An effective countermeasure, to say the least, the young Pundambayan had managed to free himself from the imminent prison of water that had attempted to engulf him. Droplets of the translucent liquid were propelled outward to spread through the air, and while that worked efficiently and effectively to outright negate the formation of the Water spell the Golden Prodigy was casting, the wind elemental spell was a little trickier to disrupt. For, you see, the moment Aero clashed with the force emanating from Rakatah's fist, some wind currents dissipated; the majority of them, however, grew emboldened by the kinetic energy emanated from the shockwave.
Indeed, Gariland was applying one of the basic principles of what little martial arts he knew - utilizing the opponent's strength against themselves. Not only was this principle useful whenever weaving spells through his fists or blades, but also when a situation similar to this one occurred. In this case, what the Master Arithmethician focused on, was in the wind currents that managed to maintain their centrifugal and centripetal forces, rather than the ones that dissipated. Proper calculations of the additional force required for the wind currents to subsist and empower themselves saw the Aero spell turning into something else an entire order of magnitude higher regarding the orders of spells within Black Magic. What was Aero would have become Aerora, Aeroga, and Aeroja under the same order of magnitude; however, the renewed spinning motion of the additional forces enriching the zephyrs saw the spell becoming a veritable Tornado.
As Rakatah sat upon the low arc, the tornado trailed a direct trajectory toward the edifice whilst the forces enacted by it attempted to suck in not only the Pundambayan, but also any material object in the vicinity. With the Golden Prodigy resisting the pull and push of the wind currents in his flight, the calculations in his mind picked up on the effect of the Tornado spell in the micro-asteroid. The constantly falling droplets of water were pulled into the zephyrs, as did loose rocks within the environment, but the particularity was that the tiny shards of crystallized liquid that had not managed to assault Rakatah beforehand were also being pulled in from the ground. This made things a little more difficult for the Pundambayan. Wind currents behind, icy shards up ahead, and the Golden Prodigy overseeing it all from his high perch in midair with his hands outstretched as though readying himself for Rakatah's next movement.
One could say he was still toying with the Pundambayan, but the truth of the matter was that he hadn't even begun playing.
The ancient customs instilled within the humanoid eluded the vast stores of knowledge of the Golden Prodigy. Unbeknownst to him, Gariland had apparently challenged the Pundambayan to a death match; however, what the Pundambayan did not know was that the Eternal Scholar approached each and every conflict with only one thing in mind - to suffuse with it, embrace it, and eradicate it entirely.
Back during his days at the Akademia, the master sorcerers would challenge each and every student to push themselves while embracing their connection with the raw magic coursing through their veins. To this end, they would present the students with problems of different kinds which, obviously, required to be solved within a certain time limit depending on the severity and difficulty of the problem. Gariland preferred those that dealt with elemental knowledge, given how quickly he had been able to master the basic elemental spells within Black Magic. One such problem dealt with the connection between the elements in the classic systems of magic as a whole within the Akademia.
Gariland had to identify what element comprised the body of the problem and resolve it accordingly, recalling the verses from the first chapter of "Essences & Permutations", a critically acclaimed book joint-written by various magic researchers, which dealt with the origin of the elements. In it, the book recites the 'Six Nativities & Myriad Creation', which states that:
"The spark of Lightning ignites when it strikes, and thus Fire is born. The heat of Fire renders to ash all that it touches, and thus Earth is born. The density of Earth shuns sun and harbors cold, and thus Ice is born. The armor of Ice melts away, and thus Water is born. The moistness of Water mists and rises, and thus Wind is born. The gusts and sighs of Wind gather the clouds, and thus Lightning is born."
However, the solutions to the problems Gariland had to deal with were not found in the first chapter, for this simply denoted the origin of each element and their relationship within creation itself. What he was required to memorize, however, was chapters two and three of "Essences & Permutations", 'The Three Conquests, Boundless and Unwavering', and 'The Three Submissions, Timeless and Unending', which stated that:
"Earth grounds Lightning. Water erodes Earth. Lightning boils Water."
"Fire is extinguished by Wind. Ice is melted by Fire. Wind is obstructed by Ice."
