A Slayer's Debt

Tyra

The warm orange glow through the windows of the tavern was like a welcoming magnet to Alger as he approached. He took his horse to the well adjacent to the door and tried to tie her to a nearby fence post with his numb wet fingers, the light fall of snow had become a blizzard during the ride and a Grey Scale had eaten his riding gloves the week before. Convenient.

There was a cheer from a corner of the tavern as Alger entered,

"Come, join us!" the biggest one bellowed "let us celebrate a good year of butchery!"

It took Alger a second to register the man was Sobourn the Mighty. He had fought with him once but did not recognise him by his face; Sobourn would wear a full set of iron armour into battle and fight with a huge two handed great sword. Over his back he had three spears slung. They were tipped with dragon glass, like Alger's arrow heads, and designed to throw twenty metres. Dragon Glass was the name given to a stone that was a very dark red colour and only just transparent if you held it to the sun, it was the only thing that could pierce the hide of a dragon so it lined the swords of slayers and heads of spears and arrows.

 Sobourn fought with thick armour which made him extremely durable at the penalty of nimbleness and furtiveness. Alger didn't like this, he saw no skill in staying almost stationary and taking as many hits as you gave, anyone could do that. He preferred being unseen or weaving in and out of slashes and balls of fire, untouchable. His personality was just as brash.

Alger sat at the bar. As he began to cut his long awaited steak, a stranger sat next to him. Alger looked at her briefly.

"Hi there, I'm Tyra" she said softly, she had long fair hair and a thick dark coat that smelled faintly of seaweed. "Alger" he replied. "You look much under dressed for the weather" Tyra continued.

"I'm used to extreme temperatures" he said coldly, Alger was in no mood for conversation.

Tyra persisted, "I've never heard of a frost breathing dragon!" Alger shot her a look and continued to eat his steak. "Aww don't look like that, what's up with you?" Tyra continued.

Alger saw his attempts to ignore Tyra were in vain, "All the dragons are gone for winter."

Tyra was confused "Do you not hunt those that hibernate in the forests?"

"Some slayers do, not me." He said firmly "It is wrong to hunt creatures when they are at their most vulnerable."

He paused, "My father taught me that Dragon and man was created equal by the gods. While man is smart, the dragon is instinctive and so we must always respect the other. He lived by them all his life, so do I"

"You are a man of pure morals?", Tyra responded. "The Kraken in the dark sea travel to an island far out west to breed, hundreds of them every year and they all go to the same place. Three months later they leave their young in the rock pools which grow for a year and travel out to sea. I am the captain of the ship that travels out with fifty sailors to the island to butcher thousands of young defenceless Kraken, no bigger than chickens. Is that immoral, slayer?" she asked, now seeming more firm.

"I don't believe so" Alger replied calmly.

"How can massacring infants not be immoral?" she questioned curiously

"Simple, the Kraken are foul creatures. They tear apart ships and leave no survivors, ruthless" Alger replied. The snow storm outside rattled the windows.

"So you say that man is inferior to the Kraken because we cannot fight them?"

"No, Dragon and Man are noble beasts. Dragons scorch towns for defence and steal livestock to live. Man will kill to protect his fellow man. The Kraken is not noble; it spends its life hunting whales to eat and sinks ships for pleasure."

"Sailors are men at work. Dragons terrorise farmers, women and their children!" protested Tyra "Is the dragon not evil for that alone!"

"Not when women bear children who grow into warriors and hunt dragons!" Alger responded.

"Interesting opinion for a dragon hunter!" Tyra mocked. "You and your morals! Think you are justified! Think that you can kill an entire herd because...you are worthy!" she shouted.

In a blink Alger drew his hunting knife from his belt and connected with Tyra's throat.

"Go on then" Tyra teased, "or am I not worthy of your blade?"

The room had fallen silent. Men clutched their swords in expectation. A bloodbath often followed a drunken slayer ending a life. Suddenly a firm hand grabbed Alger's shoulder and pulled him away from the bar. Tyra clutched her throat bleeding from the clumsy pressure Alger had applied. It was Sobourn.

Alger nodded. Tyra started rummaging about in her bag then pulled out a spare pair of riding gloves and placed them on the counter. "Enjoy your steak" Tyra said as she strode towards the door.

As she passed Alger noticed a tattoo of a three headed serpent on her right wrist. He had seen it before.