Kopii woke up to the jolting of the wagon. Opening his eyes, he saw the familiar scene he had been observing for the second day. "Ugh," he sighed, slowly sitting up. The pain in his muscles reminded him how weak he was. Clenching his fist, he muttered,
"Ah, too weak," he said, examining his body.
During this journey, he realized one thing: the thirst that troubled him had saved his life for the second time. Without it, he would have perished or become a slave. "Maybe this thirst isn't so bad after all… If I can control it, I'll become stronger. But if I can't…"
Mmm, Kopii moaned in pain as the wagon hit something again. He decided not to think about the worst-case scenario, but deep down, he feared that the thirst would one day completely take over him, turning him into an observer of his own body, a puppet created for a single purpose. These thoughts worsened Kopii's mood.
That's how two days passed. Kopii felt his condition improving, his muscles were less sore, and he could move around more or less. He met some merchants, but he didn't get along with them. He simply didn't trust them because they were obsessed with money.
The only one he talked to was Raven. But Kopii's thoughts were interrupted by a jolt. He looked at Raven, and his eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing? Don't touch me."
"Oops, don't make that face. I just wanted to talk to you, but you were floating in the clouds."
"Can't you talk to others? Why are you always with me?"
Approaching him, Raven replied, "Well, you probably realize it yourself, you're just pretending. We're almost the same age, so it's no easier for them to find a topic of conversation with you than with old men obsessed with trade. But even that has its advantages: if they were younger, they wouldn't need my help."
"Okay, I get it," he glanced at Raven. "Can't you ever not smile?"
But Raven's smile didn't falter. "You know, a smile is a very important element for a hero. Think about it, who would you trust more: a person who smiles, or…" he made a thoughtful face, "well, for example, a blank face without a trace of emotion? A hero must bring joy. And most importantly, a hero must bring… You know, you know, Kopii?"
"Well, what is it?"
"It's… it's… HOPE!" he shouted. All eyes focused on them at his shout. Kopii's body tensed from so much attention. "Ah," he sighed, watching everyone return to their business. Raven didn't even notice these looks and continued to chatter about his own thing.
"Only hope is the most important part of a hero. If a hero can't give hope for a better future… then he can't be called a hero. Got it, Kopii?"
"Yes, I got it," Kopii said, trying to end the conversation. He didn't mind Raven's company, he was just always quite silent, and he hadn't had to talk so much with anyone before. Kopii looked at Raven, his face still bearing the same small smile.
"I've been wanting to ask you for a long time, Raven."
"O-oh, Kopii himself wants to ask me something! I'm flattered!"
"Ah," Kopii sighed at Raven's behavior. "Why do you want to be a hero, Raven?"
"Why? I don't know exactly."
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Kopii was taken aback. "Raven, everyone has a goal they strive for. Maybe you want to be a hero because you want fame or power?"
"I hadn't thought about that. My mom always told me about the king of mercenaries who sacrificed himself for the city. I always liked that story, and I imagined myself in the hero's place a lot. I asked myself a lot, what would I do if I were in the hero's place? How would I act? Would I be able to save everyone?"
After Raven fell silent, Kopii looked at him, and instead of the usual smile, he saw a serious face. It was the first time he had seen him like this. Raven looked Kopii in the eyes.
"You know, Kopii, my father died of an illness. I was only eleven years old. It was a normal day, but when I heard my mom crying, I don't know why, but that cry made my heart clench unbearably… I just didn't know what to do then. It was the first time I had heard my mom cry. I ran to the source of the sound, but I was too late - Mom beat me to it, ran up and hugged me. Maybe she heard me wake up. Then I saw my mom's tear-stained face for the first time. And that sight made my heart clench even tighter." Raven looked away from Kopii, turning his attention to the floating clouds.
"Then my mom told me that Dad had died. After those words, it felt like the ground had disappeared from under my feet. Tears flowed like a river. I remember my mom comforting me. When I calmed down, I only felt emptiness. I remembered Dad's smile, his moralizing, how we spent time with him, his voice. Then I realized that it would never happen again… not to see Dad's smile, not to hear his laughter. It hurt me so much from these thoughts, not physically, but morally. But time passed, and I came to terms with it. I even envied those like you, well, orphans, that is. They were always free, not attached to anyone. They will never feel this pain." But Raven was interrupted.
"Rest is over, time to move out," there was a commotion. Raven looked at what was happening, then his gaze returned to Kopii again, and he continued:
"Then I realized one thing - that life is not eternal. Our life is like a notebook, it has a beginning and an end. After these thoughts, I felt better."
Kopii looked at Raven. "Okay, I understand you, Raven. But you still haven't answered why you want to be a hero."
Raven looked at Kopii, continuing to be silent. Kopii was about to say something when Raven spoke faster:
"No, Kopii, you already know the answer."
Kopii raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I know?"
"Yes, Kopii, you know," Raven confirmed.
"No, I don't understand."
"Ah. My father died of an illness. Do you think these are isolated cases? No. People die from many things, and not only people, but all races in principle. From war, from hunger, from disease. And then I realized one thing: I don't want anyone to feel the same way I did. In other words, why do I want to be a hero? It's because I want to carry this hope. Hope for a good future, without war, without disease, where everyone is equal to each other. I know that this is, perhaps, childish. But why not? I just want everyone to be happy. These are my true motives, Kopii. Do you understand now?"
"Yes… I understand, Raven."
Silence hung in the air, which neither of them wanted to break. That's how half a day of their journey passed.
"Do you need help, Raven?"
Looking at Kopii, Raven shook his head. "No need, Kopii. You haven't fully recovered yet, and this is my job, that's why I was taken on this trip. So, Kopii, just relax. Okay?"
"My job is to offer," Kopii replied after Raven as he walked away. He didn't want to distract Raven from work. After a few minutes:
"Are you done yet?"
"Yes, I had a little left."
Looking at Raven for a moment, Kopii said, "You look tired."
"You know yourself, Kopii, we'll arrive in Oraria today, so these old men decided to squeeze me dry."
"Yes, I understand, who will refuse free labor?"
"Yes, yes, true. They are only interested in saving money and getting more. Well, what can you do, I guess all merchants are like that."
He clenched his fists. "Yes, you're right, merchants are only interested in money and nothing more." Raven noticed the change in Kopii's voice, but decided not to pay attention to it - everyone had their own secrets.
"Oh, look, Kopii, it's Oraria!" Raven shouted, starting to shake Kopii. He wanted to tell him to calm down, but seeing Raven's face full of excitement and joy, without realizing it, a small smile appeared on his face. "Maybe I was the same when I saw Oraria for the first time," he thought.
"Oraria is the city of gods and heroes! I've read a lot about them, but in reality, it's completely different. A different impression… It's so beautiful!" Raven said, shaking with excitement. "Let's go faster, Kopii!"