The marriage turned out splendidly once the father was out of the picture, and Rellick was soon paid and allowed to return, only to learn that a dragon had taken up residence in a mountain across the forest from the city. It didn't bother the city at all, stayed well away from it. But it did bother Rellick. The dragon's hunting patterns included his territory, and its fire breath destroyed the flora of the area. He decided to take care of it before it could do much damage.
The trek to the dragon's lair was long enough on its own. Avoiding being spotted on the way proved impossible. Three times the dragon landed and threatened him. "I'll take your life for this trespass," he would say. "But if you solve this puzzle, I will give you a head start so you can run."
"If I solve your puzzle, you'll do nothing for a short while so I may escape?"
"So you may try."
The first was a classic. Sixteen sticks, two fish. Move only two sticks and make the fish swim the opposite direction. Rellick had seen the puzzle before in the city's walls, and knew already the two sticks to move. The dragon expressed surprise, but sure enough gave him the head start. Rellick took a distance and shot an arrow at the young dragon, a hail of thorns accompanying it before he got on the back of one of his stags and they raced off.
The second required some thought. It was a puzzle. "I am longer than infinity. If you eat me, you will die. I am even greater than love. What am I?"
Rellick had an answer that fit the first two, but the last, he could think of many things that fit, and he was not certain he was correct. As the dragon began to count down time, Rellick blurted his answer: "Nothing."
Once more, the dragon was surprised, and once more he gave Rellick the head start he needed. And once more, Rellick shot the dragon and escaped.
The third came with the dragon as he was grounded, and the deal was changed. "This puzzle will stop you. If you are correct, my life is forfeit. If you are wrong, yours is."
"Very well. What is your puzzle?"
The third puzzle was one that Rellick would solve but never share. When he trudged home with the head of the dragon he had slain, one would almost call his expression haunted. Yet he had prevailed nonetheless, and for that the city considered him a hero.
