Author's Note: I realize that the fanbase is gone, but when I start something-even if it's eight years old-I intend to finish it! And I finished this, ya'll! With that said, I'm really only posting for personal achievement, but go ahead and check it out if you're curious! :)

Crossing Lines

"Help! H-Help!" Kol screamed as he ducked beneath the claws of the dragon. He knew he shouldn't have been out of the village by himself, but his curiosity always got the best of him, especially at the mention of dragons. However, as he dodged yet another swing and sprinted down the narrow mountain path, he wished he hadn't been so naive to wander into an entire nest!

"...—Ah!" the boy panicked as he came to a dead end. Clenching his teeth, he turned towards the beast flying in fast and squeezed his eyes shut to brace himself for the worst. It was then that he heard a sharp cry and cautiously opened one eye, then the next, only to suddenly notice the pool of blood leading up to the, now slain, dragon. Its head had been cut clean from its body and that was the last thing Kol remembered seeing before waking up to the sound of fire crackling.

As he opened his eyes, he found himself staring through the center of a gold plated chandelier, each of the candles marked with a red tassel. The walls were coated with an elegant design of gold leaves that swirled behind plush velvet furniture and a mahogany bookshelf. War paintings and patriotic paraphernalia made up the rest of the empty space, one of the nearest pieces reading "The Strength of Airyglyph." Airyglyph? Why did that name sound so familiar?

"You're awake." the boy perked up at the sudden voice, his silver eyes finding a man dressed in purple leaning against the door frame. He held a piercing gaze that Kol shrunk under, his arms subconsciously attempting to pull the heavy covers over himself as the intruder slowly approached his bedside. It was then that he saw it: his arm. He thought it'd been a cast of some sort, but up close, it resembled armor as it sheltered the limb and each of the fingers with metal fashioned into claws. Each point was crusted with dark brown and Kol trembled at the thought of what that could've been.

"Oh please, don't look so pathetic. If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it by now." he uttered coarsely, although his tone only worsened the boy's anxieties.

"..W-Where am I? W-What are you gonna do to me?!"

"I might just kill you if you don't stop shaking." and Kol immediately dropped the covers, which had somehow ended up just below his nose, "You're in Kirlsa, and I'm not going to do anything to you-except maybe give you a map. What the hell were you doing out in the Barr mountains without a weapon?!"

"W-What?...I-" the boy stared into his lap and focused on the designs sewn into the fabric of his bed sheets. His eyes drew closer and closer to the material until his forehead was pressed against it, the weight of the surrounding silence proving too heavy for his ego.

"...Don't tell me you're lost." the man spoke, his voice no less forgiving.

"I was just looking around and—well, I-um-"

"Just tell me where you came from and I'll take you back. I don't think I can take this bullshit much longer." Kol's silver optics gleamed apologetically, but the man only snorted at his sensitivity.

"...W-Well...I think...Master Nel lives in a place called Aquios?"

"Oh, so you're with Nel. I should've known an idiot like you would come from Aquaria-"

"HEY!" Kol blurted, though he quickly adjusted his volume as his captor eyed him mockingly, "H-Hey! Master Nel is one of the smartest women I know! I-I don't care who you are, but don't you go insulting where she comes from!"

"Hahahaha!" the man cackled, "You really don't know a THING, do you? Well, I suppose we'd better hurry. Master Nel is probably worried."

Kol wrinkled his nose at his snide attitude, but he was quickly shaken out of his fury by the abrupt yank of the arm. His body was then forced out of bed and down the velvet laden hallway and marble floors. They passed by servants and armed soldiers as they made their way outside, the scenery initially blurred by the dust that seemed to cloud the entire town. As his eyes adjusted, however, he found the rusty hue to be quite charming and modest-clothed people carried went about their day hanging clothes or shopping. He imagined he would've enjoyed it much more, had he not been dragged towards the exit.

He paid close attention to the direction they were going and noted the specific path, which was labeled "Aire Hills". As they made their way west, the boy tried to make sense of the area, searching for markers but finding nothing but mounds of dirt and hollowed wood. It wasn't until he saw the gates to his village that he was finally able to relax, his darting eyes now focused on the familiar faces ahead. Once they realized who he was, one of the guards took him inside and hurried him to Headquarters, which was a stone building in the center of the village. Eileen, one of Master Nel's associates, escorted him to the end of the hall, where he was instructed to wait until he was admitted into the meeting room.

It was there that he faced his master's hardened expression, his body quivering much like how it had before. She scolded his recklessness and expressed the fear that he'd been eaten. He had no idea he meant so much to the woman and was consequently flattered, but his colored cheeks paled as the lecture continued.

"Next time you may not be so lucky, but I'm just happy you found your way back."

"A-Actually." the boy started, "...Um...a man...helped me. He took me in for the night, I guess, and led me back...kind of..." he didn't want to risk making her even angrier, so he left his bruised wrist out of the conversation.

"...A man?"

"...He said he knows you. He has a...metal arm?" her evergreen eyes widened, gleaming with recognition. It was such a broad description, yet it seemed as though only one person could fit it. He, himself, hadn't met anyone matching such eccentricity, both in personality and appearance.

"...Nox..." her voice trailed off as her gloved arms folded across her chest, "...Well, this is unexpected."

"Uh...Miss?..."

The redhead pulled up a chair and Kol took the spot adjacent to her. She then explained the length of her relationship with the man he'd met, whose name was Albel Nox. He was the strongest swordsman in Airygylph and was more commonly known as 'Albel the Wicked' for his merciless blood-spilling. Although he was a military captain, he'd proven to be quite the loner, often acting on his own accord and leaving for long periods of time. Still, he'd been quite the threat to Aquaria and it wasn't until three years ago that the warring countries had resolved their differences. She didn't say what had happened, exactly, just that the incident had been significant enough to bring the former foes together. Yet, despite the obstacles they'd overcome, Master Nel admitted that there was still tension between them.

"We looked out for each other when we fought side by side, but now that the fight has ended, we haven't made an effort to maintain communication." Kol frowned at this.

"...But it sounds like you went through a lot."

"Sometimes people just don't mix, and Albel isn't much of a people-person to begin with. That's why I'm so surprised he bothered to bring you back here."

"He...well he was scary, but he doesn't seem that bad." the redhead smirked at his optimism, but decided to end the conversation there.

"Well, I'm going to start preparing dinner. You get cleaning. Don't forget the dishes in the guest room, either!" she reminded and boy hummed in compliance, soon joining the maid upstairs in the clearing of glasses and plates. As grateful as he was for Master Nel taking him in, he hated cleaning, and as he stomached the sight of a spoiled sandwich, he didn't know how anyone could feel otherwise.