"Great, all set to do some hunting!" Anna said with a big smile on her face, as she finished doing maintenance on her gun and turrets.

"Hey cutie, wanna go out with me?" Anna asked Laris.

"W-what?! Anna.. i.. i'm flattered but um you're a girl!" Laris fumbled his words and blushed due to such rare positive attention.

"No, silly. I mean killing." Anna laughed.

"You want to kill me?!" Laris immediately screeched and fell backwards, tripping over his own tail.

"You're gonna kill yourself at this rate boy." the pink haired hyuran sighed. "Don't worry, i'll just go out on my own. Farewell, sweetness."

"Miss Sykes. I suggest you take someone responsible with you. It's dangerous to hunt alone. You never know when backup could save your life." Gaius said, as he adjusted his glasses.

"I've always hunted alone. I just wanted Laris to come and entertain me on my way there." Anna replied.

"Well... at least she wasn't going to use me as bait.." Laris said, almost in tears on the floor.

"Alrighty, i'm leaving now. Try not to miss me too much okay?" Anna winked as she closed the door.

"She's utterly reckless." Gaius said, then retreated back to his chamber.

"Zaren, could you please go tell Alex and Moira that i want dinner served shortly?" Gaius said. There was no reply.

"Zaren!" Gaius raised his voice. The young elezen was no where to be seen. "Bah, I'll just find him later. He may be in the bathroom or something."

"Hmm. seems like this particular target is hiding around here somewhere. Maybe i'll get a better view if i hop on my griffin and fly really high.." Anna said to herself as she looked up at the sky.

"Wow, its seriously beautiful up here. I'd love to bring someone special with me and experience this together someday!" Anna grinned.

"Ohh! There it is!" Anna pointed at a large 2 headed dragon, resting on top of a high building. As Anna approached her prey, she noticed something was wrong. Her target was already dead.

"What in seven hells..." Anna scrunched up her face, then she noticed a figure in the distance, wielding a gun.

"Hello! Did you take care of this wanted target?" Anna yelled and she slowly walked towards them.

"Why yes, i think a dashing lady such as yourself needs all the help she can get. You're talented sure, but anything could go wrong." It was a young man's voice.

"Wait i know that voice. Butler boy, is that you? Why do you have a gun?" Anna asked.

"Butler boy... huh." Zaren replied, but quietly so that Anna did not hear him.

"Look, you need to get back to the company building asap, Gaius is looking for ya!" Anna said.

"You still don't know who i am, right?" Zaren's tone became very serious as he put away his weapon.

"What? Sure i do. You're Gaius' retainer, and you're uh... good with guns too?" Anna had no idea what was going on.

"I've known you for a long time, Anna. You could say you were the first person who ever gave me a chance." said Zaren.

"I'm sorry, but i don't recognise you at all." Anna replied.

"My name is Zaren. Zaren... Svent. I was in your class at school." The elezen firmly looked his old friend in the eyes. "I never forgot about you. I instantly recognised you when you joined the Dragon's Scales but i decided to keep my mouth shut. I didn't deserve to talk to you after what i did." Zaren shrugged.

"You mean... you're the same little elezen that used to get picked on? Wow! you've really changed! And gods, puberty worked on you like a charm! Although, i always thought your freckles were cute. Now you have a cute personality to match." Anna excitedly jumped around.

"I... um.. wasn't expecting that reaction." Zaren awkwardly brushed the back of his head.

"Oh, haha. Now that's the Zaren that i remember." Anna giggled. "But anyway, what did you do to me that was bad? I don't understand."

"You were my friend, you used your personal time on me in that school for months... and i just left you there alone due to my own selfish reasons. How could you not hate me for that? I was so grateful for your existence.." Zaren's eyes begin to well up.

"Zaren, you left because the bullying became too much for you to handle. You were only doing what was right for you. Daerius couldn't just come to your rescue forever. I knew you'd have to leave eventually and i accepted that." Anna replied. "But... still.. i could have tried harder! I could have searched for you! I didn't even recognise you for crying out loud! If anyone deserves to be hated, it should be me." Anna began to cry. "And Daerius... I... couldn't even save him.. that kind man..."

"Anna..." Zaren said as the hyur jumped into his arms, bawling her eyes out.

"Zaren.. I'm proud to call you my friend.. I don't hate you.. I'm so glad you're back in my life.." Anna said, while sniffling. The elezen's eyes widened.

"That means a lot to me, Anna." Zaren smiled. "Come now, let's retreat back to the company building before Gaius organises a search party for us."

"Roger that, butler boy." Anna laughed as she wiped away her tears.