"Wake up!"

The sound barely penetrated Seline's deeply asleep brain.

"Wake up!, Seline!"

Their persistence was annoying.

"I'm up! Don't wake the team." She whispered back at the voice that was far too loud for this late in the evening.

"There's no-one here except the big stoneman." The voice said as they exited the tent leaving a torchstone beside the flap for Seline to see.

"What?!" she jolted awake, she could hear Bruchts snoring in the roll beside her, but the revelation that the team were not back in the tent was deeply concerning. "Where are they?"

"Bruchts…. Bruchtsss… BRUCHTS!" she hopped up and tried to rouse the sleeping giant with a jostling hand.

"WHA.. what?" He snorted awake. "I'm up. Lets get going!"

The big blonde boy went from snoring to out of the tent faster than Seline could believe.

"Wait!" She hissed.

"Don't we need to go on watch?" He asked.

"Yes, but didn't you notice that none of the team are in their sleeping rolls?"

"Oh," he stuck his head back into the tent, "Shit."

"Yeah, shit."

"Rufian probably convinced them to help him go get that ars."

"No doubt."

"So what do we do?" Bruchts asked earnestly.

"I have no idea, they will almost certainly get caught and we will all be in trouble…" Seline sighed in frustration.

"Do we go and get them, pretend nothing has happened or turn them in and beg for forgiveness?"

"I don't think we want to draw attention to ourselves or that fact that they are missing. We need to act as if nothing is wrong and…" She spoke as if the words physically hurt, "Trust them to not get caught."

They shared a long suffering sigh as they strapped on their weapons and helmets in preparation to go out on watch.

"Rufian probably planned to come back while we are on watch." Bruchts hedged.

"Lets hope so," Seline said firmly. "I'd like to take my pound of flesh before Centurion Felusian."

As they walked through camp they were surprised by the amount of activity. It was so late in the evening it might be better thought of as early morning yet they saw multiple Legionnaires darting around surreptitiously.

"What is going on?" Bruchts whispered to each other as they walked to their post.

"It seems like there is something in the air. Maybe it's not just our delinquents being idiots…"

She guessed, before stopping and noticing something else. "The observers! I can't see any…"

She pulled out her bow as she reached around with her essentia senses. She felt like she was being watched and she knew there was someone out there in the dark.

"Maybe they're asleep."

"Not a chance-"

"You are too perceptive for this, girl."

A voice came from a patch of shadows which materialised into Centurion Felusian and a laughing Tribune Asterius. The grizzled veteran handed several coins to the Tribune as he grumbled and shook his head.

They stood awkwardly for a moment at the edge of camp as they waited for the tribune to compose himself.

"Hehehe, she didn't even make it out of camp!" He laughed and seemed to get a second wind as he burst out laughing again. "No-one else even spotted us!"

"I still think those two mages knew and were too polite to say anything." Felusian countered

"Oh, yes probably… Vels and Bakano, they are also quite promising." Asterius agreed as he gestured for the group to continue up to the road.

Making their way up a short escarpment and onto the paved surface they paused.

"We will part ways here," Asterius said as he spoke to Bruchts, "Enjoy the evening, boy. I hope that we see you come back."

Leaving Seline and Tribune Asterius on the road and walking with the centurion straight up into the hills was treacherous in the dark of the night. They followed an animal trail that led them along one hill and up another along a lightly wooded ridge with only the mostly full moon to guide them. The centurion was quiet at first as they climbed, which suited Bruchts as he focused on the trail.

Bruchts wasn't sure what he thought about Centurion Felusian yet, their previous Centurion had been a combination of corrupt, inept and petty that made almost anyone a better example of leadership, but he hadn't yet got a reading on their superior officer.

The officer eventually broke the silence.

"I have some questions about your ars, and we need to update your stats. We are short on time, so I thought we could do it quickly while we walk"

"Don't you need equipment?" Bruchts asked.

"It would be better to use the testing equipment," The centurion agreed. "But we have a good picture of your baseline already and we know roughly what to expect from you. I am also something of a defensive warrior, so I can assess you fairly accurately."

