Rune of the Apprentice (The Rune Chronicles)

by Jamison Stone

  And then the youth understood—his fear was a warning, a powerful call to action stemming from the deepest place imaginable. Aleksi’s fear was fueled by what he had already lost, and it forced him to look at the terrible threat of what might happen if he neglected what little he had left and dared dream of yearning for in the future. Sadly, however, when left unchecked, that fearful call to action came out as an angry distortion of his love. In that moment, Aleksi understood that anger was only a disordered expression of his heart to protect and preserve that which he held dear—that which he loved.

  As Aleksi felt Luka’s fingers wrap around his neck even tighter, the truth of the youth’s heart laid itself bare before him. When a choice was grounded in fear and anger, its outcome would be tainted by the violent darkness that birthed it, therefore causing more suffering, pain, and destruction. Aleksi realized he had to transcend his fear and needed to make a choice grounded in nurturing the object of his love instead of clinging to it. He needed to act from a place free from that dark taint of anger—and instead, needed to let the pure power of his heart guide his hand and actions.

  Yes, Saiya is right; instead of anger, there is another way. It was authentic action. A choice made on the basis of nourishing one’s love—a choice that had a foundation of serenity and transcended the chaotic dissention of fear and anger.

  Yes! I will fight not out of a fury-filled fear of loss, but with the desire to nurture and protect. I will channel love itself and fight not just for myself or for Saiya, but for all on Terra!

  Aleksi opened his eyes as new life surged within his body. For the first time in his young life, Aleksi truly felt the winds howl around him and the deep ice moan below him. They whispered of Terra’s secrets and urged him to choose with authenticity. Aleksi let love guide him, and in that moment, all of Terra was his faithful companion, responding to his willful command.

  Aleksi clenched his Rune-covered hand into a fist and Luka’s eyes went wide. A bolt of lightning flew down from the sky and struck Luka’s shoulders with crackling power. Aleksi felt the surge of the bolt cascade through Luka’s rippling flesh and then flow into his own body. To Aleksi, the lightning did not hurt, for this was the power of Terra; this was his birthright! Luka, however, let out a wordless howl as the crackling ferocity pulsed through him, sundering his flesh and bones.

  Luka instantly released Aleksi from his grasp and crumpled to the ice. Aleksi staggered back and fell into Saiya’s embrace. Her arms were locked tightly around his chest, and the softness of her pressed against his back. Aleksi felt Saiya’s power steadily growing.

  Taking a deep breath, he smelled the scent of ozone mixed with the overpoweringly smoky odor of burnt meat. Across Luka’s shoulders, Aleksi saw scorched and blackened flesh and even heard the crackling hiss of smoldering bone.

  Despite his injuries, the Master slowly stood. Wisps of steam and vapor rose from his body, and upon his blackened and burnt face he wore a wrathful scowl of pure hatred and rage.

  “You are untrained, and your Runic castings are ineffective and unrefined,” Luka said in a voice that was raspy and raw. “Even with your Rune awakened, you have no hope of defeating a Master. You are nothing more than a child, and I will now fulfill Asura’s will of purging you, just like the others!”

  “You are wrong!” Saiya’s beautiful voice rang out across the ice with power and splendor. Her eyes blazed molten blue in the murky mists, and the Rune of High Arkai Aruna shone on her forehead with blinding light. “The Arkai protect their own and our holy father will cast you and your darkness back into the cold void beyond!”

  Suddenly, Aleksi felt Saiya’s strength flood into him. It was both terrifying and beautiful. It was Saiya’s love for him combined with her love for her Arkai. It was a love so pure and so devout it could channel the numinous strength of a god.

  Filled with Saiya’s potency, Aleksi felt immeasurable energy surge into his Rune. Unimaginably empowered, he raised his arm toward Luka. Amid a whirlwind of Runes with a meaning Aleksi could not fathom, a wide shaft of molten brilliance shot out of his palm. The iceberg’s fog and mist swirled around the cylinder of light as it enveloped Luka’s frame in its grandeur. The beam was a torrent of shining passion and seared Luka’s flesh and bone, ripping him apart on a molecular level.

  Saiya has unleashed the power of an Arkai, Aleksi realized. This is the true power of a god!

