Runic Apprentice, page 5
part #1 of The Rune Mystic Series
He smirked, “Let’s hope for friendship then, but I think I can handle being the annoying brother that has your back if it comes down to that.”
She snickered, “Agreed. I’m not all that hard to get along with, I don’t think. We tend to be a responsible lot, and not all that petty. Though, there are days, and we’re still human. The politics can get a little cutthroat though, between the seven guilds. Let’s get back, before Cassandra comes looking for me.”
Right, he nodded, and then followed her out of the library and next door, which was the classroom, or at least one of them. He supposed the other ones probably weren’t in use, since they only had one teacher. The room was set up with a desk up front, as well as large slate wall behind the desk, which had several runes on it at the moment, all related to fire. He knew that, instinctively.
He’d have to be very careful about that, it’d be easy to out himself by having knowledge he shouldn’t yet. More than that, he suspected he could not only draw each one perfectly from memory now that he’d seen them, but he also knew what they would all do, by instinct. As soon as he learned to channel, he could cast them all. That kind of aptitude couldn’t be common.
Even more than that, after a few moments he could see how he could combine two, three, or even four of them to attain different gradations of results, which was probably more than Cassandra knew about them, and most certainly would be illegal and be considered experimenting with magic.
The problem was he was generally an honest man, and dissembling didn’t come naturally to him. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to hide it from Cassandra at all, maybe he should tell her, his teacher, at least, and hope she wouldn’t ruin him or even turn on him out of jealousy, or to keep her position secure. Not that he had any ambitions that way, he really didn’t.
He tore his eyes from the runes, and he took in Cassandra.
She was also in silver robes, and she was about five foot four. She had bright fiery curly red hair that went down her back, and bright green eyes. Her skin was fair and her body lithe and obviously in shape. She was quite attractive, considering she was almost twice his age, but he almost didn’t notice at the questioning look in those green eyes, and the powerful mantle of authority he could sense in her bearing. It was almost palpable in the room, she was in charge, end of story.
Lia said, “This is Olin, your new apprentice. He was brought in by Life Mage Neal, just an hour or so ago. I found him plundering the library.”
Cassandra’s eyes flickered the Lia, as her lips twitched.
“Plundering?” he faux objected.
A snort brought his eyes to Sam. He was about six foot one, an inch shorter than Olin was. He had short black hair and dark brown eyes, naturally tanned skin, and a muscled body that easily matched Olin’s from all his work at the forge. Sam too was in silver robes, and he had a suspicious look on his face, much like Lia had the first time she laid eyes on him.
Hopefully that would pass, it already seemed to have for Lia, probably because he didn’t ogle her like an idiot. A low bar perhaps, but one many a male has probably failed to meet in the past. He pushed that out of his head, again.
Cassandra smirked, “Sit. We’ll go over your orientation later, and I’ll get you robes. Tomorrow I’ll get you started on your channeling, which will only be done in a practice room or in my presence. You won’t even think of casting an actual spell until I approve your channeling as adequate. Do you understand? Even then it will only be done in the practice room.”
He nodded, and then sat down.
Cassandra continued, “Try to follow along if you can. You won’t be able to put this into practice anytime soon, but it could be useful to know.”
“Yes…” he trailed off.
She smiled, “Mistress, Mage Cassandra, or only while in private, with us four, Cassandra will do, if spoken in respect. If you abuse that privilege, it will be taken away.”
Lia said innocently, “Don’t ever call her Cass or Cassie, she hates that.”
Cassandra cleared her throat, “All of these runes behind me are for fire. I mean literal fire. There are many more, for heat without fire, or light without heat, and many other uses for that discipline without being actual fire. But all of these are just raw fire. Why so many?”
Lia said, “The size of the fire, or how hot it is? Lighting a candle wouldn’t do much against an enemy, and the spell to torch an enemy would melt a whole candle in seconds.”
Cassandra nodded, and turned to me, “Rune spells are set, and can’t do more or less based on the power fed into the spell. There are variable spells for those of the fire discipline, but there’s no corresponding runes. Lia is correct, lighting a candle,” she pointed at a rune, “Lighting a campfire,” she pointed at another rune, then said, “Turning an enemy to ash in seconds,” and pointed at third rune, “The rest of these spells are similar gradations, all the same spell at heart. The three spells under those will extinguish a fire, of various size. In that case, one would work for all, but it would be a waste of magic to use a rune spell that could quench a forest fire to put out a candle.”
The rest of the class went on in that bent, and he had to suppress his desire to answer the questions, which most of the time he knew, just from context. Not so incidentally, he was fairly sure he could create a fire rune that was variable…
Chapter Six
Cassandra studied him for a moment when he sat down across from her desk in her tower office on the third floor. They were alone for the moment, so if he was going to share his suspicions with the tower mistress he could do so then. He still hadn’t decided, but he did decide he wouldn’t lie about it at all, outside of omission unless he was asked directly.
It seemed prudent to get to know her a little better first, although so far she seemed nice enough, he also knew she had an iron spine and her very presence demanded respect.
She asked, “Olin, tell me what happened exactly, and what you felt when you used your magic last week.”
