“Some people just can’t find a place for themselves in peaceful times. It’s just how it is sometimes. Some of us are born for conflict and violence, and to settle down, doing nothing in peaceful times can be… a challenge to adapt to for quite a few. I’m speaking from experience, of course.” - Karenina Creussens, member of the Free Lances mercenary Company, circa 21 FP.

“You’re looking kinda blue, Rov. Did anything bad happen?” asked Alycea as she noticed Roven, Kari’s son who was one year her junior – and a member of her platoon – looking rather glum by the campfire. Alycea had always been taught by her father that maintaining the condition of the platoon members, both physical and mental, was part of a platoon leader’s duty, and besides, Roven was someone she considered a friend from long ago.

“Oh, uh, not really, Aly. I’m just a bit envious of Beera I guess,” said Roven with a wistful sigh as he mentioned his little half-sister, Kari’s daughter with Rubor. “I know my mother isn’t really to blame. In many ways I’m probably a reminder of horrible times to her, so I do kind of understand why she was never that close with me, but I can’t help but feel a little envious sometimes, you know?”

Alycea found herself at a loss of words when she heard what Roven said. Like most, she was well aware of the circumstances behind Roven’s conception. It was no secret, and she also understood that while Roven himself was blameless, his very existence would remain a reminder of the time when Kari had been violated by multiple marauding looters many years ago. It was already a surprise that Kari had chosen to carry him to term and bore him with some difficulty, as she understood that the child was not at fault.

Even so, a constant reminder to one’s lowest point in life would inevitably cause a mental shadow to form even with the best of intentions, which was one reason why the relationship between Roven and Kari was how it was. They were cordial to each other but there was a certain distance between them regardless, unlike what most parent-child relationships were like.

In her mind Alycea counted her blessings that her parents never treated her any differently than to their own child despite her being adopted, and the child of a former enemy at that. Deities only knew how someone with her circumstances would have been treated in most other families. While neither Reinhardt nor Elfriede could be considered a typical warm, loving parental figure, they still cared greatly for their children, in their own way. Even if that way at times involved tough love, Alycea really couldn’t complain.

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“Enough about the depressing topic, though. It is unseemly to be jealous of my own little sister, especially when she’s so cute and adorable,” said Roven with a bit of self-depreciatory chuckling.

“You sure that you’re not feeling particularly jealous of her because she almost bit off your finger last week, Rov?” asked Alycea teasingly in an attempt to better the mood. Roven got bitten by the infant Beera just a week ago while he was teasing the baby to laugh. Since Beera was half-therian, she grew up rather fast, and had already grown some teeth. Sharp teeth like her father.

Fortunately she had only grown a few sparse teeth or else Roven might be looking at worse than just a minor wound and a bite mark on his right index finger.

“Heard that big sis was the same way when she was that age. Active as all hell and all too happy to bite and scratch anything she could get her fangs and claws on,” said Alycea with a chuckle. Half-therian children were often considered ‘feral’ for their first year or two for a good reason. “Though I guess your mom and step-dad lucked out in that Beera is more easily contained in a wagon.”

Unlike the lithe and nimble Erycea, Beera was more heavyset in build, much like her father. Fortunately her father’s breed was not the sort that was particularly good at climbing, nor particularly fast. As such, Kari and Rubor were at least spared the trouble of having to chase around their child everytime she got away from the wagon like Reinhardt and Elfriede used to do.

For that matter, there was no real way to confine Erycea when she was still an infant yet to develop her reasoning yet already physically active short of an actual cage, Alycea thought.

“Heh, yeah, you got a point there. I can’t even imagine the hell Beera would cause if she could keep getting out of the wagon on her own,” replied Roven with an amused laugh. He knew that his little half-sister was very active and loved to crawl around all over the place, and she could crawl fast for her age thanks to her therian heritage. “Say… Aly, did you ever consider pursuing a life that’s not linked to the company when you were young?”

“I don’t think I ever had that idea, to be honest,” answered Alycea with a shake of her head. “Always idolized mom since I was a kid, so I wanted to be like her all that while. I mean, living the easy life in peace definitely has its merits too, but by this point I’d say that I like the feeling of holding my own fate in my hands too much to ever let go. Why the question?”

“Just wondering if maybe the kids like Beera might one day be able to live in a world without conflict and war, where peace reigns everywhere,” muttered Roven. “I know, it’s a silly thought. It’s in people’s nature to want better and all too often the only way to better themselves is to take from others, so there will always be conflicts out there.”

“I mean, look at it this way, Rov. At least as mercs we won’t have to worry about ever being out of jobs in the future!”