The buzzards told them where Tang and Liang were. Meg squinted in the afternoon sun and counted them quietly. Six in total. Big and black, the red skin of their heads was loose and scrunched like a balled up sock. They were adorable but she didn’t tell anyone that. Ahead of them Shaynala and Farook’s friends were sprawled out in the sand. From a distance they saw the dark blood that had seeped into the ground but only Farook was prepared for what they looked like up close.

Bruce gagged and turned away from the sight. Looking at Tang and Ling didn’t do wonders for her stomach either but she didn’t look away. She had seen things like this before. Violence and its effects were always easier to deal with in the game.

Shaynala opened her mouth in a breathless wail and dropped to her knees. Farook and Master Leroy pounced on her, trying to console her, but she shook them off. Tears flowed down her brown cheeks and darkened the blood stained sand in front of her. She cried, her chest convulsing as she took in the savagery at work. Farook had been right. The bandits were cruel thugs and had no concept of mercy.

Meg let the woman cry and put her attention on Bruce. She put a hand on the small of his back and rubbed. Still amazed after all these years at how much easier it was to interact with people in the game than it was in real life. Out in the world she would have hesitated half a dozen times and offered to get someone else to help them. Anything to remove herself from the confusion that gripped her when face to face with strangers.

“There is no shame in throwing up,” She said.

Bruce leaned on his knees and breathed in through his nose. Held it and exhaled. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” he whispered. “Look at them.”

She looked over her shoulder at Tang and Ling. The cut marks were deep and numerous. Slash marks across the face and chest, a knife wound in the genitals, ears lopped off, eyeballs baked in the heat of the sun. All that before the buzzards could even take a turn. Six feet away from Ting was the severed remnant of Ling’s left hand. Meg stared at it and committed it to memory. This grisly scene would give her strength when the fighting started.

“We have to do this,” She said, rubbing his back in slow concentric circles.

“Why?” Bruce said. “We’re merchants not imperial inquisitors.”

“We can’t let them get away with this,” She said. “If we give them a pass they’ll do it again next time. This wasn’t a simple killing. They mutilated them. Probably tortured them. We’re dealing with the sickest of puppies.”

“What if we can’t handle it?” He said. “did you ever think of that?”

“If we can’t do it we’ll back off,” Meg replied. “But between all of us I think we have a damn good chance of wrecking their shit.”

Bruce stood up and brushed the hair out of his face. He kept his eyes on the ground, his face twisted in a grimace. Meg understood how he felt. The first time she had seen the game’s carnage up close it had given her nightmares for three days. She could still smell the overwhelming sweetness of burnt flesh whenever she thought about it. After that day she’d changed her settings. Screw total immersion. She already had a high enough therapy bill without adding that sort of trauma to it.

Meg patted him on the back and returned to Shaynala. She knelt in the sand, hands out before her, trembling. “On my honor and theirs I will kill every last one of these cut throats!” She said.

“I’ll help you do it,” Meg said. “We all will.”

“We must move before the buzzards land,” Farook said. “I am sorry you had to see this my love.”

Shaynala took a deep breath and exhaled. The trembling ceased and as she stood up her face hardened into a slab of angry beauty. She brushed the sand off her hands and knees and addressed the other caravaners.

“Collect all of them,” She said. “Leave no scrap behind. We will give them a fire when we reach Oasis Town.” She grabbed her husband by the arm and squeezed. “I leave them in your hands my love. When we next see each other my sword will have more names added to its song.”

Farook nodded and without another word Shaynala skirted around her friends and marched deeper into the desert. Meg and Bruce followed behind Master Leroy, keeping one eye ahead of them and the other on the camel tracks. They were hard to follow. The wind had done their best to hide them but Shaynala’s keen eye kept them on the right path.

Nobody spoke. Each one of them were full of their own warring thoughts. Wrestling with the gruesome display they had just left. Time passed at a trickle. The wind battered them and the sand blew into their clothes. They drank sparingly from their canteens and water skins. The sun drifted in the sky but did not cease its attempt to burn them to a cinder.

Shaynala was relentless. Her dark hair trailed behind her in the breeze. Every step she took struck the sand with a purpose. A promise of her wrath to come. Meg and Bruce brought up the rear. Neither of them were too keen on marching through the heat. When their endurance ran out they took a break but there was little relief without shade to shelter in and the journey eroded their willpower. But not their resolve.

Meg was determined to keep up. To match Shaynala’s ferocity. Was that just her old habits kicking in. The need to compete, the fear of not being relevant? The very thing she had sought to avoid. Damn this game, getting its hooks in me, she thought. But she didn’t quit. Even if Shaynala was an NPC she couldn’t bring herself to ignore the woman’s pain.

The sunlight glinted off the ruby studded pommel of Shaynala’s scimitar and distracted Meg from her thoughts. It was an intimidating thing. Three feet long and six inches wide with a plain leather sheath and gilded cross guard. It seemed too big for her. A man’s weapon and yet Meg did not doubt that she could wield it effectively. The way she spoke about the blade having names added to its song was proof of that. How many names were already attached to it? How much blood had it tasted and left scattered across the sand?

“I bet a sword like that has a name,” Meg said.

Shaynala did not respond at first. She marched along the camel tracks, bent at the knees, her eyes searching for trail sign. “I don’t believe I know that story either,” Master Leroy said.

“I’m sure she’s in no mood to talk about swords,” Bruce said, trudging alongside them.

Shaynala stopped and knelt down in the sand. She stared at the ground. Combed her fingers through it and looked up at the blistering hot horizon. “The sword has no name. It was the sword of my ancestors,” She said. “before the CHAOS AGE my people did not trade for a living. We took what we needed from those foolish enough to settle our lands.”

Glad for the rest Meg took out her waterskin and drank deep. The cool water rushed down her gullet and evaporated on her inner fire with a soft hiss that she hoped the others couldn’t hear. “It's a miracle you kept it that long.” She said.

“It was passed down through the generations,” Shaynala said. “my ancestors carved a bloody swath through this desert, through the west and every direction a horse can travel. Nobody could stop us. It was glorious but it couldn’t last.”

“The CHAOS AGE wiped out a lot of good things,” Meg said.

“It was not the CHAOS AGE that was our undoing,” Shaynala said. “when we conquered our enemies there was no one left to fight but ourselves. For a hundred years the desert tribes waged war on one another. My grandfather used to tell me our tribe were the victors but I don’t think anybody won. Now the only blood this blade tastes is the scum of the desert.”

