As she ran and her long snow-white hair drifted in the air, she was closer and closer to her destination. In her head, she already was eating pancakes that Ami promised to make today, as a little gift for her sixteenth birthday.

When she calmed down her excitement a little she already reached the main road to the village, only a few minutes from home.

Then she stopped stunned as she didn't believe what she was seeing. Even though the sun was already covered behind the horizon and only a slight red glow was visible, the village she was born in stood bright, many buildings covered in flames.

Oh, gods let Ami and auntie be safe!

With that thought, she ran with all her strength that she could muster, there was no time to waste, flames needed to be put down as quickly as possible otherwise when granary will get couth on fire, even when they manage to salvage their homes come the winter and they all will starve.

That's why even though she heard screams she didn't pay much attention to them, half of the village was in flames who wouldn't scream.

But when she crossed the village entrance she slowed down when she realized. These screams weren't shouted at someone or screamed in panic as one would imagine, these ones were filled with horror in them.

Her mind was in a state of panic, she couldn't imagine what was happening. As she was passing one building after another she finally took a turn to the market square where the most buildings were on fire, and she froze in place.

The fire wasn't the worst thing happening at that moment.

Most of the villagers were assembled by lightly armored people in a group at the square, some of them crying, some of them just staying still with dejected faces, but many of them weren't that lucky as a lot of bodies were laying on the ground without a shred of life in them.

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Aris immediately recognized one of the bodies, a woman in prime-age her brown hair covered in blood, her beautiful dress torn, and throat slit.

Auntie Sara's blue lifeless eyes were directed straight at her, Aris wanted to scream like never before in her life but her instinct didn't let her.

She quickly covered her mouth and took a few steps back to hid behind one of the buildings, her head was in turmoil, she wanted to run, no she felt that she had to run otherwise she would die just like an auntie. She knew that but she couldn't do that, not when she still didn't know what happened to Ami, she already lost her own mother, now her foster mother was killed Ami was the only family that she had.

When she mustered enough courage she began to look around again. Her eyes wandered through the crowd of armed men and subdued villagers and as she noticed one of the groups she gasped in another wave of shock. At the entrance to his own house Hernas, the only blacksmith in the village was relentlessly beaten up, he begged them to forgive his daughter but they didn't even acknowledge that, and even kept beating him no matter what after only a few moments he stopped begging and soon after his body went limp still they didn't stop. Just beside them, leaning against her house stood naked Nasta daughter of Hernas crying quietly while being raped by one of the invaders, unfortunately for her, he wasn't the only one as five others were patiently waiting in the line for their turn.

She closed her eyes shut as she couldn't bear that horrible sight anymore, but after a moment she forced herself to look through the crowds again, her mind busy with only one thought.

I have to find her.

And she finally did, she stood in the group that was gathered by armored men, Ami was a young girl born in the same year as Aris, her brunette long hair as always tied in a single braid, and wore the same dress as her except for the color as hers was bright yellow.

Aris'es eyes were glued to her friend's face, and even though the situation was terrible she felt as if something heavy was lifted from her heart.

She tried as hard as she could not to just run to her straight-ahead she knew that would be incredibly stupid yet she wanted to be with her and comfort her as well as herself.

She tried to move and try to find some way to get Ami's attention but only now she noticed she couldn't move even a step, just as if her feet were glued to the ground and her whole body shaking with fear.