A/N: okay this is the second chapter if you don't like the story so far just tell me I can make adjustments but that's not saying much I am also changing a few things in the story so suit the current situation as well as my personal entrusts but I am open to requests as long as they don't clash with my plan the pairings for this story are as follows, solo/maya/meena, alena/kiryl, psaro/rose, you know the usual you guys should know the drill by now I own nothing.

Chapter two: what makes a man?

A few days later in the mountain village ruins

Solo stands in front of an open area overlooking the numerous graves that he had dug he just finished burying the last one he placed the final rock on the large pile that covered her grave and plopped himself on the ground. Elisa, mom and dad, zell and his wife, and even ray their graves were at the very front of the grave yard that he had made he tried to conserve room by burying lovers together and keeping family's as close to one another as possible, but still solo just sat there looking at the graves with a solemn look on his face. Solo was so deep in his thoughts that he barely noticed the large figure approach him from behind but he didn't move he knew who it was, the large man was a woodsman that lived at the bottom of the mountain to the southeast he had faded spiky green hair and a thick trimmed mustache and was huffing on a thick cigar with his large ax resting on his shoulder.

"You look like shit kid,"

…..,

"you're not going to cry are you?"

"….I have cried enough what do you want gramps?"

"Gramps…I don't remember telling you that was my name,"

"you never told me your name,"

"I know,"

"hence the reason I'm going to call you gramps,"

the woodsman gives solo an annoyed look,

"…you're a smart ass son of a bitch you know that,"

"..don't you have something better to do gramps like saving little girls from wolves dressed like their grandmothers,"

the woodsman (aka: Gramps) takes his axe and swings it down hard toward solo,

BOOOOM!

The force behind his blow caused a large dust cloud to cover the area when it cleared gramps axe was deep in the ground where solo use to be, said person was now on gramps back with the blade end of a shovel aimed at the back of gramps neck.

"How long do you intend to keep doing that gramps?"

"As long as you keep sassing me punk,"

Solo jumps off of gramps back as he pulls his axe out of the ground solo begins to stare at the graves again,

"…..I could have helped you if you would have just asked me…I wouldn't have minded,"

"(sigh)…no that's…all right this is something I had to do by myself…but thanks anyway…"

They remain silent a little longer until solo approaches elisa's grave he takes her fathered cap out of his back pocket and places it on top of her cross his hand lingers on it for a second longer before taking one of the slime tokens off of it he takes a minute to turn it into an earring and places it on his left ear and gazes down at the grave again,

"….I promise…I will never forget."

(The next day at the woodsman's home)

It was early and solo was up packing his bag he felt he had invaded gramps space long enough after his burst of raw power he once again lost conciseness only to wake up the next day in an unfamiliar place gramps had explained that the noises of the monsters leaving the mountain had woken him from a nap and when he got to the village solo was the only one still alive so he brought him here to rest up, solo was rearranging the contents of his bag extra cloths, medical herbs, magic scrolls, a few days food supply and water, sleeping bag, flint stones, and a whet stone. When solo was done with his bag he sat down to put on his new boots in fact he was wearing a whole new outfit gramps gave it to him last night after he washed up he said it belonged to his dead son a long time ago and that it was just gathering dust anyway the outfit felt fresh like it had hardly been worn at all the outfit was a white long sleeved shirt with white pants, and a litght blue tunic and came complete with a pair of leather boots and a belt with a brilliant blue gem in the center of the buckle, after solo slipped on his boots he picked up his new sword and strapped it to his belt, Elisa took his old one to fool the monsters and it ended up broken his new one however was impressive it's blade was on one side and had a deadly curve to it with a completely guarded hilt its sheath was equally impressive they both looked almost new, solo then took his new shield and strapped it to his back It was a rounded shield with a simple design to it that didn't have a scratch on it, gramps said that the sword and shield belonged to his son as well but he never got to use them before he died. Solo double checks everything before he picks up his bag and slings it over his shoulder and walks out of the house, outside gramps is sitting in front of a wooden pole sticking out of the ground taking large gulps from a bottle labeled dragons piss. Solo walks up behind him with a tired look on his face.

