“A Classic Beginner’s Mistake” is published by Water Dragon Publishing, March 10th, 2023 as part of their Dragon Gems series, edited by Steven Radecki.
EIGHT MINUTES BEFORE MY BOUT, and I was struggling with my goggles — the one really important piece of protective gear. A rapier through the heart is a legitimate medical emergency, but one that the on-site medical staff handle with routine ease. Only a rapier into the brain is at all likely to produce a career-threatening injury and, except for the very rare fluke of a thrust through the soft pallet or the ear, the skull provides enough protection that just about the only way into the brain is through the eye socket.
Hence, goggles.