Rune Warrior

by Frank Morin

  “They were inscribed on turtle shells and similar materials,” Bastien said.

  “It sounded more mysterious before you clarified,” Sarah said. “I thought no one knew much about Chinese runes.”

  “We know only a little,” Bastien conceded. “Some hunters have made a study of them, but it is not a priority because they cannot activate these symbols.”

  “They collect them though,” Eirene asked. “Like all rune lore.”

  “That means their knowledge of ciphers was lost when Paul stole their rune lore book,” Sarah said.

  “Most likely,” Bastien agreed.

  “I hate that man,” she muttered.

  “Hunters are not the only fount of knowledge about rune warriors,” Bastien assured her. “Nor perhaps even the best experts. Mother and I know the most of any facetakers.”

  Eirene took up another marker and drew from memory a dozen symbols that all triggered a subtle resonance for Sarah, like long-forgotten friends.

  “You can use these symbols alone, or wrap them in standard rune markings to modify and fine-tune their meaning,” Eirene explained.

  She produced a series of beautiful ciphers, combining some of the symbols Bastien had drawn with standard runes that Sarah was familiar with. The resulting ciphers seemed to pulse with power, and Sarah grew more excited with every one.

  “You’ve seen these work?” she asked.

  Eirene pointed to one. “This was a favorite of little Joan. It boosted strength and bravery, while protecting her from steel weapons. It saved her life during the siege of Orleans.”

  “Amazing,” Sarah breathed, tracing the cipher with a finger and committing it to memory.

  Eirene went on to draw a number of other marks which either began at key junction points of the ciphers and radiated outward, or started around the symbol and drew in toward the center.

  “These are targeting marks.” Bastien explained. “And the key to fine tuning your strength.”

  The marks focused the effects of the cipher, either in drawing soul force from one person, or from everyone within a certain radius of the inscribed rune. The resulting energy could be spent by either directing it toward the rune warrior or to everyone in a target area.

  “So it’s like laser focus versus spraying with a hose,” Sarah said as they discussed the concepts.

  “It’s possible to achieve both extremes,” Eirene said. “With some practice, you can become very precise.”

  “But don’t those rune webs the heka use accomplish similar things?” Sarah asked.

  “They can mimic some of the simpler aspects of what rune warriors do,” Bastien said. “However their webs are extremely complex, and require perhaps many dispossessed souls to power. It is difficult for them to create a web that draws power from nearby souls not already bonded to their matrix, although they can create area-wide targeted effects.”

  “The difference can seem subtle at times,” Eirene said. “But it’s profound. Comparing heka rune webs to rune warrior ciphers is like comparing an original Apollo moon rocket to the starship Enterprise from Star Trek. They may both be able to travel into space, but the range and abilities are completely different.”

  Sarah nodded slowly, feeling a bit daunted by how much she still had to learn. Without teachers, she might never learn to master her newfound abilities.

  Other marks they showed her dictated how much soul force could be drained at one time from the target souls. Sarah immediately saw the potential for abuse. If misused, those runes could wreak terrible damage. No wonder Alter had been reluctant to discuss them.

  “What happens if you don’t send the gathered soul force anywhere?” she asked.

  Bastien and Eirene exchanged a surprised look. “I am not sure,” he said finally. “I do not think anyone has ever tested such a thing. Why siphon power if not to use it, no?”

  “Waste not, want not,” Eirene added.

  She then drew another rune that was markedly different. Unlike the others that seemed ready to leap off the board, this one sucked at her vision like a mini black hole.

  “What is that?” Sarah asked, peering closer, but reluctant to touch it.

  “That’s the primary counter rune,” Eirene explained. “Anyone with a rounon gift can use that to block other runes, external attacks on their souls, or to scramble effects within a rune duel.”

  “A rune duel?”

  “It’s complicated, a way for rounon-gifted to battle each other with their rune powers. Each person seeks to leverage the force of their soul and any they may have direct access to against their opponent. We’ll review the technique when we have some more time. Once you understand, most heka wouldn’t stand a chance against you, since you’d have access to far more energy.”

