The steps of rune creation

Having been left near the entrance to a sprawling cavern I began to study the interior. The ceiling seeing hundreds of feet high, covering its expansive surface were clusters of deep blue crystals that shown with an iridescent light illuminating the otherwise dark interior. The are we where standing in seemed to be a bottleneck of sorts the entrance easily able to let a dragon three times mothers size walk inside slowly opened to the vast embrace of the spacious cavern.

The walls and ground where a hard black stone that shown like obsidian. As I gazed in the direction that mother had gone, I could see that this was only the entrance a deep abyss. Even with the light provided by the crystals over head and my natural night vision I could not see the full extent of its depths. I started to walk further in, as I advanced I started to see what I thought to be a straight path turn to the left and start descending.

Knowing that any further exploration would incite mothers anger I decided to make my way back near the entrance where I had left my sisters waiting for me. As I turned around it felt as if the deep black expanse that I had left unexplored was calling for me to continue.

Pushing this influence out of my mind I continued walking back, upon coming back into view my sister hurriedly trotted over to me. "Rawr (did you find anything brother?)" Apollonia asked me with and inquisitive gaze Corentine standing directly next to her.

"Nothing of note." I responded before looking down at them, I couldn't help but note the stark contrast Corentine's pure white scales had with the pitch black surrounding we where in. Her red eyes seemed to glow in the lightly illuminated cavern.

"While we wait would you like for me to help you practice the palatable draconian speech?" I said while Looking slightly down at my two sisters. 'I guess I got larger again.' I said to myself. While they stood at just under five feet in hight I now stood at about seven feet. 'I wonder why I am growing so much faster than them? I haven't been eating much more.' I wondered to myself.

"Rawr! (Yes brother we would love to learn from you!)" Apollonia responded with vigor, Corentine nodding along with her. It seemed to me that Corentine being the youngest didn't have much to say all that often, instead just simply nodding when she agreed.

"Normally you would naturally learn Draconian as you grew but as I have already mastered it for some reason, I will help hasten that progress. First deep delve deep within you minds, the knowledge is already there you must only reach out and take it. Remember you are not asking the knowledge to come forth, but commanding it to do so. It is yours by right." I explained "If you fail at first try again and if you fail again keep trying it is only with perseverance that you can grow. If you need my assistance I will be over there." I said pointing near the entrance of the cavern.

I then made my way over to the entrance and stopped momentarily to gaze at the volcano in the distance. The glowing rivers of magma illuminating the ash filled sky, as I looked upon this sight only one thought came to my mind. 'This is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes upon.'

Perhaps it was the fact that I bore the mark of destruction that made this barren waste that most other being would avoid at all costs call out to me. I felt like this is a place I could call home.

I could feel thrums of magical energy wafting out of the billowing top of the volcano as if it was inviting me in.

I then laid down facing this awe inspiring sight and began to move the mana within my body as if it was another limb. It felt as if it was a living breathing being that would respond to my every whim. As I grew more accustomed to the feeling I began to sense something was not quite uniform about my mana. Though at first and while practicing my runes it always felt like a united force that must be moved as one, now I could vaguely sense that there were in fact two separate types of mana at play.

Focusing more intently I sat for hours just trying to find the slightest difference in the two. It was like trying to find the difference between two shades of the same color. A daunting task that I was determined to accomplish, I started with what I felt to be the more prominent mana. It ran thick and powerful like a raging river that would be hard to control, finally I was able to start differentiating the two. One a all encompassing wave that shown with unrestrained power, and the other more subtle but I could almost tell that this one is where my true power lay.

Almost as if its sole purpose was subverting the more wild mana that ran within me. Blocking out the stronger of the two I focused on creating a rune using only the more discrete mana, at first all I would get was flickers then after hours of effort finally a rune flared to life before my eyes. Even though I created the rune with no distinct purpose in mind I could tell that its purpose was one of control, of domination.

My new found success lit a desire in me to continue with my efforts. Again I focused on the more subtle mana to create another rune, but again I got the same one only more refined.

After a few more tries with the same outcome I quickly realized that I was going about this the wrong way. I now looked inward again but this time summoned the rune to force the stronger mana into submission, to do my bidding. At first I was met with stark resistance but after my continued efforts it slowly submitted to my will. Using its new loyalty I channeled it to create a new rune and after a few moments one flickered into existence before my eyes.

Instinctively I knew that it was a rune that would amplify the power of a circuit. I then channeled it again willing the more powerful mana to take a new form. After a few moments a new rune flickered into existence, Control but this time I knew that it was fundamentally different than the other rune I had made that seemed to have the same purpose. This was meant to be applied to a circuit and held no where near as much power as the previous one.

