We Stand Before the Gates of Time

Clockenspiel, the once home of Time mages in this kingdom, continued to exist as a symbol of their power in the past.

Ruins clung mysteriously midair without anything to hold it up, debris of an attack many, many decades ago. They defied gravity, its time frozen in place at the moment the spell had struck.

Roze’s eyes traced that skyline above the city – from the collapsing tower that had been caught mid-fall to sprays of wreckage caused by explosions. Roze soaked in the eerie sight of an invasion frozen to the passage of time. It was a city on the brink of collapse, preserved for all to witness.

“We’re finally here,” she whispered, soft like a prayer. She couldn’t help but clasp her hands together. The magnitude of its current existence made her feel small, helpless even. Power far greater than her own had made it possible.

The footsteps of her companions approached from behind. They had finished their respective duties, leaving a sea of frozen puppets behind them. With plenty of time before the ice melted, they could all let the final destination sink in.

“Even from afar, I could hardly believe my eyes. There ain’t a single other sight out there like this.” Ferdinand’s mouth was agape, like he was ready to lift a bottle up to it.

“The power to control time is a kingdom of eternity. Even our elven lineage can feel short in comparison.”

“I have studied elemental magic for years, and not even its possibilities compare to this!”

“It’s the same any world you go to, Raffy. There is far more out there than any one of us normal people can fathom.” Gideon shrugged, knowing that he was far from what was considered smart. He merely knew his own limitations. “Leave it to the experts to pave the way, and we grasp tidbits of their fruit as it tumbles down.”

Gideon learned early on that even if he somehow possessed an ability related to Time, he had no way of learning more about it himself. He could not cast any of the magic that Roze used. Neither did the mark on his chest react to anything he did. He was powerless to use anything besides what he was given.

Knowing that, he looked at his fellow companions.

“That’s why I’ve gathered you all here. The purpose of this journey is to turn Roze into that expert. So that she can do what others cannot. She has the right to take back what has been stolen from her, so that she can determine a future for herself. We’re just along for the ride and reap the benefits, m’kay?”

“Way to ruin something that sounded almost profound, Gideon.” Roze shook her head at him.

“What can I say? You all know why I’m here. Finally breaking the cycle is my goal.”

They started walking forward, their objective clear that they had to find a way to the archives. Having Roze read the tomes with her Historia Revelata ability was the key to their success.

Milipitas dashed ahead, her hunting prowess tickled as they entered the city. But then, Gideon ran up to her.

“Let me scout ahead. There’s no telling what dangers are out here. It’s not the forests where familiar beasts roam. After all, nothing can attack me while time is frozen. Plus, we should secure the area before backup arrives.”

Milipitas nodded, seeing reason to his logic. He could spend as long as needed without time passing for the others. Roze looked off to the side, knowing exactly what Gideon was playing at.

He hadn’t told the others yet, how he already knew the events of previous cycles. By going around and scouting out the place himself, he could cover up the fact that he knew everything beforehand.

An echo of crackles and booms sounded in the distance, presumably Gideon’s handiwork at mowing down the enemies. The others waited, their ears pricked for every sound as they scanned the surroundings.

Clockenspiel would’ve looked just as grand as the capital, save for the distorted surroundings that gave it an apocalyptic feel. For a moment, Roze imagined what it would have been like if her clan had continued to live here.

She would have just been a normal city girl, going about life like everyone else, possibly attending school like other children. Her mother and father would have been alive, and the comfort of a family would have filled her every day thoughts.

In essence, it would have been far removed than her current self, constantly searching for the next means for survival. But that also meant that she wouldn’t had given the time of day to be involved in such an adventure.

A live languishing in comfort and security.

Or a meaningful purpose while journeying with companions.

Roze wasn’t sure what she desired. She had been so busy being swept up in everything that had happened so far that she didn’t have time to think.

What would she do after recovering the lost magic? What would happen to the others? She could feel a numbness grow inside of her, paralyzed as to what to choose. She had never asked herself these things because she never had a choice. After several minutes, her mind narrowed it down to a single question.

What does Gideon plan to do once he’s free?

