EPISODE 117: OBLIVION 1
— Hall of Attributes, Year 7291. Season: Color Fading.
Madria stared in concern as the ten primary elements battled around Lawruthian. Over a day passed since she woke from her meditative state. She’d advanced her understanding of Life to a hundred percent and felt an intricate connection with the element. She gazed down at her hand—expelling mana that was dense with the life affinity. As the energy left her, she felt reinvigorated just from its vicinity. Madria found it unfortunate that upon her awakening, she’d complete the Trial of Mind but found her prince to be in a deep meditative state as chaos surrounded him.
He was in a perilous state as the elements clashed against his (Mage Barrier)—attempting to batter it down in their duel for domination. Law appeared to hold an intense concentration, so much so that he hadn’t noticed Madria standing meters in front of him.
She studied him intently, his eyes were open, and his gaze was settled on ten hovering balls of elemental magic—each was approximately the size of a large melon. There were four balls that encircled him, while another size spun in a slow vertical circle—the elements he began to master, at least, that was how Madria understood it.
“I just don’t understand why you’d put yourself in such danger,” Madria whispered. The ten primary elements bashed against Lawruthian occasionally. However, the might of his shield seemed strong as it halted the advancement of any attacks.
Madria knew his mana expenditure would be great, but fortunately, it seemed Lawruthian held enough. Her thoughts drifted to the actions of her prince since they’d been stranded from the Edryan Queendom.
“You’re a thrill seeker,” Madria summarized. “Not unbecoming of a prince, but your importance is far more than just a prince. You are a representation of Her, of our Goddess—the Mother of Magi, your responsibilities are so much…”
She trailed off… a complicated expression on her face. “Perhaps it is because of your responsibilities that you act in such a way…”
Her eyes brightened. “ This is your way of rebelling against your fate, is it not? You came from a world far different from our own and… you were thrust into the position of [Chosen of Madris] with little knowledge of what that truly meant… oh it would not have been a problem had you grown up in the church… but… you didn’t.”
She sighed and sat, comfortably. A moment after she did so, her stomach growled. “You could have at least taken off your storage bracelet!”
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You have partially comprehended a piece of the Primary Ten Elements. Would you like to merge this comprehension?
Yes.
No.
I hesitated for a moment before clicking yes.
Congratulations! You have merged your comprehension into a unified whole. Your comprehension of the Primary Ten Elements is now at ten percent.
I dismissed the notification. I wasn’t certain if this would have any implicating changes. A bone-deep weariness overtook me suddenly—the growl of my stomach accompanied it. What surprised me was that it was both physical and mental, and my shoulders sagged from the tiredness.
I stood, ready to make my way from the chaos surrounding me. A quick glance at my HUD alerted me that my mana levels were dangerously low.
HP: 885/885
SP: 795/795
MP: 122/1050
(Mage Barrier) did its job extremely well. I recalled the information on the skill.
(Mage Barrier) — Mythical
Description:
The first skill a mage acquires is one that protects their life.
Function:
Shield — Active/Passive
Project an unattributed barrier around yourself or your intended target. Automatic shielding functions are enabled. Base Defense is increased by 100-1000%.
Cost:
100-500 MP.
Its automatic shielding is what prevented hundreds of mages from quick assassinations at the hands of a warrior or another combatant. The only problem was its mana cost and its upkeep cost once active. Every hour, ten percent of the total cost would drain from me to keep the spell active. Thankfully, I wasn’t bombarded by constant attacks.
I faced forward, ready to leave, when I spotted my audience. Madria’s rustic golden eyes full of divinity watched me. I returned a sheepish smile—my good hand raised to scratch the back of my head.
“Well, are you just going to stand there? You have the bracelet, and I’m hungry,” she called out.
My smile widened, and I carefully removed myself from the center and back outside the range of the ten primary elements. Madria stood, and we converged by the entrance.
“How was your trial?”
“I’m sure far less dangerous than yours—with such potent elemental mana in the area, even a child should have no trouble. This has saved us around five or so years of meditation on the element. It seems the Council of Union spoon-fed the enhancement of Mind to Union’s inhabitants.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “True, it was far easier to feel a connection with the elements. I wonder what this place would have been like in its prime.”
Madria looked around wistfully, “Perhaps we could find some way to reinstate what this place was supposed to be…”
I gazed back once more at the elemental pillars, a thoughtful expression on my face. “Perhaps.”
***
I exhaled a small sigh of relief, satiated from the meal. We found ourselves in a dormitory-like area as we rested for the night.
“What do you propose the Trial of Self and Intent will require,” Madria asked.
We found ourselves in a binary room that held two sections for roommates. Madria sat on my bed as I sat in a comforter-like chair.
“Well, let’s break down both attributes first—it’s best we overview what the four we’ve unlocked have done for us. Maybe we can better plan for what is to come,” I began.
