Grounding himself in the Realm in Dream, Matthias began to meditate.
Sitting in the middle of the dream village, he breathed in the cool air, his consciousness washing all thought away, letting his mind focus on his senses.
Doing so was surprisingly easy.
He had been practising ...
2025-03-31 22:39:04 +0000 UTC View Post“What in the name of every god and goddess is an enlightenment?” Matthias asked.
Polla beamed.
“An inspiration: a discernment into someone or the world around them as it relates to their Divine Breath. Cultivating is not a simple matter of taking in energy, reinforcing channels ...
2025-03-30 14:05:29 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias froze, his every instinct screaming.
Beggahasta’s eyes hardened like ice.
The mage sat silently, her grey gaze drinking in every detail of the young greatfolk; it felt like nothing could escape her.
He hoped that she was just trying to trick him: maybe she knew ...
2025-03-29 18:24:23 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias was faced with the most important decision of his young life.
Would he leave his home and family to develop a powerful foundation?
Or would he stay in Barrowgate and take a chance with his foundation: creating one that might be weaker?
He was torn. His mind in turmoil.<...
2025-03-28 22:46:21 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias’ heart sped up.
“Get back!” Bregindoure shouted.
The black carriage landed on the banks of Bear’s Head Pond, its cloud-horses stilling as it came to rest.
It had looked large from far, but up close, it was truly massive: less like a carriage and more like a buil...
2025-03-27 22:23:12 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias raced down the dirt road, wind whistling past him, pines blurring around him. Ahead, his brother’s arms pumped, tree-trunk like legs churning the ground, runes burning on the backs of his hands as he sprinted.
His immense stride catapulted him forward at terrible speed, yet he ra...
2025-03-26 17:13:41 +0000 UTC View Post“Alright!” Valdor raised his sword, striking the pommel against his shield. A metallic clang rang through the courtyard of Sur Friya’s training grounds. “I’m ready!”
Matthias slowly brought his sword into guard position. Using the hook on his warhammer, he pulled down his visor....
2025-03-25 14:26:22 +0000 UTC View PostAfter spending Bregindoure’s first sunrise as a free man with each other, the Stonebreaker family finally went to their beds, sleeping a full day and night as though their minds and bodies needed healing from years of exhaustion.
During his sleep, Matthias had only trained lightly in the ...
2025-03-24 18:13:08 +0000 UTC View PostWith eyes locked on the Rune of Clarity burning on the back of Bregindoure Stonebreaker’s left hand, Eklund’s mind raced, raw panic gripping him.
A Rune that—if obtained—granted any rune-marked bearing the Rune of the Berserker, the freedom and rights most other rune-marked were per...
2025-03-21 16:21:55 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias awoke with a lightness he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Even when he’d defeated his tormentors, Bregindoure’s plight was never far from his thoughts.
Now, his brother was almost free.
But he wasn’t free yet.
There was more to do.
“Matt?” Begga...
2025-03-19 20:42:52 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone,
Today I am back for an eighth time to show you a brand new track...well, it's not brand new, it's the eighth instalment in a very old very long track! That's right everyone, it's time for Mark of the Fool 8 to release on Audible!
I would hold for applause, but Tr...
2025-03-19 19:39:19 +0000 UTC View PostRed light burned on the back of Bregindoure’s left hand, pulsing in time with the radiance of the Rune of the Berserker on his right one. The Rune that served as this nightmare world’s sun shifted in shape, warping in the blackness of the sky.
Matthias raised his arm, blocking the blazi...
2025-03-17 20:56:16 +0000 UTC View PostNight had fallen over the mountains.
The rains had come with it.
A downpour lashed the Stonebreaker home, turning the evening miserable for the guards patrolling outside; they hugged their cloaks tight around themselves, watching the house.
Their lord had...
2025-03-15 22:05:31 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias Stonebreaker stared up at the cloudy sky, wondering if he had lost his mind.
He rubbed his eyes, blinked, glanced away, then looked up again.
It was still there: a carriage of a dead black hue, flying smoothly as though travelling on solid ground.
<... 2025-03-14 22:16:10 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias Stonebreaker strode toward the herd of gnoles, his cloak billowing behind him.
