‘Okay, this is it. I’m done with this.’ The Dragonslayer was walking from one side to the other. They had been at the bridge for three days already, and nothing notably had happened. In the morning and evening, villagers passed trough. They gave him some provisions to last yet another day of doing nothing but staring at nature.

Garvin had taken interest in the flowers and trees that grew next to the water. He drew them in his book and described them in detail. That and wondering if the Dragonslayers story was real.

With some thin strings, sticks and a bend needle, the Dragonslayer had made a fishing hook. He had seen some trouts but hadn’t been able to catch on yet. It didn’t seem like he ever would.

From the village side, a kid came towards the bridge. He was barefooted and had a smug smile on his face.

‘Can I pass the bridge?’ he asked the ruffian on the other side.

‘Yes.’

The boy hopscotched across and breathed loudly as if he had done some incredible feat. He smiled and turned to the Dragonslayer again. ‘Can I go back now?’

‘Yes.’

Instead, he stopped in the middle of the bridge. ‘You know, I was never allowed to see the ogre. Mom said it was too dangerous.’

The boy looked at the scorched land and gulped, but there was a certain gleam in his eyes as well. The Dragonslayer knew it well. It was the same way he used to look at the sight of adventure, and there was an adventure behind every bridge. He followed the boy’s gaze to the scorched grass. The ogre had burned until it was no more than ashes. A dark spot marked the place, like a scar on the land. Soon flowers would bloom and it would be forgotten. The Dragonslayer shook all those thoughts away.

‘Well, you can blame her once you’re twenty-five and never left your village.’

The boy wasn’t sure what the rough-looking man meant, so he continued. ‘When will you find a new guardian of the bridge?’ Seeing he didn’t respond, he added; ‘Can it be a dragon next time? Or some kind of weird beast?’

‘Have you nowhere else to be, kid?’

‘Mom says I have to get some Beetlewask.’

The Dragonslayer knew it was a herb to help with inflammation and reduce pain. It was a plant with little white leaves, witches used it in certain brews.

‘Ask Garvin, maybe he has seen it.’ The Dragonslayer pointed south, towards the brown grass and the sound of crickets. ‘A fat boy with thin arms, can’t miss him.’

The boy chuckled and ran off.

Sometime later, the boy returned. His hands were full of plants, roots still attached.

Garvin was behind him. ‘And make sure you cook the Echinacea, so it has a greater effect.’

The boy joyously danced across the bridge.

Garvin went to stand next to the Dragonslayer and stared at the kid. Not even a year ago, he had never left his village. Now he was travelling through all of the lands. There was a giant world to explore if you only dared to cross the bridge.

‘Hey!’ Garvin yelled at the boy. ‘Do you know who is sick?’

‘An old man named Berouw!’ the boy yelled back. ‘Mom doesn’t think he will last long!’

The Dragonslayer clenched Garvin's shoulder and started to squeeze.

‘We need to find someone quick,’ Garvin muttered.

The Dragonslayer’s hand squeezed him further. ‘Dude, don’t you see? We’re fixing their problems! They can’t count on us forever.’

Garvin pushed his arm off and massed his right shoulder.‘Well, it’s your fault. You didn’t have to kill the ogre!’

‘Ugh, so what that I killed an ogre?’ but the Dragonslayer stopped right there. He saw the hurt in Garvin’s eyes. ‘Dude..’

‘No, you’re right, just slice your way through life’s problems! That ogre just wanted a friend!’ Garvin yelled, pointing at the black mark.

‘Fine, what do you want to do now? Camp on a bridge the rest of your life? We have a quest, and it’s a noble one for once. We bring old man Berouw back to his old wife, where he can beg for her forgiveness. This village must learn to take care of itself.’

‘Not before we find someone suitable,’ Garvin said.

‘They should learn how to defend themselves, Garvin. You can’t protect the world like this. More people need help than this village alone.’

‘You only care about women and booze! So don’t teach me about what’s right to do!’ Garvin backed away, he could see sparks of thunder in the Dragonslayer's eyes. He wondered if one real punch would be enough to send him to the other side of the river. He had never seen him so angry.

‘I’m sorry, Garvin said quickly. ‘I just wished we could do something for them.’

‘We can make them realise they can’t keep out the dangers lurking in the shadows, they must learn to defend themselves.’

The Dragonslayer had turned around and started to pack all his stuff. Garvin sighed and did the same. Soon, they were walking back towards the village in utter silence.

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The people that saw them, followed. Everyone wondered what they had to tell the village elder. The Dragonslayer saw the little boy who gathered the plants, he gave him one of his rare smiles.

