She took off the dripping cloak, and the bag, and lay back on the floor, looking at the ornate ceiling like she had done thousands of times before. Her eyes traced the shadows of the intricate woodworking on the rafters. She let her thoughts drift off into mindlessness, needing to escape her frustration. Her eyes continued along the lines above, tracing the sculpting, the inlays, the frills.
With a deep sigh, she closed her eyes. She wasn’t tired. She was looking for peace, and not finding it.
WAIT! She blinked, and her eyes narrowed. If my father enchanted this tower, it would have had to have been done a long time ago. It would take a lot of will to maintain it that long. Her heart raced and she sat up. She scanned the ceiling again.
He wouldn’t use his own will for that power. He’d use an oculus! She’d never paid much attention to the stones inlaid in the ceiling. They were just a part of the room’s decor. She levitated up to the rafters and began looking more intently. As she found them, she touched them, felt them. They were all just cold gray stones of granite. She smiled. Gray is the color most often associated with dimensional wizardry. The kind of powers that could warp and fold space in around itself so that one couldn’t leave, say, a room or tower?
Her hands touched each inlay in turn, and felt nothing but cold stone. She felt herself getting tired and knew that she couldn’t keep flying much longer.
She felt a shiver. Was that something, or just from being out in the rain? She moved her hand back to the stone she had been touching. She felt it again, stronger, this time, as she focused on it.
That’s it! That’s it! She could definitely feel the latent power emanating from it.
I’ve felt that all these years, and just hadn’t realized it.
She wasn’t sure what do do with it, though. She grabbed at it with her fingernails, but wasn’t strong enough to pry it free.
This is dimensional wizardry, isn’t it? I can play in that game, too! She hesitated, uncertain. I can’t send it away, or shatter it. My father is more powerful than I am. What if I use my own power to twist reality around it? I can make a dimensional warp around its own dimensional warp, and shrink it down. Then I’ll be outside of its reach, at least for a few minutes!
She looked down at the study below her. My will is getting weak. I’ll need more strength! Where can I find more?
She saw the table, chairs, books, shelves, all lit up by the glowing oculi.
The oculi! She swept to the floor and put on the bag and the cloak again. She rushed over to the nearest oculus on the wall and reached up to surround it with her hands. Focusing on it, deeper, and deeper still, she stared into its glow.
A little at first, she felt its energy flowing into her hands, and arms. Yes, more! I need more! The lamp flickered, dimmed, then went out. She rushed to the second one, then the third.
Re-energized, she flew up again, and looked for the stone. It was difficult to find, now, in the dark, but she felt for it. She surrounded it with her will, and concentrated. Suddenly, she felt a nauseating wave of rippling reality sweep over her as it shrunk to converge on the stone. She blinked and backed away. I hope that worked! I won’t have much time!
In a moment she had flown through the door and was lost, laughing, in the dark rain over the city.
<<<>>>
This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing.
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