Reading was actually a skill I had, and looking at this book, I guess it was time to put that skill to good use. I was running out of time, I needed to get used to my abilities, and make them strong enough that I won't just put up a good fight, but I will be able to win. Thus far I've done really well on my own, but if I was to become a fully actualized weaver, with enough power at my finger tips. I had to learn from my predecessors.
At the moment with the new policies in place, a lot of things had been put in a frantic state. With my head full, I decided taking time to read will help me calm down, that and the fact that the screeches from the tower created bats were irritating to me. The basic blood bat, looked like a normal bat, except of course they had really red eyes and longer fangs than normal, the paralysis blood bats however looked the same except for a single yellow streak on their back. Anytime I look at them, the tower would provide some sort of information.
BASIC BLOOD BAT: [STRENGTH TIER 0/ DEFENSE TIER 0/ SPEED TIER 1]
SKILLS: NONE
PARALYTIC BLOOD BAT: [STRENGTH TIER 0/DEFENSE TIER 0/SPEED TIER 1]
SKILLS: [ PARALYSIS BITE: BASIC LEVEL MAX]
The paralysis bat is the only one with a skill, and even though it's at the max level, such a skill would not be able to put an enemy down for long. The bats had been flying around the tower for the last hour since they were born, and while I really wanted to explore their existence and capabilities, I was really pressed about how to solve all our current predicaments, so I let them fly around.
In other for me to be able to focus on what I have to do, I had to ensure that the guards would not have a reason to come bother me. But doing that is hard enough as it is, considering the new policies and how much of a restriction it puts on the vampires. Most especially for those who have to mine, or who have to give up their children.
Which brings me to my top three problems. First and foremost I have to get rid of the seal, it's always going to be the one thing that would hold us back, but I felt like I was close to fully understanding and unlocking the secrets to destroying it. Second a significant amount of ore is required, and that's just so that the vampires around me can be free and safe from oppression. With them around, the constant threat of the guards coming to ask for a quota they might not be able to give, is much to risky. Which was why I had to figure out a way for them to mine much more than it's expected of them, within that two hour period, and the only way to do that is through the rune BREAK.
Thirdly I have to expand the basement, and if possible build new floors in it. Because that way, there's a possibility that the children can be hidden from the guards, at least until I figure out a way to destroy the seal. But for now, an in depth study on runes is what I need to focus on, as for the materials needed for any more construction by the tower, I'll deal with it as soon as I get over the huddle in front of me.
The book on runes was a little bit complicated, but so far the knowledge it has to offer was something I've been successful in understanding. Rune words can be classified into active runes, passive runes, and delayed runes. About three hundred years ago, there were classifications such as combat runes or defensive runes. But the nature of a rune, especially when it reacts to a weaver's intent had made this two classification obsolete as a defensive rune can be used to kill, and a combat rune to defend.
But there was also one other classification of rune called a compound rune. Active runes are self explanatory as this are runes that encompass an active reaction of nature like creating a cone of flames as opposed to making the cup that holds your coffee automatically warm any liquid in it after the rune word for warm is etched on it. These kind of runes are know as passive.
Delayed runes are very tricky, and are runes that function with a trigger, which can be anything most of the time. Delayed runes are like active runes, the only difference is that delayed runes work based on a number of differing factors such as time, weather, emotion etc. Delayed runes are meticulously planned and prepared, and only work when certain conditions are met. An example would be the seal on Asha's stomach that was currently killing her and my baby.
After the classification of runes, the book went on further to explain about something I had no idea about...….rune circles. A rune circle is collectively known as a compound rune that has multiple rune phrases, sentences, and even words in it. The purpose of a rune circle is for the rune to power itself, and amplify it's effects by limiting the spread of soul energy to within the confines of the circle. In the simplified term, rune circles is like pot or a pan in which chicken can be cooked or fried, rather than doing it over a fire, or eating it raw.
But all this knowledge was not what I was really after, until I got to the point about soul energy. The amount of soul energy determines how powerful a rune would be, but for every weaver in existence, the more soul energy in a rune, the faster the energy runs out, and an intense danger to cause a rune and soul energy overload, capable of even taking out an entire city by accident.
