Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 068 - Lifestone Unlocked

“Stop!” Bren shouted as Kaen sent one of his students to the floor with a swing of his club.

Disengaging from his training partner, Kaen smiled as another notification popped up.

[ 1 Handed Club Skill Increased ]

It was the tenth one he had received today in the four hours he had been training.

“Everyone out except for Kaen!”

Kaen glanced at the room as the four other students he had been sparing with exited the training area.  He was one skill increase from a twenty in shield use.  For the last four hours, he had channeled his need for justice. Every thought was about those who were being injured or hurt.  His lifestone would respond in spurts, sometimes letting him gain two points quickly and other times not responding at all.

He had learned to take a minute, relax, breathe, and then start the same process.

Remember Luca.

Remember Chubbs.

The power he had been calling upon began to hum again gently.  His lifestone was already answering his intent.

Lost in his thoughts, Kaen did not see Bren’s swing until the last moment.  Actually, he had not seen Bren’s attack, but his lifestone reacted, shield rising on its own, knees bending to absorb the blow, his club swinging at Bren’s legs.

Bren blocked his attack and lunged forward, using his shield as a battering ram.

Kaen’s lifestone drove his legs out and into the shield, meeting the incoming charge head-on.

Both men struck each other with their all, the cracking of their shields and pieces exploding around them as their forces collided with everything they had.

[ 1 Handed Shield Skill Increased ]

[ 1 Handed Shield Skill Waiting To Be Chosen ]

Kaen’s eyes widened at the notification, distracted to the point where Bren’s club came forward, smacking into his chest and knocking the wind out of him.

“You ok?” Bren called out as Kaen bent over, holding his chest and trying to suck in some air.

“Yes,” Kaen responded after a few seconds in a squeaky voice.  “You got me good.  I was distracted.”

“I noticed.  Why the sudden change?  All day, you have improved your skill with the shield and club.  I am surprised you managed to stop both of my first two attacks.  Is that why you got distracted?”

Kaen took a few more shallow breaths until he could breathe normally and shook his head no.

“I will tell you, but I need to have your word it stays here.”

Bren’s eyebrows bunched up as he considered what Kaen could possibly tell him that would require such secrecy.

“I would offer my word on that.  You need not ask for that ever again, especially after you sent those two boys the other day,” Bren replied with a smile. “Their presence and fervor to learn has made all my students work harder.”

A smile flashed across Kaen’s face as he could only imagine what those two must look like, learning to use a weapon and a sword.

“I would normally ask Hess this next question, but since we are here and I want to get your opinion, why wait?  How does one choose which skill to pick at level twenty for shields?”

Bren had been picking a few wood shards off his training armor and froze, eyes locked on Kaen.

“Are you asking me that for later, or are you telling me you just hit twenty in shields?” Bren asked in a very slow and steady tone.

“I’m telling you.”

Bren’s mouth opened wide in shock, and he shook his head, trying to grasp what Kaen had just told him.

“You haven’t been training except when you are here?”

“Just when I am here with you,” Kaen replied with a boyish grin.  “I know you have questions, but all I can tell you is that I have a twenty in my shield skill, and I got a notification to pick a skill.  I did not get that with archery when I hit twenty.”

Bren motioned to the bench against the wall as he walked toward it.

“Forget the mess. We can clean that up later.  For now, I’ll resist the hundred questions or more I have and how impossible what you are telling me is, but let’s sit down and figure out your options.”

As they moved to the bench, Kaen wondered what he could mean by options.  How many different skills were there?

“OK, focus on asking shield skill choices,” Bren instructed him, “and then tell me what it says.

Shield Skill Choices

[ Shield Bash  ]

[ Shield Charge ]

“I just have two: shield bash and shield charge.”

Bren bobbed his head while rubbing his eyes as he thought about those choices.

“I’m glad you did not get stuck with shield toss.  Nothing worse than removing your only defense by tossing it at someone,” Bren stated with a slight chuckle.  “If you were a true melee warrior, I would say the charge skill would be the best choice, but since you are not, shield bash is the one I would pick.  It can stun someone, knock them down, or even kill them depending on your strength, which I know is close to twenty also.”

“How do you know that?” Kaen asked in shock.

“When we collided, you did not budge, and I know my strength and how much I had put into it.  I had an idea and wanted to see if I was right,” answered Bren as he winked at Kaen. “Remember, some of us are older and wiser and can tell things by what we see.”

That made sense, and as Kaen was going to ask another question, a different one entered his mind.

“How strong would someone have to be to break another person's weapon and still crush their chest into their back?”

Bren’s reeled back as he saw Kaen mischievously smiling at him.

