The Rune Smith

Chapter 27- Surge

All eyes were on Alia, excluding Carrin who had no idea what was happening.

"What? Why are you staring at Alia like that? What did I miss?"

Alex evaded all of Carrin's questions and headed straight to the subject on almost everyone's mind.

"Alia, what exactly happened in your 'dream?'"

Alia hadn't been wrong about Mutine being the ruler of Sownis. She just had the wrong time period. And they had the same last name, so that didn't help her memory. And he really was, for all intents and purposes, a god. He just didn't exist anymore.

And that made her dream all the more implausible. Not to mention the fact that she drew a rune. In the air.

But it was important that everyone knew what she had experienced.

"Am- am I missing something?" Carrin furrowed his brow, concentrating on every event over the past few minutes.

Alia pulled her covers up to her mouth, hiding her frowning lips. The air was suddenly cold.

"I'll tell you."

As she told her story, Alia tried her best not to forget anything. Every time she looked at Alex, she had a strange sense of deja vu. The faces Alex was making were identical to the ones she had made when she had listened to Alia tell her story after she had come back from the dead.

Carrin on the other hand was less animated, calculating every word from Alia's mouth and considering what it meant. He seemed to believe there was an importance behind all of the dream events.

Luca was completely unreadable. Only when Alia mentioned Mutine's plan for Luca did he move, even if it was only a twitch.

When she finished, Carrin was the first to speak, interrupting Alex.

"This is just- is it possible we've been completely misunderstanding what it means to be a Rune Smith?"

It was just like him to associate two subjects with no relation to one another.

Alex gave him a stern look and he shrank. She looked a little angry, likely because of Carrin interrupting her.

"I was just suggesting something."

"I-I think I don't just make runes-I alter laws. Magic laws. And I make something new from them. Or, that's what I'm gather from the dream."

Alia had no idea what she was saying. As stupid as it sounded, it seemed right.

"Maybe I should try to do it again."

"No!" Alex looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I mean, no more resurrecting spells. Besides, no one here is proficient in necromancical spells."

"That- I wasn't suggesting that. I just wanted to see if I could make another rune."

She didn't think the idea would be opposed that much.

"Do as you please. Just don't do anything awful."

Alex stared at Luca, horrified that he would suggest such a thing. She quickly retracted her disgust, remembering Luca's current position.

"Surely you don't intend to-"

Luca silenced the Commander with a single look.

"If Alia manages to act properly, this should work just fine."

Luca had never been this assertive. Alia could only imagine what had happened while she was gone. As accurate as the dream had been, it felt more like an incredible predictive metaphor.

"Maybe it would be best if I wait? I'm not entirely sure if I can do this. It's... um... I don't know if I could even do it? I was thinking; couldn't the dream just be, I don't know, a metaphor? I take back the bit about the Rune Smith being able to alter reality. Now that I'm saying that out loud, it sounds foolish."

Alia slid further into her sheets, making a cave of sorts so that she could just barely see Carrin, Luca, and Alex. She was just being foolish; overthinking something that was probably not as complicated as she was making it.

She just wanted to be of more use. She couldn't read, she couldn't really write. She had no magic, no strength; neither physical nor mental.

And the confidence she had had in the dream didn't exist anymore. All she could do was read runes. Well, they screamed at her.

Not to mention the fact that she still wasn't sure who she was. The dream her was the one who had gone through all of those experiences. They were the same person, yet somehow they weren't.

Alia couldn't think about that now. It didn't matter. She didn't matter. If she had never been given this gift she would have been nothing. Just like her father.

"I'm worthless."

"No. No you aren't."

Luca's voice was gentle. It washed over her like a wave, soothing her anxiety and ceasing her self deprecation. Alex and Carrin nodded in agreement. Carrin smiled at Alia.

"I promise you that you are not worthless. I was in your shoes once."

From inside her cave, Alia gave him a quizzical look. Carrin let out a nervous chuckle.

"Well, slightly similar. And I learned very quickly that I will always be of use somewhere. It may not be where I'm currently at, whether it be now or in the future, but I will always worth something to someone. But the moment I give in to the belief that I'm worthless I truly loose all of the value I previously had."

Alex chimed in, trying to add in her two cents.

"Almost everyone feels that way at some point. I promise."

Alia may be miles away from her mother and unable to speak with her father, but right here in Alex, Luca, and Carrin's presence she felt right at home.

They had no obligation to be here right next to her, yet here they were.

"Thank you."

One deep deep breath.

In.

Out.

Determination surged within her and the confidence from the dream reappeared. It was vivid and strong, stronger than the dream if that was possible.

"I'm going to do it."

One more deep breath, refilling the reservoirs of confidence that had been emptied with that single statement.

"I'm going to alter reality."