Chapter 6 : Rune Craft

They uncovered the old rope a few weeks after Max started hanging around with their small trio——'hanging around' wouldn't be the appropriate word, Max just dropped in occasionally to stir up mischief and havoc among them.

Max was a born troublemaker; it wasn't without reason that the village kids called him 'Mayhem Max'. He would seek out every group of kids and play pranks or stir up mischief without fail.

Despite this, he never lasted long in any group. He would move from one to another, staying only a few days before causing trouble and moving on. Yet, for some reason, he continued to stick around with Ezra and the others.

At first, Ezra thought it was a nuisance when Max began to hang out with them.

Ray, too, was a little uncomfortable; perhaps it was because Max was the complete opposite of him.

Amy didn't seem to care that much. Even though she fell for every trick Max pulled, she would just get distracted and forget about it.

But after some time, it changed. Max brought the energy and excitement that the group had been missing. What was once a quiet and uneventful trio became lively and bustling with Max around.

Though reluctant to acknowledge it, Ezra found himself tolerating Max's company. Even though he was a troublemaker, Max was quick-witted and knew when to pull back before his pranks went too far.

It was a prank that Max played on Amy that led them to discover the old rope. He told Amy that there was a golden beetle hidden between the buttress roots of the Gaia tree, and she believed him, setting off to search. However, instead of finding a beetle, she stumbled upon the old rope.

The rope was covered with moss and algae, forming a natural camouflage between the tree's buttress roots. If nobody was specifically looking for it, it would remain unseen.

Although there were slender aerial roots dangling down from the sprawling branches of the Gaia tree, they weren’t ideal for climbing without any grip. However, the rope they found was a knotted climbing rope, designed with knots specifically for climbing.

***

"Ezzie, what do you think? Should we climb up using that rope?" Max asked Ezra

"I told you, it's Ezra, not Ezzie," Ezra said, annoyed.

"But Ezzie, your sister Zara calls you Ezzie, right?" Max replied with an innocent face.

Ezra winced. It had been a mistake letting Zara meet them the other day.

With a sigh, Ezra said, "Whatever. And forget about climbing the tree with that rope; we can't do that."

"We can do it, Ezzie. Don't be a scaredy cat. Can you guys imagine how amazing it will be on top of the Gaia tree? We could see the whole forest, even the village," Max said eagerly.

Ignoring Max's initial comment, Ezra replied, "It's not that I don't want to, it's that we can't. First of all, the rope is too old; we don't know how sturdy it is."

"Ezzie is right, we can't do it, it's too dangerous, what if the rope snapped in the middle of our climb?" Ray chimed in, supporting Ezra.

Ezra rolled his eyes.

"If you can't do it, I can go up first. It might be fun up there," Amy said with a detached expression.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! Amy gets it. It would be our secret place," Max said, feeling validated.

Ezra continued, "And second of all, the knots in the rope are too wide; it's made for older kids. We can't climb it with our small legs."

"I'm one year older than you guys, so don't worry. This older brother will climb up and pull you guys," Max declared triumphantly.

"We're the same height," Ezra retorted with exasperation. "And even if you manage to climb somehow, you won't make it. The Gaia tree is too tall; you'll fall due to exhaustion."

Ezra knew it was impossible to climb with the rope they found; their small stature wouldn't even get them past the first few knots if they tried. It seemed only he and Ray understood the risks.

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"And Amy, you can't always jump up and explore every unknown place that you find interesting," Ezra said to Amy, who had just expressed eagerness to go up first.

There was only a snoring sound in response.

"...Amy?" Ezra repeated, turning towards where Amy had been seated moments before.

'What the... is she... is she sleeping? But she was just part of the conversation moments ago... wasn't she?' Ezra thought, looking at the sleeping Amy in disbelief.

Ezra paused for a moment, Then, as if dismissing the issue, he turned to Max.

"Anyway, let's forget about climbing the rope for now. It's not something we can do at the moment."

"You guys just watch; I'll climb to the top in no time," Max declared as if he didn't hear a thing Ezra said.

"The only thing we'll see is your broken bones," Ezra replied resignedly. "And don't come whining to us later if you get hurt; I warned you."

Ezra stood from his seat and turned to Ray. "Ray, wake Amy up. Let's play 'Stick and strike'."

'Stick and strike' was one of their games involving two sticks—one long stick and a smaller one carved into a cone shape at both ends. As the name suggests, the aim was to strike the smaller stick while it was in the air after the initial strike.