To properly contain the effects and powers of a rune, a rune circle was required. That way the soul energy does not leak out, and whatever is spent can be recycled by the rune, with the help of the circle. Eventually at a higher realm, it would be possible for me to even weave a rune into existence with the snap of my fingers, using the world as my canvass.
Creating a rune circle follows the same process as making a rune. The only difference is that the circle is symbolic, that's what gives it its power. A circle for lack of a better word is a trap, and within that circle, quite a lot of changes can be implemented.
I raised a mining pick into my hands, and proceeded to use my soul energy to draw a circle on it. It was rather crude, but at least this was a start. Then within that circle I wrote the rune word BREAK, it's script was a whole lot more elegant than my imprecise circle, but it worked fine, I think.
The circle flashed, and then began to rotate on it's own, but the rune BREAK was rather dull, then slowly the circle began to extend tiny tendrils of soul energy to the rune, connecting the rune to the circle. Which means the circle holds the power necessary to activate the rune. I dropped the pick to the ground, and those tendrils of soul energy pulled back into the circle, that continued it's rotation.
Next was to know how to gauge the amount of power required to power the rune. I sent my soul energy into the circle, and almost immediately I was drawn into a sort of trance, and I could see something I never thought possible.
The crude circle I had just drawn on a whim, was amplified before my gaze, and I could see its internal structure. It was like a giant machine with different parts, each capable of being modified and changed to my specifications. This was way to easy to be honest, on it's own a rune is incapable of sustaining and storing it's own energy, so a rune circle is required to give the energy required for the runes activation.
On a mining pick, I need BREAK to be a delayed rune, and it only took me just a thought to program the conditions required for its activation. It was at this point the true power of a weaver's intent comes into play. All I had to do was tell the circle that the rune can only be activated when a vampire swings it to either mine, or attack (just in case). But with each modification and specifications I added to the rune circle, I felt my soul energy drain out of me.
And then finally I needed it to be discreet, capable of camouflage, it was weird though. As soon as I gave my order, massive blocks of soul energy, compressed into the form of either a square, rectangle or triangle would begin to move into different places or formations, arranging or rearranging themselves to the specifications or orders I had given.
But I noticed that each of those movements were made with my soul energy constantly being drained out of me. Then I pulled my awareness out of the rune circle. It was a very disorienting feeling, because it felt like I have been standing upside down on my head, and then I suddenly pulled back up to feel my blood rushing to my skull.
My vision went black for a moment, and I felt really thirsty as my fangs poked out of my gums. They were aching with a ferocity I didn't expect as my stomach rumbled in protest. Tinkering with the rune circle made me hungry, very hungry. I stretched my hand to my left and picked up the bottle of blood I had left lying beside me. I proceeded to unceremoniously drain the bottle of every last drop of the sanguine liquid until my stomach ached with satisfaction.
With that out of the way, I turned my attention back to the mining pick, at first I was surprised, because the rune circle and rune itself had disappeared from it's metal surface. I quickly drew on my soul energy and touched the place where I had previously inscribed the rune, it shone into existence with a circle that looked perfect and sophisticated in it's form.
There were now three concentric circles, spinning clockwise and anti clockwise to each other, with the rune in their middle. Strings of soul energy connected one circle to the other, until all the strings then converged to the rune. I pulled back my soul energy, but almost fell flat on my face due to the intense wave of dizziness I suddenly felt. Asare clamped a hand on my shoulder to keep me steady, as we both watched as the rune disappeared.
"Does it work?" Asare asked from behind me.
I raised the pick towards him and replied.
"Why don't you find out."
He bowed, then took the pick from me, then he went back a few steps till he was away from people, then he raised the pick up, and brought it hard on the ground.
"BOOM!"
The damage this time was a lot more powerful than the last one, but with that discovery Asare proceeded to slam the pick into the ground for the next one hour, alternating between different amounts of force, and discovering that the pick delivered damage reminiscent of the amount of force behind its swing. It was somewhat just like the mountain.
But I had figured one problem out, that was good and fine for me and every body around me. But there was still two more to go.