Decisions. From our first conscious moment, to our last dying breath, life is just a series of decisions. Sometimes you know the stakes; sometimes you know the outcomes, sometimes both, and sometimes neither. Take this game of poker, for example.

Starting with six people it’s now down to two and between them a small fortune. The broad-shouldered and heavily muscled man seizes his last coin and confidently flips it into the air. Across the table, Victor watches the behemoth’s coin rise higher, and for one moment it holds itself suspended in air. Much like Victor’s fortune, his luck, it goes up until that one sweet, blissful moment.

The coin comes crashing down on the pile.

“I see your twenty-five, and raise you another twenty-five.”

In these situations, with a vast sum of money on the table, it’s difficult to tell a bluff. Usually a man won’t put up his last bit on anything short of guaranteed victory, but this much coin might make a man risky. Victor has been a gambler for years, however. He’s learned to see beyond the game, beyond the stakes and outcomes. He knows his opponent is bluffing. Victor only has two pair, black aces over black eights with a red queen as kicker, and yet he knows this hand will win just as he knows he should fold.

Now why should Victor fold? Because, not only is his opponent much larger, he is also a ranking lieutenant in the King’s army, surrounded by four of his men while Victor stands alone. You must understand that Victor is more than a competent fighter, himself. The source of his skill at arms is also the source of his skill at cards; He can read people. In combat, however, it extends beyond simple human expression; he can also predict human movement. When you understand the fundamentals of human motion it becomes easy to see; you just have to recognize what muscles control which direction your limbs move and the range of motion capable by your joints. However, all of the men before him are trained soldiers who are used to working in concert. Furthermore, unless Victor misses his guess, this isn’t just any lieutenant. His name is Edwin Lang, a mid-ranking graduate from the Battle Academy known to win much more often than he lost, in gambling as well as fighting, much like Victor. His luck, though, is clearly from a different source.

Victor fingers his remaining coin. Even with that massive pile, half belonging to him, in the middle he could fold this and he’d still be ahead. It’s a simple matter of running away. Running away? A thought plays out in his mind, a memory fading in before his eyes. Hadn’t he learned an important lesson about running, once?

“Ow. Don’t do that, it hurts.”

“Aw, hush now. Of course it hurts; it’s supposed to. Just be glad it does, because we know that it’s working.” A comely woman in her late-twenties presses the wet cloth, reeking of alcohol, softly against the torn skin around the knee of a skinny, knobby youth.

“Ow. Jane, please stop. It hurts.”

Jane sighs softly, lets the soaked rag fall to the floor and lifts herself off the bench they are sitting on. “Alright, it looks clean. Come Vic, let’s get you a bandage.” Jane holds her hand out towards Victor, but he is hesitant to take it.

“What’s wrong? We need to get that knee bandaged up before it gets infected.”

“I don’t want to move. It hurts.”

“I know it does, but we need to bandage it.”

“Why?”

“Because, sometimes your choices are some pain now or a lot of pain later. Here, think you can manage to stand up on the bench?”

“Uh…yeah I think.” Vic slowly hisses as maneuvers his torn knee off the bench. Using mostly his arms and uninjured leg, he manages to stand up on the bench.

Jane nods towards Vic, smiling. “That’s a good boy. Now, put your arms around my neck, yeah, just like that.” Jane hoists Vic onto her back.

“Now we’re off!” Jane starts trotting out of the room, Victor bouncing on her back. Between hiccoughs of laughter, Victor spouts, “You were wrong Jane!”

“What do you mean Vic?”

“I found another way out, one that didn’t hurt so much!”

Jane chuckles as she responds. “Seems you did, but what if I wasn’t there?”

“But...you’re always there!”

“Hah, true as that may be, what if I wasn’t?”

“…then I would have had to make the choice; some pain now, or lots of pain later.”

“Mmhmm. Now, what really happened was I made my own choice; Bear your weight on my back now, or suffer your pesky whining later.”

