Chapter 29: Worthy of the Rune
Sol-Falena, 338 Solar Year
Queen Elemark was up and out of bed at last. She wasn't yet fully recovered, but was well enough to return to the throne and carry out her daily duties. She knew that in this moment of national crisis she had to carry on and show the people by her own example to carry out their normal business while their loved ones were off fighting this dangerous threat, just as her loved ones were doing as well. But, at this moment she wasn't in the throne room to the surprise of the East Palace official, who had just arrived to the castle with urgent news.
She had made her way to the top spire in the palace with her brother, Ishaan, who had just arrived earlier that day himself from Lunas after learning of his sister's injuries. Both siblings were now looking intently at the statue of the female figurehead before them. This royal bust was a Falenas's family heirloom.
According to family tradition, it was made after the likeness of the first Queen of Falena. Whether this was true or not, it did not matter. What did matter however, was that this marble statue was the resting place of One of the 27 True Runes: The Sun Rune.
Ishaan spoke calmly, but reminiscently, "Do you remember dear sister when we were children, mother would bring us up here and tell use stories about the first Queen? About how she used the power of the Sun Rune and the two twin runes to unite Falena into one mighty nation? I loved those stories. But secretly I was jealous, you know!? Jealous that maybe one day you would get to bear the Sun Rune and have those adventures and I wouldn't be able to. I am not jealous anymore though! Even from here, I can sense this Rune's great power, and it terrifies me. No, I don't envy you anymore, Elly."
Elemark, regret in her voice, placed her fingers on the bust and touching the Sun Rune, it started to glow faintly as she said, "I know. But if Alen and the others fail to win tomorrow. I know of no other way to stop this darkness and keep this nation safe. The Sun Rune has always been Falena's last resort in times of war. However, if the stories are true though, I hope I can use its awesome power to defeat these enemies and still have enough time to remove it from my body before the curse of insanity takes hold of me."
He replied, "Elly, I am your big brother. I'll help protect you, even from yourself. If it should come to that. But, don't worry! Let's have faith in the Queen's Knights and your army. They are the best at what they do." "You're right! You always know what to say. But still, I'd rather have a Plan B; just in case. I just hope I am worthy of its awesome power" finished the Queen. The older brother nodded saying, "You are, sister. You are."
Suddenly, a knock came on the door and one of the guards came in saying, "Your Grace, Your Grace! Urgent news! A messenger has arrived from East Palace!" Knowing that could mean only one thing: The Dawn Rune. Both made their way back downstairs to the throne room.
Once inside the messenger from East Palace bowed down per court protocols. Ishaan not wanting to waste time with formalities grabbed his shirt and pulled him to his feet. The messenger was confused at first, but the fiery look in Ishaan's eyes made him quickly compose himself.
"What is this urgent news you have for us from East Palace?" demanded Elemark. "Well, my Queen, this morning while our guards were swapping duty as they always faithfully do every day. And the caretaker was coming in to do his weekly duties of cleaning the room as he always faithfully does under total supervision of the guards, of course. All under all the laws and guidelines your Majesty's brilliant husband had established..."
Ishaan interrupted him rudely, "If this news is as important as you claim. Stop your damn brown nosing and spit it out already. Stop wasting our time!" The messenger was taken aback for a moment to hear such language from the highest ranking religious leader in the Queendom. Yet, in a fearful voice he declared at last, "The Dawn Rune is gone! We looked all over for it. It's not at East Palace anymore. It's been stolen!"
Alarm came over Ishaan, "Was it Nethergate or some other Nagarean faction?" The messenger said, "No, I don't think so. They tried to take the rune a few days ago and failed as we reported to you. They killed those guards, but failed to take the Dawn Rune. No other guards or staff was hurt this time. We think it may have been... But, it's impossible! She would never do a thing like this!"
"To whom are you referring?" Demanded Ishaan losing his patience once again. The now terrified messenger squeaked out two words, "Lady Rose!" "Impossible!" yelled Ishaan, "She is a Queen's Knight! She would never do such an act. It's high treason! Stealing any of the 3 Runes is punishable by death without exception regardless of social rank. Rose knows that."
