Returning to the main group had taken Vas far less time than he had originally anticipated. Kara and Ishone had decided to slow their pace over the last day to ensure that the Decoys would be able to catch up.

The next day, Kara announced that they would take a break to let the Decoys catch up on sleep.  

Vas, Jade, Alex, and Joust slept through the morning.

Around the time the sun was halfway through the sky, Tare brought a pack of rations to share into the tent. “Time for some lunch,” he chirped.

Vas was the first one to wake fully, and took a big bite of the rations. He knew the vitamin-infused stuff would fill him up with just a normal bite, but felt like he deserved a little extra today. Tare directed an amused smile at him. “What?” “They’re all waiting for you. Acting like they’re playing cards. Everyone is excited to see you.”

Vas patted the back of Jade’s head. She scooted away from him. He set the rations on the ground in front of her nose and stood up.

Everyone in Vas’s group had started wearing their undergarments to bed now that the weather had gotten warmer.

Vas pulled his clothes on. “Why? They saw me last night.”

Tare raised his eyebrows.

“Did you hear the stories Alex was telling? It seems you’ve been chosen by some god to compete with monsters in mortal combat, but you have to remember what the rest of the Scouts do every day. They walk until they make camp. They run if there is any sign of Risen nearby.”

Vas was being turned into a symbol.

He wasn’t just a survivor; they were all survivors.

He fought. And he won.

He didn’t want to be a symbol. He was a person just like every other.

Vas finished dressing, nodded to Tare in thanks, and walked out of the tent.

When every person in the encampment turned their eyes on him, he knew.

It didn’t matter what he wanted.

Selene, who was now a member of Tapo’s scouting groups, had been the first person to see Vas return with his small party.

She was playing cards with a few other members of Tapo’s group who had the day off.

Ishone and Serj would be covering scouting duties for the day with their groups.

Selene hopped up from her card game and skipped over to him excitedly. “Did you already eat, Vas? Would you like to play cards?”

Vas eyed her, wary. She was a tricky one. Trying to get him to say yes about lunch, which she would in turn take as a yes for playing cards.

“I did eat, but I’m a little tired for cards.” Selene nodded and took his arm. “Will you at least tell us how you killed the wolf with a compass?”

Vas was about to say no. Then he blinked.

“I didn’t kill it, Joust and Jade did.”

Selene smiled, “What? I don’t think I’ve heard this version!”

Vas cursed himself for being so gullible.

She’d won the second he’d responded to her.

He was doomed to waste his day losing at cards.

“Vas, there you are.” It was the voice of Kara.

The voice of an angel who had the power to get him out of playing cards.

“Sorry,” Kara addressed Selene, “I need to hear his report.”

Selene gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded.

Vas almost jumped for joy. Escape successful.

Vas followed Kara to her tent. Tapo and Ishone waited inside.

Vas nodded to the two other leaders. “Serj is monitoring the scouting parties,” Kara informed him.

After Ishone gave a brief report from the scouting groups, Vas related the events of the past two days.

“You’re sure they didn’t follow you?” Ishone’s icy voice was not accusatory, just thorough.

“Like I said, we waited a couple hours before moving on.” 

Ishone nodded, “So it is possible, however unlikely, that you were followed.”

“Of course. This is always true for decoys,” Tapo interrupted.

“Very well, let’s move on.”

Ishone and Tapo nodded, as did Vas.

“We are hoping to move out tomorrow morning and continue in the same manner as we had been. Do you have any objections or concerns?”

“No.”

The meeting went on for another twenty or so more minutes as the leaders planned and plotted their path for the next few days.

As Vas exited the tent, he saw Fem watching the ongoing card game from afar.

“Not interested in playing?”

Fem started and spun around. When he saw it was Vas, he instantly relaxed.

“Thought you were. . . Anyway, no. The card game’s a front. They really just want to talk about all those crazy stories Alex told. Did you really kill a rabid wolf with a compass?”

Blast that girl. Couldn’t she make somebody else the hero of her stories for once? Joust had been the one to get there in time to save Jade while Vas wasn’t even able to stand up.

“Joust killed it. That man is insanely fast.”

Fem nodded in understanding.

“He beats me in spars sometimes now. Ever since he started doing morning practices with us. I can’t imagine fighting him when he’s serious.”

Vas laid a hand on Fem’s shoulder. “You alright?”

Fem frowned, “Don’t know. Feel like I should have been there. Could have saved your hand, at least.”

“You followed orders, warned the main group, and did it fast enough that the Risen never even saw you. The hand will heal, anyway. I know we have tons of stories to tell, but you and Tare are heroes just as much as the rest of the Decoys.”

