The sound of a rooster rings throughout a hall house, forcing the boy to get out of bed. He yawns and starts to get dressed. The room was quite small and empty yet it had a sense of coziness, the bed was against the wall it was messy as the boy just got out from bed, there was also a desk with a book about 'The History of the gods" which was left open upside down which was likely due to the boy wanting to save what page he was on. There was also a bookshelf in the corner of the room which had some dust covering the surface and through the window you could see the morning sun shining, a very mundane simple room.
The boy finished getting dressed, he wore simple peasant clothing, the only jewelry he owned were his knife earrings which matched his black and white hair, yet this mundaneness was quickly put to a pause as his door was quickly slammed open.
Mother: "Panda You're supposed to go to the capital to get me some cabbage and boar, you are going to miss the Sunday sale if you stay in your room for too long!"
Panda: "Yea, I can hear you there's no need to shout, mother."
Mother: "Just hurry up and go get me our groceries or we won't have any lunch today!"
Panda "Alright alright, I'll go head to the capital now"
---
Panda closes the door as he leaves his house and starts his journey to the capital of the Vern kingdom. The journey was a long one, but it usually was not dangerous, but Panda did hear rumors of unusual goblin attacks to passing merchants recently, yet he heard that those instances only occurred during the night. The road to the capital was a long one, yet it was a road he took very often. The trees were rustling; the birds were chirping, and the smell of grass brought Panda's thoughts to another place. Every day of life was a cycle, every relationship he had felt shallow, He had no dreams or aspirations, he had no strong views and most of all he had no thoughts of his own, he was truly empty, just another person that was lost. Panda's mother was going to find him a wife to marry off to and they would have children where Panda would work a mundane job for the rest of his life where he would work at until he eventually died, a life that Panda had no emotions towards, no hatred, no sadness, and no contentment just true vacancy.
Panda eventually entered the capital city and took out the grocery list his mother gave him and started haggling with the merchants, the streets were filled with people that seemed to be in their own little word, too preoccupied with their own lives to even recognize another person. The town was so packed that some pedestrians even started to get trampled under the weight of the crowd and yet the aristocrats carried on. People in clothing that cost more than Panda's personal savings crowded the streets and the buildings squeezed the atmosphere out of any amount of breathing room that was left in the capital. Panda sighed after seeing the sight of the alienating city and just grabbed his groceries and started to head back to his little mundane village, a life he had completely accepted.
The sun started to set, and the night had gone colder. Every time Panda sighed a little bit of smoke came out of his mouth which also didn't help with the fact Panda was also shivering due to the cold. Panda was also a little disappointed in the fact that this menial task took so much time out of his day. The night had grown quieter, and Panda was yet again alone with his own grim reality of his life that he so desperately tried to avoid, the 'Shallow'. A light that started to quickly become brighter by the second started to charge towards him as Three Goblins who were holding weapons started speaking in a foreign language Panda didn't know.
The Goblins were around half his size, yet they did not look weak at all, maybe even stronger than he was. Their green skin caused them to camouflage with the surroundings which were mostly green, their eyes as red as their bloodthirst and their sharp teeth which they held out to warn anyone who was stupid enough to fight one of them that they would lose. The goblins kept shouting and started to point their weapons at him.
Panda: "P- Please I don't have any more money on me I used It all on the food I have now!"
The Goblins didn't seem to understand his language either, but they kept shouting and creeping closer, trying to make a statement. The fire being a reflection into their motives for the night. Panda started to empty his pockets trying to bargain with the goblins to save his own life, yet the goblins didn't listen. The goblin, which was the closest to him, swung his sword at him which barely grazed his face causing Panda to fall down on his back. Panda started to slowly realize that the goblins did not care if he had any money or not. He realized that regardless of that Panda's 𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕖 would have been sealed. Another swing came from ahead, yet he was not as sad as he thought he would be in his final moments. As I said before, he had no admiration, and he had no hope for the future. All of that was simply just the ordinary and the 'Shallow' for him, but He was still not truly happy with this freedom which he was about to receive, "not like this" he thought. Yet he just simply accepted what was meant to be until he slowly seen a lunatic hurl the goblin into a tree. A variable that was never calculated in this situation, a total phenomenon of a person. Any ordinary man would have just walked pass and ignored the situation if they saw it too scared to take the initiative, yet here is a man that got involved and started to fight without trying to gain anything.