One of the other palace officials spoke up now, "My Queen, I didn't want to say anything, but now I must. I saw Lady Rose and Princess Olinda leaving the palace yesterday afternoon. I thought she was going into the city or something. I had no idea they were leaving Sol-Falena. Had I known, I would have told you immediately. I am sorry!"
Elemark looked heartbroken and in disbelief, "Why would she do such a thing!?" Ishaan calmed down and stated, "The ransom! She's probably trying to save Cyrah." "But Alen said that he sent Sir Lazlo on that mission. Why would she do this?" retorted the ruler.
"She loves her sister! Would you or I do any different for each other?" "No, but still. She's not a fool. She must know it's a trap. That Nyoka won't just hand Cyrah over even for the Dawn Rune." added Elemark.
Then, she yelled, "Everyone out!" Immediately, they all left the throne room, say for Ishaan. "What are you going to do, Elly? Even if they do come back alive. They stole the Dawn Rune! Even for good intentions, they still committed treason. The law demands you execute her. What are you going to do?" Elemark with tears in her eyes, "I don't know. I don't know!"
Simeon raised his staff as a symbol of a Water Rune appeared above his head as he finished the incantation for his spell: Breath of Ice. In seconds, the whole area got really cold as sharp shards of ice began to appear around his would-be attackers. The razor-sharp icicles pierced them, finishing off the weaker attackers instantly. Only the strongest one was now left alive.
He was the one Nethergate assassin that had made it out of the palace alive that night after their failed attempt to assassinate the Queen. After meeting up at the safe house, Razi had sent him and a few other loyal henchmen after Simeon, Rose, and Olinda the new owner of the Dawn Rune.
The Nethergate warrior was distracted by the ice spell, but not defeated. Rose, however, took advantage of this distraction. She brought her nunchucks swinging around at full speed as her ivory handled weapons came straight down on his back while he was dodging one of the ice shards. She could hear his spine and some ribs crack. He fell over paralyzed in pain.
Simeon and Rose walked over to him and disarmed him just to be safe. "You can come out now, Princess. It's over!" declared Rose. Olinda came out from behind the bushes and joined her two friends. She looked over the injured assassin, "Why were you following us?" demanded Olinda in a stern tone that Rose rarely heard.
"You might be stealthy and quiet, but your dead companions were certainly not. We heard them coming a mile away. Now answer her question! Why were you after us?" added the only female Queen's Knight. The Nethergate warrior laughed in pain, before breaking a tooth with his tongue. The chemical that had been contained in the fake tooth spilled out into his throat. He was dead in seconds.
"What an interesting potion!" stated Simeon in his usual misty voice. Rose wasn't as impressed; cursing and swearing at his dead corpse. Olinda spoke up showing them her right hand with the crest of the newly acquired Dawn Rune on her soft skin, "We know what he wanted! My only real question is where is Lazlo? I thought he would have caught up to us by now. You don't think that Razi beat him, do you?"
Rose laughed, "Princess, do you really think Sir Lazlo could lose a fight against a slimeball like that punk cleric?" Olinda, flustered, said, "NO! Of course not! Lazlo said he would win and I believe him. But where is he?"
Simeon spoke up once more, "I don't think Lazlo is dead. If he were the Rune of Punishment would have left his body by now and went into a new host. Such a power transfer, we would have felt, and since nothing like that has happened. I will just assume that he is delayed and not dead."
He said this in such a matter-of-fact way, assuming that they could sense runic energy as easily as he could. Olinda didn't fully comprehend all that he said, but she took the gist of it to mean that Lazlo was okay, just running late.
Rose looked to the sky and then beyond the distance to Mt. Amdort before she said, "The Sun will be setting soon. Leave the bodies for the scavenger birds; it's better than they deserve anyhow. We will go a few more miles down the path and camp for the night. We should be able to arrive at the foot of the mountain in the morning."
As they walked further down the path, Olinda asked, "Are we going to have to climb the mountain when we get there?" Simeon smiled. "No, where we need to go is under the mountain not up it. You'll see when we get there." he added in response to the puzzled look on her face.
A few more miles down the road, the Sun was making its final appearance over the horizon. So, they stopped for the night. As they were preparing a fire to cook the last of their rations, Simeon grabbed his rod saying, "I sense someone magical and powerful coming this way."