“That is an oddly specific question,” Bren stated.  “I am assuming you have seen this happen?”

“Maybe,” Kaen replied with a shrug, his grin increasing.  “I’m just saying, based on your knowledge, what would that take?”

“I mean…” Bren started to reply and then paused as he rubbed his chin and gazed at the floor for a moment.  “So many things to consider… quality of the sword broken, angle and size of the attack, the direction of swing, elevation…”

“Just a simple number with it being a well-made sword and standing toe to toe,” Kaen interrupted.

Sighing, Bren rubbed his head a few times with his hand.

“For a person to do that, it would have to be in the forties.  A creature who is bigger, like an orc or an ogre, has more mass and size, so they could possibly do it with lesser strength, but typically, it would need to be at least a forty to shatter a weapon and still have the momentum needed afterward.  Should I ask why?”

Kaen shook his head no and winked.

“As you said, it pays to know what someone might really have stat-wise.  I just wondered how strong they must be.”

Chuckling, Bren grabbed a waterskin and held it out for Kaen.

“I know who you are talking about, but you are also probably forgetting he was fully equipped.  That means his base stats are unknown.  I would imagine a man of his size and strength still needs some help to hit the number he has.  It’s like you,” Bren explained as he motioned to the ring on Kaen’s finger.  “I only see one ring on you now, and you appear to have no other items on you besides it.  This tells me you either wear it in memory of something or because it gives you stats you don’t want to give up.”

Fingering the red band he wore, Kaen just nodded.  He couldn’t take off the ring if he wanted, but he wasn’t sure if he would if that was possible.  It had been his father's, and that meant something to him, even if he thought it was going to cut his finger off at the beginning.

“Back to business, go ahead and select your skill.  Just think of the one you want.”

With a single thought of the skill he wanted, a new notification passed through his mind.

[ Shield Bash Acquired ]

“Huh… that was easy,” Kaen muttered.  “I’m glad I didn’t accidentally choose the other.  Any way to learn both skills or change them out?”

“I wish it were possible, but no one has ever been recorded of being able to do that,” Bren answered.  “You mentioned your archery skill was chosen for you when you hit twenty.  Were you in the middle of a fight?”

Kaen nodded and explained what had happened in Minoosh and how the skill had just presented itself.

Nodding, Bren tapped his chest where his lifestone was.

“That isn’t uncommon, really.  In the heat of battle, when those moments mean life and death, a person may acquire a skill if they hit the threshold based on the need.  Some also never get a choice.  No one really knows how it works anymore.”

Thumping the bench they were sitting on, Bren sighed.

“What I really want to know is how you managed to get a twenty already in shield use.  I guess you might say I also want to know what your club skill is as well.”

“Do you really?” Kaen asked, grinning at Bren.

“No… I probably don’t, but tell me anyway.”

“I am only at seventeen right now.”

“Hairy dwarf balls!” exclaimed Bren.  “That’s impossible!  Do you know how you are managing to do this?”

“I don’t, but my lifestone has been vibrating and pounding for the last four hours as I have been practicing.  During that time…”

“Four hours!?” Bren yelled as he jumped up from his seat.  “Don’t move!”

He ran off to the doorway the other men had left through and started yelling for people to come quickly.

“What is it?” Kaen asked, suddenly nervous as Bren ran back to him and put his hand on Kaen’s forehead.

“You should be dead or unconscious!” shouted Bren before realizing he was right in front of Kaen.  “No one's body or lifestone should be able to handle that kind of stress!”

Rubbing his chest and thinking about how he felt, Kaen could feel fatigue in his bones and muscles, yet he wasn’t sure if it was anything different than a normal day of training.

“I’m fine,” Kaen protested, trying to stand up, yet unable as Bren pushed him back down.  “I mean, I am tired, but I am fine.”

Shaking his head no, Bren kept his hand on Kaen’s shoulder and his butt planted on the bench.

“You come to me for training and agreed to do whatever I say.  You will not move until the men get you here and help you get back to the inn.”

Kaen started to protest, but the look on Bren’s face made him stop.

“You will eat, drink, and go to sleep.  I will also talk to Hess.  You cannot allow this to happen again.”

Bren leaned forward and whispered in Kaen’s ear as men started streaming into the room.

“In the old days, thousands of years ago, some men did what you proclaim to have done.  Those men’s hearts and lifestone exploded in their chests from constantly doing what you have told me you just did.”

When Bren moved away from his face, Kaen saw the fear in Bren’s eyes and realized he had possibly made a horrible mistake.

“Maybe some food and sleep would be good,” Kaen acknowledged as men brought a chair with wheels into the room.