Okay, let me explain something.

I can NOT make a character without automatically making a past for them. Call it a flaw if you want to, it's just who I am.

So what happened to get Edreg into the position he is? What was Cody like? How did Edreg's group form?

The next few chapters (dubbed the Cody Chronicles) will show what happened to Edreg after his father caught him trying to scam Zacyr.

Edreg couldn't believe it. He just sat on his bed, his thoughts racing. This couldn't be happening! All that money he had saved up, all of his hard work . . . this was bad! His father knew! This . . . this just couldn't be happening!

"Hey, kid."

Edreg listened as the kid, Zacyr, walked back over by the counter. Edreg couldn't believe what he heard his father say. "These two vials are free of charge. Consider them an apology for what my boy did."

His father had just given extra vials to the kid? Edreg felt an ice-cold chill race down his spine, this was bad! His father had just given away something for free! His father never did that, even though he didn't understand the importance of gold nearly as much as Edreg did . . .

Edreg raced to his room, he had to move fast. He had never seen his father mad before, and he knew that if his father was pissed off . . . those muscles he had weren't just for show! Edreg quickly packed some clothes. While he also wanted to pack the large bag of gold he kept hidden in his closet, he knew he didn't have the time. Edreg quickly got his pack closed as he heard footsteps headed his way. He soon raced out the door, not stopping once as he made a mad dash to the forest.

Edreg didn't stop running when he heard his father call out. It never occurred to him that his father sounded startled, it never occurred to Edreg that his father may not have been as enraged as Edreg thought he was. All he could think about were the muscles his father had, the fact that he had seen his father's raw strength.

That had been years ago. That one bull +Anima had gone on a rampage, and eventually Edreg had found himself in harm's way. His father had intercepted the +Anima, not only stopping the charge but even pushing the bull +Anima back a good distance. Then he had tossed the bull out of the village, over thirty feet!

Edreg didn't know the math, but he did know that his father's strength hadn't lessened since that time. If his father put just a fraction of that strength into a punch towards Edreg's face, Edreg wouldn't survive the hit!

-Edreg's Father-

Adran couldn't believe the sight in front of him. Edreg was running away? At first Adran wondered what to do, should he follow Edreg? His son didn't know how to survive in the wilderness! His son knew how to shop, how to haggle, and how to scam people. Eventually Adran sighed. He walked back into the house, wondering . . . what should he do? He hadn't expected Edreg to take it so hard, and Adran hadn't even begun the argument! Did his son truly fear Adran that much?

Adran sighed as he grabbed out the family portrait. His son had inherited Adran's blue eyes and blonde hair, although he had the slightly-scrawny structure of his mother. Then again, Edreg's mother had been no pushover.

Adran chuckled as he felt the scar on his face. While he had not gotten it for the reason he told Zacyr, he had gotten it from his ex-wife. That had been when her sanity had begun to disappear. She had never told Adran about that man, and Adran had never learned what the man had done to rile his wife up so much. But whatever it had been, she had gotten mad about it. Adran had been shocked when his wife had announced she was going to leave. He had tried to stop her, if only to get more answers.

He still remembered her swinging that knife at him, if he hadn't retained enough sense afterwards to ask for help he would have bled to death. His wife on the other hand had just disappeared. It had been a while before he heard about her again. She had found the man, and had attacked him in a rage. But she had bitten off more than she could chew. The man had easily killed her.

It still shocked Adran, and it sincerely worried him. His wife had let her hatred grow until it consumed her, and Adran knew his son had gained more of his mother's personality. His wife had also been no fighter at first, she kept so many secrets . . . and as Edreg had just shown today, he had obtained his mother's love for gold. Adran wondered . . . what else had Edreg obtained from his mother's personality?

-Edreg-

As the sun began to set, Edreg continued to run. He was exhausted, but fear was a powerful motivator. It took a while before his exhaustion finally overcame his fear, and he fell onto his front. How long had he ran? Had his father managed to follow him? If he had, Edreg wasn't going to be able to escape. For what felt like hours Edreg just laid there. He didn't have the strength to move, and he just . . . he couldn't believe what had happened.

