The Dragon's Soul Guardian

Chapter 1 - The Determined

Leiro sat inside the rowdy bar, lost in the wonders of thought as he absentmindedly sipped a glass of plain water. There was a saying that he'd heard of before, one that he recalled every so often in moments like these. "Some people think that they are the one: the one that wins it all, triumphs over that final victory and pushes forward to shine at the end," he mused quietly to himself, ignoring the chatter around. "And there are those that believe in a force called fate: who accept every loss, victory and encounter - attributing it to something they could not control."

He pondered, thinking about the people he knew that fell into each of those categories. There were the foolish, who chased after an impossible dream without any real plan or strategy - only to fall at the first step and dig a grave deeper than they could ever imagine.

There were the hopeless, who had given up on themselves and their abilities, content to live out a hollow life when they could be so much more. And there were the desperate, who were on a constant escape from failure; their need to flee from defeat overpowering their desire to obtain victory - only for their desperation to end up sabotaging their own success.

But there was also the determined, who knew what they wanted and worked tirelessly to accomplish it. The persistent, who refused to give up in the face of setbacks and obstacles. And the composed, who remained calm and focused despite being plunged amidst chaos and uncertainty.

"Leiro! Why don't y'a come over and join us?" Leiro's train of thought was interrupted by a boisterous voice from a nearby table.

He swivelled his head, catching a glimpse of a group of young men, clad in linen tunics, revelling in the warm atmosphere.

Leiro, who had blond hair and green eyes, shook his head with a slightly embarrassed smile. He watched as his friends relished their drinks and laughed without a single care in the world. A twinge of regret washed over him, flushing Leiro's cheeks with a faint red.

"You guys... I still have some work to finish at home."

One of them, a tall guy with brown hair, pointed his finger at him in jest, not willing to let Leiro off the hook so easily.

"Give up the act. You're doing this so you won't embarrass yourself with May!" He playfully accused Leiro.

From all the years that Leiro had known them, he knew better than to fall prey to their jokes that could turn into devastating rumours at most.

He put on a straight face and spoke. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure sure." His friend replied with a knowing grin.  "Anyways, if you want to be left alone then so be it. There's always a next time."

A deep sigh of relief let out easily from his mouth as Leiro's friends finally relented and turned their attention elsewhere. He sank back into his wooden chair, closing his eyes to escape from the fatigue that plagued both body and soul after a long day of labour at the farm.

Despite the noise, the bar was the perfect type of atmosphere where Leiro could easily wander into his mind. In fact, the constant presence was comforting to him. It was just that he didn't have the energy to laugh and mess around with his friends right now.

It wasn't long before he was once again disturbed. However, this time it wasn't from a loud sound or sudden noise. No, it was from deafening silence like a wave of death had washed over everyone.

In walked a group of warriors, each one wearing leather armour and combat gear adorned with simple designs with each carrying a sword or dagger at the hip. The traveller's faces were etched with lines that revealed battle-weariness and experience, their eyes scanning the lit room before landing on the barkeeper.