Splash

She fell, drowning deeper and deeper into the cold and freezing river. An albino half elf, in a uniform fit for a knight. Tattered with battle marks here and there. Her blood, seeping out of the wound in her belly. The colorless water was gradually being dyed crimson.

“How did it all come to this?”

She wondered.

[X-X-X]

35 years ago in the empire of Lumane, a girl was born with a rare disorder called albinism. Her father was the emperor and her mother, one of his concubines. She was given a name, Anastasia Beatrix Lucigarden. A few days after giving birth, her mother passed away due to an unknown reason. Some said it was due to pregnancy, and consequently the blame was put upon Anastasia.

Anastasia was brought up all alone in a separate palace from the rest of the main palace building complex, surrounded by the royal orchard. She was more of, confined to the place and was never let outside. All she could go to was the orchard. The emperor, her father never visited her, nor did her brothers or sisters. Later she learned from her maids that her bizarre pale skin and snow white hair was just an eyesore for them. She didn’t care about any of that, not even the fact that some maids stole her own belongings.

Anastasia was now ten years old. There was a big library in her palace, which no one seemed to use anymore. Even though at first she didn’t know what was in those books she read, she read them. It was later that she found out they were books on magic and various spells and mechanics. This was when little Anastasia first fell in love with magic. Unfortunately for her, she was unable to cast more than a measly spell that made a single flower sprout or one which was helpful in keeping her hands warm on cold winter nights. As she heard, from the gossip of her maids, her brothers and sisters were doing exceptionally better in magery and other fields like sword skills and politics.

So continued her peaceful shut in life, till when she was 15 years old, it took a total turn. By that time, the empire had faced serious economical issues and was at the brink of falling apart. There also had been frequent disagreements with the emperor and other regional rulers, which had caused a minor civil war at one point. Taking advantage of this situation, their neighboring empire Tenibris, had launched an invasion. Almost all of Lumane's Western parts were captured by Tenibris including the capital.

The whole imperial family, including the emperor and his empress were captured and publicly executed.

Fortunately Anastasia was able to run away just in time. By that time she was left with only one maid who had stayed loyal to her. A foxian girl. She also had a friend at the royal treasury who had often visited her library. (Her library had some pretty useful books related to accounts and economy.) It was with Their help that she was able to run away the day before the capital was invaded. She had been loaded onto a carriage of a trading group that headed east. It was sad to leave both the people who had cared for her all this long knowing they wouldn't be able to see each other again. But Anastasia was immune to most feelings, and did not feel much pain. Though she did wish in a small corner of her heart, they'd meet again some day.

[X-X-X]

Anastasia's maid had given her a letter. She was told to find an inn called The Nine Tails Tavern, when she went to the city of Portalia, and give the letter to its madam.

It was a long journey which took them several nights to reach the destination. Anastasia was so excited by the whole journey as she had been cooped up in her palace behind tall walls all her life till now. And it was the first time she saw some stuff. For example a herd of giant chrystalohms they passed silently, or vast grasslands with patches of meadowflare flowers scattered here and there.

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The crew of the trading group were nice people and had kept her good company despite her unique appearance. Sometimes they told her stories about their journeys to amazing places farther to the east. Anastasia listened to these with great interest. None of them knew, she was a fleeing princess.

Towards the end of their journey the group was met with trouble when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a horde of bandits. They had demanded a certain amount of ransom money. Things had gone pretty smoothly till the leader of the group had noticed Anastasia and had demanded to hand them over the girl. An albino was a rare commodity to come across after all. Also one could say, she looked a bit too mature for her age.

The bandit leader had beaten up one of the crew members who had refused to hand her over, and tried dragging her out of the carriage she was in. Just then, with the sharp sound of something being sliced, her face got splattered in blood. The heavily built man who was holding her hand tightly, about to drag her out, let go of her hand and the next instance his head fell clean off his body. That was all Anastasia remembered until she passed out.

[X-X-X]

“An unfamiliar ceiling…”

Anastasia found herself lying on a bed in an Eastern styled room. It was rather compact compared to her own room back at the palace, but was neat and tidy. There also were some incense sticks that gave off a calming aroma. She also found out that she was wearing different clothes. It was similar to that of a bathrobe. Anastasia had once read in a book that people in the far East wore such clothes.

As she slowly made herself up, someone else entered the room.

“Oh you're awake!”

The quiet mature voice belonged to a beautiful woman who wore a pink eastern styled dress. She had long pointy ears and, probably, nine big fluffy tails showing from her back. Another calm looking lady, who had long black hair, with two pointy ears. Followed her in, slowly sliding the door shut as she entered.

“Who’re you and… Where am I? ”, Anastasia asked.

The foxian woman came towards Anastasia, with the same gentle smile on her face, and sat down on the edge of her bed. Anastasia flinched and moved a bit backwards. The woman's magnificent tails were all over the bedding.

“Don't be afraid, princess. You're in safe hands. Welcome to Fox Tail Tavern.”

And that was the first time Anastasia met Lady Tsukiko, the mistress of the Tavern.

Annastasia was told how she had gotten there. It had been that a traveler who had been passing the incident where the trade group was being surrounded by bandits had spotted them by chance, and taken out all the bandits by himself. She figures out that it was him that had lopped off the bandit leader's head like it was nothing. She also gets to know that the rest of the trading group is unharmed and that they had left the western continent on a journey towards the far east.

Later after Anastasia is fully recovered she's told that Heaven, the capital, and most of the central region had been captured by Tenibris. Also that almost everyone of the imperial family had been caught and publicly executed. Including the Emperor and his empress.

She also found out that Jane, who used to be her maid, was a close relation to the mistress of the tavern, and that was the very reason she was here safe. Anastasia is told that she could stay there as long as she can but that she should change her name and appearance in case Tenibris was searching for her, the last Lucigarden.

As a result she cut her white long hair and used a special bracelet given to her by the mistress which helped conceal her albino features. It made her eyes light blue and gave her flaxen hair. She was also known as Anna from there onwards.

Even though she was told she was not needed to do anything. Anastasia, now Anna, volunteered to work in the tavern. Though at First she was rather intimidated by the fact that they provided other sorts of services there as well, 15 year old Anna got used to it with time. Although brought up in a rather pampered way back in the palace, she turns out pretty strong and diligent than other girls working at the tavern. Once she had sent a man flying when caught groping one of her coworkers. The guy turned out to be a high ranking adventure. And on another instance she had single handedly stopped a large shelf from falling on top of another one of her careless co workers.

Time passed. Half of Lumane was under the control of Tenebris, though the remaining four regions of Vale, Mirafleur, Greywoolf and Portalia remained independent.

It had been one year since Anna had come to live in Portalia, and she was more than accustomed to her new life by the time. This was when she had met a strange wanderer practicing with his sword all alone in the woods. Anna had been there by chance as she was searching for some mushrooms the mistress had told her to find. Then later on another day the person arrives at the tavern and she finds out that it was this person that had once saved her and a team of traders from a horde of bandits. After a series of incidents involving a few trolls. They gain each other's trust, and Anna's interest in learning the art of the sword is sparked. There onwards she trains with the wonder for the next five years. Though she is unable to learn all his secret techniques as Anna is weak in using mana.

At the age of 20 she joins an adventure guild where she makes new friends and gains more experience in hunting monsters and magical beasts, outdoor survival, exploring and navigating through dungeons and labyrinths.

Things went well until when Anna was now 23 years old a devastating war broke out between the remaining areas of Lumane and Tenebris in order to re-capture the capital and restore the empire. And through the next ten years Anna experiences the most hellish times of her life.

The true bitterness of war.