Smoke Rising

"Ugh..."

Selene's eyes opened slowly as she groaned from the stiffness of her body. Her whole body felt like it hadn't moved in months, and she could gradually feel an icy coldness soaking into her skin.

"Eh? I'm still in the forest? What happened?"

Feeling the sharp cold soaking into her skin caused her to sit up abruptly. She looked around to see that she was still in the forest, and she had just thrown a small layer of snowy powder off of her when she sat up.

She couldn't remember anything about what had happened before she passed out, but her body still remembered the trauma, causing her to feel anxious in her heart.

The forest was peaceful and silent, though. It would have been eerie if the sunlight that was shining brightly didn't help sweep away any frightening thoughts.

"Wait! The sun is so high in the sky now!? Was I asleep for the whole night?"

Suddenly, Selene jolted when she saw that the sun was now higher than it had been before she passed out. Standing up abruptly, she felt like all of her bones had popped, as though she were stretching after a week-long nap.

"Eh? What happened to my body? Why is my skin so much lighter? Why are there holes in my clothes?"

Selene inspected herself with some surprise. Her whole body felt incredibly light, and even though she had felt the icy snow earlier, it was as though she had only laid there briefly. She did not really feel cold at all now.

In fact, she was brimming with warmth, and the previously frigid temperatures no longer bothered her in the slightest.

She also noticed that her skin was much fairer. There were no more scars or blemishes from time spent outside, in the sunlight.

The only thing that confused her was her clothes. There was a strip of her fur cloak wrapped around her leg, and there were two wide tears in her pant leg and on her sleeve, but she couldn't remember where they came from.

"Oh well, maybe I ripped them on a tree or branch. I need to get back to town, father is probably worried sick."

Selene didn't have time to think about these things, though. She wasn't sure how long she had been out in the forest, but it had to have at least been one night. Just that was enough to make her feel very anxious. Her father would probably have been worried sick, rushing about town all night trying to find her.

To be missing all night in the unforgiving and frigid north was much more dangerous than in other places. Not to mention, Bluewater Town was surrounded by the great Eldwood Forest, which was known to house numerous magical beasts. Thinking these thoughts, Selene couldn't help but ridicule herself for coming out here.

"The problem is... I don't know where I am..."

Deciding to think about her foolish actions later, Selene looked around only to realize that there were no footprints at all. She had no idea where to go to get back to town.

"Should I climb a tree? The town is pretty large, maybe I can spot it from the top of a tree."

Nodding to herself, Selene walked to the base of one of the snowy trees and grabbed one of the branches, preparing to hoist herself up. However, she unexpectedly lifted herself with ease. Even if she had gone through a lot of training in the past 2 years, she was only 8 years old. To be able to lift herself so easily, she felt surprised.

"What in the world happened... How did I get so much stronger so quickly?"

Selene couldn't figure it out, though, and she just started climbing again. She was already quite dextrous thanks to practicing her swordplay every day, so she arrived near the top of the tree very quickly. However, upon arriving at the top and looking around, a sight caught her eye and nearly caused her to topple from the tree.

"Fire!? Is that Bluewater Town? How could the town be on fire!?"

Looking towards the west, Selene could see a great plume of smoke rising. It was a miracle that she didn't see it beforehand, as the trees blocked most of it from the forest floor.

It rose into the sky, dispersing with the breeze. However, at its base, there was a red and orange glow that could be seen, making it obvious that there was a fire rampaging. There was only one explanation for why Bluewater Town was burning.

It was being pillaged, and the invaders were burning down the town. Otherwise, the townsfolk never would have let the fire spread, and the snowy streets would have helped restrict the flames. The only explanation was that this was intentional.

Thinking of this, Selene's heart sank into her stomach.

"...Father!"

Her voice was tense, nearly cracking as she thought of her father. He was captain of the guards and was also a very powerful Arcane Warrior.

Swiftly climbing down the tree, Selene jumped the last few feet, breaking into a roll. She began to rush towards the town, pleading with luck in her heart. If something happened to her father now, she would never forgive herself. The fact that Bluewater Town was burning meant that it was nearly a guarantee that it was under attack, likely by one of the demonic races that lived in Eldwood Forest.

Her father would definitely be one of the defenders of the town and would be in great danger. Just the fact that so much of the town was burning already meant that things were going poorly.

Selene began to run faster, feeling her worry build. If her father actually died now, thinking his daughter was missing or dead, she would never be able to forgive herself. Her body began to glow with a dim golden light and she felt that running became as easy as breathing.

She didn't give this any thought, though, and simply rushed towards the town as fast as she could.

Shortly, Selene began to see that the snow on the ground became more scattered, with many melted patches. The temperature also began to rise substantially.

Finally, arriving at a small clearing, she stopped, looking out over the town with a stunned expression on her face. In front of her was a burning building, one that she recognized.

Selene could only watch with a wide and blank expression as the small cottage she had called home began to collapse under its own weight thanks to the now burned wood. Seeing the house fall in on itself made Selene's chest tighten, and she could feel a tingling sensation in her eyes and nose.

Even though she had grown up in this sort of tough environment, and was much more mature and collected than others her age, she was only 8 years old in the end. She couldn't help but feel grief after seeing her home burning.

Looking towards the rest of the town, Selene could only watch helplessly as the whole of it burned, releasing that great pillar of smoke into the sky.