First Encounter

Elena said her goodbyes to Tilly and was on her way back to her village. While camping out during the night, she would lay her head back and gaze at the stars. At some point, she thought of the carefree girl with the bun and chuckled.

The following morning, as she was returning to her village, Elena froze stiffly when she saw smoke rising over her village and the silence was deafening. She smacked her cheeks to regain her composure and ran at full speed in its direction.

As she got closer, the wind changed directions and blew the thickened smoke towards her, rendering her vision blurry. The red-haired girl wetted a cloth and wrapped it around her face, with only her emerald eyes visible. With a slightly better breathing room, she approached with caution and her bow ready with an arrow to shoot if necessary.

Having arrived at the outskirts of her village, her gaze fell on a pile of burnt bodies, as if someone put on display, right at the entrance. She dropped to her knees, threw the cloth that covered her face to the side, and vomited.

Her throat dried up, rendering her unable to scream. The heavy panting crashed into her lungs, making it harder to breathe, and her knees trembled, hindering her from standing up.

She couldn't believe that such an atrocity was possible, coming from another human being. No matter how many times she thought about it, an action like that was something Elena couldn't comprehend.

Her emerald eyes glinted as she threw up for the last time that night. Determination flushed her system as she stood up and wiped her mouth. With the bow in hand, she made her way further into the village.

It's not like she expected to see her house in one piece, but destroyed and burnt to the ground, lit a fire in her heart. She could blame herself for what happened, but she understood that her being there would have had the same result, and the only difference would be her body being among the burnt ones.

That night for Elena was the first restless one she's ever had. Even though she laid down, staring at the sparkling sky, she would remain sleepless and on edge. The tiniest rustle coming from the bushes shook her into a shooting position.

The next day, black bags formed under her eyes. Her movements were unsteady, as if a foreign power forced them, like she had no control over her body. The steps she took from one place to another were heavy and wasteful.

Her tears dried up and she could no longer hold her bow. She wouldn't look up, instead she pinned it to the ground and dragged her feet, aimlessly wandering around in a ghosted village.

Since the day before, she hasn't had a bite to eat and fatigue from her sleepless night overwhelmed her. Elena lost consciousness on the hard ground of the blackened, charcoaled village.

After getting a much needed sleep, though involuntarily, Elena woke up. Once she felt her eyes welling up, she smacked her cheeks to stop the tears from streaming down.

The girl with the crimson hair took her time burying the dead. With a heavy heart, she gritted her teeth and, one by one, honored her family and friends. Sweat, blood and tears along with dirty clothes, hands and face was her otherwise pristine image.

A couple of days passed, and Elena has already cleaned up. It will take her a long time to heal, even by little, but by keeping herself busy, the pain became manageable. One thing is sure, the glint in her eyes is still visible. She hasn't given up.

She cheated time from her busy schedule and searched for clues inside and around the village. In her search, she found a sheathed sword at the chief's house, hidden under the wooden floorboards.

Upon taking the sword out of its holster, she could help but admire the craftsmanship. The chief must have treasured it, since the owner did the maintenance regularly. Sharp as ever, Elena gasped when she tried it in a pocket.

It sliced the thing in half without making a sound or sending vibrations to the hilt. Her determination at that point grew more intense as she gripped her new weapon.

During the nighttime, as she laid back and stared at the stars, a voice echoed in her head, startling her just as she was about to nod off. [Good evening. My name is Merlin and I'm the witch responsible for this spell. You got chosen as a candidate for the Emperor's throne.]

The next day, Elena departed from her village, with only one goal in mind. Find the one responsible for the carnage and get revenge.

Using her newly gained skills, the girl ran with all her might towards the direction she thinks she'll find her target. Her emerald eyes glistened with maliciousness.

Bloodlust poured out of her body, making various animals of all sizes shiver and remain hidden. The dirty and uneven road didn't hinder her, as she ran with all her might. The vibrant abundance of nature left and right didn't move her or cause the slightest stir of her emotions.

Her relentless pursuit brought her across a burning village. The sight alone brought back the recent memories of her loved ones. Elena clenched her chest and felt her throbbing heart, ready to jump out. In the silence that followed, only her fast pacing beat of her heart remained audible in her ears.

She lost her balance, falling to her knees. After deep a couple of breaths ensued, she calmed her jumpy demeanor. She glanced at the grey smoke forming ominous clouds above the village, when screams got her attention. "They are still alive!"

Light footsteps left behind a trail of dust as Elena rushed to cover the distance. Once she got closer, she could faintly hear some chattering. She carefully approached and hid behind a house which wasn't on fire yet.

She saw the villagers rounded up and the bandits circling them on their horses. Her eyes glistened and locked on the target of her revenge. She grabbed her sword by the tilt and just as she was about to charge, the burly man fell on his back.

Confused by what might have happened, she looked around and saw a raven haired young man looking in her direction. She hurriedly hid behind the wall. 'D-Did he see me? Impossible!'

Her blood froze when the Nomad King's voice reached her ears. Shocked, she brought herself out of hiding. Her glistening emerald eyes stared as the burly king's wound healed.

The moment she saw Charaka charge at the fragile-looking youngster, her feet moved on their own. She reached him, firmly put a solid grip on the hilt and pulled the sword with every ounce of strength she had, severing his hand.

In a state of frenzy, she made a swift turn, twirling the sharp blade chopping off his head. Blood poured out of his stale body before hitting the ground. As she reaffirmed her grip on the sword and was about to continue the massacre, the face of a carefree young girl with a bun came to mind.

Elena froze for a second and then stabbed the ground. The intense friction of steel sent shivers down their spines. Her trembling, icy voice made Charaka's crew fall off their horses. Her stare shot daggers at them, making them flinch. "Last week, you rummaged and burnt my village. Today I got my revenge. Stick around if you want more!"

They fumbled on one another, got on their horses, and ran without looking back. The young woman wiped the blood off her blade and sheathed it back in place. She looked around at the frightened villagers and sighed in relief. It came a moment though she gasped, and that is when they locked eyes with Lir. "You…"

She stared into his deep blue eyes and felt her rage disappear. Her emerald eyes glistened without her realizing. His sharp facial features and frail looking body took the appearance of a beast with silver fur. She felt like suffocating and a sharp pain pierced her heart. She pulled her sword out once again and pointed at Lir. "Tell me why I shouldn't end you…!"