[SEARCHING FOR TIMEFRAME DATA]

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[Vigo - 1523]

Who's that guy?

A young boy stood before Phoenix's eyes. He was wearing a dress shirt with somewhat goofy looking, bushy sleeves, and a dark red scarf. He looked no more than eight, but something about him- maybe the serious look in his eyes, or his slicked-back black hair- almost made him seem like an adult. The screen around him began to take shape, and the camera angle shifted to behind the boy, showing that he was speaking to a larger boy, who had the shirt collar of another child, around the same age as the first boy, clenched in his hand at his side. "Now, I will allow you until the count of three to release him," the first boy said, "before I get involved."

"No, Sav... Go home..." The victim mumbled. The larger boy glanced down at his victim for a moment, then looked back to the first boy -"Sav", as he was called- then said, with a chuckle, "And who are you, his little sister?" A slight smile crept onto the boy called Sav's face, "No," he said, "I am Savastian AquƩl Moscas, and you are an idiot," and with that, he swooped forward, plunging his fist into the larger boy's stomach.

"Bah!" The boy huffed, releasing his victim's shirt. Out of the corner of his eye, Phoenix saw the injured boy pull himself to his feet, "Go!" Shouted Savastian, shooting around the older boy before following his own order, and taking off after the victim. It took the attacker a moment to regain his composure, so the kids had a bit of a head start. They raced passed people and buildings, trying to lose their pursuer, "Why must you always do this, Paulo?" Savastian asked the other boy, more pity than anger in his voice. Paulo, as Savastian had called him, began climbing a ladder as he answered, "He said terrible things about Papa! Claimed that the reason he leaves for so long is that he's too drunk to make it home! You would have done the same if you were there in my place!" Savastian grabbed onto the ladder and began climbing after his brother, "Maybe so, but Mama will still not be pleased to see your bruises," he said with a sigh. As he reached the top of the ladder, he heard a stream of profanity coming from behind him, "He's catching up, and we're trapped like rats! Why did you bring us up here?" He asked, still maintaining the professional tone in his voice, as he pulled himself onto the roof, "Trapped like rats, you say? I don't see it that way," Paulo grinned, enjoying his superiority, "just have a little faith, baby brother," and with that, he spun around, spreading out his arms as he turned, and lept from the rooftop.

"Paulo!" Savastian shouted out, losing his composure. He was about to run to the edge of the roof to see if his brother was alright, when he heard the ladder creak. He turned around, and sure enough, there was his pursuer, pulling himself onto the rooftop. He climbed to his feet and looked around, "It's just... You... And me now... Then... I guess..." The boy panted, looking to Savastian, "Not... So... Cocky now... I see! I wonder how your... Mama will feel when... She's scraping you from the ground... Below!" Savastian was trapped, as far as he could see. The ladder he had climbed up was blocked, and there were no more. He made sure there was no other way as the brute caught his breath, then, as his enemy began running towards him, he turned and ran for the edge of the roof. Have a little faith. The words bounced around inside Phoenix's head as Savastian lept, spreading out his arms as his feet left the ground. For just a moment, it was like he was flying. Then, he dropped. It felt as though his stomach was flying into his throat for a moment before he hit the ground. No, not the ground... a bail of hay! He smiled, pulling himself out of the hay. He looked around, "Paulo?" He called, then saw his brother waving him over to a bench. "What did I tell you?" Paulo asked with a grin.

[FAST-FORWARDING MEMORY TO A MORE RECENT ONE]

As the brothers approched their home, Savastian worried about how badly Paulo would be punished. Their mother had grown tired of confining him to the house after he got into fights, and tended to physically punish him as well nowadays. Usually a beating was expectable, but usually Paulo didn't come home in such bad shape. What awaited him this time? As they walked inside, their mother walked out of the kitchen to greet them. Before she could say anything, she saw Paulo's condition. The smile dropped from her face, and her cheeks went white, "What... Did you... I can't..." She stammered. Thinking quickly, Savastian stepped forward, "It's my fault, Mama! I got into a fight with someone, and he was injured trying to protect me," he lied. He couldn't let his brother take the blame, even if it was his to take. She would never let him outside again if she knew, and he wouldn't be able to stand captivity. "Savastian? You?" She said in bewilderment, "I thought you... I didn't..." She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts, "You're seven years old, Savastian! I thought you were more mature than this," she finally said. "He called Papa a drunkard! That's the only-" Savastian began to say, but his mother cut him off with, "No leaving the house until furthernotice," and then walked back into the kitchen.

"Why did you do that?" Paulo asked. "Do what?" Paulo shook his head, "Take the blame!" Savastian sighed, "Because you couldn't," he replied mockingly, "Oh, shut up, you!" Paulo snarled, before walking into his bedroom and shutting the door. Savastian climbed up the stairs, and started walking down the hallway. As he made his way to his bedroom, he noticed his father had left the hatch leading into the attic open. Savastian had never seen the hatch open before, as his father used the attic as a workroom, and kept it locked at almost all times. Savastian had always wondered what work his father did up there. He knew his father wasn't home, and could still hear his mother in the kitchen, so he grabbed onto the highest rung of the ladder he could reach, then began climbing. When he reached the top of the ladder, he took his first step into his fathers study, and gasped.

The walls were lined with weapon racks.