"Is it Lazlo?" asked the princess a little excited and concerned. "No, it doesn't feel like him, but it doesn't feel dangerous either. Oh, it's just Lady Eresh!" Laying his rod down he went back to preparing his evening meal.
Rose was still skeptical, keeping close to the princess and her weapon in hand. But sure enough, a small figure's shadow appeared off in the distance. Her white robes soon began to glimmer in the campfire's light. The short cleric said nothing at first, but merely sat down next to Simeon on a log. Next, she pulled out a small amount of food from her traveling pouch.
She said in a casual voice, "Eresh's vessel gets empty and hungry much easier these days than before. It may be time to make a newer stronger vessel soon." Simeon seemed to understand her words, but they struck the other two women as peculiar.
After dinner and much small talk among the four, the fire was slowly dying down and a chilly night breeze was picking up. "Burr, it's cold!" said Olinda getting closer to the heat. "Should I get more wood for the fire?" Rose inquired. "I'll go with you, dear." added Simeon, "We can't have you stumbling around in the dark." Simeon then stood up with rod in hand as he tapped the end of his staff against a nearby tree. The metal end started to glow yellow like a lantern.
She understood now why he was offering to join her. "Will you two be alright here by yourselves?" she asked. Olinda waved her away. "Oh, we'll be fine. You're not going far. Besides like Mister Simeon said Lady Eresh is magical and powerful. We will be fine!" Rose acquiesced slightly and was getting cold herself. She wanted a bigger and warmer fire as well. The two walked into the woods and started gathering twigs and brush.
"Eresh sees that you have been chosen by the Dawn Rune. Great responsibility you have now. Very rare privilege it is to be pick by such a special rune. Great person you must be too!" the short cleric said.
"Thank you, Lady Eresh. Your words are very kind!" replied Olinda. She was looking at the back of her palm. Then it occurred to her. "This rune! The Dawn Rune. It was once yours. I remember now, Simeon told us about that dreadful night and that you were once a princess like me. Also, that your dad, the Ancient Armes King, had given you this rune to rule your half of the kingdom."
A sadness came over Eresh's face. The princess apologized, "I am sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such painful memories for you. It's just I am still new at bearing a rune as powerful as this. And this really mean and cranky Druid lady told me I needed to be worthy of the Dawn Rune. I thought since you were once its bearer that maybe you could tell me how I could act worthy of it?"
Eresh gazed into the fire, "The flames. They consume all they touch, just as the Sun Rune did all those years ago. Very terrible that day was. Eresh shall never forget it for as long as she lives. Eresh, however, doesn't recall how to be worthy of the Rune. She just tried to do her best. That's all she remembers!"
"Eresh knows the Sindarians placed many protective charms on the Sun Rune and a few on the Dawn and Twilight Runes. The twin runes will only work at their fullest strength if they find a worthy master. And since one chosen by the Dawn Rune was picked by it, Eresh thinks that Comrade Olinda is already worthy." Eresh's logic seemed a little circular to Olinda, but she still appreciated her odd, but kind, words.
The two could see Simeon's 'lantern' light growing closer. They were done and returning to camp now, Olinda reasoned. Suddenly, an even darker chill filled the night air and a dark figure appeared out of nowhere. Eresh reached for her staff and jumped to her small feet. "Brother Nyoka stop this madness! Before brother destroys this land again!"
"Thou art mistaken, dear sister! It wasn't I who set this land ablaze, but thy father who did. And thou could not stop thee kin before. And little Eresh shalt fail once more! As for thee, Daughter of the Sun, you and thy Dawn Rune art coming with me!"
Two zombie-like creatures appeared immediately beside Olinda grabbing her. She screamed! Both Simeon and Rose upon hearing this and sensing Nyoka's dark presence dropped the wood and started running back to camp.
Eresh raised her arm as the symbol of the Resurrection Rune appeared and casting the holy attack spell: Charm Arrows. The undead creatures were immediately dispatched and fell over on the ground lifeless.
Not to be dissuaded, the old priest gestured with his hand and more zombies appeared. However, before Eresh could use her rune once more, Nyoka raised his own staff and a wave of power came bursting forth from it at sonic speed. It hit the small cleric with full force.
She was lifted off her feet and was thrown backwards several yards and came crashing into Rose and Simeon who were charging the battlefield and not expecting such an event. All 3 were now on the ground unconscious and Olinda was left alone to face her undead foes and their master.
