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Just outside, I could hear the voices in thoughtful discourse. I slightly turned my head to point my ear in the direction of the voices. Definitely a few people, a female and several males. A curling black bang, almost like a hook, hung in front of my eye as my head turned, the feeble light casting a blue-silver luster with which I was vaguely familiar. They were talking about...what?

What?

A bandit came close. So not all of them had been killed? Dreading for my life, I glanced to the girl and boy huddling fearfully in the corner. The bandit seemed consumed with anger but triumph.

His large hand grasped me by the collar, since I was the closest to him. My expression remained impassive though I was actually quite indignant with him handling my peasant robes so roughly. If I could, I would have slapped or bitten him. But it was unwise.

"Get out there!" he snarled, grabbing the other two by the arm. We were thrust out of the shack.

The bandit charged out of the dilapidated shelter, holding a large axe, very much the signature weapon of bandits. I eyed it with slight fear. From one of the two (I wasn't sure which) erupted a scream of fright, and I jumped, startled by the scream. The attention of those standing outside the shack was immediately drawn.

I saw the blue-haired man, the red-tressed paladin, the green-haired fighter, the green-haired knight, and the timid priest -- most likely the company who had struck the bandits down. There was something odd about this group. What was it? I couldn't put my finger on it. My dark eyes regarded them, though my gut was reeling around in my belly, dreading the fate I might meet with the bandit whose axe shone with anticipation.

The blue-haired man (the commander?) called out to the girl on my right side. He had cried her name, I would think, as it was Mist. She was a skinny girl, the kind of girl with soft emotions and a sometimes excitable nature. A girl who did not belong in this violent scene. But that was Tellius for you. A savage world outside the towns and villages. My attention drifted back to my own village, my longtime home, and no matter how much I may have disliked it, it was a home I was familiar with. What had become of my family? Of my few friends? Of my possessions?

The bandit threatened to butcher one of us, especially toward the timid green-haired boy on my far right. Rolf, the name was, as called by the warrior standing across from us.

The company grew angry. And yet, ever so calmly and with authority, the red-tressed paladin did as the bandit demanded -- she dropped her weapon. In reluctance, the others followed suit. I had to raise an eyebrow. They were willing to disarm themselves rather than fight? I saw a few of the group glance in my direction, but I could not read their glances. I was a simple helpless stranger to them.

Then, without warning, the bandit laughed and lifted his weapon as he remarked how he would slaughter the frightened boy standing next to me. I stared up at the axe. I knew none of these people. Though tempted to be defensive, I was afraid to be in the way of that thing. It was a large thing of iron...how could I stop such a thing? Something which commanded death so --

I widened my eyes. Something flew through my sight. It was swifter than anything that could fly, as quick as an arrow.

It was an arrow. I gazed, almost blankly but with obvious astonishment at the arrow in the bandit's brow. The hulking man collapsed to his knees in silence, his axe falling from his heavy hand. I pulled my jaws shut, closing my mouth to conceal my surprise. That was a...very precise shot...

Forward moved the blue-haired commander. "An arrow... Who shot this?"

"An arrow, right between the eyes? Who else could make that shot? No one, that's who!" exclaimed a smooth, somewhat jerky but boastful voice, and from the bush emerged a sniper with red hair in a high ponytail. I swallowed, slightly intimidated by the piercing narrow emerald eyes, eyes which knew reality and attacked it head on with lethal accuracy. He seemed quite content with his fire.

The paladin, a woman in heavy Crimean armor on the back of a white horse, trotted up to the man.

Following the sniper, I noticed a man in large blue armor trudge up, panting hard. My heart nearly skipped a beat. I have to admit, I was a little scared of large men.

The panting man commented on how cruel his comrades were. The paladin explained that the reason she had gone elsewhere before coming directly to the shack was to collect these two. As a response, the sniper proudly proclaimed that he feathered someone in the end, and it was worth it. The knight merely added to that by saying all he did was sweat.

Reunited with siblings, the two others who had been trapped in that shack with me ran to their comrades. A band of mercenaries, and with very peculiar members. I felt like an outcast. Here they were, all people who knew each other, and yet I was a complete stranger among them. A shadow, something to be overlooked. They might as well turn away and ignore me. I didn't exist.

I realized the blue-haired man had set sapphire eyes on me. I grew more still than stone, as though provoked by the eyes, and responding to them by freezing in my place as an animal did. What? What was it? Did I do something? Should I just leave?

The others grew silent and stared at me.

I felt a blush -- or was it the blood draining from my cheeks? I was being singled out. I hated this kind of attention. My silence must have given it all away -- my vulnerability and lack of capacity to respond.

"Are you okay?" asked the girl named Mist. True concern glittered in her blue eyes.

I almost hated those eyes. "Yeah," I flatly replied.

"Who are you?" asked Mist's brother, the blue-haired one. "You're just a kid...you look a little older than Mist, but why did these people kidnap you?"

I owed them a debt. I suppose handing my name over wouldn't hurt too much. I don't know what I was thinking, but I immediately acquiesced to the request.

"My name is Synthia. I'm a novice mage from a Crimean village, up northeast or so. I was being held for ransom or something to that effect."

My tongue numbed with those words, as if accusing me of being careless.

The man nodded. "I'm Ike. These are the Greil Mercenaries."

"Do you need help getting home?" asked the paladin, smiling to welcome my presence. I didn't smile back. It felt false, and though it was not, I didn't like it. I didn't like smiles. Call me pessimistic, but I could hardly stand it.

"Yeah..." I answered, my eyes drifting down. I could maintain eye contact if I had to, but at that time, I just couldn't meet eyes with anyone.

"She's real quiet..." said the Rolf boy to the green-haired lance knight.

