5

Water dripped off my helmet as I stared down the valley. The built in rangefinder measuring from our snipers post the six and a half kilometers to the target's landing zone. The purple buildings glowing in the rain as I watched the honor guard form up for the target's arrival.

"Think you can make it?" It was rhetorical of course, she'd never missed a shot after all.

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" Her snark was biting, offended at the idea that she'd miss.

"I don't know Sasha, does it?" Banter helped us relax, and it was sorely needed. ONI had placed high value on this mission, referencing other campaigns in this sector that had gotten breathing room from our continued operations and hunter killer jobs. But this was different. Before, we'd only been hunting ship masters, zealots. Maybe the occasional chieftain so the pack would fall to infighting.

Now we had the ultimate prey. A prophet and its prelate. The master and the hound.

"You think they're even real?" She was right to be skeptical. Prophets, especially high ranking ones such as this were uncommon, but not outside of the realm of possibility. Prelates however, were myths. Boogie men whispered among the cadets of Onyx that terrified even the fantastical Spartan IIs. Monsters in the dark built and designed to hunt Spartans, a devil meant to counter a demon as it were.

"ONI says they are. Says there will be one here. So, we kill it and it's boss." It wasn't my place to question orders or the intel spooks, just carry out the mission.

"You're such a buzzkill sometimes." Her voice was dry as she adjusted her sniper rifle's scope. The massive weapon, made especially for this mission, firing a 28.6x218 millimeter depleted uranium round at 8,230 feet a second. There would be only two shots if this went according to plan.

"Yeah well, we go where the targets are right? That's the whole point of being a headhunter?" She was silent, so I looked back at her. The faceless GUNGNIR stared at me intently, before being removed. Her ice blue eyes violated mine, even through the ballistic glass as she stared. She was much more expressive than I was, preferring to be out of her armor when talking.

"Don't you want more? More than this? What happens when we win?" Win? She was certainly being optimistic today. All Spartan IIIs knew the truth. Humanity was losing badly. We machines only just barely holding back the tide that was the Covenant. Besides, how could I want more when I could only see the species that destroyed our lives and burned our home in front of me? There couldn't be more while they still lived.

The thrum of an engine broke me from my thoughts. Passing over us was a phantom, its bulbous and purple head flowing down the valley as it began its descent to the valley floor and the base that inhabited it. "Targets here." And just like that our conversation was over. Her helmet slotted back on and the rifle shouldered as we prepared. My binoculars found the landing pad as the alien machine landed, its side doors extending out between the rows of ceremonial guards. Then it stepped out.

It was tall, and lithe. Moreso than I had expected. It's long, thin arms hiding the power it must have had as it scanned the area, the shield on its suit flickering and reaching full strength. ' It took a team of five IIs to kill the last one according to rumors. Hopefully this one goes down easier. ' What little intel existed about Prelates put their augmentations on the same level of the IIs, with advanced armor that could go head to head with the best Materials Group could produce and win. ' Bastard is tall, that's for sure. ' It was near eight and a half feet tall, dwarfing the tallest Spartan among us. Its faceless visor and sleek bodysuit remained tense as it turned and gestured forward its charge. Out floated our main target.

"Prophet of Absolution sighted. You may engage when ready." Clinical and cold. Our target was very high among the Covenant or so we were told by ONI. She ranked only just below the three hierarchs if the intel was to be believed. The info packet painted her as a war monger's best friend, even among the alien juggernauts leaders, calling for the fiery glassing and increased war output among the covenant that had occured in the last ten years.

"Something's off."

"What do you mean?" Now wasn't the time to be hesitating, in front of us were the targets we had been assigned. We had to execute.

"She's carrying something." I lifted my binoculars, zooming as far as I could to watch the advance of the party. The bundle in her arms writhed as her anti-gravity chair advanced towards the building. We came to a conclusion at the same time.

"It's a child." Soft and uncertain.

"It's a child." Cold and unforgiving.

The small child wriggled in what I could only assume was its mothers arms. Laughing joyously and pointing at the honor guard around it as the trio moved along the path.

Her finger hesitated on the trigger. "ONI didn't say anything about there being a child…" Sasha's voice was soft, but now wasn't the time for such things. It didn't matter, all that mattered was ensuring the mission was completed.

"Execute." Her microphone keyed, before shutting off, whatever protest she had dying before it was spoken. And then I spoke the words that would haunt me even in death. "The child too." She'd follow orders. We both would.

Three shots, three coughs as the suppressor muffled the sound, 2.6 seconds of flight each. The Prelate was the first to die. Even with its massive shield and armor it was ripped in half, its innards splattering the guards behind it as the technology folded to the weight of the round. The mother and child were next. The duo simply ceased to exist, having become a fine mist as two rounds big enough to be fired from a Pelican made contact with the pair. What remained was a walkway painted red as well as a confused and furious honor guard, roaring about the death of their leader.

I stood and shouldered my DMR, ignoring the sobs I could hear coming from Sasha's helmet. ' No time to be sentimental. We've still got work to do. ' "Missions over, let's go." A can of thermite to destroy the rifle and we were on our way out, starting the fifty kilometer ruck out of the AO back to our extraction point.

Sasha didn't speak the entire way out.

I snapped up, adrenaline racing through my system as both the dream and the fact I was no longer at my home rushed to the forefront of my mind. I resided in a carriage, the wheels bumping along the path we traveled.

"Good, you're awa-" Magic, fire and water combined and steam was the result. Whatever she had been trying to say was cut short as the steam I had made between us rapidly expanded, filling the compartment until it could hold no more and exploded. It must have been a shock for her. For me, it was exactly what I intended.

