—— ? ——

  In one’s life, there are circumstances that are thrust upon you.

  Some of these, you can influence. You can make choices that limit the impact or consequences of those circumstances. To the point that they never happen.

  Others are shoved onto you and there isn’t anything you can do about it.

  Simon sorely wished that his current circumstance had been the latter. However, the stone that plummeted towards him was entirely the result of his own choices.

  He hadn’t chosen to be in this messed up system run world. That had been thrust upon him. He hadn’t chosen to be cursed, or land in Varnholt valley.

  But Simon had, unfortunately, decided to go head to toe with a stone wall in the dumbest manner possible. He guessed these thoughts were just the type of things you thought of before you became a pancake.

  In almost slow motion, the slabs of stone descended.

  Well, out of all the ways to die, death by my own stupidity is par for the course.

  He tensed his legs, trying to crouch and leap away. His body vibrated with the after effects of his skill. Off kilter, numb, and feeling empty, he could do nothing else but watch his death approach.

  Still, Simon wasn't going to die just like this. He pushed against his protesting, stunned muscles, willing himself to get out of the way. He had no idea which direction to move to, but anywhere beat the place he knew had hundreds of pounds of stone in route.

  Damnit. He couldn’t move. shit.

  I didn’t even check. I bet its a fucking tuesday.

  He moved his arms above his head and closed his eyes, bracing himself. As if that was going to do anything to help this situation.

  It beat doing nothing.

  Cracking stone, the rush of wind, and roaring filled his ears. So long world.

  Wait.

  Roaring?

  WHAM!

  Simon felt the impact, his vision spinning. His breath was knocked from his lungs as his body rocketed to the side. Bruising pain spread from his front as it felt like something had just caved in his chest.

  What?

  He was going sideways? Something bounced off his ankle causing a spike of bone deep pain to lance up his calf.

  CRUNCH!

  Simon saw stars as pain rocketed from his back and head.

  “Oooof” was all he managed to get out before it felt like he was being crushed by a freight train. He tried to open his eyes, but all he could see was a blur of color and pinpricks of static. His mind tried to comprehend what was going on.

  Simon’s world was nothing but pain, confusion and a deafening cacophony of crashing, grinding sounds and booms. He tried to inhale, but his lungs could only ineffectually struggle against the pressure that held his chest like a vice.

  Oh great. He had managed to survive. Now he could asphyxiate to death while pain racked his body. Fantastic!

  The crashing roar of chaos and stone finally ebbed, leaving his hearing ringing and muffled.

  “Shhtt” He managed with his last bit of air in his lungs. Simon spat blood onto the thing that held him to the wall.

  That thing moved after he spat.

  “Why der fuck did yer spit on me” The thing asked.

  What? …. Kurda?

  Simon tried to respond, but the pressure was still too great. His mind was garbled and strange. He needed to focus. He need to figure out what the hell just happened.

  Something in him seemed to heat up. He felt faint heat come from within his core, then race to his mind. His vision cleared slightly and now it was clear why he couldn’t see anything. There was barely any light.

  The only light was a greenish-brown glow that surrounded the thing in front of him and pulsed into the black around them.

  Simon was still in agonizing pain, but he started to understand. Kurda was the thing on and in front of him. The big man was glowing with some type of skill or magic and his face was locked in concentration. Sweat practically rained down as the energy kept pulsing.

  Then Kurda shifted, and the pressure on Simon vanished with it. Simon took in a large lungful of dust filled error, coughing as the stone coated his lungs and scratched everything inside.

  “Yer a god damned idiot.” Kurda snarled through clenched teeth. “What der hell did yer think yer were doin’ with, yer mud brain?”

  There was a grinding sound of stone and Kurda moved further from Simon. The dark outlines of rock shifted as green-brown energy layered it.

  Simon wheezed. “How… am I alive?”

  “When I said to use yer’ skill ta’ break the stone, I meant in der’ direction of der’ tunnel!” Kurda said, his voice strained.

  Simon coughed again, blood splattering to the ground as he painfully sat up.

  “Yeah, I figured that one out.” More coughing. “But, just what happened?”

  Part of the roof screeched as the stone tried to grind down and fall on top of them. Kurda snapped his hand over towards it and a bolt of energy snagged it. The stone went from solid to liquid in a blink and split to either side of the pair.

