An Empire in Runes (The Runes of Issalia Book 3)

by Jeffrey L. Kohanek

  When an explosion and subsequent fire within the Girls’ Tower drew everyone’s attention, a separate explosion detonated, destroying Vandermark’s office in the process.

  The next day revealed that most of the Paladin trainees, all but one of the student healers, Master Budakis, and Master Nindlerod had vanished and nobody could explain what had become of them. The faculty members were distraught, the students were scared, and Vandermark was outraged.

  Things had changed a week ago when Varius and Eldarro reappeared with the prelates from Kantaria and Torinland, among which included Prelate Yaris of Nor Torin and Prelate Honichle of Kantar. Soon after, the Holy Army’s north garrison arrived and set up camp behind the Academy.

  Varius wouldn’t explain details but promised to deliver answers and justice within a couple days if the Academy Masters would support her. The involvement of the prelates and Holy Army made Dalwin wary of her intentions, and he had expressed caution to the other faculty members. However, Dal could find no downside to giving Varius the time and support she requested.

  Two days later, something amazing happened. Talenz and the missing students appeared on the Academy lawn, just as Varius promised. As if delivered by Issal himself, the rule breaker and his followers were headed for a proper trial and justice would be coming soon.

  As Dal passed through the Main Hall and entered the eastern corridor, his mind shifted to the present.

  He gripped the handle of one of the double-doors and pulled hard, stepping from the quiet hallway to enter the ruckus inside the Hall of Masters. He paused to survey his surroundings, finding long tables running the length of the room to the left and to the right, which left the center of the floor open. Chairs lined the outside of the tables so that anyone seated would face the heart of the room. At the far end of the room stood a dais where Vandermark and Varius waited at a long table standing three steps above the rest of the room. Eldarro and Ipswitch hovered behind them, their eyes scanning the room as if they were birds of prey.

  Circling around the end of the table on the left, Dal sought an empty seat among his purple-cloaked peers. He glanced toward the table opposite of him, finding it occupied by red-cloaked Prelates chatting with one another. Among the Prelates were Yaris and Honichle, who each led their respective provinces. Dal frowned, wondering why Torinland and Kantaria were the only provinces represented.

  Dal settled into a chair halfway down the table, beside Master Tennison, who ran the Hedgewick Knowledge Center. Tennison gave a familiar nod, which Dal returned in kind. The librarian was among the few masters who understood Dalwin’s need for structure.

  The double doors opened, drawing Dal’s attention as two guards entered the room. Dal smiled in anticipation, anxious to see the look on the rule breaker’s face. Another pair of guards passed through the doorway, holding Talenz up by the arms. Dal’s smile faltered, melting into a frown as he watched them drag Brock’s limp body into the room.

  Why was he unconscious? Did they beat him? That would be wrong, against Ministry laws. Dal’s frown intensified, his eyes narrowing at the thought.

  The guards stopped before the dais at front of the room, the pair in the vanguard stepping aside as the other two stepped to the fore with the unconscious Talenz suspended between them. Varius folded her hands before her as she glared at Brock with hatred in her eyes. For more than a year, Varius had fought for Talenz, continuously blocking Dal’s attempts to have Vandermark toss him out of the Academy. Dal found it both surprising and encouraging that she now saw things his way. Rules were rules, after all.

  Vandermark leaned forward, his palms face down on the table.

  The Headmaster frowned, “Is he unconscious?”

  A guard nodded. “Yes, sir.” The man looked down at Brock, hanging limply between him and the other guard. “He stiffened up and collapsed as we were escorting him from the Infirmary.” The man shrugged. “He’s been unresponsive ever since.”

  “Well, bring him a chair.” Vandermark demanded. “Tie him to it, and let’s see if we can wake him.”

  A female Paladin ran across the room and grabbed an open chair. When she returned, the two guards holding Brock set him in the chair as a third stepped forward with a loop of thick rope. Once Brock’s arms and legs were tied to the chair, Vandermark leaned over and whispered to Varius. After a moment, she nodded and stood.

