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

Chapter 14: Mage of Chaos

"We've been expecting you, Mage Nithercott."

Military personnel guarded the doors, but within there were only researchers and assistants running the place. Long white corridors stretched in all directions. The place was at least four storeys tall, and god knows how many more sat underground. Madeleine whistled in Seiren's head, taking in the polished dome-shaped entrance hall through her wide eyes. Pulsing violet runes decorated the place, allowing rapid transfer of sealed boxes and information from laboratory to laboratory. Yellow runes sat above, illuminating the chamber in white light.

Seiren showed her identity as a mage – a tattoo sealed by a violet rune sitting on her left bicep, which would be removed on her retirement or expulsion. The same tattoo she'd used to 'register' her arrival at Bicknor. The assistants scribbled with vigour before taking her down one of the corridors to the right. The entire building on the outside was unlabelled, and on the inside it sat undecorated but well-runed and polished to within an inch of its life. Nothing indicated it was a research facility. Even the researchers didn't don the stereotypical whitecoats like they did in Benover and instead just wore casual clothing.

It's almost like they didn't want passers-by knowing they do research here. How odd.

You're mighty conspiratorial today, Madeleine.

"What other research goes on in this place?" she said to the two assistants leading the way. To her surprise, they exchanged uneasy looks before looking at her.

"Most of it is classified information that we can't share, so, uh..."

"So it can be anything." It wasn't surprising, really. Seiren's healing and life rune research wasn't illegal, but once it progressed to involving actual human lives with magic, it was a grey area. If word got out, many laymen would be unhappy with what she was doing, even if the council granted her permission and financed her work. Something similar going on right now in this place was hardly extraordinary.

They nodded.

"Is it only mages that get access here? Or do other researchers do their own stuff too?"

"The labs are mostly for mages doing academic stuff. Our researchers help out and do most of the paperwork and equipment work, but we do have a select few reserved for just researchers. They don't deal with the magic stuff, obviously. Mostly it's medical."

"Oh?" Seiren's interest was piqued. Perhaps she could speak to those researchers. "Like healing?"

"Like post-mortems."

"Oh."

Why would post-mortems happen here of all places?

Seiren voiced Madeleine's question out loud. This time they seemed more at ease.

"Oh, you don't know? We're right next to Bicknor Infirmary. It's the largest hospital in the east. People die, so sometimes families request post-mortems so the bodies get brought here. Our researchers help find the cause of death. Mage Rummage usually gives a hand."

She stopped, her mouth going dry.

"Mage... Rummage? Loren Rummage?"

Oh look, another person you should have made friendlier acquaintances with – and you didn't.

Shut it, Madeleine.

"Yes, Mage Rummage is a regular here. She works mostly up at the hospital but she comes by when it's one of her ex-patients undergoing post-mortem, so she knows what to say to the family and she helps out the pathologist."

"Loren Rummage knows healing runes?"

They glanced at each other and shrugged.

"I don't know if it's runes. She does a lot of magic and a lot of healing."