  “Shut up.” The man growled, his legs buckling beneath him from the effort of what he was doing.

  Simon went silent, watching the man work. He was barely upright, but continued to pulse energy from within his massive frame.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  After a few moments, the stone around them glowed. The various slabs melted on their edges and fused haphazardly. Finally, the process finished and as it did Kurda slumped to the ground, heaving and panting.

  “Are… you alright?” Simon asked, voice raw. The big man shot him a look, his eyes drained. Then his eyes shut as he just lay curled on the floor, breathing raggedly.

  For minutes there were only the bellows of Kurda’s breath and pulsing pain in Simon’s senses. With each passing second, the space they were in grew in temperature from their body heat.

  Kurda caught his breath and slumped back against the haphazardly fused wall. His eyes were shut as he took in air at a slow and measured pace.

  “Bahhhhh.” He said in a long exhale. “That was one of der’ hardest things I ever done.”

  The big man patted his clothes then dug into a pocket. From came a stone which after a moment began to glow casting warm light through the space.

  “Der, that’s better.” Kurda said, looking across at Simon. “Always got ta’ keep a light on yer down here. Never know when yer will end up in the dark.”

  Simon nodded. “Makes sense to me.” he sighed. “Sorry Kurda.”

  “Aye, that was a dumb ass thing to do Mr Starfall.” Kurda said, stretching his arms. His back popped like a gun going off. “Even dumber ta’ just stand there and let it fall on yer’. Why didn’t yer’ move?”

  Simon grimaced. “I tried to! Just…. I don’t know. I couldn’t?” He put his hand to his chest, feeling his bruised ribs. “I’m not really sure honestly. It felt like my whole body was vibrating after I took that last swing. Couldn’t move a muscle, could barely think. I think that skill I have may have one or two… drawbacks.”

  Kurda laughed. “Hah! One o’ two yer’ say? I feel like that may be understatin’.” He shook his head. “If yer’ use that skill to fight, I would be careful. It’s damned impressive in its ability for destruction but… if it leaves yer’ staring into ta’ void like a dumbass, yer’ gonna end up dead using it.”

  He gestured around the small safe pocket of stone they sat in. “Or stuck in a bad situation.”

  Simon nodded. “So far, the thing I have been fighting is normally gone by the time I charge it to that extent.”

  “Yer’ I can see that.” Kurda let out a grunt as he got to his feet. “Its gettin’ too stuffy in here for me. How bout’ we get out of here.”

  Kurda’s energy returned as the stone-mason ran his hands across the stones surface, searching for something. After a moment, he muttered. “Ah ha.” and then a surge of green-brown lanced from him into the wall.

  A dark line raced down the stone, carving a box shape.

  “Oie, Simon come help me push.” Kurda grunted, shoving his hands into wall.

  Simon pulled himself to his feet, his bruised body protesting. He stumbled across and got next to Kurda. He placed his uninjured shoulder against the wall and planted his feet. Now that he was closer he could see where Kurda had somehow split the stone. The cut’s looked like they had been done by lazer.

  “On three. One. Two.” Kurda shoved his shoulder muscles bulging. Simon flexed his legs and shoved with his shoulder. “Three!”

  They both grunted and strained, but the rock would not budge.

  “Give it more!.” Kurda grunted, face taunt.

  Simon pushed harder.

  The rock refused to move.

  “Rest.” Kurda commanded, relaxing his muscles. “Damnned stone. We need yer’ to move.” he said in a chastising tone to the wall.

  “Right. Again.” Kurda said after they took a few seconds to breath.

  They shoved again. The stone groaned and shifted slightly.

  “Move yer’ stubborn rock!” Kurda grunted. “Wer’ coming through!”

  They rested again. Simon cracked a small grin at Kurda’s expression. The man was staring at the cut-out in the rock like it was a disobedient child

  “Damned feisty chunk we got here.” Kurda muttered quietly, then raised his voice. “We go again Simon.”

  They shoved again, sweat dripping down their faces as they strained and pressed into the stone. The only response was a slight grinding sound.

  “Wer’ just need a lil bit more!” Kurda roared, his muscles bulging. “Push!”

  Simon grunted in affirmation, shoving as hard as he could. The stone moved the smallest of movements. They were so close to making it move.