“Perhaps that is for the best,” Master Leroy said. “violence is often heavier than gold.”

“I hope you are not opposed to carrying more,” Shaynala said. “because where we go there is only death.”

“I will defend you with my life,” Master Leroy said. “I owe you that and more.”

“Um, can I see the sword?” Meg said.

Shaynala rose from the tracks and drew her sword in one fluid motion. The blade scraped against the leather and came out whistling. Shaynala swung the scimitar through the air and flipped it up in front of them. Meg followed its graceful arc and her jaw dropped as Shaynala caught the blade between her fingers and offered it to her.

Meg thrust her hand out and grasped the leather bound hilt and held it up. The sword was surprisingly light and balanced. Its blade a breathtaking blue that changed its shade as she held it up to the sun.

“Who forged this?” Meg said. “It’s remarkable.”

“It was forged by the Grand Elder himself. You hold three of his teeth, forged into a single blade.”

“I’ve never heard of him doing that before,” She said. “That is so badass.”

“It was a gift to my ancestors,” Shaynala said. “for protecting the realm from invaders. The truth is lost to time though. It has never lost its edge or failed me in battle.”

Bruce pinched the blade between his thumb and forefinger and squinted at the strange metal. A single star lit up his right eye and a half a second later his APPRAISE skill kicked in. A slim smile spread across his Elven features and she felt his grip tighten on the blade.

“I could buy half the empire with this,” He said. “the quality is unrivaled.”

Shaynala folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “It is not for sale,” She said.

“At least hear my offer,” He said.

Shaynala’s gaze hardened and Bruce let go of the sword entirely. “Oh well,” Bruce said. “you know who to speak with if you change your mind.”

“Do you mind if I try it out?” Meg said.

“Of course not,” Shaynala said. “

Meg took two steps away from the group and swung the sword. Her arms were slow and clumsy and it took her a minute to realize her sword skill was abysmal as a merchant. She reversed her grip and offered the sword hilt first to Shaynala. She took it from Meg and in the same motion sheathed it without batting an eye. Holy shit she’s so boss, Meg thought.

Before her crush could get any harder on the NPC Shaynala turned her back on them and continued walking. One by one they fell in behind her and began the arduous journey all over again. They walked for hours without rest or comment, assaulted by the sun and the sand and the memory of Tang and Liang’s desecrated bodies.

As they traveled north west the sand dunes thinned out and the ground became hard packed dirt littered with boulders, rocks and pebbles. Large red mesas rose out of the ground like giant thumbs and cast wide shadows over the land. The wind picked up as it rushed between these giants, whistling and howling on its way to ruffle their clothing and hair.

They reached the smallest of these as the sun began to set and Shaynala gave the order to make camp. They set out their bed rolls against the Mesa wall and threw themselves down. Dusty and tired they laid in the shade and thanked the Grand Elder for getting them through the heat.

“There will be no fire tonight,” Shaynala said. “We are close to our prey.”

Bruce tipped his canteen back and swallowed hard. “How close?” He said.

“We will find them by tomorrow afternoon,” Shaynala said.

“How can you tell?” Meg said.

“I grew up tracking camels in the sand,” She said. “here the tracks are much clearer and a day to the east is a small watering hole. Nobody would build a base without access to water.”

“I didn’t think about that,” Meg said. “I’m glad you’re with us. We would have gotten lost if we had gone on our own.”

“I beg your pardon but what if they find us first?” Bruce said. “Like in the middle of the night.”

“Bandits are lazy slobs,” Shaynala said. “I doubt they will have scouts out.”

“I don’t mean to bring up an unpleasant topic but your friends weren’t just killed,” Bruce said. “they were massacred. What if they told the bandits about the caravan?”

“If that is the case then they’ll march through the night and attack just before dawn,” Shaynala said.

“So it is possible they might stumble upon us,” Bruce said.

Shaynala smiled. “I hope they do,” She said. “it means I won’t have to walk as much to avenge my friends.”

“We should take precautions,” Bruce said.

“Do you have any spells that might help?” Meg said.

“Unfortunately, no,” He said.

“Then we will have to take turns standing watch,” Master Leroy said. “Meg and I will take the first shift.”

“Suits me,” Bruce said. “I’m exhausted. I swear this sand gets everywhe...never mind.”

Meg chuckled and slapped him on the back. “What’s the matter Brucey Baby, got a sandy butt crack?”

“Your childish humor is unbecoming of a lady,” Bruce said.

Meg gave her boss the finger and said “Get stuffed.”

Master Leroy wiggled his toes and laughed. “You two remind me of when Shaynala and Farook were young. They used to fight like wild dogs.”

“We did not,” Shaynala said.

“And we are nothing like them,” Bruce said. “I wouldn’t touch her if she paid me too.”

“Is it because I have scales?” Meg said. “not that I’m remotely interested in you.”

“I’m not a bigot!” Bruce said. “I’m your employer. It wouldn’t be right. Power dynamics and that sort of thing.”

“Neither is paying orphans to burn down your rival’s hat shop,” Meg said. “again not that I’m interested in you. At all.”

Shaynala shook her head. “You’re right. They behave just like my husband and I. Though Farook is much cuter than the merchant.”

Bruce snorted with laughter and shook his head. “You wouldn’t know cute if it bit you on the muscular buttocks. I was voted the most eligible bachelor of Yueliang City ten years in a row. I am more sophisticated and far more handsome than Farook.”

“Humble too,” Meg said.

“If you’ve got it, flaunt it baby,” Bruce said.

“What you have is a lot of hot air,” Shaynala said. “If we give you to the bandits they’ll save us the trouble of killing them by offing themselves.”

“U.G.L.Y. You ain’t got no alibi, you ugly,” Meg chanted.

Bruce turned on his side and glared at her. “Nobody likes a bully Meg,” He said.

“Nobody likes your perfect cheekbones or that immaculate jawline either,” She said.

“I think somebody does,” Shaynala muttered.

“I don’t have to take this sort of slander,” Bruce said. “I’m going to bed.”

He rolled over away from Meg and pulled the blanket up over his body. Meg sighed and shook her head. “Two can play that game, big ears,” She said. She turned and stomped down the hill and sat next to a large lopsided grey boulder. They didn’t know what they were talking about. Sure Bruce was drop dead gorgeous and she had drooled more than a few times looking at him while he slept. But he was definitely not the kind of NPC she would romance. Especially not with millions of people watching her stream.