“Oh, ok.” Victor sits and thinks while Jane carries him through the house. From room to room, everything is cluttered; large collections of junk, but still clean, a bit like controlled chaos. On one table sits a rocking horse, missing both the handle and rear leg on the right side, as well as other toys in various states of disrepair. In the next room there are dozens of beds lining the walls, all empty save one holding a tiny boy no older than eight, his nose so deep into the book he has that Jane and Vic enter and leave without notice. They move through the hallway, into the kitchen, and finally they are next to kitchen table. Jane deposits Victor onto the flat surface, and begins rummaging through a nearby cabinet.

“Jane, you said you chose to carry me because I was just going to whine right?”

Jane laughs. “Yeah, basically. You’ve always been the one to complain about the littlest bit of pain or work.” Hearing this, Victor becomes a slight-bit indignant and surly. “Yeah, well, at least I don’t go and let people make me do things I don’t want to!”

“Oh, now when have I ever let anyone decide my actions?”

“Just now! You said you carried me because I was going to whine. That means I made you carry me.”

Shocked by his logic, Jane stops pulling items from the cabinet for a moment and stares at him. The seconds tick by, and then half a minute is gone. Victor starts shifting nervously until Jane starts barking with laughter. “Why you little, manipulative devil! I don’t think you fully understand what you’re talking about, but still, you are too smart for your own good. In the end, though, you’re still wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

Jane puts down the items she’s taken out of the cabinet and starts slowly leaning towards victor, until they are face-to-face. Then, in a low, soft voice she whispers, “Because, I didn’t tell you the whole truth.”

Victor just stares at her wide-eyed for a moment before muttering, “Wait…you, you lied to me?!”

A smile creeps its way to the corners of Jane’s mouth. “No, Vic, I didn’t lie. I just told a half-truth. Half-truths are far more powerful than a lie. In this case, the other half of the truth is why your whining bothers me.” Jane quickly leans back and begins digging for the bandages again. “You see, Vic, the reason your whining bothers me is cause it pains me to see any of my kids suffer.”

“Then why did you try and make me walk at first? That would have hurt much more than just carrying me!”

“True, but that would be a small pain now that might prevent a larger pain later.” Jane finally finds the bandage and pulls it out of the cabinet, dropping it on the table before she begins putting everything else back.

“You said might prevent. Doesn’t that mean I could have hurt more for no reason at all?”

“It is possible you could have hurt more for no gain.” Jane starts unwinding the bandage as she speaks. “But that’s the risk you run when you make a decision. You’re always gambling, always winning or losing. You decided to run and you fell. You’re just lucky the cost of losing this time was only a skinned knee.”

“Well, yeah, but this is the first time I actually fell!”

“Mmhmm, and I doubt it will be the last. However, the important thing here is to learn from the experience. Win or lose, learning is the most important part of the gamble. Pay attention to the decisions you make, the outcomes and the stakes, and learn which risks are worth the reward.”

“I guess so, but how would the small pain prevent a larger one?”

“I’m getting to that. Here, lift your leg up.” Jane starts wrapping the knee up as she speaks. “It’s obvious you don’t like pain. So, you’ll want to avoid it, and you know now that not being careful enough can cause pain. You risked running, and now that you’re paying for the loss, you understand the stakes a little better.”

“So, if I walked and it hurt me, I might learn more about the stakes?”

“Mmhmm. Now the question is, have you learned the lesson?”

Victor pauses for a moment, thinking. Then he hesitantly offers, “Uh… I shouldn’t have run?”

Jane finishes wrapping his knee before responding. “Not exactly. Running is important, and sometimes it’s the best thing you can do. The lesson here is knowing if the reward was worth risking this skinned knee for. There, all done!”

Victor stands up slowly, gently flexing his knee. “It still hurts a little, but I’ll be okay.”

“Of course. You’re a strong boy; I was just teasing you earlier.”

“Jane?”

“Yes Vic?”

Victor runs across the table and grabs Jane in a fierce hug. Jane catches him, almost falling over in the attempt.

“Whoa, slow down! You almost knocked us over! What happened to learning your lesson?”

Victor lays his head across her chest, taking comfort in the soft, slow beat of Jane’s heart. “I did! I just think hugging you is worth the risk.”

