent on starting can be useful after all.”

The servant accepted his orders with a bow. “With utmost haste, my lord. Will there be anything else?”

“Bring me the finest blood wine from the depths of Wulfric’s vault. And when you return, we shall have a toast to Mr. Raynot.”

“As you wish…” The servant vanished.

Karnage let out a maniacal cackle with utmost pride. “Is it the date of my birth?! Because all of this is just too easy!”

Next: Chapter 9

ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)