Rune Seeker

As Hiral watched his father head toward the tents where Sera should be, he felt somebody else approaching him through his sensory domain. Somebody he had been planning to go look for anyway.

“Gauto!” Hiral said, spinning and saying his friend’s name so suddenly, the Academic jumped at the word.

“Jeez!” Gauto said. “I keep forgetting about the eyes you have in the back of your head.”

“It’s not actually eyes,” Hiral said. “That’d look creepy.”

“Less creepy than the squiggles on your head? I swear, they never seem like they’re in the same place when I see you.”

“Really?” Hiral asked, reaching his fingers up to trace across the Rune of Dreaming stretching across most of his scalp in place of hair.

“Really,” Gauto said. “Did nobody ever tell you that? It’s not like it’s big differences, but that line there, I’m sure it was a little more to the right last time I saw you.”

“Huh, well, I guess considering what the rune represents, that wouldn’t be so shocking.”

“We should start keeping track of it,” Gauto said. “I’ll sketch it out each time I see you, and… oh, I have an even better idea! I’ll trace the lines of the rune in charcoal, then put a white sheet over your head to transfer the image. That way, we’ll get a perfect representation each time to compare! Once we have enough of them…”

“Gauto,” Hiral interrupted. “Is this what you were looking for me to talk about to?”

“Uhhh, no,” Gauto said.

“Then let’s move on – quickly – from covering my head in charcoal,” Hiral said.

“Fiiiine,” Gauto said. “Other things are more important anyway. Where are Left and Right? Hardly ever see you without them around.”

“We’re right here,” Right said from immediately behind Gauto, making the man jump a second time.

“Jeeeeeez! What is it with you guys?!” Gauto complained, clenching and unclenching his fists, then putting a hand to his chest. “I should be too young to have a heart attack, but if you keep that up…”

“Can Wule heal those yet?” Right asked Left.

“Not yet, he needs some practice to get a spontaneous ability evolution,” Left said. “Maybe if you scare Gauto a few more times…”

That comment seemed to make Gauto pause.

“I have been very curious about the Grower ability to get spontaneous evolutions,” the Academic said. “Do you think Wule would let me study him while he attempts to have one?”

“Depends,” Left said evenly. “How willing are you to have multiple, consecutive heart attacks to give him the opportunity?”

Gauto’s head tilted back like he was doing some math in his head. “My body could probably take two, maybe three. If we had another excellent healer on hand – one with actual medical knowledge, and not just ability-based healing – I could potentially squeeze a fourth out. More than that? No, no, I couldn’t do that. However, if we had others lined up to help…”

“We’re not lining people up to have heart attacks, Gauto,” Hiral said.

“When did you become the voice of reason?” Right asked. “Are you using your Rune of Eclipse again to alter reality?”

“No, I can barely touch that rune right now,” Hiral said, then shook his head. “And, look, as I’ve sort of, kind of, maybe played with it a bit more…”

“Weren’t you supposed to be recovering?” Gauto asked, then something important seemed to occur to him. “Which is exactly the best time to test! Continue.”

“Thank you for understanding, unlike somebody,” Hiral said, giving his doubles a scowl. “As I was saying, the Rune of Eclipse doesn’t straight up alter reality, like I’d originally thought. In the moment, it sure seemed like that.”

“Then what does it do?”

“It… blurs the lines a little,” Hiral said. “It makes the impossible possible, but it – by itself – doesn’t alter anything.”

“Example,” Gauto demanded.

“Okay, that’s easy. In the fight against The Archwizard, he was flying around everywhere. He was… actually very good at flying for a goat. He was also beyond powerful. So much so, even with the Edict of Gravity, I – by myself – couldn’t have brought him to the ground.”

“But with the Edict of Eclipse…” Gauto said, already catching on. “You somehow tweaked the odds?”

“I think that’s part of it, honestly,” Hiral said. “It feels like Eclipse is enforcing my version of reality – and it’s just easier to say that than explaining it every time – but the main thing it did in this case was make it possible for Gravity to bring The Archwizard down.

“Same kind of thing when I temporarily hit A-Rank. Between Gran’s ability and Politet’s poison, along with my runes and the Edicts – in this case, Separation, Absorption, and Connection mainly – I had the means to be A-Rank. Except, Ranking up by myself is impossible. I need a dungeon interface, along with the PIMP’s approval.”

