Brace or defend?

User-Controlled 001i [pen-to-paper] <idea> the Rebound [imgur]

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Ah... no more echo, it comes and goes as they please, grumble the narrator. As much as he wish for everything to go as what they want, not everything would go their way, but they are where they are now and they have to face it head on. Speaking of which, those two birds are actually closing in on them, with much pace that is unnerving to the adventurer. Sitting on their own lonesome in an open field was probably not a good idea in the first place, making them an easy target for any threat to come from all direction. In that split second, they remember that these two fast approaching birds appeared out of the forest earlier just as I saw that pair of lights, further solidifying their apparent connection between them in their mind. This moment is fast approaching to a close and they need to decide whether to hold up their bare left hand or hold up the trusty shield with their right. Welcome or protect?