Fantasy Football Part 24

Here we go again. Another piece of this fantasy football story… Getting more into the fantasy and less of the football, but so it goes. Enjoy!

…..

 

The crate smashed into the guard’s head.  The gnome hadn’t even managed to get his hands up to try and reduce the impact of the blow.  Crate and gnome crumpled to the ground. The trash that had been in the wooden box spread away from them in a clattering noise that grated on Plex’s nerves.  The initial crash and resulting echoes thundered up and down the dark alley, shattering the stillness of the night.

 

“Great,” Plex mumbled.  “Hopefully that doesn’t bring more of the beast’s guards running.”

 

The elf stepped through the scattered refuse to check on the downed gnome.  Weary of a trap, he prepared to spring away should the Honor Guard member only be pretending to be unconscious.  A quick shake of the gnome’s shoulder produced zero reponse, however, and then Plex noticed two small trickles of blood.  One coming out of the gnome’s left ear and one coming out of the gnome’s right nostril.

 

“Great,” Plex repeated with a low sigh.

 

“We’ll have to kill him.”

 

The sentence came from behind Plex.  The elf was so surprised that he whirled around in a defensive position expecting to be attacked.  His heart raced. His body tensed.  

 

Vinyard stepped closer and Plex, despite his still racing heart, managed to ease out of his stance.  His teammate had somehow managed to sneak up on him. That was something very few people could do with his enhanced hearing.  Perhaps, the elf thought with a frown, his approach had been covered by the sound of the wooden crate smashing into the Honor Guard.  

 

Keeping his voice steady, hoping to hide how frightened he had just been, Plex asked, “What did you say?”

 

Vinyard said again, “We’ll have to kill him now.  Hurry up and get it over with.”

 

“What?  I’m not going to kill him.  Why would I do that?”

 

“You have no choice,” Vinyard replied, a hint of exasperation in his voice.  “He is an Honor Guard member. If he is alive to tell his tale, the dragon might kill every elf in the city in her quest for vengeance.  An attack on one of her Honor Guard is an attack on her authority, an attack on her directly. You have to kill him, now.”

 

Plex hesitated.

 

Vinyard sighed and drew a small dagger from somewhere behind his back and stepped up to unconscious guard.  “Blood will be spilled in the coming days. The dragon will not be conquered without it. And your hands will get dirty in the process.  If you are lucky. If you are unlucky, you’ll be dead before you have the opportunity. I for one,” Vinyard stooped and slashed the guard’s throat, “very much hope to be alive when this is all over.  Blood on my hands is better than dead.”

 

Vinyard cleaned his dagger on the dead guard’s uniform and then returned it to where he’d pulled it from and began to walk away.  He called out over his shoulder, “Come along, elf. There is still much to do tonight and time is working against us.”

 

The casual way Vinyard killed the guard unnerved him. Plex would never have thought that his teammate was capable of such a thing before now. Then he remembered that he had only met the gnome a few days ago and didn’t really know him at all. He shook his head at the absurdity of the whole situation. Here he was, in a life and death struggle against the most powerful creature in the world and he had hesitated to kill someone.

 

Vinyard was right, he knew. After thinking about it for a moment, he had to admit that leaving the guard alive would’ve been a stupid move. Sure, the dragon would be angry when she found out one of her Honor Guard had been killed, but she’d have no description of the assailant now that the guard was dead. Of course, the dragon might just take out her rage on innocent people because she didn’t know who was behind the killing. 

 

He couldn’t think about that. Those were the kind of thoughts that pushed doubt into his head, and he knew he couldn’t afford to have any doubts. This was the right thing to do. It had to be done. He needed to pull himself out of the mindset of a football player and put it back into one of a warrior. 

 

Before Lavalandinarial had introduced the world to the game of football, he had been a highly regarded member of the elven army. He wasn’t one who planned the attacks, or anything like that, but he was one of those that they called upon to carry them out. Plex was fairly skilled in stealth tactics and most weaponry, though he was much better with ranged weapons than getting up close and personal. He had been focusing so much of his time on getting better at being a quarterback, his other skills had obviously began to atrophy.

 

It was time to change that. 

 

Plex followed in the gnome’s wake, sticking to the shadows and moving as quietly as he could. At one point, Vinyard looked back at him, causing a tiny smile to grace his features. If he had been so quiet that even the gnome had to turn around to make sure that he was still there, he was doing something right. 

 

They continued on until Plex began to recognize the area they were in. It wasn’t too far from the training facility that his own team had practiced on. He passed so close to it that he picked up on a few familiar voices. Plex briefly wondered if the gnome was leading him to their own facility first, but they walked right by it without slowing down. A little further up the street, he began to hear the sounds of football again. People were whistling, coaches were yelling, and players were grunting.