  Without taking her eyes off of Brock, Varius circled around the table, descended the three steps to the main floor, and crossed to stand before the unconscious teen. With a look of distaste on her face, as if touching him would infect her, she grabbed his limp wrist and closed her eyes.

  After a moment, Varius gasped and recoiled from Brock as if she had been bitten. She shivered and appeared shaken as she backed away from the young man.

  Varius turned toward Vandermark. “I cannot heal him. His entire body is infected, raging with the tainted filth of Chaos.” She shook her head. “It’s horrible.”

  Vandermark stared at her with wide eyes. After a moment, they narrowed and shifted toward Brock. “Very well,” he said. “If he cannot talk, we will bring in another who can answer our questions.”

  Vandermark pointed at the guards. “Bring in Parker Thanes.”

  The guards nodded and left to retrieve Parker as Varius returned to her seat upon the dais.

  Dal watched Vandermark and Varius exchange whispers before his gaze shifted back to Talenz. The boy’s head was flopped over, his mouth hanging open. After months of despising the boy for his lack of respect for Empire and Academy laws, Dal began to feel something else. Something felt off, as if more was occurring than what he could see.

  As he pondered the situation, the noise of the doors opening reclaimed his attention. Four guards entered with the trailing two holding Parker Thanes by the arms. The teen’s eyes were wide, flicking about as they rudely shoved him into the center of the room.

  Dal frowned. Parker had been one of his better Hierarchy students, always attentive, engaged, and showed proper reverence for law. It felt wrong to see him treated this way.

  Parker settled beside Brock, looking down at his friend with concern apparent on his face.

  “What did you do to him?” Parker asked.

  “I will be asking the questions, not you Mister Thanes,” Vandermark replied. “Never mind your friend. You should be concerned about your own well-being, for your life hangs in the balance today.”

  Parker’s eyes grew wider, and he glanced about as if seeking escape.

  “Are you afraid that the truth will come out?” Varius asked. “Do not fear, Parker. We will have the truth today, truth of the evil plan concocted by you and your friends in an attempt to deceive the Empire, to undermine our work, and to return the corrupted temptation of destruction to our people.”

  Parker frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  Varius stood, leaning in with her hands on the table. Her teeth gritted as she spoke, her intense glare directed down at Parker. “I am talking about your clever plan to use the threat of genocide to justify the use of the evil magic called Chaos.”

  “What?” Parker asked, incredulous.

  “Yes,” Varius nodded. “We know about your plan. We know what you, Brock, and the others have done.”

  “Whatever it is you are trying to say, say it,” Parker replied. “Unless listening to your babble is meant to be my punishment for whatever it is you believe we’ve done.”

  Varius’ face grew red, her anger readily apparent. She stood upright and pointed at Brock. “I charge you and your friends with the darkest of crimes, crimes against the Empire and its citizens. Your plan became obvious when the army of banshees appeared in Kalimar only days after you arrived.”

 
Dal sat upright at this information. What?

  Varius continued, “After you ensured the utter destruction of Sol Polis, you set the army loose while you traveled to Hipoint to trick the south garrison. Unfortunately, Torreco believed your story, which resulted in him sending hundreds of men and women to their deaths. Luckily, I was able to reach the north garrison in time. I revealed what I had learned to Captain Gort before he fell for your ruse, saving the lives of his Paladins.”

  Parker stood wide-eyed, appearing distraught. Dal looked from Parker to Varius, then around the room in an attempt to make sense of what was occurring. It felt as if he were trapped within a dream that had evolved into a nightmare.

  Varius nodded. “You used Chaos to create an army of monsters, and you sent that army to destroy the eastern provinces. While your army slaughtered thousands of Empire citizens, you spread your lies about The Horde returning as a means to gather support for your cause. You and those who believed your lies then conveniently appeared on the Tantarri Plains just in time to meet your dark army. You believed that saving the Empire by defeating this fake Horde using your dark magic would justify the return of Chaos. You seek to gain the favor of the Empire with the hope of spreading Chaos until it destroys us all.”