His father had known? Edreg had to admit he had made a mistake. It was the same mistake he always made. He thought that just because his father was strong automatically made him stupid. Still . . . Edreg certainly didn't feel like he had done anything wrong. That boy-Zacyr-had been the one stupid enough to not learn how to read.

The more Edreg thought about it, the more he began to wonder . . . had Zacyr not been able to read? What if it was Edreg that had been fooled? That made sense, Edreg had been set up! Edreg gnashed his teeth. Of course Zacyr knew how to read, that should have tipped Edreg off that his father was listening in!

Zacyr and Edreg's father had planned it beforehand! Edreg couldn't believe it, he had been out-planned! But which one of them had planned it like this? It couldn't have been Edreg's father, thank god Edreg had his mother's intelligence. And Zacyr had done his part of the plan flawlessly. There was Edreg's answer! Whose fault was this? Zacyr's!

There was suddenly a small noise, like a twig snapping nearby. Edreg had no idea where his strength came from. In less than a second he was back on his feet, looking around wildly. "Who's there? I'm warning you, I'm stronger than I look! If you're trying to rob me, you're making a big-"

Edreg turned around, and he let out a cry of shock and fear as he realized what he was looking at. A +Anima! It had a lizard's head, and while it didn't look exactly threatening . . . Edreg's thoughts turned back to that bull +Anima. Edreg shivered as he backed away, watching as the strange head suddenly turned into a human's head.

Edreg gulped as he looked for a weapon. He didn't care that the brown-haired, hazel-eyed boy was smiling at him. The boy was a +Anima, Edreg was in big trouble! When the boy began walking into the clearing, Edreg's heart began to race. As the boy walked closer, Edreg grew more and more panicked. He soon was backed up against a tree, and the +Anima stood just feet away from Edreg.

The +Anima's smile never lessened, and as it opened its mouth Edreg was certain he was about to be eaten. Edreg turned his head to the side as he closed his eyes, he couldn't watch this beast-

"Hi!"

Edreg's eyes were wrenched open as he looked at the +Anima. He couldn't believe it. "You can talk?"

But +Anima were savage beasts, how could . . . Edreg just couldn't believe it. This +Anima could talk? Edreg just couldn't believe it. The +Anima nodded excitedly to Edreg. "Yeah! My name's Cody, what's yours?"

Edreg was still in complete shock. He had never seen a +Anima speak before! And yet . . . the +Anima-no, Cody-just continued to look at Edreg, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. Eventually Edreg realized that Cody had asked him a question, so Edreg stated his name. Edreg was shocked when Cody's eyes sparkled with glee. "Wait-whoa! You are the Edreg? You are so cool!"

Edreg gulped, he had no idea who this Cody was thinking of but Edreg knew it wasn't him. "I-uh, I think you've got me confused for someone else."

Cody didn't seem in the least put off, and surprised Edreg when he completely changed the subject. "Can I get you something to eat? Berries, rabbits, honey, or fish?"

Edreg's heart was finally settling down. He now eyed Cody carefully, and was surprised as he realized Cody could only have been eleven or so years old. His green shirt looked almost ready to fall apart, and was held down by a strap of leather. The shorts Cody wore were caked with so much mud that Edreg didn't know what color they were. Yet he didn't look irritated at all, Cody simply looked at Edreg with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Of course, it's not just one or the other. You can have a bit of each if you want, mister Edreg."

Edreg flinched. "Uh-um, thank you? I uh . . . whichever one's easiest."

Cody smiled brilliantly at Edreg. "Rabbit stew it is!"

Edreg watched dumbstruck as Cody began walking out of sight. Right before he would have been out of sight though, Cody looked back at Edreg. "You coming?"

Edreg was completely shocked, here was a complete stranger and they were willing to get Edreg food? Edreg gulped as he walked towards Cody. "Y-yeah"

I'm probably going to keep on writing about Edreg for a bit. I've been wanting to fit this in since the chapter Cody died, and I think it's time to go even more into depth about each of Edreg's team.

I'm running into a few holes with Zacyr's plot that I need time to work with. As such, I'll speak about what I DO have all sorted out while I work on filling in Zacyr's plot a bit more.