(A/N: Finally getting to cram in a little action in to the story. Enjoy :)

As the sun started to set i left my room and headed out. This was the first time I was going out in public in full armor and as such I felt really silly. Whenever I met anyone on the way they would stare at me and I couldn’t help but think that they were laughing at my attire behind my back. The only thing that stopped be from changing back to more casual clothes was the fact that what I considered casual clothes didn’t really exist here. So as to dispel my own insecurity I started to stare back at people I met and quietly laughing to myself over their overly embroidered and over complicated attires. I swear some of these nobles have at least twenty garments on at a time. How they are able to move without parts falling off I have no idea. By the time I made it out to the barracks I was feeling a little more confident.

I was early so I leaned up against the low wall to wait for the dwarf. I just hoped he would actually show up. He was, after all, a drunk so I don’t think I can count on him keeping his promises. My worry was… misdirected let us just say, as I soon had a knife under my throat and a course voice spoke in a whisper from behind me.

“Not a movement, nor a sound, boy.” The man said. Now I can put two and two together and it would normally not take any effort at all to know who it was but it is a fact that this was the first time my life had ever truly been threatened before, not counting Millie’s drunken outburst.

My body froze at the feeling of a sharp blade against my skin. I remember that my first thought was in surprise over the fact that I really could feel the sharp blade against my skin. The reason was that I had not only armor on but also a cloak with the hood up and a scarf wrapped around my neck. So I couldn’t help but wonder how the hell he had gotten a blade to have contact with my skin before I even knew he was there. After wondering that for less then a second, I then came to the conclusion that my life could end right here. And so I did what came naturally. I panicked.

I am not proud over it. You never know how you will react when your life is suddenly in the air. There are three basic reactions to panicking. The first is to flee. Since I had a knife at my throat that would just get me killed so I am glad that my body didn’t start to suddenly try to get away by itself. The second response is to fight. Destroy that which threatens you. But yet again I had a knife at my throat and I had been warned not to move or speak and judging by the pressure and steadiness of the knife in question I am sure that had I moved I would have been dead. That leaves the third reaction to panicking. Similar to a rabbit I froze. While my mind and legs wanted nothing more to do with the situation my entire body tensed up and I didn’t even breathe.

“Good, good. No heroics will get you out of this alive, boy. No matter how powerful you heroes are said to become, right now you are just children playing with wooden swords. So play nice and answer my questions and soon enough this will be nothing more than a bad dream.”

The voice paused, seemingly trying to see if I agree but since I didn’t move at all, more so due to fear then any conscious decision, he took it as agreement.

“Now tell me, quietly, how many heroes were summoned?”

“…?” This question really surprised me. Wasn’t it public knowledge that there were 50 of us? I mean we were paraded through the town when we first arrived here so it can’t be a secret. The pressure of the blade increased with my silence and I could feel it drawing blood.

My mind was racing, why would he ask such a question? I remembered the term “establishing a baseline” from criminal dramas on TV when there was a polygraph involved. The criminal had to answer some obvious questions so that they could later compare the truths against the lies. I took my first breath and answered him.

“Fifty.” I whispered.

“And who is the strongest of the heroes?”

Shit! He had to ask a question I really can’t answer, not because I don’t want to but because I really don’t know. If I tell him the truth… He obviously won’t believe me. No choice but to bullshit.

Thinking that I would die if I was caught lying gave me great motivation to not mess up.

“Eric is the strongest with a sword so far. Jenny is the best with magic.” I told him trying my absolute hardest not to force my words out but have them flow without interruption. The pressure of the blade lessened slightly.

“What can you tell me about the princess?”

More questions I know nothing about. Maybe this is his real objective so if I tell him what he wants to hear, something he can bring back to whoever he works for then maybe he will be satisfied. Wait; didn’t I hear somewhere that the princess likes the garden…? Yea, that will have to do.

In order to be more believable I waited a few seconds too long so that he once again raised the blade causing it to dig in to my throat. It was risky, what if he cut an artery or something? But I thought that if he believes me then he will go away. Grunting from the pain I finally answered him.

“N-nothing special, typical princess. Only seen her a few times, never spoken to her myself. I only know what the rumors say about her.”

“And what do they say?”

“She has a bit of a mothers complex, copies her every move, even when she is in her chambers. Oh, and she apparently takes walks in the castle garden at times, during the evening. I-I can show you the way if you want. You can see the whole garden from my room.”

“…” The guy is quiet for a little while before the blade is finally removed from my throat completely.

I don’t make a move, just keep standing there, leaning against the low wall. I wanted to give the person time to escape before I checked if I was in once piece or not.

“You really are an asshole aren’t you?” I jump as I hear the same gruff voice from my side.

