Musings of a Fighter

[Crunch]

Well, it has been a long time I was standing idle while others continued to fight the good fight.  I just couldn't get back into farming though.  It's not the same without ma and pa; and I guess I've seen too much of the world to go back to working the earth.

Eventually I pulled my sword and shield and armor back from the closet and went out looking for adventure.  I said to myself, Tim me boy, you best get back to fighting before you get too old for it.

I ran into some old friends and found that some others are gone forever.  It seems that young kid that Yar saved got the same amount of protection from Toran that Yar did.  Riley followed too closely in Yar's footsteps and went to the soul mother as well.  I hear that Addison passed the same way.  *hangs his head for a moment*  So many changes.

Old Kavil and Rodlin are still around.  They have both advanced in a lot in their skills since I last saw them.  They had tales to tell of the the far east.  A most wonderous place it sounds, but far beyond the likes of me.  I also met a fighter by the name of Lilly.  She is an artist with a blade.  She uses a scimitar, which is  big for her, but she always seems to know just where the sharpest part of the blade is and where the focus of all her strength will strike.  It is amazing to watch her.  She tells me these techniques can be applied to any blade if one finds the right teacher.  I may have to look into this.  I hit pretty good, but nothing like what she does.

[Crunch]

I talked more with this Lilly about how she does so well with her blade.  She told me that in battle you have to control the tempo of the fight.  Something about getting the other fighter to fear your blade such that you can use that to push them around and set them up for the killing blow.  Then she showed me her scary moves.  I never would have believed such a little bit of a person could seem scary, but once I saw what she was doing, I could tell that was part of what makes her so tough.  She showed me a little bit about how intimidate others, but I can see I have a long way to go on this.  I'm working on it, but I think it is a long time before I can ever master the blade at this rate.

More sad news.   The soul mother seems to have a hunger for Ami now.  Ami has become amazingly powerful, but when we don't keep the enemy off her, she can't take much of a beating.  I can't bear the thought of another friend carried off by that loathsome creature.  It's even got me started talking to the priests.  I found out that getting carried off by the soul mother isn't always the end of your soul.  If you are in good standing with one of the gods, she supposedly can't keep your soul.  After a little time, your soul goes to rest in the land of your god.  Otherwise, that nasty lady takes it and does nobody knows what with it.  Yuck!

Trouble is, old Tim here hasn't been a godly type.  I try to be a good guy, but I've never really had time for a bunch of standing around singing songs and praising some lady or fella of questionable existence.  But I guess if this soul mother exists, and I've seen her with my own eyes, the other ones must exist too.  All those good things the clerics do seem to get power from somewhere, and they don't carry around those big smelly books like the wizards.

But which of them should I bind myself too?  I can't see Toran being for me.  Yar and Riley trusted in him, and both of them lived mighty short lives.  I like the spirit of that Vorax fella, but I'm a farm boy, not a miner.  Maybe I need to get one of those gods who showers around magical blessings like candy.  They seem to do a good job protecting their people and seem to do a lot of good for the world.

I definitely need to think on this one and get this right.  But for now, my head hurts and I think I have an ale in my pack to help with that!