Chapter 29

Four-tooth saw that his new friend was in trouble, so he instantly and instinctively got up and ran towards where the action was.  He had never been the strongest or the most skilful in a fight, but he always helped a friend in need.  By the time he reached the escalating confrontation, the honour guard had done some impressive manoeuvring and had somehow surrounded Anton, whilst keeping Maruska out of the circle of imminent harm; a bit like separating the yolk from the egg white.

The leader of the Honour Guard, a rough looking man with a scar that ran down his left cheek spoke.

“Greetings, my name is Stilton. We are the Tuscan Honour Guard.”

“Hurry up and capture him!” said Javier.

“Fine,” said Stilton, “You are under arrest.  Surrender and come peacefully and we will do you no harm.”

“I will not surrender,” said Anton, “I am here to save my wife.  I have no quarrel with you, so please-“

“Hurry up!” interrupted Javier.

“Hey!  You’re not the boss of me!” said Anton, “Anyway, I will not be surrendering, I do not have time to be captured.  I would advise you all to put down your weapons and stay out of this.”

“You leave me no choice,” said Stilton, “Men!  Hap-Sing Attack Number Eight!”

The Honour Guard all began to move, except for one; his name was Grotto.

“Wait! Wait!” said Grotto, “Which one was that again?”

“The one where we all twirl around and then Gary does the cool leapfrogging thing over Benson’s back and you run underneath Tindamere’s legs and do a roundhouse kick to Anton’s face,” said Stilton.

“I can’t do that one, I haven’t practiced it enough yet,” said Grotto.

“You are an Honour Guard!  You should know this! This is embarrassing!” said Stilton.

“I’ve only been an Honour Guard for two days! Can we do an attack that I know?”

“How about the Blazing Tornado attack?”

“I don’t know that one either,” said Grotto.

“Thunder number two?”

Grotto shook his head.

“So which attacks do you actually know?” said Stilton.

“I know Basic Attack Number One.  Basic Attack Number Two, I could do in a pinch.”

Stilton sighed and said, “Okay, Basic Attack Number One guys!”

The Honour Guard charged at Anton.

Anton spun around once and with a flurry of kicks, sent Honour Guard tumbling backwards into the ones behind them, a bit like a strike in ten pin bowling.

Well, almost a strike.

There was one Honour Guard left standing; The one with the yo-yo

Frank.

He stared at Anton coolly.  He began to whirl his yo-yo around in a wide arc.

“Prepare thyself, for you will be the very first opponent I fight for real with my revolutionary yo-yo-fu.”  He looked at the yo-yo spinning in a circle.

“Revolutionary…” and he winked at Anton, “Get it? Oh, I love puns.  Anyway You will go down in history,  But first, well you will just GO DOWN!”

Frank swung his arm back and then quickly flicked it forward.

Anton watched as the yo-yo flew around in a circle, came back and hit the Frank in the head, knocking him out in the process.

Now all the Honour Guard were on the ground.  A bit like getting a spare in bowling.

“I guess you don’t need my help,” said Four-tooth, who had been standing nearby.

“It seems to be under control for the time being,” said Anton, “But thank you.”

Javier was trembling with rage now.  This Anton had made his best men look like fools!

“Gwendolyn!” he barked, “I need you and your sisters to apprehend this man!”

Gwendolyn nodded, and then her two sisters fanned out from behind her and now the trio stood side by side.

“My name is Gwendolyn and these are my two sisters, Abigail and Arisa.”

“A pleasure to meet you. I am Anton DiManlen.  I have no wish to fight you.”

“That’s too bad,” said Gwendolyn, “Because we wish to fight you.”