I was thrown clear of the remains. Tumbling through the air even as welts appeared on my arms and face from the superheated water. My back hit the ground, and I rolled more than I care to admit before coming to a stop. I shrugged off the pain, groaning as I came to a knee to observe the damage. The carriage was no more, having been blown apart and lit on fire by my magic. In front of its remains the driver, wounded from what I could tell, was desperately trying to calm the horses attached to the burning wreck. There was no sign of the woman. ' It doesn't matter, I need to get out of here. '

Ignoring the pain in my leg, I stood and ran as fast as I could for the treeline. It was time to put as much possible ground between me and this woman as fast as I could. Branches and trees whipped past me as I rushed through the woods, straining my ears over the rushing of my blood and heart for any signs of a pursuer. A half an hour later and having heard no signs of being followed, I finally came to a stop by a small pond. Its water was clear and the forest around me sang its song as I collapsed. ' I must have put over two miles between me and her by now. Triage now, info later. '

Groaning, I pulled up my pant leg. Lodged in my calf was a splinter of wood with two inches sticking out as blood seeped out of the wound. In my mind I was no stranger to physical pain, but that didn't mean my body was as I molded magic into the items I would need, grimacing as I did so. A stone bowl formed and was then filled with water. A flame under the bowl and soon it was boiling. The remains of my pant leg became a rag that soaked in the water and a thick branch to use as a mouthguard and to prevent me from biting my tongue off. Killing the flame I grabbed the rag in my left hand and the splinter in my right. 'Now or never Rudeus.'

I yanked. "AGHHHHH!" Blood poured from the wound briefly before the rag quickly staunched it. "URGH, Healing!" I was sweating as I spoke the incantation. My lack of dedication to the medical arts costing me as I exerted my will upon my own body, forcing it to heal the gaping hole in my calf quickly and correctly. Thirty seconds. In that time I felt the rapid expansion and knitting of new muscle tissue and nerves, the wound closing slowly. By the time it was finished I could feel my eyes crossing, from pain and exertion as my body began to tally the toll of all it had endured in just a small amount of time.

"I'm impressed."

Lethargically, I looked to the right across the pond. There she stood, blood leaking from a small cut above her right eye, but otherwise unharmed. Her stance was confident, hand playing with her sword as though she was debating on using it.

"You sure are quick to violence, aren't you kid?" I didn't answer. For her to have avoided any injury besides a small cut she must have been a level even above Paul, and frankly that was frustrating. "If I were a lesser woman I'd be hurt and angry. As it stands however, I'm only mildly pissed you blew up my boss's carriage and hurt my coworker." She sounded monotone, but I could see the truth. Spartans were experts at body language after all, and hers said she was furious. "So, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to pick your happy ass up, and take you back to where the carriage was. There, you're going to say your sorry to the driver, heal his arm, and then we're going to get back on the road after he secures another carriage. Understand?"

It being phrased like it was optional only worked to reinforce how out of my league I was. ' Fuck. ' I nodded and allowed myself to be carried by the woman after she came to my side of the pond. We were silent as I was carried over her shoulder back to the road. The whole time I observed her. Slowly, the tension and anger bled from her body, replacing itself with warrieness and boredom. ' Its like I'm staring at a Zealot. Calm but capable of incredible violence at a moment's notice. I knew there were strong people in this world, but her reactions put me to shame, she'd be on par with Sasha and I at our peak, and she's unaugmented. ' It was a startling realization, that she had not only been able to sneak up on me but also take so little damage as to take none at all from my attack.

The forest broke before us, and there was the road. What remained of the carriage was naught but ash, and the driver sat beneath a tree cradling his arm. The horses, who had earlier been manic due to the chaos, now grazed on the grass nearby stamping skittishly around as we approached. I was set before the driver who stared at me with fear. ' Understandable, I did blow up his carriage afterall. I was riding a pretty big emotional high, but he doesn't need to know that. '

"I'm sorry. For blowing up the carriage. I was scared." A half truth, but one that seemed to settle him. He didn't look as afraid anymore. Just wary much like the horses. "I can heal your arm, if that's okay with you?" He nodded slowly, and offered the wrapped appendage. Taking it, I reached out with my magic, flooding his body so that I could understand what was wrong. It was burned, and he had broken both his Ulna and Radius after being thrown due to the explosion. ' Easy enough to fix. ' "Healing!" The mana that had been coursing through him converged, repairing and mending the bones, while stimulating cellular regrowth to heal the burn.

"All done." I unwrapped his bandage, revealing his unblemished skin and healed arm as he flexed. "I know it doesn't make up for earlier, but I hope it's a start sir." He looked from his arm to me, before chuckling.

"Ehh, it's alright lad. We all get scared sometimes, right? You just have more means to deal with your fear than other people. Or, more destructive I should say. Not the first time I've been in the crossfire, doubt it will be the last either." His smile helped put me at ease. It would do neither of us good if there was going to be anger and hatred, especially when I was now firmly in Ghislaine's care. "Suppose I should be off then. Have to find another carriage, don't I now?" He stood, nodding to my warden, and began walking down the road with the horses. I watched until he was out of sight before looking up at the tall woman. She stared back at me, passive and unreadable.

"So…who exactly are you?"

"Paul didn't tell you, did he?" I shook my head. "Explains why you flipped shit then, I would have done the same if some random woman stole me as a kid. My name is Ghislaine as you heard. I was a member of Zenith and Paul's adventuring party." Interesting. I knew they'd been adventurers, but I didn't know they kept in touch with their old teammates. "Paul wrote to my boss saying that you were looking for work, and so I was sent to get you." Odd way of going about finding me employment. "Speaking of reading, here." A letter was offered. "I can't read, so you'll need to read it instead. Out loud." ' She's that strong but can't read? '

The envelope gave way to its contents easily and I began to read. "Rudeus, I hope that by the time you wake and read this letter you'll have calmed down. I know that you're angry that I attacked you, but I had good reason.

Sylphiette.

You two have become very close these last two years. Both of our families have noticed how you rely on each other, to the point that neither of you has a friend outside of the other. While it's good that you are close, you need time to separate, grow apart, become your own person. Additionally, Sylphiette needs a normal childhood, not what you've been giving her. If it was just magic that you were teaching the girl then it may have been different. But these other skills, bushcraft I've heard you call it. Politics and philosophy? She's a seven year old girl, she should be focusing on playing outside, not on how to run an empire. Hell, we don't know why you know these things Rudy. You're our son, but this level of knowledge? It's a bit scary how smart you are if I'm being honest, you certainly didn't get it from me. If I didn't know you were mine I might think that I'd been given an imposter for a child. No matter.

I know you're different from other children. We all know that. We've given you time, hoping that you'd open up or that the answer would reveal itself to us, but it hasn't worked. You've stayed the same secretive boy that you've always been. So, we've decided to give you some space while allowing you to find the employment that you've been seeking.

You've been contracted to teach a young girl in Fittoa. Whether you accept or not is up to you. However, you need to know that as of this moment, you are effectively banished from home for a period of five years." I blinked at that. ' Seems a bit of an extreme measure Paul. ' "Until such a time as you have completed the contract, or the period of time outlined within has passed you will find no rest under my roof. You asked to be an independent individual who can earn their way into a school. I am giving you such freedom to choose how you earn your way to school.

