Haru sniffled. All of her attempts to escape this prison were futile. She knew this, but she kept believing someone would come for her. Surely someone would save her, someone would come to the rescue, right? Even though all of the pain and sadness, this one thought kept her going. Suddenly, Haru heard a bang behind her and yelped. It had been quiet for a while now and the noise startled her. Were they finally going to kill her after holding her hostage for so long? Haru started to cry. She didn’t want to die. After all the hardships and struggles she’s been through, she was just going to die?

“Pipe down there!” said one of the bandits who had been guarding her for all her time in the camp. He grabbed Haru’s arm. “We’re having a little trouble out here with some brats, the last thing I need is your nonsense to top it off.”

Haru pouted, “Please, don’t.”

He let go of her and she fell to the ground. “Tch, just shut up kid.” The bandit closed up the tent and left Haru in there. She curled up into a ball and whimpered in the corner.

Haru sat there for a few minutes before the bandit guarding her suddenly started yelling. “Hey what are you- Guah!”

She heard him fall to the ground. There were leaves crunching as the person who knocked him out walked closer to the tent. Haru started quivering, her tail on end. “No, stay away.” A blade punctured the tent and she was frozen in place. It started to tear through creating a gash.

A boy's head popped through the gap. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m here to help.”

Haru looked at Kazuki in astonishment.

Kazuki saw a girl with long silver hair and wolf-like ears with a tail sitting on the ground, shocked. Her complimentary silver eyes, wet with tears. A silver wolf? I’ve never seen one before. They’re said to have extraordinary abilities. “What’s your name?” he asked.

She was still quivering, “M-My name is Haru.”

“Well, Haru, it’s good to meet you,” Kazuki said, putting out his hand. “C’ mon, let’s get outta here.”

Haru hesitated before grabbing his hand.

“We need to leave here before the bandits regain consciousness.” Kazuki turned and walked towards the exit of the bandit camp.

Suddenly, he heard someone shout behind him. “Watch out!” Kazuki whipped his head around, and a club swung towards his chest. Kazuki didn’t have time to dodge, so he blocked it with his arms. He howled in pain.

“You really did a number on our camp, didn’t you kid.” The bandit leader towered over Kazuki, grinning as he slowly transmuted his metal club into a dual-sided ax. “But that all ends now. You got lucky once, it won’t happen again.”

Suddenly, the bandit leader heard a shout behind him. “『Inferno』”

“Wha-”

He was enveloped in a fiery tornado that had shredded through several trees nearby. Kazuki looked on in shock. He turned back around to see Haru, her hand extended casting the spell.

Awesome. Kazuki started to lose consciousness from the blow he took. Oh, crap. My HP is really low. This doesn’t look … good.

Thud.

O O O

Kazuki awoke with a groan.

“You’re finally awake,” said Haru.

Kazuki sat up from the patch of grass he was lying in. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

“You’re asking me if I’m ok? Look at the state you’re in.” Her tail started to sway.

She was right. His arms were still bruised from the blow. “Anyway, where are we? I thought we were in that bandit camp when I took a hit from the leader.”

“I used my fire magic to burn him. He didn’t die, but was severely injured,” Haru stated. “Right now we're in the forest surrounding the camp.”

“Ah, I’m sorry I caused you so much trouble.”

Haru brushed her hair back. “The only reason I’m not in that camp anymore is because of you. Something like that is nothing compared to what you’ve done for me.”

“I’m sure almost anyone would have tried to get you out of there in that situation,” Kazuki said as he tried to cheer Haru up. “Why don’t you tell me how you ended up here.”

Haru hesitated before speaking. “Up until I was ten, I lived in a small village with my kin. That village was my entire life, until,” Haru clenched her hands, “a Demon Lord attacked.”

Kazuki flinched.

“My parents locked me in our cellar to keep it from finding me. But it wasn’t enough.”

O O O

The cellar door burst open. Haru was scared stiff.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here. Aren’t you a precious little thing?” said the Demon Lord.

She teared up. “Where’s Mom and Dad?”

The Demon Lord shrugged, “They’re gone now.”

Haru started to cry even louder.

He scowled. “I can’t deal with crying.” He lifted his arm, preparing to strike.

“『Flame Whip』”

Haru could hear the burn sizzle on the Demon Lord’s back. “You wolves never know when to quit,” the Demon Lord sneered.

“Haru run!” cried Haru’s dad.

“But-”

“Just run!” he screamed, attempting to fend off the beast.

The Demon Lord stood up. “You think I’m going to let you-”

“『Light Surge』” A blinding white light was being emitted from his body.

“Why you!” The Demon Lord clawed at his eyes. “I am Shruke! Don’t forget my name, kid, because I WILL kill you.”

Haru ran away as fast as she could. The last thing she heard was an explosion before passing out.

O O O

Haru jolted awake. She was sitting in a clearing near her village.

“Ah, you’re awake,” said a familiar voice.

Haru looked at the man with surprise. “Grandpa?”

“There was an explosion in the village and I found you passed out during the attack.” He winced. “But no one else made it out alive.”

Haru sat there, shocked. “What’re we going to do now?” she whimpered.

He put his hand on her head. “You can live with me until you are old enough to go out on your own. I know this is a lot to handle right now, but we must be prepared in case there is another attack. We are going to live in this forest for the time being where I will train you.”

“Train me in what?”

He put his hand out as a spark lit in his hand, creating a flame. “Magic.”

O O O

“After that, my grandfather taught me how to use fire magic. It’s the only magic I know.” Haru snapped her fingers and a flame appeared above them. “But one day, I was out exploring the forest alone and was captured by the bandits. I don’t know what happened to my grandpa.”

Kazuki’s mouth was wide open in shock. He was surprised to see someone go under the same suffering he had.

“My village...,” Kazuki stared at the ground, remembering what had happened just a few days ago. “Was destroyed by Shruke.”

Haru put her hands over her mouth.

“I won’t get over it right away, but we have to move forward. We’ll stop Shruke, and every other Demon Lord that wants to take us on.”

“I’m with you. I’ll get revenge on Shruke if it’s the last thing I do,” Haru said.

Suddenly, Shiki shoved his head into the tent and looked around, “Seems like I interrupted something.”

Kazuki jolted back in surprise, “How’d you find us?”

Shiki smirked, “I smelled you out.”

“Hey, I helped too you know.” Ari spouted.

“You’re here too? You guys met each other?” Kazuki questioned.

“Yeah, I found her in one of the tents then we both came to find you.” Shiki glanced at Haru. “Seems you made a new friend as well.” Shiki reached his hand out towards her. “I’m Shiki, pleasure to meet ya.”

Haru hesitated at first but then shook his hand.

Ari walked up to Haru. “My name is Ari. Glad to be your acquaintance.”

Kazuki thought for a second before finally speaking, “Hey, guys, there’s something I should probably tell you.”

Ari looked at Kazuki, “Oh?”

O O O

“I see,” Shiki mumbled.

“That’s horrible! Both of your villages were destroyed by the same Demon Lord?!” Ari yelled.

Haru just sat there, looking at the ground.

Kazuki clenched his teeth, “Yeah, I'm gonna do something about it. There’s no way I’m letting him get away with this.”

“Well count me in,” Shiki said standing up. “Beings like him don’t deserve to live.”

“Me too!” Ari exclaimed. “I can’t let my friends suffer like this.”

“You guys,” said Kazuki.

The wind started to blow, rustling the trees and causing bright colored leaves to shed from the branches.

“Come on, let’s get outta here,” Shiki pointed away from the tent.

First the first time since his village was destroyed, Kazuki genuinely smiled. “You bet!”