Heroes/Rufus

Lore
The heat was unbearable. Rufus opened swollen eyes and recalled falling into a waste pit on the way back from a drunken party. The stench surrounding him was stunning, to put it lightly. He scratched a bloated belly and turned over on the other side. An hour passed by. Rufus turned back. Some more time passed. Sleep did not come. Rufus fished a half-empty bottle from beneath the couch and polished it off in a feat of surprising dexterity. The sun hung high in the sky, and even the quick birds Rufus so loved to watch hopped away to find some shade.

"Boring," Rufus thought while fishing out a second bottle. "Maybe I should go have a bite?"

He liked the thought. He stood up, pulled shabby trousers back in place, and went off to find food. Not too far, in the next room. The tipsy master of the house found a surprisingly precise and aesthetically pleasing spread laid out on the table. Rufus opened yet another bottle and proceeded with dinner, unaware he was no longer alone.

"Good morning," a voice came like a whispering wind. "Perhaps you would consider relinquishing your soul to me? The pay's nice, and it's not like you need it anyway. Pleased to meet you, the name’s Rakashi."

The demon slowly showed his agile body from behind the cupboard, his sly, narrow eyes staring at the pudgy man. Struck by surprise, Rufus dropped the fork from his hand and grabbed a bottle with the other, not unlike a man overboard snatching at a life preserver.

"You, waitta... what're you?" - Rufus shook his beard, now drenched in sweat.

"I am the only one in this world who thinks your soul has any worth. So, I think you had better take me offer quick as you can!"

"Yeah, I probably should." There was a thought in Rufus' head trying to be heard, but the alcohol made it hard to hear it clearly. "But only on one condition."

"Very well, I'll pen it down, good sir." The demon made a playful, sly grimace while scribbling on an imaginary sheet of parchment with his finger.

"You win a drinkin' contest with me, you get the soul," Rufus quietly articulated. "You fail, you keep bein' my drinking buddy for all’a time ever! And be usin' your talents for me!"

Rakashi nearly chortled as he hopped on his feet in glee. No wonder, it’s not every day a target did all the work for him! Rufus went to the basement to gather supplies, and the contest began. By nightfall, Rufus was still among the living, working on bringing the arrogant demon back to his senses. Rakashi looked around the room with bleary eyes, fighting down wave after wave of nausea. Rufus' smiling, pudgy face certainly didn't help the matter in any way.

"I mean, I just had an idea," came the winner's happy trail of thoughts, "how 'bout you go inhabit that shield over there, since you an' I are buds now?"

Rufus dragged the ancient ancestral sheet of metal to the half-dead demon and sat down, waiting. Unable to resist in his unfortunate state, Rakashi glumly crawled inside the shield. And he stayed there all through to the afternoon, baffled at what had happened. Still, that grim mood disappeared that very evening, gone in the merry vapors, witty jokes, and hilarious stories at Lame Pogue's tavern.

It turned out Rufus was an excellent conversationalist, and the demon had never had friends before. And since that day, the two have been thick as thieves. It was Rakashi of all people (and demons) who had the idea to join the Guardians. Not something you'd expect from the likes of him, would you? Nobody knows why: maybe all the drinks got to his head, maybe what happened made him see himself in a new light. All that matters is, the man and the demon sided with the Light.

Curious, isn't it?

How Rufus lost his shield and became a Guardian
Not far from the Hardan's Plateau, in the sand dunes, the Guardians have discovered an unusual shield of magical nature. Next to him lay the carcass of the defeated henchman of Darkness ...

After a long debate, it was decided to hand it over to Keira, so beautiful in her Blooming Skin. The girl installed the mysterious artifact in the middle of the cherry orchard and sent messengers in search of the absent-minded owner of the weapon. But why is the beloved dog Urwin constantly barking at the artifact? What's wrong with this shield?

Keira woke up early in the morning to the sound of stomping feet. Urwin was barking like no tomorrow, and Keira ran out and into the garden, still groggy from sleep.

Amidst the azaleas sat a stranger, huffing and puffing. He had set out a pristine white tablecloth, bedecked with rare foods and exquisite drinks. A feast that would leave even the Emperor beside himself with envy! Keira froze for a second, her mouth agape.

"Who are you?" she asked, picking the dog up in her arms.

"I came to pay my friend a visit," the humongous man scratched his belly, and threw a glance at the shield standing in the middle of the garden.

"Your friend?" Keira repeated. "So, where is he?"

A pair of shining eyes appeared on the shield's surface, and out came a quiet, silky-smooth voice: "Over here, my dear. And I kindly invite you to join us in our repast!"

The next two hours went by in the blink of an eye. Rufus, as the man was called, turned out to be a true gentleman and a very witty storyteller! And together with the demon, his surprising friend inside the shield, the pair was nigh invincible! Learning Rufus’ tale, Keira decided to join the ranks of the Guardians. Rufus fit into the troop with ease, becoming the life of the party all but immediately!

Руфус