The village of Windmere was small. Too small for secrets and far too quiet for half-elves.
Ariel knew that well. She could feel it in every sideways glance, every whisper behind her back. They didn't have to say anything-she could see it in their eyes. Her pointed ears marked her as other, her silver hair a constant reminder of a mother she never knew and a father who tried too hard to make her smile.
Today wasn't any different.
"Hey, half-blood! Go back to the forest where you belong!"
The shout came from a boy with a chipped tooth and too much confidence. A group of children circled her like wolves, smirking, their sticks raised like swords. Ariel stood her ground, clutching the herbs she'd been sent to gather. Her knees were scraped, but she didn't flinch.
Not again.
One boy lunged forward-and then, THWACK!
A stick smacked across his face and sent him stumbling.
"Back, foul beasts! For I, the great warrior of light, have come to vanquish evil!"
Everyone froze.
A figure stood behind them, holding a wooden sword aloft like it was enchanted steel. His tunic was crooked, his sandals mismatched, and his dark hair stuck out at every angle. He looked more like a wandering idiot than a hero-but Ariel couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Who the heck are you?!" one of the kids barked.
The boy charged forward anyway-then immediately tripped over his own feet and faceplanted with a loud THUMP.
Silence.
Even Ariel blinked, stunned.
The boy groaned, rolling over and somehow managing to keep the wooden sword in his hand. "Agh... Even though you're so young... you're able to use magic a mighty ... A hero indeed..." he mumbled to himself.
The other kids stared, confused. Was this kid okay?
Then, without warning, he scrambled to his feet, grabbed Ariel by the wrist, and shouted, "Time to flee, fair maiden!"
"Huh-?!"
And just like that, they ran.
Or rather-he ran, dragging her behind him while still limping from his fall.
They didn't stop until they reached the edge of the woods, gasping for air, legs like jelly. The boy doubled over, breathing heavily, the wooden sword now missing entirely.
"That... was awesome," he wheezed.
Ariel stared at him, hair messy, cheeks flushed, and something fluttering in her chest she'd never felt before.
"You're a fool," she muttered.
"Probably," he grinned. "But I'm Aron."
---