Return of the Runebound Professor

One drink and exactly thirty minutes later, Aylin died.

At least, a portion of him did. A demon was their soul, and their runes were them. It was difficult to state exactly where the mind started and the soul ended, but it was a common belief that every step toward the peak of power brought one farther away from their former self.

He’d just taken over a dozen.

Spider had stuffed him like a pig on the table of some Archdemon, ripe to be eaten. He had been polite but relentless, summoning rune after rune in the air before Aylin and waiting until he absorbed it before moving on to the next. Spider seemed to have a limitless supply.

It had taken Aylin minutes to draw every single one, and he feared to think what would have happened if he’d taken to it faster. He’d had thought it would end when Spider produced the sixth rune in a row, but the moment Aylin had absorbed it, Spider had given him strict instructions on how to combine it and what to focus on.

And, by some miracle, it had worked — but Spider wasn’t done. Even as Aylin had stared at his newly forged Rank 2 Rune, Spider did nothing but summon yet another rune to Aylin’s soul. Then he’d shattered it, commanding Aylin to draw the power into his newly made rune.

Spider repeated that until the rune was full — and yet, somehow, they still weren’t done. When Aylin finally managed to fill his rune, Spider did nothing but summon yet another rune and stare at him expectantly.

Then they’d repeated the cycle.

It wasn’t a miracle anymore. The shock and disbelief had turned into awe. Spider was no mere demon. He couldn’t have been an Archdemon either — no self-respecting Archdemon would ever have been caught dead passing away so much power to a streetlord, much less a starving child.

There was no doubt that the runes came with so many strings that Aylin may as well have been woven into a tapestry, but there was no refusing Spider. Even if he’d wanted to, he wasn’t so sure he’d have had the willpower to.

And so the old Aylin died at the lip of the glass vial with nothing but a single ratty Demon Rune to his name. In his place woke a newly forged Rank 3 demon. The energy pumping through his soul wound into his body and made every single muscle burn like it was on fire.

“Aylin?” Violet’s concerned voice broke through the ringing in his ears and the blood pounding in his skull. “Are you okay?”

He wasn’t so sure he knew the answer to that question. Everything felt so hot. So… different. It was his body, but it wasn’t. Runic energy worked its way through him and reforged the flesh in its wake.

His stomach filled out and the little muscle he had hardened and thickened with power. His dirty fingernails darkened to an ashy gray and he felt his teeth sharpening. His ears lengthened and narrowed at their tops. The burning heat started to abate, replaced by a comforting warmth deep within him.

A flicker of fear that he might turn into a lumbering hulk like Golon passed through him, but no such thing happened. His tongue ran along his lip.

He could taste the world, and its flavor was vibrant. So full of energy and potential — but that wasn’t all. Aylin’s ears twitched. Everyone was so… present. The panicked thump of Violet’s heartbeat beside him mixed with the flavor of her fear and concern.

He could taste her emotion. Even without looking in her direction, he knew exactly where she was. Her thoughts were so loud and flavorful that he could tell exactly what she was thinking.

So this is what power is? I feel like I know everything. Like I’m in control for the first time in my life. It’s incredible. I —

Aylin’s thoughts ground to a halt. It wasn’t just Violet he could detect.

Stolen novel; please report.

All the newfound power flowing through him seemed to freeze to a halt as his senses passed over the others in the room.

The short demon, her youthful features seeming to place her as not much older than he, tasted like an ocean of blood. Aylin reflexively flinched back as his instincts took over. Looking at her felt like gazing down into the open maw of an enormous, crazed beast a thousand times his size.

The taller female demon wasn’t much better. Instead of blood, she just tasted… wrong. Aylin couldn’t place the flavors enveloping her properly. It was a strange mixture of what he could only describe as sweet and earthy that might have been pleasant if it hadn’t been for the lingering aftertaste of rot.

And then there was Spider.

Aylin’s senses had always been sharp. He hadn’t been the strongest. He hadn’t been the smartest, nor had he been the fastest. The only reason he’d survived as long as he had was the whisper of the streets. The warnings that he could find where no other could.

