"This is finally it."
"It's sure to be this year."
"It's going to be over soon."
They all said different things but they were all speaking of only one person, the one who would be their savior, their hero: Suki.
"She will kill the demon."
She looked like all the other girls of the village; slightly taller than average, full lips, long auburn hair that she kept in a braid down her back.
"I did your braid the way you like it." The soft, round woman cooed down at her daughter, her only child.
Suki smiled, hands in her lap, eyes on their reflections in the mirror in front of them. "I like it."
The woman leaned down, wrapping her arms around the young woman's shoulders, hugging her close, lips kissing the side of her head. "I know that you're nervous, dear."
Suki laughed a bit, "That is an understatement."
"But know." The woman's chin was on the girl's shoulders, eyes locking via their reflections, "I would rather it be you, than anyone else."
Suki's strong hands went to her mother's wrists, a small, funny smile on her face. "Then I will be sure to not let you down."
One of the servants came into large room that was Suki's, drawing both of the woman's attention to them.
"Ma'ams, it's time to go."
"Yeah..." The woman's voice shook as she stood from Suki, the young woman stood as well, placing her heavy leather armor over her simple green clothing and her sword on her belt. They walked from the room together, their steps in sync, them both looking forward, chins held high.
They walked past the training ground, the same one in which she had been actively trained since she was just a girl. Since she was selected to free their village of the demon that lived in their woods.
It was this demon that had been on her mind every day, for as long as she could remember. It was this demon that had killed several aunts, and a few close friends. The same demon that only accepted one female virgin each winter solstice, and that had thrown off the ratio of men to women, effecting the villages very ability to survive and thrive in the world.
But no longer.
She was presented a bouquet of flowers when she left the house by an eager little girl and greeted with words of admiration from some of the young men of the village. She accepted both of them with a smile and a wave. All of the former fears and worries that had saturated her before, now seemed like a distant memory. She couldn't be like that, not around the people of the village. She had to be strong, to be the hero everyone thought she was, that they knew she was.
That is how it was, always.
It was more of the same as they walked through the village, towards the gates to the woods. Suki would smile, kiss children and blush at advances when she was supposed to. It was all fake, but it was what she had to do.
Suki and her mother approached the gates and the crows of people waiting there for them. Among them was a tall man dressed in shades of green, long auburn hair in a ceremonial style.
"Cheif Komik." Suki mumbled, bowing to the man in reverence.
"Suki." He sighed, reaching out and placing his strong, leathered hands on her shoulders, "You never had to bow to me, my daughter."
Suki stood with a nod, looking at him with a smile, "As you wish, father."
"I'm so very proud of you." he said to her in his soft voice, a proud smile on his face. "And I know that you can do this, that you can free us all."
Her full lips curled into a smile, bits of her auburn hair sticking out of her braid, "I won't let you down."
His hands went to her shoulders, "Whatever happens, you will bring me nothing but pride, my daughter."
She lowered her head as her placed his lips in a still kiss at her forehead, the young woman pulling away from his after that. She turned to her mother, both of them frowning softly. They shared a tight embrace, the woman fighting back tears.
Suki pulled away, just in time to stop from crying herself. "I will see you soon." She insisted to her mother. "When this is all over..."
"Oh corse." Suki nodded, pulling away from her mother with a soft smile. She started to walk from them, sword swinging from her belt. She took long even steps as she walked towards the woods, her head high, heart up in her throat. She reached the edge of the woods, then turned around back towards those in the village. They were all looking out at her, her mother and father standing in the center of the crowd.
Suki lifted her hand high above her head, fingers pointed to the sky. The village members followed suit, her family's hands the highest.
Her arm was lowered to her side, back turning from the only home she had ever known, stepping forward into the woods and towards her destiny.