Dragonslayer

Marcus was resting on his porch in the afternoon heat, quietly watching the sky with seemingly not a care in the world. He had spent his afternoons this way for some weeks at that point, having completed his farm work early in the morning to beat the sun, and leaving the rest to do as the sun fell and it became cool once more. He found it peaceful and relaxing, having a day in and day out pattern to follow, not fearing the unknown or that someone could take his lifestyle from him. At one point in his life he had feared these things greatly. But as of lately, that fear had left him, and he had found new peace the likes of which he had never known.

"Hey, Dragonslayer," he heard one of the local boys call out. "What are you doing lazing around? What ever happened to being the hero this town deserved?"

Marcus turned his eyes to the boy, who was standing only a few short yards away from him. The boy was the son of the baker - still just a child, unsatisfied with his lot and life and wanting more. Marcus knew that feeling well. It was only in recent times that he had learned how to overcome that. "There'll be no dragons slain by these hands, boy," he called back. "If you think this town deserves a hero, than you be he. It is not my place."

"You've changed since you went up there, old man." For some reason, those words struck him. Was change so bad a thing? It was change that had given him this peace. "You never slayed that dragon. Don't pretend like you can hide that fact. So why are you so content to mull around and look happy? The rest of us live in fear of its attack, and yet you pretend to have fought it and won the day."

The frown on his face grew in an instant, overtaking him like a parasite. He could feel his body shaking with anger. "I never claimed to have fought that dragon, boy," he warned with cold words, "and you'd be best to remember that. I was once a fool who thought himself capable of killing gods. I suggest if you value your life you not go down that path."

His words visibly shook the boy to his core. "What did you see up there?" he asked quietly.

"That the fears of this village are but folly and bring nothing for us here."