Flickers

hollow

A wounded villain is found by a village and taken in.
Being catatonic to a whole other level, it's not that he's "not all there"
He's NOT AT ALL there.
The people think of him as if he's sleepwalking, the tavern keepers care for him, and village children find him funny and oddly endearing. During nights, when there are bonfires and dancing, they make flower crowns and wreaths and lay them over him.

The tavern keepers daughter hopes that he might be found by family or friends looking for him, but none have claimed him yet. She bathes and bandages him, sitting with him for safety and company.

When passing through on his way to town, a friend of the Hero is startled to see the villain, and even more so to see him calm and surrounded by children.
"Have you any idea who he is?!" He cries, pulling the kids away.

"Course not," says a man, watching close by, "hasn't spoken a word since he got here. Washed up on the riverbank battered mighty awful, might have cracked his head. Maya says he might be mad, but he seems the harmless kind to me, hollow in the head, you know?"
"Hollow?" He says, inching cautiously close to the villain and kneeling in front of him.
"Like he ain't there. The lanterns are lit, but the tower is empty. We brought a healer, but it seems he just isn't right anymore. Maybe he saw something wicked or fell a bad way... We've been hoping he had folks looking for him. You seem to know Him, given the unease, he an acquaintance of yours?"

"Ah..." The hero starts, Images of wanted posters flashing through his mind.
"Uh, he and I have...met. he has a bit of a history... we don't really get along."
The hero trails off looking at the kids, whose eyes flit from the hero to the villain leaning motionless against the tree. One of the girls stands beside him.
"Is he a bad man?" She asks, hints of fear and sadness in her eyes.
"Ah, well not... I dont-"
"But He hasn't done anything."
"He's... He has a complicated past -"
"Are you going to take him away?"
"No. I mean, maybe, I don't know... The things he did, he did because he thought they would save people, but a lot got hurt instead.
I don't know if he could even stand trial now.
Even if he did, a prison sentence wouldn't..."

Dozens of young eyes stare.
Some of the children cling to the villain tightly, unwilling to let him leave.
The hero sighs, looking at the villains' glassy eyes, completely empty of emotion or thought.
No rage.
No vengeance.
No hatred.
Windows to an empty tower,
The watchman is no longer there.
"I'll speak to his majesty. We can sort something out. Until then, can you keep an eye on him for me? Make sure he stays put and stays safe?"
Several heads nod, and a tiny pair of hands plops a wreath of ivy around the villains head.

It isn't the crown of gold you wanted, but it suits you better.

The hero stands and walks towards the gentleman, who now anxiously watches the kids.
"Keep an eye on him while I get some help, I'll be back soon.
Thank you for taking care of him."

Walking back towards the main road, the cogs of the heros mind began turning in thought.

Memories of the battle before, words spoken when the villain was last seen.
The image of him falling over the edge.
What am I supposed to tell them
How the hell am I supposed to explain this.
Ages of history have told countless tales of escaping a dragon to save a princess,
But how in the world does one escape a princess and save a dragon?