Chapter 27
The Right Perspective
The room was bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun, casting long shadows that danced across the walls with the gentle breeze. Adom, Sam, and Bennu were huddled around the metal puzzle, its complex form resting innocuously on the wooden table. Its myriad runes inscribed upon its polyhedral surface seemed to hum with a latent promise of secrets waiting to be unlocked.
Sam leaned in, his gaze intense as he tried to make sense of the intricate design. "Did Mohagan give you any clues on how to activate this thing?" he asked, his voice laced with a mixture of awe and frustration.
Adom, his eyes reflecting a deep well of knowledge, shook his head slightly. "No direct instructions," he replied. "But this is more than just a puzzle. It's an artifact designed to test a sorcerer's understanding and control over their Essentia and magical prowess."
Sam's eyebrows arched in surprise. "So, we're supposed to... what? Will it to work?" he quipped, only half-joking.
"Not quite," Adom said with a small smile. "Observe the metal—Alterstein. Its lightness is unmistakable, yet the mass is considerable." He lifted the puzzle with ease, allowing Sam to feel its weight. "This is from the high altitudes of Mont Sydril, a treasure of the kingdom of Elfheim."
"The greatest elven kingdom," Sam interjected, his voice tinged with respect. "They're masters in manipulating Alterstein, right?"
"Exactly," Adom confirmed. "The elves forge this metal to be extremely receptive to Essentia, making it ideal for high-end artifacts and enchanted weapons. Its properties allow it to channel magical energy with incredible efficiency."
With the curiosity of a child and the intensity of a scholar, Sam watched as Adom channeled a stream of Essentia from his arm to his fingertip. The energy flowed like liquid silver, a visible current of power that made the air around them tingle with anticipation.
Adom placed his charged fingertip at the center of the puzzle. The Alterstein seemed to drink in the Essentia eagerly, a perfect conduit for the magical force. The runes ignited with a vibrant green light, and the metal began to move.
"It's levitating!" Sam exclaimed as the puzzle lifted from the table, an orchestra of moving parts that defied gravity. The bands of metal slithered and wound around each other like serpents made of liquid mercury, each movement precise and deliberate.
Adom and Sam's eyes followed the mesmerizing dance of the metal bands. They moved with purpose, each rune finding its place as the structure reconfigured itself into a perfect orb. The text formed by the runes was now clear, the enigma laid bare for them to solve.
As Bennu's small, excited chirps filled the air, eager to glimpse the secrets of the orb, the magic that had kept it afloat waned. The sphere descended gracefully, and Adom caught it with practiced ease, cradling the artifact in his hands.
"An enigma," Adom murmured.
The room was silent save for the soft sound of the puzzle's magic at work. The enchantment within it was advanced, a spell weaved by a master sorcerer.
Sam, who had been silent, now spoke with an insight that complemented Adom's analysis. "So the Alterstein reacts to Essentia flow, reshaping itself according to the magic channeled into it. Like a mirror reflecting the sorcerer's intent."
Adom nodded in agreement. "Precisely, Sam. And look here," he gestured toward the text now revealed by the rearranged runes. "This is the key to unlocking its secrets."
Bennu, quiet until now, flapped his wings with a spark of excitement. "What does it say, Adom?" he asked, his voice a blend of youthful eagerness and timeless wisdom.
Adom looked at his companions, his eyes alight with the thrill of the challenge. "Let's find out,".
Sam leaned over Adom's shoulder to peer at the writing that had appeared. The elvish script, intricate and flowing, was foreign to his eyes. "This is High Valyar," he declared with a note of urgency. "We'll need a translator for this."
Adom's hand rose, signaling Sam to pause. "There's no need," he assured, his eyes scanning the text. With a fluency that surprised his friend, Adom began to read aloud, his tongue wrapping around the ancient and melodious language of the elves with unexpected grace.
Sam turned to him, his surprise evident. "Since when do you know High Valyar?" he asked, disbelief lacing his words.
Adom glanced up, a half-smile on his face. "Did you forget my mother is half-elf from Sal Aethel?" he teased gently. At Sam's continued look of astonishment, he added, "I picked it up recently."
