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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RangerWickett" data-source="post: 1821327" data-attributes="member: 63">Episode Four: My Hero, Section I“This was in my, let’s say, ‘less reputable’ days,” Babb said.He soaked up Tri’ni’s grin.  He’d been entertaining her with stories of his exploits for the past week, ever since they’d reached the surface.  Now Babb was thankful that they were almost to Palesi, because he was running low on stories.  A big city like Palesi ought to keep the dark Elf girl occupied until Babb could brew up some new trouble.Babb patted the sword at his hip.  “This sword has kept me safe for three years now, but I actually used to use a big two-handed thing.  I called it Bonecutter.”Babb chuckled, and Tri’ni laughed too.“I called it ‘Stonecutter,’” Lacy interrupted, “because most of the time he’d miss and hit rocks.”“Thanks, Lace,” Babb growled. “Anyway, I was with a group of Herethim mercenaries.  You know Herethim?  They’re big, brutish, tusked guys?  Well, anyway, I decided to go out on my own one night while everybody else made camp.  We were up in these wooded mountains, and I’d been getting impatient that we hadn’t fought anyone.  You following me?”He didn’t wait for Tri’ni to answer.“So, like I said, I’m up in the woods, at night, and I see a campfire, so I come in close and sneak up on the guy.  He’s in a horrible spot to camp.  There are hills on two sides of him, trees all around.  I mean, anybody could’ve snuck up on this guy.”David whispered snidely, “Even Babb, apparently.”“So,” Babb said, “I hide in the trees until I get to his backside.  He’s polishing his sword, just sitting on a tree stump, whistling.  I mean, I’m not the quietest guy in the world, but I was being pretty sneaky, and I come up behind him, planning to hit him on the back of the head.  But then-”“Why?”Babb looked down at Tri’ni.  “What?”“Why did you want to attack him?”Babb shrugged, embarrassed.  “I told you.  I was young.  I wasn’t really thinking.”Lacy added, “He was fifteen, at the time.  And about five feet tall.  That’s going to be key here in a second.”Babb snorted derisively.  “Yeah Lace, and you were eighteen and six-foot-five.  Let’s leave height out of this.”Babb’s older, taller adopted sister faked a pained expression.  “Oh, but it’s not as funny if we do.”From the back of the group, Babb heard Allar quietly say, “I think you look especially graceful being so tall, Lacy.”  Babb glared at Allar, then returned to his story.“Anyway, Trin, I raise my sword to club the guy, and I realize he’s seen me in the reflection on the flat of his sword.  He spins around and swings at me, and I barely manage to dodge it-”“He missed,” Lacy said, “because he saw a Geidon and thought you were going to be seven feet tall.  He was trying to cut off your head, and just swung over it.”“-so I dodge it, and I’m completely surprised, thinking he’s going to kill me when all I wanted was a little fun, so I ram the guy, and knock him into the fire.  He falls on his ass and tries to put out the flames, and I grab his sword to make sure he can’t hit me.”Tri’ni looked like she was repressing a giggle, and Babb grinned.“But he doesn’t stop there,” Babb said.  “He rolls and puts out the flames like it’s nothing, and then, here’s the crazy thing, he grabs a handful of coals and throws them at me.  Just grabs ‘em in his bare hand and chucks ‘em.  The ash and sparks get me in the eye, and I swing at him wildly for a few seconds before I realize he’s run off.”“Actually,” Lacy said with a triumphant smile, “I remember you telling me that you tripped over a log as you were trying to run away, and that he started shooting arrows at you and shouting for you to bring his sword back.”Babb crossed his arms.  “Well that happened too.  I was getting to that.  You see, um, Trin, so, what had happened was-”Babb felt Tri’ni put a hand on his arm, and he stopped.  The young dark Elf woman shook her head.“It’s alright, Babb.  I’m sure you kept your own in the fight.  What were you trying to get at, though?”“Oh,” Babb said.  “Well, I was basically just explaining where I got this sword from.  I managed to outrun the guy, and I must have lost him.  I mean, I feel bad now, but hey, it’s a really good sword.  And I make sure to always keep it polished.”Babb drew his sword, its silvery blade flashing in the sunlight.  He held it up for the others to admire, but he did a doubletake, looking at a reflection in the flat of the blade.“Behind us,” Babb snarled, spinning.If it had been someone aggressive, the rest of the group might have died if Babb had not been there defending them.  But in truth, when he faced the reflection in his blade, he saw only a medium-framed man, fully cloaked, a hood casting a shadow across his face.  He appeared unarmed.“Oh.”  Babb wanted the man to know his disappointment.  “Not a monster.  Not my business then.”Babb was about to turn away and let the others deal with the stranger, but the man pulled back his hood, catching Babb’s eye.His face was sleek and reptilian, dim gray-green scales ridging his jaw and eyebrows.  Gold and black mingled in wide eyes that swept across the group, barely even lingering on Babb.  Everyone else was watching the man nervously, and Babb waved slightly to him, his sword swinging almost casually.  The stranger was unlike anything he’d ever heard of.Lacy was the first to speak, her tone friendly.  “Can we help you?”The scaled man looked hard at Lacy, and Babb thought he saw pain cross his sister’s face for a moment.“I am Seekan,” the man said, lingering on his own name.Babb frowned at Seekan, but he saw that his sister looked fine now.“Lacy,” Babb asked, “do I kill him?”Lacy shook her head.  “Not yet, Babb.”Babb shrugged and turned away, resheathing his sword and continuing his story.  “So, that’s probably the most expensive thing I’ve ever stolen, but my favorite was the porcelain piggy.  That’s a funny story.”</blockquote>

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