Chapter One

Long ago, the eight regions of the Eon nation lived together peacefully, with members of the eight different species coexisting peacefully. In a land where only members of the Eevee family exist, every region did its role to support the others, specializing in their own goods and talents. There was plenty to go around, and the different species all intermingled.

But one night, the young head of the East region went missing. To this day, nobody knows what happened. It eventually led to a massive war between the East and West that dragged in almost everyone, and when the bloodbath was finished, there had been divisions between the species. Every one of the eight species locked up one region that they deemed fitting. Aside from smaller travelers every so often, there weren't many Pokemon that existed outside their own region, and they were treated with hostility. Even moreso, the leaders themselves were very tense, and very few of them agreed with each other.

At least that's what my parents all told me. It all happened when I was young and couldn't remember what. My backstory isn't much. Just your ordinary Umbreon living like anyone else. Or again, that's what I was.

Umbreons live at the Western region, occupying the land where the sun sets. During the great war, half of the regions sided with the Umbreons, while the other half sided with the Espeons of the East. Ultimately, it cost thousands of Pokemon their lives and created even more conflict between the regions.

We're a nocturnal species, which isn't too surprising given our specialty. We currently have a somewhat stable relationship with our Flareon allies from the Southern region who forge tools for us to mine our precious stones with. These stones contain the very essence of type-based powers, and with careful preparation, can be used to produce highly valuable TMs, jewelry, and even power-enhancing armor and weaponry.

But that's not what our family did. Moonview city is the crown jewel of our region, existing a mere thirteen miles away from the central border. My family lived Northwest of the city, on the outskirts of the city. We were actually farmers, specializing in growing plants and berries. As my mother was actually a Leafeon, she knew how to grow plants the right way and we were very wealthy as far as farmers went.

Then the war happened. It began when I was only six years old, and my parents were sent off to the far North to stop the Glaceon advancement into the Northwestern mountains where our allied Jolteons lived. Simply put, they never came back home. But it was so long ago that I don't have too many memories of it.

Of course I didn't just run the farm on my own. My parents' good friends agreed to take care of the farm for them, and life was quite good, aside from the fact that I hardly knew my real parents. They had a daughter a year younger than me who was pretty much my sister, though we were very close. And despite our farming life, I did spend nights studying and practicing in hopes of one day joining the army and upholding my parents' legacy in war should the time ever come. I wouldn't say that I'm an outstanding combatant, but I still thought I was better than most, which wasn't untrue. Farming day after day made me tougher than many others my age, though a lot of them were physically stronger than me.

Umbreon males typically took mining jobs or joined the army immediately, and generally lacking in education. But education was something that even the intelligent Espeons were having a hard time working in… or so we heard at least. No Umbreon in their right mind would wander into the East region.

Perhaps a Sylveon would be welcome; they were the only reason our counterattack failed after they came after us. I've never personally met any Pokemon outside of our side on the army, though Leafeons, Flareons, and Jolteons are all quite rare to see here, and are treated a little differently. Just a ten minute walk down into the town brings you to one of the best forgeries in the region, which is run by a Flareon. And my mother was a Leafeon, so I at least vaguely know what they look like. And Jolteons power our city, so I've seen a few when I go into the heart of it.

But the first instance I have of this starts out quite normally. Tia, my younger sister whose family I adopted into, and myself were heading into the city to sell our goods.

Tia is quite pretty for a female Umbreon, with smooth black hair and unusually warm eyes for a female Umbreon. But again, she is a sister of mine in the mental sense.

She's very smart, probably smart enough to go into some sort of research or go into the city and invent things. She's cute enough to marry a rich guy and be well off. But she enjoys staying at the farm, and she's an independent thinker.

"Lloyd, are you okay carrying our stuff?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I pulled the pack full of our goods higher up on my back. "I do this every day, nothing ever happens."

"True," she said. She sighed. "I just don't like this area at the very edge of the city. Some of the Umbreons here look like bad news if I didn't have you around."

I did agree. Sometimes, it felt like there were more enemies within the West than outside, but the sense of danger from the outside had supposedly calmed the issues within the region. While there were some shady Pokemon, there admittedly wasn't a ton of trouble that was reported. Still, it was best to stay together. "Don't worry, we've never had trouble before, have we?"

"I know, I know… I just wonder if anything will change." She looked at me. "You know, all this tension. Perhaps one day, it'll all stop."

"Perhaps," I said. "But things certainly don't seem to be heading that way." Which was true. Tensions between us and the Eastern Espeons were high as always, and those that sided with each of the two regions would also treat the other side as an enemy.

Our side composes of the South through Northwest regions. The Flareons enjoy the volcanic Southern region, and they are skilled at forging weapons and other metal eq uipment. Flareons are quite friendly overall, being very quick to help. The Southwest is inhabited by the Leafeons, who are a little more cautious. That said, they are very devoted allies, and are probably the ones who are most loyal to our side. Umbreons like us control the West, and there's not much more to say about us. And finally, the Northwest is controlled by the Jolteons, who power us with their electricity while also having some developments.

In theory, the Western side is much stronger. We have more weapons and more energy. But the East actually is somehow more developed. The Espeons are the most intelligent, and their cities are highly advanced. They were able to stall out the Western army long enough for their fairy-type allies to drive us back. The Southeast Sylveons are the main reason we're not able to go on the offensive against the East. The Northeast region belongs to the peaceful Vaporeons, who supposedly have a city built on the top of a seaside cliff. They're the primary producers of not only water, but have developed a way to produce energy throughout the East. And finally, the Glaceons who own the North, where nobody dares attack due to the freezing cold. Supposedly, both my parents had been sent there as an almost suicide mission. Had they managed to get a hostage, the Glaceons would have left the war effort, and the Vaporeons weren't part of the battle itself, rather a supporting region for the war effort. They would have been able to stop the Vaporeons from supporting the Sylveons and Espeons and the Eastern war effort would have crumbled. Of course, the unit had gone missing and failed their mission. They had been last heard of deep in the Kian mountains, the northernmost range.

And though I've never told Tia this, my dream is to one day find out what really happened to them, whether they're alive or not. But those mountains are perhaps the harshest climate on the continent, aside from the Southern volcanoes.

"Lloyd, are you coming?"

Tia had walked a little ahead, and I quickly caught up. "Sorry…"

"You looked like you were thinking again."

"I was. Nothing important."

She poked his shoulder. "I know when you're deep in thought."

I didn't respond to her question. It was just a stupid dream. "Don't worry. Let's go and sell."

