Thwack.

#

It was a wet and heavy sound as the meaty hand came across the crown of his head. In the scuffle he had not seen the blow coming. His brain careened from one side of his head to the next like a mug sliding across a bar top. His vision blurred. His eyes watered. He was rocked. He was dazed. These men, still drunk from a night of festivities, had struck him, Gricrir Foreblossom, Vice Captain of the Guards.

Drunken fools. If that leaves a mark it won’t be me you’ll have to worry about. It’ll be my wife.

This small nameless side street, like many in this side of town, was cramped and now filled with several people in a scuffle. A scuffle as that he had tried to avoid as he attempted to move along several intoxicated residents of low-town who drank more than their bodies could hold. Or that their minds could control. He had tried to ask them to move along to their homes for their safety and the order of the city.

Usually a subtle reminder from a few guards is enough. Gricrir had hoped it would be enough. But there were several more of them than their were guards. It’s not that him, and his posse of three other guards couldn’t subdue a group of drunken citizens. The problem was doing it without hurting anyone. As it was now they were outnumbered two to one. And if the ale had taken their mind, words might not be enough to get them to move.

And … of course it hadn’t. They were bitter to be awaken from their drunken pile. I mean, who wakes up a man from their drunken rest after a night out? Gricrir did. It was his job. And his job taught him to expect things to go sour. He had sent one of his guards along to get more help. This left him in total man power of three guards to ten or more people. The numbers were not in his favor. And they took advantage of this. First arguing to be left alone. When Gricrir moved in front of his group to help physically move one of the more stubborn members along, they erratically wailed their hands, popping him hard. And it was on from there …

“You’ve hit a member of the guard. On my kind graceses and recognition of the overjoy of the festivals I will forget this and -“

And it was too late for his words. Like a match being struck it was on. His fellow guards came out from behind him and dash to the attacker. The first guard, bulkier in stature, wound up like he was going to throw a baseball and slide all that force from his knuckles into the gut of the attacker. The attackers knees shook. His face became pale and his foundation was about to collapse. The blow itself was going to put him on his face as he started to drop; but he was not going to receive that luxury today. No. Not today.

#

As he started his downward descent the second guard started her attack. Squatting low, and drawing her fist up almost from the ground, she sprung upward putting her body behind the vertical thrust of her fist. She landed perfectly as the attacker was falling. She placed so much for that she ended actually getting some air beneath her feet before landing agin.

The attacker did not land on his feet. The attack sent him half a foot into the area where he then fell flat on his ass. He landed with a thud and the unsettling sound the lungs trying to let out air that was no longer in them.

“Grif. I bet you a 100 coin that I can take more down than you,” as he walks over the body of the first would-be attacker. He was decked in studded brown leather armor, barrel chested and stared out of a leather helmet with golden eyes. He was thick. Thick like a foundry, and of a slightly shorter build.

“I guess you’ll be buyin’ drinks at da floggin’inn tonight Tony. Because ain’t no way you gonna out compete me. Be it fighting, runnin’ or drinkin. ” said the female guard. She was decked in the same untasteful brown studded leather of a guard. She was tall, lithe, and the only thing that really identified her as a woman were her smaller features and the few colorful accessories that adorned her uniform, typical of woman in the area. Those items, while only cosmetic in purpose did not hinder her. Her armor was utilitarian. Unlike some war clerics and mages, a guard couldn’t afford to wear armor that show cased her cleavage. The work too dangerous and the cost for magically reinforced layers and invisible shielding, too expensive.

“Oh yeah?” Tony asked, his voice resounding from his deep diaphragm.

“Oh yeah” Grif said with almost an amused tone.

They both looked at each other, smiled, and then darted to the remainder attackers.

Oh no… These two …

#

Gricrir watched as his two guards jumped right into the middle of the crowd. And slowly but surely he started to see bodies dropping.

They’re in over their heads and don’t know it yet. They are out numbered and operating from a handicap. They’re going to get themselves killed.

And sure enough, the crowd that they jumped in started to consume them. To many attacks from too many angles.

I need to get over there. These two are my responsibility.

Gricrir forces himself to wig his toes. Noting functionality he returned to the fray and systematically went to work. He started with the opponents that had flanked his crew. His movements were dynamic.

