Agnes was huffing, her hair dishevelled, and her eyes completely focused on the crown of the staff, where the three elements were gathering.
The blue tear was closer to the others than ever before, gold, red, and grey lines flowed down to the base of the staff, illuminating the many interwoven rune-patterns.
Both of Agnes' hands gripped the wooden branch, there the tri-coloured lines even flowed into her; similar lines appeared at the back of her hands, then up her arms.
Suddenly her breathing grew rough, and she felt herself trembling, she gnashed her teeth, her face switched to one of reluctance and regret, as the lines receded back onto the staff in one fluid motion, and her entire body eased up again.
She exhaled, exhausted, both mentally and physically, and there was still no real progress for her to feel even the tiniest confidence about.
Agnes set the base of the staff down onto the ground, then removed one of her hands to brush through her hair, she took a moment to breathe and relax, allowing her eyes to wander off.
The purplish mist surrounded her at all times, there was no change in its density or distance, unlike the shadow creatures that had been frozen on the spot since her vision changed upon grabbing the staff, they appeared to be coming closer, slow as it was, it still served to remind her of the passage of time outside... every minute she wasted here added onto her anxiety towards Cykrus' situation, and worst of all, there was no way to tell how much had passed in the first place.
"Heh." she covered her eyes with her hand, "Is this how you felt, Frey?" the darkness her eyes could see was more comfortable than the permanent purple, it even allowed her mind to recreate Frey's figure more easily, "Doom slowly ticking closer, while you are dedicating all of your time, all of your efforts into deciphering runes... it has been a while since I last did that, and I don't remember it being quite as awful as this." she chuckled.
Agnes had no problem remembering Frey's clothes, his hair, his posture, how tall he was, but his face... his face was blank in her memory, no matter how hard she tried, she could not envision what he looked like, whether he was smiling, laughing, had a straight face, or was crying, she couldn't imagine a single one of those, "Has it been that long since I last saw you? Even your voice is starting to slip from my mind." she removed her hand and opened her eyes; she looked back at the staff.
"Tch!" she placed both hands onto the branch, clasping it tightly, as if to strangulate the many Ironhoof faces that flashed through her mind, "You can't protect anyone you care about if you are weak, that's it. That's what this life is reduced to. A rank two mage? Pah. As if that was anything special. Even the rank three mages are lapdogs to the king, though they at least have a lot more freedom and power to decide for themselves." she grumbled, she knew that Aventia wasn't nearly as powerful as it used to be in the past, but recent events, as well as her first meeting with Daren, truly opened her eyes and showed her how insignificant she and her strength were.
"Haa..." Agnes exhaled, the thoughts that clouded her mind dispersed and disappeared into the corners of her head, but many others quickly took their place, one especially standing out from the rest, Cykrus.
She raised the staff into the air again, fire, wind, and earth, the three elements began to work in tandem and their light covered the staff once more.
Agnes glared daggers at the blue tear, she observed how it closed the distance to the others the longer their rotation went on, "It is obvious that the four have some sort of connection, except for the tear, they are flowing into each other, and seeing how the staff is still functional, they are not obstructing but for some reason aiding themselves. That could explain why it was possible for the staff to use different particles to fuel the fire... but still..." her forehead was getting warmer, and she could observe how her thoughts kept drifting towards her master.
She shook her head, a fruitless attempt to prioritize the mysteries of the artefact before her, to focus on the most pressing matter at hand; the tri-coloured lines travelled along her hands and arms, she could feel the pressure mounting, and with it her perception deepened on how the three elements cooperated, no, more like... they were being fused.
Those three lines that were passing through her body weren't separate entities anymore, it was much more complex than that.
It wasn't visible at first glance, but thanks to the time she spent confined within this purple mist, it became increasingly clear that the tri-coloured lines were impossibly close to becoming one, "But what is stopping you?" Agnes questioned.
The lines travelled up until they arrived at her shoulders, then abruptly stopped, her breathing was irregular, and her state of mind in turmoil, as she involuntarily painted a picture of Cykrus' defeat within her head.
She choked on her breath, then all colour drained from her face as she slumped to her knees, the three lines faded away.
Her one hand still held onto the staff, unwilling to even let go, while the other clutched her chest, feeling the heaving and her heartbeat.
"Urgh!" she slammed her fist into the ground, "What do you want from me?! Do you think I am failing on purpose? That I don't have enough resolve to do this? Gosh, I know that Cykrus could handle this situation a lot better than me, but he is him, and I am me!" she shouted as if she was talking to somebody.
