At the summit of the mountain, all ten trainees who had awakened their personalized Power runes gathered around Headmaster Kime to listen as he explained to them tue intricacies of Runes.
"Not all Runes are of the same levels. Thus not all authorities are of the same level. The runes a hero of the Blue Eyes Form has access to is never of the same level as that of a Deneri or Henkei form hero. This is because despite the fact that Runes do not use SE or any other energy forms, we as mortals do. We need SE to remain alive. And we are limited by our store and gather SE in our SS.
"Because this limitations exist higher level Runes are forbidden unless your bodies can physically sustain the weight of the authority entrusted to you."
"Runes are divided in levels according to authority they are given. The lower tier runes are called: Baīhovēin. The next tier of runes are called: Damīhovēin. The third tier runes are called: Heīmhovēin. The fourth tier of runes are called: Tollīmhovēin. The highest tier of runes are called; Eleīovēin.
"At your levels you are only able to physically withstand the Baīhovēin tier runes. And even then, it I only for a short while. Overlong usage will — and I have no plans on preparing this — kill you. Not just kill you. Erase you. Nothing of you will ever remain. No memories, no traces. You will simply be erased."
Gasps rose amongst the ten trainees, they keep what they were doing was Blasphemy against the natural order of things. They had even realized that that was part of the reason Headmaster Kime had taken them to his pocket dimension to teach them about runes.
The warning was clear. None of them were planning to be erased.
But then Kutote asked a question that was starting to grown in some of their minds.
"Master Kime, then, how long can we use the runes before we become in danger to it?"
Kime nodded,
"That is what we are testing now. Just as all humans have varying SS levels, your endurance capabilities vary. I will be pairing you guys in twos—"
Just then there was a loud thud. Somebody had just arrived.
Turning around they saw their latest member; Candice Laīde.
"Just in time. Meet one of your friends to explain what we have been discussing so far. I believe you have been able to awaken your personalized power runes, Miss Laīde?"
"Yes Headmaster!" Candice Laīde said with a fervour that made everyone's spirits rise.
"Good, good. We will begin. Because there are now 11 trainees here, I will be the partner to one of you. Whoever is left after the sortings is with me.
"Korimer Ransthrol and Bukanami Ao, you two are together. Cheim Nell and Binturu, you two are together. Itoyea Pilton and Tendo Kech, you two are together. Tobi Fustavo and Candice Laīde, you two are together. Kutote Tuo an Nuelle Ness, you two are together."
Itekan felt all eyes on him, but he couldn't help it. He was beaming.
"That leaves, you ehhn, Itekan Lie." Kime said with a smile.
Head off, far and wide. Practice to know your limits. Practice to break your limits. Practice to properly understand your authority. We will meet in five hours time. Disperse."
Kime said and they all nodded, turning on their heels, each group shot off in different directions from each other. Moving far enough that they couldn't see themselves anymore.
Leaving Kime and Itekan at the mountain top.
Itekan asked, "What about those still down below. How will they know what to do when they eventually attain their authority?"
Kime looked at Itekan with a sad smile, as much as it pained him, he knew not everyone was destined to reach it. He would rather move on and teach those who will grasp it than suffer behind for the unqualified.
Itekan knew what that smile meant, stopping where he was he made his claim known, "Are you giving up on them?"
"It is not to me to give up or have high expectations from them. Their potentials is what matters. Those below given time perhaps could attain Runes but time is not something we have excess of. The 2nd round of the tournament begins on Monday. Only two days away. I haven't been able to tch you 11 properly yet. I do not have the time to spoon feed the others."
Kime said moving on.
"Th—Then I'll do it."
"What?"
"I'll teach them on my time. You said to finalize whatever preparations are left right. This is the last thing I need to have during the next round. So let me teach them."
Kime paused, then sighed softly, in that moment he felt like he saw Carpathia standing where Itekan was.
He really looked so much like his father right now.
The he smiled, "Okay. On your own time. But right now there are other things to do. Let us go"
Itekan smiled, glad he's gotten through to him. Cheering gently he nodded.
Kime shot off the mountain, Itekan right behind him. Itekan however didn't noticed the clone of Kime that had been left behind at the mountain top to wait, in hope for the remaining four trainees.
---
"Master Kime, who created the runes?"
Kime was in thought for a while as he thought on Itekan's questions.
"They aren't really created in a sense... You don't create things like that. No. They usually just taught or given."
Kime said crossing his hands as he made to sit, a chair appearing below him.
"Given... How? What do you mean by given?"
"Runes are the ways mortals attempt to reach the levels of gods. Humans being inquisitive and very researchful seemed to understand the way the world worked.
"They were deemed heretics during their eras. Some of the most notable of these were the Saints Maria and Happy. They stumbled upon the ruins left behind by the Archem Knights. And within those ruins they realized that the world worked on the concepts of Laws. And that whoever controlled those laws could control the universe.
"Because they had come uncomfortably close to the truth of the world, the gods rained down the divine sentence. They died only a year after they returned. Though Mallerona was changed bacause of it.
"They taught the people of Mallerona about runes. And it became a tool, a weapon to defy the gods." Kime ended his tale.
"And how? How did the Archem Knights learn about the runes?"
"We taught them of course. I told you when we first met that you father and a couple of our friends roamed the world for a while. We were known as the 5 legends. We encountered the young Archem Knights before they became famous. And we saved them.
"Your father in particular decided to teach them about Runes. To make sure they could defend themselves better." Kime told Itekan
Itekan couldn't help but remember what the knight, Sir Jairus had told him. That they owed their lives to his father.
Itekan looked at the Moonveil Fang Dagger in hands. What he was holding was the legacy of the 200+ year old relationship his father had cultivated with the Archem Knights.
He had also taught them Runes. Those runes that Sir Bellingham had used. His father had taught them.
He was once again reminded about the greatness of his father he hoped to meet.
"Now, open your runes. Come at me with everything you have got."
Itekan nodded. The revelation was mind-blowing. But he had to focus. This was the first step to becoming someone who could stand properly, even if it is in the shadows of his father for a while.
"Yes sir." Itekan said as he wives through the hand seals, his personalized Power rune appearing before his head.
He would give it his all.
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Spiritual Energy (SE)
Spiritual Sea (SS)
Spiritual Signature (SST)