《I Am Become Death: A Progression Fantasy [Cultivation-based power system]》 Chapter 1: Living in Shadow ¡°Tonight, we kill death.¡± The necromancer rocked the baby in her arms. ¡°And you will help us do it.¡± The mage knelt on a disk of stark white stone in a circle of obelisks shrouded in deepest black, bonfires burning at their peaks. Shapes writhed in the flames¡ªwhispers hissing¡ªa sickly-sweet stench drifting from the smoke. Full moons¡ªone white and one black¡ªwatched from among the stars. ¡°We must hurry!¡± cried another voice. Three hooded assistants rushed between the obelisks, drawing symbols in grave soil with their bone-staves. The necromancer¡¯s eyes focused on the shadows reaching toward the middle of the circle. None quite touched it. She conjured a mental image, sculpting its form. Power flowed from every corner of her body, waiting, poised at her lips. She spat a single word. ¡°Higher.¡± Wind hissed like a giant¡¯s breath being drawn. Bonfires erupted as the obelisks¡¯ rippling shadows lengthened, grasping the necromancer¡¯s cloak. The sleeping babe stirred in her arms, waking with an abrupt gasp. Large eyes met the necromancer¡¯s, the infant began to scream. ¡°Quiet the child!¡± a hooded assistant shouted. ¡°If we are discovered¡ª¡± ¡°Calm!¡± The necromancer turned, silencing the outburst. ¡°I will begin the ancient words.¡± Shadows deepened. Summer air turned frigid. ¡°I call on the three pillars of power. First, The Gift: used to command creation with a single word or phrase. The Gift granted from the Ascended Deities to mortal kind in return for what we lost.¡± Whispers came from the darkness. Shapes formed in the fires. ¡°Life Enforcment, the power to cultivate the energies of nature, strengthening the body with the spiritual blood of the earth.¡± The infant screamed louder. With a gentle finger, the spellcaster caressed his cheek. ¡°Third, the forbidden pillar; the path of Divine Breath. The power to cultivate the energies of the Ascended Deities and more, making their strength one¡¯s own, shedding mortality against the Gods¡¯ will.¡± Like slithering snakes, the shadows churned, lifting both screaming child and mage into the air. Black symbols on white stone shimmered. The infant¡¯s shadow congealed, dripping down in blots of darkness, staining the disk below. The necromancer drew out an orb; within it, a tiny light glowed like the last ember of a fire long snuffed. "Now, I call upon the old pillars of power, used by our ancestors before the Age of Wolves. For one cannot kill death without the old ways.¡± She looked at those outside the circle. ¡°We will only have one chance!¡± The fires climbed higher. Her apprentices began chanting frantically. The necromancer looked down at the screaming babe. ¡°Quite the lungs you have there, little one, I suppose that would be the blood of giants flowing through your veins.¡± She paused, caressing his forehead. ¡°May your mother forgive me. Together, my young Matthias, we will defeat death. There might be consequences to you¡ªwhether we succeed or fail¡ªbut I hope they are kind ones.¡± The necromancer raised the orb. ¡°We could all use more kindness in this world.¡± The orb exploded. The child shrieked, his shadow running like candle wax. ¡°Wait, what are you doing?¡± an apprentice cried. The fires flared. A voice screamed in agony. All chanting died. The infant¡¯s breath stopped.
¡°It has to work this time.¡± Matthias Stonebreaker clutched the censer close to his chest, shielding it from the rain. ¡°It just has to.¡± He glanced over his shoulder, ensuring he was alone; a cool mist lay in the forest, transforming trees into shadows towering over him. They swayed in the low wind though nothing else moved, the only sounds to be heard were the creaking of branches and the light hiss of an early summer drizzle. Matthias¡¯ boots squelched in the mud some distance from a little mountain road as he crouched behind a copse of trees and pulled the hood of his cloak low, covering his golden blonde hair. With thick fingers, he placed the censer on a stump before him and raised the bottom of his cloak to shield it. Within the brass vessel, a mixture of dried herbs and seeds were piled around an oil-soaked wick, ready to be lit with a single spark. If only he hadn¡¯t forgotten his flint and tinder back at the training grounds. He could have gone back for them, but they would be there by now, and he didn¡¯t need them ruining today, of all days. Like they ruined every other day. ¡°It has to work this time. I know I can use The Gift.¡± Matthias adjusted the wooden sword and iron dagger on his belt. He touched a heavy pouch hanging at his waist. ¡°Dagma can do it. Mother can do it. So, I can do it. I just haven¡¯t been able to yet.¡± Taking a deep breath, he focused on the censer, his will gathering. ¡®Remember what you were taught. It is only fire,¡¯ he told himself. Concentrating, he conjured a mental image, sculpting its form. ¡®Forget past failures. You can do this. You will do this. It is only fire, and you are filled with life. You¡¯re a mortal, bearing The Gift of the Ascended.¡¯ He thought he felt power flow from every corner of his body, waiting, poised at his lips. ¡®It is only fire, what can it do but obey?¡¯ He uttered one word. ¡°Burn.¡± This would be it. The command would reverberate with something beyond sound, something that only he and the flames could hear. Within the censer, the fire would leap to life, the fragrant smoke rising into the air. After fourteen years of life, he would finally awaken The Gift. ¡®Now I¡¯ll show Dagma, mother, Sur Friya and even father and everyone else what I can do!¡¯ he¡¯d shout. At least, that¡¯s what he imagined would happen. In reality, the censer remained cold and dead. There was no power in his word. ¡°Come on,¡± he growled. ¡°I really need this right now. I really need it to¡ª¡± ¡°Burn.¡± Flames burst from the censer, burning oil splattering on mud, ugly black smoke coughing through the air. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Matthias fell back, skull slamming into a tree trunk. Pain exploded through the back of his head, stars exploded in his eyes, and laughter exploded from the road behind him. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°I told you there was vermin in there, Petric! You should believe your cousin!¡± a familiar voice cackled through the misty woods. Matthias¡¯ heart dropped. ¡°No! Not them!¡± he hissed, crawling back to the censer. The herbs were meant to burn with a low flame to bring out their healing properties, making them ready for a second lighting after an hour of low heat. With the way they were smoking now, though¡ª ¡°No! They¡¯re ruined!¡± he shouted. The cackling grew louder. Matthias slowly turned, setting his jaw, quickly hiding the heavy pouch beneath his cloak. Three figures emerged from the mist; two were familiar. Siegfried¡¯s bulging eyes were scrunched shut as he laughed, holding his stomach and slapping his knee. The second boy was wide in both shoulder and belly, a surprised¡ªbut increasingly nasty¡ªgrin spreading across his face. Then there was the third, the one Matthias wanted to see least; Kari, brown-haired like his nasty father, narrow of hip and wide of shoulder. He gave a toothy grin. ¡°Hello, Matthias!¡± Kari placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, sauntering forward. Matthias turned back to the censer, grabbing his waterskin. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t bother.¡± Siegfried strolled around him. ¡°Those flames won¡¯t go out until Petric tells them to. I figured you¡¯d need to know that since, you know, you can¡¯t use The Gift and all.¡± Matthias ignored him. ¡®Remember what Sur Friya said: use the Way of Stone. Be the stone. Weather them.¡¯ He poured water on the censer. There was a hiss of steam. The fire kept burning. His grip tightened on the waterskin. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at the training grounds?¡± ¡°Matthias Stonebreaker, this is my cousin, Petric,¡± Siegfried clapped the unfamiliar boy on the shoulder. ¡°He¡¯ll be staying at Marquess Eklund¡¯s as a squire. He wanted to meet our friends, so we took a little detour before training. We have time, so why don¡¯t you introduce yourself?¡± Matthias scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t remember you being my friend.¡± His eyes flicked up to the unfamiliar one. He looked to be about sixteen, the same age as the other two. Kari smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯re charitable enough to be friends with even the likes of you. Guess what Petric, Matthias can¡¯t use the Gift or Life Enforcement!¡± Petric grimaced. ¡°Bad break. That failing is normal for peasants, but isn¡¯t your father Archlord Eaderic?¡± ¡°His father sundered his marriage to Matthias¡¯ mother because of his sons¡¯ failings,¡± Kari explained with a broad grin. ¡°Now he¡¯s got a new wife and better children, while our friend here, and most of his family are barely little more than peasants. They don¡¯t even have their father¡¯s name anymore. His sister doesn¡¯t deserve the same treatment but, what can one do?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want sons like that,¡± Siegfried agreed, bobbing his head up and down. Matthias forced down a retort. ¡®Let the storm pass. You don¡¯t want a beating.¡¯ He looked back at the herbs. Even the censer had been blackened now. Slowly, he stood. Petric continued smiling as he rose. His smile slowly faded as Matthias kept rising. He took a step back when the younger boy reached his full height, a head taller than the three older boys watching him. Broader of shoulder as well. ¡°By Amon Koth¡¯s ferry!¡± Petric swore. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me he was greatfolk!¡± Matthias stared down at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Siegfried chuckled. ¡°Kari and I have both been using Life Enforcement for years. We could snap him in two.¡± ¡°Nearly did,¡± Kari added. ¡°And besides, you¡¯ve got The Gift. To warriors like us, he¡¯s nothing more than a great, big target. Isn¡¯t that right, Matthias?¡± Without warning, his hand shot up. The slap cracked across Matthias¡¯ face like the blow from a hammer. His head whipped to the side, pain blasting through his jaw as he stumbled back. The world spun, but he made no sound. A line of blood trickled from his nose. Slowly, he turned back around as Kari and Siegfried laughed. ¡°See? Nearly sent him flying. You¡¯ve got nothing to worry about, Petric.¡± Matthias Stonebreaker didn¡¯t speak. ¡®Be the stone. Let the storm pass,¡¯ he repeated the mantra in his mind. He stared at his three tormentors, his mouth a hard line. Slowly their smiles began to fade, laughter dissipating. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Kari demanded. ¡°You have something to say? You want another blow?¡± Matthias had a lot to say. A lot he would¡¯ve liked to do. Instead, he simply shook his head. ¡°Maybe you should say something,¡± Siegfried smirked. ¡°We were kind enough to introduce a new friend to you. Where¡¯s your courtesy?¡± His bulging eyes narrowed. His hand fell to the hilt of his sword. ¡°I¡¯ll burn your eyebrows off with a word.¡± Petric waved his fingers ominously, confidence returning. To that, Matthias eyed him. Petric flinched. ¡°Listen, you¡¯re new here, so let me give you some advice. The beating you could give me? It couldn¡¯t be nearly as bad as the one Sur Friya will give all of you if you¡¯re late for training.¡± Both Siegfried and Kari winced. Matthias pushed. ¡°Please, by all means. Stay here. Take another swing. Even if you blacken both my eyes, they¡¯ll still see the beating you¡¯ll get just fine when she finds you. She might already be looking for you.¡± Kari and Siegfried glanced at each other. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll see you later.¡± Kari smiled once more, showing a lot of teeth. ¡°Hide behind Sur Friya, it¡¯s all you can do. No guts. No glory. No future.¡± Siegfried pushed. Matthias said nothing. ¡°Ah, forget it,¡± Kari muttered. ¡°He¡¯s no fun. Come on.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Petric said, looking down at the censer. His nostrils flared. ¡°Go out,¡± he commanded. The flames snuffed out. His eyes focused on the censer. ¡°Crumple.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Matthias started. There was a creak of metal collapsing on itself, scrunching down until the censer was nothing more than a twisted ball of brass. ¡°Enjoy that,¡± Petric said, quickly looking to his cousin and Kari for approval. The two boys howled, pounding him on the back as all three turned, making their way to the road. Some of the mist had cleared, revealing the muddy track and steep hill on the other side of the mountain path. Matthias stared at the ruin of brass. He had prepared a number of gifts for his brother. One, a batch of calming alchemical herbs to help with his condition. Two, a censer to burn them in along with some fragrant oils to cut the stench of his ¡®home¡¯. Both had been ruined. Matthias¡¯ breath came faster. His heartbeat quickened. His jaw clenched. He wanted nothing more than to break the skulls of those laughing bastards as they walked away. How many days had they ruined? How many times had they been protected? The young man shook, his hands balling into fists. ¡®Be the stone. Calm. Let the storm pass,¡¯ he thought. ¡®You have to let it pass. You don¡¯t want a fight right now. Besides, you knew this could happen. You were ready for it. That¡¯s why you¨C¡± Then he heard it. ¡°So, if that¡¯s what he looks like, have you ever seen The Beast? That¡¯s what you call his brother, right?¡± Petric asked Siegfried. The Beast. Those two words blasted the mantra from Matthias¡¯ mind. He bent down, seizing the hot brass from the mud; it was cooling but was still hot enough to sting his palm. He couldn¡¯t care less. One foot planted. His arm cocked back as he turned. The three boys had reached the path, close to the muddy slope on the other side. It¡¯d be slick from the rain and would lead straight down to a patch of thorn bushes at the bottom of the hill. ¡°Hey! You were right!¡± Matthias shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t introduce myself! I¡¯m Matthias Stonebreaker, son of Beggahasta! I might not have The Gift, but I have a gift for you!¡± Petric began to turn. Matthias whipped the hot brass ball at him. There was a crunch as Siegfried¡¯s cousin caught it on the jaw. He yelped, stumbling back, spinning around. The brass ball dropped to the ground. Petric tumbled down the hill. ¡°Petric!¡± Siegfried cried, disappearing down the slope. Seconds passed, then the Gift-User''s screams echoed through the valley. ¡°No, Petric!¡± Siegfried cried. ¡°Stop thrashing, you¡¯re working yourself deeper into the thorns!¡± Matthias smiled. Kari stared down the hill, then turned, snarling. ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°Introduced myself.¡± Matthias cracked his neck. He blew blood from his nose. ¡°No one calls my brother that. No one.¡± ¡°Pissant!¡± Kari snapped, stalking forward. ¡°You just earned yourself the beating of a lifetime! Even my father will be shocked at what I¡¯m going to do to you¡ª¡± ¡°Trainee!¡± another voice snapped. ¡°There you are!¡± Kari froze, going pale. From down the road strode a tall woman: lean, sharp-eyed, brown hair caught in a bun, her armour polished to a mirror shine. The veteran knight¡¯s plain face sported a ragged scar that ran from her cheek, over her brow and deep into her hairline. ¡°S-Sur Friya!¡± Kari stammered. ¡°H-how did you ¡ª¡± ¡°Find you? I was nearby and followed the screaming. You were dodging training. Again. Without training, how are you going to survive the Wolfwood? What do you plan to do when the Artenesians finally turn those red-flecked eyes of theirs north?¡± She marched up to the young man. ¡°You¡¯re going to regret every training you skipped when they flay you alive.¡± Kari pointed at Matthias. ¡°Did you see what he did? He assaulted Siegfried¡¯s cousin by way of surprise! No honour! He¡¯s filth!¡± Sur Friya looked at Matthias. The young man pointed down at the brass ball near Kari¡¯s feet. ¡°Remember my gift for Bregindoure? That¡¯s what it looks like now.¡± Kari looked down and grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like!¡± ¡°No, no Petric! Stop, you¡¯re pulling me into the bushes¡ªAaaaargh!¡± Siegfried screamed. Sur Friya growled. The knight bent down, picking up the ball. She shook her head. ¡°This is childish. The three of you are nearly full-grown men; yet here you are attacking your future allies, I¡¯d expect better of my students. Training today will be¡­well, let¡¯s just say you¡¯ll soon wish you were in an Artenesian battle-pit instead of here.¡± Kari balked. Sur Friya looked at Matthias, tossing him the ball. He caught it, bowing to her. ¡°Thank you, knight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m not disappointed. This is not the Way of Stone¡­¡± She paused. ¡°But I can understand it. Go. Your brother and sister are waiting, and we¡¯ve all wasted enough time here.¡± ¡°Thank you, knight.¡± Matthias bowed once more, then turned and ran down the path. He could feel Kari and Sur Friya¡¯s gazes on his back; one filled with anger, the other with pity. For Matthias, he felt both pride and disappointment in his chest. Pride at having stood up for his brother. Disappointment at letting control slip. ¡®The storm will pass,¡¯ he thought. ¡®But it¡¯ll be bad for a while. For now, I¡¯ll be alright, but they¡¯ll want their revenge.¡¯ How much pain had been caused because he was incompatible with Life Enforcement? How much more had been caused because¡ªno matter how hard he tried¡ªhe couldn¡¯t develop The Gift, and hope for that dropped with each passing birthday. His mother and sister had both. His father had Life Enforcement. There was the way of Divine Breath, but no matter how desperate he was for any path to power, that art was forbidden by the deities, and he knew no one to test his compatibility with it. ¡®Why can¡¯t I do anything?¡¯ he brooded. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯ His shadow was long and deep as he ran down the path. Grinding his teeth, he pushed those thoughts from his mind. This was not the time to wallow in his problems. It was his brother¡¯s birthday, and both he and their little sister expected him. Dagma was probably already there. At their older brother¡¯s home. At their older brother¡¯s prison. As he ran, the sun shone through a break in the clouds. His shadow grew longer beneath the light, stretching far down the path. Then¡ªthrough that same break¡ªa dark shape passed over the edge of the sun. The black moon. Behind Matthias, his shadow rippled. Chapter 2: Cursed Matthias Stonebreaker did not notice the ambush until it was too late. His grip tightened on the ruins of his brother¡¯s gift, while his eyes focused on the tower rising from the forested valley below. He did not catch the movement atop the boulder beside the road. A form peered at him. It leapt. Its weight landed across his shoulders, one limb curling around his neck. He cried out when something smacked the back of his head. Matthias reached for his dagger, only pausing when he heard the giggling. The evil self-satisfied giggling. ¡°Dagma?¡± He called peering over his shoulder. ¡°And so, I have slain the evil titan!¡± his younger sister cheered, clinging to his back, holding her wooden sword above her head. Blue eyes sparkled. ¡°The mighty Sur Dagma has laid you low, tyrant! That¡¯s what you get for being late!¡± Matthias stared at her, then let out a rolling laugh, his voice cracking. He quicky went silent, clearing his throat. ¡°So, this is how the brave knight, Sur Dagma, fights?¡± He shook his head. ¡°By ambushing her opponents?¡± ¡°You know what mother says.¡± Her grin revealed a missing tooth. ¡°Honour is for¡­¡± The words fell away. Her eyes grew wide and she touched the growing bruise on his cheek. ¡°Matthie, what happened to your face?¡± Matthias winced. ¡°Kari.¡± There was no point in hiding it. Dagma had stopped believing his lies about his injuries by the time she was eight. She gasped as he told her what had happened, looking down at the crumpled ball of brass clenched in his fist. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, sis.¡± He forced a smile. The girl¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°I want to break them. I could too, with my Life Enforcement. I could do it.¡± Matthias sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t just attack them; Eklund would love any excuse to send you to father.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be allowed to in a duel.¡± She brandished her wooden sword above her head. Matthias had to duck to avoid it. ¡®Here you are, almost fully grown, and your ten-year-old sister wants to fight your battles for you.¡¯ Matthias¡¯ teeth ground. ¡®Because you can¡¯t fight them yourself. If you can¡¯t fight three bullies, how are you supposed to survive your first patrol of the Wolfwood?¡¯ He looked at the peaks to the west. His home lay in the Gods¡¯ Shield Mountains, which towered above all other peaks in the Shieldlands. Beyond them, the air shimmered: the divine ward standing between the lands of mortals and the Wolfwood. The forest¡ªspanning nearly a continent¡ªwas the last remnant of the Age of Wolves. Its trees towered taller than castles, its canopy formed an endless sea of dark green. At its edge, branches reached toward the barrier, twisted like hungry claws. There was a good reason his ancient ancestors had fled it. And the reason why¡ªin a few years¡ªhe would be sent to patrol its outskirts. He turned away, putting that thought from his mind. Again, Matthias forced a smile. ¡°Even if you could beat them¡ªwhich you can¡¯t, their Life Enforcement is in a caliber above yours¡ªyou¡¯re not allowed to declare a duel until¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªI¡¯m at least thirteen, I know that, Matthie.¡± Her grip on her brother tightened. ¡°I wish I could be that old already. They need to stop hurting you.¡± ¡°I practise the Way of Stone, and Sur Friya will teach it to you eventually.¡± Matthias reached back, patting her on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll learn to endure. It¡¯s the Stonebreaker way. Besides¡­¡± He tapped the heavy pouch on his belt. ¡°I¡­thought something might happen, so I got three gifts ready, not just two.¡± ¡°Oh! What is that?¡± ¡°Something I carved from leftover granite from Master Gottel¡¯s.¡± He made a sour face. ¡°I¡¯m not as good a stonemason as he is¡ªnot sure I¡¯ll ever be¡ªbut the carving¡¯s not too bad.¡± ¡°Can I see it?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m not showing you Breg¡¯s gift before he sees it, Dagma.¡± ¡°Awww, why not¡ªWait! You¡¯re trying to distract me!¡± She glowered. ¡°What about those filthy¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about them anymore!¡± Matthias shouted. ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t either, let¡¯s not reach the tower with frowns on our faces.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Enough! Come on, get a good grip!¡± Before she could say another word, he took off, sprinting down the muddy road¡ªhis long strides carrying them swiftly¡ªwhile she screamed and laughed, clinging to his back. ¡°Onward, steed!¡± Soon, the two siblings reached the valley floor and the tower rising in its midst. Three guards huddled around a small fire beneath an overhang, rolling dice in a cup by a thick iron door. The door was bound shut by a heavy lock etched with a line of mage¡¯s marks on the side, each denoting a year it had been reinforced using The Gift. The last three marks differed from the first seven. Above the door, the tower¡¯s stones were broad and thick, unbroken except for a pair of windows under the peaked roof. Iron bars as thick as one of Matthias¡¯ wrists secured them. ¡°We¡¯re here¡ªArg!¡± the boy gasped, his boots slipping on the mud. He shrieked. Dagma shrieked. His arms windmilled as he dug his heels in, trying to keep his balance, skidding to a halt in front of the guards. He was panting heavily, legs shaking. They looked at him like he¡¯d grown three heads. ¡°Dag¡­ma¡­¡± Matthias hissed. ¡°Dag¡­ma you¡¯re¡­choking me.¡± She clung to his neck, her small arm¡ªpowered by Life Enforcement¡ªconstricting his throat like a serpent. ¡°Oh sorry!¡± She slid off his back. Grasping his throat, he took deep breaths. Which is when he heard the laughter. In one of the tower¡¯s windows, a large hand gripped the bars; the outline of a face hovered in the gloom within, broken by the glint of a glass lens reflecting in the daylight. The glass was pointed directly at Matthias. As was the laughter. He shook his fist. ¡°Breg, stop laughing!¡± The laughter grew louder. ¡°What is this I see?¡± A strong voice, wavering between the high tones of adolescence and the bass tones of a grown man, broke and cracked. ¡°Dagma, I think you¡¯re in need of a new horse. That one looks drunk. And silly.¡± ¡°Breg!¡± Matthias snapped. ¡°When I get up there, I¡¯m throwing you from that window!¡± ¡°And so I¡¯d get my freedom!¡± Bregindoure laughed. ¡°Best birthday yet! Come on, brother, sister. It¡¯s been too long since your last visit.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be right up!¡± Matthias shook his head, then looked down at Dagma. She looked up at him. ¡°You do make for a silly horse.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± The younger Stonebreaker siblings addressed the guards. ¡°Greetings.¡± A burly one stood, digging at his belt for keys. ¡°He¡¯s been in a good mood today. Don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be any danger¡ªWait.¡± The guard peered at Matthias¡¯ face. His voice dropped low. ¡°Maybe you should stay down here. A wound like you¡¯re sporting might set him off.¡± ¡°No, Olganar.¡± Matthias stepped closer. ¡°It won¡¯t. I know my brother.¡± The guards looked at each other, then down at Dagma. ¡°Little Lady Dramag¡ª¡± Olganar started. ¡°It¡¯s Stonebreaker,¡± she said sharply. The three guards paused. ¡°Right¡­Stonebreaker.¡± The burly one continued. ¡°Maybe just let your brother go up and see the priso-er, young Bregindoure. It might be safer; your father wouldn¡¯t be too happy if anything happened to you.¡± At one time, what Olganar was implying¡ªthat his father wouldn¡¯t care what happened to him¡ªwould have bothered Matthias. At one time. ¡°Breg wouldn¡¯t hurt us. We¡¯re going up to see him.¡± Dagma set her jaw. ¡°Or we could wait until mother gets here with Master Altaizar.¡± Matthias nodded back up the road. ¡°Neither of them will be too happy at finding us being kept out here.¡± Olganar grimaced. ¡°Right.¡± There was a click as he unlocked the tower. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t try to do you a favour.¡± The door opened, revealing the darkness within. Dagma swallowed, taking her brother¡¯s hand. ¡°The little knight is still afraid of the dark,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Q-quiet.¡± Dagma stepped into the tower. A heartbeat later, there came a metallic clunk as Olganar shut the door, plunging them into the gloom. Slowly, Matthias ascended the tower with Dagma sticking close. The stink of mustiness and body odour struck his nostrils even as the stairwell grew brighter. He thought about the censer. When there was finally enough light, Dagma pulled away, running up the stairs the rest of the way. ¡°Bregindoure!¡± she called as she reached the top step. There was a single chamber facing them, divided in two by a set of thick iron bars. On one side, Matthias and Dagma made their way to a set of dusty chairs. On the other side was their brother¡¯s cell. A dim, foul place that hadn¡¯t been cleaned properly in years, the only furnishings within were a large cot beneath the only window, a crudely carved chair, a desk and shelves overflowing with books spilling in piles onto the floor. A few half-finished notes lay atop the desk along with a worn feather quill, an ink pot, and the remains of breakfast. At the side, a polished lute sat on a stand. The prisoner was at the window with a field glass¡ªa collapsible instrument one could use to see long distances¡ªbut he turned as soon as his younger brother and sister reached his cell. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Bregindoure Stonebreaker collapsed the field glass, rising from the cot. His hulking form blotted out the light from the window, and he only took two strides to reach the bars across his cell. He smiled through a scraggly beard, his blue eyes twinkling. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡± Dagma trotted up to the bars. ¡°Happy birthday, brother.¡± ¡°Yeah, happy sixteenth, Breg.¡± Matthias mimed around his lower face. ¡°Your beard¡¯s looking pretty ratty.¡± ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bregindoure laughed. ¡°Greatfolk grow beards young and fast, brother. You¡¯ll see. The blood of giants is strong in you; so you¡¯ll have a grown man¡¯s beard by the time you¡¯re fifteen.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take better care of mine than you do yours.¡± Matthias rubbed his chin. ¡°You try taking care of a beard when they won¡¯t even let you have a razor.¡± Bregindoure shook his head. ¡°I wish I was greatfolk like you two.¡± Dagma sighed. ¡°I wish it hadn¡¯t skipped me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Humans have a stronger affinity for The Gift than any other mortal race. Be glad that the blood of our ancestors only touched you lightly.¡± Bregindoure put his hands through the bars. They were as large as dinner plates. ¡°Come on, I can¡¯t give you a hug but let me clasp your hands.¡± Dagma clutched her eldest brother¡¯s left hand while Matthias stepped forward, eager to take his right. His eyes fell on the back of that hand; a crimson rune burned on the skin there, shaped like three sets of claws, their wrists knotted together: a bear¡¯s, an eagle¡¯s, and a tiger¡¯s. The Rune of the Berserker; the very reason their brother had been imprisoned most of his young life. Matthias took that hand without hesitation. Bregindoure squeezed his. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Hopefully, this will be the last birthday you¡¯re in here.¡± Matthias looked up. ¡°We can always hope.¡± Bregindoure looked out at the Wolfwood through the barred window behind his brother. ¡°Someone needs to come help you when you¡¯re in the¡­¡± He turned his hand, the light of the rune shining on Matthias¡¯ face. ¡°That bruise¡­by Enheduanna, did Kari and Siegfried do that to you?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± Matthias¡¯ expression turned sour. ¡°Oh, and they had a new friend with them, one just as unpleasant as they are...¡± Bregindoure¡¯s silence sucked the life from the room. His rune burned brighter, his pupils dilating. Matthias felt the grip tighten on his hand. Veins rose across Bregindoure¡¯s skin. He towered above his brother¡ªwho barely reached his shoulder¡ªand was far broader. His body was a great knot of strength, since there was little else to do in this prison beside reading books, playing his lute, and building his frame. His expression turned into the snarl of a beast. ¡°They¡­dare¡­¡± Matthias didn¡¯t pull away. Neither did Dagma, looking calmly into Bregindoure¡¯s eyes. The rune grew brighter. Bregindoure¡¯s lips moved. ¡°Way of Stone. Be the stone. Weather it. Endure it.¡± He repeated the words for many heartbeats, his body quaking. Finally, the rune¡¯s light began to fade, his veins relaxing and his eyes returning to normal. He lowered his head, his breathing laboured. ¡°Matthie, Dagma, I am sorry. I¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± Matthias covered the rune, squeezing his brother¡¯s hand. ¡°You kept control. Way of Stone. You¡¯ve gotten better.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t develop the Rune of Clarity, which would free me from¡­all this.¡± Bregindoure looked around the cell then down at the symbol on his hand. His lips flattened to a thin line. ¡°I hate being rune-marked. Branded by some old magic, losing my mind, losing my freedom.¡± He shuddered. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, father wouldn¡¯t have¡ª¡± The older sibling paused, shaking himself. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m the oldest; you shouldn¡¯t have to listen to me whining. I don¡¯t want to ruin the day.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not, Bregindoure.¡± Dagma patted his hand. ¡°And here, I know how to make you feel better. Here¡¯s your birthday present!¡± She reached down to her belt, pulling out a small package wrapped in leather. ¡°I hope you like it.¡± The eldest sibling smiled. ¡°Oho! What did you get me this time? A set of bird¡¯s eggs?¡± ¡°Even better.¡± Dagma placed the package in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m a young lady now; I don¡¯t climb trees to fetch bird¡¯s eggs anymore. I¡¯m too sophi¡­sophisti¡­proper, for that now!¡± ¡°I see, then I wonder what sophisticated gift is in store for me.¡± Bregindoure unwrapped the package. Within lay a quill, freshly plucked and prepared: a bright blue feather with a luminescent sheen that reflected the dim light. He grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve needed one of these! So this is the gift of a sophisticated lady? Thank you, sister.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help but notice it¡¯s still bird-related, but it¡¯s nice.¡± Matthias admired the present. ¡°It is.¡± Dagma smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget mine,¡± Matthias pulled the heavy pouch from his belt. ¡°I had more for you, but¡­you know.¡± ¡°Kari, Siegfried and who¡¯s this new friend of theirs?¡± Bregindoure¡¯s eyes took on a dangerous gleam. ¡°Petric, apparently.¡± ¡°They¡¯re lucky I¡¯m stuck in here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about them, take a look at what I made you.¡± Matthias handed his brother the pouch. Curiously, Bregindoure undid the strings. His smile grew wide. ¡°Will you look at this!¡± he cried, holding up a stone inkpot. A small granite dragon curled around the outside. ¡°I know how much you like stories of Anaxadar.¡± Matthias pointed at the snarling maw. ¡°So I thought I¡¯d carve the Divine Dragon for you. Sorry it¡¯s not that good, but¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, no, brother. It¡¯s great!¡± Bregindoure held up the inkpot and the quill with a wistful smile. ¡°A pretty quill to write with. The Divine Dragon, Anaxadar, to hold my ink. What a day this is! Come here! Give me your heads!¡± ¡°No, brother!¡± Dagma held up her hands like she was warding off evil. ¡°Oh come on, Bregindoure!¡± Matthias stepped back. ¡°Not the head thing¡ª¡± Bregindoure looked at them sternly, placing his gifts on the desk. ¡°I am the eldest. I cannot hug you, so give me your heads.¡± Matthias and Dagma sighed, looking at each other before stepping closer to the bars and leaning forward. Two plate-sized hands came down on the tops of their heads, gently patting them. ¡°Thank you, Matthie and Dagma. Thank you so much.¡± Both younger siblings squirmed, finally scurrying away from their elder brother¡¯s head pats. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Matthias blushed. ¡°I¡¯m nearly grown.¡± ¡°Ah, but you¡¯re not fully grown quite yet, are you?¡± Bregindoure grinned. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t make those faces, you two. Tell you what, I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± His smile turned sly. ¡°Do you know what I saw high in a tree this morning?¡± ¡°What?¡± Dagma asked. He leaned forward. ¡°A. Ripe. Hornunaeppling.¡± Matthias startled. Dagma¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Really?¡± Matthias asked, his mouth starting to water. The fruit was rare, the insides were like pure cream and honey, while the seeds had a crunchy, nutty flavour. ¡°So early in the season? How?¡± ¡°I do not know. Perhaps Talimar Vosh reached down from his divine throne to grant us a little blessing. The guards haven¡¯t noticed it yet, and I think mother could get it for you. So, when she gets here¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± Dagma stood tall. ¡°We¡¯re getting it right now. If the guards see it, they¡¯ll pick it and eat it before we can get any.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Matthias agreed, rubbing his belly. ¡°Dagma and I can get it no problem.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Bregindoure asked. ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll use The Gift!¡± Dagma grinned, showing the space where her missing tooth had been. ¡°Alright, but just be careful,¡± their elder brother cautioned. ¡°Oh, we will,¡± Matthias promised. ¡°We¡¯ll be right back!¡± He and his sister turned, racing each other down the stairs, passing through the tower¡¯s shadows and gloom.
