Hana's POV
It was spring I think when I looked around after going outside our home, the snow has melted completely even at the forest surrounding us. The gentle warm breeze blowing across the village and my home together with my family, and everything has been peaceful with the birds flying high in the sky, the sun rising up from the horizon telling us that it is morning, and the sweet scent of the air that tickles your nose inviting you to that sweet aroma.
I am Hana, the youngest sibling in the Valha family. My father is the leader that governs this village and to keep it safe from any kind of harm while my mother is the priestess taking care of the World Tree. I have an older sister, Rose Valha, the one who will inherit father's place as chief, and it is just the two of us girls, the only children of the Valha family.
Rose is more energetic and rowdy but skilled in marksmanship, swordsmanship, and leadership. Rose is very energetic that you would sometimes think that she is the younger sister because she is lost without me, but I love her because she supports me as well, we both support each other. Her marksmanship is something many say that is very skilled because she can hit distant targets accurately. Her swordsmanship is also very skilled but what makes it attention grabbing is that she is confident and lets out an aura of a strong willed person who would never back down even in front of their worst fears in which I greatly admire her for it.
Her leadership is on par with father since she sometimes help father at work and is able to efficiently complete their tasks. The people are trusting her and saying that she fits to be a chief of the village, though she still needs help on self control at times so that's the time I come in.
I am a more composed, calm, and somewhat skilled in magic than my older sister Rose. I am composed because there was one time that the harvest in the Galaeron forest for food is starting to decrease little by little which caused everyone to panic except for me because of what my mother always say to me before she does her duty as priestess.
"If you encounter a problem, there is always a solution. If the problem seems impossible, you might only be looking at it at the wrong perspective, and remember that not every problem can be done by just yourself, you'll need others and never be afraid to ask for help because help will come to those who ask for it. Remember Hana...your father and I loves the two a lot...mommy loves you a lot~" - Mother
"I love you too mom~!" - Hana
I like to hug my mother before a lot~
I tried to ask around for what is happening in much more detail, and one of the elves told me that the harvesting area was picked by someone already which results the harvest to decrease. This problem caused a commotion near my father because there might be a dangerous being in the forest picking on the food in the Galaeron forest.
I couldn't just sit still frozen and wait for something to happen because as a younger sister of Rose who will be the future chief of this village, I need to support her and have the capabilities to support her and to stand beside her all the time.
Without thinking any further of what are the consequences are, I ran straight into the Galaeron forest because I am confident in my skills in magic, and I want to be strong enough or be stronger for my sister.
I went into the forest to see and investigate on what is happening because I thought that I can help everyone because it is a problem I can solve, and it is just finding who the culprit is.
When I saw the place where plants and trees have sharp single and linear cuts, I thought to myself that there are no monsters, magic beasts, or animals who could do a single linear cut deep into the tree, so I thought that there is someone, a person, who is using a blade and did all these cuts but why take the food as well is what I am also wondering, but when I was about to head back.
"Where am...I...where should I go...to get back home..." - Hana
I may be smart but what I lacked is the knowledge and experience in being the forest alone, and I don't know any magic to bring me back or show me the way back. I got lost and have no sense of direction with the thick tall trees of this forest, and I have heard of stories of monsters appearing at night in the Galaeron forest. While the sun is still in the sky, I kept walking finding and not cry because I am clinging on the sense of hope with me.
I don't know how long I walked but the sun has set, and I was crying and shouting calling for help. The forest is night is scarier than the stories told, the night is darker that looked like the depth of endless abyss and any danger can come crawling without notice. As I was thinking of all the scary stories told to every kids in the village, all the horrors and my greatest fears somehow came to life with all the darkness surrounding me and kinda suffocating.
"Mom...Dad....Rose....where are you...?" - Hana
As I was about to lose hope, I saw light, light that sparked hope that my mother, father, and Rose have come to save me and bring me back but what I saw was heavily armed soldiers wearing armor and carrying weapons.
I did not come any closer because of one thing that came to my mind, they are scary.
"The general said we better get the materials in this forest fast, can't they wait because this work involves a lot of heavy work which I didn't sign up for" - ???
"Yeah...I agree with you, we are soldiers of the empire yet we are doing what those wood cutters do and doing it at night no less" - ???
"You two get back to work, we don't have much time and cut all the trees down for the artillery and buildings, and you guys need to take the herbs of this forest as well for the alchemists to make a medicine out of it, hurry! before I kick you out of the army!" - ???
""YES SIR!"" - ???
When I overheard the conversation between the three heavily armed soldiers, I ran away quietly as I can as far away as possible from these soldiers.
I kept running like my life is being chased by death behind me, and running with no sense of direction caused me as well to get lost even more. I was so scared that I won't be able to see my family again which are the light of my life, I am also scared that I won't be able to see my friends again, and all of this are running in my mind back and forth with no end.
For who knows how long I was crying and running through the forest, I heard the sound that gave me strength again.
"Hana! Hana! where are you?!" - Rose
It was the voice of Rose that gave me the strength and run towards where I heard her voice, and I was running towards the voice of my sister.
