Meet the Family (Reed/PM for Entry)

[Vincent]

It was a stroke of good fortune meeting Reed again but it was a surprise to him that he would run into Jace a second time as well. Vincent still wasn't 100% sure how Reed ended up tagging along but he was off to meet his father for the first time since his boat trip north. Jace explained that their small group had returned to Davian's home for a time. Vincent thought it was odd that his father lived in Sacae too. Well, Vincent had a second home here, Lycia and the farm would always be his real home to him.

"I feel like there are a few things I failed to mention..." Jace seemed lost in thought as the trio traveled.

"I'm sure you did. There is a lot that I want to know from him, but if it comes down to doing any work I'm not here for that. I am here to recover my wounds..." Vincent looked over at Reed, "And whatever way I can help him is there too."

"Yes, and what is he to you exactly?"

"... A friend..." and maybe a student? Vincent wasn't sure, but darn it if Reed didn't seem excited to travel with him. It didn't pan out the first time they met so this time was a big deal.

"Right... well... the village shouldn't be much further," Jace informed. Thank goodness too, Vincent was ready to stop riding on his horse and stretch.

"How are you holding up over there, Reed?"

[Reed]

For once in his life, Gracie throwing her young master forward like a catapult did more than tell Reed that today would be one of her cranky days. Fortunately, the toss landed him right in front of Vincent who happened to be passing by! What luck! All that the boy could respond with were his apologies and a question as to where they were going. After that, it was just a matter of getting the wild beast to calm down and let her rider back on. Needless to say, she appreciated the idea of him taking off the training harness and simply being saddled normally. "Girl, we really gotta work on that temper-a yours. I love ya to death, but this is gettin' mighty old... he mumbled while massaging the back of Gracie's neck softly and reassuringly.

Finding Vincent again was a godsend. After their first meeting and the travelling that just wasn't meant to be, finding the time to venture out on his own for a while combined with the random chance that Vincent was crossing by made Reed feel like the luckiest guy in the country. This is the Heelcutter he was talking about! Though he insisted that he was nothing special, to the farmer he was a celebrity. From the battle scars he wore like medals to the shiny blade at his back, the Hero from humble rural upbringings was practically all the Sacaean could ever hope to be. Gracie, noticing the starstruck staring of her companion, whinnied and shook slightly which subconsciously prompted him to continue his patting and TLC.

"How are you holding up over there, Reed?" the man inquired. Reed chuckled and shook his head. "Ain't got much to complain 'bout. 'Course, a certain somebody's not too happy 'bout the trip, but she'll live. Just happy to see y'all 'round here again! Forgot to say it's real dandy to meetcha, uh... "Jay-seh"? Sorry if I done tore up that pronouncin'," he apologized with a shaky chuckle. "So, uh... What're we doin' again? I got no preference, but hopefully Gracie'll be good for it."

[Vincent]

Vincent chuckled when Reed mentioned that Gracie wasn't very happy. Vincent was blessed with a calm and gentle steed that always listened to him, but she was no warhorse. Reed on the other hand had a mighty steed but she was still a bit wild and unruly. "Well, if sorry that she doesn't like it but at least we're almost done." Vincent tried not to grin but he failed when Reed asked what they were even doing.

Vincent's hand covered his face as he let out a hardy laugh. First the boy was flung into his path and now he followed him not knowing the destination. More and more Vincent wanted to be sure he didn't let Reed down. "We're visiting my father at a village nearby. I've taken a number of wounds that need some time to heal so I'll be using this as a chance to rest. That said, you were interested in learning from me previously so if you're still interested this would be the perfect opportunity."

"Hah!" Jace barked a false laugh. "YOU are going to teach that boy to fight? What are you going to teach him? How to block an axe and rely on another power to fight for you? Admit it, you're only any good because of that sword of yours." Jace's words cut Vincent deeply, they rang true in the Hero's mind however, he had been growing increasingly aware of it. Vincent could never win his duels, and when facing down monsters and other threats it was always Phoenix Heart's power that allowed him to win and live another day.