With the birth and the death of every element coupled with their inherent weaknesses regarding the Astral and the Umbral in mind, it was clear what Gariland's plan in the midst of such a remote location in the present would be.
Ice is melted by Fire. The armor of Ice melts away, and thus Water is born. The moistness of Water mists and rises, and thus Wind is born.
Therefore, Rakatah had unknowingly aided the Golden Prodigy in the execution of his next stratagem. First and foremost, the centrifugal force generated by Rakatah amidst his spinning movement added a new variable to Gariland's calculations which directly affected the ice turned water and the water turned 'wind'. The elemental duality occurring in that very moment saw itself picked up by the Eternal Scholar, with two separate spells being chained together in the blink of an eye, seemingly without any sort of exertion from Gariland himself. The water droplets grew to weave together, as though beginning to surround the 'plasma shield' around the Pundambayan himself in the midst of his movement whilst the shimmering mist started to pick up an otherworldly kind of force that, much like the water, began to coalesce around Rakatah. The spells respectively were none other than Water and Aero.
If there was anything the Pundambayan needed to know about Gariland, however, is that no movement was wasted, with every pinch of aether coursing through his body and found within the environment being utilized to their utmost efficiency and effectiveness. By the time the Pundambayan reached the end of his trail, the Golden Prodigy was already several dozen meters in midair, with his arms crossed and simply observing how the currents of wind and the half sphere of water around Rakatah engulfed his opponent.
But even the micro-icicles that had landed on the relatively small asteroid and hadn't been used to attempt to attack the Pundambayan had their use, much like the constantly falling rain. Already, the cogs of Gariland's mind worked on his next stratagem, unable to miss a single beat regarding his surroundings.
Impeccable sight transferred information from his surroundings as one of many spells in his arsenal saw itself useful in this particular scenario. The White Magic spell by the name of Libra possessed a variety of applications, though the most prominent one was the enhancement of one's natural and supernatural eyesight to the point that the Eternal Scholar could identify the movements of the individual within the ship, as well as pinpoint various 'weak' points along the hull of the construct. The odds of pacifism being involved in any sort of encounter between the humanoid aboard the ship and himself were rapidly plummeting, which left only harmless tension and dangerous hostility as the remaining possibilities for the time being.
Amused, if anything, the Golden Prodigy lofted of an eyebrow in response to the humanoid's remark. It had been a long, long time since he had listened to such ignorance woven through any entity's voice, but then again, some years had passed since he last had any contact with unenlightened personages. Spending time amongst circles of learned people and putting his research on different forms of magic to use had left Gariland with little regard for the everyday troubles of commoners, and his well-mannered demeanor was reserved for either the weak and defenseless, or those showing a level of enlightenment similar to his own.
"... Have you not been taught how to address your elders, boy? I suppose even a mere worm can teach a microbe a thing or two, if only said microbe possessed the intelligence to learn."
Each and every single word permeated the empty space surrounding the humanoid, as though Gariland had chosen to forgo sound as the means of transport for his thoughts, and instead replaced it with simple air. The subtle echo remaining behind after the fact did, however, produce an irregular number of sound waves that scattered through the air until they became wholly inaudible. The soothing rain added another layer of complexity to the ethereal vocalization of his mind's words, though the sheer magical power of Gariland could soon be felt upon the surface of the micro-asteroid ship and humanoid were standing upon.
It started with the droplets of water before the Master Arithmethician himself. At a simple glance, they weren't any different; clear, transparent, and brightly illuminated by the bioluminescence from the algae each and every single droplet housed. Upon contact with the ground, however, tiny holes could be seen etched along the rugged surface, leaving behind micro-icicles shimmering of a vibrant turquoise. Gariland was using his flawless skills as a Calculator to take in every little bit of data from his surroundings, calculating the speed of the droplets falling onto the micro-asteroid, the mass and weight of every droplet, their relative position regarding himself, the ship and the other humanoid, and the very composition of the liquid itself.
