Chapter 15 Part 1: Secrets of the Runes

Jun recoiled from the sharp pain. He instinctively put his finger against his lips, staunching the blood. The iron tasted bitter. His attempts to carve his first rune were… laughable. One-handed carving was ridiculous, but improving with his contraption, though not enough to save him from cuts and scrapes. He circulated his prayer, eyes still glued to the rune. Had he dug it deep enough? Was it smooth enough? With the healing satisfactory, he continued. Once the curve looked similar to Tarron’s drawing, he set the tool down, smile cracking through.

The rune was for fire. He eagerly set to the kitchen and found some wood. He held the carving and pushed his prayer into it. The feeling was cold in comparison to when he healed. A soft glow permeated the rune as it drew more prayer. Jun choked back a gasp. A flicker appeared growing into a steady blaze. The heat from it was nonexistent. He turned to the wood in the pit and put the fire there. Slowly, like a normal fire, it caught hold and burned. As it switched from prayer flames to wood fire, it grew in heat. Jun retreated, pulling back his carving.

His mind was disrupted from his inward celebration as a hand caught his shoulder. Eye’s darting to the newcomer, he saw the steady gaze of Tarron Emberthane. The silent man looked to the fire, the rune and then his eyes lingered on Jun’s.

“This?” Jun asked and Tarron nodded slowly. Jun bit his lip. “I’m… no good with making a flame.” Jun didn’t look at the reaction. Even with his faith and prayer improving over the month and a half they had been on this ‘field trip’, he still couldn’t get a basic fire to reliably ignite with this strange system. At least until today. Jun turned the carving over in his hands. This was more reliable. Though he wished he could do it without the assistance.

Tarron’s slate appeared before his eyes.

Not everyone get’s it first year. Or second.

Jun looked up and offered a grateful smile. Tarron wasn’t one for many words, unless he was writing in the dirt. Yet he had crammed those sentences onto the slate to comfort him.

“Thanks.” Jun let a prayer of gratitude resound in his head. He was getting more comfortable with this new routine and it was paying off. He was on the border of blue, though even with Solara’s guidance he hadn’t improved recently. Her laughter at his criticism had silenced him. He was growing quickly—likely due to his Alinta status. If he compared it to other priests of her church, he was rising too quickly. Jun’s hand clenched around the carving. He needed to get stronger. Yesterday, Mei had wandered out, to test how far the Jinshari would come and was poisoned. With Solara’s assistance they had healed her, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted the power to protect his daughter again. His train of thoughts broke—the slate appearing again.

Cook with your fire.

Jun half chuckled. This was a rare opportunity for him and he thanked the White Flame for the reminder. Tarron left and Jun set to cooking. The simple actions allowed his mind to consider his rune and ponder on its efficiency. As he thought on it, he traced the shape, circulating his prayer in the same way the rune was carved.

He paused. Something smelled like it was burning. His eyes darted to the fire, but the pot held water. His eyes wandered as the smell grew. Then a warmth permeated his hand. He released the vegetable, letting it clatter on the stone that served as a counter. Black marks were visible where his hand had been. Jun’s brow raised as he inspected his hand.

His prayer was still tracing the pattern of the rune. Jun swallowed as an idea formed. He focused his prayer to his hand, forcing it along the pattern. He circulated it faster and faster. A flicker appeared and his prayer depleted. Jun jumped back, waving his hand to extinguish the flame.

His right ear tickled as the Silver Flame chuckled. He paused and committed to the prayer.

‘Keep cooking. But congratulations.’

“Congratulations?”

‘You made your first real fire.’

Jun pushed the food around as he found a knife. Cutting vegetables one handed was annoying, but less challenging than carving.

“What about the one in the pit?” He was starting to understand the way she worked. Questions could be used to clarify. She couldn’t answer everything, but simple things like this, especially relating to yourself, she readily answered.

‘That was your rune. Not you.’

Jun’s lips formed a thin line. He began his food preparation, knowing the water would boil soon. She hadn’t congratulated him during the faith and prayer class. So what was different this time?

As he voiced his thoughts, she chuckled.

‘Try it again and you will understand.’

Jun frowned. She liked to do this.

He began tracing the rune’s pattern in his hand and saw the same flame flicker to life. His gaze drowned in the sight. When in the class, his attempts had unpredictable results. He extinguished the flame with a flick and then started it up again. With predictable results, it flared up. Jun groaned. Was it really so simple? If so, why hadn’t anyone taught him this?

‘You had to carve it and use a rune to understand it. It’s a forgotten technique.’

Jun growled. She was reading his mind now.

“You can be so unpredictable.” He muttered. It was clear she held more power than he had first thought, but why hadn’t she used it when he was trying to figure out about Ellen or Zeke?

‘You weren’t as simple a conduit yourself.’ Her chiding reminded him of his work to get here. Since learning of gratitude, he had devoted every spare thought to being grateful. Now the conversations were flowing. He still voiced his complaints, but he was grateful she answered.

He let his mind experiment as he cooked. The prayer circulated near the back of his hand, and the flame flickered. He sped up the prayer, added more, less, and then shifted the circulation up his arm. The flame responded to each change, chasing after the prayer like a puppy.

His experiments vanished as a voice disrupted his contemplation.

“Is something burning?” Solara walked in, her staff’s apparition appearing and bowing.

“No.” Jun answered. It was just the vegetable from before. He had remained focused enough through his cooking that nothing else had singed.

“Oh.” Her eyes saw his flame at his shoulder. Jun grinned. He had other things he wanted to try out as well. If he circulated his prayer in different ways, could he make the outcomes of other runes? Lightning sounded fun. Then his mind flew to Ellen. She used ice, a rarity. Was it because she circulated her prayer differently?

‘It would seem your prayer has grown.’ Serena floated over and looked at the flame. Jun shrugged.

“Well, that aside, Master Tarron is calling for you. We’ve come to take your place.” Solara hummed. Arvad and Mei came in shortly after. Jun nodded and left in search of the White Flame.

He found him sitting next to Christopher, a few of Amalie’s disciples hovering nearby with some materials they had found. Jun wondered what it was this time.