Generosity

by Brett McArdle

illustrations by Daniel Gelon

Bosley peeked from behind the boulder and saw the crimson smoke. He smelled the residue of the great beast's flaming breath; it was only twenty feet away. It could easily have killed him by now. It had to be toying with him.

Bosley cursed himself for having taken a job as a courier. Sure, money was tight, but there were plenty of other reputable, less dangerous ways to earn a living. He'd had no idea there was a dragon nearby. He'd never taken this route before. And why didn't his employer pay a small group to carry and protect the item instead of one man? It was ridiculous. He knew his sword was of little use. Basic knowledge of tactics ex-plained that much; charging a dragon and swinging a blade consumed more time than a simple exhalation of fire. Having a paunchy midsection and nothing in the way of bravery didn't help either. No options re-mained. Anticipation of death is usually worse than the thing itself, Bosley mused. He hoped his pursuer had a merciful side.

After a deep breath, the forty-year-old sometime-warrior stepped away from the boulder, into the dragon's view. "Let's put a stop to this," he said, holding his weapon listlessly. "If you're going to kill me, just do it. Quickly, please." The dragon raised an eyebrow-or rather a large fold of skin above its eye. "You choose not to resist?" Its voice was surprisingly human. In fact, it sounded like Bosley's next-door neighbor back home.

"There is no reason to. I'm middle-aged, certainly not in condition to defend myself against you. And I'm not wearing armor, so my death should be relatively painless."

The dragon sat on its hind legs and crossed its miniscule arms. "Have you given this much thought?"

"Enough. I look at it this way-if I were to run, you'd follow, play around with me a bit, make me fear for my life, force me to fight, then kill me with your breath. Correct me if I'm wrong."

The dragon nodded. "You know the routine well. You must have some experience."

"I've never fought a dragon. I was merely putting myself in your shoes."