Author's Note: Hello readers, I apologize this chapter is so late. It's been my goal to have each chapter posted within 6 weeks of the last, but alas, life is busy. March – May has seen illness, social events, and a death in the family. As such, I wish to dedicate this chapter (if that's allowed, anyway… not sure writing can be dedicated if it's fanfiction) to my sweet cousin, who's gentle and kind graces were too soon removed from this world.

Review Responses: Wherein I address any questions/comments/concerns you lovely readers have graced me with.

Pringles & Ryuu No Kami – Really? I have read a fair amount of HuScal fanfiction and I didn't see anything about Hubert's childhood… but I never would have guessed that it's possible I'm the first. I only planned a few glimpses into his childhood in this fic, but now I'm thinking I may need to add a little more, or develop a separate fic that takes place entirely in his childhood… Nooo rabbit trails, go away! It's time to focus! FOCUS!

All other reviewers and readers – Thank you for your continued support and reading along thus far! I hope this chapter continues to pique your interest; you are what makes the countless hours of writing, revising, and banging my head against the wall when I get writer's block worthwhile!

Chapter 3 – Adventure is Out There!*

-H-

- Yu Liberte, 2 weeks after the Darbanvilles' ball -

Hubert stood facing the northern gate of Yu Liberte*, resolve firm and heart pounding. He had carefully constructed his plan, researching and detailing every aspect of it for a week now. In precisely two minutes, the guard at the gate would momentarily leave his post to relieve himself of whatever beverage he had imbibed before his shift started. That gave Hubert a three-minute window to run up to the gate, unlock it with the spare gate-keeper's key he had taken from his father's study, and slip out into the desert. From there, it was a few hours' journey to the seaport, where he'd find work as a cabin boy on a ship* and never get forced by a father-figure into something he didn't want to do ever again. The events that concluded the Darbanvilles' ball sealed his fate, cutting him off from any hope of pursuing higher knowledge. Rather than resign himself to a grim fate of joining the military, he may as well pursue his boat-loving hobby and become a man of the sea.

One minute left…

- Yu Liberte, the Darbanvilles' ball 2 weeks prior –

"Heh heh, sorry, folks. Boys will be boys! They're just SO eager to start their military training! Please excuse us." Garret Oswell placated the curious crowd before ushering the two juveniles into a side room.

It took a moment for Hubert to find his bearings; everything had just happened so fast, so he wasn't prepared for the barrage of questions that followed.

"What WAS that out there? Who caused that light? Has that ever happened before?" Mr. Oswell demanded to know, asking questions that Hubert thought shouldn't be as important as 'Are you hurt?', 'Why were you fighting?' or even 'How could you behave like mutts and sully the Oswell name?". Really, ANY other questions would have been more anticipated than the ones that were asked. A little over a year with this man and Hubert still hadn't even begun to unravel the man's true motives and intentions. Cruelty aside, the scholar in Hubert couldn't help but admire the man's quick thinking and tactical prowess he'd just exhibited in avoiding a major scene.

"Uncle Garret, Hubert – he… he…" Raymond accused, though faltering as it became apparent he didn't really know the answers either. Hubert couldn't help but feel a little self-satisfaction as he noticed a red welt developing on his cousin's cheekbone, and the hint of fear now present in his eyes. If nothing else good came of this, perhaps Raymond will have least learned to mind his tongue a little more.

"So it was you, Hubert? You produced that display of power?" Garret continued, backing his adoptive son into a corner.

"I… I don't kn-know…" All confidence Hubert had acquired from his domination over his cousin quickly vanished in the shadow of his father, bearing over him with a dangerous sparkle in his eye.

Realizing he wasn't going to get any more information from a direct interrogation, Garrett informed the boys that they were leaving the party post-haste so they could get an early start on training in the morning. The two boys moaned in protest but muted as soon as Garrett threatened a harsher punishment.

The next few days had been brutal, Garrett forcing the boys to fight each other as a military prep exercise, but Hubert quickly caught on that his father was trying to get them to recreate the events of the Darbanvilles' ball – to tap into that power. The longer this went on with no results, the angrier Mr. Oswell became and the harder he drove Raymond and Hubert.

The final straw dropped when Hubert begged for a break because he was behind in his studies – something he was sure his father would respect, driven as he was for Hubert to excel and work hard in every area of his education. He was therefore shocked when he instead went on a tirade about how wasteful Hubert was being of his talents and how there was no other path for him than one with an early start in the military. That same day, Hubert began planning his escape.

