"It's mages attacking mages, isn't it, Rummage?"

Kommora crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. Rummage's face drained of blood. She dressed in her brown, skirted mage's off-duty uniform, but it was rumpled as if she hadn't paid much attention to her appearance for once. Even her usually shiny, flawless hair wasn't brushed and she had dark smudges of sleeplessness beneath her eyes, which flew to the door in a panic.

"Relax. Liore and Ash are keeping guard outside. There's nobody that can hear us here. You can talk. Sit."

Rummage perched on the edge of the chair, her hands clasped on her knees. Her eyes scanned the windows and she visibly relaxed when she spotted the violet runes gleaming on the glass. She swallowed and nodded.

"It's three cases now. The same person?"

"I don't know. The style of magic isn't quite the same, and the first case was a burst magic kill, so I dare say it's at least three mages gone rogue. Those aren't simple runes but it's nothing I've seen before. This one's a triple blend: two reds and an orange. The destruction's unbelievable." Rummage ran a hand through her hair. "These are some very experienced mages and it's frightening to think they're after state mages. You and I could be next. There was evidence that Denerin put up a fight."

"No shit, Rummage. I think the two rows of burned down houses from burst magic was very much Raynott's doing. I'd like them to take me on, ha!" Kommora placed her feet on her table, almost upending her pile of books. "I can't say even I can pull off a triple blend, though, and on the go?"

"No, it was pre-meditated. The attacker planned to kill Denerin. It was only a matter of getting closer to him and, well, they succeeded."

"There are hundreds of state mages. It would be near impossible to even sieve through the records. But Raynott was the only state mage in Keycol, wasn't he? They purposefully went all the way to that godforsaken place just to kill him? But Raynott wasn't anything special, just another runt who thinks he's something 'cos he's done some time in the military. Him and Domic bloody Butterworth."

"Domic Butterworth... I'm surprised he even showed up. There's nothing for him to see there."

"But you did, though." Kommora raised an eyebrow.

"The advanced runes – I could only see what they used to be like with chaos magic. The life essence from Denerin allowed me to visualise the remnants, but I don't think any rune or other magic could unearth them. Even with the most advanced tracker rune, it would be difficult. The rune on Denerin blasted a hole clear through his chest. He was dead on the spot."

So when Kommora found her, Rummage was already just salvaging the clues. Interesting that she hadn't volunteered this information to Butterworth.

"This – the fact that it was advanced rune magic and by mages – who have you told?"

"Nobody. Just you and Rowan."

"Oh, the runt is involved, too?"

Rummage gave a small smile, still twisting the front of her uniform. "He'll freak out if he hears you call him that. He used to head the investigation into Gyan Carla's death."

"Got taken over by a king's mage though, didn't it?"

"Zor Jarsdel took over not long after Ro arrived in Reculver. He wouldn't even let Ro see the body, said it was the king's instructions for Jarsdel to take charge and he no longer needed Ro's assistance."

"Just like Butterworth did last week."

"Yes. You think there's something more going on?"

"What gave it away? The fact that they're taking over investigations into the cases? Or the fact that they aren't willing to tell state mages what's going around killing us and they get edgy if you press them? The people are worried. They see our presence as a promise of safety and assistance, but if we can't even keep ourselves safe we can hardly guarantee theirs."

Rummage bit her lip.

"I wouldn't worry too much about yourself, Rummage. You're the only chaos mage in Karma. If you die, I'm pretty sure Pollin wouldn't be too happy. The rest of us seem to be pretty expendable so far, seeing as he's done nothing about it."

"I'm more worried for my student. Our students. They're helpless."

"Oh, yes. It's about time they grow a pair, isn't it?"

"Don't be so flippant about it, Kommora! Aren't you scared? They take an experienced state mage on and kill so easily. And the king won't tell us anything!"

"But that's the trick, isn't it? They want to take on mages. So that'll be our best bet to catching ourselves these rogues. Use your students. They're pretty worthless right now; the least they can do is be bait."

