Realm of the Runes: Blood Right

Chapter XL

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Chronos was waiting for them in the Athenaeum, his arms crossed as they bustled through the foyer doors, hair dripping, coats and boots discarded to avoid tracking mud through the library.

Lissa and Ichyros emerged from the depths of the lower halls, drenched through and starving.

"That tunnel was slightly longer than you anticipated," Lissa snapped, casting a murderous glare Ichyros's direction. His only response was to toss her a flask, which she caught quickly and uncapped, drinking deeply, her sharp blue eyes boring into her trainer's blue skull all the while.

"Well then," Chronos coughed. "Shall we begin?"

Ichyros bowed out, taking his leave. Lissa shrugged out of her drenched coat and tossed it on the pile by the door, her horrendous mood worsening as she realised she'd missed lunch. Ben cast a concerned glance her way, noting her white cheeks and the tired slope of her eyelids. Nevertheless, they followed Chronos through the library, heading down to the map room.

"Today's lesson will be about the Sight," he declared, placing a large palm on  the table. Several maps were laid out haphazardly, no doubt from some previous investigations.

"I know some of you have been experimenting with the Sight in your own time," he said, glancing at Rich and Matthaios as he spoke. They shrugged, not knowing whether to be proud or not.

"This is good. However, you need to know how to access the Sight when you're back on Earth. It's going to be a very useful tool for you, and it's not as easy to do there as it is here. The aether is different on Earth, as you know. So, you need to channel it yourself before you can access the Sight, unlike here, where the aether is all around us. Comprehend?"

A murmur of agreement reassured him.

"Good. So, each of you must summon the aether. I'm deactivating the aether in the Athenaeum for now, so you'll need to find another source."

They watched with wide eyes as he spread his palms and closed his fists, his eyes momentarily flashing a brilliant blue. Sometimes they forgot he was a god - and the most powerful god at that, too. He smiled a little at their expressions.

"Anytime you like, now."

They exchanged glances, not quite sure where to begin. Matthaios stood up, walking to where a pile of small tomes lay on a settee. He picked one up, his eyes narrowed as he tried to draw aether from the object.

Bobby frowned, his arms crossed as they watched, and suddenly he shook his head. He glanced up at Ben, who frowned back, unsure what the unpredictable boy was going to do. 

Bobby darted across the room, screeching to a halt in front of a potted fern that sat at the base of the stairs. Bobby touched one of the fronds tentatively, and then extended his palm, frowning. A shimmer of blue wavered in the air, arcing between his fingertips and the edges of the leaves.

"Good!" Chronos said, his praise drowned out by Bobby's gleeful whoops. The rest of the Divines looked at each other sheepishly, kicking themselves for forgetting Chronos's instructions so soon.

"It has to be alive!" Bobby shouted, a jiggling bit of blue now shimmering in his hand. "Books aren't alive."

Matthaios shrugged. "Worth a try, but yeah, you're right Bobby. I'd forgotten."

"Do you think you can use the Sight, now, Bobby?"

"I'l try," the lad responded, gamely, following Chronos with his precious handful of aether balanced carefully. 

Chronos pointed to one of the maps. "Try this one."

Bobby stared at the old parchment, then glanced at the aether.