Which is how my day normally goes really. Wake up early, get the goods, walk down and sell, and head back. I have time to combat train should I ever need to join the force, and I study at night. It's a busy, yet simple lifestyle, a constant cycle that I really do enjoy. Yes, finding out the truth behind my parents is a dream, but it's not something that I fully expected to actually happen.

I remember the dream that night clear as if it were yesterday. I still had yet to meet a Pokemon that wasn't on our side during the great war. That night, I remember hearing a voice in my dreams. It took me awhile to recognize the first voice, but I quickly realized it was my own.

"The dock… we must hurry."

Why was I talking to someone in a dream? Why was my dream in 3rd person? It didn't matter.

"Where is the dock?" The voice was gentle and soft spoken, but it didn't have the concern I heard in my own voice.

After that, the two voices continued to speak, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Something about the dock.

The dream was quite misty visually. I couldn't see anything, only hear. Eventually, I heard footsteps and the voices became silent as they walked into the distance.

Upon waking up the next morning, I had almost completely forgotten about the dream. I knew it had been unusual, but at that time, I couldn't remember it.

I closed my eyes, lying on my bed. The voice had been so sweet, but I was certain I had never heard it before. And yet… I needed to find out who had been talking. Who was that Pokemon?

I didn't have to wait long to meet her.

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Business was slow that day. Tia and I stood under the shade of our stand along the street. I chewed on a carrot, looking out across the hills. We were situated near the edge of town, and there were some trees every so often. It was peaceful, but if you looked closely, you could see the tips of the distant mountains.

Tia sighed. "I wish we could get a more central spot."

I yawned. "We still make really good money for farmers. Plus this spot is cheap."

"I know," she said. "But the view is very nice."

We ended up heating up later, selling out a little before night. Normally, we pass through Moonview City's center which is the capital of our region. We weren't planning to do anything differently that day. But something was different. There was a lot of talking, and we could barely pass through the center.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Eh? Oh, hey, you're that farmer son."

I recognized one of the Umbreons who bought a bag of squashes earlier. "Hi. So…"

"Ah yes," he said, turning to the center of the crowd. "We managed to catch an Espeon."

I frowned. "Eh? What's an Espeon doing here?"

"That's what we're all trying to figure out." He pointed. "I think they're still deciding what to do."

I pushed my way to the front of the crowd, Tia trailing a little bit behind me. "Lloyd, shouldn't we head home?"

I ignored her a little bit. I had never seen an Espeon before.

Then I heard the voice, the same one in the dream. "Leave me alone!" It was certainly angry, but it was undoubtedly the same one he had heard in the dream. "I can't go back!"

Then I finally saw her… well, her back. Pink hair that went halfway down her back and a somewhat tattered skirt were all I could see clothing-wise. Her skin was slightly darker than the pale Umbreon females he'd normally see, though calling her remotely dark was an exaggeration. Her legs were slim and smooth, but other than that, he couldn't make out much else. I squinted. I noticed some cuts along her legs, and some of them were quite deep. It was clear she was favoring her left side and was in pain.

Across from her stood a member of the police force. I had seen him around before; an intimidating Umbreon that towered over even me. "We're going to have to take you in, Espeon. I'm not in a position to make a decision, but our leaders can. Whether that means your execution or not is a different matter."

I couldn't tell from my angle, but she appeared to hang her head before following him.

There were lots of shouts in the crowd. "Send her back!"

"Take her clothes!"

"Kill her!"

Not knowing what to say, I backed out of the crowd where Tia had waited for me. "An Espeon, huh…"

"Yeah, I don't know what they plan to do with her," I explained. "But… it doesn't concern us."

"I see… well, let's head home then." I followed my sister home as the sun set. "Lloyd… does it really not concern us?" She stopped walking briefly. "The Espeons haven't caused us trouble…"

"Well, we know the history. It's probably bad to trust one."

"I… I guess."

I rested a hand affectionately on her shoulder. "Let's not think about it. That's for the big shots with power to decide."

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"Lloyd, time to- oh, sorry…"

I was doing my daily exercising when Tia called me. "Hmm?"

"Time to eat. I'll let mom and dad know that you'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks Tia."

"Mmhmm." She stood in the doorway a little while. "You look tougher than most of the guys in the force."

"Do I?" I sat up. "Well, it's no lie that I want to be ready should it come to that."

"I know…" She stood there a little longer. Briefly shaking her head, she turned away. "Come on, let's eat."

Pulling myself up to my feet, I followed her. "Coming, coming."

At the table, I told my parents about the Espeon we saw. "An Espeon?" asked my uncle. "Huh, must have a death wish."

"Hmm, I don't think any Espeon is stupid enough to waltz right into the West though," mused my aunt. "Might be a trap."

"They took her to the authorities," explained Tia. "So we don't know what's actually going to happen to her."

"They should just send her back."

"She said she couldn't go back though," mentioned Tia. "Maybe she's an outlaw there?"

I stretched my wrist before taking a bite of rice. "She seemed quite well dressed for an outlaw. Though I only saw her back to be fair. Who knows what she is?"

"Well, it doesn't matter I guess." It was Sunday, and we would sell our goods over the weekend while primarily farming the other weekdays.

"We're going to be picking up some new seeds next weekend," said my aunt. "The Leafeons have finally developed a newer, stronger grain."

"That's great!" said Tia. "When do you get back?"

"We leave late Friday, should be back by… Tuesday or so." My uncle yawned. "Well, I'm going to sleep. Gotta get the plants watered early."

"Night," I said. "I'll probably do some studying…" Which was probably true. "I've found some old documents on the Vaporeon pump technology that they use to get their energy. Maybe there is a way for us to utilize it, even without control of water."

Tia put some thought into it. "They use turbines I believe, and have found a system utilizing waves and wind somehow to spin them. The Vaporeons and Espeons are both very advanced, but the fish aren't concerned with the direct war effort." Fish was a derogatory term for the Vaporeons of the Northeast.

"That's true, but look at what the Sylveons did. Attacked us out of nowhere."

"Well… maybe we were partially to blame…" Tia walked up after yawning. "Goodnight, brother."

I nodded to her as she passed. "See you tomorrow." I was going to sleep pretty soon, but I remember falling asleep at the table that night.

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I wiped the sweat from my brow. "Sometimes, I wish we were a little farther North… I can't imagine living more South."

"Oh, it's not really that bad, is it?" Tia had a large sunhat on as we sat down after planting some seeds. "But the hottest days of the year are past us. It should be cool for the next few months before it begins to snow."

