"The shape and form of a rune doesn't usually mean much," he said with casual confidence. "Each runewriter has their own style. It's the intention behind the rune that really matters -- what the runewriter wanted while drawing it, and how much they wanted it, and how much it's been charged."
Anise nodded, basically runes were a form of art... magical art, but art nonetheless. She wondered if she actually had the ability to make her own runes herself.
He glanced to Anise's face, uncertain. "Pirates learned them from the Spirits, who use them to control their elements. The runes that the Spirits use are powerful taboo, so I've never seen one before. So if the Lady of the Pond gave you a rune, she's attached an intention to you -- probably either to control you, or to give you control over water. Have you tried activating it?"
The Spirits must have learned their abilities from the Dragon. Anise watched Peck demonstrate activating and deactivating a rune; a fairly simple process that she understood quickly. Since she had declared herself the Lady of Light and it had been accepted by the previous one's rival the Lady of the Pond, perhaps because of her declaration and said acknowledgement she could create light.
She smiled gratefully at Peck. "Alright, thank you, Peck. I think I understand now."
"As for the Spirits, if you want to travel we can probably find them. There was a forest fire recently -- the Lord of the Flame is probably there. You've met the Lady of the Pond." He looked up at the sky, thinking. "The Lord of the Gust is probably up near the Roost, on top of the mountain. The Lady of the Stone is inside the mountain. The Lord of Shadow is . . . everywhere. But probably in the Deep Marsh." As he spoke, he pointed in the general direction of each Spirit's home. Save for the Lord of the Gust and the Lady of the Stone, they were all over the island. "There's also another one -- the Lord of the Wood -- but we're not sure he exists."
Anise thought for a moment about where the Lord of the Wood may be. Then a thought came to her mind. "What if the state the forest is in has weakened the Lord of the Wood in such a way that he has been incapacitated in some way?" She decided it probably would be best to voice her thought even if it's just as something to consider.
She then realized just how much Peck was risking by helping her. He had said that he had broken the rules of his people and if they learned this he probably would be viewed as a traitor, and she knew what happened to traitors. He could even risk the ire of the Spirits for telling her what he knew. The Kith were no friends of the Pirates, so they would not at all be interested in keeping him safe from harm. He had come close to death several times since they first met, and their journey would be no safer.
Could she perhaps try to make a rune to protect him? She picked up a rock and focused on it considering what to do. She then picked up a smaller stone as another thought began to form in her mind. The image of a lantern came to mind which felt right for her. For her the Lantern had been a protective device. Something that had kept her safe. While the thought to use the Spirit Egg to create this crossed her mind, her instincts told her that this was something she had to make herself without any assistance.
Her focus became so intent on the creation of this rune of protection that all else was blocked out from her attention.
Each runewriter has their own style. This felt right. She was confident she could do this. After all, she was the Lady of Light. The
new Lady of Light. A protector of the denizens of this forest. This was her responsibility.
It's the intention behind the rune that really matters. She finished creating the rune in the form of a lantern and felt as if a part of her had been put into this rune. As if this very stone held a piece of her soul.
Anise felt tired after making this, but her mind also felt completely clear. She glanced up to Peck and raised the stone to him. "If you are to come with me on this journey, I would like to do everything I can to keep you safe." She glanced at the rune. "You take a great risk by helping me, I know this. This rune should be able to help keep you safe from harm. I failed to do enough to protect my previous comrades because I did not know enough." She sat down as she started to feel a bit dizzy from her efforts. She grabbed what was left of the fruit and took another bite out of it. After she finished chewing, she continued to speak. "I am grateful for everything you have done for me so far. I will do everything I can to keep you safe from the dangers we will face in the future."
She stared at the Flight Lantern and Spirit Egg. "I do not know what the last Lady of Light was like, but I will save this land and protect its citizens. That is my mission as the new Lady of Light." Her gaze returned to Peck and steadily rose to her feet. "I suppose we should get started." She paused wondering who she start with. The Lady of the Pond might be the easiest to meet with, but she also felt like they would be backtracking a bit. She imagined the next easiest to meet would be the Lord of Shadow, but he had more of an interest in killing her than actually talking. The Lord of the Wood could potentially be contacted through the forest itself, but she doubted he would respond unless she found where he actually was. She knew that the forest fire hadn't be caused by the Lord of Flame, but it was possible he would go there anyways. The Lady of the Stone and the Lord of Wind would probably be the easiest the meet consecutively, however she was a stranger to them.
"We shall meet with the Lady of the Pond first." She felt that would be the best move to make.
