September 8th , 844
Somewhere 20 miles North East of Shiganshina
Your POV
Standing at the base of a giant weeping willow tree, the breeze flowing through the branches and pushing hair off my sweat-drenched face, I let out a dramatic sigh. I spent the last half hour digging a hole in the hard ground. The adrenalin from earlier is starting wear off and I feel my muscles beginning to ache as I lift the shovel over my shoulder one last time.
As I start to walk over to my horse and grab the satchel hanging off the side, my legs give out and I collapse onto the ground. I start silently crying and within a few minutes my whole body is shaking from sobbing. Curled in a fetal position, I rock back and forth rewinding the past day's events in my head.
I thought to myself, Why me? Out of my whole family, why am I'm the only one alive? It wasn't supposed to end like this.
After what seemed like an eternity I pushed myself up, brushing off the dirt that clung to my clothes. Cold air starts nipping at my skin as I look up to see dark clouds forming.
"Shit, I need to hurry up, it's going to rain soon."
I sauntered back to my horse, grabbing the satchel and taking a peek one last time at the items inside: a burnt and tattered navy blue cloak with my family's sigil on the back, the family tree book, some old jewelry, an oak wood box containing my favorite dagger, a mound of cash, and some other family heirlooms that I managed to save before our house burnt down.
I threw the satchel in a large wooden box lined with cloth and bug repellent.
"Why do I even bother to try and preserve this crap?"
After what happened, I promised myself that I would change my name, ditch my life and any ties I had to my family.
As I was about to close the lid, I hesitated. That dagger, my first dagger, the one my father had specifically engraved for me, crossed my mind.
God dammit, I thought to myself, I can't get rid of this, it's saved me more times than I can count.
Flashback
(Y/N)!!
I looked up from my book and saw my father approaching me, hands behind his back.
"Now that you completed your last test, your mother and I agreed its time for your induction ceremony"
I shot up, wide eyed, smiling from ear to ear "Really!!!???! I can be finally be a full (L/N)?"
He chuckled at my enthusiasm, "Yes, and we got this as a present for you"
He knelt on the ground holding a dark oak box with a (First Letter of your Last Name) engraved on the top in silver lettering. I opened the box and my eyes lit up as I saw what was inside. A beautiful, hand crafted dagger, made from top of the line steel, sat on a dark blue satin cloth. The blade was roughly 5 inches long, and the tip curved in a sharp, deadly point. The handle was a dark oak, like the box, and had the wolf sigil engraved on it, along with a shield and two swords.
I picked up the dagger, twirling it around my hand, testing the weight. The steel glinted in the sun and the wood handle fit perfectly in my hand.
"It's perfect!"
End of Flashback
I laughed at myself about how I was so naïve back then, I wanted to be exactly like my mom, dad, and older brother. Dear god was I wrong. I thought being a (L/N) meant being a warrior, a fighter who protects not only ourselves, but others in need.
At 18 years old I learned the history of my family and how we, along with the Ackerman and Asian clan, turned their back on the king for wiping everyone's memories. Instead of going into hiding like the Ackerman's, the (L/N)'s decided to make a name for themselves.
Soon they became one of the most notorious gangs that ran everything from drugs, moonshine, money laundering, and even human trafficking. But of course my parents never told me that growing up. They brainwashed me and my brother into thinking that we were an honorable family. But in reality, they just wanted us to become strong enough to take over the family business after their eventual passing.
"Tch. They used us just like their forefathers used them."
The crown and Military Police ended up either arresting most of the (L/N) clan, or having us killed in "accidents." Before long only my dad's side remained, this included my parents, my brother, Aunt Elena and Uncle Jonas, and my three cousins: Alyssa, Ben, and Noah. But now it was just me.
After finding out about my family's true business, I had a dream to restore the (L/N) name and contribute to society, instead of rotting it from the inside out.
That dream just turned out to be wishful thinking.
I sighed in defeat as I realized it started to drizzle and the wind picked up even more. I quickly grabbed the shovel and started piling the dirt on the wooden box. Afterwards I used the back of the shovel to smack the dirt and make it as level as possible. I grabbed some old branches and leaves to cover the disturbed ground, trying to hide the fact that something is buried there.
I pulled myself on my horse, wincing as pain shot through my abdomen. I completely forgot about the injuries I sustained during that fight, I looked down at my blood soaked shirt. A laceration, about 3 inches long ran along my left oblique in a diagonal way. Also, my left forearm suffered second degree burns.
"Oh fuck my forearm, if anyone sees my tattoo I'm screwed, any chance of hiding my identity is gone" I muttered to myself, a small panic starts to set in as I realized starting a new life won't be as easy as I thought.
"Screw it, may as well try, there's no point on dwelling on the past. Even so, only people affiliated with our business will really understand what the tattoo represents."
