'Saaay nighty-night, kiss the dark sky. I'll sing a song, to tell you 'I love you'. Up in the place, where you'll dream of me! I'll always dream of you!'

The lullaby played on a constant loop inside of her mind endlessly. It served as a reminder of what was once her home. Before the revolution. Before the war. Before the enslavement of her town, and the slaughter of her people. She had tried desperately to bury her past life, knowing that she'd never see it again. In the warm embrace of a loving mother and father, she'd never hear that lullaby in the same way as she did then. She wanted to erase it all like it was a bad dream. But there were times when it resurfaced. Today was one of those times…

She couldn't be seen in her current state. Especially not by Cathy or Marcus. If Yuri revealed to Cathy that she was scared, it'd only prove that she was never meant to fight in this revolution. And she couldn't admit that. Not after how badly she had been burned. Not after everything she had gone through. Rage had mixed in with her sorrow, boiling to the surface in beads of sweat that formed on her forehead. She couldn't let the Empire live in its current state. Not like this.

And then there was Marcus. The man who for the first time, actually believed in her abilities. The one who encouraged her to take up arms against the Empire, and fight for what she believed was right. She only knew him for a short week now, but it felt like she had connected to him for years. Admitting that she was a weakling now… it'd only disappoint him. And she couldn't let that happen.

Again, she stuffed her tears and wiped the loose snot that threatened to trickle down her nose right onto a sleeve. Yuri pulled her hood up over her head, she needed time to recollect.

She managed to avoid anybody familiar, everyone seemed far too busy to care about some random woman. Blending in through the crowds of Reformists and civilians, she ducked into an open door that led into an empty room. An uninhabited office of sorts. Eyeballing the place, it looked deserted. There was nothing that'd indicate that it was currently in use. As such, she slowly closed the door behind her until it clicked shut.

When it did, Yuri let herself sink to the floor. Face buried into her hands. She sharply inhaled and then exhaled. Calming herself down. She'd just be here for a minute or two, however long it'd take to push things back down. Making sure that her memories would be unable to escape until her next vulnerable moment. She briefly listened to the commotion outside but heard nothing of interest. She was completely alone with her thoughts. It was her and herself.

No matter what, she kept imagining the very things that were bothering her. Her life before all of this had started. A sudden urge rose in her to forget where she came from, to just let go of her history, and her past. Nothing would ever be the same. She knew that for twenty years, and yet she could never quite bring herself to accept that.

Yuri's knees rose to her chin. She wished that she could go back in time. Just to be sung away to sleep by her parents again. She thought back to the time…

'It must've been winter, right?' Yuri recalled her parents stoking the fireplace, and a slight cool breeze that gently tickled her while she lie in bed. She remembered the smell of wood-burning, just slightly though.

'Everyone finds their own paths home,' the voice of that Ithacan soldier rung again in her mind, though it escaped her now.

Whatever his name was, he reminded Yuri of the reason that she was fighting. Though indirectly. Yuri still didn't fully understand why, but it was to find some way to close a large wound inside of her. Stitch together broken pieces of her past, and find happiness in fixing it. Seeing violence, bloodshed, and the fight against the Imperials made her blood pump with glee. Though experiencing it first hand had been nothing short of mortifying. The blood, the cries… she wondered how many people had been made widows and widowers at that moment? How many became parentless children, just like her? To lose a loved one in that way… was a type of cruel sentence that she wouldn't wish upon her worst enemy. And yet, she had done just that. She beat an Imperial to death with a rock! Albeit, she was acting in self-defense, in a cosmic way, wasn't he also acting in self-defense? If that goat hadn't tried to kill her, he figured that she would've killed him. It was savage, barbaric, absolutely disgusting, what the both of them had been reduced to. In the span of one single moment, two people had been reduced to nothing more than monsters going at each others' throats.

Was this really her best way home? Yuri had to admit to herself that she wasn't a warrior. This… mindless, ruthless, completely diseased way of taking one's life, wasn't her job. She wanted to admit that, but saying it out loud would only prove to Cathy that she was right. And although she regarded Cathy dearly, seeing her almost as a wiser and older sister in many aspects, Yuri needed to find this path of her life on her own alone.

She inhaled sharply, again, and then looked around. How much time had passed? Was it ten minutes? Fifteen? Had she been here for a half-hour? She lost count. Lost in the recesses of her mind. Slowly she rose to her feet until a knock came at the door.

"Yuri? I know you're in there," Cathy's voice rang through the wooden door. Yuri sighed, defeated, "Look, Marcus wanted to talk to you. I don't know about what, but it sounded urgent."

"How long have I been in here?" Yuri asked her through a dry throat and a gravelly voice.

"Oh, I don't know… two minutes?"

'two minutes' Yuri repeated mentally. She had been here for two minutes.

Yuri got to her feet, fixing her clothing and dusting off her bottom. She managed not to cry, at least it wouldn't be obvious what was going on inside to Cathy. Though she had the feeling that Cathy knew. When she opened the door though, Cathy was gone.

She looked both ways down the hall, hoping to catch at least a sight of the brown rabbit's ears or tail. But nothing. Cathy must've been in a hurry. Yuri shrugged, leaving it at that. She remembered that Marcus was supposed to be holed up inside of the City Hall's main tower. So there she went, blending back into the crowd to march up the spiraling staircase to the man himself.

When she arrived, she found him looking out of the tower windows with an eyeglass. Keeping an eye out to the West. She looked in the direction that he focused on, seeing the telltale signs of war just a few blocks down. The Revolutionaries were holding a defensive position two blocks ahead of the City Hall. She had no clue if they were winning or losing.

"Ahem," Yuri coughed to announce her presence after an awkward wait. Marcus quickly snapped to her, eyeglass still in hand, making his eye appear comically large. A grin forced itself onto her face.

"Well, I didn't see you there!" Marcus said in surprise, "What's wrong? Do you need something?"

"No, you called me here. Remember?"

"Oh right, right!" Marcus snapped, putting the eyeglass down on a table. His hands frantically went all around his person and the desk, searching for something, "Yes, I don't quite remember what exactly I wanted to tell you…" His voice grew darker, Yuri gave him a confused look, "What I mean is, I don't want you to be scared."

"Is that all you've called me here for?" Yuri cracked a smile.

"Sort of. I don't know why, but for some reason that I can't put my finger on, you remind me of somebody that I used to know. And I just wanted to look out for you, is all," Marcus explained. He was slightly trembling, nervous even. What was he thinking?

Yuri thought Marcus was familiar, but she knew for a fact that the two had never met, "Who are you?" she asked, "What's your full name?"