Out from the training grounds steps a short, wide man with a “Kama” style weapon in his hand, which explain how he was able to get the blade on my throat so easily. He must have been on top of the low wall and simply hooked it under my chin.

“To so easily give up your friends and the princess, even offering to help... What if I had been an assassin? Would you help me take out my targets too? How can Millie even think to help a traitorous shit like you?” He says and spits on the ground in front of me.

My mind finally catches up and I realize that this person must be the dwarf, Bryn, who I was supposed to meet here. Realizing that he had been the one to almost kill me made my mood take a 180 turn. That the guy was half my size only helped my confidence.

“You… you’re that dwarf I was supposed to meet here aren’t you? That was you just now? What the hell was that good for?”

“I wanted to test out one of the so called heroes that managed to get Millie’s favor. Turns out I was right to do so; otherwise we would have wasted our time trying to make a man out of a rat. I have met beggars and thieves with more backbone than you. To think that you, a hero, would give up so easily in front of a simple blade. If the other heroes are as pathetic as you then we surly are doomed.”

“What the fuck!? What did you expect me to say? No, I don’t know the princess? I don’t associate with the other heroes and I don’t even know their names, much less who is good at what. That I have spent most of my time trying to avoid them and their blind acceptance of whatever they are told? If I had told you that, would you have believed me? Would you have just let me go? Fuck no, you would have either tortured me in order to find out the truth, or you would have killed me right then and there because I was useless to you.”

Bryn blinked in confusion as he thought back on what I had told him, only now realizing that I had lied to him about almost everything. I could see it dawn to him that perhaps I hadn’t given him anything at all.

With a new light in his eyes he looks at me for a while before bursting out in laughter.

“Houhahahaa! You got me good there, boy! To think I was so caught up with judging you I didn’t even think about… Heh, so you just said that to buy time eh? A good enough plan, as long as it is not found out. To think I had you figured as coward and a traitor, when you were really tricking me in order to have me let my guard down before you could strike.

"Excellent plan!” He says with a big grin on his face.

“…” I was stunned at his sudden change.

This dwarf really likes to jump at conclusions…

“Yes now I understand what she saw in you, boy! Haha, to think you would go and trick this old Bryn like that. Really good thinking.” He keeps going on and slaps me on the back a few times while laughing.

I guess I shouldn’t tell him that I only lied because I didn’t know the truth. Had I known the truth I would have given it up without any hesitation. After all what are some random information about people I don’t care about when compared to my life. Hell if he had insisted to the point of threatening my life for it I probably would have helped him kill the princess and some of the heroes. But… if I told him that now he would probably try to kill me again… better to play along.

So I smiled back at him while trying to look embarrassed.

“Well… shall we get going then… Mr. Bryn?” I ask him in an attempt to get passed this whole ordeal.

“Just call me Bryn, I ain’t no mister. You know ever since Millie asked me to train you I have been exited for this. We are going to have a good time, you and I.”

“Right, so what exactly are we going to do? Millie refused to tell me…”

“Well first things first. We are going to see how you do in an actual fight. I can’t very well train you if I don’t know how good you are now can I?”

“Oh, this again. Millie already tried that. Let’s just say that I have no experience in fighting other than from watching others fight and reading about it. So you can treat me like a beginner.”

“Really? Well it will be apparent soon enough. Come along now let’s head out. I know just the place to go to for a fight.” He laughs and starts to guide me out in to the city.

His words gives me a bad feeling, but if might be the fact that every time I head out in to the city something bad has happened. When we pass the guards they stand at attention and salute us. Bryn looks at me and nods approvingly. I can only shrug, not knowing why they are suddenly saluting me whenever I come near them. It might just be the fact that I am clad in armor and they thought I was someone important.

We travel down the main road, which stretches to the city gate a few kilometers in the distance, until we branch of and enters some of the middle class areas. There I am lead to a building that has carvings of demons and angels dancing around and drinking on the walls. Inside there is the sound of drums, a flute and what I believe is a harp along happy chatter of tipsy patrons. It really didn’t seem like the place where you would go for a fight. Rather it seemed like a good place to spend an afternoon with some friends, drinking and enjoying each other’s company.

Nevertheless Bryn lead me inside with confident steps. Inside it wasn’t as much a bar as it was a tavern. Filled with round tables and chairs the patrons faced and open area where they could dance in front of the stage where a group of musicians played a fun and happy tune. We stopped just inside the door while Bryn surveyed the people inside the tavern. I didn’t take long before a man clad in a white apron with a towel on his shoulder caught eye of us and hurried to meet us.

“No! No, no, no, no, no! Absolutely not! You ain’t coming in here Bryn. Not after what you did last time you were here. Now get out and don’t destroy anything on the way or I will have Sam take care of you, and this time I ain’t telling him to hold back.”

