Runic Apprentice, page 6
part #1 of The Rune Mystic Series
He also realized he’d gotten way ahead of himself, since he needed to learn how to channel correctly first.
She smiled, “We got off on a tangent there, let’s get to dinner.”
He had no argument for that, he was starving.
Chapter Seven
Sam and Lia were waiting for them, as were steaming bowls of vegetables, breads, and meats. He sat across from Sam and Lia, while Cassandra sat at the head of the table. Apparently, there was no rules at the table, because Sam and Lia dug in, followed quickly by Cassandra, so he started to fill his plate as well.
Lia asked, “He’s a keeper?”
Cassandra smiled, “I have my hopes he won’t kill himself the first day. The jury is still out on the second.”
He laughed, “Hazing, got to love it.”
Lia giggled, and Sam smiled and gave Lia a strange look.
He said, “It’s a shame there’s no spell to identify mages, there has to be more of us out there.”
Sam smirked, “That’s a conversation we’ve had a number of times.”
Cassandra nodded, “It’s just not practical to have every man, woman, and child in Reton be tested by holding a rune and walking them through activating it. Even if we could, that’s not a simple thing to learn, and could take hours with each person before being sure they weren’t mages.”
“There’s no detect magic spell?”
Cassandra said, “Life has one. The problem is a mage wouldn’t detect as having magic until they’ve used magic. Their magical circulation system is quiescent until triggered for the first time.”
Sam smirked, “Magical puberty.”
Lia grimaced, “Crude, but accurate.”
“Circulation system?”
Cassandra said firmly, “Tomorrow morning. No business during meals.”
He nodded, “So what’s to do in our off time, outside of study?”
Lia shrugged, “There’s plenty to do in the city, but most evenings we just chat about our day and unwind. The disbursement we receive monthly is generous, but we’re far from rich. Every tower has their own magical libraries, but there’s also a non-magical library shared by all in the main building. It has books on history, various other trades, and even fictional stories for entertainment.”
He asked, “I don’t suppose there’s a forge?”
Sam replied teasingly, “You know you’re a mage, right?”
He shrugged, “The rhythm of the work helps me to think sometimes. It’s almost a meditative state when I start to shape the metal to my design.”
Lia looked at him for a moment, then said not unkindly, “The earth mages handle that. With spells. They supply all our weapons, jewelry, and other requests. I suppose it’s something we can do as well, with runes. So, no, there isn’t a forge.”
He smiled, “I’ll survive. I’ll be busy enough with learning to be a mage and taking fighting classes.”
He could probably learn the rune spells to do it himself, but the idea of spelling himself a sword or dagger out of a lump of steel just wouldn’t be the same.
Sam winced, “Good luck with that, it’ll be a brutal schedule.”
Lia smiled, “I didn’t take that route either, good luck.”
Cassandra smiled thinly, “No, but at least you tried, Lia. You just lack the innate talent for the martial arts, but you more than make up for it on the magical side.”
Sam scowled, and Olin decided the hazing wouldn’t end anytime soon. Not if the mistress of the tower was taking subtle shots at an apprentice that was almost a mage in his own right. It seemed to be in fun, and not meant viciously, so he’d deal.
Cassandra continued, “It’s a harder path. It also splits your focus, but once things grow to a point of subconscious action there’s very little that can face a competent warrior rune mage.”
Lia changed the subject, “So, what do you think so far?”
He smiled, “It’ll take time to get used to my new life, but I’m confident I’m in good hands.”
That was true enough, and a part of him was excited about his new life, and the possibilities in magic. It appealed to his ambition. But that didn’t mean he didn’t miss his old life, or the people in it. Still, he didn’t want to be labeled a whiner, and he knew in time he’d get passed it. There was also a lot about this new life he didn’t know much about yet. Politics, and other dangers, but his feelings were telling him he was safe enough with the people in this tower.
Lia seemed even more welcoming now, and not suspicious at all of his motivations, and it was his first day. Sam… he wasn’t sure yet, but time would tell, and so far, so good. He supposed until he was a mage that he probably didn’t have to worry about missions and most of the rest of it, and he’d learn as he went.
Cassandra smirked, “So glad that I meet with your approval.”
Lia giggled.
He blushed, and opened his mouth, but his mind came up completely empty on a comeback.
Cassandra winked.
Sam said, “You’ll have to think fast on your feet in this group.”
They continued to chat and banter during dinner, and eventually retired to the living room and just got to know each other a little better.
He learned both Sam and Lia were children of the last generation, and their parents were out on missions, the other handful of people that were known rune mages and in the king’s employ. That made him the only found rune mage of his generation, something that was exceedingly rare due to the unique circumstances required.
Sam really did seem like a good guy, a person he could probably befriend and count on, but he did see a possible wrinkle as they talked and joked. Sam was clearly and completely smitten with Lia, to the point where he clearly resented her attention being split. It wasn’t a total thing, Sam did his best to hide it and be truly welcoming to Olin, but he realized it could become a true problem at one point.
