Rune mage

Chapter 36: some solutions

The five men I left stuck.

"Rudger, these men will stay in these spots for now."

"They're not dressed to be out here all night, when the temperature drops." He pointed out.

"I noticed. Still, it won't kill them. They're lucky I've let them have the ability to speak. They can tell each other their boastful stories while I consider their fate."

The other men shouted in glee as they got one brick to break.

"So, not impossible to break but it takes determination." I smiled. "Hopefully we can find a good use for these bricks. In the mean time, get another crew in here to fill up the boxes."

I found the tail end of a web I had already etched into the stones and began adding to it so that the boxes would have a means of being powered. I created a visible outline that would perfectly fit a box. Then I lifted the box and made sure the dimensions were right. I didn't want to have to stop every time they had boxes to power.

"Someone fill this box up for me?"

Someone took it and quickly returned. I waved them to step back. I set the box on the outline and waited.

There was a trick to providing just the right amount of power.

I didn't quite estimate how much power the web had already collected and was just lucky the explosion didn't take off a hand. It was a small explosion but had I been holding the box, my hand would have disappeared.

"Well." I stood and looked at the damage. "Not terrible. I've done worse. Let's try again."

The men were much quieter this time, hesitantly handing me a newly filled box. This time after my corrections, the power did exactly what I wanted, and stopped on its own. The excess power went back to the web. I studied the design and smiled. That was a nice result.

"Do your failures always result in explosions?" Rudger asked.

"Sometimes. Not always. I've learned to never hold onto a rune work until I can be sure."

He smiled at me. He probably thought I was joking. I smiled back.

"Let's try it a few more times so that everyone can trust it. Then I won't need to be here for this process."

I slid the next few into place, and then Rudger did one, brave man. Once everyone saw that it was safe, they developed a system of filling boxes and setting them down for the minute it took to compress and then sending the box back to be filled again.

I wondered off to consider other problems.

Like the matter of the bodies.

The healer found me some time later, as I was cleaning up after another failed attempt at making a rune that would provide a solution to the bodies.

"I was wondering if you might set up some of those cleaning circles down by the healer hall?" He asked.

I sighed and didn't rise from my chair. "Let me ask you, what would you do with the bodies in the dungeon? It can't be healthy for them to be there, and soon the weather will warm and I doubt the temperatures down there will stay this cold."

He pondered a moment then sat. "I've read of some people who let pests devour them, but then you have to deal with the pests. I already know why fire won't work- we're going to be short enough on wood and don't want to burn what we might need to use for weaponry. And there aren't many trees that grow at this height on the mountains. The ground will thaw around the time we start getting attacked so burial probably won't work, though I suspect that's what the last rotation had planned for. What were you trying?"