Rune Mage [Fantasy/Adventure | Book 1 +2 | Complete]

Chapter 5: A Half-Competent Mage

"I trust you have read up on burst magic?"

Seiren gave the short mage a stony look. Rowan seemed unperturbed by it. He was out of his state mage's cloak today and was dressed in a belted, skirted long shirt with trouser legs poking through the two slits in the skirt – all in a shade of brown that reminded Seiren only of excrement. She only hoped when she became a state mage, she wouldn't have to dress in such disgusting clothes.

He stood across from her, about five metres away, legs spread at shoulders' width. The stone ground had debris and remnants of chalk on it that crunched beneath Seiren's boots when she followed Rowan to the practice arena. Various crosses decorated the ground with enough dents in and around them to indicate their roles in target practice. The area opened up to seats that rose in rows, all empty. The domed ceiling stretched far above them. His two subordinates didn't follow them through the metal doors.

"Burst magic is useful. It's quick, can be immensely powerful, and best of all doesn't require much thinking."

"Suits you well, then."

Rowan glared at her. "It means you don't need preparation time, unlike runing. When you're attacked or need to act quickly, burst is the way to go."

"I keep enough runes and chalk on me at all times."

"You may be a rune prodigy, Seiren, but there is more to magic than just runes." Rowan clapped his hands together and then threw them apart, creating an arch of sparks above his head in all shades of the rainbow, each of them sending off smaller trickles of light. "See? No materials, no drawings."

He jerked his head, widening his eyes. The ground shook, the debris dancing on the rough surface. The magnitude increased. With a dull crack, the ground split in two, leaving a jagged snake-shaped hole about four metres in length.

"Think of it as a useful skill to have up your sleeve. Earth. Fire. Water. Air. Four elements at your disposal as a burst mage. More flexible than flash magic. Speedier than rune magic. When your runes are confiscated, your chalks destroyed, you're left short. If your limbs are tied up, no amount of preparation can get you out of it."

Welllll the medium for runes isn't limited to chalk, mused Madeleine. But he does have a point. What if you got eaten by that fat lizard back in Garlinge? Nothing to draw on, no runes or chalk, no light to see by.

"Now, you must have been taught the basics of burst magic at King's." Rowan clasped his hands behind his back. The turd-brown shirt material folded loosely several times over his leather belt, and his trousers, beneath the skirt of the top, were also baggy. "Let's see what you can do, and we can work on top."

Seiren stared at him, her heart fluttering. He caught her face.

"What?" His eyebrow raised. "Isn't the great Seiren Nithercott, top mage of King's, up to the challenge? Come on, any burst will do. Just show it. I've seen worse."

Well, here goes.

I don't think you can get away with it.

Seiren grimaced and held out both hands, balled into fists, finger facing upwards. She snapped her fingers. Her palms flashed orange for a brief moment before balls of fire ignited above the skin, bathing her in a warm glow. It was a pathetic attempt at magic, but it'd gotten her through King's.

Rowan's face lost the amusement. He frowned, his fingers pinching his chin.

"Again."

Seiren rubbed her fingers along the palms of her hands, swallowing. She held them out a second time, balled, and snapped her fingers. Again, a flash of orange, the same weak puff of fire burned for five seconds, and then extinguished.