Realm of the Runes: Blood Right

Chapter XLII

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

The aether flowed like melted steel in the downpour, Ryaki's boots sure on the stone walls that ensconced the floodwaters. The river had become a roaring beast after days of constant rain. The wind howled, stinging droplets beating against her face as she pulled her cloak tightly around her body. The soles of her boots were sure on the slippery stones, the onslaught welcome despite the discomfort of cold limbs and wet hair.

She had ventured deep into the forest, following the river past the Athenaeum, her small dark form concealed within the rich green shadow that spread across the plain. The river was loud, drowning out her thoughts as she doggedly traipsed through the meandering rivers below a waterfall, scaling the sharp incline. A steep cliff-face a little further on discouraged her climb, but she was determined to find a way up.

A few small birds were huddled underneath a lip of rock, sheltering from the rain. The dripping boughs overhead swayed, creating a miserable outlook as leaves and small branches were swept along in the gale.

She paused to rest for a second, sheltered by the rock face. Spray from the waterfall coated her in a light aether mist, but she barely noticed. Her mind was elsewhere.

Her training with Matiros had been going well. There was little he could teach her now. She was adept at both dagger and sword, her hand-to-hand combat hard to fault.

My mancer, however...

She glanced around, honing her eyes to recognise the swirling black mist that was her art.

The trees, shrubs, every leaf... every living thing possessed the black essence, malleable to the slightest touch of her mind. The two birds peering cautiously from their hiding place, their essence thicker and more plentiful than that of plants.

She experimentally reached out a fingertip and drew energy from the leaf that was tickling her nose. A stream of black mist seeped from the delicate frond, entering her fingertips and surging through her body. A mere skeleton of the tiny leaf was left behind, hanging lifeless from its stem.

She eyed it for a moment.

There are thousands of other leaves out there. Anything that regenerates that quickly can surely sacrifice its life.

The two little birds had fled, horrified by the sight they'd witnessed. She sighed a little, resuming her climb.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Merah and Jambu had lost all of their reservations around Bobby, plaguing the boy with their constant outspoken opinions. He'd figured out that the others couldn't hear the birds talking, and had begun silently communicating with them, too. This helped him avoid the confused stares which had been directed at him during some awkward dinner conversations. The birds could read his thoughts, which was something he hadn't expected. But he wasn't complaining - it certainly made life easier.

Now that the birds had learnt how to use the bathroom, he could easily have them accompany him throughout his day. They spectated his knife-throwing lessons from the sidelines now, Grigor putting his foot down and firmly removing them from his shoulders during training. The uproar from the two fluorescent birds had been deafening, but they'd finally calmed down. Now they shouted encouragement and instructions from their perch above the rack of weapons in the Gymnasium.

This proved to be incredibly distracting until even Bobby demanded that they shut up and let him train. 

Chronos had no problem with them accompanying the boy during his reading and writing lessons. He'd picked up on the situation and accepted their avian presence with hardly a word.