Heroes and Dragons

8

Unwittingly, Gigi and I had become friends.

Watching its battles with heroes now felt different than when I was just a bystander.

Previously, I was all for the heroes, eager to see those with the hero's aura triumph over the dragon, their victories glorified, making my reports more lucrative for the gossip papers.

That's what the town's onlookers loved to hear.

They didn't care if the dragon in the lair was just a harmless, clumsy creature.

Only I knew that battling heroes was merely Gigi's job. It wasn't fond of violence; it was simply fated to face heroes' wrath from birth, which seemed rather unfortunate. Without the villainous equivalent of a hero's aura, even an average hero could leave Gigi battered and bruised, a sight so pitiful I could hardly bear to watch.

Once, a particularly formidable hero, adorned with a super hero's aura, gave Gigi a thorough beating, even demolishing half of the lair's grand hall. I hid at the entrance, not daring to breathe until the hero had completely vanished down the mountain, before I went in to find Gigi.

Poor Gigi was lying amidst rubble, with broken claws, torn skin, and missing scales, whimpering in pain. It took a great effort to carry it back to its room in the depths of the lair.

As I applied ointment to its wounds, watching it shiver in pain, tears swirling in its eyes, looking utterly miserable, I couldn't help but advise, "Why not quit this job? Just focus on saving for retirement. How much more do you need to fill your treasure chest?"

Gigi's tears, previously held back, suddenly streamed down its face, leaving me at a loss.

Following Gigi's direction to the small treasure chest in the corner, I saw it was open, with far fewer gold coins than before, just a sad little pile remaining.

"My... my Fire Dragon Token..." Gigi sobbed, struggling for breath, "...it was stolen..."

The Fire Dragon Token was Gigi's favorite coin.

I remembered, every time a hero with a hero's aura came along, they'd not only beat Gigi but also take a bunch of gold coins when they left.

I used to envy them for winning both fame and fortune.

Now, it only felt ironic.