Expanded Horizons: Beyond the Blue

In the Ring: Chapter Three

Ulan watched diligently as Idara wiped off her mace after another job well-done. They always made sure to take care of their equipment after finishing a fight, lest it grow rusty and break down on them. Ulan had it easy; his only piece of metal was on his chest, and it was a single-piece titanium breastplate, custom made. No rusting to deal with.

"Ah, come ooooonnnn," Idara said frustratedly as she scrubbed away at the corner of a spike and the body of her mace. "It's always the tiny corners."

"Make sure you get it, or it'll all rust just from that one spot," Ulan said.

"Um, I know?" Idara said with a grin. Ulan chuckled and she went back to work. "I did custom order it."

"I still wish you had named it," Ulan said.

"I know, but I can't think of anything good! I want it to be special, to reflect me, ya know?"

"Raider slayer!" Ulan proclaimed. "No, no, Bandit's bane! Ruffian remover!"

"I like them, but bard style names aren't me. No offense," Idara said. Ulan shrugged. "I want it to be all me. This was the first thing I saved up for and bought myself, I want it to be all me."

"Alright, I'll keep my names to myself. Wouldn't want you to skip one just because I got it first."

"Oh, come on, if it was THAT good, you know I would take it," Idara said earnestly, nudging Ulan with her elbow.

"I'm glad," Ulan said with a smile.

Idara looked back at their charge, tied up and gagged behind Ulan on the ground. The leader of this little bandit group outside Baumbergh lay quietly, sulking over his loss and upcoming trial. Idara and Ulan took the contract from the governor to take him and any of his boys in to answer for their raids on merchant caravans, but he was the only one who surrendered.

"You hungry?" Idara asked. No answer. "Fine. Figures, it's always the leaders of your little psycho groups that turn out to be the weakest of all."

"They really do, don't they?" Ulan said absentmindedly. "I mean, when do they ever do dirty work? Or any real work at all? It's like, bosses aren't real leaders, and bosses aren't worthy of the respect they get." He turned and looked at the bandit leader. "Leaders know what it's like to start from the bottom."

"Amen!" Idara cheered. "Now, let's get ourselves up and going before the sun gets too close to the horizon."

Idara picked up the bandit and tossed him onto Ulan's back to carry him back to town a few miles away. They still had at least a couple decent hours of sunlight, and they could definitely make the journey before the monsters of the deep night came out to play. Idara had never seen a strigivolp, and didn't plan to tonight.

"You know, thinking about it, I've never seen any magical monsters," Idara said. "I mean, I've seen them in all the books I've read, and I look at their entries a lot in the Eternal Tome you got me, but I've never seen one."

"I've seen some. I don't really recommend it." Ulan looked around them into the woods. "They're pretty scary. I wrote a song about a run-in I had with a Ripper once. Scariest thing I ever experienced."

"I know that song, I've heard you play it. But I never actually heard you talk about the story."

"Oh, it's not terribly interesting, really. It's a story for another time."

"As much as you've told me, I know there's all kinds of stories I haven't heard from you. Gimme a good one, why don't ya?"

"Hmmmm..." Ulan had to think for a bit on this one. "Honestly, my best stories all started when we teamed up. Like when I got to watch you clock that dude who wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Oh, that," Idara said with distaste, recalling the nasty little man. "Meh, not noteworthy."

"Whatever you say," Ulan said genuinely. He knew not to press things like that when Idara was clearly uncomfortable.

"This one, here, though. Oh ho, he's noteworthy." Idara walked up to the bandit and cupped his cheek in her hand. "You like the ladies an awful lot, huh? Enough that watching you pay for your crimes and watch me get a pile of gold for it will be so worth it."

"Bad men get bad punishments," Ulan said with a nod of his head.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I like the ladies, too. Would like men, too, if I could seem to find a half-decent one. But alas-" Idara released the bandit's face and patted Ulan's side- "This man right here is the only good one around."

"I think my dad is pretty nice," Ulan said.

"Probably, but he isn't around right now."

"True."

"What should we do after we get paid?" Idara asked. "The money is gonna be pretty hefty this time."

"Well, saving is always first and foremost. My dad taught me that, but my mom made me really do it." Ulan thought. "I have some new songs to sing at the watering hole, but my inspiration is starting to dry up."

"Well, we've been doing the same thing for a while. Maybe we should change it up?"

"Have you ever thought about fighting professionally?" Ulan asked. Idara raised her brow, then her mace. "No, no, I mean, like arena fighting. One on one, two talented fighters competing to see who is truly the greatest! Competition fighting!"

"Huh, ya know, I haven't thought about that," Idara said. "I guess I could try it, take a break from mercing bandits and criminals. Beat up people who actually want a fair fight."

"I know you love beating on bad guys who hurt people but this could be a nice little change of pace. And some of them may be bad, too." Ulan looked forward along the road and saw the city ahead in the distance as they crested a hill. "And we might actually meet people to talk to doing this."

"Eh, talking is whatever, but I'll definitely think about it over some drinks tonight. Maybe some lucky ladies will convince me to take a less dangerous job for a bit with our recent adventures and those songs of yours."

"Whatever you say," Ulan said with a chuckle.

The dynamic duo continued toward the city with their charge, eager to find a new path to follow and dominate once again and change their world in any way they pleased.