"I suppose."

"Say, did you hear the news?"

"News?" I stretched my legs.

"Supposedly… the Glaceons have been strained in the war effort."

That was a little surprising, but I didn't think much of it. The Ice-types may have sided with the Espeons, but they were a critical part of their alliance. The sheer region size and cruel climate made it virtually impossible to attack unless you were an ice type yourself. Even visitors from other lands. "So they're thinking of withdrawing?"

"Yes. The princess has been very silent about offering troops to defend the Espeons. Her advisors say that she's become rather conflicted."

The Glaceons had been the primary offense, as their Northern fortress allowed them to launch assaults on the Jolteons at will, followed by hasty retreats. But I had noticed the raids slowing down. "All the better for us." It was Thursday now, and we were hard at work. "You know, this isn't so bad. No attacks in almost a year. But it does make you wonder…" I sipped some water. "I wonder what the Espeons are thinking. Are they planning something big?"

"I don't know. But if everyone respects the boundaries, it'll be better."

"Say… I wonder what happened to that Espeon. Why she wanted to stay here?"

Tia stood up. "She should be okay. At worst, they'll just lock her up. Don't you think?"

"… You're right. I should just stop worrying." I patted her. "We've got a job to do."

She smiled a little bit, looking away. "Jeez, I know… no need to treat me like I'm a kid."

"Sorry. I know you've scolded me for doing that before." I looked at her with amusement.

"Well, you know that it's not the worst thing. At least I know my brother cares for me. Right?"

"Yeah," I said. Despite not being blood related, she was still my best friend, and she was the one Pokemon I felt defensive about. Which was partially why I was hesitant to join the war effort. If I wasn't there, my family would be easy pickings. Tia was very attractive, and with how busy my adopted family was, it wasn't hard to believe that someone would try prey on them. "I heard you received a marriage proposal…"

"Hmph," she grumbled. "I'm not interested… well… that interested in getting married. I only turned eighteen a few months back, and there's already people after me." She sighed. "You're so lucky you're a guy."

"Well, more or less? I mean, it is nice not being bombarded by marriage letters I suppose… especially from guys."

She giggled. "You're such a clown, Lloyd." My sister looked like she wanted to say something, then clearly thought better of it. "Well, lets go get a snack. We've got most of what we needed to get done."

"Snack… what are you thinking?"

"Maybe we can get those slush snow drinks… it sounds so tasty today with all the sun!"

I smiled. "Okay, let's get some."

"Thanks Lloyd…"

Walking down into the city was pretty standard that day. There weren't many shady Pokemon; even less than usual. Which really should have been a warning sign. But I didn't think much of it, since we wouldn't often come into the city on weekdays and it was bound to be a little different. "Rather quiet today," noted Tia.

We walked down the streets together. "Here we are," I said as we approached the small shop. It was a bar that specialized in frozen cocktails. "No alcohol," I said with a nudge.

"Aww, you're no fun," she pouted. But she ordered a frozen ice drink without alcohol like I asked. I got the same as her.

We sat down, sipping our drinks. "This really hits the spot," I said with a sigh. "Say Tia…"

She slurped her drink. "Mmm?"

"I saw you and dad talking about something a few nights back." They had been downstairs, discussing something quietly. I hadn't been able to get close enough to hear.

"…" She looked away. "W-well… that's very confidential stuff… Lloyd…"

"Come on… am I not your brother?"

She played with her hair. "Not by blood… a-anyways…" She sipped her drink. "You thought about finding a wife yet?"

"Not really," I admitted. "It's not something I'm looking for given I'm not even twenty yet."

"I… see…" She spoke hesitantly. "Well…" I frowned. Tia wasn't one to become uncomfortable over talking.

"What is it?"

"Well, mom and dad have been really pressuring me… to start looking for somebody." It wasn't uncommon for Umbreon girls to be married right as they turned 18 or 19. "But… well…" She sighed. "It's nice to know that you feel the same with regards to marriage."

"Yeah, I don't want to rush that sort of thing."

Then the door flew open. Some of our soldiers walked in the bar. "Hey, bartender, can you get us some of the good stuff?"

"Yeah yeah," he grumbled without turning around.

"My my… that girl's a cutie." I narrowed my eyes. They were looking at Tia. She turned away to look at me.

"Lloyd…"

"Yeah, let's go…" Soldiers were known to go after young girls after their work for the day, and Tia was obviously a prime target.

They walked over as we were getting up to leave. "Hey there… oh well, who's this guy? Your boyfriend?"

"Please leave us alone," I said, dropping a coin on the table. "You can have this, we're just getting ready to go home."

"Hey, we don't need money. But your little friend here…"

"Not interested." She took a step back. "Lloyd, let's go."

One of them grabbed her shoulder. "Don't say-"

I turned around and hook-punched him across the face, launching him into a nearby table. "Hands off my sister!"

"Why you…" His two other friends came after me.

I stepped back, grabbing Tia's hand. "Let's go." We ran out the door, chased by the others.

"Get back here!"

We ran through the city. "Come on!" I hissed. "Can't even get a damn drink without being bothered." I knew a shortcut that could get us out of the city quickly. It was through this alley… that was now blocked.

"Lloyd, look over there!"

In front of stood the Espeon, the same girl whom we had seen earlier. "Let go of me! Your mayor said- ow!"

"You stupid Espeons… taking all our stuff!" She was being harassed by some troublemakers that didn't look like they were in the military. "We'll take you to the prison!"

"No!" she said.

"You idiot, he said leave soon! That was two days ago!"

"But… gah! Stop!" She finally noticed us. She didn't say anything, but her eyes were pleading. Those light brown eyes and that slim frame. She was a lot different compared to the Umbreon girls.

Tia pulled on my arm. "Lloyd, they're coming behind us!"

I clenched my teeth. I could probably take these two goons easier than trained military men. Holding out my hand, I murmured, "Dark Pulse." Dark Pulse obviously wouldn't be too effective against the other Umbreons and I had to be careful to avoid hitting the Espeon, but its temporary darkness could disorient even other dark types. The energy was stored within my hand as I tapped the ground, creating a hemisphere of darkness that surrounded everyone.

Dark Pulse was a relatively uncommon move; it was a technique that I had learned from my father. There had been some research on the technique itself; its power had been thought to be related to evil thoughts, which in some senses was true. Basically within the darkness, you could almost compress it to crush enemies psychologically. But right now, I didn't need to attack. The caster of the attack could see just fine.

