[ TT ] The journey never ends . The same hero is constantly caught in the cycle of leaving for an adventure , having their adventure , settling down , and being forced to leave again .

The word spread like wildfire. `` Hrunthgar has returned!'' Children skipped on the dirt streets, chanting `` Hrunthgar saw the Dragon's Head! Punched it once and now it's dead.'' The innkeepers readied their best ales. The beekeepers readied their best honey. The whore keepers readied their best whores. The bonfires were lit, the benches dragged to the streets, and the fiddlers were summoned from their sleep. 
 
 Amidst all of this Hruthgar did return. He was a man and a half, face chiseled from stone. On his back was an axe of improbable size. In each hand was a sack that clinked with the sound that comes only from coins of the purest gold. 
 
 The first voice rang out over the din “ It is him! ” And then silence, only broken by the echoes of the words and the sweet golden clink. The crowd stepped back, opening a path to the bonfire. In front of Hrunthgar was a woman of surpassing beauty, skin fair in a brown land. Juliet, the greatest trophy he had ever taken. Flanking her were four boys, each a marvel of childhood. 
 
 Hrunthgar walked forward, until his vision was filled with this woman, backlit by the fire, a goddess from parts barely remembered. And then he broke the silence. 
 
 “ Too long I have been away. I have drank the piss wine of foreign lands. I killed trolls, goblins, and gods. And now I have returned home. To the land which birthed me. ” 
 
 He threw one of the bags over his shoulder, as if it weighed nothing at all. It hit the ground behind him and the air filled with expectation. 
 
 “ This is for you. All of you. Bring me the Fire Wine of our people. Bring me a cow on a spit. Let me see my boys. ” 
 
 He reached out one giant arm and pulled in his wife, leaned to her ear, and whispered in a voice that carried across the town square. “ And tonight I will remind you what is to be a hero ’ s woman. ” 
 
 The town cheered. Tankards went up. Tankards went down. And the town celebrated until dawn. 
 
 It was some time after dawn that Hrunthgar felt the sunlight try to burn its way into his brain. The Fire Wine had left his head feeling not unlike a camel ’ s ass, and the taste it left in his mouth seemed to match. He resolved to spend the rest of the day in his feather bed when he felt movement. He turned over, and felt his blood run cold. He jumped out of bed and scrambled for his axe. 
 
 “ Foul Beast! ” He yelled. “ What have you done with my fair girl Juliet! ” 
 
 The pile of matted hair on the bed shifted, then blinked. From there it was a short walk to irritated. 
 “ Put the axe down, you ass. No one looks good in the morning. And I ’ m not a girl anymore. I've carried 4 of your spawn.'' She sniffed and ran her hand along her stomach. `` And all your babies are giants. Hell. I have n't even washed yet.'' 
 
 She stood up and grumbled something about a comb, then headed out to the well. 
 
 Hrunthgar carefully laid down his axe and tied on his loin cloth. “ Truly, she bears the visage of a demon. ” He whispered, quiet as he could. 
 
 There was a rumble, one that started deep, then rose to fill his ears. He braced himself against the wall, waiting for the elephants.The door of the room burst open, and the four boys charged in. Hrunthgar, whose reflexes let him catch an arrow out of the air, did not properly align his hips in time, resulting in an unfortunate headbutt from the youngest as the boy ran to embrace him. As he sank to the ground, pain welling from his center, Hrunthgar forced a smile. 
 
 “ Boys. ” He said, his voice unnaturally high, “ How I ’ ve missed you. ” 
 
 Breakfast brought with it no relief. Hrunthgar ’ s lady had declined to perform her breakfast duties after the morning discussion, so he was forced to eat cold marrow from the remnants of last night ’ s cow. 
 
 The boys fought. Constantly. With each other, shifting alliances and backstabbing more than a dozen bearded viziers. But now, with Hrunthgar here, they all came and tried to enlist him in their battles, with voices whiny and wheedling. The day dragged, and then was gone. 
 
 When dinner finished be brought his new bag of gold to the family chest. When he opened it red filled his eyes, and he shouted. “ Juliet! To me. ” 
 
 Juliet arrived, after what seemed to his mind far too long a time to walk such a piddling distance. “ What is it? ” She said. 
 
 “ When I left you this chest was filed to the brim with gold. It was a king's ransom ” he said. 
 
 She sighed. “ You exaggerate. ” 
 
 “ I do not. It literally ransomed a king. ” 
 
 “ Children are expensive Hrunthgar. Every single one of them eats like his father. And do you know how much we spend on hero training? A gold piece every week! The carpenter only wants a copper piece! How many efreets are even out there to kill? The world needs more benches. We aren ’ t running out of asses any time soon. ” 
 
 Hrunthgar, famed for his bravery, choose this time to embrace discretion. He poured the bag of coins until it filled the top of the chest, then carefully closed it. Besides, Juliet had worked woman ’ s magic and was beautiful again. 
 
 He reached for her and pulled her close. He felt her hand on his chest. Then he felt her hand push him away. Juliet ’ s eyes flashed fire. 
 
 `` Tonight you will watch these children. You will not complain. I have spent a brace of fortnights feeding and caring for the whelps. Tonight I go with my women and we will drink like we drank before we were so afflicted.'' 
 
 Hrunthgar sat back, where a bench might be had his children been carpenters. Instead his bottom met hard ground, and his tailbone felt bruised. 
 
 After his woman had gone away, and the four demons had been put to bed, Hrunthgar sat in front of his home, by the still warm embers of a homecoming bonfire. He held a tankard of piss wine from foreign lands, and stared into the glowing red heart of the fire.After a time he heard the light steps of a thief. 
 
 “ Caius. ” He said. 
 
 “ The very same. ” said Caius. “ How is your woman? ” 
 
 “ Her lips burn me like a fire. Her hips tempt me to sin. ” 
 
 “ Excellent. Excellent. And the boys? ” 
 
 “ They are strong! And they fight like grown men. They will be great warriors. ” 
 
 “ Truly there is no greater blessing than to return to the arms of those you love. To hear the laughter of your children. To feel the familiar touch of your wife. ” 
 
 “ Yes. ” said Hrunthgar, his eyes never leaving the red glow. 
 
 Caius sat down next to Hrunthgar, nimble as a cat. 
 
 “ But… ” he said. “ I have heard of a Dragon up north.'' 
 
 Hrunthgar scrambled to his feet. “ I'll get my axe. ”