All of these calculations allowed him to formulate a simple strategy to open this hostile encounter with. Tapping upon his knowledge of Black Magic, Gariland applied the gathered data to cast the spell Blizzard onto the droplets of water, allowing the liquid to transfigure and harden, with each and every newborn micro-icicle possessing an unbelievably sharp tip and a hardness beyond that of diamond itself. How strong the ice was spoke lengths about the skill of the caster, and for a prodigy such as Gariland, a spell like this was child's play. Unfortunately for the hoof-footed humanoid, this meant being under attack by a myriad tiny projectiles unless he was quick enough to notice what was going on in time to prevent being pierced over and over by a hail of falling 'bullets'.
Oddly enough, all the projectiles falling toward Gariland saw their trajectories corrected in the blink of an eye, tracing a curve around his form and falling onto the floor below him, given he was still floating over the rugged ground. The humanoid's 'lawn' was quickly being turned into swiss cheese, and if he failed to react properly, that would also be his fate.
Gariland's mind continued to rapidly calculate the variables in play, beginning to formulate his next step as though this was nothing more than a chess match against a complete rookie.
The distortion was nothing more than the manipulation of time and space by an external source. Ripples assaulted several empty areas around the Rings of Neon Rain, swallowing up droplets of iridescent moisture, and eventually tearing through the very fabric of this particular universe. There were no catastrophes, no explosions, no supernatural flares; there was only a gaping hole which edges shimmered with a coruscating glow. A gloved hand soon touched the right edge of the circular gate, seemingly resisting whatever warping influences the distortion could have on its physical and spiritual vessels. Runic writing could be seen on the wristlets the individual pulling himself into this plane sported, coupled with a spotless attire crafted only from the finest silks and adorned solely with materials of the highest quality available to him.
The Eternal Scholar saw it fit to study this location, to analyze the phenomena occurring around this otherwise unimportant planet, and to grasp upon the magic the Rings possessed. Feathered robes saw themselves graced by the luminescent rain, adding another layer of light to his silhouette, however, they could not rival the golden glow exhibited by his body. Gariland Varuna, after all, practically radiated aether contaminated with his own particular signature. This aether, this energy, surrounded him at all times without fail, and caused a singular ring comprised of runic writing to orbit his form regardless of any active participation from his part. It was merely a side effect of his magical prowess. The glow given off by his aether and runes was often reflected off of the adornments hanging from his clothes, most notably every single artifact crafted out of blessed gold woven in the silk of his robes and the material of his lower attire. Luckily enough, they allowed him to move unhindered, regardless of his posture.
Once Gariland was fully on the other side of the gate he had created, portals and other forms of spatial distortions being his preferred method of travel, taking into account all the nuances the method possessed, a simple wave of his hand saw the fabric of this universe coming together yet once more as though nothing had happened. One would think the introduction of a foreign element would cause an allergic reaction, but the Master Arithmethician knew this was not the case. Not a single universe had reacted to his presence negatively thus far, as commonly it was the parasites inhabiting these previously unknown regions which attempted to gain something from approaching Gariland. Parasites such as brigands, bounty hunters, mercenaries without an enemy, and an all-around assortment of unsavory individuals.
Something in his mind told him things would be different here. His mind told him that there wouldn't be any issues and he'd be able to study the Rings to the best of his ability before departing back to his home between the universes.
Alas, it was not to be.
For every single scenario of safety his mind presented him, five more sprouted up with counterpoints and feasible arguments to refute the preconception of safety. The one point that served to fully justify his caution? The single ship which alarm could not stop blaring within the confines of its inner regions, within each and every single room, and which housed an individual whose strength could be felt even from a distance by the Golden Prodigy.
Nothing to do but approach the micro-asteroid the ship was currently settled upon in the most effective way Gariland knew, floating over as parsimoniously as he could whilst his mind studied the countless possibilities of the current scenario.
Ambitious. Selfless. Brilliant. If there are any qualities that define an individual growing amongst the brightest minds of Ivalice, within the comfort of the Magical City of Gariland, these three would suit this genius perfectly. Christened with the name of the founder of the Akademia of Magic in the city, Gariland exhibited an astounding resonance with the aether, the energy present in every living and non-living entity and object, found within the environment. This was not entirely surprising, given that both his parents were wizards of renown in the Akademia; however, Gariland’s capacity to learn magic and the rapid development of his mind shocked the both of them. By the time he was a single year old, the young prodigy could already understand the majority of the texts in his household, committing them to memory, and even cast the three basic spells for any Black Mage studying in the city – Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder.