"You know the sun is barely over the horizon and yet hear you are getting your drink on this early in the morning."

"Hic…shud up ill drink whenever I feel like it...hic and who are you to lecture me boy come back in fifty years and try again,"

Gramps takes another swig of his bottle Solo just stands there as the older man continues to get shit face drunk, gramps then turns around to look a solo over his shoulder.

"You leaving punk?"

"Nope thought I would just pack up everything I own and carry it with me all day to build muscle mass,"

solo starts to do squat, while gramps looks annoyed.

"Do you always have to be a smartass?"

Solo stops doing squats,

"Do you always make it this easy?"

gramps turns back around

"Well if you're leaving then sit down and have a drink with me before you go,"

gramps pats the ground to his left.

"I am not drinking this early in the morning old man."

"Sit down you little shit! After what I've done for you so far the least you can do is drink with me...hic"

Solo rolls his eyes and moves to sit at gramps left while setting his bag at his right, gramps then slams the liquor bottle in front of solo.

"Drink boy,"

It was more of an order than a request but solo decides to humor him so he takes the bottle and chugs what he can before slamming it back down.

"Hu not bad for a punk kid I half expected you to spit it out,"

gramps says this with a smirk as solo wipes his mouth with his sleeve.

"Don't underestimate me I am a lot tougher than I look this is not the first time I've passed a bottle."

Gramps stays silent for a moment before he takes another swig and speaks

"You know punk you remind me a lot of my son,"

solo smirks at this.

"Why were both good looking and have great personalities."

"No your both smartass little shits that get on my nerves rather quickly…but that's okay it shows you aren't afraid to speak your mind,"

solo seems to contemplate this as he looks at the grave marker when a question pops up.

"How did he die…your son that is if you don't mind me asking?"

"He was struck by lightning,"

gramps say this like it was the most natural thing in the world solo nearly falls over at how bluntly he says this.

"Ha-ha yeah I always knew he would die the most bizarre way possible,"

solo can't help but look at gramps with a are you nuts look on his face but then gramps gets serious.

"Are you sure you want to do this kid?"

Solo raises an eyebrow at his question.

"What do you mean by that gramps?"

"I'm not going to lie to you I think that avenging your village is all fine and dandy but going toe to toe with psaro the manslayer to do it you must have a death wish."

"Why is that?"

"….I only know rumors but believe me none of them are good psaro is supposedly a general in the demon kings army and has a burning hatred for any and all humans he is a true monster who is suppose to be undefeated in combat…I don't care what kind of hero you think you are if you fight him as you are now you will die."

Solo lets his words roll over him he appears to be in deep thought.

"Listen kid why don't you shack up with me become a woodsman there's good money in it and there are some towns nearby and caravans pass by every now and then you can find you a wife or two have a mess of little smartass brats and live a quiet country life happily ever after and all that bullshit sounds pretty good hu?"

Solo just smirks, "yeah that dose sound good…..however."

"Hu...however what?"

"What use is there in living that kind of life when there is a darkness that threatens to encroach it….my birth was a sign that a great evil was coming and that I am the only one that can stop it my friends my family everything I held dear died protecting me from that evil they sacrificed themselves knowing they were going to die so that I may live to save the world,"

solo clenches his fists,

"…I will not spit on that sacrifice I took my oath as the dragon warrior and I promised that I would never forget that day…If I don't stop this who will?"

Gramps looks in aww at solo his eyes were ablaze with a righteous fury gramps then understood why this smartass punk kid was chosen by the powers that be to become the dragon warrior.

"Hu well it looks like I can't change your mind so I won't try to stop you."

Gramps then reaches into the bag at his right and pulls out a large book and a rolled up piece of parchment

"Hear take these the big book of monsters, and a magic map of the world. That book has info on every monster ever discovered in the world study it well it may save your life out there and that map will show you every bit of detail in any and all land's you visit all you need to do is open it and it will never steer you wrong"

solo eagerly takes the items.

