Chapter 31:

We moved around the kitchen, gathering ingredients. Leia handed me a knife and some vegetables to chop. I noticed her glancing at me from time to time, her shyness still evident, but she seemed more comfortable when focused on her own task.

As I chopped the vegetables, I decided to start a conversation, wanting to steer it toward something that might give me more insight into how magic truly worked. I had already learned it was powered by the mana we generated each day and night from the two celestial bodies, but I wanted to know more - especially practical and efficient ways to use magic.

Obviously, each mineral held its unique ability, but there was more to it than just that. For example, sunstone granted the ability to control fire, yet the ways it could be used depended on the mage. There were so many ways one could manipulate fire. The different spells for each mineral were created by the mages who became experts in their use.

And that was without even mentioning runic magic, which seemed like a completely different type of magic that I had no idea how to approach.

“So, have the suntraps been useful in your research?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Leia hesitated for a moment, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her apron as she seemed deep in thought. “Not yet, but they will be.”

A familiar silence fell over us, interrupted only by the sound of chopping. It reminded me how bad I was at talking to people. I’d always known my social skills were terrible, but they had never felt as useless as they did now.

Asking her about the project she was working on might bring her talkative self out, but it could also push her further away if that was something she wasn’t willing to discuss. That was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.

Then, and idea hit me. I decided on a new, safer approach. “How do the stones in Seb’s workshop work exactly? I understand they’re sunstone-granites, but the way the hanging lamps light up when they're clicked on each other suggests there’s more to it.”

I had already assumed it had something to do with runic magic, as I had noticed what looked like runes on each stone, but I figured this question might get Leia talking.

“Keen eye.” She said with a soft smile, her eyes lighting up as she explained. “The hanging lamps and the stones are linked together through linkage runes. When Seb creates the spark using his mana and the sunstone-granites, the link transfers the fire to the lamps thanks to a causation rune.”

Analysing her words, I began constructing a general understanding of runic magic in my mind.

“How does it work exactly?” I asked. “Runic magic, I mean.”

She shrugged. “As all magic works, really.”

“Which is?” I continued, playing the part of the ignorant student.

“Through mana.” She explained calmly. “When you use minerals, you channel your mana through the minerals, and what comes out is the unique magic of that mineral. The mineral sort of acts as a funnel to your mana. With runic magic, it’s quite similar. You channel your mana into the runes you inscribe, and depending on the category of the rune, whatever you intended...happens.”

“Category of the rune?” I echoed, finally feeling like I was learning something new.

But she decided not to continue. “It’s a fairly long explanation, which I’m sure I’m not fit enough to give to an aspiring young mage.” She said, her gaze dropping down. “You’ll have better luck at the academy. They’ll teach you much better than I ever could.”

I was still very much an amateur regarding everything magic, but weren’t her inventions ground-breaking? Why would she say she wasn’t a good fit?

“Why would you say that?”

She sighed, then seemed to hesitate before answering. “Because…” She trailed off and visibly changed her mind. “Never mind.”

Knowing I couldn’t just back off, I decided to press, but gently.

“Larina is pretty far away.” I said, referring to city where Seb’s university was located. I didn’t really know where the city was, but I remembered hearing it was an island, and since there seemed to be no ocean or sea nearby, it was logical to assume it was far.

She nodded, yet seemed unimpressed with my answer. “True, but Willox is only about a week away.”

She was right. I just didn’t expect her to deflect my words so easily.

“And maybe someday I’ll go there.” I said, trying a different approach. “But right now, I’m here while Seb treats Ren, so I might as well learn as much as I can. I’ve heard the world of academic magic is pretty competitive. Maybe learning from you will give me a head start on the other students?”

She suddenly made eye contact with me, her gaze intense, and a shiver ran down my spine.

“Is that why you want to learn magic? To compete with others?” she asked.

It was clear from her tone that my next answer would determine whether this conversation was doomed or not, so I met her gaze, speaking confidently. “No. Of course not. I just want to learn.”

She studied me for a moment before returning to chopping the vegetables. After a short pause, she spoke again. “Very well. But first, you must promise that you’ll never use what I teach you to harm others, whether directly or indirectly.”

My heart raced with excitement, and I immediately blurted out. “Of course. I promise.” Unsure if I’d even be able to keep that promise considering the mess Ren and I were in.

“Okay.” She nodded and seamlessly transitioned to answering my earlier question. “In modern runic magic, there are four main categories of runes: Linkage, Sealing, Enhancing, and Binding. But there are also runes that don’t fit into any of those categories. The knowledge of runic magic has degraded over the centuries, so most of these are now lost in time. Today, they’re simply referred to as ancient runes. They’re rare, but they still exist in our world. Stumbling upon someone who knows one of them could be a blessing – or a curse. Depending on the character of the person who holds the knowledge, of course.”