Marcus gave her a sly grin, "My full name… Marcus Tankian."

"Tankian?" That name felt natural to Yuri, "Tankian" she repeated it.

"It's a Falkish colonial name," Marcus said, "I'm not actually from the home territories of the Commonwealth."

"Colonial?" Yuri asked, not expecting a response. Luckily, Marcus picked up the hint.

"I'm sorry for what might seem a rather arbitrary conversation, but I want to look out for you. I'm sorry that you had to experience that battle… I should've never given you a gun or-"

"No! No, it's fine! Trust me," Yuri forced a smile, "It isn't your fault. Well at least…" She struggled for words, "At least I don't blame you. Yeah."

Marcus frowned, returning to his normal posture, "Well, I'm sorry for calling you up here. I know you and Cathy are busy these days. You're supposed to be an apprentice under the Queen, no?"

"Sort of," Yuri said, leaning her back against a wall, "They say it's an apprenticeship for diplomacy. But really it's more of a glorified servant."

"Ah, I see. What is it that you do?"

"I accompany Nora on international trips here and there, assist her with planning and coordinating meetings, that sort of thing."

"Do you interact with Nora?" Marcus asked, intrigued, "Like on a day-to-day basis?"

"As much interaction as a personal aide usually gets, I figure," Yuri told him, "It pays, so I figured it beats coal mining."

"Does Nora like you?"

Yuri thought that it was an odd question, "We're on… fair terms. I suppose. Why?"

"Yuri, think about this! You are in a position of close influence with the Queen, a Reformist! I know that Professor Hyde has been trying to get the Queen's allegiance with the Reformation, but you-"

"Oh, no. It's not like that, I promise," Yuri gave off a ghastly chuckle, "It's not a relationship like that. I do what she says, and at the end of the day, I go home to Whitechapel. Nothing more, nothing less. Sorry."

Marcus nodded, "Alright. I just thought it strange that Cathy didn't use that dynamic more. But ah well."

Yuri shuffled around as Marcus went back to looking at the outside world. She didn't know what to do next. She was about to leave for downstairs when Marcus stopped her with a single line, "Who are you?"

Yuri froze in her tracks, her hands just mere inches away from the door. She turned to him, "What's your last name?" he clarified, still looking through the eyeglass at the battle unfolding ahead.

She didn't know. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she had one. But everybody had one. Everyone except for slaves. Yuri could've been a fake name too, though she doubted it. It was the only name she remembered. So much time had passed since the war. It was impossible to know, "I've forgotten."

"You've been through a lot haven't you?"

She nodded. Marcus took a glance at her, before sighing, "You can tell me about your past if you'd like. Maybe I can help you remember?"

She didn't like to tell people about her past. She had forgotten so many details. The story was long. And she could never get through the retelling without feeling even worse than when she had begun. But with Marcus, now that she knew all that she did about him, it felt a little more natural, "Well… I don't remember a lot. How far back do you want me to go?"

"As far as you wish, I suppose."

"Then I'll go back to when it all started. It was the latter stages of the war. I believe I was six years old at the time," Yuri remembered. Trying desperately to ensure that everything was accurate, "We lived in Axester at the time."

"Axester?"

"Mhm."

"I remember that city, that's my old home. Now it's called Astchester," Marcus informed.

"I believe that's where I was born. And that's where I was taken…"

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20 Years Ago

The City of Axester

Population: 450,000 (Humans, Eastern Elves, Reptillians)

Type: Colonial Dominion

Allegiance: The Falkish Commonwealth

"I don't remember anything before the attack. All I can recall was that we lost a battle, and the Imperials invaded…"

A six-year-old Yuri slowly moved under darkness. Wrapped in a hard cocoon that pricked her soft skin. Her head ached badly. Her skin felt blistered and rough as if it was whittled down with sandpaper. She couldn't see much of anything, even when she opened her eyes. Suspended in darkness, Yuri tried to move.

"I was trapped under rubble, the remnants of a building that collapsed while we were in front of it…"

As her eyes adjusted, Yuri noticed the large stone blocks weighing down on top of her. More stone formed the bed that her body rested on, mixed in with the hard dirt and the cold bitter air. She heard people, far-far away.

The stones managed to fall in a way where instead of crushing the poor girl to death, they formed a rigid compartment to shield her from more falling debris. An incredibly lucky break, no doubt. She looked up and saw the face of an elf woman. She had not fared as well.

"Mommy!" Yuri weakly whispered.

"My mother was there too."

"Your mother was an elf?"

"Yes. I'm a halfling, but I took after my father."

"Right… "

Tears were forming in Yuri's eyes as she looked up, trying to wake her mother from a permanent sleep, "Mommy, please!" To no avail…

Yuri again heard voices from outside. But she had no way to call out to them. Her throat was raspy and weak. Even if she tried yelling at all her strength, there was no way that they would've heard her over the commotion from outside. The girl's eyes landed on a small stone. Just large enough to fit into her hand.

Above her was more stone. But in a small crevice was metal from an iron fence. Her eyes went back to the small stone. Then to the iron fence.

'Pick up the stone, use it.'

A voice. The image of Mirrorface flashed somewhere in her mind, though she had only dismissed it as being imaginary. Yuri reached for the stone. Following the command of the voice, she hit the stone against the iron fence. Predictably, it made a loud bang that reverberated for a while. The commotion outside grew a little quiet.

'Again'

The voice instructed her. She listened and hit the stone against the metal railing once more.

"I think I hear something!" Said someone from outside.

"It could be another survivor! Find the sound!"

"If you can hear us, keep making that noise, we're coming to you!"

Yuri looked at her mom again, knowing that if she got them both free, her mother could get help. She hit the stone once more.

"It's coming from over here! I can hear it!"

"Get the elf over here! We need to lift this rock!"

"I'm here! Stand clear, stand clear!"

"Close your eyes, we're getting you out!"

Yuri let the stone fall just within reach. She did as instructed, though she kept her eyes slightly open to see. Dust began to fall from above. Golden rays of sunlight penetrated the darkness, forming angelic strings of light. More movement let in more light from outside until the large stone that covered her began to glow.

With a momentous effort, the stone lifted up and away, "I need some help lifting this!" said a blue elf with sky-blue hair. She was using her magic to lift the stone off of Yuri but was struggling a little. From behind, a lizardman came. Green scales, like an iguana. The lizard placed his claws on the stone and helped pull it off, "There she is! Grab her, get her out of there!"