And, for the first time in his life, Aylin wished his senses hadn’t been quite so good. Bands of terror constricted around his chest and started to squeeze.

Spider was ancient death. The inevitable end that came for all. He tasted like rubble and crumbling civilization. The demon was so old that the city itself felt like Treadon was a child in comparison. A creature that lived as long as he had could barely even still be called a demon.

He’d never met an Archdemon before, nor did he have the slightest desire to, but if Spider had claimed to be one, Aylin would have believed him without a flicker of hesitation. His soul was so ancient, so immense, that he couldn’t even begin to pick up on what else had gone into it.

“Aylin!” Violet said again, more urgently this time. She grabbed him by the shoulder and he drew in a sharp breath, blinking furiously. The overwhelming flavor assaulting him finally relented as his attention diverted.

“I’m fine,” Aylin rasped, his eyes flicking back to Spider despite his best efforts.

The ancient demon took a step back, scooping his huge book off the ground handing it back to the taller female demon.

“You did well,” Spider said. “I’d say that should be sufficient to get you started. I don’t think you’ll have too much trouble early on, so it’ll give you time to get used to things.”

Aylin couldn’t muster words to respond. He wasn’t sure what he possibly could have said, even if he could. He’d dreamed of getting just a single extra rune, moving just a step up the ladder so he might have a better chance at survival, nearly every single night of his life.

And, in a flicker of an instant, Spider had dragged him up to the level of a streetlord without so much as a second thought. Like it was nothing. It almost felt unfair — but little about life was, and Aylin was all too aware that the gift hadn’t come for free.

“I’ll do everything in my power to live up to your expectations. I don’t know much about being a streetlord, but any command you give me will be done.”

“Just try not to be too much of a prick,” Spider said with a dry laugh. “Focus on getting stronger. I can only take you so far, and there are others I have to work on as well. All you’ll have to do is be my face.”

“If any of the other streetlords try to challenge me, I’m not sure I’ll be able to do anything. They have much more experience than I do.”

“Leave the other streetlords and their gangs to me,” Spider said with a shake of his head. “Your only job is to keep this one under control. Trust me. They’ll fall in line easily enough. My power will be enough to hold any fools off for the next few days, and by that point, you’ll have come into your own well enough to hold your own.”

Violet glanced from Aylin to Spider in confusion. She’d clearly picked up on the shift in how they spoke. She knew there should have been no way for Aylin to ever be able to hold his own against anyone in the gang, much less even consider fighting a streetlord.

She wisely chose to avoid voicing her confusion. No matter how openly Spider beckoned them to speak, the taste of the man’s soul still made Aylin’s tongue feel like it was coated in a layer of ash.

“I’ll remain in this area for a short amount of time. If someone does end up causing trouble that you can’t handle, then call me. I will deal with them. But, if you’re capable of it, I’d suggest trying to deal with it yourself. It’ll be better for the long run.”

Aylin nodded his understanding. “What should I have the gang do? You said to spread word about your presence, but how? If they go to other streetlords and threaten them, they’ll just be killed. A challenge like that isn’t something a streetlord can ignore if they want to keep their power.”

“Wait a day — ah, a short while,” Spider advised after a second of thought. “Don’t send anyone out yet. Just focus on getting used to your changed self and preparing for the future. I will lay the framework for messengers. I’m pleased that you’re already thinking like a leader. Well done.”

I’m more just trying to keep us from all getting slaughtered. Would Spider even notice if that happened? I’m not sure I want to know the answer.

“Then I’ll do as you ask,” Aylin said.

“Good. I’ll be taking the tent beside yours. If you need me, come to it. Just make sure you actually need me.”

With that, Spider swept out of the room. The other two demons followed after him, leaving Aylin and Violet in silence.

“Aylin?” Violet whispered. “What just happened?”

It was several seconds before Aylin responded.

“I think I just became a streetlord.”

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