His growth was further aided by the curious mind of his father, who nurtured Gariland’s knowledge, deciding to instill the basic tenets of magic within his mind and body. Focus, memorization of incantations, techniques to keep the mind lucid and the body light, casting methods, and a myriad other concepts were rapidly picked up and mastered throughout his childhood. While his father focused on teaching Gariland offensive magic, such as the schools of Black, Arcane, and Time Magic, his mother further expanded his knowledge by sharing her teachings of White, Green, and even Summon Magic. At the age of five, he was already attending classes at the Akademia with peers that more than tripled his age, and exhibiting nearly as much skill as each of them.
Gariland spent most of his youth perfecting each and every single spell that had been taught by his parents until he was given free rein to pursue his own research at the ripe age of fourteen. This period in Gariland’s life saw him traveling all over Ivalice in order to pick up new knowledge and to master the different forms of magic found throughout the land. Geomancy from the garif tribes in the south, further expanding on this knowledge by communing with the viera elementalists found in the sacred woods of the Golmore Jungle; Arcanima from the Nymian scholars in the isles of Vylbrand, delving further into their knowledge to add more stores of data to his research on summoning; and Astrology from the wise people of Sharlayan. Martial arts were also picked up, provided they could be woven in with the very magic he possessed, such as the art of Rune Blading, and Spellweaving. A sponge for knowledge, it was clear he required more.
So much knowledge and magical power, however, changes a man. Miracles were said to occur wherever he went. Dirty water was purified, monsters were driven back and annihilated, and peace reigned in locations seized by the fires of war. The legends told about Gariland are overly exaggerated in some cases, but there is little doubt in the mind of the people that he rose through the ranks of popularity until he became a veritable hero of Ivalice.
As goes Light, however, so goes Darkness.
Darker tales are told about this hero swathed in sacred light, teaching the ignorant, empowering the weak, and saving the oppressed. The stories, whispered in the back alleys of many a city, tell that Gariland as the people know him has ceased to exist, that he embodies a multitude of souls pulled from planes unknown to man. Some say that he is a demon walking amongst mortals. Others say he is an angel, delivering just punishment to evildoers and aiding the meek. The same was said for the famed Marquis Elmdor at some point in time, though nobody could prove the claims save for a single individual whose records have been buried by those in power.
Whatever the case, it is clear that Gariland is no longer a mere human being. His knowledge has enlightened him, allowing him to transcend the universes at will by riding upon the very Lifestream of the Multiverse itself, partaking upon it, and allowing him to enhance the quality of the very aether surrounding him. One could say he had become a God in the eyes of Man, but he would never state such. As ambitious as he was, as selfless as he was, as brilliant as he was, these qualities would not only be imparted upon himself, but upon anyone who wished to learn from him.
With the Multiverse waiting for him, Gariland’s quest was just getting started yet once again, to learn everything there it was to learn, and to share his knowledge with those who would like a teacher.
Time, after all, was something that wouldn’t run out anytime soon.
Appearance: Often changing due to his fickleness with physical vessels, Gariland’s most prized attire is a set of feathered robes gilded with blessed gold and silver thread. Several golden artifacts and pieces hang from specific sections of the robes, most notably the center of the chest and the waist, whilst his wrists are decorated with rune-etched golden wristbands. His normal appearance sports a fair complexion, golden hair, and crimson eyes, standing at five feet and nine inches and weighing approximately a hundred and fifty pounds. Although the magic coursing through his veins can be seen in the very air around him, often in the shape of faintly glowing runic writing encircling him, his physical strength is nothing to laugh about. This selfsame magic has passively strengthened his physical vessel over the years, granting him additional capabilities and force beyond belief. One particular legend talks about Garland wrestling a behemoth bare-handed, and judging by the enormous black horns hanging from the wall back at his mansion, one would be wise to avoid engaging in physical combat with him.