"Let's go," I said, hold Tia's hand. I could see everyone in the darkness just fine, and the Espeon seemed to look at me as we ran past. "Strange" I thought, since she couldn't see me, but those brown irises looked straight at me. I decided not to attack the disoriented males, but didn't want them to keep bothering her. "Come on."

"What?" She seemed confused, but didn't protest as I grabbed her hand quickly and led her out of the darkness. The attack slowly dissipated behind us as we hid around a corner.

"Where'd they… that bastard!"

"We'll find him!"

"Hey! What are you guys doing here? Hey, that guy's wanted for theft!"

We stayed quiet as the military men questioned the thugs. "Shit, let's run!" hissed the thieves as they ran past us without noticing.

"Get back!"

Once we were sure they were gone, I sighed. "Good lord… Tia, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine." She smiled at me. "That's why you're my brother."

The Espeon looked at me. I could finally get a good look at her up close. She was generally more modestly dressed and endowed compared to the Umbreon girls here, but she was very pretty in a slim, no-nonsense kind of way. Her eyes were full of intelligence, and were a beautiful honey-color. She mainly wore a tattered, light pink coat that was buttoned up halfway, revealing a triangular section of her stomach down below. Below that was a pink skirt that ran halfway down her thighs. "You… you helped me." She held her hands to her hips before bowing a little. "You have my thanks, both of you." She spoke in a calm, surprisingly composed manner, which was surprising given what had just happened.

"Thank my brother," said Tia.

"I was just helping my sister," I explained. "Those guys from the army chasing us were trying to hit on her. Luckily, my attack distracted them and they realized your attackers were one of their actual targets."

"I.. I see. But you… hmm?" She squinted at me. "How… unusual…"

"What?"

She brushed me off. "It's nothing. Just never expected to meet…"

"What's your name?" asked Tia.

"I'm Lily." Frowning, she added, "I seem to recall…" Squinting a little, she shook her head. "Never mind, just mistook you for someone."

Frowning, I shrugged. "Well, an Espeon like you probably hasn't seen too many Umbreons," though internally, I certainly thought back to the dream and how I had heard her voice. "Lily… well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Lloyd."

"You're quite pretty!" said Tia. "The way everyone makes it seem, you guys are horrifying monsters."

She smiled. "Well, some of us certainly are."

I was about to ask what she meant by that before she stepped back and bowed her head again. "I'm genuinely thankful for your assistance. But I should probably be going now before I cause more trouble."

I noticed her legs. Those wounds didn't look much better. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah…" She did walk with a slight limp.

Tia frowned. "Hey, you should really get that checked out." Tia pointed to the wounds. "You might get crippled if you don't get those taken care of."

"I… well…" The Espeon turned away. "It's… it's not your issue."

Tia crossed her arms and looked at me. "Lloyd, can you go get some medicine? Lily is clearly in pain."

"No." Her voice was quite firm. "I must be going. I'm looking for someone…"

I was hesitant to say something, but I decided that I should probably speak up now. "That's a serious injury… I know a friend who can heal it real quick. He'll do it for almost no cost."

She looked at me hesitantly before saying, "Well, I don't want to cause any more commotion…" She shook her head. "No, I cannot." She smiled at us before bowing again. "Lloyd, Tia… its been a pleasure meeting you. Perhaps one day I'll see you again." The pretty Espeon nodded before turning around and leaving, though she shot me a glance as she disappeared around a corner.

Tia looked up to me. "Hmm? You look like you're thinking."

"I'm just… I don't know, just surprised to actually be up close with an Espeon."

Tia giggled. "I feel the same." Nudging me, she added, "Thanks for saving me back there."

I patted her on the shoulder. "Let's go home."

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"Lloyd, that Espeon was really nice, wasn't she?"

I was washing some pots. "She seemed friendly. But you always need to be careful…"

Tia giggled. "She sure was pretty though…"

Shrugging, I said, "Well, she was rather different looking… though admittedly, most of you Umbreon girls look pretty similar."

Tia pouted. "Hey, you always tell me I'm cute."

"Well, you are definitely. You're cuter than a lot of the others."

She hugged my arm. "Thanks Lloyd!"

"Hey, don't smother me," I said nudging her. "At least try and treat me like a brother."

I stepped back, drying the dishes. "She might be the only Espeon we'll ever meet, but it was interesting talking to her. But Espeons probably think that we're all monsters too."

"… Our royal family… we've never met them. So who's to say that across the borders, our military isn't also doing terrible things?" brought up Tia. "Look at how awful the army was to us."

"Well, those were just the individuals in the army," I reasoned. "I don't think the commanders ever told the soldiers to molest girls and stuff. Those were just bad soldiers."

"True. But… well, I guess we're happy now."

I rubbed her back affectionately. "Not much more we can ask for right? We're making adequate money, we're happy, and things don't seem ominous into the future."

She gave me another hug before saying, "I'm going to go sleep now. See you tomorrow morning," she yawned.

I nodded before following her up the stairs. There was something I wanted to look at in my room. I turned on my light and rummaged through my desk drawer until I found what I was looking for. It was a somewhat old book, with a light blue cover. The pages inside were yellow, but I knew what it was. I dusted off the cover, which had the title, The Eight.

This book contained sketches and notes of the traits of every one of the Eon species within the land. I frowned. The book didn't have an author, and it was the only copy I knew of. It was more of a sketchbook journal with notes, and even had dates, though the years were never listed. I leaned back into the wooden chair, putting my feet on the desk. I skimmed through the book. "Page 128," I murmured. "Here. The female Espeon."

The page held a sketch of an Espeon wearing a dress that looked stunningly similar to the one Lily had been wearing. The face was obviously somewhat different, but it looked quite similar overall, catching the slim figure Lily had. On the side, there were some interesting notes on the appearance.

-Fairly long hair in general-

I frowned. Lily's hair hadn't been quite as long as the drawing, but other than that, the hair was pretty spot on.

-Modest bust, slim build overall-

Well, that was true at least. I shook my head. Comparing appearances wasn't the reason I had looked through here. The next page contained personality traits, and the page after that had a nude sketch. I flipped another page until I came to History. Frowning more, I read through.

The Espeons have a proud history of being one of the most advanced of all the regions. They were the first to develop a way to capture the electrical power from Jolteons, and also assisted with the first turbines developed by the Vaporeons. In addition, they have the largest library and log of events that have happened. Without a doubt the most intellectual race.