A third rescuer, a human, appeared. Her arms were outstretched. Gently, she tried her best to pull Yuri out of her rubble prison. Somehow, through all of this, the six-year-old refused to cry.

When she was free, she was lifted into the air. It was then that she could see everything clearly. A blue sky with only a few wispy clouds underneath. The sun was radiant as it hung high in the afternoon sky. Underneath the peaceful skies, however, was a city that was damaged. The streets that formed Axester were filled with rubble from collapsed buildings, grieving families, and Falkish soldiers wearing bright blue uniforms. Their guns toted as they watched charity workers and citizens search for the missing under the rubble.

"When they pulled me from the rubble, my father came to take me from the rescuers' arms. I remember his face. It looked happy and yet worried…"

"He was happy to see you, must've been waiting for a while before he figured out that his daughter was alive."

"He was…"

"That's my daughter! Yuri! Yuri!" cried out a man from the crowd. His smile stretched from ear to ear, but it told so many tales of emotions. The man seemed ready to cry, though he held on steady. His arms were wide open to get his daughter back, the human woman hand Yuri off to him.

When the two finally embraced again, her father pulled her close to his chest for a warm hug, "Oh… Yuri, thank the heavens! Thank you… Thank you…" He whispered.

They pulled out of the embrace, and the man inspected his daughter, cringing when he noticed the bruises and bleeding sores all over her skin, "Don't worry, when we find your mother, we'll go home and fix this-"

"Hey, there's a woman in here!" Said another rescuer. Instantly the group got to work digging Yuri's mother from out of the rubble. Her father set Yuri down on her feet, as he went to watch over them. Anxiety grew as they pulled the Elf's body from out of the prison of stone rubble. Immediately they put her on a stretcher, as she lay in their arms limp, unconscious. One of the rescuers knelt next to her body, placing a few fingers on the sides of her neck. He shook his head.

"No…" Yuri's father cried out.

The rescuer tried again, feeling for any heartbeat. But his attempts came up fruitless. He concluded the obvious, looking up at Yuri's father and the other rescuers. He made a swiping motion with his hand over his neck, the signal that the woman was dead.

"When they lifted my mother out from the rubble, it was pretty much obvious that she died. I remember calling out to her one last time, and my father falling to his knees…"

"Mommy…" Yuri called out, holding her hands up. Her father had nearly doubled over, as he tried to cope with the loss. One of the rescuers put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, though it only lasted for a second. There was no comforting this tragic loss. Her father looked back at Yuri, all that he had left in this world. He stood up, walking over to her, looking deep into her blue eyes.

"Listen, Mommy isn't going to be with us anymore… but we'll get through this! I promise, Yuri…" He told her. He held her hands in his own, squeezing her left hand, "We'll get back home, and I'll make a plan for us to get out of here. Alright?"

Yuri said nothing. Either because she couldn't at the moment, or didn't want to. She didn't know why. But instead, she nodded.

"Alright, come, take my hand!" Yuri let her hand fall inside of his palms. With a gentle pull, they were off through the city.

"There was so much destruction all around… The Imperials destroyed everything."

"Your father still had a house, right?"

"Yeah… our house managed to remain untouched by the attack. But getting there was the problem…"

A warning cry was let loose among the city. Whistles were blown. Commonwealth soldiers flooded the streets with their rifles in hand. Worried, the man grabbed a tighter hold of his daughter, pulling her close. Yuri was shaking with fear, terrified of what was to come. She buried her face into his side.

The soldiers were yelling about something that Yuri didn't quite pick up. Her father had, however. He knelt, wrapping his arms around Yuri's waist. With a grunt, he picked her up into his arms again, ready to move quickly if needed. Luckily he had, for dragons had taken to the skies, "Yuri… hold your breath!" he warned her.

Yuri inhaled deeply and held it as hard as she could. The dragons hovered in the air, and let out toxic fumes that choked the people of the city below. Crowds began to disperse, and Yuri would've been caught in a stampede had her father not been there. Quickly, her father ran. He too was holding his breath, growing red in the face. They turned multiple corners and zig-zagged their way through the streets of Axester. With neither of them able to hold their breath for much longer, they stopped near a marketplace that was filled with people. It was outside of the gas cloud, so naturally, they stopped there to regain their breath.

Gunfire peppered the air, distant echoes of screaming kept everyone on their toes. A crowd had gathered in the street, they were holding their arms up…

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The Imperial army had cornered a crowd of civilians, their magicians ready to fire…

Yuri's father picked her up again, sensing what was going to happen. They took off, and just as they rounded the corner into a nearby corridor, the Imperials had opened fire.

The world around Yuri became a blur. Explosions ballooned left and right. She saw Commonwealth soldiers, crowds of civilians with terror painted on their faces, smoke, and fire. Everything was too fast to comprehend. But it all slowed down when they reached their home.

Her father opened the door and set Yuri down only when he had locked the door behind him. Both of them heaved a sigh of relief. The home was a small, single-floor dwelling. Wooden walls led to various rooms. Modest furniture decorated the insides, and sunlight flowed in through windows.

"We set to work gathering our stuff to run away."

"He might've been trying to get you to the home islands."

"I think so, that would've been the only place the Imperials couldn't catch us."

"Alright, Yuri," Said her father, "I need you to stay strong. Alright?"

"Mhm," Yuri murmured.

"I-I don't think we'll be coming back here. But, I just want you to know that with all my heart… I love you."

"I love you too," Both of them leaned in for an embrace. Yuri didn't want to leave, it felt so comforting. So protective. She wanted to be with her father forever like this, but unfortunately, he pulled away. From a cabinet, he pulled out a large bag and began going through the house. He put in bread, food, money, everything necessary.

Yuri took another look around the home, knowing that shortly, they'd be leaving. She didn't understand what exactly was going on. She didn't know why. But she knew that they were in danger. All of them. And they had to leave. She took a look at her room. Sure enough, a bed by the fireplace with an open window just above it. The very place her mother used to sing lullabies.

"Lullabies?"

"Yeah, songs. She didn't always sing them, but when she did it was always magical. Sometimes my father would come in and sing with her…"

While Yuri was taking one final look at her room, something was happening outside of their door. She peeked her head out of her room down the hallway, where her father was already standing guard. He was looking through curtains covering the front windows. He noticed Yuri's eyes and made a gesture for her to stay back. He turned again to the outside world. And then he stiffened up…

Something had frightened him. He took multiple steps away from the door. Shadows of people running down the street bled through the crack in the door. And then it swung open.

