Fire Breather

Fire and fury, legend and lore,

they've honored our dreams and our skies for years now,

vast wings cutting through the heavens,

their roars echoing like distant thunder.

To some, they are beasts, fearsome, untamed.

To others, they're gods, harbingers of power and change.

I see them as guardians of the impossible.

They are the bridges between what we are

and what we could be.

We tell tales of knights who slay them,

have treasure hoards guarded in secret caves,

but have you ever wondered why they hoard gold?

Is it greed, or is it that they crave the shine,

the warmth, the spark of life itself,

trying to keep something beautiful in a world

that sees them as monsters?

Do you know what I think?

I think dragons are reminders,

reminders that the world is bigger than we'll ever know,

that there are things that can't be tamed,

shouldn't be tamed.

They say fire and fury gave birth to the first dragon.

And for centuries, their reign scorched the skies,

but fire does not burn forever.

Do you want some supper?

Yeah.

I'll fix something here in a second.

Let me get a fire going.

I'll set the table.

You asked me for a meal and then you don't eat,

that's strange.

We don't waste food when it's this hard to come by,

you know this.

So, I was thinking that maybe I could go

to the market tomorrow.

Is something wrong with the food?

No.

No, it's not the food, Dad.

I just heard that there's a man there,

and he's telling stories.

Stories?

He said he found a set of wings and that he killed it.

It's a hunter.

Hunters only bring trouble, you do well to remember that.

They don't come out this far, you know that.

We're too boring.

The dishes are done.

Thank you, Sweetheart.

Do you need anything?

Otherwise, I think I'm going to call it a night.

Nah.

I'm good, Baby.

Goodnight.

Night, Dad.

How much longer?

Let's pass those trees.

No one told you, "Stop."

Keep fucking moving.

You know, I've heard of you.

You're like the terminator of dragon hunters, right?

Something like that.

Yeah, that must be pretty cool,

I mean despite the circumstances.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Start walking.

Hey, I'm really tired right now.

Hey, can we just do it right here, buddy?

No can do, mate.

Move.

Hey, so what?

You're not a talker?

So what?

You know, my ex-wife, she'd always say I talk too much.

What a fucking bitch, right?

Hey, man, come on, would you say something?

You're about to kill me, man.

For Christ's sake, would you tell me something?

Say something.

All right, fuck it.

What was her name, your wife?

Connie.

Mmm.

Did you love her?

Yeah, I did.

Did you ever cheat on her?

I mean, once, twice, a few times.

So what?

So you didn't love her then, right?

Sure I did, I just,

I fucked up, that's all.

- Mmm. - You know what?

Fuck talking.

Fucking walk, man.

Yeah, good idea.

I'll keep walking.

Walking, walking.

Oh, boy.

You know, I was like you once, you know, like a soldier.

I did the exam, the meetings.

I just didn't take.

Hey, can I ask you a question?

How much was I worth?

I'm not in liberty to discuss that with you.

I'm sure it was quite a lot, something like that.

About average.

Yeah, shit, average.

All right, man.

So what do you do with them, the others?

What do we do?

Because I'm fucking,

I'm a nervous wreck, man.

I fucking hate surprises.

Get on your fucking knees now.

Oh, God.

Okay.

Oh, man.

Put your goddamn hands down.

It don't work like that.

You're the bait.

Hey, man.

Look, man, I didn't mean to kill anybody, man.

Yeah, but you did, didn't you?

And now, you're here paying off your little debt to society.

So shut the fuck up and take it like a man.

Hey, man.

Where are you going, man?

Don't leave me over here, man.

Stay a while, will you?

Easy, fella.

This is Anders.

I have visual confirmation.

Send the cavalry.

Lorin!

Lorin!

Lorin!

Come on, kid, we got to gather supplies today.

Sweetheart, we talked about this.

Lorin!

Lorin!

Lorin!

Dad?

Where were you?

I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk.

Without letting me know?

You were asleep.

Even so.

We have rules.

Let me hear it out loud.

Never leave the house without telling you first.

Exactly.

Yet you deliberately disobeyed my wishes.

By taking a walk?

Yes, Lorin!

The rules are in place for a reason.

Okay.

Go on, get inside.

I'll fix some breakfast.

We got a lot of chores to catch up on today.

Go on.

Okay.

Look, you don't have to accept the rules,

but you will follow them.

You know I could have gone to the market, and I didn't,

so you just don't trust me.

It got nothing to do with trust.

Then what does it have to do with?

Keeping you alive, Lorin.

You weren't here to see what this place became.

And I can guarantee you, it was a horrific shitshow.

Everybody lost, some a lot more than others,

and I made promises to more people than I care

to remember that I would never lose again, ever.

So you want me to respect your wishes

so that you can somehow shelter me

from the world's problems?

You can't protect me like this anymore, Dad.

Oh, Sweetheart.

I'm not trying to hide you from the world's treacheries.

I just want you to survive them.

Honey, wait a second.

Lorin!

Dammit.

Morning.

Apologies for the hour, but I was in your area.

I could use some shelter.

Shelter?

That's right,

by order of the United States government.

Government.

Which branch?

Hunting division.

You're a hunter?

Yes, Ma'am.

What brings you out this far?

It's a bit cold out.

Perhaps we can discuss my business inside your home?

So you're a hunter?

I don't just hunt them, I kill them.

Why?