Cradle Will Wight Quotes

There are a million Paths in this world, Lindon, but any sage will tell you they can all be reduced to one. Improve yourself.

Only storms turn fish into dragons,

When a traveler cannot find a path, sometimes he must make his own.

As he was halfway through the portal, pushing forward as though trying to escape a rushing river, he screamed, “Remember, Lindon! Remember to visit a barber! A barber, Lindon! Your hair lacks volume and defin—

Fate is not fair, but it is just. Hard work is never in vain…even when it does not achieve what you wished.

Some believe that hope is the strongest force in the universe,” Dross said. “Although that is objectively untrue.

I have so little. To a beggar, even scraps become a feast.

The son of a cripple might be a cripple, but the son of tigers won’t be a dog.

Eithan looked from his enemy’s weapon to his own. “Longhook, is it? You can call me Tiny Scissors.

...I'm not a pie-construct, am I? What I know about pie could fill a...a little...the tiny scoop you use to eat soup.” “A spoon?” “No, that can't be right. That's ridiculous. Spoon. Get out of here with your nonsense words.

In his experience, practically anything became an adventure if framed properly.

The very idea beggared his imagination, but that only meant his imagination was too limited.

If I have to choose between disappointing you or my disciple…well, I’m sorry, but I don’t like you very much.

They call you the twenty-fourth ranked Lowgold on the combat charts,” she said. “You know what that means?” “That there are twenty-three Lowgolds stronger than I am,” he said immediately. “That you're ranked higher than three quarters of the Empire!

When there’s only one road forward, take it with a smile.

But the foundation of any Path is learning to accept the world as it is, not as you wish or even observe it to be.

It’s interesting how humans decide whether or not to panic by watching others, [...] what if all of you are wrong together?

I think you may have seen hard work sometime in the past,” Yerin called back, “but you never came close enough to shake its hand.

Oh no, I missed something!” Eithan cried. “Quickly, repeat your entire conversation before you forget a word!

Wow,” Dross said in his head. “Roomy in here. Were you born with two extra-large cores? I'm sorry, that sounds rude. But do feel free to answer.

Even dragons,” Orthos said, “know when to bow.

It's like I'm dying of poison, and I'm drowning in a sea of the antidote.

Sacred Valley is too soft. Only storms turn fish into dragons, and there are no storms here.

You’ve got quite a complicated soul, don’t you? Two cores, I feel like that’s an unusual number. And I can see your face so much more clearly now! It’s…well, at least you have a wonderful spirit. Yes, indeed. That spirit of yours, wow.

Starting to get hungry out here,” Yerin said, as they marched on their patrol route through the Night Wheel Valley. “Not me,” Lindon replied. He pulled the object from his soulspace and popped it into his mouth. “I have a bean.

Don’t worry, I don’t train my students like that anymore,” Eithan said, holding up a bottle to the light. “I was far too lenient before. After weeks of my training, that girl should have been fighting those bears. With her fists.

When a horse carries a man, which of them is the stronger party?

Apologies, but I thought you would try to trick me into doing it.” “Lindon! Lindon. Lindon. How dare you say something so hurtful and yet so accurate.

He drew himself up as though proud to be asked the question. “Young lady, I am the greatest janitor in all existence. I am the son of a janitor, last in a long line of janitors that stretch all the way back to the Sage of Brooms...and beyond!

Fine then. I spit on the honor of the Sandvipers, that pathetic collection of cowards and cripples. You don't have a spine between you, you only use poison because it takes courage to face an enemy in battle, and I could improve on a Sandviper warrior by stapling a snake to a scarecrow's arm. Also your mothers were dogs and your fathers were blind, and so on. Fight me.

Truth does not care for your feelings

A dragon does not allow fear to make his decisions for him,” Orthos rumbled. “A dragon decides for himself.

[If my memories of Northstrider have taught me anything,] Dross said, [it’s that the sacred arts only get weirder.]

Not enough. With only this much, I’m afraid the flavor won’t set in.” Orthos flicked his tail. “Some Archlords do eat intelligent sacred beasts.” “There’s one such Archlord before you now. Be silent and marinate.

The only difference,” Eithan said, “is that you trusted him. Trust comes with time. And during that time, you will clear that course with your Goldsign or I’ll tie you to a string and drag you behind the house like a kite.

Accepting an unpleasant situation you are powerless to change is not treachery, it is maturity.

A dragon uses his full strength, whether he's fighting a Sage or a mouse.

You want somebody for a suicidal mission, sure, we're your guys. But this is just suicide.