'I am pretty great though, aren't I?' Phoenix Heart boasted making Vincent feel even worse.

"Unless you want to teach him a thing or two?" Vincent challenged.

"Yeah, alright, I'll teach Reed how to at least make a proper stance!" Jace laughed again and Vincent's face flushed in embarrassment. Vincent never had formal teaching, it was a disservice to his natural talent but also something he had prided himself on.

Instead of arguing Vincent grunted discontentedly and addressed Reed again, "Well, there you have it, The Heelcutter isn't so talented after all." He tried to grin and brush it off humorously but it stung and made him feel terrible.

"Ah! There it is!" Jace pulled his beaded bycocket over his eyes to keep the sun out before pointing to a small Sacaean village.

"I'm surprised Davian is allowed to stay here on the plains in a village like this one." Vincent thought allowed. "I have a place in Hero City, but that's much different than staying out here on the plains.

"Huh?" Jace seemed to realize something about Vincent just then. "You mean you didn't..." His voice quieted, "Oh boy..."

[Reed]

Reed did his best to ignore the banter about Vincent's strength. Regardless of what the other guy said, he had to be exceptionally strong on his own, right? Fancy sword or not, it wasn't like the Sacaean thought any less of the Hero. Back when he used to have to run from bandits after taking a stab or two at them, he always remembered the taunts about him being useless without Gracie saddled up below him... Okay, on second thought, that taunt probably had some truth to it. Gracie can be a badass when she tries. But a strong kick and a superior sprint can't score victory on its own. If it were that way, the boy's father would pale in comparison to his son when he saddled up. If a fighter not even accustomed to mounted combat can best an amateur atop a trained beast of war, it had to deal with the warrior instead of the animal. It just had to.

The farmhand simply chuckled. "Hey, if yer willin', I could use all the practice I can get! Maybe it'll be good for me. Pa ain't makin' a lick-a sense sometimes, I tell ya. Ilia's got some gosh darn terrifyin' fighters, but that lance technique's somethin' else," he explained as Gracie snorted in agreement. "Mister Heelcutter, sir, I'll give ya some credit: ya ain't too big for yer britches yet. 'S a good thing to be."

Ahead of the trio was a small Sacaean village. Nothing really stood out about it to Reed other than the fact that it wasn't Arkyan: the houses were too close together for that, no. Heading into villages, even Sacaean ones where he was treated as from an honest working family, was always awkward for him because of the "language barrier". Often times someone would ask him to repeat something twice or thrice when he used terms that he forgot were not common among other tribes. Could he blame them? Not everyone was going to understand, say, the granny-slappin' good grub the inn had, or the fact that the high cotton looks like they were hit with the ugly stick in those clod-hoppers. Heck, sometimes Reed himself didn't even know what half of that meant! Why judge?

"Huh... Yer Pa ain't Sacaean, is he? Most-a the folks I talked to said yer from Lycia. Guess I can see that then. Mighty scary stuff up there right now, 'n Sacae might be the safest country for all I know."

[Vincent]

'Yer pa ain't Sacaean, is he?' Vincent didn't hear much of what else Reed had to say about the safety around the different areas when the question about his father was asked. Of course his father wasn't a Sacaean, his Ma would have told him about that detail. His father came from the same village he was born in and left to become a mercenary. He just never came home again. Vincent was still working out his feelings toward the man in general but if his mother lied to him too then that was just another thing to deal with.

Jace clicked his tongue through gritted teeth. "Well, let's get into the village and go from there. There are plenty of outsiders that stick around after all. Myself included." Vincent agreed and the three road into the village. It was on the smaller side of things and the buildings were all angled in such a way that from the outside they formed a ring. What lay at the center was a single home. It was larger than the rest.

"So, which one is Davian's?" Vincent inquired. "He doesn't live outside of the village itself does he?" Vincent grinned cheekily, thinking it to be a taunt against his old man.

"Actually he lives in that one." Jace pointed to the largest house in the village. Vincent's blood felt cold. This was a joke right?

