The midday sun filtered through the canopy of trees, casting dappled shadows across the rocky riverbank where Asher sat. Two days had passed since their desperate escape from the tempest wolves, and though the mountains remained treacherous, they had at least found water. The clear river bubbled and rushed over smooth stones, providing both hydration and a small measure of security—most predators would leave tracks if they approached through the water.
Asher took another bite from the sweet mountain berry he'd discovered growing in patches along the riverbank. His left arm, still wrapped in torn cloth, throbbed with a dull, persistent pain. The burned flesh had begun to heal, forming tight, shiny scar tissue around the edges of the rune that was permanently etched into his skin. Though the worst of the damage had subsided, the limb remained stiff and tender, its full strength yet to return.
"So," he said between bites, watching the crimson orb hover near the water's edge, "you mentioned that there are different kinds of elemental runes beyond just fire."
Indeed, Ruvia's light pulsed gently. The elements form the foundation of Runic Weaving. Fire, water, wind, earth—these are the basics. More complex Weaving involves combining elements or adding specific intentions to the rune structure.
"But I can't exactly carry around slabs of stone to carve runes into during a fight," Asher mused, tossing the remains of his berry into the river. He watched as a small fish darted up to investigate before swimming away disappointed. "And I'm certainly not carving anymore into my skin."
No, you should absolutely not, Ruvia's tone held an unusual sharpness. That was a desperate measure that should never be repeated. The damage to your essence pathways is significant.
Asher looked down at his bandaged arm, frowning in thought. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Wait... what if I prepared runes in advance?"
What do you mean?
"Let me think for a moment," Asher said, standing up and walking to a nearby tree. He studied the broad leaves before carefully plucking several from a low-hanging branch. Returning to his rock by the riverside, he laid the leaves out flat on a dry surface.
"I need something to draw with," he muttered, examining his options. Finding no suitable implement, he hesitated only briefly before biting the tip of his right index finger hard enough to break the skin.
Asher! Ruvia darted closer, alarmed. What are you doing?
"Just a small amount," he reassured her, squeezing his fingertip until a drop of blood welled up. "Not like before. I just want to test something."
With careful precision, he used his bleeding fingertip to trace different elemental runes onto each leaf—fire on one, water on another, earth on a third, and wind on the last. The crimson lines stood stark against the green surface of the leaves.
"Now we wait for them to dry," he said, sucking his injured finger while the blood on the leaves darkened from bright red to deep brown.
Several minutes passed in silence, Ruvia hovering curiously over the leaves as Asher periodically checked their dryness. When satisfied, he picked up the leaf-bearing the wind rune, holding it gingerly between his fingers.
"Let's see if this works," he murmured, closing his eyes to focus on his internal essence. He directed a small stream of energy toward the rune, much as he would if activating a freshly drawn marking.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the dried bloodlines began to glow with a faint blue-white light. The leaf trembled between his fingers before suddenly jerking upward with such force that it tore from his grasp. It spun wildly through the air, carried by a miniature whirlwind that dissipated after a few seconds, letting the leaf flutter back to the ground.
Asher's face broke into a wide grin. "It worked! Did you see that, Ruvia?"
Fascinating, the Sprin bobbed excitedly in the air. The rune retained its structure even after the blood dried. But why use blood? Traditional Weavers use ink infused with essence.
"Blood carries essence naturally," Asher replied, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of discovery. "And it's always available in a pinch."
He picked up the leaf with the fire rune next, channeling a similar amount of essence into it. The leaf immediately burst into flames, turning to ash in seconds. The water rune caused its leaf to become saturated and limp as if submerged, while the earth rune made its leaf harden and take on a stone-like quality.
"This changes everything," Asher said, gingerly gathering more leaves. "I can prepare dozens of these in advance. In battle, I just need to activate them and throw them at enemies."
A clever adaptation, Ruvia acknowledged. But remember, such methods are typically less powerful than properly inscribed runes. There will be limitations.
