Time sorcery had many different aspects. It paralleled fate magic but it was also very different from it. Fate was a thing fairly easy to control once you understood how. Time on the other hand fought against you at every angle. Just like fate if you tried to fully understand time streams it could mean disaster. Unlike fate, that was tied to individuals, places, and consequences by elaborate threading, the trickles, streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans involved in time could be chaotic, shallow, or deep and once slipped into one could easily become lost.
There was a fine line between fate and time magics. Techniques varied greatly but outcomes were incredibly similar.
Jolan had always worked different aspects of time keeping in mind to never disturb the fate of people, places, or even simple organisms. He felt if fate was disturbed the streams of time were disturbed. Along this line of thinking he experimented with aspects of speeding up, slowing down, and even stopping time.
He had devised ways to focus time so completely and accurately that he could pause an individual's heart beat and disrupt the electrical impulses of the nervous system.
Jolan also wanted to understand time. He wanted to thoroughly understand its flow, depth, currents, in other words its inner workings. Many had tried but in the mindset of traveling through it. Jolan already understood the mechanics of this aspect of time sufficiently, thanks to his mother and father, he wanted to learn the fine art of time manipulation and he wanted to build spell work upon it.
Like his mother had become a spirit mage and wizard, using spirit magic to perform all types of magics and create unique spell work, he wanted to be a time mage and wizard.
With all these thoughts flowing through his mind Jolan slipped into time stream after time stream. He began with drops in distant time wells that he was very familiar with, moved to slight trickles of time and moved on to swiftly moving streams. Each time he delved the shallows and depths of time his knowledge returned to him, his strength renewed and holes within his identity quickly filled.
Jolan opened his eyes. A smile and a look of determination on his face. His father looked at him appraisingly and nodded in satisfaction then stood. "Now you are better prepared for Amethyst." He paused and looked at his son once more. "I can not say if you can beat her though. She has become pretty powerful. You two are no longer evenly matched."
Jolan stood and nodded, internally accepting the challenge.
Amethyst smirked at her brother. She had been battering him all morning and now she expected more of a challenge, but only a challenge, and lunchtime was quickly approaching. Jolan had stagnated, due to his injuries he could no practice any magic.
If you stop practicing you ran the risk of your ability or your magic itself becoming atrophied. It was akin to being bedridden and your muscles doing the same.
Amethyst had no doubts in her own abilities. She believed she would win this spar as well.
"Come now big brother. I am starting to get hungry."
Jolan returned her smirk. He was feeling just as confident and met her energy with his own. With a thought a stream twirling like a crystalline drill flew towards Amethyst. She raised a shield wall a good distance from herself to test the strength of the magic.
It drilled through her shield as if it were made of softened butter. Amethyst's eyes brightened with excitement. A thick shimmering wall of light dispersed around her forming a 360 degree sheild around her.
Jolan's stream hit Amethyst's shield and dispersed sending a single fine ripple around the cylinders.
Amethyst moved forward and sparks of light ignited and seemed to disperse. Seconds later they sparked against Jolan's skin. Blotches of purple and blue formed on his skin and his body went cold.
Allistar appeared between them and a cold blue wind surrounded Jolan. When he was once again visible his skin was back to normal.
"Ame this is a spar. What do you think your mother would say if she saw your brother was now your undead? Let's go eat lunch."
Amethyst's eyes went wide when her father mentioned her mother. She shivered slightly. Her mother had crazy ingenious ways to punish a person.
Jolan stepped forward. "Not yet father. We have a little more time."
Allistar looked at his son for a long moment and then finally nodded his consent. He shot Amethyst a warning look that made her gulp and he phased back to his original position.
Jolan inhaled and exhaled deeply. Lights sparked around his left hand and a thick ebony staff materialized. He gripped the staff as it formed and gold and silver runes ignited along its entire length. The top of the staff expanded slightly forming a faceted black ball. The head of a snake curved up from this, it's eyes purple sparkling gems.
Jolan brought the staff up and quickly twirled it in front and above himself. Swirling waters formed about him and disappeared as he began forward toward his sister. Six streams of magic moved from him towards Amethyst.
All of this happened within half a breath.
Amethyst moved at the same time, a slight smile gently creasing her lips. Her shield flared back into life, she sprayed the area around her with corrosive death magic. Her eyes quickly moving to her father before she refocused on Jolan. A door opened besides Jolan and attack magic streaming out before it quickly closed.