The truth, of course, was that Adom had learned High Valyar in his previous life, a skill acquired during his forties out of intellectual curiosity and a desire for closer connection to his heritage. Bennu, perched on Adom's thigh, sent a ripple of thought through their bond, cautioning him with wisdom beyond his appearance. Be careful, Adom. Sam is observant.
I know, Bennu, Adom replied mentally, appreciating the familiar's insight.
Clearing his throat, Adom focused on the elvish script once again, translating the enigma for Sam:
"In the dance of the worlds, where stars vie for the sky,
What force stills the warring tides and whispers 'nigh'?
It lies not in the sword's swift descent,
Nor in the storm's wrath, nor the bow's intent.
It rests unseen in the hearts of all,
In the quiet space where the raindrops fall.
What binds the broken, mends the rift,
And sets adrift the timeless gift?"
Sam furrowed his brows, deep in thought. "Peace," he murmured after a long pause, the answer coming to him as he contemplated the philosophy hidden within the riddle. "It's peace that can still the 'warring tides' and bind the broken. It's always there, unseen, in moments of calm and in the aftermath of conflict."
Adom nodded, impressed. "Precisely. It's a fitting theme for the Olympiads, don't you think? An enigma challenging the very nature of competition and conflict."
The word "peace" hung in the air like a soft echo, fading into the walls without so much as a flicker from the orb. Sam's eyebrows knitted together in a frown of concentration. "So... what now? Is it actually 'peace'? There's no response from the orb..."
Adom's eyes never left the artifact, a thoughtful expression etched onto his features. "It's not just about the answer," he mused. "When I imbued the Essentia, the artifact likely registered my magical imprint. It's attuned to me, which means it's my voice it requires."
With a gentle touch, Adom's fingers caressed the surface of the orb as he once again funneled a wisp of Essentia into the artifact. This time, he infused the energy into his own vocal cords. As he spoke the word "peace," it resonated with a rich timbre, imbued with the essence of his magic. The sound waves carried the power of Essentia, vibrating through the room and enveloping the orb in a soft, luminescent glow.
The orb responded instantly, its previously inert runes springing to life with a brilliant emerald light. The bands of Alterstein began their dance anew, this time more purposeful and intricate than before. The metal serpentined and weaved, each band interlocking in a mesmerizing display of magical engineering.
Sam and Bennu watched, entranced, as the orb underwent its transformation. The complex structure broke apart, separating into three smaller cubes that floated before them, suspended in mid-air.
The three cubes rotated slowly, each side a masterpiece of runes and metalwork, clearly part of a larger puzzle yet to be solved. The glow from the cubes cast geometric patterns on the walls, bathing the room in a tapestry of light and shadow.
Sam let out a low whistle, his eyes wide with wonder. "That... was something," he said, voice tinged with respect. "But what does it mean? What are we supposed to do with three cubes?"
Adom reached out, allowing one of the cubes to gently descend into his open palm. "Each cube must represent a facet of peace," he theorized aloud. "In unity, they form the answer, but separately, they challenge us to understand its components. We'll need to delve deeper, understand each cube, and how they connect. Only then will we truly solve the puzzle,"
Adom cradled the first cube in his hands, its cool Alterstein surface barely hinting at the deep magic it contained. Sam, eager to progress, urged him on. "Try infusing it with Essentia again, maybe that will do something."
Adom nodded, channeling his Essentia once more, but the cube remained inert, its runes dark and unresponsive. He paused, his mind working through the possibilities. "This isn't about mere infusion," he deduced. "The cube isn't just a lock to be opened with a key of Essentia. It's a puzzle that requires harmony—"
"—between the caster's Essentia and the cube's own magical imprint," Sam finished, understanding dawning in his eyes.
"Yes," Adom affirmed. "I need to resonate with it, to align my Essentia with its frequency. It's like tuning an instrument to find the perfect pitch."
Sam watched, fascinated, as Adom closed his eyes, focusing on the cube within his palms. Drawing upon his understanding of Essentia flow and capacity, he visualized his energy not as a force exerting control, but as a gentle stream seeking convergence with the cube's subtle vibrations.