  Then, as suddenly as they appeared, the light and its corresponding Runes were gone. All that remained was an afterglow in Aleksi’s eye, a deep, melted line in the ice where the shaft of brilliance had been an instant before. Standing motionless with his arm still raised, he watched in shock as tendrils of vapor rose up from the heated ice and melded back into the returning mists.

  Trying to regain his senses, Aleksi lowered his hand as the clouds above lost their fury and former vehemence. The youth let out a great sigh as stillness returned to the iceberg around them. Suddenly, Aleksi felt a wave of vertigo slam into him. Saiya seemed to feel it, too, and her grip grew weak. As her hands left contact with his body, exhaustion flooded through him. He fought through the pain and spun around, catching Saiya as she fell backward.

  Holding her in his arms, Aleksi saw that her eyes still shone molten blue and the Rune of High Arkai Aruna was ablaze on her forehead. Saiya’s breath was coming in ragged gulps and Aleksi could feel that her heartbeat was wild and erratic. Although his fatigue was strong, Aleksi could tell that she was suffering much more deeply. He held her tight as the light in her gaze faded and her Rune’s glow slowly diminished.

  As her eyes returned to their natural color of sapphire, they fluttered and focused on his face.

  “Are you OK?” Aleksi asked, cradling her petite body close to his.

  “Yes,” Saiya answered weakly. “But quickly, bring me to Domadred before the Arkai’s power fully leaves.”

  Domadred lay wheezing several paces away, and Aleksi picked Saiya up and brought her over to the captain. Saiya lifted up Domadred’s shirt and exposed a series of unnaturally dark bruises. As her Rune grew dim, Saiya placed her palms on Domadred’s chest, and a soft light shone from her hands. The last of her Arkai’s power flowed onto Domadred’s flesh, and Aleksi saw the captain’s bruises begin to heal themselves. They slowly changed from a dark, purply black to a light red. As his body rebuilt itself, Domadred’s breath went from raspy, short gasps back to normal inhalations.

  Once Saiya’s Rune lost the last of its holy light, she put a hand on Aleksi’s shoulder to steady herself as she sat back down on the ice.

  “I’m so sorry . . . ,” Aleksi said, gazing into her eyes. “I should have listened to you . . . I’m so sorry.”

  “It was as it needed to be,” Saiya answered, bringing her hand to Aleksi’s face, “for your Rune has now fully awakened. The will of the Arkai is mysterious and profound—”

  “If it had not been for you,” Aleksi continued, “Luka would have killed me. You saved me not only here on the ice, but back on the ship, too. Thank you, Saiya. Thank you for everything.”

  “You saved me as well,” Saiya said, smiling sweetly. “Twice, in fact.”

  “No matter what happens, I will always—”

  Saiya put her finger to Aleksi’s lips. “Do not make promises you cannot keep. We have a long journey ahead, and you do not know what lies beyond. The Arkai have many plans for you—and for us . . .”

  Aleksi looked at her in confusion and Saiya motioned to his hand. The youth looked down and saw a small, dormant circular Rune etched into his palm. The tendrils which had painfully scrolled all the way up his arm only moments before had now seemingly vanished into his arm.

  “Where did the rest of it go?” Aleksi asked, opening and closing his fist. “I can feel it under my skin. It’s embedded in the flesh of my arm, but it looks as if it has disappeared.”

  “It hasn’t gone anywhere,” Saiya answered, shaking her head. “Just like mine, your Rune now lies dormant within your nervous system. The vast
majority of it remains hidden until you invoke its power—by choice or by accident.”

  Saiya gently touched her forehead, and the dark Rune of High Arkai Aruna once again began to glow upon her brow. Aleksi then saw luminescent tendrils grow across her face and down her neck, but a wave of exhaustion suddenly swept over her, forcing her to reach out and cling to Aleksi’s shoulder to steady herself.

  “Your Rune is a part of you now.” Saiya took a deep breath as the light disappeared, leaving behind the dormant Rune of Aruna etched into her forehead. “It is as much a part of your body as your hand or heart. You will, however, need training from a Master to be able to use it.”

  “Can’t you show me?”

  “I would help you if I could, but our Runes are very different. Your Rune belongs to you, and its power comes from a deep place within you. My Rune, however, belongs to High Arkai Aruna, and its power comes from my devotion. It is only through my purity of heart and mind that I can empower my Rune, for I am merely a conduit for his grace in this world—a channel of his holy presence in this realm. Unlike me, Aleksi, you will have to find your own way to empower your Rune. I do, however, know of one who can help you. I think you know him, too. His name is Rudra . . .”