"No seriously?" Vincent raised a skeptical brow.

"I'm serious. I thought you two had a bigger talk about all of this before now."

"Back then was complicated, we were on different sides..." Vincent looked at the house again and shook his head. "Let's just get this over with."

Jace looked uneasy, and gave Reed an extra glance to see what he was making of all of this. If he and Vincent were feeling out of sorts with this he dreaded to think how the young squire was feeling.

"Oh, Jace! Who are these two? New recruits?" A woman with white hair and dark skin greeted them. She had large muscles and considerable definition. She looked at the two guests with her dark brown eyes and grinned at them. "Name's Vivian, It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"Uh, no, actually this one is Vincent and the other is a friend of his named Reed," Jace explained.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Vincent smiled politely.

"Vincent and Reed huh? Well alright then, I'll introduce you to my husband. He leads the mercenaries so if you're here to join he's the one you'll be calling captain." Vivian turned to lead the way inside when Jace interrupted.

"No, Viv, you misunderstand. This is THE Vincent."

"I don't know any Vincent's. What's so special about this one?" Vivian looked perplexed and a little annoyed.

Jace paused realizing Vivian was never told about Vincent from Davian. "Oh dear... uh... well... he's here to see the commander."

Vincent was no fool and he could tell that something was awkward about the exchange. He knew full well he was about to unleash some sort of chaos but he decided he did not care. "I am here to meet with my father. His name is Davian."

Vivian's smile slowly fell as she looked between Jace and Vincent, then to Vincent's white hair and decidedly pale skin. "..." Then a silent rage overcame her. "You're father's name is WHAT again?"

"Davian."

"One moment please." Vivian went inside of the large home and all they could hear was her screaming.

Jace closed his eyes and winced with each sharp note of her screams. "Did you have to introduce it so indelicately?"

"Seemed appropriate." Vincent crossed his arms and sighed. "Hey Reed, sorry, but we may not be as welcomed here as I thought."

[Reed]

Reed couldn't help but marvel at the small village. Why was it structured like a ring with one big house in the center? Aside from Bulgar, he hadn't really traveled to an official town before. Bulgar was the normal structure of towns to him, so seeing the small village so... Well, circular. It was interesting if not eerie. He reasoned that living in the middle house must be awkward at times. Upon listening further, Vincent's father lived in it? Note taken. The poor boy had a critical lack of understanding in regards to context of the situation, and thus simply retreated to rubbing his precious mare behind her ear. He could tell that the situation was complicated, awkward, and would probably involve a long story behind it. Asking earlier probably would have been a good idea.

"Oh, Jace! Who are these two? New recruits?"

The squire glanced up to the source of the voice, fixing an unwavering stare on the woman that approached the group. He sat up straight in his saddle and stopped scratching Gracie's favorite spot in an instant, letting his jaw go slack as he stared at Vivian, as she introduced herself. His heartbeat seemed to pound so loudly that he could swear that it was resonating from just outside his ears. His freckled face burned bright red. Time seemed to slow down as Reed tuned out the world staring at the buff woman that greeted him. "U-Uh... H-How do ya do, ma'am?" he stammered. Sure, he picked up on the "married woman" part, but that didn't change the fact that he was absolutely smitten by her. It was a miracle that her storming off into the large center house snapped him out of the trance.

"Ngh... Sorry, what? I-I, uh... W-What happened again? Somethin' 'bout us not bein' welcome here?" the bashful farmer apologized while scratching the back of his head self-consciously. If Gracie could at the moment, she would easily buck the boy off spitefully. Jealousy? Annoyance? Just for giggles? Maybe all three are the motives behind that.

[Vincent]

Reed wasn't paying attention... 'And I remember when you toyed with the idea of taking on an apprentice. Yeah, how is that little taste for ya?' Phoenix Heart was laughing at Vincent and the sudden danger they were all in. This was a trip for recovery... how did it end up like this?