¡°Don¡¯t do it, Dagma.¡± Matthias shook his head. His sister turned from the trees in front of her, black pigtails swinging, batting her in the face. She gripped her wooden sword. ¡°You doubt Sur Dagma? I beat you, remember?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean your ambush?¡± Matthias shielded his eyes from the drizzle, looking up at a crimson-barked tree. A single golden-yellow fruit hung from its highest branches. Matthias considered the prize before hiding an evil smile. ¡°You know what? Do it. Breg and I¡¯ll be watching.¡± ¡°Alright, watch this.¡± Lifting her wooden sword, the young girl closed her eyes and spoke a single word. ¡°Fly.¡± Wind rustled around her. Raindrops trembled. She threw the blade. The sword flew under the girl¡¯s command, striking the branch and knocking the fruit free. ¡°Matthie!¡± she wheezed, doubling over. Matthias sprang, hands extended, eyes fixed on the falling fruit, catching it before it splattered on the grass. ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Good¡­¡± Dagma panted, sweat forming on her brow, mixing with the rain. ¡°The Gift really takes a lot out of you at your age, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Matthias handed the fruit to his sister, patting her on the back. ¡°Even with your Life Enforcement.¡± She nodded. ¡°It really does.¡± ¡°You think you have another Command in you?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Oh? Then tell me, how will you get your sword down if you¡¯re too tired for another Command?¡± ¡°What?¡± Dagma looked up at the tree branch. The blade was stuck, well out of reach. From the tower came a deep laugh. Matthias grinned. ¡°I¡­¡± She stared with wide eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t lose that sword, Sur Friya will kill me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± Matthias offered with malicious intent. ¡°Really?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure!¡± He noticed the amount of water soaking into her pigtails and brought the hood of her cloak up to shield her hair and face. After a moment¡¯s thought, he did the same for himself then ran at the tree and leapt, grasping the lowest branch, pulling himself into the canopy with ease. Hand over hand, he scaled the trunk, easily reaching the wooden sword. ¡°Be careful!¡± Dagma called. ¡°Got it!¡± Matthias grinned, snatching the weapon while swinging onto the branch. ¡°Hah! Victory!¡± ¡°Thank you! Now, throw it down, I¡¯ll catch it!¡± Dagma called. The evil smile finally took over Matthias¡¯ face. ¡°To the victor go the spoils, Sur Dagma. I have your sword and by warrior¡¯s right, I claim it!¡± ¡°What? You thief!¡± she cried. ¡°So this is how the brave knight, Sur Matthias, fights? ¡°You know what mother says.¡± He grinned wickedly. ¡°Honour is for duels, not war.¡± Dagma made a face. ¡°I hope you fall.¡± ¡°That is no way to speak to Sur Matthias!¡± ¡°Maaatthie!¡± she cried. ¡°This is vengeance, Dagma! Sweeeeet vengeance!¡± ¡°Bregindoure!¡± Dagma called toward the tower. ¡°Bregindoure!¡± ¡°Oh, now you run to big brother for hel¡ª¡± ¡°Matthias! Dagma!¡± Bregindoure¡¯s voice cracked out. ¡°Get back to the tower! You need to come inside. Now!¡± Dagma and Matthias froze. A flicker of movement rounded the tower. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s¡ª¡± Matthias looked over. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Three figures were approaching, shoulders squared, eyes fixed on Dagma. ¡°No!¡± Matthias cried. Kari, Siegfried and Petric gripped heavy cudgels; the two cousins were covered in bandages, while white dressings swathed Petric¡¯s jaw, face and head. ¡°Up there!¡± Siegfried pointed toward the tree with his cudgel. ¡°There¡¯s the rat!¡± ¡°Thought you could run away?¡± Kari smirked. ¡°Hey! Leave him alone!¡± Dagma stepped toward them. ¡°I¡¯ll break you!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Matthias scrambled down the tree, heart hammering in his ears. ¡°Get away from her!¡± Petric glared down, then began advancing toward Dagma. Kari reached out, blocking Petric with an arm to the chest. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her; the Archlord would have our heads. Focus on the one who did this to you. He has no such protection.¡± Siegfried leaned toward his cousin, whispering. Petric looked at the girl, his expression shifting from anger to pity. Then his eyes fell back on Matthias as the boy dropped to the ground. Rage returned. ¡°There you are, you shit,¡± he mumbled through his dressing. Matthias rose up to his full height. ¡°What are you doing here? Sur Friya¡ª¡± ¡°Father pulled us out of training with the Marquess¡¯ permission.¡± Kari glared at him. ¡°You know, since we needed to get Petric and Siegfried some treatment. They¡¯re supposed to rest for a week because of you.¡± Matthias darted forward, putting himself between his sister and the tormentors. He placed a hand on her shoulder while she growled at the trio. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he whispered. There was no sign of the guards moving to intervene. Neither of them had even bothered to peer around the building. They were there to guard Bregindoure, and this wouldn¡¯t be the first time Matthias¡¯ plights were ignored by his father¡¯s servants. He would have loved to go to them, tell them his trouble, and have these three carted off. Unfortunately, he did not live in so kind a world. At least, it was not so kind to him. ¡°We have no quarrel with you,¡± Kari said to Dagma, his voice oozing courtesy. ¡°Go with the peace of the Ascended.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going through you.¡± The young girl balled her hand into a fist. ¡°Leave my brother alone!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go around you, Lady Dagma,¡± Kari sighed. ¡°We won¡¯t touch a hair on your head, but we owe your brother a beating. And he¡¯s going to get one.¡± He smiled at Matthias. ¡°Oh, will he ever get one.¡± ¡°No!¡± Dagma screamed. ¡°Stop it, you filth!¡± came a roar from the tower. Matthias looked up sharply. ¡°Breg!¡± Dagma cried. ¡°Breg! Calm down!¡± Two shaking hands were gripping the bars on the window. A red light blazed from the prison. ¡°Leave here now, you three wretches, or I swear I will¡ª¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Kari made a rude gesture toward the tower. ¡°You are never leaving that place, beast!¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± Bregindoure shouted. ¡°I will rip you apart!¡± The red light grew brighter. ¡°Bregindoure! Bregindoure! Way of Stone!¡± Matthias cried. ¡°You have to stop!¡± Dagma added. Siegfried and Kari snickered, though Petric glanced at the tower nervously. They were distracted. Matthias couldn¡¯t let them drive Bregindoure further into a fit. He bent down, scooping up a handful of mud, then glanced at Dagma. There was no way he was going to let his siblings see what these three wanted to do to him. ¡°Sorry,¡± he whispered. He bolted, sprinting for the tree line as though every storvarg in the Wolfwood was after him. Grass and mud squelched beneath his boots. ¡°Hey! He¡¯s running!¡± Petric suddenly cried from behind him. ¡°Get back here!¡± Siegfried shouted. ¡°Go Matthie!¡± Dagma screamed. ¡°Run! I¡¯ll get mother!¡± ¡°Get away, brother!¡± Bregindoure shouted from the tower. The sounds of pursuit followed. Matthias reached the tree line, ducking beneath a low hanging branch, vaulting a bush. He could almost feel the breath of his pursuers on his back. ¡°Fly!¡± Dagma¡¯s voice screamed. Something jerked in Matthias¡¯ hand. He looked down at his sister¡¯s sword. He let it go. The wooden blade shot backward. There was a thwack of wood on flesh. Kari yelped, his footsteps stumbling. ¡°I¡¯ll get him!¡± Siegfried cried. Turning, Matthias pitched the mud at his bloodshot eyes. Siegfried grunted, tripping and spilling into the muck. Petric huffed and puffed after them. Matthias ran. ¡°Keep going, brother!¡± Bregindoure howled, his voice fading behind his brother. Matthias ducked beneath branches, pine needles and leaves, weaving his large form between tree trunks, making sure to never move in a straight line for too long. ¡°Where¡¯d he go?¡± Petric demanded, his voice still muffled. Kari laughed. ¡°When I catch that bastard, I am going to break every bone in his body!¡± Matthias¡¯ eyes scanned the woods around him; he noted a familiar old grey willow and broke to the east, making for a mountain stream. If he crossed it while out of sight, he could lose them. ¡®Way of Stone,¡¯ he thought, listening to the calls of his tormentors. ¡®Endure.¡¯ ¡°We¡¯ll find you!¡± Siegfried shouted. ¡°You¡¯re only making things worse for yourself!¡± ¡°Come back here and take your beating!¡± Petric shouted. ¡°If you have any honour!¡± Slowly, the sounds of his pursuers receded and the babble of the mountain stream up ahead grew louder. ¡®Keep going,¡¯ he thought. ¡®You¡¯re nearly there. You¡¯re nearly¡ª¡¯ ¡°There he is!¡± Kari¡¯s voice echoed from above. Matthias flinched, throwing a glance over his shoulder. Kari had scaled a tree, catching sight of Matthias through a gap in the canopy. ¡°Follow me!¡± he laughed to his friends. Leaping from a branch, Kari¡¯s body twisted in the air, and he grasped another branch, pulling himself onto it one-handed. He jumped again. Leaping through the canopy, keeping his eyes on his quarry. With a single swing of his arm, he snapped a tree limb blocking his way, one as thick around as his calf. Matthias shuddered. Siegfried and Petric¡¯s shouts were growing louder. Matthias burst onto the bank of the stream, his eyes following it. ¡®Stream ends at a cliff with lots of bushes,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Could hide in there.¡¯ He followed the water, his pursuers¡¯ hoots and calls growing ever louder. The cliff was fast approaching, and so were his tormentors. Underbrush grew denser, trees giving way to thorny bushes thick enough to form a maze if one kept low enough. Setting his jaw, Matthias threw a final glance over his shoulder, then dove into the thorny shrubbery. He hissed as barbs dragged across his flesh, scraping bare skin, or stabbing him through his clothing. ¡®Way of Stone,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Be the stone.¡¯ Matthias crawled on his belly, pushing through the brambles, weaving through shrubbery, using it as cover. He moved in deeper. The drizzle stiffened into sheeting rain, filling the woods with the rattle of droplets drumming on leaves. ¡°Where is that rat?¡± Siegfried¡¯s voice exploded from nearby. Matthias froze for a moment, then kept going. ¡°I saw him dive into the bushes,¡± Kari¡¯s voice offered. ¡°But I lost him from there.¡± ¡°Into those thorns?¡± There was a smile in Siegfried¡¯s tone. ¡°Like a common rabbit? Hah! Serves him right. We got the thorns, so should he.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find the gutless bastard,¡± Petric snarled. Matthias was close to the cliff. He could see it through the bushes and hear wind howling past the rock. It was a sheer drop, with stony outcroppings protruding from its face like teeth in some titanic jaw. At the bottom lay more forest, while great birds of prey soared above, making their way for cover from the heavy rain. Some appeared to be hawks. Others were much larger. Matthias kept low, hardly breathing. His pursuers were beating the brush with their cudgels. Now and then, one would get brave and try to wade in. A quick cry of pain would soon follow snickering from the other two. Heartbeats passed. Then minutes. ¡°We might¡¯ve lost him,¡± Kari sighed. ¡°These woods are thick. Let me try something. Hey, coward! Your brother¡¯s a beast! Just a brainless beast that¡¯ll die in that tower! You and him are the reason your father doesn''t want your family anymore!¡± The words struck Matthias; some rang true. He fought the urge to rise from the bushes and smash Kari¡¯s mouth in. ¡®Way of Stone. Endure,¡¯ he repeated. ¡®Don¡¯t lose control again.¡¯ Kari¡¯s taunts continued for a time until a bored note entered his voice. ¡°Agh, forget it. I¡¯m not missing lunch for this. There¡¯ll be other days.¡± ¡°What?¡± Petric mumbled through his bandages. ¡°No, he got me in the jaw. We¡¯ve got to get him.¡± ¡°Ah, leave it, Petric,¡± Siegfried sighed. ¡°He can¡¯t live out here, and Lady Beggahasta might be at the tower by now. We don¡¯t want to cross her. We can get him another day.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s easy for you to say!¡± Petric snarled. ¡°He got my damned jaw! He could¡¯ve broken it! He has to pay. Now!¡± ¡°Look, if you want to go into those bushes, be my guest,¡± Kari scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m getting out of here. I¡¯m tired of getting soaked.¡± There was silence for a moment. Matthias held his breath. Then Petric said something. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Siegfried demanded. Petric spoke louder: ¡°Burn!¡± The bushes steamed above Matthias. ¡°No way,¡± he whispered. ¡°Burn!¡± Petric shouted again. There was a hiss. A crack. ¡°Stop it!¡± Siegfried cried. ¡°You could set the whole forest abla¡ª¡± ¡°Buuuuuuurn!¡± There was a blast of heat. Shrubs burst into flame. ¡°By Culf¡¯s bloody sword!¡± Kari laughed. ¡°You¡¯re mad, Petric, I love it!¡± The air grew hotter. With a life of their own, flames fought the downpour, raindrops steaming away as fire spread through the brush. Matthias¡¯ back and legs began to sear; he coughed from the smoke. ¡°You hear that?¡± Petric wheezed. Cursing, Matthias sprang from the bushes, tearing through the thorns and rushing toward the cliff¡¯s edge. ¡°There¡¯s our rabbit!¡± Kari laughed. ¡°Grand job, Petric!¡± Fire roared between Matthias and his pursuers, forming a wall. Petric was panting. Siegfried was pointing. Kari was laughing. Matthias glowered at them with deep hatred, then turned and ran. ¡°I¡¯m winging that bird!¡± Kari shouted. There was a whoosh. A thrown cudgel struck Matthias on the side. Something cracked. He groaned, feet going out from under him as he toppled from the cliff. ¡°Oh shit!¡± Siegfried cried. Matthias panicked, spinning through the air, trees and rock racing past him. His hands reached out, grasping for anything to break his fall. He caught a stony outcropping¡­ ¡­with the back of his head. Agony blasted through his body, followed by terrible heat and a wetness in his skull. His body went slack. Everything slowed, his vision swam. Dark spots grew in his vision. His consciousness sank down, out of his body, deeper into the dark. All grew sluggish. Slower still. Then came the images. A white moon. A black moon. Bonfires. Shadows twisting. Snippets of phrases. ¡°...mother forgive¡­¡± ¡°¡­forbidden pillar¡­¡± ¡°...older pillars of power¡­¡± ¡°...lungs you have¡­¡± Then, a phrase, clear as day. ¡°Tonight we kill death.¡± One last image appeared. An orb with a tiny light glowing inside, like the last ember of a fire long snuffed. The orb shattered. Matthias thought to reach for the cliff again, but his arms and legs wouldn¡¯t move. Something else did. Before consciousness fled, what appeared to be an appendage of utter shadow reached toward the cliff. Cool, soft darkness wrapped around him. All went black. Chapter 3: The First Waking There was no colour, yet there was light. Shades of grey painted a massive chamber lit by colourless flame blazing in scores of iron braziers. The room seemed to be some sort of temple, with two imposing statues towering high, one in the front and the other in the back. The first was a representation of a man with pointed ears and flowing hair, clutching a book; he was Melakar, God of Mind and Magic. The other was a woman with pointed ears and gems pressed into her flesh; she was Laurahasa, Goddess of Secrets and Sorcery. A god of magic that was known. A goddess of magic that was secret. Guardians of sorcery and wizardry; the pair seemed to govern this chamber, looking down with watchful stone eyes. This chamber of no walls. Open to the elements on all sides, revealing the grey countryside beyond; the ceiling floated above, supported by neither columns nor braces that could be seen. On the edges of the room, dozens of shaven-headed bodies knelt, clad in robes etched with symbols. Each figure faced inward. In the chamber¡¯s centre hovered an ancient man, floating cross-legged above the ground¡ªbacking the sun¡ªhis face was craggy and his beard was so long it touched the floor. In one hand he held a book, while in the other, he held a gem. His lips moved constantly, but the sound was muffled, as though coming from underwater. He nodded to a much younger man kneeling before him. Matthias¡¯ eyes focused on that figure; he was lean, his naked body corded in wiry muscle. From Matthias¡¯ position, he could only see the younger man¡¯s back and long, pale hair. It seemed that Matthias was lying on the floor, looking up at him from behind. The younger man gripped a metal staff capped by a large, pointed crystal. Something about him seemed familiar, yet he was certain he had never seen him before in his entire young life. So many questions filled his mind. ¡®Who were these people? Where was this place? Why had all the colour left the world? ¡­and why couldn¡¯t he get up?¡¯ He tried to move, but found himself fixed to the ground. Yet, he felt no panic, only a feeling that he was right where he was supposed to be. And so, he lay, watching the old man ask the younger man a muffled question. The young man lifted his head, responding. Then he took a deep breath. Light flared around the statues of Melakar and Laurahasa and a speck of radiance was drawn from either one. Both specks flitted like fireflies before shooting toward the young man. They hovered on either side of him. The speck from Melakar flickered, then died, while the speck from Laurahasa flared and floated around the front of the young man¡¯s head, moving toward his mouth. He stopped inhaling. The spectators leaned forward. When the young man exhaled, he shuddered¡ªhis entire body convulsing¡ªa black substances pouring from his skin, splattering on the floor before boiling and vanishing without a trace. The young man¡¯s head lolled forward. He stopped moving. All held their breaths. The staff began to slip from his fingers and the ancient one grimaced, closing his eyes. The young man suddenly shuddered again, strength returning to his grip on the staff. The ancient man¡¯s eyes flew open, his lips twisting in a ferocious smile while the others jumped up from their places. The young man raised his face, letting loose a silent howl. The room erupted. ¡°The tower is risen!¡± all cried, their words clear. ¡°He has raised the tower of Laurahasa!¡± Finally, Matthias realised what he was watching. An initiation into the cultivation of Divine Breath. An art forbidden by the gods, and¡ªeven in the high kingdom of Evalmera, Matthias¡¯ home, where many practises were tolerated far more than in the southerly realms¡ªmost spoke of it only in whispers. Yet, Matthias was unafraid, he was intrigued; this was a path to power he¡¯d been warned against. In his younger years¡ªafter failing to awaken to Life Enforcement or The Gift many times¡ªhe¡¯d asked about Divine Breath. All he¡¯d been told was that it was a dangerous power that could cost him his life and trigger the wrath of the deities, but if he¡¯d had that power¡ªany power¡ªthen he could have avoided¡­avoided¡­ Avoided what? Wait, why was he here? The question seemed more urgent now. He struggled to move, to cry out. He tried raising his arm from the floor; it was difficult, like trying to lift a heavy weight off his body. Then slowly, he felt the limb rise. It came into view. He screamed. What he saw was no arm, but a tendril of utter darkness writhing in the grey. He could feel it''s every movement. ¡°What is this?¡± he shrieked. ¡°Am I dead? Are Amon Koth¡¯s ferrymen coming to claim me? Am I going to be judged?¡± He called out. ¡°Was this Divine Breath thing a test? Did I fail?¡± As those words echoed in the silence, the chamber darkened. Sound fell away. Light greys turned dim. Dim greys turned black. Once again, he was in utter darkness. ¡®I have to get out,¡¯ he thought. ¡®I must¡­I must go! Way of Stone! Way of Stone!¡¯ Clenching his teeth, he clawed at the darkness, gripping an unseen vine or tendril. He pulled himself up, rising. Up, he went, up, up, up, until light grew above him. He awakened.
Up on the top of the cliff, Kari, Petric and Siegfried stared down at Matthias¡¯ unmoving body as fire spread through the brush. ¡°Oh by the netherworld, I think he¡¯s dead¡­¡± Siegfried muttered. ¡°Kari, you killed him.¡± Kari had gone chalk white, his jaw tight and his eyes like saucers. Petric trembled. ¡°We have to go,¡± Siegfried finally whispered. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how much his father hated him, murder is murder. We¡¯ll be drawn and quartered!¡± ¡°If Lady Beggahasta doesn¡¯t crush us first.¡± Kari backed away from the cliff. ¡°Come on! We¡¯ll take the long way back; the gamrungs will be hungry and one might take his body before it¡¯s even done cooling!¡± His eyes searched the skies. ¡°Once we get far from here, we can get our stories straight. If the corpse is gone¡ª¡± Kari paused. Petric continued trembling. Siegfried had not moved. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Come on, you fools! Run!¡± Kari snapped. Together, the three ran through the woods. Below, in the trees at the bottom of the cliff, a large, yellow eye opened. Its pupil focused on the fallen body.
Matthias awoke at the bottom of the forested bluff, his head splitting and blood running from the back of his head, nose and mouth. In a body that didn¡¯t fit quite right. He slowly sat up, his ribs screaming and his muscles shrieking from the fall. He had fallen, hadn¡¯t he? A glance up the side of the cliff confirmed that he had¡ªnearby trees with snapped branches had slowed his fall¡ªbut his memory was vague, drowned by the ringing in his ears. Memories of running through the woods, of thorns and flames and a sinking feeling when he¡¯d toppled over the cliff¡¯s edge¡­those were clear. He remembered his name, his family, his sister and brother, home. He remembered his mother. He remembered what would be waiting for him in the Wolfwood. The problem was that he remembered too much. There were other images in his mind; all vague, like they were obscured in shadow. Cities of stone and glass towers. People he was sure he¡¯d never met before. Words in a tongue that made no sense to him. Memories¡ªor dreams, perhaps¡ªcrammed into his skull until it was near bursting like overripe fruit. Then there was a temple with no walls. The Divine Breath ceremony. Had that all been a dream? It was more vivid than any dream he¡¯d ever dreamt before. And what about that climb through the dark? He looked up. How had he survived such a fall? He was almost sure he¡¯d¡­well, he¡¯d¡­ His head throbbed more, thinking about it. His ears were ringing. He knew he was badly hurt. ¡°I have to get home.¡± He gripped his aching midriff and struggled to rise to his feet. Blood dripped on the ground, mixing with the pounding rain. The downpour was growing harder, washing red with the mud. He swayed as he found his feet and looked up at the cliff. He should be dead. ¡°No way I can get back up there,¡± he hissed, spitting blood, looking around. He knew of a path to the west that lead to a narrow road up the mountain, but he didn¡¯t know if he could reach it, as badly hurt as he was. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He bared his teeth. Kari¡¯s laughter echoed in his mind. As did Petric¡¯s sneer and Siegfried¡¯s blustering. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting those three send me to the afterworld, no matter how many ferrymen Amon Koth sends for me.¡± He began moving, limping, trembling, thinking of his family. As he staggered forward, his thoughts returned to the cliff. He should have been a bloody smear on the ground. ¡°Did someone catch me?¡± he whispered, searching his memories. As he¡¯d fallen, he¡¯d reached for something to grab hold of, anything, but it was an appendage of utter darkness that had touched the cliff instead of his hand. ¡­just like the one in his dream. He stopped in his tracks, swaying. His gaze fell on his shadow, a strange thought burned in his mind. He raised his right hand, as much as it hurt to do it. His shadow mirrored his movement. He raised his left hand. His shadow mirrored the movement. Something felt odd; like he was feeling his shadow moving in line with his body. ¡°You¡¯re losing your mind, Matthias,¡± he said, thinking back to the dream. The sun had been in front of the young man with the pale hair, which meant that on the floor behind him would have been¡ª ¡°¡ªhis shadow. I was inside his shadow,¡± Matthias whispered, his flesh goosepimpling. ¡°It¡¯s like that was the weight on me when I tried to raise my arm.¡± His eyes focused on his shadow again. ¡°¡­what if?¡± He tried to remember the exact nature of that strange weight when he was raising his arm in the dream, tying it to the feeling of his shadow moving beneath him now. ¡°It¡¯s going to fail just like when you tried The Gift. You¡¯re mad,¡± he whispered, even as he concentrated. ¡°You must be¡ª¡± His eyes grew wide. The shadow twisted and he felt every ripple as it turned dead black. Churning, the darkness began bulging and boiling, something began rising from its centre. A tentacle, no thicker than his wrist. His jaw fell open; he could feel the tendril wriggle just as naturally as he could feel his own arm. Both curiosity and horror raced through him; curiosity won out. Transfixed, he watched it continue growing until it was at eye level with his body. ¡°What in the name of every god, goddess, or demon?¡± he cried. Gingerly, he reached out, jabbing the tendril with a fingernail. ¡°Ouch!¡± He¡¯d felt that both in his finger and in the tentacle, as if he¡¯d poked his skin. ¡°You hit your head. You did. You¡¯re imagining things. This can¡¯t be happening.¡± He continued staring at the tendril. Slowly, he moved it to the left. Then, to the right. It swished through the air; moving the appendage was no more difficult than moving his own limbs. A shudder went through him, worry mounting. Briefly, he thought about taking a closer look. The thought was in his mind for just a heartbeat. The tendril whipped toward his face like a spasming limb. His scream echoed off the cliff as he recoiled, stumbling. The shadow-tendril faded like smoke. Matthias flopped on the ground, grunting as the impact ripped through him, the fall saving him. Claws slashed where he¡¯d been standing, and a rumbling cry pierced his ears. He screamed as a massive shape swooped down, coming to a clumsy landing half a dozen paces away. Matthias froze in horror as the thing righted itself, his gaze slowly climbing its form. A fierce-looking bird stood there, towering half again the height of a grown man. Shaking the rain from its black wings, it turned a featherless head¡ªits skin the colour of bleached bone¡ªand fixed the injured boy with a golden eye. ¡°A gamrung,¡± Matthias whispered. The scavenger turned, bobbing its head; its enormous, serrated beak parting. Inside its mouth, twin tongues lashed¡ªcoated with thin spines¡ªboth ready to pull marrow from bones after its beak crushed them. Matthias crawled backward. The creature¡¯s talons dug into the muck as it stared down¡ªits head slightly turned, keeping its eye fixed on him¡ªit stalked forward. He knew of these gamrungs; titanic carrion-birds that once feasted on dead beasts in the Wolfwood, they had thrived outside that deadly forest after the raising of the Gods¡¯ Shield Mountains. Now they scavenged mammoths and the corpses of other creatures, though they weren¡¯t averse to finishing smaller prey that was already greatly wounded. And Matthias? Matthias was greatly wounded. ¡®What did mother tell you about them?¡¯ his mind raced. He drew his dagger, holding it before him with a shaking hand. ¡®It won¡¯t bother you if you¡¯re not an easy meal.¡¯ Filling his aching lungs, Matthias screamed, pounding on the mud. The gamrung paused. Then screamed and lunged. Matthias shrieked, scrambling back, swinging wildly with his dagger. It connected with nothing. The boy fell as the gamrung¡¯s beak snapped mere finger lengths away from him. Fear coursed through him, dulling the pain of his wounds as he hit the ground. The gamrung raised a foot. Matthias yelped, rolling to the right. The talon smashed the mud where he¡¯d just been. Its mouth snapped as he rolled and struck out with his dagger. Steel caught the edge of the bird¡¯s beak, scratching it, but the impact knocked the blade from his hand. ¡°No!¡± he cried, trying to scrabble away. The gamrung¡¯s enormous foot came down on his leg. Bone strained. Matthias screamed. The bird loomed above him, beak parting, spiked tongues wriggling. His eyes fell on those wriggling tongues. Wriggling¡­ A desperate idea struck him. Clenching his teeth, he could feel his shadow writhing beneath him. He could feel the tendril forming, slithering through the mud. He focused on the gamrung¡¯s enormous eye. The bird¡¯s beak came down. The tendril whipped from his shadow, striking the creature, hitting its eye with a heavy crack. The creature¡¯s screech rang out. It reared back, taking the weight off his leg. Snarling, Matthias whipped the tentacle after it, but the appendage could only go so far, now stretched to its limit, it stopped at the length of his body. The scavenger shook its head, blinking its injured eye, backing away. Matthias growled, forcing himself to his feet. His strength was ebbing; even if he drove the gamrung away, it could make a meal of him once he collapsed. ¡­unless he gave it a strong reason to stay away. His eyes searched the mud, finding his dagger. Concentrating, he wrapped the tendril of shadow around the blade¡¯s hilt. With a beast-like growl, he lurched forward. The gamrung was recovering, rising to its full height. Its black feathers puffed up as it spread its wings, making itself appear as big as it could. Golden eyes and a serrated beak opened wide; it screeched. Matthias howled back, lunging forward, spreading his arms, keeping its attention on him¡­ ¡­and not the tentacle whipping toward it from the side. The dagger glinted in its grip, mud dripping, driving upward. Too late the bird glimpsed it; the golden eye focused on the tip as the blade plunged through the pupil. The scavenger shrieked, its wings splashing mud everywhere. One caught Matthias on his side, sending him sprawling to the ground, driving the breath from him. He rolled onto his back, wheezing as the gamrung fled, screeching away through the rain with his dagger embedded in its eye. Matthias watched it disappear over the tree line. ¡°And¡­don¡¯t...you come back,¡± he panted, lying there¡ªrain washing blood and mud from his battered form¡ªsquinting up at the sky. His legs and arms were splayed; even the tendril of darkness drooped at his side. He watched it, his mind reeling. ¡°This isn¡¯t Life Enforcement, or The Gift¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°So¡­what is¡­¡± He froze, eyes growing wide. With a surge of panicked energy, he pulled his clothing away, remembering that one could become rune-marked at random, often in battle. It was a rare thing, but it did happen: his brother had been marked as an infant, so what if¡­ Matthias examined every inch of skin he could. Nothing. No runes. Relief ran through him. ¡°Thank the gods,¡± he whispered, his thoughts growing vague and sluggish. He laid back in the mud, thinking about the tentacle of shadow. ¡°Then...what is it?¡± A single thought struck him. ¡°The dream. The dream was about awakening to Divine Breath. That could be it, maybe.¡± Divine Breath: stealing the residual energies of the deities left from when they walked the world, taking them, fusing them with one¡¯s own life essence. Taking power by going against the gods¡¯ will. ¡°The forbidden pillar of power¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°One that could be met with divine tribulation. Deific wrath.¡± In the distance, thunder cracked. The sky burned with a flash of lightning. Yet, he was not afraid. A smile took his lips as he summoned the last of his strength; once again, the tendril rose from his shadow and he moved it as easily as he would his own arm. Like it had always been there. ¡°This¡­this is power.¡± His grin widened. ¡°I-I finally have power! I don¡¯t care where it comes from! With it, I might survive the Wolfwood! I can win back my honour!¡± Delirious laughter rolled from his lips as the tendril dissipated once more. He shook himself like a wet beast. ¡°Calm down. Way of Stone. Be the Stone. You have to learn about this shadow-thing, but you have to get home first.¡± His eyelids fluttered. ¡°But for now¡­maybe rest. Just for a little bit.¡± His eyes closed. Darkness consumed him.
At the top of the cliff, fire battled rain, hungry to spread through the bush. Still under Petric¡¯s command, it would burn the entire thicket before it died. A pair of light footsteps signalled someone approaching. From the woods, a figure emerged, hooded and cloaked. A hint of silver gleamed beneath its cowl. The figure glanced at the fire, speaking a single word. ¡°Stop.¡± The fire obeyed. In a breath, the flames died, leaving no embers in the blackened brush. The figure peered at the brush for a moment. ¡°As you were,¡± it said. Power surged as the bushes shuddered beneath the command. Plant life began to heal. Ash washed away. Blackened stems turned green. Leaves grew back. In heartbeats, it was as though fire had never touched the brush. Turning away, the figure kept walking, eyes to the ground, following a trail of muddy footprints leading to the cliff. Finally, it arrived at the edge, peering over the side. A pair of grey eyes fixed on the still form of Matthias below. ¡°There you are.¡± Chapter 4: Exploration in Darkness Startling awake from dreams of mist and shadow, Matthias realised he was in his room, in the same bed he¡¯d outgrown last winter. Music was filling the air, flame crackling in the fireplace, flickering firelight over his desk, chair, and an old toybox. Dagma snored softly in that chair, her head resting on his desk, the pelt of a brown bear wrapped loosely around her. The pelt was their mother¡¯s, it was normally clasped around her shoulders with a gilded brooch the size of Matthias¡¯ palm, but for now, it warmed his sleeping sister. His head slowly turned toward the source of the music, his eyes falling on the golden-haired figure of Beggahasta Stonebreaker by the fireplace, her greatsword propped against the mantle within easy reach. Though she was generations past being fully greatfolk¡ªher sons were throwbacks like most modern greatfolk were¡ªthe blood of giants still ran strong in his mother; her height often put many a tall man to shame, and her arms bunched with corded muscle as she moved. Agile hands, calloused from gripping the hilt of her blade, were plucking an ebony harp; an enormous instrument that towered over her as she played the delicate notes of Matthias¡¯ favourite childhood lullaby. He smiled. Relieved to be home. ¡°M-mother.¡± ¡°Matt?¡± Beggahasta¡¯s fingers froze, the song coming to an abrupt end. She sprang from her chair, crossing to his bedside and grasping his cheeks, blue eyes looking deep into his. ¡°Matt, are you alright?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he groaned, ¡°I¡¯m alright, mother.¡± Her brow crinkled at his reassurance even as her face softened with a measure of relief. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, trying to keep his face straight. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Dagma lifted her head from the desk. ¡°Wha¡ªMatthie! You¡¯re alive! You¡¯re awake!¡± She threw off the bear pelt, rushing forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. ¡°I thought you were going to die! I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t help you! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Matthias grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay, Dagma. It¡¯s not your responsibility.¡± ¡°Yes, it is, you got hurt because¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m your older brother; you don¡¯t need to protect me. Besides, I¡¯m not dead. Wounds heal.¡± He patted her shoulder as their mother rubbed her back. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Dagma,¡± Beggahasta echoed. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Dagma sniff back tears. Their mother wrapped her in a tight hug. ¡°Could you do something for me, my little Dagma? I want you to go and get Altaizar. He should be at the temple. Would you mind doing that so he can check on your brother?¡± Dagma sniffled. ¡°Okay.¡± She ran to the door, opened it and rushed out, shutting it behind her. After watching her go their mother looked back at her son. ¡°She needed something to do, to make her feel like she¡¯s helping. Her errand will make her feel better far more than our words can.¡± ¡°Wise, mother,¡± Matthias said. ¡°Very wi¡ªUgh!¡± Beggahasta crushed him in a tight hug. ¡°Oh my, boy. You shouldn¡¯t be alive. I thank every single deity that ever walked this world that you are, Matt, but you shouldn¡¯t be. That fall should have killed you.¡± He grimaced in her death-grip. ¡°Thanks, mother,¡± he said, sarcastically. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked, pulling away. ¡°And before you answer, I want you to know that¡ª¡± Her eyes flicked to the window. ¡°We. Are. Quite. Safe.¡± Matthias understood the meaning hidden in those words; father¡¯s guards would be patrolling outside their home and he would have to choose what he said carefully. He told her about the chase, and the gamrung, but left out the parts about the dream and shadow. She watched him, her face stony. ¡°I should be able to protect you better. I am so sorry.¡± ¡°Mother, I¡¯m nearly grown; I can protect myself.¡± ¡°¡®Nearly grown¡¯ is not grown, and I should be keeping you safe.¡± She glanced at her sword. ¡°I swear if I could catch those three devils, that overblown bastard Haakon, or Eklund in the woods¡­¡± Beggahasta let the words hang for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t mother,¡± Matthias said. ¡°It¡¯s alrig-¡± The door burst open. ¡°There he is!¡± a cheery voice called. ¡°Thank Melakar and Laurahasa!¡± The mage, Altaizar, closed the door behind him and followed Dagma into Matthias¡¯ bedchamber. His sharp eyes focused on the boy; his hair¡ªlike spun silver¡ªgleamed in the firelight. ¡°Dagma tells me that you awoke a little while ago.¡± He followed the girl to Matthias¡¯ bedside, peering at him as Beggahasta moved out of his way. ¡°It¡¯s a small miracle, your recovery. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d wake for another week at least. How do you feel?¡± Matthias groaned. ¡°In pain, but I can move. How long was I out?¡± ¡°Two days.¡± Beggahasta gripped Matthias¡¯ hand. ¡°After Dagma told us what happened, we split up to look for you, but Altaizar found you first.¡± She looked at the mage. ¡°Thank you, again.¡± He chuckled, drawing a pair of spectacles from his robe. His chest puffed out as he spoke. ¡°Think nothing of it! I don¡¯t get to come to Evalmera very often, and you pay me a great deal to help your eldest. I think the least I could do is find your other son and patch him up after he¡¯d been set upon by mangy mutts! And speaking of patching him up.¡± The mage put on his spectacles, leaned down and examined the boy¡¯s injuries. ¡°My mother is more gifted with medicine than I, but I don¡¯t think I did too bad a job, all things considered.¡± He poked and prodded at Matthias, checking his wounds, preparing to change his dressings. He reached into a bag, producing handfuls of tinctures in earthenware bottles, rubbing fresh poultices onto the many cuts and bruises. After dressing the wounds, he put away the tinctures, cracked his knuckles and pointed to the poultices: ¡°Heal better.¡± Instantly, the tinctures tingled against Matthias¡¯ injured flesh. Altaizar¡¯s grin turned sheepish. ¡°My commands aren¡¯t the most imaginative, but I used The Gift to coax the tinctures. You should heal faster, though, I must say, you are very lucky. You really should be dead.¡± ¡°I heard that before.¡± Matthias grimaced, trying to keep his face straight. The boy looked up at the mage; the wizard¡¯s face appeared deceptively young, though he¡¯d delighted the Stonebreaker siblings with stories of strange magics and sights from around the Shieldlands and beyond the sea for years. His tower, a short distance away, was filled with books and scrolls on the magics of the world. If anyone would have an idea about his dream and the Divine Breath, it would be him. Yet, Matthias was reluctant to tell him too much. Long ago, Altaizar had worked not just for his mother, but for his father too. He would need to choose his words carefully. ¡°I should go.¡± Altaizar rose to his feet. ¡°Let you be with your family.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Wait, erm¡­¡± Matthias paused. ¡°Could, er, could Divine Breath help Bregindoure?¡± Everyone in the chamber froze. ¡°Matt, what are you talking about?¡± his mother asked. ¡°Do you mean for not one, but two forms of forbidden magic to course through your brother¡¯s body? Even if it could work, Divine Breath kills most who dare to even try it. We have discussed this subject many times. The answer is still no; neither of my sons are going down that path.¡± ¡°Both you and your brother have it hard, but there are good things in your lives too.¡± Altaizar¡¯s lenses gleamed. ¡°Be careful not to risk it all recklessly. Now, if you ever want to discuss trying to develop The Gift, Life Enforcement or your brother¡¯s condition, come by my tower: I¡¯ll make you a nice cider and we can chat.¡± He paused. ¡°I need to head to the foothills outside the Wolfwood for a few days, but by the time I return, you should be all healed up. My tower¡¯s defenses are keyed to not target your family¡ªI''m not in the habit of having my employers butchered¡ªso just come knock on the door anytime you want. For now, focus on resting.¡± With that, Altaizar bowed and left the room. Matthias could wait a few days, he supposed. He could use the time to think of a way, without tipping his hand, to get what he wanted to know out of Altaizar. ¡°Alright, we had better go too, Dagma. Your brother needs his rest,¡± Beggahasta said. ¡°When you¡¯re better, we¡¯ll talk more, Matt.¡± ¡°Get better soon, Matthie.¡± Dagma patted his hand. ¡°Wait, before you go, mother, Dagma.¡± Matthias stopped them. ¡°What happened with Kari, Petric, and Siegfried?¡± Beggahasta snarled. ¡°Now that we have the full story, I don¡¯t think even Eklund can let them go this time without punishment. Until then, patience, Matthias. Way of Stone. Things will change. Way of Stone.¡± He smiled. ¡°Thanks mother.¡± She smiled back, tousling his hair. ¡°That¡¯s my boy. I¡¯ll leave my harp here and play for you later.¡± As Beggahasta and Dagma left, Matthias tried not to think about the sadness in his mother¡¯s voice when she said ¡®things will change.¡¯ Instead, he got up, drawing his curtains closed. He called the tendril out of his shadow. It writhed before him. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s figure out what you can do.¡±
For the rest of the day, Matthias learned about the shadow tendril. First, he confirmed it could only stretch as far as he was tall. He tried shifting his position in the room¡ªlengthening and shortening his shadow in the firelight¡ªfinding that the tendril could only stretch so far, no matter how long he made his shadow. Thankfully, it still extended to a length equal to his full height, no matter how short his shadow was. ¡®I¡¯ll have to see if it still works when I have no shadow; when it¡¯s completely dark,¡¯ he thought. ¡®I wonder how much it can lift?¡¯ First, he had it lift his old toys, wrapping it around them and lifting each one without difficulty. Next was the toybox itself¡ªfirst empty, then full¡ªwhich the tendril lifted with ease, placing it on the desk. However, when he tried lifting the box and the desk together, the tentacle shook with effort, not able to budge their combined weight. ¡®It¡¯s not as strong as I am, but I wonder if it can get stronger?¡¯ he thought, glancing at the door and window. ¡®Let¡¯s see how agile it is.¡¯ Slowly, he considered his mother¡¯s harp. A gift from his father¡ªin better times¡ªit was beautifully carved; the pillar was in the shape of a bearded man with his eyes closed, a serene expression on his face. His arms were raised either in praise or supplication, as his hands gripped the harp¡¯s bow. The bow, shaped like a woman holding the same pose as the man, curved back to the soundbox. The harp¡¯s wire strings gleamed gold in the dying firelight. Matthias used his tendril to pluck a single string, sending a melodious note ringing through the room. ¡®The tendril¡¯s thicker than a finger, but it¡¯s as agile as my own hands. So, what else can I learn about it?¡¯ He carefully wrapped the tentacle around the toybox again, lifting it up and down, up and down, up and down. Within five minutes, sweat sprang up on his forehead, his breathing growing laboured. ¡®So, using it a bunch of times tires me out, just like if I was using my body. Maybe just one more test for now.¡¯ Matthias looked around, finding a small knife¡ªhe¡¯d lost his dagger to the gamrung¡ªand focused on the tendril. ¡®Can I cut it? Will it bleed?¡¯ He laid it across the palm of his hand, raising the knife. He paused, wincing. He could feel the tendril tense; the rest of his body did the same, like he was threatening to slice into his arm. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know about this. It¡¯s probably a bad idea.¡± He put the knife away. ¡°Patience until I get more answers.¡± Matthias glanced at the curtains. Daylight had changed; sundown was fast approaching. Bregindoure¡¯s prison was full of books. He¡¯d go see his brother tonight, after the rest of their family was asleep.
