Reima followed Kaito back through the town quietly. If she hadn’t pissed him off before, there was no doubt in her mind that she had now. As she trailed behind him, she noticed he kept glancing back over his shoulder at her every few seconds. She knew he expected her to take off at any second, but the fight against Omen had drained what little energy she had left. She’d been running on pure adrenaline up until now, and she was beginning to realize just how exhausted she really was. When was the last time she’d eaten? How long had she been out after Omen’s initial assault? Reima had no idea, and quite frankly, she was too tired to really care anymore.

“You’re not going to run?” Kaito asked suddenly.

“You told me to follow you.”

“I didn’t think you’d actually listen. That doesn’t seem to be a strong point of yours.” He veered off of the main street and entered a building labeled Red Saloon, despite most of the red paint that once covered it having chipped off or worn away. As they walked through the doors, a boy with long snow-white hair looked up from where he had been wiping down one of the tables. He had pale skin and sharp green eyes, one of which was hidden under a dirty old bandana that he had wrapped securely around his head. His one visible eye lit up upon noticing Kaito.

“M-Master… Kaito…!” he stuttered a bit nervously, albeit politely, as he stepped forward to greet him.

“You don’t have to call me that, Shergar,” Kaito told him gently. “You’re not a slave, so don’t act like one.”

“S-Sorry…” the boy named Shergar whimpered, shrinking back and flinching like he’d committed a federal offense. The anxiety in his eye only doubled when he noticed Reima enter the saloon after Kaito.

The hell is with this guy? Reima wondered. Sure, her clothes were stilled stained in Xyozara’s blood, but Shergar easily towered above her, though he still wasn’t as tall as Kaito, who stood at a staggering height of 6’4. As far as Reima was concerned, Kaito was part tree.

“Um… Who is… that?” Shergar asked hesitantly, peering around Kaito to stare at Reima.

“This is Retina.”

“It’s Reima, actually…”

“Reima…” Kaito corrected himself.

“Is she friend?” Shergar asked, eyeing the blood on Reima’s shirt skeptically.

“A roamer, simply passing through,” Kaito explained. Reima was about to interject, but held her tongue. After the incident with Joven and the others, she’d learned that the people here didn’t take kindly to Vanguard soldiers. He may not seem aggressive right now, but if its anything like it was with those three lunatics earlier, I should just keep my mouth shut and roll with it, she decided.

“You’re the only one who stays in the saloon at night, correct?” Kaito continued. “Nobody’s sleeping on that old couch upstairs?”

“N-No…” Shergar replied. “Master Gennaro-…”

“Shergar…”

“S-Sorry… G-Gennaro sometimes… sits up there… with his drink… but only at day. He like it for quiet…”

“That’s fine,” said Kaito. “If you’re okay with it, I want Reika to stay here tonight while she gets her strength back.”

“It’s Reima… Wait, what?” She blinked up at Kaito, surprised by his words.

“I… don’t mind…” Shergar said.

“Thank you, Shergar. I’ll leave it to you.” With that, Kaito turned to exit the saloon and Shergar headed for the stairs.

“Wait!” Reima called after Kaito. “You’re helping me now? Why?” she asked.

Kaito paused, but didn’t turn to look at her as he replied. “Go with him and don’t leave the saloon,” he said flatly. “I don’t need any more trouble from you tonight. You’ll be escorted back to Gederah in the morning.”

Without another word, he stepped outside only to find Falon waiting by the door. Her ocean-blue gaze bore into him questioningly as he paused in front of her.

“How’s Omen?” he asked.

“Don’t try to change the subject,” she said, ignoring his question.

“What subject? You didn’t speak a word to me.” Kaito continued past her as he spoke.

“You know what I mean,” she countered as she followed him down the street. “Just what is it you’re up to, Kaito? You know damn well who that girl is! Why are you treating her like she’s some old friend of yours?” Falon demanded.

“I know not who she is,” Kaito corrected. “Rather, I only know what she is.”

“The hell is that supposed to mean? The Vanguard has never been welcome here. You were the one who insisted on that rule.”

“I know, Falon… but-…”

“And to leave her alone under Shergar’s watch?” Falon continued. “After she took down Omen of all people? Are you out of your mind?!”

