Lore Rune (Rune Trilogy Book 1)

by Catherine Beery

  “This door doesn’t open either,” Zara said dejectedly. She was clutching the gold coin Teilnon had given her like a protective charm. An anchor in a stormy sea. I think she would have whimpered, but she had been trained all her life to be a symbol of strength. Whimpering did not help with that image.

  “’Blood must be paid.’” I repeated. I had a very good hunch as to what I had to do. Blood was required. I wasn’t sure exactly how, but I would need my hands. “Hey, Ferna, could you hold this for me?” I asked my cousin. She nodded and accepted the book. I stepped up to the altar hoping a closer examination would help. Gazing at the bowl and ceremonial knife made me feel very uncomfortable.

  A chill heavy feeling filled the air. I paused and peered around, like a rabbit scenting the air. The world about me had frozen. None of my companions were moving. Nor were the flames…

  What in the world?

  “Well, well, well don’t you have a very important decision before you.” Lek’s deep, silkily evil voice filled the room. Worse, he was there too. Right across the alter from me.

  Primordial fear hit me hard. I had to clutch the stone alter to keep from falling down. His shifting skin with its myriad of colors and patterns made looking at him a nauseating experience. So I shifted my gaze to his rusty red robe. I needed to know where he was.

  “What are you doing here?” I managed to ask. “What happened to my friends?”

  “Friends?” Lek laughed. I gritted my teeth against the nightmare-inducing sound. “Aww Kel, you are naive. Look at your supposed friendsss.” He crooned. “Two are of them are cousins. They don’t really care about you. You are just family. It is expected of them to show some comradery. The metal mage really doesn’t care about you one way or another. His only interest is hilariously focused on Ferna.” Lek leaned toward me. “But you and I both know that – “ He said with a gesture connecting Ferna and Teilnon “is but a wasted dream. No one will stand for it. And Zara doesn’t know what to think of you. You are a mystery… a threat.” He leaned even closer, forcing me to meet his black gaze. Those solid black eyes of his were hopeless pits of despair. “She’ll make you burn, just like Selva.” Faintly I could hear Selva screaming and begging for mercy.

  A tear trickled tellingly from my eye. “Stop,” I said.

  “You think the world has forgotten the infamy of Spirit mages? Oh, Kel… you really are nieve. You’ll discover that memories are extremely long. Especially about those things people fear that lurk in the darkness. Trust me, I know this to be so.

  “Your life has been forfeit since the Espirimora sent you on this hunt. Your chances of surviving are very small, and just for the little magics you have already done! But this final test,” He said tapping the stone altar. “This will cement forever your status as a hated Spirit mage.”

  I trembled. “I’ll just leave. We need to get free of here. Zara more than the rest of us.” I told myself more than him.

  “You should have already realized that there are some things you cannot outrun.” Lek pointed out. I knew he meant himself; the wolf to my deer…

  Thinking like that helps the wolf, Kel. Find your herd. You are not alone. Councilor Shellna’s voice whispered to me from our last meeting one day ago. Jeeze was it really only one day? The time between made it feel much longer…

  “Pass this test, Kel, and you will be hunted for the rest of your life.” Lek was saying.

  “It’s the only way out.” I pointed out.

  “Yes, it is. You could just live the remainder of your life in this fine mausoleum.” Lek suggested.

  “No,” I said with a shake of my head.

  “Wouldn’t that be better though than being hunted.” I shook my head. Lek nodded to himself. “Perhaps… but you know what is better?” He waited for me to respond.

  My brow furrowed in confusion. What was he doing? What was his aim? His point? “What?” I found myself asking.

  Lek smiled. He leaned closer to me, I leaned back from him. “Being powerful enough to not fear the hunters.” He said calmly.

  I blinked. “And how would that be?”

  Lek shrugged “It’s simple, really. Borrow what you need. That’s all.” I had been expecting him to tell me to call upon him. To turn to him for help. Not that…

  “Explain.”

  “Your friends.” He said with a nod in their general direction. “If they are really your friends they won't begrudge helping you right now, would they?”

  “But blood is needed.”

