What is a warrior? Arrogance? Empathy? Selflessness?.. No. Gladiators with their towering spears, gazing upon their villages surrounded by the vibrant and open lands. Just as a samurai sheathes their katana, or a monk peacefully meditating… What do they all have in common?
Warriors are individuals with an unwavering sense of self.
During your wander, you feel as if you’re being watched. Something seems.. off, yet you can’t put your finger on it. You lead yourself out of town into a more rural area. A crimson spear strikes the stone boulder next to you, with a blaze of fire that fills your sight. You hear a prideful chuckle from behind. A woman, under the flag of the spear, looking over at you.
“Haha! Never thought I’d find a curious soul here…” she says, raising her spear above her shoulders, giving you a grin. Her rose tinted hair, like the fury of a flame, her curvy figure, covered by her warrior-like attire, you can’t help but glance a few times.
You take a breath after the unexpected, “Neither did I plan to find someone anytime soon.” Was she following you this whole time? Or was it timing that brought you two together at this very point?
She crosses her arms, “Yet here we are, fate works in amusing ways doesn’t it.” You nod in agreement. She walks right up to you, and asks for your name. Her body in very close proximity to you.
“Rover, you can call me Rover, and you are the... fiery lady of sorts?” She chuckles at your response.
“Quite witty indeed.. I’m Lupa, a fire resonating gladiator.. Pleased to meet you, Rover,” She lets out a soft smile, a small curl to her lips. “You don’t.. seem to be from around here. What brings you all the way out here? Or are you lost on a journey of your own?” She tilts her head in curiosity.
“I’m a wanderer, at least that's the most fitting thing to call me.” She raises a brow, intrigued by your words. “A wanderer, huh? That sounds quite adventurous. So you’re not attached to any particular place? Are you traveling alone?” She asks, realizing she just asked you quite a bunch at once.
You sit down on a nearby set of rocks, letting out a sigh as you feel the release of pressure in your lower back. “Ahh.. well I’m usually alone, unless I’m doing a task or a quest of some sorts.”
She joins you, sitting down on a rock next to you, her cape blowing gently in the breeze. “Ah, I see. That explains things. Travelling alone can be quite liberating though? No? You get to set your own pace and go wherever your heart desires.” She glances at you, her cheek resting on the palm of her hand.
You sigh, “Yeah, that's definitely something that comes with being alone, I am my own.”
She lets out a little giggle, “I respect that, independence is a powerful thing.. So tell me, what kind of places have you been to on your travels?” She leans forward, coming slightly closer to you, eager to hear about your adventures.
You huff out a soft smile, as you explain a summary to Lupa. You’ve been to a bunch of major cities around, met higher ups, been offered places to stay within those cities. You’ve worked alongside some pretty strong people, for various things. All things that seemed to grab Lupa's attention. Her eyes are wide with curiosity, and slight jealousy for the possibilities and astonishment.
“Really?” she says, “You really managed to unfreeze an entire island? That sounds like quite the experience.” She pauses, letting out a little smile. “I bet they were all trying to get you to settle down, they definitely wanted to keep you for themselves huh? But you’re too much of a free spirit for that?”
You nod in agreement, “You're getting it, but if I really wanted to settle down, I would. But it’d just be a break.” She lets out a laugh. “I like your attitude, it fits your free spirited nature.”
She leans forward, holding her face with her hands looking at the grass in front of her. “And when you do decide to settle down, it won’t be for long, just a quick break before you're off again, huh?” You nod again in response to her.
She chuckles, her green eyes with a mixture of admiration and envy of your unrestricted freedom. “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out, huh?. No ties, no commitments, just.. The open road and endless possibilities...”
She pauses, looking at you with another smirk.
“You know, I have to say. I’m slightly envious. Not of the wandering part, but the carefree attitude. You seem so.. Unafraid…”
You look back at her, a little confused of what she means. “You sound afraid, what is it that you fear?”
She looks down, rubbing her hand on her arm. “Well, most people fear change, the unknown and uncertainty. But looking at you, it seems you thrive on those very things.”
She looks back up at you, her gaze envious of your fearless nature. “You say you’ve been to major cities, met some important people, had opportunities to settle down, but… you choose not to. Why is that, if I may ask?”
You let out a soft sigh, looking up into the clouds in the sky. “I don’t know, I just feel like there’s more out there. Being free, the feeling of freedom is one of the best things you can have. You're not… chained down or kept by something.”
Lupa nods in agreement and smiles, appreciating your honesty. “You have a curious mind, always seeking more, always wanting to know what else is out there. I must agree with you, freedom is like a breath of fresh air, a feeling of its own.”
She looks up at the sky longingly, “That’s quite admirable, you know… not letting anyone or anything tie you down, being able to do whatever you please, go wherever you want…”
You look back at her, seeing her continuing to hold her arm with her hand. “Enough about me, what about you?”
Lupa sighs softly, her shoulders sagging a bit. “Me? Well, I’m quite the opposite of you if I’m being honest.”
She shrugged, but you patiently waited for her to continue. She took a deep breath, “My entire life, I’ve always been bound by something or the other. I don’t remember the last time I had the chance to be a wandering soul like you. Everything in my life has every one of its steps already planned from the moment I was born. My family, society, everyone… They expect me to take on specific duties, certain roles, and play a part in their story.”
She pauses, a small frown on her face and a slight tremble in her voice. “I’ve been raised to be the perfect daughter, the perfect warrior, the perfect princess… It was never my life to truly live, it was always laid out by others…”
You take note of her gloomy attitude, you say trying to raise her mood, “Oh, I see, princess huh?” She nods, a bit of bitterness coming into her voice. “Yes, ‘princess’, I use it so lightly but I really mean what is expected of me. The role that was chosen for me, not one I chose for myself.”