But in every world, in all the thousands of variations on humanity the universe spun out, people always loved to bet on the underdog.

A man holds grudges for a day, a family for a year, and a clan for a lifetime.

What has she got cooking?” Yerin asked. She wouldn't put it past the old woman to boil up a pot full of spiders. “Apologies, I'm not sure. Crab, I think?” Crabs. The spiders of the sea.

Lindon watched the mug as though committing it to memory might help him somehow. “Pardon, but I couldn’t transport the mug directly from the shelf to the table without my authority.” “I can,” Eithan said, rolling up his sleeves. “Let me show you.” His smile dropped and his eyes sharpened. He held out his hands, focusing his will. Then he grabbed the mug, lifted it, and placed it on the other end of the table. “Behold!” he cried. “I have transported the cup!

It means accepting who you are, not who you will always be.

Yerin’s eyebrows lifted. “If I had to pick between you and a rusty spoon, I’d have to think about it first.

I will expect you all to carry me like a rescued princess,” Eithan declared.

A worry shared is a worry halved.

How has no one killed you yet?” “Sheer laziness.

We have stared into the abyss and lived to tell the tale,” Ziel said. “I’m going to sleep.

With a flourish, Eithan flipped open the lid of the box. A disc floated within, suspended in midair. It was made of two flat, black discs on the outside, containing between them a layer of creamy white. It smelled sweet and tantalizing, and Lindon began to drool. “Ladies, gentlemen, turtle: for your enrichment and education, I present to you the greatest spiritual elixir ever invented by mankind. Behold…the O’ree’o.

The boy had to have known it was useless. [He knew,] her Presence confirmed. And he tried anyway, Suriel thought. This was the sort of person the Abidan were created to save: the weak who stood against the strong. The sort of person the Phoenix was meant to save. The sort of person who might, with a little outside help, even reach beyond their fate.

Every morning, he would bring her a boulder and have her try to cut it in half with the Rippling Sword. Every morning, she failed, and he took the stone away, only to bring a new one the next day. She’d thrown her training sword aside in disgust. “I can’t do it,” she had said. “Been waiting for you to say that,” he’d responded. He had taken her to a cave behind a waterfall, where he had kept all of the stones she had tried and failed to cut. There were the marks of her failure: slashes in the rocks where her madra had cut. The scars started faint, but they got wider and deeper. And the stones got bigger. “This is what you did yesterday,” he’d said, pointing to the largest rock, the one with the deepest cut. “I can’t wait to see what you do tomorrow.

When you saw everything, you usually had to pretend you didn't. It was more polite that way.

The only true defeat is death.

If I want the words of a silly girl, I will reach back a hundred years and ask myself.

than

Cassias was happy for him, he really was, but he still kicked Eithan off the tower. It felt just as good as the Emperor had promised.

Good thing it hasn’t attacked us yet!” Eithan shouted. It immediately attacked.

Then the sky had turned red. He and his fellow servants had taken shelter in the cold furnace, huddling together for days before the earth stopped shaking

Power exploded from the Silent King’s corpse. Hunger aura. It flashed to every corner of the world, empowering the other Dreadgods. All four of them.

chance

cup!

Soulfire itself, and the process of weaving it from vital aura, gave Lords powers that no Gold could access.

the foundation of any Path is learning to accept the world as it is, not as you wish or even observe it to be.

Plan? My plan is the same as it has always been. I planned to build up a team of those who can walk into situations like this, together, and solve the problems that no one else could.

He is looking to stand out by provoking one of the Empire's villains in front of everyone," the turtle said, not bothering to keep his voice down. Everyone heard. "He is not confident enough in his results to let them speak for him, so he has to distinguish himself in another way. He is the weakest sort of scavenger, crawling along the bottom and looking for scraps. Crush him.

He had taken her to a cave behind a waterfall, where he had kept all of the stones she had tried and failed to cut. There were the marks of her failure: slashes in the rocks where her madra had cut. The scars started faint, but they got wider and deeper. And the stones got bigger. “This is what you did yesterday,” he’d said, pointing to the largest rock, the one with the deepest cut. “I can’t wait to see what you do tomorrow.

Eithan took another sip of poison. In his experience, practically anything became an adventure if framed properly. Her spirit was still flawless, her foundation solid. The Sage of the Endless Sword had done a wonderful job with her, as was expected. There was the problematic matter of her past—as some of the Sandvipers had learned when they tried to unravel the 'rope' around her waist—but even that could be turned to her advantage. Like adventure, advantage was so often just a matter of perspective.

a sense of authority, as though he was suddenly possessed by the Remnant of a king.

