The Rune Smith

Chapter 19- Visions

They came like a tsunami, drowning Alia in fluorescent colors.

The moment she managed to catch a glimpse of one of the images, it left her sight as well as her mind.

The visions began to blur together, growing into a hypnotic tunnel of lights. Alia became dizzy, her legs loosing their attachment to the floor. It was almost as though gravity had betrayed her.

She came tumbling to the floor and the bright hues disappeared. Alia let out a deep breath. What in the name of the stars was that?

"It didn't work. Ah, well, there's nothing I can do about that."

Mutine sounded slightly disappointed. And considering what he had said, it was highly likely he hadn't seen what Alia had seen. Not that she had expected him to.

Though Alia hadn't thought that he wouldn't notice that she had fallen.

Their eyes met and Alia flinched at the icy blue of King's Presariom's eyes.

"Maybe it wasn't as unsuccessful as I had thought it was."

Mutine pointed a finger at Jeremy. The messenger came over and promptly lifted Alia from the floor.

Mutine circled her. Alia tried to follow his face, but Mutine put a hand on her shoulder so that she couldn't turn around.

Alia cringed when his hand made contact with her back. Despite the warm ness of his hands, the touch was anything but comfortable. Then again, few people like it when someone makes contact with them without permission.

"Well what do we have here?"

All of the tension in Alia's shoulder blades was released as Mutine removes his hand. But the tension in her mind remained.

What had Mutine found?

A female scientist stepped forward.

"Permission to take pictures, please?"

The room was silent until Alia realized the scientist was speaking to her.

"Oh. Um... sure?"

At least it wasn't King Mutine.

To Alia's surprise, the scientist drew a rune in the air, which immediately began whispering loudly.

The rune became silent after a second. Alia turned around, finding a paper photograph on the ground.

She hadn't expected the photographing process to be so noninvasive.

Before Alia could see what the photo had been of, Mutine lifted it from the floor. He scanned the picture, eyes glinting.

"Fascinating. I suppose you'll want to see the photo, so wait just a second."

He handed the photograph back to the scientist, who made a copy using another rune.

The copy was then handed to Alia.
She drew in a breath, revulsion overtaking her.

The picture was only of her back, but her back was covered in tattoos. Familiar tattoos. Alia had never gotten a tattoo in her life, so the magic thing that Mutine had Alia get into had actually done something.

But the piece that made Alia feel revulsion was the familiarity of the tattoo. It was perfectly identical to her sister's.

But there was no reason Alia should have it on her back.

Unless that was what the medic from before had been doing. He had been taking the magical essence Estara had been letting off with every dying breath.

Estara was inside Alia, in a figurative sense.

The runic tattoo that had been Estara's was hers now.

She traced the spirals. It felt weird to imagine that they were on her skin now, not that they would do anything. Alia needed magic to use them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Alia noticed Mutine examining the photograph. A fact came bubbling to the surface, burning hot in Alia's mind. Mutine had used Estara.
If she hadn't had reason to loathe him before, she did now. She wanted him gone.

Alia desperately wished Alex could come and stab the king through his chin to his brain using her sword.

It was a morbid thought, but it placated her.

She just wished she could have something that would summon the missing head of the guard.

Worry filled Alia. What if Alex had gotten hurt during the massacre? Or worse, killed?

Alia was a woman possessed as she walked over to Mutine Presariom, raising her right hand until it was the same height as the dastardly King's face.

She swung, her hand forcibly stopped within an inch from his face. Alia held her breath, confident but shaking.

She might as well have asked to die, but she didn't care anymore. Besides, she had something like a plan.

"I want to know exactly what you intend to do with me.

It was clear that slapping him was the last thing Mutine expected from Alia. His face was a mask of shock, sharp and surprised.

He touched his face with a few fingers, which he removed to look at like he was expecting a substance to have come off onto them.

Alia continued to maintain her confidence.

"I would be lying if I said I was expecting that. But I wouldn't be lying if I said I probably deserved it. Ok, I'll bite. I will tell you. But only if you ask the questions. I won't give you any answer that doesn't satisfy the question."

"I want to see Luca."

Mutine let out an exasperated sigh.

"Not a question, and not about what I intend to do with you. Next!"

Alia huffed.

"Fine. Let me think about how to word my next question. As scared as I am of you, I will say that you are probably like a worm with words. Always wriggling through loopholes."

At this point, Alia was just trying to see if she could figure out Mutine's personality.

"You certainly have a sharp tongue, and more perseverance than I knew you did. And yes, that's likely true. Continue, please."

Someone cleared their throat, reminding Alia that she and Mutine were still surrounded by scientists. Alia felt anxiety starting to eat at her. She had to get a question fast.

The perfect question hit her with all the grace of a truck barreling down an extremely rocky moutain.

"What do you need me to do?"

I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I hope that you vote, share, and comment. Voting only takes one click, and it is very, very appreciated. It also lets me know that you enjoy and that I should continue to write!

Stay Sensational, as always!

- Ennycema