EPILOGUE
Beneath the rubble of a former home, Apeliotes Island
Cas and Thoth,
It grows ever stranger addressing these journals to you, Thoth, since I named my son after you. I have to find ever more inventive places to hide my journals to stop him from finding, reading, and probably correcting the spelling of them. He's nothing like you were.
I'm sorry I left you hanging the way I did. When I finished writing my last journal, I'd just been discussing the war with Mallos. I was exhausted. I'd forgotten how wearing he was. When I ended my last journal, a time of relative peace had descended upon Apeliotes Island. It was mostly rebuilt after the battle, but there was still a lot of work to be done. Arthur has been overseeing the building as well as strategising the war; I swear the man never sleeps.
As I write this journal, a new hope for the cause burns within me. Do you remember when I wrote to you a few journals ago, to tell you I had unearthed what I believed was a rune stone? I got in touch with a few people from Earth, accessed the Divine Scribes' archives and dug out as much information as I could. It's taken months, has been frustratingly pain-staking and is nowhere near finished, but I've managed to compile enough information that I think I can work out how these stones work.
As far as I can work out... the stones generate a magical "net", a little like the protective nets I have erected over Shaman. Everyone within the net is able to use the magic generated by the stones. The magic they generate is limited - stones must work in combination with each other, and each individual stone can only contribute towards creating one magical power. So if I wanted to generate earth manipulation and water manipulation, I would need an earth stone, a water stone and two kinetic stones; one kinetic stone wouldn't be able to be used for both powers simultaneously. It seems like only a certain amount of powers can be generated within one net at a time, too.
I think the power of the rune stones can be enhanced with divine magic. If the stones were erected in a place infused with pre-existing magic of its own, like a fairy fort, it would create a wider net and allow more powers to be generated at one time. Using the data available, I would guess that the net would be wide enough to cover the whole of Shaman, and a maximum of five powers could be generated at one time. If we can use these stones to increase the magical prowess of the fairies here, imagine... we could take Gwythr down in an afternoon. The problem is that the nets cast by the stones don't discriminate - enemies as well as allies would be imbursed with new powers. I'm sure I can find a way around that, given time.
From studying the stone I have and the data available, I think my stone is a kinetic stone. Kinetic stones seem to be used a lot in different combinations, which I suppose makes sense, since most magic relies on movement as one of its elements. As I uncover more combinations, I'll write them down and keep the pages together, safe. I need to hide the stone, too. I initially thought to bury it in the garden, but Thoth has rather taken to archaeology recently so I think it might be safer in the house. I'll wait until Thoth is out, and then I'll see if I can't stash it under the floorboards in the living room. There's a loose one in the northwest corner.
I have to go - Thoth is awake, and I just heard him go downstairs. He keeps writing in my books when I'm not there to stop him.
I miss you both every day. Writing these journals makes me feel as if you're here with me still, even though I know really that you'll never actually read them. I should be thankful; I have Mallos back again, and a beautiful son who is probably systematically destroying my living room right now.
Until next time,
Aura
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