Higlicslax The Dragon: A Short Story

It was just another contract, nothing special about it. Show up, fight, and get paid. I killed five of thirty one warriors from the Churg tribe, the only men who were killed on either side. I was the only man to step forward to the Churgs advance, the others cowered behind shields. When the last of the five fell, the rest of Churgs fled, fearing an early death most likely. Together, the warriors and I returned to Fulk village, and that night, there was a feast for the victory.
The mead hall was full; the entire village must have come. They were all enjoying themselves, whether they were eating, drinking, or dancing. Many toasts were given to the so called “brave” warriors who risked their lives for the village, and many warriors talked of their

I turned around to see three boys, one about twenty, one around fourteen, and the last maybe ten. The twenty year old in the middle nervously said, “Sorry to pester you, but we couldn’t help it. We have always heard the tale of Higlicslax the Dragon Killer, and we were wondering if you could tell us your story.” “Sorry to break your spirits kids, but I am not Higlicslax the Dragon Killer; I am Higlicslax the Slayer of Dragons.” When these words left my mouth, the boy in the middle flinched as if I was going to hit him. “It is okay, not everyone can remember my name, and I am fine with it. So you all want a story, eh.” They all nodded, the middle one still looked embarrassed. “I’ll tell the story of how I got my name, and how I became a mercenary. I had been a warrior for the Banadok tribe for three years when the Red Dragons attacked our village. They were, and still are, the vilest bandit tribe in the area, but they never bothered us. That was true until we struck a silver vein in our mine. Somehow the Dragons heard of this, and thankfully, a traveling scop saw their camp while on his way to our village. A day later, I was in line with thirty other warriors. Our shields were up, and our swords were drawn. We were silent from terror; this was the first true foe any of us had ever faced. The Red Dragons, their leader sent twenty, calmly walked from the distance, and stopped fifteen feet in front of

He was alone, and sitting in his throne. I went up to him, and he congratulated me for my effort in battle. He stood up from his throne and picked up a shield from beside his seat.”
I bent over and picked up the shield to show the boys.
“Two red dragons, for the ones I beheaded, a background of green for prosperity, and empty space as to have room for drawings of my great deeds. He said something along the lines of that.”
I put the old memento back where it was.
When I was sitting upright again, the youngest boy asked, “Why do you still have the empty space?”
“Intuitive of you, as I said before I am also telling how I became a mercenary. While I was still gazing upon the shield, the chieftain drew a knife, and thrusted it at me. I drew my sword, and impaled him in his gut. He died instantly. I thought nobody would believe my story, so I fled the scene and the village. I had no other skills, so I became a mercenary. I add nothing to my shield because when I do great feats in battles, someone else takes credit for them.”
The three boys thanked me, and left for their home. I gathered my things, and I left for my next