"I'm afraid we're a bit occupied at the moment," the paladin explained. "My name is Titania, deputy commander of these mercenaries. We'll take you back to the base and take care of things, then get you back home. Understood?"

"...Yeah."



I breathed out to the air. I was memorizing the names of those I had been introduced to. The blue-haired ranger was Ike, the red-tressed paladin was Titania, the green-haired warrior was Boyd, the green-haired lance knight was Oscar, the sniper was Shinon, the blonde knight was Gatrie, the priest was Rhys, the green-haired boy was Rolf, and the brown-haired girl was Mist.

"Are you certain you're okay?" asked Rhys after a marching silence. I looked at him. He had asked me several minutes ago of it, and my legs wearied from walking. "You certainly do seem pale in a sickly way..."

"Huh? Me?" I echoed, somewhat oblivious in my fatigued state. "Oh...no, I'm fine, I'm fine..." I couldn't take the idea of being sick. Me? Ill? No way, no how. Absolutely not. I'm fine. I'm immune! I can't get sick. No, it was not a sense of paranoia, but rather a pride in scarcely ever falling ill.

Gatrie was glancing at me every so often, as if trying to interpret who I was. He did not seem particularly interested, but I couldn't blame someone for being cautious with a stranger.

Ike had almost forgotten I was here. He didn't look at me the whole time.

Mist was talking to Rolf. It was a discussion related to something roughly about courage during the situation back in the shack.

Titania rode atop her horse, leading the group back in silence, almost disapprovingly. I wondered if something had gone wrong.

Shinon had cast a few rare looks to the back, where I was. He glanced through me and then at the landscape as if on the lookout for enemies. He seemed...very bored.

The knight Oscar I found to be an interesting character. He had that squint, and he was always smiling. I could hardly stand optimists, though Oscar appeared to be more of the calm and friendly type. I did not too much mind the sensible ones, though his never-ceasing expression of contentness was a bit eerie. Perhaps I would grow accustomed to it, but nevertheless...

Boyd was humming. Humming? Did mercenaries know songs, or was he just making up a tune?

We came to a fort, one I thought might have been an ideal base for these mercenaries. They must have had quite the commander. Ike was not the commander, he explained to me earlier. His father was. Greil.

As they began entering the fort, I stopped to gaze up at the stature of the building. I did not feel comfortable entering deep into their territory.

Rhys and Ike halted upon realizing I was not following them inside.

"Is something wrong?" asked Rhys before Ike could speak. I was brought to attention, and stared at them somewhat blankly before managing a response.

"Nothing."

"Hm..." Ike contemplated, gazing at me in a manner of contemplation. I wondered what was on his mind. Ike was a peculiar character, that was certain. There was something about his slightly tanned face and sapphire eyes that was, to some extent, enigmatic, and yet right to the point. He was a very honest character, I surmised. It was based solely upon feeling, empathy one might put it. I had the sense I could put my trust in him.

Rhys was a worrisome type, I recognized right away. He was a rather frail person and was thusly a priest because of it. As a priest, he learned to develop a concern for anyone's health, and his frail nature suggested his dislike for violence or grotesque scenes. That was quite all right. I was warming up to these people already. Not to say I trusted them, but they were extremely interesting. I felt pity for poor Rhys, and could not stop myself from wondering how Ike dealt with situations in life. What kind of people were they? I could make random guesses, but I could not know them for sure.

"Well..." Ike remarked, staring into my face with the oddest of expressions. I concluded that it was an obscure mask of thought. "Come on in, Synthia. You're welcome in our base."

Slowly, I nodded. As soon as I had begun to move they glided away from me, walking into the fortress.

A voice suddenly barked out. "Ike!"

I jumped, startled by the harshness and severity in the loud voice. It had much more authority than Titania's own presence and was a voice of dominance among the mercenaries. This, I knew, was their commander. This, I knew, was Commander Greil. A faint sense of familiarity possessed me, as if I recognized the name from somewhere. I had the feeling that it was from some sort of rumor...

Ike held everyone in a gaze full of doubt and dread, myself included. He and the others filed into the other room. I stopped, hesitant and somewhat fearful, then followed.

Titania was already in the room. Greil was a tall man, one with rough features that emanated the aura of a warrior hardened by the savagery of life outside town and city walls. He was a very experienced man. This, I could see, and my inferiority grew strong. I shrunk down in some instinctive attempt to seem unnoticeable.

Greil had a harsh talk with the mercenaries. "My own men, running off to battle without so much as a 'by your leave'..."

"I'll take full responsibility," Ike said. "I started this. It's my fault."

"Hey, no fair playing the martyr! I went on my own too!" Boyd exclaimed, then suddenly added, "Wait, what am I saying?" I grinned at him.

Oscar and Rhys were willing to share responsibility for the deed. So, they had run off without the commander's consent... That was why Titania seemed so cold during the march.

Shinon huffed in the background, something about whelps. Gatrie was silent.

"I am glad to see you are willing to shield one another," Greil sharply said, "but you will receive your punishments nonetheless."

I may have lost attention around that point, as I hardly recall what exactly the punishment was. It had something to do with doing something or nothing for a period of time.

Then suddenly, "Who's this?"

I jumped once more, startled once more at being acknowledged.

"This is Synthia," Ike explained rather dully, as though disappointed with himself. "We found her with Rolf and Mist. Her village is northeast of here."

"I see," Greil said. "We'll take care of you later, Synthia. And the rest of you, your punishments will be postponed... We have a job to do."

Boyd, Ike, and Rhys appeared to jolt in their spots. I raised my eyebrows. Titania, Shinon, Gatrie, and Oscar each turned their eyes to Greil's face with interest.

I glanced around. A mercenary job?