Fem waved a hand, “Don’t care about the hero stuff. I’m worried you’re overexerting yourself when I’m not there.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Vas thought about it. The question was really too much to think about. If he hadn’t run back to help Alex, who would have? He could have told Joust to come with him, but the big man was already tired.

Was it overexertion or just doing what was necessary? Vas didn’t know how to draw that line. He knew Fem was probably right, but he didn’t know how to fix it.

Vas’s brow furrowed.

“Vas.”

Vas looked up.

“Now that your arm’s hurt, who do you think would win in a spar?”

“Between the two of us?”

Fem nodded.

Vas considered. This was something he could actually analyze.  

Fem would have the distinct advantage because of having both a sword and shield. Vas could use his wounded hand, but not enough to do much with it. Sparring would be difficult because he’d have trouble stopping the blade before impact. Fem would probably win.

“Me.”

Fem smiled and his eyes seemed to gleam.

“You’re on.”

----------------------------------------

Vas and Fem walked up to the large group of soldiers who were playing a variety of card games with their multiple decks. Alex, Joust, Tare, Jade, Selene, and even Tapo had joined the games.

Alex eyed the approaching men.

They were smiling.

Vas smiling was never something to be missed. Either something funny had happened, or something incredible was about to happen.

Alex didn’t have a crush on Vas like Selene did, and she didn’t worship him like Jade seemed to.

However, he was the most interesting person she’d ever met.

The moment he walked into a group, all eyes fell on him.

Every time he fought, every time he talked, everything seemed to center on him.

It was like some kind of god had found amusement in the idea of giving the most anti-social fighting maniac on earth the charisma of a king.

The others said that she exaggerated stories too much, but she just told them the way she saw them. He might not have technically killed that wolf with his compass, but he hit the animal between the eyes so hard that he knocked it over. With a compass. While he was kneeling on the ground nearly losing consciousness ten paces away.

The guy was something special.

It wasn’t like he was in the middle of some kids club.

He was one of the newest youngest recruits and stood next to veteran warriors.

Even Sun had known, from the first time they sparred.

“Vas and I are gonna spar. Anyone care to watch?”

Alex’s attention snapped to the current moment.

A spar? Between two of the best fighters in camp?

The thought of a sharp weapon covered in blood still gave her chills, but Alex would pay to watch a friendly spar with wooden weapons.

Everyone jumped up and gathered their cards immediately. One of the soldiers brought a long wooden sword for Vas and a smaller one for Fem.

The area was cleared in a matter of minutes, and everyone was intently watching the match.

Vas stood in his typical stance, while Fem hopped around on the balls of his feet.

Tapo had been declared the referee for the match and would call the start.

Normally Vas would be the better fighter, but in his sleep-deprived and wounded state, Alex had no idea which of them would come out on top.

She wanted to say Fem, but couldn’t bring herself to believe Vas would lose.

The two men touched swords and waited. Tapo clapped, which signaled the start.

Vas jumped back immediately, and Fem did the opposite.

One might say that the way the spar started would favor Fem because of the short distance they started at. If one didn’t know Vas.

Fem’s lunge was a cautious one. He’d been beaten by Vas at close range enough times to know there was no advantage.

Vas spun around and delivered a sweeping blow, which Fem deflected with his shield. Fem took the opportunity to follow up with an attack, but hadn’t noticed Vas step into the shield.

Fem became off-balanced for a moment when Vas wasn’t where he should have been.

Vas tripped Fem with an outstretched leg and followed the falling man with his wooden blade.

Fem used his trip and rolled forward, narrowly escaping the swing.

Now that Vas had the distance advantage, he closed in on Fem.

Fem cursed and deflected blow after blow with incredible concentration. Then he lunged forward.

Vas dodged the attack deftly and followed up with an overhand swing. This was it, Vas’s left was completely exposed.

Fem blocked the blow to the outside with his shield, and at that moment began a downward swing with his sword.

Vas let go of his miaodao with his left arm and brought his wrist up just in time to collide with Fem’s wrist. The blow effectively deflected Fem’s sword.

Then Vas twisted. His sword, which was now beneath Fem’s shield, met Fem’s lower torso. Vas continued a fake slash all the way up Fem’s chest as he stepped back.

Fem smiled wide. “What the hell was that last move? I was sure I had you!”

The rest of the onlookers cheered and rushed the two fighters, asking questions about stances and swings. ‘Why swing here instead of counter attack’ and ‘how did you follow up this move with that move’ sorts of questions.

Alex glanced to Joust at her side, “Think you could beat him?”

Joust just shook his head. He looked struck by disbelief. “Before seeing that I thought so. Maybe if we gave him a spear or something he wasn’t used to. Maybe.”

Alex considered herself extremely proficient in her abilities, but she knew Joust was her superior in nearly every way as a fighter. For him to be overwhelmed meant one thing: Vas was the monster she made him out to be. In a good way, of course.