P R E V I O U S L Y . . .

"Take the sword lad."

Game Boy hesitates, he looks to Palanius who removes his hand from GB's head and nods. GB looks to Paige who simply looks back, trying to break a smile behind her wet eyes. He turns to the tombstone of Andraste. Game Boy reaches out his hand, gingerly, slowly. He wraps his right hand tightly around the hilt, then his left firmly grasps the hilt. Game Boy pulls with all his might, trying his best not to place a foot on the fallen hero's tombstone. He pulls and pulls, the stone cracks slightly, Game Boy uses all his force his face turning red until. He falls back, the sword sliding from the stone. Exhausted he stares at the sword gets to his feet, the blade glowing a peculiar red energy, he smiles and raises the sword in the air.

SWORD OF HEROES ACQUIRED! When Equipped: +2 STR +5 WILL +1 INT

Game Boy inspects the sword, a smirk on his face. Palanius chuckles to himself.


"If you ever needed to prove you are indeed a hero to anyone, that sword is more than proof. You and it will make Andraste proud."


"Thank you."


"We should go, it's getting dark."


"Yeah, we need our rest. We have a war to win."

N O W . . .
"The President has been kidnapped by ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the President?"
~ Bad Dudes (NES 1989)


"I am too a bad enough dude to save the world!"

Game Boy shouts with his fist raised in front of him, in some heroic pose. The blazing campfire lighting his face and the surrounding dark area. Paige sits with her legs crossed, her back against the huge armor of Palanius the Strong who snores heavily. Paige blinks slowly at Game Boy, unimpressed of his declaration, she huffs and begins to speak.


"GB. It's not like I think you can't do it, but you're certainly not the hard edged, rough hero."

Game Boy stands up straight and zips up his coat, staring at Paige with a look of determination on his face.


"Am too!"

How profound. GB sits down and folds his arm, pouting as he turns away from Paige. She sighs and rolls her eyes, taking the wooden spoon from the pot hanging over the fire and stirring the stew.


"It's okay you know, some heroes are renegade, others are paragon. You're a paragon."

GB looks at Paige from his periphery, still annoyed.


"I can be renegade. When I'm given the option."


"Really? Okay."

Paige smiles batting her eyelashes at a curious Game Boy. She leans the spoon against the side of the steaming pot and sits up, placing her hands on her knees.


"Say it's morning, and we're attacked by bandits."


"It's morning and we're attacked by-"


"No! I didn't mean ugh, forget it. Just picture we're attacked by bandits, we're tied up and Palanius is the only one that can save us. Now the nice guy would shout him awake and hope that he rushes to his feet and saves us, the renegade would convince the bandits to take Palanius instead, say he has a bounty on his head. And when the bandits are distracted, beating on Palanius, the renegade would swoop him and attack them from behind. What would you choose?"


". . . Paragon option. . ."


"I'm sorry what was that?"


"I'd choose the paragon option! You happy? I'm such a paragon. . ."


"Haha! Is that so bad though?"


"It's not bad. But it's a little boring don't you think? All the stories of the old heroes were renegades, like Archion Black the vampire hunter!"


"Oh yeah. He was the guy that blew up that cathedral in Red Ridge! So rad."


"He didn't just do that. And there was a good reason behind that, Dracula-"


"Wait. Which one?"


"Oh er. I don't think they specified. But Archion lured a Dracula into a cathedral, the only cathedral in Red Ridge. Can you imagine how hard that would be? Luring a glitching vampire into sacred grounds? Once Archion got him in there, the vampire was trapped. Holy circle, can't break free. And on top of it, Archion got a cleric to put a ward on the cathedral AND he got a builder to line the cathedral walls with salt! SALT! Once the Dracula was in there, he had zero chance of breaking out."

Paige seems engaged with Game Boy's energetic retelling of this old legend. Game Boy is now fully committed to telling the story, he sits with his legs crossed exaggerating every motion with his hands. A smile set on his face.


"Dracula is skulking through this cathedral, he hates the smell of the place, angry that he was tricked by a mere mortal. Meanwhile, Archion is setting the barrels of explosives up in the basement or whatever it's called. He's prepping the fuses, getting ready to ignite the barrels full of, and get this, HOLY FIRE!"


"Oh whatever, you're making this up. There's no such thing of holy fire."

Game Boy seems taken back, he rests an elbow on his new sword that is stuck into the earth. He cockily smirks at Paige.


"Holy fire isn't real? So Xavier the Wise didn't sink a thousand unholy ships of the damned during the War of Old Kings?"


