Annie

I used to think that life was a gift, something that all living things had a right to. How to live that life was their choice, and if you constantly made the wrong decisions throughout your life, then that is the life you will continue to live.

But the harsh truth of this world is that life doesn't give a fuck about you in the slightest.

You could do everything right down to the last little thing, making every right choice possible, and life will throw you a curveball and send you spiraling into hell and back. But you just have to keep going, no matter how much resistance the world gives you.

The streets of Copperfeld were bustling with people from all walks of life; humans, youkai and elementals alike coming together in celebration of Queen Vanessa's birthday. Her royal highness makes her way through the country every year and spends a few days in each town. During that time, the people do their best to prepare for her arrival and give her the best experience possible.

To many citizens of this country, Vanessa is a righteous ruler who freed us from the tyranny of our old one. A beautiful youkai woman who ascended to the throne a few years ago, she claims that she only wishes to spend her birthday among those she cares for most. Her subjects.

But the few that haven't become blind see her for what she truly is: A demonic woman with a cruel heart and insatiable bloodlust.

Copperfeld is a small town in the southwest region of Malthan Las, a little farther out into the country than most. It was built a few decades ago as an expansion of the kingdom, after the late king realized that the area was rich with iron and other minerals. He had a settlement built that solely focuses on the output of ore, which attracted many a blacksmith to the town.

Due to this, however, the town itself isn't as developed as the more populated cities such as Smaragdstadt or Sternenopal. Don't even get me started on Aufsteigen; the capital city of the kingdom is said to have streets of platinum and homes built with the purest white marble.

Meanwhile, Copperfeld is filled with dirt roads and wooden buildings, save for the more-than-occasional blacksmith which are made of stone. Normally the town looks about as bland as a bandit camp, but due to the upcoming festivities the townsfolk are doing their best to dress up the place.

"OI! Get back here you damn rat!"

I turn towards the source of the cry, a man yelling from a market stall and shaking his fist at a hooded figure racing in my direction. Many people start to move out of their way, but the figure follows the crowd, slipping around and darting towards the outer gates of the city. He's trying to lose himself in the crowd, I think to myself, mentally sighing in disappointment. He should know better than to wear such suspicious clothing like that, if he's a true thief.

I tap my foot and pull my hair up into a ponytail, ignoring the sudden glances I receive as bright lights encase my boots. I can't help but grin as mechanical noises echo from the shoes, wheels coming from the soles and giving me a few extra inches of height. The wheels themselves begin to glow, faint neon colors flashing as the rest of the lights die down.

I lunge forward on my skates, speeding around bystanders at an alarming speed as I chase after the thief. It's easy enough to bob and weave around the tangled masses, the sea parting to give me a straight shot to my target. Not even a few seconds later, my hand grasps the back of the figure's cloak and tugs them down, causing them to hit the ground with a loud thud.

"W-What the hell...?" A gruff voice whimpers from the bundle of cloth, but I'm already pinning him to the ground and taking hold of the item in his hands: a coin pouch, and a heavy one at that.

"You may be fast, but I'm much faster," I simply respond, glancing back at the onlookers who had gathered in a semicircle a few meters back. Careful not to let anyone see my hands, I slip a good chunk of gold from the pouch into my skirt pocket before ripping the cloak away and binding his hands with it. I notice a small brown wallet in his back pocket as well, which I stealthily grab and tuck away as the man from the stall approaches.

"Thank you, young miss. Darn rat made off with almost all my earnings this month! Imagine if someone pulled this stunt during the festival..." He says, giving the thief a hostile glare as I stand up.

"Let's pray that they don't," I respond, handing him the pouch with a pretty smile. "I'm sure the queen wouldn't want her birthday celebration to be ruined."

"Indeed. To witness a bloodbath during a festival... it would ruin our reputation."

The man takes the thief and drags him to his feet. The dark brown hood falls, revealing an older male with a goatee and a scruffy face. Ew, goatees. "By the way, those are some interesting shoes you've got there," the man continues, glancing down at my boots. "Where did you get something like that?"

My gaze softens a bit at the memory, and with another tap my skates become normal boots again. "They were a gift from someone very important to me. Anyways, I should get going. Will you be alright taking this man in?"

The man nods in understanding, sending one last glare towards the thief before turning away. "I'll be fine. You take care, miss."

It takes a few minutes, but the crowd begins to disperse and go on with their preparations. I take my time strolling through the streets, doing my best to push away the thoughts that want to breach the surface. I didn't even realize I had walked past the city gates, however; when I finally tuned back into the real world, I found myself at the edge of the forest that surrounds the back half of town.

How did I even end up here? I think to myself, cocking my head to the side in confusion. Not like my house is too far away, but still.

Maybe I'm just sleep deprived? Naaah, I slept 'til noon this morning.

Is it because I'm hungry? They say you aren't you when you're hungry.

Damn, now thinking about it is ACTUALLY making me hungry.

However, I don't have time to worry about it too much as a small meow interrupts my dangerous thought process. I look down at my feet to find a small black cat with a red bowtie slinking its way around my legs, giving a small purr every now and then.

"Aww, aren't you the cutest little thing!" I say in a hushed tone, leaning down to pet the creature. The cat leans its head into my hand, and it practically appears to be smiling as I scratch it a little behind its ears. It gives another little mew, before its beady little eyes open up and shift to meet mine. Red orbs decorate a piercing gaze, and the cat suddenly leaps back and darts into the forest.

The heck was that about? I raise a brow before seeing its little head pop up from a bush, then disappear again from view. "Ahh, you want to play, little guy?" I call, casually walking towards the trees. I suppose it couldn't hurt. I've got a bit of time to kill anyways.

The sky seems to darken as I make my way through the forest, the black cat just out of reach but never out of sight. Lush foliage decorates the soil beneath my feet, low hanging branches dangling dangerously from the trees. The cat continues on, seemingly running in one particular direction. Eventually, the creature vanishes from sight.

"Where did you go, little guy?" I call, furrowing my brow as I break into a jog. Now that I think about it, that cat probably has an owner, judging by the bowtie at least. I'd hate for that cat to go missing because of me.

Lost in thought over the dilemma, I forget my surroundings for a moment. Squeaking in surprise, my foot catches on a loose tree root and trips me up. I hit the ground at an odd angle, causing me to roll down a hill I didn't even know was there. Pain shoots through my shoulder as I tumble, doing my best to keep my mouth closed so I don't accidentally eat dirt.

My whole body hurts by the time I reach the bottom, and I spit out a leaf or two before shifting to my knees. Aww man, this sucks, I think to myself. Not only did I lose the cat, but also got my hair all messed up. This is going to be a pain in the butt to get clean again.

"You've done it this time, Annie," I mutter under my breath, but I cut myself off at the sound of footsteps approaching.

My eyes dart upwards to find a man wearing a dark blue shirt staring at me with a shocked expression. His eyes are filled with stars, and his hair is so fluffy it appears to be made out of clouds. An orange plaid overcoat is pinned to his shirt, which gives me reason to assume he isn't from here. At least, not from Copperfeld.

The man smiles after a moment of awkward silence, extending a hand towards me with a sheepish expression. "That was quite the fall there, miss. Mind if I ask your name?"

Aww he looks like a cinnamon roll, I think to myself, shaking my head before taking his hand. "Annie. Yours?" He pulls me up and gently plucks a leaf from my hair, beaming brightly like the sun before answering.

"Garfunkel. It's a pleasure to meet you."