Her father took retreated further back into the room, just clear of the door as it swung open. Both Yuri and her father looked wide-eyed, in the doorway was an Imperial knight. Silver armor covered the shoulders, forearms, the front of the legs, and the torso. A crimson red wool coat lie underneath. The Imperial wore a helmet that concealed the face. Judging by the posture of the knight, it wasn't human.

"Before we could escape the city, it was too late. Our neighborhood had been raided, and an Imperial kicked our door down."

"Did your father put up a fight?"

"Oh yeah, he tried…"

"Please, it's just me and my daughter. We can't hurt you-"

"Silence. Your fate will be determined by my lords… for now, you are both under arrest," The knight took a threatening step forward, slamming the door of the house shut behind him. Preventing escape.

Yuri's father put a hand in front of his daughter, bag still in his hand. He assumed a cautious stance, recoiling in front of the knight. It took another step forward and the father tensed. Yuri felt her heartbeat in her throat. Her knees felt ready to give way. The only thing that kept her standing was the presence of her father right in front of her. He looked at her, and then at the knight, "Yuri… run…" he whispered.

"Where papa…"

"Just run," The father tightened his grip over the bag, and with a single motion, threw it at the knight. The heavy bag managed to distract the knight, and her father capitalized on it, running full speed at it. Yuri let out a scream as she tried to get away. She ran further into the house, eyeballing any way to get out. All the windows were shut, save for the one in her room. But her route back to her room was blocked by the fight going on.

The knight managed to get a grip on her father, who had gone for its sword. With a push, it slammed her father against the wall, shaking the entire house with a 'thud!'. Still, the fight continued. The man went for the legs of the knight and successfully swept at its feet. The two fell to the floor with another violent tumble, as the two grunted their way to the upper hand. Yuri looked on horrified, she quickly scanned the house for anything that could help her father. She remembered the knives that her mother had, and she made a dash for that.

"They started fighting and all I could think of was helping my dad."

"I bet your dad wished you'd listened to him."

"Yeah, I bet. I should've run away. But, I couldn't leave my dad."

"I wouldn't blame you. You were a kid. Hell, I would've done the same thing…"

Yuri opened the drawer. The sounds of violence just behind her kept her moving, yet scared to the bone all the same. Her heart was heavy, as she thought of her father dying…

She picked the biggest knife and ran back to the hall. Just as the Imperial had managed to roll over her father, and place its weight firmly on top of him to keep him in place. The knight began to punch her father, repeatedly smashing an iron-plated fist into his face.

"PAPA!" She screamed out, but the knight paid her no attention. Probably figuring she was only a girl. Yuri, now desperate to free her dad, raised the knife and dug it into the knight's rear shoulder blade.

"ARGH! WHAT THE HELL?" The knight screamed. Yuri tried to push it in deeper, but she was too weak to get it any further. Besides, she had gone for a non-critical spot, and had done little except infuriate a knight that was ten times larger, and impossibly stronger than she was, "YOU LITTLE-!" The knight raised a handoff of her father and attempted to swipe at her. Yuri let go of the knife currently in his back and managed to weave away. She took another look at her father.

His left eye had swollen up to the point that it bled and his eye was hardly visible. There were cuts and gashes all over his face, blood dripped from his nose and mouth… she looked on at him horrified, "Yuri…" he whispered, "Run! Please!" he placed a weak hand on the Imperial, who swiped it off and punched him in the chest. He doubled over, hardly conscious and out of the fight. Now, it was just Yuri and the Knight.

"You have made… a grave… mistake," said the Knight, pulling the knife out of its back and throwing it on the floor. The wound was bloody, but she managed to hit absolutely nothing important.

Yuri screamed and ran into her bedroom with the knight in pursuit. Quickly she slammed the door behind her and made a bee-line for the open window. She just about managed to get out of it, when the Knight grabbed her by the ankle, pulling her back inside.

"I tried to get away… but I couldn't. It had been too late…"

"Come over here!" Yelled the knight, grabbing a hold of her ankle. He was struggling to pull her back inside of the bungalow since he had to reach over the bed to grab the child. Plus, she had a surprisingly firm grip on the window and outdoor wall. Trying to break free of his grip, she managed to get a few kicks in, though they were almost pitifully ineffective. Yuri panicked, feeling her only chance of escape narrowing shut. She thought of what to do next, but her mind only thought to hold on tighter. Her grasp slipped, and she fell as she was dragged across the floor, kicking and thrashing against her captor. She passed by the fireplace, and with a final desperate attempt, removed the hot stoking rod from the fire. She waved the metal rod, grabbing it by the leather handle. Unable to get her arm in a position to stab the knight, she instead repeatedly whacked him again and again with it. No doubt, it burned a little, but the knight's dress was too thick for it to be effective. The knight grabbed her arms and wrestled the rod out of her hands. She screamed and cried, trying to kick her way out of the knight's hold, but to no success.

The knight grabbed her by the throat to silence her and held her up in the air. Yuri felt the weight of the Knight's hands close in over her throat, trying her best to remove them. But his hands felt like two immovable blocks that were slowly squeezing in on her, "YOU WILL DIE NOW!" The Knight screamed at her…

"Let her go, she's only a child!" Another voice came from the depths of the building. The Knight stopped, turning his head to find the source of the voice. Standing in the doorway of the room was another Imperial, a timberwolf knight. He was dressed in swarthy black armor, with a sword in hand.

"Lord Wendover?" Asked the first Knight.

"Take the two into custody, we don't want to have them killed now, do we?"

"Aye sir," The Knight replied, and turned to Yuri with another threatening glare.

"I remember Sir Wendover too, he was the commanding general of the forces invading Axester then."

"He was the one that took my entire neighborhood into captivity…"

"And your father…?"

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Yuri looked up at Marcus, shaking her head, "I passed by him on the way out. He was slumped against the wall, bleeding from his head. Dead."

"Are you sure?" Marcus asked her again.

"Positive. I wish that we could've escaped together… I let him down," Yuri let her head fall, putting her palms on her knees. She again started to grieve. Marcus walked over towards her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"You know, I'm sure that your father is proud of you," Marcus shakily said. His voice was quivering as if he were scared. Yuri couldn't understand what emotions were flowing through him at the moment, though she barely gave it a second thought. She herself, felt horrible, "I mean look at you, you're a strong young lady. You've managed to do quite a lot for yourself. You won your freedom, you act as an apprentice for the Queen, and now you are fighting in the Revolution… I'm sure he's a proud man."