 

As they got closer, and the practice field came into view, Plex saw Gilania’s team on the field running drills. That seemed odd considering that they just finished a game. The only reason he could think of for them to be doing that was that they had won the game and they were preparing for the next one. His heart sank for a moment when he thought about his team losing. Then, he kind of chuckled, wondering if he even cared anymore. 

 

Vinyard, seeming to guess at Plex’s thoughts, whispered, “Your sister’s team won.  The dragon made sure of that. I think she might have been content to let it play out however it would once the game had gone into overtime but after you shrugged off her attempts to control you, she favored your sister’s team heavily.”  

 

Plex said nothing.

 

The elf was glad his sister’s team had won.  If all of this went wrong, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about her being eaten by the dragon on top of everything else.  Assuming Lavalandinarial even carried through with her promise, threat, to eat the team that lost by the largest margin after the first round.  She had never not kept her word in such regards before but these were strange times and if she had to put her energy and focus on curtailing an uprising she might pardon, as it were, the losing team in the hopes that they would show her loyalty in return.

 

It was twisted logic that made his head hurt.  He shook himself out of his thoughts to find Vinyard staring at him intently.  “What?”

 

“You are an interesting case, elf,” Vinyard responded, somewhat dryly.  “During the game I believe you attempted on at least occasion to influence the outcome in your sister’s favor but then you also resisted the dragon’s attempts to do the same.  I would have expected you to rejoice that your sister had won and would therefore be spared a gruesome fate as the beast’s meal but you took this news with barely a response at all.  You clumsily allow yourself to be spotted by an honor guard member but then sneak behind me so well that I lost sight of you.”

 

Plex shrugged.  “I am not who I used to be and never will be again.  And I am not who I will become.”

 

Vinyard frowned and it was hard for Plex to be certain but he thought the gnome had rolled his eyes as well. The gnome mumbled something that sounded like “whatever” and then knocked three times on a section of the training facility wall.

 

Plex was going to ask what he was doing but then saw a small section of the wall begin to move aside.  It was a false door. There’s no way Lavandinarial would have allowed the facility to be used by the team if she had known it had such secret entrances, which meant it had either been added recently with magic or the dragon hadn’t been aware of it.  

 

Before stooping to duck into the small entryway, Vinyard looked back to Plex and held a finger over his lips to caution quiet.  Then the gnome disappeared into the opening. Plex, considerably taller than the gnome, had to crawl through the small entrance and, even then, his shoulders scraped the wall on either side.

 

Once he was through, Vinyard motioned that Plex could stand again and the elf, relieved, quickly complied.  Then, following stealthily behind the gnome, Plex sensed more than saw or heard the doorway close in the wall while they left the small room they were in and ventured down a hallway.  At the end of the hall, Vinyard cracked open a door and peaked around the edge, then motnioned for Plex to follow again and went through. The door had led to the field where all of Giliana’s team was out working on drills.   

 

Fantasy Football Part 22

How many parts should a fantasy football story have? Trick question! As many as possible, of course. And here we are with another installment.

…..

“Why aren’t you at the game?”

Plex realized it was a ridiculous question to ask, given the circumstances, but he couldn’t top himself from blurting it out.

“Nobody ever pays attention to the comings and goings of gnomes,” Vinyard replied, somewhat coolly.  But then he smiled and added, “That does have its advantages from time to time.”

Apparently seeing that Plex wasn’t satisfied with his comment, Vinyard continued, “I’m not at the game because I was needed more here.”

Plex frowned.  Once again he had been caught worrying about that stupid game.  It was a game he hadn’t wanted to play in the first place and then had gotten so involved that he had let his emotions get the better of him.  That outburst could have landed him in the dragon’s belly but instead he had found his way to meeting with some sort of underground resistance.

“Look, maybe you can go around unnoticed,” Plex stated, trying to get back to the thread of the conversation he’d been having with Frukeld, “but my presence at any of the other teams’ training facilities will most certainly be noticed.  I’m not even sure I’ll be welcome back with my own team…”

“We will have to see about that, yes,” the aged dwarf interjected.  “Depending on the outcome of the game, Lavalandinarial may not care to punish you further for your transgression against her.”

Vinyard snorted, “Depending on the outcome of the game, she may just eat the rest of our team anyway.”

Plex hadn’t forgotten about the dragon’s promise to eat the team that lost by the greatest margin after the first round of games were over but with everything else going on it hadn’t been at the forefront of his thoughts.  The gnome’s comment made his stomach drop. He felt helpless and afraid for his team and for his sister’s team.