Jane returns the embrace, resting her head on his. “And walking over wasn’t good enough huh?”

Victor tilts his head and grins up at her. “Nope, not quick enough.”

Jane laughs softly at his reply, gently caressing his head.

“Jane?”

“Yes Vic?”

“I think I actually won this skinned knee.”

Jane chuckles as she sits on a nearby chair and says, “Really now? Please explain.”

Victor shuffles around until he’s sitting on her lap and looking at her. “Well, I was only running so I could catch Geoff. If I didn’t fall, I would have caught him and we’d wrestle and it’d be fun, but that would be it. By falling and hurting my knee I got to be with you, and I learned all of this stuff about risk and rewards, and when to run.”

Jane’s face starts beaming with delight and pride. “Very good! It takes a sharp mind to see success where some would see a loss. But can you take it a step further?”

Victor’s brows drop in concentration. “Sometimes it hurts even when you win?”

Jane leans her head down and plants a kiss on Victor’s forhead.

“That’s really close, but not quite right. You are incredibly perceptive, Victor, and with your deductive mind you’ll be a great man some day.”

Victor blushes heavily under the adoration. “I don’t think I’ll ever be smart like you. You know everything!”

“Mmhmm. Now go and play. I’ve got a lot of cooking to do. And stop fighting Geoff!”

“It’s not fighting! It’s just playing.”

“Yeah, but you two get really rough sometimes. And you should be careful. You might be older, but Geoff is growing really fast. It won’t be much longer before he’s the bigger of you two.”

Victor hops off Jane’s lap and heads for the door. “So? He’s so slow and easy to confuse!”

“Well then, why don’t you help him out?”

“Because, then it’ll be harder to win!”

Jane laughs as she replies, “True, but you’re friends right? What if I decided to stop helping you out huh?”

“That wouldn’t be fun.”

“Nope, it wouldn’t. Now go play some!”

Victor’s response is delivered over his shoulder as he runs out the back door.

“Alright!”

Edwin’s voice cuts through Victor’s remembrance. “Well, what are you going to do? I saw your bet and raised it. If you’re debating on whether you can best my hand, you better fold now. The five I’ve got are, I promise, better than the pair you have.”

Ah, yes. As if I didn’t understand the stakes before; I finally know my decision in this situation.

“Two pair, actually. Aces over Eights. I see your twenty-five, and call.”

Victor pushes one of the smaller coins from his collection out with one hand, and then lays his cards across the pile of coin in the center. Sorry, Jane. I can’t plead ignorance now, but I’ll be damned if I let myself be pushed around by assholes high on their own rank and power.

“Your turn, what do you got?”

“Two pair, you say? I still only see one,” the lieutenant says, patting his broadsword. “And the five I’m holding will most definitely win. I suggest you fold, and leave. Don’t bother taking the coin you have left, either. Consider it your donation towards the war we fight on your behalf.”

Victor looks about the room once before focusing on the exit. The interior, albeit clean, is certainly drab. The bustle and activity of the bar terminates 10 feet in all directions from the table, as if their game was caught inside an impenetrable bubble. It seems everyday people don’t want to bother angry soldiers losing their pay, especially when it’s only a stranger they’re losing it too. No chance on getting any assistance from this crowd. Not much can be done in this situation…

BOOM!

The doors of this simple tavern crash inward, and the largest man Victor has ever seen strides in. His height, musculature, it’s freakish to behold. He dwarves the lieutenant as a man would dwarf a child. All eyes are drawn to him like the geek at a carnival. And his size isn’t the only thing freakish about him; he is hideously ugly as well. His nose, as hard as it is to understand, is too big for his face as well as crooked. One side of his mouth is slightly drawn, giving him an idiotic looking half-smile. His brow is large and sloped over his eyes. Even the Axe slung across his back is a massive, ungainly thing, seeming more monstrous than effective. The hair on his head is the only attractive aspect of him; it’s long, luxuriant, and pulled into a tight and neat ponytail, and it just enhances the horridness of the rest of him. His presence is such that the entire bar is cowed instantly, as if all sound had been wiped from the world. A slow, steady smile creeps up Victor’s lips. Looks like Victor still has some of his luck. The titan scans the tables, and when his eyes lock on Edwin and the coin he glowers.