“Unless you’ve got a certain Rune of Eclipse smudging the border between impossible and possible,” Gauto said with a nod. “Let me make sure I’ve got this straight. The poison and the ability primed you, Eclipse unlocked a way to temporarily Rank up, then you used Separation to cut open a path to – What did you call it? – the fold in reality where the PIMP hides. From there, Connection and Absorption brought the A-Rank power into you. Probably a bit of Sealing there as well?”

“Thinking back,” Hiral said. “Probably.”

“Eclipse didn’t make you A-Rank, and instead gave you the chance to make yourself A-Rank by using your other runes and Edicts.”

“Exactly! For a short while,” Hiral said. “That’s my current theory. I need more testing, and, like you said, I’ve been recovering… and… what were we talking about before?”

“Heart attacks,” Left said helpfully.

“That’s it!! I’m as bad as Dad. Next, I’m going to start hugging everything. Look, no heart attacks.” The last part was directed at Gauto, along with the best serious look he could manage.

“Then stop scaring me,” Gauto countered like he wasn’t still calculating how many he could have in the name of science.

Truly understanding how Seena felt while dealing with Yanily sometimes, Hiral rubbed at the bridge of his own nose, then took a breath and looked at his friend. “How are your trials going? I hear you’ve gotten out for at least one.”

“Two, now,” Gauto said. “Both D-Rank, and pretty quick at that.”

“Oh?” Hiral asked, tuning his Cycling sense on his friend. The man’s D-Rank base had solidified a bit compared to last time Hiral had seen him. Experience gains through combat – as opposed to study – really did seem to make their PIMs stronger.

Which, I guess is kind of the point of what the PIMP is working towards. It may not agree with Dad’s hope of having more than ‘fighting’ in our lives.

Putting that thought aside – he couldn’t solve it now – he stopped looking at his friend’s energy, and instead more just at his friend. All in all, Gauto carried himself a bit differently, with his Medium floating more confidently at his side. His back was straighter, and he didn’t have the same cower he used to get when Shapers walked by.

“You found a good party then?” Hiral asked.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Fifty-fifty,” Gauto said. “Good people, at least. Most of us got together because we have similar interests, not necessarily complimentary skillsets. It caused some trouble in the first D-Rank trial – though, luckily it was only Low-D-Rank – and we managed to get out with minor injuries. Finding a combat-heavy trial for our first go at being a raid group may not have been our smartest choice ever.”

“Didn’t you all fight together during that first beast wave?” Right asked.

“Only a little,” Gauto said. “We were still getting together as a larger group, and there were plenty of other parties around us more than pulling their weight. The stuff that made it to us, well, it wasn’t a good representation of what we’d find out there in the Cradle. So, we got a hard lesson. Necessary, but hard.

“The second trial we found was more puzzle-based, and we had much better luck with that. If we stick with the same raid group, we’re really going to have to pick and choose which trials we do.”

“Thinking about separating?” Hiral asked.

“Yes,” Gauto said. “Not because we don’t like each other, but because we think we’d offer better support options if we were mixed in with other groups. With how many D-Rank groups there are – and how we didn’t know what we were getting into when we formed parties and raid groups – I think there’s room for some trades. It’ll just make everybody stronger in the long run.

“What about your groups, Hiral? You’ve been with them longer than most of us. Are they balanced?”

“They are, actually,” Hiral said. “Both as a raid group, and as individual parties. Though, if my party had a weakness, it would be in that support category. Left and I are shoring some of that up, but we don’t have anybody dedicated to the role. Kind of just getting by. With Dole joining Nivian’s group…”

“I heard about that.”

Hiral nodded. “He’s actually a good fit. Him and Wule together offer a lot of options. And then, with Sera in Ilrolik’s group, well, she’s got a crazy amount of buffs and debuffs.”

Gauto could only shake his head. “Still can’t believe you ended up in a raid group with your mother. Has she tried to talk to you anymore since…?”

“No,” Hiral said. “Though, Dad talked me into letting her give me a new tattoo.” He held up his hands to show the Rune of Exchange on his palms in explanation. “Which I’ve got to get to soon…”

“Got it, so get to the point, eh?” Gauto asked with a laugh.

