On the long winding road into town, the trees gave way to the most beautiful meadow I had ever seen in my life. It smelled of lilies and roses, and I made it tradition to rest there on my annual market trips. I've always loved flowers. Even amongst the barren trees and awful circumstance of poor land, they flourished. I wished I could be more like these flowers. It was the only place I could think of that Tira hadn't yet managed to touch with her malevolence, and I valued it more than anything. The realization that the thing I treasured most in my life was an oddly placed meadow made my existence feel that much more pathetic. I remember as a child how scary these forests were. The sun was unable to shine anywhere, save for my meadow, because of the long twisting tree branches overhead. But now I felt no fear as my feet crushed dead leaves.

As I grew closer to the opening, the familiar flowery scent washed over me, and I closed my eyes in bliss. It made me want to stay here forever. Far away from Tira and her secret plots of god knows what. A low, growl-like sound from the bushes interrupted me from my musings. I frowned. I had never seen many animals in the forest, if any at all. It sounded sort of like a wolf, but not exactly. More... unatural. While the foliage wasn't quite dead, it wasn't healthy enough to provide anything life.

"E.I.N! Did you find anything?" The booming voice came from my meadow, and my legs seemed to carry me in its direction without even being told. I peered into the clearing cautiously behind a tree, and took in a long breath. The man the voice belonged to was unlike anything I had ever seen. His skin was kissed by the sun, and his eyes were a bright blue. The clothes he wore looked to be made of a foreign leather, intricate chains lining his vest and the crest of a wolf's head embossed on his numerous belt buckles. A large crescent shaped tattoo was carved on his open chest, and I found myself wondering what it symbolized. The patches of grey amongst his dark hair vaguely reminded me of Tira, but looked much less synthetic. All the men in the town looked so average I could never even tell them apart. But this man could never be a faceless villager. He stood out. He was special. The mysterious man's head whipped in my direction, and I crouched in an attempt to make myself as small as possible. In my interest, I had never given thought to whether or not this man was dangerous. It was in moments like this I wished that I had asked Tira for some sort of weapon on my travels. She certainly had enough for the both of them.

"I noticed you long before you noticed me. You can come out from where you're hiding." I paled, and couldn't stop myself from letting out a gasp. The idea of the man being a danger to me was suddenly very real and I had no idea what to do. I looked back down the trail I had come from, and considered running. I could run fast, sure, but the path was so linear that i'd never be able to really escape the man. And even if I did, I hadn't managed to get my mother's robe repaired for Tira yet. An angry Tira was possibly just as dangerous as this stranger. Done with weighing my options, I rose to my feet and stepped through the mouth of the meadow hesitantly. Even the soothing smell of lilies did nothing to calm me now. I had then noticed the silver sword that rested in his hand, and my heartbeat unconsciously began to race. The man didn't have an expression that was menacing, or violent, or anything really. He seemed to regard me with general disinterest. Silence stretched for what seemed like hours, and words came from my mouth with nervous abandon.

"You should be wary of traveling through here. I heard an animal in the bushes, it sounded like a wolf." The man's face came to life then, and a small smile graced his lips as he chuckled to himself. Of course someone like him wouldn't be worried about silly wolves. Men like him probably didn't have to worry about anything. I then realized that I had completely forgot about the animal I had heard earlier. Where had it gone?

"I think i'll be alright. I actually wanted to warn you. The city isn't a safe place to be right now. Something's coming. Something none of you can handle. You should turn back while you're still able." I frowned. Whatever is coming couldn't be as bad as what would be waiting for him if he returned home empty handed. I turned my head towards the sky and noticed the sun that would soon give way to night. This day was becoming more and more riddled with complications.

"I-I would, but I desperately need something mended by the seamstress. In a sense, it's a m-matter of life and death." Heat rushed to my face as I began to stumble over my words. I had never been good in social situations, especially not with strangers, as the only person i've talked to on a regular basis was Tira. Even the thanks I gave to the local stall vendors came out rushed and muffled.

