Bonus Story - RenFaire Feud (Patreon)

The brisk chill that sang the song that neared Autumn’s end brushed the dead leaves along the dirt path of the newly born festivities. It was the time of year for celebration and the Renaissance Faire was the perfect place for cosplayers of all sorts to show off their favored outfits. Halloween Parties had come and gone and Justin couldn’t wait for any opportunity to show off his favored crafted creation, in his mind a perfect replica of his favorite game character. The raccoon boy eagerly portrayed Edward Kenway, the privateer turned pirate who had connected with his roots as an Assassin in the critically acclaimed game series. 

He stood across his twin, Hope who was gleefully wearing Evie Frye’s outfit, while she wasn’t as enamored with the series as he was she was happy to enjoy the charm that could fit into the theme of the Renaissance Faire! Both had their wooden swords drawn opposite each other, staring with intent eyes with gnarled faces upturned baring fangs as the midmorning sun shone down upon them. “Oi,” ‘Evie’ proclaimed with a mangled cockney accent. “Thay gon’ make more of ‘em as soon as they done finished cookin’!” 

“You liar! You knew I craved the succulent turkey legs yet you made attempt to claim the last of them for your own!” With his fingers winding around the grip of the blade he held steady and directed towards his sister with vengeance burning in his eyes. “Relinquish your ill-gotten dibs upon my feast or suffer the consequences.”

A crowd had begun to gather in the square known as ‘Ye Old Foode Courte’ and Sherri who had in their absence of the pop up concession stand decided to purchase the last turkey leg for herself. She did enjoy a dinner and a show and happily squirted some of the thick sweet and spicy mesquite bar-b-que sauce upon the juicy leg before helping herself to a bite. Over her shoulder a voice spike curiously.

“Is this a performance?” Sherri’s eyes glanced to one of the more normal dressed goers of the festivities, a tall standing lynx father with a small cub upon his shoulders and a slightly older one but with her hand still held by his. With his spare hand, to which Sherri noticed a moderately sized woman’s leather bag and the glint of a golden wedding band upon his finger, he pulled out his phone. “The next one is supposed to be at noon, and why are they dressed so differently.”

Sherri shrugged her shoulders offering a smile coupled with a slight giggle. “I couldn’t honestly tell you.” She took another bite and gazed at the scene, whenever it came to those two and dressing up they were always theatrical when they were ‘in character’. Her direction turned towards Hope who’s voice had raised above the murmur of the crowd. Darnit, she’d missed part of the dialogue! 

“-my brother but the greed has taken hold of you!” Her hand outstretched and a softness in her eyes formed yet still she kept the blade poised upon him. “Let us put this behind us, be siblings once again.. but I retain dibs!” 

An ear twitched, nostrils flared, a snort. “Then ye shall meet thine maker, wench!” His voice called out to an audible gasp of the small yet growing audience as he lunged forth. 

It was then that the battle began, over what no one could be quite sure but the ferocity was pure as wooden swords clacked upon each other in a duel of blades. Polished and painted wood meant for play now wielded like practice swords as siblings danced their tale with thrusts and slashes of sword, that were met with dodges and return strikes only to be blocked by the wooden swords themselves.

“What’s going on?” A voice would mutter into the crowd as eight numbered into fourteen.

“The girl called dibs and he’s fighting her for it!”

“Dibs on what?”

“He’d proposed to a girl but his sister had already claimed her!”

“Oh my.”

While Justin clearly had more strength on his side with his blows cracking against her blade, it was clear that Hope possessed more finesse and skill, often riposting and dodging rather than letting the blade connect against her own. The junior ballet classes she’d taken as a little girl kept her light on her feet, agile and ever closing in on her little brother for what would soon be the killing blow. Something he had clearly become aware of as his thrusts weakened from expending so much energy to simply miss a strike that had aimed for her.

Party, twirl, dodge, her hips moved like water slipping away from the tenuous grasp of a desperate child. Her wooden blade catching at the side of his and with a twist of her hands using her own sword she wrested his weapon from him, coming closer with a victorious grin. 

“Little brother, you are bested!” She projected her voice in dominance to the crowd surrounding them, “Kneel and I might show ye me-“ Her eyes caught the twitch of movement and as his hand shot towards her she motioned the cross guard of her blade to block it, too late with a sickening snap her ears folded knowing what had connected against her wooden sword. Her eyes falling upon him as she saw his devastated face. Although the audience couldn’t tell she saw his prized ‘hidden blade’ a contraption he’d made himself. While not harmful in design by being made of spring born plastic it simply did not stand up to solid oak and the crack in the side of the extending mechanism proved it. “Foul trickery!” Hope had almost forgotten she was an actress in the impromptu play, “As such..” Her hand lunged the sword forwards into the crease of Justin’s armpit as he stared down at his hand in stunned dismay.

‘I’m sorry’ Hope mouthed. 

But the show must go on, even Justin in his state of shock and loss knew that. The poor boy looked like he was about to break down in tears at any moment. When finally he slumped to his knees and gave in to the tragedy of fiction with the conviction he felt for his prized cosplay item with a final flop forwards into the dirt square in death. Not even the rupture of applause from the crowd of almost twenty people who had come to watch their impromptu performance could numb his sorrow. 

…

The plastic blade that had once sprung free from its housing was now unable to be properly sheathed without substantial tinkering to get it to hide away and getting it out from the casing to unsheathe was another hassle. For all of the dangers of breaking his perfectly crafted device even further Justin simply could not let it alone, his ears folded back in frustration as he tried to magically fix his broken device while enjoying the festivities of the Ren Faire. “Ugh, if I could just..” He grumbled and managed to pop the blade back in place.. only for it to get stuck once more. “Dammit! Why did you hit it so hard?”

“You should have played fair little brother.” Hope chimed in an annoying ‘I told you so’ voice that made him glower under his breath as she proudly swung her blade by the wooden handle. “Still it made for quite a dramatic climax, the noble younger brother turns to deceit after being stricken with heartbreak!” Hope swooned as she rest the back of her hand over her forehead and feigned a gasp. “So tragic!” 

“Hardy har har.” Justin grumbled and twisted at the mechanism until the blade sprung free … but too freely, the plastic blade rocketing from his wrist and clicking against one of the podiums where it pinged helplessly against the wood frame and landed upon the dirt road with a slight dust cloud lifting from its landing. 

“You know, I thought it was a pretty good performance for both of you!” Sherri cheered on excitedly as she squirted that honey glazed sauce upon the meat where she’d previously gnawed poultry only to take another bite as excitedly as she did the first. Hope’s cheeks blushed brightly as Justin rounded to fetch his broken toy. “Maybe next time we don’t even have to start with you guys fighting over a turkey leg.”