  “So why don’t you wear that mark all the time?”

  “It can interfere with bonded enhancements,” Bastien said. “It can prevent heka from drawing power from other souls.”

  “It’s not a perfect defense,” Eirene added. “It didn’t work against the forbidden rune. Alter tried it.”

  Sarah committed it to memory, along with the others. After reviewing all of the symbols they knew, they spent an hour practicing with applying the modifiers. Sarah finally stepped back with a happy nod. “I think I understand the basics. Can we try activating one?”

  “That is why we are here,” Bastien said.

  In her first attempt, after painstaking planning and triple-checking the inscription, Sarah developed a rune to draw the tiniest fraction of energy from both Eirene and Bastien for the duration of five seconds. The energy was directed at Sarah to enhance strength and well-being.

  She felt more excited than nervous as she concentrated over the cipher they had drawn onto a sheet of paper. Energy drained from her into the construct, and it flashed into blue-white fire. The paper didn’t burn, but slowly blackened and curled around the rune.

  Eirene shrugged and Bastien said, “I feel nothing.”

  Sarah frowned. She was sure it had worked. Maybe--

  A wave of strength rocked her in an invisible tide. Her lingering weariness melted away, as did her gnawing hunger. She felt like she could leap tall buildings in a single bound, and felt a deep sense of relief as the well of rounon power in her heart filled to bursting.

  “Wow,” Sarah exclaimed. “I feel so strong. I only siphoned such a small percentage.”

  “Our souls are more powerful than most,” Eirene said.

  “But even from ungifted souls, the effects can prove dramatic,” Bastien said. “The strength of soul is a powerful force.”

  “This is amazing,” Sarah laughed, ecstatic by the success. “I wish I’d known this before we faced Paul last time. It might have been enough to shift the balance.”

  She imagined siphoning soul force from hundreds of legionnaires. She wasn’t sure it would work the same since they were only memory projections, but they had been real people once. Surely she could have gotten some kind of benefit. Even better, she might have been able to weaken Paul enough for their weapons to really hurt him.

  She couldn’t wait to test the idea.

  “What else can we do?” she asked, eager to learn more.

  “We can teach but your first lesson,” Bastien said.

  Sarah didn’t pretend to hide her disappointment. There had to be more.

  Eirene gave her a reassuring smile. “That’s why we met here in the vault.” She gestured toward the nearby memory machines. “We’re going to visit a couple of experts.”

  “Joan of Arc?” When Eirene nodded, she barely restrained a squeal of excitement. Joan of Arc was one of her historical heroines, and she couldn’t wait to meet her.

  “But first,” Bastien said as he picked up one of the blocky helmets. “We visit Vlad the Impaler.”

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  How can Father not see the danger? The demons have corrupted our blood. Never before have they broken the purity of a hunter, and Alter had been one of the greatest. If
he can fall, there can be no safety but in the final extermination of every demon on the planet. I love my brother, so I will be the one to kill him. It is the only way to honor the memory of his former purity.

  ~Reuben

  Sarah wasn’t sure what to expect as she followed Bastien and their soldier escorts through the stone-walled corridors of Vlad’s grand citadel in Bucharest. She had to keep reminding herself not to think of him as the impaler, at least not during their visit.

  His name was Vlad the Third, Prince of Wallachia, or simply Vlad Dracula. It still seemed strange that the man who inspired the legends of the greatest vampire of all time had been a rune warrior. That fact colored everything she’d learned about ciphers with a hint of danger, and she wished she’d asked Gregorios to explain his comment about vampires.

  For much of her life, she’d thought Transylvania was a made-up nation, and she’d never heard of Wallachia, the seat of Vlad’s power. Nestled in the Romanian mountains on the southeastern European border, the little nation had been an important battleground against the encroaching Ottoman Turks. Vlad had fought them with daring, cunning, and barbarous cruelty.

