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>Babs, you can stay here, I’m not sure if I can compare to an exploding wand, but I’ll try.
“As safe as I can keep myself anyway.” Mel laughed. “Pretty sure if it came down to it you’d be guarding me.”
Babs shrugged and smiled weakly. “I know I sound stupid. It only takes one mistake out here though. One moment of weakness.” She sighed. “Ok, you’ve probably got things you need to get done, and so do I. I’m going to modify the rune so the wall only opens at dawn, so if you need to get in here make sure to be in and out fast or you’ll get sealed in.”
“Good to know. What kind of preparation are you going to be doing?”
“Mostly just Vitae invocations. You should pay attention when I do them, it’s going to be faster than trying to pick it up on your own.”
The two started back down the tunnel.
“Ok, what is an invocation?”
“Spoken magic comes in six levels. Whispers, words, shouts, chants, invocations, and declarations. The first three anyone can do. You need to train and practice the last three. I’ve only ever seen a single declaration.”
“Yellow Eyes?”
“Yellow Eyes. Crazy bitch.” Babs growled. “You hear rumors of a seventh level, but I don’t know what it’d be called. Hard to imagine that kind of power.”
Mel nodded as they passed out of the tunnel. Babs diverted to the rune circle and drew a tiny inkpot and brush, drawing a single line across the rune she had added to the pattern. There was a tremble in the air and rubble started rolling across the ground toward the opening. Mel danced backwards, avoiding rocks as they clumped and gathered together. Small stones combined into larger, larger into larger still, then entire slabs lifted up and neatly fit together, the tunnel entrance vanishing under a wall of rock.
“That was…wow.” Mel stared, a smile on her open mouth. “A line of ink did that.”
“Well, and a centuries old rune. Sloppy design though, putting the rune on the outside. If it were on the inside I’d have to break the whole hill just to get in.” Babs glared at the rune. “Still, saved me a lot of trouble. See you tomorrow Mel.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow Babs.”