  “Saiya, I don’t care about any of that anymore,” Aleksi said, taking her hands in his. “I don’t care about Runes, Rudra, or even the Guardians. I just want to be with you. I’m tired of all the confusion, all the secrets, and all the manipulation. I know only one thing for sure—that I love you.”

  “I know,” Saiya said softly as she looked into Aleksi’s green eyes and gripped his hands in return. “And that’s why we cannot be together. Not now, and maybe not ever. But my heart says . . .” She paused and smiled. “Aleksi, only time will tell.”

  “I . . . I don’t understand.”

  “You won’t. You can’t—at least not yet. But now please wake the captain. We have already tarried here too long. I am so fatigued from my slumber and helping you defeat Luka that I can hardly stand, let alone fight Lenhal, too. So if we do not escape these Ice Floes before Lenhal’s fleet finds us, my death will be swift and final. And then none of the whispers in my heart will matter, for we will never get the chance to find out what could be . . .”

  Aleksi let out a sigh and gently leaned over and shook Domadred’s shoulder. Domadred’s eyes snapped open as he reached out and grabbed Aleksi’s arm.

  “What happened?” Domadred cried. “Priestess, are you OK?”

  “Yes, Captain, for now I am safe but very fatigued.”

  Domadred’s eyes flashed back to Aleksi “I remember you fighting Luka. What happened, son? Did you beat him?”

  “Yes, but only because of Saiya.” Aleksi then lifted up Domadred’s shirt, exposing the captain’s red bruises. “She saved us both and then healed you.”

  “I see,” Domadred said, gently touching his ribs. “But how could Luka have survived getting knocked off the ship before we even entered the storm? How could he have—”

  “There are many things he could have done,” Saiya said sternly. “A Master’s ability is both vast and terrifying. But what’s most important now, Captain, is that we get back to your ship.”

  “Yes, High Priestess, of course,” Domadred said, nodding slowly.

  “Lenhal is somewhere in the floes,” Saiya continued. “I can feel him looking for me with the Runes on his ship’s altar. Now that I am awake, we do not have much time before he will be upon us. And sadly, I am too drained to protect the ship or even myself.”

  “Well, the Diamond should be just up ahead,” Domadred said, slowly rising to his feet with a grimace. “Let us find her and be gone from this forsaken ice.” Aleksi clutched the captain’s forearm and helped him to stand, then walked across the ice to retrieve his sword.

  As Saiya rose, she reached her hand out to Aleksi. “Please help me. I still feel weak and my legs are numb from the ice.” Aleksi returned and gladly took her arm. As she stood, Saiya pressed her body to his and put his hand around her hip, holding him tight.

  CHAPTER XXX

  Aleksi heard the soft lapping of waves before he saw actual water. The fog had once again grown thick after their battle with Luka, and the edge of the ice came upon them quickly in the mist. Domadred stopped several paces from the ocean and let out two soft whistles. The small group paused in anticipation as they listened for a reply. They heard nothing.

  Domadred took a deep breath and tried again, this time a little louder. Aleksi swallowed hard and heard his own heartbeat reverberate in his ears. He looked into the opaque vapor, trying to make out the outline of a ship; all he saw, however, was grey fog and lazuline ice.

  Suddenly, a faint whistled reply echoed across the waves. Domadred gave a sigh of relief and smiled at Saiya. “Just a few minutes, m’lady, and we will have you back aboard the Illusive Diamond.”

  After a moment, Aleksi saw the Diamond’s shore boat emerge from the mist with Kefta standing at its bow. The young man’s bandaged arm was still in a sling, and upon seeing Domadred, Aleksi, and Saiya, a wide smile spread across his bruised face. Kefta turned and gave three whistles back to the Diamond. As the small boat approached, Aleksi saw that it was manned by several crew members. One was on the oars, one on the short sail, and the last at the rudder.

  Kefta threw a line to Domadred. Catching it, the captain pulled the line taut as the small craft eased against the ice.

  “After you, Priestess,” Domadred said.

