A Young Girl's Tale

Liliana grew up in a small village on the west side of the empire, just in front of the grand line of mountains. The village was a secret location amongst the merchants and adventurers who were preparing for their journey across the mountains to the other countries, or those coming from the other side.

Due to the seclusion of her village and it's fame. She was constantly greeted by new people from different backgrounds and the great view which surrounded her.

She could not have asked for a better place to live in.

One of her earliest memories was traveling up the forest trails. Her father would carry her on his shoulders and show her the beautiful nature which laid past the village walls. At the top of the peak, they would have small picnics, eating the sandwiches her mother made early in the morning. She remembered feeling so free and happy in the skies, while looking down at the village below.

Liliana was raised with love, and as the only child of the family, she was spoiled with affection. She could not have asked for a better childhood.

And with this happiness, came the greater sorrow.

At twelve years old, Liliana found herself to be an orphan.

Every year, her parents visited the capital for work. With each arrival they would bring souvenirs - interesting gadgets, foods, and books for Liliana enjoyed. She would sit by the village entrance, waiting for her parents appear on their horses. However, for this particular trip, her parents were two weeks later than normal.

Were the presents they bought for her too big? Were they sick? Did they run into troubles on the road?

At first, she was disappointed her gifts would not come on time. But as the days passed, her heart began to fall. Did her parents not miss her as much as she did? If only she could run into father's arms to be spun around and give mother the biggest kiss on her cheek.

She waited every single day. That is, until a pair of knights came through the village entrance. They asked for the Village Head, and after their deep conversation, the Village Head talked to her.

Her parents were dead. Their bodies found straying from the normal path. The knights believed the murderers to be from bandits who resided in the area.

At first, Liliana laughed. The old man had to be joking. There was no way her family was murdered. Although her father was slender, he was the strongest in the village. There was not a creature he could not win against. For him to die so easily against bandits? Laughable. Her mother too was a smart and strong women - she could not have gone down without a fight.

However, the more she laughed, the darker his face became.

And slowly, she began to realize that this was not a sick joke. It was reality. Her reality.

Each laugh morphed into a sob, and she found herself on the ground. The tears would not stop. She had lost all control over her body. Her emotions overflowed in the form of wails and tears. Her poor heart burned with excruciating pain like knives stabbing her over and again.

Her parents were dead.

After the initial shock comes acceptance. For Liliana, the death of her family was hard pill to swallow. Everything became grey and dreary. Her heart was pulsing but she was dead. She became out of touch with the world, secluded in her own darkness.

Her time was spent in the corners of her room. No sunlight touched her face. The Village Head's wife made sure food was placed in front of her door every eating hour, but barely any touched her mouth. Her place in the world was completely lost.

And finally, the adults decided that she needed help.

At first, she was reluctant to interact. All she wanted to do was stay in her room. But once springtime came around and the flowers blossomed, she began to open up and let others enter her lives.

Although she lost her blood family, she had gained new family members in return. Everyone wanted to help the little girl. The researcher taught her how to read and write. The village mothers taught her how to do laundry, clean and cook. The village head's wife always brought her soup in the mornings, the fruit stand owners gave her leftover fruit at the end of the day, the baker did the same as well. She never went hungry and was never alone.

There was also Andrew - the only friend she had. They were the only teenagers in the village. He never failed to make her laugh, always telling her about stories from far and wide. His father was a merchant, and Andrew sought out to be the same. Her fondest memory with him was the time they made a fire and roasted the first boar Andrew had ever caught with his arrows. He had a talent with the bow. Every day she would go over to the training area and watch him shoot at the targets.

He said as a merchant, he needed to protect his precious cargo. And so, his arrows were his best friend.

Andrew tried to teach Liliana the bow as well, but she could never aim properly. It was quite funny, watching him increasingly get impatient. The thought never failed to make her giggle.

The hole left from the death of her parents was never completely filled. She never believe it could. But she was still able to spend her days in the village happily.

Or she was.

For the first time, she had left the same very people who brought joy into her life again.

The day was like any other. She was reading a book under the tree while Andrew practiced his arrow. Suddenly, Andrew commented about the group of knights approaching.

Once she looked up, she realized the severity of the situation.

A glass rhombus encasing a bloody sword. Everyone in the empire could recognize the Zephyr symbol.

There was no hesitation. They asked if she was Liliana Grace, for which she said yes. And then they ordered her to come with them. The location being the Zephyr castle. No reason for her presence was given. She just had to obey.

How could she deny the request of the very people who could kill every single person in her village with no hesitation?

Even the villagers could not step forward. They had heard the haunting rumors of the Zephyrs and the power they held. No punishment would be brought upon their heads even if they killed all their innocent souls.

Andrew tried to protect her, but they both knew his resistance would only cause harm. It didn't take long for his body to be thrown to the floor.

She told him it was okay. That everything would be under her control. The lies and smile on her face was convincing enough to make him stop.

And now, she was here. Drawing closer to the people who had her life hanging by the thread.

"Miss. Please take my hand and be careful when exiting the carriage."

Her eyes examined the grand castle in front of her - analyzing the gothic curvature in the seemingly black walls, before taking the knight's hand. She slowly stepped out, making sure that she would not fall. She did not want to show weakness to these people.

After all, if she were going to die anyways, she wanted to go gracefully.