Adom's Essentia, a vibrant silver-blue, began to seep into the cube, intertwining with its inherent glow. The challenge was to relinquish control, to allow his Essentia to meld with the cube's, to become one without overpowering or being consumed.
He began to manipulate his Essentia, transforming the mental cathedral into a fluid design, more akin to a symphony than a static building. Each note of his Essentia symphony sought harmony with the cube's silent song, a delicate dance of give and take.
The cube remained inert in his hands, but Adom was not deterred. He delved deeper into the mental construct, peeling back layers of his own magical identity, reshaping it, aligning it with the foreign Essentia within the cube. It was a mental game of the highest order, a battle of wits against the enigmatic will of a long-lost sorcerer's creation.
Then, with a faint click that resonated more in the mind than in the ear, a hole formed at the center of the cube. A word in High Valyar appeared, glowing softly from within the depths of the Alterstein.
"It's a word... a concept vital for peace," Adom whispered. With the same careful modulation of Essentia he had used to unlock the cube, he spoke the word aloud. His voice, filled with the power of his magical essence, vibrated through the cube, causing it to pulse with a verdant light.
The word was "understanding."
Bennu, nestled comfortably in Sam's arms, let out a series of soft, purring vibrations, surprising the boys. "I didn't know phoenixes could purr," Sam exclaimed, his voice a mix of wonder and affection. "That's adorable!" Overcome with a burst of joyful energy from their success with the first artifact, he gently tickled Bennu, who responded with a playful flutter of his fiery wings.
Their attention soon turned to the second cube. Following the same procedure as with the first, Adom infused it with Essentia, but the cube remained unchanged. Sam's laughter filled the room. "Of course, it wouldn't be the same for each cube. Why make it simple when you can make it complicated, right?"
Adom held the second cube up to the light, turning it over in his hands. His eyes narrowed as he attempted to tune into the cube's demands. On his second attempt, a realization dawned on him: this cube required a mastery of what in their academic circles could be termed 'atomic magic'— a branch of magic physics, the art of understanding and controlling Essentia on an atomic level.
He knew he had to create elemental spells corresponding to each of the four runes within the cube. Each spell had to be meticulously crafted and sustained in a delicate balance, not allowing any one to disrupt the others. The complexity of such a task was immense; 'atomic magic' was still a burgeoning field, exploring the properties of Essentia as they applied to the very building blocks of matter, it's supposed to be very hard, even for an expert in the field, but for this cube, Adom smiled at the irony of the current situation.
To Sam, Adom simply closed his eyes, giving the impression of repeating his previous method. Inwardly, he called upon a revolutionary theory he had developed in his past life—a technique that simplified the process of crafting atomic spells. Now, he could bypass the complexity of the cube and decipher it much faster.
Adom visualized the intricate dance of Essentia within the cube, imagining it as a miniature universe where each elemental spell was a planet in orbit. The fire spell burned with a steady glow, the air spell hummed with the whisper of the wind, the water spell flowed with the grace of the tides, and the earth spell stood firm with the resilience of stone.
His deep understanding of magic physics allowed him to weave these spells together into a harmonious symphony. Each element played its part, their forces interacting but not overwhelming each other, contained within the structure of the cube by the protective rune—an essential safeguard against the volatile nature of atomic magic.
Adom's technique was not documented in any textbook or taught in any class. It was his unique contribution to the field of magic physics, a method that had yet to be revealed to the world. He had named it the 'Sylla Matrix'—a nod to his own name—a system that allowed for the efficient and safe manipulation of Essentia at the smallest scales.
With the Sylla Matrix guiding his spellwork, Adom manipulated the Essentia within the cube, aligning each spell to its corresponding rune. It was a precarious task, akin to balancing on a wire above an abyss. One misstep, one lapse in concentration, and the cube could unravel, the spells within it breaking free in an uncontrolled burst of energy.
But Adom was a master of his craft. Under his careful guidance, the cube responded, the runes lighting up one by one as each elemental spell locked into place. The cube emitted a soft hum, a sign that the spells were stable and the puzzle was complete.
