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

Chapter 41: Ice and Fire

Seiren sighed. It was hard getting Kori and Professor Febland out of her head. The thoughts of 'Perhaps I should have...' or 'If I had only...' wouldn't vacate her mind.

Even Loren couldn't have healed a boy like that, Seiren. Be sensible. Stop beating yourself up over it.

She sat back, resting her head on the wooden walls of her Benover rented room. At least with a steady income now that she had several completed quests under her belt, she didn't need to cramp herself in some dodgy hostel for the night. This room wasn't much grander or larger, but at least she had a window that looked out on the streets where predators didn't prowl. She couldn't help but think of Loren's airy flat that overlooked the market square. Perhaps once Seiren achieved full mageship, she'd move to somewhere like that.

She shifted, her legs going numb in her cross-legged position.

I need to practise. Give me some space?

Sure.

Seiren took off Madeleine and rested the necklace on her pillow, the stone glowing a soft crimson. Seiren emptied her mind with even breaths; it was almost second nature to her, now. Rowan was right -- she grimaced at the thought of her tutor being proven correct yet again -- she just needed practice, and practising without Madeleine distracting her was the best way to ensure she progressed with burst magic.

She clapped her hands together. The magic congregated in her mind and thrust out. She sucked in a breath, reining in the power before it got out of control. A spark leapt from palm to palm, swirling in a white ball of fire. The burst of heat lifted her hair off her forehead. The flames disintegrated within seconds.

From studies, burst magic tended to manifest as the four elements, not unlike orange runes, although there were always exceptions. Famous burst mages would hone on those skills until they were experts -- some combined air and water to create ice, others focused on air to create lightning. The powers could sometimes exceed that of flash mages in the hands of experts. Although Seiren was comfortable enough with runes, she supposed she should practise until she reached the stage of consistency before ceasing. She tried again. Each burst was more or less the same power now, but still weak. She couldn't help but feel a flicker of irritation that she promptly pushed away in case it affected her rush of magic. She had to be well-rounded, yes, but it still felt unnecessary when she'd only progressed from a flatulent poof to a small fireball in two months.

Dawn broke. After having breakfast, Seiren made a trip to the Council of Mages to check for her next quest. Her inbox was empty; not unusual, given how she'd completed her task in less time than she was allocated.

She pushed open the gilded doors to exit the task room and, standing on the other side, was a brown-skinned, black-haired mage in a rainbow-lined cloak that barely covered his portly figure. He raised bushy eyebrows at the sight of her.

"Ah, little baby mage." The corners of his eyes crinkled and his mouth turned up in a smile, beneath the moustache, but his eyes remained empty and icy. Seiren fought back a shiver. "How are you?"

"Fine, thank you," said Seiren stiffly. Madeleine's presence shivered in the back of Seiren's head.

"Have you practised much in burst magic?" He grinned, showing pearly white teeth. Seiren swallowed a wave of irritation. She remembered their last encounter well, especially his snide compliment about her attempt at burst magic.

"Yes, as a matter of fact." She maintained a steady stare into those emotionless brown eyes. "I've much improved."

"I hope you've given my offer some consideration." His gaze bore straight into her soul. "Flash magic brings power that could truly make a difference, unlike all of the other branches of magic."