Rune Warrior

by Frank Morin

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  I feel a lingering sense of emptiness when I think of Mai Luan. Is this what mortals feel as they watch loved ones succumb to dust after their meaningless, little lives? How can I share any such base feelings with insignificant souls? I cannot ask mother, for any weakness is punished by death.

  I would ask Sarah, but she refuses to listen to reason and, as gallant as her attempted resistance may be, such moments of conflict are not suited for the sharing of inner feelings. When will she accept my lordship and surrender?

  ~Paul

  Sarah awoke, but the nightmare didn’t end. Waves of pain left her groaning as gentle hands pulled the helmet away. She blinked into the bright lights of the vault and found a woman dressed in a medical jumpsuit standing over her.

  “Don’t move,” the medic warned. Her gloved hands were smeared with blood. She injected something into Sarah’s arm. “Give this a moment and it’ll help with the pain.”

  Sarah’s body felt bruised from head to toe, and her skin was raw and scraped all over. Her blouse was soaked with blood. When she gently peeled it back with a trembling hand, her skin was puckered with angry welts where the bullets had torn into her. In the memoryscape, she had recovered quickly, but a lot of that damage had translated into reality. Even with her healing runes, she’d be polka-dotted with bruises.

  “You’re lucky to be alive,” the medic said as she worked to clean Sarah’s bloody stomach. “You just started spurting blood a few minutes ago.”

  “It was rough,” Sarah rasped, barely recognizing her own voice. Better to just focus on breathing.

  When the medic raised the head of her chair a moment later, Sarah peeled down the bloody waistline of her slacks. Her rune was still there, but lacked the marks she had added in the memory. She leaned back, thinking about that. Could a rune alter physical composition in the real world too? Did she dare try?

  Tomas appeared at her side as the medic draped a warm blanket over her. “Sarah, are you all right?”

  “I’ll live. How about you?”

  “I’m fine. I had a weird chat with Spartacus.”

  “I’ll swap you next time.”

  “Let’s hope there’s no next time,” Tomas said gently. “We might have gotten a good lead.”

  Sarah sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. If they had, then the effort might have been worth it. “Is everyone else out?”

  “Waking up now,” he said. “What happened?”

  “Paul transported me and Alter to the Circus Maximus. It got ugly.”

  “Sarah!” Alter appeared next to Tomas.

  He looked far too healthy, and if she had the energy, she’d punch him in the eye to share the joy.

  “Glad you got out all right,” she whispered instead. “I lost track of you when he blew the circus.”

  “Did Paul get away?” Gregorios asked, moving into her line of vision. He grimaced at her bloody blouse. “Are you all right?”

  “I will be. I think. Although it may be time for a dedicated healing rune.”

  “If you have the strength to activate it, I think it’s a good idea,” Tomas said.

  “In a minute,” Gregorios said. “You need to rest, and I need a report. Paul’s awake then, and he has the rune?”

  “He has something,” Sarah said.

  “What do you mean?” Gregorios asked.

  “The rune he was inscribing into his skin was different than the lesser master rune I saw in the sky.”

  “You have to come up with a better name,” Alter groaned. “It’s wrong on so many levels.”

  “What would you call it?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “It was a powerful rune, a greater rune, but not a master rune like what appeared in Berlin.”

  “Exactly,” Sarah murmured. “You call it a greater rune. I’ll call it a lesser master rune.” She was too tired to argue semantics.

  “Can you draw the rune Paul was trying to inscribe?” Gregorios asked.

  “I can.” She hesitated. “But I’m not sure I should. It was evil.”

  “Hold on a minute,” the medic said. “You’re not strong enough to draw anything.”

  Sarah had to agree. She ached so deep, it scared her. For claiming he wanted her as his most-beloved slave, Paul had been willing to push her to the brink of death.

  Eirene joined them, slipping an arm around Gregorios’ waist. “I can’t believe we let Paul use us like that.”

  “I knew we should’ve just started shooting,” Tomas said.