“Self governs our defense alongside Intent. However, it is also in charge of our regeneration. It is primarily Self that is the restricting factor.”
Madria nodded along, she sat crossed legged, and I found myself swallowing heavily. Her head was tilted to the side slightly, and her pure clear eyes watched me. She’s beautiful.
“If we look at the four attributes we’ve unlocked, our mastery of them is something that is… relatively simple but not inherently obvious. For Power, we discovered how to control it. Endurance’s enhancement was getting the maximum value from movement,” Madria said.
“Vitality was sacrificing… its enhancing to our Power is extreme, but I cannot say if it is truly worth the cost.”
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Madria nodded in agreement before she finished with the last attribute we comprehended. “Mind is elemental comprehension. ”
My eyebrows scrunched up. I wasn’t truly confident on what the enhancement we received with the Mind attribute did outside enhancing elemental effects. Madria saw my confusion and continued.
“What is Mind,” Madria questioned.
I smiled ruefully, I felt like I was back in Wil Silverhand’s class for a moment as I answered.
“Mind directly correlates to your mana level. The greater amount of points you have in the attribute, the more mana you have. It also is related to the tier of spells you can cast.”
I recalled the clarity I felt after I reached over two hundred in Mind and my ability to understand spells higher than the fourth tier.
“Yes, that is the case, and once we comprehend the elements to a certain level, our natural output within the Mortal Realm is enhanced. Do not forget the world—Genesis—imposes restrictions on us. ”
The moment Madria finished, I felt like a fog cleared in my mind. This was a lesson I learned long ago from Eliana and other tutors. The world helped with any magical casting, and a portion of a spell's mana would emerge from the surroundings.
“I believe Self may have something to do with the world’s restrictions,” I blurted suddenly before continuing. “You are only allowed to have a certain amount of strength in the Mortal Realm… it is why we believe the Gods to reside in the Astral Realm. Of course, with the knowledge we gained from Rasheed, we know there was much more going on. Perhaps it is why Titan’s reside in the Underneath Realm.”
“Lessoning the burden of restrictions… hmmm,” Madria pondered. She was silent for several moments as she contemplated on what I said.
“Then if that’s the case, Self must have something to do with regeneration. Our regeneration is stifled by Self, we cannot have both great defense and regeneration. If we can improve our regeneration through this…,” she finally said.
Then we’d become a lot more effective, efficient, and much more. It would be something that would enhance us, just as the first four attributes have.
“How would we figure this out,” Madria asked.
“The soul is key to all things,” I said, restating what the puppet earlier said. Before we left here, I will copy the runic pattern carved over it.
“I think there is a place that would help us. When I first arrived, I found a small pond that seemed to be connected to the Self attribute… but we should try to explore the Pillar of Self and Intent as it may hold better insights like here.”
Madria responded with confirmation before moving to the next topic.
“What is Intent?”
“That…, well…, I believe I know what the trial requires,” I said—my eyes shone with confidence as I began to describe my experience with the attribute.
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The pair of magi-humans emerged into the not quite day. Both were refreshed and walked with purpose as they gazed toward their final destination in the distance.
Their eyes roamed over the large destroyed portion of the forest, and where the battle against Olvido took place days ago. The area was flattened, trees closest to the blast radius were gone—not a trace remaining. Those outside the immediate ranged appeared sandblasted and much of their canopy and blast facing side were scrapped away.
Lawruthian swallowed as he gazed at the destruction… a warm hand quickly grabbed his, squeezing with strength, knowing it would not hurt him. He turned, eyebrows raised in part surprise, but mainly shock. That expression quickly disappeared, and he squeezed the hand of Madria back.
In the distance, they could see a snow-covered peak with a pillar that reached into the not quite day’s sky. Its top was covered by clouds, while its base appeared to begin halfway up a mountain. Snow fell within the area, but the pair remained unworried. The clothing they found was enchanted to resist such weather. It was the not quite dawn of a new day, and together the pair of magi headed out.
Their journey swiftly took them around the large area of destruction, as both held no desire to run into a Lord or the Aspect’s creation. Only around ten kilometers stood between them and the edge of the forest, from there they’d traverse through a snow-covered ground and to the pillar. Both were confident as they were on the final stretch of their imposed journey. First at the hands of Thraag Volkensha and then the Aspect of Knowledge, Rasheed.
They moved swiftly, but the closer to the edge of the forest they traveled, the more Lawruthian began to frown. Eventually, his quick pace slowed—before coming to a complete halt. Next to him, Madria paused, a question forming on her lips at the abrupt stop of her prince.
“Do you hear that,” Lawruthian asked, still frowning as a weapon appeared in his good hand. The other, a golem arm forged by him, remained strapped to his chest. Yet, he quickly unhooked the arm once [Limitless Love] was in hand.
“Hear what,” Madria asked. She wasn’t originally concerned, but after seeing her companion's actions, she began to prepare countermeasures of her own.
