Monica turned, surprised to see Von appear. "Von? What are you doing here?" she asked, a mix of confusion and curiosity on her face.
"I wanted to check on you and, well, make sure everything is okay. Your instructor has quite the reputation," Von replied, glancing at Hellyne.
Hellyne, who had been observing the exchange with a keen gaze, spoke in a low, melodic voice, "Ah, another visitor. You must be Von, the apprentice to all of the academy's council members, correct?"
Von nodded, feeling a bit uneasy but trying to maintain composure. "Yes, that's me. I just wanted to make sure Monica is in good hands."
Monica chuckled, "I'm doing great, V. Hellyne is an excellent instructor, and so far, I've learned a lot. She is absolutely teaching me well, there is no need to worry."
Hellyne smirked, revealing a hint of sharp teeth, "Your concern is appreciated, Von. Monica is quite resilient, and our training is progressing well. Besides, the occurrence from twenty years ago was due to my literally starving myself and not knowing the woman had fallen in love with me, but enough of the past. Since you're here now, perhaps there's something specific you seek besides looking after your friend?"
Von hesitated nervously for a moment before deciding to be transparent. "I heard you're knowledgeable in agnomancy and tychomancy. Alendoria suggested you might help me, despite my test results."
Hellyne's eyes gleamed with interest. "Ah, agnomancy and tychomancy, not aimamancy? Intriguing choices. I sense potential within you for the blood magic, Von. Your aimamancy affinity is strong enough I can sense it from here. As Alendoria mentioned, your affinity is crucial. Why don't consider all of your options then see what we can unlock together. " Hellyne said, her voice resonating with a subtle authority. "Of course, we'll explore the nuances of agnomancy and tychomancy, but let's not leave out your obvious aimamancy affinity. Working together, we can unlock the latent potential within you for all three."
Von nodded, eager to embrace the opportunity to increase his luck and prevent chaos around him. After giving it thought, he wasn't certain about blood magic. Every tale he'd heard about blood mages were about how evil they were. Despite this, he decided to try. "I think this would be perfect. My tests said I had little affinity for luck magic, and it didn't test for chaos magic, but I will do my best to learn everything I can from you. Would you mind if I speed time locally as I learned? I want to give us as much time as possible before we have to leave Sungrove.
Monica's eyes glinted with mischief. "Oh, I see how it is. You're trying to steal my mentor from me, huh? I'll tell you now, I'm better than you will ever be when it comes to luck magic."
Hellyne chuckled, a melodic sound which resonated through the cavern. "Fear not, Monica. There's room for both of you to excel in your respective specialties. In fact, collaboration between different magical affinities often leads to unique and powerful results."
Von, appreciating the reassurance, turned his attention back to Hellyne. "I'm open to exploring all three affinities. If aimamancy is something I can develop alongside agnomancy and tychomancy, then I suppose I should do my best to learn it as well."
Hellyne nodded approvingly. "Very well, Von. The realms of agnomancy, tychomancy, and aimamancy intertwine in ways which can be both intricate and harmonious. Now, about your request to manipulate time locally..."
Before Hellyne could finish her sentence, Von explained, "I've studied chronomancy and am well-practiced with time manipulation. I can speed or slow time in an area the size of the amphitheater of choromancy, maybe farther. If you're comfortable, I could use chronomancy to create a temporal bubble for our training."
Hellyne's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and intrigue. "Chronomancy, you say? Impressive, Von. It seems I have underestimated the extent of your magical repertoire. If you are skilled in the art of manipulating time, then let us indeed utilize your abilities for our training."
Von nodded, a sense of confidence radiating from him as he began to weave the intricate threads of chronomancy. The air around them shimmered as the temporal magic took hold, creating a transparent, fluctuating bubble extending beyond the immediate surroundings.
Hellyne observed the unfolding magic with a discerning gaze. "A temporal bubble woven with chronomancy. This shall be an interesting experiment. It seems we have a talented chronomancer in our midst."
Monica, catching onto the excitement, quirked an eyebrow at Von. "So, you're not just a one-trick mage, huh? Let's see what this temporal bubble can do for our training."
