Chapter - 20 Armaspace

The following hours were filled with rampant vandalism of the training hall, for the sake of....training. It was built to be durable, withstand the the power of half-step Rankers before requiring any kind of maintenance. What it WASN'T built to endure was being toyed with like paper.

In the center of the training hall, was our vain protagonist, with a silly smile on his face. Hundreds of shiny perfectly shaped spheres surrounded him.

[....]

"Right, I think I've got the hang of this now?"

[Sire, I think you got the 'hang of it' 3 hours ago when you had made the steel bicorn statue.]

"Oh zip it, its my rune, only I can tell when i get the hang of it"

[....]

Shameless. Shameless was the only way to describe Aedhira's maturing personality.

"People need to be shameless to survive in this cruel world. Life isn't fair"

[That isn't something I'd expect hearing from a being only 3 days old]

Aedhira's eye twitched slightly, he didn't really expect a jab from his seemingly subservient aide so far.

"Your right, I must be a special Ba*BLEEP*rd"

A grimace could be seen on his face, he really didn't appreciate the censor.

[Enough fooling around. Since you have understood how to use your runes, we must begin linking the Armaspace]

"Armaspace? You mean that odd rune? By the way, what's up with that? The other runes don't give me that lifeless feel. Even the {Servitude Of Metal} gives some semblance of....well not life, but at least it feels natural. But the {Armaspace}....it doesn't feel right"

[It seems you've caught on. However your appalling sensitivity to runes is....unexpected. Or perhaps expected would be a better fit]

"Why?"

[Living or Unliving beings must both harness....err...first introduce the Rune into themselves, before anything else. This applies for anything and everything that uses Runes, be it even the dragons. While the blessed races have a much easier time acclimating a rune, at the end of the day they still introduce it into themselves before anything can be done using it.] 

[However, in your case, it can only be correct to say the runes you possess now were literally built into you, to rephrase, you were 'born' with them]

"An exception then?"

[Affirmative]

"Alright but what's the {Armaspace} still about though?"

The {Armaspace} Rune, Sire, is an artificial creation. It's not a product of Veria's natural order. Unlike the other runes that were formed from the ether currents of the universe, the {Armaspace} Rune was made.]

"Made? Unless the records in the database is a lie, isn't making runes not only highly experimental but also taboo?"

[Yes, but Sor Astiran was never really one who followed them]

"Hmmm"

Aedhira listened intently, his curiosity piqued. The metallic spheres he created with the {Servitude Of Metal} Rune still hovered in the air, a testament to its unique properties.

[Its purpose, Sire, is to manipulate the fabric of space within a confined area. It allows you to access a pocket dimension, a space isolated from the normal laws of reality. This is Armaspace. The name is derived from its primary function of being an 'Armory in Space.']

"A pocket dimension? So, I can create a space where I can store things?"

[Indeed, Sire. You can create and manipulate this space to serve various purposes. It can be a storage space, a temporary refuge, or even a battlefield with altered physics.]

[The only possible limitations would either be your understanding and mastery of the Rune. Or the Rune itself]

"Hm? The Rune?"

[Affirmative, considering the rune is not only untested as there are no previous records of it considering it is the first one of its kind. It also interferes with space, which there are no Natural Runes of.]

[I would advise donning the Arstra in case things go south]

Aedhira grinned, contemplating the potential applications of such a unique ability. "This is getting interesting. Show me how it's done, Argos. Err....can you?"

[I a set of instructions we can follow, Sire. Focus on the {Armaspace} Rune within you. Envision connection between the 'heart' and the Rune.]

[ You should feel...perhaps hear? A space separate from this reality, a place that obeys your will. Feel the connection, and with intent.

 Ignite the Rune.]

Aedhira closed his eyes, his mind delving into the depths of his heart. He envisioned a space, a realm birthed alongside his own creation. He pulled strands of pure white energy, Ether, from his heart, and connected it to the Rune. Instantly, the rune set aflame.

 In his mind's eye, a door appeared, a portal leading to an otherworldly Armory.

As he focused, the door materialized in front of him. Rather a door, it looked more like a door shaped blank white square carved into the space in front of him. 

The air around it shimmered with an ethereal glow. Aedhira opened his eyes, staring at the door(?) he created.

[You've done it, Sire. You've opened the gateway to your Armaspace.]