Black, the platform turned black as an otherworldly gloom began shrouding his vision. The air became heavy with a sense of mystery and foreboding, as the smell of the grave filled his senses. Von felt a strange connection to the ethereal and unknown, nothing like he experienced during the choromancy test, this was much heavier. This brought with it a heightened awareness of the energies associated with death itself. As his forced his aura to delve further, a cool tingling sensation filled his being. The very fabric of life and death responding to his presence and shadows of those gone filled his sight. With just a small nudge, the shadows of past attendants could be pushed on their path to the underworld, heaven, or their next life or whatever came after death. Von never was completely certain.
He was suddenly aware by his will alone, he could become a gateway to the afterlife bringing back enough of a departed one's magical essence to reanimate their corpse to do his bidding, or, choosing to be benevolent, he could use his will to push, perhaps forcibly in the future, their essence into what lies beyond helping them continue their journey into the mysteries of death and rebirth. Utilizing necromancy, he could unravel the threads binding the living and the departed tapping into the forces governing the transition between life and death. He felt with experience, he could one day pull the essence of death from beyond and use it to damage his opponents or use the same gently to help those pass gently who are already on death's door. As with other magics, necromancy was a two-sided coin which could be flipped for good or ill.
Compared to the gloom of the previous test, the next test immersed Von into a realm of radiant brilliance. The air was bathed in a gentle glow as his aura began engaging with the very essence of illumination—the magic of light, phosphomancy. As he pondered the sensation, the air itself pulsed responding to his every thought creating intricate patterns which danced in harmony with his intentions. He was able to harness the brilliance of the sun, the light of stars, and feel the warmth surrounding him as a comforting glow.
Reaching out, he was able to feel the colors of the platform below him and discovered light was created of many colors. With this knowledge he was able to distort his view of the world and even move the essence of light around himself making himself unseen. The downside he discovered was when he was completely unseen, light was also not reaching his eyes, thus he was blinded. He pondered for a moment the effect of walking around just allowing light to strike his eyes but then considered an intelligent person would still have an idea where to attack. He also pondered increasing the amount of light in dark spaces and wondered if it would give him the ability to see in the dark. This was his thought as the disc below him turned to an orange and yellow color.
Greeted by the warm glow of flickering flames while the carried the scent of burning embers and fiery passion, Von knew the pyromancy test started. Engaging his aura with the essence of fire, he felt a connection to the primal forces of heat and transformation and with a little effort, he found he could control the intensity of these fires around him. Using this control, he could not just sense, but increase or decrease the temperature around him while forcing the flames to respond to his every command.
With only a little concentration, fire shapes themselves into intricate forms reflecting his desires. Pyromancy gave him the feeling of taming the fierce elemental able to devour all things. It allowed him to embrace the transformative power that fire embodies. Utilizing his will, he was able to conjure the flicker of flame above his finger and manipulate it changing it to a ball within his hand. Eventually, he maneuvered it into a ring surrounding his body before his concentration finally gave out and the flame extinguished before him.
Breathing heavily, he was uncertain when the change occurred, but he felt a subtle shimmer in the air as if the very fabric of reality could shift to his will. Concentrating his aura to blend with this essence, he felt his own body could shift into something more. Pondering this, he thought about birds in flight and concentrated on changing himself as a bird. He forced the reality of his body to change into the desired shape.
As the transformation begins, a subtle tingling sensation started in his fingertips and coursed through the entire body. It was as if the very essence of his being was undergoing a metamorphosis. A warmth enveloped his body, intensifying as feathers sprouted from the skin. The sensation was both exhilarating and surreal, like being caught in a whirlwind of magic.
Wings unfurled from his back, a magnificent extension of his body, while his bones elongated and reshaped themselves, adapting to power of his will in preparation for the sleek aerodynamics of avian flight. His once-familiar human limbs transformed into powerful, feathered appendages causing the air around seems to shimmer with newfound energy.
The platform again changed, and he was disappointed at being human again without having the opportunity to fly.
This next shift caused his aura to embrace the essences of substances at the basic level. He was able to feel how each substance was made and felt as if he could alter it to meet his needs without the use of alchemy. Just by weaving the threads of creation, he could redefine the essence of things about him turning them into what he wanted or needed at the moment. Thinking closely of the rough clothes he was wearing; he directed his attention to his pants forcing his aura into them and slowly altering its substance from wool to a fine heavy silk continuing to manipulate the essence of his pants, they slowly changed substance becoming softer and lighter as he went. Unfortunately, before he could finish, the platform's colored cleared again, and he ended up looking like someone cobbled together a pair of pants from to like-colored clothes.
The platform beneath him turned a vibrant red bringing with it a small awareness of the interconnectedness between his magical influence and the twists of fate. As hard as he tried, he was unable to perfectly align his aura with the harmonies of this particular nature of magic nor was he able to navigate them accurately. He was however able to discern the unpredictable currents of chance surrounding him, but so far, beyond this, he lacked the ability to control them. In his mind, learning tychomancy would take quite a while.
From the floor, Stephen was very surprised at the low level of affinity Von showed for tychomancy. So far, he was at least of the journeyman level for the other essences; most were adept level. It wasn't he didn't have any luck affinity, just tychomancer was barely above what was considered normal. While it might be possible for Von to learn this magic, given his current results, he would never be amazing at it. With luck, he might achieve the status of apprentice at best. More likely, he wouldn't be able to do more than find a few coins on occasion or occasionally have a bought of luck, but nothing significantly better than the average person. He would be able to see other's weaves if they were using tychomancy, so this was something.
