Chapter 14
Lessons in Bravery
Kito realizes bravery isn't the absence of fear, but acting despite it. He understands his unique way of thinking is a strength, not a flaw, and he has found his own kind of adventure.
Kito sat by the riverbank, the cool water lapping at his bare feet. The embers of the village’s fear still glowed in his mind, a stark contrast to the peaceful shimmer of the water before him. He watched a lone dragonfly dart and hover, its delicate wings catching the afternoon sun. It seemed so unafraid, so perfectly at ease in its world. Was that what bravery was? Not being afraid at all? He remembered the Performer, his costume a riot of color even as the flames licked at the rooftops, his movements a blur of defiant grace. He hadn't seemed scared. But Kito knew now, from the Performer’s hushed words later, that his heart had hammered like a trapped bird.
“Bravery,” the Performer had said, his voice still raspy from the smoke, “is not the absence of fear, little Kito. It is doing what must be done, even when your knees are knocking like castanets.”
Kito’s knees had certainly knocked. They had felt like jelly, like unset pudding. He had wanted to run, to hide, to disappear into the river and let the current carry him far, far away. But he hadn't. He had stayed. He had listened to the Rooster, his ancient eyes fixed on Kito with an unnerving intensity. He had seen the Performer, a beacon of determined action. And then, he had acted too.
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