Yuri dismissed it with a chortle, "Yeah… like you'd know how my father feels," Yuri didn't intend for those words to sound hostile. But it was how she felt. Despite Marcus' comforting words, she predictably felt even worse now. Just like she always did whenever she told anyone her background…

"I do…" Marcus told her.

Yuri looked up at him with a confused look. Strangely enough, the man was smiling. He inhaled, closing his eyes, tightening his grip on Yuri's shoulder…

Everything froze in time. The two were oblivious to what was going on just outside… Nothing else mattered anymore except for the two of them.

"Yuri…" Marcus said.

Yuri's eyes widened.

"I'm your father."

Yuri was about to question further when something outside caught her attention. A fireball… a large one. An explosion happened just outside, and it grew fast. The shockwave shot down the city blocks and smashed into the tower, shattering the glass and throwing both Marcus and Yuri to the ground…

----------------------------------------

Yuri could hear the sound of her breathing over a distinct constant ring and nothing else. Her eyes opened slightly, and she saw that the room had filled with dust and broken glass. She had been pushed back against the opposite wall, and her hand was bleeding, though it was nothing life-threatening. Marcus seemed to be fine too as he staggered to his feet.

The ringing in her ears wouldn't go away, feeling like they had been popped permanently. She could hardly hear anything other than her heart thudding against her chest, and the rushed in and out of air filling her lungs. She eyed Marcus standing up, taking one look at her, and then back outside. He said something to her, but she couldn't make it out. Not wishing to be left behind in this state and wanting to learn more about this man, she stumbled to follow close behind.

She wound up outside, unable to recall how exactly she managed to get there. She was following Marcus as he ran toward a crowd of people gathered around. Everything was moving frame by frame for Yuri, like slow-motion. Sometimes, the sound of screaming pierced through the fog, sending shivers down her spine each time.

Marcus ran up to a particular group of people, Cathy and a few of the Ithacans. The Ithacans looked terrible, though alive. She saw that they had received major burns from the explosion, many of which were painfully oozing from under the surface of the charred skin. All around were similar-looking burn victims. Some were better off, having only gotten major burns on small patches around their exposed faces and necks, if at all. She saw that Serj, remarkably, had managed to walk away completely unharmed.

Others were not so lucky. Yuri felt her heart pound faster. The feeling of a serpent wrapping itself around her chest, squeezing all of the air out of her lungs, made her double over as she saw the worse-off victims of the blast. Blackened faces, with some having the bone exposed under the red muscle. Missing eyes, eviscerated ears, melted flesh… the images made their way into Yuri's mind, and it didn't help that she already felt disoriented from the initial shockwave of the explosion.

The air smelled of putrid sulfur, and it made its way into her lungs. Hanging in there and choking her. She felt like gagging, and forced a breath inwards at risk of her vomiting and making things worse.

Everywhere around her, she saw the horrors of the blast. Nausea washed over her, she placed her hands on her knees to resist the urge to collapse. Images began to flood her mind of war, everywhere around her death and destruction. The battle only a few hours ago, Yuri fought to keep those images out.

"Yuri! Yuri!" A voice penetrated through the fog in her mind.

Her head spun around to search for the voice, and her eyes landed on Marcus' face calling out to her. She looked down at what he was pointing at. A stretcher. An injured Ithacan was sprawled out over it. The burns on the body were severe, the face was burned almost completely. But the Ithacan was somehow still alive. Marcus and Cathy were both struggling to carry the stretcher, so Yuri grabbed one pole to help them lift. While doing so, she recognized the soldier, the very same one she had spoken to earlier.

Hezekiah.

Yuri kept staring at his face. Half of it looked unrecognizable. His eyes had been closed shut. Unconscious, he lay there with his mouth slightly agape. Boils and blisters covered his skin, "Only thing that kept this one alive was that mask he wore!" Marcus yelled out, "If that mask wasn't on his insides would've been cooked!"

"And the rest of your men?" Cathy asked him.

"Ask Serj! He's the one that survived the hell-storm!"

They brought Hezekiah back into the City Hall as revolutionaries and the other teams of Ithacans rushed outside to deal with the chaos outside, "Our nurses and surgeons are already all overwhelmed!" Yuri heard a Reformist speak to another, "We can't treat them all. Don't waste our resources on treating the ones that are already dead! Focus on the ones we can save!"

Yuri coughed up bile as the pressure of the situation increased. The dizziness had worn off, and she felt alert now. But she wouldn't-- no she couldn't-- forget this. The horror of war crept back into her mind. Bringing her back to when she was a child. How could she forget when war was the very thing that had ruined her life?

"This wouldn't have happened if I never came here," thought Yuri as she shook her head to herself, "I should've just listened to Cathy. If I had stayed with Professor Hyde in Fargo, none of this would've happened. I'm an idiot for asking to be here…"

Her eyes glided over to Marcus. He noticed her gaze and returned the look into her eyes. He looked shaken too, but even still, he managed to give her a reassuring smile. If Marcus was being truthfully honest and hadn't been mistaken with anything, then it wasn't all for nothing. Though she had a hard time accepting that Marcus, the man she swore she had only just met for the first time less than a week ago, was her father. The very same man that she knew had died back in her home in Astchester. The odds of her finding her father here in this way were impossible. There was no way he was right.

And yet, she believed him. There was something familiar about him, the way the two just seemed to connect on a near-spiritual level. She couldn't deny it. He knew exactly what she was feeling. That's why he apologized for sending her out to fight, that's why he gave her a reassuring smile now. She wanted to ask him more questions, there were so many of them. After all, they had over twenty years of catching up to do. But it was such cruel timing, as now she would have to wait until this horrorfest had passed on. That could take hours.

"Otaes! Otaes!" Cathy cried out to an elf that Yuri had seen only once before. The elf had black, almost purple, skin. Blue hair the color of the sky. But there was something off about her. Judging by her clothes, Yuri knew that she wasn't like the Eastern Elves like Serj. No, she was a legendary Warrior Elf. They were a rarity. Rumors circulated through Imperial society about their brutality, remarkable combat instincts, and feral nature. But Otaes seemed relatively… normal? She didn't look like a half-beast, half-elf monster as Imperial society had painted them. She looked tired. Her mouth hung in a sorrowful frown, but otherwise, she seemed normal, "I know that you have been through a lot today. But I- we- need you."

Otaes looked at the injured. Right behind Marcus was another Ithacan soldier. Otaes seemed to recognize him and Hezekiah. She didn't say anything, but she gave Cathy a nod of the head, gesturing for her to bring the injured into the Triage.