A short moment later Vivian returned pulling a large man who looked like an aged and darker skinned Vincent by his ear. "NOW! Tell me Davian, WHO is this boy!? So help me Mother Earth and Father Sky if you lie to me I will neuter you!"

Davian rubbed his sore ear and looked Vincent over from head to toe. His face drained of all color. "What are you doing here?" Davian's body tensed and he looked at his wife. "He's the kid that joined us on the expedition north. The one who's sword I tried to break."

"Phoenix Heart is better, thanks for that." Vincent oozed sarcasm. He was worried how this exchange would end but the chance to watch his old man squirm was a delight.

"He says you're his father? Is there something I need to know about!?" Vivian clutched Davian's shoulder with a clawlike hand that dug into his skin.

"Him?! My son?! HA!" Davian laughed scornfully. "Look, There were moments during our trip that we found many similarities between us but it's not like we ever agreed he was mine." Trying to stay calm Davian added, "C'mon, what's your mother's name?"

"Margaret."

"crap!"

"What!? You know this woman by name?! Who is she!?" Vivian started to punch Davian out of rage. Vincent meanwhile began to feel a twinge of guilt. It seemed he came in and started to ruin a good thing. Others in the village began to take notice too and whispered among themselves.

From one of the windows a young woman watched the happenings with dead emotionless eyes. She was fixated on Vincent sizing him up for a time, until she later looked toward Reed. She stared waiting for Reed to notice her. She then slipped out a side door of the house with a long curved blade in hand and began to walk off elsewhere. She hoped Reed would follow.

"Who is Margaret you two-timing bastard!?" Vivian's rage could not be quelled.

"She was a Lycian whore who nursed me back to health before you found me?" Davian made the poor decision to insult the woman in a vane attempt to make things better.

"A whore?!" Vivian and Vincent's voices rang out in unison. Vincent began to move to hit Davian but as his fist tightened the pain set in and his body screamed out for him to stop. He cried out in pain which came as a shock to the others and was enough to stop the chaos for a brief moment.

"The hell?" Davian questioned despite Vivian reeling back to punch him, a tight grip around his collar.

Vincent groaned and composed himself. "Can we discuss this inside? I think there is a lot we all should go over. I'm not here for trouble. I was actually hoping to stay for healing."

Pushing Davian over Vivian nodded. "If I have a step son then I suppose it would be rude of me to not get to know him. And you can give me a good explanation for everything." Looking to Jace who had been standing there awkwardly she added, "Take the horses to a stable."

"Me?"

"YES, YOU!"

"Yes mam... Come on Reed, I think we should do our own thing for a while." Jace looked for Reed then.

[Reed]

Uh... On second thought, maybe there was nothing to say after all. From what Reed understood with as little context as possible, the stunning woman that had been introduced as Vivian had no idea that Vincent was the son of this Davian man that had arrived. The boy had only heard of such an occurrence from stories: his own parents just so happened to meet by random chance and stuck together. An Ilian fur trader and a Sacaean markswoman seamstress were probably more mundane positions in the world, making it more likely that he would never have come across the idea of a stepsibling no matter how many times he teased Beth about her mannerisms. Vincent not only knew of his father's existence but had also met the man prior to their meeting without knowing about the existence of his somewhat attractive stepmother. Gracie must have been trying to process the confusing and tense situation as well, letting out a stressed whinny and shaking slightly to signal her rider to dismount and ease on her back. He obliged.

Just as the Arkyan slid off of his horse's back and grabbed the reins in front of her, his eye wandered up to the large house in front of him. For being in the center, it must be pretty standard for the resident to not be some lord, right? The layout was pretty standard: door, chimney, roof, windows, strange girl staring at him, walls... Maybe there should have been a bit more initial importance to the girl in the first place. Awkwardly, Reed raised his hand in a subtle yet genuine greeting to the observer before she walked away from the window. Moments later, his eye caught the girl leaving from a side exit with a sword in hand.

