Is it okay for me to say that I really didn’t feel like I was in the wrong? I know I made a mistake, but so does everyone! It was just a slip of the tongue! Oh well… I guess it doesn’t make too much of a difference. I guess, I am here writing. Which should already tell you how this all turns out.

That’s a big problem for first person stories. Because the story is already being told, you can already tell that the narrator makes it out alive in the end! And with the exception of Lovecraftian tales, that is usually a good thing.

Well, we found ourselves surrounded by guards, because the light was very dim in the short tunnel. There were some torches outside, sputtering in the rain. Some dozen or so guards surrounded us with swords and spears of their own. I was surprised to see the diversity between them all. Two dwarves, a halfling, an elf, and orc, something tall and hairy, someone who was shimmering, and the rest were humans. They were all tense.

The dwarf grunted, “What doe Trickster Quickhand want sanctuary for so late at night? These are dangerous times, lad.”

Lad? Yup, this a medieval fantasy world, I thought.

“We just dropped into town,” Trickster explained. “We’ve also had a run-in with the Blue Ravens.”

There was immediate murmuring.

“And why should we not throw you back out,” the shimmering person asked. It was the sound of woman’s voice mixed the noises of a churning creek. A water nymph!

“Because I still have information that your sheriff will find useful,” Trickster offered.

Someone snorted and replied, “Not likely. Times are changing, and everything is getting turned on its head.”

“There’s a Raven’s nest just up the street. I’m sure your goblins would like to know where and how they could best burn it down.”

There was some more muttering and finally the dwarf tugged his beard and said, “We’ve known that there were some spies about, but their exact location was a mystery.”

Trickster followed up. “Give us two rooms, please. And some food. I will give you the address and secret entrances once we’re brought to the doors.”

We were ushered out of the tunnel and back into the cold rain. A mostly bad man with large teeth spat before talking,

“We’ll keep you locked up in your rooms until we can get word to the sheriff. He’ll see if your information, and anything else you should give us is worth the trouble. This will settle any debts he may have incurred with you.”

“That is fine by me,” the thief replied with his trademark grin.

We were taken deep into a tower near the gate. They led us to a set of rooms on the second level. Trickster shooed me into the second room, which had a rickety bed in it. The other was just about the same. I was about to protest, but the guards shut me in. I just fumed where I stood. What were they trying to hide from me?

I heard more talking outside, and pressed my ear to the door. It was just some curt goodbyes. I shook my head and decided to make sure that my one window was securely locked. I then lay down on the bed after flinging the cloak to the side. I made sure to strike a very anime pose while I did it. Because, reasons.

After laying down, I found the adrenaline dissipating, and I started falling asleep again. It was nice that the guards had not taken away our weapons. Trickster must have had some good reputation with them even if they didn't like him dropping by. As I sat on the bed, straw puffed out the sides, and some dust rose into the air.

Stifling a sneeze, I lay down. Once I got comfortable, I heard some muffled voices. I shimmed closer to the wall and realized I could hear Ru-lah and Trickster!

“Ruben’s an idiot! I can’t believe that we are sticking out our necks for him!”

Trickster spoke soothingly to Ru-lah, “Come on! I get that you feel that way about him, but can you honestly say that you would leave him to get disappeared like the others? You’re not that cold.”

“But he’s holding us back!”

“He’s just inexperienced. Come one, let’s have a look at that armor and wound.”

“I’m fine,” Ru-lah insisted.

“Just in case.”

There was a pause, and then she replied, “Look at you being the level headed one for a change.”

“I seem to recall that I’m very level headed most of the time! You’ve just been reading too much of Ruben’s stories. Even if he did get a lot of things wrong, that is one thing he did not,” Ru-lah said, and there was now something different about her voice.

I didn’t hear anything for a while, but then Trickster’s voice sounded again, “Woah! Frisky tonight, aren’t you?”

I barely caught what Ru-lah said next. “We just survived a number of close calls. For two weeks now! I think we deserve a night to relax.”

I found myself blushing a little. Curse anime character’s prudishness!

Everything else was muffled until I heard their bed creaking to a steady rhythm. We were in another world, getting chased by some murderous gang, held at the mercy of others, and trying to get messages out to beings called the Accursed… and they were having sex! I couldn't believe them!

I got up and blew out the candles in my room. I then stuffed straw into my ears, which was kind of painful, and then grumpily forced myself to sleep. I did want to hear any more of their stupid love making!

I’m not sure what it was that got me up later. Maybe it was the feeling of sudden dread. Or maybe it was the sound of rain that magically got louder. I glanced up from my bed, a little groggy, and saw two figures slip into my room. One had a knife raised and was coming toward me. And I bellowed out a manly scream, as I got up.

My anime form kicked into high gear. As most of you will already know, when anime people react, they overreact, which is a super power in and of itself. I leaped high out of my bed, easily dodging the knife as it plunged for where my face had been. As I came back down, I kicked out and took the second assailant right in the face. My foot sank deep into their face, crushing bone.

They howled and fell backwards, dropping their own knife. The first charged forward as I landed, swinging wildly. They slashed me twice, but I dodged to the side. My stolen sword was right with my still wet cloak. I heaved the sword and threw the cloak right at the attacker’s face. They got caught in my cloak and tripped. I then swing my sword like a batter going for a homerun.

I cut the attacker in two.

“Just what in the Spheres of Hades are you,” someone asked.

