A boy with blue hair that bleed into black at his tips and green eyes nested under a tree in a forest for off. Sleeping peacefully as the wind pass him by and the sun flew across the sky. His fair skin glowing in the baking sun. A small axe to his chest, rising and lowering as he breathed, wearing the clothes of a peasant but having the face of an angel, he seemed truly peaceful.
'Oi! Wake up we have work to do!' A man shouted at the poor lad, hitting on the head with all his might.
The boy fell forward, his eyes buldging out of his socket from the sudden impact. His face planted into the ground, grass tickling his nose as he caught his barings.
'What was that for?!' He roared at the man that stand before him, rubbing his hair to ease the pain. His eyes closing shut as he comforted himself.
'We're far from done, boy! Get back to chopping!' The man shouted, his body comparable to that of a giant at least to the boy standards, in reality he's no more than 5'9, his reptile like face and huge gray scaly body covered in the clothes of a woodsman, his arms broad and muscular, one holding onto the axe firmly planted over his shoulder, his brown eyes stared at the boy who stood at his feet.
'Ok, ok fine! You don't have to pester me you old f-' The boy's ignorant defiance was cut short by another blow to the head, the man's veins bulging with irritation.
Soon he lets out a sigh, his hand gripped his axe harder as he waiting impatiently for the boy to stand, dusting off his hair roughly before shoving the axe into his arms.
'Get back to it.' he said, his voice soft but stern as he walked off.
The boy watched him with furrowed eyebrows, over his angry blue eyes. Soon staring off into the opening up ahead, the view just outside the forest, to see a city surrounded by calm evermoving water.
Mountain patches surrounded the land, providing somewhat of a border that most ships couldn't navigate against.
The boy's blue hair flowed in the wind as he stared in a mindless daze at the people carrying on about their lives, fishing on their boats outside the village.
'Hey!' The man shouted from the distance, the boy's body jolting with the sudden noise.
'I'm coming!' He shouted back, grabbing his axe and running straight into the forest behind him.
hours past and the sun hid behind the hills and the mountain tops. The boy and man walked onto the docks, their logs in tow, it's floorboards creaking under the weight but they managed to make it by.
Elven Children stayed clear from the duo, still playing their game around them as they walked. It's wooden floorboards soon mending to gravel, a detailed design spread along it's path.
Mountains carved into borders, at the gates of the town, seasoned warriors of many races, manning their stations, making sure no one suspicious gets in.
'Welcome back, Kekao.' One of the guards spoke to the man, checking the logs they had walked all this way with.
'Ok, you're clear move along.' The guard waved his hand for the next person to come by, Kekao and the boy continuing into the village. It's stone buildings mixed with wood, materials that gave a feeling closer to nature than one might think, those buildings turned into stalls the deeper they ventured, children stuck close to their parents throughout the marketplace, the feeling of life fresh in the air, fruits and vegetables, goods of every kind from pastries to cakes. It all filled the air with a harmonious sent. Making the fullest of men hungry.
'Is that everything?' A Elven man asked, a shirt wrapped around his head, his torso exposed to the elements. His black hair barely peaking out of the shirt yet his blue eyes were all too clear.
'Yeah, that's everything.' Kekao reassured, his voice a tired huff from carrying all those logs all the way here.
The little boy looked around as they talked, many people were already hard at work, carrying the logs they had brought all the way here.
'Hey, what are you building here anyways?' The boy pondered, looking at the base of the contraption. It seemed small so it couldn't be a house, could it?
'We're building the statue to our hero of course! One of the four forgotten ones.' The man smiled, looking at the progress they had made.
'The four forgotten ones?' the boy questioned, even more confused than before.
'Yeah, they died to help us during the calamity, so many years ago.' He looked up in fondness remembering the events.
'Others? There were more than Gerard who fought for us?!' The boy's eyes lit up with excitement and curiousity, looking at the man as he explained.
'Well, the one we're currently making is known as Lujing Ziyou, the wizard of the group of adventurers, it's said that he was the greatest wizard there is and he was a human.'
'Oh, like me?' The boy whispered under his breath, rubbing his rounded ears ever so slightly with his hand.
The man grinned and looked at the boy, petting his hair roughly, his head moving in the palm of his hand.
'Yeah, kinda like you, kid, hahaha.' He lets out a roar of laughter, looking back to the unfinished structure. His eyes filled with pride. 'Along with us, other villages and cities are now making a statue that represents one of these amazing heroes. Immortalizing them for years to come.'
'So why did you choose him?' the boy asked, his eyebrows raised in curiosity.
The man did nothing but laugh, his hand on his hips, clearly amused by the kid's question.
'I didn't choose him, the village did. It's because he was born here before the Prosperian law. Our pride and joy. our savior, a million times over.'
The boy looked back at the statue with a new view, it's imperfect structure fading over time, a replacement that's completed yet covered in moss taking it's place after many years.
Rain poured into it's eroded cracks, a human man holding his mighty staff to the sun, for the world to see. On the bottom engraved to immortalize his words.
'Sometimes, we find ourselves feeling a bit hesitant, questioning our own courage. It's natural to wonder if we could be braver. Yet, true courage isn't about the absence of fear; it's about acknowledging that fear and choosing to press forward anyway. In those moments when doubt creeps in, remember this: courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. Embrace your fears, for within them lies the gateway to your most courageous self.'
The boy, now in his teens, stared up at the statue, his axe in hand as the rain beat down on his bruised body, running down his blue strands, his blue hellsing leather coat soaked but the black fabric that it looms over remained dry. He lets out a shaky sigh, his eyebrows furrowing with a bitter sweet smile.
Thunder roaring alongside the rain, terrorizing what's left of the broken village, buildings burnt to ash, the granite roads turned up by the harsh winds as they roared. The wind taking his hair wildly in multiple directions, his strands lashing against his face but he didn't mind. HIs eyes set on the statue as it stood tall braving the same elements as him.
'Hi Lujing.' He murmured, his voice trembling as he tried to keep his weak smile, looking up at the statue that stood so proud above him.
'How are things?'