Frukeld said, “That’s it.  That right there. I can see the turmoil you are in.  The people you recruit will see that too. Use it. Use it to add fuel to the emotions they are fighting as well.  Grief. Anger. Righteousness. Bring them to our cause and together we can bring down the beast. Together we can defeat her and keep anyone else from becoming her next snack.”

Plex still had more questions than answers.  Could he trust Frukeld and Vinyard? Why were they fighting the dragon?  Could they really defeat her? Would the world be better off without her?  How was he going to convince anyone to join this crazy crusade when it likely would lead to their death?

That was it, though.  Those who would join up would have come to the same conclusion.  Living under Lavalandinarial’s rule death was always present. From the wars she waged on whims, to the death sports she started for her own personal entertainment.  Death was never far away. Fighting her at least gave the various kingdoms an option to start something else, to hope for something better, to try to create something better.

“Okay,” Plex said, “I’m in.  How are you going to get me in to meet with the teams?”

“We’re not,” Frukeld said, confusing Plex.

“How do you expect me to meet with them?”

Frukeld smiled. “Plex, the elven quarterback, won’t leave his team’s facilities. Vinyard, along with a few others we’ve already recruited, will testify to that fact, should it come to that.” The old dwarf motioned to Vinyard, who had moved to grab something from the magic using dwarf. “But,” he continued, “one of Lavalandinarial’s Honor Guard will be going from team facility to team facility to talk to players.”

Vinyard stepped before him, an Honor Guard uniform in his hands. Absentmindedly, Plex grabbed it from the gnome. As his fingers touched the fabric, terror shot through his system. He gasped, the air becoming harder and harder to breathe in. His head swirled around and he felt his rapid heartbeat pounding inside his skull.

Then, as quickly as it came, the feelings went away. 

Plex looked down at the uniform in his hands with contempt. It almost felt like it did when the dragon had messed with his mind before. He briefly wondered if the uniform had some type of magic attached to it, if what he had felt was the result of a curse put on the clothing to keep those not in Lavalandinarial’s employ from wearing the garment. Or, maybe what was being asked of him had caused him to have a panic attack. Either explanation could’ve been true.

“You want me to put that on?” Plex asked. Frukeld nodded, causing the elf to raise his voice when he added, “Are you insane?”

“You’ve already agreed to help us,” the old dwarf shrugged. “Why balk now when all we’re doing is giving you a disguise?”

“That’s not just a disguise,” Plex spat out. “That’s a symbol of the dragon’s power. It’s a representation of her rule, her law. Do you remember what happened to the last person who got caught wearing that uniform without being one of her people? The orc launderer who thought it would be funny to take one of the uniforms he was washing?”

Frukeld lowered his eyes to the ground briefly before looking back up. “Yes, I do. The dragon took the orc to each of the race’s lands where she burned the poor orc until it was almost dead, then healed it so she could do it over again at the next one.”

“And I’ll share that fate if I got caught in it.” Plex stopped. “Actually, mine would probably be worse because the damned dragon is already angry at me to begin with.”

“So, don’t get caught in it,” Vinyard chimed in.

“Thanks for the helpful tip,” Plex shot back.

“This is how the dragon keeps winning,” the gnome chuckled sadly. “That fear you’re feeling? The one that’s keeping you from simply putting on a uniform? That’s how Lavalandinarial keeps us all in check. She uses that fear like she would her foot, crushing us all underneath it. It has us pinned down, unable to move. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living in fear. I’m tired of being afraid all the time.”

“I don’t see you rushing to put it on.”

“First of all, I’m a gnome. That uniform is far too large for me. Second, you’re not the only one taking a risk by doing this. Do you honestly believe that I’ll escape the dragon’s wrath if she catches me helping you? Hell, she could have me tortured and killed if they notice me gone from the sideline, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take if it means the possibility of living a life without being under the dragon’s heel.”

“I don’t like it,” Plex stated flatly.  “I wouldn’t trust anyone wearing this uniform.  Why would anyone else? That would be just like the dragon to try and trick people into betraying their hidden desires to dethrone her.”

“There’s that fear again,” Vinyard replied with a sad smile and small shake of his diminutive head.  

“I’m not afraid.  I’m logical. I try to avoid doing foolish things when some clear moments to think could come up with a better alternative.”

The gnome said nothing further but the sad smile remained.

Plex glared at Vinyard and then shifted his head to look at Frukeld.  “Sure. You’ve been at this game longer than I have. You’ve already had the moments to think this through clearly.  Obviously, right? That’s how you already have the uniform. You’ve thought through all the best ways to build your army and this is the conclusion you’ve come to.  This is a suicide mission.”

“Only if you fail,” Frukeld said.

Plex was furious again and practically screamed, “How can I not fail?  

