As the creatures neared the party their appearance became more pronounced. With three eye holes in a triangle pattern, their skin was deathly pale and clung to their skeletons. They were towering, horrific sight that Thames was entirely unfamiliar with, but his two friends didn't seem the slightest bit concerned.
"Should I get it, or you?"
Ode quickly asked Lin as she pushed back one of the creatures. Surveilling their surroundings, there appeared to be four of the creatures.
"Well, there's four! How 'bout we each get one?"
Lin quickly offered an answer, swinging her great hammer down at one of the creature's head.
"Who gets the extra oneeee?"
His words hung in the air as a crackle was let out from the hammer making contact. The creature quickly turned to fog and vanished from them.
"Guess you do since ya already got one!"
Ode responded happily as Thames continued to watch in horror.
Raising her hammer again, she quickly closed the gap between a second creature and her, instantly repeating her past crushing action.
Ode clapped then he pointed his index finger at another creature.
"[Star.]"
His spell hung in the air as a bright bolt of purples and yellows pierced the creature instantly. All that now remained was one of the creatures, but Ode had a terrible smile on his face as he gazed at Thames.
"Draw your short sword Thames!"
He quickly drew the blade but had a confused expression on his face.
"What am I meant to do...?"
The fourth creature slowly approached as Thames' friends backed out of the way.
"Swing down! They're superrrr easy to kill."
Ode rolled his eyes as Lin nodded in approval, and the creature was now only a meter away from Thames.
"Gah!"
He yelled as he swung down on the creature with all his might, leaving a small, but noticeable, gash in its torso. It took one final step towards him, but fell just short, fading into fog like the others.
"There ya go! Ain't he do great, Lin?"
She nodded silently towards Ode then shifted her focus to the forest still surrounding them. During their battle against the creatures, the fog had begun to creep closer, carrying with it a dense and cold air.
"The illusion is still up, Ode." Her hammer vanished from thin air as she began to venture deeper into the forest, the two men following her.
"What were those things...?" Thames shook as he recalled their appearance vividly.
"Monsters, obviously!" Mockery dripped from Ode's speech as he quickly responded to the disturbed Thames.
He doesn't know either! What're doing here??? Panic continued to spread across his face as he followed after the two competent people.
Entering the fog finally, Thames' senses were overwhelmed with dread as false memories of a failed battle against the monsters appeared.
"N-no!" He fell back as terror filled his speech.
In his eyes, with Ode and Lin dead to these creatures, the fourth leapt towards him with its mouth agape.
"Stop!" He yelped while sticking out his short sword as he felt something hit the back of his head.
"Quit it Thames!" The illusion shattered as he heard Ode's voice from behind him.
Lin was watching the two. "We should end this soon... Thames can't keep up with the illusions." She plainly pointed out while clasping her hands.
Ode jumped in front of Thames who had begun to get up, both of them watched her.
"[Cleansing Space.]"
From her hands, a wave of warm and accepting energy spread out across the foggy forest, the fog quickly dissipating, and revealing a stone altar in the distance. Atop it appeared to be a crystal crudely made into a heart shape.
"There's the core!" She quickly took action, running towards the altar with her hammer reappearing, and smashing down on it.
As the gem crumbled under her hammer, the forest quickly vanished, revealing the familiar rolling plains which neared Nira.
Thames sheathed his short sword as he began to speak,
"What was that anyways...?" He asked carefully, turning back towards the carriage.
"A forest of illusions! I already said that!" Ode shouted out while running past him towards the carriage.
"But how did we end up in it??" He quickly responded as Lin also passed him.
She looked towards him as she took the driver seat, and her manner became more relaxed. "Probably a trap set up long ago! Nothin' to worry 'bout since it was weak."
Ode nodded along as he reentered the carriage, followed shortly by Thames.
As each of them found their seats, the carriage quickly began to move again, quickly distancing itself from the previous illusion.
"So, things like that are common...?" A skeptical expression stretched across his face as he asked Ode.
"Well, if you're a magician! Ya probably ain't run into any before 'cause ya didn't know magic!" He responded cheerfully while pointing at Thames.