In a few powerful strides he is towering over their game, and with a voice like an avalanche he says, “Edwin, you slavering dog, what are you up to? Trying to swindle another honest man of his earnings eh? Hah! Well I’ll be damned, looks like you’ve lost again from that pathetic hand and the empty spot where your coin should be. Come, the sergeant requires you.”

Barely contained rage explodes on Edwin’s face. He leaps out of his chair, sending it flying, to stand chest-high on the gargantuan. “I have not lost, Golgarion! This man is a cheat, a rogue, and has won through trickery and deceit!”

A laugh escapes Victor’s lips before he can stifle it, causing Edwin to rage harder.

“See! What man would laugh in the face of such an accusation? He is a stranger here, with no one to defend his character, where I have my men here to vouch for mine.”

“So that is it, then? Exploit our laws, again, to cover your losses at the expense of an innocent man’s flogging.”

A sadistic grin grows on Edwin’s face, alight with his rage. “No innocent man will be flogged. If he is not the thief I name him, surely someone will vouch for him.” Edwin turns to the people in the room. “Will anyone stand witness to this man’s innocence?”

The giant lays a meaty hand on Victor’s shoulder, covering it, before announcing. “I stand for Victor Change.”

And in the blink of an eye, blood-red rage drains into pale fear. Edwin leans away, at a loss for words, as Victor speaks. “Well met, Golgarion. I can’t believe you are actually using that name!”

A pleased grin escapes from Golgarion’s face, such a simple expression that does wonders for his looks. Although still a far shot from beautiful, it softens his face tremendously. “Can’t be a lieutenant without a last name, Vic, and I wasn’t as fortunate as you were. No one knew my parents when I was left at the orphanage.”

“True. It is a good name though, one that definitely suites you.”

Finally finding his voice, Edwin stammers out, “This…this can’t be! How do you know him?”

Golgarion’s smile changes to something much more wicked as he addresses Edwin. “Me and Victor are from the same orphanage, you see. I grew up with him, practically as a brother, so I am entitled to defend his honor.” His smile widens viciously. “In fact, he could name me his champion if he felt the dishonor warranted a trial by combat.”

Vic turns and openly grins at the creeping terror on Edwin’s face. “Splendid Idea, Golgarion. I’ve only know Edwin here for the duration of our game and I already want to gut him. I can’t even imagine what you’d do to him.”

Edwin starts backing up towards the door leading outside. “We…can’t fight. It wouldn’t be good for the men to see their leaders in such a confrontation, not to mention the sergeant has called on me. I must be leaving.” And with that, Edwin turns and leaves, his men rushing to follow.

Golgarion bellows with laughter at Edwin’s retreat. “Gods, Vic, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that to him. And damn is it good to see you! What has it been, five years?”

“Actually it’s been six, Golgarion,”

“Gah, stop it with that already. It sounds unnatural when you say it.”

Victor laughs. “Fine, fine. So, Geoff, you’re a lieutenant now. Congratulations! You’re doing well for someone without any ties to the battle academy.”

Geoff smiles. “I’m the first ever to gain rank without being a part of the battle academy, if you’d believe it. I’m setting a precedent!”

“Yes, and it doesn’t involve consuming food!”

“Hey, big guys need big meals!”

Vic grins. “Aye, Jane always said that. You know, I was thinking of her a few minutes ago. Do you know how she’s doing?”

Geoff pulls out a chair. “Well, if we’re going to sit here and reminisce I might as well get comfortable. Barkeep!” Golgarion bellows. “Bring me a pitcher of ale!”

At like that, the bar resumes its regular motions. In moments Golgarion has a frothy pitcher in front of him, of which he drains half in one pull. “Ah, much better. Funny thing you should ask about Jane, Vic.”

Puzzled, Victor asks, “What’s so funny about it?”

Geoff grins. “Because, the reason I came to the inn, other than getting Edwin, was to see her. She’s right upstairs.”