Raia

One sunny summer afternoon, a beautiful elf maiden named Raia emerged from the lively village marketplace after gathering supplies for both herself and her sole living relative; her great aunt Senelle. She'd purchased health potions, elixirs, spices, clothes, and anything else Senelle specifically asked for.

The two lived diligently in their grand estate deep within the outskirts of an enormous enchanted forest—far away from the village's constant hustle and bustle in the heart of the kingdom. Raia's monthly pilgrimage to the marketplace was a long, difficult journey, but it was necessary. She never complained about the trip either. In fact, she looked forward to the rare instance of social interaction with other people besides her elderly aunt and the manor's waiting staff.

The scent of fragrant flowers, grass, and moss surrounded her as she enjoyed the serene walk home, riding on the back of her white horse, Lilly. Then suddenly, a squirrel scampering across the dirt road caused her horse to suddenly flinch and rear back violently, bucking her front legs. Unable to regain control of herself or the frightened animal, Raia lost her balance and tumbled onto the ground with a sickening thud.

Her scream of pain echoed through the woods as Lilly bolted away, taking the precious bag containing all of Raia's belongings with it. Left stranded and helpless in the vastness of the dense foliage, the elf maiden lay on the forest ground wincing from the force of the fall.

Thankfully, she had only suffered a few minor injuries such as a bruise on her arm and a scrape on her cheek, with just a faint soreness in her side. But the fright in her petite form reminded, for she was lost without food or water. How could she ever find her way home without a map to guide her, nor her trusty horse to carry her burden? Not that Raia was so absurdly out of shape or anything, but it was a long journey home, and her heels were designed for fashion, not for hiking in the woods.

After several minutes of catching her breath, Raia carefully picked herself up again and brushed off the dirt and rouge twigs from her dark blue dress. Darting her gaze in all directions, she then realized how extremely lost she was. Oh, spirits above! Where could she possibly be? Panic started to rise within her as memories of all the directions she'd taken flooded her mind... Left here, right there... It all seemed like a blur now.

After wandering in circles for hours, when the sun started to set, Raia finally gave up. Tears welled up in those big blue eyes of hers and began streaming down her pale cheeks. Hopeless engulfed her feeble form like a suffocating blanket. "Please help, someone... anyone..." she cried out pitifully, falling onto her knees in despair as she cried into her palms.