of Luck, of Legend

I still remember when my nana told those stories to me when I was a kid.

“It is said that since time immemorial..... heroes have come in two forms.... those of Luck and those of legend, of destiny and of desire, fate and fortune.”

I remember how she used to speak slowly, how she gasped for breath every few words.

“Those of legend like you my dear Luisina.... are truly lucky to be chosen..... by fate, the gods and whatever other forces are at play.... for right from birth you are destined for greatness.”

I remember how even with her shallow respire and wispy voice, how she made every utterance come to life.

“You of this destiny are loved by all.... for you will one day save us all.... but this too is a sad fate I wish you were free from.... for though powerful and loved by many.”

I remember how I waited on every syllable for the next word to paint this world into existence.

“It will be a fate without rest or comfort.... one of constant hardships and harrows.... with those that love you.... being the same as those that force this fate upon you.”

I remember how every emotion she spoke of appeared on her face.

“But still you are lucky.... so much more fortunate than those we call heroes of luck.... fate does not choose them nor so they have the goods favour.”

I remember the way great sadness could appear in her eyes as if reliving some long forgotten tragedy.

“For luck is a fickle thing.... and only those who know true sorrow can call upon it’s power.... heroes of desire have harsh lives before they gain their strength.”

I remember seeing so many untold stories, unuttered words just beneath the surface.

“For even when they have proven their worth.... and unlocked that power.... they will be looked down upon.... trodden upon for the simple crime of not being born lucky.”

I remember how her voice used to crack, how tears welled in her eyes.

“They will be used just as you will.... but they will know no love, no happiness.... just work, just hardship as those that scorn and oppress them.... hide behind them and cower in their shadow.”

I remember the longing in her face for something I had understanding of.

“Other heroes, those of legend.... will send them to die.... kings and knights.... will leave them to their fate.... others will watch as they fall.”

I remember how she became even shorter of breath as she became impassioned by something forever lost.

“After all that is their fate.... one born of luck.... a luck that has lead.... and should it abandon them.... then it is their fate to die as well.”

I remember how her passion flared and faded all that was left was the sadness and grief.

“remember that.... my dear sweet granddaughter.... remember that you are truly lucky.... remember that even the greatest of people.... can fall apart if the world is against them”

I still remember the almost pleading tone in her voice. I’ll never forget it.

I still remember those days in that sand touched city with Nephi.

“Hay Raed I’m gonna tell another story to the crowd so be ready with your knife.”

I remember those frigid nights in the giving way to sweltering days.

“WELCOME one and all I’m here to tell you a story, a story about how the seven great nations came to be.”

I remember the stories he told in the bazaar as a distraction and how captivating they were.

“First we come to the four great and holy orders those four nations who come together to fight any great threat to the world in the darkest of times.”

I remember how crowds of children came to see him tell a tale of the past.

“The four holy orders came about when the world was on the brink of destruction monsters everywhere nations were brought to ruin by that terrible blight.”

I remember how with the children came there parents and with them their purses.

“These heroes are know to use as the Swan, the Dolphin, the Horse and The elephant and each held great power and might, so much so that they are considered to be the first heroes of fate.”

I remember having to pry my eyes away from Nephi in order to do my job.

“The four of them would travel the world fighting evil in all its forms, as they did from each fallen kingdom, each battered fortress, each decimated army came men and women who would follow them in their quest.”

I remember slipping through the crowd of onlookers as if a child looking for their mother.

“So great were the heroes that eventually all the great evils of this world were slain, all the battles one and all the damsels saved. For lesser heroes their quest would be done and they would ride home but they knew that eventually new evils would rise.”

I remember slipping my hands in pockets and cutting loose bags of coin from the enraptured crowd.

“The great heroes instead headed to the four corners of the world and created four great holy orders, the knights of the sawn sworn to protect and raise the new generation of heroes of legend, the dolphins cavaliers sworn to route out evil where ever it may be, the order of the horse sworn to protect relics of the past or of great power and the elephants shields. sworn to protect the people of the world”

I remember falling into someone when they felt me tugging at them.

“The next great nation is also the youngest The empire of Astraeus, it was founded only a few centuries ago by a man know to history as the starlight prince, it is said that in contrast to the four great heroes he was a hero of luck not legend.”

I remember tearing up to dissuade suspicion after all who would ever suspect a crying child.

“It is said that he started life as a simple boy from a tribe of travelling herders and what a humble begging for such a legendary figure. He would spend his life seeing to the animals under his care happily living with his family but as is the case with life his peace would soon end.”

I remember the way the crowd begin to hold their breath in suspense my cue that he was halfway through.

“No his peace would end by a group from elephants shields a rouge group who had abandoned the mission of the order and started to raid the people not protect them and they had been quite successful but this time the attack would awaken something in the boy who lived a peaceful life.”

I remember starting to work my way out of the crowd taking things as I went.

“None are sure what happened that they but what we know is that the young hero and what remained of his tribe left their homeland and the knights did not. The boy however had seen the worst of mankind but he didn’t let that turn him dark instead he looked forward and decided to build a kingdom that wouldn’t have to fear anything this world had to throw at it”

I remember hearing some children beginning to cheer.

“So the boy built his kingdom at the point where the two contents meet fighting several nations who all had claimed the land but such was his greatness that he and his small tribe defeated every opponent. Soon his small kingdom grew attracting those from the surrounding kingdoms, both those who wish to live in his kingdom and those who wish to conquer it.”

I remember the booing of the crowd, how quickly he could make their mood change.

“Through war and diplomacy his nation grew, it grew bigger than any other and safer than any other. Despite this many hate it because it is one of the few kingdoms which don’t allow the four orders within it’s borders as even now half a millennium later the empire remembers what first forced them out of their home land.”

I remember leaving the crowd and giving Nephi the signal to wrap things up.

“Unfortunately the final two nations on our list don’t have rich lorded heroes of myth no the first is the northern most nation of the seven it’s the Estrad league, a trade league of several hundred towns city's and villages on the north of both continents that came together during a grand age of piracy and pillaging"

I remember laughing while watching him stumbling through a quick finish to his story so we could leave before people started to notice their lost items.

"Finally we have our own grand dutchy of Auldian we are the oldest and most storied of all the kingdoms of the world but we have also lost so much history to the sands of time. All we know of our founding is that we clung to the mighty Auli river to survive the harsh sand storms of our nation."

I still remember every story he told, I couldn't say how many are true but I still remember them all.