Sono has awaken in the slightly dusty room of the village elder's. He had been given the best room in the entire village as a gift of appreciation. Even though he had denied it many times saying he didn't mind sleeping in the great outdoors, as he was used to it from being on the battlefield many of times. In the end they wouldn't take no for an answer.
The sounds of birds singing fluttering outside in the early summer morning brought a sense of peacefulness. It had been eleven days since his mage had brought back communications with the queen ordering him to stay there and build a wall to protect the inhabitants. After the wall was finished he was supposed to go back for an award next to the large sum of money he would get. The mage has said this in the village square while all the villagers stood back in awe, praising her highness.
For Sono who had worked under the queen since her reign had begun, understood that this was to instill loyalty unto them. The queen was almost a genius in planning for war or any other thing which took smarts which he wouldn't say was his forte. He knew how she thought for the most part. He knew she knew anyone could be born with talent, so she always made sure to keep the citizens happy. Even he was born in a village worse than this, so he knew how true this was as for rising up to be one of the strongest generals. In truth, she mostly thought of them as ants looking for someone to serve. To her only the ones that were useful were worthy of her protection.
Sono had looked to where his new daughter had been sleeping, which she seemed to already have left. It still felt weird to have taken someone in that quick. Although he thought she would say no and ask to leave, so it had surprised him when she said yes. It went against his ideals to then just change his mind. "This will be a big problem for the missus at home. I'll just have to tell her what happened to her. I can't take no for an answer." He mumbled in an exhausted whisper.
The first few days with the girl was weird and awkward from time to time. He was first worried for her since she wouldn't eat or talk to anyone. Even though the village kids tried to make advances at her to become their friend. In the end she asked to help build the wall. When Sono had told her to try to go have fun playing or talking to others her age she had sneered and just started helping. After that, many days she wouldn't stop for breaks. Others she'd be the first one working and the last one to stop. Even though the village wasn't that big, it had been decided the outer farmland would be inside the wall which made it a lot more work. Even though the queen had sent more men to replace the ones lost they still only had 10 people working on it. This was because men were sent out everyday to patrol and look for beast, undead or other creatures that inhabited the close perimeter of the village.
Now though the last couple days she started eating and talking to others even though they were usually adults instead of kids her age. Everyone had knew that they would finish today, so the villagers threw a village bonfire the night before with lots of food for the soldiers. Lily had even had a heart to heart with Sono explaining a more detailed way of how she was captured with her mom.
"Alright I better get up and finish out this day before the men call me lazy." Sono had said reaching for his sword that lay next to him.
He walked out the room walking towards the wall.
...
Lily had woken up while it was still dark going to a little piece of the unfinished wall where a guard stood on guard.
"Hey there little Lily, you working early again." The guard had said in a happy tone like he did everyday.
Lily had just turned and smiled while walking past him to a cart filled with grey heavy bricks.
The guard had smiled harder knowing that even yesterday she didn't used to smile at him, instead she usually just walked past as he didn't exist.
Lily had thought to herself about the past couple days that had really changed her life. For three years she had stuck to a half lucid state to survive the onslaught of her capturers. But the man she was supposed to call father was way more powerful and could protect her. But what was weird was the man was still nice to every person he came across. She was not slow by any means. Both of her parents were adventures. Her mother was an amateur pro tier 1 fighter. While her father could boast about being a pro tier 3 fighter. Which everyone new that's what really separated the real warriors. Getting to pro realm was a great achievement but actually making it to tier 3 is usually what most couldn't achieve. Their potential just wasn't that strong. She remembered how stuck up and mean her parents were to other because of how powerful they were. This man though with an aura that pricked at her skin without him even trying wanted to help her and take her in. At first she wasn't too trusting of him ,but after seeing him help the villagers and try to help her so often, she had gave in to his comforting smile.
She had wanted to pay the man back by working hard on this wall. After last night he had told her somethings bout his wife and child who he wanted to see.
"I hope seeing your family makes you happy," she had said trying to hold back her tears.
"Daughter I hope it makes you happy to see your new family too," he said with that same comforting smile. At first it took her sometime to realize he had had called her daughter.
"Look I promise to take care of you. You are apart of this family now so don't hold back on calling me father or dad or whatever kids call there parents these days. She could tell that he was trying to be funny, which made it funny that it wasn't funny. She appreciated the man from the bottom of her soul. So when she saw Sono walking over just as she put down the last brick all she could do was smile hard and laugh.
Sono couldn't take his eyes off the scene where his new daughter with dirt smeared on her face and a warm smile stood. He didn't know why but he felt he had to protect that smile no matter what.