Six days passed quickly.
Ruger stroked his chin as he paced around his room.
He had barely stepped outside these past few days.
He had mastered all eighteen runes he would need. Although he could not yet draw them as effortlessly as the meditation runes he used regularly, he could at least form them proficiently.
What remained was to practice linking these eighteen runes, in the proper sequence, to the spell model of the zero-ring spell, Arcane Imprint. Arcane Imprint would serve as a temporary bridge. None of that was the main issue, though, since it posed little difficulty for him. After his preliminary attempts, he felt he should be able to master this unusual, obscure technique within a day or two.
He paced out into the courtyard, making it his new place to walk in circles.
A tall, powerfully built figure appeared nearby.
"The time seems to be getting shorter and shorter."
Mahama raised his head and gazed into the distance, letting out a wistful sigh.
"What?"
Ruger paused in surprise.
He greeted this companion he had not seen for days with the warmth he deserved, but the abrupt remark left him puzzled.
"Dusk, Sir Ruger." Mahama turned to look at him. "Haven't you noticed that dusk is coming earlier? Or rather, that pillar nearby-that enormous Heaven Pillar Mountain reaching all the way to the dome-is glowing for less time."
Ruger paused again. He really had paid no attention to anything else these past few days, devoting almost all his time to matters related to the notes.
But that was no excuse.
Unless a change like this was particularly drastic, it would be difficult to notice any difference over a short period, and neither of them had been here for very long.
In other words, the explanation lay with