"Thank you… I owe you," Cathy told her. Otaes gave her a faint smile, but it shifted back into a deadpan expression soon after. Cathy turned to Yuri and Marcus, "Hand them over to her. And Yuri when you're done, I want to speak to you upstairs," Yuri's heart dropped. Normally, she wouldn't have batted an eye. But her tone of voice made this seem suspiciously serious, "Privately," and that sealed the deal. Whatever Cathy wanted to tell Yuri, it was nothing good.

Shakily, she and Marcus lifted the injured Hezekiah into the triage room, following Otaes. They put him in a bed, and immediately, the next wounded soldier came in. He had shaggy sand-brown hair, his eyes were half-lidded to reveal deep blues much like Yuri's own. Unlike Hezekiah, this soldier was conscious. He was staring at Hezekiah, a somewhat worried expression painted on his half-aware face. The burns he had received were severe, mostly around his throat and the sides of his head, so he must've been in immeasurable pain. But he kept looking at Hezekiah. They must've been close, Yuri figured.

When the two soldiers were in bed, another patient was rolled in. This time, a Revolutionary. It was at this point that Yuri remembered what she needed to do. She turned to look for Cathy, but she was nowhere to be seen, "We'll talk later, yeah?" Marcus told her, sensing that she had places to be. Yuri gave him a quick thank-you, dreading whatever it was that Cathy had to tell her…

"Yuri, take a seat," was all that Cathy said when Yuri found her, inside of an office upstairs. Silently she walked over to a rather plush seat in front of a brown oak desk. Cathy sighed as she looked her right in the eyes. She was thinking about something serious, that much was evident.

"What's this all about?" Yuri asked.

"I'm sending you back to Fargo."

Yuri's heart sank at the words. She couldn't go back, not now! She only just found out who her father was! She had to stay now! "What?" was all Yuri managed to say in protest, however.

"I've made a serious lapse in judgment allowing you to come here-"

"No-no, I'm fine!"

"No, you aren't Yuri! I saw the look in your eyes today. You've seen far more than I could've ever predicted. I seriously underestimated how… brutal, this war was going to be. I thought that it would be a small battle, maybe a few days long at most. But this is something I never expected," Cathy's voice was almost shaking, but she regained her cool midway through. Yuri knew that she looked completely inexperienced in the face of war. Under different circumstances, Yuri would've agreed with Cathy's decision. But now was just horrendous timing!

"Cathy, you can't send me back-"

"I can and I will, Yuri. You aren't safe here, I cannot shield you from the horrors that war brings!" Cathy tried to tell her. But Yuri had none of it, she felt like she was being belittled in those words. She didn't want Cathy to protect her, she was an adult! She didn't need anyone else to try and protect her, especially since she spent almost her entire life running away.

"I'm not a little girl anymore!" Yuri cried out in protest making Cathy fall silent, "I don't want you to shield me. This is war, right? This is what the Reformation is about. This is reality. I'm ready to face that."

"I will not stand here and let you be traumatized because of my own lapse in judgment. If you wish to fight in the Revolution, that is your choice but it will be your choice alone. I will not, under any circumstance, bring you into the fight. Do not listen to Marcus," Cathy's words were serious. She had been thinking about this for a long time, and when she got like this, there was no convincing her otherwise. Though, Yuri had to admit, in situations like these Cathy was usually right.

Yuri could do nothing but just stare in disbelief, debating internally whether or not she should tell Cathy the relationship that she believed she and Marcus might share, "You aren't a fighter. You aren't made to kill. This isn't for you. You belong in Fargo, where it is safe! Marcus, he doesn't ever… think! He doesn't think about the things that he says and does! When he told you that you were a fighter, he made a grave mistake bringing you into the fight."

"Marcus is the only one here who is giving me hope," Yuri told her.

Cathy tilted her head, giving her a look of query, "What did he tell you?"

"The truth, he's my father-"

"Yuri, Your father is dead," Cathy dismissed the claim, sticking her paw out in disbelief.

"But-"

"No! Yuri! You were in the mines for five whole years since you were six years old! Your last memory of home was your father slumped over, dead in your home! I don't know what Marcus told you to make you believe that, but he is not… are you listening?" Cathy tried to reason, but Yuri didn't believe her. Marcus was telling the truth, she knew he was. She could feel it. He could too. She found her family!

"He is. I know he is. You can't even begin to understand," Yuri told her truthfully, "We're connected, someway- somehow, I just know it! There's too much to deny, it's true. He knows who I am."

"I know who you are too. Father or not, he should not have told you to become a part of the militia. You aren't a fighter," Again, Cathy was right. Even if Yuri believed that Marcus was her father, Marcus had committed a grave faux pas by requesting that Yuri become a Revolutionary. But Yuri hadn't seen it that way until now. When Marcus told her that she was a fighter, it wasn't in a way to recruit her to be just another soldier. It was something that made her feel, for the first time, strong and empowered.

"And that's why he apologized!" She defended him, but Cathy still didn't listen.

"I will not make the same mistake twice! You are going to Fargo. That is final."

Yuri sighed in defeat, letting her head fall back on her chair rest. She would have to make it a mission to speak to Marcus more before she left back for Fargo. She had to understand this man who claimed, and she believed, to be her father. But Cathy wasn't finished, "You don't know what war is about. You might think that you've seen all that there is… but you haven't seen the things I've seen. And I will not let you do the things that I've done…"

"You were a knight for the Empire, right?" Yuri recalled.

"A mage," She corrected.

"I've heard that you were one of the best in magical combat. You fought under the Butcher."

"No… not under. With," That came as a surprise.

"The Butcher is lady Igraine, as you know. Igraine is my sister."

Lady Igraine? Her sister? What? Yuri was completely taken back by the info. She needed to process it. Igraine and Cathy shared nothing in common.

"What? Wait… Igraine?"

"Adopted. But we lived in the same village before the war. My mother died during childbirth and my father didn't want me. Igraine's father was the local dragon trainer, and he agreed to take me in as an adopted daughter when I was two years old."

"Cathy…"

"The war broke out when both myself and Igraine were still children. I was… sixteen she was seventeen. Originally, we were losing the war. Our village was right in the sights of the Commonwealth army, and when they arrived they burned everything to the ground. It made us angry. Both of us. We both enlisted in the Imperial Army. At the time, I was practicing magic and sorcery, Igraine continued her father's work with dragon training."

"I thought you quit being a soldier when the wars broke out?"

"I wish. But the wars were what drew us both in. I, of course, ended up training to be a mage. She became a rider. The war dragged on for seven long and brutal years, and by then we had both seen and done things that torture us still to this day. Closer toward the end of the war, Igraine was promoted to one of our top generals, like Sir Ann, and I was given the order to assist her. By then she had changed."