Personally, I would suggest teaching the girl, Rudy. She's a few years older than you, but you've proven to be a good teacher so far, plus you'll be given room and board and get to be around a cute girl!" I snorted, of course he'd be trying to play matchmaker at this time. ' Pervert .' "Also, take the time to learn from Ghislaine while you're there." I looked at the woman who had an eyebrow raised. She'd listed the whole letter so far, staring intently at me. "She's a King class practitioner of Sword God style, and you would do well to learn from her. However! Don't be making any moves on her, she belongs to me! She may be a beast of a woman, but I won't lose her to you!"

Looking up, I could see the fury beginning to build in her. Her tail was erected and puffed out, her fangs barred. I needed to cut her off now. "What's the girl like?" Redirect her anger. Channel it into focus and tell me about the student. I needed to know more about her if I was going to teach her, and we had the time.

Ghislaine blinked. The rage that was building disappeared as she obviously pondered the question. "She doesn't like to learn."

What?

"What do you mean she doesn't like to learn?!" I was supposed to teach a child that didn't want to learn? Absolutely not. "If she doesn't like to learn what does she like to do?!"

"Fight." There had to be more to the child than that.

"Do you mean train? As in with swords?" A nod. Well, that's something at least I supposed. I sighed, having to teach a child that didn't want to learn was not something I was looking forward to. ' Then again, I get to decide if I actually want to teach her, don't I? ' "I can make do with that I suppose. I'll have to meet her for myself though." I sat back, the letter folded and put away within its envelope. Ghislaine stood before me, studying me as I contemplated the situation. ' I don't have a lot of options available to me right now. My skills lay in violence and its application, ' I snorted at that thought, it was a gross simplification. ' I taught Sylphie, perhaps I can teach this girl too. I'm too young to be a sellsword yet so it's not as though there's much of a choice. '

"Would you teach me?" I was drawn from my thoughts to the tall woman. Her face was set in stone, the question hanging like a pendulum between us.

"I'm sorry?" What could I have to teach this giant of a woman? She had more skills and strength than I did.

"To read." Ahh, that made more sense. ' I can see how one might neglect that skill in this world. Dad doesn't know how to read either, but that could be because he's not particularly interested in book knowledge. '

I nodded slowly. "I don't see why I couldn't. But I am curious. You're obviously skilled and have made it this far in life," her tail wagged slowly, showing her interest in my line of questioning. "Why now? What changed that made you want to learn how to read now?"

The silence between us stretched. The question was personal, why wouldn't it be? Reading was a skill that few prioritized in this world, the common folk certainly couldn't, and from what I understood most warriors didn't either. For her to want to learn this late in life, it must have been important to her. Her head turned and nothing else was said between us, my question unanswered, even as the driver returned with a carriage.

We entered the coach and resumed our journey. Day shifted to night, and night back into day. Through it all I didn't sleep, feeling no need to do so as I thought about the coming days and years. ' Five years is a long time. I wonder how things will change. What will Aisha and Norn look like when I return? Will they even know who I am? ' The forest gradually gave way in the early morning, shifting from a dark pine green to the more lush greens of fields of grass and crops. At the end of the road laid out the destination.

It certainly fit the medieval aesthetic I had come to expect out of this new world. It had a high wall surrounding the town itself, with a medium size castle that rested higher than the surrounding buildings. Even from a distance I could see the stone towers had openings for trebuchets to provide counter fire to any besieging army. Returning my gaze to the walls, I studied the thick palisades. They were sturdy, having been maintained well, with a heavy wrought iron gate that looked ready to drop at a moment's notice in defense of its people.

The sun rose in the sky as we approached, moving at a steady pace through the gate and into the town. It was serene, passing through the town as its people began their daily routines. A baker laying out his fresh bread, an innkeeper opening windows. My home never had this much activity within it during the day, the people having to spend their time within the fields. The UNSC was always a hive activity, when the world's weren't being burnt that is. But that was more frenzied, chaotic as people went about their lives thinking that an unstoppable alien juggernaut was going to kill them all at any moment. Fittoa, as I had learned this town was called, had none of that fearful urgency. There was no threat of invasion, and looking closer it was easy to tell the local nobility cared for their people. They bore no signs of being oppressed or overworked.

The castle continued to grow bigger until we entered its courtyard. Ghislaine exited the carriage as it stopped and I followed. The courtyard was spacious, with a bridge being the entrance into the area. It was dotted with potted plants as well as trees that were beginning to bear flowers, heralding summer and fruit to be harvested.

I followed Ghislaine inside. The interior was warm, with open hallways and rich oil paintings everywhere I looked. ' I wonder where the servants are? ' Indeed, I'd seen no help as we made our way through the halls, finally entering into a study. Inside were five people, three demihuman women who were dressed in maid outfits, a fat unassuming servant, and a middle aged man sitting at a table drinking from a fine cup. He wore fine clothes that denoted his station as nobility. A green overcoat sat over his shoulders, underneath a buckled shirt and a scarf with a gold broach complimented the rest of his outfit. His face was kind, a smile on it as he finished sipping from the cup before brushing his curly brown hair from his eyes. He regarded me with open curiosity as I did the same to him. Ghislaine moved to stand behind his left. ' He trusts her then. ' It wasn't unnoticed that such a spot of honor was given to the swordswoman.

"Well, who are you?" A ploy, he obviously knew who I was if he'd apparently decided to hire me, but it would do well to appease the man for now.

"I am Rudeus Greyrat, son of Paul and Zenith Greyrat." His eyes twinkled at the introduction, smile becoming larger as I mentioned my parents. Whoever he was he obviously knew them, and I had managed to impress so far. "Respectfully sir, who are you?"

"Ahh, my name is Philip Boreas Greyrat." He was a Greyrat? I knew from speaking with Zenith that we weren't exactly in touch with the rest of our family, Paul had fled from his to become an adventurer after all, but nobility? It seemed that the skeletons in the closet were showing themselves now. "I'm your fathers cousin, and your employer it would seem. So long as my little Eris accepts you that is. Tell me Rudeus, what is your previous teaching experience? Paul wrote that you had taught yourself as well as another girl to read, write, and even perform magic. I simply want to know if you'll be worth the time and money my family will be spending to employ you."