  Simon growled. Stupid rock. It needed to get out of his fucking way. He was already feeling small after his bone headed move, he wasn’t about to let a single slab of stone keep him trapped.

  He needed more strength. Just a little bit more to help him shove. That thought reminded him.

  Oh, duh.

  “Anima Control.” he muttered. A golden glow bubbled up from his chest and raced down his legs and torso. It coated his legs and shoulder.

  Kurda’s eyes snapped to the glow, then the big man nodded. Kurda’s feet shifted and he grunted as he shoved harder.

  Simon strained and pushed into the stone, his legs feeling lighter. His now bruising shoulder felt better as the hardness of the stone was cut by some property of his skill. Simon put everything he had into the shove.

  For a second, nothing happened.

  Then the stone groaned and scraped as the slab moved outward. They both took a half step forward as the slab sunk into the wall.

  Then the stone reached a tipping point and Simon stumbled forward as it practically leapt away from him. He felt a big meaty hand grab the back of his clothes and stop him from falling forward.

  CRASH!

  Light from outside their protected area spilled in. Simon blinked then let out an ‘ooof’ as a big hand slapped him on the back.

  “Der’ yer’ go! Damned big chunk was sittin’ on us blocking are exit.” Kurda exclaimed. “Ha! That what yer’ get yer’ dumb rock. We were coming out no matter what, should have moved earlier.”

  Simon grinned as the big man continued to lecture the stone slab. He looked out of the hole at the tunnel cave beyond. Outside was a shit show. Chunks of stone had crushed tools, lights—everything was flickering. Precarious stones stacked on each other and teetered dangerously.

  “Well damn.” Simon muttered.

  Kurda pulled himself out of the hole and looked around, he turned and offered a hand to Simon.

  Simon took it, noticing the man’s grin.

  “I will tell yer’ what. That skill of yer’s can sure break stone.” He clapped Simon on the back again, staggering him. “Maybe yer’ could work on pointing it in a single direction?”

  Simon bit his lip, looking at all of the devastation. His heart sunk. “Sorry Kurda. I kind of fucked this whole work site up didn’t I.” He hung his head. “And yes that would be nice… but I don’t think my skill works that way. It specifically says it breaks the world around me.”

  Kurda exhaled. “Ah, damn shame. Well then I don’t think yer’ should be using yer’ skills ta’ mine stone then.”

  Simon felt heavy, a bit of frustration, but mainly just… a feeling of uselessness. It felt like an anchor was tied to him and he had fallen into a dark pool. He had thought he could help here. Just do something that wasn’t wholesale slaughter. But, it seemed his skills in this new world were only good for violence.

  Kurda had moved to some of the teetering stacks of stone. He used that green-brown energy to weld the loose chunks together, or just simply shove them over.

  “Do you need help with that?” Simon called out.

  “Nah. I'll take care of this. I can sense the stone and know how to ta’ do it safely.” Kurda replied, shoving a stone over. It slammed into the ground. Kurda nodded then moved to another section of rubble.

  Simon let out another sigh. Yeah, that made sense. He turned and started to make his way toward the tunnel. He looked back and saw Kurda concentrating as he dealt with a difficult section.

  “Well, sorry it didn’t work out.” Simon called out again, his voice depressed. “Thank you for saving my life. I’ll find some way to repay you Kurda.” Then he added dryly. “I’ll try to not cause a cave-in on the way out.”

  With that he started his hike back up the tunnel.

  Again, screwed over by the universe. Dark thoughts filled Simon’s mind. All I wanted was to help with the dumb tunnel. Time and time again, these fucking curses have screwed me over.

  Simon sighed, his steps bringing him to where Kurda had been working on the wall.

  Couldn’t it have just worked? Just this once? But no. I’m just a useless walking disaster.

  Simon’s mind felt heavy. His body numbed in a new way.

  This day sucked.

  He was about to start ascending when a booming voice made him stop.

  “... What der’ hell do yer’ mean? Cause a cave-in on the way out?”

  Simon turned to see the Kurda had stopped what he was doing and was scowling at him.

  Was he pissed? After everything that had happened, Simon knew he would have been.

  Crap.

  —— ? ——

  — AUTHOR NOTICE —

  Thanks for reading!

  ~TheBusyBard

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