Rune mage

Chapter 62: a tale from childhood

"I rarely speak of my family.

"When I was at school, my boss- who owned a tavern and was accustomed to strangers spilling their history over ale, tried every way to get me to tell her where I came from.

"To understand why I never spoke of home or got letters.

"But what she didn't understand is, I knew the moment my power manifested as rune magic, that I would be killed. It was well known that rune mages didn't make it through training.

"So my family and I said our final farewells with that knowledge. They mourned me, and I them.

"This isn't it that story.

"The story I hold close to my heart is the moment I realized I was loved.

"I was the last of many children.

"My parents were busy with their land and their other rambunctious children.

"Perhaps there were moments before this, where I felt loved and safe, but a child's mind does not recall so far back.

"I remember standing in my home, in the doorway I shared with my siblings, and watching the hustle and bustle of daily life, and feeling so lost.

"And then my mother turned and pulled me to her.

"I remember her hand on my shoulder. I remember her voice soft and firm. She was a safe place for me. I buried my face into her and wept.

"I don't recall that there was anything particular wrong. Just that my heart felt like it was breaking.

"And she held me. She did not tell me to stop crying.

"She did not tell me my tears were a waste of energy or unwarranted.

"She simply held me, letting whatever task she had been doing fall by the wayside until I felt safe.

"And then she handed me to my father.

"He was a large man, accustomed to the hard work of the farm. He pulled me into his arms and he held me until I was calm. Nothing else mattered to him in that moment. He did not chide me for tears. He did not tell me to toughen up. He gave me comfort and love when that was exactly what I needed.

"I can't remember, no matter how hard I try, what had led me to standing there feeling lost. But one by one, starting with my parents and then my siblings eldest to nearest, they each gave me support and love.

"And so while you have been growing this child, and I have counted its heart along with all the others, I have also dreamed of a future for this child, where they are loved by many and not just two. Where their tears are respected, where hugs are freely given, and where no one ever tells them they aren't perfect the way they are."

Jess was weeping, her head on archer's shoulder.

"If you have a home you wish to travel to, when the weather is warm, I will grant you leave, and if need be pull power from the fort so that you are not held within its boundaries."

Archer was already shaking his head. "No," he said, "we stay. This is our home now. These hills, these walls, all of you."

"Besides," Carver said softly, "you're scary when you're holding all the power. Your eyes and runes glow. You talk to ghosts. And the fort doesn't feel right, where it ain't carrying power. Feels empty."

Nods all around, along with a few chuckles.

"Do you think," Jess said with a sniffle, "that your family would want to know you survived?"

"I imagine that they know. I started creating runes young." I paused. The non mages at the table might not understand. "Magic once it emerges will want to be used. This often leads to accidents. But when the only way you can use your magic is through runes..." the mage students winced. "There were some weeks there at the start where my magic pained me because it had no outlet. We tried every form of magic until finally my father sketched out the only rune he knew at the time, strength."

I chuckled. "I think that home would survive any storm with how many strength runes are laid down. Once I understood how my magic worked, I created my own runes. With no mentor I had to do something, so" I shrugged. "I fixed the town mill, and made a lot of things stronger. Only a few explosions though."

"Runes explode?" The young air mage asked, eyes wide.

"All the time," several voices replied.

My new found energy was quickly fading. "So my family knows I still live because the runes hold. And," I paused, "I held so much power during the quakes that I pushed some to my furthest reaches. I imagine every rune I ever carved was glowing there at the end."

"Let's not do that again." Levi said.

He was looking better than expected given how hard the experience had been on him.

I leaned back in my chair. "We need to clear the pass, in case a caravan comes. I task my Stone mage to lead the crew, with the twins helping and Red guarding. Archer, see to it that we have guards standing by to give aid if needed. As far as I can tell we still have, I still have, power over the area- pretty close to the entire ten mile radius. But there are some blank zones where runes were damaged. We can drop stones in those places."

"Sir?"

I opened my eyes, unaware I had closed them.

"You're starting to slur your words," the healer said. "You need sleep."

"I think it's ambushing me," I replied.

I didn't managed to stand before I was asleep, or at least in a place where I wasn't awake enough to move on my own.

"How long will he be like this?" The woman asked.

"I'm still surprised he got out of bed today," the healer said as he and Archer moved to help me to my bed.

And then I knew only darkness- not even dreams disturbed me.