It made sense. I wouldn't want to spend money if it would be a waste either. "I'm self taught in most disciplines that I would feel comfortable teaching. But I'm proficient in reading and writing as you said, as well as a saint class mage in water magic, and a high level intermediate mage in flame magic and earth magic. Additionally, I would say I can hold passable levels of discussion in such topics as politics, philosophy, command and leadership, as well as economics though I'm not as proficient as I'd like to be." He nodded, studying me and thinking over the information I'd given him.

"He can fight too, and knows how to take care of himself as well." Ghislaine's voice broke both of our contemplations. "After he blew up the carriage." Philip's eyebrow rose at that. "He quickly put a good deal of distance between himself and Jannus and I. It was impressive. I doubt I'd have been able to find him given another half hour." Despite her monotone voice the admiration was easy to tell. Philip's eyebrows both rose at that, apparently this was high praise coming from the beast woman.

I nodded in response to the compliment. "What she says is accurate, Lord Philip. I would consider myself to be an expert in survival tactics and bushcraft. All of these skills were what I taught my previous student Sylphiette."

"Well, you certainly are worth what I agreed to pay, if not more so. The only remaining thing then is for you to meet my sweet Eris. Please, follow me." He stood, exiting the room and leading us through the building. I watched the man as he led us along and explained some of the history of the Boreas branch of the Greyrats. ' He doesn't move like a fighter. His steps are leasurful and have no care for the wasted energy they make, not like Ghislaine or I. ' Yes, the man was an administrator to be sure, he lacked any of the habits of a warrior or a mage. He led us to a door from which I could hear crashing and banging. My eyebrow rose as Philip smiled and outstretched his hand, motioning me into the room.

I moved forward, opening the door and entering. ' It's a mess in here. ' The girl in the middle of the room had apparently been on a rampage, having destroyed several chairs and damaging the legs of the flipped table in the center of the room. She was taller than me, but not by much, and wore a black skirt to go with her white shirt. She had long red hair that fell down to her lower back, and red eyes to match. Her face was set into anger as she stared at me. ' What a wonderful first meeting. Hopefully this girl has at least some restraint. ' I cleared my throat. "Hello, my name is Rudeus Greyrat, and I'm going to be your new teacher." A good opening, strong and confident, hoping to establish a good relationship between us. She, however, took exception to my hopes it would seem.

She advanced on me, and had I not been a Spartan in my previous life I wouldn't have been able to read the signs. Being that I was though, I dodged the wild right hook, dipping under it as it passed where my head had been. ' Its like that then? Alright, time for your first lesson then. ' Surprise showed in the girl's eyes as I came out of my dodge, fists at the ready. A jab from my right put her on the defensive, protecting her face as she fought the fear of being retaliated against. I pressed my advantage, advancing and raining blows on her ribcage, knocking the wind from the girl. She had nowhere to go under my assault, fists with calluses coming too fast for her to anticipate. I finished the exchange with a strong kick to the chest that sent her reeling into the table. I hadn't even broken a sweat, years of training with Sylpie having developed my endurance. Eris on the other hand, was a mess coughing and sputtering as she tried to both deal with the pain and get her breath back. ' I cracked at least two ribs, she'll need a doctor. '

"Pathetic." Her eyes went wide and snapped up to mine. "I came here to teach you to be a functioning and proper noble who can read and write, and you attack me after I offered you friendship?" Her eyes started to water, obviously not expecting to be scolded after such an attack. "Not only the lack of respect, but you can't even fight properly. You're a failure." I hissed the words out. I was angry, and rightfully so. Sylphie had never cried, never once in the years I had systematically abused her to impart what I knew. The tears fell from her eyes as my rage continued to build. Looking over my shoulder, Ghislaine was staring at me with hard eyes, her hand on her sword, waiting for my next move. Philip looked ready to snap, his eyes full of fury, seething as he stared at me. Had he expected me to fold to his darling little girl? No. Absolutely not.

Turning back, the tears in Eris's eyes had dried. What remained now was angry defiance. Perhaps she had a spine after all? "What? Are you just going to lay there in pain? Wait for daddy and Ghislaine to save you?" I knew I was making the situation worse by antagonizing her, but there was something buried beneath the pain there, and maybe, just maybe it was worth my time. She snarled at my words, rushing to her feet and tackling me to the ground. I grinned as adrenaline surged through my system, she was reckless and wild, having no real form, but there was passion as she attacked me. I grunted as the girl assaulted me, feeling her fist catch my cheek. A minute of allowing her to vent her rage as she beat upon me, snarling and calling me names as she did so. ' Enough. I've seen what I need to see. ' I threw my hips, reversing us so that I was now on top. Eris gasped as her cracked ribs were agitated. Distracted as she was by the pain, I had an opportunity. Two blows to her head and she was unconscious.

Standing, I held my side as the bruises and soreness began to make themselves known. ' She fights like a rabid animal. ' Ghislaine no longer had her hand on her sword, but she was still staring at me. Philip on the other hand, seemed to have taken exception to my actions. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! I invite you into my home and you assault my daughter like a common cretin?! Paul raised you like a wild animal!" He pushed past the sword king, kneeling and taking his daughter in his arms before turning to leave the room, presumably to go to a healer. "Leave my home this instant! You're no longer welcome here." He finished, banishing me from his home. Ghislaine seemed to consider saying something for a moment, before thinking better of it and following Philip out of the room.

"Fuck." Well, this was certainly not a good way to start my five year exile. I stumbled my way out of the castle, passing the shocked servants who whispered at my bruised and disfigured state. Making my way into the town, I found an alleyway and sat down while calling my magic into my hands. "Healing!" The green glow spread onto my chest as the bruises faded and it became easier to breathe. I sat back with a sigh, outside the alley villages walked to and from their jobs or homes. ' This isn't a great scenario to be honest. Philip's kindness was really my only option at this point. Shit….theres got to be something in this town or closeby that I can do. I need a little breathing room. '

I was torn from my thoughts as a trio passed by the entryway. Their appearance drew my attention as they walked past. The woman in the lead wore a decent set of armor, half plate covering her chest and stomach while a set of leather leggings covered her legs so as not to impede her movement. She carried a longsword and a shield in her hands. Behind her was a man dressed as though he was a priest and a woman who was outfitted to spend time as a survivalist. A large bow and quiver full of arrows on her back while she had pouches on her sides, likely full of equipment. They were chatting amicably as they passed the alleyway, making their way to wherever their destination was. I stood quickly, moving to follow them. ' They're adventurers, hopefully they're heading to the guild. I'm young, yes, but I still have services I can offer at least. '

It only took fifteen minutes of following the trio before they entered a building. It was fairly nice, located in the outer rings of the town and had a small crowd of people outside of it sitting at tables. I moved up the stairs and entered the building. It was busy inside, with groups of adventurers speaking either to each other or the clerks manning the counter. Making my way past the groups, I found an unoccupied clerk who was reading a book. She looked up as I stepped in front of her cubicle. "Hello, how may I help you young man?"