"If I just keep waiting for him to come and rescue me, then when will I ever get the chance to do the same for him?! I pride myself as being the protector of Aventia, but when have I ever done something deserving of that title? Cykrus has both the brains and the brawns, he thinks of schemes, and then even acts them out himself, someone like that doesn't need a burden like me that simply acts on impulses..."
"This is the first time you could actually need my help, the first time I could stand between you and your enemies, act as your sword and shield... and yet here I am, trapped within the mechanism of some cursed old staff, meanwhile you are out there fighting for the survival of your home, of your family's legacy... At the rate my life is going, I will probably escape from the Land of Fog only to hear that you are already dead! That the shitty Ironhoofs have trampled and burned everything that you and your ancestors built! That they ransacked your treasury, and that those traitorous nobles tossed their pride in the dirt and grovelled at their feet to escape the same end!"
She lifted the staff into the air, then slammed it into the ground, "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it, damn it!" she repeatedly slammed the staff into the ground, the earth beneath her feet was quaking heavily.
Her hand began to tremble, "No, no, nothing has happened yet... don't go imagining the worst-case scenario..." she clenched her teeth, "But if it comes to pass... I vow to kill every single one of those critters-"
"Fuck!" she burst out, once again gripping her forehead as if she was burning up, "What is wrong with me?! Why am I so on edge?!" Agnes frowned at the staff while holding it tightly.
"It's been getting worse and worse, ever since I got trapped in here with… you-" she raised one of her eyebrows as her own words settled in, "That cannot be... surely... an artefact that can influence a human's thoughts?" she looked around herself, at the purple fog and the shadow monsters, then at the elements at the tip of the staff, "Well, it wouldn't be the most outrageous thing so far."
That absurd notion was strangely sobering, with the ground beneath her thoroughly pulverised, she sat down and crossed her legs, she regulated her breathing and paid attention to the rhythm, allowing the images to come and go as they pleased, barely paying them any heed.
The visions that came to haunt her finally let off, allowing her to get some peace of mind for a change.
It felt liberating, like she was in charge of herself again, like that her thoughts slowed down, until there was just a blank slate left.
A singular drop of water fell, and upon landing rippled the ocean that was her mind.
Water, the element that had been with her for all her life, for better or worse, causing her both lifelong scars, as well as giving her the opportunity to arrive at where she was today.
Agnes found herself standing at the centre of this deep and dark ocean, the unknown spread in all directions, it was all around her, but however much she feared the depth, she knew that she wouldn't stumble or break through the surface and drown.
It was an instinct as much as it was her firm believe that the ice below her feet was thick enough to withstand even the greatest of pressure.
And so, she took a leap of faith, a step forward towards the unknown, her toes met the water, and as soon as she put the rest of her weight onto the ground, it turned to ice.
To her, water was nothing more than a means to an end, a necessary ingredient to her magic and life, but it wouldn't control her, it was a mere tool that she was to control.
She continued walking, step by step the ocean beneath her froze, and not just the spaces she stepped on, but all of its surroundings with it.
The depths below no longer looked as scary, each of her steps carried confidence, and brought her closer to her goal, shrouded in darkness far of in the distance, but as long as she continued moving with her desire in mind, it would eventually appear on the horizon.
The black sky within her mind brightened as it opened up to the world, the particles around her appeared to greet her and settled atop the ceiling of her imagination.
One giant chunk of particles was especially prominent, outshining even the brightest that had gathered.
Agnes continued walking but raised her head to view the natural beauty that surrounded her.
She raised her hand, as if to gently caress the chunk of particles, and they in turn reached out to her as well.
The many blue particles that gathered within the chunk had been released and were drawn towards Agnes.
They danced around her, like cheerful fireflies, accompanying her on her long and seemingly endless path.
Her mind began to tingle, then she reached her hands out to meet the blue particles that spread around her, while many continued their orbiting motion, the rest carefully settled down on her hands, arms and shoulders, fearlessly drawing closer.
Agnes was enveloped in pure bliss, her heart warmed and she was reminded of one of her earliest memories... of when she and both of her brothers, as well as her father were playing in the snow, building a fortress together, and then having a fight with snowballs, until she was hit in the face and started sobbing.
Agnes sat there with her eyes closed, she exhaled white mist as the burning of her forehead gradually ceased.
She smiled, unaware of the tri-elemental lines that were climbing up her arms yet again, this time not because Agnes was forcefully attracting them, but because they had started moving on their own.