Turning a viscous dark green, the platform changed again causing Von to experience a deep sensation of danger. He was suddenly aware of every poison in the air around him, of the possibilities of poison and how they could be used for ill or good, but much like tychomancy, venomancy was also beyond his control at this time. It seemed like it took forever for the color to shift to white again.
Here again Stephan noted his lackluster affinity for venomancy. While it was significantly better than his tychomancy affinity, the boy would likely struggle if he wanted to be more than a journeyman.
With the platform remaining white, a serene ambiance enveloped Von, a gentle contrast to the vibrant energies pulsing through the air. Calming hues of blues and greens, reminiscent of natural landscapes and the soothing embrace of restorative energies filled his mind. Reaching out to discover the essence surround him, he engaged with the magic of healing, and he sensed a gentle warmth radiating from around him, creating an atmosphere of comfort and tranquility.
The subtle fragrance of herbs and floral essences filled the air evoking a sense of the natural remedies associated with healing magic. Soft, ambient music, reminiscent of gentle breezes and flowing water, added to the overall serene environment. Symbols representing life, growth, and rejuvenation subtly integrated into his aura, creating a harmonious blend of aesthetics and magical resonance.
Delve into healing magic, the air carried a delicate, tingling sensation, like the touch of unseen hands ready to mend and restore. The area around him became a sanctuary where the very essence of life responded to his presence bringing a heightened awareness of the interconnected web of life energies, a sensation akin to the gentle pulse of a heartbeat. Everywhere, felt like haven of positive energies, and as he focused on healing intentions, he may feel a subtle, ethereal light illuminating his surroundings. This light danced around his fingertips, responding to his innate ability to channel healing energies. The sensations were nurturing, as if the entire building itself was an extension of his healing intentions.
Practice this white magic, Von sensed the alignment of energies within his own body and the surrounding environment as though he was enveloped in a cocoon of rejuvenating warmth, where the very fabric of reality seems to mend and repair itself in response to his healing touch. He knew at this moment he could tap into the harmonious symphony of life, where the energies of the body, mind, and spirit converged in perfect unison.
The sensations were not just physical; they resonated on an emotional and spiritual level. As he channeled this warm healing magic, the area was filled with a profound sense of empathy and connection to the well-being of others. It transformed into a sacred space where the healer's art became a testament to the power of compassion and restoration.
In this realm, in this moment, Von was in a symbiotic dance with the forces of life itself. This platform chamber became a microcosm of the larger world, and his ability to heal extended beyond the physical into the realms of emotional and spiritual well-being—a journey into the heart of empathy, a profound exploration of the magic binding all living things in the embrace of health and vitality.
Seeing the numbers and symbols below the platform, Stephan was pleasantly surprised. If was very likely for Von to become an archmage with healing as one of his primary affinities. So far, with his amazing arithmancy and exceptional bibliomancy affinities, he was guaranteed the opportunity to become an archmage. Several of his other affinities were of at least adept level and as he grew older, they would likely improve. So far, luck or tychomancy seemed his only weakness while venomancy could be better.
Knowing Von possessed some natural affinity for chronomancy, Stephen saved this test until the end. After seeing the results of the arithmancy test, he didn't want to damage anything. Pulling a fresh card from his robe and removing the first, he placed the new card under the platform which began to change to the color of amethyst.
From Von's perspective, a palpable shift in the air greets occurred heralding an atmosphere where the very essence of time became tangible with a strange tick resonating with the rhythmic heartbeat of temporal energies. He could feel the familiar current coursing through the air, carrying whispers of past, present, and future as the area was bathed in a soft, iridescent glow, casting shadows dancing in harmony with the unseen cadence of temporal forces. Allowing his aura to focus on the intricate dance of seconds, minutes, and hours in the room, a faint, continuous hum filled the air, echoing the symphony of time itself. The room exudes a sense of reverence for the ever-flowing river of existence.
The air around him shimmered with an elusive radiance, a visual manifestation of the temporal magic at play. The room seems to expand and contract, trying to play tricks on his perception could make out every change to the building in the past and those in the future as the very fabric of time responded to his presence. His heightened awareness of the delicate weavings of the temporal tapestry allowed him to dance the precipice of eternity.
Focusing his attention on temporal manipulation, he felt a profound connection with the ebb and flow of time as he caused the seconds to stretch and compress at his will, holding the keys to the cosmic clock. From now, he could immediately journey to the past, present, or future forcing them to converge or diverge on his whim. At this moment, he was attuned to the very essence of the heartbeat of the universe, feeling its rhythmic pulse transcending the linear constraints of mortal understanding. Navigating the intricate complexities of temporal manipulation, time was now a playground where the laws of cause-and-effect bent to his will. He felt like the conductor orchestrating a symphony of moments, where the harmonious interplay of past, present, and future respond to his slightest desire.
The sensations were both exhilarating and humbling, for he was not merely a participant in the flow of time but a maestro who can subtly shape its course. He realized the true essence of time, of reversing age, of aging the young to maturity or the mature to ancient. Chronomancy would allow him, when properly used to create the effects belonging to many other magic essences from the appearance of teleportation to causing walls to turn to rubble. The only limits were his imagination. With chronomancy, the potential was boundless. It wasn't just a journey through the ages, or an odyssey through the ticking echoes of eternity, but instead a power to which everyone and everything must yield.