"Let's find out what those limitations are," Asher suggested, already tracing new runes onto fresh leaves.
Over the next hour, Asher created a small arsenal of runic leaves.
"I need to understand how much my essence core can handle," he said eventually, arranging his successful creations in a neat row on the rock. "Let's test my limits."
One by one, Asher activated the runic leaves, sending gusts of wind, flickers of flame, or sprays of water into the air. By the tenth activation, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he could feel his essence core straining within him, the once-vibrant energy now reduced to a flicker.
"Ten," he gasped, slumping back against a boulder. "Ten seems to be my limit for now."
Your essence recovery is actually impressive for a beginner, Ruvia noted. Most new Weavers have a much smaller essence reserve.
"Small comfort if I'm facing more than ten enemies," Asher replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "But I suppose it's better than nothing. And I still have your blood spear for close combat."
The crimson orb hovered closer to him. With practice, your capacity will grow. All Weavers begin somewhere. Between your prepared runes and my manifestation, you have significantly improved your chances of survival since the tempest wolves.
Asher nodded, feeling a new confidence despite his exhaustion. "We should test this against a real threat. Something not quite as dangerous as those wolves, but challenging enough to prove the concept."
Are you certain that's wise? Your arm is still healing.
"I need to know if this will work in a real fight," Asher insisted. "Besides, we need to hunt anyway. The berries aren't enough to keep my strength up."
After a moment of hesitation, Ruvia's light pulsed in agreement. Very well. I'll scout the area for potential quarry. Rest your essence core while I search.
The crimson orb zipped away, disappearing among the trees. Asher leaned back against the rock, closing his eyes and focusing on the depleted core within his chest. He could feel it slowly regenerating, essence trickling back like water filling a basin drop by drop.
Ruvia returned less than half an hour later, her light pulsing with excitement. I've found something suitable. A mountain goat of sorts, though not like any ordinary animal. It has essence running through it—a lesser monster, probably common in these highlands.
"Dangerous?" Asher asked, already gathering his prepared runic leaves, carefully placing them in a pouch he'd fashioned from a strip of his tunic.
It possesses rudimentary Earth Weaving abilities—enough to be a challenge, but not overwhelming if you're careful.
"Perfect," Asher grinned, rising to his feet. His essence core had recovered somewhat, though not completely. It would have to be enough. "Lead the way."
Ruvia guided him through the rocky terrain, climbing higher along the mountain path. They moved quietly, Asher placing his feet carefully to avoid dislodging loose stones. After about twenty minutes of climbing, Ruvia paused, hovering low near a group of boulders.
Just ahead, in that small meadow, she indicated with a pulse of light.
Peering around the boulders, Asher spotted their quarry. It resembled a mountain goat in general shape, but there the similarities ended. The creature stood nearly as tall as a small horse, its powerful body covered in thick white fur that seemed to shimmer with an inner light. Two massive curved horns protruded from its head, not the normal keratin of ordinary goats but something crystalline that caught the sunlight and refracted it in prismatic patterns. Its hooves appeared to be made of the same material, gleaming like polished quartz.
"That's no ordinary goat," Asher whispered, eyes wide.
A quartz goat, Ruvia confirmed. They're valued for those crystalline horns, which can amplify Earth Weaving. Be cautious of its charge—those horns can pierce armor, and it can cause minor tremors with its hooves.
Asher reached into his makeshift pouch, extracting a leaf inscribed with a wind rune. His plan was simple—approach from downwind, activate the rune to create a distraction, then follow up with a fire attack before finishing the creature with Ruvia's spear.
He began circling around, using the boulders for cover, until he was positioned behind the quartz goat. It grazed peacefully, occasionally pawing at the ground with its crystalline hooves, causing small pebbles to rise and orbit briefly around its legs before falling back to earth.
Asher took a deep breath, channeling essence into the wind rune. The leaf glowed blue-white, and he hurled it toward a spot several yards from the goat. As it sailed through the air, the rune activated fully, creating a sudden gust that sent nearby vegetation rustling violently.