Archmage Alden, the ancient tortoise with his shell adorned in mystical patterns, walked to the center of the vast chamber atop the tower of elemental magic and sat and closed his eyes. The atmosphere hummed with an otherworldly energy. Many forms of energy seemed to flare out from the giant crystal striking his shell as Von and Monica approached him with a mix of awe and anticipation. Alden's eyes, centuries old and gleaming with wisdom, opened slowly as he prepared to impart the secrets of Apotropaic magic. Alden's voice echoed through the chamber, resonating with a timeless quality. "Today, we embark on a journey to harness the essence of protection, and its magic which shields the soul and repels the forces of darkness and may protect against the various elements."
Alden began the lesson by demonstrating the creation of magical wards, ethereal barriers capable of deflecting malevolent energies. The tortoise's ancient limbs moved with deliberate grace as he traced invisible symbols in the air, muttering instructions to the energies in order to weave the very fabric of magic itself into his desired form. Von and Monica observed in awe as a thick shimmering barrier materialized around Alden. This forcefield was much thicker and more solid than the one created by King Garret. This was nearly a wall of magic protecting the tortoise from everything.
"Now, it is your turn," Alden encouraged, his eyes fixed on the young duo.
Von and Monica exchanged eager glances before attempting to mimic the tortoise's efforts. At first, their efforts were clumsy, the symbols wavering and dissipating before forming a cohesive ward. Alden, with infinite patience, guided their hands and explained how he used his voice to help direct the flow of energies as though magic were a living creature who understood every word they said. Gradually, after a number of failed attempts, the children felt the resonance of magic within their fingertips, and their wards began to take shape. The magical energy they conjured dissipated before solidifying into a cohesive barrier. Von, with furrowed brows, tried to focus on the intricate gestures, but his efforts fell short, leaving him frustrated and disheartened.
Von was shocked, two stat increases with one level and his numbers jumped since last he checked them. Did it really say his endurance is sixty-three and willpower is sixty-four? When did he gain so many points? Once he finishes this lesson, he wanted to check his stats again. He didn't want to interrupt his lessons. Having a grandmaster instructor was amazing!
Monica, equally determined, faced similar struggles. Her attempts to create a protective ward resulted in fleeting glimmers of magic fading away before providing any substantial defense. The air around them seemed to echo with the whispers of their failures.
Alden, however, remained a steady guide, offering gentle corrections and encouraging words. He reminded them failure was an inherent part of the learning process. He urged them to persist with resilience.
Von, motivated by a desire to overcome his initial shortcomings, concentrated on the subtle movements and precise manipulation of energy. After several attempts, he managed to conjure a modest, shimmering ward that surrounded him like a translucent cocoon. It was a promising start, but not a powerful shield. Von knew there was still much to learn.
Monica observed Von's success with a mixture of determination and inspiration. Bolstered by his achievement, she took a deep breath and focused her energy anew. As her hands traced intricate symbols in the air, a red-tinged barrier began to materialize around her. The intensity of the crimson hue indicated a strength beyond Von's initial creation.
Alden, observing the unfolding spectacle, nodded approvingly. Monica's determination ignited a powerful surge of magical energy within her. The red-tinged ward she had created held an aura of strength and resilience while containing a distinct level of ill luck on any who attempted to attack this barrier. Between her combined magics, this was not just protective, but a potentially deadly effort. Her barrier was scary even to the ancient tortoise and it completely surpassed Von's initial success.
Von, recognizing Monica's accomplishment, felt a surge of admiration and friendly competition. Instead of harboring jealousy, he embraced the opportunity to learn from Monica's success, recognizing the unique qualities of her magical affinity.
Alden, pleased with the progress made, praised both Von and Monica for their perseverance. He explained the variability in their creations showcased the individuality of magic, Von's was pure protective magics, while Monica combined hers with a significant amount of tychomancy to cause anyone who attacked her barrier to have a certain amount of bad luck. Smiling, the tortoise continued encouraging them to embrace their unique strengths and styles.
Monica continued to increase the power in her globe while putting more, then less of her combined energies into the protective spheres.
Not to be outdone, Von, after several additional attempts finally created a sphere. Having done so, he thought back on how he combined hydromancy with pyromancy to create different effects this morning with his water. He began to weave containing fire and apotropaic energies. His new sphere was also red—a fiery red blazing with heat.
He then switched to air, creating a torrent of air surrounding him which he thought would be perfect to fend off arrows.
Continuing to show off, he combined water with the protective sphere, creating a whirlpool or water surrounding him. Although he had no idea what he might use it for in the future, it was incredibly beautiful to look at.
The archmage and Monica both watched in awe as he continued to combine the elements with the protective apotropaic magic creating a solid sphere of stone, followed by a solid sphere of ice.
Von finished his experiment with a topaz sphere combining temporal temporal and protective energies bathing the room in a brilliant yellow light outshining the nearby nexus.
Seeing this, even Alden took a step back. While due to the young age of Von, he couldn't reduce his age too much, he could age him several centuries or more should the energies in his shield touch him. 'To think, the boy is still a novice with magic.' The old tortoise's heart started to beat quickly as he considered the outcome of this young boy turning evil.
"Archmage Alden...."
The tortoise held up a hand. "Just Alden, Von. You earned the right when you defeated the demon Veknezimal, a feat I am uncertain I could have done. Defended against, probably, defeated, no. You too, Monica, away from prying eyes, I am 'Alden,' not 'Master Alden,' not 'Archmage Alden,' okay?"
The two bobbed their heads as the smiled. Von continued his thought, "Master—um, Alden, can I combine myalomancy with apotropaic energies as well?"
The old master smiled. "Yes, but for that, your helmet was the best choice of a shape. The cocoon you made earlier is a great personal shield for any protective barrier, conforming it to the shape of your body and your belongings will come in handy. You should also learn to focus your elemental magics to create a barrier against the specific type of energies. This will allow you to use less power and keep your ward longer before running low. Speaking of running low, Von, can you create a bubble within the nexus to allow more time before lunch?"
Knowing only a master of chronomancy could even touch the tower here, Alden figured this would be a test to show Von, he could still fail and not to get too overconfident.
"I will try." With this, he started pulling in the chronomantic energies surround the tower using them to create a barrier similar to the last one but speeding time on the inside. The nexus crystal seemed to resist his efforts, but after pulling from the energy within the primary hourglass of the temporal tower, it too surrendered to the will of time. Adding the nexus crystal to the distortion bubble, made him feel weak for a moment and his face showed the strain, but once the bubble was established, he was able to hold it with only a little effort. It was like shoving a large rock up the hill. Once he hit the mesa, it was easy to keep it there, but the journey up was grueling.