  “Yesss.” Lek’s eyes danced. “Use their blood to open the door. All you need is to fill that rune.” He said pointing to the ‘Thief rune. I jerked away from the table, shaking my head. “Kel.” Lek crooned softly. “It’s a small rune.” He pointed out. “That other one can only be filled with your blood. Look how big it is! Not only that, but the blood activates spells, draining your energy. If you use the others than all of you could share the burden.”

  I hesitated. That made a lot of sense…

  “Shall I bring one over? All you need to do is a shallow cut across their wrist over that bowl. Bleed each of them a little then pour it into the rune.” Lek rounded the table and smiled at Ferna. She didn’t react. She was still frozen in place. In her frozen arms, she still held the Irel Codex. Looking at it reminded me of the note’s question: Protector or Thief?

  I felt sick. Lek wanted me to fill the ‘thief’ rune… “Couldn’t we unfreeze them so they can decide if they want to do this or not?” I asked.

  Lek slanted an amused sidelong look my way. “If they are truly your friends, their answer would be ‘yes.’ If you don’t think that is the case then they are not really your friends, are they? Then they will be your enemies… But if it is ‘yes,’ then they would be hurt that you didn’t have faith in them.”

  If I let him, his rational would make a lot of sense. Too much sense… I shook my head. I felt like there were hooks in my soul, starting to pin me down. “No,” I said

  “No?”

  “No,” I repeated in a firmer voice. The hooks started to fall free. I kept going. “You cannot borrow something without asking. That is stealing. I am not a thief. Besides, you have always been trying to isolate me. Always making my life miserable. My constant nightmare. Why the hell would I listen to a word you say? Follow your advice?” I demanded. The hooks were gone. I turned away from him and went to the ‘Protector’ rune. Sure, it was bigger than the other, but it didn’t look all that deep. Leery of the ceremonial dagger I drew my own cuttings knife.

  “Don’t. You. Dare.” Lek growled.

  I shuddered but ignored him. Braced for what I was about to do, I pressed the blade against my left palm and sliced downward. I hissed. Blood welled quickly, making me feel very ill. Lek howled in rage. I could feel him coming toward me. Not wanting him to interfere I quickly held my bleeding hand over my chosen rune. A tilt of the hand and my blood poured into the carved runes.

  “What was that? Kel?! What are you doing?” Ferna asked coming up beside me. The ground began to shake.

  Suddenly, I needed my companions by me. “Get near me!” I called. They came. I guess the urgency in my tone convinced them. The Moon Flames turned red, and suddenly Lek was standing on the other side of the altar from me. His hands on the stone. His black wings were held proudly outspread behind him. I heard my cousins and friends gasp. Ferna’s fingers gripped my shoulder. I had the feeling they could see him.

  “You Fool!” Lek growled ominously. His voice seemed too big for the room. The stone trembled more. “You think you have won? You haven’t, foolish Kel! Many will suffer because of this!” with that, he disappeared. Just in time for a horrible sound behind me to take precedence.

  Teilnon swore quite colorfully. I hadn’t realized he had it in him. The metal mage was just full of all kinds of surprises. “That is the biggest Corrupted I’ve ever seen!” he exclaimed. I felt my companions shift behind me, though they stayed by me to my great relief.

  I didn’t look. My
focus was on the rune. I prayed that I had chosen right. If Lek was mad, then I must have chosen correctly. It just stood to reason… but now we had to survive his rage.

  “Come away, Kel,” Ferna said trying to pull me back. “This isn’t a great place to be.”

  “It’s the only place to be. Anywhere else is a death trap.” I said certain. Please protect them. I’m not strong enough. I know that. I will never be. But please, God, you are. Please! I prayed frantically.

  Whatever the corrupted was, it came close. Teilnon was still cursing. I sensed him use some kind of spell, though I have no idea what. Jay clung to me as if to pull me out of the way. I resisted, keeping my bleeding hand over the rune, filling it. The stone seemed to drink my blood so the rune, which should have been full already, kept demanding more. Suddenly it flared with power. Warmth washed through me. There was a golden light, and the others gasped.

  I felt something heavy slam into the shield of light. But it did not break. Oh, thank you, God. I thought. I kept feeding the rune. Ferna and Teilnon quickly got over their surprise and began working their own spells, attacking the thing. They could wound, but it could do nothing.

