Emily loved flowers.
She loved her small village, Saalnia.
She loved waking up and hearing the sounds of her parents talk about whatever first thing in the morning.
She loved her parents and older brother.
She enjoyed cooking with her mother.
She enjoyed watching her brother, Emilio, practice with his wooden sword, he always talked about wanting to become a knight and serve the king one day.
She had fun listening to all the fun stories her father had to share.
She had a crush on this boy she always played with called Jack, who was her age. He used to bully her when they were younger, but he grew out of that boyish phase.
In a way, from her perspective, her life was perfect. Others might have thought Emily was just a poor girl from a poor small village no one knows about, but even if that was the case, she was still one truly happy 12 years old girl.
Her small village, Saalnia, was all she knew. She never traveled outside of it, nor did she really desire too. All she wanted was to remain by the people she loves. She didn't think that was too much to wish for.
She also didn't really know much about the outside world. She knew her small village was located in the Kingdom of Arixad, ruled by King Aricad II, but she never really cared to learn much more, as she truly thought she'd spend all her life in her small village, get married to Jack one day, have kids, and then live the rest of her life in peace with a big family. Learning more about an outside world she had no plans of going out too seemed pointless.
For a time, it seemed as if Emily's vision of a tranquil life might come to fruition, until the unexpected hand of tragedy reached out to destroy the harmony she held dear. All it took was a single arrow.
----------------------------------------
"Arghh!!" A man screamed out in pain as he fell to the ground. An arrow had hit him in the chest. The basket filled with fruits he held fell with him.
All it took was an arrow to start the chaos.
Nearby villagers, once going about their daily lives, were now sprinting toward the fallen, dying man, their expressions morphing from tranquility to terror. He, too, was one of their own. This was a very small village, where everyone knew everyone.
"W-What happened?!" a man shouted, his eyes widening in disbelief as he surveyed the arrow lodged in the dying man's chest.
"A-An arrow? Wh-" Another villager's sentence hung in the air, cut short by the abrupt whistle of another projectile. This time, it found its mark in the throat of the speaker, who crumpled to the ground, life extinguished in an instant.
Panic erupted among the nearby villagers who were there to witness what went down, an unspoken understanding that danger lurked unseen. Whispers of confusion and fear flitted through the air. Everyone present froze in their place, unable to comprehend what just happened.
"Kyahhhhhh!" A girl finally screamed, breaking out people from their frozen spell.
"W-What in god's name is happening?!"
"Hang in there! Are you okay?!"
"Mom, I'm scared!"
The confusion lingered only momentarily before the villagers heard the ominous sound of approaching footsteps—men, unknown and armed, charging toward the village. The intruders emerged from the shadows, their intent and identity veiled in uncertainty.
Chaos erupted like a sudden storm. Villagers, once united by the simplicity of their lives, now scattered in disarray. The attackers moved with ruthless precision, their intent written in the glint of their weapons.
A terrified mother, clutching her child, stumbled backward only to be confronted by one of the assailants. His eyes showed no emotion as he raised his weapon. The air hissed with the ominous whoosh of a blade, leaving behind a vivid trail of red as the weapon found its mark. Her son cried, but he soon met the same fate as his mother.
In another corner of the village, a brave man tried to fight off his attacker with his bare hands, however, the harsh reality dawned on him as he swiftly recognized the futility of his efforts, sensing the cold steel of a spear piercing through his heart from behind. The last thing he heard was his killers laughing at his poor excuse of a defense.
Soon the once peaceful village was filled with terrified screams, and it didn't take long for them to find their way into Emily's ears.
"Hm? W-What's that?" The blonde haired girl asked as she looked down into the village from the hillside where she had been picking flowers, her heart now gripped by an uneasy foreboding. Jack was with her.
Those sounds like screams, I'm sure of it
"I'm not sure, but I have a bad feeling about this. Emily, you stay here, I'll go and check what's going on." Jack said, attempting to sound brave, yet the unease in his voice betrayed the anxiety he felt. Emily saw through his act. She's been with the boy long enough after all.
"I-I'm going with you!" she insisted, taking a resolute step towards the boy.
"But it might be dangerous, you—" Jack began to object, but before he could finish, Emily interjected.
"I'd be scared if you left me on my own here."
The boy was very hesitant. Time was of the essence, he could tell something serious was happening in the village, and that there was no time to waste on trying to convince Emily to stay behind. Reluctantly, Jack agreed.