"Hello, my name is Rudeus and I am currently looking for employment."

"Oh, well I suppose we can find something for you to do, you're a bit young however, hmmm." She appraised me with a critical eye. "Are you registered with the guild under your family? With a party perhaps?" I shook my head no. "That's the first step then, please, come with me." She led me to a more secluded office and we began the process. She was hesitant at first due to my age, but became more understanding when I explained the situation with my family and the Boreas branch. It was agreed that I would only take F and possibly E rank jobs within the next two years. Speaking with the current head of the guild station, a man by the name of Rudolphous Heymen, I would be allowed to stay within the guildhall in an unused store room until such a time as I felt that I should leave or the period of five years passed. Finally, after a few hours I was inducted into the guild and given leave to attend to myself.

The room I was given was bare, the only thing that existed within it was a small pile of hay arranged for a large person to lay on. I closed the door, before sitting on the pile with a sigh. ' At least I have somewhere to sleep now. Not a great start to being exiled, but it will do. ' I layed down, closing my eyes and letting the stress and toll of the last thirty six hours take its toll, and finally falling asleep.

I awoke not to the darkness of my new room, but to a musty floor instead. Sitting up, I noticed my hands and feet were bound. The room was full of old wood and not much else as I scanned it. What was interesting however, was that Eris was in the room with me. She lay next to a ruined chest, her sleeping face illuminated by the moon light coming in through the iron barred window. She was unharmed from what I could see, merely sleeping.

The door creaked open. Turning, I saw it was the fat servant from the Boreas household entering the room. I raised my eyebrow at him, looking down at my restraints and back to him. "So, am I correct to assume that we're hostages?" For some reason the man seemed to take offense to this as he advanced and back handed me. One of my teeth was loosened by the blow. "Shut up boy. Go back to sleep, it'll be the last full night you'll get in a long time." Spitting the blood out of my mouth, I stared at his fat back as he left the room, locking it as he went if the sound was anything to go by. ' Poor choice, fat man, poor choice. Shame that you decided to betray your master. '

The ropes that bound me were nothing to scoff at by a normal person's standards. Unfortunately for my captors I'd grown up on Onyx and spent weeks learning how to undo knots. This was nothing compared to the underwater portions of knot training. With a final tug, my hands were free, followed closely by my feet. Eris was still sleeping, and there were no items in the room for me to use as a weapon except one. The iron bars. Stepping up to the window, I channeled earth magic through the stone, freeing the bars to tumble into my hands. Once in my hands, I began to impose my will on the bars, transmuting and changing the chemical and physical makeup of the bars using the wood planks in the room as both fuel and parts. With no incantations or runes to rely on I quickly began to tire, but was able to complete what I had envisioned. Sitting in my hands were now two iron daggers with a hardened steel edge. Testing the weight, I swung the knives a few times to ensure that they were to my specification.

I nodded, finding them my tastes. One was stored within a hastily made sheathe I wrapped across my back, while the other remained in my hand. I settled into the darkness next to the door, watching Eris sleep while the time passed and I awaited my prey. The rays of the moon slowly moved as I waited, highlighting the beastly girl's calm facial features. Perhaps an hour passed like that before I heard the key turn in the door. I readied myself, the dagger becoming firm in my grip as my target entered the room. His body showed confusion as the door closed behind him, he was looking for me obviously. I watched as he moved towards Eris, obviously intent on waking the young girl. It was the perfect opportunity.

I rushed out of the darkness silently, a reaper disguised as a boy, dagger in hand. The fat man stood no chance as I made contact with him. The difference in our stature made it hard, but not impossible for my dagger to slip into his ribcage. A short gasp and he fell to a knee, reaching behind him, trying to remove the foregin object from his chest cavity. I stepped back out of his reach, pulling the second dagger from the sheathe as he pulled out the first, and then I was on him. Our kidnapper had no chance to analyze the dagger in his palm as I wrapped around his neck, the blade of the second knife gliding across his throat. It was a gruesome scene, blood flowed from his throat as both his carotid and jugular were split apart. He fell to the side, whimpering for the last seconds of his life as he quickly bled out. I watched his corpse, looking for any sign of trickery or life, and finding none, looked back to Eris.

The girl still slept, maybe because she was under some sort of spell or just because she was still recovering from our bout earlier that day. ' If it's even the same day still. Who knows how long I've been asleep or with these captors. ' I turned from the girl, quickly looting the key off of the man and leaving the room. ' I'll come back for her once I've finished. ' The shadows wrapped around me as I advanced through the base, welcoming me back into their fold as I swept through the compound. Sleeping and drunk captors fell to my blades, each dying with a gurgle or a whimper as throats were slit and hearts penetrated by the razor edge of my weapons. By the time I came to the threshold to their entryway, nine bodies lay in my wake not including the original fat guard. I halted just beyond the light, looking into the room. Three men sat inside, laughing as they drank and played cards. ' Two have swords. All three are drunk, but not enough that I could take them in a fight. ' I frowned as I continued my observations, noting the heavy sacks on the table. ' I need one alive, they'll know where we are. And where their stash of loot is. If I'm going to be kidnapped, then I'm going to take the bastards for what they're worth. '

A plan formed in my mind. My mana reserves had been drained from earlier, having changed the chemical makeup of the iron with no foci. But for what I was about to do, well it wouldn't require that much. My mana sang to me from inside, answering my call joyously as it shot into the ground, awaiting another pulse to activate what I had primed it to do. Trap set, I emerged from the darkness, casting it off and entering the room. The three's conversation stopped immediately, with them being disturbed by the blood that covered me. I must have looked like a deranged child, and not the grim reaper I truly was. "I'll give you one chance. Sit there, and answer my questions, and you won't die. Move, try to attack me, or in any way argue with me and all three of you will die, painfully and slowly in one of your cases."