There were a bunch of other notes, but I skimmed through it until I came to the part where our region came in. "Here we go…"

Before I myself was born into this tension filled conflict, there was of course the cause of the war itself. The West and East were at the height of their power, and despite not initially being at war, there was obvious tension. Emperor Zerus and Empress Danae were the two heads at this time, and turned the West into a military powerhouse. Yet despite their rulers' strength, the West was not one to go on the offensive. As militaristic as Zerus was, he understood the costs of war better than anyone; the royal family had lost a son to a raid before. Which is why the next move he made confused not only the Espeons, but everyone around.

As I've talked about in the previous pages, the Espeons were, and still are, very smart. That said, their inherent type disadvantage made them a fairly easy target for opposing nations. When they were offered a marriage proposal by their most fearsome enemies, they quickly accepted the emperor's terms.

"Your daughter and our son. A military truce, in exchange for a portion of your technology," is what historians have written, and it makes sense. As powerful as the Umbreons were, they were always a little behind many of the other nations technology wise. With Zerus focusing on the military, Danae reportedly suggested that a royal marriage of the two sides would be beneficial to both of them. Despite Zerus' shock, within a week, he quickly came to understand, and requested a personal visit to the Espeons' royal palace.

The Espeons, seeing as that he only brought his own family and a fairly minimal number of guards, figured that any sort of deception would result in Zerus being killed or imprisoned at the least. So of course they agreed. It made sense.

This description rambled on for a few more pages, going more in-depth about some specific Pokemon, but I got the full idea. A truce formed by marriage, offering one side military security and the other economic growth. I rubbed my eyes. "Come on…"

Princess Julie was to be the bride of Prince Terren. There are very few documents on their relationship, even within the Espeons' imperial library. But I have found nothing to suggest they were against the marriage. And that's all there is to them really. Both quite mysterious really.

Then of course, the night before the marriage, Princess Julie went missing, and plunged the world into this war.

I remembered reading this book a long time ago when I was a kid, but I had forgotten all those parts. The proposed marriage… the kidnapping of the Espeons' princess. There was so little information on what had happened, and I couldn't recall if there had been anything other than motive to suggest why the Umbreons would kidnap or kill her. I shook my head. It didn't really matter. But there was a lot I was curious about, and if I were to meet her again, I would certainly ask what happened from their perspective. Perhaps it would make more sense. There were some Umbreons who devoted their life to figuring out these mysteries, but I definitely wasn't one of them. Still… there would be a lot to talk about should we meet.

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"Hello there! Would you like to buy some Leppa berries?" My sister stood out of the shadows, holding out our goods. It was now the weekend, and we were selling our produce. Tia always had a radiant smile, and that was probably why we were so successful. She knew who to target, and her someone skimpy manner of dressing probably had a lot to do with it.

I sat in the shade, watching her. "How many have we sold?" I asked.

She shrugged. "You're the one with the money, you know."

"I know that, but it's not like I'm keeping inventory." Chewing on an apple, I spat out a seed. "I'd estimate we've made about 450 today," I said after some thought. "Pretty average day." The sun would be setting in a few hours, but a pleasant breeze blew through the town and the sun was out.

"450? Well that's not half bad."

Lots of Umbreons walked around with hoods or some hats on. Sunlight typically made us feel a little drowsy just because of our naturally nocturnal ways. A few centuries ago, our ruler decided to try have us fit in with the rest of the species and work during the day. We had gotten accustomed to it, but it still wasn't as efficient as night work.

Tia walked up to one with a hood on. "Excuse me miss, would you like some berries?"

"Hey…" I noticed a forked tail poking out behind slightly. "You should be more careful with that tail," I said.

She turned to me, those light brown eyes surprised. "Lloyd? Tia? What are you doing here?"

"Lily! It's you!" Tia smiled. "Oh-"

"H-hey, not so loud…" she said awkwardly. "Don't wanna shout to the world…"

Tia giggled, then continued moving along the street trying to sell our goods. The cloaked Espeon moved under the shade. "Well I didn't expect to see you so soon," I commented.

"Likewise." She crossed her legs; they looked a little better than yesterday. "You're a farmer?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure what you expected."

"Well…" She rested her head on her hand. "I've done some research and that Dark Pulse technique you used was quite impressive. Not only to learn it, but to have that much control is quite surprising."

"You've seen the move before?"

"Well… I've read on it," she admitted. "It was horrifying and shocking, but you really saved me."

I blinked. She was definitely knowledgeable. "Well… do you know what the fuel for the technique is?"

"Eh?"

I smiled. "Dark Pulse is a move that is controlled by hate and evil thoughts. The more you can control and focus your rage and darkness, the more power and precision it has."

Her eyes glimmered. She seemed very interested. "That's actually very cool…"

I rubbed my arms uncomfortably. "A-anyways…" I reached into our cart and pulled out an apple. "I don't know if you've eaten since the Umbreons here might be harsh to you, so please take this apple. On us."

She looked at the apple. "This… thank you." Bending over a little, I heard her munching on it, her pink tail waggling slightly.

I watched Tia flirt a little with another Umbreon before quickly running over to me. "We have a customer!" I took his money before giving him a vine of berries. Tia talked with him a little bit more before heading back under the shade. "Eh he, he bought our priciest thing!"

Lily had finished eating. "Lloyd, thank you so much… I was famished…"

She smiled at me, and I felt warm all over. "Hey, don't embarrass my brother," said Tia, crossing her arms.

"What?" The psychic type looked confused.

Tia huffed. "Lloyd… you go upfront. I'm taking a break."

"Okay." I stood up, heading to the front of our stand. Lily and Tia were already talking, and I looked out into the street. The Umbreons thankfully didn't seem to notice that there was an Espeon in our stall. I yawned. It really did feel like one of those days where nothing could go wrong.

We actually did end up selling quite a bit the rest of the way, though I was doing most of the selling. As the sun began to set, Tia nudged me from behind. "Lloyd, we all finished?"

"Yeah," I said, packing up our remaining goods. Lily was napping peacefully on some crates. I watched her for a moment. "You know… who do you think she is?"

Tia eyed her closely. "I don't know… she never revealed anything about her past." Pausing, she added, "I think she might be someone pretty dangerous though."

"You can tell?"

"I just get the feeling…"

I sighed. "Well… it looks like she's being isolated. Understandable given she's an Espeon… but…"

Tia looked at me. "I mean, mom and dad… well…" She clearly knew what I was thinking. Crossing her arms, she added, "I never thought that you'd be the one to suggest something like this."

