He would laugh, it wasn't much, it was simply home...but compared to the rest of the world, yeah, it was special, his favorite place, and no other could come close.
His smile didn't fade when she asked the question, he did tilt his head. He hadn't told anyone before but his closest friend, not even his parents...well, too him, she was his closest friend outside of his village, so might as well spit out, hopefully she'll be too drunk to remember.
His ears turned red before he spoke, a finger going to scratching at his cheek "Stories are important to my people...and I grew up listening to ones about hero's, about saving the day, doing good, or simply stopping evil and doing whats right, even if they were a thief or murderer, with serfs becoming kings to even emperors, and in most, it ended happy, or doing what was right, even at the cost of themselves." he said before scratching at his neck, this was more embarrassing then he thought.
"A-and I wanted that, I wanted to be the hero with the shinning sword, to save the day, to get the girl and live happily ever after. Where I'm from, men are seen for their skill at arms, in combat...my family is poor, we have a farm aye, but most went to selling, my mother was quite small compared to the other wives and daughters of the other farmers, who are quite plump. We didn't have enough to train in arms me nor me father, I could of joined the guard I guess...but it wouldn't be the same. I saved up enough to get me a sword, took a few years, but I got it, did favors until I got enough supplies to leave town...I don't want to be a serf forever, I want to have my name sung by bards for my deeds, to have a princess as large or larger then Yalthnea, to have a castle and my own lands so vast and successful, that even the most poor could eat until they pop...for my name to live on and for my children to be proud of their linage. For my sons to be great fighters and strong in arms, for my daughters to be well-fed and wise where I couldn't be."
He said, taking his time to get through that chunk, his elbows on his legs before smirking and continuing
"Its much harder then I thought...the world outside is different, more cruel, not even my own beliefs, nobles are spiteful, backstabbing sports, people starve so others could feast even though they would prosper more if they gave of their plentiful stock, princesses are not as large as their land...but quite skinny, and dragons that capture you for misunderstandings and other horrible things...I've seen so many, and so many times I wanted to go home." he said, his brow furrowing, a tear falling from an eyes before wiping it away.
"But their smiles...to see that despite my hard ship, that a town no longer has to live in fear of the bandits knocking on their door. To see a father cry when his children are back in his arms instead of a trolls belly, to be payed by the last morsel of food an orphan has because they are too poor to provide anything else...it makes it worth it, every day, and even more so that I'm doing what is right, even if my name isn't being sung, I'm a hero, to my own people and friends." he said with a grin, sniffing as he rubbed his nose slightly, can't go crying now after all of that
His brows shot up, shit might as well tell her now that he's pouring his heart out or he never will.
He clapped his hands before continuing
"So...I want you to come with me, as I said before, a year ago, yar the best person I know outside of my village, and one of the kindest I know as well...and a good friend, I trust you with my life, and I want you to join me in my adventures...but things ya should know about me, and my, uh village." he said as he made a motion to the stone statue
"That is my goddess, Yalthnea, and my village's goddess, including the surrounding villages where I'm at, the goddess of Battle, Fertility, and Growth, and many, from what I've seen would consider us...strange." he said taking a breath before continuing
"Um, compared to the outside, its viewed as beautiful for a lady to be plump and fat, and its a casting system where I'm at, as the fatest generally is more successful and richer then the others, we as men are viewed for our might and strength in arms to protect our lands and ability to give to our families. I too hold those same views, which I learnt are quite strange or even disgusting by some folks...for example, you are very pretty and compared to your peers in the city, shaply, but in my home town, you are thin and many would think you starved in torture, or the poorest of poor." he said as he scratched the back of his head, oh boy, this was getting hard
He swallowed before continuing "I...I wanted to let you know before you made a choice to go your own way, or to come with me, as those are my peoples beliefs, and we are a wee bit strange....umm yeah, what ever you choose to do, it is up too you, you are free and I'll always be here for you, even if you choose to go your separate way, I'll always come and check on you year after year...you're my only friend outside of my hometown anyway." he said with a big grin, trying to crush the panic on the inside, he had never done this before, its not like he was asking her to marry him oh jeez, but it still was nauseating stressful...wait, was she drunk? Perfect, hopefully she won't see how embarrassing or red this made him.
And he was bright red, and sweating bullets despite his smile, clearly, this took some effort to get out, sometimes even like he was chocking to get the words out of fear, but he said it honestly, and he would wish her well regardless of choice...she was one of his only friends. He sat there, back straight, his hands gripping his knees until the knuckles were white as he waited...he may have stopped breathing as well.