The village elder met them in front of the tavern where it had begun, a few days earlier. He scratched his beardless chin and smiled. ‘So, have you already found someone else to protect the bridge?’

‘Where’s the old man?’ the Dragonslayer asked.

The elder pointed towards one of the houses, next to the inn. ‘You came right on time, he had become sick last night, he has been coughing ever since.’

‘We have no replacement for the ogre. But we come to share some wisdom with you anyways.’

The people started to murmur, Garvin’s ears became red as he stood almost completely behind the Dragonslayer.

‘This was not a part of the deal!’

‘There is no deal! There is no promise everything will be okay. No one can defend you except yourself!’ the Dragonslayer yelled. His voice boomed across the whole village, it seemed. Garvin thought of the man who threw away the walking stick of a grandfather back in his village. They were as the day is from night.

‘Says the man who killed our guardian!’ the village elder replied.

‘Betrayer!’ some yelled. A baby started crying.

‘I can’t babysit you people forever. If the ogre truly was a protector, maybe you should have told him that.’

‘Ha, he could never be a part of our lives!’

‘He already was.’ The rumours dissipated as Garvin stepped forwards. ‘Village elder, you fear the unknown, which is only natural. But to avoid your own responsibility and avoid it, is even worse. Do you want to have an evil entity protect your village?’

‘What we want, boy. Is things to get back to normal.’

The Dragonslayer answered this time. ‘The only normal is the present. Now, bring us the old man.’

The village elder sniffed. ‘Ha, or what? You did not keep your end of the bargain.’

Fast as lightning, the Dragonslayer pulled out his sword and pointed it at the elder. The whole crowd held it’s breath. ‘I give you only one more minute of my time. What shall it be?’

‘Is this your way of being a hero?’

‘Where is he?’

The village elder finally backed down and nodded at some men. The Dragonslayer continue to stare at him, as if his eyes could bore into his brain. They soon returned with Berouw. Only then did the Dragonslayer lift his gaze. The old man coughed heavily indeed.

‘Did they made you sick?’ the Dragonslayer asked him with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

‘No, they treated me well.’

Garvin could hear the horses leading the cart come forward. A man in a brown leather shirt gave the Dragonslayer the reins.

‘Come on, Garivn, help Berouw get in.’

‘I wish you misfortune on all your travels, Dragonslayer. Know you can’t bargain your way out of everything with a sword.’

‘This man here,’ he pointed at Berouw,’ is facing his fears. It’s time you faced yours.’ With that, he jumped on the cart and led the horses west. Garvin grabbed his flask and poured some water on Berouw forehead. The old man had a fever.

Just when the path went downwards, away from all the wooden buildings, a shrill voice yelled at them. ‘Stop, please!’

The horses halted and the young boy from the bridge ran towards them. He panted heavily as he got to the cart. ‘Here, the herbs for the old man.’ He passed a bundle of the same flowers he found earlier.

‘Thanks, boy,’ Berouw muttered.

‘Can I come with you?’ he asked. He dug a hole in the sand with his foot, his hands were behind his back.

‘You will find your adventure, young one,’ The Dragonslayer said. ‘But it’s not this one, not today.’

A single tear dropped from his left eye. Garvin just stared at him with an empathic smile as the horses moved forwards again. The boy kept staring at them until they were too small to distinguish. Then, he wiped his face and ran back home.

‘You didn’t have to put your reputation on the line, Dragonslayer. I’m not exactly worth it.’

‘That is for me to decide. Just make sure you stay alive long enough.’

‘No, you don’t understand. I knew I was getting sick, I could feel my force seep between my fingers like the tide. I knew when I left, I would probably be too late. Because the truth is, I didn’t know if I can do it. Not even now.’

‘You set out, hoping you would fail?’ Garvin said.

‘Well, I don’t think there is any redemption in my acts. The poor woman, I took everything away from her.’ He coughed loudly. ‘Dragonslayer, do you think there is a reason we met another? Does it mean there is still hope?’

‘Hope is rarely on my side. But then again, who believes in destiny and shit. If someone dares to say you will live a thousand years I would cut you down to prove them wrong.’

Garvin, who stared at the road beneath him said. ‘But you believe in being the chosen one? You know, back when we left Greed?’

‘I don’t know man, we’ll see.’

‘How old do heroes become? Several hundred years?’ Berouw asked of a sudden.

‘Something like that.’

‘Hah, I can barely survive my sixty years. The pain must stack up like stones on your back until you get squashed under your burdens, I imagine.’

‘Don’t worry about me, I’m not that old yet,’ The Dragonslayer said. The company got silent, only the breeze and the groaning of the cart and the clicking of the hooves on the ground could be heard