  Sarah wasn’t sure that was the man she wanted to approach for information about ciphers.

  The soldiers led them into a richly appointed study with fine rugs on the stone floor, colorful tapestries on the walls, and a roaring fire in a huge fireplace along one wall. Vlad rose from his seat at a large desk strewn with maps and scrolls.

  He threw his arms wide and gave Bastien a welcoming smile. “Welcome once again, lord of many lives.”

  Bastien made a grand bow, looking every inch a medieval lord in his fine emerald tunic and deep blue jacket. “A pleasure to visit your court, my lord of Wallachia.”

  Vlad wore a rich crimson coat, trimmed in gold, and a matching hat. His black hair hung past his shoulders, and he sported an impressive mustache. His face was pinched, with a perpetual frown. His gaze was intense, and he moved with a predator’s grace.

  He glanced at Sarah, and she made a graceful bow, the way Bastien had taught her. She was happy he made it possible for her to understand the foreign tongue. She’d grown used to the idea of understanding ancient Romans, but she’d never visited eastern Europe in the memoryscape, and it felt more foreign and exotic.

  “Will you introduce me to your lovely companion?” Vlad asked as he approached.

  “Sarah is a mighty ally from far western lands,” Bastien said. “And a budding rune warrior of exceptional talent.”

  Vlad smiled, although the movement didn’t seem to reach his eyes. “Such an ally, and such a beauty. Each alone are rare, but twain, perhaps you are the rarest of jewels.” He bowed over her hand. “The Ottomans are massing at the Danube, and their Janissary Heka ortas are preparing to sweep over my kingdom in a flood of destruction.”

  “How go your preparations?” Bastien asked.

  “All will be ready within days.” This time his eyes shone with eager anticipation when he smiled.

  He led Sarah to a divan nearby, gesturing for her to sit beside him. He did not relinquish her hand, and his touch sent a chill creeping across her skin. “I have constructed a series of fortresses across the nation, their walls inscribed with the most powerful ciphers ever devised.”

  “We have come to learn these secrets from you,” Bastien said. “For we face another great evil to rival the threat of the Turks.”

  Vlad scowled at the mention of his enemies, then gave Sarah a calculating look. He leaned closer. “I alone can activate the ciphers that are even now spreading across the land to intertwine the souls of all Wallachians in support of my conflict. The strength of the entire nation will be mine to wield when I face Mehmed and his innumerable host. I will be the sword of execution to the heathens.”

  As he spoke, his eyes shone with fanatical intensity, and Sarah wished she wasn’t sitting so close. She drew her hand from his grip and brushed her hair back. “What can you teach me about the ciphers?”

  After another searching gaze, he spoke softly. “I have searched far and wide for many years to learn the deeper truths. If you weren’t here with Lord Bastien, I would never share them, but I owe him a debt greater than all the secrets of the world.”

  “I’ve learned many of the basic runes,” Sarah offered. “Do you have a book of symbols or something I can study?”

  Vlad shook his head, first tapping his skull with a thick finger, then tapping her left temple. “Knowledge that valuable must live in the mind.” His eyes drifted down toward her bodice and he added, “And in the heart.”

  If he tried to touch her there, she’d punch him to the moon, no matter how much she wanted to learn.

  He kept his hands to himself and said, “Basic runes are the dregs, not worthy of your best efforts.”

  “But they help focus the ciphers, don’t they?” Sarah asked.

  With a dismissive grunt, Vlad slashed his finger through the air between them, leaving a glowing mark, like drifting cinders, floating in its wake. “This is no rune, and yet…”

  The mark blazed with blue-white light. The room began to brighten, as if concealed lights had been switched on. Warmth poured into the study that had been chill, despite the fire.

  “For simple uses of power, such as this,” Vlad said with a gesture at the room. “I define the intent, and it matters not the mark I use. The force of my will and the strength of the well of my soul produce the effect”

  Sarah frowned. That didn’t sound right. “I thought the runes were important.”