“Hey, wait. Something’s weird. The noises suddenly changed,” Milipitas spoke up. Her ears twitched at something too distant for the rest to hear.

Gideon appeared out of nowhere before their eyes, looking quite winded.

“There’s a... big one... over there...”

Something glowed in the corner of their vision before they could see it clearly. It turned the corner, a goliath of a being thundering through the streets. Looking around like it was sentient, it turned its head toward them. Suddenly, a dull thud and crackling sounded, causing the giant to bobble for a few steps.

The party turned to see Gideon missing, showing up a moment later in a slightly different spot.

“We have to find some place to hide now!” he warned, already taking the lead to dash toward the nearest building. He waved at the others to follow along.

None of them questioned needing a little preparation to tackle something large enough to make Gideon flee.

v

“What are we going to do about it? I don’t suppose we can sneak around it long enough for me to check the tomes.” Roze crossed her arms.

“Tried that. As soon as I set foot in the archives, that thing comes back to guard it. I think it’s programmed to guard the secrets of magic there. Even if I pop up in one place and then another, it always chooses to head towards the intruder in the archives.”

“That means we have to fight it.” Raffy gripped his sword. “What is it made of anyway? Some kind of metal? I don’t think my Ice magic is strong enough to keep it in check for more than a few seconds.”

It was Ferdinand that chimed in.

“Oscillium.”

Any hopes of defeating the giant just went out the window.

“A ten meter tall golem, made entirely out of Oscillium is roaming the streets outside?!” Raffy’s normally cool expression dropped, further indicating how outmatched the entire party was. “Forget about the endlessly regenerating puppets outside of the city. There is likely nothing known to mankind that can destroy such a foe!”

“Hey, at least the puppets have stopped chasing us. Looks like they were commanded to stay out of the city because of you-know-what,” Gideon added.

Roze gave him a stern look, which stabbed at him for hiding such things.

“I take it that there is something else you have yet to say?”

“Oh, yes. Actually. It seems like the golem has a diamond core operating it, so if we can smash that gem, chances are we’ll be able to render it inactive.”

Ferdinand banged his head on his shield. It was obvious such a weakness hardly made a difference to him.

“A diamond magic gem housed in nearly-indestrucible oscillium. Ain’t that a perfect combination? It’s shock proof, weather proof, and can survive the assault of an entire armies barrage, no problem. What do we have? A couple of flying shields, a gentle gust, a peppering of icicles, and a few time voodoo tricks up the sleeve? Sounds pretty hopeless to me.”

Ferdinand turned to leave, but Gideon put a hand on his shoulder.

“Didn’t you want the secret to beating your father at his own game?”

He turned to Milipitas next, who had subconsciously backed up so far that she was against the wall. Her natural hunting instincts told her clearly that she was no match against such an opponent.

“And you want to bring Roze back as a true leader, one worthy to have beaten you and everyone else in combat, am I right?”

Lastly, he turned to Raffy.

“We’ve all seen it. The power of Time magic. People were right to be afraid as there is so much you can do with it. We’re not slinging spells and creating conveniences. Time magic opens opportunities. It changes the very path we are on and dares to challenge reality!”

Gideon knew this quite well. Cycle after cycle, choice after choice – he pondered his options and used the best of his abilities. Sometimes, he failed, but just as many times, he broke through. He weathered those failures in anticipation for the next cycle, just so he could eventually build the optimal path for this moment.

“I have a way forward! Will you trust me without question?!” Gideon thrust his hand forward for them to join in.

Several pairs of eyes looked at each other. Slowly, Raffy stepped forward, and then, Ferdinand. Milipitas came soon after, and then, all eyes looked at Roze.

She still held her doubts. The echoes of Gideon’s past failures made her hesitate. But then, Gideon beamed a wide smile at him.

It spoke of unyielding confidence and determination to succeed – a face that she had come to depend on, time and time again.

Roze knew she was being pressured to move forward. She knew something was a bit off about all this. Nonetheless, she swallowed it all down and took the leap.

They would do what the kingdom’s army of olde could not, here and now. Roze vowed that she wouldn’t be the one to hold anyone back.