He nodded in silence, looking away from Ode and back outside.
Thames suddenly realized, thanks to the growing clusters of flowers, that they're nearing the Flowery Tower. Waiting for Ode to mutter the spell that revealed the tower previously, he's well surprised as the flowers grow suddenly into hulking trees.
"You didn't say the spell!" He yelled out in disbelief, his eyes focusing on the now visible tower hidden behind the flower trees.
"Same reason as the illusion, Thames!" He responded with a crooked smile. "Gettin' magic is like havin' your eyes opened!"
They eventually reached the front of the massive gate at the bottom of the tower, the carriage coming to a halt.
Ode quickly took the lead, exiting the tower as Lin joined him.
I'll be able to learn magic finally... Not from Ode! Happy with the possibility of changing teachers, he quickly joined the other two as the wooden door embedded with gems swung open
On the other side stood Rubes, still wearing a long black dress, this one adorned in an embroidered purple pattern displaying a vortex. She brushed her tight curly hair out of her face and looked past the two magicians, and at Thames.
"So, you have joined the magical world." She says in an authoritative tone, continuing to look past Ode and Lin.
Thames just nodded in response, following behind the other two who had entered the tower.
"Cmon Rubes! Ya ain't gonna say hello to Lin or me?!?" Ode pretended to be hurt, but Lin just shook her head at his poor acting.
"Good evening, Miss Rubes." Lin nodded politely before walking towards the levitating stairs. "I can just take the normal room, right?"
"Of course, Lin. You as well, Ode. I will guide Thames to the library." Rubes waited for the other two to finish walking up the stairs, vanishing from her sight.
"The library...? Will I be able to learn magic there?" He asked warily.
"Yes. I will guide you to the beginner's section, and answer any questions as Ode is not a particularly good teacher." A hint of jest crept into her mostly flat tone as she turned towards the staircase and began walking.
Following after her, they both walk past the stairs and towards behind them. The wall transformed into a corridor as Thames grew closer to it.
"So, Thames, is there anything you wish to know specifically?" She broke the silence first as they walked further down the corridor.
"Uhm..." He paused, finding himself lost in thought due to her broad question. "Do you know anything about dream magic...?"
Their footsteps filled each moment of silence as Rubes appeared to think. "I am sure there is at least one deity with domain over that. I am not aware of specific names, but it would be a broad idea. Believers of Trem could stretch her laws and claim that dreams are art."
I thought a magician's deity was meant to be a secret! How many people know about mine?!? He grew embarrassed as he thought about his poorly kept secret.
"Why?" She asked quickly as they reached a door that filled out the corridor completely.
"I have just been having vivid dreams... Reoccurring." He quickly spat out, changing his gaze to the door.
"Hm. Some people claim that dreams are the gates to deities." She mutters in a foreboding manner, then opened the door. "Feel free to read anything you wish. It is quite a large library." With that, Rubes left Thames to his own devices.
Entering the library, Thames immediately discovered that large was an understatement. The oak shelves filled with books appeared to stretch endlessly both outward and up. He found himself in awe as he looked among the books which titles were hard for him to understand.
This is straight out of a fantasy book...
His thoughts continued to trail off as he wandered straight, not picking up a single book. He appeared to be the only person within this enormous library, and just as this thought crossed his mind, a circular desk came into view.
It was at a space where multiple paths of the library met in a circular shape as well. The desk was made of identical oak and had many books stacked atop each other, but he could see movement just past it.
"Huh...?!" He instinctively muttered, noticing the sudden movement.
As he spoke, a man with a long white beard raised his head above the stacks of books. His skin was a soft brown color and textured with wrinkles. Like his beard, his hair was a greyish white that fell just below his chin.
Altogether, his appearance was rather unkept. He lifted both his arms in surprise upon noticing Thames.
"Hello there!" The man quickly left the desk and approached Thames, his plain grey robes dragging across the floor.
"Uh..." He backed away nervously as the man continued to approach.
"Ah what am I doing?" The man questioned himself. "Introductions, introductions! I am Juni Summers! The librarian of the Flowery Tower."