Return of the Runebound Professor

A second dragged on like thick molasses. Garina stood frozen between duty and desire. For one of the first times in her life, neither path she saw before her led to victory. She couldn’t just crush her problems beneath the heel of her power.

The Garina of just a few mere months ago would never had an issue with this. Vermil would have already been captured — or dead — and the problem never would have had a chance to come into being.

But the Garina of that time had nothing to lose. She hadn’t cared about anything other than her duties. She hadn’t realized just how much she enjoyed her time with Ferdinand until now — and now there was a chance she’d never get another quiet moment with him again. Not if she wanted to keep him away from the prying eyes of the other apostles.

Damn it all.

The Garina of the past was no more. All the immense might that she was so proud of was just about as useful as a bag of sand. It could do absolutely nothing to dig her a way out of the deepening hole she found herself standing in.

Her thoughts blurred through her mind at a speed that a mortal brain could never comprehend. Vermil and Moxie were still on the same thought that they had been on at the start of the second, but even Garina couldn’t sit around thinking forever.

I have to focus. There has to be a way through this. My orders were to bring the one who Decras sought back to the other apostles alive. There are a total of three options for how this plays out.

1. I fight and he kills himself. Decras doesn’t get what he wants. I fail my mission and Ferdinand loses his cover. Fail on both counts. This can’t happen.
2. I capture Vermil alive and bring him in as ordered. Something tells me that won’t be possible without killing Moxie and some of the other mortals. I ruin my pride and lie to Frederick. He eventually finds out. His cover is gone and someone like him would never forgive me for slaughtering mortals. He’s too soft. Another utter failure.
3. I let Vermil go and pretend I didn’t see him. The Rank 7 is gone. He dealt with them himself. Technically speaking, my job is done. But if the other Apostles figure out what’s happened… I’m dead. Ferdinand is too — and at the rate things are going, this idiot Vermil is going to kill himself before I get a chance to make a decision myself.

Every single option was bad. Garina grit her teeth. There simply wasn’t an easy solution to this. It boiled down to one simple question: did she care more about pissing off Decras and Renewal, two literal gods, or keeping the life that she’d only gotten a taste of?

“Put that damn magic away,” Garina ordered. “I’m not fighting you, so dismiss it before someone notices.”

Vermil and Moxie both stared at her.

“What?” Moxie asked.

“You heard me. I came here looking for a Rank 7. I don’t see one. The fact that this scruffy little shit happened to be the one being in the entirety of this world that I couldn’t afford to run into was just pure bad luck.”

Vermil didn’t release his magic, but the black smoke pouring off his body reduced in intensity. He was being unbelievably unmotivated about stopping his own soul from burning away. The idiot was probably already slow in the head from the amount of soul damage he’d given himself.

“How can we trust you?” Moxie asked.

“Because I could crush you — and all the other mortals hiding in the trees waiting to get themselves killed — in the time it takes me to blink.”

Moxie paused. She glanced over her shoulder.

Lee stepped out from the treeline and Silvertide followed after her.

“What are you doing here Lee? Silvertide?” Moxie demanded. “You were supposed to get the kids out!”

“Brayden is with them,” Silvertide said. “We were not about to leave you to fight a Rank 7 alone. I believed a surprise attack would have increased our chances, though I’ve never had the misfortune to fight a Rank 7 before. I didn’t think they existed.”

“There would be no fight,” Garina said. “You would all be dead in the blink of an eye.”

“He’s not going with you,” Lee said, her fists clenching at her sides. She shifted into a fighting stance. “You can’t have him.”

“I don’t want him,” Garina snapped. “Don’t you get it? I don’t want to be anywhere near this fool. His mere existence threatens everything. So put that damnable Divine Rune away, you fool. Are you trying to bring the entire world down on top of you? I need you to stay hidden.”

Moxie’s brow furrowed. “But you just said—”

“Forget what I said,” Garina snapped. “I changed my mind. None of you saw me today. I never saw any of you. We’ve met once, and it was when we had a surprisingly enjoyable dinner together. And Vermil — never let Decras or Renewal find you. You must remain hidden. My sandwiches depend on it.”

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“Your what now?” Moxie asked.

“No, that’s understandable,” Lee said with a slow nod. “She’s being serious. I can taste it. Nobody jokes about their sandwiches.”

“What, are you Aylin now?” Vermil asked, but the immense amount of magical energy pouring out of him stemmed. He was smart enough not to cut off connection to the rune instantly, which would have released all of its power directly upon himself all at once, killing him on the spot.

What is with this lack of fear toward me? They respect my power but speak normally to me and each other. How many times have they fought an opponent that’s capable of crushing them all on the spot?

“You’re just going to leave, then?” Moxie asked. She still hadn’t released her own Master Rune. “Just like that?”

