The amethyst pendulum swings gently in a steady metronome, with time being the wind. But say the holder changes the vector in its movement, and the pendulum moves backwards. What may we all see regarding this?
Granny Baba POV
Granny Baba watched her little snow-feathered familiar continuing to protest her innocence despite the overwhelmingly clear evidence that perhaps she had flown too far off course one too many times and thus created this entire ordeal of getting lost and taking almost a decade to find herself back home.
Lady Winter refused to acknowledge it, although her large eyes occasionally shifted nervously whenever Granny reminded her of all the times she abandoned her quests to chase field mice or to pinch berries off the stems of thin blue root trees that grew specifically near the shores of the dryads' lake further east, where the sun arrived in partial embraces. The snowy peaks adorned vast empty reaches filled with ice caps and frozen lakes.
Granny wasn't going to hold it against the little owl, though. Considering there was a genuine (but widely unproven and yet accepted) chance that the further one's familiar strayed from its host, the likelihood that 'free will' became the centrepiece of their decision-making. This explained why most Conjurers would often attach mana stones carrying their unique signatures to allow a familiar, potentially making a long journey, to remain constantly replenished by the host's mana stores to prevent this from occurring.
'I must be getting old if my Mana is no longer pure enough to sustain Lady Winter on long journeys,'
Granny thought to herself in self-reflection. Granny, who had lived through countless wars and societal changes over several decades, was experienced enough to understand when the flow of time had caught up with her. She could only be grateful that perhaps only now her abilities had just started to show signs of waning after so long.
"Ba! Although I can't fathom a life where I can't freely cast Rank 4 incantations, I should start making countermeasures towards the fast-approaching future. Hmm, maybe I should look into employing a few... hm? Granny felt a sudden chill crawling down her neck. Her words were cut short by the sudden arrival of a strange presence.
'How strange, ' she thought, ' when was it last that something or was someone brave enough to try something like that? Hm? Could it be a mutated beast of some kind?'
Granny peered with deep wonder towards the direction she sensed the disturbance coming from. Mutated beasts of a rarer kind were prone to displaying characteristics outside the expected norm. Most usually, they were mindless-strong creatures who went on killing frenzies.
There was an unsettling feeling in the air today, and her instincts were practically screaming at her to take this very seriously. She stole glances at her shelves of books a few times. Did she have enough time to prepare? Perhaps she ought to, or maybe she was placing too much expectation on a mindless creature that may or may not be a real threat.
'Heh! I seem to have become quite senile in my thinking these days, fufufuh.'
She gently rubbed the soft pale coat against the oblivious snow-coloured owl's helm as she pondered her past.
"Since when did I become so cautious? Those old fogeys would certainly have a lot to say if they saw me in this state; hehe, well, I guess I should go and see what all the fuss is about."
During the old days, amongst her peers, there stood a time when she was considered the most eccentric and the most likely to jump into matters head-first without thinking. The days of old were when she was frightened even by the most seasoned adventurers.
Granny shifted her aged eyes toward the shelves of books one final time. Her gaze filled with deep wonder mixed with an internal struggle, deciding whether or not this intruder would desire extensive preparation.
In the end, she exhaled a soft sigh and decided against it.
The time it would take to gather the necessary components could spell trouble if that thing remained left unchecked. Without wasting any more time, Granny proceeded towards the closed door. Halfway along, she stopped against her heels and peered around over her hunched shoulders towards the curiously watching Lady Winter.
Her aged features creased into a soft smile.
"Listen, I have a feeling something troubling is waiting for me. So I need you to go and find the nearest Arcanist and deliver this, my sigil of power to them."
Hearing that speech, Lady Winter's reaction was one of complete horror. The owl flapped its wings in panic before taking to the air, where it incessantly chirped, not only because of its displeasure towards having to fly away again on what it personally considered a mindless goose chase. But secondly, why was she considering doing something so final out of the blue?
The owl had been sired for quite a long time to understand the temperament of her host, but Granny only smiled warmly towards her faithful companion, patting the owl gently against its round, fluffy helm.
"You worry too much. Just obey what I've asked of you. I promise I'll be much nicer to you next time."
The earnest warmth from her voice seemed to have settled the frantic heart of her little familiar. Before she set her on her way, she placed a tiny sandy-coloured seed between her sharp beak before ruffling her belly as she watched the owl wasting no time devouring the delicious, invigorating nourishment pebble she made specifically for animals.
***
Granny finally opened the cottage door, allowing a slightly cooling wind to blow past her frame. She took her first few steps into the outdoor world.