  “No. What you’re saying is all wrong.” Parker shook his head. “We had nothing to do with The Horde appearing. If it hadn’t been for us,” he paused, looking down at his unconscious friend “if not for Brock, nobody could have stopped them.”

  “Lies!” Various shouted. “I’ll not hear any more of your lies. I call a vote, a vote to have you, Brock Talenz, Cameron DeSanus, and Ashland Pym hanged for your crimes against the Empire.”

  CHAPTER 39

  It was too much. Everything was too much to bear. Too much sound. Too much light. Too much feeling. Too much power. Too much pain.

  Brock’s mind tumbled within a raging storm of red energy, bright, powerful, and intense. It seemed to go on and on, each moment of his overwhelmed senses equating to hours rather than seconds. The effect eventually began to lessen, or perhaps he grew numb to the energy, his body and mind adapting.

  The reverberating rumbling around him gradually quieted, the noise no longer deafening. As the volume decreased, the rumbling began to form syllables, which began to form words. Finding something to focus on besides the pain, he concentrated on the words in an attempt to make sense of what was happening. He recognized the voice after a moment, realizing that it was Master Varius. Her words began to crystalize into sentences.

  Brock. Please answer me, Brock. Ashland’s voice rang out in his head, far too loudly.

  I’m here. Please don’t shout, he pleaded.

  Oh, thank Issal, she replied. I was so worried. You were unresponsive for fifteen minutes. Maybe longer.

  What’s happening? My head is foggy and I feel everything too much.

  I charged the Chaos rune on your forehead and you fainted. Ashland replied. You were on your way to the trial. They took Parker. Is he there with you?

  Brock now recalled leaving his cell within the infirmary, on his way to the trial. When he convinced Ashland to charge the Chaos rune, he had no idea of what would happen but he was desperate.

  He listened again, hearing Varius pause speaking. Parker’s voice replied.

  Yes, Parker’s here. Brock sent as he opened his eyes a sliver.

  Red energy danced around the room, with red synapsing jolts leaping about. Brock opened them wider and lifted his head slightly, blinking in amazement at the crimson sparks that emitted from his fingers when he moved his hand. He felt them, but not physically. He could feel the energy around him, all of it. Concentrating, he was able to collect a cluster of the Chaos into a ball before him. With amazement, he realized that he was controlling Chaos itself, just by using his mind.

  Various’ voice came through the din again, her words becoming clear.

  “You used Chaos to create an army of monsters, and you sent that army to destroy the eastern provinces. While your army slaughtered thousands of Empire citizens, you spread your lies about The Horde returning as a means to gather support for your cause. You and those who believed your lies then conveniently appeared on the Tantarri Plains just in time to meet your dark army. You believed that saving the Empire by defeating this fake Horde using your dark magic would justify the return of Chaos. You seek to gain the favor of the Empire and with the hope of spreading Chaos until it destroys us all.”

  Brock shook his head, it barely moving as he fought to regain his faculties. He heard Parker’s voice.

  “No. What you’re saying is all wrong. We had nothing to do with The Horde appearing. If it hadn’t been for us, if not for Brock, nobody could have stopped them.”

  “Lies!” Varius shouted. “I’ll not hear any more of your lies. I call a vote, a vote to have you, Brock Talenz, Cameron DeSanus, and Ashland Pym hanged for your crimes against the Empire.”

  Brock couldn’t let his friends die. Not Parker and especially not Ashland. Rather than using his body, he focused on the red energy. With a thought, the energy sank into the ropes that bound his wrists, and with another thought, they exploded. Now free, he gathered in more Chaos, wrapping it about his body. He used that energy to lift himself from the chair and into the air before the dais.

  Varius stumbled backward, wide eyed. After a moment, she recovered enough to speak.