“You are painting a target on my back by wearing this uniform.  Even if I make it in to see each of the teams, they will report back to the dragon that they met one of her honor guard and she will know there was an imposter.  She will know something is going on.  

“She will find me and destroy me!  She will destroy you all!”

“And if she does,” Frukeld said through clenched teeth, “then those who survive will raise up stronger and they will be the ones to destroy her.”

“Or the kingdoms will spend another thousand years under her rule.”

Vinyard said quietly to Frukeld, “Perhaps he is not the leader we were looking for.”

The dwarf strummed his fingers together in front of his face, apparently in deep thought, while his eyes seemed to pierce through Plex.  Plex held the dwarf’s gaze. He wasn’t sure why he was so opposed to this course of action but he would not be bullied into changing his mind.  As he had said before, he was logical and would take the necessary time to think things through.

The weight of the uniform in his hand seemed to grow.  He wanted to toss it aside and yet he did not. He could not let it drop to the floor.  The idea of letting it get tarnished, an insult to the dragon herself to sully the uniforms of her honor guards, was something he found difficult to do.

Perhaps I am afraid, the elf mused.  

He let his own eyes slide away from the dwarf and gnome to rest on the uniform once more.  If he could set aside his own concerns, the uniform would offer him a great opportunity to strike at the dragon.  His Queen had requested he join the football team to help bring honor to the elves. If he could help orchestrate the downfall of Lavalandinarial that would bring even more honor, and a chance for the elven nation to rise out of the shadows and become prosperous again.  

Plex, without further comment, pulled the uniform on.  “I am the leader you’ve been looking for.”

Fantasy Football Part 20

And, after a slight delay of game, we’re back. Read on to see what happens next with our favorite elven quarterback and the rest of his team.

…..

The roar of the crowed was being slowly replaced by a confused hush as a rush of whispers sped around the stadium.  It seemed to Plex that the switch the Honor Guard had made at the behest of the dragon had not gone unnoticed and word was spreading that the dragon was interfering with the game.

Plex scanned the crowd and found the pocket of dwarves he had noticed at the beginning of the game, the ones who hadn’t be cheering, who hadn’t looked like they were interested in the game at all.  He finally spotted them and they were huddled together in a spirited conversation with much gesturing and pointing amongst themselves. The elf wondered what they were up to but couldn’t imagine they would do anything now in the final seconds of the game.

Lavalandinarial shifted her weight on her stage.  The platform creaked and all eyes moved to rest with the beast.  She had once again adopted an expression of indifference but Plex was certain that was far from the truth.  The dragon very much cared.  

She let out a sigh and a puff of smoke billowed from her mouth.  The crowd quieted and shifted uneasily in their seats. A small smile, barely discernible, twisted the dragon’s lips.  At first Plex had assumed she would be upset that her interference hadn’t gone unnoticed but now he realized that she was still enjoying this spectacle.  

The whole thing, the teams, the game, the crowd, all of it was for her amusement and her amusement alone.  

Plex’s anger reached a new level.  

Needing to do something to calm down he turned his attention back to the field where the healer was still working with the dwarf who had been robbed of the ball and then punched twice by the Honor Guard.  The dwarf shouldn’t have been that injured but his face was white as if he were in a great deal of pain and on the verge of going into shock.

“It isn’t pain,” Plex muttered.

“No,” Coach Sprout said, suddenly at Plex’s side.  “It’s fear. He doesn’t need to worry, though. She won’t need to eat him to keep him quiet.  She obviously doesn’t care who knows she is cheating.”

Some of Plex’s rage had been tempered by Sprout’s arrival at his elbow startling him.  He could still feel it burning slow and low in his gut. It wasn’t just the charade of it, the destruction of the game and the waste of time and lives it had already cost.  The anger was churning hotter and hotter because there was nothing he could do about any of it.

Looking briefly down to his coach and then back to the field, where the healer was finally getting the dwarf to his feet and the Honor Guard was signaling for the teams to take their places to resume play, Plex asked, “What do we do now?”

Sprout didn’t answer and, surprised, Plex looked back to his Coach.  The gnome had always had an answer before. Plex couldn’t believe that Sprout wouldn’t have some sort of plan. “Well, Coach?” he prompted the still silent gnome.

With a sigh, Coach Sprout looked up at Plex with defeat on his face. “Now, we try our best, despite knowing that it might all be for nothing if the dragon decides she wants the other team to win.”

Anger began building up in Plex once again. He watched as his defense did their best to stop the offense of the other team. While he couldn’t be sure, he thought he saw a couple of instances where magic had moved a ball out of a defender’s reach or into an offensive player’s hands. Each time he saw it, he became more and more angry.