"Okay, just stick close to me!" he said, seizing Emily's hand as they descended the hill toward the village. Emily was scared, but the warmth of Jack's hand brought a subtle blush to her cheeks. She couldn't remember the last time Jack held her hand like this.
The closer Jack and Emily approached the village, the crescendo of screams and chaos intensified, painting a grim picture of unfolding horror.
"W-What's happening?!" Emily cried out, her voice joining the cacophony of distress.
"I'm not su- Emily, hide!" Jack's urgent command cut through the tumult as he abruptly halted, followed by pushing Emily behind a nearby overturned cart.
"Jack? W-?" Emily began, but Jack swiftly placed a hand over her mouth while gesturing with his other hand toward the source of the unfolding nightmare. Emily followed his gaze, her eyes widening in horror at the indescribable scene that unfolded before her.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
In the heart of the village square, shadows danced with malevolence. Villagers, once the lifeblood of the community, now lay motionless on the ground, their life force extinguished. Emily recognized all of them.
There were the aunt which always gave Emily a hard time, who always said how Emily spends too much time playing around instead of helping around the village or in the kitchen, but she would secretly come rushing if she heard Emily was struck with illness. Emily knew the aunt loved her deep down.
Near her laid the young boy of only six years of age who Emily always thought of as a brat. He was very loud, and would sometimes even pull Emily's hair. Even though Emily always said she found him annoying, deep down she though of him as her baby brother.
A short distance away from them was the old man who always brought Emily and Jack candy from outside the village. He was a merchant who traveled a lot, and even though he could have easily moved out of Saalnia to someplace bigger and better, he never did as he considered Saalnia his home and everyone who lived here his family. Everyone that was dead was someone Emily had memories of.
The assailants moved with ruthless efficiency, showing no mercy as they carried out their grim task, going around the village and killing anyone in sight. Emily found it hard to comprehend what she was witnessing.
Emily's eyes welled with tears as she witnessed the brutality unfolding before her. Jack's grip tightened on her shoulder, both to comfort and to ensure her silence. The pair stood frozen in terror, compelled to bear witness to the unthinkable as their peaceful village descended into a nightmare. A cold voice made them snap out of it.
"Listen, you fools!! Make sure to spare some of the girls and women! Only feel free to kill all the men and boys!" One of the attackers shouted in a very loud voice. Emily had no idea who he was, she could only look at him in horror. His eyes were those of a mad man, and he wielded a large sword. The wooden swords her brother, Emilio, practiced with seemed like a joke in comparison.
The thought of her brother made Emily remember her family.
Mom! Dad! I have to go to them!
"What to do, what to do... we can't just stay here," Jack murmured, his voice and body trembling with fear over the unfolding chaos. Jack knew he and Emily can't hide behind this overturned cart forever, but the risk of being noticed if they tried to slip away was on his mind. He knew there was a chance he could outrun these men if it came down to it, but he didn't want to take his chances.
He glanced at Emily, her form trembling beside him.
Jack understood there was no way Emily could outpace these men either. As he pondered their predicament, Emily turned her gaze toward him.
"J-Jack, I want to go to my parents..." Emily's voice wavered, barely audible. Though Emily's house wasn't far from their current position, proximity didn't equate to safety.
"Emily, if those men spot you, they might harm you, or worse, they might..." Jack halted, realizing his words weren't penetrating the frightened girl. Her sole focus was on her parents; even the surrounding screams faded into the background for a minute.
If Emily clung to any semblance of hope, it was that Emilio was out from the village on an errand. In this dreadful moment, she only had to worry about the safety of her parents.
"Okay, let's go. Stick close to me though." Jack agreed as he took a quick glance around, trying to keep in mind where some of the village's attackers are.
Jack and Emily, moving with cautious steps, slipped away from their meager hiding spot behind the overturned cart. The chaos still unfolded around them, but they navigated through while trying avoid the attention of the marauders. They stopped when they needed to stop, hid when they needed to hide, and moved when they had the chance.
As they approached Emily's house, a sense of dread hung in the air. The once familiar path now seemed treacherous, each footfall echoing the uncertainty that awaited them. The air was thick with tension, and Emily's heartbeat drummed in her ears. The sight of two dead villagers in the path did not make Emily feel better as well.
Upon reaching the modest wooden cottage, Jack gently pushed the creaking door ajar. The flickering candlelight revealed the living room, adorned with memories of a once-peaceful family life. Emily's parents, however, were nowhere to be seen.
"Mom? Dad?" Emily's voice quivered as she called out, the silence that followed more ominous than any scream.