Lia, just as obviously, was aware of that crush but didn’t reciprocate.
It was almost painfully obvious that Sam felt a twinge of jealousy, each time Olin managed to make Lia laugh with delight or launch into a story with a genuine smile.
He wasn’t too worried about it though, despite Lia being a blonde-haired goddess as far as looks, he really wasn’t interested. Sure, he was young, and attracted despite himself, but he was still in knots about Celane, and he didn’t think that would change anytime soon. Besides, it took two, and he saw no indications Lia had any designs on him either.
Still, he knew jealousy could throw off their tower family dynamic, and he’d need to figure out where he fit in with them.
Maybe it wouldn’t be a huge problem, by the time he found his feet and a contentment with this new life, and had gotten over losing his first love and family, he expected Sam and Lia would be mages and sent on missions for most of the time. Just one more thing he wasn’t looking forward to, it was a hard lesson for him. He realized that very little in life would stay the same, and friends would come and go. Plans were something made while life happened and dragged people in new directions. All hard lessons that he tried to take to heart. That lesson didn’t make the time that he’d spend with Lia, Sam, Cassandra, and even Caley less valuable however.
But for now, the four of them were a family of sorts, and he already felt like he could depend on them by the time they turned in for the night. It was somewhat of a relief actually, things could be a lot worse, not everyone got along as a rule, but in the tower, it seemed likely to work out save his one concern about Sam. Outside the tower… well he’d find out soon, when he was in a weapons class with other mages.
Despite his positive outward attitude, Olin struggled that first night to get to sleep. He’d adapt, it would take time, but that was very little comfort as his mind wandered and wouldn’t shut down. His thoughts lingered on missing his past, doubts about his future, and excitement about the new possibilities, all while he resented them at the same time. Eventually, he managed to find sleep.
Chapter Eight
The two of them sat in Cassandra’s office the next morning, and he felt a little excited but also a little intimidated by the idea of channeling his magic. It’d been absolute agony, and the fact there was no chance of feedback without channeling into multiple parts of a spell incorrectly, that was small solace in the moment.
He also wasn’t a coward, and he was ready to get started. They’d enjoyed a casual breakfast that morning before splitting up, as far as he knew Lia and Sam were engaged in their own personal studies at the moment.
Cassandra said, “Before you can channel your magic you need to understand how it works. It’s a partially autonomic process. Much like breathing or blinking your eyes. Your body will breathe and blink on its own, or you can make it do either of those things consciously. Magic is like that, but it’s also like your bloodstream. It’s always in motion throughout your body. I believe I mentioned that last night. It enhances your health, and your life expectancy. It even gives you more energy than a non-mage.
“Your magic constantly filters through your body like blood through your magic channels, which are analogous to blood vessels, if not as absolute because they aren’t a physical barrier. They’re as ephemeral as the magic they carry. Your channels will keep the small amount of flowing magic through your body contained automatically, but while channeling larger amounts of magic that containment will depend on your will as well.
“Magic is constantly replenished, much as your bones constantly replenish your blood supply. It is not inexhaustible however, and when you use too much of it you can even pass out until your magic recovers at least partially. You need to learn to gauge and ride that line, but that isn’t a problem for today.
“When channeling magic, you’re actually speeding up circulation, not enlarging it. The only safe place to channel it outside the body and into a rune is from your extremities, your fingers and toes. That’s because the circulation is right on the edge of your skin in those places. You could channel your magic outside the channels from your chest, but that would damage all the flesh between the source of your magic and the outside of your body. It’s the wrong way to do it.”
He asked, “Wouldn’t that still be damaging?”
She nodded, “Yes, but there are no organs there, and you’ll heal from it quickly. Even your forearms aren’t a proscribed place to do so, if you need to activate a bracelet rune and can’t reach it with the fingertips of your other hand for some reason, like being busy swinging a sword. Just never from your head, or your torso, extremities only. You won’t be doing that today. Today all you’re going to do is speed up your circulation, and to focus to keep the magic inside your channels.
“The faster you can channel the faster you can power a rune, series of runes, or even two or more separate runes at once.”
He frowned, “So I could power the four spells on my sword, without the starburst, if I can focus on all four at once? I mean, if they were drawn as separate spells, I know if I did that now, the way it’s set up, it would cause feedback.”
She nodded, “Yes, but the starburst is still useful, not that we should be talking about that yet. Point remains. There’s only so much you can do at once. But if you have a single spell that will raise multiple shields and protections, another one that enhances your body’s speed and strength along with your weapon, another that enhances your senses, you can be completely battle ready in moments, by focusing on three starbursts, instead of focusing on over twenty runes which would have to be done in stages.
“Of course, only a mature mage could handle powering that many runes at once. It’s not only about your focus, and casting multiple spells at once through runecraft, but the limits of your magic. Your magic is generated, and your channels are new. Overtime, your core will generate magic more quickly, and also be able to hold more magic within the channels. That’s automatic, due to practice. Your body won’t create more magic than it can safely hold, no more than your bones would create and overpressure of blood in your arteries and veins.
