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

Chapter 60: The Wrath of Maura Woodbead

Seiren bit her lip. Even for military, although she knew nothing about it, that seemed almost inhumane. And Maura accepted it without a question. Her own father, banished to the toxic wastelands, forever.

So it's not because he cares. It's because he's paid the price for it already and doesn't want it to happen again.

They're not mutually exclusive, you know, said Madeleine.

Footsteps reached Seiren's ears. She looked beyond Maura's shoulder.

"Pardon me, Mages," said the aide at the door. He cleared his throat. "Brigadier General Grader would like you to know we have recovered some intact specimens of the demons from last night and would like your presence to discuss their... composition."

"They aren't rotting away?" Seiren said in surprise. Normally they would turn to dust fairly quickly on death. Maura swept past her and Seiren hurried to keep up. They ascended the narrow stone staircases, their footsteps echoing every step of the way.

"Henley Culpepper specialises in analytical runes," said Maura. "She can keep the bodies intact until we figure out what tricks the Hannans used to climb this wall. We'll figure out their tricks by sunfall."

The aide took them along the ground level again before descending down spiralling stone steps once more. Guards allowed them to pass, weapons in their hands. Security had increased since last night's events. They walked along the underground tunnel before it opened up to a larger chamber with metal bars running up and down each opening.

And within one of those dungeon rooms lay the dead demon and a rune mage crouched beside it. Brigadier General Grader stood in the far corner, arms crossed, murmuring to one of the other soldiers to his left. To Seiren's surprise, knelt before them was a spindly, haggard woman with leathery skin. Blood stained the front of her long dress that went down to her ankles, but the hem was ripped up to the knees.

A Hannan.

"There's no doubt about it. They're runes."

The temperature in the air dropped by several degrees. The room fell silent. Henley Culpepper stood up, her rainbow-lined black cloak swishing, and she tucked a strand of greying brown hair behind her ear. Her eyes flashed behind her spectacles. Maura stepped in and circled the dead demon in the middle of the dungeon floor. Five runes sat in a circle around the body, bathing it in a mix of green and violet. Seiren recognised the pattern: it slowed biological progress, meaning the body rotted at a slower rate. The analysing rune Culpepper had placed on the body fizzled away.

"How would Hannans get a hold of runes?" said Grader, his jaw twitching.

"That's the question, isn't it? Why don't you ask her?" said Maura, pausing and pursing her lips at the Hannan female.

Seiren's eyes darted back to the creature. It was quite a comical-looking demon were its destructive powers not so great. Its thick blue tongue lolled out of its mouth. Its head was the same width as its lengthy body. Its stumpy legs folded at its side, with some of the long claws snapped off. In the centre of its head was a vicious burn weld with several holes boring into its skull.

She turned back to the Hannan, whose head was bowed. She wasn't even sure if the woman was conscious.

"She won't talk," said Grader. "My men and I already interrogated her for the past five hours. She doesn't respond to physical pain or traditional torture methods."

"Any chance you can trace it to the creator, Culpepper?" said Maura, studying the Hannan and rubbing her chin.

"I'm good, but not that good," Culpepper said with a growl, crossing her arms. "If you need something that specialist, you'll need Kristen Harred or Kommora Haigh. Not me."