A new word, glowing with the combined light of the four elemental spells, emerged from the heart of the cube. "Harmony," Adom pronounced, filling the word with his Essentia-laden voice. The cube pulsed with a deep green light, acknowledging the correct answer. Harmony—a state necessary for peace, achieved through the balance of forces.
Sam watched in awe, unaware of the intricate magic physics at play. "You make it look so easy," he said with a grin, his gaze still fixed on the softly glowing cube.
Adom opened his eyes and smiled, a sense of satisfaction filling him as he regarded the puzzle now solved. "Sometimes, the most complex problems have the simplest solutions," he replied. "It just takes the right perspective to see them."
Bennu's mental voice was light with humor. I can see what you're doing, but understanding it is another matter. You sorcerers are a peculiar bunch.
Sam, still marveling at the second cube's glow, handed the third and final cube to Adom. "Your turn again," he said with an expectant look.
As Adom took the cube, he immediately felt a difference. This cube had an aura that suggested a depth beyond the physical dimensions it occupied—a hint of spatial magic. Adom's mind raced with possibilities. Spatial magic, as employed by Mr. Biggins in his store, allowed for the manipulation of space, creating pockets of dimensions and bending distances within a given area.
Bennu, this cube involves spatial magic, an advanced concept of magic physics that deals with dimensions beyond our own, Adom explained mentally to the phoenix. It's like folding space to create shortcuts or hidden compartments that defy physical laws. Imagine a piece of paper representing our world. Spatial magic lets you fold that paper so two points touch directly.
Bennu's curiosity felt bright and keen in Adom's mind. And you can do this with the cube?
Adom nodded slightly, his focus turning inward to the puzzle in his hands. He examined the cube, now seeing it not as a solid object but as a series of interconnected spaces. The cube required him to manipulate Essentia to affect the fabric of space within it. Each side of the cube had to be aligned not just in the physical sense but also in multiple dimensions.
He explained to Bennu, still keeping the information shielded from Sam, I need to calculate the spatial coordinates within the cube, using Essentia to bend the internal space until all sides form a continuous pathway.
The task demanded a deep understanding of advanced mathematics and an instinctual feel for the flow of Essentia. Adom recalled the spatial formulas he had worked on in his past life, equations that could alter the perception and reality of space. With these formulas in mind, he began to channel his Essentia into the cube, envisioning it expanding and contracting within an unseen geometric lattice.
Adom's fingers moved with precision, tracing unseen patterns in the air as he guided the Essentia within the cube. The room seemed to pulse with energy, the air thick with the power of concentrated magic.
To Sam, it appeared as if Adom were conducting an orchestra, his body swaying subtly with the rhythm of his spellwork. But the reality was far more complex. Adom was creating a symphony of spatial distortions within the cube, a ballet of bending dimensions that was both mathematical and artistic.
Within the cube, space twisted and folded upon itself. The cube remained physically intact, but inside, its structure was undergoing a radical transformation. Essentia flowed like a river through channels carved by Adom's will, obeying the commands dictated by his knowledge of spatial magic and the mathematical precision of his mental constructs.
Finally, with a faint pop that resonated on a level just beyond hearing, the cube opened. Not in the physical sense, but in a way that suggested a doorway to another place had been unlocked. A word appeared at the center of the cube, surrounded by the glow of Essentia, a beacon of success within the folded space.
Unity, Adom announced mentally to Bennu. The phoenix, understanding the significance, sent a wave of approval. Unity was the foundation upon which peace was built—bringing together disparate parts to form a whole.
The cube's light faded to a soft glow, signaling the completion of the trial. The three cubes, each representing a core aspect of peace—understanding, harmony, and unity—were now solved. The final enigma had united action with intellect, embodying the essence of the challenges they had faced.
As the room settled, Sam turned to Adom, his face alight with excitement and a hint of confusion. "How did you...?"
Adom met Sam's gaze with a confident smile, the secret of the cube's inner workings safe within his mind. "Like I said earlier, some puzzles require more than just a key," he said aloud, his words a mix of truth and misdirection. "They require the right perspective."