Matthias slipped through the window when the white moon was high, landing on the balls of his feet, alert for any sign of the guards. None were nearby. He slipped from the stone house and into the bushes above the slope leading down the mountainside. He¡¯d left a note for his mother in case she came back to check on him; the least he could do was not make her worry herself to death. Creeping through the darkness¡ªwincing at his wounds¡ªhe moved through the bushes on his way down the mountain toward the village of Barrowgate. Crickets chirped in the tall grass, an owl hooted on a branch somewhere above, and a swarm of bats flapped over the trees from a cavern roost. Matthias pulled his cloak tight around his shoulders when a chill wind blew from the west. Firelight from the village grew brighter. He ducked under a tree branch and looked up at a dark grey cliff in the distance. An old watchtower¡ªfrom a time before the five kings of Evalmera united under the high king¡ªrose from the top of the bluff. It once housed those who¡¯d watched over the Wolfwood; now it served as Altaizar¡¯s home, library and laboratory when he was in the north. ¡®I have to get that knowledge from him,¡¯ Matthias thought. ¡®But not now; not unless I want to break in.¡¯ Refocusing on the task ahead, he passed through the trees by the village¡¯s fortified palisade; sharp spikes displayed the skulls of different beasts, and above the gate, a single phrase had been etched: Suffer not the Wolf. Village guards chatted amongst themselves as they patrolled, failing to notice Matthias creeping through the trees. As he left Barrowgate behind, he passed Sur Friya¡¯s training grounds¡ªa stone fort built around the colossal skull of some ancient titan¡ªand continued through the woods, his thoughts fixed on his shadow. That distraction nearly got him caught. His mind was wandering and he didn¡¯t hear the hoofbeats until it was nearly too late; tree cover was sparse around the fort, so he was forced to dive into the brush as two riders on horseback appeared on the mountain road. ¡°Shit,¡± he hissed. Moving quickly, he crouched low, calling the tendril, bunching it up, draping it over his head and hands. Sur Friya rode beside a trainee¡ªAgustin¡ªthe two pacing their mounts at an easy trot. Their conversation, however, was far from easy. ¡°¡ªtired of him playing me off like this,¡± Sur Friya was saying. ¡°The high king and the archlord are lying in bed with wolves. We should be mustering our forces in the south.¡± ¡°You go on about this endlessly, Sur Friya¡± Agustin sighed. ¡°We have a truce with the Artenesians; some of the southern lords even ride with the elves.¡± ¡°They ride with the same damn elves who conquer every single kingdom in the Midlands and unleashed their scourges on Halit-Baal and Yahar in the south.¡± Sur Friya and the young knight rode dangerously close to Matthias¡¯ hiding spot. ¡°And let¡¯s not forget what they did to Jarnium. Conquering is like strong drink; it¡¯s addictive. Do you really think they¡¯ll stop once Ostari falls?¡± ¡°For decades, people have been saying, ¡®they will look north,¡¯ and yet they¡¯ve never brought their war here.¡± Agustin responded. Matthias could almost feel the heat coming off his horse as he rode by. ¡°Sur Friya, our enemies lie within the Wolfwood. We shouldn¡¯t be distracted by elves or other bogeymen.¡± ¡°The elves are all mad,¡± she growled. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it in those monstrous eyes of theirs; they¡¯ve lived for too long, locked up in their mountain for too many millennia. You can¡¯t trust¡ª¡± Their words faded as they continued along the road. Matthias let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Got to be more careful.¡± He looked at the tentacle wriggling beside him. ¡°I have to say, though, I really like this thing.¡± With a smile, he continued down the mountain.
As he entered the valley, Matthias could hear Bregindoure¡¯s lute on the wind. Its tune was harsh, dark and aggressive, like a funeral dirge crushed together with an army¡¯s marching song. It was the kind of tune that demanded blood. Matthias had a good idea why. When he reached the tower, he emerged from the bushes, startling the guards¡ªthere were only two on duty at nighttime¡ªand both stared at him like he was a phantom coming to take their souls. He could imagine what their reaction would have been if the tentacle was still out. ¡°Young master Stonebreaker?¡± a guard peered at him under the moonlight. ¡°What are you doing here? You should be¡ª¡± ¡°Dead?¡± Matthias said dryly. ¡°People keep telling me that.¡± ¡°No, in bed. We¡¯d heard you survived your terrible fall, but not that you¡¯d awakened.¡± ¡°Well, I did.¡± Matthias nodded to the top of the tower. ¡°I want to see my brother.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the guard said. ¡°He¡¯s been playing that song nonstop. Unnerving shit. Hope you can calm him down.¡± As soon as the door was opened, Matthias climbed up the tower two steps at a time; grimacing against the dull aches still throbbing through his body. ¡°Breg!¡± he called, cresting the stairs. Bregindoure startled in his chair, hitting a sour note. He squinted, his mouth falling open before he threw the lute on his bed and rushed to the bars of his cell. ¡°Matthie! Oh, by the Ascended, say this isn¡¯t a dream! Come closer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dream!¡± Matthias went to the bars. ¡°I¡¯m actually dead! And I¡¯m a ghost! Oooooo¡ª¡± Bregindoure cuffed him on the side of his head between the bars. ¡°Agh!¡± Matthias gripped his skull. ¡°Don¡¯t you know I just suffered a head blow?¡± ¡°If you can make jokes like that, obviously it wasn¡¯t that bad,¡± Bregindoure snorted, relief dancing in his eyes. ¡°Matthie, they told me you hadn¡¯t woken after your fall. If anything had happened to you¡ª¡± ¡°Bregindoure.¡± Matthias¡¯ voice dropped to a whisper. ¡°Something has happened to me. Both terrible and wonderful. I don¡¯t know how much time we have before mother realises I¡¯ve snuck out, but she can¡¯t know about this yet.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bregindoure asked. ¡°Here,¡± Matthias said. ¡°Don¡¯t scream. Just watch my shadow.¡± He extended the tendril. Bregindoure¡¯s eyes focused, bulging like they would jump from his skull. ¡°What¡­what is that?¡± ¡°Listen to me carefully, because I need your help. It appeared when I went off the cliff.¡± Chapter 5: Runes and the Pillars of Power ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot.¡± Matthias finished his story. ¡°It¡¯s more than a lot, little brother!¡± Bregindoure hissed, his eyes bloodshot. He gripped the bars, turning his knuckles white. ¡°You nearly died. You fell from a cliff, cracked your head, had a dream about someone awakening to Divine Breath, then you awakened to Divine Breath¡ª¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s Divine Breath, at least,¡± Matthias cut in. ¡°Right, you think it¡¯s Divine Breath, forgive me.¡± Bregindoure massaged his temples. ¡°I¡¯m a little hung up on how you grew a tentacle out of your shadow and used it to stab a gamrung. Oh, and how you almost died!¡± ¡°In the eye,¡± Matthias added with pride. ¡°I stabbed it in the eye. That part¡¯s important.¡± Bregindoure¡¯s gaze was fixed on the tendril. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t seeing that thing for myself, I¡¯d assume you were pulling some elaborate prank. Matthie, why are you taking this so calmly? You do realise you could be rune-marked, right? Many runes are tolerated, but they still limit your rights under the law! You cannot ever hold title and...oh by the gods, what if it¡¯s something like my rune? Do you want to be killed or imprisoned all your life like me?¡± Matthias¡¯ jaw hardened. ¡°I will free you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s beside the point¡ª¡± ¡°Look!¡± Matthias gestured to his body. ¡°No runes: Master Altaizar would have seen any when he was treating me.¡± Bregindoure shook his head, leaning forward, eyes wide. ¡°Sometimes they can appear in very out of the way places. Open your mouth!¡± Matthias opened his mouth, lifted his tongue and shifted it from side to side. Bregindoure peered inside before sighing with relief. ¡°No, no runes. But still¡­¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°Master Altaizar gave me some books on the rune-marked and other magics, reading about them helped me pass the years. I¡¯ve read them enough times to know most by heart. It says in chapter three of A Hunter¡¯s Guide to Nightmares of the Age of Wolves.¡± Bregindoure cleared his throat, reciting from memory, ¡°Rune-marked bear crimson runes on their flesh, each imbued with unique powers. Examples include: the Rune of the Warrior, which grants great skill with arms, strength, speed and toughness. The Rune of the Storm grants the ability to fire crimson lightning in a deadly attack. The Rune of Clarity will free the mind of exhaustion, shore it up against influences that destroy reason, and make the senses resistant to illusion. The Rune of the Berserker curses a warrior with a bloodthirsty rage that also gives them colossal strength, toughness and speed. Note that the Rune of Clarity is a deadly pairing with the Rune of the Berserker, for such a union grants most of the strengths of the Berserker rage while leaving the mind clear and in control.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing you remember all that,¡± Matthias interjected. Bregindoure made a sour face. ¡°I was motivated to learn all I could about my curse. As I was saying, Deeds of slaughter, mastery and valor mark a rune-marked with additional runes, thus granting them an ever-increasing horde of synergistic powers. The greatest rune-marked warriors have bodies covered in blazing glyphs, terrorizing battlefields with monstrous magics, titanic physical abilities and preternatural skill. The runes of a rune-marked are divine in nature, crafted by the will of a deity of which we have no knowledge. They most often appear on a warrior¡¯s body during battle, but can manifest on anyone, even children, at any time. Be vigilant of neighbours who gain a taste for conflict and bloodletting, and check their skin thoroughly: runes might be obscured by clothing for a time, but will shine through even metal when a rune-marked is filled with bloodlust. Unlike lycanthropy¡ªhidden during daylight hours in the early days of that curse¡ªrunes will always be visible on the skin, and are immune to magic¡¯s attempts to obscure them. Whichever entity marks a rune-marked, they wish for their runes to be borne openly and with pride. Use this to your advantage when hunting rune-marked warriors.¡± ¡°Bregindoure, I think it¡¯s Divine Breath. It¡¯s not so ba¡ª¡± Matthias started. ¡°Oh, only the Third¡ªforbidden¡ªpillar of power that steals the energy left behind by the deities? Not so bad?¡± Bregindoure¡¯s voice was strained like a string about to snap. ¡°Do you hear yourself? That thing¡ª¡± He pointed at the tendril. ¡°¡ªcould still destroy your life. We need to hide it, forget this ever happened and figure out how to get back at those three¡ª¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not forgetting anything.¡± Matthias shook his head. ¡°What? Matthie, this is dangerous. This is your life.¡± ¡°And so was going off that cliff.¡± Matthias¡¯ eyes flicked to a plaque hanging on Bregindoure¡¯s wall. Way of Stone was etched into it. ¡°I can¡¯t just forget this, because they won¡¯t. They will do it again, and I can¡¯t just endure it anymore. Whether this is Divine Breath in me or not, it¡¯s...look, Breg, I¡¯ve had nothing. Nothing I can use to defend myself or carve a path in this world. But whatever¡¯s happened to me now? It¡¯s already happened, and it can¡¯t be ignored. Even if it''s forbidden, I finally have something. I finally. Have. Something." His words¡ªhissed out in the harshest of whispers¡ªhung in the air. Bregindoure watched him for a long time. Then he grimaced. ¡°If only your failure of a brother could protect you. ...but you¡¯re right. What is done is done, and perhaps ignoring it is not the best idea. I ask your forgiveness.¡± Matthias winced. ¡°Breg, it¡¯s not like¡ª¡± ¡°Now, we need to know about Divine Breath, right?¡± Bregindoure spoke quickly, cutting his brother off. He walked to one of his bookcases, pulling a large volume bound in green scales from among the books. ¡°I don¡¯t have any books that talk about the Divine Breath in detail, but there¡¯s multiple mentions of it in The Three Pillars of Power. Bear with me, I don¡¯t have it memorised.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°When our deities returned after the Age of Wolves, they bestowed upon all mortals dominion over creation; we are the earthly lords of the world, and have the potential to command the inanimate, elements, plants, and beasts. While we cannot command mortals, even ourselves¡ªjust as a king might not command another king¡ªwe are capable of all manner of wondrous feats. One might command stone to crumble. One might command a beast to be sturdier, stronger or calmer. One might command waters to part and heavens to pour. With a single word and a focused thought, all manner of physical wonders are possible. Such feats are called The Gift, and while the Gift has great power, it comes with certain rules and limitations. Some of these can be worked around with creative thinking, while others are hard and fast. The many rules will be covered in a later chapter.¡± Bregindoure continued. ¡°Yet, despite all mortals having the potential to develop The Gift, only a select few ever will. The required willpower, mindset and natural talent to make a Gift Wielder are exacting and uncommon. Those who are of the peasantry, often do not possess the time, resources and mindset of command to generate a Gift Wielder, though The Gift can manifest regardless of social class. After all, under the deities, we all hold lordship over the world. Regardless of noble, royal or common origin, great lineages often result from families that produce multiple generations of Gift Wielders, and elevation to nobility tends to follow.¡± ¡°Like our family,¡± Matthias said dryly. ¡°Not that it helps either of us. And I think the author might need to do some rephrasing: can¡¯t imagine that idiot Petric having ¡®exacting and uncommon willpower, mindset and natural talent¡¯.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Bregindoure grunted. ¡°Some get lucky I suppose, especially in families that have produced Gift Wielders before. Then there¡¯s us, who luck seems to be fatally allergic to. Hold on, Divine Breath¡¯s mentioned soon. Let me skip ahead. ¡°¡ªuse of The Gift is tiring, drawing not only on one¡¯s willpower, but on one¡¯s physical stamina as well. As such, the practice of Life Enforcement will enhance a Gift Wielder¡¯s strength and endurance in using the art. Note as a warning: practising the cultivation of Divine Breath will often destroy one¡¯s potential to develop The Gift. While Divine Breath grants incredible health, stamina and lifespan, it does so by shedding one¡¯s mortality. The Gift is a gift to mortals and mortals alone, and not to beings who steal immortality from our deities through Divine Breath.¡± ¡°Oh, well if I didn¡¯t have a chance at developing The Gift before, I certainly don¡¯t have one now.¡± Matthias snorted. He was only slightly bitter. Slightly. ¡°Does it talk more about Divine Breath?¡± ¡°Not in this part,¡± Bregindoure said. ¡°Let me skip to the chapter on Life Enforcement. The second pillar of power, Life Enforcement, is the direct cultivation of nature¡¯s strength. What energies Life Enforcement practitioners take from nature is little more than what a tree might draw from the soil, but the effect of its refinement on the body is incredible: increased longevity, enhancement of all physical abilities, and a higher state of awareness. The practise is uncommon¡ªone must have an innate compatibility, which usually appears continuously in one¡¯s bloodline¡ª¡± ¡°Except for me, of course,¡± Matthias grunted. ¡°But apparently, it¡¯s fine for Kari and Siegfried.¡± Bregindoure made a sound of disgust. ¡°¡ªas well as a calm mind, patience and inner strength. You know, things that Kari and Siegfried are known for. Ugh, I don¡¯t usually go for book burning¡­but anyway. Note that the cultivation of Divine Breath is a perversion based on the practice of Life Enforcement. Divine Breath Cultivators steal divine energy left behind by the deities of our world. It is the Art of the Thief.¡± Bregindoure turned the page. ¡°Nothing else here. Let me go to the section on Divine Breath. I warn you, though, it¡¯s not very big and mostly talks about reasons why you should never attempt it.¡± ¡°Well, maybe there¡¯s something useful among all the warnings.¡± Bregindoure flipped through the book, coming to the page he was looking for. ¡°The Third Pillar of Power is Divine Breath, the forbidden pillar. Sapient mortals are not to steal the energies of the deities, for the consequences are dire. While it is true that beasts might absorb Divine Breath naturally¡ªtransforming into demonic or divine beasts¡ªsapient mortals must not make the choice to go down such a path.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± Matthias grunted. ¡°Most who attempt this path to power are usually killed by the abominable process. Even if they survive such an awakening, they attract greater risks as they proceed. Their bodies might crumble or mutate. Our deities might send lightning or other divine tribulations to strike them down. Most do not survive attempting this path. If you must hunt a Divine Breath practitioner, research what deities they steal from. A Divine Breath user can only gain strength by taking the energies of one deity on a path of purity, or two deities on a path of amalgamation. Their powers will be based on which deities they cultivate. A cultivator of Culf¡ªGod of slaughter¡ªwill have powers over battle and blood, while a cultivator of Sarnici¡ªGoddess of the sea¡ªwill have powers over the ocean and the creatures that live there. Research well, and make sure you are prepared for the might they wield¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Matthias hissed, looking at his tentacle. ¡°It must be Divine Breath: this tendril is coming out of my shadow, and Lykosion is the god of thieves and shadows! I¡¯m probably cultivating his divine energy!¡± ¡°Hm, perhaps.¡± Bregindoure flipped a few more pages. ¡°Note that the three pillars of power are not the only forms of magic left in the world. Old magic still exists, though it is strictly forbidden, for it once brought about the world¡¯s ruin. Magic that conjures demons to make pacts for power with, magic that twists enchanted items¡ªhonourable relics and our birthright from the old world¡ªto power spells beyond their purposes, the cutting of the soul, the rune-marked and many other sorceries are capable of strange powers. Be careful when facing any of their practitioners.¡± Matthias¡¯ older brother closed the book. ¡°The tentacle could come from any number of other magics as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Matthias agreed. ¡°But we won¡¯t get any more answers by speculating. Do you have any other books that could tell us more?¡± Bregindoure shook his head. ¡°If you want to learn more, you¡¯ll have to go to Altaizar.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Matthias began pacing back and forth across the tower floor. ¡°I think I might¡ª¡± ¡°Matthie! I thought you might be¡ªWhat is that?¡± a voice screamed from the door. Both brothers jumped, shouting. Dagma was at the top of the stairs, her eyes wide, staring at the shadow tendril. ¡°Matthie, look out! There¡¯s¡ª¡± The girl fumbled for her dagger. Matthias leapt across the room, covering her mouth. ¡°Wait, wait! Don¡¯t make so much noise, we might¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on up there?¡± one of the guards called from outside. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine!¡± Matthias shouted. ¡°My brother played a little joke on our sister!¡± Bregindoure called down. Below, the tower door banged open. ¡°We¡¯re coming up there!¡± Matthias cursed inwardly, and his sister¡¯s eyes widened as the tentacle melted away to black mist. The guards¡¯ footsteps pounded on the stairs. ¡°Listen, Dagma, I¡¯ll explain everything, but I need you to keep calm,¡± Matthias spoke quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t mention the shadow to the guards, okay?¡± Dagma¡¯s wide eyes lingered on her brother. The clink of chainmail grew louder, coming up the stairs. His sister gave a silent nod. He mouthed. ¡°Thank you.¡± Matthias took his hand from her mouth, rushed away and grabbed two chairs, holding them above his head. Bregindoure stepped back from the bars. Dagma stared at her brothers. The guards burst into the room; maces raised. ¡°Are you alright, Lady Dagma? Your father¡¯s ready to take you if¡­if¡­¡± Both guards¡¯ eyes fell on Matthias as he waved the chairs above his head. ¡°Grrrr. Arrrgh. I¡¯m a big, scary monster. Rawr. Rawr.¡± ¡°Oh no, how ghastly!¡± Bregindoure cried mockingly. ¡°The Sister-Eater! You should run, Dagma!¡± The guards stared at them, then turned to Dagma. She shook herself. ¡°Uh, oh no! Not the uh¡­Sister Killer¡ª¡± ¡°Eater,¡± Matthias corrected. ¡°Yes, um, Sister-Eater! Uh, stay back, you, uh, monster!¡± She put up her little fists. The guards stared at the three siblings; their expressions so unimpressed that their faces looked ready to melt off. ¡°You know, some of us have actual jobs to do.¡± One huffed, both turning and stomping down the stairs. The Stonebreaker siblings let out a collective sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, what¡¯s going on?¡± Dagma whispered, her eyes flicking between her brothers. ¡°Matthie, I went to your room to check on you and found your note, so I came here. What¡­what was that weird thing?¡± Matthias sighed. ¡°I need you to stay quiet and keep everything I¡¯m about to tell you secret. I¡¯m going to trust you, okay?¡± She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±
¡°Wow,¡± Dagma whispered. ¡°So you¡¯re like a shadow kraken now?¡± ¡°I¡­no,¡± Matthias said. ¡°But¡­maybe, yes?¡± ¡°No. I will not allow it.¡± Bregindoure shook his head. ¡°Shadow kraken sounds far too legendary for you, Matthie.¡± ¡°Stop being so damned reasonable and let me have an awesome name.¡± Matthias snorted, looking back at Dagma. ¡°So, you¡¯re not afraid?¡± ¡°Afraid? Oh no, I think it¡¯s scary, but exciting!¡± She poked his shadow with the tip of her boot, looking for the tendril. ¡°You have power now. Which means it¡¯s time for revenge.¡± Both she and Bregindoure looked at each other, grinning evilly, rubbing their hands together. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Matthias raised his hands. ¡°I¡¯d love some payback, but I¡¯d want to learn more about this shadow power and what it means before I go attacking two Life Enforcement practitioners and a Gift Wielder.¡± ¡°Right, you did say that.¡± Dagma tapped her chin. ¡°You also said you needed to know more about Divine Breath from Altaizar. So why not go to his tower?¡± Matthias shook his head. ¡°He worked for father, so I want to be very careful with letting him know about the tendril. Best thing would be to get him to tell me about Divine Breath without revealing too much, but he¡¯s so reluctant to talk about it¡ª¡± ¡°So, we break into his tower.¡± Silence. ¡°What?¡± Matthias demanded. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Dagma shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s away for a few days, right? You could just go in and look through his books yourself.¡± Matthias gaped at her. ¡°You want me to break into a mage¡¯s tower?¡± ¡°Atlaizar said the protections on his tower won¡¯t attack our family, and we¡¯ve been there lots of times to ask him questions,¡± she pointed out. ¡°You could just break in while he¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°I think¡­that¡¯s complete madness! Bregindoure?¡± He turned to his brother. ¡°You¡¯re the sensible one: tell our sister that I shouldn¡¯t break into Altaizar¡¯s tower.¡± ¡°Matthie, you should break into Altaizar¡¯s tower,¡± Bregindoure said sensibly. ¡°Exactly.¡± Matthias gestured to Dagma. ¡°See, sister? Listen to our¡­bro¡­th¡­¡± He looked back at Bregindoure. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I mean it.¡± Bregindoure looked out the window toward the mountain where Altaizar¡¯s tower lay. ¡°His defences don¡¯t harm our family. He¡¯s away for a few days, and he likely won¡¯t tell you what you need to know willingly. So? You should break into his tower. Take what you need yourself.¡± Chapter 6: When Nothing Changes For a long moment, Matthias considered breaking into Altaizar¡¯s tower. It was¡ªas far as he knew¡ªunguarded. Eklund¡¯s efforts to post his own guards at the tower, at one time, had ended with Altaizar chasing the screaming bastards down the mountain. The mage used no guards, instead placing powerful magics designed to do unfathomable things to any intruders to his home. Those magics were also set to leave the entire Stonebreaker family unharmed. Matthias had even wandered into the tower as a young boy, playing with Altaizar¡¯s cloaks until the mage had caught him an hour later. Since then, he¡¯d taken to locking his front door. ¡­but if Matthias could get in in some other way¡ª ¡°Wait, wait! What am I thinking?¡± He shook himself. ¡°Me sneaking around up there would be madness!¡± ¡°Of course. But we¡¯ll be sneaking around up there.¡± Dagma patted his arm. ¡°If anyone¡¯s going, it¡¯d be only me.¡± Matthias paused. ¡°And I¡¯m not going. It¡¯s too risky. I¡¯ll find a way to get Altaizar to share his knowledge with me when he gets back. I¡¯ll think of something.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Bregindoure challenged. ¡°Erm, something.¡± Matthias folded his arms across his chest. ¡°Anyway, enough of this. It¡¯s getting late, we should get back home.¡± ¡°Think about it, brother.¡± Bregindoure gripped the bars of his cell. ¡°You have an opportunity to free yourself. Consider that.¡± ¡°Yes, Matthias.¡± Dagma took her brother¡¯s hand. ¡°Do what you have to do.¡± Matthias fell silent. He had a few days to decide. Though at that moment, he had no idea just how quickly he would be making his decision.
¡°Again!¡± Sur Friya barked, her arms crossed and voice booming over the clash of steel on steel at the training grounds. Matthias Stonebreaker and Agustin Nervander bowed first to the knight, then to each other. As one, they lowered their helms¡¯ visors. To anyone passing, it might have looked like Matthias would have the advantage. He towered over his opponent¡ªdespite being more than four years his junior¡ªand was broader than him, with thicker bones, greater mass and longer reach. However, Agustin was well into the second caliber of his Life Enforcement practice. Things were grim. Agustin nodded¡ªchainmail armour and helmet gleaming in the morning light¡ªthen advanced, raising his blunted sword and dagger. Matthias glided forward, blade and mace in hand, his chainmail clinking, boots sliding across the stones. Agustin struck first. The smaller man¡¯s sword whipped out like a snake, blurring right for Matthias¡¯ right armpit. Matthias¡¯ blade shot up to parry. There was a crash, and the greatfolk was sent reeling: Agustin¡¯s blow had felt like a boulder crashing into him. It numbed his hand, left his arm shaking and sword ringing. Agustin stepped in with another thrust, Matthias raised his mace, batting it aside. He flourished with the flanged weapon, driving his opponent back, then struck with a quick pair of push cuts with his sword. Agustin¡¯s dagger parried the first blow, then he stepped in, twisting the knife around the second and binding the weapon. He tried to close in for a grapple. Cursing low, Matthias let go of the sword¡ªpushing it into Agustin¡ªthen raising his mace. The smaller man stumbled, tossing away both Matthias¡¯ sword and his own dagger, batting aside two heavy blows, before blurring forward. His shoulder slammed into the larger, young man. Matthias flew from his feet, landed and rolled, catching his balance. Before he could raise his remaining weapon, he found a blade pointed at his visor. His stomach sank. ¡°I yield.¡± Agustin bowed, offering Matthias a hand. ¡°You did well.¡± Matthias couldn¡¯t agree, but accepted the hand graciously. ¡°That was well done, Agustin.¡± Sur Friya came up to the two opponents. ¡°Your shoulder check was a good move. Unexpected, and that¡¯s what you want in a fight. By the same token, don¡¯t be so eager to bind: if Matthias had been stronger, he could have turned that against you in a number of ways. It¡¯s becoming a crutch, Agustin. Leave crutches for after you have an injury.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sur Friya.¡± Agustin bowed. She turned next to Matthias. ¡°Your form is improving, and you¡¯re growing more flexible with your tactics: you gave Agustin a bit more trouble this time. Your technique¡¯s improved, but it was always good, so that¡¯s not your problem. You are limited by your strength, speed and reflexes, and you must keep learning to work around that. We all need to adjust to our limits.¡± Matthias nodded glumly. ¡°Thank you, Sur Friya.¡± ¡°Take a brief break, you two,¡± she instructed. ¡°Then be ready to go again.¡± Marching away, she went to inspect the other sparring matches in the training yard as Agustin patted Matthias on the shoulder and left to get a drink of water. The boy¡¯s gaze drifted over to the other battles; his eyes couldn¡¯t follow them. Some of their movements were mere blurs of motion: had he fought them, he wouldn¡¯t have stood a single chance. He looked at his shadow. Even if he could have used the tendril in the open, it wouldn¡¯t have helped him. He grimaced. The world was full of monsters and powerful foes that could take his life without effort. To face them, he needed something more. He needed¡ª ¡°Matthias! Sur Friya!¡± a voice called. He turned: his mother and sister were standing at the entrance to the training grounds. ¡°What is it?¡± he called. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Beggahasta¡¯s jaw tensed. ¡°We¡¯ve been called to Eklund¡¯s castle. It¡¯s time to face those three little weasels.¡±
¡°Stop running, you little weasels!¡± Haakon¡¯s roar echoed into the sky. ¡°You can¡¯t get away when the strongest is coming for you!¡± Haakon¡ªfather of Kari¡ªwas a bear of a man, towering above the twin warriors unfortunate enough to be trapped in the fighting pit with him. His armour was thick, polished to mirror-finish, and he wore Eklund¡¯s colours on his tabard as he stalked after his prey, his mouth twisted into something that was half-snarl and half-grin. In the stands above the fighting pit, Earl Eklund and his warriors cheered, tossing coins as Haakon chased the two smaller fighters. Matthias had heard that the twins were travelling from the Republic of Ostari in the midlands, and had met and angered the larger man in some way. He¡¯d challenged them, and the earl¡¯s men had pushed for a fight. Now, they faced off, fighting in their gambesons, rapiers in hand, darting at Haakon like a pair of wolves trying to harass a bear. Unfortunately, the bear had practised Life Enforcement for decades. And he was quicker than he looked. As one of the twins slipped into Haakon¡¯s blind spot, the gigantic warrior spun on his heel, grabbing the smaller man by the wrist. His grin widened as his gauntlet coiled around flesh; that gauntlet was thick and dull, a darker grey than the rest of his armour. Yet it radiated inner power. There came a crunch. The smaller man screamed, falling to one knee. ¡°Leave him be!¡± the other twin cried, leaping at Haakon. Without turning, the large man backhanded him across the face; the sound cracked through the air, blood spraying and teeth flying across the pit as the twin dropped in a twitching heap. A roar exploded from the stands, and the loudest to cheer was Kari, flanked on either side by his filthy friends. ¡°Disgusting,¡± Beggahasta growled beneath her breath. ¡°Not even the pretense of a fair contest.¡± Sur Friya hissed. ¡°He¡¯s just a big bully,¡± Dagma added. ¡°Like father, like son,¡± Matthias whispered, glancing at Kari¡¯s grinning face. The two boys locked eyes for a moment. Kari¡¯s grin widened. Another crack drew Matthias¡¯ attention back to the ¡®fight¡¯, and he saw Haakon pound the other twin into a spasming, bloody mess. ¡°Hah! The strongest!¡± Haakon bellowed, raising both arms, celebrating his victory. Above him, the crowd cheered. ¡°Well done!¡± Earl Eklund raised a goblet of wine. The black-haired man wore all white, he was so thin he resembled a skeleton tightly wrapped in skin. Drops of red stained his clothing, sprayed from the arena below. It suited him well. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°A round of applause for my undefeated arena champion, Haakon!¡± Eklund rose from his seat, the closest to the arena. ¡°To the man who has brought countless hours of entertainment to these grim mountains! Here! Here!¡± His court applauded. ¡°Blood and honour, father!¡± Kari clapped. ¡°Blood and honour!¡± ¡°Blood and honour, Kari!¡± Haakon removed his helmet, running his hand through the towering crest of hair rising from his partially shaved head. He grinned through his beard, winked at his son, then turned to Earl Eklund. His armour clinked as he fell to one knee. ¡°I am your servant, my lord, and hope that my service puts you in fine humour for your difficult work.¡± ¡°Ah yes, of course.¡± Eklund cleared his throat. ¡°Snake!¡± Beggahasta snarled under her breath. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Matt. They¡¯ve gone too far; if Eklund does not punish them, we have grounds to escalate¡­or to call for satisfaction in a duel. I¡¯ll tear that boy in half.¡± The image brought Matthias a mix of satisfaction and irritation. As much as he¡¯d love to see such a match, he wanted to fight his own battles. He looked at his shadow; he¡¯d love to extract a blood-price on his own. ¡°Now that our afternoon festivities are over, we must proceed with something significantly less pleasant.¡± Eklund addressed his court. ¡°Matthias and Beggahasta Stonebreaker have accused Petric and Siegfried Copperhill, and Kari¡ªson of Haakon¡ªof the crime of attempted murder. Please¡ª¡± He gestured to the accusers and the three tormentors. ¡°¡ªstep forward.¡± ¡°Here we go,¡± Beggahasta whispered. ¡°We have this.¡± Matthias wished he could be so sure. As the trio approached from the other side of the fighting pit, they smirked, their gazes meeting his. Beggahasta glowered down at them. They quickly averted their eyes. Accusers and accused stood before Eklund. All bowed. Leaning back in his chair, the earl¡¯s dark eyes fell on Matthias. ¡°Name your grievance.¡± Matthias stepped forward. ¡®There are years of torment you could talk about, but keep it focused.¡¯ He looked at Eklund. ¡°I greet you, Honoured Lord. Kari, Siegfried and Petric attacked me twice in a day. They chased me through the woods, struck me, tried to burn me alive and drove me off the top of a cliff. I fell and nearly died. Under our laws, this is an attempt of murder. I seek justice, as does my family.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Eklund said, looking toward the three aggressors. ¡°And your defense?¡± ¡°Honoured Lord.¡± Kari stepped forward. ¡°I have known Matthias Stonebreaker for years, and would like to think that we¡¯re friends. We play rough now and then, and while chasing each other through the woods, we lost track of him. When we were looking for him, a gamrung attacked us and Petric used The Gift to frighten it away with flame. But the fire spread¡­¡± He looked at Siegfried''s cousin. ¡°¡­er, I was too exhausted to put it out. So we went for help,¡± Petric added quickly. ¡°I see.¡± Eklund nodded, looking at Matthias. ¡°And what do you say to this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lie. They chased me. My sister and brother¡ªas well as father¡¯s guards at the tower¡ªcan confirm that. They destroyed my brother¡¯s birthday gift, Sur Friya can confirm that,¡± Matthias stated. ¡°I see,¡± Eklund looked at the other boys. ¡°You destroyed an item belonging to Matthias?¡± ¡°Um, we played a game that went too far,¡± Petric said. ¡°There was no game,¡± Matthias cut in, teeth grinding. ¡°You destroyed it on purpose.¡± ¡°The game went too far,¡± Kari insisted. ¡°Just like when you threw that piece of metal at Petric.¡± Matthias bristled. ¡°After you¡ª¡± Eklund raised his hand. ¡°Enough. I¡¯ll not have you arguing endlessly. If you have any witnesses in your favour, please call them.¡± The earl sat back as Sur Friya and Dagma spoke to him about what they¡¯d seen that day. Next, Beggahasta handed him a letter from Altaizar, detailing the fire he¡¯d found in the woods and how he¡¯d discovered Matthias unconscious at the bottom of the cliff. Kari, Petric and Siegfried had no witnesses; their story relied on the fact that no one else had been present to see what had actually happened. When Eklund finished reading Altaizar¡¯s letter, he sighed. ¡°You know, when I was young, my friends and I got into a fair bit of trouble.¡± He gestured for a servant to pour him more wine. ¡°Sometimes we would play. Sometimes we would fight. Sometimes things would get out of hand.¡± Matthias stiffened. Was he going to brush this off? ¡°However¡­¡± Eklund looked at the three tormenters. ¡°At times, clean fun goes too far. Boys will be boys, but we cannot have warriors being killed in play before they grow up to serve. Even without The Gift or Life Enforcement, Matthias Stonebreaker¡¯s body and sword will be useful to any Gift Wielder or Ranger-Captain who leads him in patrolling and safeguarding the forests beyond the Gods¡¯ Shield. By being negligent, you three have nearly robbed that leader of a body. This cannot be overlooked. While I do not see this transgression as attempted murder, at sixteen years old, you should know better than to engage in activities so dangerous that someone could have been killed.¡± The three bullies stiffened. Matthias¡¯ jaw fell open. Years. Years of his pleas being ignored. Years of these filthy bastards making his life hell, and they were finally going to be punished? He allowed himself to hope. Beggahasta looked at him, smiling. She¡¯d said that Eklund couldn¡¯t let things go this time. She¡¯d said things would change. Perhaps, she was right. ¡°I must add, however¡­¡± Eklund continued. ¡°That the punishment for such a crime is¡ªoften maiming, or two years at hard labour, or imprisonment based on the severity of the damage caused by the offense¡ªall too severe in this case. Had young Matthias died, it would be different. But here he is, alive and healthy.¡± Matthias¡¯ heart dropped and he bit his tongue, not trusting himself to say anything. Beggahasta bristled. ¡°Petric, Siegfried and Kari have great value. Siegfried and Kari have both advanced well into the Second Caliber of Life Enforcement, while Petric is a Gift Wielder. As such, Siegfried and Kari could at some point in the future, be Ranger-Captains of a Wolfwood patrol, fine knights in service to a powerful lord or lady, or Raider-Captains in our vanguard, aiding our elven allies in the south. Petric could lead a Wolfwood patrol, train to be a mage in any court in the High Kingdom, or even become a Mage Knight if he is also gifted in arms.¡± Eklund smiled as though about to grant the greatest of mercies. ¡°These boys have bright futures, as long as they continue their training and maintain their bodies intact. It would be a crime in and of itself to rob them of their great futures for a youthful indiscretion. And so, here is my punishment: you three will leave this place and travel north to the Temple of Jormgund at Mount Silence. There, you will engage in one month of contemplation and labour befitting your station, while serving the monks. Once your penance is complete, you will return to us with wisdom worthy of young men. Go, depart today!¡± Kari smiled broadly, bowing. ¡°Thank you for your mercy!¡± ¡°Earl Eklund¡ª¡± Beggahasta started. ¡°Lady Stonebreaker.¡± Eklund cut her off, smiling. ¡°My sister wishes to thank you for your continued care of young Lady Dagma on behalf of her husband, Archlord Eaderic. You know how stubborn your former husband can be, but she sees how much of a burden you take on and how much you care for your other children, despite their limited prospects. She admires your kindness. So, I thought I would be kind as well.¡± He smiled down at Matthias. ¡°Learn well, child. Forgiveness would benefit you; do not allow bitterness to consume you. You will lose allies that way.¡± His smile widened. ¡°And you will need them.¡± Lastly, he spoke to Dagma. ¡°Your father says hello, young Lady Dagma. You look very much like him. Though he was not declared your father on paper¡ªdue to unfortunate timing¡ªhe knows and still hopes that you will visit his castle one day. You might enjoy it there. But, let us be done with this grim business and move on!¡± Before the Stonebreaker family could utter a word, he gestured for them to leave. Haakon leapt out of the pit and hugged his son. ¡°Thank you, father! I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Kari wrapped his arms around the much larger man. Petric and Siegfried clapped each other¡¯s shoulders, laughing. Matthias¡¯ blood boiled. Here he was, the one wronged. Yet, his tormentors were the ones celebrating. ¡°We should go.¡± His hands shook. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry son.¡± Beggahasta¡¯s shoulders drooped. ¡°I failed you. I¡¯ll try to escalate this but, since he gave them a punishment¡­¡± She let the words hang, but Matthias already knew. There would be no hope. Dagma¡¯s head hung low. The Stonebreakers began marching away from the fighting pit and Eklund¡¯s court. ¡°Hey! Matthias!¡± Kari called. Matthias didn¡¯t turn. Kari continued anyway. ¡°We¡¯ll see you when we get back! Two weeks to get to the temple, a month there, and two weeks to get back! We¡¯ll see you soon, Matthias! We¡¯ll see you soon!¡± Kari had nearly killed him and he was already planning more torment for him when he returned. Matthias¡¯ stomach lurched as a thought struck him. His mother had been wrong. Nothing would ever change. Every day he dealt with torment. Everyday his family dealt with shame. Every day he would wake up, train, and be the subject of Kari and his two cronies¡¯ amusement until the time came for him to be sent to the Wolfwood to patrol, and likely die. What would happen if he was made to join a patrol that one of those three bastards were leading? How could he expect to survive? Would he even live that long? Their prank had nearly killed him, and they¡¯d gotten away with nearly no consequences. What reason would they have to stop? Ever? This would be his life until they killed him. As the Stonebreakers emerged from Eklund¡¯s gate, he looked over the mountains, past the village of Barrowgate and up to Altaizar¡¯s tower. The mage would not be back for another couple of days, and all his knowledge was waiting there. Matthias¡¯ hands balled into fists. He could no longer deal with Altaizar¡¯s reluctance or his mother¡¯s wish to protect him. Looking at her face now as she walked beside him, he could see the tears she was fighting back. Dagma sobbed quietly. Nothing would change¡­unless he changed it. And change it he would. Tonight, he would break into Altaizar¡¯s tower. Life had taken much from him. Now, he would take from it.