Her Blood Shadow exploded. Blood madra splattered all over the walls in a spray as though it had been struck by the hand of a Monarch.

Everyone thinks they’re making the world a better place,

River doesn't get too far without banks,” Yerin said. “Out of control, it's just a flood. Spills everywhere. You want it to go where you want it to go, you have to guide it.

sputtering

The Bleeding Phoenix gave a keening cry and fled like a chicken desperate to avoid the axe.

Eithan stared up at the fortress of death and wondered how he had gotten in so far over his head.

That night, Lindon stuffed a shovel into his pack and prepared to cheat.

Fury finally broke the quiet by clapping his hands together. The entire room shook, and someone down the hall screamed.

Then the sky had turned red. He and his fellow servants had taken shelter in the cold furnace, huddling

Remnant pieces.

Larian said. “Or, I guess more appropriately, caught between one Dreadgod and another.

Will they take vengeance, or will they see Lindon as a replacement for their brother

A common misunderstanding. You can bring joy to others even when you don’t feel it yourself.

...regret couldn't change the truth.

To you, for reading this far. Thank you for walking this Path with me all the way to the end.

authority

about

master to step up. A twisting snake shot out from Jai Long’s palm, and she met it with the edge of her master’s sword. Only the sheer quality of the weapon saved her, because she had

I have many plans and many ideas. But I've long believed that it's better for someone to choose their own direction and then accept guidance than to be pushed where I want them to go.

Take your Truegold and run,” Lindon said to the Highgold beside him. The boy leaped to obey, running to scoop up his leader. Lindon couldn't tell if she was alive or dead, and he couldn't spare the attention to scan her.

And now he felt the third advancement in him. He almost said the words: I will never stop. But the Archlord revelation was all about his future, and this one wasn't to his liking. So he changed it. "We," Lindon said, "will neve stop.

the Treasure Hall… “Dragon fever,” Yerin said from the front of the cloud. Lindon jerked up, startled out of his daydreams. “Dragon?” She laughed into the wind as they skipped off of a outcropping, floating down to land above the ground again. “That’s what master would say. Sacred arts are expensive, and it takes a pile of pills and treasures to advance. It’s when you get lost in gold for it’s own sake, that’s the dragon fever.” Lindon’s face heated. She’d seen through him without even looking at him.

Mercy sat up, staring at him. “Is it the owl? Is it here?” She craned herself around in her little nest of black madra, eager to see. She had been desperate to catch a glimpse of the owl. She hadn't said why, but sometimes people could be superstitious about Remnants.

[I’m just savoring the moment. You know, if I didn’t open the door, he couldn’t get in? That means I, and I alone, have the power to determine his fate. It feels good. What do you call that?] “Megalomania?” Eithan suggested. [Oh, I like that word. Let’s go with that.]

The invisible bubble containing them rushed forward, and Lindon’s body shuddered with the instinct to protect itself, but Suriel spoke as though reciting a poem. “There are a million Paths in this world, Lindon, but any sage will tell you they can all be reduced to one. Improve yourself.” Lindon was still somewhat worried about offending this visitor from another world, but he dared to say, “That doesn’t sound like enough.” The mountain rushed closer as they descended into its shadow. “It’s been my path for longer than you would believe. Do you think anyone dares to attack my homeland?

Charity gave him a disapproving look. “Inciting a member of our head family to steal one of our core secrets is a grave offense. Especially for a Sage. You might say that with great power comes great responsib—” Charity shuddered as though she’d sensed something. Lindon frowned. “What’s wrong?” “I don’t know…I just suddenly got the feeling that if I completed that sentence, I would immediately die.” “You could phrase it differently,” Lindon suggested. “I’ll try.” Charity straightened her spine and spoke again. “Power like yours carries heavy responsibility.” She paused, waiting for something, and neither of them sensed anything ominous this time. Charity let out a breath of relief. “That was very strange,” she said. Lindon slapped his forearm. “Now what was that?” Charity asked. “Oh, it’s nothing. A spider tried to bite me, but I got it in time.” Lindon brushed his arm clean. “Now, what were you saying?

There's a cave in this very city where the Arelius family has sealed a descendant of the ancient dragons, and that cave is filled with such madra! What luck!” Lindon finally caught on. “By chance, does that cave happen to be Underground Chamber Number Three?” Eithan beamed and clapped him on the back. “By now, my servants should have the seals undone and a medical team standing by. After you!