She thought about the way Shaynala’s clothes hugged her athletic frame. The curves and swoops of her body and the way her hair flowed in the breeze. She pictured Bruce’s lean muscles beneath his dusty jacket and his sharp androgynous beauty and the way Shaynala’s sword had shimmered in the sun like a fish’s scales. Graphics had improved since the last game. Had the body models done the same. It might be worth investigating.

She wouldn’t of course. There were too many people watching her. It would be beyond embarrassing. But maybe she could log in and try it out when nobody was watching. She shook the temptation out of her head. Looks only went so far. She needed a personality before she went that far.

“May I sit with you?”

Meg jumped at the sound of Master Leroy’s voice and he chuckled lightly at her surprise. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“It’s okay,” She said. “I was just in my own little world, please have a seat.”

Master Bruce eased himself down to the ground and curled his tail around him. He held it in one hand and used the other to brush the sand out of his scales. “I hope I didn’t offend you with my little joke,” He said.

“It wasn’t a funny one,” She said, crossing her arms.

“Oh dear, did I strike a nerve?” Master Leroy said.

“No, I don’t like him, okay? You can appreciate somebody’s looks without liking them.”

“I agree,” He said. “please, accept my apology. I meant no offense.”

She mulled it over for a half second just to be dramatic then gave it up. “I forgive you,” She said.

“I feel a weight leaving my shoulders as we speak,” Master Leroy said.

Meg looked out at the moon lit desert and felt small compared to its sprawling grandeur. She tried to picture how it might look when the game opened to the public. Different classes and races running and jumping through the desert. Speed running their way through content that should have been enjoyed and contemplated. It was hard to imagine all the beauty before her turning into a blur of numbers and to do lists.

She reached out with her mind and cupped the desert in her hands. She wanted to hold it forever as a monument to her vows. This game was more than running from quest giver to quest giver, equipping loot and staring at leaderboards. It was alive with a million stories big and small, heart breaking and life affirming. She couldn’t forget that. No matter what. If she did there wouldn’t be any point in continuing.

“There will be a lot of killing tomorrow,” Master Leroy said.

Meg raised her hand and flexed her claws. “I’ll be ready,” Meg said.

“You may find it different from snakes and eagles,” Master Leroy said. “there is no shame in abstaining.”

“I can’t let Shaynala fight alone,” Meg said.

“In that case I will do my best to prepare you for the coming battle,” Master Leroy said. “shake out that coin purse. You’re lesson begins now.”

Meg jumped to her feet, grinning ear to ear. “You mean it?”

Master Leroy nodded and groaned as he got to his feet. "There is no time like the present," he said.

"Wait right here," she said. "I'll get my money!"

Without waiting for a response she jogged up the hill and dug through her pack. She counted ten gold pieces from her pouch and sealed everything back up. She took off at a full run, nearly tripping on a pebble, and thrust her hand at him.

He held his hand out and Meg dumped the coins into his open palm one at a time. He counted them quickly on his own and tucked them safely away in his robes.

YOU HAVE BEGUN THE WAY OF ZHUA GOU!

+15xp

+1 HAND TO HAND

"To begin we must prepare our minds and our bodies," Master Leroy said.

Master Leroy stepped six paces to the left and stopped. He spread his legs apart and put his hands together and shut his eyes. He breathed in and out. Once. Twice. A third time. She copied his wide low stance and closed her eyes. They breathed in unison.

"Without breath there is no life," Master Leroy said. "you can master every move, max out all of your stats, but if you cannot breathe then you cannot win."

Meg breathed in and exhaled. It was obvious. Anyone who stopped to think about it would come to the same conclusion. But breathing like a lot of things was taken for granted. Done on autopilot. When you did think about it you often had trouble breathing. And she knew from therapy and her mother's personal quest for Nirvana that people usually breathed in an inefficient manner.

They breathed in and filled their lungs immediately. But proper, efficient, breathing began in the nose. Air was pulled down into the diaphragm which then filled the lungs. Doing this had been a key tool in the fight against her childhood anxiety and the panic attacks she so often succumbed to.

In the game it was a little different due to having an endurance bar but it didn't break her immersion. Instead it reaffirmed her belief in the game and her surroundings. With proper breathing she could ground herself and focus on what was in front of her instead of what was in her mind.

"We are as natural as the deer and the snake," Master Leroy said. "Simple creatures with big thoughts. Our tools. Our societies. Our grand ambitions. These are illusions."

Their breathing continued in tune with each other. The wind shifted as if to play along. "The air we breathe keeps us alive. It enriches our blood. Without we cease to be. Always remember this. For there will come a time when the arm snakes around your throat and the world blurs and panic takes hold. The best way to fight this is to remember that you are simple. Therefore the situation is simple. Do you understand?"

Meg exhaled. "I do," she said.

"Then explain it to me," he said.

Meg's brain stumbled over words and then she filled her diaphragm and filled her lungs. While she exhaled she found the words she meant to use.

"During the storm I was scared. It was loud and confusing. I couldn't see and the wind was hitting me so hard. But Bruce was in trouble and I had told him I would come back for him. I could barely move. I was so tired and I wanted to give up. It was crazy and my mind was telling me it was too much. But it really wasn't. All I had to do was get to Bruce. All I had to do was crawl forward. One inch at a time. And I did. I made it to Bruce like I needed to."

Master Leroy smiled without opening his eyes and exhaled. "I think you will make a fine pupil," he said. "now we stretch."

Master Leroy raised his arms above his head and stretched out his fingers. Meg did the same. "Reach above you. Feel it tingle. Feel your tendons and muscles stretching. Let the stiffness seep out of your shoulders. But remember there is a danger in reaching."

"Right, you might over stretch and pull something," Meg said.

"And in life as well," he replied. "in reaching above yourself you may reach too far and leave yourself vulnerable to all manner of things. From illness to debt. It is the desire of the young to race ahead, to dive without first gauging the water’s depth. You must pace yourself. Few things happen over night. And when they do they are often not what you expect them to be. It is the same for the martial arts. Or a business in your case."

An image of her father filled Meg's mind. Hunched over his notebook in the early morning hours. His hair a mess, his shirt and pants wrinkled. One more page he would say. Almost done for the night. And there she would find him when she woke up for school. Bleary eyed and defeated. I don’t think it's very good little one. You might have to get a job.

It had given her anxiety at first. And then she had grown to understand the joke and it became a ritual she looked forward to every morning.