“Yes,” Garina replied. “Just like that. And should I get my wish, we will never meet again until you reach Rank 7.”

“It’s possible?” Silvertide’s eyes widened.

Despite the situation, the corner of Garina’s lips twitched up.

Mortals can be so cute. Acting as if Rank 7 was the peak of power… if only they knew.

“For some, inevitable,” Garina said. “But that day will come when it comes. All that matters is that nobody ever…”

Ice bit at the edges of Garina’s domain. Something blurred through the kingdom at a blinding speed — and it was headed right in their direction. Familiar power burned within it.

Her sentence died as it reached her lips. Every single one of her senses screamed a warning. The blood rushed out of her face, turning pale skin somehow even paler.

It was the magic of an Apostle.

Oh, fuck. You can’t be serio—

A black comet ripped through the clouds and hurtled straight down toward the burnt forest. It moved so fast that none of the mortals even realized it had arrived until it slammed into the ground directly before Garina, unfolding into the form of a huge man.

He was clad in obsidian armor and bore a massive broadsword upon his back. Instead of a helm, a heavy hood was pulled over his features. No light passed beneath it, leaving his face as nothing but a void of empty darkness.

The mortals all let out startled curses.

Warning bells rang with such intensity in Garina’s head that they nearly deafened her. This was worse than bad. It was Crone, the second of the Apostles. She hadn’t fought him in a long time, but the last time they’d sparred, it had been a tie.

He’d spent almost every waking moment since then in training — and she’d spent them as a guard dog.

Shit. Maybe he didn’t sense —

“Where are they?” Crone asked, his voice like the whisper of a dozen men all speaking as one. “I felt the Master’s energy in a new form. I was beginning to think you were slacking in your duties, but it seems you have beat me to the scene.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

This is bad. This is really bad.

“He… uh…” Garina coughed into a fist and trailed off, her mind failing her.

Crone’s head turned as his invisible gaze swept over the gathered mortals. “Which one, Garina? We’re going to break the mortals if we subject them to our presence for too long. The stench is everywhere, and your nose has always been better than mine. Don’t worry about me taking your valor. The credit for the hunt will go solely to the Apostle’s bloodhound.”

“Watch your mouth,” Garina hissed, stepping toward Crone and baring her sharp teeth. “Don’t get familiar just because it’s been a while since we last fought. Keep calling me a dog and I’ll find out what your throat tastes like.”

“I’d be happy to take you up on a fight when the time is better, but this takes priority. A direct order from the Master himself cannot be disobeyed,” Crone said. “On with it, Garina. Which one?”

Moxie caught Garina’s eye. Ironclad determination gripped the mortal woman’s features. Garina’s mind accelerated. Moxie’s lungs were expanding. She was about to speak — and even though not a single word had passed between the two of them, Garina knew what she was going to do.

What a brave, stupid move. She’s going to say that she’s the one Decras is looking for to throw them off Vermil’s scent.

“It’s—” Moxie started.

“You are mistaken,” Garina said loudly.

“What?” Crone tilted his head to the side. “What are you talking about?”

“The one Decras is looking for isn’t here.”

“Do you take me for a fool? I felt them, Garina. There was an immense rune with the same characteristics as that of the Master upon this plane. What else could that possibly—”

“Idiot. The one you felt was my student.”

“Your… student?” Garina could feel Crone’s gaze burning into her from beneath his hood. “What are you talking about?”

Garina strode forward and slapped a hand down on Vermil’s shoulder. “Right here. I’ve been training a mortal up to deal with some of the more annoying tasks that I couldn’t be bothered to deal with. This is my student.”

Crone stared at her. Then, slowly, he turned to look down at Vermil. The Apostle was easily two heads taller than him.

It took everything Garina had to keep herself from wiping her forehead with the back of a sleeve.

“Your… student,” Crone repeated. “And what, pray tell, have you taught a mortal? You claim that the feeling I felt just now was not Master’s stolen rune, but one you gave him?”

“Correct,” Garina said. “He—”

“Not another word from you,” Crone ordered, his Rune Force infusing his words. Pressure slammed into Garina and drove her jaw shut. He’d directed the attack solely at her, so none of the mortals had been crushed instantly beneath it. Crone crouched so he and Vermil were eye-to-eye. “You are her student?”

Gods, I hope this scruffy fool is quick on the uptake and a better actor than he looks.

If he isn’t, we’re all…

Garina’s thoughts trailed off for the second time that day. Because, instead of fear, there was something else glistening within Vermil’s eyes.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

His entire demeanor had shifted on a dime.

For, on his face, was not the look of prey.

It was that of a hunter.

“Pleasure to meet you. Garina has been a bit tight-lipped about her co-workers, so I’ve been positively shaking to make your acquaintance,” Vermil said, extending a hand as his lips curled in a measured smile. “You can call me Spider.”