The evening sun shinned brightly over the field where the El Search Party had landed after escaping the Black Crow. Rena had just come back from the forest to find Aisha sitting beside Elsword who had finally awoken.

"How are you feeling?" She asked the red haired boy.

"I feel like I was hit by an out of control carriage." Elsword replied as he held his head. "Man, that guy could fight."

All three of the them looked at the man Elsword was talking and saw that he was still unconscious from Rena's kick. Rena didn't know how hard she kicked Raven but apparently it was good enough for him to knock him out cold. Still she figured he would have recovered by now.

"How's he doing?" Rena asked.

"He hasn't budged an inch." Aisha said.

"Well hopefully he'll wake up soon." Rena replied as she bent down and checked Raven's injuries that she had bandaged before she left for the forest. "I went to the top of the tallest tree in the forest. I couldn't see Altera anywhere. But I did see a small village nearby and when I went over there a man said showed me a map. Apparently, Altera is west of where we are now and it's a three day hike on foot."

"Is there an Inn at the village that we could stay at for the night?" Aisha asked.

"Yes, but there was no vacancy, plus the forest is full of dangerous monsters. If we go in as we are now we would be killed."

Rena could detect a flicker of fear coming from the two kids.

"Relax you two, the villagers said these monster don't leave the forest. So we're safe where we are now." She said reassuringly.

Rena continued to stare down at Raven and then his arm. Her mind went back to what had happened a little a while ago. She was almost completely certain that when she looked into Raven's eyes she could see a certain softness in them as well as sadness instead of the burning fury that she saw when she and the others were fighting him. She also swore that his mechanical arm was causing him serious pain. What was with that arm anyway? She had thought it was just a physical handicap, but it was able to shoot fire and bullets. From his sudden change in demeanor to his weaponized arm. Just who was Raven?

"I don't trust him." A voice said snapping Rena out of her thoughts.

Turning around Rena saw Elsword glaring at Raven. She probably knew why he said that.

"Elsword listen..."

"Don't bother," Elsword said quickly "Aisha told me why you brought him with us, and honestly I think you're stupid."
"Excuse me?" Rena asked indignantly while arching an eyebrow.

"Rena, there's no way this guy could change just like that." Elsword said with a snap of his fingers. "He almost killed me and he hurt you and Aisha. What makes you think he was a changed man for even a second?"

"I don't know," Rena replied. "I just think he was. Also, it just wouldn't have been right if just left him to die."

"Sure it would!" Elsword snapped "Then he could go on that one way trip to hell he was talking about!"

"Elsword!" Rena snapped right back as her anger flared.

Elsword simply turned away from the mother figure of the El Search Party.

"Listen, I know you don't like it," Rena began to Elsword much more calmly as she walked over to him. "But I seriously think that there is something wrong with this man. Isn't it our duty to help people?

Besides, I think he would make an excellent addition to our group."

"What!?" Elsword shouted as he turned back to Rena. "No! No! No! No! No! I am not letting him join our group!"

"You just said earlier that he could fight." Rena countered.

"Yeah he can, I never fought anyone that tough besides my sister! But he tried to kill us! I don't care what you say Rena, he can't be trusted!"

"Haven't you ever heard of the expression, 'Today's enemy could be tomorrows friend?'

"Rena, listen to yourself!" Elsword shouted.

"You're not giving him a chance!"

"I'm just trying to protect all of us!"

"Elsword what is the matter with you!? Why are you acting like this!? You've never been this hostile to anyone, not even our enemies!"

"That's because none of our enemies ever made me see my life flash before my eyes until today!"

"Umm, guys" Aisha said meekly interrupting the screaming contest in front of her.

"What!?" Elsword and Rena shouted at her.

"He's coming around." She replied.

Looking over Aisha's shoulder Rena quickly ran over to Raven's side while Elsword turned away. Rena dropped to her knees as Aisha went over to Raven's other side. The Black Crow captain's eyes slowly opened. He groaned and pain and tried to sit up only to feel pain surge through every part of his body Though most of the pain mainly came from his head. Rena saw his predicament softly pushed him back down.

"Hey don't move around too much, you're hurt pretty badly." She said gently

Raven offered no response as he stared up at the two girls over him. He could hear the voices perfectly, but his vision was still blurry and in his eyes he could see nothing but a blob of yellow green and purple floating above him.

"I-I can't see very well?" He asked weakly.

"You're vision should return shortly, so take it easy." Aisha replied.

"Can I get you anything?" Rena asked sweetly, wanting to get on good terms with Raven before his vision cleared.

"Water Please." Raven replied.

Rena nodded her head and left his side to go to a nearby pond and fill a canteen with water.