When Matthias snuck out that night, he left no note. The white moon was high, the black moon distant, and the stars bright as he made his way to Altaizar¡¯s tower, weaving through the trees past Barrowgate. He climbed the mountain toward the bluff, his body covered by a dark cloak with its hood pulled low. His shadow tendril, shedding a black smoky-substance, was trailing behind him. The trees gave way to broken rock as he closed in on the tower, reminding him of the dark keeps in horror stories his mother used to tell, where evil wizards shed blood and conjured old magic. The tower was a lonely place, perched on the edge of the cliff. It rose above the surrounding rock and trees, its many windows utterly dark and shuttered tight. Its highest level was capped by a peaked roof, it was also open on all sides like a lighthouse, though no beacon-fire had burned there in centuries. Surrounding the tower were walls three times the height of an average man, and beyond them was a courtyard and small stable. ¡°Okay,¡± Matthias whispered. ¡°Altaizar said: ¡®my tower¡¯s defenses are keyed to not target your family¡ªI''m not in the habit of having my employers butchered¡ªso just come knock on the door anytime you want¡¯. Time to find out if that was still true.¡± Matthias quickly moved to the bottom of the wall, looking for handholds to scale it, but the stones were even; there was nowhere for his fingers to grip. Swearing, he looked around, noticing a small boulder nearby¡ªa little under two feet at its longest point. He moved to it, wedging his fingers under it. Clenching his teeth and straining, his giant-blooded body shook as he tried rolling it. ¡°Just a little more,¡± he hissed. ¡°Just¡­.¡± He shoved the tip of the shadow-tendril beneath the rock, using it and his body¡¯s strength as one. With a grinding noise, the stone began moving as he rolled it to the wall, propping it against the vertical surface. ¡°Thank you shadow tendril,¡± he panted. His gaze drifted down to his body. He felt much too good, considering his injuries. Even with Altaizar¡¯s poultices¡ªenhanced with The Gift¡ªthe pains had faded far too quickly. Not that he was complaining¡ªit was a lot better than being dead¡ªbut it was another change he¡¯d need to check in Altaizar¡¯s books about. Stepping onto the small boulder, he rose to his full height, stretching out fingers and jumping as high as he could. He lashed out with the shadow tendril¡ªstretching it to its limit¡ªcatching the top of the wall. The tendril trembled from strain, but the boy braced his feet against the stone, scrambling up until he finally reached the top of the wall. Matthias stayed in place for a moment, catching his breath before jumping down and taking the nearby stairway down to the courtyard. There was no sign of anything threatening as he made for the door. A quick pull of the brass handle. The door didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Should¡¯ve known it wouldn¡¯t be that easy.¡± Matthias craned his neck, scanning the tower. The stones were as evenly set as those on the outer wall. However, below its shuttered windows were stone sills that were perfect for gripping; the only issue was that they were at too far a distance from each other to reach¡­ ¡­if he didn¡¯t have a misty tendril emerging from his shadow. Taking a deep breath, he jumped, catching the lowest window ledge with the tendril¡ªand bracing himself with his boots and hands again¡ªand climbing to the first sill. Reaching with the tentacle, he grabbed the next one, climbing from window to window until he reached the top¡­ ¡­his hand touched something cold and wet. ¡°Agh!¡± he recoiled, nearly slipping from the top of the tower. Gritting his teeth¡ªand kicking his legs in the air¡ªhe grabbed at the stone and hoisted himself up. ¡°What in all the hells was that-Ugh!¡± He scowled, wiping his hand on the floor. Part of the parapet was caked in what looked and smelled like bird and other animal droppings. ¡°I¡¯m not having much luck with birds lately.¡± Grumbling, he slipped past a stone table and a set of chairs¡ªlikely where the mage took his meals while appreciating the mountainview¡ªand stepped down to a staircase. Moonlight faded as he quickly went down the stairs, reaching a door. An open door. ¡°Oh, thank the Ascended,¡± he whispered with relief. ¡°Glad Altaizar doesn¡¯t lock up the entrance to his roof.¡± He peered into the gloom through the doorway, his eyes fighting to adjust to the lack of light. Beyond the doorway, he could make out the dim outlines of furniture. Maybe a bedroom. Matthias took a deep breath. This was his last chance to turn back. To step forward would mean risking a mage¡¯s wrath. But if he didn¡¯t¡­ ¡°Nothing will ever change,¡± he whispered. With those words, Matthias Stonebreaker stepped forward, breaching the mage¡¯s tower. Chapter 7: The Mages Tower Matthias¡¯ eyes adjusted to the darkness within the mage¡¯s bedchamber. Strange objects, curios, ornaments and specimens filled the room: exotic fruits and colourful insects floated in crystal jars, preserved in silently bubbling liquids. Tapestries of jungles, cities, deserts and other faraway places hung from the walls: some places he knew, many he didn¡¯t. He saw a painting of a towering spire standing over a colossal city. ¡°Wonder where that is?¡± he whispered, moving past it. On the opposite side of a massive four-poster bed stood a single bookshelf free of dust and carved of ivory. Matthias squinted at it in the gloom. ¡°I need some light.¡± He spotted a tall green candle on a dressing table next to a painted wardrobe, but no flint or striker were beside it. ¡°Guess you wouldn¡¯t need flint and tinder if you have The Gift,¡± he muttered, pulling out his flint, steel and char cloth. Placing the cloth against the flint, he struck it until a spark caught, then blew on the fabric until an ember flared. Quickly, he opened the small lantern at his waist, lighting the oil-soaked wick inside it. The room was illuminated with an orange light. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± He looked around, searching for any bits of ash he might have dropped, but found none, though he did notice moist footprints near the door. ¡°Going to have to wipe those up before I leave.¡± Turning away from the door, he moved to the bookshelf, running his fingers along book spines. ¡°A History for Jarnium; The Elven Abandonment of the Culling and Their Expansion of the Artesian Empire; War in the Shieldlands; The Ruins of the Wolfwood¡­and all sorts of books written in tongues I can¡¯t understand,¡± Matthias grumbled, finding nothing on The Gift, Life Enforcement or Divine Breath. ¡°There¡¯s got to be more books around here. No way a mage¡¯s library is smaller than Bregindoure¡¯s.¡± He spotted another staircase leading deeper into the tower. Matthias started walking toward it then froze partway there. Was that movement? Peering intently, he held up the lantern, his hairs standing on the back of his neck. ¡°Hello?¡± Something had definitely moved in the stairwell. He reached for his dagger. A form blurred from the darkness with a high-pitched shriek, slamming into him. He reeled back as leathery wings struck his face. A large thrashing, fur covered body clawed at his shirt. He cried out, catching the creature, pushing it back as white fangs¡ªgleaming in the lantern light¡ªsnapped inches from his face. Beady red eyes blazed. The creature shrieked again. Matthias roared in response. His shadow-tendril whipped up, swatting the beast¡¯s back. It stiffened and with a low growl, he batted it across the room, sending it sailing through the air, landing in a heap then scrabbling to its feet. ¡°What in all hells?¡± Matthias held up his lantern. Light fell on his attacker; its hissing filled the room. The bat-like beast arched its back. Its face was almost feline, with a body the size of a mountain lion and leathery wings spread wide to appear larger. Long, hooked, claws on its wings and feet scraped across the floor as it stalked toward him. ¡°You¡¯re one ugly mess¡ª¡± He was poised to draw his knife but paused, noticing something glinting against its fur. A golden chain hung from its neck. ¡®You¡¯re one of Altaizar¡¯s pets, so there¡¯s no way I can kill you. He¡¯d kill me if I did.¡¯ Matthias thought, his hand moving away from the blade, eyes darting around the room; his gaze falling on the wardrobe next to the dressing table. A key lay in the lock. His mind began to work. The creature pounced, its screech stabbing his ears. Beady eyes focused on his neck, fangs snapping, wings spreading, claws poised¡­ ¡­then it was stopped short, flopping on the floor inches from his boots. The bat-like creature shrieked again, writhing as a sinewy shadow-appendage slithered around its body. Matthias¡¯ tendril tightened like a snake coiling around the creature. Slashing, hissing, it raked its claws across the tentacle. Matthias yelped as a wave of hot pain burned through him, black mist pouring from the cut tendril. Clenching his teeth, the young warrior put down the lantern, grabbed the bat¡¯s body, hoisting it up, charging toward the wardrobe. It kept struggling, fighting, snapping, shrieking until his ears rang. His tendril writhed away from the slashing claws until he ripped the wardrobe open and shoved the creature inside. Yowling, snapping, clawing, the bat struggled as the shadow-tendril quickly slipped from its body, grabbing the wardrobe¡¯s left door. ¡°Will you shut up!¡± Matthias snapped, trying to slam the doors. A wing broke free, but he quickly restrained it, shoving it back in the wardrobe, then pushing the other door closed. Bracing his body and the tentacle against the doors, he turned the key and pulled it from the lock. Matthias stepped away, catching his breath. The wardrobe rattled, shaking as Altaizar¡¯s monster battered the inside. ¡°What¡­the hells¡­¡± Matthias panted. He remembered the droppings on the parapet. ¡°Well, I know why he left his door open: to let his pet come and go as it pleases.¡± He took the lantern from the floor. Luckily, no sparks had touched the carpet. ¡°I wanted to be in and out of here without Altaizar knowing, but if he finds his pet locked up, he¡¯ll know someone was here. Unless¡­I¡¯ll open the wardrobe as I leave. It¡¯ll make it look like the bat got in there on its own and wrecked his clothes.¡± Matthias glared at the shaking wardrobe. ¡°I don¡¯t have much luck with flying creatures, do I?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Shaking his head as the creature screeched and thrashed in the wardrobe, Matthias entered the stairs leading down, moving quickly, eyeing his shadow tendril in the lantern-light. It had been damaged during the fight, but the cut and the mist had already vanished and¡ªwith it¡ªthe pain in his body. ¡°Guess I know what happens when it gets cut now. Sort of,¡± he whispered. ¡°Need to find those books to learn more.¡± He stepped onto the next level in the tower, cursing. ¡°Nothing here.¡± A second bedroom lay before him, as opulent as the one above except no paintings hung on the walls, no tapestries¡­and the ivory bookshelf was empty. Matthias frowned. Long ago, Altaizar had worked beside his mother, Mistress Polla; she was a powerful mage in her own right, though Matthias could barely remember her. ¡°Nice that he still keeps a room for her, I guess.¡± The boy moved to the next set of stairs, eyes darting around in case Altaizar had any other pets lurking around. He passed through a bathing area as well as a dining room before¡­ ¡°Aha!¡± he cried, emerging from the stairs. ¡°This could be it!¡± There was a reading nook on this floor, with a writing desk, a hard-backed chair and a leather divan all beneath a shuttered window. Beyond the nook was a single, locked door. ¡°That could be a library.¡± Matthias looked at the door, then at the writing desk, noticing a single golden key on it. He picked it up. ¡°Let¡¯s hope.¡± He put the key into the lock, turned it with a click, then pulled. There was a creak, but the door wouldn¡¯t open. ¡°Is it barred?¡± Matthias pulled at the handle again. ¡°Probably is, and I bet he opens it with The Gift. So, what do I do?¡± He looked at his shadow tentacle. ¡°I wonder¡­¡± He slipped the tendril between the bottom of the door and the floor. It compressed, slithering into the gap¡ªhe felt an odd, but painless sensation¡ªand springing back into shape on the other side. Matthias raised the tendril in the room beyond the door, feeling it slide up the wood until it touched something heavy. ¡°That must be the barricade. I bet I could¡­¡± The tentacle pushed it up from below, lifting higher and higher until¡­ There was a clatter from the other side of the door. Excitedly, Matthias pulled the handle. it swung open with ease. ¡°Yes!¡± he cried. He¡¯d found Altaizar¡¯s library. Shelves upon shelves rose high above Matthias¡¯ head, filled with thick tomes, narrow volumes and other books of every shape and size. Scrolls packed into cases lined some shelves, and there were even stone and clay tablets set up in neat rows. ¡°Breg would love this place,¡± Matthias murmured, stepping into the chamber. There were no windows¡ªperhaps to prevent sunlight from bleaching the parchment and papyrus¡ªso he carefully shone his lantern as he walked between the looming shelves. He soon found Altaizar¡¯s books on magic. Volumes on The Gift and Life Enforcement filled the shelves, beside books on the history of the Vale of Magi and the Mage guard. Scroll cases were labelled, indicating studies on magical traditions from around Talekia and how different places in the world used The Gift. There were even books bound in skin with letters written in blood: studies of Old Magic rituals used by witches and warlocks. Finally¡­ He stopped at a specific shelf. ¡°This¡­this is it!¡± he cried. The shelf was lined with manuals on the practice of Divine Breath. ¡°The Breathing Methods of the Tower of the Celestial King,¡± he began to name off titles. ¡°Cultivating the Tower of the Ruler in Victory. Breathing Methods of Tower of the Night in Secret. Acolyte¡¯s Manual of the Sect of Flaming Breath. The Bloody Cultivation Methods of the Demoneater Clan. Awakening the Tower of All Mystic. And¡ª¡± He froze, his eyes falling on a particular title. ¡°¡­Breathing Methods of Tower of the Wild in Shadow. Shadow! That¡¯s got to be what I¡¯m looking for!¡± He carefully took the black leatherbound volume from the top shelf, eagerly scurrying back to the reading nook. His shadow-tendril wriggled happily as he threw himself in the chair. With shaking hands, he laid the book in front of him. ¡°Well, here it is,¡± he said. ¡°This book could change my life. ¡­probably. But, maybe it¡¯s just some old history book.¡± He opened it, reading the table of contents aloud. ¡°Chapter 1: On Towers and Divine Breath in General, Chapter 2: Lore on Nephyrean, God of Beasts, the Hunt and Nature and Lykosion, God of Thieves, Shadows and the Night; Chapter 3: How to Go About Awakening to the Divine Breath; Chapter 4: Raising the Towers¨C¡± he read. ¡°This is what I need!¡± He remembered Kari¡¯s smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to wipe that grin off your filthy face.¡± He vowed, flipping through the book, pulling out pieces of parchment he¡¯d brought in a scroll case on his belt. Matthias stopped once he reached chapter three. Normally, he¡¯d start at the beginning of a book, but¡ªright now¡ªhe needed to make sure he copied the methods for awakening and building power with Divine Breath, as well as its dangers. If he got interrupted, at least he¡¯d know how to use his power when he ran; he wouldn¡¯t be leaving empty-handed. He looked around again, still nervous that there might be another of Altaizar¡¯s pets nearby. All he saw was the open door to the library, the overstuffed divan, the staircase and shuttered window. After a moment¡¯s thought, he opened the shutter, letting the moonlight in, then began to read. ¡°Transcendence, immortality and splitting one¡¯s enemies with a tempered fist all lie on the path of Divine Breath, ready for anyone willing to raise their Tower. Going to have to find out what a tower is. Divine breath is similar to Life Enforcement, but while the former focuses on empowering one¡¯s life force through a careful regime of breathing, energy circulation, meditation and building a connection to the natural world, the Cultivation of Divine Breath uses the same methods to take in the energy left behind by the gods. It requires patience and care. Do not try to walk this path without a capacity for focus and the ability to quiet one¡¯s spirit. If you wish to continue, consider the Awakening Method, which is common to most sects, clans and individual cultivators of Divine Breath.¡± Matthias took a breath, excited. ¡°While Awakening to Divine Breath spontaneously can occur in beasts and other creatures closer to nature, mortals cannot awaken fully to Divine Breath by chance. Spontaneous Awakening in mortals is often temporary, incomplete, and far weaker than a full Awakening ritual. Further, powers gained from Spontaneous Awakening can be unstable, and their overuse could lead to death or¡ªOkay, putting away the tendril now.¡± Matthias grimaced, his heart rate increasing. The tentacle disappeared in a puff of misty shadow. He looked around again. All he saw was the open door to the library, the overstuffed divan, the staircase and window. ¡°Won¡¯t be using that for a bit.¡± He continued reading, jotting notes as he went. ¡°Awakening to Divine Breath is similar to testing one¡¯s affinity for Life Enforcement. One requires a medium of pure conductivity like distilled water, blessed silver, pure copper, bane crystals or woven starlight. One must place their hands in the conductive material and use a method of stimulating their inner pathways of life energy while remaining calm and clear minded. If one is fortunate, their channels will begin to open and Divine Breath will rush in. Huh, sounds similar to Life Enforcement.¡± Matthias recalled all the rituals he¡¯d undergone to test his affinity for Life Enforcement; the failures had been agonizing. Even the memories stung. ¡°Awakening to Divine Breath must be conducted using the correct catalyst. A catalyst can come from a donation of energy from one already practising Divine Breath, from certain fruits or potions brewed with the correct stimulants or¡ªin defiance of the heavens in the most primal of rituals¡ªchanneled from a bolt of lightning during a powerful storm. That sounds absolutely legendary.¡± The boy smiled. ¡°Lightning will seek one attempting the Awakening, strike them and will provide a powerful catalyst that one can use to open their meridians to Divine Breath. Be careful, for lightning is among the most dangerous catalysts and is far more likely to slay than to awaken. In any case, once one begins cultivating a single deity or pair in combination, one cannot change their Tower. As such, it is advised to conduct one¡¯s Awakening ritual in a place related to the deity or deities they wish to cultivate. Nephyrean, the God of Beasts, The Hunt and Nature, has his Divine Breath most commonly occurring in the wilderness and in the dens of predators. Lykosion, God of Thieves, Shadows and the Night most commonly has his Divine Breath occur in thieves¡¯ guilds, in areas of shadow such as beneath forest canopies and under the dark of night.¡± Matthias continued reading and scrawling, excitement pumping through his veins. Nerves and anticipation coursed through him. Once he finished copying the ritual, how would he go about his awakening? It would have to be during a storm; which weren¡¯t uncommon this time of year. He glanced through the window, seeing if there were any dark clouds on the horizon. Above, the mage¡¯s bat screeched from inside the wardrobe, making Matthias wince. He looked around one more time. All he saw was the open door to the library, the overstuffed divan, Altaizar standing in the middle of the room, staring at him with bloodshot eyes; the staircase and window. He let out a sigh of relief, turning back to the book... ...then froze, slowly turning around. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Altaizar was right behind him. ¡°Hello, young burglar.¡± The mage cracked his knuckles. ¡°I see you have broken into my home, terrorised my pet and are now stealing my knowledge. Care to explain yourself? And speak quickly. I am very, very enraged right now.¡± Chapter 8: A New Path ¡°Master Altaizar?¡± Matthias grabbed his notes, shooting up from the chair. ¡°What¡­but how?¡± Altaizar folded his hands behind his back. ¡°My protections are to leave your family unharmed, but my magics still alert me if someone finds a way through my defences: the wind whispered of mischief in my tower¡­and here I find you, looking very mischievous, Matthias Stonebreaker.¡± ¡°B-but you were days from here!¡± Altaizar chuckled. ¡°Powerful, clever mages have ways to move so swiftly they shame the very winds.¡± His eyes flashed. ¡°And I am more powerful and clever than most. If you were a random thief, I would have commanded your clothing to constrict you until you burst like an overcooked sausage. However, in this case, I think I will let your mother conjure the punishment for you. She will do worse. But before then, answer me, I do believe I asked you to explain yourself.¡± Matthias backed up against the desk. ¡°¡­why?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®why¡¯?¡± Altaizar asked. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother having me explain myself,¡± Matthias pointed out. ¡°So, why do you want me to?¡± The mage cocked his head like an owl looking down at a mouse. ¡°Do you think you have any right to ask me questions?¡± ¡°No,¡± Matthias said. ¡°But I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°What?¡± Altaizar¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t care?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if I have no right to ask you questions. I¡¯m asking them anyway.¡± The mage¡¯s face turned stony. ¡°Arise.¡± The tower darkened. Stones growled like hungry beasts. Matthias¡¯ heart pounded in his ears, his mouth growing dry as the tower trembled. ¡°Are you not afraid of me?¡± Altaizar asked, his voice echoing off the stones. ¡°Perhaps I won¡¯t deliver you to your mother. Perhaps, I will cast you over a cliffside. You could simply seem to have slipped and fallen while out for a late-night walk. A tragic ¡®accident¡¯ that you might experience if you keep provoking me.¡± ¡°I am not provoking you.¡± Matthias met his gaze, gripping the desk behind him with white knuckles. ¡°I point out that you broke into my tower.¡± Altaizar¡¯s voice was flat. ¡°That¡¯s somewhat provocative I would say.¡± Silence. ¡°¡­alright, maybe I am provoking you." Matthias cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I broke into your sanctum, but either tell me why you want me to explain myself, take me to mother, or throw me over a cliff.¡± Matthias would catch himself with the shadow-tendril if it came to that. ¡°I won¡¯t talk if it¡¯s just for your amusement¡­Kari and Siegfried have been using me as their jester for too damned long.¡± Altaizar stared at Matthias for a long moment. Around them, the tower quieted and light returned. ¡°You really don¡¯t fear me, do you?¡± ¡°I do. I just don¡¯t care if I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t care if you¡¯re afraid¡­interesting.¡± The mage¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Very well. Mages are inquisitive creatures, Matthias, and you¡¯ve piqued my curiosity.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± the boy asked cautiously. ¡°You¡¯re normally a trustworthy young man: you endure your bullying without causing trouble, you endure what your father did to your family with maturity beyond your years, you endure your brother¡¯s imprisonment while caring for your sister¡­and yet you broke into my tower to look up Divine Breath even after I warned you of its dangers. I¡¯m curious as to what drove you to do that.¡± Altaizar sat on the divan. ¡°If you tell me, maybe this little act of burglary will stay between us.¡± Matthias paused for a long moment. ¡°Do you know what happened with Kari, Siegfried and Petric today?¡± ¡°They were awaiting trial and punishment. Did my letter help?¡± ¡°Oh, Eklund punished them alright.¡± Altaizar brightened. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good news¡ª¡± ¡°With a month-long stay in a temple,¡± Matthias grunted. ¡°And then they get to come back here with no repercussions and a big reason for revenge.¡± ¡°Oh¡­oh.¡± The mage¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°Yeah.¡± Matthias said simply. Silence fell. The boy sighed. ¡°Master Altaizar, they¡¯re going to kill me one day, either when they get back from the temple or when I¡¯m assigned to a squad one of them will command in the Wolfwood.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Altaizar sighed. ¡°Why not run away, then?¡± Matthias nearly spit. ¡°You mean let those three weasels run me?¡± ¡°At least you would survive. You would also avoid any duty to the Wolfwood and¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªabandon my family, my dignity, my pride, and my ability to choose what I want for my own life.¡± He ground his teeth. ¡°No one is going to make me run away and no one is going to make me abandon my family and my home. You asked me to explain myself, Master Altaizar? Well, there it is: I¡¯m willing to do anything to carve a path forward in life, period. A path forward that I choose. If I can¡¯t, nothing will ever change. I apologise for breaking into your tower, but¡­hells, I¡¯m not going to just sit around and live under someone else¡¯s boot.¡± Silence returned as Altaizar studied Matthias¡¯s face. No words passed between them; no more needed to be said. The mage was unreadable, but the boy held his gaze all the same. At last, Altaizar spoke. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t take you to your mother.¡± Matthias¡¯ heart leapt. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course not. I can¡¯t really tell her about this if I¡¯m going to help you see if you have an affinity for Divine Breath.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay¡ªWait, what?¡± The boy startled. ¡°You are? But¡­but why?¡± The mage sighed, looking through the window, his silver hair catching the moonlight. ¡°In my view, if a mission or a calling is important enough, one should do anything to achieve it. So, when you said that¡¯s exactly what you would do¡­I have to admit, I was moved.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I respect your family a great deal. Beggahasta tries to fight for her children, but she is chained by others and has been worn down over time. Bregindoure tries to support his family, but is caged by both his curse and his prison. Dagma tries to help her brothers, but she is still too young. And then there is you¡­always enduring, trapped by your lack of affinity for The Gift or Life Enforcement.¡± Altaizar¡¯s snapped his fingers, whispering. A flame burst into life floating in mid-air above his hand. ¡°There is a fire in you, Matthias, one that¡¯s been desperate to burn. Yet it has been starved of air and fuel for your entire life. Well, I am curious to see what happens if I feed that flame.¡± ¡°Yes¡­yes!¡± Matthias cried. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Chances are that Divine Breath will kill you outright. Do not thank me until I have actually done something for you.¡± ¡°I understand, Master Altaizar.¡± He reached out, shaking the mage¡¯s hand. ¡°So, what happens now?¡± The mage smiled. ¡°You will go home and go to sleep, and I will finish my work in the Wolfwood¡¯s outskirts. In two days, I will return and tell your mother I have found another method that might unlock The Gift in you. You will come back here to train under that pretense¡­but in reality, I will be teaching you everything you need to know to Awaken to Divine Breath, or die trying. Together, we will attempt that Awakening.¡± ¡°This¡­this is great!¡± Matthias cried. ¡°Uhm, so do you practise Divine Breath yourself?¡± ¡°No, but I know a mage who does.¡± Altaizar smiled. ¡°And I can guide you through an Awakening with ease; I know almost everything they do.¡± Matthias cocked his head. ¡°Does that mean they wield both The Gift and Divine Breath?¡± ¡°That they do.¡± Altaizar¡¯s grey eyes seemed to sparkle. Matthias frowned. ¡°But I read that¡ªmost of the time¡ªDivine Breath destroys any chance one has of being a Gift Wielder.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± Altaizar laughed. The fire above his hand flickered, seeming to laugh with him. ¡°Listen to me well, young Matthias, for this is your first lesson: most of the time is not ¡®all¡¯ of the time. Divine Breath usually does destroy The Gift in mortals but, in rare circumstances, one can master both.¡± ¡°Really, wow? I read it was basically impossible.¡± ¡°Ah, and that brings us to lesson two. Don¡¯t always trust something just because someone wrote it in a book. At times, words can be untrue.¡± ¡°Right, I understand.¡± Matthias nodded. Altaizar patted the towering boy on his shoulder. ¡°No, you don¡¯t, not yet. But I think in time, you will. Now, let¡¯s get you home. Remember, in two days, we get started.¡± Matthias wanted to leap for joy. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Oh, and before you go. You are to free Lord Bloodweep and apologise to him.¡± Altaizar frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s Lord Bloodwee-Oh¡­you mean the bat?¡± ¡°Lord Bloodweep is not just a mere bat, young man!¡± Altaizar bristled. ¡°He is a Flying Puma from the Teal Tower Mountains in the Upper World¡¯s Belt! A rare and dignified species that you shoved inside a wardrobe to ruin my clothes!¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Oh, er, he attacked me¡­¡± Matthias defended himself. ¡°Though I guess, I was burglarizing your home¡­I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologise to me, apologise to Lord Bloodweep!¡± ¡°Right away!¡± Matthias took the stairs two at a time, Altaizar floated behind him.
