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

CHAOS MAGE Chapter 20: The Havris Contact

The tavern in which Kaim and the insurgents operated was fairly inconspicuous if Seiren might say so herself. Kaim owned both the tavern and the two shops across the street, one selling fresh fruit and vegetables and the other decorative metalware. The members came and went, taking messages to and from contacts across Falnash and its surrounding cities and towns. Seiren and Madeleine accepted temporary jobs as cleaners of the five rooms the tavern had for guests in exchange for food and shelter in the attic with Hynn and a few of the other girls overnight, biding their time for when they could enter the palace again.

Kaim wasn't against their idea, but he also agreed with Madeleine it was a risky trip.

"If this Kristen Harred woman is as dangerous as I think — and I've seen the runes, myself, first-hand — then we definitely need to plan carefully if we are to get you two there again. Her magic is nothing I've ever seen or heard of before. That, coupled with the Daemonium's daemons, they are unstoppable."

Seiren didn't mention Kristen's powers being stripped. Madeleine had agreed any information they divulge to Kaim and the insurgents should be strictly on a need-to-know basis. Their alliance continued as long as they had the same goals.

Several days later, news arrived from the centre of Falnash. A boy from the metalware shop came over, carrying new decorations for Kaim to hang in the tavern. Buried within the silver was a slip of paper.

"The ancient library has had a break in." Kaim scanned the words, frowning.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Seiren said, raising an eyebrow. Hynn watched Kaim's mouth carefully.

"Ancient spells passed down the Tophalis for generations is stored there. The secrets to their battle successes, the sites of buried treasure should the family fall into desperation, the spells behind the sealing of the Tophalis family daemon — vital information is there. If there's a break-in, that means Fautos is moving ahead."

"Wait, but Fautos is king. He can't break into his own library, surely?"

"Unless you were never officiated as heir."

"What?"

Kaim glanced at Hynn, who nodded for him to continue.

"The inheritance — you know how the right to rule is passed from one generation to the next, right?"

"The royal siblings fight every year, right? And the king watches and decides who is best for the throne after however many years. But Mephis died before he could decide."

"Mephis was murdered before he could announce Magus," Kaim said in a quiet voice. "Fautos would never be chosen; his ideals were too different to King Mephis's. So the key to the seals of the ancient library never passed onto a new generation."

"So he broke in."

"Yes, but the question is what did he want there? There are numerous archives, secrets, the likes of which nobody like us can imagine."

Kaim paced back and forth, rubbing his beard, his brow knitted together in concentration.

"The break-in has just occurred, so it will probably be a while before he sets off. But we need to intercept him before he reaches his destination."

"I thought you wanted to rescue Magus," Madeleine said, confused. "Why are you going after Fautos?"

"We can't go into the palace any time soon, not after our breakout. Security will be an all-time high. Fautos on the move makes him vulnerable. It'll be easier for us to intercept him when he's moving from one place to another. If we capture him, we win the war." Kaim stared at the silk cloth on the wall. "But what could he want, though?"