"Changed how?"

"She wasn't always the genocidal, victory at all costs, Butcher that we know. But the war made her that way. And I was there to carry out any and all of her orders. Sometimes… I had to get my own paws dirty. She was given the mission to maintain control of the new territory and eradicate the Viko Pirates while Perceval and Wendover kept fighting. As her assistant, I did a lot of the brunt work. Assassinations, murder, torture, people feared me."

"You voluntarily did it?"

"Yes. I used to justify that it was revenge for what the Falkish had done to us, they were the enemy. But I didn't start to hate it until one year after the Falkish surrender. There was an elderly human woman who had a daughter that was taken away as a slave. Probably shipped off to the same mines you were in. She had grandchildren. Turns out, she was a Rebel. Much like you and I now. But she never did anything, all she did was voice her support of the Rebels and make it known. Igraine wanted me to kill her."

"…"

"So I did. I did while her grandchildren watched. She was defenseless. My soldiers came in and took the two kids prisoner, I have no idea where they went. I wanted to protest but my sister assured me that she was dangerous. She was a rebel. She was evil because she was Falkish. She was evil because she hated our country. It clicked then that I was the reason that she was a rebel. That our brutality caused the rebellion. Igraine however, took it the other way," Cathy cautioned, Yuri leaned forward in deep intrigue, shocked almost at the fact that Igraine used to be a very different person not too long ago.

"Their rebellion justified our brutality in her mind. It was around that time that there were reports of a slave uprising to the west of Astchester. Igraine of course told me to kill everyone. But I didn't. I told my soldiers to let them go. That's when I found you, a little girl at the time. Eleven years old. I took you under my wing, and I quit for good. I tried to reason with Igraine, but she never listened. Sometime along the line, I studied with Professor Hyde and I became a Reformist. And now, I'm a rebel. Just like the people I killed."

"I see."

"My point is, war changes people. I don't want you to be anywhere near that. If Marcus apologized to you, and if you believe that he is your father, who am I to stand between you and him. But I will not repeat my mistake. You will not stay here any longer. Let the warriors fight wars. You belong elsewhere. Hyde needs you in Fargo…"

It was just then that there was a quick rattling knock at the door. In quick succession, four pangs came from the other side of the oak wood. Cathy looked at the door with a raised eyebrow, standing up slowly to go and answer it. When she did, none other than Filo stood on the other side. Her eyes were wide, naturally bright blue and yellow feathers looked a dull grey, and she quivered terribly, "Oh, Cathy! I was looking everywhere for you! I checked outside and you weren't there, downstairs, in the garden…" Filo shakily recalled as she allowed herself inside, brushing past Cathy.

"And a good afternoon to you too, Filo," Cathy mused with her signature tone of sarcasm, "You're early. I thought the carriages wouldn't arrive until-"

"That's not the reason I'm here," Filo told her after she took a seat next to Yuri to calm down, "Well, sort of. I mean it's difficult to explain! There's just been so much going on and-and the explosion and-"

Cathy just gave her a look that Yuri translated as being either sympathy or disbelief, "Filo. Calm down. Take a deep breath in…"

Filo did as instructed, "And out. Now, tell me what the problem is."

Filo held her wings out, pausing as she tried to construct a sentence that wasn't riddled with anything but complete fear or panic, "The Imperials have us surrounded," Was all she said at first.

"Tell me something I don't already know."

"No, I mean they are besieging us!" That got Cathy's attention, "General Ann has stated that his primary goal is to liberate the City Hall and kill the revolutionaries. That includes my father, myself, and you. To do that, they've completely cut off our access to food and water!"

Cathy and Yuri both listened as Filo told them the news, "Each time one of our carriages tries to go into the City Hall, they stop the carriage, take everyone prisoner and burn the supplies down! They want to starve us out! And if we surrender… they'll- they'll kill us all," Filo's voice was little more than a shaky whisper on the brink of tears as she tried to keep calm as best as possible, "I don't mean to be a pessimist. I'm usually not, I swear. But-but this looks bad… you have a plan right Cathy? I mean, you are the smart one! Right?" Filo begged her.

The hare looked bewildered, though not panicked like Filo was. She looked down at the floor, eyes pacing back and forth as she thought it through, but Filo didn't like that she didn't have an answer immediately, and again voiced her concern, "Cathy… please-"

"I'm thinking Filo!" Cathy warned her.

"But you don't understand! Even if we wanted to, we can't fight them! We'll starve to death with nearly three hundred people! The Imperials have dragons circling the skies, and their army is dug in waiting! If we surrender, they'll kill us…" Yuri slowly looked into the bird's face, tears were forming in her eyes threatening to soak the yellow feathers underneath.

"We'll fight…" Cathy said. She looked Yuri straight in the eye, "I guess today is your lucky day, you get to stay the night," Yuri hadn't even realized that Cathy planned to send her back that very night, "Go to the Ithacans, and bring the one that they call Lieutenant Sherman."

"Cathy, I get what you are trying to do. Truthfully! But I seriously doubt that the Ithacans can help us here," Filo dismissed the idea, "They only have a few squads left that haven't been gravely injured by both their flying machine crashing and the gas explosion!"

"It doesn't matter, we'll need all the help we can get," Cathy told her. She looked at Yuri and made a motion with her head towards the door, "Bring Sherman up here. If he's busy, tell him that it's an emergency."

----------------------------------------

"It's an emergency!" Yuri told him, repeating the same instructions given to her by Cathy. The bearded man simply shook his head as he knelt over one of his soldiers. There were several injuries over his exposed face, but luckily his squad had been just out of range of the explosion. Being warned of the flammable gas by Unity just in time for them to evacuate to a relatively safe range. But even still, Hazard had soldiers who were injured. Sherman was tending to the one that Yuri knew as Eden Rose, "It means that it's urgent!"

"I know that this is an emergency!" Sherman snapped at her, weariness in his eyes and voice, "Look at my damn soldiers! Fucking hell, I know it's an emergency, thanks for stating the bloody obvious!"

"No, Cathy want's you in her office to speak with her! Now!" Yuri told him, but it seemed as if Sherman still dismissed her plead. He was removing bloodied bandages, sloppy work by some of the nurses though understandable due to the heavy patient intake. Eden was conscious, but he couldn't do much except remain in bed.

"If Cathy deemed it important enough, she would've come down to speak to me herself," Sherman told Yuri, "I'm busy right now!"