¡°I want you to know, Matthias.¡± Beggahasta hugged her son. ¡°That no matter what happens, I will love you for all your life, without condition. You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± ¡°I know, mother.¡± Matthias hugged her back, pushing down a pang of guilt. ¡°But I¡¯m doing it for me.¡± Dawn¡¯s rays shone over the eastern mountains on the morning he was to begin learning Divine Breath from Master Altaizar; Matthias and Beggahasta stood at the threshold of their home together, and she was packed for a long patrol in the Wolfwood. His mother thought he was trying to awaken to The Gift. He didn¡¯t want to lie to her, but he couldn¡¯t let her stop him. Not now. He could tell her the truth when he was finished. ¡°Listen, Matt.¡± His mother pulled away from their hug, gripping his arms. ¡°I¡¯m trying to see what I can do to get around Eklund. I will protect you.¡± Matthias smiled. ¡°I know, mother. But are you going to be alright?¡± His smile faded. He looked to the east where the Wolfwood¡¯s ominous trees clawed at the sun. ¡°Your patrol¡¯s starting today¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as my children are safe. Besides, my old dire bear cloak has seen better days.¡± She tapped the hilt of the two-handed sword slung across her back. Its scarlet hilt was shaped like a dragon; its wings being the cross guard and its head, the pommel. ¡°Tallis will claim another for me. Would you like one too?¡± He laughed, shaking his head. ¡°No, I think I¡¯ll be fine. But be careful, mother. I hope I can show you something legendary when you get back.¡± She grinned, reaching up and tousling his hair. ¡°Ugh, when did you get so tall? I know you¡¯ll show me something ¡®legendary¡¯. You do it every day.¡± He blushed. ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°Just¡­¡± She continued, her grin fading. ¡°Don''t put too much pressure on yourself. I nearly lost you once, and I don¡¯t want to risk that again. I¡¯ll always love you, no matter what.¡± ¡°I know, mother,¡± Matthias nodded. ¡°But that just means I have to try even harder.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She looked at the door. ¡°Dagma will be cross that I left before she was awake.¡± ¡°Oh, you know how she is in the mornings. You said goodbye to her, me and Bregindoure last night, I just happened get up early,¡± Matthias said gently. ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± ¡°Not sure. This patrol will be a long one, but it''ll fill our coffers again: the pay is good.¡± Beggahasta gave a wan smile. ¡°We should be able to do something nice when I get back. Take care of yourself, Matt.¡± She looked above the door of their home. Way of Stone was inscribed there. ¡°Matt, we always repay our debts in this family.¡± His back straightened as he heard the old familial words begin. ¡°We do.¡± ¡°Kindness?¡± she asked. ¡°We repay with kindness,¡± he recited. ¡°Loyalty?¡± she asked. ¡°We repay with loyalty,¡± he recited. ¡°And cruelty?¡± she asked. ¡°We repay with greater cruelty.¡± His voice hardened to flint. ¡°Very good. Be well, my son.¡± She kissed his forehead. ¡°I shall return.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be well, mother.¡± He looked toward Altaizar¡¯s tower. ¡°And hopefully even better than well.¡±
¡°You¡¯re early!¡± Altaizar called. ¡°Good! I like seeing eagerness in a student.¡± Matthias looked up, startling part way through the courtyard gate. The mage was rising from the table at the top of the tower and stepping over the parapet. With both hands behind his back, he floated down, landing silently on the cobblestones. ¡°So, are you ready, Matthias?¡± The young man took a deep breath. ¡°Hard to say: I don¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯m getting into.¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t, that¡¯s the point of me teaching you.¡± Altaizar polished the lenses of his spectacles before putting them back on the bridge of his nose. ¡°Follow me so we can get you started.¡± He strode toward his tower as the door opened for him. Matthias quickly followed. ¡°Right, so, how are we getting started?¡± He jumped when the door shut behind him, locking itself. There was a finality in the latch clicking. ¡°You can start by taking off your boots and cloak, please. I¡¯m not going to have you tracking mud into my tower again.¡± Altaizar gave him a withering look, jabbing his finger toward the cloak rack. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t track mud inside the last time I was here.¡± Matthias unlaced his boots and took off his cloak. ¡°Oh yes you did, the stairs down to my room had more than a few nasty boot prints on them.¡± The mage hung up his own cloak and handed the young man a pair of sheepskin slippers. ¡°These should be your size, but they might not fit anymore; you haven¡¯t been here¡ªby invitation¡ªfor a long time, and you¡¯re growing like a weed.¡± Matthias sighed as he put on the slippers. It looked like his teacher wouldn¡¯t be letting go of the whole ¡®burglary incident¡¯ for a while. ¡°They fit.¡± ¡°Excellent, come along then, follow me upstairs.¡± Altaizar glided across the foyer to the staircase. ¡°Okay, but uh¡­where¡¯s Lord Bloodsweep?¡± Matthias looked around cautiously, staying close. ¡°It¡¯s Lord Bloodweep and he¡¯s asleep; he sleeps during the day like most bats do.¡± Altaizar sniffed. ¡°And a good thing too.¡± He leaned back on the stairs, whispering to Matthias as though about to share a terrible secret. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°I could have guessed that.¡± Matthias grumbled. ¡°Well just in case you didn¡¯t, now it¡¯s confirmed.¡± Altaizar¡¯s voice was light and cheery. ¡°Here we are.¡± The mage led him to a floor he hadn¡¯t seen before and opened a thick door. Matthias stopped dead when he saw the room in front of him. Massive, and lit by flame blazing in scores of iron braziers, seeming like some sort of temple with two imposing statues towering high, one in front and the other in the back: Melakar and Laurahasa. It was so similar to the temple in his dream that Matthias¡¯ shadow shuddered. The only difference was that this room was enclosed by walls, painted a cool, calming blue. ¡°Magnificent, isn¡¯t it?¡± Altaizar waved his hand over the room. ¡°It¡¯s my meditation chamber, and it¡¯s where you¡¯ll be doing most of your work.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Matthias looked around slowly. ¡°It¡¯s a lot like a temple, isn¡¯t it?¡± Altaizar smiled. ¡°My own personal temple, after a fashion.¡± Matthias continued looking around before glancing down at his shadow. When he¡¯d been caught by Altaizar, he¡¯d been too startled to reveal anything about his shadow-tendril. He still wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to tell him about it. As much as he was glad the mage was helping him, he still had certain reservations. Altaizar was working for the Stonebreaker family now, but¡ªoriginally¡ªhe worked for both Matthias¡¯ mother and father. He was kind enough, but it wasn¡¯t lost on Matthias that there was a¡­sort of callousness in his offer to help him. It seemed Altaizar¡¯s own curiosity about seeing him try Divine Breath was more important to him than any risk to Matthias¡¯ life. The idea of sharing his secret with the mage made him a bit uneasy. He¡¯d be far more comfortable learning what he could from Altaizar, while being on the lookout for any information on shadow-tendrils buried in his books. If he was lucky, he¡¯d learn more without revealing anything about his shadow to Altaizar. ¡°Now, before we begin.¡± Altaizar¡¯s cheer faded. ¡°If you die¡ªwhich you most likely will¡ªI will tell your family that you stole something from my tower which took your life. I¡¯ll take no blame for anything that happens to you: you chose the risk, and you will also suffer the consequences, if things turn deadly.¡± Matthias nearly laughed at how quickly the mage had confirmed his thoughts. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Not yet, but you will. Join me in the middle of the chamber and we can begin.¡± Matthias followed Altaizar as he walked to the centre of the ¡®temple¡¯. When the mage turned around, looking his pupil up and down, he reminded him of the old man from his dream. ¡°I want us to meditate together. You¡¯re going to need a clear mind if you have any hope of surviving a Divine Breath Awakening.¡± ¡°Will the meditation techniques that I learned while preparing for Life Enforcement do?¡± Matthias asked, sitting cross-legged in front of Altaizar. ¡°They¡¯ll be more than adequate.¡± The teacher assured him, sitting in front of his student. ¡°First, I want you to find your calm. When you have a clear mind, tell me.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Matthias closed his eyes. He¡¯d been taught meditation techniques from an early age: they were fundamental to mastery of Life Enforcement and The Gift. He took a deep breath to steady himself, then fell into a slow rhythm of breathing. He inhaled for a count of four, held his breath for a count of seven then exhaled for a count of eight. As he did this his heartbeat slowed and calmness came over him. When intrusive thoughts found him, he acknowledged each one before letting it pass over and through his spirit. Soon, he was fully present, in the moment and in his body, aware of every sensation¡­though he did notice something odd. He could feel his shadow lying against the floor behind him, matching the slow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He noted it then let the sensation go. All fell away, leaving a mind as clear as spring water. He opened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Altaizar¡¯s voice was calm, his breath steady. ¡°You are aware of what caused the Age of Wolves, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Matthias slowly nodded. ¡°Tell me what you know.¡± ¡°The people of the Age of Wonder delved into their magics too greedily.¡± Matthias recited his old lessons. ¡°They awoke nature, and she covered the world in an endless forest, tearing down the great civilizations of old. Her storvargs¡ªthe great wolves¡ªate the cities, leaving great beasts and a dark wilderness in their wake. The Wolfwood covered the entire world; this was the Age of Wolves.¡± ¡°Very good,¡± Altaizar said. ¡°And what ended the Age of Wolves?¡± ¡°The return of the gods,¡± Matthias continued. ¡°During the age of Wolves, the Pantheon of the Ascended had no contact with the world for forty thousand years: they wanted mortals to learn how to live without them. Once we did, the deities came back, burning away the Wolfwood from most of the planet. Only here, on the continent of Ergoth, does any of the Wolfwood still exist. Even the deities weren¡¯t able to burn it completely away.¡± ¡°Excellent, and what is the name of the day when the deities threw down the Wolfwood?¡± ¡°Godsreturn.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± Altaizar nodded. ¡°I see you paid attention to your lessons well. Now it¡¯s my turn to speak: did you know that Godsreturn is the origin of the Divine Breath?¡± Matthias¡¯ eyebrows rose. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. In using their power to end the Age of Wolves, the Pantheon of the Ascended had to exert themselves greatly. What happens when you exert yourself, Matthias?¡± ¡°Er, I sweat.¡± Altaizar snorted. ¡°In addition to that? What are you doing right now?¡± Matthias thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m breathing, and when I exert myself, I breathe harder.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right: you pant, take in air then exhale. And that is what the deities did as they fought: exhaled¡ªboth literally and figuratively¡ªbits of their divine power, leaving those bits to spread across the world, taking hold.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why it¡¯s called Divine Breath.¡± Matthias reasoned. ¡°Indeed, and it proliferates naturally now, further strengthening each time one of our gods or goddesses physically walks the world. Long ago, some enterprising practitioners of Life Enforcement learned how to cultivate those powerful remnants of Divine Breath.¡± ¡°And the deities hated that?¡± Matthias asked. Altaizar chuckled. ¡°Yes, according to their priests. And yet¡ªif our pantheon is truly so against us ¡®stealing¡¯ their power, then why do they not simply smite every Divine Breath Cultivator at once? There is more to the story, I believe, but that¡¯s a discussion for a different day. The point is, breathing¡ªlike it is in Life Enforcement¡ªis key to cultivating Divine Breath. You need a good set of lungs and a powerful soul, and you need to learn how to breathe with both.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Matthias said. ¡°And how do I ¡®breathe with my soul¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you,¡± Altaizar assured him. ¡°It¡¯s a key skill that¡¯s very necessary for Divine Breath: it¡¯ll be the way you¡¯re going to heal yourself.¡± ¡°Heal myself?¡± Matthias paused. ¡°From what?¡± Altaizar¡¯s chuckled. ¡°In order to perform an Awakening Ritual for Divine Breath¡­we¡¯re going to have to damage your soul.¡± ¡°What?¡± Matthias¡¯ eyebrows shot up. ¡°Mortal and Divine energies are not traditionally meant to fuse into one. Divine tries to stay divine while mortal tries to stay mortal. Part of the process of Awakening to Divine Breath requires one to force their intermingling.¡± He pointed at Matthias. ¡°We will cause a wound to your soul, and a deep one at that: souls can heal minor damage naturally over time, but the level of damage we¡¯ll be doing will need to be just right. Not great enough to cause your soul to collapse, but deep enough so that it cannot naturally repair itself. Then, we will ¡®patch¡¯ it.¡± Matthias¡¯ mind began working. ¡°Divine Breath will form the patch?¡± Altaizar pursed his lips. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to hurt my soul, creating a big hole¡­then I¡¯m going to breathe in Divine Breath to fill it, and since my soul will want to repair itself, it¡¯ll fuse with the Divine Breath?¡± ¡°Precisely!¡± Altaizar laughed. ¡°Ah, a student with a sharp mind! Always a pleasure to teach one such as you. Now, do you see why an Awakening is so deadly?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Matthias shuddered. ¡°Still want to proceed?¡± Altaizar asked. ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°Brilliant!¡± The mage clapped. ¡°Now, let us go over what the Towers of Divine Breath are, and how you will choose which deities to cultivate. Then we will teach you soul-breathing very quickly.¡± ¡°How quickly?¡± Matthias asked. ¡°You are to have a working ability to breathe through your soul in two weeks¡¯ time.¡± ¡°Two weeks?¡± Matthias flinched. ¡°Isn¡¯t that awfully quick?¡± ¡°It is, but you want to defeat Kari and his cronies upon their return, right? In two weeks¡¯ time there will be the perfect storm coming from the west. The wind told me that the storm will be powerful, raw, and wielding the kind of lightning that can strike down to the very soul. It will be our best chance for an Awakening for you: a dangerous method, but we don¡¯t have the resources here to try anything else. Once you have Awakened, you will need to acclimatize yourself to your new abilities. That could take weeks.¡± Matthias swallowed. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Now, then,¡± Altaizar continued. ¡°I will explain what happens after you Awaken, and what the pillar of power that is Divine Breath looks like. Allow me to explain the Towers of Divine Breath to you: they are the key aspect to how you will grow on this new path.¡± Chapter 9: Bloods Drop ¡°The Caliber System of Power.¡± Altaizar clenched a fist before him. ¡°Is a simple and sometimes imprecise way of categorizing a Gift Wielder¡¯s or Life Enforcement Practitioner''s skill, or strength and proficiency with their art. However, Divine Breath is a different beast: a cultivator of Divine Breath grows by raising and ascending their Spiritual Tower.¡± ¡°I read something about Towers in one of your manuals.¡± Matthias glanced in the direction of Altaizar¡¯s library on an upper floor. ¡°Ah yes, the manual you were in the middle of stealing.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t stealing it!¡± Matthias looked down in shock. ¡°I was copying from it!¡± ¡°In other words, you were stealing the knowledge inside it?¡± Altaizar raised an eyebrow. ¡°I mean¡­¡± Matthias considered his words. ¡°If I learned what was in the manual, but you kept the manual itself, is that actually stealing? I took nothing away from you.¡± Altaizar groaned. ¡°There are mages who would flay you alive for making such an argument. If you were ever to meet Mistress Eldwinter of the Vale of Magi¡­¡± The mage¡¯s grey eyes lost focus for a moment, as though examining some distant memory. He shuddered. ¡°Never mind. Whether the knowledge was stolen or not, the point is that you are correct: I was referring to the same Towers the manual mentioned.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± Matthias asked. ¡°Do I have to build a tower like a mage would? To study, meditate and do experiments in?¡± Altaizar laughed. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a funny question. No, actually. The Tower you will be building is a spiritual one. A Tower that exists in your soul.¡± He tapped his chest. ¡°And what is this Tower that exists in my soul?¡± ¡°A Divine Breath Cultivator¡¯s Tower is the seat of their strength, a spiritual sanctum they can retreat to through meditation, and a representation of their power. Their spiritual advancement is represented by a new layer or floor being built in their Tower. How many layers one¡¯s tower has is how Divine Breath Cultivators identify and rank each other. For example, if I were a practitioner, I might be referred to as Altaizar of the Tower of All Mystic, Eighth Layer.¡± ¡°And what would that mean?¡± Matthias frowned. ¡°The Tower of All Mystic means that I would be cultivating the Divine Breath of both Laurahasa and Melakar, and that I would have advanced to the Eighth Layer¡ªor eighth tier of power¡ªin my Tower.¡± ¡°If cultivators of Divine Breath are ranked by Layer, how many Layers are there? I mean, I guess I¡¯d be starting at the First Layer¡ª¡± ¡°Actually, you would start at the Foundation Layer.¡± Altaizar corrected him. ¡°Every building needs a foundation to stand upon, and spiritual Towers of Divine Breath are no different. First, you would create the Foundation for your Tower. This opens you to your path. Then your next step would be to solidify your Foundation, which takes a very long time: once that foundation is strong enough to support the future layers of your Tower, you can begin building it. The highest layer is the 13th, which represents the penultimate level of power of a Divine Breath cultivator.¡± ¡°Penultimate? That means second to last, right? So, what¡¯s beyond that?¡± Matthias asked. Altaizar pointed upward. ¡°The Endless Sky. If I achieved that, you would refer to me as Altaizar of the Tower of All Mystic, Master in the Endless Sky.¡± ¡°That sounds so legendary¡­¡± Matthias¡¯ eyes shone. ¡°It represents the ultimate boundless freedom of the sky. When one achieves that, they gain invulnerability from aging, disease and many forms of violence, not to mention incredible power. Even the magic that grants the strength, robustness and immortality to the Artenesian elves pales in comparison.¡± ¡°Incredible,¡± Matthias murmured. ¡°Even before reaching such lofty heights, though, a cultivator will achieve fabulous powers, unlocked with each Layer they ascend. Those powers come from the deities that you choose to cultivate. The Foundation Layer is no exception: it will feature a ¡®power stone¡¯, which will reveal the power born within that Layer, laid out in cosmic lettering. All other Layers will have their own power stones as well. You will be able to read what is written on them¡ªas well as the name of your Tower¡ªdespite what languages you can understand.¡± Matthias was almost drooling. ¡°I can see why people try this, even though it¡¯s so deadly.¡± ¡°Yes, most people want power, Matthias, but very few attain it,¡± Altaizar said somberly. ¡°Do you know why most people want power?¡± Matthias thought carefully. ¡°In my case, power means freedom. I want to be strong in order to be free. Free from Kari. Free from my father. Free to choose my own life. Free to avenge myself on anyone who takes something away from me. Free to live.¡± Altaizar¡¯s spectacles shone in the firelight. ¡°Most people who crave power want it so that they can be free. The tricky thing is that most people aren¡¯t willing to do very much to gain that power and freedom. Oh sure, if a shiny gold coin rolls and lands at their feet, they¡¯ll snatch it up¡­but tell them to climb a massive mountain for ten thousand gold coins and they will baulk, cringe and complain, asking why the large amount of wealth doesn¡¯t simply appear at their feet.¡± He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s sad, really. Too many people are too frightened to do what must be done to better their lives. And I can¡¯t help them: I can only help people like you, those who are willing to do what must be done, even if they might pay the ultimate price. Speaking of that, we are going to need you to become aware of your soul. A cultivator cannot Awaken without that awareness. But it will be hard.¡± Matthias¡¯ hands balled into fists. ¡°My life has been hard.¡± Altaizar¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°This will be harder.¡±
¡°I am going to need you to close your eyes.¡± Altaizar looked at Matthias gravely. ¡°Promise me that you will not open them under any circumstance.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Matthias asked. The red of the sunrise had been replaced by the blue of a mostly cloudless day. Mage and student were standing atop Altaizar¡¯s tower, two bags were draped over the teacher¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Matthias asked. ¡°How are you with heights?¡± The mage raised an eyebrow, his silver hair blowing in the wind. ¡°Fine.¡± Matthias shrugged, looking over the side of the tower. Had he feared heights, climbing up here would have been a problem two nights ago. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t have to close your eyes, then.¡± Altaizar glanced at the sky. ¡°Fine, you can keep them open. You might enjoy this.¡± The mage raised his hands. ¡°Winds, carry us according to my will. Hold us close and let sweet air flow through our lungs. Let not your chill sting our faces nor freeze our bodies. Now, let us fly!¡± His words smote the air, it shuddered around them. ¡°Wait wha¨Caaaaaaargh!¡± Matthias cried; his feet were abruptly pulled from the stones. The wind rushed, and howled, then roared. As Altaizar¡¯s laughter boomed over the valley, he and Matthias shot into the sky. Matthias screamed, his belly clenching. The ground, trees, village and Altaizar¡¯s tower shrank below them; the air¡¯s chilly bite deepened as they quickly rose, Matthias fighting the urge to kick at the distant ground below him. He could feel something¡ªthe air itself, he realised¡ªgrasping him from all sides, carrying him into the sky with a gentle touch. His mind whirled. ¡°We¡¯re flying?¡± he cried. ¡°Of course we¡¯re flying!¡± Altaizar laughed. ¡°A half-baked hedge mage might walk, but me? The wind comes when I call it, and carries who I tell it to carry! Isn¡¯t this wonderful?¡± In no time Matthias¡¯ cries fell away, transforming to bubbling, delighted laughter. ¡°This is straight out of legend!¡± ¡°Glad you think so! Now, enjoy it while it lasts: at this speed, we¡¯ll be at our destination in about ten minutes!¡± the mage called back, his blue cloak whipping behind him like a battle flag. Matthias fell silent, his eyes boggling at the sights. For most of his life he¡¯d lived in these mountains, but never had he seen them from such a vantage point. His perspective stretched out in all directions. The Godshield mountain range reached beyond the horizons to the north and south. To the west, the High Kingdom of Evalmera¡¯s forests and green rolling hills spread out endlessly, while¡ªto the east¡ªthe ominous shadows of the Wolfwood unfolded. As he marveled, the peaks swept past them at tremendous speeds; a distance that would have taken days to cross on foot, was being spanned in mere minutes. Soon, he noticed the howl of the wind lessening; they were slowing as they approached a mountain river to the northeast of his home. A river coloured a sickly, orange red. He recognized it and his eyes bulged from his skull. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Vein of the Mountain? It¡¯s at least four days from home!¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Not as the wind flies.¡± Altaizar¡¯s tone was more than a little smug as they descended. ¡°Have you seen it before?¡± ¡°Only on a map,¡± Matthias admitted, listening as a roar grew in the distance. A metallic tang tinged the air. The Vein of the Mountain¡¯s riverbed was filled with iron deposits that leaked an endless stream of rust into the rushing water. It gave the river its bloody, orange tint and name: seeming like a vast blood vessel, pumping out of the peak¡¯s heart toward a great waterfall known as Blood¡¯s Drop. At the falls, the river poured into a massive, red plunge pool. ¡°Why are we here?¡± Matthias asked as they floated toward the waterfall¡¯s base. ¡°The soul is a quiet thing!¡± Altaizar called over the roaring river. ¡°But you must learn to hear it under any circumstance! This place brings an assault to the senses: the red of the river draws the eye, the roar of the waterfall drums in the ears, the cold and pressure of the water can crush the body, and the tang of rust overwhelms the nostrils and even touches the tongue. All five senses are overpowered when one stands beneath the falls of Blood¡¯s Drop. And it is here that you will learn to hear, see and touch your soul.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Matthias looked at the bloody basin. ¡°You want me to stand under those falls? I thought you said the soul was quiet: wouldn¡¯t staying in your meditation chamber help me hear it better? You know, taking out distractions is good for¡­noticing quiet things!¡± ¡°You would think that.¡± Altaizar pointed toward the stones beside the rusty falls. ¡°But the world is a loud place. What good is learning to hear your soul in a place of utter silence? Finding a single candleflame in the dark is easy, Matthias. But finding a single candleflame in a field all aflame while the noonday sun beams down? Now that is challenging. You¡¯ll learn far more from finding that candle among the fire than you would in the dark and stillness of the night.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Matthias admitted. ¡°But¡­what do I do to hear my soul? Do I just listen closely?¡± Altaizar floated above the water, pointing at the falls. ¡°You will step under the waterfall, and begin meditating.¡± ¡°Okay, that seems simple enough¡ª¡± ¡°While under the effect of these hallucinogenic herbs.¡± Altaizar pulled a packet of dried leaves from one of his bags. ¡°Yes, I see¡ªWait, what?¡± Matthias froze. ¡°Listen, there are monks who spend decades in meditation before finally catching a glimpse of their soul.¡± Altaizar pointed to one of the nearby mountain peaks. ¡°Often in complete isolation. Do you want to become a monk for the next twenty years?¡± Matthias rapidly shook his head. ¡°No, sir, I do not.¡± ¡°Excellent, then we¡¯ll use a shortcut. Most cultivators do.¡± Altaizar pointed at the herbs again. ¡°This is Soul¡¯s Lace: an herb that grows in graveyards under the black moon if a child has been born nearby. When dried and swallowed, it can enhance one¡¯s senses for the spiritual. Under its influence, one will hallucinate, may see the spirits of the departed¡ªif they linger in the area¡ªor even gain an awareness of one¡¯s own soul. Of course, if one isn¡¯t careful, the herbs will melt their mind into dregs.¡± ¡°Oh, is that all?¡± Matthias asked, his voice flat. Altaizar looked down at him. ¡°Do you still wish to proceed?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± The boy extended a hand. ¡°No hesitation?¡± Altaizar¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°You¡¯re continuing to impress me, Matthias.¡± He floated over, placing the packet in the waiting hand. ¡°I am going to go behind that tree over there and study some samples I collected from the Wolfwood. Strip down so that the water can contact your bare skin. Then, take the herbs and slip through the waterfall: there¡¯s a cave behind it where you can sit and let the water hit your shoulders and back. Meditate there for as long as you can, then come out when the Soul¡¯s Lace wears off.¡± He placed a hand on Matthias¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Even using this method, it will take you the better part of a week to gain awareness of your soul: we¡¯ll need to use multiple sessions over days. So please don¡¯t push yourself too hard. It¡¯d be a shame if you didn¡¯t even make it to the Awakening ritual.¡± ¡°Wait, er, what will my soul look like? Or feel like?¡± Matthias asked. Altaizar paused, giving the question a long moment of thought. ¡°All souls are different, tinged by our emotions and personalities. A soul that often gives into rage will be fiery hot. A soul that is mired in sadness will be cool and damp. One filled with love will be warm, comforting and bright. A soul mired in hatred will have a caustic tang to it. But one thing they all share in common is their light: souls emit a powerful radiance, much like sunlight. To know one''s soul is to gain power over it; to direct one''s own sun. Or...with the right tools, another''s sun." "What do you mean?" Matthias asked nervously. "Does the different emotions and personalities of one''s soul affect if we can succeed?" He silently wondered how the shadow-tendril might affect things. "They should not. A soul, even one that has Awakened spontaneously to divine breath, should safely undergo this process." "Wait, what about that part about power over another''s sun with the right tools?" Altaizar''s look turned dark. "Do not ask about the ways of Old Magic too lightly, young Matthias. You might not like the answers you''d find. Many have killed for such knowledge. Killed even their own kin." Matthias felt his blood chill. There was a glint in Altaizar''s eye. He felt reassured about one thing: he would make sure to tell only those he trusted most about the shadow-tendril manifesting when he''d gone off the cliff, such as his own family. Matthias did not like the mage''s expression right at that moment.
Matthias neatly folded his clothes on the riverbank and stepped toward Blood¡¯s Drop. Wet stones led to the side of the waterfall where one could pass through it and into the cave behind the red falls. In his right hand he clenched the dose of Soul¡¯s Lace. His left clenched nothing. Damp, chilled air bit his skin. The tang of rust assaulted his nostrils and tongue. The roar of Blood¡¯s Drop thundered in his ears as he stepped through the falls. His body flinched, cold stabbing through his naked form as he entered the dark cave behind the curtain of red water. Matthias strode through the icy river¡ªmuscles stiff, his face grimacing¡ªuntil he reached the middle of the waterfall and looked down at the Soul¡¯s Lace. Beneath it, his shadow twitched. Without a word, he opened the packet, dropped the herbs into his mouth and began chewing. At first, the taste was like dried grass, then pops of flavour emerged with every crunch; it was like tasting a mouthful of spices. The flavours began transforming. His eyes grew wide as he savoured things almost forgotten; honey porridge he¡¯d eaten as a small child, salmon pulled from the river and roasted for his seventh birthday, his first taste of Godsreturn mead when he was ten, or the boar and bear stew his mother cooked when they¡¯d been travelling. Forgotten flavours rose in his mind, bubbling with every bite of the herbs. He swallowed. Soul¡¯s Lace slid down his throat in an explosion of sensation; it felt like he¡¯d eaten chips of pure glacier ice and swallowed fire all at the same time, then the herbs landed in his belly like a falling star. The ¡®impact¡¯ drove him to his knees, and he quickly crossed his legs, sitting erect with the waterfall crashing down on his back, pressing him toward the stones. His head bowed forward and he closed his eyes, falling into his breathing cycle. The warmth and ice of the Soul''s Lace spread through his body. His skin began to tingle. ¡®Way of Stone. Way of Stone. Way of Stone,¡¯ he repeated the mantra in his mind, trying to focus his thoughts. The task grew harder. His muscles stiffened. The water pounding on his back felt like it had quintupled in weight, crushing him down. The tang of rust became blood, filling his nose and mouth. The roar in his ears exploded like a thousand voices. His eyes were shut, but light invaded them¡ªprying its way through lids squeezed tight¡ªraking over his pupils. Colours he could not name flashed before his vision in a torrent of motion, forming millions of shapes, all exploding on each other. ¡®Way of Stone, Way of Stone, Way of Stone,¡¯ he continued. He repeated the mantra through his thoughts. All the while he listened, felt, tasted, smelled and saw; in the blaze of sensation, he looked for what lay beneath. What was beyond his five senses. It was a struggle. With every passing heartbeat, the Soul¡¯s Lace wreaked havoc through his mind. It tore at his senses, destroying his every thought, melting all sensation into a river of chaos. Even as everything around him collapsed, his body grew¡­louder. He began to feel the sensation of his organs, how his muscles touched the inside of his skin, the wet slide of his eyes in their sockets. Blood squelching through blood vessels, his heart pounding in his chest, sloshing in his ears. His nose caught every particle of his own scent, he could taste his own teeth and the roof of his mouth. Every sensation of his body¡ªall normally beneath his notice¡ªnow raged through his senses, overwhelming his mind. He felt as though his form was no longer his own, instead transformed into what it truly was: a wet collection of viscera and organs all wrapped around a scaffold of bone. Even worse, he could feel things too small for his naked eye to see crawling across his skin, through his mouth, in his lungs and guts. His mind recoiled from the revelation but, more and more, the sensations forced their way through his consciousness: he saw himself as no different than flesh cut up on a supper table. Every bit of once-living organisms that had passed through his mouth and into his belly¡­he was the same as them. Strange urges struck him, and his teeth clenched so hard, they felt like they would explode from his mouth. For a heartbeat¡ªone that seemed to explode on itself stretched endlessly¡ªa powerful, self-destructive desire came over him. His body disgusted him, it was like dead meat that had forgotten to rot. ¡®This meat needs to be cut up and destroyed, scattered and left for the beasts,¡¯ he thought. ¡®Or better yet, dashed off the side of a cliff. Yes, the cliff! I should have died at the bottom of that cliff. Should have been dashed and broken apart for the gamrungs to feast on. I¡­I need to correct that. I need to¡ª¡± Something touched his leg, startling him. He looked down. Through the warring menagerie of colours and shapes, he could see his leg¡ªseeming to melt into thousands of centipedes¡ªtouching his shadow. His shadow cut through the sensations racing through his consciousness. The sight reminded him of why he was here. What was at stake. What he wanted his life to be. The once overpowering urge to destroy himself was now disgusting to think about; a thought outside his own, brought on by the Soul¡¯s Lace. It could be overcome. ¡®Way of stone. Way of stone. Way of stone. Way of stone,¡¯ he thought, the mantra pushing through the torrent of sensations assaulting him, trying to tear his mind apart. He felt like he was peering over the edge of a cliff, looking over a sea of blood. If he plunged in, he would die. Instead, he simply turned away. Grounding himself in the moment, in his body, and his shadow¡­his consciousness returned. The sensations still assaulted him, but he had regained a measure of control. ¡®Remember why you are here,¡¯ he thought. ¡®To find your soul. To find it and learn to breathe with it. To gain power. To gain freedom.¡¯ His heart tolled like a bell in the god of death¡¯s temple. ¡®To gain revenge.¡¯ He forced his mind to search for the silence in the storm of sensation. ¡®My soul will be quiet,¡¯ he thought. ¡®But where do I begin to look for it?¡¯ Slowly, he scanned every part of his form, passing by the rush of his blood vessels, the squelch of his muscles and the thundering of his heart. Something quieter than that. Then, as he looked, a thought occurred to him. ¡®Is my soul my body?¡¯ he thought. ¡®No, it isn¡¯t. I can¡¯t start looking for it in my body. I have to look elsewhere. Like¡­¡¯ His eyes found his shadow. There it was, lying beneath him; he could feel it touching both his skin and the stones beneath it. ¡®If my shadow-tendril comes from Divine Breath, wouldn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s already connected to my soul?¡¯ he wondered. ¡®Even if it isn¡¯t from Divine Breath, it¡¯s a good place to start looking.¡¯ He followed his shadow, sliding his attention along it like he would if he was examining his arm¡­ ¡­and noticed something. The Soul¡¯s Lace was elevating his senses beyond the natural, and with that he found that his shadow connected to something deep inside him. He reached deeper until¡ª All fell away: the sensations from his body, the hallucinations from the Soul¡¯s Lace, and the assault on his senses from the Blood¡¯s Drop. As the physical turned to nothing, what was left was the mental and spiritual. The mental was his own mind, viewing what lay before him. And what lay before him? A blindingly bright light in the shape of a familiar silhouette floating in a void: that of Matthias Stonebreaker. ¡®There it is!¡¯ he thought, joy racing through him. ¡®My soul¡­but what¡¯s that?¡¯ He could see the radiance that was his soul¡ªit bore the scent of acid, blazed hot, yet smelled sweet and was warm all at once¡ªbut there was also something else. Something was coiled around his soul like a vine wrapped around a tree¡ªfusing with its light¡ªa vine leading to what looked to be some sort of sprout, like a sapling finally bursting from the earth. It was a thing of utter darkness. Colder than the heart of winter. But smelling of decay. Chapter 10: Ready to Live The tendril of utter darkness was fused to Matthias Stonebreaker¡¯s soul, growing like a sprout that smelled of decay. For most, the sight would have driven them into an all-consuming terror. But Matthias had nearly died not so long ago. And to him, the darkness felt natural. Curiosity, not fear, was what dwelt inside him, and he reached out, touching his soul, noticing how warm and comforting it felt. Though, when he brushed against the darkness¡ª ¡°It feels cold.¡± He drew back. ¡°Like ice. Yet¡­it feels the same as my soul.¡± His soul felt warm, yet there was a coolness beneath that feeling. The darkness clinging to it was cold, yet there was a warmth deep inside it. It was as if they were one and the same, just as his shadow-tendril felt like a natural part of his body. In his mind, he knew that he should be horrified; that the tendril coiling around his soul was something unnatural. Something that should be feared. Yet¡ª ¡°Whether this darkness is Divine Breath or something else, it belongs to me.¡± Both his soul and the darkness pulsed in time with his words, like they were acknowledging him. ¡°And with it, I¡¯ll change my life.¡± Elation surged through him. He¡¯d taken his first step toward his Awakening¡­but, he wasn¡¯t satisfied. Not yet. ¡°Altaizar said I had to learn to breathe with my soul.¡± He concentrated on his soul¡¯s ¡®chest¡¯ area, where his lungs were in his physical form. ¡°Maybe, here?¡± The more he focused on his soul, the more he could ¡®feel¡¯ it. It wasn¡¯t quite the same as feeling his physical form, but it was the closest way he could describe it. He tried to focus on his soul¡¯s ¡®lungs¡¯. ¡°Breathe,¡± he whispered. He saw his soul¡¯s chest move¡­but nothing changed. No sensation of breathing; it was like his spirit was mimicking the action of physically breathing, but the movement was hollow. No feeling of anything either entering or leaving his lungs. ¡­wait, lungs? ¡°Your soul doesn¡¯t have lungs, you fool. But it still needs to breathe¡­¡± Matthias examined his soul and the coiling darkness fused around it with care. ¡°When I move the shadow-tendril, it¡¯s like I¡¯m moving one of my arms. But¡­the tendril has no bones or muscles. In this void, I have no hands, yet I can touch. I have no mouth, but I can speak.¡± He looked over his soul again. It was only shaped like his body: but it needed no heart to pump blood, no eyes to see, no skin to feel, and¡ª ¡°No lungs to breathe,¡± he realised. ¡°If it needs no lungs to breathe, then¡­¡± He concentrated on feeling his soul¡ªall of it, including the darkness¡ªthen took control. The darkness deepened. Light flared. He imagined his soul as a single vessel of energy, like¡­ ¡®A censer,¡¯ he remembered his brother¡¯s birthday gift. ¡®Fire burning within it, with holes to take in air. If I imagine my soul like a censer that takes in energy¡­¡¯ His soul shifted, its form expanding, like a lung filling with air. Particles of energy drifted from the void, slipping into his soul as it swelled. For a moment, he held the energy particles in place, similar to holding a deep inhalation. Then he ¡®exhaled¡¯. Energy flowed from his soul, disappearing into the void. ¡°Was that Divine Breath?¡± he wondered. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll try that again to check.¡± Again, he focused on his soul¡ªbreathing, taking in more energy¡ªexhaling the energy back into the void. No particles stayed inside his soul, yet he was truly breathing with it. ¡°I¡¯m doing it¡­it¡¯s working!¡± he cried. Once more, his soul ¡®inhaled¡¯... ¡­a wave of dizziness suddenly swept over him. Pins and needles crept through his mind and body, ravaging his senses. His soul shuddered as the darkness fused to it writhed. After several heartbeats, the sensation passed, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion and an oppressive vertigo. Matthias stopped what he was doing. ¡°Best not to keep doing this until I talk to Master Altaizar,¡± he groaned. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt his consciousness rising, leaving the void and climbing higher until¡­ ¡­he was back in the cave. The flowing water of Blood¡¯s Drop pounded his back; his body trembled. Hallucinations brought on by the Soul¡¯s Lace began to fade, anchoring him back in the physical world. His body grew quiet as the onslaught of sensations bled away. ¡°Way of stone. Way of stone. Way of stone,¡± Matthias repeated his mantra, grounding himself. He steadied his body until¡ªat last¡ªhe felt the last-effects of the herbs clear. He had no clue how long he¡¯d been in the cave, but it must have been hours at least: outside, the light filtering through the red falls had changed. Shaking himself, he got to his feet, stepped out of the falls, and shook the rusty water from his hair. Matthias looked down at his cold trembling hands. Deep beneath the sensations of his body¡ªconnected to the shadow-tendril¡ªhe could feel a presence, both warm and cold. Slowly closing his eyes, he concentrated on that presence. The thundering waterfall, the tang of rust in the air, the cold slicing to his very bones, and the red mist all oppressed his senses. Yet, his mind followed the presence along his shadow, diving deeper into himself until¡ª He found himself in the void again, his soul floating before him. The next time he blinked, he was back in his body. A smile took his face. ¡°It¡¯s a single step,¡± he whispered. ¡°But it¡¯s a big one. My life is going to change.¡±
