The sun is beating down on the Archlyte Steppe. Its vegetation and wildlife streaming across the grassy plains in all its thousands. This is my home. I take everything in. The way the water in nearby ponds and lakes glisten in the hot sun; the way the wildlife live with each other, protecting their territory from potential enemies and fighting for food on the plains. The trees climbing high into the sky, reaching for that warmth and comfort that the sun gives them. The flowers in all their different colours give the plains a sense of beauty and comfort. Even the fal'Cie Titan looking down on all the events in this world is an amazing sight. Silent and undisturbed. Watching over us like a God. I love hanging out here. Nearly every day I get sent out to these wildlands from the people of Oerba, looking for prey to take back to the village so we can have a big feast in the evening. If I wanted to, I could go out, hunt and then come straight back home again, but I love the freedom that this place brings. All of the open spaces and fresh air give a nice little break from the busy village life, a chance to feel really at peace with myself and comfortable in my own skin. Nowhere else can give me this. Just here. I'm always hesitant to go back home, in fact, I normally stay here until the sun goes down. Though these plains may be pretty during the day, at night they are extremely dangerous. There's a lot of open ground, therefore you're exposed to many of the nocturnal predators. I've heard stories of people who have been lost out here when they go to hunt during the night. Very few make it back alive, and if they do, they always die from their injuries obtained from a fight. I never intend to experience that.

'Remember, hunt down food and come straight home. No side trips. No stalling. Come straight home. You ever find yourself in a dangerous situation, you turn tail and run. Don't try to fight, just run away,' My best friend Oerba Yun Fang, or Fang for short, echoes in my mind. 'But I love it here. What could possibly go wrong?' My own words respond to Fang's in my mind. I couldn't possibly run into any trouble unless I was completely stupid, which I know is not like me, no matter how convincing it may be to others.

I sit for a while under a tall tree before I say to myself, 'Better start hunting.' I wish I could just sit here for hours, all day, without having the worry of bringing home food for my village, but we all must work together, there can't be any space for side-tracking. With that thought in mind, I head over to the Central Expanse, where I spot a small pack of Gorgonopsids resting near a pond. It doesn't take me long to approach them as they were only a few hundred metres away from me. I crouch down in a small patch of long grass, concealed from view.

I bring up my Binding Rod, poised ready to strike, but something takes me by surprise and I'm thrown into a huge nearby rock. The pain is paralysing. My back is hunched over as I'm kneeling on the ground in front of the rock, fighting to catch my breath as I was winded due to the impact of the rock to my bare skin. Even though the pain in my back is excruciating, I can't seem to take my eyes off the gaping wound that runs down the side of my right thigh. A small stream of blood is trickling down my skin and it feels hot and delicate. I can't move. I finally looking up to find the monster responsible for these wounds. A massive Amphisbaena is towering over me, its sharp wings and huge teeth ready to finish me off. I can't fight it. It's too powerful. Never in my life have I encountered one of these before, but then again I don't think I normally hunt around this area so I'm not familiar with these sorts of creatures. I brace myself, ready to receive the finishing blow, when I hear a young man's voice from behind me.

'Hey! Look out!' He's shouting at the top of his voice. I look in the direction it came from to find a young man running towards me. He has short silver hair and a green necktie that covers a small portion of his chest. He's wearing a short sleeve black top that has a rip across a section his torso and some green trousers that only go down to just below his knees and some green military-type boots. His trousers are also ripped across his left thigh and are covered in dirt. I've never seen someone dressed like him before. 'Duck!' He shouts in a very powerful voice. Without hesitation, I duck. I don't know who he is or what he's doing here but I can hear something flying over me and I can tell by the sound of the impact, he's either killed the Amphisbaena or chased it away. Declaring that the coast is clear, I look up to find him standing in front of me in a defensive stance, the way that people in Gran Pulse do to show that they are protecting one of their own people. He has one leg behind him, one in front, slightly bend down with his arm out across me, his weapon poised at the ready. It looks like a boomerang, the kind that the kids in Oerba play with, but this definitely is no ordinary boomerang. It's been modified into a proper weapon and you can tell by the damage it did that it's very powerful. The Amphisbaena gets the message and flys off into the distance. The young man lowers his weapon and extends a hand to me. I suddenly realise that he's wearing black gloves.