In the safety of her egg Meg smiled. She definitely had to call her dad after this.

“Slow and steady wins the race,” Meg said.

“Exactly,” He said.

Master Leroy lowered his arms and leaned to the side, extending his other leg as he did so. “And you cannot reach without a good foundation,” Master Leroy said.

“In other words, never skip leg day,” she said.

Master Leroy chuckled and stretched the other leg. “Precisely. A good foundation leads to a good core and with that good core one can reach the stars.”

Master Leroy stood up straight and rolled his neck along his shoulders. She mimicked him, working the tension out of her scales. She felt calm and relaxed. The nervous excitement she had felt about her first lesson was gone and in its place was an open mind.

“Don’t forget your tail,” He said.

He breathed in and out. Raised his tail and curled it. Held it in place for five slow seconds and let it go. She tried next. At first it was hard. Although she had manipulated it in the past that had been without thought. And like breathing now that she was thinking about it the process seemed foreign and awkward. Meg tried again. Her tail resisted.

“Breathe,” Master Leroy said. “all you have to do is raise your tail. Then curl it.”

She breathed as he had instructed her to and tried again. Her tail rose slowly. The muscles quivered and constricted. She wanted it to work now. There were too many people watching her. If she screwed up they would all laugh at her.

“The mind is a devious master. Funny how you can understand a concept. Logically. Academically. Physically. And yet one little whisper can make you forget it all.”

Her tail dropped to the ground with a puff of dust. “I’ve moved it before,” She said. “when I fought the snakes. I should be able to do it again. I just have to raise my tail and curl it like you said.”

Master Leroy came to her side and slid his hands into the sleeves of his robe. “When we walk we use our legs. But there is no such thing as a leg. It is muscle, tendon, bone, and each of those are made up of smaller things. All working together to move you across the sand. We call their collected efforts a leg.”

She rolled his words through her head for a moment. She felt like she almost understood him. But the truth eluded her and she felt the shaking touch of stupidity seeping into her mind. Does he have to be so vague, she thought.

“I don’t understand,” She said.

“Then you are already a better student than most,” He said.

“I am?” She said.

“Anyone who thinks they know anything is lying,” He said. “and the world will quickly remind them just how little they know. Accepting that you have more to learn means you will be ready to learn when the lesson arrives.”

“Okay. I don’t know how to move my tail.”

“Actually you do,” He said. “tell me, when you fought the snakes, how did you move your tail?”

“I swung it,” She said.

“Like this?” Master Leroy pivoted on the balls of his feet and rotated his hips towards her. His tail whipped around and smacked her in the back of her leg. Stinging needles of pain lanced through the back of her knee and she dropped to the ground, yelping like a kicked dog.

“Son of a bitch,” She said.

“Is that how you swung your tail?” He said.

“Actually it was more like this.” Without thinking she twisted at the waist and shot her tail out at him. Master Leroy slid one foot back and snatched her tail out of the air with one hand. She tensed and pulled back, her leg muscles straining against his ironclad grip. Master Leroy smiled and let go. All at once the tension vanished and she stumbled to her right and fell mouth first into the sand.

Meg growled and scrambled to her feet. There were millions of people watching. She couldn’t get owned by an old dragon in lavender robes. She bent down low like a defensive linebacker and charged. Master Leroy stood his ground as she ran and at the last second he stepped to the left. She rushed past him, already turning on her heel to charge again, and then his tail came up and slapped her between her eyes. She stumbled, missed a step, and dropped to the ground.

“You fight like a knight,” He said. “but you lack the armor and the weaponry to charge headlong into danger. And even a knight knows you cannot lead with your emotions.”

Meg growled. He was right. She knew it and she was mad at herself for it. She’d learned his lesson years ago and yet here she was getting carried away. Letting her pride move her into old patterns. Attack, cut, kill, loot. Rinse and repeat. Why did this always happen to her?

It wasn’t just in the game either. It happened to her in real life all the time. She did fantastic for a while and then one stupid, tiny, incremental thing would happen and she would slide off the rails, straight into freakout town. It didn’t matter how much she knew about herself or how many techniques she had to combat it. It always happened. And now it was happening in front of millions of people.

She pushed herself onto her knees and took a deep breath. There was no point going down a rabbit hole. It was just a game. She didn’t have to kill herself trying to be the best. The whole point of playing a merchant was to avoid all that stress in the first place. She took a step back mentally and shoved aside all the audience pressure and her metagaming habits.

“I’m sorry Master,” She said. “I’ve made a real ass out of myself.”

“We all show our backside at one point or the other,” Master Leroy said. “Now. Why do you think you can swing your tail but have trouble raising it?”

She shook the sand off her scales and swung her tail through the air. It was much easier. All she had to do was twist her hips and pivot on her feet. Simple. Small. Twist and pivot. Her mind lit up with an idea and she smiled.

“It isn’t the same movement,” She said. “when I swing my tail like a club I move my feet and my hips. When I raise my tail I use. Uh, other muscles.”

“Well done,” Master Leroy said. “you struggled with a task. Analyzed the situation and now you understand why. This will be a common theme when you practice the martial arts.”

“It really does connect to your whole life doesn’t it,” She said.

“And life connects to it. Nothing exists in a vacuum. We are in touch with our environments and our environments are in touch with us.”

“I’m going to try again,” She said.

She took a deep breath. Counted to five and exhaled then started all over again. Her muscles quivered and strained. Her tail crept upwards. One inch, then six and twelve. She held it out behind her as straight as she could. She pictured the human anatomy and laid it underneath her form. On a human the tail would be lined up with the coccyx which was near the gluteus muscles and because everything was connected like Master Leroy said it made sense to her that curling her tail was no different than clenching her butt on a roller coaster. Not that she had ever been brave enough to go on one.

With that in mind she lowered her tail. Caught her breath and bent at her knees, keeping a wide stance, and raised her tail again. At the peak of its climb she breathed in and clenched her buttocks. At first all that happened was a subtle twitch of muscle fiber and then her tail curled inward. Her spikes prevented it from curling as much as Master Leroy’s but she didn’t care. She could control it and that was more rewarding than slaying the Eagle. At least in terms of brain chemistry.

She dropped her tail and jumped up in the air. “I did it!” She said.

“You may want to celebrate a little quieter,” Master Leroy said. “there are bandits about.”

Meg clamped her hands over her snout and whispered an apology. “All I had to do was...never mind.”

“You were going to say clench your butt weren’t you?” He said.