"Wow thanks gramps this stuff is awesome"

solo puts the book in his bag stands up and shoulders it while he puts the map in his pants pocket, gramps then jumps up.

"Hold on wait hear for a moment"

gramps runs in to his house but returns rather quickly with something in each hand, gramps throws the first item to solo a medium sized leather bag solo catches it and it jingles on impact.

"There are two hundred gold pieces in their use it wisely cause that is all you will get out of me"

solo just shakes his head with a smirk as he puts the bag in his other pocket

"Whatever you say gramps"

"And also this"

gramps holds up something that looks like helmet, solo blinks in confusion.

"Okay ill bite what is it."

"You idiot it's a helmet what does it look like"

"Well not like a helmet for one thing"

"Stop being snarky for five minutes and listen this is an enchanted helmet my son made it from a metal he claimed came from the heavens he didn't have much to work with so this is the finished product and for some reason or another nothing can harm your head while you where it even if you aim a blade or an arrow at an opening in the helmet they always seem to miss.

"….okay I'll admit that's pretty cool."

Solo examines the helmet it is beautifully crafted to fit around the head of whoever where's it with two arks that extend from the front to the back of the helmet at even angles to the left and right of the helmets base there was a beautiful blue gem at center support with a matching pair of fin ears on both sides, solo puts on the helmet it's a perfect fit.

"So… how do I look,

gramps grins

"Like a jackass with dragon ears"

"Ha-ha very funny it must be time for your nap cause your talking nonsense"

"…well all joking aside if you are going to start somewhere I'd recommend starting at Endor its a few days walk but hopefully you can hitch a ride along the way."

"Why Endor?"

"It's the largest kingdom in this region and a major trading point in this land because there is always something going on in Endor if your luck you will pick on a rumor about Psaro or monsters follow the monsters if you find them you may just find psaro as well."

"Okay but monster activity has been picking up recently I can't possibly follow every lead,"

gramps strokes his beard in thought.

"Well this may be a gamble but it might be worth a shot."

"You got an idea?"

"Maybe there was I caravan that stopped here yesterday while you were still on the mountain that was coming from Endor a bunch of travelers were talking about a fortune teller they meet that would tell your fortune and answer a question for one gold piece they kept on saying how accurate she was almost scary one of them said."

solo doesn't look convinced.

"A fortune teller?... are you kidding me?"

"I said it was a gamble," solo scratches the back of his head and sighs.

"Well it's better than nothing I guess," solo extends his hand to gramps

"Thanks gramps….for everything," gramps looks at solo and smirks and gives him a firm hand shake

"Listen kid if you ever find yourself back in my neck of the woods just know that you are always welcome to rest your head hear."

"Thanks gramps ill remember that," solo turns and begins to run down the dirt road he doesn't get far till he hears gramps again.

"And get that stick out your ass and find yourself some women your too pretty to be young and single!," solo nearly face faults when he hears this he regains his balance turns around and flips gramps the bird and yells.

"Screw you ya old bastard ill move at my own pace and take care of that problem when the time is right unlike you I still wake up with morning wood!"

Gramps stands there till he can no longer see solo then he walks back to the grave marker and picks up his bottle of dragon piss and takes a big swig

"Well I couldn't stop him but I guess I was never meant to after all that punk is every bit your son and every bit my grandson…however he does have her eyes the eyes that burn with such passion for something they believe in."

Gramps turns the bottle upside down over the grave and empties it.

"I have done all I can for him what he does now is up to him that is what it means to be a man all we can do is wait and see."

Gramps turns around just as the sun fully rises on the horizon he lets the light shine on him as he pictures solo running full sprint into the blinding light toward his destiny and gramps can't help but think that the sun seems just a little brighter today and then for the first time in many years gramps face brakes into a full broad smile.

A/N: read review let me know what you guys think.