The whistle blew as the other team called their final time out. Plex looked up and saw that there was only time for one more play. Gilania’s team sent out their kicker to attempt a mid-range field goal. If it was good, the game would go into overtime and only the dragon knew what would happen if the game made it to overtime. Without realizing it, Plex found himself running out onto the field to try to block the kick. He heard Coach Sprout yelling at him to get back to the sideline, but he ignored it. Finally, the gnome called for another player to run off.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his teammate exit the field just as the other team got set up for the try. Plex kept going over everything that had happened in the game up until this point and felt his face turn red in anger. He focused all of his energy on that rage. It built up inside of him until he felt like he was going to burst. 

A primal scream erupted from his throat as the ball was snapped back to the holder. Plex took two steps forward and jumped over both his teammates and those trying to block them. He couldn’t remember ever jumping that high before, but didn’t take the time to dwell on it. All he could focus on was using his rage to block the kick. Just as the kicker’s foot touched the ball, Plex felt something trying to touch his mind. It was the same sensation he had felt earlier in the game, right before the dragon had used its magic to mess with his head. “Not this time,” he roared as he flooded his thoughts with his anger.

Somehow, some way, it worked. His rage had allowed him to fight through the mental intrusion. Whatever magic the dragon was using still hurt him, but it wasn’t debilitating like it had been last time. Plex leapt again. The ball hit his swinging arms and went flying back the way it had come from. It landed on the ground ten yards behind the kicker and rolled towards the sideline. Before anyone from either team could get to it, the ball rolled out of bounds.

Stunned silence filled the stadium. All eyes slowly made their way up to the dragon’s platform, where a low growl was beginning to form.

The honor guard blew their whistles and then huddled together in deep discussion.  Plex trotted to the sideline with the rest of his teammates, away their decision. Almost absentmindedly, one of the honor guard threw a flag without care of where it landed.  

Plex’s head throbbed in time to the blood flowing through his veins.  Pulse, pulse, pulsing with his still boiling anger. The momentary outlet of athleticism had done little to assuage his rage.  The dawning realization that his attempt to stand up to the dragon’s interference would not be allowed to stand made him even angrier.

His teeth ground together.  His fists clenched. The muscles in his lengths twisted tightened until he lost feeling in his feet.  His vision shrunk to where he could only see the huddled honor guard circled by a blurry red.  

The head of the honor guard walked over to Coach Sprout and told the gnome something.  The coach nodded his head once and then started calling out instructions. There was a ringing in his ears that kept Plex from hearing what was being said so he trotted over to stand next to the Sprout.  Before he’d made it to the gnome, Plex noticed that his sister’s team was setting up to retake the kick, and a few yards closer at that.

Before Plex could ask what happened, his coach said, “We were called for a penalty.  Too many players on the field or something like that. Also, it has been suggested that I bench you for the remainder of the game for insubordination.  Given the alternative to benching, I feel like we have little choice. I’m not going to leave you out here, though. You are too exposed. Head back to our camp.”

Plex opened his mouth to protest but all his anger left him and he felt suddenly deflated.  The game was out of his hands. The game always had been. His own indifference, how he had felt before his queen asked him to join the elven team, returned and, with a shrug of his shoulders, he turned his back on the field and walked away.

He heard murmurs running around the stands and wondered how much of it was directed at him.  He wanted to look back to see if Lavalandinarial was watching him but didn’t want to give the beast the satisfaction of seeing his face in defeat, in retreat.  So, Plex kept his head down and left the stadium.

He hadn’t gone very far when the stadium erupted in a new wave of cheers.  He assumed that his sister’s team had converted the field goal to tie-up the game.  A part of him hoped they would go on to win. His refusal to be ruled by the dragon had likely sealed his death anyway.  It would be better if his sister won and then could live on.

Lost in these dark thoughs, Plex nearly missed his whispered name.  Whipping his head to the side he saw a dwarf motioning to him from a dark alleyway behind the business that had sprung up around the stadium.  The elf didn’t hesitate. He wanted to know what the dwarves were up to. And, if he was powerless on the field, perhaps he could find his power again off of it.  He quickly stepped into the shadows to join the dwarf.

Fantasy Football Part 18

I had this whole funny into typed out. I swear I did. Why would I lie? Why are you questioning me…?

Anyway, for reasons related to shenanigans that intro was lost. Let’s have a minute of silence in its honor.

…

Okay. On with the football!

….

The running back raced down the field.  Plex was certain he was going to score but then Kalant, who Plex hadn’t even realized was on the field, streaked across the field and smashed into the running back.  The two players crashed to the turf. For a moment it looked like the ball was going to pop loose but the runner managed to hang onto it. Still, the other team had made it down to the ten yard line, had a new set of downs, and with two full minutes left in the game, along with both teams having most of their timeouts left, the game could easily be turned on its head.