In her egg Meg turned fifty shades of red. “Was it that obvious?” She said.

“When I told that to my mother she laughed for a solid five minutes,” Master Leroy said. “the humor of a butt does not make it any less true.”

For a moment Meg had the strongest urge to check in on chat but she shoved it down inside. She didn’t need anymore crippling anxiety at the moment. “What’s next?” Meg said.

“A brief lesson on what exactly my style entails,” Master Leroy said. “ZHUA GOU is all about grappling with your opponent. Savaging them with throws and tying them up. But it is not through brute force that we achieve this. But rather your opponent’s momentum and position. We create angles of attack, exploit anatomical weaknesses, and wear them out.”

“So you let them do most of the work,” Meg said.

“Precisely. My style is about finding and obtaining control and keeping it. We do not struggle. We leave that up to the opponent.”

“How hard is it to learn?” She said.

“To learn it is easy. But to master it is impossible,” He said. “every time I teach a new student I learn a little more about the art. I know all the moves. I’ve practiced them for more than ten thousand hours. And yet there are vectors of attack and points of escape that I have yet to discover.”

“Sounds like a good way to gain recurring business,” She said

“I promise you no coercion is necessary,” He said. “once you have tasted the delicacies of ZHUA GOU, no other dish will suffice.”

“I’m ready when you are Master,” She said.

“We will begin with the basics,” He said. “stand in front of me.”

Meg stepped towards him and waited for further instructions. “ZHUA GOU is not a style for show. It was designed to keep you alive and leave your enemy dead or broken. In the mountain country no mercy can be shown.”

Meg raised her eye ridge. “Just out of curiosity how many of your students have you killed?” She said.

“One,” Master Leroy said. “you remind me a lot of her actually.”

“You’re joking. Right?” She said.

“You have nothing to fear,” He said. “when the pain is too much all you have to do is tap your hand against me, or the ground. There is no shame in tapping. In fact I encourage it. The point of study is to learn. Not to cripple yourself. There is no room for pride in ZHUA GOU.”

“Do you ever tap?” She said.

“I have tapped out many times in my life,” he said. “remember, we do not struggle, we twist and pivot, we move until we can find the opening we need. We can not do that if we are locked in struggle.”

“Damn you’re all kinds of deep,” Meg said.

"In ZHUA GOU your opponent is at their most dangerous standing up. In this position they can lash out with all four limbs, they can attack you with a weapon or a spell. They can even run away. Your goal is to take the opponent to the ground, control their body, break them down, and in some situations kill them."

"How do we do that?" She said.

"In a life or death struggle anyway you can," Master Leroy said. "but for our lessons we will assume you are unarmed and without backup. Tell me, how would you take me down?"

"Sweep the leg?" She said.

"Show me."

Meg froze. Now that she was thinking about it the phrase sweep the leg didn't make much sense. She would have to drop down, spin, and hook his leg with her foot. She didn't think he would stand there and let her do it either.

She took a step forward and tried anyway. As she crouched down Master Leroy swatted her across the face with his tail. She sat down hard on her ass and put a hand over her nose.

"In all combat the goal is to put your opponent in harm's way. If it puts you in danger it is not often worth it. Find a better way," he said.

Meg rubbed the feeling back into her nose, trying to buy herself some time. There was three feet of space between her and Master Leroy. The ground was rough and slanted. Plenty of pebbles to slip on. He stood in front of her quietly. His eyes looked past her. A little bored. As if she wasn't even there.

Meg put her hands on the ground and got up on one knee. She smiled at him and said "Okay, I think I understand now." As she spoke she tensed her legs and lunged. It was a quick smooth motion. Executed in the blink of an eye.

She plowed into his legs. Wrapped her hands around his knees and heaved against the back of his legs. His knees buckled and he toppled over onto his back in a cloud of red dust. At least that's what was supposed to happen.

Instead of the image in her mind Master Leroy dropped low and widened his stance as she slammed into him. He spread out his legs like a frog. Drove the weight of his body down into her head and flattened her. It was smooth and easy. Over in the blink of an eye.

"Oh dear," he said. "I seemed to have thwarted you."

"Technically I did get you on the ground," she said.

"And in the process you have been placed in a dangerous position," he said. "from here I could burn you with my breath. Choke you to death or go for your limbs."

All of a sudden he shifted his weight and spun around her and straddled her back. He took hold of her horns and pulled back on them. She grit her teeth as her neck bent in a way it wasn't meant to bend.

"In seconds I could cripple you," he said. "or beat you into a pulp. I could make you eat sand."

"I get it," she groaned. "being on the bottom is bad."

Master Leroy let go of her horns but did not get off her. It felt wrong to have him across her back. A little too intimate for her tastes. Luckily there was nothing remotely sexual going on at the moment.

"It is deadly," he said. "but even from the bottom, victory is still possible. Tell me how you will get me off of you."

"That hasn't been working out for me," she said. "how about you tell me."

He reached down and pulled back on her horns again. "I will not always be there to instruct you," he said. "Think."

She clenched her jaw shut and closed her eyes. The muscles in her neck quivered and burned as he applied pressure to her spine. It wasn't the easiest conditions to think under.

"Why do you close your eyes? Why do you clench your jaw shut? Remember you must breathe. You must not retreat into panic. You cannot give in to the pain. Pain will make you afraid. Fear makes you hesitate. You must overcome your instincts. Open your eyes and see the situation,then change it."

Meg opened her eyes. The world in front of her was dark and brooding. She saw the mesa tops in the distance. Barren and indifferent. The stars shimmered in the sky. Beautiful and raw. Not an ounce of smog or acid rain or any of the other poisons man had produced in the real world.

Her eyes tingled. Her spine screamed. He was going to break her in half. Meg relaxed her jaw. Forced herself to breathe. Things were only complex when you looked them in the face. Like a child learning to draw she couldn't start with the fine shading and elaborate backgrounds.

She had to break down the drawing into basic shapes. An oval for the head. A line for the spine. Circles for the shoulders, elbows and knees. A line to connect them. A boxy upside down looking kidney bean for the torso. The same shape but flipped upside down for the pelvis. Then she could fill it in with cylinders for limbs. Erasing and drawing as she went.

Master Leroy pulled back a little more. The fire in her neck crept down to her tail. Bile rose in her throat. Spit leaked out of the corner of her mouth. Breathe, break it down, solve the problem. Like her dad swearing about how lousy his third acts were.