“What kind of ancient runes are there?”

She smiled at the question. “There were so many, really. One could make a tree grow faster, producing fruit in mere seconds. Another, simpler one, could be woven into clothes to keep them clean no matter how dirty you get. A third could make your backpack bottomless and weightless. We know about these through history books, but sadly, the knowledge of the runes themselves was lost over time.”

Her mention of the bottomless and weightless backpack immediately reminded me of Belferon and his magical backpack. Thinking back, he did say the backpack had an ancient rune on it. At the time, I didn’t know the term, so I didn’t think much about it. Now, with the backpack destroyed and Belferon dead, I wondered if the knowledge of that specific rune was lost forever.

I also assumed the rune in Seb’s drawer that made all its contents disappear was one of those ancient runes as well.

“Anyway, you shouldn’t bother yourself with those.” Leia continued. “Focus on the four core categories. If you ever actually run into an ancient rune, it’s obviously incredible, but treat it as a bonus to the knowledge you gain from the core ones.”

I nodded thoughtfully, shifting back to the subject that had started this conversation. “So, linkage runes connect the stones to the lamps and make them light up when the granite-sunstone is activated. What runes do you use for that?”

She finished chopping a carrot and quicky grabbed a cabbage, continuing to explain while she cut. “There are two subcategories of linkage runes: Link types and Purpose types. They probably had different names in the past, but today we call them that. Purpose types determine how objects will interact. For instance, the mirror-type rune makes one object mimic what happens to the other, like a reflection in a mirror. Another is the causation-type rune, which makes the second object experience what was inflicted on the first, and the one I used on the granite-sunstones and lamps in Seb’s workshop.”

She paused to slice the cabbage more finely, then added. “Link types, on the other hand, are what actually connects one object to another. This is where a mage’s creativity really comes into play. You don’t have to stick to preset runes; you can create your own, as long as you follow the general rules of runic language regarding linkage runes.”

There were so many things I didn’t understand from what she had just said that I wasn’t even sure where to start.

“Wouldn’t using an existing set of runes make things easier?” I asked. “Why would anyone want to create their own link type runes?”

She nodded. “Yes, it does make things easier, which is why there are some link type runes that are generally used more than others. For example, a simple circle or a diagonal line that breaks twice or thrice in the middle.”

I sensed there was a ‘but’ coming, so I stayed silent and waited for her to continue.

“But...” she eventually said, “a linkage is only as strong as its link type rune. A simple rune won’t provide much resistance if another mage tries to break the link. On the other hand, a more complex rune could give them trouble, especially if it’s a unique rune that you created.”

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So, unique link type runes were harder to create but offered greater resilience against external threats. That was an important detail to remember.

“You mentioned the rules of runic language?” I raised another question.

She silently handed me some zucchinis and yellow bell peppers to chop, and I began cutting them as I waited for her response.

“Yes. The link type runes you create need to be made of either cursive lines or sharp-breaking lines, or a combination of both.” She explained, then added. “Oh, and you have to inscribe it without lifting your hand from the surface you’re working on. And obviously, the rune can’t be an already existing one from another category, or instead of a link, you’ll create that other type of rune.”

“But isn’t there a possibility a link type rune I come up with already exists as an ancient rune without me knowing?”

She shrugged. “It’s possible, but I’ve never heard of that happening to anyone, so I’d say the chances are slim. Ancient runes' designs are usually pretty complex.”

I nodded as I processed the information. Then I realized something - there didn’t seem to be any significant downside to creating unique link type runes. Sure, it required some extra thought, but if it made your links harder to break, it seemed like a small price to pay.

“Is there no real downside to creating unique link type runes?” I asked, seeking confirmation.

She seemed thoughtful at my words. “Well, it’s not exactly a downside, but as I said earlier, a link type rune connects two or more objects together. For that to work, you need to inscribe the exact same rune on each of the objects in question. If the unique link type rune you created is too complex, you might struggle to inscribe it perfectly on each object. And if the runes don’t match – no link.”

She turned around, walked over to the cupboard, and pulled out a metallic pot. “I can’t believe we forgot to boil the water. Be right back.”

As I finished cutting the vegetables she gave me, I waited for her to return, reflecting on everything I’d learned so far.

Link type runes seemed crucial to understand, as the idea of linking objects together sounded incredibly useful. Sure, it required preparation – inscribing runes wasn’t something you could likely do in the heat of the moment during an attack - but the benefits were clear. It could be used offensively, for example, by linking simple rocks to a burning piece of paper, causing the rocks to catch fire as they mirror the paper. It could also be used for survival - linking several stones to a bell, setting the stones around you as you sleep, and when someone steps on one of the stones, the bell would ring, alerting you to their presence.

