03-19-2018, 06:36 PM
Quote:Direct continuation from my last post. (Age: 231 years)
Reality shattered, a vibrant wave of blue swept through the tower, encompassing all and reaching high up into the heavens. Steel corroded, flaking away in a passing breeze. Stone crumbled, and clumps of rot crawled through wood like infinitely fast little bugs. Flesh died, shrivelling to the bone before that too turned to dust.
Viola tugged, pulling the taller girl into a hug, and looking away from the carnage she wrought. Thousands and thousands of years passed in an instant, yet perceptions of time remained unchanged allowing it all to pass in a few blinks of the eye. She'd never forget that sight. The young turning old, wrinkling before disintegrating in the breeze, always reminding her of the one thing she never had. Could one truly be considered living without death? Desperately hoping she had her magic under control, Viola squeezed as tightly as she could manage, afraid Rachael would wither away in her arms. Even as the floor gave out beneath them both, bringing them into a sharp plummet, her grip didn't relinquish until the princess returned it, screaming.
The fall brought a sudden sobriety to Rachael's magically drained mind before immediately being engulfed by a wave of panic.
Like a tsunami, the magic stretched out beneath them, crashing through the city and rending it all to rubble, and then nothing. Bricks from the tower deteriorated before they could touch the ground, while all the fire and smoke simply evaporated, swept away, almost leaving the clear night's sky entirely dark and empty if not for the crescent moon and twinkling stars.
Trees and shrubbery grew and died, only to be replaced with more, that in turn repeated the process. Even little hills and deformities in the land grew and morphed, the very dirt churning beneath the ground. The river swerved, rushing violently away from its pristine calm curves to that of a wiggling snake, arcing through the newly grown hills, wider, and with little floodplains and a small marsh near one of the flatter bends. Almost as far as the eye could see, a forest spread through the previously cultivated land, shifting rapidly but eventually gaining control before finally dying off some miles away.
Panting and gasping for breath against the rush of air, Viola's magic flared again, although much more softly. She released Rachael as they spiralled during their weightless plunge, although the girl had returned with her own grip, much more crushing in strength. Working as best as she could, her magic wrapped around them both as they reached the treetops. Forces pushed against them sharply, stabilising their decline while a lilac bubble formed around them.
Coughing, panting, and spluttering, the duo hit the floor with a much more gentle thud, followed by the bubble popping silently. Rachael landed on her feet, shaking, yet able to stay standing. Viola would have fallen if not for the taller girl holding her firmly enough to carry her.
Awestruck, the princess eventually lowered Viola to the ground, then span around, admiring the new scenery. Tallgrass squashed under her feet, reaching half-way up to her knees. Big oak trees surrounded them, with many white flowers blooming underneath where they could get their share of light. Their colours blended with the silvery rays of the moon. Peaceful, tranquil. As if it was a completely new world from the one that suffered the combat prior. "How- wh- what did you do?"
Viola didn't say anything, letting the situation speak for itself. It was common knowledge that she knew basic time magic. That she'd gone further and found other natural abilities was a more secretive fact. The princess likely couldn't grasp the sheer magnitude of the spell. Under normal circumstances, she would have been dead, only by using her magic and directing all her willpower had Viola been able to stop the faux-time taking its toll.
"It's all gone. The city. The castle. The tower. And all of them. H-how? How can you do so much?" With mostly silhouettes contrasted with moonlight to go by, Rachael had a hard time seeing the new land in much detail. The small groups of flowers were like beacons, illuminated through the gaps in the trees like second moons.
"Time." A simple answer. Time healed everything. Mended everything. Destroyed everything. She had little else to say. It was the world's most precious resource and the creator of all.
Seizing the opportunity, Viola followed up with another comment, knowing how to influence her charge. "I can answer questions on the way. You need to get home."
"I don't know the way... It's dark, and I'm safe with you. Can't we camp out in the... forest." Rachael's eyebrows furrowed.
"No." Cold and plain. Using the shadows as cover, Viola was able to clasp Rachael's hand before she could accidentally stray further in her little exploration - not that it would have mattered if the princess actually wanted to force herself away from the small mage. "It's still dangerous." She'd sensed a familiar magical signature before, one that may have survived. It wouldn't be the first time. "Eldurhest is ten miles east. I can use the stars. The town has a guard outpost."
"Oh-oh! The one with Sir Laurence?"
"...yes." Viola shook her head, sighing.
Humming, the princess looked up for a moment, then clenched her bodyguard's hand and practically dragged her through the foliage, filled with a sudden burst of vigour. Viola's body was limp, simply letting it happen.
"I said east, not west."
"R-right!"