Rune mage

Chapter 3: Testing

There is a small alcove in the school that is terribly difficult to find, challenging to access, and perfect for doing experiments. I suspect a past rune mage had made this his or her work space, because there were old runes tucked into the walls and eaves surrounding  the space. I had never been able to activate them. My theory was that when a rune mage died, their rune's power faded.

The past rune mage had set in runes that appeared to have been intended to keep leftover power or unexpected experimental explosions from impacting the buildings. I had long ago put my own runes next to theirs, the designs different but the intent the same, keeping my space hidden even when things backfired.

After some time studying spider webs of all types, I found there were different designs based on the type of spider. By altering the design, I was able to alter the purpose of the web. After three days and only one trip to the healers - thankfully it had only been a small blast but I had hit my head pretty hard when getting away from the heat- I finally had a web design that would collect power and store it...or hopefully pass it along to other designs.

The power could come from latent magic in the air, but also from powerful emotions, which gave off their own sort of energy. Otherwise emotion mages wouldn't have anything to work with

My working design was made with beads and painstakingly etched wires.

This had allowed me not only to adjust the design but also carry the thing to the tavern last night.

It was so small that it had gotten full before half the night was over.

Now I wanted to test the next part of my plan.

I had such success with the portable web that I was going to try a braided pattern that would connect to the web and see if the web could power active runes.

I sat in the hard packed dirt and emptied my bag of the stones I had etched. Fire protection, water repellent, pest repellent. I needed the last one because once powered up the fire and water runes couldn't touch or they would cancel each other out.  Each rune stone was threaded carefully onto the same kind of etched chain as my web. The etching allowed for the power of the runes to flow from one place to another.

I braided carefully, placing each stone with sure fingers and steady hands. When I was done, I set the six inches of braid on a piece of paper. Then I connected the braid to the web.

The braid lit up briefly but then returned to looking normal.

Good.

I couldn't have designs that glowed.

Then I stood and fetched the cup of water. I splashed it over the paper.

The water looked like it should have soaked the paper. There was no obvious sign that it hadn't.
But when I touched the paper, it was dry.

That was worth a smile, but not much of one because I had to test fire next.

I had a candle waiting nearby. I took a bit of dry kindling and set it over the parchment, then lit a piece from the candle and gave the kindling flame.

I watched the whole time the kindling burned.

Fire was not something I worked with. It was regularly used as an attack, so most of my clothing had some iteration of a fire resistance charm sewn into it. Never helped with getting burns on my skin.

For now I had to treat fire like a potential enemy. So I waited.

When the fire burned itself out, I used a stick to push the charred remains away from the paper.
Which, happily, was still there and other than a small amount of discoloration, was perfectly fine.

I studied the discoloration and then studied the braid. The only discolored spot was in a place where the fire charm was furthest from the source of heat.

I would have to try again with the overlapping method I intended to use for the entire roof of the tavern. But first, two more tests.

I took the second kindling bundle out and set it aflame in the paper. Once the flames were well and good, I doused it with some water. I worried that the runes would make putting out flames impossible.

But instead it seemed to help smother the flames quicker.

I wanted to understand that result better but perhaps later. I removed the soaked and steaming kindling and put down a bit of cheese and some nuts. Then I put some nuts and cheese in a place more challenging for a rat to reach, making the food on the paper more appealing.
I slowly opened the small box that had held a rat I had captured yesterday. Should be hungry by now.

I stepped away and let the rat find its own path.

It went directly to the paper, then froze, sniffing. It approached from different sides, but each time froze before putting even one paw on the paper itself.

Finally the poor thing retrieved the other food from the more difficult location and scampered off.

Success.

Now to increase the size and try with less portable means, since I would be etching the web into the tavern itself before attaching a net of braided runes to the roof.
Then to convince Steph.