The Real Thing
His name was Real. I don’t mean “Real” like the opposite of “Fake”. His actual name was Real, “Real of Tolemac”. It was bad enough that growing up, he was kidded about his name. No one ever forgot his name.
“Hey here’s a Real guy.”
“Hey let’s get Real right now.”
“Are you for Real, or against.
But now he had graduated from Squire school and was applying to be a knight. One of King Arthur’s knights.
Training was tough. First he had to learn how to move around in heavy armor. Then there were the jousting lessons. Did you ever have to get on a horse with armor on? And on top of that hold onto a lance that weighed as much as your armor.
The theory test was very hard, where he had to solve problems, like the choice he had to make: if there are two damsels in distress; one, a princess with long hair, locked in a tower about to be thrown out of the tower to her death and the other a commoner about to get beheaded as well as her family of five by a dark knight. Knowing that letting the princess die would allow you to save the other damsel and her family (6 people). But by saving the tower princess, who happened to be the daughter of a wealthy king with gold and lands to spare, you would get riches, possibly even marriage and land. Which one do you choose?
And then there were the dragon tests. You had to find a dragon and then slay it. The early missions were easy. They were just little lizards. But the more advanced Real became the larger the dragons, the sharper the talons, and of course, the breaths of fire.
But Real was determined. He kept his focus. And when he finally took his final practical exam, he was able to defeat the best jouster in the class. His solution of changing the heart of the dark knight first; and with the dark knight’s help solve the problem of the dual damsels and save them both, was an unheard of unique solution. And though a little scorched, he managed to defeat all dragons he faced. In fact, he even tamed one. He was the Real thing.
King Arthur was impressed. Real was no longer just a mere squire. He was to be knighted with top honors to sit at King Arthur’s Round table.
He was proud of his accomplishments as he knelt before King Arthur. Excalibur touched his right shoulder then his left. And forever he was known as Sir Real.
Which in fact, he kind of was. And all the other knights, some who knew him growing up, never let him forget it.
