"So, you were here, Alice!" Völundr exclaimed with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He stumbled into the room, a cluttered space that resembled more a dilapidated library than a proper warehouse. Rows upon rows of dusty shelves lined the walls, holding a collection of old books.
‘Why did they call it the Room of Useless Objects anyway?’ Alice always wondered. Völundr had turned it into a storage space for his seemingly pointless and dumb inventions. Most of these contraptions were born out of accidents and lacked a clear purpose. But that was just his stoic and nihilistic perspective, she thought.
For Alice, this room held a special place in her heart. It was her favorite place in the entire castle. She relished in the peculiar and eerie shelved books, and she found joy in marveling at the oddities and worthless creations scattered throughout. From the moment she could walk, she had been experimenting and crafting, giving life to whimsical and nonsensical objects.
When Völundr called her name, Alice turned to face him, her face lighting up with a wide smile. The old man couldn't help but roll his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "Seriously?" Völundr sighed while she nodded gleefully.
"What have you discovered this time, my dear?" Völundr asked, curiosity piqued.
"Look at this, Völundr! Looky!" She shouted, pointing to various items around the room. "I've created these funny earpieces. I used some strange pad you stored in that yellow box over there on the bookshelf!"
Intrigued, Völundr took the blue feathered-pad headsets from her and put them on. She grabbed a smaller pair and put them on the ferret that napped on a chair next to her.
Then she procured a third pair and put them on, and from the pocket of her skirt, she grasped a small fruit resembling a strawberry. Before Völundr could react, she flung it to the floor, causing it to explode with a deafening rumble that rivaled the sound of a roaring lion in intensity.
"Oh, I heard nothing!" Völundr whistled, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Yeah!" She giggled. "These objects are useless until you find a use for them."
"I suppose so," Völundr conceded, pulling up a chair and settling down next to her.
She carried out her experiments on the old wooden desk at the center of the chamber, surrounded by an array of tools such as scalpels, spatulas, ceramic drills, and screwdrivers.
"You know, since I arrived here yesterday, I've been trying to study some of your books on Thaumaturgy, but I can't seem to grasp them at all," She confessed.
"You haven't been studying this whole time. When you arrived, you went straight to your room to sleep!" Völundr cleared his throat.
"Okay, okay. You're right," She conceded, rolling her eyes playfully. Völundr chuckled at her response.
"Which book have you been attempting to read.”
She handed him an ancient book with a heavy black leather cover. It was written in a language he recognized as Old English.
"It's no wonder you can't understand this book; it's written in Old English!" Völundr remarked, flipping through its pages.
"I tried it with the help of this other book!" She handed him another book.
"Old English for dumb people!" Völundr chuckled, amused by her surprises.
"Some things are similar, but most of the words are so different... Not only in pronunciation but also in their written form," She interrupted. "So, I can't understand what they are supposed to mean."
Völundr restrained himself from laughing this time as he caught his head with his palm. She felt bothered by his response.
"You know, I also attempted to read these books in Spanish or French. However, they are written in an old dialect. I studied both languages in school, but it's not enough for me to comprehend them properly." She frowned.
"Well, these books are antiques from the Middle Ages and such. They're mostly collector's items now. I suppose I should teach you in a more contemporary manner, using the current language!" Völundr cleared his throat. "Okay, let me think of where to begin."
He swiftly returned the books Alice had read to their rightful places on the bookshelves.
"You do know what Thaumaturgy means, don't you?" Völundr asked.
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"Well, not the etymology of the word, but... I have a general idea."
"The main meaning of Thaumaturgy is 'wonder-working' or 'miracle-working.' The Arlos and Janas, men and women respectively, are those who practice Thaumaturgy. They are known as Thaumaturgists. Do you know what it takes to cast Thaumaturgy?"
"To have superpowers?" Alice tilted her head to the right.
Völundr let out a sigh, once again facepalming. "Thaumaturgy is the act of manipulating Aether—the Aether within us or in the environment—to transform it and create miracles. Any Mågiat can become an Arlo or Jana with practice and study. They also need the ability to sense or see the stream of Aether."
"Mågiats are those...?" Alice raised her hand.
"Like your father. He hasn't studied or practiced Thaumaturgy. He is not an Arlo, at least not yet. According to the educational system, when Mågiats first perceive or sense the stream of Aether in their surroundings, they can be considered Arlos or Janas. But I don't entirely agree with that statement. You need to be able to cast at least a basic elemental spell."
"So, what are elemental spells?" Alice tilted her head to the left.
"Let me find something for you!" Völundr rummaged through various bookshelves, searching for the right book. As he searched, Alice petted her ferret, Dante, patiently waiting.