"Big sister! It was scary! Soldiers!" - Hana
I hugged Rose tightly as she hugged me as well as both of us crying like when we were kids. Rose was happy to see me because I could see the smile in her face filled with relief which made my body think that it is safe but then I remembered the armed soldiers again.
"what...what do you mean soldiers?" - Rose
Rose was confused which kind of soldiers, and I explained to her the horror and the plans I have seen and heard in the forest. I explained to her the plans of the soldiers to take all the herb materials, food, and cut down the trees. The soldiers are taking what we harvest each season in the Galaeron forest and cutting down the massive trees of the Galaeron forest to build something.
After explaining everything to Rose, I asked her where mother and father is and told me that they are also searching for me in the forest together with the villagers and the soldiers since the forest is still a dangerous forest especially at night.
"Hana, we need to keep running okay, can you still run?" - Rose
"I can still run...don't leave me" - Hana
"I won't leave you at all because you are my beloved sister~" - Rose
With her saying that, I smiled as I heard those words from her. I really admired her bravery sometimes, and it may seemed bias but she is the best sister in the whole world.
We both ran and head towards where mother and father is, and as I was about to lose strength in my legs, Rose lifted me up and carried me on her arms. It was quite embarrassing to be carried around like this, and I didn't look at Rose at all as she kept running. While I was worried for her to keep running while carrying me, she said words that reassured me.
"No matter what, I would never let you go" - Rose
I was a bit stunned when she said those words to me, she really does know how to go with the flow of the words sometimes which sometimes others think of her that she is like a guy, because I have seen her with a lot of other girls while I just watch from afar. While it is just the two of us, I whispered the words my heart wants to say.
"I'll never let you go as well. I love you" - Hana
"I love you too, Hana~!" - Rose
After the whole sibling love situation, we finally found farther and mother.
""Mom! Dad!"" - Hana and Rose
Rose put me down carefully, and I ran towards them and hugged them as well as crying within their warm embrace, but before I could say anything father said something shocking, and it would also explain the other soldiers from our village. The elven soldiers are completely armed and on guard around us.
"I want you three to run away from here right now, this place is not safe. Humans have invaded our territory and destroyed the forest which your mother said when the World Tree spoke to her"
They were humans soldiers which I saw who are wearing armor, carrying weapons, and destroying the forest, so I told them the same thing I said to Rose on what are the human soldiers are planning. This made everyone worried because I came really close to the human soldiers especially father's face who is filled with fear and worry as he looked around.
"Listen, you need to run away from here..."
Before father could even send us away, a massive fireball came hurdling towards us, but mother was able to set up a barrier before it could do harm to us but to the others who are not in the barrier got injured due to the intense amount of heat which cause an explosion.
"RUN! RUN AWAY FAR FROM HERE"
Father was shouting and telling us to run away as his soldiers ready their weapons then I saw death in front of my eyes for the first time.
Rose and I saw how our father die before our eyes, and our mother was also screaming in horror. Everything was chaos, some of the elven soldiers picked as up leaving behind our mother and dead father.
Before we could escape, another fireball was fired and exploded near us. My body is aching in pain as I open my eyes and saw that I was laying down on the ground and saw more dead bodies, I looked for Rose and saw her barely standing and calling for me.
"Rose! where is mom and dad?!" - Hana
"Hana! we need to get out of here!" - Rose
"But mom and dad is-" - Hana
"There is nothing we can do! we just need to keep running and stay alive for mom and dad!" - Rose
I was crying because of all the aching pain and thinking of what happened to mom and dad. Rose helped me to stand up again but before we could stand up and start to escape from the chaotic fight that is filled with screams of pain and death, another fireball was shot knocking us both unconscious.
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I do not know how long I was unconscious but I was laying down in my own bedroom and my body aching in pain, and on the opposite side of the room is my sister.
"Rose..." - Hana
"Hello Hana..." - Rose
"Where is mom and dad? are you okay? what happened?" - Hana
"Hana, I will explain everything...so save your strength" - Rose
Rose told me that we have won the fight and able to drive out the invaders away from us but there is still a possibility that they might come back for revenge. She also told me that she will succeed the position of father as the next chief of the village and that I will be the priestess of the World Tree which was the duty of mother.
"and...and...Hana, they are dead..." - Rose
"No...no..." - Hana
"I am sorry Hana, but mom and dad are dead!" - Rose
Rose broke down in tears and started crying that tells me that it is the heartbreaking truth. With mom and dad gone, I can't still believe it but I also need to accept that they are gone now.
I prayed in my mind that the World Tree has taken them to a better place and resting in peace, and for now, I shall support my sister on her duties as chief.
"Hana, I shall let you rest...I still need to check everything and to succeed the place of father...I will avenge our parents..." - Rose
"Rose, I know you want to avenge them but please...I don't want to lose you too...you promised me...you promised me that you'll be with me, to be together forever..." - Hana
"I won't disappear Hana...I won't" - Rose