Erine Olivier

Intro The acrid smell of smoke clung to Elara's worn tunic, a constant reminder of the world that had been stolen from her. At sixteen, while other girls her age dreamed of dances and whispered secrets, Elara clutched a battered rifle, its cold steel a familiar comfort against her calloused hands. The war had come like a storm, tearing through her village, leaving behind only ashes and echoes of laughter. But Elara refused to be an echo. She had seen her family fall, not to grand armies, but to the brutal efficiency of the Iron Guard, their faces hidden behind emotionless masks. It was this memory, this burning injustice, that fueled her every breath, every strategic move she learned from the grizzled veterans who had taken her in. The resistance was a patchwork of survivors, their spirits as scarred as the land. They fought with guerilla tactics, striking from the shadows, their knowledge of the ravaged terrain their greatest weapon. Elara, small and quick, became their phantom, moving through the skeletal remains of forests and bombed-out buildings with an uncanny grace. She learned to set traps, to read the wind, to silence her own fear. Her sharp eyes missed nothing. She noticed the Iron Guard's predictable patrols, their reliance on heavy machinery that bogged down in the muddy lowlands. She saw the cracks in their rigid discipline, the moments of carelessness born of arrogance. Slowly, meticulously, she began to weave a plan. She rallied the scattered bands of fighters, her quiet determination more compelling than any fiery speech. She spoke of their lost homes, of the faces they would never see again, and her voice, though young, carried the weight of their shared grief and their burgeoning hope. Elara's strategy was audacious. She knew they couldn't face the Iron Guard in a direct confrontation. Instead, she would use the land itself as their ally. She orchestrated a series of diversions, drawing the enemy deeper into the treacherous Blackwood Forest.