'Are you all right?' He says softly. He looks about the same age as me, but yet he seems so much more mature than me, like he was brought up far too quickly, and he has deep blue-green eyes. Despite the fact that his face looks so much more mature than his age, his eyes make him seem younger. Fun, but also very serious. His eyes bore into mine with a look of obvious concern on his face. He doesn't seem like someone from Oerba, because I've never seen him before. The tribes and cities in Gran Pulse aren't allowed to communicate with each other, in any circumstances. If you happen to cross paths with someone who doesn't look like they're from home, you need to avoid them at all costs. It's obvious that this guy isn't from Oerba, so I should've just turned tail and run. I don't know, there was something about this one that made me trust him. 'Yup. I'm fine,' I take his hand in appreciation and let him help me up, but a shooting pain runs through my injured leg and I'm on the floor again before he can catch me.

'Dammit! You're hurt pretty bad huh?' the boy says, 'here, let me help you.'

'No it's Okay. I can take care of myself, you know,' I say, trying to warn him off. If anyone from Oerba comes to find me, and discover me with him, I'll be treated as treason, and I don't want to know what the consequences are.

'You really think I'm just gonna leave you here with a massive gaping hole in your thigh?' He chuckles a little bit and I must admit I smile a little bit. 'Here, just let me help you.'

'Okay…' It can't be that bad, can it? All he's doing is helping me patch up a wound, then he'll probably leave me alone, then I don't have to talk to him again.

Almost instantly he was on his knees beside me, getting all kinds of remedies and bandages out from the inside of his pockets. He starts putting some kind of ointment in my wound that makes it sting really badly. I let out a little squeak in reaction to the pain as he takes off his gloves and gently spreads the ointment across my wound in my leg. Wincing, I look towards him. He looks so concentrated and serious, almost like a mature adult as he starts to put some leaves that he picked on a nearby bush over my wound to supplement the ointment and draw out any possible infection. He catches me watching him and smiles. I quickly look away, but he chuckles.

'He got you pretty good, huh?' He says reassuringly.

'Uh-huh. I wasn't expecting them to be so strong.' I answer him, a little too innocently.

'Oh trust me, they are. People in my village have encounters with them all the time. They always try to steal our food, as the stuff we eat is a primary food source for them. People have lost their lives because of them. You were very lucky.'

Ah… So he is from another village. I think to myself. I really should go, I really don't want to get in trouble. For all I know, he could patch me up only to kidnap me and take me to his own village. But he's so polite, I don't think he's the sort of guy who would do that. I need to know who he is.

'Who are you?' I ask him, just as he's bandaging up my leg.

He smiles before he stands up and holds out his hand again. 'Hope. Hope Estheim. And yours?'

Should I tell him? 'Vanille,' I say, taking his hand to help me up. Once I get off the ground, the pain continues to shoot up and down my leg, but it's manageable and I can stay on my feet, even if I did stumble a little. 'Thank you for helping me.'

Hope grins and chuckles. 'It's Ok. I don't think I could live with myself if I just left a person to die, especially if it was a girl.'

This has me laughing too. Aw, he's so sweet. I lean forward and cock my head to the side in a girly smile.'Couldn't resist a damsel in distress, huh?'

'You could say that,' this time we're both laughing. I must admit, it was nice being here with Hope, in the Archlyte Steppe, even if he was from another village and the fact that I'd just met him. If I was anywhere near Oerba, I wouldn't of talked to him. All I would've done was thanked him and left, because I'd be too panicked that people were watching me. I remember when a girl who was a year or two older than me went out to hunt and came across someone from another village who spoke to her, she was caught by some of the older hunters and was trialled for treason. She was cast out of Oerba, and never came back. Nobody ever saw or heard of her again. The thought of that memory hits home and I realise what I'm doing. I stop laughing almost instantly and say 'Well, I guess I should be going.'

Hope composes himself. 'Go where exactly? It's only early afternoon.'

'I know but I don't really want to make the same mistake and get myself in anymore trouble, so I might go and hunt a little nearer to home.'

'Ah… I can understand that. Where are you from exactly?'

I can't tell him. What if there are others near him? What if they're planning an ambush? I need to go. 'Um… somewhere quite far from here, I don't come here very often, but I was feeling a bit adventurous so I went for a wander,' I lie, trying as hard as I can to sound convincing.

Hope looks at me suspiciously. 'Well alright then… I'll see you around?' He smiles again and holds a hand out to wave.