“Heh, what are you saying? Ain’t I a valued customer? Since when have you started to threaten your customers like this?”

“Since you came around and destroyed half my tavern and scared off all my customers! You know I almost went out of business because of you! Half a month this place was empty before a few patrons dared to come back. And then they only came in after I assured them you would not ever come back here. So I would thank you to swiftly turn around and get out. Sam! Would you please show the dwarf outside? Thank you.”

A big burly man stood up from a chair by the bar disk and approached us while cracking his knuckles. His face showed a clearly broken nose and a missing ear. After he took a look at Bryn he showed a grin on his face, his smile missing several teeth and his tongue looks grotesque.

“Well, well. If id ain’t my good flend Blyn. So good to finally see you again.”

“Oh, I am surprised you were able to hear you master calling Sam, what with your hearing problem and all…” Bryn taunts while tapping his ear.

Sam’s face darkens and his smile disappears.

“Today will be diffelent…” Sam growls and takes a step to charge at Bryn only to be stopped by the bartender.

“Sam! Take it up with the dwarf OUTSIDE please.” He firmly reminds him.

“Humph.” He grunts and the starts to herd me and Bryn outside. Bryn take a mocking glance at the bartender as if to say: ‘I could just start the fight in here if I wanted to…’ after which he walks outside. I hurry after him.

At this point I could guess what would happen. As such I quickly whispered to Bryn: “You do remember what I said before about me being a beginner, right?”

“Relax kid, Sam may be big but he is slow and stupid. Besides I am here ain’t I? So don’t worry about it and go enjoy yourself.”

As the asshole of a dwarf lead the way in to a wide ally at the back of the tavern he grinned at me while patting giving me reassuring pat on the back. My heart started to beat faster and my legs are started to shake.

He really expects me to fight this guy? Impossible, he is too big. Besides, judging by his face he has experience aplenty. And I am supposed to take him on barehanded? I might be wearing armor but this is insane. Should I just run away? I am sure I would be faster than him…

As I try to think of a way out of the situation I suddenly stop. I realize that I am thinking about this all wrong. Wasn’t this what I wanted? This is no manikin, no sparring match. Here I can go all out. Here I can try anything. Besides Bryn will probably be able to help me if things gets dangerous.

As I try to calm myself I pull my hair back and I start to wish that I had a helmet. Head injuries are after all the most dangerous. I look down and think of how my head would hit the cobblestone ground and split like an egg.

Oh why did I have to think about that now? Calm down. It’s just a fight, not a death match. Stop thinking about what can go wrong and start thinking about what I should do to take this guy down…

I look behind me at Sam who is hulking after us. He has big hands, long arms and legs. Wide build. He is not ripped but reminds me a little about Millie. That doesn’t reassure me at all.

Fuck! Okay, he probably won’t even react if I hit him with my fist and if I am caught by those fists and arms then it’s all over. So… what can I do? Is there anything? Should I ask Bryn? No I have to do this myself or it won’t matter… Argh why is my mind not working. Come on, think!

While I was having a personal crisis we arrived at an open space at the back of the tavern where a small stable housed a few horses. Time for thinking was over.

“Okay Sam now before you and me can have at it you have to go through my bodyguard here.” Bryn speaks and points at me with his thumb. Sam only gives me a passing glance before scoffing.

“Bodyguald? Him? Hah, what you plain’ at Blyn?”

“Don’t worry about it Sam you just need to beat this boy a little and then we can have our fun.” Bryn assures Sam with a smile.

Hey, aren’t you supposed to be on my side?

“Fine, stay right there Blyn, this won’t take long...”

With that he faced me with all intentions of starting the fight. My mind was racing in all directions as I kept trying to convince myself that this is what I wanted. Part of me wanted to run away and hide while part of me wanted to move forward. I started to have thoughts of my own death. I was scared and the fear made me unfocused. Therefore it’s not really a surprise that Sam was the first one to move. To me he just suddenly appeared, towering before me like a giant. An enormous fist like a cannon ball shot from the giant’s waist flew strait in to my chest and sent me flying through the air. With shock written all over my face I smacked in to the ground a few meters away.

I thought Bryn said he was slow!

I imagined pain shooting up from my back, arms or legs as I hit the ground and rolled a few times.

I probably skinned my arms and back to the bone from the impact. Not mention the fact that I should have a few ribs cracked. I should avoid moving as much as possible. It doesn’t hurt right now but that might just be due to shock… Wait… I-it doesn’t hurt at all? Oh right, I have armor on me don’t I?