Being Little Su's birthday, she was a little self-conscious about how to make it unique.
This unusual ordeal might be a great way to show him firsthand how to deal with monsters across the broader realms.
'I do hope Demoria hasn't sensed anything and gone charging in recklessly, tsk! I should make haste then, just in case.'
She wasn't worried about Little Su getting into any trouble. He was by far the level-headed one between the two. Although his weird behaviour hadn't gone unnoticed, and there was still that mysterious mind palace of his, he was still the same little boy who was cautiously shy at heart.
Granny held her cane beneath her palm, casually walking along the golden dust road sleek between the carpet of standing golden wheat. Her heart was filled with peacefulness, the embrace of the warm sun above, and the rich splendour of the formless soothing wind wrapping over her old bones.
Today, she felt a unique richness stirring within the air. This sort of feeling was a welcome reprieve from her usual worrisome-filled days. On the one hand, Granny Baba felt it was unusual for her to be so at peace within herself; on the other side of things, she couldn't deny her innermost self allowed her to think about the foggy memories of the days of old.
It was a time when her greatest worry was acquiring enough resources to better her centre of powers, be it her Mana core's improvement or the arduous process of increasing her mentality. During those lonely days of her youth, she would undergo a much self-fulfilled journey of finding different ways to improve her centres of power, venturing through catacombs and uncharted hidden realms.
She arrived at the foot of the rising hill, where her gaze drifted towards the giant oak tree, standing atop the lonesome hill, arrayed mightily in its usual boisterous splendour beneath the golden sun.
'Hm, how strange. Why can I sense Demoria and Little Su up there?'
Granny focused her intent on increasing the range of her natural sensory ability. Something strange about that earlier presence she felt entering through the barrier. The air sat eerily quiet, too quiet considering she was sure something unusual had dared to venture through the warden barrier. Granny straightened her cane in her grasp and gently tapped it a few times against the soft ground.
Her lips parted aside, and a gentle flow of words danced with intent into the air.
"Airo em {Lift me}"
A rogue wind stirred beneath her grey robes, carrying her gracefully into the air and up the steep hill. Arriving at the summit, Granny was almost dismayed at the scene before her.
To her left side, she heard the painful cries of the brown-feathered young Gryphon struggling to break free from a series of dark, thorny vines writhing around its entire body. Her eyes moved across the open space beneath the shadows cast beneath the towering oak. Beneath which, her two children were lying against the ground.
Neither moved a muscle, but thankfully, she knew they were both alive. At worst, they were unconscious or under some spell.
Granny trailed her cold gaze further along, placing her expressionless glare upon the presumed perpetrator of all of this. A swell of ire burned coldly in her chest. Thankfully, she had the experience to quell her erupting anger. For now.
The strange presence she sensed fitted the stranger's appearance. A tall figure, draped in a long beige coat, worn over a tall-necked single-piece costume with noticeably long padded shoulders. Granny narrowed her gaze, sensing something was amiss by the two humps hidden beneath the coat.
On top of its head was a tall black top hat resting on its helm. Its face was hidden behind a faceless plain grey mask with the black symbol of a ' ? ' etched in the middle.
From a single look towards the strange visitor, Granny understood this figure was completely shrouded in mystery. So much so that she was pretty sure she hadn't seen such clothing before in her entire life as an Arcanist. Alarm bells started to go off. While she inspected this strange, enigmatic figure, her gaze trailed downwards, specifically towards what the figure was seated on.
A look of surprise noticeably flashed across her stare as she beheld who she assumed was Toto left in a bloody heap. A cold feeling subtly crawled against her skin, watching his giant body sprawl awkwardly beneath the fellow, who disregarded all manner of honour whilst using him as a seat. She clenched her fists so hard she could hear her bones crackling.
From a scrutinizing look, Baba could tell he had been left worse than the first three. Blood leaked out of the side of his slightly opened mouth, with his face covered in bruises and cuts. There were also tears still falling from his slits; the big lug could only whimper softly.
Granny lowered her eyelid before gently brushing the strand of silver away from her left side. A cold smile creased against her lips.
'How long has it been?' She asked herself inwardly
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How long since something chose to test her patience like this openly?
She exhaled a deep, murky breath before slowly opening her accursed golden eye. Her dark passenger almost forced herself into the fray, announcing itself with a guttural chilling groan.
"Do you know... who you have dared to make an enemy out of!"
The dreadful voice croaked with venom as Granny allowed her intent to pour out. The very air itself seemed to crackle and whine against the tyrannical aura.