Jack, his eyes scanning the room, noticed the subtle signs of a struggle—a toppled chair, shattered trinkets. The air became heavy with the undeniable truth.
They proceeded further into the house, each step echoing the dread in their hearts. The door to Emily's parents' bedroom lay slightly ajar, revealing the unspeakable scene within.
"No..." Emily's whispered denial barely escaped her lips as she took in the lifeless figures of her parents, their eyes forever closed to the horrors that had befallen their village. Emily couldn't take a good look to see how they died, but she could tell from the quick glance she had it was likely due to them being slashed by a sword of some kind.
Why? Why? Why is this happening? Why?
Jack, his own heart heavy with sorrow, instinctively pulled Emily into a gentle embrace, offering silent solace amid the overwhelming grief. In another, happier day, being embraced by Jack like this would have had Emily blush red, but not today. She barely even noticed he was embracing her. The shadows cast by the flickering candle seemed to dance in mournful sympathy as they bore witness to the shattered remnants of Emily's once-happy home.
----------------------------------------
After few minutes, though they felt like hours to Emily, Jack spoke up.
"Emily, we can't stay here. We have to go," Jack's voice, though filled with sorrow, held a sense of urgency. The chaos outside was a reminder that danger still lurked. The men who did this to Emily's parents were still out there.
Emily hesitated, her eyes fixed on the lifeless figures of her parents. Jack gently took her hand, offering a comforting squeeze. "I know it's hard, but we have to run. It's not safe here."
With a final, mournful glance at her childhood home, Emily nodded. Together, they slipped out of the cottage. The attackers, however, were vigilant, and as the door closed behind them, the chilling realization struck—they had been spotted.
"Run, Emily! Run!" Jack's urgent whisper spurred them into motion. Jack grabbed the girl's hand and started to run as fast he could, Emily tried her best to keep up with him. The pursuit was relentless; their desperate footsteps took them towards the hill overlooking the village's water source.
Breathless and terrified, they reached the lake, which was where people in Saalnia got most their water from. It wasn't a big lake by any means, but to the people of Saalnia, it was like their treasure. Emily and Jack played a lot near this lake, though Emily never once imagined they'd come to it like this.
The men were getting closer now, at least 5 of them chased Jack and Emily. They all were grown men, with weapons in hands. They didn't wear any armor, just simple leather clothes.
"There they are!! Get them! Capture the girl and kill the boy!" One of the men shouted.
Jack noticed the men were getting closer, and that it's only a matter of time before they catch them.
"E-Emily, run! I'll draw their attention!" Jack's urgent command sliced through the air. Without waiting for Emily's response, he released her hand, propelling her forward. Swift and determined, he seized a makeshift wooden stick nearby, swiftly turning to face the oncoming threat.
"What?! Jack, no!" Emily shouted, stopping to look at the boy who was now running away from her and closer to the men.
"Stay away!" Jack shouted at the men as he brandished the wooden stick in a futile attempt to both sound and look threatening, but the image of a you boy with a stick trying to scare them off only made the men laugh as they stopped near Jack and looked at him with mockery in their eyes.
"Aww, aren't you a brave little thing?" One of the men sneered.
"Trying to protect your pretty girlfriend? Don't worry, we'll treat her right." Another man mocked, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"I'm sure we can sell her for a good price too." A different man added, callously voicing their sinister intentions.
"E-Emily, run!" Jack's desperate cry filled the air, his back turned to Emily as he confronted the approaching men.
"Ja-" Emily began, her voice catching in her throat as the horrifying reality unfolded before her.
Jack crumpled to the ground, a spear thrust into his heart by one of the five men. He couldn't muster a final glance in Emily's direction. He fell, silent and lifeless, leaving Emily to bear witness to the abrupt and devastating end of the boy she loved so dearly.
The world plunged into darkness within Emily's mind, even though it was still morning and the two suns up at the sky could still be seen. She couldn't speak or move. She didn't even want to think anymore.
"Someone go and grab her!" One of the men shouted as he pulled out the spear out of Jack's lifeless body.
Two men started approaching Emily. To her left was the lake, to her right the village, and ahead were the men. The only choice was to run backwards, but even so she didn't move. Something within her was happening.
At first it was a silent scream
Then it was anger.
Then it was hatred.
Then it raged like a storm.
The next thing Emily knew, she was screaming so loud, she didn't think it was possible for someone to scream like this, but that wasn't all. The lake, the water in the lake, it was moving, she was moving it, she was controlling it, and she knew just what to do with it.