“Close… your eyes…

“You will… remember… glimmers around runes…”

Î nodded. She had seen strange, copper coloured sparks rise from her dress on several occasions, but had never thought to ask about it.

“My dress sometimes glitters with copper—I used copper to write the runes! Do the sparks show which material was used?”

The shadows in Emet’s eye sockets danced, “Look… to my face… Concentrate on… keeping… your eyes closed…”

Î closed them. All she saw was darkness. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to concentrate on. Emet had told her on one of their first meetings that all a kineser needed to do to restore a rune they had carved was touch it and remember that they were a kineser. So Î reminded herself.

The glass ball had led her to Emet. Lord Glove had chosen her. She had created golems, her dress, repaired the improbable watch tower, the floating bridges, and a knife which never grew dull.

In her mind’s eye, Lord Glove spoke to Lanet.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Î is a kineser. I need her.”

Then he struck Lanet down, his hand made of fire. Lanet fell onto a hamlet, which quickly grew into a city. The city burst into flames and Lord Glove strode away. A massive figure rose behind Lord Glove, carved from darkest onyx. With a single blow it sent Lord Glove spinning away into the endless night. The specter turned to face Î and smiled.

“Death,” it said, and Î knew it spoke its name.

Î gasped and opened her eyes. She knew that face. It was from her nightmare. The one she had every night. The one she forgot before she woke. Î shuddered. Tears dripped off her chin. They splashed onto the ground and were absorbed, leaving no trace of their falling.

“What… is wrong?” The stale wind whistled past I’s face, drying her tears.

“Lord Glove. I saw him hurting Lanet.”

“That… did not happen…”

“I saw Death. It smiled at me.”

“Why… do you see… such visions?”

“I remembered a dream. I keep having it.” Î bit her lip, trying to keep the fear from her face. She didn’t want Emet to yell at her again. She knew she shouldn’t have mentioned Lord Glove. Emet didn’t yell, however, she just sighed a weary sigh.

“Dreams… are dreams. Memories… of what is to come. Learn to concentrate… An hour’s walk to… the east… is a wooden bridge… Repair it… and look for runes…”

Î nodded, hiding her face behind her hair, and headed for the stairs. Alisa gathered Î’s inscription tools into a small satchel and followed.