Speaking from experience

The boys looked at Alex with nothing short of admiration once they saw him. They were tired, and they were high on adrenaline and euphoria. "You two did well today." Alex greeted them, "You lived and that's always important."

"That was amazing," Alexander's voice was bordering on jittery, "You wrestled a chimera by yourself."

"Where did you learn that?" Edward chimed in.

"I told you once before how a Dragoon saved me from a Dragon. The Dragoon lance has a large bladed hook on it that they use to grapple a dragon so they can fight it in the sky. The first time a dragon lands the Dragoons seize the opportunity to mount the dragon before it takes to the skies, once in the sky they use the spikes that rim their tower shields to beat the dragon until it can't fly anymore and then they finish off on the ground."

"Oh. I never would have thought of that."

"Nether did I. That's why I almost died fighting a dragon."

"So what happens next?" Alexander was much too excited from the results of his first combat experience. But Alex took a gentle approach.

"These people are badly shaken. A hero would take the time to walk them back to Grumen'Kal to ensure their safe return."

Alexander looked confused, but Edward caught on, "You're not coming with us?"

"I'm just a mercenary. They lost a lot of wealth and it would be calloused of me to offer services they have to pay for when there's a pair of up-and-coming heroes who will do it from the goodness of their heart."

"That's just semantics." the young Alexander objected.

"It's more than that. This is also the perfect opportunity for you two. Grumen'Kal is not your final destination. The Merchants here can help you connect with a reliable caravan heading to Tutmanu 'Taliku."

"And what will you do?"

"My destination is different. Where I'm going you cannot follow, but we might meet again."

"It won't be the same without you."

"It never is, but that's what makes it an adventure. Your journey started when you left home, but your heroic story starts here. You'll make friends and enemies, meet people fantastic and boring, you'll meet new teachers and have opportunity to teach as well. Are you ready to make all those people you have yet to meet proud to have met you?"

The young men looked at each other before nodding resolutely.

"Good. If you make it to Tut'Tal you'll need to head for the temple of the north heavens. The monks there are responsible for the annuls of the city. You'll probably need to do them favors to access the archives, but if you're looking for information on Alexander Lionheart they'll be the people with that information." Alex clapped both of them on the shoulders and walked off.

"Wait," the young Alexander called after him, "We've only called you 'Merc' and 'sir', can we at least know your name?"

Alex paused and grinned over his sholder, "It's a pretty common name you know. I'm Alexander, like the hero...like you. But my friends just call me Alex."

A waving salute, "Safe travels Alex!" they called out to him.

It was almost poetic, maybe more ironic, that the failed yet worshiped hero named Alexander would be the one to put a new hero named Alexander onto his own path of potential glory. It wasn't much, in reality, but it was enough to make Alex smile as he firmly placed on foot before the other.