Raven's vision eventually cleared up and he saw a young girl with purple hair sitting by his side.

"Who are you?" He asked hoarsely.

"Huh?" Aisha replied arching an eyebrow.

"Ugh, my head." Raven replied as closed his eyes and held his human hand to said source of pain.

Rena finally returned and sat down beside Raven.

"Here I brought some water." She said to him.

"The instant the word "water" left the elf girls mouth Raven's eyes opened wide and immediately found the canteen in her hand. He snatched it away from Rena and drank it greedily as the cool liquid went down his throat and soothing the pain he felt. Water began to fall down the sides of his lips and he looked he was having trouble breathing.

"Hey slow down." Rena said sternly. "You're gonna choke if you're not careful."

Raven's eyes moved to the source of the voice and he froze when he looked into the beautiful golden eyes above his.

"S-Serris?" He said barely above whisper but loud enough for Rena to hear him.

"Um, that's the second time you've called me that." she said nervously. "I'm sorry, but that's not my name, I'm Rena."

Raven couldn't respond and Rena couldn't say another word.

"I-I see." Raven replied rather sadly before remembering what she said before rejecting the name he called her. "Wait a minute! You said second time! Have we met before!?"

"Huh!?" Rena replied while arching an eyebrow.

"That girl looked at me the same way as well!" Raven quickly said while pointing at Aisha. "What's going o- Ahh!"

Raven held his head tightly.

"A-Are you alright!?" Rena asked worriedly.

Raven didn't respond he continued to hold his head and began to like he was in serious pain.

"Hey calm down!" Aisha said trying to stop Raven from moving. "You're gonna hurt yourself even more."

"Even more!?" Raven asked as he gritted his teeth from the pain he felt in his head and now the rest of his body.

Looking down he saw his body was covered in bandages.

"How did I end up like this?" He asked.

Neither Rena nor Aisha responded to that question. They just looked at Raven confusingly.

"Do you really not remember anything!?" Aisha asked.

Before raven cold even respond Another surge of pain went to his head. Suddenly flashes of black and white images ran through his mind. They were images of him standing over two young girls that looked a lot like the ones he was talking to right now and they were writhing in pain. The worse one he saw was a young boy that looked like he was being tortured. He then saw an image of a masked man holding what looked like a steering wheel and he was staring at him while shouting something he couldn't hear. Why did that masked man look so familiar. Then there was a flash and everything disappeared.

"Hey!" A voice called out "Hey!"

Turning Raven saw Rena looking at him concernedly.

"Are you alright?" She asked "You just sort of zoned out. Can you really not remember what happened before waking up?"

"Actually it's all starting to come back to me now." He said. "I remember being on the Black Crow and I was attacking the two of you as well as another boy."

Looking up he saw Elsword sitting far away from him not even looking his direction.

"That's right you were." Rena said while nodding her head "You tried to kill Elsword, but I stopped you, and then you fought me, but when you had the chance to kill me you called me 'Seris' and then it looked you're mechanical arm was hurting you."

"Mechanical arm!?" Raven asked before feeling major pain go through said arm. Looking down at it he glared angrily.

"So I nearly killed these three people because of you." He said out loud making Rena and Aisha stare at him confusingly.

"Uh, are you talking to you're arm?" Aisha asked while pointing at the arm. "How did you even get that arm anyway? When we were fighting you were able to use it a weapon and shot fire and bullets."

Raven simply stared at the girl.

"I guess I have some explaining to do."

"Well we're not going anywhere so we've got time." Rena said.

Raven closed his eyes and let out a long sigh before explaining the origins of the arm as well his reason for attacking them.

"First of all before I explain anything, I want to apologize to all of you for what happened on that ship. I wasn't myself until now."

"What do you mean?" Rena asked.

Raven the began to tell the two girls what happened in the past and how he obtained his mechanical arm.

"I used to be a commoner in the Velder kingdom. I rejected the idea of nobles and aristocrats that were at the time being formed, as well as the Velder Knights. However I still cared deeply about my kingdom."

"Being trained at a young age in the ways of combat by my father, who was a Velder Knight before he died, I decided to form a mercenary group that swore to protect Velder. I called this group the Black Crows. We protected Velder from all sorts of dangers and we were even honored by the King and Queen themselves. However being a commoner and being given such high praise caused jealousy among the nobles."

"About a year ago, I was betrayed by my best friend Alex who like a brother to me. He was a nobleman and he had framed me for a for a crime I didn't commit. I was arrested and sent to prison but the Black Crows helped break me out. I was forced to leave Velder, but I was found by Alex who attacked me and cut off my arm. I was left to die, but I was found by a Nasod who offered me a deal. Do what they wanted and in return I would gain new power and would be able have my revenge."