He saw no reason not to, and told her every detail, as he had with Neal. He even shared Neal’s insights into what happened. Before she said anything, she took the time to study the runes on the sword, but he couldn’t tell what her thoughts were.
She asked, “But, you focused on all five of the symbols, as you believed them to be.”
He nodded, “Yes.”
She winced, “You’re very lucky to be alive. Neal got it partly right, but he doesn’t know a lot about rune magic, and he missed something. Something I normally wouldn’t even teach you until near the end of your apprenticeship, when the more advanced multiple rune spells are discussed and practiced. I still won’t go into all the details, but considering the fact that you’re carrying around that sword it could happen again if you don’t know it.
“It’s more than possible to cast all four of those runes one at a time, as four separate spells. Obviously, that takes longer, and in a tight spot or ambush seconds could mean the difference between life and death. It’s one of the advantages of a rune mage, to be able to cast more than one spell at once, and we usually do so with complementing spells having to do with enhancement and protection.”
She paused for a moment, then continued, “The spells become one spell when joined with the starburst pattern, which is just one of the options by the way. Think of our magic, any magic, like the flow of water. It’s meant to flow in one direction, but that doesn’t mean it will. Which is why you almost died, from magical feedback.
“The true way to cast that spell is to focus on the starburst only, your magic flows into the starburst, then like a four-way split in a pipe system, the water or magic, flows into the four surrounding spells, powers them, and they are cast. What you did was try to power all five runes at once, even if unknowingly, which caused feedback.
“The four runes were receiving magic directly, which back flowed into the starburst through the connection, all while you fed the starburst rune at the same time. So, you were channeling magic incorrectly, which would have burned you, but you were also causing a backlash at the same time, since just like the other runes going the wrong way to the starburst, that magic would push back into your body. That caused, to keep with the same water flow comparison, a massive amount of cavitation inside your body. That’s truly what almost killed you. Multiple rune spells are dangerous, if you don’t know how they work, all magic is dangerous if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.”
He nodded soberly.
She smiled, “But you’re here, and we’ll get you straightened out. The rules of the tower are fairly simple, be respectful to your fellow apprentices, which covers all sorts of things from not being rude, to not leaving messes behind. No mages from other disciplines are allowed in our tower, but we do allow non-mage guests if it comes up.
“Library rules. Don’t read any of the advanced books, those on the right side of the wall. You are permitted to read anything you want, and study what’s on the left side, until I feel you’re ready for the rest of it. Of course, we’ll be going over some spells in class, the most useful ones, but we won’t be covering every possibility and spell. Now, this permission means read and study, you don’t have permission to cast anything, understood?”
He nodded, “I understand.”
She smiled, “Good. Once I give you permission to start testing spells you study, the process is to draw it on paper, and bring it to me. I’ll verify you’ve done it correctly, even the smallest mistake in a rune can cause unpredictable results when casting. I’ll also require that you explain to me what the rune’s purpose is, and what the spell will do. When I’m sure you understand the spell, you’ll be allowed to cast it for practice, but only in the practice rooms on the second floor.
“Those rules are in effect for your entire apprenticeship, once you’re a mage you can be trusted to do it right yourself every time, if I do my job correctly, but it would still be wise to use the practice rooms the first time you cast any spell.
“Anyway, once it’s cast successfully, you’ll be permitted to scribe it into metal using the tools, and to have it on your person at all times if that’s your wish. As an apprentice however, even if you have it with you, you can only cast it in the practice rooms, or in the arena during an official and supervised mock battle, and the third case if it is required to save or safeguard a life.
“Any questions on the rules?”
He shook his head, “I don’t think so. Official?”
She sighed, “Some idiots like to have mock challenges, I don’t allow my apprentices to participate in those.”
He replied, “Understood.”
She nodded, “I’m going to give you a schedule, but it’s temporary for now. In the morning, I’ll be working with you directly after breakfast to teach you how to channel correctly. This is extremely important, since magic can extend our lives compared to non-mages, but it can also break down our bodies earlier if we channel incorrectly. I’ll explain more about that in the morning. Until I’m satisfied you can do it right in your sleep you won’t be casting any spells at all.
“You’ll have a little free time before lunch at that point, which you can spend in the library if you wish. After lunch, you’ll join Lia, Sam, and me in the same classroom as today. I teach in a circular track, so in a month or so when those two make mage, if I believe they deserve it, it’ll just be the two of us for the rest of your apprenticeship for afternoon class unless another rune mage is found. Which unfortunately isn’t very likely. The rest of your time is yours to do with as you wish, unless assigned a task by me.”
She paused, “I don’t expect that schedule to last more than a few days, a week at the most. At which time you’ll be using your mornings practicing writing runes, going over them with me, and using the practice room to cast them, just like Lia and Sam are still doing. That schedule will last for your apprenticeship. Morning practical work, and afternoon theory in class. Any questions?”
I nodded, “Neal gave me the impression there’d be combined classes of some kind? Maybe I misunderstood?”