- Yu Liberte, precisely when the guard at the gate leaves to relieve himself –

Now that his plans were unfolding perfectly before him, his hands began to shake slightly as adrenaline took over and he ran towards the gate – towards freedom. Everything had gone according to plan so far, it was positively exhilarating. When he collided with another body suddenly, it was all he could do to suppress a startled cry so that it came out more of a squeak. Scared to death that it was a guard, Raymond, or worse - his father, Hubert instinctively took a leap backwards and prepared for the worst.

"M-Marian!?" He exclaimed once he identified the humanoid mass. "W-what are you doing here?!"

"I could ask you the same question." She responded simply, dusting off her pants where they had collided. "I noticed you wandering about during the night a couple nights ago when I was running an errand for the missus. I've been worried about you ever since that stupid ball, so… I've been following you."

Taken aback by her directness, for she was usually so soft-spoken, Hubert couldn't respond immediately, and wasted a precious few seconds before he found his voice and replied, "I'm sorry, Marian, I don't have time for explanations. I'm running away and now's my only opportunity."

"What!?" She exclaimed, following him as he made his way to the gate. Clearly whatever she had thought he had been doing those nights when he was doing reconnaissance, she hadn't thought of escape.

"I can't live here any longer and be forced to become something that I'm not!" Hubert yelled in defense, momentarily forgetting the need for stealth. Making sure no one was watching them, Hubert inserted his key and slowly turned it until he heard a satisfying 'click'.

"But… there's monsters out in the desert! You'll never make it!"

Scoffing at her doubt towards his research abilities, he reassured her, "Yes, I know, but don't worry; my brother and I used to fight monsters all the time." He brandished an oak walking stick* he'd swiped from the Oswell manor to emphasize his point. "I must go now, the guard should be back any second now."

"Then… take me with you!" Marian said, her usual shy tone resuming.

"What!?" he whispered in a frustrated hiss.

"If you don't, I'll scream."

Momentarily assessing the probability of Marian even being capable of screaming, Hubert ultimately decided it wasn't worth the risk and just gave an exasperated sigh of defeat. "Fine, but stay close!" With that, he pushed open the doorway to his freedom and the two of them stepped out into the night.

"Hubert, look out!" Marian screamed, making Hubert glad he took the safe bet concerning her potential noise level. If they made it out of this scrape alive, he'd have to have a chat with her about maybe letting this more vibrant side of herself out more. However the situation was not looking good. They'd only gone maybe half an hour's distance before they happened upon a monster's feeding grounds, and by the looks of things, he wasn't going to be sharing anytime soon.

Hubert's breath grew ragged as he twirled the walking stick like a bo staff, hitting the monster from both ends repeatedly, yet not seeming to phase it much at all. Seeing an opportunity, the monster struck Hubert with enough force to knock him back a few feet, where he collapsed, winded and wounded.

"No! Hubert!" Marian cried, rushing forward to help.

"No, stay back!" Hubert commanded, shakily finding his feet again. He had to protect Marian, but how? This monster was so strong – far stronger than any of the creatures he and Asbel had fought back in the foothills of Lhant. Without waiting for him to regain his footing or think up a plan, the monster lunged again, and instinctively, Hubert swung out his staff to protect himself, and that's when it happened again – a bright light and a sudden warmth in his body that granted him far more strength than he'd ever felt before. With a mighty swing and an intimidating battle cry, Hubert struck a powerful, final blow, subduing his enemy once and for all.

Just as soon as it came, the strength left him, and he collapsed to the ground once more.

"Hubert!" Marian rushed to his side, hindered no more by the dead beast, and looked him over. "A-are you hurt anywhere?! I have an apple gel; here, take it!"

Thankful for the contrast of Marian's reaction with his father's, he gratefully accepted the gift and nearly immediately felt better. When it was clear that he was stable, only then did Marian ask what had happened.

"Honestly, I don't really know… it happened once before, at the Darbanvilles' ball… I somehow overpowered Raymond, even though he's older, taller, and stronger than me. Maybe it's some sort of protection mechanism that protects me from stronger foes?"

Looking pensive for a few moments, Marian shook her head. "No… It looked more offensive than defensive to me. Was there any change right before it happened? A change in emotion or thought perhaps?"

Wracking his brain for a few moments, the answer suddenly became clear to him. Both times, he was furiously trying to protect someone he cared about – Marian. He nearly told her this, but then remembered Raymond's comment about the two of them getting close lately. It's not that he was embarrassed about being her friend or anything, but he recalled how Cheria had a habit of hanging her romantic hopes on Asbel all the time and since he wasn't as dense as Asbel was, he wanted to do his best to make sure his intentions were not confused. "I… I think it's because I get so angry that things aren't fair…"

"Hm… I guess that makes sense. Is this why you're running away?"