The possibilities seemed endless, yet my knowledge was still practically non-existent. I knew I had to learn more. I needed to learn more.

Leia returned shortly with a pot of water and placed it on the sunstone-granite surface. She touched the surface to activate it, then turned to me.

“You probably have many more questions.” She said with an endearing smile, making eye contact again. “Ask away while we wait for the water to boil.”

It was clear, once again, that she became a completely different person when she spoke about magic.

“Can we link something without a solid surface? Like...” my gaze fell on the pot. “The water inside the pot. Could we make it boil faster by linking it to something, and then setting that object on fire?”

She shook her head. “No. For a link to work, the rune must be inscribed on all objects in question, and since you can’t leave a lasting rune on water, the link won’t work.”

“Would it work on ice, though?” I asked.

“It will.” She replied, looking thoughtful. “But only until the ice melts into water. Then we’d run into the same issue.”

“What about more complex objects?” I continued, trying to understand the limits of linking. “Like houses. Or maybe even larger things, like the ground itself?”

She nodded excitedly. “Those are great questions! Generally speaking, the answer is no, but it really depends on the mage and their mana. A strong mage with a large mana pool might be able to link an entire wall of a house, while a weaker one might only manage a single brick at best.”

“As for the ground,” she continued, “that’s a bit trickier and fairly difficult to explain. In short, a single rune on the ground won’t do anything – it’s useless. You need at least two to define a designated area that gets linked to whatever you put the third rune on. This brings us back to what I said earlier about the difference in mana between mages. A strong mage can link a larger area, while a weaker one might overestimate their abilities and inscribe the runes too far apart, defining an area which they can’t possibly link. In that case, it’s as if they only inscribed a single rune twice – nothing happens.” She paused, her expression serious. “It’s different for binding type runes, though, but that’s a topic for another time. I think I’ve already overwhelmed you with enough new information for now.”

Define? Designated area? Seeing how that was the short version made me wonder what the long one was.

The sound of boiling water interrupted us, and she turned to start adding the vegetables into the pot. She sprinkled in three different herb powders and stirred them before closing the lid and sitting back down in front of me.

Feeling that I shouldn’t rush into more new information without fully understanding what she had taught me so far, I decided to test my luck.

“Can you demonstrate some uses of linkage runes, please?” I asked, hoping she would agree.

“Uhm...sure.” she said with a weak smile, glancing around the kitchen while mumbling to herself. “Let’s see...”

She reached into the same cupboard as before and took out another pot with a matching metallic lid. Then, she reached into the back pocket of her trousers and pulled out a black, finger-sized stick that looked like an oil pastel.

“You can use anything, really. Oil pastels, chalks, or even charcoal. You can even use a knife to carve the rune if the surface allows it. As long as you infuse the rune with your mana it should work.” She said before bringing the lid closer to her and continuing. “Let’s go for a simple link type rune.”

She drew what looked like a child’s drawing of lightning – a simple straight line that broke twice in the middle. After that, she brought the pot closer and drew the exact same rune, whispering. “Linaeth.”

As she pronounced the word, both symbols glowed green for a brief moment. “This is the runic word that creates a link. The glow confirms the runes were infused with my mana, and the link was set.”

I nodded, impressed, as the magic slowly unfolded before my eyes.

“Now, for the purpose type rune.” She said, grabbing the lid again.

She drew a square around the previous lightning-shaped rune, then did the same on the pot while whispering. “Velsor.”

The squares glowed blue for a short moment.

“This is the runic word for the mirror purpose type rune.” She explained, her voice full of passion. “The purpose type rune should always surround the link type rune you inscribe. If it doesn’t, nothing will happen. A link type rune without a purpose type rune is useless, and the same goes for the other way around.”

I nodded as the rules of purpose type runes became clearer.

“Now, let’s see what happens.” She smiled, handing me the lid. “Put it on the table in front of you.”

I did as she said, setting the lid in front of me, while she placed the pot in front of her.

“Now, if I push this pot off the table, what do you think will happen to the lid?” she asked, her tone curious.

I thought for a moment. “Will it fall as well?”

“Exactly.” She nodded and gave the pot a gentle shove off the edge of the table.

The pot hit the ground with a loud crash, and to my amazement, the lid followed it precisely, falling to the floor with a clatter.

“The lid is linked to the pot with a mirror purpose type rune. Whatever happens to one, the other mirrors it.”

I watched, fascinated, as Leia glanced at me with a hint of a smile. “So, what do you think would happen if I lift the pot from the ground? Will the lid follow again?”

I paused, then nodded, though it sounded like a trick question. “It should follow, right?”

