Author's Note: So, this is a birthday present for a very good friend of mine. (Happy Birthday!) It's not the most positive birthday present ever written, but I digress.

Enjoy! :)

"Please, Caius?" Yeul begged. Her wide green eyes echoed her plea, but the wind blew her long silver hair in front of them, ruining the effect. She wiped it back behind her ear.

Caius chuckled. "Of course, my dear." She smiled and ran off toward the boy in the distance. "Stay safe!" He called after her.

The delicate seven-year-old girl was the most cheerful Yeul he'd seen in countless generations. But she was also the last. There was on one left to continue the human race, much less produce the next Yeul. No. This young one was the last incarnation of the Paddran seeress. There would be no more.

He had to protect her. He had to make sure her last life was one worth living. And there was only one way to do that. He had only one chance.

The boy. Noel.

Caius watched his only hope lead away his only love. The boy would have to kill him. That was the only way. But not yet. The boy was only ten years of age, and not nearly strong enough to complete the task.

But Noel did not bother to hide the fact that he hated him. He'd hated him for years, since he was three years old. That hatred would work for Caius. All he had to do was keep Yeul safe until Noel was strong enough to kill him.

If only it were that easy.

"Come on!" Noel dragged Yeul along behind him. She kept up with him, enjoying the wind in her hair and the sun in the sky.

Noel slowed to a crouch behind a large rock. He pulled Yeul down as well. He motioned for her to stay down, and peeked over the rock.

Perfect. They were still there.

"Get up. Look." He stared off at the small pack of behemoths, filled with excitement. The monsters were very far away, they looked like bugs. But that didn't matter.

But he'd forgotten one thing. Yeul was significantly shorter than he was. "I can't see!" She whined.

Noel turned to her. Oh, right. "Then come here." He backed away, and she filled in the spot where he'd stood. He grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up, so she could see. "Do you see them?" He asked.

"See what?"

"Behemoths. Straight ahead, under the sky's edge."

Yeul shifted a bit to get a better look. Noel wanted to move his hands to hold her better, but if he tried he'd drop her. So he did his best. "Wow." She said.

Noel smirked. "Cool, huh? One day, when I'm big enough, I'm gonna take one out, all by myself."

Yeul stayed silent for a moment, watching. But then she said, "Should we tell Caius?"

Noel fumed. He brought Yeul down, his arms were getting tired anyway. "No. Why does he need to know?"

"He said to tell him if we ever see monsters."

"They're too far away to worry about." He snapped. "Let's go."

Noel started to walk away, but Yeul grabbed his arm. "Noel."

He stopped, but didn't respond.

"Why…why do you hate him?"

"Does it matter? I just do." He gestured back to the village with his head. "Let's go."

"There has to be a reason." Yeul said softly. "There's always a reason."

Now he was starting to get mad at her. Why did she care? "I don't have a reason, alright?" He wrenched free of her grasp. "I hate him because I hate him. Let's go home." He stormed off, with very little concern for is she followed him or not.

He heard her little moccasins patter on stone as she ran after him. She wasn't very fast, so he slowed. He didn't really want to leave her behind.

"Noel!" She cried as she caught up. She grabbed his arm again to slow herself down and said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Making you mad."

He looked down at her, and his anger died a bit. It was nearly impossible to stay mad at Yeul, no matter how much he wanted to. "That's alright, it's not your fault." He smiled. "Come on, I bet grandma's got lunch ready by now."

The two raced - literally - to Noel's home. It was never really a contest, he always won. But this time he lagged a bit, enough to give her a chance,

He still won.

"Hi Grandma!" He called once they reached the house.

"Hey, kiddo!" She smiled. Noel's grandmother was old - well, he thought so. She was in her forties, her hair still dark brown. She kept it short and insisted Noel do the same, but unlike him, her hair went past her ears. She was a friendly woman, despite being the only adult left aside from Caius. She was dressed in clothes traditionally worn by the men of their village, but that didn't matter anymore.

"Is lunch ready?" Noel asked, plopping into a chair by the table.

"Always thinking with your stomach, aren't you?" His grandmother teased. She smiled at Yeul, who breathlessly took a seat beside Noel. "Hey, sweetie."

"Hello." Yeul returned, then shoved Noel playfully. "You always win!"

"Hey, it's not my fault you're slow."

"I know you can run faster than you just did." She pointed out.

"I was trying to make it fair!" Noel cried almost defensively.

Their friendly banter continued, until heavy footsteps could be heard outside.

Noel's face darkened as Caius entered the house, and Yeul felt the dark tendrils of sadness burrow into her. She didn't understand why Noel hated Caius so much, and wished he would tell her. She didn't like it when he was angry. She was tempted to reach for one of his hands, both of which were balled tightly into fists, resting on the table, but Caius spoke before she could work up the nerve.

"Hello, Yeul." He said. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

She nodded, smiling for him. She still thought she should tell him about the behemoths, but she didn't want to make Noel angrier.