  She pointed toward Brock. “See for yourself. He is wielding dark magic. Kill him before he destroys us all!”

  Brock used Chaos to spin himself about, time slowing for him as he searched the room for those who were armed. Two guards with bows stood along the back wall, in the act of drawing their bowstrings. Their fingers loosed arrows, simultaneously firing toward Brock. As the arrows sailed across the room, Brock fired Chaos at each and they blasted to splinters.

  The four guards stationed at the back door rushed forward as two others from the sides drew swords and ran toward him. Time remained slowed, Brock watching them move as if they ran through molasses. He gathered Chaos near each of the attackers, wrapped the Chaos about their weapons, and yanked them from their hands. With a thought, he used Chaos to drive their weapons into the wooden beams that supported the ceiling. Brock relaxed and time resumed its normal flow.

  “Stop!” Brock commanded, using Chaos to augment the volume of his words as they echoed within the chamber. “This ends here. If you will listen, nobody will be harmed.”

  The guards stopped, appearing dazed as they looked up toward their weapons, their wide eyes shifting to stare at Brock. After a moment, they began backing away from him.

  Brock’s gaze swept about the room, ensuring that there were no other attackers. He found red-cloaked Prelates standing beside the tables to one side of the room and purple-cloaked Academy Masters at the tables to his other side. All attention was focused on him, with expressions ranging from fear, to surprise, to anger.

  He spun about and found Varius and Vandermark cowering against the wall behind the dais. Eldarro stood ready to protect Varius while Ipswitch stood before Vandermark.

  Brock’s gaze settled on Varius. “It is you who weaves the lies, Meryl. What is The Hand’s agenda? Why do you want me dead?”

  Varius became angry, shouting back at Brock. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Look at you. It’s clear that you have embraced dark arts. You threaten us with your magic, seeking to control us with the fear of being destroyed.”

  “Enough!” Brock shouted, his Chaos-enhanced voice shaking the room. “No more of your lies!”

  Brock clenched his fist, gathering Chaos within it. He opened his hand and extended his arm toward the floor in the center of the room. A stream of angry energy lashed out, sizzling as it bur
ned a massive rune, five strides wide, into the stone block floor. With the rune in place, Brock Infused the surrounding Chaos into the symbol. The rune flamed to life, illuminating the room in a crimson glow before pulsing and fading.

  He turned toward Parker. “Go get the others. You will find them free from their cells.”

  Parker nodded and bolted from the room. Brock closed his eyes, imagining the infirmary.

  Ashland. Step back from the door to your cell, he sent. I’m going to try something.

  Okay, she replied.

  Brock could feel the Chaos within the Infirmary although the room was beyond his vision. He gathered it and forced the energy into the lock of her door. With a thought, he fried the lock, destroying it. Using the same method, he freed her from her shackles before opening his eyes.

  Get the keys and free the others, then go find Elias and bring him here, he sent.

  Are you sure about this? she asked.

  Yes. It’s time for the Truth.

  CHAPTER 40

  The scene before Pretencia felt surreal, difficult to comprehend. How is Talenz floating in the air? What is that aura of power around him? What is the massive rune that he had somehow burnt into the floor?

  Brock turned toward the dais. “Your lies will work no longer, Varius.” He gestured toward the floor. “The entire room is now bound to Truth.”

  Varius looked down at the rune on the floor, then back up to Brock, her eyes narrowing. Dalwin’s gaze followed hers, shifting to Brock as he tried to comprehend what the boy meant.

  Somehow, Dal tore his eyes from the boy to glance about the room. The Prelates at the table across from him appeared shaken, the whites of their wide eyes apparent as they flicked from Talenz to Vandermark. The Headmaster frowned at Brock, as if he were trying to come to a decision. Varius stood beside the man with a determined look on her face. She leaned close to Vandermark, who tilted his head down when she whispered in his ear. After a moment, his eyes narrowing as he considered her words.