I spun about and saw that a third attacker had entered my room, and was being followed by a fourth. My jaw dropped as they leveled a crossbow right at me. The door then flew off its hinges. It crashed across the room and knocked the fourth assailant right out of the window. The third attacked who had just spoken to me dove for the side. As he got up a knife took him right in the eye.

His crossbow fired harmlessly to the side as he slumped down in death.

I twisted once again, and saw Ru-lah in a shift with her Sword of Heritage held at the ready. Trickster was right behind her in pants and his cloak, with another knife held in his left hand. I will admit, seeing Ru-lah like that, I could now tell why Trickster would want to make love to that physically impressive bod. But, let’s just say that such isn't for me!

“Ruben, you okay,” Ru-lah asked me hurriedly.

“Yes,” I managed to say, as she walked by me and stabbed her sword into the heart of the guy whose face I had just smashed.

Trickster also rushed past and swooped up a small crossbow from the attacker I had cut in half and fired it right out the window. Someone yelped with pain. He then ducked as three more bolts whizzed right past his head.

“It looks like there are at least ten more out there, which probably means that thirty have assembled. They must have gone through your window because the candles were out. Thought it would be easier to sneak in. Should have told you!”

He gasped and leaped back right as a firebolt took the wall and blew a hole into it. He used his cloak and was able to survive the worst of the shrapnel. Ru-lah tackled me once again to safety. She growled and then leaped back to her feet. Her sword powered up and through the same hole in the wall she fired off her own blast. Voices screamed in the night.

Now more voices rang out. Commands on both sides were given. There was another boom and the floor shook slightly. Someone dropped in from above and kicked Ru-lah hard, pushing her backwards and to the ground. Trickster was still incorporeal and unable to help. I screamed and charged in.

I swung the sword one handed, and the man ducked. I then followed up with a punch. A good anime punch, which as you know always sends people flying. There was a solid crunch and crack, and then the newcomer was launched high into the stormy sky. I uncannily dodged another crossbow bolt as it came my way. I glanced down and saw three of the attackers drop as arrows took them in the chests and neck. I then withdrew back into the safety of the room.

“That was awesome,” Trickster gushed.

I turned to Ru-lah and she gave me an appreciative nod. “That was very well done, Ruben. Good job, and… Thanks.”

I couldn’t resist and said, “Not so useless anymore, right?”

She blushed a little and said, “No. Right now, you were not useless.”

“And great job defending yourself and raising the alarm,” Trickster said. “Though that was a very girlish scream.”

“Come on you two,” Ru-lah said, quickly getting to her feet. We need to get out of here before another spell caster hits this room. I took out one, but there are probably others.”

As we left, Trickster said, “That is a definite that they have more! But they will be more cautious after that counter attack you gave!”

The two teens in their D&D avatars slipped back into their room and grabbed their belongings before hurrying me and themselves upstairs. They explained that the attackers would not think to strike up there next, and would be too busy with ground forces from the Iron District to think these things through enough, but we did want to get caught up in the action down below.

I hazarded a glance below and saw that the gates had opened to let horsemen through. There bodies now littering the street. The Ravens had committed their entire raiding party to the fight now. Ru-lah pushed me aside.

“Let’s see how they like this,” she snarled. ‘

She fired off three more blasts from her sword. She blasted two men to pieces and then viciously cut off their two immediate sources of retreat with two successive blasts. More Ravens fell to arrows. A few were making a brave push for the tower by climbing through the windows below. There was now fighting all downstairs.

“Alright, let’s go,” Trickster said.

He and Ru-lah hurried downstairs. I was kind of in daze at this point and followed them only slowly. Once I got to the first floor, the fighting was over. The rain was the dominant sound. Things passed by a blur until I regained my senses. It's weird how fighting can do that to you.

The Ravens had attacked with over forty of their own. It was a full, brutal assault on the district’s gates. Over thirty of the Raven lay dead, and five had been captured. The guards figured two or three might have escaped. Six guards were injured, with another three dead. One horse was dead, too.

The dwarf from earlier was speaking with Trickster. “They paid the butcher’s bill, that’s for sure. But there will be a coal black sphere to pay for tonight!”

“Not if you strike back quick,” Trickster said. “I’ll give you the information of how to take their look out. If they feel like this area has been compromised, they will back off for a while. Plus, with prisoners now that you can interrogate, this will make the Blue Ravens look weak to the Crimson Rook. And once the Shadows smell the blood that has been spilled tonight, there will be battles in the other districts. They won't be able to retaliate against you. Not in any big way, at least.”

“Maybe so,” the dwarf said somberly. “But it shouldn't be this way. We’ve had peace in the iron works for ten years. Tean years of hard earned peace. We don't want a war with the gangs!”

“Perhaps someday we can bring peace,” Trickster said, patting his shoulder.

“Who’s that odd fellow,” a youthful guard shouted, pointing to me.

Ru-lah laid a hand on my shoulder and said, “This is why we had to come in secret. Why we were running earlier tonight. This man, Ruben, is an emissary from the far, far western islands. The gangs hope to ransom him. We knew that coming here was the safest bet inside the city.”

“Then why not say so before,” an older guard asked.

“It’s simple,” an elf archer said, lazily. “They didn't want to be held up at the gates. Our curiosity might have held us outside longer than was necessary. Could have led to an arrow in the back.”

“Yes, that is exactly right,” Ru-lah was saying.

Just then, we puffed right back to Reality as we started waking up. The dream was over. Our sleep was done. I was not sure if I was rested or exhausted! But, here we were. Our night with the magical nail finished. I was not sure if our mission was a success or a failure.

Aren’t dreams just the worst that way?