"Alright, I can't seem to find it. I'll just draw it for you," Völundr said, sighing and scratching his head. He placed a tabloid-sized paper on the table in front of her and started sketching a top-down view of a flower diagram using colored pencils. The flower had four petals above and another four petals below. In the center of the flower, he wrote the word Aether.
"With Aether, you can manifest the four fundamental basic elements in the universe: Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind," Völundr explained, noting down each element on the four upper petals. "Each element holds more power than the one that follows it. For instance, water can subdue wind, wind can control fire, fire can conquer earth, and earth can dominate water. Conversely, opposing elements cancel each other out; earth and wind, water and fire."
"But water extinguishes fire, doesn't it?" Alice frowned.
"Yes, water does extinguish fire, but it evaporates itself in the process of extinguishing it."
"So, it's like (-1) + 1 = 0," Alice gawked.
"Exactly! Now, let me continue with the diagram," Völundr uttered. "The process of one element subduing another means that the utilization of one element can alter the form of the subsequent element. When fire tames earth, it gives birth to lava or metal. If earth tames water, it creates wood or mud. When water tames wind, it forms snow or ice. And when wind tames fire, it produces vapor or smoke. Additionally, each element has its variations. Fire, for example, has lightning and heat as deviant forms. Earth encompasses all types of crystals. Water embodies shadow and light. And wind possesses sound and words. Of course, each element, whether tamed or deviant, can be combined to create an endless array of unique results. Everything in this realm has its counterpart."
"But to harness any of the elements, I first need the ability to sense or see the flow of Aether, correct?" Alice asked, and Völundr nodded in confirmation.
The girl widened her eyes in awe. Völundr was quite a talented illustrator. He depicted each element on the paper using geometric symbols based on triangles, coloring each symbol differently. The drawings reminded her of the intricate mandalas created by Buddhist monks using colored sand.
"Can I keep it? As a gift?" Alice eagerly requested when Völundr finished painting. She remembered that, after days of meticulous work, the monks would unceremoniously destroy their mandalas. She wanted to preserve this beautiful drawing.
"Of course!" Völundr smirked. "I dedicated time and effort to create this. I won't toss it in the trash."
Alice's lips curled towards her earlobes, a radiant smile gracing her face.
"However, you should know that there are exceptions to every rule. Allow me to present a hypothetical scenario. Let's say I am a seasoned and powerful Arlo specializing in earth manipulation, with years of experience. And you, on the other hand, are a novice and amateur fire Jana. What do you think would happen if we were to engage in a battle?"
Confidently, Alice exclaimed, "Of course, I will win. I'm Alice!" However, her self-assuredness quickly wavered as she reconsidered. "Okay, no... maybe I'm going to die in that fight."
Amused, Völundr chuckled. "In theory, fire does tame earth, but in practice, everything hinges on the skills of the Arlo, or Jana in your case. Any element can emerge victorious against its supposed tamer. In the real world, it all comes down to skill." As he finished the drawing, Alice stood there, captivated by the astonishing flower before her. Völundr used fifty different colored pencils to create this intricate illustration.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Völundr said, reaching into his pocket. He handed her a small mirror, resembling those used in compact makeup.
"A mirror?" She asked, inspecting the object.
"It's called Mirrojector. It allows you to project and interact with objects you've seen before. All you have to do is visualize the place you want to move to. That's all!" Völundr explained.
"What the heck do you mean?" Alice scratched her head, struggling to grasp the concept. Nonetheless, she accepted the mirror and tucked it into her skirt pocket.
"Please refrain from using any profanity," Völundr reminded her.
“Sorry.” She looked down at her fidgeting hands.
"Just give it a try when the opportunity arises. Oh, and I need you to go to The Unseen City of Paasilinna."
"The city of what? If it's unseen, I won't see it!" Alice taunted.
Völundr smiled and continued, "I'll send Steve along with you. Here's a map." He stood up once more and rummaged through the bookshelves to find a map, which he then handed to Alice. "This way, you can convince Steve that you know the city. Do you have your ring with you?" Alice retrieved her phoenix ring from her pocket and displayed it.
"When you return, I'll teach you Thaumaturgy and some Alchemy."
"Yes, sir!" Alice gleefully responded, playfully imitating a soldier receiving orders. She even saluted as if in the army.
"Very well, go get your dad. Don’t forget to say 'Paasilinna' and kiss the ring to transfer there."
However, not following his instructions, Alice kissed the ruby on her ring and vanished into thin air, turning into dust.
“No way,” he sighed as he noticed that Alice had forgotten the map on the desk. Völundr facepalmed, scooped the ferret up, and decided to get Steve himself.