AVERAGE BANDITRY

John Crichton and Ka D'argo walked on in silence, watching their other companions, the blue ballerina Chianna and the pint sized Ex-King Rygel caper and float down the road before them. The sun shown and the occasional wagon passed, and friendly greetings were exchanged.

"You know, D'argo, this ain't too bad. If we weren't lost in a strange land, surrounded by potential hostiles and all that, this would be pretty cool. Ah hell, that's us anyway, this is cool," Crichton mused.

D'argo rumbled in assent.

One more wagon passed them, and it slowed as Chianna ran alongside to chat with the occupants. After a few moments, the wagon clattered on, and Chianna came capering up to Crichton and D'argo. She bounced along side them excitedly, grinning widely.

"HEY! I found out why everyone's going to this town! They've got a circus going! Isn't that great? Let's go see!"

"Yeah, why not?" Crichton said. "Nothing immediately needing our attention for the time being."

Suddenly, Rygel accelerated ahead of them. Chianna's head jerked in his direction, then the rest of her as she scampered after him.

"HEY! No fair!", she squealed.

There were shouts around the bend that Chianna and Rygel had gone.

Crichton and D'argo looked at each other, then ran into the trees roadside, using them as cover to approach what was ahead. And they saw...

Rygel and Chianna hiding behind some bushes, watching the merchant wagon that had just passed them. The merchants were surrounded by what appeared to be bandits holding them up.

Rygell looked upon the scene, calculations running thru his mind.

He floated over to Chrichton and whispered, "A rescue could be economically lucrative."

Crichton looked at Rygel and nodded, "Hm..."

Suddenly bolts of energy burned from the woodline opposite them. Charred bandit corpses began falling. The females in the merchant party screamed. The men covered them. The crossbowman on top looked for something to aim at. Then he found something.

A swarthy, moderately muscular man with dark, intense eyes came striding out of the woodline.

One bandit remained. A pool of liquid gathered around one of his boots.

"You, sir, are now increasingly short of friends. The city ahead might afford you some more. You should leave for there now."

The bandit fled with a yelp.

The adventurers gaped at who they saw.

Crichton breathed, "Krais?"