“If it’s important,” Hiral said. “If you just came over to chat like old times, I’m more than happy to do that too.”

The Academic blew out a breath. “I wish that was all it was. I think I figured a few things out, and I don’t know what to do about them.”

“What kind of things?” Hiral asked. Gauto had been neck deep in research of all kinds since the surface had opened up. Not to mention the work he did figuring out what had happened to children who’d been born like Hiral. Builders who couldn’t access their solar energy after getting a Maker PIM. The ones who’d been thrown off the Fallen Reach. Just thinking about it made Hiral sick to his stomach, but it wasn’t like there was anything he could do about it now.

To answer Hiral’s question, Gauto tapped the side of his head. “Memory things.” Then he tisked. “No, that’s not even the right way to describe it. It’s bigger than that. More… insidious.”

“Sounds ominous,” Right said. “Let’s talk about it over lunch?”

“Would there be any problem if the others heard what you found out?” Hiral asked. “I’m sure Nivian has some of his stew on…”

Gauto was already turning and heading toward where Hiral’s group had set up camp.

“Of course they can listen,” Gauto said, legs pumping as he power-walked.

Nivian’s stew has that effect on people…

Not to be left behind, Hiral and his doubles caught up to their friend, though they didn’t ask any more questions for the moment. Might as well get it all from the start with at least some of the others around.

Hiral did update Left on what he and his father had talked about regarding tattoo options, and the double quickly agreed with the two suggestions. There goes that excuse for getting out of Sera doing some of the inking…

Unsurprisingly, a few minutes later, they found Nivian sitting in front of his stew pot, one hand absently stirring the food. Wule sat beside his brother, book in hand while his eyes scanned rapidly across the page before turning it. Seena and Seeyela sat opposite the twins, their conversation with the Death Knight trailing off when they noticed Hiral and the others arrive.

But, it was the final pair sitting around the stew-pot that Hiral hadn’t expected. Ilrolik and Loan.

“Party leader meeting?” Hiral asked. “Are we interrupting?”

Loan laughed. “Nothing so important.” He pointed at the stew. “We couldn’t resist the smell. Came over for a bowl.”

“It’s almost ready,” Nivian said.

“You’ve been saying that for nearly ten minutes,” Loan grumbled.

“I might die of old age before it finishes,” Ilrolik said, then looked at Loan. “Bury me with a bowl of the stuff… if it’s even ready by then.”

“Stop being so dramatic. You can’t rush him,” Wule said without looking up from his book. “Believe me, I’ve tried. I think one time I nearly died from hunger – actually almost died – but even the potential death of his beloved brother wasn’t enough to get him to stop before it was ready.”

“The right amount of spice and temperature are very important,” Nivian said. With the words, he took the spoon out of the pot and took a small sip from it. A pause – where everybody held their breath – and the tank nodded. “It’s done.”

“Perfect timing!” Gauto said, already seated and with a spoon in one hand. Where the man had gotten it, even Hiral didn’t know.

“No bowl to go with the spoon?” Right asked.

“Getting a spatially expanded bowl is a lot of work,” Gauto said without looking away from the stew. “Why would I ever use a normal bowl – with limited room for stew – when Nivian will just lend me one of his. Saves me trips back and forth for seconds.”

“And thirds,” Left said quietly. “Not to mentions fourths and fifths.”

“It’s good,” Gauto said without a hint of hesitation or guilt.

“Always happy to feed somebody who appreciates it,” Nivian said.

“Looks like its going to be a lot of somebodies today,” Wule said, pointing with his free hand without even looking away from his book.

When Hiral followed the man’s gesture with his eyes, he found a line forming from some of the nearby camps. And, of course, everybody had a spoon. Gauto’s revolutionary discovery would have to wait until Nivian finished serving lunch, which he quickly got to doing. Practiced efficiency – along with what had to be a spatially expanded ladle to go with the pot and bowls – divvied out one serving after another.

Genuine thanks came in the wake of each meal, and Hiral realized he likely wasn’t the most well-known person in the camp, even after his fortress-saving stunt with the Ex-General. Nivian’s stew had clearly brought the man a lot of popularity. And, looking at the mix of races lined up and waiting for the food, maybe also a healthy dose of tolerance too.