  “He used us like first-life novices,” Gregorios growled. “We didn’t gain much from that exchange.”

  “Not entirely true,” Sarah said. She was starting to feel drowsy from the painkiller. “Paul said he just needs one more rune to destroy us all, and that he’ll get it within the next twenty-four hours.”

  “Not good,” Gregorios muttered. “Although I can’t see how he’ll get the one from the fall of Rome.”

  “He has Spartacus,” Eirene said. “I’m starting to wonder if we caught them testing a new sequence to combine John’s and Spartacus’ memories. If they can pull it off, they could get the other rune.”

  “With the power of the two master runes he already controls, coupled with the forbidden runes we know he has, he already wields enough power to wreak untold damage,” Alter interjected. “If he needs another master rune, his plans must be to strike globally and cement his reign in a single, worldwide coup.”

  “It wasn’t a total loss, love,” Eirene said. “We had a little chat with Spartacus.”

  “Good,” Gregorios said. “I’m glad one of us did. And he was coherent?”

  Eirene nodded. “Just like near the cemetery. He claims he reached some kind of enlightenment during his long dispossession.”

  “More importantly,” Tomas added with a grin. “He agreed to meet me to settle the question of ownership of my battle suit once and for all.”

  Sarah had started drifting in a drug-induced half-sleep, with burning runes flitting behind her eyes, but tried to listen. The real Spartacus was so much more than history portrayed him, and the new Spartacus was fascinating. Well, he would be once he gave Tomas his body back, right? Her thoughts were getting fuzzy.

  “Now we’re getting somewhere,” Gregorios said. “Do you think we can turn him?”

  “It may be possible,” Eirene said. “He owes Paul an honor debt for restoring him, but he’s not committed to the cause.”

  Gregorios kissed Eirene, grinning. “I think we can work with that. Another interesting development is that John’s starting to wake up to reality. The machines are reversing his soul fragmentation, although all he managed to do was pass me a pretty useless message.”

  “Tell it to me anyway,” Eirene said. “You miss the obvious sometimes.”

  “I do not,” he said, assuming a hurt expression.

  “Don’t get me started,” Eirene said, her voice teasing. “You want to talk about the conquistadors?”

  “Never mind,” Gregorios said quickly. “John said they’re in Rome, in some kind of converted tunnel in a ruin. Like I said, useless.”

  Eirene frowned. “That is pretty vague. This is Rome after all.”

  “I tried to follow after he left the memory,” Gregorios said. “There was only one other mental signature so I figured it had to be his. I appeared in what was left of the Circus Maximus.”

  “Probably right after we left,” Alter said. “Paul blew everything up when Sarah shot him in the head.”

  “Good job.” Tomas squeezed Sarah’s hand, bringing her back a little.

  “He shot me more. I still owe him,” she whispered.

  Eirene paced away, brow furrowed. “What if it wasn’t you Gregorios was following?” She turned to him. “What did the Circus look like?”

  “Ruined. Not as bad as modern day, but close. No city around, though.”

  “Maybe that was another hint from John,” she said. “Pointing out the direction to search.”
<
br />   “Interesting,” Tomas said. “We’re supposed to meet Spartacus in the ruined circus tomorrow.”

  Sarah roused herself, trying to keep up. “You think they’re setting a trap?” Paul had staked his claim, promised to make her his slave. He might be trying to lure her to a place where he could capture her. The thought made her shiver with dread and helped her shake off some of her stupor.

  “We can sweep the area,” Tomas said. “Sarah and I can take a drive to the park as soon as she recovers, and explore around the ruins of the old Circus. Maybe she’ll get a glimmer from that super rune of hers.”

  “Sure, if we have lots of back-up,” Sarah said weakly. “Help me up.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” the medic warned. “You suffered severe trauma and need time to recover.”

  “Time is one thing we don’t have,” Gregorios said.

  “Before we go rushing off, I want to hear details of what transpired in the Circus with Paul,” Eirene said. “We can’t overlook anything.”

  While Sarah tried to collect her drifting thoughts, Alter began the tale. When he described the souped-up dune buggy, Tomas grinned.

