The Stone Road Quotes

“You must be ready to change and be aware when things are changing. For instance, even now, outside the door is something that will change today's lesson. You must learn to listen between the rain drops. A change, when it comes, will step lightly before it kicks like thunder. Hear the light steps and be ready for the thunder.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“Zhou fell in behind an administrator carrying a wooden box full of scrolls. His own arms were laden down with scrolls and a scholar's robe covered the dark clothes, the unfortunate previous owner would wake in a few hours with a large bruise and a headache to match. He kept his head down as they approached the guarded door to the keep.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“You and the spirit are no different, there is no separation. You are the spirit and the spirit is you. It has always been this way. Where there are no spirits, there are no people. This is what we must awaken in people.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“The life of a Wu is to raise, protect and nurture that spirit. The spirit has been gifted to us, to understand it, to commune with it. We are the fathers and mothers of the spirit. Everything we do must be to honour that gift. We can harm the spirit, abuse it, treat it as a slave, we can even kill it though we would die too, but this is not our way.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“There was a scream from inside.
Drawing his sword, Haung crept up to the door and slid inside, merging with the shadows. The source of the scream was illuminated by the conjured light-ball in the centre of the room. Haung took in the scene and felt all strength flee from muscles. His arms fell limp by his side and the tip of his sword struck the tiled floor with a bright clink. From the rafters, two small bodies hung, rope tight round their necks, blackened tongues swelling from their mouths and sightless eyes staring into the void. Below the bodies of the two children, a naked woman, bruised body and bloody face sat staring at him. Blood pooled from between her knees and it was clear to Haung what had happened to her, and to her young children. She screamed again and again. Her eyes were desperate and disbelieving. Her claw fingered hands tore at her cheeks again and again. Ragged lines of blood dripped down her face, tears of madness and grief. Haung stared at her, unable to move.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“Sword fighting is not a dance, not in battle. You save all that showing off for the duels if you want to. In battle, when you kill, kill quickly, and be ready for the next enemy to come at you. One strike should be all it takes. It’s all you’ll get”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“No.” Her voice was a winter storm. “Understand life. You have lived, loved, lost and now live again. You are young and have suffered but you do not understand. You have the chance to live for hundreds of years, if you desire it. You have the spirit to do so. You will love and suffer again. You will know joy and heartache, trust and betrayal, the good and bad of all life.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“Freedom first, he thought, home second, revenge third.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“I am sorry, Zhou,” the fuzzy looking figure said quietly. “War is not what I had thought. There is no honour to be earned or won. Only the blood of innocents. I am sorry.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“Pain, brought anger, anger brought rage, aimless rage, self-directed rage. An avalanche of ‘if onlys’ and a torrent of ‘what ifs’ assaulted his mind. Images and thoughts to torture and torment him, should he ever attempt to sleep again, seared and burnt into his brain by the heat of the ruined house. Scars to last a lifetime, however long that was.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“There is nothing I can say to make this better for you,” he said with empathy in his words. He pulled her slowly in close as he slid the thin assassin blade through the skin on her back and into her heart in one graceful move. She gasped, and then folded over her lost children, “but I can bring an end to your pain. Forgive me.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“Be warned, the ink you use is magical and your oath will be binding. If you carry falsehoods in your heart, the ink will know and it will signal us. The punishment for a false oath will be harsh, I assure you.”
Haung paused to give the troops a hard stare and then he waved the first one forward, watching as the man approached the sorcerer's apprentice who stood behind the desk. The apprentice placed a pre-prepared sheet of paper in front of the man and handed him the brush pen. With a trembling hand, the man dipped the brush into the ink bowl and shakily signed his name. The ink stayed as ink and there was an audible sigh, echoed by the other recruits, from the man.
Four more times this happened. When the fifth shaking and nervous man approached, he took the brush, dipped it into the ink and drew the character for his name. As he handed the brush back the ink on the page hissed and bubbled giving off an acrid blue smoke. Guards grabbed the man and dragged him, kicking, screaming and pleading his innocence into the dark room behind the desk. There was more shouted pleading and then a chilling, bone grating, scream erupted from the doorway followed by silence. The guards re-appeared, wiping their daggers with sword-cloth and replacing them in their belt scabbards.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“It is true also, Novice Feng, that negotiations, situations, can change without warning. You must be ready to change and be aware when things are changing. For instance, even now, outside the door is something that will change today's lesson. You must learn to listen between the raindrops. A change, when it comes, will step lightly before it kicks like thunder. Hear the light steps and be ready for the thunder.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“I see nothing,” Zhou said.
“Look again, past the horizon. Now tell me again, what do you see?” the emperor said.
“I see,” the emperor saw wrinkles appear around Zhou’s eyes, “a red flame.”
“Good,” said the emperor. “Though good is not what I would term the flame of itself. Haung, the refugees who have arrived at the city gates are only the first of flood heading our way. There is something to the north, something so horrible whole nations are fleeing from it.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“The tingle raced up his arm and met the duke’s invasion in Zhou’s head. His whole body convulsed, heels drummed against the stone, arms muscles locked rigid, and Zhou felt time stop between one heartbeat and the next. Everything was silent and still.