Just as one of their cold and slimy hands grabbed Olinda, she tried with all her might to free herself. "Let me go! LET ME GO!" she yelled. She was no longer scared, but angry. Angry at the actions taken by Nyoka against her friends.
Suddenly, her right hand started to shine. The image of the Dawn Rune appeared over her head. Blue waves of energy began swirling around the zombies. Then in a flash of blinding intense light all the zombies fell over motionless and defeated. When Olinda opened her eyes, she looked at them and then at Nyoka. He seemed just as confused as she was. He moved toward her. "Stay back!" she warned, " Stay back! Or I will use the Dawn Rune on you as well."
He smirked, "Thou shalt not bear false witness, child!" We both knoweth wherein that power came from. The Rune of Dawn was acting on its own accord. Thou had nothing to do with that magic." "I am warning you stay back!" Olinda raised her right arm not knowing what would happen.
But she concentrated with all her might, she could feel the rune charging up to its fullest power. Then she felt a great wave of runic magic leave her body. From her own determination, she had unintentionally casted the Dawn Rune's fourth and most powerful magical spell: Crimson Sky.
Nyoka jumped back as 4 pillars of orange sunlight appeared around his body in each direction. The beams converged upon him and began swirling like a tornado of pure hellfire. The spinning solar whirlwind was so bright Olinda had to cover her eyes as the light and heat were both very intense.
She couldn't believe she produced so powerful a magical attack and Nyoka was trapped inside being burned alive. When the flaming lightshow was over, Olinda opened her eyes again. There was a large smoking burnt circle of scorched earth where Nyoka had been. Olinda was still in disbelief at what had happen. She arose to her feet to survey the damage. She didn't see Nyoka anywhere.
Quickly, she remembered Rose and the others and started to head for them. When a strong force hit her head and she fell to the ground in pain. It was Nyoka! He had back-handed her in the face.
He said hauntingly, "Insolent, woman! Strong is thy connection to the Rune of Dawn. Worthy, thou art. Yet, still thou art nothing compareth to my great power. The Half Moon Rune maketh me immune to many forms of magic. Whilst not forever like its parent rune. Thus, this vessel can resist, even for a rune as formidable as thou's for smalleth amount of time.
Olinda clutched her face in pain from his hard slap. As her tears began to fall from her face, she didn't care how he had been immune to her magical attack. She just lamented he was still alive. The dark lord grabbed the young woman by the back of her traveling cloak, choking her slightly as he raised her to her feet. Then, he grabbed her hand and teleported away.
When they materialized back at his stronghold under Mt. Amdort, Nyoka order the girl to be placed in the cell with her sister. Now he had not only both twin solar runes in his possession, but more importantly the member of the royal family he had been after for nearly a year now.
As his acolytes carried out his orders, a strange feeling came upon his twisted soul. It was a sensation he had not felt in centuries. It was a pure and raw emotion. It was unadulterated pleasure!
Because, soon all his centuries of waiting will have finally paid off. With this pure maiden of Royal Falenan blood, he would be able to carry out his dark apotheosis ritual of becoming a god. By this time tomorrow, he thought, her soul will be purged from her own body as his dark soul shall take possession of it.
Then, he would place both the Dawn and Twilight Runes in her body. No, he reminded himself: his new body. Those twin runes when used properly together can guide and control the Sun Rune's actions. But when they are also in the same host's body they can do so much more.
Delight filled him as he thought about summoning the Sun Rune to himself all while his enemies were too busy fighting his undead army on the other side of the country to even notice his plan, let alone stop him.
It doesn't matter if the True Rune is locked away in the palace with 100 or 100,000 guards protecting it. It will not ignore the call. The Sun Rune will come to me, thought Nyoka. I will be in the body of a female member of the royal family and in possession of both twin solar runes. Thus, overcoming and meeting all the qualifications of the protective spells and charms those overconfident Sindarian bastards placed over my True Rune of the Sun centuries ago.
Death's pull, which grows stronger on my soul each day, shall cease! For, I shall be reborn as a god and this world shall once more shutter with fear at my approach! These were Nyoka's thoughts as he walked into the antechamber of his stronghold to finish the final preparations for his insidious ritual of soul transference.