Rune Mage [Fantasy/Adventure | Book 1 +2 | Complete]

Chapter 7: Not so Dumb After All

Seiren's nightmare used to involve reliving with horrible accuracy that fateful night six years ago. The rogue Hannan's face, the dead eyes and bulbous nose, as he fled the scene of murder, her father lying dead on the ground, and Madeleine's laboured last breaths. Her desperation at wanting him dead and at the same time clinging onto her twin. Her rash decision to fire that experimental rune in her mother's repertoire that hit none other than her mother, attempting to escape the Hannan's grasp. Her disintegrated body. Seiren sketching the other experimental rune in her mother's book, sobbing and dying with guilt, tying Madeleine's soul to the crimson gem around her neck.

The nightmare changed. That night, after Madeleine's soul slid into the necklace with a whisper, her dead body convulsed and throbbed, tumours growing all over her body. Seiren crawled back, her throat tightened in terror. Cold sweat broke out all over her body. Madeleine's legs bent in all sorts of impossible direction, bones cracking with every erratic, jerking movement. Her eyes bulged out, bloodshot and red. A limp tail sprouted from her back, wagging. A long tongue lolled out, leaving saliva on the floor. The mutated dog that was Madeleine pounced onto Seiren, long teeth shining in the dark night.

Seiren woke up screaming. For a moment, her voice echoed back to her in that tiny room. There was no window; her room was still in complete darkness, but judging by the sounds of movement outside and the chirping of the birds, it was day time. Her night dress stuck to her with cold sweat. Her hair plastered to her forehead. She groaned, slapping a hand to her face. The sting forced the remains of the dream away, but leaving the sick sensation behind. She touched the bedside lamp. The yellow rune activated on contact, bathing the room in a soft glow. No monsters. No dead Madeleine. Well, no more dead than usual.

The usual nightmare? Madeleine popped up, when Seiren placed the necklace back on her neck. Seiren showed her the images. Oh. Oh dear.

Delightful, isn't it?

Seiren got changed in silence. Long belted tunic fell over leggings and she tugged on her favourite boots. One more day to go. Tomorrow she would get her first assignment as probationary state mage and would have less time to faff about with Rowan and his burst magic. Her heart weighed heavy at the thought of him, tending to that injured and dying dog. She probably shouldn't have intervened; it wasn't her place even if it would have died anyway. Her rune had healed its leg, but at what cost?

There was still a long way to go for her life runes.

"Good morning."

Rowan's attempt at being his usual chipper self didn't really sell, when they met at the arena. Seiren took in his bloodshot eyes and swollen eyelids. Even his voice was nasally. And it was all probably thanks to her.

"Good morning," said Seiren, not meeting his eyes.

"Right. Show me what you've practised so far." The same drill, just like the day before. He stood with his legs spread, arms crossed over his excrement-brown long shirt, to her right.

Seiren tried harder, more out of pity for him and guilt than anything. Mind, emptied. All thoughts banished. Madeleine sat in the corner, making herself small. Seiren's heart rate slowed, her breathing evened. The surroundings disappeared into nothingness. Magic swirled at her fingertips.

In, out, in, out. She sucked in a breath. Eyes snapped open, catching the battered cross on the ground. She drew on all the magic in her mind in one mad rush and snapped her fingers.

A spark jumped just off the fingertips and disappeared.

"Rune me to hell!"

For a fleeting moment, Seiren considered throwing down an altered red rune and blowing the whole place up.