As they continued walking Felusian started asking some questions and requested Bruchts to hit him a few times and show off his ars. It was a nice distraction from the odd evening and after they were done Felusian handed him a tablet to read his stats and ars by torchstone light.

Details

Name

Bruchts

Attunement

II, CXLV, CXCIV

Aspect

Rune Stone

Tier

II

Physical Statistics

Strength

III

Resistance

III

Vitality

IV

Essential Statistics

Area

I

Force

I

Power

-

Mastery

Mastery

-

Swordsman

Runic Warden

Defender

Ars

Multi Strike

Runic Circle

Improvised Sword Wall

Attunement

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

nil

8,140, 193

nil

Compatibility

n/a

Very High

n/a

Cooldown

n/a

4 minutes

2 Minutes

Skill Type

Enhancement

Area Control, Debuff

Area

Slot

Wrist, hand

[Shoulder] , [+Chest]

Hand, arm, wrist

Slot Bonus

n/a

Additional 50% to slow

n/a

Description

Each strike applies effects twice.

Summon a runic circle [5m] wide that applies [Slow]. If An enemy is within the circle after [2.5] seconds they are frozen in place for [3] seconds.

Create a wall with your sword causing all enemy avatars and minions moving towards you to receive strike effect for each step.

Ars

Broad Strikes

Runic Plate

Bash

Attunement

nil

12, 149, 200

nil

Compatibility

n/a

High

n/a

Cooldown

n/a

1 minute 30 seconds

2 Minutes

Skill Type

Enhancement

Self Buff

Control, Debuff

Slot

Wrist, Fist, Arm, Foot, Ankle

[Chest] , [+Back]

Hand, arm, wrist, shoulder

Slot Bonus

n/a

Additional 40% damage reduction.

n/a

Description

Sowrd strikes cause damage in an area [3m] wide.

Channel a runestone to summon stone armor that reduces damage by [42%]. Lasts [30] seconds

Strike at a target within melee range and deal [75] physical damage and apply [Stun]

Ars

Sharpened Blade

Reflect

Armour Up

Attunement

nil

n/a

nil

Compatibility

n/a

n/a

n/a

Cooldown

n/a

2 minutes

2 Minutes

Skill Type

Enhancement

Buff, Counter

Control, Debuff

Slot

Wrist, Fist, Arm, Foot, Ankle

[Shoulder, Hip, Chest, Stomach, Head]

Hand, arm, wrist, shoulder

Slot Bonus

n/a

n/a

n/a

Description

Sword Strikes apply [Bleed]

For [10] seconds reflect the next ars cast on this target

Reduce incoming damage by [30]% for [15] seconds

"Your people are a strange bunch." Centurion Felusian said suddenly, disrupting Bruchts' reflection. "Most are like you: quiet, focused and massive… unless you are drinking that is."

Bruchts politely listened, he had heard this before from Eruleans who loved to pigeon hole him and his heritage. He knew it to be a view warped by an eruleocentric view of the world, Stonemen were just people and were as varied as any other.

"In truth I know little of what it is to be a Stoneman, I have lived in Erulea for my whole life." Bruchts replied.

"Yes indeed, you are from a displaced family." The centurion agreed. "But do you know much about your family's history?"

"My father came to Erulea to work for the Ramirus's and brought my mother." He responded with the uninteresting history that was true of most of the Stonemen Immigrants coming into the empire for work.

"Hmm," Felusian hummed noncommittally. "The man we are going to meet, he is the other type of Stoneman. He is a skald, a storyteller-"

"Yes I know what a skald is." Bruchts replied with a hint of frustration. The centurion telling him about his heritage felt more than a little bit condescending.

"That's good. Well, anyway, he is here to try to recruit you. It is something like a requirement of your father being able to leave the clan. I don't know the full story, he might tell you, but he will offer you a choice." The centurion stopped and looked at Bruchts with a troubled expression. "It is your choice, do not feel forced."