Plex suddenly understood why the dragon had been so excited about this game.  He glanced towards the beast and Lavalandinarial seemed to have taken a renewed interest in the game.  Its eyes were wide and they gleamed with a fierce intensity. It was actually rather horrible to look at and Plex quickly turned away.  

The two minute warning sounded and the magic time glass stopped its slow drain of sand.  Coach Sprout called the defensive line over to the side of the field and issued a quick series of instructions.  Plex wasn’t close enough to hear what was being said even with his good elven hearing. There was too much noise in the stadium for him to focus in on the conversation.  He considered moving closer but Coach wrapped up his instructions before Plex could get started in that direction and the defense jogged back onto the field.

“I guess I’ll see what his plan is anyway,” Plex mumbled to himself.

“What was that?”

Startled, Plex turned to see that the minotaur, Glavven, was standing next to him.  The quarterback had been so focused on trying to hear Coach Sprout that he’d missed the giant running back finishing up a session with the healer and moving over.

“I was curious what the coach was saying but couldn’t hear.  So, I was saying ‘I guess I’ll see what his plan is anyway.’”

“Ah.”

The two players watched in silence as the teams moved into position to restart the game.  It looked like the other team was setting up for another passing play. That made sense to Plex.  While there were still two minutes left in the game, they needed more than one touchdown to get the victory and time was against them.  

“We have not played well enough.”

The minotaur’s statement so startled Plex that he turned to face Glavven and missed the snap.  Plex whipped his head back towards the field as the quarterback dropped into the pocket. There was decent pass coverage and the other quarterback had to throw the ball away before getting sacked to stop the clock again. 

Without taking his eyes off the action, Plex asked, “What do you mean?”

“We have far superior players.  We should have handled this team easily.  We need to improve to ensure that we play better in our next match.”

“We need to win this one first,” Plex retorted.

“We will.”

Plex wasn’t about to refute Glavven’s confident statement. There was still a chance that the other team could tie the game up and they needed all the confidence that they could hold onto. If you went into any game, no matter what it was, thinking that you were going to lose, you were going to lose. He was glad for Glavven’s bold words and knew that he had to project the same level of confidence as well. As the quarterback, the team looked to him for leadership and he wasn’t going to let them down. 

His eyes went back to the field and his heart nearly jumped up out of his throat on the very next play. The quarterback for Gilania’s team made a horrible decision and threw it to a wide receiver who was too well covered. A collective gasp came from the crowd as the defensive back jumped in front of the receiver. It was one of the easiest interceptions a defender could make.

The only problem was that the defensive back didn’t make it. 

His hands closed less than a breath before the ball got there. It bounced off his fingers and fell harmlessly to the ground. All around him, the sideline became a chorus of groans and curses. None of them could believe that the defensive back missed a catch that was so easy. Plex didn’t believe it either. While the goblin defensive back looked at his hands in confusion, Plex knew that it wasn’t his teammate’s fault. The dragon had done something to prevent the interception. He just didn’t know what.

As the teams lined up for the next play, Plex tried to keep his anger in check. Lavalandinarial had already shown that she was capable of seeing into his mind. Any angry thoughts that might pop into his head would be all the excuse the dragon would need to swallow him whole. Plex pushed out all the thoughts he was having about the dragon and focused solely on the football. His attention needed to be on the game anyway. 

It was now third down and the opposing team ran the ball again in what would normally be a passing situation. It worked once more. Most of the defenders were caught off guard again. Kalant wasn’t. The dwarf flew like an arrow as the running back cut to the outside. Both running at full speed, the dwarf ducked down and put the full force of his momentum into his shoulder, which hit the running back squarely in the stomach. It was a collision that would have even knocked Glavven to the ground despite the minotaur being twice the dwarf’s height and weight. 

The other team’s running back, an orc, bounced right off him, though.

With Kalant’s tackle failing, there was nobody else to stop the orc from waltzing into the end zone. The arena was suddenly filled by the roar of the cheering crowd. While he didn’t want to admit it, Plex probably would have been cheering too if he was just a spectator. Games were more fun to watch when the score was close like this.

Glavven cursed then cursed again.  Then a string a words began to flow out of the minotaur in his native tongue.  It was angry and vulgar.

Plex, forcing his attention to stay on the field, took a minute to hear the outburst and by the time he had turned towards the minotaur the running back had worked himself into a fit.  He placed a hand on Glavven’s shoulder and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Spit flew from Glavven’s mouth as he answered, reverting back to common.  “This is not the first time something has kept us from our glory. Something is working against us.”  

Internally, Plex cursed.  He needed to get the minotaur calmed down before his outburst was noticed.  At least it seemed like Glavven hadn’t figured out who was interfering.