I pondered what the difference could be that made the two so starkly different. 'I wonder if the more subdued mana that I sense was the power of the mark I was born with and only gained this other from consuming my sibling? If so that would explain its purpose.' Thinking back mother had said that I bore the marks of Domination and Destruction. In my mind that only meant one thing that my original mark was that of Domination.

Going further I thought to myself 'If my original mark was Domination it would make it easier to control, and it seems that the one I assimilated still is being brought under its control hence why I had to use it to enforce my will on the more unwieldy mana.

With this theory I wondered if it was not the fact that I had simply devoured my sibling directly after my birth but my innate nature of the mark of domination that let me acquire their mark through devouring their flesh and power.

Now armed with this new understanding I redoubled my efforts of rune creation, now willing my dominating mana to force the other to create new runes not created before.

Immediately my experiment bore fruit, a new rune bursting to life before my eyes one that created a rune that links the different parts of a magical circuit.

Seeing my success I continued using the same method and ended up creating twenty more runes each unique.

Now that I had the runes to work with I delved into my inherited memories of my ancestors circuit creation in an effort to find a formula for my first magic circuit. Closing my eyes I focused on the memories that contained the information I sought.

Soon I found what I was looking for and I willed the runes into the same formation that I had seen in my memories. At first it was a challenge to form the correct pattern but I simply let the mana flow in the same pattern that I had seen and the runes took the natural formation. 'This step is one but many in my journey to master my mana and magic as a whole.' The next step was clear, I willed my raw mana into the circuit allowing it to activate and almost immediately it sprung to life creating a spiraling ball of fire. Then as the circuit activated the inner ring it sped forward into the distance, I watched as it arched out of the cavern entrance and hit the barren waste below. Upon impacting the ground a large explosion ensued causing a shock wave that I felt all the way from my perch.

With a sense of achievement I sat back in my place at the entrance. My sisters hearing the explosion quickly ran to my side. "Brother what was that are we in danger?!" Apolloian said with urgency Corentine standing by her side looking just as worried.

"I see that you have finally learned Draconian, well done. And no that was my spell that caused that." I responded.

"That was your doing? does that mean that you have already created runes and a spell circuit?" Apolloian asked.

"It seems that I had just been going about rune creation the wrong way. I just needed to study my mana closer and the answer revealed itself to me."

"I guess we need to catch up." Apolloian replied with determination in her eyes, looking at Corentine she shared this determination.

"It is an endeavor I cannot assist you with as our mana will act in very different ways. But all you must do in understand its nature and the rest becomes rather simple." I said while looking at my sisters.

"Thank you for the small incite brother, your help will not go unnoticed." Apolloian said while bowing her head in a gesture of respect.

I couldn't help but think in that moment that if anything where to happen to my sister I would set the world ablaze to avenge them. My bond with them seemed to keep growing stronger every day since the intruders attacked us and I would not have it any other way. Just from a small amount of delving into my heritages memories I could see that in order from most to least important to a dragon it went, Duty to Eringale, Family, then the rest of dragon kind. All other things where inconsequential in our eyes.

So I continued to create more runes with my two sisters at my side until the setting sun illuminated the ash filled sky. Seeing this I decided to retreat deeper into the cavern to find a place for rest, then went to sleep.

When I awoke Mother had still not returned but Apolloian and Corentine had evidently made their way to my side as I had slumbered. I gently removed them from me and made my way back to my place at the front of the cave starting my rune practice once more.

It was a week before mother returned in which I had continued my practice now boasting over five hundred runes at my disposal and being able to cast more complex spell circuits.

By now my sisters had made it a habit to join me at the entrance to the cavern while we all practiced together and surprisingly Corentine had already exceeded my staggering prowess of rune construction. Apolloian also having success but not as great as us was able to cast what I considered to be tier one spells. I was able to cast tier five and Corentine with her talent was able to cast tier seven. I wondered what further levels there could be in our mastery of the magical arts.

Hearing heavy steps coming from the direction that Mother had left in I turned my head to see that she was accompanied by another dragon twice her size, making her look rather small in comparison.

The dragon by her side was a black so deep in seemed as if the light within the cave was avoiding her presence. In contrast her wings were a orange hue that looked like the setting sun.

"I see you all have not wasted your time away from me." Mother said

my siblings and I bowed our heads in respect and excitement to have our efforts recognized.

"This is your grandmother, she has agreed to let us stay in her home for a time." Mother said while gesturing to the Dragon at her side.

"My what lively younglings you have Tanaca, only months old and they have already created their first spells. Come closer I wish to get a better look at you." Grandmother said

We momentarily lowered our head before doing as she commanded.

Standing before her we where in awe of her shear presence, she eluded a regal aura seeming as if there was no foe that could fell her. We were not but the size of one of her claws, seemingly minuscule in comparison.

She reached her long neck to see our respective marks and nodded her head in approval. "Follow me little ones I have someone I would like you to meet."