It was fifteen years ago. Yviene started out in a secluded home far away from civilization. Her mother and father often told her stories of far off lands and the brave knights that traveled throughout them. These stories often left her starry eyed and in awe. With each story that was told, Yviene’s smile broadened and her eyes brightened with hopes and dreams of one day seeing the world for herself and all the splendor that it had to offer…and perhaps even become a knight herself.
However, she never bothered to question why her family lived in such an isolated area or why her father looked strikingly different from her mother. She just assumed all guys looked that way since she was the only male she had ever witnessed. As it turns out, her father and mother had committed an atrocious taboo that was unheard of. While her mother was a perfectly normal human being, her father was a demon. The two had to flee to the safety of the forest where they built a home and soon bore a child of mixed blood—Yviene.
While Yviene’s father held no grudge against the humans, the same could not be said for them. One night bandits came to their secluded home and ransacked the place. Yviene’s father did his best to protect his family, but sadly he was outnumbered and his magic had waned severely from the time spent in the mortal world. Yviene’s mother was taken away and Yviene could only watch from behind a tree as her home was destroyed and set ablaze.
The next morning the young Yviene was left alone amongst the ashes of her home as the morning mist swirled around her. Needless to say she mourned a great deal, but in her despair fortune smiled upon her. The Ivory Knights galloped on their horses and arrived at the scene to vanquish any bandits that still lingered. The captain of the platoon found Yviene and took pity on her. The captain took her under his wing to train her in The Way of the Sword. He was truly a great man and Yviene respected him a great deal, but he could never replace the true father she once had. The man taught Yviene how to bless those who persecuted her, how to treat people with respect, to honor others above herself, to practice hospitality, to not take revenge, and to live in harmony with others. These morals and virtues made a great impact on Yviene’s life, and with hard work, dedication, and a few arguments with her new father she was also able to achieve her dream of becoming not just a knight, but a paladin--a virtuous soldier that defends good.
It wasn’t until later that she learned that the bandits’ raid was no mere random act. . .
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