"In part, yes."

"Maybe… do you think that maybe you're taking the easy way out, instead of using your rare talent for good?"

Anger suddenly flaring up again, Hubert lashed out, "So you're on HIS side!? You want me to join the military as soon as possible too!?" even though he knew Marian's intentions must be pure.

"…Yes. I do."

"WHAT!? You want me to spend my whole life fighting pointless battles like a mindless dog!?"

"Hubert…" Marian said softly, the hurt his outbreak had caused her evident, "I meant from a political side of things. Our government and military are one in the same and with such a gift, you could advance the ranks quickly and maybe someday make a difference… to make Strahta a more fair place. I know you're passionate about justice, so why not take this opportunity? It might be possible to make a difference elsewhere, and I won't stop you from trying, but the path here has already been laid, and… and there's people who care about you here already…"

Anger abating, Hubert's shoulders sagged like a chastised puppy and he flopped his back onto the cool sand in defeat. Marian joined him, lying to his right and staring up at the sky with a contemplative furrow in her brow. They remained like that for what seemed like hours, Hubert silently ruminating about his possible futures as he took in the beauty of the night sky.

The still was ultimately broken when Marian stated, "I'd support you, you know. Once I'm old enough, I'll join the military too."

"What? Women can join the military?" Hubert asked, genuinely surprised that a country so sexist would allow women in the military even though they were banned from voting.

"Yeah, weird, right? I've heard that it was because many years ago Strahta was fighting a war that lasted so long, both sides were running out of soldiers due to the rapidly dwindling male population. Ultimately, Strahta won the war because they made an amendment that allowed women to join the military and they overpowered the enemy with sheer number. I believe that war is also the cause for Strahta's unique set up having government and military so tightly intertwined."

"So they're only reasonable when they have no other choice…" Hubert mused, then with a frustrated cry shouted, "Ugh! I don't understand it! Why can't people just treat everyone else like equals, instead of always having these ignorant ideals and stupid traditions! If everyone just pursued knowledge and enlightened their minds, surely they wouldn't resort to such brutish tactics!"

"So you'll join the military then?"

"What? I said no such thing!"

With a giggle, Marian elaborated, "It's like you said; you get rather impassioned about justice. I know you can't resist the opportunity to try and right the wrongs here."

Was he really so easy to read? He'd have to work on that if he was going to make it anywhere in Strahta. In both the militia and high society, masks for thoughts and emotions were required. He'd have to practice his masks, at least until he achieved his goal one day – freedom for both himself, and the people of Strahta.

- Yu Liberte, 6 years later -

'Welcome to the party, Little Bro!'* It was all Hubert could manage not to recoil at the strange white-and-red haired girl's greeting. But he managed it, for the sake of his standing as a Lieutenant under the watchful eyes of the president. How dare she address a man of his standing as 'Little Bro'! What had Asbel been telling her? And didn't this girl know the dire nature of the situation they had just discussed? How could she be so chipper when not one, but TWO of the Valkines Cryas had been drained? There was something about this girl that got under his skin, which immediately set off alarms in his head. He wasn't sure what it was, but his instincts told him that with shifty characters like her on board, the president had the right idea to send Hubert along to ensure things went smoothly. Goodness knows with a care-free attitude like that, she was probably hiding something. Probably the fact that she was some spy sent to disarm them in their attempts, distracting them with her striking good looks and scant clothing – goodness, her shorts were shorter than Cheria's skirt!* At least Cheria covered her arms and neck, but here this girl was exposing all! Such indecency! No doubt about it, this girl was trouble. As they say, 'If you want something done right, do it yourself'. There was no avoiding the necessity of Hubert coming along to ensure they all stayed on task.

'Oh, all right, all right! We'll work together.' He acquiesced. Something in his gut told him that whatever he'd just agreed to would take him for a crazy ride. It made him a little sick, not being in absolute control of the situation, but perhaps there was still a little part of him that liked the unknown variable in the equation; the chance to take on the challenge of solving it and emerge more knowledgeable than before.

