B2 Chapter 6: Those Who Throw StonesQuintus heaved himself against the winch, leveraging all of his supernaturally increased strength as he did. The ratchet latch slipped one more time, settling into place as the ballista's string tightened even further."Stand ready!"He stepped back. At this point, the weapon was so taut that if something broke, everyone within twenty feet of the machine would be in serious danger. He had seen a cord snap once, the end detaching from the body of the ballista with violent force, nearly cutting a man in two.With their current capabilities, a break would be even worse. Then again, maybe their increased resilience would counteract it. He had no intention of finding out either way."Fire!"He gave the command and the lever was pulled.A stone talent rocketed out of the ballista fast enough that Quintus had trouble tracking it. The projectile slammed into a wall of wooden stakes, reducing them to kindling and sending a shudder through the entire structure. Further down the wall, he heard the crack of splintering wood as similar scenes played out in unison. The officers watching the display jotted down a few notes on their tablets as his team began reloading.Quintus moved as well, switching positions with another Legionnaire as he grabbed another talent and slotted it into place. The thing was heavy enough that he didn't think he would've managed this a week ago. But with proper technique, he had no problem getting it seated—even without another man to aid him.This time, when the order was given, he was the one who pulled the (...)