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

Chapter 93: A Heart of Stone

Maura watched the chaos unfold before the capital, standing atop one of the few remaining intact structures. She'd spotted her father leading the soldiers, overwhelming and recruiting those who had before stood loyal to Pollin. It must have been Kommora Haigh who'd sent the message to her father. She must have also predicted this occurring; it was a good three days' journey from Cliffe, after all. Maura remembered the last she'd seen of her father, two years ago, sentenced publically to exile and humiliated by King Pollin for failing to answer to his duties. The gasps of shock from the lower-ranked soldiers who'd revered him. The stunned looks on the senior generals' faces. And the sadistic triumph on the king's mages'. Because Rowan failed to take back Acrise and lost the border at Ebbsfleet. Knowing what the king's mages were up to, now, it was easy to see this was out of her or Rowan's control and, indeed, wholly unrelated to their faults and mistakes. The exile was planned from the beginning; Edgard Woodbead had known too much, suspected too much, and had too much power. Rowan and Eiden were just chess pieces in this game.

She was only glad Kommora was on their side and played the game well; she of all of them knew how to manipulate people to work against the king's mages, and right now it was sheer numbers they had in advantage over their powerful magics.

Karma's rune. It sounded almost ridiculous and Maura would have laughed it off as conspiratorial drivel had it not come from Kommora's own mouth. If it went as planned for the king's mages, the country of Karma would be dead and the king's mages powerful beyond measure.

She rested her hand on the reassuring heavy gun at her belt. Soldiers fought against the demonically powerful creatures that had stormed Acrise. A giant nullifier would certainly also put those at rest, but the impediment to the king's mages would only be temporary. They would need a more solid means to catch them -- or execute them -- before the effects wore off and they would plot anew.

She pinched a piece of paper with her other hand: a map of Benover with the main points circled in chalk. With the right modifying sigils, she could expand the effect and, with the soldiers spreading each rune across the major points of the city, a domino effect could ensue, assuming there were no disruptions to each of the critical areas. And with the mess before it, that was a big 'if'.

Edgard Woodbead's embellished uniform flashed in the setting sunlight, leading his men as they stormed the market streets and fanned out. Night would soon fall. Soldiers would need to rest and replenish their inventories. But magic was not hindered by human physical fatigue; the king's mages would likely use that time to their advantage.

The remaining soldiers began to surrender, their arsenal depleted and their numbers turning against them. Good. They and any remaining citizens would need to be evacuated from the city. Now it was a battle with magic; the more that stayed, the more power the king's mages would have. Maura could only hope they had enough time to cancel out the Karma rune, or at least confine it within Benover.

The smoke still sat heavy in the air; the smouldering flames from flash and burst magic continued in the fallen remains of the city. Charred frames of wooden huts poked out from amidst the piles of rubble and shattered glass. The remaining buildings were streaked with black and their window panes clung onto the leftover glass pieces. Dead bodies -- humans as well as monsters -- lay strewn across the streets, some half-eaten by the creatures, others crushed beneath toppled structures.

And several streets away, stumbling like a drunk, was Rinoa Gruger.

Without a word, Maura paused in planning the layout of the nullifier and drew her gun. With still arms and precision, she aimed, narrowed her eyes -- and fired.

Gruger flinched, her back arched, and collapsed. Crumpled on the ground, she began to scream.

Maura stuck her map and chalk in her cloak pocket and descended, hurrying to the fallen king's mage. The street was empty of life. The cries of the injured and screeches of the creatures had long disappeared. The loose ground slid beneath her boots. Her cloak flapped in her wake. She kept her gun trained on Gruger, approaching with caution. She could see both of Gruger's hands, clutching the leg she'd hit. Gruger whimpered, eyes widening with fear at the sight of Maura approaching. She would be in too much pain to summon burst right now.