"Come on Reed, I think we should do our own thing for a while," Jace called from his side. Both rider and horse snapped back to reality once again after effectively managing to tune out the family crisis that was happening right next to them. "O-Oh, right! Yeah, sorry: got a lil' spacey there. I, uh... Y'all mind if I go moseyin' 'round this here village for a while? I ain't been somewhere half as organized other'n Bulgar before," the squire asked as he prepared to hand the reins to his horse over to Jace. The war animal protested with a wild neigh and a nudge into Riley's right elbow. "Huh? What's up, girl? Ya wanna stay with me? Well, can't promise ya much in terms-a sightseein' when all ya wanna do is graze, but... Okay, if you say so. Awful sorry 'bout this, Jace, but Gracie ain't gonna play nice if I hand 'er over to the stables. I-I'll meetcha back here as soon as I can!"

With that, Reed tugged on the iron pitchfork that was held firmly across his back by a sheath and started to lead Gracie after the girl. There was something about her that really pulled his cape the wrong way... And no, this time it wasn't because he got his weapon caught in the sheath on accident. Why would a girl about his age be inside of Davian's house with a blade? Was she making eye contact for formalities or was she wary of him? The farmboy hurried after her in search of answers. "H-Hey, wait up! I reckon I ain't ever metcha before. How do?"

[Vincent]

"Oh, uh, a-alright." Jace was hesitant to let Reed go off alone but he didn't stop him. If anything it made it easier to guide the compliant horses to a stable. He spared final glances at the others before leaving. "I am never going to hear the end of it for bringing him here." Jace could be heard muttering about the situation under his breath.

"H-Hey, wait up! I reckon I ain't ever metcha before, How do?" The girl continued to walk with her back to Reed despite his introduction but after a few more steps she stopped to turn and look at him. Her eyes were auburn and sharp but there was no light about them, almost like she was dead inside.

"If you want to talk I would rather do so outside the village. I do have questions of my own for you and I would rather avoid the others." Her voice carried a bored tone, but the sort a person spoke with when they were reprimanded for being excited in the past. It was a trained boredom.

"Hey!" One of the villagers, a tall blond man distinctly not from Sacae, came hurrying over angrily glaring at Reed. "You get away from her right now! The lady Myra is not to associate with someone like you!"

The girl looked at the man and stepped between him and Reed. "I asked him to speak with me. It is okay."

The man's frown didn't fade. "And what about the commander? Did he okay this?"

"He is speaking with someone important right now. The situation is tense so you can feel free to report this, but its your livelihood if he gets mad." The man seemed to falter under her threat. He looked at Reed suspiciously before stepping back.

"Just, be careful." The man placed a fist into his open palm and gave a light bow before leaving them be.

"As you can see, this is why I wanted to leave." The girl nodded lightly for Reed to continue to follow. As the two reached the outskirts of the village the girl stopped just before a large tree that bore very clear slash marks. Drawing her blade it was obviously of Sacaean make and good materials, not the kind readily found locally. It was too heavy for the girl though and the weight of it kept her off balance. "Ahhhhh!!!" The girl struck at the tree with practiced swings. They were deliberate but did not impact well, instead bouncing off the tree. "What do you know about that white haired man?"

-----

Once inside Vincent was met with the smell of incense and an indoor cooking pit. Davian's living screamed Sacae, and yet when he looked around the village the people themselves did not.

Vivian gestured Vincent to a long table where he could sit and settle in for the long conversation he suspected would be ahead of him. Davian was already making himself comfortable at the head while rubbing his reddened ear. Vivian then went to check on the food. The silence was deafening as Vincent suspected they were waiting for Vivian to sit to begin. "You know, Kenshin doesn't like the idea of mercenary guilds setting up in Sacae."

Davian glared, "Why do you think we aren't in Hero City? Kenshin is a powerful man, physically and politically, but he is hardly king of these lands." There was an edge of disgust in his voice. "And we aren't a mercenary band. We are a village in true. We just make a portion of our living by lending ourselves out as mercenaries."

Vincent glared. "This village isn't even filled with Sacaean people. And I'm sure Kenshin and other tribe leaders would love to know how you aided Etruria shortly before they invaded."