"I blacked out afterwards and when I woke up I was in a Nasod capsule with an arm that was created by the Nasods. I was told that it was more than a replacement arm it was a weapon. Being a man of my word I began to do whatever the Nasods wanted me to do so I could soon take revenge against all who had betrayed me."

"I killed thousands of innocent people. I made children orphans, and wives widows. I killed and killed not knowing that I was losing myself to the Nasods who were controlling me through the arm they had given me. I was soon completely corrupted by them and I was no longer the man that once cared so much about protecting his Kingdom and those dear to him. I continued being a pawn until you three came aboard the Black Crow."

Finished with his story Rena and Aisha stared at Raven in shock.

"Th-That's quite a story." Was all Rena could say while Aisha just nodded her head.

"So that arm of yours is an arm made by the Nasods!?" Aisha asked, trying to let the story she had just heard sink into her mind.

Raven nodded in response.

"Wait a minute!" Rena said. "You said you were being controlled by the Nasods until we came aboard you're ship?"

"Yes," Raven responded. "When we fought I was still under the control of the Nasods. I don't know what happened but you three had done something to break they're control over me. Something that I cannot thank you enough for."

"You're whole story is nothing but bullshit!" A new voice suddenly snapped.

Turning around the three saw Elsword glaring angrily at Raven and limping his way.

"What did you say?" Raven asked.

"You heard me, that was the biggest load of crap I think I've heard."

"Elsword!" Aisha snapped.

"Be quiet!" Elsword snapped right back at her before staring at Raven once more. "There's no way in hell we're going to believe that you were being controlled."

"Elsword, calm down!" Rena snapped.

"You hurt my friends, and you almost killed me! Now you expect us to believe you're a different man after getting kicked in the head!?"

"Listen, Elsword!" Raven said calmly. "I can understand not believing my story it does sound very unbelievable but I've never been a man that lies. I promise you that everything I've said is the honest truth and the only thing I want to do now is try to make amends with you all."

"Well I don't believe it! You may fool the others but you won't fool me. You can't be trusted! The only part of your story I believe is that you were the captain of the Black Crows. I've heard of them and they weren't heroes, they were nothing but murderous thugs who-"

Elsword immediately silenced himself when he saw the edge of a sword pointed at his throat. Looking up he saw raven standing over him giving him glaring coldly at him.

"You will not, I repeat, will not disrespect the Black Crows like that. " Raven snapped. "Never in my life have I been so disrespected. You can't even begin to imagine the pain I have been through and the the horrible things I have done."

"The pain you've been through!?" Elsword snapped with his eyes going wide with anger before screaming at the top of his lungs. "You think you know pain!? Try having someone you love and care about just up and disappear without even saying goodbye and then talk to me about pain!?"

"Both of you, that's enough!" Rena shouted making the two of them fall silent.

All the could be heard were sniffles and a few coming from Elsword who had his head hung low. Rena looked at him worriedly when she saw tears dropping to the ground. She probably knew why he was getting upset, but then she saw Ravens blade was still pointed at him.

"Raven, put your sword down, now!" Rena ordered putting her hands to her hips.

Raven stared at Rena for a moment. Seris had scolded him the same way in the past. From putting her hands to her hips just the way Rena did right now, to using that tone of voice that Rena was using. It felt for a moment like he was hearing Seris sweet and beautiful voice and he automatically did as he was told and lowered the blade.

"Aisha," Rena said as she turned to the girl who was doing her very best to avoid being near the argument that Rena had just ceased. "Since we're staying where we are tonight, I want you to go to the forest and find some firewood."

"What!? You said there's monsters in the forest!?" Aisha asked.

"You won't have to go in, You'll find plenty of wood at the entrance."

"But why do I have to do it?"

"Do you wanna try and handle this situation?" Rena asked.

"Ugh, fine I'll go." Aisha said as she got up from the log she was sitting an and headed towards.

With Aisha gone to do her task Rena looked back at the scowling Raven and the still sniffling Elsword.

"Now," Rena said calmly. "We've all had a rough day today, and we're all tired. So let's all just calm down and relax. I'm sure everyone will be much more at ease after a good night's rest."

Everybody was silent after that. Elsword Eventually calmed down a little bit and laid found a spot to go to sleep. Rena was about to sit down beside him until she saw Raven limping away.

"And where do you think you're going going?" Rena asked him.

"I'm leaving."

"No you're not, come with me."

Rena led him to the pond and made him look at his reflection.

"You see?" She began. "You're in no condition to go anywhere tonight. So you're staying with us tonight and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Raven closed his eyes and sighed.

"Fine"