Stunned silence.

That is until they started to laugh. Howling like banshees as they derided me. "AHAHA, just who do you think you are, boy? There's three of us, and one of you! I don't know how you got past the rest of my lads, but it doesn't matter. Lorentz, Micah, get hi-" I pulsed my magic, sending a wave of it into the ground. The mana I had stored in the stones responded, and before the leader could finish, spikes erupted from the ground. His lackeys, Lorentz and Micah, got off easy as the spike shot up between their legs, skewering their heads and ending their lives quickly. The head kidnapper wasn't so lucky. A large spike, about three inches in diameter, skewered him through his back and erupted out of his stomach. It was a gruesome sight, as he began gasping, grabbing at protrusion and fighting the pain he was feeling. Ignoring his pained gasps, I walked forward, taking a seat across the man. He stared at me, fear in his eyes as I looked at the man. "I am going to ask you a question, and you'll nod either yes or no, simple right? If it's a complex answer then you'll tell me, understand?" He nodded frantically. "Good. Now, were there thirteen of you here?" A nod. "Is that the total number of your crew?" Another nod. "Excellent. Now, are we in Fittoa still?" He shook his head this time. "Where are we?"

"Ahck," Blood spilled from his mouth as he moved to answer. "We're in a small village, about two hours west of Fittoa." I nodded along as he explained the directions and how to get back.

"Alright, next question. Why were we kidnapped?" I had an inkling. The Greyrats were a large family, with four main branches that held a large amount of political and economic power between the branches. To have two hostages, from differing branches of the family would be a boon to whoever held control of them. "To ransom the two of you." ' Right on the money. ' "Alright, two more questions and then we'll be finished, okay?" His head bobbed enthusiastically, it was clear he hoped I'd let him leave. "First, is your stash of loot here?" I pointed at the bag on the table, silver and gold coins having spilled out of it after it fell over in the commotion. The man hesitated for a moment, obviously not wanting to give up what he considered his hard earned stash of money, before nodding. "Alright, now, do you have horses and a carriage?" He nodded one final time and I smiled. "Well then, thank you, I'm sorry it had to end up this way, perhaps you'll listen when someone in a position of power speaks to you in the next life."

"Next li-" A second spike burst through his chest, skewering his heart and killing him. I felt no remorse as his body gasped, twitching as it died. ' He would have sold both Eris and I afterall. He was scum, like the insurrectionists and the covenant. ' Thus I stood and began my task. It wasn't hard to find the stash. A chest full of coins, as well as some small bags of jewels and precious items were hidden underneath the building in a cellar. I also found some nice pieces of armor and weaponry in the cellar. It took about forty minutes of work, moving the chest and the rest of the loot the bandits had gathered to the carriage that waited outside. The horses easily hooked up, and waited as I went back in. ' Now comes the hard part. '

The hideout was silent as I made my way to the back, down the hallway to the door. It opened easily, and there sat Eris, right where I'd left her. Thankfully she was far enough away from the corpse of the fat kidnapper that his blood hadn't touched her. Quickly rolling her over, I began to shake her awake. Finally, with a rough shove her eyes opened, finding mine as confusion, and then anger started to build. "First, be silent and listen." The anger paused and confusion returned. "We've been kidnapped. Don't worry, I managed to take care of our captors." I gestured to my disheveled and bloody appearance as the girl's eyes bulged. "Now I'm offering you a choice. I'm going to take you home regardless, but whether you see what happened here is up to you." Having cut up one of the dead's shirts to act as a blindfold. Eris stared at the offered piece of cloth.

"Is it bad?" Her voice was soft, and quiet. Not what I'd imagined from the girl who had attacked me out of the blue. ' This has to be scary for her I assume. '

"I won't lie, it isn't pretty what I did to them. Some of them resisted and I needed information so that I could get you home. It was…messy, to say the least." She swallowed, obviously unnerved by the thought of what I'd done to the people here. "But it was necessary." I affirmed in a hard tone. "They would have used us as ransom for our families and sold us into slavery. When faced with that, well, they got what they deserved, Eris." She hesitated for a moment longer, before shaking her head no and standing. Pride filled me as I too stood and took her hand. The two of us walked out of the building, and despite her gasping and even gagging at the sight of the three bandits, she didn't look away. She entered the carriage quickly, and we were off.

It was a spring evening as we rode in silence. I was focused on the road, ensuring I followed the directions given to me by the bandit and that Eris made it home. Eris, I could only assume, was contemplating what I had done to preserve our safety and make sure she got home alive safe and sound. It must have been startling to her. That I, someone who was essentially a stranger and one she'd attacked at that, had gone to such a length to save her from that situation. I could have left her to her fate, I'd had an escape route once I'd removed the bars even. ' But that's not who I am, is it? ' The question was rhetorical, afterall she didn't know what type of person I was. None of her family did. Her father certainly didn't, thinking I was an aggressive brute if his words were anything to go by.

"How'd you do it?" Hmm? "How'd you kill them so easily? What'd you even use to do it?" Kids were curious creatures afterall, and she'd grown up real fast tonight. It made an odd sort of sense that she'd want to know.

"It was us or them, Eris." I casually explained as I kept my eyes on the road. "They were bandits, people who had forsaken law and order for their own personal gain. They wanted to ransom us, and then after that most likely sell us into slavery. Boys and men who are sold into slavery usually end up as conscripts or laborers. Girls and women suffer a much worse fate. I simply decided that in the long run, they were bad people and that our lives were worth more than theirs is all." Reaching behind us, I grabbed the dagger I'd stored behind the seat in case something or someone attacked us. The other still resided in the small of my back. Handing it to her, I continued. "That's what I used. A simple knife for all of them but the last three."

She took it, turning it over in her hands and studying the blade. "Where'd you get it?"

"I made it, when we were in that room. I woke up first, the one in our holding cell I killed came in and hit me in the face. After he left, I broke out of my bindings, and using magic I turned the iron bars over the window into knives while using wood to make them harder and give them handles."

"Magic can do that kind of thing?" Turning, I could see the astonishment written on her face. Clearly she'd never read about or looked into high level mages, so I nodded. "Yeah, magic can do a lot to be honest. I've used it to create magic storms, to create those knives, even to make small dolls out of stone. It's a versatile tool that can be applied in a lot of different ways." I shrugged, it seemed that she was interested but didn't know much about the subject. ' Not that she seems to have much inkling for the art, it's a lot of theoretical training and book learning. ' After that we were silent.

