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The first step to becoming an arcanist was just within her reach. She could just feel it. Yet every time she flipped open her grimoire to the proper pages there was nothing. Hours passed and eventually she found herself too exhausted to continue. Was her aether somehow deficient? Sure her focus had begun to wane after so many failed attempts but she could hardly give up now.
“Please come out. Even just for a moment is fine.” the au’ra found herself pleading to the old tome she had inherited from her late grandmother.
It was said that the knowledge of arcanists was traditionally passed down from master to student. However Arisa was not so fortunate to learn under the tutelage of Misty Hyacinth before she had grown too weak to conjure such magics. Instead she had done her best to leave behind what she could in her grimoire.
The art of arcanima was meant to channel the body’s aetheric energy. In order to do so one needed to employ arcane geometries which were the intricate patterns mapped generally printed in grimoires to unlock the mysteries of existence itself. It was a peculiar study and one of which the rest of her family had steered clear from. While they were all adept at aetheric manipulation and combat the thought of mathematics was a clear turn off from the discipline.
At first Arisa had been of the same mindset. But all the days and nights she was sequestered to the indoors and unable to experience the outside world led to quite a sharp and very imaginative little mind.
“Why can’t I get this right?” She had practiced it in theory over and over again before arriving in Limsa Lominsa. Part of her imagined she would be able to successfully call upon her first Carbuncle before even meeting the guildmaster. Now here she was, almost a week past, with little to show for it.
Arisa collapsed onto her bed at the inn defeated once more. She let out a heavy sigh as she glanced at the grimoire that had fallen to her side. It was weathered and had seen better days but it wasn’t as if the book was unusable. The acting guildmaster Thubyrgeim herself had even inspected it to be certain. No, the problem lied within her somehow. Rolling over onto her side, she gently pushed the tome aside with her tail and curled up. This was no time for tears, pull yourself together she thought. Rest. She just needed some rest to set her mind straight about it all.
Closing her eyes she found herself swiftly falling asleep. When did she get this tired? Everything felt so heavy all of a sudden. Before she knew it she had been swept away into a dream.
A gentle blue light shone as far as her eyes could see in a strange ephemeral realm. It felt new and yet oddly warm and familiar all at once. Her horns felt a gentle vibration in the air as if she could hear the distant sound of music echoing around her. What a curious place. It was almost as if she were floating and the sensation around her was full of power– aether.
Just as quickly as she had fallen asleep her eyes sprang open as if electrified. She sat up and whipped her head around looking for the book until her tail bumped into it. It was if something possessed her. No. Inspired her.
Grabbing the grimoire, she hopped out of the bed and stood in the middle of the room filled with purpose.
Focus. She needed to focus and try once more.
Taking a breath, she opened the grimoire again and let her aether guide her to the proper page as she weaved through the arcane equations.
Hear.
A voice without words called to her.
Feel.
Her hair and clothes began to float as she gathered her strongly wind aspected aether between her body and into the geometries that began to glow and hum with life.
Think.
She concentrated on the concept carefully. A vibrant blue– no, emerald form appeared in her mind’s eye. The solution to these equations was somehow so simple to her now. How did she miss it?
The force of the wind intensified whistling around her as she gripped the grimoire tightly and its pages flew. Suddenly her hand moved to stop it and she felt the pulse of power. Arcane geometries twinkled and danced around her in that instant as it all came together in beautiful harmony.
A blast of wind aether and then the sudden ring of a bell as a small being flipped into existence. Its wide eyes opened curiously as three tails unfurled and large ears twitched about curiously. An emerald carbuncle stood before her. It chirped up at her as if awaiting orders. But Arisa had none to offer it.
The au’ra collapsed to her knees as if she had used up all of her aether to summon the creature. She held out a hand. The carbuncle took the time to sniff and inspect thoroughly before acknowledging her. With a careful motion she pet its head and was rewarded with a contented squeak as what was once a dream had turned to reality.
Arisa had done it. She had taken her first real step on the path to becoming an arcanist. The au’ra could hardly help herself and she enveloped the carbuncle in her arms to hold close. He was real.
A gentle sound of chimes whispered in her horns as a name graced her lips with a smile.
“Nova. I’ll call you Nova.”