The smell of damp earth, the bracing winter wind, the spring sun upon skin, the dry heat of summer, all exploded in Zhou’s mind. New life flooded his limbs and the roots of purpose dug down through his thoughts, anchoring him and making him whole again. Control returned to him.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“The room was more than twice his height and larger than the floor of the inn above. The walls were not the brick, or wood, he had expected. Instead, rising from floor to ceiling, were twisting, intertwining roots and tendrils. Perhaps, he pondered, it should be the other way around, the roots fell from the ceiling to the floor. The floor was a carpet of roots and he saw that, wherever the girl trod, the roots rose to meet the fall of her feet. Underneath his own, they were still and immovable.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“Haung brought his left hand up to his face. On its upraised palm a small quantity of blue powder which, with sharp exhalation, he blew into Bo’s face. The effect was immediate. Bo took a step back and struggled to raise his hands up to his face. The large man’s eyes rolled back in his head and he fell in a clattering heap to the floor.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“New life is a wonderful, precious thing, Jiin-Wei,” Marbu smiled. “Very precious as it is so fragile. I will be thinking of your family a lot in the coming days, Haung.”
“Your concern is appreciated, Secretary Marbu.” Haung struggled to keep the fury from his voice as he tried to match the ice of the other man's stare with a cool voice. “I will know where to look if something untoward or unlucky should happen. For help, I mean, of course. Rest assured, Secretary Marbu, that I would always call on you first.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“The animal came out of the undergrowth with incredible speed. Zhou could see the blue glow surrounding it and could clearly make out the fangs that were rushing towards him. He had been expecting it. He had felt the spirit animal close by for some time but despite searching carefully had not seen it camouflaged by the undergrowth.
Zhou turned to face the animal’s leap and opened his arms to embrace it.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“Well, if you want to go off and die within a week or two that is up to you. But, if you want to survive, then you’ll need training. Once the Spirit is out, you can’t return it or lock it away. It is you and you are it, bound together forever. Accept it and learn from it.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“Hold them back,” Zhou shouted as he took a fierce grip on his staff, “Hold them back.”
Wubei troops rushed past him and into the battle.
“For your lives, for your families, for Wubei!”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“It is my watch, I must go,” Zhou said, a lump of fear and sadness in his throat. His hand cupped his wife's soft cheek. “Stay indoors and bolt the doors. I will be back later.”
This was the third day since the cattle had shown up and the siege had begun. The second time he had said goodbye to the people he loved most. He picked up his boy and, being careful of the metal plates on his armour, squeezed him tightly.
“Daddy, brave,” said his son.
“Yes, Daddy brave.” He looked over the boy’s head at his wife, “Look after Mummy for me while I am out. I’ll see you later. I love you, both of you.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“Zhou watched the fake Chung’s face vanish to be replaced by another's.
“Look, Hsin,” Zhou snarled, “this is your fault.”
“No.” Hsin’s voice was a desperate whisper.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“He pushed off the arms and legs of the dead he had used as his disguise so that he could stand and in doing so looked down at the bodies of his countrymen. He looked down and met Wang’s blank stare.
“Thank you,” were the only words he could find.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“As he closed in on the mess tent, he could hear the first voices of the morning and gave a sigh of relief. The mess tent flap was closed, and he fancied he could hear the sounds of cooking, the clinking and clanking of metal, hisses of steam, from inside. His belly rolled again at the thought of food but he steeled himself, reached out a hand, lifted the flap, and stepped inside.
The inside was empty of life but it was full of death. Bodies of Wubei men lay where they had collapsed dotted all around the interior. The smell of loosened bowels and vomit violated the sanctity of Zhou’s nose causing him to heave and retch. When he had regained control he forced himself to examine the scene, to make sense of it. There was food still on the table and open barrels of wine around the place but no sign of blood or struggle.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“We have fought wars with Wubei for thirty years and we've fought with honour. Even now, their spies search us for weakness of purpose, seeking any excuse to put the emperor’s sealed peace aside. It is they, I am convinced, that cause consternation in the camp, in the city, and amongst the refugees. It cannot be allowed. It will be rooted out and dealt with harshly. We will keep the treaty, we will have peace, and Yaart, your Yaart, will survive.”
He calculated his point to be made and raised both arms slightly, palms up, a pleading gesture, “Division cannot weaken us, it cannot be allowed. We are all complicit in the events of Wen and Shen. All of us have rooted for one side or the other. We have all stood on the side-lines, willing there to be a fight. Even as their fists flew, ours were with them, feeling the impact and the joy of anger released. But we were weak. Now, we must have renewed strength and purpose. We are not each other’s enemy. We are our families, our loved ones, our children born and unborn, salvation.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“As he neared the gates, Haung noticed a slight figure dressed in a plain green robe, belted at the waist with a thin yellow sash, standing on his side of the road. She was smaller than the other adults around her but when she looked up at him, she towered above them all. He found it impossible to tear his eyes away, memories locking his gaze in place. In his ears, the blood echoed the sound of restless seas, each crashing wave a beat of his heart. He could feel himself being swept away into those dark eyes. His breath caught in his throat as she smiled shyly at him. He wanted to say something but nothing came to mind. Then she released him from her hold by turning back into the crowd and vanishing from sight. He wouldn’t let her go so easily and rose in his stirrups, craned his neck to try and catch another glimpse of Jiao.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road

“You cannot be weak to this. Magic comes from an understanding of the universe and it is cold, dark, and unforgiving. Fear will only get you killed, young Haung. Let it go, accept the darkness and cold of the universe into your heart. Harden it to the screams of others, they are nothing to the universe. It does not care for us or our plans and struggles.” The Fang-shi stopped and stabbed Haung with a penetrating stare from his shimmering golden eyes. “Accept, understand and use that knowledge. Become like the universe, Haung, do not care for the screams of others.”
― G.R. Matthews, The Stone Road