"Well… there are all sorts of things I want to ask her," I confessed. "I mean… what if they're not the bad ones? She certainly doesn't seem evil. And not just that… how is their region? Is it nice? There's a lot…"

"Our region is quite pretty," said a slightly groggy voice behind us. Lily yawned, though her cloak still covered most of her.

"Hey… so… where have you been sleeping?"

"…" She looked down. "I've been going out to the fields. There's a large tree that I could rest in during the night… but it is cold," she admitted.

I exchanged a glance with Tia. "Listen, maybe for a night, stay with us. Our parents are away for now."

"Huh?" She blinked. "Two Umbreons offering shelter to a lonely Espeon? I mean…"

"Come on," said Tia. "You don't look so good."

"Urf… I really shouldn't…"

She looked a little nervous, as if she wasn't used to people being so kind to her. She had been that way when we had helped her and when I had offered her the apple. "You do look tattered," I pointed out.

"But… I don't know…" She looked around for some reason. "What if someone tries to come after me?"

"Huh?"

"You know… other Umbreons don't take kindly to you helping me…"

"Come on, you even have that cloak on. Just tuck away that tail of yours and you'll be fine."

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I sipped some tea, feeling relaxed despite having a visitor. We had just finished a stew of vegetables I had put together for the three of us.

"Thanks Lloyd and Tia. That was quite delicious." Lily bowed her head down slightly in thanks. "I really can't thank you guys enough, that was the first good meal I've had since coming here."

"Glad to hear that," said Tia with a smile. "My brother is quite proficient at cooking."

"Indeed." Lily wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I believe you grew most of the ingredients yourselves? That was really tasty."

"Thanks," I said, standing up to put some bowls back. "You two go head to the bath, I'll go clean this up."

"Okay, thanks Lloyd!" Tia grabbed Lily's shoulder. "Okay, let's go wash!"

"Eh? You seem quite eager…" began the Espeon.

"I've always wanted to see what another race looks like naked!"

"What?!"

I chuckled. "That's my sister for you. Don't be a weirdo Tia," I called out. Polishing the bowls they had used, something caught my eye where Lily has been sitting. A small silver necklace with a black pendant, not unlike the jewel that all the Espeons supposedly had on their forehead. I was against touching it, though it certainly tempted me. It was unusual that it was black; I knew enough to realize that the ones actually on the Espeons were red. But something about it was unforgettable. I just couldn't place it. Hesitantly, I picked it up and looked closely at it. The pendant was a beautiful black, as if it was made of obsidian. Obsidian was only found in the West region, so I was curious as to where she had picked up such a rare material. Perhaps she had bought it here, though considering the hostility towards her, I thought that was unlikely.

I placed it down, though it still lingered in my mind. I'd ask her about it later.

"Lloyd, your sister…" I looked up to see Lily covered in a towel.

"Oh, you…"

She shook her head. "I don't want to be rude, but… she was so clingy…"

"Tia, leave poor Lily alone, okay?"

"Fine," she shouted.

"There, you'll be fine now."

"Thanks Lloyd…" Her eyes moved to the necklace. "Oh… I left that."

I picked it up and handed it to her. "Here."

She looked at me, something unreadable in her eyes before realizing she was staring. "I'm sorry," she said before closing the door behind her.

"About what…" I said, but she had already went back into the bath. "What was up with that…"

I heard the water splash as she sat down. I heard some quiet talking now, and hesitantly moved closer to the door. Tia was talking with Lily. "Your brother… you aren't related?"

"Hehe, no. Well, not by blood," explained Tia. "His parents joined our military and both vanished when he was young. My parents watched over him and I've known him throughout almost my entire life."

"Is that so…" There was some more splashing. "Did you ever know his parents?"

"No… why?"

"Well… I don't know… he seems to be unique…"

"In what way?"

"… I can't say." She paused before I heard her speak again. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," said Tia. "If you don't want to tell us, it'll be okay."

"… Thank you." The Espeon sighed loudly. "This feels very nice…"

"Ehe, our parents let us use it only on weekends. But you're right. It is amazing. Ain't that right Lloyd?"

Tia always had good ears. "Sorry, just overheard you guys."

"Ah well… you can come join us you know…"

"Eh?!" Lily seemed very shocked at this. "I don't know if I'd…"

I groaned. "Come on Tia, don't freak her out."

"Sorry…"

"You two just hurry. I'm sweaty too you know." I took off my shirt and looked at myself in our bathroom mirror. We had a large bath, but the actual restroom was separated. There were a few wounds mostly from working, but nothing too noticeable. I took pride in being in good shape, but of course there wasn't a ton of use in being strong with what I did. If anything, stamina was more important, and the other workers did a lot of the harder stuff as well.

"Lloyd, we're finished…"

"Got it."

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After bathing, I turned on my lamp and continued my readings. Lily was going to sleep with Tia, so I was a little surprised when I heard knocking on my bedroom door.

I opened it. "Lily… what can I help you with?" She was wearing one of my sister's night gowns. It definitely was a little baggy around the chest… I shook my head. "It's quite late…"

"I know… but… I want to talk with you." I opened the door all the way and sat at my desk, while she sat on my bed. "So… you probably want to know who I am, right?"

"Well yeah. I still don't get why an Espeon would come here without good reason." I crossed my arms. "But I'm going to be honest… I get the feeling that you're dangerous."

"… Lloyd… I'm not going to hurt you or your sister. You two really saved me…" I looked at her. Her eyes were genuinely honest. "Please trust me…"

I turned away. "Listen… it's not that I don't like you… but you mentioned you're looking for somebody?"

"Oh, yes."

"So you should go find them quickly. Obviously, the people here aren't big fans of your type."

"Y-yeah. You're right." Blinking, she said, "You're lucky. Such a peaceful life for you and your sister." Smiling a little, she said, "I hope you don't forget that."

"I know." Hesitantly, I decided to talk a bit about myself. "One day… I do hope to leave this place."

"Huh?"

"Yeah… rather selfish I guess." I chuckled. "This is a good life. But… I'm bored of it. I want to learn, I want to explore." Looking out the window, I said, "My blood parents were part of the military. There was an operation up North in the mountains, but they went missing. I hope that one day… I can find out what happened."

Looking somewhat surprised, she said, "Your parents were lost to the Glaceons… huh."

"Well, I don't know if they died," I admitted. "I've accepted they're probably gone, but at the least, I hope to learn what happened." I shook my head. "But you're right, I should just focus on what I have to do here."

"No, that's admirable. You do have a knack for combat, I can tell." She looked at my hand. "Your control of that attack was impressive. You've obviously practiced a lot."

"You can tell?"