  Saiya nodded and took Kefta’s hand. As she boarded, the three seamen looked at her in awe. But when Saiya smiled at them, their eyes flashed downward and they bowed their heads in reverence. As Aleksi came aboard, Kefta put a blanket around Saiya’s shoulders and handed her a wineskin filled with water. After opening the skin’s stopper, she drank thirstily. Domadred stepped onto the boat last and pushed the craft away from the ice. After taking a blanket for himself, the captain looked back toward the iceberg and let out a great sigh.

  “Come, Aleksi,” Saiya said in an officious tone. “You are also cold, no doubt, and may share my blanket.” As Aleksi sat next to her, Saiya opened the blanket and draped it around the youth’s shoulders. Saiya then found Aleksi’s hand under the wool and slid her fingers through his. Aleksi turned his head to look at her, but she did not meet his eye. Instead, the High Priestess of the Arkai Aruna just continued to look ahead, stoic and serene.

  “Kefta,” Domadred said, finally breaking his gaze from the berg as the small boat made its way back into the mist, “how badly damaged is the Diamond?”

  Kefta cleared his throat. “We have lost several crew to shrapnel and suffered heavy damages to the stern, Captain. Although the ship is no longer taking on water, she is slow to respond due to the damaged rudder and sluggish from the added weight. We have been pumping the bilge but don’t have enough hands to do everything that needs doing.”

  “What is Levain’s assessment of the rudder?” Domadred asked in a grim tone.

  “He is fashioning a new one from appropriated deck planks. Until then, we can hardly turn.”

  “And Lenhal’s fleet?”

  “The Fury of Aruna and Lenhal’s remaining fleet are using their Runic altars to stay in formation while they strafe the floes looking for us. And although Lenhal does not know our exact position, he has spread his ships out and boxed us within several islands of ice. They’re moving slow, but it’s only a matter of time before they tack inward and are upon us.”

  “I see.” Domadred paused, running a hand over his short beard as the Illusive Diamond appeared before them. The captain then turned and addressed Saiya. “Priestess, can you destroy Lenhal’s ships?”

  “I wish it were that simple, Captain,” Saiya answered. “I greatly taxed my body to help Aleksi defeat Luka and then to heal you. I am far too weak from my prolonged slumber in the Dreamscape to do any more. I entrust the task of escaping the Ice Floes to your capable hands, Captain Domadred. Please do not fail me—or your Arkai.”

&nbs
p; Domadred nodded his head as the shore boat neared the Diamond’s hull. “My ship and her crew will not let you down, High Priestess. That I swear.”

  A rope ladder was thrown over the Diamond’s gunwale. Domadred deftly caught it and, one by one, Saiya, Aleksi, Domadred, Kefta, and the seamen ascended the ladder.

  Once all were aboard, Kefta addressed the crew. “Winch up the shore boat and unfurl the sails.”

  “Belay that,” Domadred said. “Keep the tender in the water, and all men report on deck!” Kefta looked at Domadred in confusion as the captain then led Saiya up to the quarterdeck and scanned the faces of his men.

  The ship and her sailors had been humbled by Luka’s flames, the storm, and the multiple cannon barrages from Lenhal’s ships. Despite this, when their captain called, the men answered. As they congregated on the main deck, however, the seamen’s exhaustion and desperate circumstance were clearly visible upon their faces. Aleksi even saw Marlen and Fa’ell lead Nara and several limping injured who were forced to lean on their fellows’ shoulders as they made their way on deck.

  Suddenly, a series of hushed whispers spread through the group and all eyes flashed to Saiya. Men stooped down on one knee and placed their hands over their hearts in respect. As more sailors came up from below, others followed suit and soon everyone was on their knee bowing before their Arkai’s High Priestess.

  “Men,” Domadred said, addressing them all, “while it burdened me greatly to have kept the truth from you, during the past few weeks our great ship has borne the most precious cargo of her long and illustrious life—the High Priestess of the Western Order, Saiya Vengail of the High Arkai Aruna.”

  More whispers went through the crew as Domadred continued. “Unbeknownst to most of you, we have been on a secret mission to fulfill the Arkai’s divine will of bringing his priestess to the Resistance stronghold in Vai’kel. Men, we, and we alone, were chosen by High Arkai Aruna for this task and must not fail him. Without her safe arrival, the Resistance will collapse and the Western Thalassocracy will fall completely under Asura’s looming shadow. I see that clearly, now more than ever.”