Tsuwamono Seiei - The Stygian Rōnin

Long ago, in the summers before calamity, an unremarkable child was born.
One whose fate would weave a history most foul.
And leave in it's place a soul thrice forged that refused to break.

Originally of the name Sophinia Atoel, she came from a loving mother and caring father. Together the small family resided within a settlement of only thirty individuals somewhere in Othard; Now welcoming thirty one. She had a well but uneventful childhood, growing up in a unified community teeming with kind souls always willing to help one another. She had friends and played and learned as a child would. She was even ahead in school, but only just. In her spare time she would often help her father in the kitchen or around the house. Whenever the opportunity arose, she would even join her mother as she traveled the land doing odd jobs. Her heart was strong and full; She had never felt a want for anything more than what she had.

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. The days passed with unerring bliss and the future was bright. Alas, an ill wind would soon come to Sophinia's homeland. And with it's gusts came a new reaper, one who would take it's harvest in full:Garleans.She was not but two and ten years of age when they arrived. When they did they spoke loudly, spoon feeding the masses dreams of a better future under their wings. Some would eat their words hand over fist. But Sophinia and a few others knew the wings were that of vultures. Twas unfortunate that in spite of those resistors the deceptions worked to near perfection...

The gates were open for the Garleans to plant their vile roots. Methodically, they snaked their way into the villager's lives, brandishing not kindness nor promises, but scythes and teeth.And with them they would first harvest joy. With every passing week adding new rules and restrictions, and curfews and tariffs. Like a noose tightening life quickly became harsh. Yet none dared choke...Next the harvest was the land. Most barely noticed, but Sophinia felt death seep in; Watching the vibrant landscape gently rot, desecrated by unfeeling steel.Last the harvests were the people...

One by one Sophinia watched her friends be dragged away, never to return. In their place only faceless soldiers who intimidated and brutalized...With time Sophinia and her parents became downtrodden, their smiles wilting more each day, their laughter fading like a candle's last ilm of wick. And the time they all spent together became naught but a footnote.Father stopped cooking anything for joy. Only ever making a bland tack as a means to ration their dwindling food. Mother barely left the house. Only going in the dead of night in a desperate search for supplies. Sophinia herself withdrew her once vibrant colors, falling in line with the rest.

Sophinia was not old enough to truly understand what was happening or why. All she knew was it hurt to live this way. With all her might she tried to be strong, but with time the solastalgia would swing in full. She could only watch her dreams be killed; Like a dandelion set ablaze...

A year would pass since the Garleans had cast their shadow. They had taken their fill and then some. Every waking moment had become a static grey, her family and whoever remained in the village had grown completely numb to it all. Tears and whispers no longer falling from the walking corpses...Sophinia's three and tenth nameday had come and gone with barely even a whisper from her parents. However, It did not stop her from making her own cake. But she only had so much to work with; It was messy, and tasted bitter, and at it's top was a single sap-covered twig, masquerading as a candle...She sat with it alone on her bedroom floor and so many things crossed her mind: She wished to see her friends again. She wished to go with her mother on a journey to the Steppe. She wished to make an extravagant meal with her father once more...But in the end: She settled on just wishing her parents would smile again.So, with a shuddered grin she made her wish, blew out her candle...

And cried...

Sophinia went to bed that night with the last spark of her hope tied to a prayer. She hoped against all odds that her wish would come true. Maybe then life could begin it's return to what it was before. Before suffering. Before the Garleans.Yet fate would yield no respite...Not but two days after she had turned three and ten, Garlean soldiers had come to her door and to make matters worse: They were looking for her. Their reasons were not given, but threats were. Her father was the only one to answer the door as mother was sleeping. Desperately, he tried to stall them but their demands were crystal clear, and they would not be stopped.

Sophinia cowered behind her father as they were both backed into the corner, the soldiers becoming more persistent. As they closed in he had attempted to wrestle them away, but was quickly overpowered and thrown to the ground. Sophinia wasn't ready to accept any fate that they had planned. Who knows what they might do. But what was a child to do but cry? She was powerless, and at the full mercy of demons in tin suits...However, just when all hope seemed lost, her mother--awoken by the uproar--burst from her room, sword in hand. Without a moments hesitation she dispatched the soldiers. Now decorated in crimson she grabbed Sophinia's hand and together with her father they fled the house.

Sophinia's heart sank in that moment. She'd never seen her mother ferocious, nor her father so powerless. She was stunned trying to process what had just occured. Alas, this was far from over; Her mother's hasty disposal of the soldiers had caused a fair bit of noise. and as they stepped outside, they saw more on their way...Sophinia's mother--knowing what was to come--knelt down to her daughter with a soft smile; Handing Sophinia the scarf she wore whenever she left the house. She then stood to face the soldiers, gripping her blade tight enough to crack the handle, her face contorted in sheer rage. She told father in a hushed but firm tone exactly where they needed to go in order to get away. Tears began to pool in Sophinia's eyes, her lip quivering as she stared to her mother. She wanted to speak but before she could even get a word out: Her father ripped her away and they ran.

Through winding narrows and dark alleys they ran, slipping through cracks and staying out of sight. Sophinia could barely remember anything of where they were. Where there was once life now stood the unfeeling steel she'd grown to hate. She was in awe of her own home, made unrecognizable by the Garleans twisted steel. A myriad thoughts and emotions washed over her and she could barely keep it together. But she had to, at least long enough to escape.Over the horizon freedom was in sight, as her and her father finally made their way outside of the village. Suddenly, Sophinia heard a deafeningly loud pop, unlike anything she had heard before...At the same time she saw her father collapse to the ground with a pained scream. She stopped in her tracks, her vision snapping back to look for what had made such a haunting sound. To her dismay, Garleans had found them, and were closing in quickly. She tried with all haste to help her father back on his feet but he pushed her away and uttered a single word to her:

"RUN!"

Her fathers voice echoing loudly in her mind, Sophinia ran as far as her legs could take her. Turning back only once to see a dim smile painted upon her father's face; For his daughter, finally free...

She ran until the Garleans were out of sight, until all she could hear were the sounds of the wild. Far, far away the newfound wayfarer went...Her mind was in overdrive, she was overwhelmed, in utter shock and unable to process any of it properly. The skeleton of her life was torn to pieces in a matter of minutes. And with it, all hope she had left. Unfortunately, she had little time to dwell on it, as it was already dusk and night would soon fall.All that she could put in her mind at this moment was survival. Since She had sometimes traveled with her mother, she knew a handful of basic survival skills and got to work making a camp fire in hopes she could make it through the night.

The next day had arrived; Sophinia was tired, distressed, and alone... But importantly, she was in one piece. She tried her best to collect her self and her senses when she awoke, only barely managing.At the very least, she was in a familiar wilderness, yet still she had to find some way out while also maintaining equanimity. Her survival skills were rudimentary at best but she did know how to get clean water and forage a select few plants. What's more, anything that she could find she might be able to cook in some way, even without proper cookware. But above all else what mattered right now was getting out alive.