[closed starter for @cherished-angel]
It had been a year since Elle had last seen Ludger. It happened during the Nova monster attacks on Barona. Ludger, seeing the destruction the creatures wrought on the city, pushed Elle into a safe hiding space, grabbed his twin swords, and that was the last time the girl saw him. She remembered staring at his back as he ran from their home, silhouetted by the fire and mayhem that lay beyond. If Elle had one regret, it was that she didn’t follow him.
After the chaos died down, Elle wandered the streets of Barona looking for any sign of Ludger, wiping her tears on the back of her hands as despair grabbed hold of her. She wasn’t sure how long she wandered those streets. The background din of pain, wails, and fear faded with the sun. At some point she was discovered by Kerri Lhant, up from her manor to provide aid and support. Kerri took in Elle, and that was where the girl had spent the last year.
Still, Elle never gave up on finding Ludger. She was sure the man was just stuck somewhere, unable to return home. And so, with tonight’s full moon, Elle tightened the straps on her small yellow backpack and tiptoed outside. If Ludger couldn’t come to her, then Elle was determined to come to him.
Elle crept through the quiet town to the road that led to Barona. She would start her search there. Elle froze at the sound of a woman clearing her voice. Slowly, Elle turned to face the pink-haired woman standing in the shadow of a tree.