"Graf Dumas. Have you hear of him?" I had heard of him, from hushed whispers among those of the town, but only bits and pieces. The man whose army was sweeping the countryside, taking every settlement he found to peices on his way through. While it was something I worried about, It wasn't a very big concern of mine. Tira seemed capable enough to fend off any attacker, and I can't imagine he'd want anything with a farmer's village anyway.

"What could he possibly want with this place? There's nothing here for Graf Dumas but a sleepy town and dead forests." The man's face grew irritated as my lips passed over 'Graf Dumas.' I wanted to ask what the history there was, but I held my tongue.

"What does it matter what he wants? He's going to burn this town and everything in it. You'd be foolish to believe otherwise." Then there was no way out, was there? Die in a blaze of fire or get tore open by a ring blade drenched in madness. Or he could just... run.

"Where are you from? Whats your name?" The man looked surprised by his sudden outburst, but answered anyway.

"My name is Zwei. Where I come from is of little importance. But I am currently traveling with a military group of sorts. Schwartzwind. We intend to stop the Graf's reign of terror, ultimately." And then I saw the way out. An escape. An escape from Tira, from further destroying the lives of people who hadn't done anything, a chance at something better than this.

"Could I come?" Zwei kept his blue eyed gaze trained on me.

"An army is no place for a child. You would only get in the way-"

"Nothing can be worse than this! Please! Hear me out. I can't fight, but I can cook and clean. I'll do any work you need. I just want to escape this hell." I had realized that in my panic I had begun clutching his muscled arm. My hands were shaking, a steady vibration, and we both stared at where our skin touched. I had only had physical contact with one person as far as I could remember. Tira. And Tira's skin was always cold, like a corpse. But Zwei... he was so warm. Warmer than my bed at home and my glorius meadow baked in the sun. Zwei's eyes had something different in them now though. Like familiarity. Like he understood.

"I-I can't promise my captain will let you stay, Okay? But maybe we can get you somewhere safer than your home. Thats the best I can offer you." Maybe if he made it to a port, he could get away. Maybe travel to Asia, Maybe travel anywhere. But he'd need money. And he did have some. Back in his prison, with the psycotic monster that waited there.

"Thank you. So much! I can't make you understand how much I appreciate this. But could you wait here, for just a moment? I won't take long, there's something I need to get from home." Zwei looked apprehensive, but he nodded. I took him (and myself) by suprise, and wrapped my arms around his middle.

"Really. Thank you." My voice was soft in his chest, and his heartbeat was a slow thud.

"Yeah. No problem, kid. But could you stop doing that?" I blushed, and withdrew immediately. As much as I appreciated what he was doing for me, he was still a stranger. I glanced back at Zwei, and he nodded once in my direction. The lock on my window was broken. If I came through there, I had a chance. And if I didn't make it, I was lost anyway, wasn't I?

The road I had taken home hundreds of times seemed longer than usual. Maybe because I was running to my possible death. I hadn't quite decided yet. Leaves crunched under my feet and it was as if I could hear them right beside my head. My mother's robe felt soft under my shaking fingers. She wasn't anyone I had ever met, but I admired her greatly. She's the only person Tira has ever seemed uneasy when talking about. Tira spoke about her with a grudging respect and something else I couldn't identify. I liked to think that she was watching me, supporting me, wherever she was.

A weight unlike any other settled on my shoulders as my home (If I could even call it that anymore) came into view. This was it, in a sense. The last act of desperation i'd have to manage to have a normal life. It seemed too good to be true, and maybe it was. I carefully stepped around the numerous bird's nests in our yard toward my back window. Tira had a love for birds that was probably only exceeded by her love of murder. She had been leaving seeds scattered in our yard since I was young. The only birds that ever came were crows, though. They didn't behave like other birds I had seen either, there was probably something wrong with Tira's birdseed. They just sat there and... watched. Even now as I stepped around their homes their beedy red eyes followed my every move. It was very unsettling. My window was the only window on the house, the only detail of it at all really. Keeping people out was never a problem, as the fact that Tira stayed here was generally enough to keep intruders far away. The house hidden away from the rest of the world looked exactly as I left it, forboding and still. My heart raced quickly and I was almost shaking with nervousness, but I managed to stay silent as I edged around to the back.

