"Sir, who's that?", a child asked. He seemed to be just at the point of learning to speak and came from a typical household. The boy pointed towards a ginormous stone statue of a man triumphantly hoisting a sword into the air. Obsidian, which the statue was made out of, cast a clean reflection of the sunrise onto the nearby fields. It was clear that this piece of art was created by masters at their profession. It reached a height of a building with details smaller than ants. As the child walked around it he noticed that the man had eleven daggers piercing his back and a huge tattoo of a dragon going through every wound the daggers made.
The person who answered was sitting on a stone bench. He had reached an age where people would call it a wonder he was still hanging onto his breaths. Below his pointy nose, a white beard and a friendly smile faced towards the child.
"That, that is Leo Stormreaper. He is the one who brought peace to our lands by finishing the unending war that took place in ancient times. Without him, we would probably not even be alive right now. Sir Leo destroyed the enemies and corrupted forces like no other. Legend says that he was killed by his own allies but, to be honest, I do not believe that is true. It's a misfortune that we lost almost every part of his story over time so I have no evidence to prove my opinion. I would die in piece if I knew his story. There's only one thing remaining and that are his monuments and legends scattered across our entire world."
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The child looked up with a newfound respect and amazement. "When I grow up, I want to be like sir Leo", he said. The man chuckled heartily, but it quickly turned into a fit of coughing. "That is a great way of living young boy. Be brave and help others, maybe then will you meet him in the afterlife. A quote from him might provide some guidance on your journey towards greatness.This one he told his apprentice before he passed away. "If heaven and hell exist, I will show up proud at both gates. Past the past lays the future, in between is only a single opportunity that fades if you let it. Take it as you want but face the consequences without regret." The words left the old man's mouth with pain. The birds had stopped their melody in nearby trees as if they were respecting the great ancestor's words.
"What does it mean?", the child asked with a frown on his face. "You might get to know that later. Just remember it for now." Intelligence was visible on the young boy's face. He looked as if he was upset because he wanted to know more but accepted the man's words. He nodded in agreement and sat down. The old man kneeled down next to him with a lot of struggle as they began a short prayer to show respect.
The air was thick with heat as Leo gazed up at the scortching sun, rising mercilessly from the horizon. His mind was numb from what had happened. His entire tribe, gone, not even a single living soul remaining in this land. Holding back tears, his vision became blurry as blood seeped into his eyes. The words of their oppressors echoed cruelly in his mind: "Permanent is a lie in a corrupted world, a light without shadows is an illusion. Your tribe posed no profit for us, so we eliminated you demonic pests."