They curved up her arms, then crossed her shoulders, and circled around her neck, before moving further up towards her temples, along her jaw and cheeks.
Agnes' memory came to an end, and her vision returned to the starry sky, and the boundless ocean beneath her, but there was a new addition she hadn't noticed before... among the particles high up above her there was an incredible phenomenon of light, gold, grey, and red ribbons were interwoven with each other, gliding across the heavens as if they were alive, like a celestial artist was painting a picture right before her eyes.
Agnes mouth was agape, a gasp escaped her lips at the wondrous sight, she stretched out her fingers towards the strange fabric of magic that displayed itself to her.
The ribbons swayed in the sky for a moment before accepting the invitation she had given them.
They glided through the air, then just like the blue fireflies, the veil now also twirled around her gracefully, like a soft blanket wrapping up the young and freezing child that she used to be.
The warmth that was centred within her heart spread up and down her body, down to her toes and her fingertips, as well as up to every strand of hair.
Her eyes widened as the scenery around her underwent a drastic change, up in the sky a blazing red and orange star settled in, shining its brilliant light down at the frozen ocean that melted away the everlasting ice Agnes had spread.
The frozen area shrank inwards, and at the outside where the snow and ice melted, there, brown barren earth revealed itself; the water nourished the earth, and soon life emerged from it, first grass, then shrubs, until even trees rose out of the ground to challenge the sun in the sky.
Evaporated water took to the heavens, where it gathered in the form of clouds that attempted to cover the sun.
Strong gales whooshed through the rows of trees below, but in numbers there was unity, and so they together managed to stand strong and brave the winds that threatened to uproot them.
As the clouds finished manifesting, they released a downpour, returning the water to the lake where Agnes was left standing… the cycle was complete, fire, earth, wind, and water, the four elements had harmonized, though they were still at odds, they also nourished each other.
Agnes took in the entire sight, the warm feeling that covered her from head to toe reached its peak, looking at the four elements felt like opening an entirely new door to unheard and unseen possibilities.
The tri-coloured lines on Agnes' real body then received a fourth glow, blue joined the red, gold and grey, and everywhere those lines had moved glowed intensely.
Something was changing inside of her… her eyes slowly opened, they too shone in the same brilliant lustre as the lines that connected her and the staff.
The shadow creatures around her turned to smoke and were obliterated the moment her eyes had fully widened.
Her unwavering gaze pierced through the purple fog and scattered it, she could once more make out glimpses of the beyond, of the true Land of Fog.
But despite the exhilarating euphoria that was coursing through her veins, her face scrounged up, and her fingers twitched, she looked back within, to the four elements that had assimilated themselves into her mind and body…
She turned her gaze at each of them, and it was far from kind.
Agnes lifted her head, her eyes had turned almost hollow, and her expressions were dark and sinister, she fiddled with the blue particles that still clung to her hand, then looked at each of the four intruders, "Words cannot describe how grateful I am for the aid you have provided me… but it seems you all are under the wrong impression." her words were bitter and carried all of the arrogance that made her into who she was, "This place isn't your playground, for you to mould and form however you'd like…" as she spoke the lake she was standing on froze over one final time.
Even though the sun tried its best, it was unable to overwhelm the ice, as it had done only moments ago…
Agnes raised her hand, and from her palm a single snowflake tumbled towards the ground.
Although the elements couldn't talk, their terror was evident through the tension in the air.
Everything seemed to hold its breath as that lone snowflake fell towards the ground, upon impact it scattered, and unleashed a snowstorm the likes of these intruders had never observed before!
The lake froze in but a fraction of a moment, the water stood no chance against the product it was used to create, but the storm did not cease, it spread further out, assaulting the unity of the trees, and the earth they were bound to.
They stood tall and remained so throughout it all… but it made no difference, once they were encased in even taller walls of frost.
The wind desperately ran and tried to evade the blows of the cold, but once the ice-walls had created a valley, there was nowhere left for it to escape to.
All winds froze in place, revealing their true form, and joined the other two elements in their plight.
The sun high above scoffed at the sight, its brethren had no chance, a fire, however, wasn't extinguished quite as easily once it had been lit.
High and mighty as it felt, it allowed the harsh storm to approach it without batting an eye.
And true enough, the snowstorm failed to live up to the terror it had made them feel… as ferocious as it was, it couldn't withstand the heat of the sun, while also supressing its siblings.
But Agnes' face was not one of worry, in fact, her expression darkened even further, she had invited these forces, yes, but they had rapidly outstayed their welcome.