Von laughed. He knew he had her. "Well, I can tell you right now, it's a few minutes to the evening meal bell reminder. I will bet you the side of the bed closest to the window, Mistress Hellyne can provide us with sixteen hours of inspiration to our studies and we will still make it to the refectory before the bell tolls."
Monica grinned, a competitive gleam in her eyes. "You're on, Von. But if you lose, not only do I get the better side of the bed, but you'll also be responsible for getting us a tray of desserts from the kitchen."
Von chuckled, accepting the challenge. "Deal. Mistress Hellyne, shall we make the most of our accelerated time and dive deep into the mysteries of agnomancy, tychomancy, and aimamancy?"
Hellyne, amused by the friendly banter, nodded with a playful glint in her violet eyes. "Indeed, let the exploration begin." With a laugh, she continued. "Let the threads of magic weave through time, and we shall dance along with them."
According to the testing, Von knew he shouldn't be able to pass learning the basics of tychomancy. His luck magic test showed only a minor affinity for such. Archmage Alden, the tortoise wizard told him he was also unlikely to surpass the level of an apprentice when it came to agnomancy because a good chronomancer and arithmancer such as he would have little affinity for chaos magic, but aimamancy, or blood magic, he should be able to excel at learning.
Despite his test results which might seemed to limit his potential in certain magical disciplines, Von was going to approach the study of tychomancy and agnomancy with optimism, a cautious optimism, but optimism none-the-less. Despite the odds stacked against him, he did his best to discover the intricacies of these two magical realms under Hellyne's guidance.
Von focused on the threads of tychomancy. He explored the manipulation of probability, the understanding of fate's delicate web, and the subtle art of foreseeing and influencing future events. To his surprise, some of the concepts began to click into place, and the magical energies responded to his commands more fluidly than expected.
Hellyne, observing his progress, nodded approvingly. "Your affinity for tychomancy might be minor, but it seems the threads of fate are willing to weave with you, Von. Do not underestimate the subtle connections between your magical talents. I will admit, Monica, here, will be your superior when it comes to luck manipulation, but you will at least understand the basics."
Encouraged by the success in tychomancy, Von turned his attention to agnomancy. The study of magical knowledge and information seemed daunting, given his supposed lack of affinity. Yet, as he delved into the intricacies, he found a unique perspective stemming from his background in chronomancy and arithmancy.
"You see, Von," Hellyne explained, "and I'm sure you've heard this before, but magic is a tapestry, and each thread, no matter how seemingly unrelated, can contribute to the whole. Your understanding of time and numbers offers a different lens through which agnomancy can be explored."
Embracing this insight, Von continued his studies, bridging the gaps between seemingly disparate magical disciplines. While the odds might be against him, the accelerated time within the temporal bubble became a catalyst for unlocking unexpected potentials. He knew within a few hours, he would never master either of these forms of magic, but he might learn enough to survive an attack using them. This was ultimately his goal.
Monica continued to work on her tychomancy and agnomancy skills already far ahead of what he hoped to accomplish. She could cause rocks to crumble and metal to weaken by adding a touch of chaos into them. Von might be able to do this, but he was certain he couldn't do it with the small amount of effort it took her. She would be better by accident than he could be with years of study.
As Monica effortlessly manipulated the forces of chaos and probability, Von marveled at her innate talent. Despite the odds, he remained determined, pushing himself to understand the intricacies of tychomancy and agnomancy. The lines between the magical disciplines blurred as he sought to find common ground.
However, Von knew his limitations. Monica's natural prowess outshone his efforts, but he pressed on, driven by a desire to at least gain a fundamental grasp of these magical forms. The cavern of darkness echoed with the exchange of spells, discussions, and the occasional burst of laughter as they navigated the complexities of magical study.
When Hellyne deemed Von had reached a plateau in tychomancy and agnomancy, she transitioned to aimamancy. Here, the atmosphere shifted, and the cavern seemed to pulse with a darker energy. As Hellyne began to instruct Von in the arts of blood magic, his aura and mind absorbed the knowledge like a thirsty sponge. Wanting to have all the time he could to learn this last type of magic over which the partial demon earned mastery, he increased the flow of time again giving the three of them much longer before the dinner bell would toll.