The sun was barely on the horizon, with hues of pink in the sky as the warriors ambled through the dirt, mounted on magnificent horses and swords wielded in skillful hands as their skin glistened with sweat. Years of fighting marked their arms with scars, the muscles firm as they effortlessly slayed the villagers. They had but only one order, to kill the men and take the women captive. It had been ingrained in their iniquitous minds by their leader, a cruelness in their smile as they set fire to the shacks, the flames tantalizing and mocking as it engulfed everything in its path and reduced their homes to ruins.

These men wore the faces of beasts, barbarians, as the elders had called them.

The villagers had been lured into a false comfort by the elders that these barbarians would not attack their village because they had nothing to offer, so they had not been prepared for the invasion, an invasion so brutal it had left no one unscathed.

You were one of few who had managed to get away, having stood proudly with the other women as they threw large rocks at the warriors and tried to protect themselves, only to be overpowered and captured. There was nothing you could do as their wrists were bound with rope and they were dragged into the clearing from where these warriors had come from - you could only run, bare feet thrashing on the ground and your legs being whipped by uprooted branches as you fled for the forest. If you had not been as quick as you were, you would never have been able to outrun them.

They had chased you to begin with, but soon gave up.

So now, as you reached the trees, you fell to your knees, turning to look at the chaos behind you before letting out a scream that could barely be considered human. Tears brimmed your wide eyes, long hair cascading over your face and cheeks flustered as your scream turned to sobs. Your hands curled into fists as you threw them onto the myriad of leafs, consumed in this darkness that took over your mind. This anger, the devastation, the sadness that these monsters had destroyed everything you loved.

The hairpieces you had spent so long weaving out of flowers?

The homes your people had spent so many months building and turning into homes?

Destroyed.

"Y/N!"

You glanced upwards at the sound of a familiar voice, long lashes fluttering as you focused on the silhouette of a slim woman as she fell down beside you. She was breathing heavily from running, tanned skin stained in blood and clothing disheveled and torn. Mahogany colored hair reached her shoulders, unkempt and covered in dirt as it framed her oval shaped face. Her lips, defined and pouted, were curved with a frown and those pretty, cerulean eyes were staring into yours - capturing you in her natural beauty.

"Yuna?"

The brunette, Yuna, reached outwards, her lithe fingers caressing your face before she drew closer and draped her arms around your small shoulders. "I thought," She whispered in your ear, trying to hold it together now that she had found you. "They had caught you."

"I'm okay." You cried into her hair, her embrace so comforting and warm and unlike any other. She was your best friend, the only person you had left. "They took the other women, I tried to protect them but I couldn't."

"I know." Yuna smiled, but it did not reach her eyes and she was thankful that you could not see it. If you knew what these vile barbarians intended to do with the women, it would taint the beauty of your heart, your kindness. You were so innocent, so naive and the thought of them putting their disgusting hands on you was something she would never allow. She would not let them take you from her, nor could she lie to you, so now, as she pulled away, she looked at you with a seriousness in her expression. "Those warriors are men, Y/N. They are only taking the women for their needs."

Your eyebrows furrowed as you pushed yourself to your feet, voice barely above a whisper as you spoke. "Then we will run, Yuna."