"Good." Caius replied. He nodded to Noel's grandmother. "Ms. Kreiss. Noel."

Her friend stiffened when his name was spoken, but kept silent.

"You want some lunch, Caius?" His grandmother offered. "There's not much, but I can split it four ways."

"No, thank you." He said. "But I will stay if it's no bother."

"Of course not. Take a seat."

Caius chose the chair beside Yeul, and she felt safer just because of his presence. Her real father had left before she was born, but she imagined that Caius was her father sometimes. She didn't know what fathers were supposed to do, but it was probably just like what Caius did. She would normally ask Noel, but he never knew his father either.

Caius wiped his purple hair away from his eyes. He stared off to the side, not at anything really, just the wall.

"I know about the behemoths, Noel."

Noel snapped his head up and looked at her. Yeul shook her head no. She didn't tell him. When would she have?

"I agree that they're too far for concern, but I will have to keep an eye on them. Such creatures are dangerous."

"Here's your food, kiddo." Noel's grandmother placed a small bowl of soup - probably of her own creation - in front of him, and another in front of Yeul. "Eat up." She handed them each a spoon.

Yeul took hers gratefully and sniffed at the soup. She mostly smelled steam, the soup itself didn't appear to have much of a smell.

"There's nothing weird in it, honey. I promise."

Yeul scooped up a spoonful and tasted just a little. There wasn't much taste either, but the little she detected wasn't bad.

Noel had his spoon in his hand, but he wasn't eating. He took each spoonful of soup and poured it back into his bowl. He was leaning on his other hand, fingers flattening his short dark-brown hair, eyes following his spoon.

His grandmother noticed his lack of interest in his food. She exchanged a look with Caius, who nodded. Yeul wasn't sure what that meant, but neither of them exchanged further eye contact. Maybe it didn't mean anything.

"I hear you want to hunt monsters yourself one day, Noel." Caius said calmly.

Noel tightened his grip on his spoon, clenching his jaw tightly.

Caius continued. "I could teach you, if you want."

That appeared to be the last straw, because Noel stormed out of his chair, spoon clattering on the table, and ran out of the house.

"Noel!" Yeul cried, getting up as well. Without waiting for permission, she followed her best friend.

Noel didn't know where he was going, he didn't know if he would stop. Caius, teach him to hunt? The thought angered him further, and his rage boiled his blood.

He ran, and ran, and ran, and ran. He knew he would go back, he had to, but he also had to run.

He ran until his legs buckled beneath him, and he fell to the ground. He lied there, too tired to move. His body breathed for him, deep lungfuls of air soiled by dust and centuries of the world dying.

He had no idea how long he stayed there, but the next thing he knew, he heard the familiar patter of moccasins.

"Noel!" Yeul called, clearly concerned.

He wanted to tell her that he was alright, but he couldn't seem to muster up enough energy to bother.

Yeul caught up to him, and shook him by the shoulder. "Noel? Are you okay?"

He finally sat up, slowly, and forced a smile for her. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She launched herself at him and trapped him in one of her little hugs. "I'm sorry, Noel. I'm so, so sorry."

He hugged her back because he knew it would make her feel better. "You didn't do anything."

"I know." She said into his shoulder. "But you'd never listen to Caius, and I'm sorry he makes you mad."

Noel sighed and hugged her tighter. He didn't want to get angry with her again. "It's okay, Yeul."

She gave a soft gasp, and suddenly went limp. Fear shot through Noel as her arms fell from him. He lowered her so he could see her face. He didn't like what he saw. Her eyes…

Oh no.

A vision, she was having a vision! Fearful tears began to spill from his eyes. He didn't know what to do, he's never seen this happen before. He couldn't protect her from this!

His vision went blurry from the tears as he grew more desperate. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to do?!

"Caius!"

"Caius!"

Noel's desperate scream sent the man from a walk into a run. He'd been following them since Yeul left, just to keep an eye on them, but clearly something was wrong.

He didn't have to go very far before he found Noel, clutching Yeul close to him, face soaked with tears.

Caius knelt beside the boy, careful not to touch him. "What happened?" He demanded.

Noel choked on a sob. "She-she…"

He couldn't finish, but he didn't have to. Caius understood. He sighed. He was afraid of something like this. It had been too long since her last vision, it was only a matter of time.

"It's alright, Noel." He said.

"B-but-"

"She'll be fine. There's nothing to worry about. Come, let us return home."

He reached out for Yeul, but Noel clung yet tighter. The boy still didn't trust him. Good. He simply stood, and waited for Noel to do the same. The boy held Yeul as if she were his baby sister. Caius started back, with Noel grudgingly following behind.

Caius had to admit that he admired Noel's determination to hate, and to protect Yeul. Maybe the boy didn't know it yet, but that's what he saw every time the two went off to play. He didn't want any harm to come to her.

That would also work in Caius's favor.