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

Chapter 49: Clandestine Nights

"Mage Haigh... this is very much against the rules..."

The Keeper wilted beneath Kommora's laser eyes.

"Earlston Chips. When your wife went into labour during a thunderstorm, my men braved the elements to get you the doctor and I supplied the runes to provide the light and hot water the doctor needed. When security to the Council's library was breached after Harred's death, I reinvented the security runes and saved your ass and your job. It is a matter of life and death I access these files and it won't be just your sorry ass at risk if anything happens!"

His mouth opened and shut without a sound. With a stiff nod, he retreated, shutting the heavy door behind him and leaving Kommora in the cold silence. She wouldn't have long. Chips was not the only Keeper of Records and security was tight; it was just as well she designed all the security runes in the room of records after Harred died.

Opening the book recording all the missions assigned to mages and then spreading paper around the glowing violet table of glass that sat in the middle of the room, Kommora studied the runes she'd infused to track the mages' movements. It took forever to crack the security she'd built herself without leaving traces or damage to her creation. One slight mis-adjustment of the rune would cause the system to go into lockdown. The obligation of state mages to register their arrival at every city using their tattoo rune came in useful to know who was available at short notice for help, especially recently given the frequency of rogue mage attacks. Her long fingers rolled a piece of white chalk before sketching rune after rune, flicking her finger at regular intervals, and they glowed the same shade of deep violet. The symbols beneath the surface of the glass table dissolved into the misty substance as the time dialled back to six years ago.

A few symbols she hadn't seen in many years surfaced. Kristen Harred's elegant swirl was fixed in Benover; she was a king's mage for eleven years already at that point. Hanna was on the brink of war again, and pressure ran high, especially among those living in the north border. King Pollin was most reluctant to engage in war talk and Kristen Harred had been very vocal about it, no doubt eager to protect the people of Karma. Kommora didn't have many dealings with Kristen beyond the occasional polite chatter after mages' meetings, due to Harred's status as a king's mage, and their assignments had never crossed paths prior to that, but she'd found Harred sincere and driven.

Rinoa Gruger had newly been appointed as a king's mage, but had stayed mostly in Benover that year. Kristen Harred divided her time between Finberry and Benover. Zor Jarsdel registered his presence in Iwade, an hour's train journey south of Acrise, which was under Hannan occupation at that point until its recovery two years ago. Kommora recalled his quest to secure the border's runes. Cronin Sallows, the old king's mage, was still employed then, and flitted between many of the north east cities. After his retirement six years ago and subsequent replacement by Karis Bonneville, Kommora hadn't heard from him again. He was a good man, shrewd, and had an intuition for people's real intentions. Domic Butterworth spent his time between Benover and Danaway.

Kommora sketched several more runes and the table responded, moving slowly forward in time to the day Kristen Harred died. Nobody moved out of their expected areas as far as Kommora could see, comparing with their mission assignments. Rummage and Woodbead hadn't graduated King's yet, at this point. Everyone was accounted for.

Except for one thing...

Zor Jarsdel registered task completion in Acrise on the second of March. He registered arrival in Benover on the fourth of March. Kristen Harred's symbol vanished by that point. Kommora frowned and dialled back the time again. Butterworth was in Danaway that day; Sallows in Lydden; Gruger in Benover, all had their tasks to fulfill. Harred had completed hers and returned to Finberry. One day's discrepancy was not unusual given the travel times between cities and if they arrived late at night, it would be more practical to register arrival the next day. But it would not take two days to travel the four hours' train journey between Acrise and Benover, no matter how late Jarsdel left.