I pulled at the latch on the window and it squeaked loudly. The noise made me flinch hard. I didn't think it was enough to be heard throughout the entire house, but I didn't want to take the chance. My nimble fingers pulled much more slowly this time. The noise was barely a creak and the latch came up easily. I was relieved to find that the actual window made no sounds as I pulled it up. I climbed on the windowsill and flattened my body to fit through the small opening. My window was usually above my soft bed, but I was surprised to have landed on… metal? I rolled off the foreign object onto the floor.

It was a shield, I realized upon getting up. A brilliant blue with the golden horns of an elk in the centre. It was beautiful, but so much more than that at the same time. It felt as if it was mine. I knew every curve and detail of the perfectly smooth steel, even though I was sure I had never touched it, and I could feel that it was somehow incomplete. There was a pair to this beautiful creation. And it wanted me to find it. A gift from Tira, I was sure, but why would she want me to have this? Her schemes seemed to be coming to fruition, and I wasn't certain of how much longer it would be before everything reached a climax. There was a grand finale to everything Tira did, a hidden agenda, she always had the upper hand.

the door…

"What? Who…?"

the front door, Patroklos…

It was the voice of a man. Wispy and ethereal, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. My lips spoke a name I had never heard in my life. Hephaestus.

walk to the door, Patroklos…

But I couldn't, not with Tira here, she'd-

she's not here… let me guide you, child of Greece…

It was difficult to understand his words, they were loud in my head, but it was like a hundred voices at once. I walked anxiously toward the front of the house. Was Hephaestus the shield itself? Or something more? My vison blurred harshly as a headache swam through my head. I was certain I was stumbling now, but nothing could I wasn't even sure if my feet were carying me forward anymore. I could vaguely make out a sheet of paper nailed into the door, what I assumed to be one of Tira's letters. She didn't use them often, only when she would be gone an extended period of time. The loopy cursive penmanship told me her brighter persona wrote it. The red ink made me cringe, because god knows what that was made of, but I read on anyway.

Patroklos, get acquainted well with your new gift. Ive gone to find its second half! Were going to have so much fun when I return! - Tira

I had to find it before she did. It was mine! It belonged to me-

the servant of the evil sword will fail in her pursuit, my child… I've hidden the omega sword somewhere she cannot reach… you must retrieve it and destroy Soul Edge, as your mother attempted…

"So the sword is the missing piece? And this is my mother's shield? Soul Edge? I don't understand…"

In due time… remember your purpose, the werewolf awaits…

"Werewolf? Do you mean Zwei? Oh god, he must be so upset with me! I should leave. Thank you… Hephaestus?" The booming voice in my head didn't respond, and I frowned. I touched wetness I felt on my upper lip, and withdrew my fingers to find blood. Nosebleed. I hoped that Hephaestus's next visit would be more pleasant. Getting to my feet quickly, I rushed back into my room. I didn't have much to my name, aside from money and few articles of clothing, so the bag I began packing was relatively light. I traced my hands slowly over the worn bedpost. This room wasn't much to look at, but it was mine. A peice of me wondered what Tira would do with this room once I was gone, but another told me that I shouldn't care. Memories, not all entirely good ones, weaved through my mind as the walls passed me by. Cold wind whipped across my face as I closed the front door behind me. I looked back at the cottage for what i'd hope to be the last time. Hugging the shield to my side, I began down the path quickly as I could. I felt free, but I knew it was never that simple.

AN: Things are moving along, yes? I plan on making the next chapter in Pyrrha's POV, and it shall be long as hell. how do you think she'll be different? Reviews are love. Hope you enjoy!