12 Arash - Rune Masters

"Wait!" Saroh called out in fear. Struggling to get to his feet, but his old age and missing a huge chunk of his leg made it impossible. "Boy! We can come to an understanding." The old man desperately cried. But seeing that Arash had no plans of stopping, he cursed under his breath. "I will tell you about the runes. Stop!"

Arash finally stopped, a smile crept onto his face. He had been worried that the old man wouldn't crack. No matter how much he hated the man, it still felt wrong to leave him for dead.

"What did you say?" Arash half turned towards Saroh. He could see the old man miserably crawling towards him.

"Don't be coy with me boy." Saroh glared as he saw Arash acting the fool. "I have something you want, and I need your help. We can come to an understanding."

"I am sure we can. Just cough out the runes and tell me how you did you conjure those spikes and you can live to see another day."

"Bah! I wasn't born yesterday boy. Take me to shelter first and only then will I tell you about the runes." Saroh said.

"I don't have any guarantees either. Not after you used me as bait." Arash uttered. He tried to keep his composure, but he was furious. He clearly remembered his horror when the beast rushed towards him, and all that was the courtesy of that conniving bastard. Arash wouldn't dare to believe anything said by him.

"You still hung up on that? Boy, how many times must I tell you. I did what I did to survive, it was nothing personal." Saroh replied with an exasperated expression. "You would have done the same. You just don't know it."

"I would have done the same?" Arash said, the words felt like poison in his mouth. He wanted to leave right there and then, but the allure of the runes were too much for him. "Tell me everything that you know. No lies. If I get even a tiny bit feeling of foul play. I will leave. Never to return. Decide!"

"I don't trust that you would keep your end of the bargain." Saroh uttered with a troubled expression.

"Thats your problem." Arash could see the change in the man's behavior. The old bastard was panicking. Arash had him, and he knew it. "Hurry up and decide. The winds won't stay gentle forever."

"Ughh!" Saroh glared daggers at Arash, but he knew he got the short end of the straw. It was either death or a gamble on the boy who came to save him. He didn't have to think twice. "Fine. I will hold you to your word. For whatever that means." He snarled in disdain. "What are runes?"

"What?" Arash said, not really sure how to reply.

"Are you retarded boy? Or are you unable to piece together simple sentences? I asked you what runes are?"

"Ah! They are words of the ancient, carve--"

"Stop right there!" Saroh scoffed in disdain.

"You sure know how to behave when your life is at the mercy of another." Arash chided.

"And you are an oaf. Who believes runes are words? " Saroh shook his head. "They are not words boy. They are the governing rules of nature, they shape our reality" Saroh picked up a handful of dust. "This dust has shape and design because of the rune that binds it." His fist loosened and dust slowly trickled down. "And we as rune masters user our wills to reshape it.."

Arash listened with utmost concentration, even though a part of him dismissed the words of the old man to poetic bullshittery. But there was also a part of him that understood it. Everything made sense until Saroh started talking about will.

"What is will?"Arash asked with a frown.

"You don't know what will is?" Saroh's eyes widened in surprise. He shook his head in dismay. "What did I expect from a miner… Look! boy, if you don't know about will. It is useless for me to tell you how I made spikes shoot out of the earth…" He looked around varily "The wind is picking up. We won't be able to leave once the wind picks up."

"Don't worry about the winds!" Arash said with all the confidence he could muster, but he could feel the wind stinging the raw skin on the back of his neck. Fear gripped him as his muscles tensed. "Tell me everything you know."

"Damn you!" Saroh scowled in anger. He took out another leather bag from inside his shirt, eyes fixed on the land around him. The dust had started to rise. He thumbed out a small mana stone from the bag. "Listen boy, I am going to tell you this once. If you know what's good for you, we will leave. Or I swear, you won't be returning on your feet." He took the mana stone in his gloved hand. "We all have a power within us, the power that comes from our mind. It is too weak to be of any use, but if you are blessed with this power, you can do wondrous things." He stared at his hand. The stone suddenly melted and formed a strange rune. "Come here!" Saroh urged. Upon seeing Arash hesitating, he yelled "Boy! Hurry up, we don't have time!"

There truly wasn't much time. The hour of peace would soon be over. Arash threw caution to the wind and approached the old man.

"Raise your shirt! Quickly!"

Arash quickly raised his shirt, revealing badly bruised ribs.

"How do you reckon I will reach your ribs?" Saroh remarked. Arash kneeled down in front of the old man.

"Don't move!" Saroh warned. Arash was apprehensive of the old man, but he didn't move. Saroh brought the rune close to Arash's ribs and gently tipped it over. The rune merged with Arash's flesh. He felt a cool, gentle sensation spread across his chest. The bruises reduced at a visible rate, his broken ribs were healed in a flash. Arash stared at his ribs in awe.

"It was..." Arash glanced at the old man beside him.

"Stop standing there like a fool and bring your shoulder here. We don't have time." Saroh made another glowing rune and healed Arash's shoulder. "I have shown you everything. Now keep your end of deal and get me out of here."

Arash didn't dare to dawdle for even a single moment. He picked up the old man on his back and rushed towards the mana deposits.