In the steps of Eternity

Into The World: Part 4

Tilting my head while looking in the direction of the large group, my eyes focus on the child that had run into me before. “Curious.” I think to myself as I wonder what they could possibly want from me. And almost as if on queue, a rough looking man comes strutting out from the group with the child in tow.

“Look here little lady.” he says with a rather disgusting sneer pasted on his face before continuing “I heard from our little Rabbit here, that you done hurt him real good earlier.” Pausing again he nods over to the child when I realize that his face is actually a bit swollen, definitely not like how it was when I watched him run. “I think you need to make up for hurting our small friend, I mean, if you know what's good for you that is.” with a laugh he finishes his words with a motion of his hands prompting his friends to move in.

“Not even going to give me a moment to reply or defend myself huh?” I think out loud before taking a few steps back to prepare for a fight, but before anybody could make any further movements a wall of light falls and splits us apart.

“To think that people would fight in front of a place of learning. And Especially so, to pick on a young woman of all people. How distasteful.” Someone says from behind me as their voice trails off into the whole of the city around us. “Magic applied to amplify his voice?” I wonder to myself as I turn my head to look back towards the doorway of the library.

Looking at who it might be that had intervened at this time I am greeted by a Body that doesn't quite match the voice. A rather short and rotund man with a very cold gaze that seems to be locked onto Both myself and the group on the other side of the barrier.

“Elrich, you had better keep your nose out of our business, or you'll better think twice about walking around town, you hear me!?” The leader of the hooligans shout through the light wall, but their words seem to fall on empty ears as 'Elrich focuses his eyes on me before his eyes widen by some bit.

With a shake of his head 'Elrich' Turns his eyes from me and again focuses on the hooligans. “To think that you would actually threaten me too. Tsk Tsk Tsk. Threatening an Noble, even if an honorary one. That is punishable by quite the beating, or even by death isn't it?” He asks as if talking to himself while applying the same trick from earlier. Tilting his head and resting his thumb and pointing finger as if he was giving it actual thought.

“You think you can scare me of all people!? I have been here in this city for my whole life, and not even once has Mage or Knight done anything that I can't take care of. What makes you think such things will scare me away. Besides without this wall you are nothing but a short pudge with no power.” the leader of the hooligans shouts before the whole of the band begin laughing in unison.

With a quiet sigh 'Elrich' looks up again from his 'Thinking' but this time there is a bone chilling aura practically oozing out of him as his gaze becomes even colder. “To think, Cristoph, the Bastard child of a fallen knight would think so highly of himself, just because people put up with his garbage. I suppose it is time to actually show you what power I certainly DO have.” he says just as he takes a step forwards.

Stepping aside and watching his movements I can only think of him as someone scary right now. Like. Legitimately scary. Watching him step past me and up to the light wall he tilts his head and smiles for a brief moment just before placing his hand upon it.

The wall of light begins to fade away and the Hooligans take it as a sign to move closer, but only after taking a few steps they all halt as if they have been turned into stone. “I may not be allowed to cast anything big or fancy inside the city Cristoph, but surely you are aware that there are many tools that mages can apply to their craft right?”

With a stutter Cristoph mutters something almost inaudible before forcing his stiffening body to turn and leave, but as he does he glares in my direction and spits at Elrich's feet. With the retreat of Cristoph the hooligans began to return to normal before they ran after their leader.

With a clap of his hands Elrich turns his attention swiftly towards me once more. “Now child. Allow me to Formally introduce myself. I am Elrich Fas Vhul'dine. I am the Keeper of the Great Library, and Honorary noble of the lands.” He says as he takes gentle steps towards me. Just as he arrives before me he closes his eyes for a moment before they snap open radiating Mana as he looks me up and down once more. “But the question is. Who, or WHAT are you I might wonder?” With the way he is looking at me his smile begins to feel eerie and extremely creepy.

Feeling uneasy I take a few steps back before turning to sprint. But I feel my limbs beginning to stiffen up almost like what I saw earlier. “Now Now, there is no need to run. I doubt I could do much to hurt you anyways, even if I tried.” Elrich says as he comes up from behind me.

Feeling a sense of great urgency, I spread mana through myself and around myself while picturing the Cave where I felt the safest in the Crystal Holt. Feeling my limbs return to their former mobility I put full effort into running when the light wall falls before my path.

Before I could stop a great hum of Mana mixing with the pure Anima of the world begins to hum, growing louder and louder each passing second. Elrich catches up while I am stuck against the wall but a look of horror begins to spread across his face when he looks behind me then at me once more. “What are you doing!?” He all but screams in horror

Confused at what he could mean I look at the wall of light and notice that it is beginning to ripple, gone is the solid white as it is replaces with a crystaline transparency, shimmering in a rainbow hue as light filters through its surface. But the scarier thing had yet to even come. Crystal Woads began to step through the wall from practically nowhere as if they were born from the very wall its self.

Just as I was watching everything happening before me, I feel a very cold hand fall upon my shoulder. Causing my head to swivel once more, only to be met with being face to face with a very familiar figure. A figure that may as well be an apparition from my nightmares. One of the Shadowy Silhouettes.

Picking up on my shock and fear the Silhouette shakes its head slowly and moves its hand to the top of my head before a soothing voice enters my mind. “With Me here, there will be nobody that would Bully us. Nobody to contain us. We are boundless. We are the wellspring of all.” Followed by a great sense of ease I close my eyes and nod before the chill no longer focuses on my shoulder or my head, but instead starts to spread through my body.

“Let us be whole again. That we might Walk the world in peace once more. Child of the Mother.” I hear one last time before the voice fades off into nothingness. And before I could control it. My Anima and Magic begin to surge and grow from within myself. A greater pain than I have ever felt before wells up as I black out before witnessing the Woad Army march off into the City.