In response, the shady figure chuckled to himself, unmoved by the apparent baleful intent threatening to smother everything.
What graced her ears next was a surprising youthful laughter with husky undertones, telling Granny it was purposely distorting its voice somehow.
"Long ago, there was an ode sung by a bard concerning four of the most beautiful hills he had ever seen." The youthful-like voice playfully sang.
"He desired to share his longing with the world and fought terribly with the natural order of things. But in the end, he never did find a way to show just how beautiful he found these hills. He only had a song, one not nearly as beautiful as the hills. In fact..." his voice faded into a whisper, and the figure slowly rose away from Toto, brushing down its long and peculiar worn-out coloured coat in the process.
"The bard made terrible songs, to be quite honest with you, on the account he was considered tone-deaf, hehe-he was an awful bard.
It's such a useless story. But at least I have your attention now."
Granny noticed a dark furry creature unveiling itself behind the fellow's neck. Its coat was smooth and as black as the soulless night. The little kitten meowed softly before aimlessly blinking with three unusual green eyes staring into her soul.
Despite the cold rage coursing throughout her old bones, Granny maintained her calm demeanour. At this point, several thoughts circled throughout her mind. She had to make decisions right now, some of which may impact the lives of the three people she beheld dearly to her heart.
Yet, with such thoughts festering, none of which came close to the genuine problem she was internally trying to solve.
'Why can't I sense anything from him?'
The enigmatic figure stood before her, a mysterious presence that defied her every attempt to read or understand. It was as if he existed outside the realm of the senses, untethered by the laws of intent and mana that governed this world.
And yet, despite the mystery that shrouded him, Granny Baba could not shake the feeling of familiarity that tugged at the edges of her mind.
There was something about this stranger that resonated with a distant memory, a long-forgotten fragment of her past. Only nothing appeared at the forefront of why this felt so familiar.
'Who is he? ' she thought, her golden eye narrowing as she studied the faceless mask and the peculiar attire he was dressed in.
'And what does he want with my children?'
But even as the questions raced through her mind. Granny knew she could not afford to let her guard down; she could not allow herself to be swayed by the stranger's cryptic words or the unsettling presence of the three-eyed kitten perched upon his shoulder.
"You have made a grave mistake coming here," she said her voice a cold, imperious thing that belied the fury beneath the surface.
"And you will pay dearly for the harm you have inflicted upon those under my protection."
The figure tilted his head, a gesture that might have been curiosity or amusement were it not for the unreadable mask that concealed his features.
In all her years of studying and affecting the arcane, Granny herself couldn't recall ever meeting someone who didn't carry a unique mana signature. To fledglings of the art, a mana signature was considered a scent. Mana was always present, therefore incantations, intent, or even one's breath carried traces of mana within it.
Every living thing, so to speak, was filled with negative energy. As such, there would always be a way to not only sense mana, but those versed enough could manipulate it within and around others.
On the other hand, that 3-eyed cat was oozing with it.
She exhaled a murky breath and finally made her decision.
"You sound foreign. I imagine you're from a distant land. Perhaps one of those obscure worlds hidden behind the veil... Hmm..."
"Buahaha—ah, and why would you think that, legendary Arcanist?"
"Only those from another world would perhaps feel foolish enough to bother me."
Granny raised her cane and brought it down.
A gust of strong wind stirred and sent a heavy force roaring forth. Granny flipped her palm over, and her dark voice cackled maniacally into the air.
"Book!"
The sound of iron chains clanging ensued. A dark light bloomed from her withering palm, and a large opened book was conjured. Her grimoire noisily howled into existence, its thick hard cover dressed in shadows and blossoming golden pages.
Granny saw the figure swiftly darting away. She raised her cane, and her fingers danced across the golden pages.
"Black Tentacles!"
A swirling grey rune appeared, with many rubbery black tentacles shooting towards the assailant. Before awaiting to see the fellow's next move, Granny had already begun chanting her second incantation. This time, her thin, mundane cane was the object of her chant, inciting a glowing amber light coiling down the spine of the thin wood. The cane started to bubble and contort, fashioning itself with a large bulbous head and taking a very earthy and rigid form.
She swung her cane towards the two children to the side, a soft golden hum emanating from the newly formed cane.
But to her surprise, she saw a barrier made out of fast-rushing water shielding them.
'He managed to cast an incantation that fast without a verbal component?'
Through the smoke, she saw an azure light glowing through the smoky cloud.
"Arah! That was scary! Kuku—so fast, I barely had enough time to react. I guess that's a Rank 5 Arcanist for you."
