Disclaimer: I do not own Vindictus or any of the characters.

A/N: Once again, let me know how you like it. Enjoy. If you see any spelling mistakes, please tell me.

When Lann awoke neither the starry sky nor the sun greeted him, instead he was looking up at a wooden ceiling. Blinking away the sleep haze, he looked around, finding he was in some sort of large room with multiple beds lined up against each wall in rows. Judging by the subtle light streaming in from the windows above, it was around noon.

He made a move to get up, but gasped in pain when sharp aches shot up his back and sides. It was then he noticed the wrappings around his torso and arms. What the... He was about to lift up the sheet to further inspect, when he heard incoming footsteps. Glancing up, he saw a brown haired man with gray roots walking towards him. He was wearing a pair of faded brown overalls with a white shirt underneath. Lann glanced back up at his face, and noticed the laugh lines surround the gentle smile, he relaxed. This man looked friendlier than those other people.

Wait, what other people?

Lann frowned in thought and tried to recall. He remembered blurred people, frightened looks and glaring eyes on him as he walked through a town. But how did he get there? It felt... like a dream. He tried to remember anything else, but came up blank. Lann could feel his face paling. He tried again and again to recall anything, a last name, a home, anything. All he remembered is his name, that he has to join the Crimson Blade, and that one spooky dream.

"Ah you're up lad, you gave us quite a scare there," the man stated, pulling over a chair and sitting down. "My name is Ernmass, may I ask who you are?"

Figuring he could worry about that later, Lann eyed the man critically, could he trust him? But then, if he couldn't trust this man, who could he trust? He knew no one else, he didn't even know what town he was in, if it even was a town. He made a decision. "My name's Lann, and I'm going to join the Crimson Blades," Lann stated proudly. Realizing that sounded a bit bratty, he quickly added on "Sir."

The man, now known as Ernmass, chuckled. "Good to see youngsters wanting to help nowadays." He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. "Now, can I ask you a few questions about where you came from? Do you have any family looking for you?"

Lann hesitated, then remembered he chose to trust this man."No...I don't remember anything besides my name and needing to join the Crimson Blades here. My family..." Lann froze. He remembered a high pitched scream, snarls, and a feeling of pure hatred. "My family...no. I don't have anybody." He ducked his head, feeling sick in his stomach. He had no family. No memories, no nothing.

He was truly alone.

Whatever he had been prepared to hear the boy say, Ernmass didn't expect that. He awaited a long tale of running away from home, hating parents, even a bratty 'None of your business', but this...

The boy sounded so heartbroken, so lost, so truly alone that Ernmass believed him. He took in the sun-washed hair, clear blue eyes, and the tanned skin under the cuts and bruises; he immediately knew the boy was from the country side. That's a long way from here. There's no chance we can find out where he came from or who his family is. Maybe eventually when he remembered, but as it was...

Ernmass debated what to do with the boy. They had no orphanage in town, barely enough room for the Crimson Blades as it was, and no one had the time really, to watch a child. As much as he wanted to, he knew he didn't have the time or money to care for the lad himself. He was old, and the Oracle Tieve was supposed to leave the Temple and start staying with him soon too. No, he himself couldn't. He recalled the boys claim of joining the Crimson Blades. He chuckled quietly to himself, only a child could say it that proudly yet with innocence.

He supposed he could send the child to the Royal Army for now...at least until he became of age where he could join the Crimson Blades. Do him good to get an education anyhow, know the basics. And Dolores would adore him. He sighed, he had no choice.

Lann heard Ernmass finally shift beside him, and lifted his head, giving the man a hesitant smile. Ernmass returned it. "Lann, I'm going to let you live in Rocheste so you can join the Royal Army." Lann stared at the man, feeling shocked and betrayed. He had trusted this man, and now he was going to send him off not even 10 minutes after meeting him. Didn't he realize he had nobody? Lann frowned and turned his torso away petulantly. Now he wasn't even going to have Ernmass anymore...

Misjudging his look as not wanting to join the Army, Ernmass quickly continued," Just as a...cadet of sorts, so you can know the basics of fighting and missions before you join the Blades. I can't teach you those sorts of things after all." Lann quietly listened to this and debated. It didn't seem as if Ernmass was getting rid of him, but was trying to help him. Surely Rocheste couldn't be too far away from his new friend, could it? Besides, it wouldn't do to be an amature in fighting when he joined, he needed to be big and strong. This will give him the time he needed to do that. He nodded.

Turning back around, frown replaced by a smile, he exclaimed, "Okay Ernmass! Let's go right now so I can start my training!" Lann made move to get out of bed, but Ernmass quickly put a hand on his shoulder.

"No no, you're still healing right now. We'll have to wait a bit longer." Lanns' shoulders slumped at this. He had forgotten about his darn wounds, he didn't even know where he had gotten them from.

