The eerie, hollow echo of church bells rang throughout the underground city of the capital. Isabel Magnolia shivered and coughed, rubbing her hands together for warmth. It had been an awful month for her. There had been practically nothing for her to steal, and she hadn't eaten since she found a moldy slice of bread tossed aside by one of the soldiers several days ago. Furthermore, she was sick - she trembled uncontrollably and fell into violent coughing spasms. She sat curled up underneath the awning of an abandoned shop, wrapped in a thin, old blanket, wondering if she could possibly endure another cold night. The sound of approaching footsteps made Isabel stiffen, holding her breath and hugging her knees to her chest. She was well aware of the thieves and criminals who resided in the underground and had no desire to encounter more of them. She clapped a hand over her mouth to suppress a coughing fit, but the gesture was useless. Terror seized her as the footsteps stopped. "Farlan, did you hear that?"

It was difficult to see clearly from the shadows, but Isabel's eyes had adjusted slightly and she was able to make out the figures of two men, one taller than the other. The shorter one looked directly at her, momentarily surprised. "There," he said, nodding in her direction. Her heart froze and she started to panic. She stood up sharply to run, but her legs gave way almost instantly and the short man caught her arm before she fell on her face. "Careful!" He said sharply, steadying her. She could see him clearly now - he had dark hair, grey eyes, and a stern expression. The taller one had dusty blonde hair a gentler countenance. Isabel realized that they couldn't be that much older than she was - they looked about sixteen or seventeen. "Who are you?" The tall one asked. "Are you hurt?" Isabel tried to pull away, but the boy holding her arm didn't budge. "It's a simple question," he said, frowning at her. She stopped straining. "Isabel," she replied, her voice small. "Why do you care? Let me go!" The tall one regarded her with pity. "You can't stand. I'm not so sure." "Let me go, damn it!" She wheezed, again trying to get away. The man holding her arm let go and she fell to the ground. "Hey! Levi, be gentle!" The tall one chastised.

"You're right," he said apologetically, kneeling down to pick her up. Isabel didn't resist - her head was hopelessly foggy and her vision was starting to blur. "We can't leave her out here for another night. I guess we'll have to take this little brat with us." The tall one nodded. "We should hurry. It's getting dark." The two began to jog along the darkening path. Isabel found herself clinging to the front of Levi's shirt, desperately trying to stay conscious. She couldn't possibly trust these strangers! In all likelihood, they were criminals. Who knew what they would do to her? She had to get away . . . .

Levi felt the tiny bundle in his arms go limp and he let out a sigh. He pitied her, but he wasn't thrilled at the prospect of having someone else to worry about. The two soon reached the outskirts of town and slowed to a walking pace. Farlan pulled out the key to the door of their small house and unlocked it carefully. It swung open with a loud creek and Isabel stirred slightly. Farlan closed it behind them and hastily lit the lamp on the small table. The room was illuminated by the flickering light and they were able to see her clearly for the first time. She was small and thin with pale skin and short, tangled red hair. She was dressed in a filthy tunic and her feet were covered in tattered canvas slippers. Her breaths were short and wheezy and she trembled uncontrollably. Levi crossed the room in a few strides and laid Isabel down carefully on his cot. He stepped back, cringing slightly at the sight of her filthy, dusty clothes on his clean sheets. Farlan walked over and the two stood silently for several minuets, staring at her. "I guess we have to look after her now," Farlan said finally. Levi frowned. "She'll have to pay us back somehow." His friend nodded wordlessly.

Levi reached out his hand and lightly touched Isabel's forehead. He shook his head. "Her chances don't look good." Farlan pursed his lips, his brow furrowing. They had to at least try to help her. "Levi, get some water and the blankets from my bed. We have to try." He took note of her filthy clothes and hesitated before adding, "One of your shirts, too." Levi complied wordlessly, not wanting to waste time. He was doubtful that the girl would even survive after going for such a long time without help, but he couldn't resist wanting to save her.