The masked fellow stepped out from the thick cloud. In his left hand was a large great sword made of azure particles. By his feet lay the writhing remnants of her spell.
Granny's brow furrowed slightly. He knew her rank and also how to break through her barrier. Those two things told her a lot about the masked fellow. A lot, but not nearly enough.
"You won't be able to save them without going all out," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
"One of my greatest joys coming here was seeing a legend up close." He added, sounding slightly saddened, almost.
"Oh? So you're an admirer? How rude of me. Let me give you a welcome fittingly, in hopes this meeting never goes forgotten."
Granny's fingers danced melodically against the pages of her floating grimoire. Another grey rune appeared beside her, where twice as many black tentacles poked their heads out from this time. She swiped her finger forward and sent the heavy worms bombarding forward. An ominous light shone against her cane again. She held the helm forward and spoke.
"Mana Missiles."
A series of tiny balls of pulsing revolving lights appeared. Four in total. Granny swiped her cane in a semilunar manner and sent those four balls of light streaming forth like arrows, with speed so fast they looked like shooting stars carved against the air.
The attacks left a loudening clap against the skies, followed closely by an earth-moving quake. Granny moved her golden eye towards the watery shield.
She exhaled forth again. She would pour more of her mana into this next Attack this time.
"Mana Missiles."
Instead of three arrows, she conjured one ball of light swirling with fury, twisting and crackling with pops of tiny electricity sparkling around it.
Granny held out her cane again and carried out a similar motion as before.
The ball of light streaked forth and slammed aggressively into the thick water barrier, swiftly causing it to disperse into scattered tiny water drops. Suddenly, she sensed something dangerous. Swiftly manoeuvring herself, she just about caught the shadow blurring toward her, getting ready to swing that obscenely large great sword towards her neck. Granny held zero chances of physically countering; she almost half expected this would've been the masked one's goal.
Only...
"Kukuku...those who have heard about me would've heard the most terrible mistake one could make was getting so close to my shadow."
Once those words were spoken, a black fire swirled around her golden eye. Granny creased a cruel smile in response to the quick and ferocious slash downwards from a shadowy essence rising from the ground. A large splash of blood sprayed against the air. The fellow who had dared to get so close was now doing everything within its power to evade, but Granny wasn't going to allow it to do so.
She held out her staff again and sent another series of mana missiles closely approaching him.
She kept her gaze perfectly locked onto his movements. Her plan to bait and force him into showing his trump card was seemingly going well. Arcanists always made sure each spell counted. There was no point tossing spell after spell at an opponent. That only increased the chances of being caught off guard and depleting your mana.
Most Arcane duels took place in phases: the Attack vs. the Counter. Hence why most Arcanists spent a great deal on defensive spells and acquiring artifacts and buffs to help guard against the numerous range of elusive powers and unexpected attacksAttackmissiles found their mark and buried countless holes through his body and his long trench coat. At the same time, Granny had already sent black tentacles crawling towards the two children, finally dragging them further away from the battle.
She did the same for Toto, and the now unconscious little Gryphon nursing a broken leg and set them aside behind the solid oak.
"It's time for the kill shot." Her dark voice spoke through her
"I was already setting it up," Granny responded with a cruel glint encircling her eye
Granny's fingers moved gracefully across the opened pages again. This time, however, there seemed to spark a strange black, inky substance splashing away each time she stroked the pages as though she was striking the strings of a zither.
She held out her staff again and muttered coldly
"Chains of lightning."
A spark of electricity danced on the end of her staff, growing as big as a human head before it arced forward like a weapon.
The spell struck the assailant's body and sent a stream of amber coiled around him. Rings of lightning bound his body in place before burning through, leaving charred rings against him.
The masked fellow let out a terrifying wail into the heavens, halfway drowned out by the sound of the crackling thunder tearing his body to shreds.
Granny exhaled another deep breath as a tiny droplet of sweat finally ran down the side of her brow.
The pages flipped a few times against her grimoire, and she swiped across the page once using her index finger.
She gracefully lifted her wrinkled finger from the grimoire and held it before her eyes.
"Garuda's doorway."
She traced a small smokey ring before gently flicking her finger forward, sending the ring homing like a disk being thrown. The ring eventually found its mark and hovered beneath the masked fellow writhing in pain. The ring would expand, and a darkness would envelop the clear space.
An inhuman howl marked the air, followed by a hulking pale hand with long golden fingernails slowly appearing. The hand suddenly shot upwards like a snake and impaled the masked figure directly through his chest.