  “Kel, it's too much,” Jay whispered to me. His gaze was also on the rune. “You need to stop. It's almost cleansed. You don’t need to bleed yourself out!”

  I shook my head and instantly regretted doing it as the world spun. Not only was I bleeding my life into the stone, but I could feel it drinking my energy too. My limbs felt heavy. But I refused to give in. I couldn’t let them down… “Not… full yet.” I gasped.

  “Oh, this is ridiculous!” Zara growled. Her hands joined Jay’s in trying to pull me away. I somehow managed to resist them.

  A few moments later the rune was full. At the same time, I heard something very heavy hit the ground. “That takes care of that.” I heard Teilnon say distantly. The world swam. Jay and Zara cried out from very far away…

  Chapter 27

  I saw my companions peering down at me… how were they doing that? Ferna looked very concerned. All of them did. “Stay with me Kel.” Ferna admonished. She started saying something else, but I didn’t hear it.

  There was light. Warm sunlight. I smiled. I actually had missed the sun… There were voices. Someone was doing something kinda painful to my left hand. But I really didn’t have the energy to protest. Something probably wrong with that… I thought before drifting out again.

  “Ael’sava, let us get you out of this cold place.” A familiar melodic voice said.

  I managed to lift a heavy eyelid to see Caimeir crouching beside me to pick me up. “Caimeir? Where did you come from?”

  “Outside. Came in when you and your companions didn’t leave.”

  “Doors’shut,” I mumbled slurring the words together. My eyes were not wanting to stay open. He hefted me into his arms and then walked out of the once closed ‘protector’ door.

  “The door was shut. But you passed the Wood’s Test.”

  “It was a Gift Awakening Test. Why didn’t you say that?” I demanded, though there wasn’t a lot of heat. I’m pretty sure a newborn could wipe the floor with me at the moment.

  Caimeir chuckled. “It was a pop test.”

  I made a disgusted sound and fell asleep again.

  When I next awoke I felt a bit stronger. Caimeir was close by. As were my companions. They were relieved when they noticed I was awake and more lucid than before. Ferna and Jay took turns squeezing the life out of me while Teilnon clapped my shoulder and Zara grinned happily.

  “You did it! I knew you would.” Nimla said drawing my gaze to the shadows under a nearby stand of trees. Her people were also there. I got the feeling that they were beaming at me. They were not the only ones. Selva, Rosa, Mary, and Carl-Jack were present as well. All of them grinning.

  Carl-Jack laughed. “And you thought you couldn’t possibly be a spirit mage! Ha! You’re now Kel irel Sanga!”

  I frowned wanting to ask what that meant. Caimeir leaned close to me and whispered “I’ll explain. But later. When you are stronger. You seriously taxed your strength back there.” He admonished while sounding proud at the same time.

  “There was no other way,” I replied. At his raised brow I added. “No real way.”

  He nodded pleased.

  Shouts from the forest interrupted the celebratory mood in the little vale beyond the hill with the open door. Caimeir shot to his feet, his hand falling to his sword. Teilnon mimicked him. Ferna reached a hand into a pocket of her trench coat. An Espirimoran runner appeared. On his heels flew several avenaka, a frantic sha’meir who went to Nimla, and a wind fairy.

  All of them spoke in a chaotic jumble. But we were able to pick out enough. Enough that dread sank its teeth into me – deep in my heart and bones. Lek’s final words to me thundered in my skull, echoing over and over again. A whip lancing me with each syllable. Many will suffer because of this!

  The Espirimora stopped before Caimier. “The Solzien town is under attack! Hundreds of corrupted elementals! They were caught by surprise. They need all the help they can get!”

  “Continue on to Lunakiheim and gather as many reinforcements as you can,” Caimeir ordered. The runner nodded and rushed to carry it off. More graceful than a deer or Wood Treasure he vanished. Caimeir turned to our group. “Ferna, please stay with Kel, Princess Zara, and Jay. Teilnon, if you are willing, we need to hurry.”