"Shut up! You know those events were not related, and besides the entire affair fell apart in no small thanks to you. Stupid bastard." He turned his head away as though trying not to remember that northern mining operation. It was a very bad time for everyone involved. Ultimately Etruria failed to establish a foothold north of Ilia but no one knew about the conflict, at least publicly, so nothing ever came of it.

"At least you acknowledge it this time around." Vincent grinned making Davian glower.

"I see your sword is better. I was certain breaking it into pieces would have killed the spirit."

"Phoenix Heart is stronger than that..." and it was touch and go. Thankfully the binding process was more in the hilt than the blade. Bringing it into contact with another part of itself was still necessary to reignite the spirit though.

"Right, so where are you from Vincent? And how old are you?" Vivian returned to the table breaking the two men out of their glaring contest.

"I'm from Lycia. A small town called Anarallo, and I am 21." Vincent crossed his arms and leaned back.

[Reed]

Something felt off about this girl to Reed. Carrying a blade and wanting to talk outside of the village? Alas, the poor, innocent boy denied the chance of any serious red flags arising out of this. He figured it was just some cultural difference that he had no knowledge of whatsoever. After all, Arkya was often seen as the oddball tribe among other Sacaean communities. Their isolated "outsider" lifestyles and unique dialect were two telltale signs that screamed "different" in most cases. Was that what this was about? If it was, the squire had no idea of whether to be flattered or offended. A mix of both, perhaps? Then again, assuming had certainly gotten the boy's rear handed to him on many occasions. Perhaps it was best to wait and see what she had to say.

His reassurance went about as far as a few seconds when a man had approached them shouting something about him not associating with the girl he noted as Myra. Almost as if by instinct, Gracie was furious and kicked at the dirt in a threat to charge the stranger until her master pulled hard on the reins to restrain his unruly creature of a partner. "W-Whoa! Easy now, girl. Easy, ea- Hey! Hush!" he frantically spouted at the animal before it eventually calmed down as Myra stepped in to correct the man. Reed chuckled anxiously and pulled at his sleeve, avoiding eye contact with the man. It would do him no good to start a bickering fest especially when his guide had told him off. He let off a quiet sigh of relief when the man left them be to continue onwards.

"Wait. So yer tellin' me ya get that often?! No wonder ya wanna skedaddle outta that village just to talk... Ya must be one-a them fancy royal folks then! F-Forgive me, Lady Yer Grace! I ain't ever seen high cotton 'round these parts is all," the trainee apologized with a bow. He had horrible form, having never needed to do so even for a misunderstanding. The gesture was more akin to a strange bending over, mixing in half of a kneel. Standing up straight, he noticed Myra taking a swing at a nearby tree with the blade only for it to bounce off harmlessly... About what he expected. The Sacaean ranchhand never saw much use for swords other than very short lances. In his eyes, the lance was what was needed for the range and the axe for power. It was part of the reason why he looked up to Great Knights he had heard of in stories and legends: their mastery of both tools was what made them so fearsome atop their armored companions.

It was rather fortunate that he had the chance to meet Vincent. What was a random stranger at an inn became known to him as a great hero in his eyes, one he looked up to optimistically. He never really saw himself as a trainee to him rather than an aspiring "understudy" of sorts. Though he never saw him wield a blade in person, the stories that may have been blown out of proportion always fascinated him and drove him to be as great one day. "Ya mean Mr. Heelcutter? Man, he's like a livin' legend to me! Pa used to say he was strong enough to take down one-a them Cyclops. Whaddaya know? Started out knee-high to a grasshopper 'n now he's a part-a that City-a Heroes folk. Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle: can't think of anythin' I gotta say 'bout him that'd hurt that darn reputation-a his... O-Oh, sorry. I start yappin' 'bout this stuff ya probably don't got a hankerin' to know. Say: name's Riley, but call me Reed. Proud Arkyan 'n son of an Ilian lancer. How 'bout you?" he asked with a toothy, innocent smile.