Ezra then turned to Max with a grin and said, "If you can beat me this time, maybe I'll reconsider and help you with the rope."

Max's face brightened with hope but then fell as he realized the condition. "A challenge, huh? Fine! Let's play."

They played until the sun began to dip below the horizon, signaling it was time to go home. Sadly for Max, he didn't manage to win a single game.

"Let's finish for today. Time to go home," Ezra said to the group.

"One more game! I can feel it; I’ll win the next one," Max said, catching his breath.

Ezra ignored Max and turned to Amy. "Amy, don’t wander off on your way home, and make sure your mom doesn’t come looking for you at my house like last time."

"I promise" Amy replied nonchalantly. But Ezra remained unconvinced.

Ezra shook his head and said, "I'm off then."

"Wait, don't be a coward, let's play one more time!"

Ezra heard Max's protest in the background as he walked towards home.

***

When Ezra reached his house, the night was already approaching.

"I'm home," Ezra announced as he stepped onto the doorstep, only to hear his mother's playful voice.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my little Ezzie, all grown up and forgetting about his mama now that he's got his friends," she teased, her tone a mix of mock-sadness and amusement.

"Your mama is so sad. Come here and give your mama a big hug and a sugar kiss to make it all better," she said, feigning sadness as she moved towards him.

Ezra took a step back, but it was too late—his mother gave him a bear hug and began rubbing her cheek against his.

His face reddened as he tried to push her away, saying, "Mom! I'm not a kid anymore."

"Yeah, I know. My little Ezzie is all grown up now."

To hide his embarrassment, he quickly changed the topic. "Where's Zara?"

"So you really don't want your Mama anymore," she continued teasingly.

Observing his flushed face, Acantha chuckled softly and replied, "Zara is helping me in the kitchen. Your father's coming home today, so we're preparing something special."

Hearing that, Ezra's face paled. 'Oh, crap,' he thought, remembering the homework his father had assigned him and which he still hadn't completed.

Without saying anything he ran off to his room to finish his homework before his father got home.

When Adonis got home it was already night and time for dinner, the family had a great meal, and it was after the dinner that Adonis mentioned the Homework.

"So, Zara told me that you've made some friends. What are their names?" Adonis asked Ezra curiously.

"Ray, Amy, and Max," Ezra replied, finishing his dessert.

"Yeah, I saw them. That Amy girl is so cute and small; she's like a doll," Zara chimed in with her usual enthusiasm.

Ezra agreed silently. Amy did seem like a doll with her expressionless face and aloof demeanor.

"And Ray is polite and sweet, and Max is fun, even though he's a little mischievous," Zara continued, recalling her meeting with them.

"Seems like you've made some interesting friends. You should invite them over one day," his father said with a smile.

Ezra thought about it. Ray would be fine, but Amy and Max? He wasn't sure how much trouble that would bring.

"So, with all the time spent with your friends, did you manage to finish the homework?" Adonis asked lightly, with a hint of concern, as if he was worried he had overworked Ezra.

"Yeah, I did. Let me bring it," Ezra said, heading to his room and returning with several parchments of paper.

"Here," Ezra handed the parchments to his father.

On the papers were ten symbols, each imbued with intricate designs of cryptic shapes, intertwining lines, and enigmatic dots.

Adonis took the papers and turned to Ezra.

"Tell me the names of these Runes while I examine them," he requested.

"Shiftweave, Initia, Obstructus, Ascendis, Descendis, Sinistra, Dexter, Cyclonis, Gyratio, and Eradico," Ezra recited each name.

The symbols represented basic Runes used in Runic crafting, a skill his father had been teaching him for the past few years.

Despite their complex names, these are some of the basic Runes, the symbols conveyed simple actions such as Switch, start, block, Up, down, left, right, loop, rotate, and remove. These foundational Runes are used in nearly every artifact crafted.

They are akin to keywords that help weave more complex functions if combined together in an enchantment.

Adonis finished examining the Runes and turned to Ezra.

"The first five are good, then the next three are not bad, but the last two... you rushed through them, didn't you?" Adonis asked, his eyes narrowing.

Ezra nodded slowly, lowering his head.

His father sighed and continued, "It's alright if you couldn't finish on time, but Rune crafting isn't something to rush. It's an ancient discipline, an art that demands patience. Mastery comes through practice and unwavering focus."

Though Ezra had heard this many times before, he still quietly listened to his father's words.

Then, Adonis reached into his bag and said,

"Let me show you something"