  “I’ll come too,” I said getting to my feet by a miracle and sheer determination. Ferna protested my movement, but I ignored her. I’m a terrible patient…

  Caimeir shook his head. His dual colored eyes were compassionate and sad. “I’m sorry, but you are too vulnerable right now.”

  “It’s my fault though! He’s doing this because he was angry at me!”

  “And what are you going to do? Go back in time and choose differently?” Caimeir scoffed “It wouldn’t matter. Your hometown would still be under attack right now. This way, you are not leading the attack. We have a chance now. Rest, Ael’sava. You’ll have your chance to save lives at another time.” With that Caimeir and Teilnon left.

  I stared after them. Ferna pulled me back to the ground so I wouldn’t fall down. “Resting is exactly what you need right now. Here, drink this.” She said handing me a mug that was warmed over the small fire nearby in our makeshift camp. I drank it down, even though it tasted horrible.

  “Can I see the book?”

  “Of course.” She said handing over the heavy Irel Codex. I flipped it open to find that the first part was an exhaustive dictionary of runes. The second and larger part of it seemed to be a single narrative. It wasn’t until I translated the title that I realized that it was the Bible… Talk about having a guide, wisdom, and courage at your fingertips.

  In the distance, we could hear abnormal sounds. Distant shouts. Screams. Explosions and crashes. All of us stared in the direction of the sounds… in the direction of home. Zara was pacing, beside herself. Her duty was to protect her people… and she couldn’t. That fact was eating her alive.

  It was eating me alive too… and I could do something now. I was a mage now. I had translated some instructions at the beginning of the book, like how to cast lan spells (incredibly limited, yet useful spells that were made just by drawing the runes in an understandable order. They only lasted as long as the spell was intact… meaning in air was pretty much over as soon as it had been written. Ink lasted longer until crossed out or the paper was destroyed. Stone or wood carving worked too. Again, it lasted as long as the runes were complete. One handy spell that I discovered was what had originally kept the Irel Codex safe in the first place. On the cover, I wrote the runes with my finger ‘be stored in safety.’ With the intent that it would be hidden until I called it back. Which I could do by finger scribing on my hand ‘return to me’ thinking of the book.

  I practiced it several times, and it worked each time flawlessly. That was one way to deal with the heavy book. I could have it whenever I needed it and then h
ide it just as easily.

  There were a few other simple spells I figured out. They seemed helpful to me. I also discovered that blood added to the runes made them stronger, using the caster’s own energy to add fuel to the spell. Blood also tied it to the caster. Considering what happened to me earlier, I didn’t think casting more blood-related spells was a good idea. But I would if I had to.

  The battle in the distance continued into the evening. Ferna looked exhausted. Feeling much recovered (though not a hundred percent) I approached Ferna. “Hey, you look really tired. Why don’t you catch some rest?”

  She gave me a knowing look. “You’re going to leave as soon as I do.” I tried to look innocent. “What about them?” She asked gesturing at Zara and Jay. A trying time and waiting had tuckered them out.

  “I can draw some protective runes that you could mix with some plant magic. That should keep you safe until I come back for you. I also know some spirit elementals that could help keep dangers away from you.”

  “Of course you do…” Ferna sighed. “Kel, you could barely walk earlier.”

  “And now I can. I need to fix this.”

  “It isn’t your fault.” She said with a hand on my shoulder.

  “It feels like it is. I can help. I know I can. Will you let me?” I held her gaze for a long moment.

  She looked away first with another sigh. “You are a scamp. You’ll find a way to go anyway. And I am tired... Fine. If your elemental friends are willing to keep watch I could do with some rest.”

  Nimla had come over as soon as the evening shadows let her. She nodded to me. “My people are willing to do that. I will go with you and help. But going to the town will be too dangerous for me. Especially with a Shadekin willing to turn elementals into corrupted monsters.”

  “I understand,” I said with a nod. To Ferna I said. “They are willing. One will be coming with me for most of the way.”

  Ferna nodded. “Let’s cast that protection then.” She and I worked quickly. I had been practicing this sequence of runes for a few hours. I focused on my intent to keep those within the circle safe from all harm. Ferna added her own protection and invisibility to the mix. Finished, I explained “when you are ready to leave, just smudge out the runes. They are inside the protection, so only you three can do it.”