-The Tale Of Six Great Heroes; A Formula to Heroism-

Two children huddle closely by the hearth of a fireplace. Their backs are
warmed by makeshift capes made from blankets and the soles of their feet by a
worn-out ottoman. Right beside these children is their grandmother, sitting
comfortably with a book in her hand, quite amused by her grandchildren she
smiles.
“This story again?” she asks the children “Aren’t you tired of hearing this
tale? I’ve told you this story countless times. Can’t I read you a different story?”
The children frown at their grandmother’s words. One of them reaches
for the bottom of her grandmother’s dress, “but we want to hear this one...”
Merrily affected by the children’s charms, she reluctantly agrees with a
quaint smile and says “Alright, alright.” She begins.

A long time ago, before our nation even found its name, the people
worshiped gods and made deals with devils. They relied upon their mercy and
favors to survive the cruel world that they lived in the past.
When the Great Evils invaded our world, both the horns and the halos
turned their back on us. Humanity had no choice but to come together to
defend itself. That was when we finally realized our Spirit, our potential when
we came together.
This story is about the heroes who ushered in a new age for humanity,
the ones who set us free from the terrible hands of the Evils that invaded us,
the story of the pioneers who showed us that we can be more than what we
ourselves were taught to believe.

“The Great Heroes!” the children said in unison, throwing their hands up
in excitement.
 “Yes, the Great Heroes,” the grandmother smiles wide at her ward’s
enthusiasm “The Guardians of Ancora, the first to many. This is their story but
it’s also the story of each citizen of this continent. This is our history”
“When I become older, I want to become a Guardian!” the boy stands up
in exclamations and raises his arms “Just like “Strongman Bones” I’ll be able
to lift boulders and beat up anyone that dares hurt Memaw or Addie”
Another dreamer proclaims, “I- uhh I also want to become a Guardian,
so I can take care of big bro, papa, and Memaw!”
“Well, little dreamers, each of you can actually be Guardians of your own
right.” she lightly said tapping each of their noses.
“Really!?” they both answered with energy.
“Of course! -but Ancora needs to find your hearts worthy to defend it.”
The old lady leans closer to pat the child’s head. “History can teach us quite a
few things about which souls the Spirit of Ancora chooses for its Guardians.
We can learn what makes a hero by looking into the First Guardians
themselves”

The Spirit chooses a Guardian suitable for each of The Six Paths, also
known as the aspects: Light, Fire, Storm, Might, Soul, and Darkness. They
must have a good heart that cares not just for Ancora but also its people.
Each of The Paths carries different values and disciplines, taught to us
by the first Guardians and the ones who have taken their mantles till today.
These are the reasons why we call them heroes because beyond their great
powers is a greater display of their characters. Power is not enough to make us
heroes.

Guardians of Light have always been a symbol, a guiding voice that the
people follow for a brighter future. They carry wisdom and confidence in their
words. The Path shows us that heroes need to be a beacon of inspiration and
willing leaders that are ready to pierce through the shadows of fear and malice.
 The founder of the Kingdom of Ancora and the first Guardian of Light,
Solomon Ancor, set The Paths together. He was the hero that helped us believe
what we could be heroes ourselves. Having faith in the people was the first step
they needed for them to have faith in themselves.

One can never deny the burning passion of the Guardians of Fire to
create a better world. They are the trailblazers in both the fields of science and
magic. They seek to make everyone’s lives better with the things they create
and discover. They recognized that knowledge is better shared than hidden.
Just like the first of them, The Great Inventor Darius Sophon pursued to
create things that allowed the common people to fight and survive the harsh
times of The Reckoning and advocated the common folk to arm themselves
with both ballista and book.

Their minds are wider than the skies and their wills are stronger than
lighting. Guardians of the Storm are conquerors of fears and limitations. They
are the bastions of resolve and bravery that cast away doubt from people’s
hearts. They have proven that there is only so much intention can do if you
don’t have the courage and the will to see it through.
The Storm’s First, Mathias Leonte Sheran created the first martial
discipline. The Sheranyi is a philosophy of the heart whose power is only truly
measured by their unwavering will. He showed the people a way to vanquish
their fears and face them with the courage to break through prisons of their
own doubts.

Might’s Path is often misunderstood by people believing it is only about

the strength to save people. These Guardians are exemplars of self-mastery
and perseverance. They seek to change the world by following the personal
destiny of their truest selves. They become heroes because they have realized it
be their destiny.
 No one embodied this greater than Aryan Brooke, who’s been dubbed as
The Dancer. To outsiders, it might be an odd hero yet to us all she is one of the
greatest. The first Guardian of Might defended us in her truest way, never
needing others to tell her what to do. She expressed herself honestly in every
movement to forge a world through sincerity.

The Aspect of the Soul teaches the great value of empathy between living
things and the natural connection of life to each other. Those who have
followed this Path have dedicated their lives to healing the wounds that cannot
be seen. They are the heroes that need no valor in battle yet they have done so
much for us all in small rooms and humble gardens.
Elijah Gillion, The Great Poet, connected the people of Ancora together in
their time in the Reckoning and even up to ours. His work connected us
through his records of the history of our people and the poems that speak of
the sufferings each and every one of us goes through. He told us we all exist
and suffer and that we all have the yearning to deal with our loneliness.

Some heroes as unsung. Some say the greatest heroes are the ones we
never get to know about. The Path of Darkness is about protecting the peace
and wellbeing of people without ever needing recognition or compensation.
Some consider them to be the noblest of heroes- yet others consider them too
mysterious for such a title.
Like the truest of its way, no one even knew the existence of the First
Guardian of Darkness until they died. The other Guardians honored her
countless sacrifices and unshakable loyalty when she died by sharing her
existence. Some historians even argue that Ancora would not have survived if
not for the “unsung ones.”

“So all I have to do is stay good and master myself to become a hero. I’m
sure It’ll be easy…” The grandson speaks with slowly diminishing strength
 “I don’t know about that.” said the grandmother. “If you truly wish to
become a hero it’s not enough to simply possess one of these values. You see,
each of these values goes hand in hand. Each of them becomes better when
together- just like how a wheel cannot keep carrying burdens if it lacks its
spokes.”
Tears began flowing from the boy’s eyes as he hears this. His sister
hurriedly tries to comfort him while she tries to pull her own tears at the sight
of her brother’s pain.
“But- but it’s already so hard to be a good boy,” he said with a voice
breaking in emotion and tears. “I sometimes steal cookies from the jar without
asking.”
At the sight of her grandchildren’s pain, she couldn’t help but feel
terrible. She kneels down towards them and holds both of them by their heads
in an embrace.
“But alas, no is perfect- not even the Guardians themselves. Heroes- and
heroes in training- need to learn their limits. They ask for help when they need
it, and put their trust in the right people. There’s a reason why there is more
than one wheel in a carriage and why the Spirit chooses more than one
Guardian. One might be able to do things faster when done alone but when we
do things together, there is so much more we can do.”

After calming down, the children huddled closer together while drinking
the hot coca prepared by their grandmother.
“Hey, Memaw,” the sister asked as both of the children seem to be close
to dozing off “Do you really think we can really be heroes?”
The grandmother smiles, placing a blanket on both of them. “You know, I
never really got to telling you what all the Six Paths have in common”

Heroism cannot really be defined as one specific theme but if I had to say
one thing that you cannot take away from any true hero, it’s hope.
 If you truly want to become a hero of your own right... don’t give up and
hold on to the hope of a better world. Sometimes though, I think to be decent is
enough heroism.