Leaving the conversation on the trail they continued up to the peak of the highest hill on the ridge, it had taken them hours to make it up despite their rift empowered bodies and their conditioning from active service. The night sky was brilliant with stars that reflected on the river below, they could see the lights of the city flickering beside the water.

A tall narrow stone stood erect at the top of the hill, its tip pointing proudly to the sky.

"Do you know what this is boy?" Felusian asked.

Shaking his head, Bruchts reached out to touch the smooth stone. It was remarkable that the stone was there, it was clearly unnatural and spoke to some ancient person putting it in place.

"In Erulea we call them obelisks, but your people call them waystones. It is said that they will guide you to your home." He continued to talk with a reverence in his voice.

"That is if you look at them from the south, and your home is in the north." A stoneman accented voice came out of the darkness materialising into a tall man with strawberry blonde hair and a droopy moustache. His tone sharply juxtaposed the reverence of the erulean man. "If you look at them from the north they point to Erulea, so are they waystones for your people as well? Or are they just stones?"

He looked at the stone and almost comically slowly walked around it.

"Then if you look at one from the east, it points to the west? It might all be a matter of perspective."

"Hello, Sigfart." Centurion Felusian greeted the man.

"Do you speak the language boy?" The skald ignored the greeting and spoke to Bruchts in a Stoneman tongue.

"I speak some," he replied.

"That's good. Ugh, Sig-Fart, just ugh. It is unfortunate that Eruleans just can't pronounce the v or is it unfortunate that Eruleans must pronounce it? Or that my mother named me so…" Sigvart vented. "and this man. Ugh. So pompous in his ignorance… he thinks that he is some sort of wise connector of men. Unearned wisdom is the best sort of foil, but an unpleasant bedfellow!"

"Alright?" Bruchts suddenly felt protective of the centurion despite feeling something similar only a few moments ago.

"Come! Sit over here and tell me what you know about your family." The skald said.

He laughed mirthlessly as Bruchts told him his understanding of his family's history.

"You are like your father, you know" the skald said, "a simple man. It is something I always liked about him, more so than his brothers. He never asked questions - just accepted things for what they are. Let me tell you the full story…"

The skald told a story of their clan, who lived in the Misty Fjord which gave them their name. It was a place far to the north with a cold and hostile environment. They were known for their fierce warriors and their runic abilities and would raid to sustain themselves as well as prove the strength of their warriors, it was their heritage.

Several generations ago the Erulean Empire had sent out a force to subjugate and repress the Stoneman clans to prevent their raiding.

The Erulean force were overwhelming as they burned and pillaged the land to disrupt the clans. Though the Volva (witches) and Skalds tried to bring the clans together they had too much pride and too much bad blood to set aside their differences and band together. So the Erulean legion swept through their lands without a cohesive opposition.

When they came to the Misty Fjords the Eruleans were held back. Not by strength, but by cunning as they were lead by a Bruchts Great-Great-Great-.... -Great-Great-Grandfather and his wife, who was a clever volva. They raided the Erulean supplies and they cut off their essentia by attacking the axial nexuses further south. Their forces were impossible to pin down amongst the mountains. But they had a weakness - their young.

The Erulean's raided their villages and captured all the youths of the clans. It was with this bargaining chip that they forced the Misty Fjords to make peace. When they sat at the table to speak of peace the Tribune feared that any peace would not be long lasting and he demanded that they take a hostage with them. Bruchts' clever ancestors agreed with little hesitation as they had a plan.

They sent their youngest son, and agreed to do the same for each generation. On the walk to the Erulean capital at each mountain they placed a stone. A stone that guided them home, and more importantly - guided future generations to their target.

The story was fascinating to Bruchts, but he knew to take the tales of his people with a pinch of salt. They tended to take liberties with truth and to borrow pieces from other stories to make the one they told more grandiose.

"...and this is where you come in. The volva are singing that the winds of change are blowing, and the time has come to prepare our forces to strike."

"What are you saying?" He asked in Erulean.

"It is time for you to follow the stones home and return to the clan."

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