Kaito was silent and Falon sighed, composing herself before continuing. “If the Vanguard finds out about this place… If they discover that you’re here… everything we’ve fought for will have been for nothing. We have enough to worry about with the Bonecrushers and the ghouls lurking among our outskirts… I don’t want to add Gedarians to the list,” she said calmly.

“The ghouls haven’t stepped foot in Felidae for over a year, and Omen and his guards are enough to send the Bonecrushers running for the hills. We’re doing okay, Falon. That’s more than any of us could have ever asked for.”

“And this soldier has the potential to take all that away from us,” Falon argued. “You of all people should understand that.”

“I do, Falon… I really do understand,” Kaito said, starting to get aggravated. “But I don’t think she realizes that.”

The two of them paused at the end of the street and gazed out at the boulders that lined the outskirts of Felidae. Kyo had taken Omen’s place guarding the western border, and they watched as he hopped silently from boulder to boulder with an elegant stealth only he could pull off… that is until he would come across a rock or stick lying in his path and felt the need to punt it across the desert until it crashed into an unsuspecting ghoul or caused some other ridiculous noise.

“You saw the way she fought,” Kaito said as he watched one of Kyo’s rocks take out a window on one of the rotting shacks near the edge of town. “Omen had her in terms of strength, but she could have easily drowned him once she got him in the water. It was a brilliant strategy, but she let him live. Do you think Omen would have been as merciful had he had the upper hand?” he asked.

Falon looked confused, but shook her head in response. “No, of course not… but I don’t understand why you’re bringing this up,” she said.

“A soldier doesn’t spare anyone, Falon… especially Vanguard soldiers. The training they go through is twisted and corrupt. No one… absolutely no one can break free from it.”

Falon sighed and looked at the ground. “The Flaming Arrow did,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.

Kaito said nothing as he looked toward his friend. The sun was starting to set over the horizon, merging with the western borders and causing Falon’s long red hair to radiate like the heart of an ember. She refused to meet his gaze as he stared down at her.

“The Flaming Arrow is dead,” Kaito said finally. He made his way toward the boulders, not looking back as he called over his shoulder at Falon. “Check in on Shergar for me on your way back, will you?”

“Where are you going?”

“To talk to Kyo. I have no idea what he’s doing, but he’s creating a mess. I’ll see you later.”

Falon watched him go for a moment, then sighed and turned to head back down the street. It was at that moment she nearly collided with an enormous figure who, aside from being more toward the lean side, could rival even Elias in terms of how overwhelming he was.

“Hello, Falon,” he said in a deep booming voice, though his pale green eyes bore nothing but kindness.

“Gennaro…” Falon greeted him. “How long have you been standing there?” she asked.

“Long enough,” was his reply.

“I see…” Falon said softly. “How is Omen? Are his injuries severe?”

“Aye, deflecting the elephant in the room, are we?” he asked.

“N-No,” Falon stammered, flustered by her own words being used against her. “I was just-…”

“No worries,” Gennaro interrupted. “I’m only joking around. And Omen will be fine… as long as he doesn’t eat the sling I made for him, that is.”

Falon chuckled. “I wouldn’t get my hopes up,” she said as the two walked side-by-side down the street.

“Aye,” Gennaro agreed, nodding his head. “But enough about that. Where is the soldier in question now?” he asked.

“With Shergar.”

Gennaro paused for a moment, blinking as he processed this information.

“What?” Falon asked.

“Nothing,” he said, shrugging his shoulders before walking with her again. “Just surprised is all. He’s… not much of a guard.”

“I thought the same, but Kaito seems to trust him,” Falon agreed. “He’s having her escorted back to Gederah tomorrow morning.”

“Really?” Gennaro asked, surprised. “Even though she’s one of them? Omen informed me of what happened, of course. He wasn’t thrilled that the girl made a fool of him. He thinks she was mocking him by not ‘finishing the job’, as he worded it.”

“Yes, she could have easily finished him off,” Falon told him. “But she chose to let him go. She even went out of her way to make sure he was alright by the time the fight was over.”

Gennaro furrowed his brows thoughtfully. “You suspect Kaito sees something familiar in her? Traces of… well… you know…” he asked.

Falon nodded. “I think that’s exactly what’s going on here,” she said, gazing up at the pink tinted sky. “The thing is, I’m not sure whether that’s good or bad.”