  “I am a rune warrior,” Vlad declared, banging his chest. “I define runes. Heka and the meddlesome hunters take the scraps from the table of their betters, like the dogs of my hall.”

  Behind Vlad, Bastien rolled his eyes, but remained silent.

  “So how do you build your ciphers then?” Sarah asked.

  “Ciphers serve me, not the other way around. I first know my purpose. Then I make my mark, and breathe life into it.”

  “As always you teach with clarity,” Bastien said smoothly. “For simple ciphers, the marks matter not so much, no? But let us discuss the grand ciphers, the drawing of power from other souls, and directing that power to enhance your army or to savage your enemies.”

  “Even so,” Vlad said. He rose and led Sarah to his desk where he swept scrolls and parchments aside. On a blank sheet, he began to draw.

  Sarah recognized some of the symbols, as well as many of the modifiers. He also drew a dozen symbols she’d never seen before, but which drew her with unmistakable power the same way the bone script symbols had. Studying them was not so much a process of acquiring new knowledge as it was rediscovering secrets she somehow already knew.

  Vlad began to combine the symbols, his hand moving with surprising alacrity as he crafted complex ciphers. He spoke quickly, explaining that the more complex the cipher, the more important the symbols.

  He glanced at her as they leaned over the table, heads close together. “This is your heritage, lovely Sarah of the sunset lands. Your soul has the force to give life to simple ciphers, to shape them and direct them. To achieve glory sufficient to overthrow the evil of the world, you need my ciphers.”

  “When the force of tens of thousands of souls is being channeled, such vast energy focused on a single purpose, the ciphers must be wrought with care. They are the reins you cast around that power with the well of your strength, harnessing it to your will. Without those reins, such glorious power could burst out of even my control. Like a wild stallion, it could trample and destroy.”

  He stood tall and gripped her hand, his fingers cold and hard like iron. “Disaster would result. Anything from soul exhaustion, to the burning out of the well of your soul strength, to a death worse than slow impaling.”

  Sarah grimaced, wishing he hadn’t mentioned that particular torture.

  “You have built safeguards into your ciphers to protect against such chaos, yes?” Bastien asked.

  “They are ironclad,” he
assured them. “But one must take risks in war.”

  “How are you sure?” Sarah asked, wishing she could think of a way to warn him of the danger. She doubted just telling him would work. He seemed arrogant and more than a little scary. From what Bastien had told her, Vlad’s ciphers would indeed prove too strong and would cast his mind beyond humanity, transforming him into the bloodthirsty fiend the world still spoke of in whispers.

  “I know it,” he said, giving her a confident grin. “One must have confidence before joining in battle, particularly against enchanters like those in the employ of the sultan. Doubt will guarantee defeat more surely than an arrow to the throat.”

  Sarah nodded slowly. She couldn’t argue with that, but added, “There has to be a way to test your cipher, to know for sure.”

  Vlad shook his head slowly. “Nothing like this has been done before. If I’m not willing to take the risk to protect those only I can protect, then we’ve already lost.”

  While Sarah considered that, Vlad gestured at the parchment covered with drawings. “Any symbol can work, if you are convinced it possesses the strength to carry and focus the power you will direct upon it.”

  He pointed to one symbol she recognized as an eternal knot, although a slightly different variation than what she was familiar with. “This symbol has perhaps many meanings, but is often seen as symbolizing the cycle of birth, death, and suffering. I can utilize the power of that belief to buttress my intentions as I press it into service to my will. Use and tradition imbue symbols with power, and greater power if used for that purpose.”

  “That’s why ancient languages seem so powerful,” Sarah said.

  “Indeed.” Vlad thumped the table. “The longer the association, the more souls those symbols become entwined with down the spiraling corridors of history, the more powerful they become.”

  Sarah considered the sheet of ciphers, her thoughts churning as she digested his words. “It’s starting to make sense.”

  Vlad laughed. “As long as it makes sense to you, for you are the one who will mold the force of souls to your will.”