His tentacle writhed from his shadow.
His eyes were pure ice.
The young greatfolk towered over the beasts.
With hoots and shouts, the antlered creatu...
2025-03-14 22:12:43 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias Stonebreaker charted the gnoles’ bloody trail through the wilderness.
At first, it was easy to follow: dried gore, cracked bone, dozens of prints and deep drag furrows marked their path to the south east.
Bits of rotting flesh, torn clothing and rusty bloodstain...
2025-03-12 19:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostIn the nights since Bregindoure’s capture, Matthias would enter his dreams.
During those nights, his brother always had the same dream, or rather, nightmare.
He was always in a blood-bog among islands of skulls.
The Rune of the Berserker always bu...
2025-03-12 18:53:23 +0000 UTC View Post“The Way of Stone is all about force: creating force, channeling force, maximizing outgoing force, enduring and minimising incoming force. Sur Friya has trained you in the Way of Stone’s foundations—its stances, guards, strikes—but she doesn't know its higher forms. She does not know how ...
2025-03-10 18:16:27 +0000 UTC View PostBeggahasta squinted through the spring meadow, her eyes scanning the space where Matthias’ door hovered. “I don’t see anything. Nothing at all.”
“Really?” Her son pointed to the portal again. “Not in that spot right there?”
He saw the doorway to his dream-r...
2025-03-07 23:05:09 +0000 UTC View PostThe hulking beast stared at Matthias, its red eyes piercing the dark.
The barest remnants of his brother’s features lay in the monster’s face; Bregindoure’s familiar golden beard hung below a bear-like snout, crowned by an eagle’s sharp beak. Fangs like a tiger’s gleam...
2025-03-07 23:04:57 +0000 UTC View Post“Mother, if it’ll keep Breg alive.” Dagma’s head hung low. “Then I’ll…I’ll do what Eklund wants.” A choked sob followed. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave, but…but if it’s going to help Breg…”
The young girl’s body trembled.
Matthias stared at the ragged hole in Bregindoure’s cell wall.
He could hear his brother’s roars.
Horror ran through him, all the way down to his core as his mind tried to catch up with what he’d just witnessed.
“Stay here!” Beggahasta ordered. “I h...
2025-03-03 20:22:38 +0000 UTC View PostWelcome to the I Am Become Death Table of Contents! Please enjoy my little story.
Chapter 69 (Nice): Light and Shadow
2025-02-28 19:07:52 +0000 UTC
View Post
There was no void beyond the infirmary door.
“What…the…” Matthias whispered.
Instead, there was Eklund’s courtyard, its shape twisted and hazy.
Almost like—
“In a dream.” Matthias gaped. “It feels like a dream.”
The c...
2025-02-28 18:55:38 +0000 UTC View PostEarl Jan Eklund was a cautious and patient man.
Thin and frail when young—a great liability in these barbaric realms—he’d learned to manipulate, keep his head down and most importantly, bide his time.
One of his favourite sayings was: ‘a thousand knife thrusts ...
2025-02-28 18:55:23 +0000 UTC View PostMatthias and his companions emerged through Eklund’s front gate, parting the crowd like a ship through stormy seas. Villagers reached out to touch the young man’s shoulders, giving him congratulations, and well-wishes.
His eyes met gazes filled with shock, pride and even fear…bu...
2025-02-28 18:55:09 +0000 UTC View PostHaakon spread his arms, twirling his axe in one hand.
“Come on, then!” He taunted.
Matthias slid forward, extending his sword, waving the point back and forth as he edged closer to his opponent. Committing too quickly had often left him open when he’d fought th...
2025-02-28 18:54:53 +0000 UTC View PostFirst, 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 b...
2025-02-28 18:54:41 +0000 UTC View PostKari, son of Haakon, was having a good day.
A very good day.
The end of summer had come—for the warm season was vanishingly short in the north of Evalmera—but at last, Kari was going home. Home to see his father, to return to his old haunts…and have a little revenge ...
2025-02-28 18:54:31 +0000 UTC View PostBy 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—” One mumbled, pausing as his gaze fell on the towe...
2025-02-28 18:54:21 +0000 UTC View Post