¡°Master Altaizar?¡± Matthias poked his head around a tree. ¡°Gah!¡± Altaizar jumped. ¡°By Laurahasa¡¯s fangs, Matthias, you nearly scared me into the after-world!¡± The mage sat on a stump in the middle of a copse of tall trees some distance from Blood¡¯s Drop. Notebooks, flasks and various jars floated in front of him, seemingly supported by the air itself. A quill had fallen from the mage¡¯s fingers. Altaizar squinted at the boy, who had dried his trembling body and reclaimed his clothes. He looked up at the sun. ¡°It¡¯s just past noon. What are you doing here already?¡± ¡°You told me to come to you when the Soul¡¯s Lace wore off.¡± Matthias leaned against the tree. ¡°It did, so here I am.¡± The mage stared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying: it¡¯s worn off.¡± ¡°What in the¡­how much do you weigh again?¡± Altaizar squinted at him, snatching a notebook from the air. ¡°Around twenty stone.¡± ¡°Big boy. There¡¯s that giant¡¯s blood for you, and to think you¡¯ll be even heavier when you¡¯re fully grown¡­¡± Altaizar looked Matthias up and down, opening the notebook and flipping through some pages. ¡°Yes, I was right. I estimated twenty stone, and made the correct dose for that mass. You should be under its effects for another three hours at least¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you got it wrong?¡± Matthias suggested. The mage gave him a withering look. ¡°I accurately estimated your weight with a glance. I have studied the world across eight continents. I wield power beyond most mortal understanding! Do you really think I would get a dose of herbs wrong, Matthias? Of course I wouldn¡¯t. There¡¯s no way I could.¡± He scratched his silver-haired scalp. ¡°I know I measured everything correctly. Unless¡­what did you do when you were having your visions? Sometimes physical activity can make substances burn through one¡¯s system faster. The same can be said for spiritual activity when it comes to Soul¡¯s Lace, so what did you do?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I searched for my soul and found it,¡± Matthias reported proudly. ¡°I see, and then¡ªWait, excuse me?¡± Altaizar paused, removing his spectacles. ¡°Matthias, this is no time for jokes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking, I found it.¡± Matthias rose to his full height. Pride surged through him. ¡°I really did: the Soul¡¯s Lace¡¯s sensations were hitting my body, but then I found a way to look deeper, and when I did, I was in this void! Then I saw my soul in front of me. It looked like¡ª¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Altaizar held up a hand. ¡°Never tell anyone anything about your soul!¡± His voice cracked like a whip. ¡°Under any circumstances!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Matthias had planned to leave out the darkness that was fused to his soul, but he hadn¡¯t thought of hiding anything else. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°To tell someone what your soul¡¯s characteristics are is to make yourself vulnerable to them,¡± Altaizar warned. ¡°You would be telling them what your innermost self is, and that can be dangerous; not only will it make you predictable, but some mages who engage in Old Magic can use that knowledge to ensnare you. Never share knowledge of your soul. Not with me. Not with your mother. Not even with your siblings. Not with anyone. Understand?¡± Matthias nodded quickly; that was even more reason to not tell the mage about the shadow-tendril, especially with what he''d said said earlier. ¡°Understood, Master Altaizar.¡± ¡°But¡­since you are talking about a soul floating in a void¡­it sounds like you might have done it¡­¡± Altaizar continued, frowning. ¡°That¡¯s not all, though.¡± Matthias grinned. ¡°I got my soul to breathe.¡± ¡°Alright, this time I know you¡¯re lying.¡± Master Altaizar rose to his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, things get more dangerous if¡ª¡± ¡°Hold that thought until after I describe it, then you can decide if I¡¯m lying or not.¡± Matthias held up a hand, thinking about how to explain what he¡¯d done without revealing too much about his soul. ¡°I had to figure out how to use my soul to breathe since it didn¡¯t have lungs but when I did that, these particles of light floated into it, then flowed back out. But, uh¡­I got dizzy after a couple of times¡ª¡± ¡°By the gods, you really did do it!¡± Altaizar cried, his jaw dropping. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°A human with the blood of his giant ancestors flowing strong through him. We¡¯re actually called greatfolk here in Evalmera¡ª¡± ¡°No, you fool! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± The mage tried to remove his glasses, soon realising he¡¯d already taken them off. ¡°That¡­that¡¯s a skill I thought you might learn the rudiments of in perhaps two weeks from now! But you were able to find your soul, and figure out how to breathe with it in the span of a few hours? No wonder you burned through the Soul¡¯s Lace so quickly!¡± Matthias¡¯ smile blazed like the morning sun. ¡°That could explain it, I guess. Not a big deal.¡± He buffed his nails on his cloak. ¡°It is a big deal, and it¡¯s quite incredible¡­¡± Altaizar muttered, his darting eyes unfocused. He seemed to be speaking more to himself than to his pupil. ¡°You figured it out without instruction. By the gods, you might be a prodigy.¡± The boy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In his whole life, he had never been referred to in such a manner. He was a failure at The Gift and Life Enforcement. His skills with weapons and combat were often complimented by Sur Friya, but they were still greatly overshadowed by the feats of Kari and the others empowered by Life Enforcement. He was an average apprentice stonemason who didn¡¯t consider himself to be particularly clever. So, to be referred to as a prodigy? It made his spirits soar. ¡°This is truly fascinating¡­¡± Altaizar stared at the boy as though seeing him for the first time. ¡°Those without The Gift or the talent for Life Enforcement are more common than not, but it did strike me as odd that¡ªapart from your cursed brother¡ªyou were the only one in your family who seemed to have no talent for either. Perhaps the answer is that all of your hidden talent went toward the cultivation of Divine Breath. You just needed the opportunity to uncover it.¡± Matthias bowed. ¡°Thank you for the opportunity. I will never forget it.¡± ¡°No, thank you!¡± Altaizar crowed. ¡°This study just became much more interesting.¡± He looked at Matthias like he was looking at a prized specimen. The boy found himself feeling awkward, glad he hadn¡¯t told him all his secrets. ¡°Er, so why did I get dizzy when I breathed with my soul?¡± Altaizar put his spectacles back on. ¡°Breathing with one¡¯s soul is like moving a muscle that has never moved before; it requires energy, and a lot of it. Honestly, you¡¯re a robust boy, and that¡¯s probably the only reason you didn¡¯t find yourself passing out. But¡­this changes things. If you can already perform the fundamentals of soul breathing, we can advance much faster through your education. You might have a better chance of surviving your Awakening than I thought. Come! We¡¯re going back to my tower.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Matthias asked excitedly. ¡°Why?¡± Altaizar grinned. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to choose which deities you¡¯re going to steal Divine Breath from.¡±
Master Altaizar hovered in his meditation chamber, books flying around him like swarming bees. A holy symbol representing a member of the Pantheon of the Ascended was emblazoned on each volume. ¡°First of all,¡± the mage began. ¡°Which deity one ends up cultivating is dictated by a mixture of factors; the two most prominent ones are: what the natural alignment of your soul is and which deities¡¯ Divine Breath suffuses the physical area of your Awakening Ritual.¡± ¡°So, we can¡¯t really choose then? I thought we could?¡± Matthias asked, eyes lingering on a single book. The symbol of Lykosion¡ªa black butterfly wing representing the god of shadow¡ªdrew his gaze. ¡°You can guide the process by picking the location of your Awakening ritual,¡± Altaizar picked up a sacred text for Amon Koth, King of the Deities and God of Death. His symbol was a ferry with the figurehead of a crown. ¡°If you wish to cultivate Amon Koth, for example, perform the ritual in a place where his power is strongest, such as in a graveyard.¡± He let go of the book¡ªit floated back to join the others¡ªthen gently took another one from the air. Upon it was a symbol of bloody shackles. ¡°If you wished to cultivate Jormgund Scalebeard, God of Martyrs, then an area where unjust suffering took place would be best, such as in one of the prison-chasms favored by the Artenesian Empire. And so on. Gathering objects important to one deity or two deities can also guide your Awakening. Oh right, there are two paths to cultivating Divine Breath, one is¡ª.¡± ¡°The Path of Purity and the Path of Amalgamation,¡± Matthias said. ¡°I read about the difference in your manual.¡± ¡°How keen of you,¡± Altaizar grunted. ¡°And did you read everything you need to conduct your own Awakening ritual? Am I still needed?¡± ¡°¡­no.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not? Oh, good, I think I¡¯ll go make supper then¡ª¡± ¡°No, no, no, wait, wait, wait!¡± Matthias waved his hands. ¡°I mean that I didn¡¯t read everything!¡± ¡°Ah, good, then I suppose I won¡¯t be interrupted again.¡± Altaizar huffed. ¡°Sorry,¡± Matthias grunted. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The mage waved away the apology. ¡°What I was going to say is that you can only ever have one Tower in your soul, but that Tower can be formed from either one or two deities¡¯ Divine Breath. Any more than that would be like mixing poor mortar: the Tower would fall apart instantly. In any case, whether your tower is formed of one or two deities¡¯ energies, who they are will affect which powers you will gain as you advance through the Layers.¡± ¡°How will I know which powers I¡¯ll gain from which deities?¡± Matthias eyed the books hungrily. Altaizar groaned. ¡°I hate this: guesses can be made, but nothing is certain. Specific powers will depend on the sort of Divine Breath cultivated, the strength of the cultivator and the soul of the cultivator. You will not know what powers you will gain until you begin building and ascending your Tower. As such, choose a deity based on what feels right to you. Choose one based on their portfolio. Choose based on which deities you pray to: you will likely gain powers that would suit your soul better.¡± ¡°Right, then I want to cultivate the power of Lykosion,¡± Matthias said without hesitation. The mage paused. ¡°¡­truly? That¡¯s not what I would have expected. Sur Friya comments on your skill with weapons: wouldn¡¯t Culf with his penchant for battle, or Enheduanna who governs victory be better? Even Khazak Ironbeard, with his domain over crafters, would suit you with your apprenticeship to the stone mason.¡± Matthias shook his head. ¡°I want Lykosion.¡± Altaizar¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Why? Too many boys your age become obsessed with ¡®dark powers¡¯. Don¡¯t choose on a whim.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve wanted him since I broke into your tower.¡± Matthias pointed at the god¡¯s holy book. ¡°It¡¯d suit me. I¡¯ve had to spend my life in Kari¡¯s and Siegfried¡¯s shadows. I could step into the light, or I could make those shadows work for me. Also, he¡¯s the god of thieves¡­and I¡¯m about to steal Divine Breath from the deities. It¡¯s a bit poetic, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The mage tapped his chin in thought. ¡°I guess it is. Alright, you¡¯ve convinced me. Lykosion¡¯s Divine Breath will grant less physical robustness than some others would, but your giant¡¯s blood could make up for that. Personally, I¡¯d recommend picking a more physical deity to cultivate in amalgamation. Lykosion tends to grant powers that increase stealth, manipulate shadows, and control darkness. If you wish to defeat Kari, I would recommend taking another deity with more physicality as well.¡± Matthias thought about that for a moment. ¡°I do honour Enheduanna.¡± Altaizar snatched her book from the air¡ªher holy symbol: a prismatic claw, was emblazoned on the front¡ªhe handed both books to Matthias. ¡°We¡¯ll do the Awakening ritual in a place of shadows and use Enheduanna and Lykosion¡¯s holy books.¡± ¡°What about where I fell off the cliff?¡± Matthias suggested quickly. ¡°The forest casts deep shadows, and the bottom of the cliff is where I defeated the gamrung. Shadows and victory in one spot.¡± He left out the part about gaining his shadow-tendril there. ¡°A great idea!¡± Altaizar applauded. ¡°We will pick the cliff for our ritual location.¡± ¡°But wait¡­¡± Matthias paused, thinking things over further. ¡°If we¡¯re going to use that storm you talked about, won¡¯t we need a higher place? Like the top of a mountain?¡± Altaizar¡¯s laughter was dark. ¡°With the coming storm and my talents¡­trust me, Matthias. If I want you to get struck by lightning on that day, you¡¯d be struck by lightning, even if you were underground. In any case, read those holy books, then¡ªfor the next two weeks¡ªwe can focus on increasing your proficiency and stamina when it comes to breathing with your soul. After that? It will be time to Awaken.¡±
Time passed shockingly fast, with each day filled to the bursting. In the mornings, Matthias would wake before the sun rose, racing to the tower and practising soul breathing in Altaizar¡¯s meditation chamber. He would train until he grew dizzy, wait to recover, then start again under the mage¡¯s supervision until sunrise. After a hearty breakfast with Altaizar, he¡¯d travel to the stonemason and continue his apprenticeship, repairing the temples in the village with blistered fingers. Finishing in the late afternoon, he¡¯d sprint to the combat training grounds, working with Sur Friya until his limbs were numb. By early evening, he¡¯d be exhausted, but would rush back to Altaizar¡¯s tower, continuing to train soul breathing and learning about Divine Breath until it was truly dark. Then dragging himself home, he¡¯d have supper with Dagma and Sur Friya¡ªhis mother would be assigned to her patrol of the Wolfwood for some time¡ªand half-crawl to his room, experiment with his shadow-tendril then fall into dreams of mist and shadow. Some days he would visit Bregindoure with Dagma; they would cheer him on, encouraging him when he was tired. Their words gave him more motivation to work harder. And his hard work began paying off. He went from being able to take two breaths with his soul before exhausting himself, to three. Then, four, then more. Things were going well¡­yet his hunt for knowledge had stalled. He could find no more information on the shadow-tendril. Manuals on the Divine Breath of Lykosion revealed all sorts of shadow powers available to his cultivators¡­but a tendril was not mentioned in any of them. And so, the days passed. Days became a week. Then nearly two¡­and the skies began to change. On the third day before the Awakening ritual, the eastern horizon turned dark. On the second before his Awakening ritual, black clouds swallowed the sun. On the final day before his Awakening ritual, the rain began to pour. And that night¡ª ¡°It¡¯s just as I predicted.¡± Altaizar stared out the window of his study, pulling a strange lens from his robes. ¡°Dream-glass.¡± He explained. ¡°The crystal is formed from melting the sand of dreams. It¡¯s able to capture light, sound, breath and thought¡­in Old Magic, it can be used to capture souls. The lightning will pass through this and strike you, body and soul. Tomorrow will be the day. Are you ready to die, Matthias?¡± Matthias Stonebreaker looked up from his manual on Divine Breath. He took a strong inhalation with his soul. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m ready to live.¡± Chapter 11: The Brewing Storm On the morning of Matthias¡¯ Awakening ritual, he woke from dreams of mist and shadow, and dressed in the dark; his shadow-tendril placed his cloak over his shoulders while his fingers closed the fasteners When he made his way to the door, he took nothing but the clothes on his back and two holy books: one for Lykosion and one for Enheduanna. After a final look around the room he¡¯d grown up in, he closed the door. Tip-toeing down the hall, he paused in front of Dagma¡¯s door, cracking it open. His sister was fast asleep in her bed. ¡°Dagma,¡± he whispered. ¡°Dagma.¡± ¡°Mmm?¡± she groaned. ¡°Wha¡­Matthie?¡± ¡°Hey,¡± he came up to her bedside. ¡°I¡¯m heading out.¡± ¡°Wha¡­it¡¯s late,¡± she mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s early, actually. Very early.¡± ¡°Why¡­are you waking me up then?¡± Dagma mumbled, wiping her eyes. ¡°Is mother back?¡± ¡°Not for a while longer. Listen, today¡¯s the day.¡± ¡°What day¡­oh! Oh!¡± She suddenly sat up. ¡°You mean¡ª¡± ¡°Shhhh!¡± he hissed, glancing at the walls. His father¡¯s guards might be outside, he couldn¡¯t be sure. Her hands came up to cover her mouth. ¡°Sorry. When¡¯s it going to happen?¡± ¡°Early this morning,¡± Matthias whispered. ¡°Okay¡­. can I come?¡± Matthias shook his head. ¡°No. Master Altaizar said that the fewer people we have around us, the better our chances for success.¡± The mage had said no such thing, but if things went badly, Matthias didn¡¯t want Dagma to see him die. His little sister grumbled. ¡°I want to come.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you right after we¡¯re done.¡± He offered. ¡°Wait for me with Bregindoure, and I¡¯ll come see you both right away.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait¡­good luck, Matthie¡­¡± Dagma¡¯s voice grew quiet, her words more muffled, and yawning, she curled up, her head falling on her pillow. In a few heartbeats, she was fast asleep again. He pulled her covers up, tucking her under them, then closed the door. ¡°Bye, Dagma.¡± Creeping through the hallway, he passed the room Sur Friya was using while their mother was away, then stopped at the bedchamber belonging to Beggahasta Stonebreaker. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. The bed was empty, of course. Many years of age and neglect had left the furniture dry and the fabrics threadbare. Their mother had many priorities, caring for herself was low on the list. Matthias stepped into the room; bare feet silenced by the fur rugs. For a time, he wished his mother was there: he could have used a hug from her before taking the greatest risk of his young life. With a sigh, he turned to leave, then spotted her towering harp near the bed. Without any hesitation, Matthias crept to it and ran his hand along the wood, his fingers sliding down the strings, careful not to accidentally pluck them. He looked at the image of the man and the woman carved into the instrument, briefly wondering who they might be. It didn¡¯t matter now. He patted the harp. ¡°I¡¯ll hear you play again when you get back, mother.¡± In silence, he left, closing the door to her room.
In a way, he¡¯d gotten lucky: after a torrential rain for most of the night, the storm had finally held its breath, letting Matthias trudge along the muddy road while remaining dry. He took it as a good omen... His luck, changed, however, the moment he began passing the training grounds. A hulking figure emerged from the dark¡ªwineskin in hand despite the early hour¡ªwith a smile and a spring in his step. Matthias hissed when he saw him, but there was no way to hide: both he and the man held lanterns in hand and were nearly on top of each other. He met the gaze of Haakon. Matthias stiffened. His shadow twitched. Kari¡¯s father squinted through the lantern light, eyes adjusting. ¡°Oh. Ooooh.¡± His wolflike grin nearly split his face in two. Yellowed teeth gleamed in the lantern light. ¡°Well, if it ain¡¯t my son¡¯s little friend.¡± ¡°Good morning, Haakon.¡± Matthias glanced over the big man¡¯s shoulder. He didn¡¯t have time for this. He tried do step past him. A large hand crashed down on his shoulder, the impact sending a shockwave through his body, driving him down to one knee. He grimaced, but fought the urge to cry out in pain. He would not give this man the satisfaction. Haakon¡¯s hand remained on Matthias¡¯ shoulder, squeezing firmly, promising a strength that would have pulped flesh and crushed even a greatfolk¡¯s thick bones. Matthias looked up at him, his face showing no emotion, repeating the Way of Stone mantra in his mind. ¡°Oops, careful there, boy.¡± Haakon chuckled, taking a swig from his wineskin. ¡°You¡¯re so tall, I wanted to bring you down to my level. You must have an entire forehead on me, hah! Sorry, didn¡¯t expect to drive you to your knees with just one little pat. Here, let me help you up.¡± Kari¡¯s father switched his grip to Matthias¡¯ bicep, pulling him up hard enough to nearly drag his arm from its socket. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Matthias¡¯ teeth clenched hard enough to come close to cracking. Haakon smirked, taking his hand away. ¡°Think I almost felt something break there! That¡¯s pretty funny: you¡¯re nearly twice Kari¡¯s size but he could shatter you in two by accident. How¡¯s a healthy growing boy¡ªall filled with Life Enforcement¡ªsupposed to hold his strength back enough to keep someone like you from crumbling? You gotta be more careful!¡± Matthias said nothing. ¡°Then there¡¯s your brother, cursed like he is and all, making him a pariah,¡± Haakon continued. ¡°What an unlucky family you¡¯ve got, boy. It¡¯s not like mine: Kari takes after me and I take after my father! His mum¡¯s real proud of him too.¡± Matthias bit back the choice words about Kari¡¯s mother and grandfather playing in his mind. ¡°By the way, I wanted to thank you for taking care of my son. He can be a little rough, sometimes, but boys will boys, right?¡± Haakon laughed. ¡°Kari¡¯s written to me, y¡¯know: him and his buddies are so excited to see you again! You four are going to have so, so, so much fun together. So, you keep taking care of my boy, alright?¡± Matthias¡¯ rage simmered hard; at the moment he wanted nothing more than to drive a fist into Haakon¡¯s teeth. ¡®Patience for just a bit longer,¡¯ he thought. ¡®If Kari could kill me, then his father¡¯s capable of turning me into paste. There¡¯s a reason Kari looks up to that big bastard like the sun doesn¡¯t set on hi¡ª¡¯ His mind stopped dead, an idea blooming. An idea so terrible and wonderful that it boiled all his rage away. How did it never occur to him before? It was much riskier than what he¡¯d had in mind, but if he pulled it off... ¡°Your boy looks up to you, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Matthias asked. Haakon puffed out his chest. ¡°Course he does, he knows that I¡¯m the strongest. He¡¯s called me that all his life.¡± Matthias said nothing in reply. All he did was smile. A broad smile. A smile that a wolf might give its prey. ¡°Eh?¡± Haakon¡¯s humour faded. ¡°What¡¯re you smiling at?¡± ¡°Just glad my friend has a good family,¡± Matthias said lightly. As he spoke, his shadow lengthened, the tendril subtly sliding through the mud behind Haakon. It suddenly snaked up, tapping the big man on the back. ¡°What¡¯s tha¡ª¡± Haakon spun around, a shocking blur of deadly motion. The shadow-tendril had already melted into black mist and vanished. Haakon looked around, eyes darting. Matthias scurried out of the man¡¯s reach, sprinting down the road as Kari¡¯s father continued scanning the trees. ¡°Tell Kari, Petric and Siegfried that I¡¯m looking forward to seeing them,¡± he shouted, jogging along the muddy path. His grin widened, his new plan burning in his mind. ¡°We repay with greater cruelty,¡± he whispered. Haakon didn¡¯t answer, still scanning the trees, holding up his lantern and squinting through the low light. The big man could only see the early morning gloom between the trunks and beneath their branches. ¡°Hey, boy, did you¡ª¡± He glanced up to where Matthias had gone running up the road¡­only to find it empty. ¡°What?¡± He squinted at the muddy path, only shadows met his eyes. Haakon was silent for a time. He gave his wineskin a long, suspicious look. After a heartbeat, he poured the wine onto the mud.
¡°Breg?¡± Matthias crept out of the stairway, holding up his lantern. ¡°Breg, you awake?¡± ¡°Matthie? Is that you?¡± Bregindoure rose from his desk, where a tome lay open beside a candle burning down to a stump. The gigantic young man rubbed his eyes. ¡°Ya, it¡¯s me,¡± Matthias walked up to the bars, reaching his hand through them. ¡°How long have you been awake?¡± ¡°Since yesterday.¡± Bregindoure clasped his younger brother¡¯s hand. ¡°I was looking through my books, seeing if I¡¯d missed anything that could help you, but I found nothing. Guess I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised¡­Altaizar would know much more than my books could help you with.¡± ¡°You should get some sleep, Breg.¡± Matthias nodded at the cot. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping until you¡¯re back.¡± His older brother frowned, looking out the window. ¡°It¡¯s soon, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Very,¡± Matthias nodded. ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Matthias thought about his encounter with Kari¡¯s father. ¡°Either this fails and I die, or it succeeds and I don¡¯t.¡± Bregindoure went silent. ¡°I want you alive, Matthie.¡± ¡°And I want more than that: if this works, I¡¯m going to change things for all of us. I¡¯ll make mother proud; I¡¯ll protect Dagma from Eklund and I¡¯ll find a way to free you. Those''ll be the first things I do, Breg.¡± Bregindoure looked down. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to do this, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Matthias stepped back. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one that told me to break into Altaizar¡¯s tower? You started me on this path, so by Lykosion, I¡¯m going to walk it.¡± ¡°I know, I know but¡­I¡¯m your elder brother. It¡¯s my job to protect you, or it should be. I promise, Matthias, I¡¯ll find a way to develop the Rune of Clarity. Once I do that, I can get out of here and protect¨C¡± ¡°No, Breg.¡± Matthias shook his head. ¡°I need to do this. For me. For all of us, but ¡­especially for me.¡± Silence fell. Bregindoure¡¯s eyes gleamed, meeting his younger brother¡¯s own. ¡°Then you succeed. You come back remade, Matthie. You have to succeed.¡± Matthias nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, Breg. And when you see me next time? I¡¯ll be better.¡±
The skies opened up as Matthias made his way through the forest. At first, there were only a few cold drops. Then a drizzle. Then the forest came alive with the drumbeat of pounding raindrops. Thunder growled, its booms reverberating as lightning flashed on the horizon. Matthias¡¯ hood was over his head, he began moving at a run, his cloak flapping around him. Passing beside the swelling stream, he could almost hear the shouts of Kari, Petric and Siegfried at his back; the last time he¡¯d come this way, the three boys had chased him like hunting dogs running down a buck. He growled at the memory, running harder. ¡®Never again,¡¯ he promised himself. It was with this thought that he emerged into the patch of thorny brush where he¡¯d nearly met his end. The cliff lay ahead, and below it, he could see the forest and lightning raking the forest in the distance. Standing at the cliff¡¯s edge, was Master Altaizar. He floated slightly above the ground¡ªleaving his boots and robes free of mud¡ªand reading a book by the light of a floating ball of fire the size of a human head. It hovered at his side. Matthias watched as rain drops curved around him as though they had minds of their own. Altaizar looked up as his pupil approached. ¡°So, you did come. I gave it a one out of three chance that you would lose your nerve. I continue to be impressed.¡± ¡°You can be impressed if I live through this.¡± Matthias looked up at the dark sky. Lightning crashed and thunder roared, the heartbeats between them lessening; the flashes were drawing closer by the moment. ¡°How morbid! I like that,¡± Altaizar closed his book. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Matthias walked to the cliff¡¯s edge, looking up at the trees. Their shadows would fall on him with light at the right angle. He pulled out the holy books. ¡°Not much I can do to prepare, right? I won¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready until that lightning hits me.¡± ¡°Well said,¡± Altaizar agreed, pointing to his fireball. ¡°Split into twelve.¡± The orb of flame shuddered, then divided itself in a dozen copies. ¡°Go behind the trees,¡± Altaizar ordered. ¡°Angle yourself so that their shadows fall on this one here.¡± He pointed at Matthias. ¡°And do not burn either branch or leaf.¡± The fires zipped away, shooting off into the canopy, lighting it up as though invisible phantoms were holding torches. Long, flickering shadows fell on Matthias from all sides. ¡°Alright, I¡¯d strip off your shirt and cloak, if I were you.¡± Altaizar warned. ¡°I¡¯ll be aiming the lightning at your heart and striking your soul through it. The type of lightning I¡¯m going to call down would turn your shirt to ash. Here, let me help you: rain, do not touch this boy.¡± The rain started curving around Matthias as it had Altaizar. ¡°Thanks.¡± Matthias took his shirt and cloak off, laying them down and moving closer to the edge of the cliff, sitting down, cross-legged. The holy books rested on his knees, his hands pressing down on them; he hoped they would attract the right Divine Breath. ¡°There will be pain.¡± Altaizar warned. ¡°Likely more than you have experienced in your life up to now. Be ready.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Matthias looked to the sky. The lightning continued to approach. It flashed brighter. Faster. Matthias and Altaizar were silent for some time. The thunder boomed quicker; the lightning came closer. And then, it was upon them. Wind whipped Matthias¡¯ long hair, howling across the cliff, making the trees groan as though in agony. Altaizar¡¯s firelights held steady, but the trunks¡¯ shadows falling on Matthias writhed. ¡°Steady.¡± Altaizar stepped away from his pupil. The lightning crashed around him, so bright, it stung Matthias¡¯ eyes. It lanced through the forest, popping and splitting trees. Mud hissing, steam rising. ¡°Steady.¡± Altaizar held up a hand. He pulled the lens of dream-glass from his robe. ¡°We just need the right bolt¡ª¡± There came a boom, seeming to shake the world itself. The storm¡¯s heart thundered. A spear of lightning streaked down; a potent bolt that could have been cast by a god¡¯s hand. ¡°Now!¡± Altaizar called. ¡°To me!¡± The bolt swerved, shooting from the sky, striking the lens, blazing bright. Matthias braced. This was it. ¡°Go!¡± Altaizar pointed at his pupil. The lens flared as bright as sunlight. Raw lightning ran free, piercing Matthias¡¯ chest. Chapter 12: Divine Tribulation Matthias witnessed every movement in the rain, felt every touch of the wind, smelled the richness of the earth, heard the crackle of electricity and tasted ozone on his tongue. But most of all, he felt the lance of agony impaling his chest. His muscles locked, his scream frozen as his throat and lungs spasmed. Pain redoubled as the lightning plunged deeper into his body, driving through skin, flesh and bone, striking at his core. His soul flashed before his eyes, but all he could do was watch as the lightning pierced its ¡®chest¡¯. As his soul tore, he felt his mind explode, memories twisting and shaking. His very being was being torn apart, as though someone was scrubbing the existence of ¡®Matthias Stonebreaker¡¯ from the history of the world. The lightning bolt drove into him, rupturing a hole in his soul; its light flickered, the shadow fused with it writhed like an eel cast into flame. His body would have collapsed, but his muscles were locked so tightly he could not move; fingers clenched the holy books of Lykosion and Enheduanna so hard, their leather covers began to warp. Hair strands stood on end, and when the lightning at last passed through his body and soul, blood trickled from his nostrils, mouth, ears and eyes. ¡°Now!¡± Altaizar roared over the storm. ¡°Master your body and soul! Breathe with both, Matthias! Repair your spirit, awaken to Divine Breath!¡± Matthias¡¯ body was still locked tight; he could feel his back teeth straining, on the verge of cracking. Panic seized him. He felt he was dying. With every ounce of willpower he possessed, Matthias focused on his body. It trembled, and¡ªgradually¡ªmovement returned. His heartbeat was erratic as he forced his fingers to move. Then his arms. Then shoulders. Finally¡­ He screamed; it tore from his throat. Blood sprayed through the air as he spit it out, taking a deep breath that was like fire in his chest. His body was working. Now it was time for his soul. Matthias pushed his consciousness back down through his shadow until he entered the void. His soul floated before him, flickering, warping, deforming in shape. The hole in his soul¡¯s chest was growing, consuming its fading light. Matthias could feel his mind fracturing. Memories evaporating. What was his brother¡¯s name? He couldn¡¯t remember his mother¡¯s face. Or his sister¡¯s voice. He even began to forget himself. There was not much time. Desperately¡ªthrough a growing fog in his mind¡ªhe focused on feeling his soul¡¯s pain, and reached beyond it ¡°Breathe!¡± he screamed through the void. ¡°Breathe!¡± His soul shuddered as he felt himself taking control, like a sure hand gripping the hilt of a blade. His spirit began to billow, causing the hole to expand. He shrieked in his mind. More memories vanished. ¡®Way of stone,¡¯ he called on his mantra. ¡®I must keep going. Keep going!¡¯ He forced his soul to expand, inflating like a lung; specks of light slowly floated from the void, drifting toward his soul. The particles had changed. No longer were they interchangeable specks of power. Now, he could see differences in each one. Some slid through the void with the sound of a blade scraping along metal. Others released the scent of flowering trees, fruit and honey. One even trailed illusionary images of books and libraries following behind it like in the wake of a ship. Some particles were barely visible to the naked eye, while others were large and blazed brightly. ¡®Yes!¡¯ he thought. ¡®Come to me! Come on! Come to me!¡± The specks drifted closer, swarming around his collapsing spirit, abruptly stopping, then hovering there, almost reluctantly. He looked for specks that would represent Lykosion and Enheduanna, he found two of the largest particles: one was shrouded in shadow, while the other looked like a prismatic array of weapons, collapsing into a single glowing light. ¡®That must be them!¡¯ Matthias called. ¡®Come to me!¡¯ He directed his full attention at them, breathing harder with his physical lungs and soul. Slowly, but surely, Lykosion¡¯s and Enheduanna¡¯s Divine Breath floated toward his soul, hovering before the widening hole in its ¡®chest¡¯. Elation surged through him. This was it! The particles shot toward the hole, poised to fill it¡­ ¡­but stopped dead. ¡®What?¡¯ he wondered. The spark of Lykosion¡¯s Divine Breath paused, moving nearer to the shadow wrapped around Matthias¡¯ soul. ¡®It¡¯s the same as you!¡¯ he called. ¡®Join i¡ª¡¯ The god of shadow¡¯s Divine Breath shot away as though repelled, disappearing into the void. ¡®No!¡¯ Matthias¡¯ mind screamed. Next was Enheduanna¡¯s Divine Breath; fleeing as though repulsed as well. It followed Lykosion¡¯s into the void. ¡®No, no, no!¡¯ he pleaded, desperately making his soul inhale again, though that action had sent a wave of dizziness through his mind. The remaining particles of Divine Breath continued to hover near, though none closed in on his soul. ¡®Come on!¡¯ he shouted. ¡®Am I so unworthy that none of you will touch me? I didn¡¯t almost die just to fail now! Come on! You came into my soul when it was whole, now you avoid it when I need you? Damn all the gods!¡¯ Pieces of his spirit began to break off. More memories vanished. His dizziness grew. He could feel himself on the verge of fading away. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡®No!¡¯ his mind roared. ¡®I will not allow this!¡¯ The shadows flexed around his soul, their coils tightening, holding it together a bit longer. With a howl of defiance, he forced his spirit to take in the deepest inhalation he¡¯d taken so far. Sparks of Divine Breath shuddered around his soul, resisting his attempts to pull them in. He did not stop, no longer caring which deity he cultivated; any of them would become his lifeline and weapon. Holding his soul together with only the shadows and his will, Matthias¡¯ mind screamed into the void¡­screaming until he saw light floating toward his spirit. Two objects. Two tiny particles. He¡¯d missed them until now¡ªeven the most miniscule of sparks dwarfed these¡ªtheir light was dim, as though they barely existed. Yet, there was something comforting about them, almost protective. A string of light connected the two sparks. The other particles of Divine Breath floated away, giving them space, as though standing aside. Something about them felt right. All his life¡ªdespite his physical size¡ªhe had been forgotten and unwanted by many. These particles of Divine Breath felt similar; unknown and unknowable. They were kin, in many ways. And he wanted them. His soul continued to flake away, but he forced another great inhalation of breath. The two sparks of Divine Breath floated toward his spirit, separating as the string of light lengthened between them. One speck moved to the shadow coiled around his soul. It hovered there for a time, and he feared it might flee like Lykosion¡¯s Divine Breath had. The spark flared, plunging into the darkness, sinking in with a single ripple. The other particle moved directly toward the hole, fusing with it from the side. The void shuddered, and all other particles of Divine Breath fled. Brain fog lifted from Matthias¡¯ mind; lost memories rapidly returning. His spirit began throbbing like a heart, swelling and contracting as he felt the divine energy take hold. The hole in his soul shrank, closing, his spirit flared, burning like all the stars in the sky. ¡®Yes!¡¯ his mind shouted. ¡®Yes! Yes! Yeeeeeees!¡¯ The hole in his soul healed, leaving a core of light and dark chasing one another. All went still. Suddenly, the void exploded in song and light. Matthias¡¯ mind was catapulted upward, rising until it crashed into his physical form. He was back on the cliff edge, wind whipping, lightning smiting the skies. ¡°Hey!¡± Altaizar shielded his face against the storm. ¡°Hey, are you dea¡ª¡± Matthias Stonebreaker¡¯s roar shattered the air. His shadow boiled. Light blazed from every pore of his body, beams lancing from limbs, mouth and eyes. He rose, floating off the ground¡ªhair rising, rain steaming away around him¡ªwhile bolts of lightning struck his form in a rhythm, like a blacksmith¡¯s hammer shaping steel. Each bolt liquified impurities, driving them from his body, bleeding them off into the night. Each bolt poured strength into his bones, hardening them. Each one steeled his muscles and empowered his organs. As the lightning sparked in his brain, Matthias¡¯ mind felt strong, as though he could hold the entire world inside his consciousness. Creation was singing its song to him¡ªand though he could not yet understand its words¡ªit filled him with hope and power. After an eternity condensed in a single moment, Matthias floated back down to the ground, his boots touching the earth as the lightning at last bled away. His body shook, Matthias gasped as though he were an infant taking its first breath¡ªa gasp taken with his lungs and soul¡ªand molten power circulated through his form. Lightning danced through the sky, thunder growing distant. In the light of Altaizar¡¯s fires, Matthias¡¯ eyes fell on the mage, who stared back at him with eyes wide and mouth agape. The young man smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t die.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Altaizar stepped forward. ¡°No, you did not.¡± His grey eyes were still wide. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Like I¡¯m awake for the very first time,¡± Matthias said. Everything was clearer. The night was brighter, his breath louder, and scents in the air were stronger. ¡°Many cultivators and practitioners of Life Enforcement say the same,¡± Altaizar said. The mage looked down at the dream-glass lens in his hand. Without warning, he threw it at Matthias. ¡°What the¡ª¡± the young man startled; his words trailed off. Why was the glass coming at him so slowly? No, it was the world that was moving slower. Matthias was able to reach out and easily snatch the lens between two fingers. The world sped back up. ¡°Well, well, I don¡¯t think you were able to do that before, were you?¡± Altaizar watched the lens, intrigued. ¡°No. I definitely couldn¡¯t.¡± Matthias handed the dream-glass back to the mage. ¡°Now, what would¡ª¡± Altaizar started to say. Matthias turned to the cliff edge and shouted. His fists punched the air, his hair whipping about as he jumped up and down. ¡°Yeeeeeaaaah! I did it! I did it!¡± His drawn-out cries echoed through the landscape. Altaizar looked ready to say something, then just smiled, letting his young student celebrate. This was a moment to cheer. And Altaizar would not take that away from him.
¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± Matthias murmured as he trudged through the mud. He looked up at a tree, his legs twitching. With a single bound, he jumped in the air, catching a branch and pulling himself up with one hand. He giggled¡ªdrunk on triumph¡ªas he tried to flip onto the branch with one hand. ¡°Uwah!¡± he cried, the movement much easier than he¡¯d expected, and he accidentally overshot, launching himself right over the branch, soaring through the air, and crashing down in a heap, sliding into the mud. Altaizar¡ªwho¡¯d been floating at his side¡ªburst out laughing, pointing at the sheepish Matthias as the young man quickly scrambled to his feet, wiping the mud from his clothes. ¡°Careful there, my young friend! Divine Breath has a much stronger kick than Life Enforcement! Your body is going to feel quite different: you¡¯ll need some time to train it and get used to it and begin reinforcing your foundation.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Matthias said, turning red in the face. ¡°I can¡¯t...by the deities, I can¡¯t wait to see what I can do.¡± ¡°Now, hold on, hold on,¡± Altaizar raised a hand, his grey eyes burning. ¡°We will need to do a thorough examination of you¡ªboth spiritually and physically before¡ªwe get too excited. You won¡¯t be able to leave my tower much today, I¡¯m afraid. Gah! I should have brought more tools and notebooks with me.¡± ¡°How come you didn¡¯t?¡± Matthias asked. Altaizar shot him a look. ¡°Well, to be quite frank, I didn¡¯t think you would survive; these have been an enjoyable last two weeks but the chances of you living through the ritual were still very low. I didn¡¯t want to waste the time.¡± For some reason, that made Matthias feel a little smug. ¡°I guess you wasted time not bringing them, then.¡± Altaizar snorted. ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that. Ah well, we''ll be back at the tower soon¡­or I could fly us there. It¡¯ll draw attention, but¡ªto be blunt¡ªI don¡¯t care much if it does at this point. I¡¯m too excited, far too excited!¡± The mage raised his hands. ¡°Ah, wait!¡± Matthias shook his head. ¡°Before we go back to your tower, I want to visit Bregindoure. I told him I¡¯d be back right away if things worked. I want to tell Dagma too.¡± The mage shook his head. ¡°I could understand telling Bregindoure, but I can¡¯t believe your younger sister kept your secret so well. Children are chatty things. Anyway, I won¡¯t deny you the chance to tell your siblings. I¡¯ll head back home, then you can join me later.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master Altaizar!¡± Matthias lowered his head. ¡°I owe you for this.¡± Altaizar waved a hand. ¡°Think nothing of it. I¡¯ve never seen an Awakening quite as spectacular as yours: it will make for great study. Ah, but if you think you do owe me, then you can do me a quick favour! Could you tell me which deities you ended up cultivating? Was it Lykosion and Enheduanna after all?¡± Matthias shook his head. ¡°Their Divine Breath wouldn¡¯t touch me.¡± He frowned, some of his cheer fading. ¡°To be honest, Master Altaizar, I have no idea which deities¡¯ Divine Breath came to me. Their sparks were tiny, connected by a single string. Have you heard of anything like that before?¡± Altaizar frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have¡­but Divine Breath can come from many different demigods and other smaller divine powers. The Pantheon of the Ascended are the most common but are not an exhaustive list of the deities you can cultivate. There¡¯s one way to check, though. Would you mind visiting your Tower for me? Check your power stone and the name of your Tower.¡± Excitement surged through Matthias. ¡°I¡¯d love to! It¡¯ll only be at the Foundation Layer now, right? I¡¯d visit it by going down to my soul?¡± Altaizar laughed. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you eager! Yes, and yes to all your questions. Come on, I¡¯d love to know.¡± Eagerly, Matthias focused on his shadow, his mind falling into himself and drifting down to his soul. He appeared in the void again, floating in front of his soul; it burned brighter than before¡ªand the shadow coiled around it had grown thicker¡ªwhile in the ¡®chest¡¯ was that core of light and dark chasing each other. ¡®That¡¯s where my Tower is supposed to be,¡¯ Matthias thought. ¡®I can¡¯t wait to see it.¡¯ His mind dived into his core. A feeling came over him, like he was passing through a doorway¡­ ¡­to find himself in what appeared to be another world. Unlike when he was in the void, he now had a body, one composed entirely of spiritual essence that matched his physical form. He¡¯d expected this: the manuals on Divine Breath had said that the Tower would appear in its own realm constructed of soul essence, and that he would have a ¡®physical¡¯ form in that realm. Matthias¡¯ realm appeared to be simple enough: a vast clearing in a towering forest beneath skies filled with mist and shadow. He looked around for a moment¡ªtaking in the sight in wonder¡ªbefore turning and walking toward the centre of the clearing, eagerly searching for the foundation of his Tower. ¡°What deity will it be?¡± he wondered. ¡°A small deity or a demigod like Master Altaizar suggested? Or one of the Pantheon of the Ascended? It was two sparks of Divine Breath, so the Tower will be crafted of two deities¡¯ energies¡­¡± His words trailed off. He stopped walking, staring at what waited in the centre of the clearing. He thought he¡¯d been ready for anything, but he was not prepared for what he was seeing. ¡®...you can only ever have one Tower in your soul, but that Tower can be formed from either one or two deities¡¯ Divine Breath,¡¯ Altaizar¡¯s words echoed in his mind. Everything he had read had stated: that all cultivators only had one Tower. Except, when Matthias Stonebreaker reached the centre of the clearing, he did not find the foundation of his Tower waiting for him. He found two. Chapter 13: Power Stone Everything Matthias had read about Divine Breath in the past two weeks had been clear: every cultivator could only have one Tower. A cultivator¡¯s Tower was intrinsically linked to their soul, and just as a soul could not have more than one body, a soul could also not have more than one Tower. And yet¡ªas clear as the sun in the sky on a cloudless day¡ªthere were the two Towers in Matthias¡¯ soul. It was undeniable. More of Altaizar¡¯s words echoed through his mind in that moment: ¡®Don¡¯t always trust something just because someone wrote it in a book. At times, words can be untrue.¡¯ Swallowing, Matthias walked closer to the Towers, examining them. The first Tower¡¯s foundation was a solid mass of stones¡ªlarge, squared and of uniform size¡ªwith their hue darkened as though blackened by fire. They radiated an aura of intense, oppressive power. Beside the first, the other Tower¡¯s foundation of stones¡ªrounded, small and varying in shape¡ªwere of light hues, having a surface glistening with the thinnest layer of frost. They radiated an aura of quiet, boundless strength. Both foundations were connected by a glistening string¡ªlike a spider¡¯s thread¡ªthat pulsed with silver and golden light. Within their stone walls¡ªbroken by openings where doors would be placed¡ªwere dirt floors. In time the Towers¡¯ interiors would likely be filled, but with what? Matthias could not be sure. ¡°This is legendary,¡± he whispered. ¡°But why did I get two? Whose Towers are these?¡± Checking the stones closely, he found a glowing rock on the glistening Tower near the opening where a door could be placed. ¡°There are some words written here.¡± He squinted at them. The words were not in the northland script¡ªor any other language he¡¯d ever encountered¡ªyet he could read some of them. ¡°The Tower of¡­¡± He paused. ¡°The Tower of¡­¡± Every word after ¡®of¡¯ was obscured as though being seen through a pane of glass coated in thick mist. Cursing, he went to the Tower of dark stone, finding another stone etched with that Tower¡¯s name. Again, the words were shrouded in mist. ¡°Damnit, the books said I should be able to read the words on my Tower,¡± Matthias growled, thankful that Altaizar wasn¡¯t in this realm with him. He could speak freely. ¡°What in the name of the ancestors is going on? I get a shadow-tendril that I know nothing about, then I Awaken to Divine Breath and it just raises more questions!¡± His head hurt. Matthias Stonebreaker was by no means a dullard, but he didn¡¯t consider himself a great scholar either; he¡¯d spent far more time buried in difficult books in the past two weeks than he would have liked, and his head was feeling like his brain was ready to boil out of his skull. Still, the need to know was burning inside him. ¡°Maybe the words will become clearer if I build my Tower?¡± Matthias considered aloud. ¡°Something else to ask Master Altaizar about. Oh, and I should check for my power stone.¡± Excitement burned through him; this was very different from anything he¡¯d ever imagined for himself. The Gift was a fluid thing, where one¡¯s power grew based on their practise, skill, knowledge, inner strength and endurance. Life Enforcement was a simple enhancement of the physical form, though certain powerful items could channel Life Energy into new abilities. Divine Breath was different, it provided specific powers laid out in cosmic lettering, almost feeling like getting ready to receive new gifts during the festival of Godsreturn. ¡°What will I get?¡± he wondered. ¡°More shadow powers, maybe? I know I¡¯m stronger, but I hope I get more than¡ªOh! Oh! I found it!¡± On the inside of the Tower¡¯s stump¡ªopposite where a door would go¡ªwas the power stone. As he approached, the dark rock began to glow with a fiery orange light. Letters blazed into being, scrawling their way across the rock¡¯s surface. They were clear; he could read them as easily as any words he¡¯d ever encountered before. He bent down to read the stone, his eyes eagerly drinking in the details. ¡°One with Truth and Nature,¡± Matthias read. ¡°All material has purpose. All thought has intent. The world is filled with illusion, where physical things do not always match their purpose. Mortals and deities alike become too easily entwined with the form of things, when what they should cleave to is the nature of things. By ascending this Tower, you have grown closer to the nature of things, becoming less attached to their illusionary forms.¡± Excitement grew in Matthias. That sounded legendary. ¡°Being closer to the nature of creation, all you are and all you do has grown closer to its purpose. To its nature. Your body is healthier, and will grow healthier still. For that is the nature and purpose of the body. Your muscles will be stronger and your mind sharper, for that is their nature and purpose. All you are is enhanced, and everything you do will more readily fulfil your intent. All that you craft will be more beautiful. All that you learn will come to you quicker. Blows that you strike will bleed more, if that is your intention, or merely cause impact and surprise if that is your wish.¡± Matthias¡¯ jaw dropped open. ¡°Everything I do is just¡­better? I¡¯ll learn quicker, I¡¯ll be stronger, faster, I¡¯ll craft things better¡­this is great. But, there¡¯s more written here.¡± His eyes focused on the burning letters. ¡°Know well that all you take up will also be closer to its purpose. Steel in your hand will be stronger and sharper. Ink on the tip of your quill will splatter less and mark the page easier. Food you prepare will taste better and be more nourishing. Poisons you make will kill more swiftly. ¡°By the deities, that means weapons will be stronger and deadlier in my hand! Armour should be stronger too. Things I craft from stone will be sturdier and more beautiful! This is incredible! But, what¡¯s this¡­¡± He continued reading. ¡°As you climb your Tower, you will grow closer to nature and truth. All you are will become more, but be warned. Your actions will match your intention, and so your intention must be clear. Actions taken carelessly will have a great impact, and if you perform them with the wrong intention, the result could be disastrous. The truth is a powerful thing, and must be spoken carefully. Walk forward in truth.¡± Matthias fell silent. This power was profound and would grow greater. But there was a responsibility that came with it. ¡°If I strike out in anger to hurt someone, my intent will make the hurt greater,¡± he whispered. The boy shuddered, thinking about this power in someone else¡¯s hands. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Someone like Haakon. What was the big man¡¯s intent when he¡¯d gripped him by the shoulder? Surely, it was to hurt and scare him. What would have happened if his actions had grown closer to his intention by way of divine power? Matthias doubted he¡¯d have a working shoulder right now. ¡°I¡¯ll guard my intentions with care,¡± he vowed. ¡°And do what I think is right.¡± Touching the stone within reverence, he moved away from it. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d better get back to Altaizar. Maybe I¡­¡± He paused. ¡°Cultivating two deities creates one power on each Layer forged from both deities¡¯ strengths, but that¡¯s with one amalgamated Tower. Since I have two Towers. Does that mean I get two powers?¡± Matthias went to the Tower with stones coated in frost. It did not take him long to find the power stone this time: it was also on the opposite side of the Tower where a door would be. As he approached, the stone began to glow with blueish-white light and the frost thickened on its surface. Letters scrawled across the surface in crystals of ice. He bent down to the stone, reading the letters. His eyes grew wide. ¡°Oh, by the gods, it is a different power!¡± he cried. ¡°The Realm in Dream. Sleep is akin to death, while dreams lay between the material and after-world. Part of creation is a dream, and a seed of creation has now been placed in your dreams. No longer will dreams be simply dreams to you. They will manifest as reality, and you shall be fully aware when in a dream. While mortals waste half their lives in sleep, you can use your dream-time to learn, train, rest and contemplate. Learn to control the dream to increase your options within the dream realm. But heed these two warnings. First, all you gain in a dream will be gained in the waking world, but all you lose will also be lost in the waking world. Injuries to the dream-form will manifest in the physical. The second warning is that, not all dreams are friendly. Be careful where and how far you wander.¡± Matthias paused, contemplating what he¡¯d just read. ¡°It sounds like if I get stronger in a dream, I¡¯ll get stronger in real life?¡± He imagined how quickly he would grow if he could train while he slept, especially when combined with the ability of the other Tower. Something, however, bothered him. ¡°What does it mean by ¡®not all dreams are friendly. Be careful where and how far you wander¡¯? ¡°Something else to think about. I¡¯ve got two Towers, two sets of powers¡­and no answers.¡± He paused, thinking about the mysteries surrounding him. Frowning, he looked at both Towers, then down at his shadow. He called upon the shadow-tendril. It rose from his shadow, writhing silently by his side. Matthias¡¯ frown deepened, and he looked from tower to tower. Neither had made any reference to shadow powers nor did they seem to belong to the god of shadows, Lykosion. Both pulsed with a divine energy¡­and if he were to be honest, his shadow-tendril felt nothing like them. He reached out, rubbing the tentacle with his finger. ¡°You¡¯re not from Divine Breath at all, are you? So, where did you come from? What are you? What happened to me when I went off that cliff?¡± He thought about the strange images that had gone through his mind as he¡¯d fallen: A white moon. A black moon. Bonfires. Shadows twisting. Snippets of phrases. ¡°...mother forgive¡­¡± ¡°¡­forbidden pillar¡­¡± ¡°...older pillars of power¡­¡± ¡°...lungs you have¡­¡± Then, a phrase, clear as day. ¡°Tonight, we kill death.¡± Then there was that dream of the man Awakening to Divine Breath. If none of that had come from a spontaneous Awakening, then where had it come from? ### When Matthias opened his eyes, the rain had slowed. He was still standing in the exact spot he¡¯d been earlier, though Master Altaizar had moved. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back,¡± a voice called from behind him. Matthias turned; the mage was hovering in the air cross-legged, scrawling in a thick notebook. ¡°I thought I¡¯d just jot down some notes while you were off exploring.¡± ¡°How long was I gone?¡± Matthias asked. ¡°No more than five minutes, I¡¯d say.¡± It had felt like he¡¯d been exploring the Towers for much longer. ¡°So, what did you find?¡± Master Altaizar asked him with a gleam in his eye. His quill was poised above the notebook, and he looked excited, like he was relishing the moment. ¡°Which deities or deity did you cultivate for your Tower? What power did you get?¡± ¡°Um,¡± Matthias paused. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯ve got two Towers in my soul, not just one.¡± Altaizar froze, looking up from his notes slowly. ¡°¡­what? Are you sure?¡± Matthias nodded. ¡°Each had a different power stone, and they were connected to one another by some kind of glowing string.¡± ¡°I¡­but¡­¡± Altaizar muttered. ¡°¡­a soul can only ever have one Tower. You are sure that is what you saw?¡± ¡°As sure as I am that you¡¯re there right in front of me.¡± Matthias swore. ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡± Altaizar¡¯s eyes grew wider. ¡°My collection of manuals on Divine Breath isn¡¯t complete, but there being only one Tower is the basic of the basic. It¡¯s one of the first things that one learns when studying the art. What¡­what deities did these Towers belong to?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing, I couldn¡¯t read that information.¡± Matthias explained. ¡°It was obscured like it was were buried in some kind of mist. It was strange, Master Altaizar.¡± ¡°Strange? The word you should be using is ¡®incomprehensible¡¯. Matthias, I have never heard of Towers¡¯ names and deific sources being hidden from their cultivators. Never. Books can be wrong, but you are breaking fundamental truths when it comes to Divine Breath.¡± Altaizar stepped away from Matthias. His eyes narrowed, and something about his expression sent a chill through the boy. He felt like the mage was looking at him like a specimen he was about to dissect. ¡°So, what¡­what do we do?¡± Matthias asked. Altaizar frowned. ¡°I was going to help you learn how to use your powers so you could claim your vengeance, and after that we would move onto solidifying your foundation¡­at your age, that will likely take years¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªyears?¡± Matthias baulked. ¡°Yes. It is the most critical stage in the journey of a practitioner of Divine Breath. You cannot build your tower without a strong foundation. Sure, there are shortcuts that would allow you to skip that stage and progress quickly to building your first Layer, but that would result in a weak Tower. Weak Towers collapse, and you do not want to know what happens to a soul when its Tower collapses. The fact that you have two would only make things¡­¡± Altaizar trailed off, shaking his head. ¡°This is beyond me.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Matthias said. ¡°I said, this is beyond me,¡± Altaizar grimaced, looking up at the skies. ¡°I intended to see if your determination would let you Awaken to Divine Breath out of my own curiosity¡­but¡ªto put it bluntly¡ªit seems that I¡¯ve bitten off more than I can chew.¡± His face was growing grimmer by the second. ¡°I think it is time for us to part ways for a time, Matthias.¡± ¡°Huh? What? Why?¡± the young man was shocked. ¡°There are others who know far more about cultivating Divine Breath than I do. With all that you¡¯ve told me; I¡¯m not fit to lead you through solidifying your foundation. You¡¯re going to need someone with more expertise than I. Someone like my mother.¡± ¡°Mistress Polla?¡± Matthias asked, barely remembering her from when he was a child. ¡°Mother says she was Master in the Vale of Magi. Won¡¯t she be busy? That¡¯s one of the reasons you took over to work with Bregindoure, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s more to that story than I wish to share,¡± Altaizar admitted. ¡°But as for her position in the Vale¡­trust me, she will take a leave of absence for this. Potentially, a long one. As for myself, I need to travel from here. I have to look into this more carefully.¡± Matthias fell silent. Just what was going on? What had he uncovered? ¡°I am going to return to my Tower and write a letter to my mother now.¡± Altaizar nodded, floating high in the air. ¡°But before I go¡­tell me, what powers did you gain from your Tower, er, Towers?¡± Matthias told him about One with Truth and Nature and The Realm in Dream. Altaizar¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Many would complain about such abilities. They are not¡ªas one might say¡ªflashy. There are no firing beams of Divine Breath or crafting powerful elixirs or potions, controlling minds, or conjuring or turning one''s skin into steel, but both those abilities have incredible potential to help your growth. Excellent foundation abilities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Matthias agreed. ¡°Though¡­turning my skin into steel does sound legendary. But I think I like my abilities better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very mature of you,¡± Altaizar complimented him. ¡°Hmmm, and they seem to centre around creation, truth and reality itself. What deity would that¡­hm. More things for me to research.¡± ¡°Is my situation really so unique?¡± Matthias asked, worry growing in him. ¡°I¡¯ve not been¡­selected for some great task, have I? Like fighting some ravening, ancient evil or something?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Altaizar patted Matthias¡¯ shoulder. ¡°What a remarkable imagination you have. It¡¯s not often that great powers choose us for anything, even if it might seem that way. The truth of it is that the greatest tasks are the ones we choose for ourselves. Pick well, Matthias. You have greatness in you. Anything you choose to do, will be great.¡± ¡°Even petty revenge?¡± Matthias grinned. ¡°Even petty revenge,¡± Altaizar chuckled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to take my leave. We¡¯ll meet again tomorrow. I¡¯ll teach you some basics before mother comes. And come she will.¡± His gaze sharpened. ¡°And by the way, Matthias¡­congratulations, you really did stop at nothing to achieve what you wished to achieve, and you were rewarded for it. Keep walking your path.¡± Matthias nodded. ¡°I will. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Until then.¡± With those words, the mage flew into the sky, soaring toward his tower. Matthias watched him disappear above the trees. He took a deep breath, letting earlier worries and questions abate. ¡°First, I¡¯ll tell Dagma and Bregindoure. Then?¡± He clenched a fist. ¡°It¡¯ll be time for some revenge.¡±
Altaizar frowned deeply as he flew toward his tower. ¡°Dreams of the shadows,¡± he whispered beneath his breath. ¡°¡­what did you do?¡± Chapter 14: The Realm in Dream By the time Matthias Stonebreaker emerged from the forest, the sun had crested the western mountains; dawn¡¯s light shone on his brother¡¯s tower as he approached the door, drawing the attention of the night watch. ¡°Who goes¡ª¡± One mumbled, pausing as his gaze fell on the towering greatfolk. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I need to see my brother.¡± Matthias kept his voice low. The man flinched. ¡°You¡¯re back so soon, Lady Dagma arrived a few minutes ago,¡± he reported, quickly unlocking the door. ¡°Good. I wanted to see them both. Have a good morning.¡± He glided past the guard, vanishing into the stairwell. As the door closed behind him, one guard whispered to the other: ¡°He seem different to you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess. Can¡¯t say quite how, though.¡± The bolt clicked. Matthias smiled. He felt incredible: every sense was enhanced, his movements much smoother. Climbing the stairs, he was hardly making a sound to his sharpened hearing. It was like he¡¯d been reborn. ¡°Hello?¡± Bregindoure called from his cell. ¡°I heard the door open, is that you, Matthie?¡± ¡°Matthie?¡± Dagma called, her feet rapidly pattering toward the top of the stairs. ¡°Matthie?¡± Matthias grinned, then rushed up the stairs¡ªwind blurring past his ears¡ªappearing in front of his sister so quickly, she yelped, jumping back in surprise. ¡°Hey, guess who lived?¡± He pointed at himself. ¡°This handsome devil over here.¡± Bregindoure gripped the bars of his cell, mouth hanging open. Dagma stared up at Matthias with wide eyes. Then she leapt at him. ¡°You did it! You did it! You did it!¡± Laughing, Matthias caught her, picking her up and spinning with her held high above his head. She felt as light as feathers. ¡°I did do it! I did! But shhhhh!¡± He glanced down the stairs. She went quiet, but couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°You did it¡­you actually did it.¡± ¡°You came back to us alive.¡± Bregindoure added, his voice low and choked with emotion. ¡°You kept your promise.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the habit of breaking promises.¡± Dropping Dagma so she was now seated¡ªperched on his arm with her legs dangling¡ªMatthias strode to their brother, clasping his hand between the bars. ¡°Your story begins today,¡± Bregindoure smiled. ¡°At last.¡± ¡°No, our story begins today.¡± Matthias shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll build my power so I can take care of all of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, little brother, truly. But I should be the one taking care of both of you. Anyway, there¡¯s one more trial ahead of you,¡± Bregindoure warned. ¡°Kari, Petric and Siegfried?¡± Matthias grinned viciously. ¡°No, telling mother.¡± Matthias went quiet, grin vanishing. ¡°W-well, you know what they say. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission. She¡¯ll forgive me.¡± ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t?¡± Dagma asked. ¡°I can run very, very fast now.¡± The Stonebreaker siblings burst out laughing. Relief tinged their cheer.
¡°You¡¯re in a good mood today, boy.¡± Adgar, the stonemason, peered at his apprentice from across the scaffolding. It was shortly before lunch on the day Matthias had Awakened. ¡°Got a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± The young greatfolk tried to keep his face straight as he chiseled a gargoyle on the temple of Amon Koth. ¡°I had a really good morning too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t see how,¡± Adgar grumbled, his bearded face looking up at the sky. ¡°That storm was something else. You see those lightning strikes?¡± ¡°I might have.¡± Matthias hummed as he chiseled the gargoyle. Adgar nodded, then looked at the boy¡¯s work. ¡°Say, have you been practising?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Matthias continued sculpting. ¡°Well, keep it up: your details have improved. If you survive your patrol duty, you¡¯ll make a good stonemason, boy.¡± Adgar nodded, looking back at his own work. Matthias hid a smile. ¡°I just might.¡±
¡°You seem different today.¡± Sur Friya crossed her arms, standing below the window of the sparring chamber, eyebrow raised and lips pursed. ¡°Had a great night¡¯s sleep.¡± Matthias flourished with both mace and warhammer, raising them into a high guard. He imagined a specific opponent standing in front of him. His thrust skewered an imaginary heart. The young man had already gone through drills with the spear, sword and shield, two-handed axe, sword and dagger and¡ªhis personal favourite combinations¡ªsword and mace, and sword and warhammer. His weapons were light in his grip, forms and stances came to him easily and his body felt feather-light. The whooshing sounds the weapons made as they cut through the air were like trees falling. His feet slid across the stones; his balance had never been better. ¡°A great night¡¯s sleep¡­¡± Sur Friya repeated. ¡°Through that storm? You were up even before I was, and I need a lot less sleep than most. You must have been to bed rather early.¡± ¡°That I was.¡± Matthias slashed his sword while whipping his mace through the air. Sur Friya squinted out the window. ¡°Well, it did you well: I¡¯ve been worried about you. You¡¯ve always had a skill with arms, so you should keep it up. Even if you¡¯re incompatible with Life Enforcement, you could still become a vicious warrior one day. You have a talent for it.¡± ¡°Thank you, knight.¡± Matthias lowered his head. A part of him wanted to tell her: Sur Friya had believed in him when most had given up. The knight had his back through dark years¡­but he wanted his mother to be the next one to know. ¡°Keep training, Matthias,¡± Sur Friya added. ¡°I will and I¡¯ll survive the Wolfwood,¡± Matthias promised. ¡°Yes¡­the Wolfwood.¡± Her eyes drifted to the south. ¡°With any hope, it¡¯s the only thing you¡¯ll have to face.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, are you talking about the elves? The Artenesian Empire?¡± ¡°Mmmm, there are more threats in the world than the Wolfwood. People forget that, misguidedly believing in thin alliances.¡± Her eyes grew distant. ¡°Anyway, keep it up and you might show Kari a thing or two someday.¡± ¡°Oh, I might. I just might.¡±
¡°Again! Again!¡± Dagma clapped from a stump in the middle of the forest far from prying eyes. ¡°Hold on.¡± Matthias threw down his wooden sword and cudgel, taking a moment to stretch. Sweat and rain drenched his towering form. ¡°Let me catch my breath.¡± It was early evening on the day Matthias had Awakened, a time when¡ªon most days¡ªhe would be at Altaizar¡¯s tower. Instead, he was getting used to his body. He had started testing it by going through the same drills he had practised with Sur Friya. With growing speed, he went through his forms, stances and guards, focusing on their every aspect¡ªhis senses and mind seeing the flaws in his style¡ªthen practising the drills at speed, pushing his stamina. Only when his weapons were shaking in his hands did he stop. But, already, he could feel his energy recovering. ¡°Alright, time to check the tendril,¡± he said. Dagma leaned forward in anticipation. For the first time since he¡¯d Awakened, Matthias conjured his shadow tendril. The tentacle of darkness rose from his shadow¡ªmaterializing faster than before¡ªbleeding dark mist as it writhed. He gaped up at it. ¡°Someone¡¯s been eating their meat.¡± The tentacle was now half-again as long as he was tall¡ªmuch larger than before¡ªand he could feel newfound strength flowing through it. With it, he reached over, picking up a thick log. There was no way it would have been strong enough to lift such a weighty object before. But now¡­ It strained as the heavy log rose from the ground. ¡°Hey, hey you see this?¡± He pointed. Dagma looked at the log. ¡°Uhuh?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®uhuh¡¯? Look at it!¡± Matthias gestured wildly. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s¡­oh. You never saw what the tendril could do before, did you? Well, it¡¯s stronger now.¡± ¡°Ooooh, I see. Well, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Not much of a reaction,¡± he said glumly. ¡°No, I mean it¡¯s really¡ª¡± ¡°Never mind, the moment¡¯s passed.¡± ¡°No, I think it¡¯s really¡ª¡± ¡°The moment¡¯s passed, Dagma!¡± he cried in false agony, putting down the log. She rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so dramatic. Anyway, are you going to use it when you face those three idiots?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Divine Breath is forbidden by the gods, but tolerated by our laws. But this shadow-tendril? That¡¯s a different thing. People might think it¡¯s some kind of old magic witchcraft that I¡¯m using. I wouldn¡¯t want to risk it. But if there¡¯s a way to subtly use it¡­¡± Matthias thought for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll think about it later. But for now¡ª¡± The shadow-tendril picked up his wooden sword. He took his cudgel in hand. ¡°¡ªlet¡¯s try something new.¡± The young man fell into a fighting stance as the tendril gripped his sword in front of him. With a growl, he swung the cudgel at the tendril. At the same time, he parried his own blow against the sword in the tentacle¡¯s grip. ¡°Woooo!¡± Dagma called, getting up and drawing her own wooden blade. Matthias focused on the feeling of weapon on weapon, striking at his body with the wooden sword, defending with the cudgel. Back and forth, it continued, filling the forest with the clack of wood on wood for many minutes. This practice felt more than a little strange. It was like fighting himself, one arm battling the other. Yet, it felt incredible. Had it felt the same way for people who practised Life Enforcement or Divine Breath? He turned to ask Dagma, only to find her doubled over with her hands on her knees and her wooden sword at her feet. A large stick lay on the ground in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He quickly ran to her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She wheezed. ¡°I told¡­that stick to fight me¡­like you were doing¡­fighting yourself with the tentacle¡­it worked for a while. But then I got really tired.¡± She plopped down on the stump. ¡°I want to try it again later, though. It was fun.¡± Matthias smiled. ¡°I see my sister, the brave mage knight, is getting stronger with me. I can¡¯t wait to see how powerful we become.¡± ¡°I just need to get it so I can do that trick longer.¡± She glared down at the stick. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯re going to be able to train longer than me. I can¡¯t let you get ahead of me!¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Oh, you just might have a little bit of trouble training as long as I can.¡± ¡°Maybe for now, but I¡¯ll catch up!¡± She crossed her arms. He thought about The Realm in Dream. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± He smiled. ¡°But maybe not.¡±
Matthias went to bed on the night he had Awakened to Divine Breath, and once again, dreamed of mist and shadow. But this time it was different. This time he found himself standing in a world shrouded in thick, grey fog; with clouds of mist swirling all around and solid vapour laying beneath his feet. There was light, but no sun or moon, and the illumination only reached about a hundred paces before everything dimmed into shadow. The only sounds to be heard were the beating of his heart and the sound of his breathing. There were no scents in the air, and it was neither hot nor cold. Something about the world around him felt alive¡ªan extension of himself, much like the shadow-tendril¡ªand under his control. ¡°Is this The Realm in Dream?¡± he asked, looking around. ¡°This is legendary, but it doesn¡¯t really answer why I¡¯ve been having the same dreams about mist since I went off that cliff¡ª¡± As soon as the words ¡®that cliff¡¯ left his mouth, he thought about the place where he¡¯d nearly died¡­ ¡­then screamed as the mist suddenly swirled around him, forming shapes. Fog rose, creating a towering grey curtain. Mist congealed into constructs of green and brown. Vapour hardened, turning to dark, wet earth. ¡°What in the¡ªAh!¡± he startled. Rain began, pouring down as the scent of pine and blood reached his nostrils. ¡°What in all the names of the Ascended?¡± he finished his thought, looking around again. The towering grey curtain had become a cliff face, while the green and brown constructs were now fallen trees. Above, the fog had turned to rain clouds just as the mist below was now solid earth. He knew where he was. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m at the bottom of the cliff. But, something¡¯s off.¡± He heard neither sounds of insects or birds, nor did the brush and grasses crowd the undergrowth. Living trees were nowhere to be seen, only rotted logs, dried wood, and the occasional dead trunk rose from the rocky desolation there. ¡°I¡¯m the only living thing here,¡± he murmured. ¡°Is that a limitation of The Realm in Dream? It copied the cliff perfectly, but it didn¡¯t copy anything living. Maybe if I try something different¡ª¡± He concentrated, thinking of Blood¡¯s Drop. In a heartbeat, the cliff disappeared, replaced by the familiar rust-coloured falls where he¡¯d learned soul breathing. ¡°This is incredible.¡± He looked around, taking in the red river, the rocks, the empty riverbanks and the sky roiling with mist and shadow. He tried thinking of other places he¡¯d visited, starting with the village of Barrowgate. Buildings swirled out of nothingness, recreating the village square. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Matthias murmured, walking up to a nearby house. He opened the door. Nothingness swirled inside: a void filled with shadow and mist. The young man frowned before realisation struck him. ¡°This dream realm can¡¯t replicate living things, and it can¡¯t conjure any place I¡¯ve never been before, I don¡¯t think. I¡¯ve never been in this house, so there¡¯s nothing inside¡­no wait. Not¡­quite nothing.¡± In the darkness, something whispered. He couldn¡¯t decipher a single word in the muffled sounds coming from the void, but they made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Matthias remembered well the warning at the end of The Realm in Dream¡¯s description: Be careful where and how far you wander. Matthias quickly closed the door. There might come a time when he would test exactly what that warning meant. But tonight was not the night. Instead, he refocused. The village of Barrowgate disappeared around him, replaced by the interior of Eklund¡¯s fighting pit in his courtyard. ¡°Here,¡± he said. ¡°This is the place I¡¯ll likely fight them, so this is where I should practise. But I¡¯ll need a weapon and my armour¡ª¡± Without finishing the thought, mist and shadow swirled around his hand: it was suddenly gripping his blunted sword. Mist congealed around his body, sheathing it in his armour. ¡°Oh!¡± he cried. ¡°I can conjure things! Wait a minute, I wonder¡­¡± He concentrated, holding out his other hand, thinking of his mother¡¯s magical sword, Tallis. It did not come to him. ¡°Huh, it seems I can¡¯t summon things I don¡¯t own,¡± he reasoned. ¡°Ah well, it was worth a try. Wait, maybe¡­¡± He tried conjuring the dagger he¡¯d lost fighting off the gamrung. Nothing appeared. ¡°If I lose something, I can¡¯t replicate it. Huh. This is complicated,¡± Matthias complained. ¡°I don¡¯t make the rules, so I suppose I¡¯ll just have to follow them when I need too and break them when I can. Speaking of breaking things.¡± He conjured his mace. The tentacle emerged from his shadow as he conjured his wooden sword in its grip. ¡°Alright.¡± He cracked his neck. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work.¡± He fell into a fighting stance and took a deep breath. He and the shadow-tendril swung at each other. For hours, Matthias battled his shadow-tendril in the fighting pit, moving through different forms, trying new tricks, learning more of the weaknesses in his fighting style. Over the course of practising, he discovered more about The Realm in Dream. His body could tire in it, but he had no need for food or drink. He did need to breathe however: something he learned when he tried holding his breath, only for his spiritual body to start shaking with his consciousness rapidly fraying. After a few seconds of not breathing, he was ejected from The Realm in Dream, awakening gasping for air. His heart pounded, panic flooded through him, he only calmed after several seconds of breathing deeply. It did not take him long to understand what had happened. ¡°Breathing is crucial in Divine Breath,¡¯¡± he whispered as his heartbeat finally settled. ¡°So, it¡¯s important in the dream realm too.¡± Shaking himself, he fell back into a pattern of steady breathing¡ªfocusing on the Way of Stone¡ªuntil he fell asleep again. He soon awoke in the misty realm, on a bed of solid fog. With a single thought, he conjured the fighting pit once again, then called his weapons back to him. ¡°Right, keep breathing,¡± he inhaled deeply. ¡°Let¡¯s go again.¡± Matthias continued battling the shadow-tendril through the fighting pit for hour upon hour. It was¡­wonderful. There were no interruptions like there would have been during the daytime: no chores to do or responsibilities to take care of, no one needing him for anything, not even his own biological needs to stop him. All he had to do was breathe and train. And he enjoyed every second of it.
It was the morning after his Awakening when Matthias entered Altaizar¡¯s courtyard, finding the mage not at the top of his tower, but by the front door, peering at the distant sky. Altaizar did not notice his pupil until he was well into the courtyard. ¡°Gah, there you are!¡± The mage startled. ¡°Where did you come from?¡± ¡°Home,¡± Matthias told him dryly. ¡°Are you alright? You look like you just saw a great wolf.¡± Altaizar shook his head. ¡°Just lost in thought.¡± He gave the young greatfolk a keen look. ¡°Someone looks like they¡¯re in a good mood.¡± ¡°Just a little, life¡¯s changed for the better, forever.¡± Matthias stood a little taller. ¡°That¡¯s something that puts a smile on the face.¡± ¡°Well¡­forever is a long time.¡± Altaizar looked toward the horizon again. ¡°But you¡¯re right, yesterday was a good day. By the way, I sent Lord Bloodweep to bring that message to my mother. The Vale is far, but I told the wind to help speed him along. Even taking into consideration that he¡¯ll need to stop to rest, I doubt it will take him longer than three and a half days to reach it.¡± Matthias remembered the maps he¡¯d studied of the continent. The Vale of Magi was over three months away by horse. ¡°And how long will your mother take before she gets here?¡± ¡°That remains to be seen,¡± Altaizar admitted, leading Matthias into the tower. ¡°It will take her time to wrap up her responsibilities, but what you have done will catch her interest. She will be a much better guide to solidifying your foundation, especially considering your unique circumstances.¡± Matthias¡¯ heart sank a little. He looked around the foyer as they headed for the stairs. The mage had already begun to pack. ¡°But I enjoyed you teaching me.¡± Altaizar paused. ¡°I¡­enjoyed our time together as well, however, I need to do some research: your transformation has raised too many questions. My mother will take over helping both you and Bregindoure, but I will stay until she arrives. Don¡¯t worry, I would not leave you in the lurch! Anyway, it¡¯s time for your next lesson: life energy circulation.¡± They reached Altaizar¡¯s meditation chamber. ¡°You have Awakened¡ªwhich removed many of your body and life force¡¯s impurities¡ªbut you must continue to purify the energy you¡¯ve taken in,¡± the mage continued. ¡°That is a very important skill you must learn before it¡¯s time to solidify your foundation.¡± ¡°Yeah, you said that it will take years,¡± Matthias muttered. ¡°I guess since I waited fourteen years to Awaken, I suppose a few more to do all of this properly is worth it.¡± ¡°A good attitude. In any case, purifying your energy and circulating it will improve how your body uses Divine Breath.¡± Altaizar explained. ¡°It will increase your power just a little more if you practise it over the next month and a half. Luckily, it¡¯s simple. So, sit and enter a meditative state.¡± Matthias did just that, using the Way of Stone to gain focus. His body felt incredible. ¡°Now,¡± Altaizar continued his explanation, ¡°life energy circulation is very similar to soul breathing, but, instead of breathing Divine Breath in and out of your body, your soul will act like a heart of sorts, pumping the energy through your life force¡¯s channels. If you skip this step, the next time you try to take in more Divine Breath, your channels will be too weak to contain the raw power and will burst. Then, your body will explode.¡± ¡°Oh. Alright then.¡± Matthias winced. ¡°Yes, so now¡­imagine your soul as a heart. Imagine your life force passing between your body and soul.¡± Altaizar¡¯s voice was gentle. ¡°Your energy will flow through them both.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Matthias closed his eyes, following his shadow down to his soul. He could see it, floating in the void. ¡®My energies will flow between my body and soul. I just have to pump it. Like a heart.¡¯ It was a difficult thing to do; he kept unintentionally expanding like he had with soul-breathing. Forcing the soul to contract made it feel slippery, like a bar of butter sliding from his grip. But he kept going. Soon, he could see lines of light springing to life around his soul, flowing through his life pathways and up into his body. He felt the energies passing through his tissues as easily as he felt the beat of his own heart. Still, it proved difficult. His soul kept slipping from his grip, and the energies flowing through him were stuttering and unsteady. ¡°This is hard,¡± Matthias grunted, his consciousness rising out of his soul. ¡°I can¡¯t get it quite right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Altaizar assured him. ¡°Circulation will take you a long time to master. But, when you do, it should be as automatic as the beating of your own heart. You¡¯ll likely have it smoother by the time your enemies return, you have time to practise. Speaking of your enemies, I also have a bit of a surprise for you. Come, it¡¯s on the floor above this one.¡± The mage led a very curious Matthias upstairs, to a floor the young greatfolk had never visited. Through a locked door¡ªbanded in iron¡ªwas a large chamber filled with weapon racks. A variety of weaponry hung from the walls; most were plain, but some were ornate, with gems encrusting their hilts and hafts. However, none held Matthias¡¯ attention. ¡°What in the names of the Ascended?¡± he cried. Three familiar figures stood inside the room: Kari, Siegfried and Petric. But they were not of flesh and blood. Three perfect replicas crafted of rust-filled water¡ªheld in humanoid shape by the power of The Gift¡ªsilently bowed to the mage and the greatfolk with an inhuman smoothness of movement. ¡°What are they?¡± Matthias murmured. ¡°Sparring partners. They are formed of water from the Vein of the Mountain.¡± Altaizar floated toward them, hands behind his back. ¡°Forced into familiar shapes by my will. Did you know that human beings are mostly made of water?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Matthias looked down at his hands. They looked solid to him. ¡°Well, these humanoids are made of a little more water than most. I¡¯ve commanded them to be your sparring partners: they will be fast, strong and heavy, though they are mindless. Also¡­¡± He gestured to the replicas. Within their watery forms, rust gathered in their hands then erupted with sickening gurgling sounds. Crude weapons formed of congealed rust extended from their grips. ¡°¡­you can have them shape any weapon you wish,¡± Altaizar said. ¡°Now, they only have enough power to fight for roughly two hours a day. But I think you¡¯ll find them good proxies for your enemies.¡± ¡°This is legendary.¡± Matthias approved. ¡°Thank you, Master Altaizar. They¡¯ll really help me with my training.¡± ¡°No problem, Matthias. Enjoy. Now, I think I will step away for a time and let you direct your own training.¡± Altaizar floated toward the door. ¡°All your life, your training and time has been directed for you. But, yesterday, do you know what you Awakened to?¡± ¡°Divine Breath?¡± Matthias asked. Altaizar shook his head. ¡°Independence, Matthias.¡± He looked at his pupil closely. ¡°You Awakened to independence. One day you will find yourself in a situation where you will have to decide your own path, regardless of what your mother, myself or Sur Friya thinks. Use this time as a training run for that. If you use your time poorly, you could lose the challenge before you. If you use it well, you will be rewarded. Either outcome will be a valuable lesson. Best of luck, oh, and don¡¯t touch any of the fancier weapons. All the plain ones are yours to train with as much as you want.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Matthias bowed as Altaizar left. He turned back to the three replicas and took a deep breath, then walking to the weapon racks, he selected a hammer and a sword before returning to the centre of the room. The young greatfolk looked at the watery faces of his enemies, resisting the urge to spit. ¡°This is either going to be very painful or very fun.¡± He cracked his neck, raising his weapons. ¡°Um¡­attack?¡± He cursed as the three watery humanoids rushed him as one.
