Career Choice

 

A calm part of Ritter's mind noted that he was in deep trouble.

It also noted that it was raining, and this could be to his favor.

"Remember, a lone fighter has the advantage over multiple fighters," his old sword teacher once said. His teacher was named "Lefty" since he had lost an arm (perversely, the left one) in a battle. "They cannot read each other's minds, so you can shift and feint so that your opponents collide or separate."

The first bandit lunged at Ritter. The calm part of his mind took on old Lefty's voice. "That was clumsy. You should step right and bash him on the head with that big ass shield as he goes by. If bandit two delays his attack for half a second, you could also skewer bandit one on the ground."

Ritter went through these exact motions: shifting, bashing, and skewering as Lefty's voice suggested.

Except he slipped on the rain-soaked leaves as he was in mid-skewer. Well, two out of three...

Bandit two moved in, and Ritter stepped forward to meet him, but both men slipped.

"Ahhh!" Bandit two cried as he went down to one knee.

"Ahhh!" Ritter growled when he felt his back pop as one leg slipped sideways.

When Crow arrived, he saw three groaning fighters on the ground. Bandit one was barely moving; bandit two was on his side, holding his knee; and Ritter was face down in the wet leaves trying to roll to one side like a flipped turtle.

"Shit!" Crow said, drawing his sword. "You alright?" Before Ritter could answer, Crow complained, "I go tinkle for minute, and you've had all the fun."

Crow kicked the bandit's weapons away and helped Ritter up. Ritter groaned as he slowly twisted his back from side to side; he inhaled sharply when the twist found its mark.

"You should have become a librarian or something," Crow said as they walked back to the outpost, leaving the bandits to wallow in the mud. "Probably more your speed."

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Original image by Chrysander Mandragora (Instagram @mandragora_media).

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