She passes out

"It's you... you... you..." The man's voice echoes around the room.

Eris tries to speak but her mouth refuses to move. The room sways before her eyes. The last thing she sees before darkness claims her is her father reaching out to catch her as her vision tilts and fades.

Eris... Eris...

A warm motherly voice calls out to her. It sounds familiar and yet alien. She's in a memory she has no memory of. She's lying on her mother's lap and fingers are running through her hair. The sound of a lulluby, but she does not recognise the language.

Eris... Eris... Listen...

Eris tries to open her eyes. It's bright. She squints. She can barely make out her mother's face. A harsh light shines from above, shrouding her features in darkness. But she notices something. A pair of strange protrusions poking out from the sides of her mother's head.

Mom?

Eris... Eris...

ERIS!

Eris starts awake and finds herself lying in her bed. Adam sits next to her, a damp cloth in his hand as he dabs at her brow.

Upon seeing her eyes open, his eyes crinkle into a smile. "Hey baby girl. Are you feeling alright?"

Eris nods.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart. It should not have been you. This is all my fault." Adam's shoulders shake. "I didn't think the prophecy would choose you. It has never chosen those linked by blood before."

Eris grasps his hand, feeling his trembling, clammy palms.

"It's alright dad. This is what I always wanted anyway. To be an adventurer!" She gives him a weak smile.

Truth be told, her gut is churning. It feels like the earth is giving away beneath her feet. But she can sense how shaken her dad is. For all her life her father had been her pillar of support. Now it was time for her to be his.

"Come on. Look, I'm all fine!" Eris sits up and swings her legs off the bed, blushing when she realises she is completely nude.

"Ah sorry. I had to change you out of that grotty dress and clean you while you were ****." Adam apologizes.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before daddy." Eris beams at him and he immediately feels guilty for ogling her bare breasts.

Changing the subject, Adam instructed her. "Get changed and come downstairs. I need to tell you something important."

The rest of the evening was somber. There was cake, but neither of them felt like celebrating. Adam explained the rest of what the man had said before he left. He wanted Eris to go to the Royal Capital Dachshund to see the king, who would give her the hero's items and prepare her for her journey. Unfortunately with the return of the demon king, demonic activity was increasing around the nation. He could not spare an escort to take her to the Capital.

"But if I'm the hero daddy shouldn't he place more importance on me?" Eris had asked.

"Well, the area around here is pretty safe. It's just a straight road through Foxhound Forest and you'll reach the Capital. Worst thing you might encounter are goblins. Besides, you won't be alone."

"You're coming with me daddy?"

"I would love to but there is something I need to attend to first. I'll meet you in the Capital in a week's time. "

"Oh, then who?"

"Brandon and Marcus. When the two of them heard the news, they said they would accompany you on your journey no matter what. It's great that you managed to make such good friends here in Samoyed."

"Ah."

And so, Eris' journey finally begins. Though the tribulations may be hard, she remains determined to see it through to the end. What will she discover on this adventure? Love? Friendship? Her past? Will she walk the path of a hero or will she embrace the darkness? You will choose.

~Eris's Awakening (Prologue) fin~

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(A/N: )

And with that we finally finish the prologue of Eris' adventure. It's been quite a long path but I've intended it to set up the three main characters that can vie for Eris' affections. Her father Adam and her childhood friends Marcus and Brandon. I hoped you've enjoyed reading up till this point. The next chapter will be her journey through the forest and maybe a bit of the capital, depending on how much hijinks she gets up to in the goblin infested forest.

Once again please leave a comment or message if you enjoyed reading. Your feedback and approval motivate me to write more!

My current plan is to either continue the story or work on some alternate routes in the prologue.