Rune mage

Chapter 16: midterm interview

I arrived already dressed in finery. Not one bit of my clothing had runes on them. My hair was free from braids. I wore no bracelet, no necklace. As far as the professors would see, I held no runes at bay.

I had passing grades, though two had been just barely passing. As far as I was concerned passing was passing. Still, I needed this interview to go smoothly.

Best case scenario they would allow me to continue with out fines. Worst case they would expel me and have me imprisoned to wait for execution. Steph had told me not to consider that outcome a possibility.

As far as I was concerned anything was possible. The same three professors were interviewing me for the midterms as had interviewed me at the first of the year.

Two of them still hated me.

And I wasn't sure about Petre. I would start his class on the other side of the midterm. At least I hoped. Applied magical theory wasn't particularly helpful for a rune mage, when no one knew how rune mages worked.

"I am Logan Lofe. I have come as requested, and present myself to the board."

Tullimire held up a scan square. "Not running any rune magic at the moment are you?"

I held out my arms. "Feel feee to scan."

I had gotten my hands on a scanner and knew they never picked up on my dampener runes. I suspected because what active magic was involved was so low level it didn't register. You would have to place the scanner within inches of the rune to pick up on it.

The square stayed the same. The professor scoffed and set it down.

"What can you tell us about the sponsors you have acquired?" Petre asked.

I gestured helplessly. "When I went to pay my remaining tuition, I discovered it had been paid. I spoke with my boss. She was thankful for my hard work especially in such a hard year."

"And the blacksmith?"

I shrugged. They would have a truth spell going. That was Petre's specialty. "I helped put the threshing down on his new roof."

"Why would a family already supporting one final year mage contribute to your tuition?" My least favorite ethics professor asked with a tone that suggested he had thoughts on the matter, and none of them pleasant.

"I am sure they have their reasons. They did not discuss it with me. Fredric has become a friend. He is taking the time to teach me proper fighting and defense."

All three raised their eyebrows at that.

"Are you saying you've reached your final year and didn't know fighting and defense?" Petre asked.

I tilted my head. "Yes sir. I kept eating dirt or ending up in the healer's ward. We had a bit of a misunderstanding at the start, but he's come around and has been helping me."

They were silent for a while.

"Let's talk about the war." The change in subject confused me. Lutsel continued, "What can you do to aid in the battle?"

I blinked a few times, took a deep breath and replied, "I can create battlements that are nearly impossible to break, make wells nearly impossible to poison, and can create weapons that strike true." There was so much more that I could do. All of it defense. But Fredric and I were trying to come up with some offensive skills. And I wasn't going to tell these men everything..

They each wrote notes.

"Logan, did you work magic unsanctioned by this school?" Petre asked.

And I knew in that moment, from his tone, slightly disappointed, that things weren't going to go well. "I have." Because if they asked they already knew.