Chapter 3 Sacrifices We Make

8 years has passed since Xander started teaching the girls how to fight. His expertise was just melee fighting and barehand fighting. Tillia taught them basic magic spells to help with battles. Sabella could wield magic easily but had trouble fighting with weapons. Anri was the opposite of her sister, knowing how to fight with weapons. She mostly used her fists and feet to attack. Today was the girls birthday and they decided to put their skills to the test in a friendly fight. They both stood in an open area of the ashy island, facing each other. "First battle is with no weapons." There Farther stood moving out of the way. He moved to the side of the fighting area. "Use your skills and wits to win the fight." He continued before raising his hand up to the sky, letting a fireball shoot up to the sky making a popping sound. The two girls glared at each other as they moved in a circle, not losing eye contact. Then Anri rushes forward, her fist infront of her. Sabella lifted her hands up and blocked her punch before she bent down and slid away from her. Anri stumbles forward before looking back at her, noticing her sister mocking her. Then she rushes towards her again and raises her fist Sabella lifts her hands again but stops mid way as Anris leg sweeps underneath her tripping her. She falls backwards on the ground causing ash to dust up around them. "Got you!" Anri mocks as she sticks out her tongue. "The winner is Anri!" There Father calls out as he walks towards them he helps Sabella up off the ground. "That's what happens when you don't fight back Bell." Anri says as she lightly punches her arm playfully. "I'm no good at fist fighting." Sabella says sadly as she looks down kicking the ground with her foot. "You're so frail, Anri teased before noticing her clothes was all dirty. "Ok you two, go take a bath and go see your mother." There father said before heading back to the village.

Sabella starts heading back but Anri grabbed her wrist gently. Ha lets go to the Frostmoon Crag. I heard there's a new village there." She whispers to her with a grin on her face. "But they could be hostile." Sabella replied looking at her with concern. "I don't think so, the travelers say they just sit around up there." Anri reassures her as they start to make their way to the new village on the island. The farther they went north, the more it became unfamiliar. Instead of ash on the ground it was snow. They shiver as their breaths could be seen. After an hour of walking they made it to the Frostmoon Crag which was just a cave with a large fireplace and four bedrolls. "Hello?" Anri called out as they stepped closer. All of a sudden a girl jumps down from a boulder.looking at the girls They step back looking at the brown haired girl. "You shouldn't be here." She warns them "the others is on a hunt, You should leave before they come back." She continued before turning away and sitting on a bedroll. "We just wanted to welcome you to the island." Anri says kindly as she moves closer. The girl just growls at them. "Just leave!" She yells at them. Sabella grabbed Anris hand and walked away from the village. "The nerve of that girl.." Anri grumbles under her breath. "I told you they would be hostile." Sabella says as they walked back to their village.

When they got close to the village, they could see the huts on fire. "whats going on?!" Anri yells as she runs into the village as Sabella follows. Dead bodies laid on the crimson colored ash as bandits cut down another villager. The two girls look around with fear in their eyes as tears start falling down their cheeks. "Where's mom and dad?" Sabella cries as she rubs her eyes with her trembling hands. "I can't see them.." she continues as she starts crying harder. Anri was in shock and was paralyzed in fear. Then mother appears infront of them crouching down. "There you are, I was so worried. Follow me." She says in a shaky voice as she grabbed both the girls hands. Then her hands flowed a green color causing their bodies to become invisible. They made their way to a small boat bobbing in the ocean. She helped the girls into the boat covering them up with cloth. Anri uncovers her head looking up at her mother who had tears in her eyes but with a weak smile on her face. "It's ok my little loves, your going to be safe." She says gently as she hands them a beautiful ruby necklace. "Your father and I will always watch over you, we love you so much. Now stay down and stay quiet." She continues before kissing their foreheads and covering them back up. Then she pushes the boat out to sea casting a transportation spell on it.

"Looks like your the only one that's left." A harsh voice called from behind her. It was a large and muscular man, who was the bandit leader of the group who's attacking the village. He was bald with a scar over his left brown eye. He wore an outfit made out of different skins. Tillia turns to face him and pulls a dagger out from behind her. "You will pay for killing my people!" She yells as the bandit leader laughs at how shaky her hands were. "You think you can hurt me?" He mocked before stepping closer smacking her down to her knees with one hit. Then a scream was heard from behind him. He turned around seeing one of his men get stabbed from behind by Xander. He dropped the body to the floor before getting into a fighting stance with a sword in hand. "What are you idiots doing? Get him!" The leader demanded as the other bandits start attacking Xander. Then Tillia lunges forward planting the dagger into his back. The leader yells out angrily before spinning around quickly smacking her to the ground again. Then he bent down over her grabbing her by the hair. "I'm going to enjoy killing you!" He screams at her before tearing her dagger from his back and places it to her neck. He grins evilly at her as her eyes widen with tears in them. He swiftly runs the blade across her neck cutting it open. Blood starts spattering out as he lets go of her. Her hands wrap around her neck as she wheezes and coughs. Her hands start to glow yellow trying to heal her wound but the spell fades away as she falls to the ground. One of her hands reach out to Xander before falling as she breathed her last breath. Her eyes went dim as they starred at Xander.

Xander looks at Tillias lifeless body as his eyes widen. "Til.." he began to say but was cut short by an axe swinging into his back. He fell to the ground and spits out blood. "Let's go, we need to get our things." The bandit leader says as the group walks away into the distance. Xander slowly crawls towards Tillias body and holds her cold lifeless body close to him as he starts crying. "Tillia..please don't leave me..wait for me." He breathed out heavily as he gives her lips a gentle kiss. His breathing was shaky and heavy before it stopped completely. The couple laid their in each other's arms with tears in their dim eyes. It starts raining as if the gods were mourning the deaths of all who were lost that day.