"Is there anyway we can speed it up, Ernmass sir?" Lann looked pleadingly up at him.

Ernmass got a thoughtful look on his face. "Well...I suppose there's always Brynn, though I'm not sure-" Ernmass trailed off at the hopeful look on his face. "Well, I guess I can bring you to his lab later, when the business dies down."

Lann let out soft laugh. Awesome! The smile stayed on his face as he thanked him. He then yawned.

Ernmass smiled tightly. "Well I'll let you rest some more before we head out later. Goddess watch over you." Lann watched Ernmass leave, oblivious to the older mans sudden change in demeanor, then laid back down. He wasn't that tired...but he supposed he could just lay down for a bit. He wouldn't fall asleep though...

He laid there thinking about how this sounded just like an adventure he heard somewhere before, but his mind eventually slowed down, and a dreamless sleep welcomed him.

Ernmass sighed as he walked out of the Infirmary part of the Inn. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to Brynn about helping the boy. The man, no, teen, he corrected himself, could be so stubborn. He walked outside and sat on the bench by the lamp-post. He was too old for this. Looking down the street where he knew the Lab was, he decided it best that Lann didn't meet the man. He would take the boy over while he was asleep, Brynn would heal him quickly, and then he would send him to Rocheste.

It was cruel yes, but he didn't want the boy getting too attached. And heartfelt goodbyes weren't his specialty. Maybe once he was older, he would go to visit. But right now the boy needed friends his own age, not a scruffy old man like himself. Stretching his back a little, he stood up and began to make arrangements. His mind convincing himself he was doing the right thing.

When he woke next, Lann was wrapped in a thin blanket in what seemed to be the back of a carriage. He could hear the thuds of the horses feet as it trotted along. He quickly got wrapped and sat up, seeing the town he was once in slowly moving away. He grumbled and furiously kicked the wall across from him, how dare Ernmass! He sent him off like a, like a, his little brain tried to think of a good comparison, a package! No goodbye, not even a warning, just flung him on a carriage and sent him away. Lann couldn't believe he would do something like that, though, he conceded, he didn't really know him for that long anyway.

He sat there and continued this thought process until they reached what must of been Rocheste. Yet not even the sight of the castle-like town would bring him out of his sour mood. When they slowed to a stop outside the big entrance, he immediately jumped off and nodded his head to the driver. "Thank you." The man nodded back, and turned his carriage around to head back.

Lann looked around, and in a bout of childish curiosity, decided to explore the outside a bit first. He walked alongside the tall walls, smelled the brightly colored flowers, and even saw some sheep in the distance. Soon though, the sun was beating down on his tanned skin, and he decided to go inside. He didn't even know where he was staying after all. He once again approached the castle-town, this time smiling up at the beautiful site. Inside the concave of the entrance though, he saw something shift in the shadows. He froze, and keeping his eyes on whatever it was, and slowly began backing away, getting ready to go run after the carriage. He shouldn't of spent so long inside! He knew it was dangerous... He was startled from his thoughts when he heard a giggle, and out stepped a girl a who looked a to be about five to six years older than him.

"Hi! Sorry to scare you, I'm training to be a scout so, figured I'd practice." Here she gave a wide smile, showing off two rows white teeth. He looked at her strangely, and what was this supposed to do with anything?

She noticed this and looked flustered. "Oh! Sorry, I'm Dolores, a student here at the Royal Army! I'm the person who's supposed to meet you here, though I admit it took you a while longer than I thought..." Lann blushed, and was thankful the shadows kept it hidden. "Ah well, anyway, it will be so much fun to have you here, I'm sure you'll like it. We get to learn so much, and you'll be just like a brother to me! Well, I already have a brother, but he's older than me. Still a but clumsy though, but I still love him of course! And you will be the little brother I always wanted..." She paused in her rambling and was staring off into...nothing.

Lann glanced in the direction she was staring, yeah, nothing, then back at her. Was this girl really a cadet? "Uh-" Lann started, when it seemed she wouldn't snap out of it.

"Ah! My bad, here I am talking and talking. I'm sure you're hungry and tired, let's go inside little guy. I'll show you the dormitory! And then we can see about starting your classes and-" she continued to rattle of things they could and would be doing, but Lann found he didn't mind. Although the 'little guy' comment did make him pout a little. He wasn't that little...other than that though, her constant talking was sort of amusing. And he found out as long as he made the appropriate hums of interest every now and then with the occasional nod, he didn't have to put any input in.

He felt his what was left of his bad mood fade away, no one could be mad with Dolores's constant good attitude. He tuned back in to her rambling and asked a few questions, Dolores seemed delighted that he chose to actually ask her of all people. He grinned, Ernmass forgotten, as she answered his simple question with a books worth of information.

He thinks...he'll enjoy it here.