"Are you really planning on joining a gang?" Syn asked.

"Maybe, but not the typical gang that makes up the so called Undercity." Aleister spread his legs out and crouched his back in, placing his intersected hands near his stomach. "Some sort of underground information broker organization, or a smuggler ring."

"I didn't take you for the type. Consider me surprised."

"Not for the reasons you're thinking of."

Syn sat up and edged to the seat of his bed; her hand with the book crossed her legs as she rested her head on her free one. "I didn't think so."

"Do you not know about my family?"

"Is there any reason for me too?"

"No, its just that I have talked about it with Gilmore and Ryellia before."

"Neither of which are my name."

Aleister sighed. "I just assumed you knew."

"I can't know everything, can I?"

"You sure act like it sometimes."

"Do I really?"

"Yes."

Syn slackened her posture and rested her hands on the side of the bed. The book sat on her lap. "I will thank you for the compliment."

"How much do you know about my past?"

"I never pried into it, so besides what you've told me, nothing else."

Aleister puffed out a breath of cold air as he rubbed his hands together. "How much do you know about Vallonia?"

"I don't keep up with the general political standings of the world."

"Well, Vallonia is where I was born, to the noble house of Belmont."

"Doesn't seem like you've wondered off too far from where you started."

Aleister smirked. "Our political system worked differently than it does here in Lillium. The Empress and the Crystal Royal Family don't have any opposition or dissent in the public eye. No doubt there are a few dissenters, but they are the stark minority compared to the vast amount of nobility. Like the random person I ran into last week was a noble."

"I remember you dissing their choice of outfit as well."

"Yeah..." Aleister's voice trailed off as, but he brushed past that. "Vallonia is different. We only have four noble houses."

"Which led to a massive amount of fighting I assume."

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"On the inside, yes, but publically they all tried to display a harmonious attitude. Part of this display was that the clans would rotate leadership whenever it came time for a new ruler's appointment. Politics and what not happened. But the point is that it finally came time for the previous emperor's reign to end, and for my house to take control of the empire once more. However," Aleister brushed his sweaty palms against his pants, "The inner conflict between our houses reached a boiling point. That was when our estate was sieged and usurped by another group."

"Since you're telling this story to me right now, I assumed you fled and eventually ended up under the care of the Empress' brother? Quite lucky that you ended up in such capable hands and near my birthplace."

"Not quite." Aleister smiled wryly, pushing back his hair and revealing his neck. "I actually ended up escaping, but the slavers got to me soon after."

"Ahh!"

He heard a sharp gasp cry out from behind his cracked open door. Its owner was obvious. "Myra?"

She turned the corner, shaking, and promptly dropped to her knees. Grovelling, she said, "Please forgive this one for listening in."

"Don't worry about it."

She didn't seem to hear him as she continued. "Even though you never dug into my past or asked me questions and have shown me kindness that I cannot repay, I still could not stop myself from eavesdropping on your conversation. Please, I can only ask for forgiveness."

"I will forgive you as long as you stand back up. And please don't kneel and ask for my forgiveness, it feels so awkward."

"My sincerest apologies," Myra said, standing up but still bowing.

"You don't need to bow either." Aleister aired himself out some more. "Or take on any other formal action. It's not like I wouldn't have told you at some point. So in someways I prefer this situation, anyway."

Syn sat perfectly still during this time. No emotion displayed across her face or any part of her body, making it hard for him to guess her thoughts.

"Besides, I probably would have done the same if you were in my place. Just because I have asked no questions doesn't mean you haven't piqued my curiosity."

"The multiple marks on your neck. Are those because you escaped multiple times?" Syn finally asked.

Aleister nodded. "Three attempts until my successful fourth one. There's no mark for that one for obvious reasons."

"So because you were enslaved, you want to join one of those smuggling rings in hopes they are connected to a slavery ring in order to learn if the rest of your family was also enslaved?"

"I already know they were."

"Then it's to find out if they're still alive or not?"

"I—I might be able to help with that," Myra said, pulling on her skirt.

"You can?" A couple of ideas on how she might help raced through his head. None of which were pleasant.

"Yes, I haven't ever told anyone ever because of how embarrassing it is, but—my sister was a slave."

"Hm?" Aleister looked at there with wide eyes. "She was a slave? Does that mean you were also a slave?"

"It's a complicated situation, but no. I was never a slave. And I don't even know if my sister is alive or not, let alone if she's still a slave or not."

"I never expected us to be in such a similar situation, but how exactly could you help again?"

Myra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know the person who bought her."

"Oh."

"But, he doesn't live in Osetia. From the last I heard, he's now retired and lives in New Caerphy."

"I've been getting bored with Osetia anyway but didn't have a specific place I wanted to go. Finally, glad to have a new destination."

"Forget travelling," Syn said. "The girl in front of you is already at the Terminal Step of Rank One, while you still haven't broken through. Excellent work by the way."

"T—Thank you," Myra said, looking down as she blushed. "Sorry, but it seeing a bird talk still looks so weird to me."

"Where's my compliment?"

"You were supposed to break through over half a year ago."

"That's besides the point."

"No, it's not. I just realized how I've been too soft and lenient with you. From now on, you can forget the nice Syn you knew, for I have been reborn."

"You actually criticize every one of my actions."

"That was the problem. I always criticized, but never did anything about it. It's time for a change."

"I should really head out," Myra said as she backed up. "For real this time."