She stepped away from the pain. Saw herself from an outsider's perspective. The pain didn't like that. It fought her tooth and nail. You're gonna die idiot, it screamed. But she ignored it.

Master Leroy was seated atop the small of her back. Just above her tail. His arms were extended. His body stretched back. His horns almost touching her. If she tried to push him off all he had to do was pull back more. If she tried to roll he'd pull back. All of his weight was pressing down on her hips, mashing her into the sand. There was no escape.

First we stretch. His voice echoed through her mind. Could it be that simple? Had he really given her all the tools she needed to escape him? Nothing was that easy. But wasn’t it?

“Are you frozen?” Master Leroy said. “where is your mind? Where is the young dragon who leapt at the eagle? Show me how you can escape!”

Meg focused on her breathing. It didn’t matter what he said. It didn’t matter that there were bandits lurking in the night or that Bruce was snoring at the top of the hill. All that mattered was escaping his hold. And she knew she could do it. It was simple. Easy. A piece of cake.

Meg flexed her ankles. Dug her claws into the hard packed sand and clenched all three of her glute muscles. Her tail leapt off the ground, her spikes carving a deadly arc through the air, and smashed into the back of his shoulder. Master Leroy took the blow with a grunt and pulled back on her horns.

Her head arched back. Her mouth opened involuntarily and a shallow scream spilled out from the depths of her throat. She clenched again and this time she struck just under the base of his neck and scraped across his armor plated scales. She clenched a third time. Hit him on the other shoulder but he never let go.

The pain grew like a wildfire. Spreading, burning, ruining everything it touched. She could not find a single spot on her body that did not beg and scream for mercy. Beg for her to quit. To tap out and take it easy.

But she couldn’t. She had been a knight for far too long. The need to fight and to win was buried deep within her bones. That drive had kept her going all these years. It had helped her succeed when no one else could. It had driven her to chase her dreams. To get a job. To wake up everyday in a world that was not made for her and to try anyway.

She clenched her ass one more time and struck him on the right of his neck. The blow knocked him forward a single inch but it was all the opening she needed. With his weight temporarily off balance Meg bucked her hips and pushed out with her legs and sent him rolling across the desert floor.

Master Leroy slapped the ground with both hands and somersaulted onto his feet like a circus performer. She struggled onto two feet and raised her hands like a boxer, unwilling to admit defeat before the bell had even been rung. Master Leroy smiled and slid his hands into his sleeves.

“Congratulations young dragon,” he said. “you have learned the only lesson I have that is worth teaching. Stop. Think. Act. Find or create an opening, seize it to your advantage, and win.”

Meg kept her hands up in case this was a trick. “There has to be more than that,” She said. “Otherwise you’d go out of business.”

“There is much more to teach you,” He said. “techniques, moves, and philosophies. All of them rely on this single lesson. With it you can paint a work of art, lead an army, even fill your pockets full of gold.”

Meg frowned. It sounded a lot like metagaming. Was the game trying to tell her she was acting out of character according to her play history? Were the developers gently nudging her back into a combat role? She let the paranoia go before it turned to fire in her mind. He wasn’t telling her to game the crap out of the system. He was telling her how to deal with stressful situations. Like being choked by a half giant or trying not to poop yourself on the bullet train.

“I feel like there should be more to it,” She said. “it feels too mercenary. If I applied it to every single thing then I would be a major villain. Right?”

“You are proving to be a most astute student,” Master Leroy said. “but you already have the answer to that.”

“I do?” She said.

“In order to learn a lesson you must do more than listen,” He said. “you must also reflect on that lesson. If you can provide me with the answer to your conundrum I will teach you a basic throw.”

Meg stepped out of her boxer’s stance and stroked her snout in thought. Her mind picked the lesson apart. Dissected it and rearranged everything. Then she put it back together. Things jumped out at her and she held them in her hands. Studied them. Tried to see what might exist between the lines. There was a lot to unpack in his words. Some of it she already knew. Other things eluded her but she thought she had the answer.

“You said nothing exists in a vacuum. We are connected to our environment and it is connected to us. If I forget that I will misuse your teachings and harm those around me and myself. Think of others instead of yourself.”

“Think of others as well as yourself,” Master Leroy said. “Selflessness can be just as deadly as selfishness. Both can leave you alone and poor in spirit. Balance and connection are the only way to live a fulfilling life.”

Meg made a fist with her right hand and pressed it into the open palm of her left and bowed. “Thank you Master,” She said.

Master Leroy bowed. “Thank you student,” He said. “would you like to learn a basic throw?”

“Absofriggenlutely,” She said.

Master Leroy casually walked up to her and dropped his hand to his side. “This is called the ROLLING BOULDER. With it you can throw your opponent to the ground. Or if they are skilled in the arts of battle it can buy you time to find a new angle of attack. Are you ready?”

Meg shook her arms to ease the nervous energy growing in her limbs and nodded.

“To use this throw you must first grapple with your opponent.”

Master Leroy placed his hand on her face and cupped the back of her head just below her horns.

“Remember ZHUA GOU is all about control. When we grapple it is no different. If you are walking and you look to the left you will inevitably go left. Therefore we know the head controls where you go. And if you control the head then you control where they go.”

“Got it,” Meg said.

Master Leroy put his other hand through her arm and wrapped it around her back. “Now control my neck and wrap your arm around me.”

Meg worked her arms into place and waited for further instruction. “In a fight you will most likely have to work for this position. Only an idiot will give you such a good starting position.”

“Or a really awesome teacher,” she said.

“I am the awesomest,” Master Leroy said.

She was about to respond when he stepped into her grip and pivoted on the ball of his foot. In an instant she left the ground. Rolled across his hip and slammed back down to the earth. Master Leroy leaned over her and smiled.

“Step in. Pivot. And toss.” He said.

Meg rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself onto all fours. “Could you break that down for me,” She said. “I was a little distracted with flying through the air.”

Master Leroy extended his hand and she took it. He helped her to her feet. Again they assumed the position and this time Master Leroy walked her through it.

"While controlling the neck, hook your other arm under your opponent's arm, like you're hugging him." He showed her the movement in slow motion. Repeated it until he was doing it at full speed. "Next you move the arm up. Like your punching. As your punch reaches its peak you step in." He showed it to her again in slow motion and worked up to full speed.

"After you step in close you take a second step. This time, in and to the side. Once you're in this position you pivot on the ballsl of your feet."

Master Leroy stepped in slowly. All his movements were glacial and patient. He let her feel him move against her and understand the physics of the throw. She liked it a lot better than flying through the air.