Skills
Capabilities picked up through natural progression, studying, and training.
Excellent Strategy: Gariland’s lucid mind confers him with an uncanny capacity for combat and military strategy. He is capable of calmly analyzing the situation, concoct multiple plans and play out different scenarios in his head, and pick whatever move he deems most effective against any odds.
Master Arithmethician: Arithmethicians, or Calculators, are a force to be reckoned with in Ivalice. Through analyzing the myriad variables that are found within the world around them, Calculators can afflict specific spaces with spells of their choice, able to counteract an enemy’s attack without fail or to catch an enemy entirely unaware. By performing calculations based on arcane geometries, and mixing extensive knowledge from Arithmethicians and Arcanists, Gariland can effectively maintain perfect control of the battlefield at all times.
Master Wizard: Gariland can call upon the forces of nature found within Black and White Magic at will. The elements of Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Lightning, and Ice are at his mercy. Additionally, he can delve within magic lacking elemental qualities, or pertaining to the Astral – Light, positive energy – and the Umbral – Darkness, negative energy – elements. He can also access Arcane, Green, Time, and Summoning Magic, granting him a wide array of elements and creatures to employ in the battlefield.
Master Elementalist: Aside from his knowledge in Black and White Magic, Gariland also possesses access to Geomancy and Astrology, allowing him to perform different elemental feats depending on the surface he’s either standing or floating upon. These can range from the conjuring of powerful ivies wrapping around someone to the creation of micro-black holes around an individual.
Eternal Scholar: The capacity to continue picking knowledge up from every single encounter, book read, or teachings imparted. Gariland’s mind is an insatiable pool of data, constantly adding more and more information to his vast stores of wisdom.
Enlightened: All the magical power and knowledge Gariland has nurtured and picked up over the years has caused him to transcend the limits of his humanity. His physical body has been strengthened over the course of his life to the point that he could veritably destroy mountains with his bare hands on a physical level, or tear through the very fabric of the material plane on a supernatural level. Constantly pushing his limits, Gariland is not one to stop growing.
Aether Manipulator: The capacity to grasp and mold the aether, the energy, within oneself and within the environment in order to bring about supernatural phenomena. Gariland is capable of manipulating any form of supernatural energy he comes across, and can even cleanse energy from tainted sources for his personal use. Said energy can be used up as fuel for his countless spells, or to further empower his body, mind, and soul before initiating any form of casting.
Master Incantor: Having memorized all the incantations for every single spell he knows, Gariland can bolster the power of his spells by speaking out the incantations aloud, or cast them without speaking a single word. Additionally, he can perform ‘Unincanted Spells’ by merely thinking about the incantations, increasing the magical power of his spells regardless of whether he speaks the words.
Rune Fencer: Gariland can apply Spellweaving and Rune Blading, and can weave spells through any martial arts he chooses to execute, allowing him to cast spells even as he engages in physical movement.
Presence of Mind: Gariland’s mental processing speed is comparable to that of a futuristic state-of-the-art supercomputer. There is little that will get past his lucid mind after decades of training with Arcanima, Arithmethicks, and magic for so long. His mind has reached a point where it can come up with thousands of scenarios simultaneously, analyze each and every single variable within them and the environment, and deal with hostile situations flawlessly as they present themselves before him.
Multiversal Traveler: Gariland is capable of calculating points of entry and exit within any given known universe in the Multiverse, allowing him to travel in the blink of an eye to any previously visited location. New locations must be reached through gateways or portals crafted, calculated, and analyzed exclusively when out of combat.
Chocobo Riding: Gariland has found the experience therapeutic and keeps several white and black chocobos with him whenever possible.
Master Chef: Although his physical body no longer requires sustenance from food and drink, Gariland enjoys cooking and tasting his culinary creations. His newfound immunities to poisons of many kinds, inability to be intoxicated, and hostile effects upon his body dealt with immediately by his strengthened biology has allowed him to experiment with ingredients from dangerous monsters in his dishes. Hellhound flesh is not advisable to consume, according to his latest creation.
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