Makers stood and chatted with Growers and Bonders alike about the aroma wafting from the pot. The fact it was served by an undead didn’t seem to matter either. While Igwanda wasn’t around, Hiral found Bash nearby – thought not at the circle immediately around the stew – and a few of the people who walked away with a full bowl gave the little Troblin a pat on the head as they went by.

Apparently, a full stomach was the best way to get people to put their differences aside.

Not wanting to get mixed up in the line – or get a second one started behind him – Hiral moved over to Gauto’s other side, then plopped himself down between the Academic and Seena. A pat on her knee, then her hand on top of his – along with the smile she reserved just for him – and Hiral nodded a quick greeting to Seeyela. She gave him a small nod in return, though the mantle of blood – Little Shadow’s Cloak – on her shoulders shaped a small, crimson hand, and waved at him.

Not entirely sure what to do, Hiral waved back.

That seemed to be the right choice, the cloak burbling happily before settling back down around Seeyela’s shoulders.

“Still alive, I see,” Li’l Ur said from Seena’s far shoulder.

“Fraid so,” Hiral said.

The mini-lich let out a small sigh of blue flame from his lipless mouth. “The Mistress seems to prefer you alive.”

“I really do,” Seena agreed.

“I may need to begin searching for another apprentice,” Li’l Ur conceded. “You, hungry one!” He pointed at Gauto as the man’s spoon paused in his mouth.

“Yesh?” the Academic said.

“Do you fear death?”

“Small ‘d’ or big ‘d’?” Gauto asked after swallowing his mouthful of stew.

“Pardon?”

“Well, are you asking if I’m afraid of dying – death with a small ‘d’ – for dying,” Gauto explained. “Or Death – big ‘d’ – like some kind of Progenitor or something. I’m sure there’s one out there.” Then he turned to Hiral. “Is there a Rune of Death?”

“Probably?” Hiral said.

“Death, She of the Last Kiss,” Li’l Ur said. “Is indeed a Progenitor you should fear, if you play cards. She cheats. You should also be wary of her partner… whose name I can’t seem to remember. Something that starts with ‘T’…”

“Wait, Death is actually a Progenitor?” Seena asked her lich. “How does that even work? I thought it – she? – would be more of a concept than anything else.”

“And, yes, I’d probably be afraid of that one,” Gauto said around another spoon of stew.

“Death is also a concept, and an important one,” Li’l Ur said. “It was something built into all our races – with Death’sassistance.”

“Is death, small ‘d’,” Wule started. “Different than undeath?”

“Quite,” Li’l Ur said. “Undeath is the limbo between life and death. Neither the Eternal Spark nor Death were thrilled I shouldered in on their territories, but it had to be done. At least, I thought so… at the time.”

“Death is different…” Wule said under his breath, a shift pulsing out from him, though nobody other than Hiral seemed to notice.

Taking hold of his runes quickly, Hiral reached out his senses to the Grower, and not surprisingly, there was that tether of Connection coming from a fold in reality. Wule was close – really close – to figuring out his second advanced class. So, Hiral gave him a little push, like he’d done with Yanily and Gran in the past.

This time, it didn’t seem to be quite enough to check the last box Wule needed, but the man did look up to meet Hiral’s eyes, like understanding of something was clicking into place. He just needed a little more time, but he’d get it.

So, while Wule dove into his own mind figuring out what he was looking for, Hiral turned his attention back to Li’l Ur.

“You remembering more?” Hiral asked the lich. Li’l Ur’s moments of lucidity were growing both longer and more complete, but there were still holes big enough for Drake to fly through in what the lich knew.

“Some,” Li’l Ur said. “It seems our short time with Tomorrow – along with my Mistress’s growth in strength – has put some pieces of my mind back together. Parts of my memory, however, remain hazy.”

“Which,” Gauto said, “makes a good segue into what we originally came over here to talk about.”

Hiral looked up at the now, non-existent line, then at the others who each had their own bowl of stew. Even Wule had put his book down to listen to what Gauto had to say.

“Okay,” Hiral said. “Let’s hear what you figured out.”