You turn to lupa, giving her your full attention.
“I see where you're coming from here, you don’t see much freedom.” You take a moment to find the right words, not wanting to bring her mood down further. “You know what I think though? In some way you're free, you're here with me, aren’t you?”
A small smile appears at the corner of her lips. “I suppose you’re right. At this moment, sitting here with you. It’s refreshing, being able to talk to somebody about all of this, even if it's just for a little while.”
“Lupa, I think you need to take a break. Try taking it a little easier, would you?”
She leans back, letting out a long sigh. “I’m still carrying the weight of them on my shoulders… But talking to you… I can just.. Be myself, without worrying about what others expect or want from me.”
You scoot over, putting a hand on Lupa’s shoulder. She jumped slightly at the touch but went along with it nonetheless.
“If I were you, I’d try not to think about being what others expect so often, you're not always being watched.” She looks at the arm on her shoulder, not expecting you to do that at all.
“You make it sound so simple.. ‘Don’t think about it’” she took a breath, but continued “I wish it were that easy. When you’ve been living like this your entire life, it becomes one with you, a part of your very being.” She pauses, a hint of burnout in her voice.
“It’s like a constant background noise, always there, always with you, reminding you of what you’re supposed to do, supposed to be. It’s so hard.. To ignore.” The burnout still present.
“We all got to find something to take our minds off of things… You said I’m a good distraction right? That’s something!” You say with a smile on your face.
She returns a smile back, her expression softening. “You are a good distraction.. I feel I can just be.. Myself a bit more. But maybe your right, I should focus more on moments like this.”
“Exactly, plus you never know unless you try lupa.” She giggles at your words, reviving some of the determination in her eyes.
“I’ve been so focused on those other things, maybe it really is time I try to not let the expectations of others consume me completely.” She straightens up, her voice sounding more determined now. “I’ll make time for distractions, for moments like this!”
Seeing Lupa’s mood brighten makes you feel better about coming all the way out here. “That’s more like it, sounds like a good plan to me.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” She smiles, her spirit lifted by your encouragement.. but she pauses.
You notice a slight change in her expression. “What’s the matter?” You say, confused why her mood has changed again.
“It’s just. I think I’ve really just forgotten what it feels like to just.. Be myself.” She pauses, saying nothing more.
You let out a sigh, “You’re still so, focused on what others expect of you. But behind all that, you got to realize there's more to you than just this, warrior stuff.
A look of vulnerability shows on her face, her voice growing softer. “We’re going in a circle now I know, we already went over this..”
You slowly move my hand on top of your head, moving it side to side, your hair soft to my touch. “It’s hard, but you gotta find some time to just relax.
She leans into the touch of your hand, a little noise escaping from her mouth. “Mm.. it’s easier said than done, I don’t get that much time to just.. breathe..”
“Your breathing now.. aren’t you?” A giggle coming from her. “I suppose I am, for now at least..”
Her expression shifts, a more serious tone creeping into her voice. “This.. feeling of freedom is almost like an illusion, something temporary.. It’s almost like a cycle that I can never escape from.”
You keep rubbing her head. “Your not used to it, you need to learn balance.. It takes time. Truth hurts, but the cycle isn’t going to end. The world is still gonna go on whether you want it to or not., but what matters is how you deal with it. Don’t run.. Lupa, learn to be you around it all.”
She takes in your words, sitting there quietly, allowing your hand on her head. “I understand what you’re saying… and you’re right..”
“Just take your time, there's no rush with these things. Your lupa, that's what matters..”
She nods, a soft expression on her face from the gentle repetition of your hand on her head, very.. soothing. “I am Lupa..beneath all the titles and labels, that's who I am.”
She takes a deep breath, her tone filled with new found acceptance. “Thank you.. Again for reminding me, I’ll try harder.”
“Good.” You remove your hand from her head. “Don’t worry about it, just glad I could help.”
Slight disappointment crosses her face as you remove your hand for her head, a touch that brought her a sense of peace and comfort. She quickly suppresses it and straightens up. “You did help..” She pauses for a moment, contemplating something. “It’s getting late.. I should be heading back soon.”
You realize she’s right, unfortunately today’s interaction is coming to an end. “Yeah? Guess it is getting late, slipped my mind.”
She stands up, stretching her limbs after being seated for a while. A sense of hesitation tugs at her expression, the thought of her expectations and responsibilities returning weighing heavily on her shoulders. But there’s also a hint of determination in her eyes, a look on her face to make time for herself.
“I suppose this is where we part ways..” She turns to you, her eyes searching yours for a moment.
“Well, whenever we meet again, we’ll continue our talk.” An almost hopeful smile tugs at the corners of her lips. The thought of seeing you again ignites a small spark within her. Perhaps anticipation, or simply the desire to talk to somebody who understands her again.
“I hope we do…” She takes a step back, her gaze still fixed on you. “Until then.. Take care of yourself.” She leaves off with that, walking away into the distance, back towards the light of the town ahead.
“Well, there she goes.” You say, thinking about the interaction you had with her.
— A part of her wishes she could stay and keep talking with you, to hold onto that sense of acceptance just a little longer. But reality calls, the weight of her responsibilities reminding her that she can’t linger here forever. She takes one last glance behind her, the sight of you watching her go, both reassuring and slightly, bittersweet. As she continues her journey back, the memory of your interaction and your words echo in her mind, those she won’t forget.
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