I don't wave back. 'Maybe,' I saunter off, without turning back to see his reaction. I can't believe I just did that. Why didn't I just run away from him before he had the chance to realise I was hurt? I have my own first aid stuff in my own pelt so why did I sit around and let him do that? I mean sure, I may not have had everything that he had and I wasn't 100% sure that it was even the right treatment to take but I would've managed… I think. There was just something about him. Something that made me feel so… secure. Safe. But he's from another village, I don't think I've ever put myself in such a dangerous situation. That was probably more dangerous than being attacked by the Amphisbaena. They would've tried me for treason and cast me out. I can't leave my home. I wouldn't survive. It's Ok during the day because I can see and hear what's going on around me, I've never been out at night before. I just wouldn't last. I can't put myself in danger again. If I see him, I'll just have to avoid him. But it's probably one of those one time things anyway. It won't happen again.

By the time I get back to Oerba, its mid-afternoon. The villagers are bustling around the town going about their daily activities. A few of them say hello to me and wave and I smile and wave back. Everyone is so friendly here and chatty, living altogether as if we are one big family. That's one of the beauties of living a village life. You're not allowed to hurt each other or kill each other or lead them into dangerous situations. In a place like Gran Pulse, it's safety in numbers. It's very important that we stay loyal to each other otherwise we just won't survive.

The fal'Cie Anima, our village protector, looms over us. He grants us protection and prosperity and he is watched over by a small group of individuals who call themselves the 'High Priests'. They're the ones who decide who is trialled and who isn't. Who could be cast off out of the village if they step one toe out of line. Nobody likes or wants to be in that kind of situation, so we do our best to not make them angry.

There are a lot of interesting areas that you could find in Oerba. No two places look the same. I've lived here for nineteen years, born and bred in this village, and I always find something new that I've never seen before. You can never get bored here, which is one of the other reasons why I love it. It can be stressful at times, but it always works out in the end.

I have a scan around the village for any sign of Fang. I'm hoping she's come back from her hunt early because I really need to ask her some things. Are we not allowed to talk at all to anyone from any other village? What happens if we do? Why do we have these rules? I try and work out how I could possibly start the conversation: 'Hey Fang, guess what? I met this guy while I was out hunting. He saved me from dying, but he's from another village so will I get in trouble? I think I might like this guy.' That sounds silly!

Wait. What did I just say in my head? I think I might like this guy. That was the thought that sub-consciously came to my mind without me thinking about it? But that's so silly! I couldn't possibly like him, I only met him once! Well to be honest, that's probably been the only time I'd ever been that close to a guy before. It was so strange. It wasn't something that would normally form in my head. But he was different… Sure, he was from another village, and any involvement with him would surely land me in big, big trouble, but he didn't seem like the sort of guy who was dangerous. In fact, he seemed awfully kind and genuinely sweet. I'm sure I'd have the same reaction to anyone who was kind to me, but there was just something about him…

I was so deep in thought that I managed to stupidly walk into a very tall, dark haired woman who I know for a fact is Fang. I recognise the scar on her arm and her Red Bladed Lance hanging behind her. 'Hey! Where you been? Been looking all over for you!' She says in her usual casual manner. 'The Feast's starting soon, do you have your hunt?'

The hunt! I was so focused on Hope and my injuries that I completely forgot to get something for the feast. 'Oh no!' I whinge, 'I completely forgot!'

'Got side-tracked?' I blush slightly at Fang's comment, she notices but doesn't say anything. 'That would explain the heavy bandage on your leg. It doesn't matter anyway, you can share mine, got something big enough for the both of us.' She walks away from the table she was standing in front of to reveal a large Gorgonopsid sprawled across it. I stare at it, taking in the meat and the vegetables that surround it. I haven't realised how hungry I am. Then suddenly I remember the reason why I'm looking for Fang. I need to ask her about this boy I met. 'Fang-' I begin, but the words trail away. What am I supposed to say?

'Something on your mind?' Fang looks at me curiously. There's a pause before she says 'Well, save it for later. The Feast's about to begin.'

The Feast went by so quickly tonight. It was a little annoying because I couldn't get an opportunity to talk to Fang in private about my encounter with Hope today but I couldn't risk someone overhearing me as the whole village gathers in the town square to eat. There will always be at least one person who will likely overhear and if they report it to the high priests, then what happens? I don't even want to think about it.

But it's Ok because I probably won't see him again anyway. It was only a one-time thing. We just happen to be in the same place at the same time. There were no problems, no inappropriate behaviour, so there is no reason why I should be worried. I'll just forget it ever happened. I'll just go out tomorrow, get a hunt and then come home again, without any side-trips. That way I have nothing to worry about.

And with that thought in mind, I drift into an uneasy sleep.