Gricrir advanced on the man who was trying to choke Tony from behind. It was unskilled and Tony could break out of it. If he weren’t swinging and guarding against three other people, with one trying to hold onto his hand.

Incapacitate. Gricrir muttered to himself. He smashed the base of mans skulled with the edge of his hand, dropping him instantly. Tony now free landed a solid boot in the belly of the person was holding onto him. Himself now free he began to take on the others.

“Thank’s Cap,” Tony said quietly before yelling. “That’s three! Three for me.”

“Yeah, I’m at five with no help”

“What no way,” Tony yell back. His focus returning to the fight as he gets blasted in the face by a punch.

Gricrir looks over at Grif.

That’s no good. I miss calculated … or more people jumped in. He could see that Grif was indeed had five bodies sprawled out around her. However, she was still surrounded by another five. They kept trying to circle around her but she wouldn’t let them. She kept bouncing on her feet, cutting people off from advancing and tagging anyone who got too close with a rapid jab. She truly was in great fighting form. However ….

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Grif tripped momentarily. Her bouncing movements kept her light on her feet, great for mobility which kept her out of the danger zone for so long. The problem was she was too good at she was doing. She simply tripped over one of the arms of someone she had already sprawled out.

She had falling steps for several feet going backwards until she was balanced normally. But her attackers too the chance to rush her. Now she was in an exchange of blow for blow. Still holding her own with very quick and efficient kicks despite the weight of gear. But she was being tagged due to the shear number of people attempting to attack her. Their blows not precise. But the drunken stupor allowed them to put full weight into these attacks.

She can probably handled this. But she’s risky injury. Injury means recoup time. Recoup time means skill lost, experience lost, and lack of income. I’ll assist.

Gricrir started moving her direcitonly slowly, chin down, eyes observing both the ground and the scene. Finding his route free of debris he increased his speed into a fast but controlled run. Nearing them he shifted into an accelerated rate, dropped his shoulder and speared the person in front of them, taking them and the person to their side down into a heap.

Gricrir stumbled walked over the bodies he just laid flat. Getting his own feet together, he kicks the inside ankle of the next person in front of him. They stagger. He throws a punch angled at the face. Noticing it was a woman, he adjust his punch last second to a blow right between the breast, blasting their sternum. She goes down.

I felt no cracking. Damage to body. Minor. Damage to ego …. Uncertain.

As he was about to move to address another opponent he felt his leg be grabbed by one of the men on the ground. At the same time another opponent leaves from attacking Grif to attacking Gricrir.

“Let go….” Gricrir muttered, middly frustrated at the situation and attempting to free himself to no avail.

“I’ll show you who run’s the show down here. …” says the attacks as he hiccups and swings.

Bad move buddy ….

The man didn’t see it before he could respond. Grif had finished her opponent. Ran up and behind the man that was running at Gricrir, planted her foot, pivoted on it and unleashed an amazing arcing kick that the guy simply ran into. His movement was suddenly halted. And then he fells off to the side.

Let the bodies hit the floor I suppose.

“As for you….” Here looked down at the person still holding his leg. Noticing the non-wining predicament they got themselves in they started to wave their hands in front as if to surrender. Once again, before Gricrir could say anything the situation was handled. Grif simply came up and swiftly kicked the man in the head. The man’s head promptly dropped to the ground and his hands, releasing the vice captain did the same.

“That’s done…” she said. Her energy was mostly even keeled. If it weren’t for their time training and patrolling together, the captain might not have noticed the small tinge of celebration to her voice. Nor might he had noticed the bemusement in her eyes as she looked over to Tony who was just finishing up his scuffle.

“Done,” Tony said, his words coming out in a panting respiration.

Grif folded her arms. Around her are a circle of unconscious men and women; a circle much larger than Tony’s few.

“Bout time,” she said, her tone neutral. Her eyes looked Tony up and down but she said no more.

“Oh don’t you give me that conda-scendin,” he glances at Gricrir, asking a quiet question “did I use the right word”.

Choosing not to correct his vocalization Gricricir simply nodded.

Best for me not to get involved in this one.

“Yeah,” more puffed up now “You best not give me that conda-scendin’ look. I did just about as much as you did. Plus you had Cap’s help. He folds his arms. Still standing in the middle of a smaller crowd, but holding onto his supposed win.

