The kingdom had known three decades of peace because a (mostly) righteous band of adventurers had outted and destroyed the cult embedding itself into the court and guilds. They had faced down the most brutal and cunning threats the realm had seen in a hundred years and laid them low, but only one of those heroes still remained. A middle aged man, worn beyond his years by the weight of his memories and the ache of the countless scars across his body. He dwelt within a small cabin high in the mountains, forsaking all but the rarest of contact with the world he'd helped to save.

So it was that the captain of the royal guard stood dumbstruck at the sight before him. He could hardly believe that this was the man who had helped kill not one but seven chromatic dragons that the cult had called upon. Had he himself not been there to see the matchless swordsman's enchanted shield shatter under the massive fist of what was once the king, he wouldn't. The now faded scar from the blast stretched across the older man's face as the simply armored hero snapped a crisp salute.

"Sir Alfred Kirkson, reporting for duty, m'lord."

The frightened young boy snapped back to the present, pushing aside the phantom that only he and the hero could see as he returned the salute.

"It is an honor to receive you, Lord Kirkson."

The older man smiled sadly and shook his head as he lowered his hand and eased his posture. "I haven't been a lord in a long time, lad. I'm just here to keep a promise I made to a good man."

The captain glanced past his aged idol towards the grand cemetery in the distance, then down to the hilt on the other man's hip. "I'm sure that Uncle would be happy to see that you're taking good care of his sword."

"He's still the best smith I ever knew. Now, I hear that you've got a few up-and-comers gearing up to hunt down this dracolich bastard. Thought they might do with a bit of a lesson on fighting dragons before they go."

The captain could see the smoldering ache for vengeance in the older man's eyes. He knew that the new adventurers were going to be bringing one more person along with them to deal with the resurrected dragon. "Of course. Right this way."