Rune mage

Chapter 22: Advisor

I knew the moment I arrived at my designated advisory class that I was not going to be happy.

I had hoped, given that my other classes had been staffed by people who would actually be helpful, that this one might also be.

Instead I was being advised by Lutsel.

Fa Mai and Lee didn't stay. Once I was within the room I was alone with the professor who had wanted me to suffer.

I had activated my dampener on the walk over, and was so exhausted that I had had to pull on strength and awareness to walk the distance to this class. I glanced at the square on his desk and knew he would object to any other runes.

"Sit down, Lofe."

I took a seat. This was his office, not his classroom, so there would be no hidden runes helping me focus.

"It is my opinion you have been left to your own freedom with no oversight on if what you are doing is safe or ethical. I requested a complete review of your grades and projects as well as a full investigation into every action you have taken while here at the school."

He stood and paced. "I'm not convinced you aren't cheating your way through this advanced education. My motion to have you expelled and sent to the front lines was denied and instead I am tasked with making sure there are no gaps in your knowledge. Stand up."

I rushed to get to my feet, and stood at a soldier's rest.

"Recite the first mage law."

"A citizen found to have power will be assessed," I began smoothly. But I soon found it difficult to breathe. I might have suspected Lutsel was attacking me, but I knew he was not an air mage. "A citizen found to have..." it was really hard to draw in a full breath. I reached for my magic and tried to activate my well-being rune.

The scan square on Lutsel's desk glowed and he smirked at me. "No use of magic."

Then he stuck me with a cane, sending a spark of pain across my back. I stumbled forward and landed hard on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.

"I can't breathe," I managed to say.

"I didn't see any reports of you having problems breathing, and I myself am having no trouble breathing. Stand on your feet and start anew."

I struggled to stand. Twice I reached for my magic to give the strength I needed, and twice Lutsel struck me with the cane. When I finally made it to my feet, my vision was spotty, my breathing was coming in frantic wheezes.

"A citizen."

I hit my knees again as my strength gave out.

"Obviously you have been cheating. We will continue this until you can recite all four laws. Get out of my office."

I didn't quite crawl out, but it certainly wasn't a dignified walk. Once in the hallway I began to breathe easier. But the effort drained me.

Walking to the tavern was about all I could do. I made it to my bed and darkness took me.

*
"His magic is nearly drained, and his body is exhausted. I can see both slowly returning to normal."

I knew that voice. Reconna was back

"I was worried when I couldn't wake him," Steph said. "I took his boots off and he didn't so much as move. His heart seemed slow and breathing sounded labored.

"It was the first day back to school. For all that he healed from the whipping, there is still strength to be gained."

"Plus he has more challenging courses. Did you hear that the legendary Fa Mai and mage general Lee were assigned to teach him?"

"I had."

There must have been some expression on Reconna's face because Steph started to laugh. "We were minding our own business and the two of them walked in as if they had been here many times. You have no idea how much I had admired Fa Mai back, in the before times. I once saw Fa Mai lead fifty men into what should have been a suicide mission and not only did they succeed, they all lived. I wouldn't have guessed you had a hand in it."

"I didn't ask for them. I asked for help. The school seems bound and determined to kill him. I asked around. He was at the healers almost once a week. Sometimes just broken bones but sometimes having to be almost literally put back together. But you told me all the good he has done, and all I can think is..."

"He could do so much more," Steph said when Reconna didn't continue.

I made a slight noise as I tried to wake enough to ask questions. I released my dampening rune but even then didn't have enough power to do more than moan.

A gentle touch pressed against me, and I felt slumber calling back to me.

"He's some bruising along his back, but if he is training with Fa Mai, I suspect bruising is going to happen. He may not be up to being a worker here at your tavern."

"I promised him this room. I don't go back on my promises."

*

The next day I started early in the arena, beginning the process for putting down the web rune. I had figured out a way to make one full, albeit small,  web in one morning, by incorporating the movements Fa Mai wanted me to do. The stretches and turns were like a dance, but also allowed me to more around just enough steps and end up right where I needed to be. It took a few hours, but there was a small web completed when the breakfast bell rang. It would begin to gather power, slowly. Eventually I would have the entire arena floor covered in connected webs, which would then be able to feed me power.

I didn't bother to go to breakfast.

Fa Mai arrived and we did much the same as the day before. I held my rock protection rune in place while running and fighting, until I couldn't afford to hold it up and still have power available for Lee's class.

In Lee's class, she flung stones at me with her air, trying to get me to think of ways I could protect myself or use the stones.

All that was gained was a black eye and a headache. And maybe some ideas about the suitability of stones for defense weapons if the stones were runed to explode when they landed. I would have to think more on how that would work. If it would work.

And then there was my advisory class.

Once again I stood before Lutsel and began reciting the mage laws. I made it a little further before I began struggling to breathe again. And each time I used my power to give myself the ability the strength or awareness or wellness I needed, he struck me. By the time the class was over, I was in worse shape than the day before.

As I lay in my cot falling asleep, I knew I needed a protection rune against air attacks. Lutsel wasn't an air mage, but there were enough in the school he could have someone practicing their mage work without even knowing who they were attacking.

I was asleep before I could do more thinking.