As the party left the president's headquarters to secure rooms at the inn, Hubert risked a furtive glance in the curious girl's – Pascal, they had called her – direction. He had mounting suspicions about the new members of the party, but the male – Malik – had at least struck him to be a logical man, and Hubert knew how to handle his type. But this one, this 'Pascal', was a loose cannon – unpredictable, and more dangerously, smarter than he was. ….Or maybe she was just crazy. But still, the girl seemed to learn things so quickly… and people say that with genius ability comes a measure of madness. He couldn't put a finger on it, but there was something about her that both piqued his curiosity such that he wanted to learn more, but also triggered all his safeguards and told him he should keep as far away as possible.

Not realizing he had been staring so long, he jumped when the object of his study met his gaze and got right to the point, "What's eatin' ya, Little Bro?"

"Er, I uh… I'm just deep in thought about our upcoming mission… Aren't you worried in the least?"

"Not at all! We've got an all-star team assembled and I'm sure no matter what the result, we'll have a blast and figure out how to restore the cryas along the way!" she chirped, her level of enthusiasm and positivity astonishing. "I'm excited to have you on board with us, now! It's sure to be a thrilling adventure!"

Hubert couldn't help but think that despite her love of hyperbole, her words would prove to be quite the understatement.

Footnotes

Chapter Title "Adventure is Out There!" – Perhaps one of the most famous lines in Disney/Pixar's movie, "Up". If you've never seen it, you HAVE to; it's completely adorable. I wanted to pain a similar picture between Hubert and Pascal's first meeting to Carl and Ellie's – since both couples feature a reserved male who secretly yearns for more, and an adventurous, no limits female, so I quoted Ellie's spunky "Adventure is Out There!" declaration to Carl for this title.

Northern Gate of Yu Liberte – I couldn't confirm online (curse you, Google!) that this is indeed the correct direction to get to the seaport, so if anyone knows the definitive answer, please review or PM! I just went by my memory's best guess… was pretty sure the seaport is north of Yu Liberte, but I am unsure whether one leaves by the northern gate to get there… Tales of games can have some weird maps, and Graces is no exception. *cough* Wallbridge *cough* Wallbridge Ruins *cough* Arcadia Garden *cough* Sandshroud Ruins *cough* I'm still not entirely sure which was the most confusing to navigate. Which dungeon did you find the most confusing?

Ship – It's mentioned in the childhood arc that the Lhant family is fond of boats and sailing, and there's a skit (#20 I believe) where Hubert confesses his love for boats and Cheria claims he fits into a male stereotype for it. There's also a side quest in the game about ships in bottles that Asbel, Hubert, and their father used to make. So it made sense to me that a secondary desire of Hubert's, if he couldn't pursue higher learning, would be the sea.

Walking stick – I took a little bit of creative license here and assumed that since his choice weapon in the childhood arc was a stick and a double-headed spear in the adult arc, the stepping stone inbetween the two would be something like a bo staff.

'Welcome to the party, Little Bro!' – As far as my recollection serves, I believe this is the first time Hubert and Pascal met. But it's been a while since I've played, so if I'm wrong, please let me know and I'll amend the chapter accordingly.

Cheria's Skirt – The shortness of which was discussed at length during the 'Furtive Glances' skit which takes place at a save point in the desert shortly after the events this chapter ends on.

A Note about Hubert – What I've tried to do in these last couple chapters is to provide insight into Hubert's character and how he transitioned from the Hubert of the childhood arc into the Hubert of the adult arc. I made my assumptions based on different scenes and skits from the game and wanted to document them here in case anyone got confused as to how I came to the conclusions I did. First off, it was emphasized in several skits (and maybe even a couple scenes) that Hubert was both a genius and compassionate. Therefore it would make sense for him to want to pursue science, medicine, learning/teaching. He's not a natural fighter. However due to *spoilers ahead* Sohpie's parting gift to her childhood companions at the end of the childhood arc, they all, including Hubert got special artes powers. Hubert's was never really defined, but based on the game play, I figured it was enhanced fighting or something. I also think he snuck in some healing abilities due to his love of studying medicine and his desire to care for people. Obviously, the compassionate Hubert from childhood doesn't act that way in the adult arc, and so I figured one natural cause of that could be living in a highly judgmental society where one must wear masks over their thoughts and emotions to survive. So it made sense to me that Hubert would learn to play by society's rules in order to bring about his agenda of enlightenment, so others wouldn't end up like him – traded to another father for political purposes and forced into a career he would never have chosen for himself. His passion to help others from the same fate is what fuels his need for excellence and perfection, and sometimes he can get lost in the effort and not realize the need for compassion in the present moment. Also being in such a society that's so heavily masked, it would make it extremely difficult to trust people, hence his reserved demeanor in the adult arc, especially when he first meets Pascal and Malik, it's downright accusatory.