"As you pivot you drag them forward, rolling them across your hip. This pulls them off balance and naturally they will try to regain their balance or break their fall. But if you control the head they cannot change course. Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she said.

This time her flight was a lot smoother and he deposited her gently to the ground. They worked through the motions three more times and then it was her turn. She approached it step by step, taking each phase a second at a time. And soon enough she was able to dump him on the ground just as easily as he had thrown her. And with a little practice she could do it at full speed.

YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE ROLLING BOULDER MARTIAL ABILITY

+15xp

+3 REPUTATION WITH MASTER LEROY

"Well, was it worth your gold?" Master Leroy said, climbing to his feet.

"Definitely!" Meg said. "I can't wait to learn more."

"First you learn then you reflect and then you apply," Master Leroy said. "that will be ten more gold."

"What, seriously?" She said.

Master Leroy chuckled and twirled his mustache around his finger. "It was only a joke," he said. "for the time being let us watch out for killers in the night."

In all the excitement she had almost forgotten why they were there in the first place. She scanned the horizon but didn't see anyone in the night. Were they out there? Watching and waiting for an opportunity to strike. Maybe they had been scared off by the Rolling Boulder throw.

"It seems fairly quiet," she said.

"That is when you must be most diligent," he said. "The snow leopard does not take your goat when you are tired and distracted. It takes it when you are alert and armed."

"Have you ever seen a snow leopard?" She said.

Master Leroy nodded. "My father was a scout and he was often accompanied on his patrols by a snow leopard he named Munchkin."

"That is adorable," Meg said.

"Indeed she is," he said. "I saw her when I visited my people in the mountains. Older but nonetheless still cunning."

"I want a snow leopard," Meg said.

"You cannot HAVE a snow leopard. They must choose you. And cats are a fickle lot. They will leave you as they please and return if they feel like it."

"I hope I can meet one someday," she said.

"If you do it will be either a grave error or a deep honor," he said. "They are very skilled hunters and more than one outsider has been taken as easily as a goat."

They settled down near the boulder at the bottom of the hill and kept watch. For the next four hours nothing happened. They were quiet. Meg scanned from left to right. Master Leroy scanned right to left. There were no bandits.

At some point Shaynala and Bruce came down to relieve them and they returned to the top of the hill to rest. She laid down and brought up the menu to wait then moved the slider to four hours and hit YES.

While the slider counted down through the hours Meg checked her stream. Chat was getting along amicably. Her moderators were breathing easier and her viewing numbers remained steady. She had been playing for a little over six hours but it felt like only minutes had gone by.

As the slider counted down the moon moved across the sky. Stars faded behind clouds and the dark of night gave way to the warm glow of morning. At zero Meg closed the wait menu and got up.

She put away her bedding and made sure all her gear was packed away efficiently then walked down the hill to check on Shaynala and Bruce.

Her lovable employer sat with his back to the boulder and his arms across his chest. His long black hair was draped over his face and his head hung slack. A quiet snore trickled out through his nose, moving his hair slightly with every exhale.

Shaynala sat away from him with her sword across her lap and her hands on her knees, staring at the smoldering red desert in front of her.

"You're lucky he fell asleep," Meg said. "otherwise you would have had to talk to him.

"He snores like a camel," Shaynala said. "but he is not as bad as he wants to seem."

Meg looked at him slouched against the rock. She agreed with her on that. He was a lousy and obnoxious whiner at times but beneath that was a serious Zhanglao who cared about things other than his bottom line. How much he cared about those things was still a mystery to her though. Only time would tell on that account.

"Do you think we'll find the bandits today?" Meg said.

Shaynala nodded. "I went scouting while you slept. They have set up their base in a cave on the other side of this mesa."

"Are you crazy?" Meg said. "you could have been killed. What would I have told Farook then? He'd kill me."

Shaynala turned her head and looked deep into Meg's eyes. "I am not crazy. I am angry. I believe you can understand."

"I do but, next time wake me up for recon, okay?"

"You are a good friend," Shaynala said. "next time I promise to rely on you more."

"Good," Meg replied."how many bandits are we dealing with?"

"I saw two sentries out front. Another four guarding a corral where they have our camels. Inside there could be ten to thirty others."

"Let's hope there's only ten," Meg said.

"Are you afraid?" Shaynala said.

"A little," Meg said. "I’m worried about losing one of you."

"We shall descend upon them like an eagle," Shaynala said. "they will know death before they know who made the introductions. Put your fear to rest my friend."

"I'll do my best," Meg said.

Shaynala slid her scimitar into its scabbard and uncrossed her legs then stood up without stumbling or falling over. Meg was immediately jealous.

"I will fetch Master Leroy," Shaynala said. "you can wake the pretty one up."

"He isn't that pretty," Meg said, keeping her eyes off him.

Shaynala grinned and put her hand on Meg's arm. "I think you are sun blind," she whispered. "if I wasn't madly in love with my husband he would have been under me an hour into my watch."

Meg made a gagging sound and Shaynala laughed as she strode up the hill to their camp. Meg folded her arms across her chest and looked down at her sleeping boss.

"Hey, wake up." She nudged his leg with her foot but he didn't move. She kicked him harder and he jerked awake.

"Get off me you filthy cut throats," he squealed. He caught sight of her feet and stared sheepishly up at her. "oh it's you."

"They're in a cave on the other side of the mesa," she said. "I'm surprised they didn't hear you snoring. Must have thought it was a cave bear."

"I don't snore," he said.

Bruce put one hand on the boulder and stood up. He groaned and stretched and scowled at the sun. "I would trade my shoes for a little cloud cover right now," he said.

"I'm sure it'll be plenty cool in the bandit cave," Meg said.

"Not when I start throwing fireballs in there," he said, smirking.

"Make sure we aren't in your line of fire when you start casting," Meg said.

"I know what I'm doing," he said.

"You've got dust on your butt," she said.

Bruce twisted at the waist and looked over his shoulder. He turned in a slow circle like a dog chasing his tail but still couldn't see the dusty stain on the back of his pants. He brushed his hand across his ass and made another turn.

"Did I get it?" He said.

"No you kind of smeared it more," she said.

"Don't just stand there help me," he said.

"Alright hold still," she said. "and move your hand."

Bruce stopped spinning in a circle and folded his arms. "I swear this desert is going to drive me crazy. I used to be known for my cleanliness and impeccable fashion...yow!"