The sun was well into its ascent as we made our way into Fittoa. The townspeople moved about with a frenzy that contrasted starkly with what I had come to expect after my first impression. Despite this, no one seemed to take notice of our carriage, and so it was that we made our way up to the castle. Clearing the bridge that spanned the two sides of the dwelling, I noticed a large crowd of soldiers and adventurers. Besides me Eris was practically bouncing with excitement over being home.

"YOU WILL SEARCH EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE! I WANT MY GRAND-DAUGHTER FOUND DAMMIT!" The man yelling was a tall, barrel chested individual with gray streaks in his hair, and a thin, long mustache. Eris's grandfather if his yelling was to be taken at face value. Besides him I spotted Philip holding a crying redhead, likely Eris's mother, and a somber Ghislaine staring away from us. ' Best I put a stop to this then. ' The carriage rolled to a stop and I stood.

Clearing my throat, I shouted. "EXCUSE ME!" The crowd turned, just now noticing us. "I'm not sure this is all necessary sir," I nodded to the smiling Eris beside me. "I've brought Eris home already." No longer able to contain her joy, the redheaded child jumped from the carriage and began shoving her way through the crowd. "MAMA! PAPA!" Clearing the group, she rushed to her parents, folding into their embrace and crying as they began to speak to each other. Her grandfather roared with approval as she was kissed by her mother. The crowd was stunned as the child was embraced by her parents and began to mutter. Some were likely displeased at a job opportunity being taken from them. Seeing her reunion, I began making my exit. Whipping the reins, the horses moved away from the castle. I was almost to the bridge when the lord called out to me. "Where do you think you're going?!" Pulling the horses to a stop, I turned to see not only the family, but the whole crowd staring at my carriage.

"Respectfully sir, I've returned the girl home. I'm no longer needed, and I was going to go clean myself. I'm fairly filthy at this point." Blood had caked onto me, and a wash was sorely needed.

He must have caught the way I kept looking at Philip while spoke as the old man scowled, looking briefly at Philip before turning back to me. "Do you not expect a reward for services rendered?" A reward? I turned even further and looked at the back of the carriage, full of the items I'd taken from both the bodies and the cellar. ' I don't need anything more than this. It's almost too much already. ' As I went to voice my opposition, he snapped. "GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" Quickly I cleared the carriage, moving with haste through the crowd to stand in front of the man.' Better not piss him off with all these guards around. ' His imposing gaze raking over me. I found myself falling into old habits, standing at attention before the massive man.

He grunted as he spoke. "My son tells me that you're an animal, and that my nephew Paul raised you to fight others. Is it true? You certainly look it right now, covered in blood as you are" Thanks Philip, now I was put on the spot in front of nearly a hundred people while looking like I'd crawled through a puddle of blood. Internally I groaned as I answered. "No sir. My father didn't teach me to act like that." I struggled, fighting over whether or not to continue. "Someone else did, sir." Looking at Eris I kept going. "They taught me to fight back whenever someone attacks, and respectfully sir, it's the reason both your granddaughter and I are alive today." He showed no visible reaction as I spoke. "Without being a so-called animal as your son says, Eris would've been sold off and I likely killed after being ransomed." Some of the less reserved or experienced members of the crowd gasped at the truth. "I killed thirteen men tonight so that the two of us could live and I have no regrets about that. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, to protect her." I don't know why, but over the last few hours the girl had found herself in my good graces, she didn't deserve what would've happened.

"Is that so?" His voice was low. "Well, I've made up my mind! Eris!" The girl rushed forward to stand next to the man. "From this day forward, Rudeus Greyrat will not only be your teacher, but your personal knight!" My eyes bulged as the announcement was made, similarly to Eris's who looked as lost as I felt. ' WHAT?! ALL I DID WAS BRING HER HOME! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE! ' The crowd around me began screaming their approval as the man accepted a sword from one of his guards. "Rudeus, kneel." Looking around me, there was no escape or way out of the situation as the people cheered and clapped. Sighing, I knelt. The cold blade touched my right shoulder blade. "I, Sauros Boreas Greyrat, charge you to be a protector of the innocent. To be their flame in the dark, lighting the way and providing warmth when necessary." The blade shifted to my left shoulder. "I bid thee to be kind and loving, to hold your fellow man in the utmost regard." The blade lifted from my shoulder, and I was made to stand. Doing so, Sauros reached around me, tying the sword belt around my waist, finishing, he kissed my forehead before stepping back. "Finally, I ask thee to be true to thyself, to stand when no others will and act as the shield against evil. I name thee Rudeus Greyrat, knight of house Greyrat, protector of her and her people. May you live long and your legend be known far and wide!" The crowd roared, their approval unwavering in the face of me saving the heiress.

I was lost, dizzy with the newfound expectations that had been placed upon me and the so-called reward I had been given. Across from me, Eris similarly looked lost. She kept glancing around the crowd and back at me. Her eyes were pleading for some sort of comfort or direction, hoping to find a way either out of this or through it as the anxiety of the situation built. I was torn from my thoughts as Sauros lifted me onto his shoulder, the crowd continuing to applaud me as I shown off to them. Three figures in the jostling group of people stood out amongst the rest. Ghisliane was staring at me, a soft smile adorning her face. ' I suppose I've impressed her over the last few days. ' Next was Philip. He stared at me with a long look on his face as though he was sucking on a lemon even as he clapped for my social promotion. ' Well, this is going to be awkward. ' The final figure that stood out was Eris's unnamed mother. She was smiling warmly, but in her eyes I could see a calculating look, as though she was considering how to turn this to her advantage. ' Hopefully she isn't going to be a problem. ' These thoughts and more consumed me even as the crowd dispersed and we were led inside. I was given time to bathe and change into a set of clean clothes before being summoned.