“Nothing.”
She looked confused at the words of her prince. “Nothing?”
“Exactly, do you remember what we heard even before we fully entered the Vilmind Forest?”
Madria eyes widened, and a wary expression appeared on her face. A silent spell was beginning to prepare itself in case their situation changed.
“Birds, animal calls, the chirps of insects… they’re all,” Madria said, pausing to finish her spell preparation.
“Gone,” Lawruthian finished. “They’re all gone. The forest is silent, like the savannah.”
“Then…,” Madria said. Her throat became dry, and she gazed around them warily.
“It won’t be here. It’s a predator. If it was going to ambush us, it would have been once we were a sufficient distance from the pillar. We’re nearly four kilometers out and nothing. No, if it’s anywhere…,” Lawruthian said. He re-strapped his arm and looked toward the distant Pillar of Self and Intent his words never finished.
“Let’s go, but move with more caution.”
Madria gave her conformation as the pair of magi began to travel once again. This time, their movements were much more cautious and their eyes roamed both above and below. Their physical aspects were not the only things deployed to search for signs of danger. The metaphysical aspects they held, their Intent, swept out in an all encompassing circle. It would pick up any strangeness in the area with a far quicker sense than their physical ones.
They traveled another hour before they neared the edge of the forest. This time, as their steps slowed, it was more in shock rather than fear or any other emotion.
Madria’s swallow was audible and this time, both arms of Lawruthian’s were active, a sword in one hand, shield in the other.
“That’s…,” Lawruthian said, voice strained with disbelief.
“Lily, the Lord of Power. May the creature find peace in the Promised Land.”
Before them was a massacre—felled trees littered with blood and bodies. Variants of the [Power Pup] who fought with their Lord lay scattered and decayed. At the center of the carnage was a single wolf, her lower jaw just… gone. Lacerations tore through her body in multiple areas while parts of her seemed to be decayed far quicker than others as a portion of her ribs and internals showed.
“Do you wonder if there is a Lord of each attribute…,” Madria asked suddenly. Her eyes steadily studied the destruction before them.
“If there were… then what has happened for the Hall of Attributes to fall so far?” Lawruthian gazed down at the mark on his hand, which signified the deaths of two [Echoes]. His thoughts unknown.
Madria began to pray and Lawruthian continued his observation, not straying too far from his companion. When she finished, he gave one respectful bow to the Lord of Power before they continued.
They were silent the rest of the journey out of Vilmind Forest. Each to their own thoughts as they prepared themselves.
Finally, they emerged at the edge and before them was a brilliant tundra that didn’t show a hint of vegetation. The pair’s eyes weren’t on the beautiful glistening snow or the grey pillar that pierced into the sky. Instead, their eyes were on footprints.
Blood-red prints dyed the snow as far as the magi could see. The print's direction, unmistakable as a blacken trail, led toward the Pillar of Self and Intent.
In that direction was their final trials. In that direction was Oblivion. At least, a remnant.
Madria waited next to Lawruthian. She would go where he guided, and it was clear her [Chosen] was contemplating. A light snow fell before them, and Madria feet shifted, the crunch underneath her boots the only sound apart from the wind.
“We have two choices,” Lawruthian began. Madria perked up and Lawruthian turned to face her as he talked.
“We can head for the pillar… Olvido is certainly guaranteed to be there. From the state of the Lord of Power… unless the Lord of Vitality was able to wound the remnant then…,” he trailed off.
Madria eyes glanced in the direction of the pillar at its mention before they returned to Lawruthian as he picked up speaking again.
“Or we can head for the pond like I mentioned. As we’ve seen, the internal’s of each pillar has halls to help us advance our understanding. This Hall of Attributes… it was most likely a school or a place or learning from what we’ve seen,” Lawruthian said. He pointedly glanced down at the emblem sown on their attire. It was far to similar to how his uniform at the academy was designed.
Madria felt the same as Lawruthian’s theory. Once they found the dormitory in the Pillar of Vitality and Mind and the various rooms available. It became clear that the hall was to serve as a place of training for the elites of Union.
She felt confident from their conversation earlier on being able to understand the remaining attributes, thus when she spoke it was with the same energy.
“I am confident in our ability to figure it out with…,” Madria began. Her eyes and posture radiated a confident energy and Lawruthian watched her with appreciation.
“…out the pillar. We figured out Power and Endurance in the beginning. The same will happen with Self and Intent. Olvido is dangerous, and far smarter than any mindless beast. Its ability to retreat shows and wait in ambush shows that it’s no ordinary thing. It is highly intelligent and its clearly slayed one Lord.”
Lawruthian nodded at her words, and together the two began to retreat—footsteps leading them back into the Vilmind forest and away from the danger.
Silently, the snow continued to fall behind them. The same sound was heard within the forest, as no other creature dared make itself known.