“Someone is cheating.  There is no honor in that.  It is disgraceful. It is unacceptable.”

With each pronouncement, Glavven’s voiced rose higher and higher.  The celebration from the touchdown was still loud enough that nobody was paying attention to Glavven but it was only a matter of time.  “We are going to win, remember. You told me that yourself just a few minutes ago.”

Glavven turned a darker shade of red and then spat a gob of snot to the ground at his feet.  “What will that victory mean? Nothing. It is nothing. This whole game, this battle, has been nothing.  We have earned nothing. We have been allowed to appear like we are the victors. That is all.”

“Glavven,” Plex took on an urging tone and squeezed the shoulder his hand was still on, “you need to calm down.  You can’t be seen having this outburst right now. Bottle it up and you can vent later.”

The minotaur carried on as if Plex hadn’t spoken at all.  

“There is no honor in this.  There is no pride. There is nothing.  We have fought for nothing. We are nothing!”

The players around Plex had started to hear Glavven.  He needed the running back to get control of himself now.  He slapped Glavven across the face. “Glavven, get control of yourself.  This outburst does nothing but help the other team.”

The minotaur didn’t seem to notice.  If he did, he certainly didn’t care. Plex slapped him again, desperate to get Glavven’s attention, to break his rant and potentially save his life.  “Glavven!”

Seething, the giant running back turned to look down on the elf.  His eyes, burning the same red as his body, narrowed and steaming snot dripped from his snout.  “This is not right.”

“No, it isn’t but if you don’t calm down you will die.”

Something had happened in the game.  The crowd erupted in another loud rapture of applause but Plex didn’t dare look away from Glavven.  Nothing could have happened that would have sealed the fate of either team, not in that one play.  

“This is not right,” Glavven repeated with slightly less venom.

The minotaur was correct, of course, but it didn’t matter.  In that moment all that mattered was keeping Glavven alive. Plex wasn’t sure what to say, though.  And, he heard the dragon’s wings stretching. The beast was moving and it might already be too late, anyway.

 

Fantasy Football part 12

Revis and I are back with the next installment of our ongoing saga of fantasy and football. Read on to find out what happens next!

…..

The ball jerked free of Glavven’s hands as the minotaur went to the ground clutching at his injured leg.  The defending player who had hit Glavven with the tackle fell on the loose ball and then was set upon by Plex’s teammates in a giant pile of writhing bodies, all of them struggling to gain possession of the football.  A series of whistles blew as the officiating honor guard went through the process of slowly pulling the pile apart.

Plex was watching that, hoping that one of his own teammates had managed to get the ball back while also watching Glavven still writhing in pain a short distance from the heap.  If his running back was as badly injured as it appeared, that would severely hinder their ability to score points on the run.  

While possession was still trying to be sorted out, one of the honor guard motioned for someone on the sideline to come onto the field.  Plex had seen the dwarf before but hadn’t seen them take part in the any of practices so had assumed they were part of the staff that helped keep the team running off the field.  Then as the dwarf bent down next to Glavven, Plex saw the symbol woven into their version of the uniforms they all wore.  

“A healer!”  

That was great news.  Each team had a healer.  He remembered that now. It had been a cursory announcement made at the beginning of all of this madness, when the teams had first been formed by race and begun to assemble.  The elven healer had never bothered to show up for any of practices because the likelihood of any of them getting injured was so small and then Plex had promptly forgotten about them altogether.

“That’s right,” a voice said at his elbow. Turning, Plex saw that Coach Sprout had moved up next to him.  “And a very good one at that, based on our scouting report.”

Of course the gnome had scouted the healers.  The coach had probably scouted everyone’s extended families just to see understand where they came from.

“Hopefully, he can get Glavven patched up quickly.”

“I’m not worried about Glavven’s bones.  It will be his head that will be the problem after this.  Major injuries can take more of a mental toll than a physical one.  Glavven might play more timidly because he won’t want to get hurt again.  Or, he might throw himself into every challenge to try and prove his might and end up hurting himself more.  We are going to have to watch him.”

“’We’?”

“Yes.  While I will still call the plays, if you see something about him on the field that makes him a liability then I want you to do a throwing play instead and if none of the receivers are open, then just throw the ball downfield to nothing and we will take the penalty.”

Plex understood what he was being told but it ended up not mattering in the short term as the final players were pulled off the ball to reveal that the other team had gotten possession back after Glavven fumbled. He cursed. This close to their end zone, the other team was almost guaranteed a field goal attempt. Unless their defense moved the other team backwards, or created a turnover of their own, they would lose the lead here.

