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

Chapter 22: Mage Versus Mage

Seiren panted, her cheeks pink and her hair jutting out at odd angles. Her tenth experiment, One-Six-Seven, lay on the floor, his eyes rolling beneath closed lids, his lips smacking. His arms twitched at intervals. The large gash in his abdomen was pink but stitched together. His body was attempting to heal under the influence of the green-violet rune. She'd barely slept the past few days, straining her brain over and altering the new runes. The previous nine had ended in disaster one way or another. The regenerative abilities were of varying success, from re-growing amputated limbs to becoming immune to new injuries to tamponading major bleeds. All of them rendered the subjects at least non-verbal and at most the same rabid level as Six-Four-Five. This one had been the tamest so far: no lashing out, no snarls.

She might have just cracked it. The secret lay in the triangles. The more there were and the busier the rune, the more floridly the cells multiplied, but the gradients somehow balanced them out and reined in their side effects. And yet the fewer gradients there were outside the contact points, the tidier and more predictable the effects. One-Six-Seven convulsed, mouth frothing. When he flipped over, his wound could be seen, pink with coagulated blood and a fine red line in the middle where the knife had been. Her two guards stood behind, wary. Each consecutive failure had required them to jump in and euthanise Seiren's subjects, and this one was unlikely to be different – eventually.

Seiren stepped back. The rune faded to nothing. The paper she'd drawn it on fluttered to the ground, the singed remnants of magic still just about visible upon it; that, too, would fade away. She waved to the guards, who stepped in and ended One-Six-Seven.

In the back of Seiren's mind, Madeleine wept quietly as Seiren scribbled down the findings, frowning. Madeleine had been almost silent all week, but she hadn't been able to hold back the chokes of horror and tears when Seiren's experiments inevitably failed. She'd given up begging after the third inmate when it was apparent Seiren had learned the art of blocking out her voice, but Madeleine wasn't able to block out what Seiren sensed. She experienced the whole initial trial in all its glory.

There is evidence the subjects become immune to injuries inflicted after activation of the experimental runes to the extent where regeneration is possible, wrote Seiren, her heart thumping. Although the eventual outcome is functional brain death for the subjects and the effects yet difficult to predict, the author believes if there is enough focus on the regenerative aspect, it may compensate for the cognitive decline. Further research is warranted to ascertain the variables involved.

She sat back, feeling somewhat lightheaded. It must be because it had been ten hours since she'd last had anything to eat or drink – or even gone to the toilet. But this was excellent progress. The council should be happy with that when she applied for continuation of her trial. Her burst magic was progressing steadily and Rowan was satisfied. Loren had kept out of her hair for the most part, although had yet to teach her actual chaos magic due to pressures at the hospital. Things were going well.

Things were going well?! Madeleine said in horror. You've killed ten people through gory and inhumane methods and this is going well? You're becoming the very monster those Hannans are!

Seiren's back prickled. A flush crept up her face. Her eyes flashed.

You're comparing me to those murderers? How dare you – when I'm the one actively doing good here! Do you have any idea how many lives I can save, including yours, if these were to work? I can heal any injuries, regenerate any limbs – no children will have to lose their parents like us again. Nobody injured through warfare would have to suffer again.

If it's at the cost of so many lives, this is all worthless, Madeleine spat.

Seiren slammed her hands on the table, upending her inkpot. The two guards, having returned, jumped at the sound, alarmed. Madeleine withdrew into a throbbing, incensed ball in the side of Seiren's mind. She remained completely silent even during Seiren's journey back to Benover the next day when she was due to present her monthly report. It was two weeks early but she needed more resources, more humans.