Return of the Runebound Professor

“Did Brayden just teleport?” Isabel asked. “I thought he said that was too difficult.”

“Maybe it was much shorter range or only works for a single person?” Noah suggested. “We can ask him when he gets back. I had no idea he could do that.”

“I want to learn how to teleport,” Todd said, shifting into a fighting stance and throwing a punch at the air. “Talk about an awesome fighting style. That would be so useful.”

“Only if you can find the right Runes for that,” Isabel said with a snort. “I bet he’s got some really rare combinations. You could try asking him, but I doubt he’ll say much. Not everyone…”

Isabel trailed off, letting the sentence hang. She didn’t need to finish it. The rest of them all knew what she was thinking.

Not everybody just goes around handing out Runes that they’re supposed to keep secret. I’d imagine I could probably figure out how to get some teleportation Runes of some kind for Todd, though.

Noah’s thoughts were interrupted as he spotted Lee squinting over their shoulders at something. He turned, looking in the same direction, but there was nothing there.

“Lee?” Noah asked. Isabel and Todd both turned toward her as she glanced at Noah.

“Yeah?”

Lee frowned and shook her head. “I thought I saw something, but it must have just been my imagination.”

Noah started to nod, but before he could, a strange scent reached his nose. It was vibrant and sweet, like rain on a fresh spring day, but a dozen times stronger than it should have been. Lee noticed it at the exact same time, her eyes narrowing.

An instant later, a shadow flickered in the corner of Noah’s vision. He spun toward it. A man stood on the road before them, a dark cloak covering most of his body. The hood had been pulled back, revealing a square-jawed face with greying stubble covering his head. The man had a string of large, silver prayer beads clasped between his hands. A beautiful golden band glittered on one of his wrists.

“Greetings,” the man said, inclining his head. His words were soft, unfitting for the sharp lines that made up his face. Isabel and Todd both jumped back in surprise.

“Who are you?” Noah asked, taking a step forward.

“My name is Johan, Rank 3 Inquisitor. Please, do not fear. I am here to help.”

“Help what?” Noah asked, pulling Isabel and Todd back to stand beside him. “We’re quite all right, thank you very much.”

“Do not be alarmed, but my compatriots and I have detected the presence of a demon amongst you. It is possible that you do not even realize you are housing the demon.”

The back of Noah’s spine prickled.

“What? I assure you, there’s nothing like that. We’ve all been together for a while. You must have followed the wrong group.”

Johan shook his head. He ran his thumb along one of the sliver prayer beads, and a dull hum emerged from it. The sound set Noah’s hair on end. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lee grit her teeth.

“Do not fear. I have manners to force the demon out.”

“You heard what our professor said,” Todd growled, taking a step forward. “We don’t–”

A band of golden light unraveled from Yohan’s beads, flitting through the air and snapping around Todd’s mouth before he could finish his sentence. Todd’s eyes widened and he let out a muffled cry.

“Please remain silent,” Johan said. “I must be prepared to act when the demon emerges. Your cooperation is appreciated, but is not required. I have authority to act to purge any and all demon threats from the Arbalest Empire. Attempts to interfere may result in injury or death.”

The humming note emitting from Johan’s prayer beads grew louder. Lee’s hands clenched, her knuckles turning white. Whatever the sound was, it was bad. Noah didn’t blame her – something about it was infuriating. The note felt like it was digging into his ears and brain, digging for his spine.

Todd struggled against the glowing bond, trying to pull it away from his mouth, but it wouldn’t budge. Noah took a step forward, grabbing Todd by the shoulder and pushing him back toward Isabel.

“That’s enough of that,” Noah snapped. “You’re unsettling my students. I won’t ask twice. Leave or–”

A band of golden light shot for Noah, but he was ready for it. He leaned back, letting the magic whip over his head, and sent a pulse of energy into the ground. Johan stumbled as a tremor shook the earth beneath him. The note emitting from his prayer beads vanished and Lee’s shoulders relaxed.

Before Noah could speak, Johan’s hand tightened around the string of beads. He thrust one of his hands forward, and a palm-shaped blast of gold energy shot out toward Noah. A wall of stone erupted from the ground before him as Isabel stepped into the fight, but the hand burst through it like it was made of sand.

Noah grabbed Isabel and dove to the side. The hand slammed into the ground where they’d been standing with a loud crash, compacting the dirt several feet down.

“Get the kids out of here!” Noah vaulting to his feet and shoving Isabel toward Lee.

Lee reached out to grab Isabel, hooking Todd by the collar with her other hand. Johan raised the prayer beads into the air. A deep thrum erupted from them, sending a wave of light out so quickly that Noah didn’t even have a chance to react.

The glowing energy washed over all of them, forming a large ring. Instantly, a brilliant gold dome erupted, sealing them off. Lee dashed into it, driving her elbow into the magic, but she rebounded with a melodic clang.

“We can still do this the simple way,” Johan said, heaving a heavy sigh. “It is clear that the demon has its claws deep in all of you, though. Please come to your senses. Permit me to determine where the demon is.”

“None of us are a demon,” Noah growled, reaching into his bag and stuffing some Flashgrass into his pipe without pulling his hands out.

“The hard way it is,” Johan said.

Noah threw his bag and belongings to the side, combusting the Flashgrass as he raised the pipe to his teeth. Johan stomped the ground and a ripple of gold energy washed toward Noah. Noah mirrored the motion. The earth shuddered as a shockwave rippled out, slamming into Johan’s magic.

The wave of gold faltered for an instant. Then it shoved right past the wave of Noah’s magic, slamming into him. He grunted in pain as the gold light threw him back with such force that he hurtled into the glowing dome, rebounding off it with a clang.