“Point being, in the beginning you’re going to have to pick and choose your spells carefully until your powerful enough to power all the most efficient protective and enhancement spells at once, at least for the duration of a battle. Even at my stage, there’s a balance to be met. A small skirmish you can let loose, but combat on a battlefield that could last hours, and you have to learn to be miserly with your magic.”
He nodded, “I think I get that, so you want me to just increase the flow in my body?”
She nodded, “Yes, once you can control the flow, speed it up and slow it down, all while keeping it contained in your channels, then casting is easy. It will be intuitive at that point, to send magic into a rune, you don’t send it there, you stop containing it to your channel at the point of touch the rune has to the extremity. The rune itself will soak it up and activate itself.”
Oh. That wasn’t what he expected.
She seemed to notice his surprise, and added, “Of course, when casting you also need to focus on the rune, our focused intent causes that rune to suck up the magic. Right now though, we’re dealing with channeling only, which is really that simple.”
He nodded, then asked a question.
“Is that what other mages do?”
She nodded, “Sort of, they do the same thing to cast, yes. But they have to focus it into their gestures and words to cast the spell. That’s the major advantage to rune wielders, they might be easy to disarm, but they can be battle ready in seconds. A mage casting spells one at a time can’t be disarmed, but they can only do one thing at a time. We’re also more diverse in we can cast from six spheres, but even that is limited to what runes exist. Let’s get started.”
He nodded dubiously in agreement, “What do I do?”
She said, “This will be work, it will also strengthen your magic without needing to cast. You’ll be doing this all the time, at least an hour a day, before you go to sleep. You don’t want to exhaust yourself if you’re going to be casting spells. Even then, you’ll learn how to hold a reserve. Okay, enough theory. You should be able to feel the magic flowing through your body if you quiet your mind. It’s hard at first, but it’ll get easier with practice.”
He was starting to understand, even if he was a rune mystic like he suspected, that wasn’t going to be a shortcut to power in any way. Sure, it will help him learn spells faster, but rushing ahead without knowing the magical theory could lead to assumptions that would get him killed, similar to the five runes on his sword. He’d known what the runes would do, but that hadn’t given him any special insight into spell theory, or that they were even magical runes in the first place.
Sure, he knew that now, but there must be many similar pitfalls.
It wouldn’t afford him any shortcuts, except perhaps an easier time memorizing the correct forms of a rune. It’d be hard work to learn to cast them, learn to fight with them, and so forth. Not to mention working out his magic, so it grew stronger. In all those things, he had no advantages at all.
He also couldn’t feel a damned thing.
She smiled, “It can help to start in the center, where your power originates. The channels lead from there, around your body, into your extremities, and back around. It’s hard to explain, like trying to explain how to take a breath and feel the air in your lungs.”
He remembered the warm place in his chest it had flowed from, and he tried to focus inward and feel his body. He noticed his legs were rather uncomfortable in the chair, and some of his muscles were still sore from the weeklong ride. Things he’d usually disregard, but at that point they seemed like major distractions to his task.
It was subtle, but after a few moments his chest seemed to warm, as if the magic finally noticed he’d been looking for it. He knew that wasn’t right, the magic wasn’t sentient, but that’s what it seemed like. The movement of the magic was subtle, and it seemed to flow up and down from his center through his meridians, and into his arms, legs, and head. He could barely feel the steady trickle, but as his mind quieted and his focus sharpened, he believed he could feel it.
“What’s next?”
She said, “It’s like a voluntary muscle, but one you’ve never exercised before. Similar to deciding to take a breath consciously. You don’t get caught up with all the details of your diaphragm moving when you decide to take a deep breath, or sigh, it’s similar. Just decide, and increase the flow, don’t think about how, your magic and your body already knows what to do, just do it.”
“Right.”
She snickered.
Still, she was right, even voluntarily breathing was mostly a subconscious act, just like touching a finger to a nose.
He imagined, he decided, his magic would flow faster. It did, almost effortlessly, but at the same time it felt uncomfortable.
“I’m doing it, but it feels wrong. My body is tingling.”
She nodded, “Good, it’ll start to hurt badly, long before you can do permanent harm to your body, so stop if that happens. I also want you to imagine that your channels are solid and impenetrable. Simply decide they are, and then concentrate on it. Like I said, starting this is hard, but at some point it will be all a subconscious act.”
He concentrated on that, and he could almost feel the wider stream of magic narrow back down to what it was before, but at that point it was more than just noticeable to him, it was like it was compacted down. He reminded himself feeding his spell runes would be about the speed the magic was flowing, not about how wide the channel was.
Even just filtering his magic like this, pushing it, was exhausting it. It expended magic power to move magic. Which was probably just one more consideration when in a fight with magic, everything had to be balanced. Obviously, only a little bit at a time, not nearly comparable to how much magic he’d exhaust with a spell, since none of it would be circulating back to the source in that case.
