It was a strange feeling, yearning to call upon the magic within the runes while simultaneously wishing they had never returned. Unfortunately, when the lives of his companions were on the line, Arek’s trepidation took backseat. The orc cracked his neck.

Years had passed since Arek had last attempted to draw upon the full power of the runes. The occasional spell he’d cast to help with cooking had drawn so little power from the already damaged runes that the orc hoped that he’d forgotten how to properly access them in the first place. There was no such luck.

The moment Arek’s mind drifted to casting a spell, he felt power start to thrum within his hands. He swallowed and narrowed his eyes. There was no backing away.

“Get ready,” Arek warned. He shoved old memories to the side as he dredged up a spell he hadn’t cast in ten years. He mentally brushed the spiderwebs away, bringing the knowledge to the forefront of his mind.

Within the span of a second, brilliant green lines etched themselves into his claws as individual runes lit up. The air around Arek’s claws crackled. Energy exploded forth, stretching outwards and expanding like an elastic bolt of lightning.

The green light grew darker, forming into a thick pillar about the width of a fist and a half. One end expanded, forming into a large, wicked blade. It had a slight curve that sharpened at the tip. Details continued to slowly appear from within the light. The forms of furious warriors and furious beasts decorated the entire shaft. Arek reached out and grabbed the construct. It hummed in response to his touch.

The light dimmed further before stopping at just a few shades lighter than jade. The blade of the weapon seemed to hum slightly, and the light at its edge was significantly brighter than the rest of the weapon.

Arek kept his hand as far away from his body as he could. He held the staff gingerly, as if it were about to explode.

“That’s an interesting spell,” Magus observed. He watched Arek closely, his inquisitive eyes drinking in every detail. “That’s a guandao if I’m not mistaken. Not many mages bother summoning weapons. It’s much more effective to fight someone from far away.”

“I am not a mage,” Arek said curtly. His voice was so tense that it could have cut a steak.

“I’m not here to argue semantics,” Magus said. “Feeling any urges to go on a killing spree?”

“You can’t just ask him that!” Ming whispered. “You have to be more polite.”

“And how would you do that?” Magus asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Ming cleared her throat and turned to Arek.

“Ah…are we looking any tastier than normal? Like we’d go well atop a bed of spinach, drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette?” Ming paused. Then she licked her lips. “Actually, that sounds kind of good….”

“I’m afraid not,” Arek said. “And, for the record, meat tends to pair well with a salad that has more of a bite. Arugula might be the better option, if you were so inclined.”

“You’re both psychopaths,” Malissa grumbled, doing her best to take the situation seriously. She failed miserably at keeping the grin from her face as Ming nodded thoughtfully in response to Arek’s words.

“Just for educational purposes, do you think a person would taste good? And, while we’re talking about knowledge at that stuff, would they be best medium or medium rare?”

“Do not answer that,” Belmont warned. “She was already an inch away from eating a fishman. We do not need to encourage this further.”

Arek’s mouth snapped shut and he cleared his throat. As far as the orc could tell, not a single trace of unnatural desire towards the magic had appeared. A miniscule amount of the tension left his shoulders.

“Of course. It was just meant to be a joke to lighten the situation,” Arek said. He waited for a few moments until Belmont glanced in Magus’s direction. Then he mouthed ‘medium rare’ at Ming and gave her a wink.

Belmont didn’t see Arek, but he spotted the gleeful grin on Ming’s face and immidiately glared at Arek. The orc shrugged.

The orc dismissed the spell. The guandao shattered into thousands of little motes of light that shimmered and launched back into his claws. The runes faded back to grey.

“I’m not feeling anything yet,” Arek said before any of them could ask. “It’s almost concerning, actually. There’s no way my runes were repaired and improved for free. There has to be a drawback, and I’d much rather know it than be in the dark.”

“Indeed,” Magus agreed, pursing his lips. “I recommend you all stay within the city for the next few days. I have already started scouring the libraries for any information relating to Ming’s eyes. I will add your runes to the list, Arek. However, it does not appear as if there are any immediate consequences to your magic. I don’t believe you are a danger to yourself or the public, so you are free to do as you please.”

“Well, that’s reassuring. The guild has been very effective at solving our other problems,” Malissa said, frowning.

“We’re doing the best we can,” Magus said, frowning. He coughed into his sleeve. “It is impossible to believe how deeply rooted that woman’s organization is. I don’t know why she was foolish enough to challenge Belmont in the middle of the guild, but this is churning up to be quite the conspiracy. It might be one of the biggest scandals that the guild has ever had. So, for your own safety, I strongly recommend against speaking of it further. Rest assured, we are working to reach a satisfactory result.”

“Was that a threat?” Belmont asked, tilting his head slightly.

“A warning,” Magus said. “Do not misunderstand me. You have nothing to fear from me. However, there are many in the adventurer’s guild that would kill to keep the news of such a scandal quiet. Politics are a very dangerous game, and you’ve inadvertently stumbled into what may very well be the largest match of the decade.”