Noah’s world spun as he dropped to the ground beside Lee and his students.

“Professor!” Isabel yelled, running over to him.

“I’m fine,” Noah snarled, staggering upright and ignoring the ringing in the back of his head. He grabbed his pipe from where it had fallen – luckily, the Flashgrass hadn’t fallen out of it – and gathered the smoke that was forming.

At the same time, he combusted the grass around him. Plumes of smoke rose into the air and Noah grabbed all of them, heating the smoke even further with Pyroclastic Resonance. He let out a sharp whistle and the smoldering spike of ash shot out for Johan.

Johan didn’t even try to block it. The magic shattered against a golden dome that sprung to life around him, blowing apart harmlessly.

“Rank two?” Johan guessed. “Three? Then the report was correct.”

How is this guy so powerful just at Rank 3? And reports – damn it. Father sold me out. That backstabbing son of a bitch.

Lee drove her elbow into the golden dome. A ripple of energy passed through it, but the dome held firm.

“Attempts to resist are wasted. You cannot break these Imbuements. They were made by Brother Inaros, a Rank 4 Inquisitor who is partnered with me on this mission. This is your final warning. Cease your interference and permit me to terminate the demon. Even if you can hold my advances off, Inaros will arrive – and he is not nearly as kind as I.”

Johan took a step toward them, running his thumb along the prayer beads once more. A brilliant note rang out. Noah grimaced as it pierced into his ears, but Lee cried out in pain and staggered. A trickle of blood dripped from her nose.

“Two reactions,” Johan mused. “One possessed and the other fully present? You will both have to be purged.”

Fury swelled in Noah as he saw Lee press her hand to her face, her eyes suddenly glassy. Whatever Johan was doing, it was devastatingly effective against her.

Noah called deeply on his new Howling Maelstrom Rune, gathering as much of the energy within it as he dared to handle at once and then a little more. He thrust it out into the air, letting the Rune’s magic take its own form.

A violent, screeching gale ripped out from Noah’s hands, tearing across the ground in a swirling pillar of malevolent white wind. It ripped through the dirt and slammed into Johan. His golden barrier cracked and he skidded back, his eyes widening with shock as the spell bit at him.

Noah charged, calling to all the Ash that still floated around in the air and sharpening it into a heated spike. He whistled, whipping it into the crack in the shield with all the force he could muster. There was a brilliant crash as Johan’s glowing orb shattered. The spike of ash continued forward and struck Johan in the side – where his skin flashed golden.

He has another goddamn shield?

A palm of gold light shot from Johan’s hand. Noah threw himself to the side, but he wasn’t fast enough to completely avoid it. It caught him in the leg, whipping him to the side and sending him hurtling into the glowing barrier around them once more.

Noah grunted in pain as all the air was knocked from his lungs, but he righted himself with a burst of wind before he could fall.

Johan wasn’t going to go down to his normal magic. He needed to use Sunder – and, to do that, he was going to have to get close. Noah darted forward, using Focal Quake to try and knock Johan off balance.

This time, the Inquisitor was ready. He jumped into the air and traced a glowing line before him with a finger. A beam of light shot out, and Noah barely managed to roll to the side in time to dodge it.

Johan held his beads forth, and another brilliant chime rang out. Noah staggered, a spike of agony piercing into his head. Behind him, Lee cried out in pain.

“You should have never left the Damned Plains, Demon,” Johan said, walking toward Noah. “Your kind are not welcome.”

Noah let out a low hum, calling the hot smoke that floated around Johan. A dozen small spikes shot out, shattering harmlessly as they struck his Shield.

“You’re a crazy bastard,” Noah snarled, sprinting at Johan. The Inquisitor shot a palm of energy for Noah, but he vaulted into the air with a burst of wind and let the magic pass beneath him harmlessly.

Noah landed directly in front of Johan and thrust his hand forward. The prayer beads suddenly flashed with light. There was a brilliant explosion and Noah was launched backward like a rocket.

For the third time, he slammed into the glowing dome. He coughed, his head spinning so violently that he couldn’t even call on his magic in time to stop himself from falling.

He hit the ground hard, landing beside Isabel. Groaning in pain, Noah tried to rise to his feet, but he staggered as a wave of dizziness enveloped him.

Johan approached, forming a glowing lance in the air above his head. Isabel dashed forward, running to stand in front of Noah. Todd finally managed to rip the glowing band off his mouth and sprinted to join her.

“Stop!” Isabel yelled. “He’s not a demon! Stop this!”

“He is.” Johan’s thumb ran over the prayer beads once more, and a chime shook the air. Noah screamed as the sound ripped into his head – but not as loudly as Lee, who crumpled to the ground beside him and curling into a ball as tremors shook her body.

Fury and panic wrapped around Noah’s heart like a vice. He desperately pushed himself, trying to rise – but his limbs wouldn’t respond. It wasn’t just from the injuries. Johan’s magic was doing something to his body.

“Step aside,” Johan commanded. “The demons must be purged. I would prefer not to kill innocents, but I will take no risks. This is for the good of all.”

Isabel pressed her hand to her chest. When she pulled it away, a brilliant blue spear burned in her hand. The ground shifted at her feet as stone raced up her legs, encasing her entire body in a suit of armor. Todd’s hands erupted in flames and he lowered into a fighting stance beside Isabel.

“I see,” Johan raised a hand, grabbing the golden lance, and shifted into a light-footed stance. “You are too far gone to be saved. The demon’s influence will be purged – starting with the two of you.”

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