"That's just a myth Game Boy, don't tell me you really believe that."


"Haha. Of course I believe that, how can I not believe the legend of the first hero?"

Paige gives a kind smile to Game Boy as she cocks her head to the side for a brief moment.


"Anyway back to Archion. He ignites the fuse, a long fuse, plenty of time to escape. When he hears Dracula's wicked laugh followed by his famous words. 'What is a man? A miserable pile of secrets and nothing more. Time to reveal the truth Archion.' And he attacks Archion from nowhere! They battle, scratch, fight, claw in the basement thingy as the barrels are about to go off! And, eventually, they do. . Archion fought Dracula long enough to save the world from evil and they both perished. But in the process, he did blow up a cathedral. So a lot of people were pretty mad, but he did the right thing! That's what counts."

Game Boy takes a deep breath and looks up at the stars, Paige looks to him with kind eyes and checks the pot once more. Almost done. She sits back down, resting her back against Palanius' huge frame. She ponders for a moment.


"Why didn't he just stab him?"

Game Boy snaps out of his trance and glares at Paige.


"Wut?"


"Why didn't he stab him? He had that holy sword, Demonslayer or something. Would have done the job."


"Because. . . . . Explosions are cooler?"

Paige isn't sure how to respond, she raises a finger but quickly puts it down. The pot above the campfire starts to boil and spill over, Game Boy panics a little and quickly retrieves his sword. Holding the grip firmly he moves the blade under the handle of the pot and raises it up. GB balances the handle on the edge of the blade and moves it away from the fire, knocking over the flimsy stand made of thick sticks that the pot hung upon. As Game Boy carefully rests the pot on the grass, Paige searches her handbag/satchel and takes out three small wooden bowls and places them on the ground next to the pot in a neat row. Game Boy reaches to the pot but feels the heat and pulls it back, him and Paige share a look. Paige holds one of the bowls close to the pot and GB tips the pot using the sword, letting the stew pour out, filling the bowl. Paige and GB work together to fill all three bowls.


"Well, plus ten points for teamwork lol."

Paige giggles as she lifts one of the bowls to her face and smells the stew.


"It smells great GB! Good thing we found those Nugs."


"Yeah.. I feel pretty bad about killing them though."


"They'll respawn. Circle of life Game Boy."

Palanius' snoring stops as he sniffs loudly and turns around quickly, almost knocking Paige over in the process, and sits up to snatch a bowl.


"AH! A fine broth! Verily!"

Palanius lifts the bowl to the gap between his helmet and drinks it all down in a matter of seconds. He let's out a satisfied 'ah' and steams follows from his hot breath, he stretches his arms and quickly lies back down. Snoring immediately.


"Jeez that was quick!"


"Haha, yeah. At a feast we were at a looong time ago, I saw Palanius fall sleep eating half a boar."

The two laugh out loud and the eat some of their stew. They enjoy their food and the peaceful night sky when a small blue orb floats through the air and stops next to Game Boy.

NEW MESSAGE FROM XWF!


"Want me to break it?"


"Nah, let it speak."

GAME BOY VERSUS JACK VERSUS MAVERICK IN A S-S-S-SUPER SMASH BROS. MATCH!!

Game Boy jumps up with his fists raised in the air, spilling the rest of his stew that rested on his lap.


"Game Boy confirmed for Smash! HAHAHA!!!"

GB takes a lap around the makeshift campsite screaming 'WOOHOO' with his hands still raised in the air, Paige is a little confused so she just smiles and follows Game Boy with here eyes. Our hero, enthusiastic as ever, digs his heels into the dirt and skids in front of Paige.


"Mortal Kombat is cool and all but Smash. SMASH! You know what this means!? . I'M NINTENDO LICENSED NOW!!! We could be released! Our game could be in stores by next week! People will own OUR game and play it at HOME! This is the best news ever!!!"


"Haha . . . That's if there's a game to save by next week."

Game Boy's smile drops and his eyes dart from left to right, he sighs.


"Way to be a buzzkill. . . . But you're right. Save the world first, then play Smash."

Still pretty hype, our hero sits back down breaks a grin.


"I can have a Final Smash, Paige."


"A whu?"


"A Final Smash!!! I can use my sweet new sword! Just dash across the stage like, like a X Slash! Cut down every enemy like a boss! That'd be so cool!"


"Well, I'm happy for you GB."


". . We save Narfinex first. That's my number one priority. Don't you worry Paige, we're going to save the world."