The Rune Smith

Chapter 2- Lies and Truths

This chapter is going to be slightly shorter, as it is the week of Thanksgiving. I hope you have a fantastic day! :)

The lecture hall was silent, a magnificent feat for a place usually teeming with students and their ever present discussions.

Professor Carnhill stared vacantly at the commander, moving her lips in a vain attempt to respond. She had no idea what to do, and had never found herself in a situation even remotely similar to the one she was in now.

"I'll take that as a 'yes, let's talk,' and we can get over with this long overdue conversation."

The commander held out her hand. The Professor held out hers hesitantly, and the head of the guard took it.

"I hope to get to know you better soon," the commander exclaimed. The Professor made a funny sound and the commander ignored it.

"My name is Alex Haellen, and I believe that it is very important that I tell you about Alia."

"You're 'Alex'? And the magicless 'infiltrator' knows you well enough to call you by your first name? This is absolutely ludicrous."

Alex sighed. The professor had finally found her words and those words were exactly what the head of the guard had not wanted to hear.

"Do you know of the term rune smith?" Professor Carnhill looked irritated, obviously offended that the commander was implying that she had never heard the legend. Everyone knew of the term rune smith.

"Of course. They were a position that was terminated by the Bygones. How is this relevant?"

"I will get to that, but I have another question that requires your response. What exactly do you think that they did?"

"Well... What they do is... I..."

Professor Carnhill rubbed her temples. She wasn't used to this lack of knowledge.

"I... All I know is that they can read runes."

Professor Carnhill stared at the ground, her hands clenched in her lap.

"Then I shall explain." The commander smiled, attempting to calm the flabbergasted old woman before her.
The professor looked up at Alex.

"You will? And again, how is this relevant?"

The commander yet again didn't answer the question about relevance, instead choosing to explain the purpose of the rune smiths.

"Rune smiths used to be a coveted position in which a magic wielder could read runes, as you said, but they can also find and create new runes. The Bygones deemed this combination of ability too powerful and removed it."

"Yes, but why is this relevant?"Professor Carnhill interrupted.

Alex held up one finger, trying to silence her.

"They didn't remove the ability from existence completely, instead creating new requirements for the individuals who could possess this power. These requirements were created to make the position incredibly rare. Alia fulfills all the requirements, and provided evidence to prove that fact true. Therefore she is a rune smith.

The professor's eyes grew wider, along with her understanding of why the commander had asked the questions she had. Still, another question remained.

"What are the requirements?"

Alex's smile grew slightly wider.

"Finally, a good question. The answer is quite simple. The requirements are that the rune smith cannot possess magic, and cannot read any language. Alia has no magic, nor can she read. Every language is invisible to her. If she were to look at a book, every page would seem blank."

The professor considered the answer, finding yet another question to ask.

"Why is she so important to the kingdom that she is allowed to attend a class that she shouldn't?"

Alex hesitated, searching for a response that wouldn't reveal too much.

"Alia is the key to the kingdom's success. But she could also be its downfall. She can find any rune, read it, and create runes to counteract said runes.
         She also possesses the ability to create runes that could wreak havoc upon humanity. If anyone with evil intentions were to get their hands on her, the world as we know it could fall.
Our kingdom is currently trying to use her power to bring down other kingdoms who could potentially use her for nefarious reasons.
       As of this moment, Alia knows little about how to make new runes, so she is not much of a danger. However, without that knowledge, she isn't assisting the kingdom either.

The commander paused, then proceeded to explain why she was telling the professor this information regarding Alia.

"Strictly speaking, I am not supposed to divulge any information regarding Alia's case. However, the king personally gave me permission to provide basic information, as you are teaching Alia something that she should not be learning, considering that she has no magic.
       You are not allowed to tell anyone anything I say to you. Is that clear?"

The commander's smile disappeared, causing Professor Carnhill to gulp.

"Ye... Yes."

"Good. The punishments for disregarding this rule are not something you would want to experience. It is my duty to care for Alia. Should I hear that you have shared anything at all regarding Alia, I will see to it that you will be punished accordingly."

Alex's smile reappeared and she jumped out of her chair, ready to leave.

"That's all for today, Professor Carnhill. I believe your next classes here."

Commander Alex Haellen faded into the air, leaving a stunned Professor Carnhill still in her seat.

The doors to the lecture hall slammed open and the room descended into chaos, with the professor at the center of it all.

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-Ennycema