Brucenorris007

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce's brow furrowed. He hadn't known of these other tunnelers before. The bit about using children bothered him, but that couldn't be helped right now.
"What kind of magic?" he asked.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce kept light on his feet, careful to avoid making noise and mirroring Luke's movement as much as possible. He kept his position between Jenso and Luke, sensing the tension that remained between the two. Luke's tendency toward permanently eliminating his enemies clearly went against what Jenso stood for, as Bruce knew from their foray into the second temple. Luke didn't seem to have picked up on this, and knowing Luke, he'd likely not take it well if he found out right in the middle of a fight that Jenso preferred not to end the opponent's life. Bruce resolved to be responsible, once again, for following through if Jenso hesitated.
"This location seems more like a fortress or a prison," Bruce said, whispering as they crouched in the underbrush. "Why is that?"

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce kept silent on the way to the Eye of Paradise, standing just outside the threshold of the entrance while Jenso went in. He'd be able to hear the conversation and any pertinent points that related to their mission, but he felt uncomfortable intruding on what he felt to be another moment specifically meant for Jenso and Luke.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce didn't know what to make of either the creature or Jenso's sudden outburst. Rather than think too much about it, he snatched up the amulet from the ground and stuffed it into his pocket, his hand around his sheath. He kept his legs tensed and spread his feet apart, but otherwise didn't take up an aggressive stance.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce watched the creature remove one of the cores from its body, his legs tensing in case he needed to back up quickly. He noted how easily it was able to move things in and out of its body, concerned about that detail should anything devolve into a fight. He could tell something was wrong with this creature, or at least its speech patterns, because it was regressing rapidly.
A thought suddenly occurred to him.
"There was a golem here, then." he said, a statement rather than a question. "The souls you've just collected came from a golem that was here and you took them, didn't you?"

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce reached up to scratch his jaw, considering the creature's response. He hadn't heard of golems being described as such before, at least with regard to souls. Slowly, he indicated the area of the ground where the creature had been digging around.
"Is that what you have been looking for?" he asked. "The souls other golems have stolen?"

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce hid his surprise behind an impassive expression, waving his hand at his side to signal to Jenso that, so far, there was no cause for alarm. He weighed his choice of words carefully, and maintained his ki output at a very mild level to avoid provoking any violent reaction from the creature.
"I do know of the golems," he said, speaking evenly. "And I have been witness to many deaths. Perhaps more than is my due."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce considered the situation. Prior experience told him that this creature, whatever it was, would attack them. On the other hand, it hadn't made any aggressive movements toward either of them yet.
"Before we decide on either of those," he said, stepping in front of Jenso, holding up a hand to signal that he should wait back a moment. "Let's investigate something."
Bruce eased in closer to the creature, though not stepping over the threshold that would alert it to his physical presence. The previous beasts in the other temples had only attacked after Jenso grabbed the amulets. They had clearly been around before then, but for one reason or another, ignored their presence. Curious, he released a fraction of his ki to see if this creature reacted in any way. If it attacked, he could still respond. Otherwise, they'd have to make a decision on what to do.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce listened while they walked, narrowing his eyes at the ruins. Despite his attention being split, he was genuinely interested in Jenso's history.
"I never had any misconception about your anger," he said. "I'm still considering the guild. But I assure you, my decision will be entirely separate from any outburst you may have."
He paused at the explanation Jenso gave for his furious exchange with Luke from earlier. He understood better now why things had devolved the way they did. Still, they needn't have. Bruce feigned a cough to hide a quick smirk at the thought that both father and son were incredibly stubborn.
"I can see why you couldn't tolerate having your friend insulted," he said. "But for whatever mistakes Luke may have made, he clearly loved your mother. I doubt his words against your friend originated from anything more than simple jealousy."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Bruce took another swig of his drink.
"If you don't know what to do," he said, still not making eye contact. "Then spend some time not knowing."
Bruce decided to finish off his drink and then rose to his feet.
"I spent several months of not knowing." he said. "Being uncertain for a while will push you to make a definite decision when the time comes."
Bruce picked up his sheath and strapped it to his waist. He turned to walk out of the paradise to the tunnel leading to the next temple, pausing only to glance over his shoulder.
"All I'll say is that you have to consider the other person's perspective if you want to know anything worthwhile."
With that, he walked out of the dining area toward the path for the next temple.