**The Path to the Runes**
The now deserted courtyard faded behind me as I made my way toward the house, the cold of the night wrapping everything in a shroud of darkness.
The feeling of having made a significant step forward in my training with the River Footwork accompanied me, but I knew there was no time for complacency.
There was still much to do, and the night wouldn't end until I completed my next lesson: the practical creation of runes with Fúwén dàshī.
The house, with its walls and narrow corridors, seemed almost to breathe as I entered.
The shadows stretched and moved in an unsettling way, accompanied by the sound of the wind howling beyond the windows.
However, I didn't stop to reflect on these sensations.
My mind was focused on the lesson ahead.
I headed toward one of the inner rooms where Fúwén dàshī had summoned me for my second lesson.
The room, hidden in one of the most remote corners of the house, was enveloped in a deep silence, broken only by the crackling of the candles quietly burning on the large wooden table in the center.
**The Meeting with Fúwén dàshī**
Fúwén dàshī was already there, sitting quietly at the table.
His hands, hidden within the wide sleeves of his robe, were as still as stone, but his eyes shone with an intense and penetrating light.
He greeted me with a simple nod, without the need for words.
His presence, as always, dominated the room.
Various objects were already arranged on the table: a set of tools, blocks of dark wood, and scrolls with ancient runes inscribed on them.
These were the tools I would be working with, and their precise and orderly arrangement reflected the seriousness and precision required for the task that awaited me.
"This will be your first real experience in the creation of runes," began Fúwén dàshī, his voice low but full of authority.
"In the previous lesson, you began to understand the meaning of the runes, to interact with their power by understanding the symbols and their significance, as well as learning how to make engravings. Now, you will learn to give them form, to shape the wood and the energy that flows through it."
His words were filled with meaning, and I felt a familiar tension growing within me.
Creating a rune was not a simple exercise in manual skill.
It was a process that required total concentration, a deep connection with the energies that governed the invisible world.
Every mistake, every inaccuracy, could compromise the entire outcome, leading to consequences I could not even imagine.
**The Practical Creation**
Fúwén dàshī indicated one of the blocks of dark wood, its smooth and polished surface seemed almost to be waiting to be engraved.
I approached the table, taking the block in my hands. The wood was surprisingly heavy, and its cold surface made me shiver for a moment.
But I knew there was no room for doubt.
I had to begin.
"Every rune you create will be a manifestation of your will," Fúwén dàshī continued, handing me a small silver blade.
"Let the energy of the rune guide your hand. Feel the wood beneath you and allow the rune to emerge from the material as if it had always been there, waiting to be released."
With the blade in hand, I took a deep breath.
The room was silent, the outside world seemed to have retreated, leaving me alone with the task ahead of me.
I began to carve the wood, each stroke was slow and deliberate.
As the blade slid across the surface of the block, I could almost feel the wood reacting, as if the rune was coming to life beneath my fingers.
The process required absolute concentration.
Every movement of the blade had to be precise, every line perfectly traced.
I felt the tension growing inside me, but I used it to fuel my determination.
I had to maintain control, let the rune emerge without forcing it, like a secret being gradually revealed.
**The Birth of the Rune**
After what seemed like an endless amount of time, I lifted the blade and observed the rune carved into the block of wood.
The symbol was simple, but it emitted a palpable energy, as if the wood itself had been infused with the power of the rune.
I felt a wave of satisfaction mixed with a kind of reverence for what I had just created.
Fúwén dàshī approached and observed my work.
**Fúwén dàshī's Examination**
Fúwén dàshī approached slowly, each of his movements was measured, almost ritualistic.
His eyes, now fixed on the newly created rune, were filled with a light I had never seen before.
It was as if he was scrutinizing not only the surface of the wood but the very essence of the symbol I had carved.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still.
The entire room seemed to hold its breath as Fúwén dàshī examined the rune with meticulous attention.
I could feel my heart beating in my chest, a slow and steady rhythm that seemed to resonate throughout my body.
The tension was palpable, yet there was no fear, only a growing determination, a desire to prove that I had truly understood the lesson.
Finally, Fúwén dàshī spoke, his voice was a whisper that seemed to fill the room.
"Remarkable," he said, and that single word carried a weight that was difficult to measure.
"The symbol is simple, but its energy is pure, uncontaminated by hesitation or doubt. You allowed the rune to emerge from the wood, you didn't force it, and this is the mark of a true Rune Master in the making."
His words struck deeply, a recognition that brought with it not only a sense of satisfaction but also an awareness of the long road ahead.
I knew this was just the first of many trials, that each subsequent rune would require more, not just in terms of skill, but in understanding, in connection with the forces that govern the invisible world.
**The Intensification of the Bond**
Fúwén dàshī gestured for me to continue, and without hesitation, I took another block of wood.
Now, however, something was different.
It was no longer just a matter of manual precision, but of tuning in to the energies that flowed around and within me.
As I carved the second rune, I could feel the wood almost breathing under my fingers, a subtle but perceptible response to my will.
Each stroke of the blade seemed to glide with a fluidity I had never experienced before, as if the wood itself was guiding me, leading me to create something greater than I could comprehend.
Fúwén dàshī watched in silence, but I could sense his presence as a constant guide, a beacon in the darkness helping me navigate through the process.
When I finally lifted the blade, the second rune glowed faintly in the candlelight, as if it had absorbed some of the energy I had channeled into it.
"You are beginning to understand," Fúwén dàshī said, his tone was less severe, but equally intense.
"Each rune you create is not just a symbol, it's an extension of yourself, a fragment of your spirit taking shape in the wood. Continue on this path, and you will discover that there are no limits to what you can achieve."
**The Vision of Potential**
As my master spoke, I felt a new awareness growing within me.
The room, with its dancing shadows and the crackling of the candles, seemed to have become part of a larger ritual, a ceremony that went beyond the simple creation of runes.
I was still at the beginning of my journey, but I could already glimpse the potential that lay within each stroke, in every engraving.
Each rune was not just a sign, but a door opening toward a deeper power, toward a knowledge that only the most dedicated could hope to reach.
Fúwén dàshī, with his penetrating gaze and sure guidance, was the key to accessing this world.
And I, with my determination and commitment, was beginning to understand what it truly meant to be a Rune Master.
**The Beginning of a New Chapter**
When the lesson finally came to an end, I felt exhausted, but not in my body.
It was my mind that had been tested, and my soul that had begun to walk a new and unfamiliar path.
Fúwén dàshī observed me for a long moment, then rose without a word, leaving me alone in the room with the runes I had created.
As he left, I felt that it wasn't a goodbye, but only a temporary interruption, a pause in a journey we would continue together.
I stopped to observe the runes engraved on the wood, their energy still pulsing in the air.
I knew that this night was only the beginning, that the road ahead was long and full of challenges.
But I wasn't afraid.
On the contrary, I was exhilarated by the thought of what I might discover, of what I might create.
With one last look at the table, I left the room, my heart filled with new determination.
The night was still dark, but within me, there was a light shining ever brighter, a flame that would guide every step I took from that moment on.