---- Battle Start! Squire Versus FrontDoor! ----
--Squire lets loose a fierce growl! FrontDoor is unaffected.
--FrontDoor stands defiant.
----
--Squire attacks! FrontDoor suffers 8 point(s) of damage! FrontDoor counters for 7 points(s) of damage! Squire's HP has been reduced to 33!
--FrontDoor defends.
----
Darn it! That really hurt! It's obvious why FrontDoor was chosen to protect my master's home. Still, I'm not ready to give up yet...
----
--Squire attacks! FrontDoor suffers 9 point(s) of damage! FrontDoor counters for 8 points(s) of damage! Squire's HP has been reduced to 25!
--FrontDoor slams! Squire is frightened by the loud noise! Squire's attack has fallen by 50%!
----
Clearly this is a mightier foe than I had anticipated. I can't afford to lose this battle, though, no matter how scary loud noises are...
--Squire attacks! Critical hit! FrontDoor suffers 7 point(s) of damage! FrontDoor counters for 12 points(s) of damage! Squire's HP has been reduced to 13!
--FrontDoor defends.
----
--Squire summons her inner strength! Attack power has recovered and increases!
--FrontDoor looks on, dismissively.
----
Squire attacks! FrontDoor suffers 14 point(s) of damage! FrontDoor counters for 14 points(s) of damage! Plot Armor activates! Squire's HP has been reduced to 1!
--FrontDoor stands tall...
----
It's no use. It's barely damaged at all, and if that special ability of mine hadn't activated, the battle would already be over. I can't keep fighting like this. I need to give up, rest and recover and consider a new strategy. They're far too strong...
"What were you expecting?" I ask myself, "Did you really think that this would be easy? That the world which could potentially endanger the mighty Sebastien Spiritbane wouldn't pose any threats to you? This was a ridiculous idea. You were right to be scared of the outside world. You're not strong enough, and you never will be. You just need to give up and accept that."
A very tempting offer, I must admit. I always seem to know exactly what to say to appeal to my sense of reason. Deep down, however, I know that it's wrong. Being a good girl isn't just about following orders and looking pretty: it's about doing good, helping others and standing against injustice, even when, especially when it's difficult.
I rise back up to my feet, panting, glaring at my hated enemy who stands so tall, so proud, so mocking, and know full well that if I retreat now, there will never be another new attempt or another strategy. I'll give up and accept my weakness, and wait for my master to return, and who knows? Maybe he will. Maybe in just another few minutes he'll walk straight in through that now mildly damaged door, and I'll feel ridiculous for ever having worried, for ever honestly believing that someone as powerful as him could ever need to be rescued...
Or maybe he will never come back, and I'll have to live with the knowledge that maybe, just maybe, I could have helped him, returned just the tiniest hint of kindness that he's shown me, but instead I was too afraid of getting hurt.
No, you can't give up just because something is hopeless. Hopeless is a meaningless term to one who has faith. Someone who believes, not necessarily in themselves, but in what they think is right, and will give anything in order to achieve it!
----
--FrontDoor is getting board.
----
Oops, sorry! I was so busy monologuing that I hadn't even noticed that the battle music was still going on. Heh, board, like a play on 'bored'? That's pretty good! Wait, this is no time to be appreciating the clever wordplay of my opponent! Maybe this few minutes of idleness isn't much compared to the week I spent watching and waiting, every second standing still is one spent not moving forward. I've spent far too long, an entirely lifetime, in fact, being too afraid to stand on my own two feet. I won't let it happen again.
--Squire uses Divine Strike! FrontDoor suffers 244 point(s) of damage!
----
I find myself flooded with light from two sources: one, the small wooden carving dangling from my leather collar, and the other, the sunlight beaming down from above. Both are blinding. There is pain as well, as while FrontDoor may not have had a chance to land a proper counter, even as I smashed through its broad torso, I could feel the intense impact against my body. I could also feel something else, though. A strange, calming energy. I could hear a voice, not in my ears, but rather in my heart. A soothing feminine one, one which I had never heard before yet still felt intimately familiar. It spoke a universal truth which I have long since known, yet strangely never grow tired of hearing. It told me that I was a very good girl. As nice as hearing it may be, I finally, truly understand that the words along are not good enough. It's time that I started acting like one.
---- FrontDoor has been defeated! Squire has won the battle and has gained 300 Experience Point(s) and 50 Gold(s)! ----
---- Squire has become a level 2 Paladin (rank 1)! ----
-Strength is now 18! (+3 point(s)!)
-Endurance is now 24! (+4 point(s)!)
-Agility is now 24! (+4 point(s)!)
-Intelligence is now 11! (+1 point(s)!)
-Faith is now 48! (+8 point(s)!)
-Charisma is now 42! (+7 point(s)!)
-Squire has gained 8 maximum HP!
-Squire has learned the Divine Strike ability!
----
Wow! That's a lot of numbers! I'll bet they'd be even more impressive if I knew how to count! It's difficult to focus on such things, however, after the sign from above that I have been given. I might not know a lot about, well, much of anything, but even I know the touch of a God when I feel one. Somehow, I have been deemed worthy to follow in my masters footsteps! I can only imagine how proud he'll be! No, no, that's getting ahead of myself. I'm sure that I have a long journey ahead of me, and titles are not what matters. Deeds are.
As I look about, keeping my eyes from the sky, I see many humans standing about. I recognise some of them, from my past brief trips outside, always escorted, of course, but this is the first time in as long as I could remember that I've been outside alone. I can already pick up the faint yet familiar scent of my owner. I can tell that he is very, very far away, much further away than I could hope to be able to detect a less important smell. I can't tell exactly how far, but I do know the general direction. If I follow that path for long enough, There is no doubt that I will find him.
There is something strange about the village, however, namely the citizens within it. Some are walking, some working, some conversing, but so many of them have large, glowing exclamation points over the heads... what does that mean again? Hmmm... I know this. Explanation points represent some manner of urgency, right? That means that these people must all need help! But my master might need it as well... no, no, a good girl, correction, a good paladin doesn't pick and choose who to help based on who she happens to like more. It is our job to help those in need, and if I were to pass all of these people by just because it was inconvenient, why, how could I even hope to face my master with my head held high?
I look back over my shoulder to my home, the only one I have ever really known, well aware that it might be quite some time until I see it again. I'll miss it. I'll miss my soft bed, the abundance of food, the cool breeze through the open window... huh, I guess I could have gone out that way, couldn't I? Oh well, live and learn.
--This isn't over...
I freeze in place, growling over my shoulder at the ruined doorframe. No time to dwell on that, however. I have a journey to embark upon and people to save!