“Captain helped me with a few. But I still took down more than you did. And my armor didn’t even..”

One of the once unconscious men laying next to Tony, clearly still battered, but with a strong will, crawled on his stomach to reach for a small piece of debris. Everyone watched his next move.

The man with his last bit of defiance hit Tony on the toe of his boot. And he let out one last “bastard” before passing out.

The trio looked at the man, then at Tony’s boot, and then back at the man. Gricrir and Grif then looked at Tony in a moment of silence. Then emerging from the belly of Grif erupted laughter and her eyes tearing up.

“Oh mighty Tony. I think he’s not quite done with you” she drawls out the length of the last word “yet”. She tilts her head down, eyes looking up and a rueful smile cutting across her face “If you need to finish that little ordeal so that we can get an accurate count, go ahead. Who knows, you might even beat my score. And I’ll sure own up to buying you drinks. Because you would have deserved them”

Tony looks down at the man and back at the laughing Grif. He promptly kicks the man in the ass, less to cause harm and more to vent, and then looks away, arms still folded and clearly pouting.

What am I going to do with these two children. So much potential but so much childlike drama…

“Come on Tony. Pouting isn’t becoming … for such a noble warrior” she bends over holding her belly as laughs shake her whole body.

Gricrir looks at her and then at the incoming bodies.

“Grif…” Griricr said without ever looking at her.

Grif immediately stood tall and stiff.

“Thank you.”

“Sorry Captain”.

It’s not captain.

A group of other guards in similar leather studded armor come running in. A few of them bump into the still pouting Tony, causing him to stumble a few steps as forward.

“Yeez. Come on. Can’t you see me standin’ here. I coulda be hurt or something’”.

The guards pay no attention to Tony, adding to his dismay. They filed up right in front of Gricrir. The guard directly in front of Gricrir was the one he sent off earlier. The opening of his helmet showed a face of a male in the stages between man and boy with acne still causing mountains on his face.

“Sorry sir. I had to run around low-town as fast as I could as they were in different districts and many already on an assignment. I even gathered a few who were off duty.” The young man looks around. “But I see you have it under control sir.”

“Yes,” Gricrir explains plainly. He looks over the body, noticing the downpour of sweat from his brow.

This kid did a heck of a job running around in all this armor. Some of these guys are from deep deep in low-town. Not easy process for anyone.

Patting him on the shoulder, “You did good kid.” His eyes look past the boy to see that Grif had snuck over to Tony, giving him a similar pat on the shoulder and attempting to cheer him up. “You did good”.

You all did. And are. Soon you all will be running this show when I finally move up.

“Guards, thank you for your rapid response. It is our bond that keeps us safe. You who just showed up. I take it I can leave you all to make sure these folks are processed correctly and are given medical attention.”

“Yes captain,” they all respond at once.

“Thank you. But I am not your captain. I am the vice-captain. And as for the processing. We will give them just disorderly conduct.”

Murmurs happen amongst the group.

“Yes. They deserve more. But I know each of these faces to some extent. To place them in holding for days will hurt their families. Half of them don’t even drink and may have simply gotten take away. We didn’t get hurt. And they learned a rather, hmm, painful lesson. Anything more would be unncessary as far as I’m concerned. And if they cause trouble again we will charge them to the fullest. This is my discretionary choice. Do you all understand.”

“Yes sir.”

“Any disagreements”. There is silence as if they were truly considering if they had any qualms. Most of them ended up shaking their head in the negative. Gricrir gave a few more moments.

“Very well. Get to it”.

“Yes sir!” The guards got to work, checking for major damage and tying hands with ropes.

His voice projecting, but cool in note with a hint of pondering “Except for you two, Grif and Tony. You two come with me. I’ve got rounds to finish. And we need to talk…”

Both of them winced immediately. Even Grif with her poker face had a hard time hiding her concern. They both looked like children who just got into trouble. Gricrir was accustomed to these types of looks from guards that he worked with in low -town. They knew him. They knew he was a man for the peoples rather the people realized it or not. He was competent and wisdom and training had kept many of them from serious injury or death. He rarely ever had to raise his voice at any of the guards in his region. They just simply didn’t want to disappoint him.

And disappointment was clearly a concern on the two guards he called.

“Come. Walk with me.”

“Yes sir…” their voices not so enthusiastic.”

#

***