Feeling like an idiot I scrambled to my feet. There really wasn’t any damage. Even my chest was fine. I might get some bruises later but right now I felt fine. Sam is looking at me with a mocking smile on his face.

“You think a little leather will save you from my punches? Hah, bet you have some ribs cracked, eh?”

Strangely my fear had disappeared. As if the fact that his first punch was totally nullified and that he himself didn’t even realize it was enough to calm my mind.

I took a deep breath, cracked my neck and got in to a stance. No more useless thoughts to cloud my mind, all I was thinking of were how he moved.

Seeing me take a stance Sam frowned.

“Hah, tlying to act tough will get you nowhere, blat!” He shouts at me and rushes at me again.

But this time I am ready. This time I am actually paying attention and therefore I could see his movements. He really wasn’t very fast at all. Rather than using speed he was just lumbering towards me in an almost clumsy way. Somehow he reminded me of a gorilla as he bent forward, his long arms and big fists almost touching the ground. Instead of trying to take his fist head on I dodged out of the way to the left. My thought was to get under his right hand punch which was aimed at my face this time, however I was not fast enough and he clipped my shoulder making me stagger as I tried to retain my balance. Not slowing down, Sam turned and tried to grab me with his left hand. Somehow I was able to act faster than him and as his hand reached out to grab my arm I in turn got hold of two of his fingers. I expected him to pull his hand back but contrary to my expectations he only clenched his hand in to a fist and raises his other fist to punch my face in. A tinge of panic rushed through my body and I hurriedly twisted his fingers with all my might. In my haste I used too much force and a clear “Snap!” followed by the giant grunting in pain and staggering backwards.

We humans sure are stupid sometimes, as proven by my reaction at that time.

For some idiotic reason, I was afraid that I had hurt the giant who had been just a second away from making paste of my face. And because of that I let go of his broken fingers and took a step back while he grasped his hand, grunting. I, in my worry, stepped towards him and was just about to ask him if he was okay when his expression changed from pain to glee and his healthy hand stretched out and grabbed me by the collar. From behind me I could Bryn’s angry voice call out.

“Argh what are you doing you idiot!? You had him why did you let go? And then you just approached the man like a moron wanting to get beat up.” He put his hands on his face and sighing with disappointment. Unfortunately I was not at the liberty to respond to his criticism, seeing as I was flying through the air. I saw the wall approaching and curled up in a ball to protect my head. It was more of an instinct than good thinking. So at a force great enough to create a hole the size of my curled up self I slammed in to the wall.

This time my armor was not enough to protect me from taking damage and one of my arms got dislocated in the impact.

“Haaaaa!!!” I screamed out as pain beamed throughout my body from my shoulder. I fell in to a heap on the ground, groaning in pain.

“Well that’s what you get for acting stupid in a fight. Now stop whining and get up already.” Bryn complained while looking fed up.

“Hah…hah… My shoulder… Argh…”

“What’s that? Your shoulder? Is it broken or dislocated?”

“H-How should I know!? God damn it!” I keep complaining and groaning as the pain almost blinds me.

“Well if I were you I would get back on my feet before Sam gets his fingers back in place.” Bryn warns me.

I manage to take a look over at where Sam is standing and quietly is pulling and popping his fingers back in to place.

“Oh, too late. Well it was good knowing you, kid.”

“S-shut up and help me already!” I roar at the damn dwarf. “I’m dying here!”

“Oh, don’t be such a pansy. It’s just a shoulder. Not like he stabbed you or anything. Besides you have another one don’t you? Just stand up and fight with the other arm. It should be easy.”

“Easy my ass!”

At this point a shadow falls over me and Sam stands over me with a big grin on his face.

“You gills done with you’le little chat?”

“Awh, SHIT!” I managed to scream as he bends down and deliver a punch that sends me in to the dark.

When I wake up again I see Bryn standing over me, a soft glow enveloping him and myself. When he notice me opening my eyes the glow swiftly disappears and the scoffs at me.

“Heh, finally awake are we? Slept well did you? Pff, getting downed in three little hits. I thought heroes were built of sturdier stuff then that. Well are you going to lie there all day? Get your ass off the ground already.”

The pain from my shoulder had disappeared and I carefully get to my feet. Feeling a bit groggy still I shake my head before looking around. What I half expected, from what I had heard of Bryn from Millie, was to find the giants body in a bloody heap somewhere. Unfortunately this was not my lucky day. No Sam was still there, as if waiting for me to get back to it.

Not wanting to believe my own fears I ask Bryn:

“…What happened?”

“Nothing happened, you just passed out like a pansy who never seen his own blood before now get your ass back in to the fight!” And with that the shoves me towards Sam, who just cracks his now blue knuckles.

“Well then shall we stalt again?” He said and rushed me again...