"Oh yes. I've done a lot of research. Remember I told you I've read up on it."

"You must have a lot of books."

She nodded, eyes glimmering. "There's so many books in our library back home." Her voice was wistful. "Yes…"

"A lot of books. Say, you guys have like an imperial library for the East right? Is that the one you're talking about?"

"Yup. When I was a child, I would spend a lot of time there sin-" She caught herself saying something, then said, "Excuse me. But yes, I've been there a lot."

The imperial library was by far the largest in the land. "That's something I would love to see one day." I sighed. "As you can see, we're much more militarized. But you guys value knowledge over power."

"Well, I wouldn't say that…" Stopping to think a bit, she said, "There's definitely issues…"

"I heard that the Glaceons were a little skeptical recently." I didn't expect her to respond as we were her enemy, but surprisingly, she did.

"Yes. There's not really a battle, and the Glaceons don't really see much need. They've been less interested in the war effort recently, mainly because of their ruler."

"I see."

Yawning, she said, "But maybe it's better. After all, it doesn't seem like the West is planning to attack on offense either."

I turned back to my book. "Hey, I want to show you some things…" I flipped through the pages a little while. "Here, is th-" She was lying on her side, eyes closed and breathing shallow as she slept. I scratched my head a little before rubbing my neck. Standing up with a sigh, I put the blanket over her and turned off my lamp before heading to Tia's room.

"Tia, can I come in?" I asked knocking on her door.

I heard her get off her bed before opening the door. "Huh? What are you doing here?"

"I was talking with Lily and she fell asleep on my bed," I explained.

"Oh ho? Not going to attack a sleeping maiden?"

I nudged her. "I think you have a spare cot."

"Yeah, in my closet," she said. "Should be an extra pillow too."

"Thanks." I grabbed the cot and pillow before heading back to my room. "Night Tia."

"Night Lloyd."

Going back into my room, I placed the cot down. Lily was still sleeping, and I quietly lay down on it before drifting to sleep.

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The next morning, I sat up groggily. The sun hadn't quite risen yet, and I looked up on my bed. Lily was still sleeping… or so I thought. Stretching my shoulders, I stood up and got ready to do my morning running.

"You're awake early."

I turned to her. "Good morning."

Yawning, she lay on her side. "You've got a comfy bed."

"Is that a compliment?" Stretching my calves, I said, "I'm going running."

"Oh okay. Umm… be careful."

I frowned. "Huh?"

"Nothing," she said, though I knew full well what she had said.

"Listen… how come you're so trusting of us?"

"I don't have a choice do I?"

"True, but-"

She pursed her lips. "You go exercise now. It's too early for me."

"That was my plan," I grumbled, though I left feeling a little funny. "Who would've thought there'd be an Espeon living with us?" I said to myself, locking our door.

As I ran along the dirt path that led into the city, I heard my name called out.

"Hey, Lloyd!"

I saw someone waving to me from a distance. Squinting my eyes, I recognized one of my old friends. "Len! What are you doing up now?" Len was the same age as me, but a little burlier and taller.

"Same as you, Lloyd." I grabbed his hand tightly in a shake. "Gotta be prepared for if we're attacked and need to join the force."

"Yeah, true."

"Say, did you hear about an Espeon?"

I paused, briefly thinking what to do. "Huh? An Espeon?"

"Yeah, there was supposedly one in the city a little less than a week ago. You and your cute little sister didn't see anything?"

"Well, we heard commotion," I said, not wanting to reveal we had any contact with her. "But I wasn't actually around to see anything."

"Hmm… well, let the officials know if you see anything. They've supposedly found out that she's a pretty important Pokemon."

I stiffened, but did my best to play it off. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know," he said with a shrug. "We've got some spies as I'm sure you know, but that's all I know."

"Where'd you hear this from?"

"One of the generals. He was talking about it at the store." Len's parents owned a smithing shop.

"Hmm… well, you gotta be careful with rumors. I'm not even sure a general would be given direct contact with spies," I pointed out.

"True," he conceded. "But yeah… just be careful. Never know if those bastards will hurt you." I thought of Lily. She certainly didn't seem like a bad Pokemon. But I nodded.

"Yeah, I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

He nodded and said, "Well, I'll be see- oh wait, I almost forgot."

"Forgot? What is it?"

"Try drop by our shop next time you're in town. I know you and Tia are busy with the farm operation and all, but I've got a gift for you, since I still owe you."

"Owe me… oh, right." I remembered what it was. "I'll stop by soon."

"Great. Well, I'll let you go on your way. I'm on my way back home."

"Yes, see you Len." He waved back at me as he started running.

There was definitely a lot that I needed to clear up, especially considering that she now

had an apparent bounty upon capture. And if someone found out we were housing her… I quickly ran back home.

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"Well you're back early." Lily was sitting up on my bed when I came back, legs tucked against her body as she sat up. I must've looked a little unsettled because she quickly noticed it. "What's wrong?"

"I heard from a friend that you're actually pretty important." Glancing at her with narrowed eyes, I added, "Is this true?"

She was quiet before nodding slightly. "I'm sorry. I sh-"

"Wait, I never said anything yet." Rubbing my head, I said, "I know you're gonna say you should leave, but they're actively searching for you now apparently."

"But-"

"No, I'm not so terrible as to send you out there alone. They'll find you within a day. And who knows what they want to do with you at that point."

She hesitantly spoke. "So what's your plan then?"

"Well… what… no, who is it you're searching for?"

"I'm looking for an Umbreon… well obviously," she added. "What I am looking for specifically is the descendant of Prince Terren."

I frowned. "Didn't they go missing? Him and Princess Julie?"

"Ah…" She looked at me, clearly thinking, then said, "Yes they did. Or so that's what I thought. But there was new… evidence I suppose, that proves otherwise." She looked out my bedroom window. "You know how when you're a kid, you have no worries?"

"Yeah." I had worked on the farm since a young age, but I knew what she was talking about.

"Then as you get older, it all just comes crashing down… well, literally in my case." She smiled a little. "Yes, they both went missing and were separated. But there's proof that they have managed to find."

This changed a lot of things in my mind. What kind of proof? "How will you know who he is?"

"Well… I don't," confessed Lily. "But the first thing I'm looking for is a weapon. The blade of Prince Terren."

I froze. "The blade of prince Terren… " I dug through my desk before pulling out The Eight. Flipping through the pages, I felt the curious gaze of the Espeon.

"Lloyd, what are you… eh?!" She saw the book. "Oh my, that's… that's The Eight!"

