The world, the world surrounding us, it looks real, but it feels so made up.
Novia, a small village within the Gorgon empire. Known for its poverty and poor living conditions, dirty water, wretched agriculture, and filthy streets complete with junkies and addicts who've sold their lives away for another hit. It once was held as a topic at the Royal Council held every year by the empire's officials as to whether or not the town Novia should be demolished. However they deemed that as inhumane and would not make them any better than the "demons" who ravaged the empires around the world.
Year 1024 of the Gorgon calendar, a boy was born in the village of Novia. Born to a sickly mother who was mistreated badly by the world and it's people, forced to live in a poverty stricken place, she had given birth to a boy with a starry-like look in his eyes.
"What a beautiful boy you are, truly…"
"I will name you… Yu."
The young mother had a hard time taking care of a child. She never grew up without the proper necessities to make a child live happily and grow comfortably. All she knew were days of steaming sunlight and starving cold nights.
But she tried ever so hard to give he young boy the most she could, sacrificing her little savings and buying him toys in order to keep him happy.
Feeding him some of her own portions of food, and letting her son live the way she wish she could've lived.
10 years pass by swiftly and the boy who was once so very small grew up to be taller than most kids his age, he was around 5'2 while most kids were much shorter at 4'5 to 4'4.
"Hey mom! I played with all the kids at the centre today!" Yu exclaimed.
"My, my! It's seems my little man is becoming quite the hit nowadays, maybe you'll become a celebrity and live in the capital!"
"You really think so mom?"
"Of course I do my sweet little boy, hehe!"
"Little? But I'm almost as tall as you y'know!"
"Haha darling, no matter how old you grow, or how tall you get, i'll always think of you as the little boy I raised since he was a newborn, never will that idea change my dear."
"Hmph! Well just know, I'm growing very tall! I might become the tallest in this village."
"I'm sure you will honey."
"Hah! Just wait and see!"
The swift, young Yu, runs out of the tiny shack he knows as home out into the centre of the town.
"Hey guys! My mom says I'm surely going to be the tallest person in this wholeeeeeeeee entire town!"
"What? You two both must be out of your minds if you think you'd be the tallest." Raphi said.
Raphi is a young 9 year old boy, only a few months younger than Yu. He grew up a little more comfortably living with his family, nonetheless still stuck in poverty.
"I'm telling you! I really will!"
"Sure sure, whatever you say! If you really wanted to be the tallest person in the town, you'd have to be taller than that old fart, Troadl, or wait till he croaks."
Whuddas he mean by croak?
"Croaks? But he's no frog Raphi! He's a human!"
"No, no, croaks means to die, but did you just call that thing a human?! He's more like a monster with his height!"
Troadl is an elderly man, however born with a condition he constantly grows, luckily this hasn't affected his lifespan, though it does cause him excessive pain.
"Well I'll surely become taller than him!"
Sigh "It seems like nothing will ever get through to your dense skull, anyways have you heard those thumps coming from the forests at night?"
"Huh? What do you mean? I've never heard of them, nothing at all like that."
"Seriously? They're so loud and the entire village has been in a spur talking about it!" Raphi moves closer to Yu, "You wanna hear something cool though?"
Cool?
"Cool! Yeah I do! Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me-"
"Alright alright, just hold on a second and act normal when I tell you this stuff right now."
"Yes, sir!"
"How about we become the village's heroes and detectives by finding out the source of the sounds!"
The young Yu felt confused as to why someone as brtight as Raphi would suggest something so odd.
"But- what if it's dangerous!"
"Pshh, do you really think someone could do any harm to 2 kids who are armed with steel?"
"But… if I get hurt, mom's gonna get sad." Yu looked saddened and distraught, but then confused, "Where on earth did you get steel from? We're not that well off."
'Well the blacksmith dude gave them out when I politely asked for some-
The reality of what happened is that Raphi begged for 2 hours straight for some steel rods until eventually the Blacksmith gave in.
and don't worry Yu! If things get too dangerous we run!"
Do I trust him… or do I back away from his invite, what will happen if I go and what will happenn if to Raphi if I don't go with him?
Yu was in deep thought for a little while, when he came to the conclusion it would be better for him to venture with his friend into the forest.
"Alright, I'll go, but only if you promise nothing bad will happen to us!"
"Deal!"
"I said promise, this isn't a buisness proposal you weirdo."
"Oh- uhm, promise… then."