"Mage Haigh!" Rummage snapped, her fists curling. She realised her outburst. "My apol—"

"I'm pissing with you, Rummage. But in all honesty: there's something Pollin is keen to hide and I'm keen to find out what that is."

"Even if King Pollin's...?"

"Even if it's King bloody Pollin. I've told you this before: that man is not fit to be king, and I'll be happy to see his demise."

"Don't say that outside of this room, Mage Haigh, please. You'll be put to death for treason."

Kommora grinned. "I think you'll find I'm too valuable for that. But don't worry your pretty little head, Rummage. I'm not that stupid. I have great plans for the years ahead and I plan to have you and others behind me."

"I'll follow you anywhere, Mage Haigh. You know that. I wouldn't have gone so far with chaos magic if you hadn't taken me on and funded me through King's. I owe you everything."

"And yet you still prance around with that headful of long hair." She shook her head and ran a hand through her own short grey ones. "I thought you'd value my advice."

"I value it. I just don't want to heed this particular one." Rummage laughed weakly, her mind obviously still on Raynott's death. "I'd better go, Mage Haigh. I need to head back to Bicknor."

"Right. Rummage..."

She turned.

"That kid's staying with you, right?"

"Hadrien's staying with some relatives down the--"

"No, short-ass's one."

"Oh, Seiren? Yes. She's been approved to do research at the Institute. Seems a bright kid, but a bit challenged in the pleasantry aspect."

"Bright?" Kommora cackled. "Good at studying doesn't make you bright. She might study well but she's pretty thick when it comes to real life stuff. I'd keep an eye on her if I were you, Rummage."

"You think she'll be targeted?"

"No. There are just... certain people who are interested in her." Kommora wouldn't be surprised if that child had a secret, what with the tragic circumstances in which she lost her family, not dissimilar to Loren Rummage's herself, and her mother being a former king's mage. Pollin certainly held an interest in the Harred girl. Kommora's investigation into those gangs at Danaway hadn't yielded anything: just a bunch of desperate protesters using their muscles instead of intellect to survive in hardship. They were nobody special and never had been. So Pollin's presence must have been for that Harred girl. That was another strange thing, the fact that she took on Kristen Harred's maiden name on enrolling at King's so that her mage name wouldn't be Harred. Perhaps she simply wanted not to be reminded of the past. Perhaps there was something more.

Rummage appeared worried, bidding goodbye to Kommora. That girl was always a worrier, much as she'd pretended to be carefree and simple. It drew few questions, especially around the fact that a twenty-five-year-old created such powerful magic out of apparently nowhere. People figured her for a genius airhead due to her apparent honesty and devotion to her work, rather than one harbouring a military secret Edden Rummage stole on his ultimate mission and died for.

Kommora had promised Inara she would never tell her daughter where Edden's 'heirloom' came from. As far as Loren Rummage was concerned, chaos magic was a present Edden wanted his precious only daughter to have when she graduated King's despite not being a mage himself. Inara, not a mage herself either, was aware of the consequence of this falling into the wrong hands and came to Kommora asking for it to be sealed into Loren's body. Magic that thrived on life and death was not to be careless with; Edden came to that realisation too late, after he'd acquired it, and when he found out his mission's true purpose.

The familiar heaviness sat in Kommora's chest at the thought of the Rummages. Inara had been an excellent assistant, selfless and honest; it was easy to see where Loren Rummage got her traits from. She had been happy to protect that magic at the cost of her own life and her own daughter's freedom. It was a shame Loren would never know the true reason why her parents perished.

It was just as well, really. She never had a say to have military secret scorched into her mind. It was better for her to remain ignorant of it and to ensure nobody else learned chaos magic but the ones who genuinely wanted to do good. Even at its cost -- but Kommora could not warn Rummage of the consequences without revealing her role in the chaos magic acquisition.

Rummage and Harred, two potentially valuable pieces for the wrong hands. One held the elusive secret to magic and the other the child of one of the most powerful rune mages in history. Which of the two were these rogue mages after? And where did Pollin come into this?

Kommora would find out soon enough.

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