Sauros had us gather in the study from the day before. He sat at the head of the table, a hard look on his face as he stared at Philip. Ghisliane, Eris, and Eris's mother also resided within the room with us in silence. Having let us all stew in the silence long enough, Sauros spoke. "Rudeus, I'd first like to apologize for yesterday." Yesterday? Did he mean the fight or Philip's exile of me? "You should not have been thrown out of the house, least of all without consulting me!" Philip shrank back at the biting tone of his father. "You only defended yourself and that's perfectly acceptable, so, given that I'd like to wipe the slate clean and allow us to start over." I nodded as the man turned to me. It would be good to speak with the man, especially now that I was a knight in his service. ' Hopefully I can get him to rescind the knighthood. '

"Good. To begin then. I am Sauros Boreas Greyrat. I am the head of the Boreas branch of the Greyrats, as well as the lord of this region. This is how I was able to raise you into knighthood this morning." I nodded, following his explanation easily. "This spineless child," he snarled and turned back to Philip. "Is my son Philip, heir to the region. You've met Ghislaine, as well as Eris," Both nodded at their mention. "And finally this is Hilda, my son's wife." The now named woman smiled and waved at me as I finally took the time to look at her. ' Eris must have inherited most of her looks from Hilda. ' Hilda, much like her daughter, had both red hair and eyes. A small smile adorned her face that was framed with red locks and a set of deep green earrings that complimented her looks. She had a melodic voice when she spoke. "Thank you Rudeus, for returning my little girl to me." Her words were sincere and filled with gratitude.

I nodded before turning back to Sauros who looked less angry than before. "Good. Now, it was explained to me what you're capable of teaching. This combined with having read my nephew's letter as well as you saving Eris, it would shame me to turn you away from my roof. You're an astounding young man Rudeus. It's exactly why I'm hiring you to teach my grandchild as well as protect her." Simple enough, he wanted to repay me. "I will be frank with you child, while you're here you'll also be learning the politics of our family and how to be a lord in addition to teaching Eris and being her bodyguard." My confusion must have shown because he explained. "You, Rudeus, are the rightful heir to the Notos branch of the Greyrats. The main branch of the Greyrats. Having met you and gotten a sense of your character, I will see you take what is yours." ' Excuse me? ' He'd known me less than five hours and now wanted to make me a lord? I had no desire to be a tool for others to use in their political schemes.

"Lord Sauros, while I'm thankful for the reward you've given me, this is too much. I did what anyone would do, giving me a knighthood for that or training me to become a lord is absurd!" Hilda started to giggle at my outburst while Sauros raised his eyebrow at me. "You want to make me a lord?! You don't even know who I am! I'm not the type of person to be a noble or take care of people, not like you two." I pointed between Philip and the older man. "Philip's right dammit! I killed thirteen men last night and now you want me to take over a family? No one would ever accept that! Or me! This is insane!" My chest was heaving as I finished my tirade. I looked around the room, hoping to find some sort of support, someone to tell Sauros and me that I wouldn't be suited to lead people, but there was none to be found. Even Philip, a man who likely thought I was a violent barbarian, didn't voice his support of my view. ' I don't know how to lead, I'm nothing more than a boogeyman in the dark. ' The urge to hyperventilate began to build. I hadn't felt anxiety or urges like this in almost two decades but the thought of people looking up to me, having so much control over the lives of others was too much.

"Everyone but Rudeus, get out."

I was barely able to make out the others leaving as I descended further into my anxiety. Eris's red eyes caught mine, worry and apprehension filling them. And then she was gone, the door closing loudly leaving just Sauros and I in the room. My breathing began to get shallower, the nagging fears of leadership nipping at the edges of my mind as images Alpha and Beta class flashed in my mind. The dead bodies calling out to me, haunting me. 'You? A leader?' they whispered and laughed. Sasha's bifurcated body rammed itself into the forefront. Her body haunted me, the damage to it, her death had been my fault. Her body began to move, the head turning towards me as the hallucination took hold of my psyche and began to torment me. 'You might have forgotten what you caused RUDY,' the head hissed at me before it ripped off its helmet. I could no longer breathe as I stared at her dead body. The flesh was charred and burned in most spaces. Where it wasn't was gray, rotting flesh existed, a far cry from the pale and fine skin she'd had. Her Icy eyes rooted me in place as she began to deride me. 'You've forgotten what we were, what you made us to be it seems. Nothing more than killers, slaughterers of children isn't that right, RUDEUS?! But don't worry, I'll never forget. Never forget that I lost my humanity because of you, that I died because of you!' I began to crack, breaking under the pressure and fear of becoming a tool or having such responsibility again. Blackness was clawing at the edges of my vision as unconsciousness prepared to take me.

"Rudy, look at me." I snapped out of the delusion. Sauros knelt in front of me, shoulder on my hand and a warm smile on his face. "It will be alright my boy." Would it? "I'm going to teach you everything you need to know, I assure you. Giving you a knighthood was the first step of my plan, and will give you a legitimate reason to stand on. No one expects you to know how to lead or rule right away, that's why you have teachers. Just like you'll teach Eris to read and write, I'll teach you to be a ruler and a lord that we can all be proud of, I promise you that. You're going to do great things Rudeus, you were born to lead lad, I just know it." I stared at the man dumbfounded. He didn't know me but believed that I had such potential, that I could rise beyond both my own failures as well as the failures of my peers. Sasha's eyes flashed before me again, no longer filled with hate and malice but full of hope and admiration. ' Maybe I can carry on their legacy. That doesn't sound so bad to me…. ' Searching the loud man's eyes for any sort of deception, I found none. ' I won't be a tool, not for him, not for anyone. ' He guided me out of the room to the main hall. There stood my charge and her family, discussing quietly as we entered. Eris looked up at me as I entered, searching for something. For what? I don't know, but she must have found it seeing as she marched over. Coming to a stop in front of me, her hands found purchase on her hips and her face was set in stone.

"Don't think that just because you're my knight and teacher now means that I'm going to listen to you! You're shorter than me and younger too!" Her face was puffed up, declaration ringing through the air.

I stared at the girl, admiring her dedication to being contrarian and antagonistic. Laughter bubbled up from deep within me as I relaxed and let the anxiety I had been feeling flow out of me. "Haha, well alright then Eris." A smile bloomed on my face. "I suppose we'll have to keep coming back to lesson one then."

"And what lesson is that?!" she demanded of me. So focused on my face as she was, my now student didn't notice the fist that clashed with her cheek and sent her spiraling to the floor. Recovering, she gaped up at me, holding her now bruising face having obviously not expected me to hit her.

"Well that's simple." My grin turned blood thirsty as my hands rose to a fighting stance and adrenaline began to surge through me. "It's respect!"