[This is a good plan,] Dross whispered. [Now we’ll be able to train against a model of him. Our uprising will be swift.] Eithan loosened his shoulders. He hopped in place, rolling his neck. “Well then, who am I to deny the request of my two adorable subordinates?” The door slid upward, and Eithan tilted his head as though listening to something. Then he slipped his scissors back into his pocket. “I won’t be needing those. Lindon, since we’re not keeping secrets any longer, you should pay close attention.” The door slid up enough so that Lindon could see the arena floor was covered in white sand, unlike the dark domain that had sealed off Lindon and Yerin. “This,” Eithan said, “is the Path of the Hollow King.” The Ninecloud Soul’s voice boomed out across the stadium. “Sacred artists, I present Eithan Arelius, chosen of Akura Malice!

He does deserve it,” Malice said. The shadow-arms reached up and swallowed the golden speck whole; Yerin could sense nothing of him anymore, and she couldn’t be sure if Malice had erased the dragon or transported him somewhere else for capture. “I respect your position,” the Monarch went on. “The rule of humanity is civilization, and civilizations are based on laws. We should not lower ourselves to our base instincts, or we are no better than they.” Malice gave a cold smile. “And while I agree up to a point, there is something to be said for…proportional response.” Yerin surveyed the ravaged valley. “Looks to me like you’ve got your response.” “It is yet far from proportional.” But Malice warmed once again as she faced Yerin. “But they can wait. They are bare of defense before me…thanks to you.” She took Yerin’s hand in both of hers. “How can I bless your life, Yerin?

Thank you,” Eithan said quietly. The embrace continued until Lindon realized Eithan’s back was shaking. The man was sobbing, as Lindon had only seen him once before: when the sky turned black. He pushed back, trying to see Eithan’s face. “Eithan? Are you okay?” Tears streamed down Eithan’s cheeks, and he forced a smile. “I just…I wasn’t prepared…to be so proud.” He ruffled Lindon’s hair. “You used my shampoo.” Involuntarily, Lindon let out a laugh. “I did it!” Eithan cried. “I have cracked the stone-faced man! It shall go down in history as one of my greatest feats. And look!” He ruffled Lindon’s hair again. “So silky smooth! Such volume! Truly, this is my apprentice.

Lindon sat at a table, mug of hot tea in his hands. “Is it just me, or does this book feel shorter than the others?” “That’s the goal, isn’t it?” Eithan pointed out. He was leaning back in his chair, with his black armor hanging on a stand behind him. “Don’t you want a story to feel shorter than it is? To leave you wanting more?” “Couldn’t say I care if it is,” Yerin said. She rolled her empty mug across the table. “Tea’s not bad. Where’d you get it?” “Space.” Eithan turned back to Lindon. “I’m not usually one for measuring things precisely, but I get the feeling that this book will actually end up longer than the last one. Thanks to a little strategic addition.” “Really?” Lindon frowned and took another sip of tea. “You think this story is longer than the last one?” “If my calculations are correct, this book should have more words than the last by exactly…” Eithan counted to himself. “…one.

Lindon didn’t feel like it was the time to mention that he had first summoned an Icon when he was an Underlord. Eithan raised a hand. “May I point out that I trained these two?” Naru Huan breathed in for a solid five seconds, and then exhaled even more slowly. He strolled over to Eithan and put a hand on the Archlord’s shoulder. “I know, Eithan. I do know. You have done more for the Empire than anyone since my mother, but you make it so hard to be grateful. If only you weren’t so…infuriating. All the time.” “All the time is a little harsh.” A little more humanity cracked Eithan’s smile. “I will allow, though, that I can be a unique experience.” “Let him kick you,” Yerin suggested. Everyone looked to her—Naru Huan’s face had grown substantially brighter—but she didn’t back down. “You want to show you’re sorry? Let him kick you.” Eithan’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I’m a little disturbed at how quickly you came to that suggestion.” “I dream about it every night.” Naru Huan controlled himself, but Lindon could see that he was holding back excitement. “I would like that very much.” “Well, if I’m not going to defend myself, I would prefer if you took it easy—” He didn’t. The Emperor’s kick contained all the madra, aura, and soulfire of an experienced Overlord. The sudden detonation of air would have leveled Lindon’s house if not for the scripts and his own protection. As it was, air surged out from Windfall for miles, even buffeting some landing cloudships. Lindon watched as Eithan flew as a rapidly vanishing speck to the west. “I think he might make it all the way to Sacred Valley.