[Vincent]

The girl listened to Reed passively. She did not react to his words and instead continued to whack at the tree's trunk until a particularly violent swing recoiled in her hands and the blade was dropped. "Tch!" A flicker of rage passed her eyes and were quickly quelled, replaced by her determined stoicism.

"Royalty?" Her voice was filled with hate and scorn for the word. "If that is the word you would choose to use I suppose it is adequate but I would not dare to call it such. I am the next in line to be the commander but do not compare it to some cushion role of the royals." She picked up the sword before slamming it blade end into the dirt so that the hilt stood upright. "And ditch the formality, just Myra is fine. Call me anything else and I'll cut your tongue out! Got it?" She glared for a moment more before addressing all the praises of Vincent.

"Heelcutter... what a cowardly title. I bet he walks around taking credit for someone else's achievement while actually not being much good in a fight unless he plays dirty. Heelcutter," she scoffed at the name as she repeated it. She quickly looked Reed over once more and added, "So why do you idolize him so much? He doesn't seem all that great to me. Any weaknesses?" The final question was likely to be the most striking of all, and indicated her every intent on bringing him down in some way.

-------

"21, you say?" Vivian nodded. "Do you hear that Davian? 21! How old is OUR daughter?" Silence, "WELL!!!?"

"16." Davian leaned into his open hands and sighed exhaustively.

"16! That means it was five years before! I know that was a dark time but to think you would go sleeping around so quickly!" Vivian masked sadness with hate.

Vincent cautiously inquired. "So, what exactly happened around that time?"

Davian seemed to tense but after a moment relaxed, ready to explain. "So, as you've noticed this village isn't exactly brimming with Sacaeans. Its no tribe."

"Yeah, that was pretty obvious." Not sure of the relevance he raised a solitary eyebrow urging Davian to explain more.

"I hail from a tribe known as the Khanu Tribe." Davian gave Vincent a moment to process his words. They came as a surprise to Vincent who always believed himself to be a full-blooded Lycian.

"That can't be right. My ma always said you were from Anarallo." Vincent could feel that it was wrong. That he was just clinging to shreds of what he once believed. "I don't see her lying to me about it. Did she know?" What reason would his mother have to have had to hide the truth? Being part Sacaean didn't mean much to him one way or another.

"She knew I hailed from Sacae but nothing more than that. Around that time I was chased out of the tribe. I was the third son of the chief. I thought I would inherit the role but... well, it did not work that way."

[Reed]

Myra's strong reaction made the Arkyan flinch. The idea of someone being offended by being called royalty was foreign to him, one who respected and marveled at the concept of nobility. There was only looking up to him considering his position in the world; this was most likely why he never thought of the possibility of hating others treating someone as noble. "O-Okay, okay! Yeesh, someone's a lil' touchy today..." Reed mumbled under his breath in response. Gracie, not caring much and likely not seeing this girl as much of a threat to her, had taken to her own devices and began grazing. A quick tug of her reins broke her free from the grasp of her rider. "I meant no disrespect by that, ma'am: just figured ya would like bein' compared to some-a the fancier 'n cultured folks. Sorry if I struck a nerve there."

A slight frown crept upon Reed's scratched and scarred cheeks as he rested his right hand on his hip listening to Myra express her contempt with Vincent. Look, miss: I-I ain't much of a complicated guy, 'kay? It's a miracle I can even lift a lance on my own without my girl Gracie: someone like Mr. Heelcutter's a downright inspiration, ya know? Ya can rough talk 'em all ya like, but it's not like I got much else to relate to other'n Pa," he explained with a sigh. Something about her last question "pissed him off" in layman's terms, but getting angry at someone he had just met- a lady of all people- was something that his mother had often scolded him about. She had to have her reasons and he felt that he needed to respect them. "Ain't ever seen him fight before, so I'm useless as back teeth if ya want some tips. If I had to guess? That fancy lookin' sword's gotta have somethin' it can't beat. Rumors say it's got some gosh darn powerful magicky stuff 'bout it! And the one thing I know 'bout magicky stuff is that it's always weak to somethin'. Just gotta find out what. 'S that good enough for ya?"

