Rune mage

Chapter 34: beginnings

Just over half of the men only wanted a charm, but I had brought enough for such things and could easily make more.

The rest lined up for a tattoo. These men, I suspected, would be the ones to watch for advancement. They wanted to exceed and would stand a little pain if it meant a greater chance at survival.

I did Rudger's first and then powered it up. He smiled.

"Well. That feels like someone just took away all my aches and pains. Is there a limitation on this rune?"

I started work on the next one while I answered. "It does not prevent all injury, so don't go tumbling down the stairs or juggling fire or knives. It will prevent most of the common illnesses but big things... well, might make it easier to live with but doesn't cure anything. If you get an arrow through a limb, or object stuck inside of you, I'm not sure the rune will work at all until the bit is removed- I didn't want healing to happen over things that don't belong in the body."

"If we are injured and the rune is broken, will it explode?" One man asked.

I shook my head. "I have exploding runes but these will just stop working. I will set up stations where you can get a temporary rune if one is needed, for those who lose their charm or if your rune is disrupted by injury."

"I saw you placing down runes all over today," Rudger said, standing nearby. I suspected he was there to make his men feel better about their choice. "What can we expect from the runes you put down?"

I worked while I explained the runes I had put down. It only took about ten minutes to tattoo each rune and power it up so that it would heal itself and run off of the power it collected- a trick I had to create on the way here when I realized I would be the only mage. Each man basically wore a rune that was a combination of the well-being rune and the daisy rune. It was just lucky they overlaid so neatly.

"Why is it a flower?" One man asked, his arms and hands liberally inked with horrific images. I didn't want to overlay the ink already there so I had him take off his boot and inked it on his ankle. I couldn't help but think of him as Boots, his name already forgotten.

"The flower looks to the sun for strength. This rune will take in any lose energy around, the same way a flower would find any sunlight."

"Do we need to sit in the sun? Like...recharge the rune?" Another man asked. "I doubt we'll have time for that. We've all heard about this place. It's a death sentence for most."

I stoped working for a moment and stood. "I am a rune mage. Most rune mages don't survive the school. Those that do are usually so badly prepared that they die soon after completing school." I paused to allow them to ponder this a moment. "I leveled every one of the student mages who stood against me. I drained their power and held their lives in my hands. I will not accept this as a suicide mission. When we are done here I will begin placing down runes that will give us warning of danger, and will place down caltrops that are capable of being deployed at my will and retuned to hiding after. I have not fought battles before, so if you think of a protection you have always wanted, please bring it to sergeant Rudger."

"Can you put accuracy runes in our arrows and swords?" Someone asked. I would have to learn their names soon.

"On arrows yes. I would not dare etch into a sword and weaken its metal. I can make shields stronger. Rudger, start a list of what weaponry would benefit from strength or accuracy, get it to me tomorrow. I suspect we have two weeks before the first real attack and I intend to be as prepared as possible."

These men had no problem thinking up ideas, and I listened while I worked until all of them had their tattoo finished.

Rudger stayed behind as everyone left.

"Two weeks?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Give or take. We need a schedule as soon as possible. Sentries shouldn't stand for more than four hours at a time, their minds will blur. Instead I would have teams where they switch from sentry to patrol, and then back."

I paused a moment. "I plan to put down some aware runes in key locations, but I would prefer they not rely on the runes. If you can put a chalk x in the best locations for sentries, I will lay down a rune that won't be seen. Maybe also awake. Awake and aware are the two that would be most helpful for sentries."

Rudger did the smile again, the one that was shared by warriors everywhere it seemed. "I'm left wondering why we don't have more rune mages. What can't you do?"

"I'm not great at attack. I can defend five different ways, but I am limited to sound and power attacks. The sound attack wouldn't do well because it impacts everyone around me. The power attacks... if we see a mage and can get them to target me so I can feel their power, I can suck it down to nothing and kill or incapacitate them. I have ideas on how to make myself a target, but we won't know if that works until I try it."

Rudger nodded. "In a place like this, defense is paramount. It's siege warfare for most of the year. We have the high ground and the building. This is literally the only route of passage for a hundred miles. If the enemy wants to attack through this route it must go through us, and they try every year. You've got the food protected, the water protected, and...?"

"I've laid down fire suppression runes. If you think of anywhere other than the kitchen and the stables where we need fire suppression, pest repellent, or leak protection, let me know."

"Sir, I was worried you might get us all killed, being that I know nothing about rune mages and you're the greenest officer they've ever put here. But now, I think I might have hope some of us might survive."