Leia shook her head, her smile widening. “It’s a trick question. Watch this.”

She bent down and picked up the pot, lifting it slowly from the ground. The lid, however, stayed on the floor, unmoved.

“What’s the logic behind that?” I asked, puzzled.

“The intent behind the magic is what matters the most.” She explained. “As long as I don’t want the lid to mirror the pot, it won’t.”

I eyed her questioningly.

She smiled softly and placed the pot back on the floor. “Now, just as before, I’ll want the lid to mirror the pot. Let’s see what happens.”

She grabbed the pot, and suddenly the lid elevated itself from the ground, floating at the same height as the pot. She placed the pot on the table, and the lid followed, until both rested on the kitchen table.

“Intent is what matters.” She repeated, her soft smile spreading. “If I didn’t want the lid to follow the pot when I pushed it off the table, then it wouldn’t have fallen either.”

“That’s incredible.” I said, excitement creeping into my voice. “The linkage runes are very versatile.”

“Yes. Runes are powerful tools, and understanding how they work will grant you a greater mastery in magic than anything else can.” She said. “Now, would you like to try for yourself?”

“Me?” I raised an eyebrow. “Can I even do it? Don’t I need more theoretical knowledge?”

She shook her head. “I explained enough for you to attempt a simple linkage.”

“Well, I can try.” I said, still unsure.

She handed me the black oil pastel. “You can use the same pot, lid, and runes that I did. Then, focus your mana the same way you do when you use your rings, and channel it into the rune while repeating the runic words.”

I nodded, grabbing the lid. I inscribed the same runes as her on both the pot and the lid, then focused, channelling my mana toward the runes while whispering. “Linaeth.”

Both runes glowed with a green light, and I instinctively smiled. “It worked!”

Leia chuckled. “Of course it did. You’re a good listener. Now, inscribe the purpose type rune.”

I nodded and quickly surrounded both symbols with a square, whispering. “Velsor.” Both glowed blue for a second.

“Great.” Leia said with a smile. “Now, try doing what I did before. Remember - intent is the key.”

“Okay.” I reached for the pot.

As I gently pushed it off the kitchen table, I thought about how I didn’t want the lid to follow, and so it stayed on the table as the pot fell to the floor. At first, I was ecstatic that it worked, but then I suddenly became doubtful.

“Wait.” I said, discouraged. “Maybe the link didn’t work and that’s why the lid didn’t follow.”

Leia shrugged, smiling. “Then try lifting it up and see what happens.”

I nodded and reached for the pot on the floor. Placing my hands on it, I thought about wanting the lid to mirror its movement. As I lifted the pot from the ground, the lid copied the motion, rising from the table higher and higher until it almost touched the ceiling.

“It works!” I grinned.

“Good job, Luca.” Leia clapped her hands and smiled. “That’s your first rune.”

I smiled at her praise, then wondered how to get the lid back from the ceiling without it crashing too hard.

“Might as well show you how you can break a rune.” Leia suddenly said, as if reading my mind.

She raised her hand, pointed at the lid, and whispered. “Kolen.”

I watched as the rune on the lid glowed red, and it immediately dropped down, but Leia caught it in mid-air with ease.

“Is Kolen the runic word to dispel a linkage rune?” I asked.

“Yes, but it’s not that simple.” She explained. “In addition to the word, you also need to understand the rune itself and be able to overcome the other mage’s mana. Your mana pool is impressive for someone your age, especially considering it doesn’t seem like you had practiced magic before, but it’s still weaker than mine. You also used a very simple and wide-known rune. Combine these two factors, and you’ll understand why it was relatively easy for me to break.”

“Is that what you meant when you said that a complex rune would be harder to break?”

She nodded. “Yes. Weaker mages often inscribe more complex link type runes in order to cover up their mana shortcomings. Sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn’t.”

“Is it possible to break the rune by ruining the inscription physically?” I asked curiously, recalling the rune in Seb’s drawer and how I was unable to damage it.

She shook her head. “The runes are protected with magic, so it’s impossible to damage them.” She brought the oil pastel to the rune she’d inscribed on the pot and tried to draw over it. Nothing happened. The pastel wasn’t leaving any marks on the rune. “Once the runes are activated, they can only be broken by magic.”

I watched her as she looked at me, her shyness momentarily forgotten in her enthusiasm. The world of runic magic was vast and filled with potential. Potential I could turn into our favor as we made our way to Kase.

“Thank you so much, Leia!” I said, offering my most sincere smile. “I’d be glad to learn more from you while Ren and I stay here.”

She seemed hesitant, and her shy demeanor returned instantly. After a moment of silence, she gave a small nod. “If that’s what you want.”

Before I could respond, a familiar voice sounded from outside the door. “It’s me.”

It was Axel.