[Vincent]

"Do you listen to everything your 'Pa' has to say? Make him sound like some preacher." Myra's lips twitched into a haughty smirk. This boy was an accomplice to her brother, and that made him her enemy, so riling him up was good sport as far as she was concerned. Still, the sword was magical. That explained why her father gave her this regal sword. It was unfortunate that the damned thing weighed so much though. It was hard for her to get used to it.

"Well, I think I know just the weakness it needs." Then something about Reed's words just sort of clicked in her head. "It supposedly does magic? I was under the impression you knew HeElLcUtTeR well. If you don't know something like that for certain one way or the other he either keeps some secrets from you or you don't know him well at all. Do you even know WHY he decided to come back to this village? He didn't tell you that did he?"

Myra crossed her arms and took a very attitude intensive stance as she leaned onto one leg. "We have a rule around here about succession of the tribe. The first born is the one who will take over one day. Since he is much older than I am..." she let her voice trail off to allow Reed to draw the conclusion for himself. "Honestly he has nothing to do with us for years and suddenly he just shows up? He's no better than an interloper."

---------

"Why would you inherit the role?" Vincent may not know the customs but it seemed odd to say the third born would inherit it. "Did your brothers die?"

'His brothers, your uncles, look how big your family is getting!'

"One of them, yes." Davian's face showed no pain over it but there was a flicker of sadness in his eyes. "My eldest brother was killed in a fight with a rival tribe. My other brother had dishonored himself long ago in a ritual duel after he had lost. This left me as the next in line."

Vincent remained silent as the but was silent yet there.

"I had a younger brother that my father loved more than anyone else, even to the point of breaking traditions and the right of inheritance."

[Reed]

The boy sighed and shook his head as she taunted his solid belief in what his father had said. Of course he would listen to everything that his father had said: after all, this was one of the only other men he had the opportunity to talk to on a daily basis other than the neighboring farm's boys. Even with them, Reed was only able to truly connect with his own father. It was hardly a concept he was ready to interpret, but something about him stood out as significant beyond the fact that he raised him. Questions for another day, if anything. "Well, maybe if ya talked more to yer own Pa, ya might not be so worried 'bout Mister Heelcutter comin' in to visit..." he mumbled with hopes that the somewhat passive comeback would impress the bitter girl.

The Arkyan rider crossed his arms as Myra mentioned Vincent's connection with him, his return to the village, and her implied idea of him usurping power in the tribe. "Sorry, ma'am, but that don't make a lick-a sense if ya ask me. This might sound mighty uppity of me, but I can't go seein' him doin' that to ya. 'S much as I'd love to talk 'bout how ya got hoppin' mad at 'em... I guess I can see it. Seems kinda unfair if I was you: I'd be pretty upset too. But he's a hero too, cuttin' heels or not. Do ya really think he'd just ditch that life for-" the poor farmhand continued before forcefully stopping himself as the voice of his mother once again chimed in his head to shut up and think about what he is saying. Obviously leadership was nothing that Reed himself could relate to. The Arkyan people rarely even met their own chief: most kept to themselves and simply keep in touch by sending letters to an office in Bulgar. However, this seemed to not be the case in this "tribe". Heck, most of them didn't really even appear to be Sacaean in the first place! Something was different, and it took some extra thinking to figure out.

"...Er, real sorry 'bout that. Heh, I'm not the best at talkin'. I guess all I'm hankerin' to say is that Mister Heelcutter ain't gonna just try 'n take over this place. Speakin'-a this place, haven't seen any tribe quite like it. Dunno much 'bout other tribes anyways, but ya seem like ya know it like the back-a yer hand! Whaddaya say ya tell me more 'bout it? I'm awful curious, so you bet I'll be a-listenin' right good!" the squire exclaimed excitedly. Phew, another insult potentially avoided if he played his cards right.