Notes

They called her, the Ash Lord, for someone who was a nobody. Nothing shall be taken from her, for she had nothing to begin with.

However, there is always a beginning.

"Is there something you want?" asked the old lady. The little girl stood in silence, she knows nothing of joy -- never have she experienced it before. A victim, they said, war raised her to be an orphan. "I want to be like them," answered her, peering at the smiling kid on the other side of the window. She wondered what she has lacked, was it parents? Bloodline? Luck? None of the, was something she could understand. "Can I?"

With a stifled chuckle, the old lady ruffled the black-haired’s crown, even though it was never her responsibility to soothe her down. “You can. Do a good deed everyday, and one day, you will be just like them, dear.” -- full of happiness. Aware she is; a child is a child -- it was pointless to guide her at such age, she might have forgotten by the time she reached maturity.

It was better than nothing. She hoped the little one would relish her words as a legacy.

Since the time she was admitted to the orphanage, she fell in love with the old lady’s bedtime stories. She would kindly take them to the unforeseen land of dreams where they could find their last remaining solace, by the warmth of ember. It will not rot, should time marched against her, she would always be grandma’s beloved. She kept her heart true to her promise, even when the old caretaker has finally succumbed to death. The ravenette struggled to remain on her chosen path -- she learned what does it mean to be a good person. It paid of as she grew a beautiful bud, one that was generally liked by not just the orphans, but the townspeople as well.

The history began to turn the tide, there was a need to amass a large amount of people -- for the upcoming war. Adults, teenagers, even the younger ones, were submitted to the ranks. A number of higher nobles were decreed to hold a recruitment, which the orphanage was included in the list. Affinity was the only required aspect to pass the assessment, for they are nothing but orphans who lacked knowledge, and affinity to a certain element was a sight to behold. The jet black-haired girl -- who belongs to the name of Velia -- passed the requirement, along with a select few.

Her constitution scorched like a fire, and it bestowed her strength -- something capable of causing destruction.

It was an opportunity for many. The pay would be great, and it is worth the risk. For orphans, it was close to impossible to afford living by themselves. However, the lucky ones should be able to have a proper start in the society. Velia, on the other hand, had to convince herself which moral choice would keep her on track. ‘Do a good deed everyday,’ was a memento from the old lady -- taking form as an ideal. It took her days to decide, until she finally made a resolute answer.

Protecting the weak, is one sure-way to achieve it.

The black-haired took her time to study about what it means to protect. She was trusted, they adopted her into a family. Velia Elstride, is now her name. To stride towards the better, to strive against hardships -- and a life full of strife. She learned, ‘in order to gain, there must be a sacrifice,’ all cannot be saved. Although she tried to be a strong, independent individual, she was still the same old self -- she was naive. She had experienced it the hard way, the inability to save, and the feeling of powerlessness. Yet, she shall not falter to them.

To demons.

They constantly waged war against humans, aiming to overthrow the thrones, enslave them. Humans are nothing but lowly creatures, rumors said about what they were thinking. Some of the people are missing, perhaps captured by the demons. They was not -- by any means, weak. Yet, there were a lot of people who valued their own life above another. Just when there seems to be no hope, the Ash Lord was there to give them one.

She was bestowed what fate has promised her, it gave her the power to defend what is dear to her. Loved by her people, she was a ray of light -- passing through to gave them hope. To her comrades, she was a steadily-lit fire, she gave them passion and the strength to carry on. And to her adversaries, they know nothing but her mask, and trails of cinders on her wake.

However, there are times when she could not handle the underlying burden, she would seek refuge within the nature’s embrace -- far from civilization. But the sea was special, she was envious of how calming and enchanting it is. It does not show any weakness, raging and relentless. However, it was full of beauty, unlike her ‘flame’ which is inclined towards destruction -- which would lead to her own downfall.

As she was tired of the endless war, she began to desperately seek for a way to end it -- if it was possible. She captured one of the demons, and used him as a messenger, prompting them to hold a private meeting. Her plan was not for naught, she was granted an approval from the opposing side, and the demons know very well not to anger the Ash Lord. And without a doubt, she was not alone. Accompanied with her trusted knights, she know what might transpire during the encounter. However, what might seem to be a pointless discourse, soon turned out to be the turning point of her life.

They said, “It was your kind’s fault.” They exclaimed how they harbor no ill-wills against the humans and how it was humans who had started the massacre. She found it hard to be believed, after all, they are the demons -- it might be a plot. “If so, then why did you not ask for a non-agression pact?” questioned her in disbelief. “We have, which none of you had acknowledged.” It was a smart move to resort to lie -- unless if it was not. Doubts aroused her, no matter how hard she tried to prevail. What if it was true?

Then, who else would be the demon, if not her?