Transcendence?

***Norfolk, Sarn-Valley***

***Violetta***

“It's a pain in the ass to search for those two!” I complain to Liandra, while we walk along the hallway.

“You are right. I wanted to train my firestorm spell! Ascathon promised to teach me the next level if I prove to him that I have enough control.”

“What's the next level of Firestorm? I am a little confused. According to our tutor, there is no next level of Firestorm.” Unless I heard something wrong. I am very sure that my memory is correct on that point.

Though I am not concentrating on fire magic like Liandra. I am becoming a more traditional mind magician. Creating hallucinations and mirror images is my preferred usage of magic.

“He said that he would teach me a spell called Firenova! The name alone sounds awesome enough.” Liandra starts to hop a little.

Right now we are on our way to the kitchen. We took a look at the library first, but there was no one there.

I puff my cheeks. “That's unfair. My brother should teach me something with an awesome name too.”

“He taught you telekinesis! Isn't that skill overpowered enough? I am still envious that you can levitate stuff around like nothing!” Liandra opens the door to the kitchen and freezes up.

“But the name isn't cool.” I take a look at what caused Liandra to stop in her tracks. My expression freezes in place as I try to comprehend the destruction. The kitchen looks like a battlefield!

The place is a mess! Pots are lying around and there are broken plates and glasses all over the place. In the middle of the room is a charred and half dead slime.

“Noo! Glutton!” Liandra storms into the room and hugs her pet. She created it herself under Celestial's guidance. Her big sister is teaching her alchemy from time to time.

I've always had an aversion for the slimy thing in Liandra's hands. “Don't get so worked up about it. Glutton is a slime!” I get Glutton's tilted pot from the shelf.

Glutton is used by Celestial to dispose of the food leftovers and the pot is his home. I place the pot in front of Liandra and she puts Glutton inside.

“He will recover. He is just a little charred on the surface.” As a slime, he will regenerate in no time.

“Still! He feels the pain too! I will punish the one who did it!” Liandra starts to scan our surroundings for clues.

I start to search myself until I find a clue in the form of small fingerprints of marmalade on a cabinet. “I know only one person with such small hands!”

“We will get her!” Liandra throws a little food into the pot with Glutton inside. Then we rush outside to search for the wrongdoers!

“This will take forever. The mansion is huge.” I yield after forty minutes without results.

“We could use the globe in Ascathon's laboratory.” Liandra suggests.

“Are you sure? Brother doesn't like it if someone is using his stuff.” I weigh the benefits of using the device against the chance of being caught. “But they caused chaos in Celestial's kitchen. It's probably better to catch them fast.”

“Yes. It's for the sake of stopping the destruction spree.” Liandra heads for Ascathon's laboratory.

Arriving at the door, we already hear noises from inside. A metallic chattering and damped explosions! I head for the door and open it.

A few steps bring me to the room with the machines. I take a quick look at Ascathon's worktable, but everything is untouched. “Puh. His current work doesn't seem to be damaged.”

“Violetta. I don't think that you should come here.” I turn and arch an eyebrow. The small worktable, which my brother brought down here for me, is empty!

I rush over to Liandra and …

“NOOO!”

I crouch down and gather the pitiful remains of Spidi, my eight legged spider robot! “It took me two months to get him to the point of moving on his own!”

All my free time was invested in this project. Ascathon helped a little and taught me the basics. Ever since I saw his machines, I wanted to create something that could move by itself. “I will avenge you! We knew each other just for a short time, but that doesn't change my feelings!”

Liandra pats my shoulder. “For Glutton!”

I join her. “For Spidi”

I look around “How did they get out of here? They must have gotten past us!”

“I think they took another route.” Liandra points at an open air shaft.

I walk closer and take a look inside. All there is to see, is a pitch black hole. “That one should lead to the garden! If we are fast, we can cut off their path at the veranda.”

Liandra and I leave the laboratory with fast and purposeful steps. There will be judgement!

We intercept Sera and Arran like planned. They were just about to enter the house again. “Got you!” I point at the evildoers and call out.

“Who is that?” The little baby, who is floating beside Sera talks. He has a defeated expression.

“Ah, may I introduce you? These are Violetta and Liandra. My aunts.” Sera points at us and smiles.

“Aren't they a little young?” Arran looks at us with a curious expression.

“We are all from magical bloodlines with much power. So it isn't that strange, if you consider that magicians get very old.” Sera nods.

“That's of no concern now! Do you know what you did? You destroyed Spidi!” I call out in rage.

“And you hurt Glutton!” Liandra joins me.

“What are you talking about?” Sera asks innocently.

“She did everything! I was just used as a meatshield!” Arran is faster on the uptake and spills the beans.

“Hey! I thought we fought the slime and the spider construct together!? You even taunted them properly with your screams! We are in this together, since you played your role as a tank!” Sera gasps and starts to rant.

“Whatever! I call forth shackles of ice, Bind Them!” I point my finger at them, but Sera rolls to the side, moving faster than I expected from her tiny body. Arran gets caught in my ice spell and stops floating around, frozen in mid air. Sera gets to her feet and starts to run away.

“Wahahaha. Learn some buffs or cast fas... *ouf*” Sera ran right into an earth wall, which was summoned by Liandra. She slowly slides to the ground, while a light dent remains in the earth. Luckily for Sera, Liandra didn't conjure solid rock.

“I wish to encase, Ice Prison!” I cast another spell to use the opening, but Sera raises her hands.

“~Counterspell!~”

I feel my mana being disrupted and the ice prison stops forming. What's going on?

“I seek to chain! Earth Shackle!” Liandra throws another binding spell at Sera.

“~Interrupt!~”

Sera stops the spell again by disturbing Liandra's mana flow. She is able to cast counter magic too easily!

I raise both hands and hold her in place with telekinesis, lifting her a metre upwards.

“What! Not fair!”

I feel Sera trying to counter my telekinesis with her own, but after a few seconds of struggling she goes limp and gives up.

Five minutes later we have them roped up like a pair of villains. Correction, like the villains they are!

“And now we will teach you a few rules about harming my pet!” Liandra talks with a strict voice.

“And... And destroying someone else's property!” I add fast.

“Why am I roped up too?” Arran continues to sulk.

“You failed to evade the first spell! Why didn't you evade? I had to fight both of them alone!” Sera isn't listening to us.

“You got caught too in the end! And how should I evade on my own? I can't even walk yet!” Arran shoots back.

“I just got caught because they used brute force. Telekinesis is unfair, because it's just a test of your mana reserves. I got done in by brutish methods.” Sera mumbles.

*Smack!*

I gave her a clout. That's for Spidi! “My methods aren't brutish! I worked hard for them! And as a punishment, you will repair Spidi!”

“And heal Glutton!” Liandra nods.

“Why are the kids roped up like that?”

I turn around. “H... Hi, mom.”

I look at my angry mother and then at the bound up Sera and Arran. Arran still has ice on his clothes, while Sera is dirty and has a small bump on her forehead. The bump was caused by running into Liandra's earth wall. They look like they were bullied by someone.

“This isn't …” “… as it looks.”

.