  “You have to make me one of those,” he said. “We can visit the Sahara with Gregorios after this mess is over.”

  “Don’t get distracted,” Eirene said. “Besides, I drive better than Greg.”

  Gregorios rolled his eyes. “That accident was lives ago.”

  Sarah told them again about the strangely altered rune Paul had been inscribing on his side, how she changed it, and the explosive consequences.

  “So that’s what you did,” Alter said. “I didn’t even see it. I just saw him drop you and then explode. I thought you shoved a grenade down his trousers.”

  “That would’ve been awesome,” Tomas chuckled.

  “Well, I did castrate him later,” Sarah said.

  Tomas laughed aloud then kissed her soundly, earning him a frown from the hovering medic.

  “This I’ve got to hear,” Gregorios said, grinning.

  “Just tell the rest of the story,” Eirene said. “We’ll hear it all in due course.”

  “Sometimes it’s fun to focus on the exciting parts,” Gregorios said with a wink.

  “You’re incorrigible.”

  Sarah related the rest of the encounter.

  “How exactly did you change to quicksilver?” Eirene asked when Sarah explained how she’d saved herself from getting machine-gunned to death. “Again you push the limits beyond the normal.”

  “It’s not entirely without precedent,” Gregorios said. “Zombies are partially-animated flesh, and werewolves are definitely not normal.”

  Eirene shook her head, even though Sarah wanted Gregorios to explain further. “None of the monsters that spawn all the legends actually change the composition of human flesh like we’re seeing with Sarah’s enhancements.”

  “I wonder if it could be possible in the real world,” Gregorios said.

  Tomas nodded. “Imagine if we could transform the enforcers to steel?”

  Sarah imagined the giant Maori Anaru possessing her quicksilver ability. He’d knock down entire cities.

  “It would be abomination,” Alter said.

  “Can’t you think of a new term?” Tomas asked.

  “It’s morally wrong,” Alter shot back. After a slight hesitation he added in a more moderate tone. “Besides, it would require so much energy, she’d probably lose control and burn out her rounon well, if not die outright.”

  “We’ll discuss hypotheticals later,” Eirene said. “Tell us the rest.”

  When Sarah told them about Paul stabbing her and promising to force himself upon her, Alter stomped away and began punching the stainless-steel wall, denting the smooth surface. He had to have broken bones in his hands, but didn’t seem to notice.

  Tomas’ reaction was more controlled, but his lips pressed together in a tight line, and his shoulders tensed. “Eirene, I think I’m going to need that chainsaw of yours.”

  Gregorios patted Sarah’s hand. “You did amazing. Time to remove this animal once and for all.”

  Sarah motioned Tomas closer. “First step, bring me a scalpel.”

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  To have command is to have all the power you will ever need. To have all the power you will ever need, is to have the world in the palm of your hand. To call a facetaker friend is to become a god.

  ~Tiberius, the third life of Julius Caesar

  “What do you have in mind?” Tomas sounded nervous.

  “I need a permanent healing rune, or I won’t be much help to anyone,” Sarah said.

  Alter drifted back toward them, massaging his hand, but not otherwise showing effects of the beating he’d just given the wall. “Sarah, have a care. Your strength can only spread so far, and even if you can heal yourself, you’ll need time to recuperate.”

  “I’ll focus on the healing part for now,” she said. “Now bring me a knife.”

  The medic helped Sarah wash the blood off her left side, over her lowest ribs. The woman paced away, muttering to herself when Sarah handed Tomas the knife and asked him to mark the same higher healing rune into her skin that she’d marked on him when he’d been wearing Carl’s body. That night seemed so long ago, but it had been her first rune, and it had saved his life.

  “Let me do it,” Alter suggested. “I have more experience.”

  “I know,” Sarah said. “But this is our special rune. Tomas can do it.”