Midway through his rant Meg twisted her hips and clenched her tail muscles. The flat edge of her tail swatted him across his dusty butt and Bruce jumped a foot into the air. Meg doubled over laughing.

"I think I got all of the dust," she said. "you're welcome."

"How dare you strike me like a common rug," he said.

"Would you rather I used my hand?" She said.

Bruce thought about it for a moment and blushed. "I suppose all that matters is we got rid of the dust," he said.

"Hey, you two, up here." Meg and Bruce looked up and saw Shaynala waving at them. "we're discussing strategies. Join us."

Bruce gestured for her to go first. "I'd rather not be behind that tail of yours," he said.

"You wanna fart in private, I understand." Before he could defend himself Meg hurried up the hill to join the others. Bruce followed, muttering under his breath as he walked.

At the top of the hill they gathered around a drawing Shaynala had made in the sand. "This V is the cave entrance," she said. "these two pebbles are the sentries. And this rock is their corral where our camels are being kept."

"Four pebbles means four guards," Bruce said.

"Yes, they are the ones whose tracks we've been following."

"Are you sure," Bruce said.

"I am."

"Then we really only need to kill them to avenge your friends," Bruce said.

"We kill them all," Shaynala said. "I will not let these dogs live to butcher anyone else."

Bruce shut his eyes and pinched his nose. "What if the fighting spooks the camels," he said.

"There is a watering hole nearby," Shaynala said. "If they run we'll find them there."

"How many bandits are in that cave?" Bruce said.

"Ten to thirty," Meg said

"Those are ugly odds," Bruce said. "six against four is rough enough but thirty is a recipe for disaster. Even ten is pushing it."

"You underestimate our power," Shaynala said. "Between my sword, Master Leroy's ZHUA GOU, and your magic we'll have them dead before lunch."

"I can do stuff too," Meg said.

"No one doubts the brightness of your fire young dragon," Master Leroy said.

"We'll have to move fast," Meg said. "we can't risk either groups alerting their buddies inside."

"I have a spell that can help," Bruce said. "I can put those two by the entrance to sleep while you three deal with the others."

Meg knelt down beside the drawing and studied the contour of the mesa. "How close can we get to them before they see us?"

"In the daylight, not very close. Even if we hug the mesa wall we will stick out like a sore thumb."

"What if one of us causes a distraction," Meg said. "A beautiful woman wandering out of the desert is sure to draw them away from their posts."

Bruce pressed his lips together and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Meg but you're not that pretty."

She slapped his hand off her and scowled at him. "I was talking about Shaynala, you dusty butted doofus."

"If you want the two of you can stay here and makeout while Master Leroy and I deal with the bandits," Shaynala said.

Master Leroy did his best to stifle his laughter and failed. "Don't start that again," Meg said. "what about my plan?"

"If they have a strong leader they might be too disciplined to take the bait," Master Leroy said.

"What if she were to show some skin?" Bruce said. "the strictest order can crumble in the face of tasteful nudity."

"What if we send you out there naked instead," Shaynala said.

"Don't be absurd, they would run screaming at the sight of my virility," Bruce said.

Shaynala snorted with laughter and Bruce's face turned a deep red. "We don't have to get close to them," she said. "we can sit right here and wait for your ego to smother them."

"I prefer my plan," he said.

"Don't you mean my plan?" Meg said.

"No, your plan had no nudity," Bruce said. "a fully clothed woman never got any man's attention."

"Weren't you drooling over her leggings yesterday?" Meg said.

"So were you," Bruce said.

"I suggest we wait for nightfall," Master Leroy said.

"I'm not looking forward to another night out here," Bruce said.

"Nor am I," Shaynala said. "how close do you need to be for your spell to work?"

"Thirty feet," Bruce said.

"It is settled," Shaynala said. "I'll distract them and you will move in for the kill."

"Very good," Bruce said. "will you be needing any assistance when it comes to tasteful nudity? We don't want to be vulgar, you know."

Master Leroy sighed and nudged Meg in the ribs. She understood immediately and stepped towards Bruce. She got her hands around him, stepped in and pivoted. He rolled across her hip with a yelp and crashed into the ground.

Bruce groaned and pushed himself up halfway. "Why?" He wheezed.

"She's a married woman you perv," Meg said.

"She agreed to the plan," he said.

"My plan you idiot," Meg said.

While they argued Shaynala removed the sword from her back and leaned it against the mesa wall. She crossed her arms at the wrist and grasped the bottom hem of her tunic and pulled the garment up over her head. She folded it three times and set it on her pack then snatched up her sword and walked down the hill. Meg and Bruce stared after her, their jaws open and eyes wide.

"Don't stand there gawking," Master Leroy said. "get after her and be ready with that spell."

Bruce snapped his mouth shut and smoothed his hair back. He winked at Meg and said "wish me luck."

"Stick to spell casting or I'll throw you again," she said.

He bounded off after Shaynala and Meg looked at Master Leroy. "I've got a bad feeling about this," she said.

"There is no time for doubt now," he said. "the shirt is off and things are getting serious. Let's go."

They left their packs behind and jogged after Shaynala. An old excitement rose in her bones. The same heart pounding blood rushing nervous ecstasy she felt right before a new raid dropped or she paid the delivery driver for her lunch.

"If you run into trouble, make your way to me," Master Leroy said. "if we're surrounded, put your back to mine and remember, no mercy."

"You can count on me Master," Meg said.

As they reached the boulder Meg and Master Leroy made a hard right and pressed themselves against the mesa wall. They followed it in silence, both of them trying not to look at Shaynala as she marched topless through the desert. Meg's stomach rolled and twisted into knots.

Her plan had a lot of holes in it. It had really only been a suggestion. Oh, she thought. Why did they have to listen to me? Or at least wait long enough for two of them to sneak around to the other side and do a pincer attack.

Her mind spun into high gear and began to calculate her stats and their chance of success. If she had the right skill she could have scanned her companions to find out what their levels were. But she didn't have that skill and now because of her big mouth and Bruce's libido her friends were going to die.

Master Leroy's hand squeezed her shoulder and he smiled at her and shook his head. He took a deep breath and exhaled and repeated the maneuver. She nodded and copied him. It wasn't complicated. The bandits would come out and they would kill them. It was simple.

Her mind slowed and the crippling list of math and worries blew away in the wind. Everything was going to be okay. The bandits wouldn't know what hit them. She rolled her shoulders and flexed her tail. She was ready to throw some fools.