After the defense ran out onto the field, most of the rest of the team went over to the bench to check on Glavven. Plex wanted to as well, but saw no reason to join the crowd around the wounded minotaur. The healer was already having to tell players to back away. He didn’t want to add to that mess. So, he turned his attention to the action on the field.

Kalant expertly snuffed out another run on first down, tackling the other team’s ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage for a two yard loss. The dwarf ran off the field before the next play, replaced by a gnome named Daisy. On the next play, the other team threw it at their tight end, who was guarded by the diminutive defender. Daisy was in perfect position. She had played it just like she was supposed to. 

Unfortunately, the tight end was almost twice as tall as she was.

It was an easy catch for the other team. Fortunately, another defender tackled the pass catcher before he could advance the ball any more, but they gained ten yards. With only two yards needed to get the first down, Plex was expecting to see the dwarf go back into the game. He was surprised when it didn’t happen. Taking a quick look around to make sure none of his teammates could overhear, he bent down to Coach Sprout, who was still right next to him, and asked, “Why didn’t you put the dwarf back in?”

“Normally, I would,” Sprout answered, “because this is generally a running situation. However, this close to the end zone, the other team may decide to risk taking a shot at passing for a touchdown here. From their standpoint, it makes sense to do just that. Even if it’s incomplete, they still get their field goal attempt. Daisy is better in coverage than Kalant is.”

“Not if she’s matched up with the tight end. All they’d have to do is throw the ball high again and they’ve got a touchdown.”

“At least she’d be in the vicinity. That’s better odds than when Kalant blows his assignment and isn’t near the receiver.”

“Yeah, but you need him in there to rush the line to get the running back if it’s a rush.”

“And if it’s a pass?”

“I don’t know. He’d go past the line and hit the quarterback?”

Sprout’s eyes grew wide and he hurried over to the closest Honor Guard to call a timeout before the next play started. Plex didn’t think he’d get to them in time because both teams were lined up for the snap of the ball. The referee’s whistle blew just before the ball was hiked, stopping the play before it started. Sprout called the defense over to him and started speaking excitedly to them. They went back out onto the field a few moments later. This time, Kalant was with them.

The quarterback hiked the ball. As Sprout figured, it was a pass play. The tight end went out in a pattern, but the dwarf didn’t cover him. The safety did. Kalant was speeding like an arrow through the offensive line towards the quarteback.

Plex saw the quarterbacks’s eyes go wide ride before the dwarf slammed into him and they both went crashing into the ground.  The quarterback hadn’t had time to get rid of the ball and hadn’t thought to protect it by bringing it closer to his body. When Kalant hit him, the ball popped free and bounced in odd loops, tumbling end over end, away from the line of scrimmage and away from the end zone.

Kalant had seen the fumble and recovered faster than anyone else.  He sprang to his feet and picked up the ball in a smooth motion before pushing his legs into a full sprint.  The offense still seemed confused about what had happened and the dwarf had yards of open space all around him.  Time seemed to stand still for a minute with only Kalant moving down the green field. Then a few of the defensivemen recovered and began to give chase.

A particularly fast elf was closing the distance and it was going  to be close. The elf might just catch Kalant before the dwarf crossed into the end zone for a touchdown.  The thought triggered alarm bells in Plex’s mind. If Kalant got a touchdown that would drive the scores farther apart again and could potentially doom his sister.  

He clasped his hand behind his back to hide his agitation.  Coach Sprout had made his way back over to stand next to Plex and Plex didn’t want the gnome to see his concern.  As it was, the gnome was jumping up and down excitedly as Kalant drew closer to the end zone and Plex wasn’t sure how Coach Sprout could have done that and pay close enough attention to figure out that something was wrong but the gnome was crafty and it wasn’t worth the risk.

The defender lunged at Kalant and caught the dwarf’s trailing leg just before Kalant crossed the line.  The dwarf was strong though and kept his balance enough to ensure he stumbled over the line to get his team six points.  As he stood up he took the ball and threw it as hard as he could into the ground at his feet. The ball sprang up and away acrobatically.  Plex wasn’t sure what the point of that was but Kalant let out a scream of triumph before being swallowed by a throng of celebrating teammates.

Plex looked to the giant time glass.  There was still time. There was still plenty of time for the other team to score.  There was still time to make sure the game was close when it finished. There was still time to save his sister.

The elven quarterback breathed a sigh of relief and looked back to the field only to find Coach Sprout studying him again.  The gnome wore that infuriating, knowing, smile that Plex was growing to hate. Rather than look away, though, Plex stared at his coach.  

“Aren’t you happy we scored?  Aren’t you happy your idea worked so well?”

Plex didn’t respond.  There was no need to. Coach Sprout knew exactly how he was feeling in that moment.