This is a $1 Legend for  Centaurus20 based on the first Free Contest we hosted. We hope you enjoy it!

The Legend of Captain Pace

A quiet day like any other, nobody suspecting any adventures or twists and turns out of the ordinary. Life goes on peacefully around the village: farmers tilling, lords and ladies socializing, merchants haggling, life is bustling uneventfully. All it took was a cloaked stranger and the promise of riches to change that. Called by many names—Teacher, Master, Sorcerer, Witch, Sage—this figure ventures town to town recruiting local adventurers on a quest for epic loot and legendary renown. This time was no different from any other: the one called the Guide Healer made his post in the Square, recruited a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed following, and marched them into the Dungeon.

Slots in the party were filling fast! Magic-wielders, sneak thieves, mighty warriors, and more joined the forming Charred Toad Party, but they had yet to recruit someone with strong leadership skills. Then came along Captain Pace at first disguised as a traveling merchant through changeling powers, but quickly revealed his identity to his new allies! Gifted a pair of tonfa by his newfound friends, Captain Pace was more than ready to share his skills and guide the party to certain victory!

Mundane as it was, the first floor had but a lowly grey slime to guard it; nothing Captain Pace and the Charred Toad Party couldn’t handle! Putting his superior combat knowledge to work, Captain Pace struck the monster where it hurt most, tenderizing it for others to punish! No amount of attacks from the gross monster or peril from the floor’s many traps could best this captain, and soon, the Charred Toad Party had slain the slime! A strong start to a successful mission no doubt!

The sudden change from normal to hot temperatures must have done a number on Captain Pace’s abilities though… Slower from the high heat, more cautious from being surrounded by lava and fire spouts, Captain Pace dodged and weaved as best as possible, but still tanked a few blows for the Charred Toad Party… Even when dazed, the captain kept tabs on the events transpiring on the battlefield, preparing three steps ahead. Thanks to this, Captain Pace was able to rescue some of his allies from the demonic beast’s raging attacks! Sure, he and the others fell in a dogpile on their friend, but at the very least they kept each other alive. Finally, as the finishing strike was delivered to the monster, Captain Pace took a long, well-deserved drink from the canteen, ready for the next floor.

Relieved by the soothing coolness of the following water floor, Captain Pace felt renewed in vigor and more combat ready than ever before! With swift and targeted strikes against this new draconic foe, Captain Pace inspired his allies to give it their all. Unfortunately, the aquatic dragon recognized Captain Pace as a major threat from his incredible feats and focused its attacks on him with great discrimination! Claws, tails, teeth, and more, none could make Captain Pace falter in his onslaught…that is until the beast unleashed a torrential blast of water and dazed Captain Pace. Stumbling and tottering, the captain eventually regained focus, but trouble had developed while he was recovering! With his field medicine knowledge and a little bit of magic too, Captain Pace was able to stabilize some of his allies from their wounds and other conditions. Finally, turning back to fight the dying dragon, Captain Pace caught the faint melody of one of the dragon’s previous cries, leaving him to battle with drowsiness rather than tonfa. Thankfully, the party slew the drake shortly after!

Amidst the rocks and stones, Captain Pace knew the terrain would make this battle harder than any before. And the craggy skeletal golem certainly did not look like it would be easy to conquer. Simple blade and blood tactics would not work effectively here. Captain Pace knew a calculated approach would be the smartest route and communicated so. Leading by example, Captain Pace made sure to feel refreshed and battle ready by using the party’s provisions, observing the monster for openings in its attacks, then striking true! Tried and true, Captain Pace completed this course of action twice, drawing blood the first time and exposing the monster’s weaknesses the second time, allowing the Charred Toad Party to collectively bring the beast to its inevitable demise. Some of these tactics left Captain Pace a bit more winded than anticipated, but thankfully some wild edibles and reflection time helped recover his vigor!

Returning to a water-based floor, Captain Pace thought it might be smart to take advantage of the element available to him. Focusing carefully, trickles of water ran up his legs to his torso and arms, incorporating itself into his changeling form. Before long, he was in command of the water itself and used it to buff his abilities! Working together with allies, Captain Pace made use of his new power to support the party and in turn received support from them. Unfortunately, even the most skilled captains are not immune to slick terrain… One bad fall left Captain Pace unconscious for a bit, but not for too long thanks to his allies! Gaining a second wind, Captain Pace unleashed a heroic battle cry and charged at the monster, landing an attack that seemed to shake the entire floor! The monster reeled back, clearly afraid of Captain Pace’s abilities and…wait, was it getting larger? The aquatic slime seemed to be bloating after taking that critical blow. Was it about to die? Anticipating the worst, Captain Pace stepped to the side just before a powerful waterspout nailed him. Looking back, Captain Pace saw some allies slammed by the spout, but before he could call out, he felt another waterspout launch him up and backwards. Flying…flying…WHAM! With great sadness, the Charred Toad Party witnessed as their Captain Pace landed firmly against a spike trap placed on the wall. Skewered there, Captain Pace shared one final piece of battle knowledge to inspire his allies, and then all went dark…

Sometime later, Captain Pace found himself awake in town again. His allies were around him too, all recovering from the adventure. Word went around stating how they were rescued and revived by the Guide Healer, but their legacy would go down in history! One of the healers present in the infirmary presented Captain Pace with his equipment as well as a tulip to show admiration for his great heroics and leadership.