I unraveled the gauze to revel my slightly red forearm. The tattoo sits on top of my forearm (imaging looking at your arm with you palm facing down), extending from the elbow to my wrist. It's the same wolf sigil, but instead of a shield and two swords surrounding it, different phases of the moon surround the wolf, with the wolf's nose pointing at the full moon, almost like he's howling at it. The shield and two swords are positioned in the middle if my inner forearm (palm facing up), with a letter (First Letter of your Last Name) branded on my wrist.
I rubbed my wrist, even though I received it 10 years ago during my induction ceremony, I still feel the pain every so often when I remember that day.
Flashback
My mother finished pulling my hair back in a tight bun, securing it with pins. I turned around and looked at her, beaming with joy.
"Honey I can't believe how grown up you are! Are you ready for your ceremony tonight? "
"Of course! I've been training non-stop since I was 5! Today I'm going to make our family proud and carry on our legacy."
It was a clear starry night, full moon out, slight cool breeze floating through the air. Our house sat on top of a hill near a forest to the east of Shiganshina. My first test was to navigate the forest without my ODM equipment or torch. I used the stars to navigate as best as I could, until the foliage become too thick. Then I switched to climbing up a tree and looking far out to locate the mountain. I saw it, about three clicks west of my position.
After about 15 minutes of navigating the terrain, a certain scent hits my nose. It smelled of blood, rotting flesh, and dirt. I slowly turned my head and saw four glowing pairs of eyes staring at me, a low growl emitting from what I assumed to be the pack leader. I smirked, knowing that another one of my tests was to kill a wolf and carve its heart out.
I slowly reached to unsheathe my dagger, gripping the wooden handle and pulling it out. I stood as tall as I could and broadened my shoulders to make myself appear as big as I could while maintaining eye contact with the alpha. As if on cue, the three other pack members start to circle me sniffing the air and letting out growls.
I start to panic, normally I would have my ODM gear or brother with me, but I was completely alone with just a dagger. The alpha starts to creep towards me. I position my knife so its in front of me at waist height, so if he lunged, the first thing he'll meet is cold, hard steel.
Then he stopped, his stance changed from sulking to standing upright, and the fur on his back smoothed back down. I put my dagger away and kneeled in front of him, reaching out my hand for him to sniff it. After realizing I was not a threat, he started licking my hand and pounced on me, pushing my back to the ground. I laid frozen for a second, but he just continued to lick my face.
"Ok! Ok! That's enough!" I squealed while laughing. I got up and looked over, the other three were staring at us curiously. Never in (L/N) history has a family member befriended a wild wolf. We tried to tame them in the past, but they're not fit for that kind of life. I don't understand why they chose to follow me, but I decided not to question it.
30 minutes later I made it to the cave entrance with my new pack trailing behind me. As I strolled down the damp, dark tunnel, I saw a light slowly creep into vision. I made it into the cavern, lit with candles and torches. Navy blue banners with our sigil hung from the walls and a podium was centered at back. Moss and vines snaked up the sides of the walls, and a small opening at the top allowed moonlight to beam into the cavern, falling directly on the podium.
My family members stood on the edges, wearing our standard family cloaks. Everyone gasped when the saw I brought not just one, but FOUR wolves... ALIVE. Normally, everyone kills one and drags the carcass to the cave to finish their test.
"I (Y/L) (L/N) have decided to befriend these majestic beasts instead of slaughtering them, they are wild creatures like us, who are only just trying to survive in this unforgiving world!" my booming voice echoed throughout the cavern. Certain whispers could be heard as people tried to decide what to think.
My parents approached me with shocked faces, but then my dad started clapping and everyone followed suit.
"(Y/N)! You have demonstrated remarkable skill in all forms of combat, ODM gear, survival skills, physical training, and you possess an unbreakable will. Today marks a new chapter in your life, and a new chapter in our family's traditions!"
Everyone starts cheering and whooping, chanting "(Y/N) (Y/N) (Y/N)!"
I walk to the back and stand at the podium reciting our family's pledge. Afterwards, my dad grabs the hot metal rod and pressed it to my skin leaving a branded letter. I clenched my jaw and tried not to wince, one thing (L/N)'s don't do is show weakness.
My dad takes my place and raises my burnt wrist, "To (Y/N)! Our new official member of the (L/N) clan!!!"
End of Flashback
A small smiled formed at my lips as I recalled that memory. I slapped the reins of my horse and took off towards Shiganshina, ready to start a new beginning.
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AN: Alright so first chapter is finished!!! I am excited on how this story is going to play out :) Let me know what you guys think! This chapter was about 2000 words, is that a good size or should I make them shorter/longer? Please leave comments, I am happy to hear what you think!