"The Next Day"

The following day I found myself in the town of Britain, selling my trinkets from the previous night, when I met up with a newcomer. He was a friendly enough fellow so when he suggested that we head for the orc fort again, I quickly agreed. It would seem that the orcs breed faster than rabbits, so I knew the fort would be filled again with the beasts. Perhaps they have a secret underground lair where they bring in reinforcements. I do not know how they become so numerous but there seems to be no end to them.

After selling what I could and preparing for another adventure, my new companion and I headed off towards the main bridge. The bridge into Britain was crowded as usual. After surveying my fellow adventurers for anyone I might know, I saw him again...the fiend from last night.

Seeing him again, my anger quickly flared up anew. The question "Why?" raced through my mind. What wrong had I done this man? What reason other than pure malice could he have had for his behavior?

"I demand an explanation for your attack last night!" I said as I walked up to him, trying unsuccessfully to hold back my anger.

He had been chatting with another warrior and summarily ignored me. My anger swelled. Finally, after further prompting, he spoke.

"What level are you?" he asked.

I was flabbergasted. Was he still trying to determine my weaknesses? After his behavior last night, I was not about to give him the leg up on me.

"What level are you?" I retorted not expecting an answer.

He paused for a moment before answering me.

"19th," he responded.

19th?!? After having fought him last night, I was convinced that he was higher than that. There seemed no end to his treachery.

"So what level are you?" he asked again.

"69th," I said, trying not to sound too boastful.

"BS!" he said.

He didn't believe me? Fine. Some guys just don't know when to quit.

"Do you want to try me?" I retorted before I could restrain myself.

At this point, even my new companion seemed to doubt that I was telling the truth. Either that or he was eager to see a battle. "Go ahead, try him," he instigated.

Before I could say another word, the fiend backed up a couple of steps and began throwing fireballs at me again trying to gain a quick edge. That was enough for me. I moved in, trying to leave him no avenue for escape this time. He was backed up against the edge of the bridge. There were no trees to aid his flight this time. Having just left the healer in town, I was ready. There was no escape...

And so the battle had begun. It was a fierce fight. Though the great axe is not an elegant weapon, it gets the job done. We exchanged many hits, but it was quickly apparent who the victor would be. Sensing this, I thought he would once again flee, trying to escape me, but this time he did not. Perhaps he understood that he had this coming. He had attacked one of his kin and now he had to pay the price. How many other innocent people had he attacked? People who could not defend themselves? I gave him a lesson in justice that day. He stood and took his punishment, and in that moment, perhaps he learned a little about honor as well. I sent him to the temple to begin a new life and gathered my prize, but I hoped even more that in his next life these events would touch him and he would think twice before attacking unprovoked.

The End

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