Jolan seemed to phase in and out as he moved forward. His body disappearing and reappearing over and over as he moved closer to Amethyst.
Amethyst's magic sparked bright upon nothing but air as it attempted to make contact with him. She continued her assault opening a door where she felt Jolan would appear.
The door slammed shut loudly without releasing any magic. Amethyst froze, her eyes wide in shock and confusion.
Jolan stopped, panting a bit, his mind buzzing. Allistar stood, his eyes narrowed. He nodded in approval.
Suddenly Amethyst let out a sigh. Now able to move she spun around looking for the breach. She found nothing. She calmed herself and looked again. High in her defense wall was a hole smaller than a pin prick. Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips.
"Calm down Amethyst. You were over confident. It makes sense that he made it through your defenses." Allistar paused. "I didn't even see it. Your brother's ability to misdirect has improved considerably."
"Agreed." Anabel stepped into the training room. "Were your practicing fate manipulation with that injury?"
Anabel's voice was sweet and calm, a soft kind smile curling her lips. It made the hairs on the backs of everyone's necks rise. Both Jolan and Amethyst took an involuntary step back.
Jolan gulped loudly. "Only a bit mother. I always fully rested and recouperated after."
Anabel's eyes narrowed but she didn't say anything.
She turned and looked at Allistar. "Come love. Let's go. Jolan make sure you see Marela for your medicine but go after you eat. You are going to have to make sure to eat at least once everyday."
Anabel kept her eyes on Allistar the entire time she spoke to Jolan. Her smile never faltering. He raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
Anabel walked to Allistar, took his arm, and left without ever looking back.
Amethyst looked to Jolan. Cold sweat forming in her forehead. "She is pretty angry right now."
"I know." He smiled and looked to his sister. After I have the meds let's spar on the spirit plane."
Amethyst snorted. "You have always been too reckless."
Jolan ate casually. Amethyst sipped a fruit based strong alcohol. It had notes of cinnamon and anis. It was strong but had no burn when drunk. She watched Marela watch Jolan. She saw suspicion in the alchemist's eyes and smiled inwardly.
"If I know what you two are up to believe that your mother does as well. You are not fooling anyone."
"What do you think it is that we're doing Marela?"
Marela rolled her eyes at Jolan's question. A bottle appeared in her hand. "Eat until you are done but you can take your medicine now. It is better if it's layered like this. Nourishment enhances the effects of all of my meds."
Jolan nodded and presented his tongue. The drop hit it again and he waited for Marela to tell him he could have his tongue back. After Jolan continued eating, as if nothing happened.
Amethyst was sitting on a white mound extremely perplexed. She knew her brother was strong but she genuinely thought he would need more time to recover to this level. She almost snorted out loud. She wanted to face palm. Of course a time mage would be able to manipulate time for a quick recovery.
She stood languidly and looked at her brother meditating on a distant white mound. Everything in this plane was white. It was very stark and strained the eyes a bit.
"You're ready sis?" Jolan smiled but he did not open his eyes. His staff stood vertically besides him, waiting. Amethyst looked at it. She knew it was a sentient being and she was a bit impressed that her brother had found such a weapon.
She stretched. "I am always ready my dear brother."
Jolan was standing before her, staff in hand, eyes still closed so quickly she took a startled step back, her eyes going wide.
She smiled and spirit beings rose from the white ground. She calmly waited.
Jolan opened his eyes and whirlpools of light formed around him. Orbs rose up, runes flashing across each. Orb after orb flew towards Amethyst. Different magics and techniques poured forth and fell like rain. Amethyst burst into motion and spirit beings either threw themselves into the magics or they began working, magic themselves.
Spells sparked and techniques flew between them. They both dodged and reflected magics.
Jolan's form shimmered and then there were twelve Jolans in the battle, all with the same unique staff. Amethyst could not tell which was the real Jolan or the real Staff.
They continued exchanging techniques each barely missing an attack from the other. Hours passed and they only paused when they felt their mother pulling at them.
Amethyst slid back. Only stopping when a spirit appeared behind her stopping her from moving. Jolan had been knocked back, he rolled a bit, and was now standing with his staff ready.
"Mother is calling us.'
"Tell her we are okay.'
Amethyst almost rolled her eyes. "You tell her."
She moved forward attacking as she went.
"Done. Now be still so I can finish this properly."