Small Reunion

"What are you laughing at?" Allie asked offended as she shoved Von's arm off and crossed her arms. Von's laughing stopped and ended in a small smile as he looked towards the red haired girl.

"You don't know anything about soulbinders do you?" He asked "Are you sure you are one?"

"Fuck you I don't need to prove anything to you" Allie said as she started to walk away, the insult surprised Von, he never thought anyone would dare to insult someone who had just fought and outclassed two soldiers at once, and yet, she did.

"Alright, show me" Von called out and approached her again, as she turned around once more now not fuming which proved that what had just happened was a tantrum, "Show me your soul binding". As she was about to try to show him Von quickly raised his hand, "Wait, wait, what element are you?"

"You'll see" Allie smiled as she closed her eyes and concentrated on feeling the atmosphere, how the wind breezed through her pale and slightly freckled skin, she let out a slow sigh and lifted her hands. Open palm and began to slowly move them in circular motions, slowly the wind began to go a little faster, the breeze turned into a strong wind and the leaves of the trees began to shake endlessly, the dirt from the ground began lifting and generating dust.

"Wind" Von said plainly "For someone with no knowledge not bad, still mediocre"

"Are you kidding me?!" Allie shouted "That was my best attempt and it was a damn good one"

"It isn't, sorry to break it to you but, there are kids that can cut wood with their air-binding skills, you just move air around" Von explained, shattering Allie's hopes "Again, not bad considering you aren't trained"

"That's why you need to train me, I proved I am a soulbinder so you must" Allie said as she started waving her arms around enthusiastically. She looked at Von with high hopes that the man she regarded as a hero and an incredible soulbinder, someone who could finally understand her would teach her how to become someone who could protect her family and others like he did.

"I can't," Von said with a sour face, "Even if I wanted to, we are different elements which means different training, I don't know the first thing about wind training."

"But, you're telling me I'll keep being this useless girl who despite having soulbinding abilities can't do anything?" Allie said as she began to look down, tears began streaming down her cheeks, this was so frustrating, so disappointing.

"I was never scared in my life like today, sure the Anshass had threatened us before but today was something else" Allie began to tell as she cried "But today you appeared and I knew that you would protect us the second you began talking"

"How?" Von asked as he looked at the girl with concerned eyes

"Because no one would have the balls to threaten them unless they were like you, I want to be like you don't you understand?" She continued as she began wiping her eyes with her sleeve "I want to be able to stand up for myself and what I believe, I want to be able to grab those assholes and tell them to fuck off"

"And I wish I could be like you, living in a farm with my family and two parents who love me" Von said as he flashed a tiny smile towards Allie, her face turned from sadness to confusion

"Why? It's boring" She asked

"I miss boring," Von replied

"But what if the Anshass come back, which they will, and you aren't here? Who will protect us? Who will protect my family?"

Von straightened himself and walked away just a few steps, he signed "If you want, you can join the army, they would provide all the training necessary" Von offered as he turned around and looked straight towards Allie, his face had turned serious and even slightly angry "However, once you go on your first expedition, you will never be the same, the things you'll see and do will change you forever" Allie stopped crying and listened intently to Von "The army can corrupt the best and encourage the worst, if you do join promise me to never forget why you joined and what you believe in"

"Why? You think I'm corruptible?" Allie joked as she finished wiping her tears

"No, I think you are kind hearted, and in war those are the first to die" Von answered coldly "And I don't think you have the guts needed for war"

Allie just sat there pondering as Von just looked straight at the ground, a few minutes passed in complete silence where neither looked at each other.

"Let's go to sleep it's late" Von said cutting the silence abruptly, he began to walk back to the town while Allie sat there looking focused into nothingness,

"I'll become a great soulbinder and I swear one day I'll even beat you" Allie said with complete confidence and determination as she stood up and looked at Von,

Slowly, a smile crept on him and he laughed, a warm kind laugh which made Allie smile herself

"Just promise not to get killed and we're good" Von replied with his smile "Now come on I'm tired I did fight two guys today"

"You did" Allie replied as she joined him in the small trip back to the town.

Upon arrival back to the town Von and Allie could see two frantic people looking around shouting one name "Allie", sure enough both realized who the people were, it was Allie's parents, the second they set their eyes on their daughter both ran as fast as one could and almost tackled their daughter.

"Dear god Allie!, you can't run off like that!" Her mother half chastised and half cried as she hugged her daughter tightly, her father was even worse than the mother crying all over the place even having some snot on Allie's clothes.

"Mom, Dad I'm fine I was just talking to Von" She replied with warmth to her parents' cries as she half nodded to Von's direction. Despite having lived through a horrifying and almost lethal situation it seemed that the one that held the family together was Allie more than her parents. Von gave a small nod and a smile, "See? This is boring to me" he said as he expected Allie to understand that, which she did

"Yea, maybe boring isn't so bad" she replied

The parents went and hugged and thanked Von once again for his bravery and him standing up for them and protecting them. After they had calmed down, they shared a few words with Von before both leaving to their home for the night taking their daughter this time around despite her complaints. He did the same and returned to the house that hosted him for the night.

Von woke up to the sounds of screams and cries of pain, he jolted awake only to see the family that hosted him in a corner by three soldiers while one approached him. He recognized them immediately "Fucking liars" Von thought as he rose with a kick throwing the soldier back and falling into the ground, grabbing a nearby dagger he kept with him he quickly threw it at one of the soldiers cornering the family, his comrade quickly turned around and lunged at Von.

"Run!!" Von screamed as the family quickly exited through one of the windows, as they did he lit a fire wall in front of him prohibiting the pass of the soldier making him back away, taking advantage Von jumped through one of the other windows nearby.

Once outside Von could see the true damage, some houses were on fire covering the blue clear sky with smoke, while others had their doors broken in, people were screaming as families were torn apart and rounded up for inspection, soldiers mercilessly taking kids away from mothers while beating their fathers senseless. Despite being daylight this sent Von back to the battle of the gates, he wouldn't fail this time though, he would protect as many as he could.

He quickly assessed the situation and went to Allie's house since it was nearest, as he ran several soldiers spotted him making them turn to him, after all they were after him.

He bashed in sending one of the soldiers there flying to the ground, there he saw, Allie, standing in front with a small knife and her flimsy wind trying to scare the soldiers away

"I swear if you don't back off I'll cut you in half!!" Allie shouted as strong winds entered the house moving only cloth and capes of the soldiers in front of her, in spite of her best efforts they were unmoved by her aparent display of power.

"I doubt you could" A man standing in the middle of the house said "I admire your effort though"

"I can" Von quickly said "I'm the one you're after I beat up those two cowards"

The man turned around and his eyes widened as he saw Von on the other side did the same. Both men looked at each other straight in the eye until they could react.

"Von" the man said

"Lieutenant Riege" Von replied.