  Tomas might have lacked Alter’s artistic flair, but he worked the knife along her skin with a gentle touch, his expression set in extreme concentration. Alter might have completed it sooner, but it felt right to have Tomas inscribe the healing rune into her skin. The pain of the shallow cuts paled compared to the throbbing aches already clamoring for attention. They’d already dimmed since she’d awakened, thanks to her other runes, but it was time for a dedicated healing enhancement.

  When Tomas finished, Sarah pressed his hand over the bleeding marks and willed her rounon to life. Warm energy poured out of her center and flowed through her hand, passing through Tomas’ fingers and sealing to the fresh-cut rune. It activated, draining her already-waning strength, and she sagged, her eyes fluttering closed.

  “Sarah, are you all right?” Tomas asked, leaning over her, his eyes shining with the wonder of sharing her rune activation with her.

  “I knew this was a bad idea,” Alter growled.

  Gentle warmth began radiating from the new enhancement, spreading through her torso, quenching the throbbing pain with a blanket of peace.

  Sarah breathed deep for the first time since waking, and checked her side. The rune glowed with a warm, blue-white light. Healing strength continued to pour into her from an invisible well and the angry welts of her recent bullet wounds faded away. Her mind cleared from the drug-induced fog.

  Tomas leaned closer and her lips met his in a deep kiss. They held it long enough for Alter to cough, sounding uncomfortable.

  “Looks like you’re feeling better,” Gregorios commented dryly when she released him.

  “Lots.” Sarah held out her hands and Tomas helped her rise over the objections of the medic. Sarah swayed a bit from momentary dizziness, but steadied with Tomas’ help. Her blouse was a ripped, bloody mess and she was glad to accept a blue cotton jacket from the medic to replace it.

  “Your lips seem to be working,” Gregorios said, handing her a pen and paper. “Let’s test your memory. Show me the rune Paul was inscribing.”

  She easily called the sinister symbol to memory and began sketching it out.

  “Don’t complete it,” Alter warned as the rune became clear on the page.

  “Why not?”

  “This is a corruption of that greater rune,” Alter said with a frown. “It holds the power of that moment, but twisted to the truth of assassination, greed, and contempt for life.”

  “It’s similar to the one I saw,” Sarah said.

  “Show me w
hat you saw,” Alter said.

  Sarah sketched out the rune she had witnessed in the sky above the dying emperor.

  Eirene said, “That’s very similar to the one I saw, but not identical.”

  “Same here,” Gregorios said.

  Alter nodded. “Same for me. I should have foreseen this.”

  “What?” Sarah asked.

  “Paul witnessed a different truth. In fact, we all witnessed slight variations on the truths represented in that moment.”

  “Wait a minute,” Eirene said. “You said that master runes represent a deeper truth associated with pivotal moments in history.”

  “That’s what I believed,” Alter said. “It’s still partially correct.

  These pivotal moments represent different truths to different people. To Caesar, his first assassination was a tragedy, a betrayal, an overthrow of his reign. To some of the conspirators it represented defending traditional values. To others, it might have represented conspiracy to take power from others. The underlying truths include the fall of a republic, but the foundation of an empire.”

  “None of that matters, for a person will see the one truth they seek. This is a unique situation. This time there were many of us present, several with gifted nevron, all of which could affect the rune.”

  “So you’re saying we all see the rune we want to see?” Gregorios asked.

  “Not so much want to see,” Alter said, “but perhaps the one that best reflects the truth that resonates most powerfully with you in that moment.”

  “So that’s why Paul’s rune was so menacing?” Sarah asked. “Because he wants to see death and conquest.”

  “Exactly.”

  “That’s twisted.”

  “It also adds complexity,” Gregorios said. “If we don’t know exactly what runes he’s working with, it’ll be harder to counter him.”

  “Not if he’s dead,” Tomas said.

  Sarah squeezed his hand. She liked his thinking. When she turned back toward the machines, she noticed for the first time Francesca and her siblings all collapsed in nearby chairs, fast asleep.

  “What happened to them?”

  “The new rune amulets worked,” Eirene said. “They avoided the backlash of Paul’s forbidden rune, but the drain was severe.”