In a dark and empty space, there was a small wooden log house, light coming out of the windows and smoke out of the chimney. Signs of people living in it and enjoying the warmth of the cozy four walls. Navia looked around into the dark and empty space. There was nothing except for the house in front of her. As she took one step toward it, a sound of crunching came from below. Suddenly looking down, caught by surprise by the sound, she noticed snow. Her whole foot was sunken in it, before she could feel the solid ground beneath it. The dark space turned white with snow, yet the sky was still black. At least she thought until she noticed stars above. It was a night with a full moon illuminating the earth. Each star was perfectly visible from the place she stood. Even though a small mountain hid some of them, she could visualise where each one of them was.
The snow slowly shaped into hills, pine trees growing out of them. The lone house seemed to stretch and separate itself, creating more buildings like the original, made of logs and wood. The village seemed peaceful, and there was a feeling of familiarity to it.
“Home…” Whispered Navia, her voice sounding more childlike. Her lips lifted into a joyful smile as she recognized the place from her childhood, the place where she was born.
She took a few uncertain and slow steps forward but picked up the speed as she got closer. There was a strong feeling inside her wanting to get home. What she wanted the most was to see their faces; her parents were inside the house.
Tears ran down her cheeks; she missed them very dearly and was glad to have a chance to see them again… No… It wasn’t that. It were tears of fear, of a scared child in a situation she didn’t yet understand, fear of the unknown and uncertainty.
“Mommy! Papa!” Navia shouted as she was a few feet away from the house. She wanted to open the door and enter her safe place with her guardians inside. Before she could even reach the door handle, splinters flew out of the door, and blood sprayed on her face. Turning toward the center of the door, she saw a blade coming out of it, blood dripping from the edge of the silver weapon.
The child’s face went pale; slowly processing what she just saw, she began to tremble and sob. Before it could turn into a full cry, she was swooped off the ground and embraced. She could see the back of the person holding her. As she wanted to check who that was, the doors of the house were busted open. A dead body fell through the door. Even without seeing the face of the dead man, Navia knew who that was.
“Papa! Papa!” The child cried out as she looked at her dead parent.
“It’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay, Navia… Please calm down, my child…” Said the person holding her, trying to comfort her, but the voice trembled as she did so, unable to hide her emotions of fear and sadness. The woman gently stroked her hair and embraced her even stronger.
“Mom… What’s happening?” The girl asked, but her voice was barely a mumble as her face was pressed to her mother’s chest and as if something was stuck in her throat.
“Pirates…” The mother whispered between her gasps for air as she ran toward the forest.
A man with the skull of a wolf on his head left the house, his saber covered with blood. He looked around and turned his gaze to the side of the house where another pirate with ribs on his shoulders like an armor.
“Where’s the woman?” Asked the concerned man with a wolf skull on his head.
The other man kneeled to the ground and looked at the footprints on the snow. Looking forward, he pointed toward the forest. “That way… They ran that way.”
“Get them. There is to be no witnesses.” The man with the wolf head commanded and, without looking back, began walking toward the village, each building slowly being set on fire.
The man stood up and as he ran he shouted “Yes captain.” He sprinted toward the forest at full speed.
The crowns of the trees couldn’t hide the smoke that was painted over the stars above. The home she once knew was no longer, having been burnt to the ground and the villagers slaughtered by the pirates.
The island wasn’t a big one. It took five minutes of running to get through the forest and to the shore. There was a small fishing dock with three boats. Once the mother reached the bridge, she kneeled and gently placed her daughter in the boat. Constantly looking back for any signs of upcoming danger. She stopped checking once her daughter began talking, seeing as she was scared, her motherly instincts kicked in to focus on the child and bring comfort to it.
“Mama… Where are we going?” The girl asked, scared and confused. Shaking both from fear and from the cold as she wore thin clothes, not prepared for a longer stay outside of the warmth of home.
“I don’t know… Somewhere far away. Somewhere safe-” The mother tried to explain but stopped as she coughed out blood. Shaken by the cold she felt inside, she looked down, her vision blurry, but she was able to see the cause very clearly. A blade was sticking out through her chest. Every breath was painful as her lungs scratched against the weapon inside her.
“Thought you could run away?” The pirate kicked the woman to the ground, taking his saber out of her.
“Mommy…” The girl whispered, her voice barely heard as the wind from the sea blew toward the shore.
The woman laid on the bridge, her blood becoming one with the salt water of the sea. “Na… via…” The mother whispered, with the strength she barely had left. Her hand extended toward the boat, wanting to push it and save her child, begging the gods above and below to help her innocent child.
“The worst that can happen to a parent is to watch their children die before them. She still has much of this world to experience. She needs to know that the world isn’t only white and black… It has all the colors, bright and dark alike…” The mother coughed out more blood as her only thought was of saving her daughter. Not even thinking or being scared of her own death.
Her eyes were empty as life slipped away from her, the lifeless hand hit the wooden bridge, the sound of it hiding Navia’s sob. The pirate looked around the boats, the side of his mouth flinching. Letting out a disappointing groan, he said, “Can’t give a chance for others to escape.” With his saber, he cut the ropes of the three boats, and with a kick, he pushed them away into the sea.
Navia watched the shore, the dock, and her mother’s body left on it. The remaining blood still dripping down into the sea. She didn’t understand what had happened. She was too scared to do anything. Capable of only watching the same direction as the boat drifted with the wind and streams.
“Back then… I didn’t know what had happened. I was too shocked to even think. Later, I often thought about how he did not see me. A child in the boat right in front of him. Did he spare my life? If so, why did he kill my mother? Was a child no threat to their raid? Once I learned about the existence of the gates, I understood what had happened. Right before her death, she was able to open her gate. A wish to save her child forced the gate to appear and activate. She made me invisible to the pirate. My mother’s efforts weren’t in vain… I was saved. I have to thank my mother for bringing me to this world and helping me stay in it for a little while longer…”
The boat drifted through the sea the whole night until the morning… Navia was weakened, wavering between being awake and asleep. She was so tired that she barely saw a ship sailing right beside her. When she opened her eyes she saw two people.
A man in silver armor and a teal cape. Judging by his gentle face, anyone would say that he must be a young man, but a few grey hairs on his well-kept beard and the ones on his head said otherwise. Even so, he had a lot of vigor in him, but there was a lot of concern as he looked down at the poor child. He pitied her situation.
Beside him was a young boy, slightly older than Navia. His skin was tanned like he had been exposed to the sun on the sea for a long time, but it was his natural color. His eyes were small, making Navia wonder if he could even see. The boy had black hair cut short into a buzzcut. Over his red shirt, he wore parts of leather armor, and just like the armored man, he had a sword with him.
In front of her stood her future mentor and future husband. People who were able to gain her trust even after the horrible things she had experienced within those two days. The girl that would be shrouded in the darkness saw the light, and she welcomed them with open arms.