I turned around. "You know this book? How come you're so excited?"

"I've heard of it, yes. We don't have it, seeing as there's only a single copy."

"What?"

"Yes… this book… only one of its kind." She looked at me before asking, "Can I touch it?"

"Eh? Uh sure."

She rested her hand on the pages. "This is a book I've always wanted to read. Where did you even pick up something like this?"

"It was something left behind from my parents." Smiling a little, I said, "At least that's what my adopted parents told me."

She looked through it. "Amazing… your parents got their hands on something like this. Say… I wonder… if it…"

"What?"

"Well, the blade of the prince. I don't know exactly what it looks like. It has a special mark, but other than that…"

I flipped through, heart pounding. "I know that page." I looked down. "Page 277. Here."

I opened it. This section had full illustrations of some of the most well known weapons in history throughout the races. "Th-that's it!" she said.

We looked at it together. A large obsidian sword with a red hilt. The design itself looked simple, but the coloring gave it an ominous look. I remembered looking at the sword as a kid, thinking that it'd be cool to have. "You need to find this sword? Why is that?"

She pointed at the hilt. "See this character?" It looked like a backwards three, similar to an E. Σ.

"Yes?"

"Its meaning alone has been somewhat lost, but it represents the royal bloodline. Now, this book itself doesn't mention anything about it, but that emblem should glow red if the blood of him or his descendants drips onto it. Or at least that's what the sources in our library said."

"So you need to find the blade?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, I don't know its whereabouts…" she began. "The current Umbreon royal family shouldn't have it. It vanished alongside himself as well as Princess Julie." She sighed. "So not only do I need to find the sword, but I need to find its current owner. But the sword is rumored to also be attracted to those who should wield it, so that should help somewhat."

I frowned, sitting back. "I do actually have a smithing friend. He was the one who told me that they're looking for you. But if you want to, I could go and try ask…"

"Of course. After you can give me a path and tell me a good route to avoid trouble, I can leave you and your sister in peace."

"Y-yeah. I'll go do that."

The Espeon smiled at me warmly. "You're a good guy, Lloyd."

I turned to her. "You think?"

"Yeah. You're serious sometimes, but you're also caring. That's cool."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks." I knocked on Tia's door. "I gotta run some errands, I'll be back by noon."

"Mmph," she grumbled.

"You make sure to get started. I'll bring you back something good to eat, all right?"

"Mmph," she repeated in almost identical fashion. She really wasn't a morning Pokemon.

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"Ah, Lloyd! Good thing you're here now. My parents are out." I had just arrived at the shop that Len's parents ran. There was a Flareon that looked about our age managing the flames.

After looking at her awhile, she turned around and frowned. "What do you need?

"Sorry, just not used to seeing Flareons." She sighed. "I get that a lot."

"I'm going to take Lloyd here to the back, you'll be okay managing the furnace right?"

"Got it," she said before turning back to the flame.

Len led us into an enclosed room. "So, I called you over here because I found something pretty cool. As you know, most of our weapons use a mixture of obsidian and steel. A few use titanium instead of steel."

"Oh, that's cool," I said. I knew this from my book of course, but I didn't want to disrespect Len, and he still had more strict weapon knowledge than me.

He looked at me, then sighed. "You look like you knew this already," he grumbled.

"Sorry," I admitted. "I read up on it."

"You're such a geek," he grumbled. "But anyways," he continued. "Do you know what a blood ruby is?"

"Blood ruby." I actually hadn't heard that mentioned before, so I was a little curious.

"Aha! I can tell you've never heard of that before." He reached into the leather apron he wore and pulled out a small red jewel. "Blood rubies are found only in Mount Scorch's interior." Mount Scorch was one of the two active volcanoes in the land, and existed in the South. It was the largest volcano and quite explosive. The Flareon capitol was built fairly close to it as well.

"But what's special about it? Isn't it just a type of ruby?"

He pulled out a small knife and made a small slit on his thumb. He dripped the crimson blood onto the ruby. "You see, though I don't have the scientific explanation for it…" He held it up for me to see, and it was glowing an eerie red color. It was an unusual glow, dark, but still gave off the light.

"It's glowing," I said, thinking back to the blade of prince Terren.

"Exactly. Maybe the rubies are vampiric, or something, but after they come into contact with blood, they lock that into them and upon contact with the same type of blood, it will glow."

"That's… that's amazing." The hilt of Terren's blade most certainly was made of blood rubies.

"Pretty cool, you gotta admit, right?" He chuckled. "Now, the reason I called you here… well, remember how you saved my father's life?"

A few years back, Len's father had been assaulted by bandits on his way to deliver a weapon. It had happened near our house, and he had received multiple stab wounds.

Tia and I had been on our way into the city to sell our goods when we saw the unconscious Umbreon on the side of the road. I had recognized my friend's father and we took him into our house. Tia stitched up his wounds and basically saved his life.

"It was the right thing to do," I said.

"Oh, but you'll be surprised how many would have just left him then turned in the body for money or something. But you're my friend. So as thanks…" He stood up and reached into a chest. He pulled out a sword. The hilt was made of the dark red crystals.

No way… I thought. There was a sheathe on, but I knew what it was as he unsheathed it. "That is-"

"Yup, it's a pure obsidian blade with a blood ruby hilt. I'm not exactly sure where we got it. But a few years back, someone sold it to us for a large sum of money. Now that we're pretty well off, my dad wanted a way to repay you. So you can have this sword. Sell it, keep it, use it as decoration. It's up to you."

"…" I wasn't even too sure what to say. "I can't believe you're giving this to me."

He patted me on the back. "Anything for a friend." He put on his leather gloves. "Though this is a gift of gratitude, I wouldn't mind you putting in a good word with your sister." He winked at me before leaving the room. "I gotta go help Embra now."

I pulled the sheathe off the sword. It was identical to the one in the image. "This has to be it," I murmured. "Out of all the weird coincidences, this… this is something." I held the sword with my right hand. It was remarkably light. I had trained with metal swords before. My adopted parents had one that we kept just in case. But this felt so much more natural and easier to use with a single arm. It just felt amazing. "No wonder a prince used this." I sheathed it, the put the strap over my shoulder. Leaving, I said, "See you Len."

"Bye Lloyd, be safe."

I waved at him as I left the shop. I was so excited I almost forgot to pick up some pastries for Tia. People did stare at me a little funny since I had a sword on my back, but thankfully, I ran into no problems from the bakery to my way home.

But little did I know how important both Lily and this sword would be.

End Ch. 1