The white ice and snow beneath her feet trembled, tremors were visible on the lake's surface beneath its icy coating, and the aura she was releasing underwent a change.
The cold she radiated was nothing compared to this!
It felt worse, no longer was her magic giving off goosebumps to the sun, but in its stead sheer terror…
The white hue all across her mind darkened, a deep and deathly blue, that nearly bordered at black took its place.
The lake underneath Agnes became dead-silent, not a single wave showed itself, the wind in the air trembled from fear, the leaves on the trees wilted and shirked back, life itself was cowering before her unleashed energy.
Even the mighty sun wanted to increase its distance, move higher up into the sky, but a flash freeze whizzed by, dimming the light, and enshrining even the very source of warmth itself in corrupted ice.
Agnes looked through her mind, the anger within her had subsided, and a content smile spread across her lips, since she could feel the sudden submissiveness of the four elements.
Then she looked past it all, back towards the outside, where there was no more purple fog to obstruct her vision.
She spotted Matilda, Sarah, and Till… unharmed.
Agnes exhaled, but her action was cut short as the remainder of the lot entered her vision, there were also Sinnah who held onto that healing artefact she advised them to get, Tomalta who was carrying Miser within his arms, who was clearly unconscious, and covered in shallow wounds, but he didn't look quite dead yet.
And worst of all… "Fraten." Agnes forced out that unpleasant word, like a curse.
"Congratulations Miss Whitewood. I am incredibly delighted to see that the staff is under your control." the old man smiled at her, his clothes were in tatters, and some parts of his exposed skin were charred black, but neither of that affected his shrewd head.
Fraten clasped his hands in front of his chest, making a light bow, then he pointed at the gang of three with the unconscious Miser, "Knowing that you would succeed I carefully looked after your dear subordinates on the way back here, even going so far as to escort them safely and fend off any shadows that we came across." he smiled at Agnes, his crooked thoughts were as plain as day, but no one dared to speak up in this situation and intervene between the two mages.
"What do you want?" Agnes spoke neither loud nor quiet.
"Heh, well of course, it's the staff. You are a smart woman, there is no need for lies or word-games between us… but I understand that you won't give me the staff without anything in return… Not only will I return your subordinates entirely unharmed, I will also ensure that this one receives the proper care he needs-" Fraten said while pointing at Miser.
"And most importantly, since the staff is quite valuable… I will personally negotiate with the family head, to allow you to enter the family's treasure, and take anything with equal worth." he continued, then looked into Agnes' eyes, hoping to see an approving glint, but instead there was nothing, her face remained still.
Agnes swayed her head over to Matilda, who did not dare return her gaze at the moment, her choice was clear, it was to save her friends and allies but expecting that answer out of Agnes was purely wishful thinking… the staff's worth was apparent, even to an outsider, someone who didn't know the first thing about magic.
Seeing her indecisiveness Fraten grumbled internally, but he didn't show it on the outside, instead he flashed another smile, "If those conditions are not to your liking, I could also-"
"No." Agnes raised her free hand and interrupted him, "I agree to your conditions." her lips also curved into a smile, but as Fraten saw that, he couldn't help but flinch back for a moment, her eyes gave off such an eerie feeling, the opposite of what her smile tried to convey.
Matilda raised her head, and her eyes shined with elation.
Fraten cleared his throat, "Then the staff?" he held out his hand with expectation…
And surprisingly, Agnes let go of the staff, it hovered through the air, slowly approaching the old man, and his eyes revealed the greed within him.
Agnes turned her head away, she looked to the ground, where another artefact was lying, the blue tear, yet unlike before, it felt unresponsive and empty.
'Hehe, that's right, come to me.' Fraten thought as he reached out his arm, unwilling to wait even a second longer to get his hands on the precious thing, 'Now it doesn't matter what my nephew Simon decides to do, haha.' his hand slithered around the hilt of the staff, then he glanced beyond it, at Agnes, trying to hide the smile that was forcing its way onto his lips.
Fraten shuddered as he met her eyes, Agnes appeared unbothered, 'Something isn't right…' there was this strange feeling he couldn't shake off.
Matilda looked at Agnes, her lips quietly mouthed a 'Thank you.' but then she turned to look at the staff, at Fraten, and her expression twisted as fear enveloped her being…
Fraten's mouth was wide open, his lips weren't red anymore, but dark blue; a giant icicle grew out of his throat, and soon many more pierced through his flesh from the inside.