As Panda saw the man with black hair and rags fight the Goblins with his life on the line in amazement he couldn't look away, he started to wonder what really made a man brave. Panda started to shake uncontrollably in fear; he was completely frozen not being able to move afraid of death. The only thing Panda could do was observe. The only thing Panda really did in life but as he watched the brave stranger, he saw a man who was not skilled in any martial arts, or in the sword or even any bits of magic yet the man keeps fighting. Panda starts to scan around to see his surroundings, and he notices the goblin passed out by the tree, and what really caught his attention was the sword that was just in his grasp. Panda tried to dismiss his thoughts and started to tell himself that it was better to just stay in his mundane life, to just life peacefully and that it's crazy to fight, that the brave man fighting the other goblins is just a fool that wanted to just kill himself quicker than most. The foolish, brave man was taken by surprise and was about to be stabbed by one of the goblins, time started to slow down as reality started to sink in. Yet Pandas question had started to answer itself, what makes a man truly brave is the choice that he makes in the moment when his mind tells him that there is no way of succeeding.
Panda runs towards the sword and he grabs it, like an extension of his arm he slashes the goblin out of instinct that was seconds away from taking The Brave fools' life and a horrid sound came from the Goblin. Green Goo started to ooze out from the goblins back; Panda felt alive for the first time in his life. The Brave, foolish man tightened his grip on his dagger and started to swing at the other goblin that was fighting him earlier. Both men had their own fights to carry out yet they fought side by side doing the best they can to survive, because what else could they truly do? Neither of them were able to fight properly yet without hesitation they fought ruthlessly. Adrenaline filling their bodies, they dodged, and most of all they went in for slashes and stabs. any time the goblins tried to play a trick and team up on one person. Panda and The Brave, foolish man had each other's backs, they fought side by side not even knowing each other's names yet still protecting each other like they were brothers, this battle carried on the entire night.
---
The boys fell on their backs covered in green blood, and their eyes felt so heavy that even a small lullaby could put the boys to sleep. Out of breath they both started panting to try absorb as much air as they could. Their clothes were ripped up, and countless cuts covered their already dirty bodies, and yet the sun started to rise. The Sunlight congratulating them on their survival, for them being able to witness another day is a miracle. The Brave, foolish boy turned his head towards panda and smiled.
Brave foolish Boy: "You got a name?"
Panda couldn't get a single word in due to his panting; all of his muscles hurt like hell and his eyes were being held open by a thread.
Panda: " M- My names Panda"
Brave foolish Boy: "My name is Scissors"
Panda: "Thank you Scissors for everything"
Scissors looked very confused and then had a moment of realization on his face,
Scissors: "No problem, it was nothing anyways"
Without any warning, Scissors lifted himself up. Panda could tell that Scissors was in the same position as him, his entire body in pain and his mind all tired yet for some reason this man does not stay down. Scissors starts to stretch and begins to limp away very slowly without saying goodbye. Panda was lost in admiration and confusion on how a man like that exists, one that refuses to accept the life he was given, one that keeps going no matter what situation he finds himself in. And for the first time in his life, during that fight Panda felt truly 'Alive'. A feeling of true purpose and the feeling of emptiness faded during that moment in that battle, and the only thing that made him truly feel free started to walk away from him. Did Panda truly want to stay trapped in his prison of the mundane? or did Panda truly want to live.
Panda: "Please sir, don't leave yet!"
Scissors turned around in and held a confused expression on his face; he started to think of a million questions that could have been asked by this man, yet none could have been of the words that have just been asked.
Panda: "Please take me with you where ever you are going, I need purpose!"
Scissors didn't question his request but instead responded in another smile as he was expecting this. A smug look one could only get when you truly knew the outcome yet even if this were the case Panda did not care.
Scissors: "A purpose you say?"
Panda: "Yes please!"
Scissors: "I am on my way to creating a Kingdom right now, my friend, one where I will build my land of peace, and this land will require a royal knight, one which will stay loyal till the end of his last breath. Are you willing to take upon this task?"
Panda started to speak without hesitation as he had already made up his mind a long time ago. No longer in the cage of his own life, he finally has escaped and truly found what he wants to strive for, his duty of knighthood and with his king by his side.