The first day was the hardest. By far. Altaizar hadn¡¯t exaggerated: although mindless, the three water replicas were as swift as falling rain, struck with the force of a waterfall and had the flexibility of a flowing river. Matthias desperately tried to defend himself against the trio¡¯s attacks, but soon his cursing and growls of pain filled the training room. He was battered, tripped, bowled over, body slammed and hurled across the chamber hard enough to rattle his bones. By the end of his sparring session, he¡¯d been reduced to a twitching heap on the stone floor. That night, Matthias entered The Realm in Dream with a new purpose. He spent eight hours in Eklund¡¯s fighting pit, replaying his battles against the three watery replicas, using his shadow-tendril as a stand-in for them. He awoke in the morning with his bruises faded, and bursting with energy and new motivation. He wanted to wipe Kari, Siegfried and Petric¡¯s faces from those rusty and watery bastards, and walked into Altaizar¡¯s tower with his head held high. Once again, he took up his weapons and ordered the constructs to attack him¡­he was then battered, bruised, tripped, and reduced to a twitching heap on the stone floor. That night, he split his training in the dream world: four hours were spent playing out his battles from the day, while the other four were spent concentrating on his life energy circulation. The next morning, Matthias¡ªnow thoroughly humbled¡ªhad the replicas attack, one at a time. A single water replica was a challenge¡ªit was still a heavy, strong and quick opponent¡ªbut one he could spar with, using his full strength without being knocked to the ground by a storm of blows from all sides. The thing still beat him, badly¡­but it took longer to do so, giving him time to focus on something other than just surviving the fight. And so, he began to learn. The next day he resumed his training: for an hour, he fought the watery replica of one of the three tormenters, then spent the next hour working on life energy circulation. That night, he continued his training in The Realm in Dream. During the next day and night, he repeated the same pattern. The next day he did the same. Followed by the next. Soon single days became a week. And one week became two. And finally, he began to show progress. He began to follow the flowing movements of the water replicas, parrying their blows and dodging their strikes. His circulation had begun to improve: contracting his soul was growing easier as time passed, and the flow of energy through his body stammered less during practise. Encouraged, Matthias pushed himself harder. And so, two weeks became four. After sparring day after day, he was able to match one of the water replicas with ease. He was growing used to his body¡¯s power: no longer would he inadvertently overcompensate with his new strength and speed, and send himself sprawling, or overbalancing while trying to defend. He had also begun to learn how the water replicas fought. While they were indeed water, their shape was humanoid, leaving them only a limited number of ways to attack and defend. Since they were mindless, they were also predictable, despite their speed and force of their blows. By the fifth week, Matthias could fight two of the replicas at once, fending off their flurry of attacks while holding a weapon in each hand. He was faster too, his mind now used to both the speed of his opponents and that of his own body. His reactions had been sharpened and the power in his blows had grown. Then there was the shadow-tendril. Though he would not use it openly in his challenge against his tormentors, he¡¯d begun to wield it in his battles with the water replicas. The tendril would grab and trip his watery opponents or strike, using its own weapons. As he learned how to circulate his life energies, his body and the tentacle¡¯s movements grew even smoother. By the beginning of the sixth week, he was able to¡ªjust barely¡ªhold his own against all three water replicas at once, using the tendril to guard his blind spots. By no means was he able to defeat the three opponents all together¡ªhis dream of wiping away their watery faces was still beyond his grasp¡ªbut he could hold his own. It was a far cry from being reduced to a twitching heap. His life energy circulation had advanced too: he could perform three perfect contractions before losing control, and he already felt the Divine Breath more settled in his body and soul. He was stronger. He was faster. He was ready. At last, the week ended. And the day came. The day that Kari, Petric and Siegfried would return to Barrowgate. Matthias Stonebreaker was ready. His tormentors, though? He doubted they would be. IABD 15: A Very Good Day Kari, son of Haakon, was having a good day. A very good day. The end of summer had come¡ªfor the warm season was vanishingly short in the north of Evalmera¡ªbut at last, Kari was going home. Home to see his father, to return to his old haunts¡­and have a little revenge along with a celebration. And it seemed that the world was going to celebrate with him. The entire journey from the Temple of Jormgund at Mount Silence had been pleasant, weather-wise. Summer wildflowers coloured the side of the road during the two-week trek, the skies had remained clear, the birds were chirping, the fish were jumping and the living was easy. Every night they¡¯d camped under the stars, filling their bellies with the delicious cheeses and bread the monks of the temple had made for them. During their ¡®penance¡¯ Kari had gotten to know Petric quite well, and the boys were now utterly inseparable. He doubted even divine intervention could shatter their friendship. Barrowgate was close now, and Kari was laughing at one of Siegfried¡¯s anecdotes. ¡°¡ªswear by Lady Vrai¡¯s massive teats, Petric, Berta¡¯s got lips that would start fires, I swear! She makes you chase her like a mountain lion, but once you catch her¡­¡± Siegfried clapped, his eyes sparking with delight. ¡°And her sister¡¯s not bad looking either, with no lover in sight. You should make a move, cousin.¡± Petric laughed nervously. ¡°Well, y¡¯know¡­I¡¯ve got Hilda back home.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen Hilda.¡± Siegfried gave his cousin a look. ¡°And trust me, you¡¯ll like Berta¡¯s sister much more. Isn¡¯t that right Kari?¡± ¡°You think too much with your lower half, Sieg. These mountain girls¡­bah, they cling to you like mud.¡± Kari smirked, flexing one of his powerful arms. ¡°You can do a lot better; you¡¯ve just got to play the long game. It¡¯s the duty of every man-at-arms and woman-at-arms to perform blood work for the High King once they come of age, but our Wolfwood patrols won¡¯t last forever. After two years, we¡¯ll be free men, able to make our fortunes all over the country.¡± His grin widened. ¡°We could join the southern lords, raiding alongside the elves, or buy a longship and take part in the expeditions in the Frostsea. You know what that¡¯ll bring? Coin and real women. You ever see the girls of the Midlands?¡± He grinned. ¡°I have, when father took me there once. They make them sooooo delicate down there, just like glass! You¡¯ll never look at one of these mountain cows again!¡± Petric swallowed. ¡°Really? Are the midland girls all that?¡± ¡°And more. But to get one, you¡¯ll need to lose a little something first!¡± Kari poked Petric in his soft belly, making his friend squeal. ¡°Hey!¡± Siegfried¡¯s cousin cried. ¡°I¡¯ll set your eyebrows on fire, you bastard!¡± Kari laughed, running away as Petric chased him up the hill. Both boys crested it and paused. ¡°Look!¡± Kari cried, pointing down. The village of Barrowgate was just below, and¡ªat the nearest gate¡ªstood a large figure, surrounded by a group of armed men. Kari recognised the form of his father¡ªthe strongest¡ªsurrounded by his drinking buddies. His heart leapt at the sight. ¡°Father!¡± Kari waved excitedly, tearing down the hill. ¡°Wait for me!¡± Siegfried cried, scooping up his cousin and throwing him on his back for piggyback ride down the slope. ¡°Sloooow down!¡± Petric shouted. The three boys tore up the distance to get home, passing farmers and herders tending their terraced gardens and goat herds. Kari paid no attention to the grimaces and glares of those he passed. Father had taught him that it didn¡¯t matter what others thought. He did what made him happy, regardless of the feelings of common rabble. That was the proper way of things. ¡°Hello, boy!¡± Haakon laughed, raising his hand as Kari drew up for a hug. Instead of an embrace, he cuffed his son on the shoulder hard enough to nearly knock the young man off his feet. A flash of pain swept through Kari, but he kept his legs beneath him. He was used to this by now. Giving his father a ferocious grin, he bowed. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°Good thing that you are, too. It was getting boring around here!¡± Haakon chuckled, tousling his son¡¯s hair. He and his drinking pals welcomed the other boys when they arrived at the gate. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ve got a feast waiting for you back at the castle. The earl was kind enough to lend me his hall so I could celebrate your return.¡± He winked. ¡°Privileges of the strongest. Remember that.¡± ¡°Hells yeah!¡± Kari grinned as they swaggered through the village. ¡°If only we could have a certain ¡®rabbit¡¯ carved up on the feasting table.¡± Petric grunted. ¡°I want some revenge.¡± ¡°Oh you¡¯ll have it soon,¡± Haakon chuckled darkly. They were passing through the village square where the temples and shrines were found The sun was bright. ¡°I¡¯m sure we will.¡± Siegfried grinned. ¡°Love me some rabbit.¡± ¡°Especially after a good run,¡± Kari added. ¡°I definitely want another chase, but this time¡ª¡± He did not finish his sentence as a shadow fell over him. ¡°Eh?¡± he paused, surprised. The shadow was deep, broad and terribly, terribly long; it reached across the village square to encompass all three boys, Haakon, and many of the big man¡¯s rowdy friends. All laughter ceased. Suddenly, unease gripped Kari as he stood in the shadow. ¡°What in the¡ª¡± He looked up, peering at the source. A towering figure stood on the scaffolding by the temple of Amon Koth. Kari recognised him immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned, the rabbit¡¯s come to us¡­¡± Petric muttered. ¡°Welcome back,¡± said a voice that was like rock on rock. Both the voice and the figure belonged to the one Kari had wanted to see most: Matthias Stonebreaker. Kari smiled. This was a very good day indeed. ### Matthias climbed down the scaffolding¡ªcareful not to give away his newfound grace¡ªand dropped to the ground. ¡°Boy?¡± Adgar the stonemason called from behind him. ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s not time for you to go train yet¡ªOh. Oh no. Get back up here!¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve got to do.¡± Matthias glanced behind him. ¡°Sorry, I won¡¯t be finishing up our job today.¡± ¡°Wait, boy! Matthias!¡± Adgar called. ¡°Witness this!¡± Matthias called to all gathered as he strode toward his three tormenters¡­ ¡­along with the big, cruel man that had raised one of them. He stopped, staring them down, saying nothing at first, letting all the years of their tortures pass through his mind. He wanted to remember all of it well. Petric glowered at him, face washing red. ¡°I wanted to see you. You and I have some unfinished busi¡ª¡± ¡°I challenge you,¡± Matthias said. All fell silent. The village square had a few onlookers pause when the boys had come together, and they¡¯d been whispering to each other. Now, though? No one uttered a single word. Petric looked like he¡¯d been slapped. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Siegfried¡¯s jaw hung open. Kari¡¯s expression was twisted in an uncertain smile. Haakon¡¯s bearded face was scrunched up in confusion. ¡°Did you not hear me?¡± Matthias took a step forward. ¡°I challenge you, you little wretch.¡± ¡°I¨CUh, what?¡± Petric¡¯s eyebrows writhed on his forehead like dying worms as his expression twisted from emotion to emotion. ¡°On what grounds?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like your face. I don¡¯t like your voice. The very fact that you took a step into this village that I call home offends me.¡± Matthias growled. ¡°You broke my brother¡¯s gift too and insulted my honour. I demand it back.¡± ¡°¡­have you lost your mind? You know what I can do to you?¡± Petric looked at Siegfried. ¡°Has he lost his mind¡ª¡± Matthias brought his hand up. Then slapped the hell out of Petric. An uproar rose from all around. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sur Friya¡¯s voice cried from down the road. ¡°The hells?¡± Adgar was scrambling down the scaffold. ¡°I said I challenge you for my honour!¡± Petric touched his cheek in shock as Matthias shouted. ¡°What are you, deaf? Or are you too much of a spineless, thorn-sucking coward to accept?¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± Siegfried stepped forward. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into y¡ª¡± Matthias slapped him next. The clap of skin on skin echoed as several of the villagers gasped. ¡°Was I talking to you?¡± Matthias glared at Siegfried. ¡°Fine, I was going to challenge you next but if you¡¯re so eager to jump in line, then join in. Siegfried, you¡¯ve been a pain in my life for as long as I can remember. Like a thorn. So, today, I¡¯m plucking it out. I challenge you for your honour!¡± Both cousins bristled. They looked as though they wanted to attack Matthias right there and then¡­but paused, looking at each other and exchanging grins. ¡°Alright, fine!¡± Siegfried said. ¡°If you¡¯re so eager to die, I accept!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Petric snarled. ¡°I¡¯m going to burn you down like a damned tree!¡± ¡°Oho!¡± Kari laughed. ¡°Looks like big, old Matthias Stonebreaker has finally lost his mind. You forget your place, I¡¯m afraid.¡± His voice was a sing-song of malice. ¡°But I get it. You knew we¡¯d be coming to play, so you decided to take your lumps like a man. I respect that.¡± He stepped forward, sticking out his chin. ¡°Matthias!¡± Sur Friya burst through the gathering crowd¡ªit felt like half the village had poured into the square, forming a circle around the confrontation¡ªthen jogged over. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Both Matthias and Kari ignored her, while Haakon burst out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re too late!¡± the big man giggled. ¡°Can¡¯t save him now! Too many witnesses. This boy¡¯s gonna be executed in Eklund¡¯s pit!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you are going to be executed. But didn¡¯t you forget the executioner?¡± Kari stuck out his chin again. ¡°Go on, slap me too! If Petric and Siegfried leave enough of you after their duels, I¡¯ll take the rest. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to send you back to your family alive. I mean it. I respect you for taking this on the chin; it¡¯s the bravest thing you¡¯ve ever done, in my eyes. Less crawling like a worm and more standing up. I like that. So come on, slap away! My face is here and waiting!¡± Kari jerked his chin at the young greatfolk. Matthias looked down at him for a long moment. Then raised his hand. ¡°Ooooo!¡± Kari cried. ¡°Here it comes, boys!¡± Petric laughed. Siegfried laughed. Haakon laughed. But all laughter stopped when Matthias walked past Kari. His hand swept out. Slapping Haakon full in the face. ¡°Matthias!¡± Sur Friya screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t! Haakon, you shouldn¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°I accept!¡± Haakon roared, holding his cheek. ¡°You don¡¯t even have to make any pretty little speeches for me, boy! They bore me anyway! By the Ascended, the balls and spine on you!¡± Matthias smiled for the first time. It was grim. His eyes caught Kari¡¯s confused expression. ¡°Fine, then. No pretty speeches.¡± Matthias cracked his neck. He pointed up at Eklund¡¯s castle on the mountain. ¡°Meet me up there in an hour. I¡¯ll fight all three of you. Petric, first. Then Siegfried. Then Haakon. Let¡¯s end all of this.¡± His eyes shifted to Kari. ¡°You get to watch.¡± With that, Matthias Stonebreaker turned his back and began marching toward Eklund¡¯s castle. He left an uproar in his wake. ### ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Sur Friya screamed. ¡°They¡¯re going to cripple you! I know you¡¯ve gotten better lately: maybe if you¡¯d kept it to Petric you could have taken him before he used The Gift, but Siegfried? He¡¯ll kill you, and Haakon won¡¯t leave anything but a smear! I know his ¡®The Strongest¡¯ is half bluster, but he¡¯s still a titan with the speed of a horse. You might never walk again.¡± Matthias approached the gates of Eklund¡¯s castle, fighting down a smile. ¡°Sur Friya, could you do me a favour?¡± ¡°Your mother¡¯s due back any day! Maybe even today! Why didn¡¯t you¡ª¡± ¡°I really need this favour.¡± Matthias looked at Sur Friya. ¡°Get Dagma and Altaizar. Please, bring my equipment from the training grounds too. I need it at Eklund¡¯s castle in the next hour. Please.¡± Sur Friya frowned. ¡°Why? Wait¡­Altaizar¡­¡± Her frown deepened. Then her eyes went wide. ¡°Matthias, you¡¯ve been spending a lot of time at the mage¡¯s tower, what did you do¡ª¡± ¡°Please, knight.¡± He paused, bowing to her. ¡°Please do this for me.¡± She looked the young man up and down. ¡°Fine, but you have a lot of explaining to do.¡± With that, she turned, charging back down the mountain. Matthias looked away, walking toward Eklund¡¯s castle again. He threw a glance in the direction of Bregindoure¡¯s tower. ¡°If only you could watch this, Breg, but you¡¯ll just have to settle for me retelling it.¡± ### ¡°What is all this commotion?¡± Eklund burst onto his balcony, wiping blood from his lips. ¡°I was enjoying a very fine cut of venison and¡­¡± The words trailed off. A crowd was gathering in his courtyard. It looked like half the village of Barrowgate had emptied, and were now pouring through his castle gates. He spied the familiar figure of Matthias Stonebreaker¡ªthe fourteen-year old¡¯s head rising above those of most grown men¡ªand he could see Haakon, his son and the boy¡¯s two friends marching through the gate with many warriors hooting and wooing beside them. ¡°Hello!¡± the earl called. ¡°Answer me! Are we being invaded?¡± ¡°There¡¯s been a challenge, my lord!¡± One of his guards called. ¡°A runner was coming to you!¡± ¡°A challenge? Now?¡± Eklund scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re a few hours away from a feast! Who challenged who? I will not allow¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s Matthias Stonebreaker!¡± Haakon shouted, bowing to Eklund. ¡°Lost his mind and challenged Petric, Siegfried and me!¡± Eklund paused. ¡°...I¡¯ll be right down!¡± ### Matthias stretched beside the pit, rolling his shoulders and flexing his fingers. ¡®Way of Stone. Way of Stone. Way of Stone,¡¯ he focused his mind on the task ahead. ¡®Way of¡ª¡¯ ¡°Matthie!¡± Dagma¡¯s voice reached him. Matthias looked through the crowd filling Eklund¡¯s courtyard, spotting Sur Friya, Dagma and Altaizar pushing their way through. He smiled, waving at them. ¡°It¡¯s happening?¡± Dagma cried, rushing to her brother. He placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She looked across the fighting pit, catching the eyes of Kari, Siegfried and Petric. She stuck her tongue out at them. They sneered. ¡°I still think this is foolhardy.¡± Sur Friya threw down a pack, opening it to take out Matthias¡¯ chain armour. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± ¡°Winning,¡± Matthias responded. Altaizar had to hide a snort of laughter. ¡°Well, that is not much of a plan, but it¡¯s clear that you have a strong wish. Let¡¯s hope you have what it takes to make that wish come true.¡± ¡°Thanks, Master Altaizar.¡± He looked at the trio standing in front of him before picking up his armour. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright¡ª¡± ¡°Make way! Make way!¡± Guards called, pushing their way through the crowd. Earl Eklund walked between them; Haakon was at his side. ¡°Order! Order!¡± Eklund shouted, quieting the crowd. He gave Matthias a searching look, eyes drifting toward Altaizar. Those eyes narrowed. ¡°Boy, I will give you one chance to withdraw from this contest. It is clear that you¡¯ve been addled by your emotions. They are crashing out of you. It¡¯s up to me to¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a question of honour. I want to go through with this,¡± Matthias insisted. He looked at Altaizar and Sur Friya. ¡°Will you support me?¡± ¡°I support this boy¡¯s bid for his honour,¡± Altaizar said. After a moment¡¯s silence, Sur Friya grimaced. ¡°I support it too.¡± Eklund watched Matthias closely again, then looked at Haakon. ¡°You are one of my finest warriors. Surely, there¡¯s no reason for you to accept a mere boy¡¯s challenge.¡± ¡°My lord, under the high king¡¯s law, I have the right to defend my honour.¡± Haakon snorted, a nasty grin spreading on his face. ¡°He¡¯s old enough to make a challenge, so he¡¯s old enough to accept the consequences.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Eklund¡¯s tongue flicked over his lips. ¡°Alright, I shall allow it then. Let the contest of honour begin!¡± Cheers and whoops rose from the crowd. ¡°Can¡¯t back out now,¡± Sur Friya groaned. ¡°Your mother¡¯s going to kill me.¡± ### Eklund leaned in toward Haakon, his voice a low whisper. ¡°Listen to me, and listen well. That boy¡¯s been spending a lot of time with the mage lately. They might be up to something, and I¡¯m not losing one of my best warriors to treachery,¡± the earl hissed. Haakon scoffed. ¡°My lord, I¡¯m the strongest. Doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s using poison or dirty tactics or whatever. No matter how much spider venom a mouse might gather, it can¡¯t kill a brown bear. I¡¯ll teach him a lesson he¡¯ll never forget. That child will never walk again. Think about it: you get to show Beggahasta the ruins of her son. He¡¯ll have to be in your care until she gets back, right? Then you can negotiate all sorts of concessions.¡± He winked at Eklund. ¡°Bet you¡¯ll have Beggahasta declaring the archlord as Lady Dagma¡¯s father by law by summer¡¯s end, and you can have the girl on her way to his castle by the harvest. Think about the rewards you¡¯ll gain.¡± Eklund paused, considering that. Unease gnawed at his belly: the boy seemed too eager for this contest. What was his plan? What if he poisoned his opponents part way through the match? Or what if he¡¯d actually Awakened to The Gift at last? Eklund was no freshly hatched chick; part of him screamed that this was a trap. But¡­would that matter? Haakon was incredibly powerful. And if he did cripple the boy¡ªand Eklund took custody of him while he ¡®healed¡¯¡ªhe might finish the task assigned to him all those years ago, legally and without trouble. Just the way he preferred it. A sly smile grew on his face. ¡°Alright, Haakon, get him. But don¡¯t hold back. If you get into trouble, don¡¯t be afraid to use your gauntlets.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, it won¡¯t come to that.¡± Haakon scoffed. ¡°The gauntlets are for great beasts, not silly boys.¡± ¡°Nonetheless, wear them. This I command.¡± Eklund clapped him on the back. ¡°And don¡¯t hold back.¡± ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t.¡± Haakon grinned. ### Kari watched Matthias climb a ladder down into the fighting pit, his smirk broadening. ¡°Well, looks like I¡¯m up!¡± Petric said. Siegfried clapped him on the back. ¡°Leave some for the rest of us!¡± ¡°No promises.¡± Petric made for the ladder. ¡°This is going to be great.¡± Kari stepped forward. He didn¡¯t want to miss a single moment of the slaughter. ### The ladders were drawn up, and the fighting pit¡¯s stands were filled. People whispered and pointed. Some laughed. Some pressed coins into each other¡¯s hands. Matthias watched them all evenly. His chainmail rattled on his body as he moved, and he adjusted the sword belted at his waist. He gripped his warhammer tightly. These were not training weapons. One was sharp, the other heavy. They could kill, and death was not unheard of in honour duels. At one time, Matthias might have been reluctant to cross that line, but these bastards had tried to burn him alive then knocked him over a cliff. He looked up at Petric, the one who¡¯d tried to burn him alive. ¡°If he dies, he dies,¡± he whispered. The greatfolk looked up at those who were there for him. Sur Friya had Dagma hoisted on her shoulders. His sister looked excited. The knight, worried. Altaizar kept his face a mask, but a slight smile had crept up the corners of his lips. Kari and Siegfried cheered for Petric, chanting his name. The crowd was quiet. ¡°Prepare,¡± Eklund raised his hand. ¡°You ready for the torture of a lifetime?¡± Petric sneered at Matthias from across the fighting pit. He drew his sword. ¡°I¡¯m going to freeze your feet to the ground with a single word then bury you in stone! Try and break out of that, Stonebreaker! Then I¡¯m going to burn your head while it¡¯s the only thing sticking out of the ground!¡± Matthias focused on Petric¡¯s mouth. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°Begin!¡± Eklund¡¯s hand sliced down. ¡°Bury¡ª¡± Petric began his command. A shadow fell over him. The word died on his lips. Matthias was now inches away, having closed the distance in a heartbeat. ¡°W-what?¡± the Gift Wielder stammered. Matthias remembered the word Petric had used to crush his brother¡¯s censer: ¡°Crumple.¡± His fist collided with Petric¡¯s jaw. IABD 16: Duels First, there was the impact. An explosive shockwave travelled through Matthias¡¯ hand and up his forearm, whispering of the terrible force he¡¯d just unleashed. His limb was fine; years of training and two months of Divine Breath had strengthened it. The same could not be said for Petric¡¯s jaw. Second, there was the crumpling. The Gift Wielder¡¯s jaw held up against Matthias¡¯ fist for all of a fraction of a heartbeat before it cracked, shattered, then utterly collapsed. Bones exploded into splinters. Teeth sprayed through the air. Third, there was the gurgle and spraying of blood. The sound finally reached Matthias¡¯ ears¡ªa wet crunch¡ªas Petric¡¯s head whipped to the side, body spinning. The Gift Wielder flew through the air, landing in a twitching heap. His sword clattered to the stones, freed from a nerveless hand. His eyes were now shut, his breathing wet. The gift of consciousness had abandoned him utterly. ¡°That¡¯s one.¡± Matthias cracked his neck, strolling back to his side of the fighting pit. An uproar exploded through the crowd. And Matthias Stonebreaker allowed himself a smile. ### ¡°Petric! Peeetric!¡± Siegfried cried. ¡°Someone save my cousin, he¡¯s killed him! The bastard son-of-a-wolf has killed him!¡± Kari¡¯s jaw hung open. ¡°What just happened?¡± he whispered. ¡°Since when could that derelict failure ever move like that?¡± ¡°Somebody collect the boy!¡± Haakon roared. ¡°See what can be done for him!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill him! I¡¯ll kill that bastard!¡± Siegfried screamed. ### ¡®Way of Stone. Way of Stone. Way of Stone,¡¯ Matthias meditated on his side of the pit. On the opposite end, Eklund¡¯s guards and servants swarmed over Petric. ¡°He¡¯s still alive!¡± a healer called, tearing pieces of cloth for wrappings. ¡°But his jaw¡¯s been destroyed!¡± ¡°Get him out of there and into the infirmary then!¡± Eklund commanded. He looked toward Haakon. The big man still wore an amused smile, giving the earl a knowing nod. Matthias simply sat quietly. ¡®Way of Stone. Way of Stone. Way of Stone,¡¯ he thought, fighting down his excitement. He had to focus. There would be time to celebrate later. ### Siegfried came scrambling down the ladder¡ªnearly frothing at the mouth¡ªthe minute his cousin was taken from the pit. He gripped a heavy spear, his eyes burning with fury. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of trickery you just pulled, you derelict freak, but I¡¯m going to make you pay for what you¡¯ve done!¡± Matthias looked up at him, then rose, continuing to rise until he reached his full height. He lifted his hammer and drew his sword. Siegfried looked him up and down, then spit on the stones at his feet. ¡°Oh, I bet you think so highly of yourself! Sneak attacks are not what make a warrior, you filthy oaf! I can tell you were training a bit while we were gone, but I¡¯ll soon put you back in your place!¡± Matthias said nothing in return, simply looking at Eklund. The earl grimaced, raising his hand. ¡°Prepare.¡± ¡°Prepare to die, you piece of filth!¡± Siegfried snarled. ¡°I will have my revenge. For Petric!¡± He raised his spear. Matthias met his gaze evenly. ¡°For me,¡± he responded. ¡°Begin!¡± Eklund shouted. Siegfried catapulted across the fighting pit; spear levelled like a knight¡¯s lance. Matthias¡¯ warhammer blurred up. Metal crashed on wood as the young greatfolk twisted his weapon¡ªhooking it on the spear-haft¡ªand planting his feet. Siegfried was pulled to the right; Matthias raised his blade, aiming a cut at his opponent¡¯s side. The older boy cursed, twisting away. Steel cut the air. Siegfried spat, regaining his balance, stepping forward, jabbing with his spear in a flurry of thrusts. He was faster than one of Altaizar¡¯s water replicas¡­but not as overwhelming as fighting two had been. And Matthias had fought all three at once. He weaved around the wild flurry, dodging the gleaming spearhead, and stepping back. Siegfried growled, chasing his larger opponent. ¡°Stop trying to hit him and just hit him!¡± Kari called from above. ¡°What are you doing?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Siegfried¡¯s snarl deepened. ¡°I¡¯m trying! He¡¯s not staying still!¡± ¡°Thought you had fun chasing me?¡± Matthias¡¯ voice was calm. Steady. ¡°Like a ¡®common rabbit¡¯, remember? Still enjoying your rabbit hunt?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Siegfried screamed. ¡°This isn¡¯t right!¡± ¡°Then by all means, let¡¯s switch roles.¡± Matthias slapped the spear aside with his sword. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Siegfried backed up. Matthias thrust with his blade, pushing his opponent back. Each time that spear came up he would slap it away. Siegfried¡¯s confidence began to slip, his face grimacing every time his spear was struck. ¡°H-hey!¡± he cried. ¡°Stop that!¡± Matthias kept coming, his eyes never leaving Siegfried¡¯s. He watched the anger and indignation bleed away, replaced first by confusion. Then by fear. ¡°S-stay back! You monster!¡± Siegfried looked up at him, thrusting desperately. His form had grown sloppy; he flinched at Matthias¡¯ every move, his thrusts faltering. ¡°Get away!¡± And with a scream, he lunged. Matthias saw the mistake long before Siegfried realised it. Too much weight behind his thrust had put him slightly off-balance. Just slightly. Had Matthias been as he was before, he would not have caught the mistake. Now¡ªunfortunately for Siegfried¡ªhe had changed. His body weaved around the spear, as he lashed out with his sword. The blade cut the air, sweeping toward Siegfried¡¯s left hand. It landed on the back of his fingers; chainmail prevented them from being cut off, though it could do little against the force of the terrible blow. Bone crunched. Siegfried squealed, dropping his spear. His eyes filled with horror as he stared at his hand; every finger was bent and contorted at different angles. He lost focus, not paying attention to Matthias¡¯ warhammer as it came down on his shoulder. A wet snap left his right arm dangling from its socket. Before Eklund could call the match, Matthias hammered the left shoulder with the pommel of his sword. Another wet crunch. Siegfried shrieked, crumpling to the stone in a squealing mass with his left hand destroyed and both shoulders shattered. His arms hung uselessly at his slides, flopping painfully as he writhed. ¡°Stop! The match is ended!¡± Eklund cried. ¡°Matthias Stonebreaker is the winner! Step back! Any more harm to Siegfried will be outside the bounds of the honour duel!¡± Matthias looked down at his trembling tormentor. All his life, Siegfried had seemed so¡­unstoppable to him. Like he would always be there, always this destructive force that he¡¯d never be able to overcome. Now here he was, lying at Matthias¡¯ feet, his body broken. He turned his back on the fallen filth without a single word and strode back toward his side of the pit. As Matthias walked away, he silently raised his sword in the air. Roars burst from the crowd. ### ¡°Father.¡± Kari swallowed saliva, eyes boggling. Rage and fear coursed through him. ¡°What is happening?¡± Siegfried¡ªa strong, young warrior who Kari had known his whole life¡ªhad just been destroyed, while Matthias Stonebreaker had not a single scratch on him. Kari shook his head. ¡°Father¡­.¡± ¡°That boy did something,¡± Haakon muttered. ¡°Thinks he¡¯s smart. Thinks he¡¯s gonna pull one over on all of us. I dunno if he Awakened to Life Enforcement somehow or took some filthy potion from that mage, or whatever. But it¡¯s not going to help him against the Strongest! His mistake was asking for a fight between boys then inviting a man in to teach him a lesson. And I¡¯ll learn him alright.¡± He cracked his knuckles, took a swig from his wineskin, then slipped on his gauntlets. The very same gauntlets he¡¯d used to beat countless opponents¡ªmortal and monster¡ªto death. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m gonna make sure that he never does anything like this to you or any of your friends again.¡± Haakon patted his son on the shoulder. ¡°Your dad bails you out, right? Remember, that boy down there isn''t the hero of this story. He¡¯s fodder that needs to be put back in his place. Right? I¡¯m gonna slay that giant.¡± ¡°Father, I don¡¯t know¡­I don¡¯t like this. Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Kari muttered. Haakon gave his son a searching look, then nodded. ¡°Tell you what, I promise to make sure he never does anything like this again, y¡¯hear me? Don¡¯t you worry. Your dear dad¡¯s gonna fix this, like always. He¡¯ll be back t¡¯being your personal target-practise in no time.¡± With that, Haakon nodded to Eklund then marched toward the fighting pit. ¡°It¡¯s my turn now. It¡¯s time to end this. A man¡¯s gotta do a man¡¯s job.¡± Kari watched the broad back of his father approach the pit. The young man nodded, slapping himself. ¡°Come on, get a grip, Kari,¡± he snapped. ¡°Father¡¯s going to fix this. He¡¯s going to have this all tied up. Yes. It¡¯ll all be alright.¡± ### Matthias silently watched Haakon jump into the pit, landing with hardly a sound, despite his bulk. His heavy plate armour gleamed in the sunlight and he gripped a long axe in gauntleted hands. The gauntlets were a dull grey, thicker than the rest of his armour. ¡°Hey boy!¡± Haakon nodded to his opponent, spinning the axe in his hands. ¡°I bet you think you¡¯re so clever, don¡¯t you!¡± Matthias didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Bet you think yourself quite the poet!¡± Haakon sneered. Above, the crowd had gone silent. ¡°To the Gift Wielder? You took his voice, so he couldn¡¯t use his magic.¡± Haakon snorted. ¡°To the warrior? You took his arms, so he couldn¡¯t wield weapons. ¡®Let me take away what¡¯s precious to them, you were thinking!¡¯ Bet this is all a big game t¡¯you, eh?¡± Matthias raised an eyebrow, then gave Haakon a little bow. ¡°You guessed right.¡± ¡°Oho! How vicious, boy.¡± Haakon sneered. ¡°A broken jaw for the Gift Wielder and broken limbs for the Life Enforcement Practitioner. What will you break on me?¡± Matthias shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care what I break on you.¡± He pointed up at Kari. ¡°It¡¯s him I care about.¡± Kari jumped a little. ¡°Oh? And what will fighting me break on my son?¡± Haakon looked up at his son, then glared at Matthias dangerously. ¡°His spirit,¡± Matthias replied. The crowd went silent. ¡°Well, well, well. Big plan¡­but a fool¡¯s plan. You¡¯re not going to beat me, boy,¡± Haakon snorted. ¡°But I like the nerve of you. Here, why don¡¯t we make things a little more interesting for both of us? You interested in a little wager?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Matthias!¡± Sur Friya called. ¡°It¡¯s bait!¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± Haakon snapped, glaring at the knight. ¡°The boy¡¯s acting like a man, let him be a man!¡± The warrior lifted up his hands, showing his thick gauntlets to Matthias. ¡°You see these? Well, let me let you in on a little secret. They¡¯re forged with small channels for life energy; inject your life force into them, and they turn into something special.¡± Matthias peered at the gauntlets with interest. They seemed to radiate their own power. ¡°What do they do?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out.¡± Haakon lifted his axe. ¡°Found them in an old ruin in the Wolfwood. They¡¯d go for quite a bit of gold in the right market¡­or you can keep ¡®em and use ¡®em for yourself. They¡¯ll resize to fit their owner.¡± ¡°And? What do you want me to bet in return?¡± Matthias asked. Haakon licked his lips. ¡°Your hands.¡± The crowd exploded in an uproar. Dagma screamed. Sur Friya hurled curses down at Haakon. Altaizar eyed the gauntlets closely. Haakon shouted over the crowd. ¡°If you lose, I get to chop your two hands off, either during the duel or right after I finish you! You¡¯ll never wield a weapon or mason¡¯s chisel again, boy. Just like you broke something precious belonging to my son¡¯s friends, I¡¯ll take something precious from you!¡± The crowd grew even louder. ¡°Order! Order!¡± Eklund demanded. The noise quieted. ¡°What do you think?¡± Haakon asked. ¡°You gonna take the wager, or are ya too scared ya bit off too much of a mouthful to chew?¡± Matthias thought the wager over. Magic items of any sort were not a common thing; in most villages one could go their entire life without seeing a single one. Most were ancient¡ªcrafted before the Age of Wolves¡ªand rare were those who could create such wonders in modern times. Haakon was right: even if he could not use the power within the gauntlets, selling them could bring a small fortune¡­and they could use the gold. His family did not have much in the way of wealth, and most of whatever they earned went to paying Altaizar and maintaining Bregindoure¡¯s prison. There was really nothing to lose. His hands? If Haakon won, he¡¯d brutalise Matthias¡¯ body anyway. Besides¡­ ¡®I will not lose,¡¯ the young greatfolk thought. ¡®Not now.¡¯ He looked up at Altaizar. ¡°Are those gauntlets worth anything or is he trying to trick me?¡± ¡°There is power in them.¡± The mage eyed them carefully. ¡°He speaks the truth.¡± Matthias nodded, then levelled his gaze at his opponent. ¡°Your gauntlets for my hands. On our honour, the wager is done.¡± ¡°Matthie no!¡± Dagma screamed. ¡°The deal is settled!¡± Haakon laughed uproariously. ¡°You have to hand it to me; I¡¯m quite the smooth talker, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Not really. All you¡¯ve done is given me a helping hand.¡± Matthias allowed himself a smile. ¡°Haha! I like you, boy!¡± Haakon raised his axe. Matthias raised his weapons. ¡°That won¡¯t last.¡± Eklund brought his arm up. ¡°Prepare!¡± Both warriors tensed. Eklund¡¯s arm came down. ¡°Begin!¡±