She smiled, “Yes, but not for us. Unlike the others, we aren’t limited to a single magical discipline. They go through classes to discover synergies through partnerships, such as an air mage enhancing a fire mages magic, or the best way to counter a death mage is with a life mage. We cover all that internally to our discipline, in the end stage of our apprenticeship using runes from multiple disciplines in single spells.”
He was a bit disappointed at that, but he understood. Maybe he’d have a chance to continue his friendship with Caley in their off time, with a trip to the city. Speaking of which.
“Trips to the city?”
She nodded, “You’ll be given your monthly stipend, and it’s yours to spend as you wish. The only limitation is not to go into the city alone. That reminds me, in the morning we’ll also pick you up a few silver robes from supply. One of the first things people usually do is visit a tailor to have them fitted better, they’ll be a little loose. Of course, if you’re going to fight with a sword, it would be prudent to leave them loose enough to wear armor underneath. Rune mages make good warriors, as good as a life mage, if they choose to do so. Some don’t, and only fight with magic. If you choose to do so, it means more work, and late morning classes which will cut into your study and off time.”
He said, “I think I will do that. I’m already competent with a sword, but I’m sure I have a lot to learn there as well.”
He really wanted to do that, but he also suspected those classes would be with all the warriors in the life mage discipline, which would solve his quandary about Caley quite well.
She smiled, “Good. At least you’re ambitious, just remember to have some fun. Relaxation can be as important as hard work, if it’s not balanced correctly. A focus and rested mind is critical. Okay, just one more thing and we can join the others for dinner.
“One of the major weaknesses of a rune mage is we’re easily disarmed. To cast we need to carry around the tools of our magic, and metal with runes embedded. Without them we’re helpless. It will be your choice to how you want to arrange that.”
She held up her hands, “Each of these rings holds offensive spells, the bracelets and necklaces I wear carry my defensive spells. On my sword and dagger, there are enhancement spells to make me a deadly warrior, added in with my practical training. Without them, I go from a powerful mage, to a weak non-mage.
“Clever apprentices always come up with solutions around that, and I’m just going to tell you now that they’re all forbidden. Not to hamstring us, but because they won’t work. The first is tattoos, which is a bad idea. For one, losing or gaining a few pounds would change the rune’s shape slightly, and make it dangerous or even deadly to cast. Two, if you were ever scarred over a rune, the rune would be a hundred times more dangerous to you than to anyone else.
“The second thing they usually come up with is the idea to put a rune on a small piece of metal, very small, and insert it into their bodies. That won’t work either. Well, it will, but to work it you’d need to channel your magic inside your body, outside of your magic channels to cast the spell, which will kill you eventually. Second, your body always has a small amount of magic in you that isn’t damaging, which means the spells inserted in your body would be going off every time they reached critical absorption, every hour or two, whether you wanted them to or not.”
Well, damn. He’d already decided tattoos would be insane, but the insert thing wouldn’t work either?
“Got it, no tattoos or body inserts. I was actually thinking something similar to you. Enhancement for my weapons, forearm bracers for defensive spells instead of jewelry, and I suppose rings will do for offensive spells. Perhaps small rods for convenience and utility spells, since I’d have time to dig them out of a pack or my pocket when it comes to that sort of thing.”
She nodded, “That should work. It is one of our weaknesses, and we can only deal with what we’re prepared to deal with. The other mages can cast without implements, and if they memorize the spells they can have hundreds on the tip of their tongue.”
“But we can put more than one rune on an item. So, I won’t be limited to eight offensive spells?”
She smiled, “Yes, that’s true, but there’s a practical limit. Rings aren’t all that big, and some runes are very complicated, we can only inscribe them so small. The advanced offensive spells are several runes, so it’s only practical to put one of those on a ring. Some of the war spells are so intricate they have to be put on rods, but generally for a small skirmish the rings will more than suffice.”
“My sword is pretty big, maybe I can put the more advanced spells on there, so I don’t have to fish out a rod.”
She nodded, “Yes, but if you’re disarmed in battle, then you’ll lose all your offensive ability at once, both magical and physical.”
He shook his head, “Sorry, that’s not what I meant. I’d still do the rings for several simple one rune offensive spells, say twenty-four or so, three per ring, but my sword could give me more options. Bracers are a lot bigger than necklaces, so I could even use those for both defensive spells and enhancement, so if I am disarmed, I’ll still be wicked fast and strong. Then use my weapons for just more elaborate and advanced offensive spells, and to enhance the weapon itself.”
She smirked, “That would work, you need to do what you feel will work for you. There’s no right or wrong way, and everyone has a different opinion.”
He nodded, he might change his mind, but he doubted it. All that, plus a small rod or two of convenience spells. Like a scribing spell, cleaning, healing, repair, simple light, starting a fire, and things like that. He assumed the scribing into metal spell rune would be one of the first ones he was taught, since he’d need to know that to use the scribing rods in the library to set up all his other spells. He could even carry around a few blank rods in his backpack, and scribe things on the fly if something came up. It wasn’t as critical to anticipate every eventuality when it came to convenience and utility, but that sort of thing would get him killed if he wasn’t fully prepared for battle.