Figuring that getting Sherman out of the room was not an option, Yuri decided instead to tell him herself, "We need you. Our situation is bleaker than it's ever been!" Sherman temporarily paused what he was doing, perhaps finally listening to Yuri's dire warning of distress, "The Imperial Army surrounds us and they are blocking off our food and water. They'll wait until they starve us out! We need your help!"

Sherman looked Yuri right in the eyes, finally taking her words seriously, "Can you help us?" Yuri asked, leaning closer towards him. The man nodded.

"I'll talk with my officers…"

Yuri again found herself alone in that same unused office for the second time that day. She had gone down there mortified, out of breath, and without much idea of what was going to happen next. Her emotions were tearing her apart. Her emotions felt strange. Blinding fear, disabling anxiety. No matter where she'd hide, they never went away. Images of the dead haunted her from inside. The faces… the cries and screams of pain. For many now, the screams of the dead. The sulfuric smell of the air. Everything had felt so rotten and putrid. This is why Cathy wanted her back in Fargo. She couldn't say that Cathy was wrong. She had been more correct about her than ever.

Most of the day seemed to have only gone by in less than a minute. From talking to Marcus to the explosion to her conversation with Cathy, to here. It all felt as if it had lasted no longer than the flash of lightning striking the ground. And yet, it lingered. Leaving damage to her and her mind that was irreparable. Those images, no matter how hard she tried to keep them away, just crept back inside…

And it wasn't just that either. There had been so much that remained unaddressed from today. For instance, Mirrorface and the two Ithacan soldiers. Apparently, her nightmare demons were no longer her own? Now she shared some form of destiny with two men she'd never seen before in her life? She had no idea what was going on anymore.

Just as she thought that now would've been an appropriate time to vomit, there came a trio of knocks from the wooden door. She didn't answer it, she didn't feel like speaking to anyone right now. She wanted to be alone.

"Yuri? Cathy told me you'd be in here," Marcus' voice came from behind the door. Dammit. Yuri didn't wasn't in the mood to talk to Marcus, even though she had so many questions for him. Now was just horrible timing. She didn't want to think about Marcus possibly being her father right now, as that would've been the only conversation that could be had betwixt the two. She just wanted to breathe.

Sluggishly, however, she rose and opened the door. When she looked up, she saw Marcus standing there. His face had been reddened and was shiny with sweat. His five o'clock shadow appeared to have darkened into a full beard. And blood vessel bulged just to the side of his temple. He looked about as stressed as she did. He looked down at her with big, sad, watery eyes, "Yuri," Marcus told her. Yuri could see the glistening of tears forming inside of his eyeball, "I'm so sorry…"

Yuri didn't say anything. She only held the door open wider for him, an invitation to enter. Yuri might've been struck with grief, but at the very least, she wasn't alone. They could share their burden together. That's what Parents and Children did, right? Yuri wasn't sure, but it seemed like the right move. Apparently, by the faint and brief smile that Marcus flashed her, it was.

"I don't know what to say," Marcus plopped himself on one of the chairs that Yuri had refused to instead curl into a ball on the floor. He hunched forward as he talked, shaking his head as if he were fighting out demons from his own mind, "This was never… ever… supposed to happen. I mean, my gods. I sent my one and only daughter out to fight in a war…" The latter part of his words broke, threatening to send him fully into tears. Yuri sympathetically went over to him, wrapping an arm over his shoulder.

"You couldn't know," Yuri told him. Though she had no idea if that was true or not. The Revolutionaries knew that when the Ithacans invaded Minerva, there'd be destruction and devastation. But, could anyone have predicted that it'd be this bad? Especially since Marcus had been the main commander of Revolutionary forces in Minerva, and with Cathy as the second-in-command throughout the entire Empire. Neither of them seemed to have thought it was bad enough that they both allowed Yuri the chance to get into Minerva and then join the Revolutionary fight. So perhaps Yuri told him the truth. But Yuri knew that there was no such thing as a 'small war'. War killed, tortured, maimed, and broke people. If Marcus cared, he wouldn't have allowed her to come within a mile of the battle. Let alone, take up a rifle, and fight side-by-side with the Militia.

"I'm so sorry," Marcus repeated. Placing a clenched fist over his temple, shutting his eyes to fight off the drops of water snaking their way down his cheek, "How could I be so… stupid? Naïve? I'm almost fifty years old! I should've… I would've… should've never…" Marcus' words trailed off.

Yuri gave his shoulder a rub, unsure of how best to keep a grown man from crying. She felt sorry for him, despite the fact that she was the cause of his pain. And to an extent, he was the cause of her own, "You are my father?" Yuri tried to distract him with a new train of questions. Not that they weren't genuine, she honestly wanted to know. Perhaps going back down memory lane would help them both feel better.

With a sniffle, Marcus nodded, "Aye," he told her, looking up at her with red eyes, "I know it's true. Your story about how you lost your mother, I was right there with you."

Yuri started with her questions, "But how did you survive? I was sure that you had died!"

"They hadn't killed me. Just ruffed me up. I remember looking through bloody and swollen eyes as they carried you away. They had taken my daughter, my one and only child. Lord Wendover had intervened at just the right time to have us both alive, and he ordered that the entire neighborhood would've been held captive for the Imperial crown to do as they wished."

"So they locked down the neighborhood?"

"Sort of. For the next few months after the invasion, the Imperials were taking people at random, letting others stay. They started with children like you since they could fit into smaller spaces in the mines. Then they moved to adults."

"That's when they chose you?"

Marcus nodded his head, "They kept us shackled in our homes after the Falkish were defeated. The Battle of Red Hill they called it. As bad as Minerva now, its destruction is dwarfed by what was going on then."

"They shackled the neighborhood, then what?"

"I was chosen to head west after the Commonwealth surrender. Sent me to some forsaken dungeon in the mountains north of Fargo for three years until I escaped. I tried to find you but… I never did," Marcus' face contorted into one of both self-pity and regret, "I thought they had killed you! I just remember thinking to myself that it was my fault, I shouldn't have tried to fight that knight. If I hadn't we both could've at least been taken together. Besides, not everybody had been imprisoned…"

"It's alright, Marcus," Yuri told him, "You tried to defend us. Right?"

"I think… well, enough about me! What about you! You look wonderful after all these years!" Marcus suddenly snapped back to glee as he took Yuri's arms and held them in his bear-like hands, "My little Missie is all grown now."

"Little Missie…" Yuri repeated. It made sense now why the phrase had sounded so familiar to her. She fought back a tear as a wave of nostalgic memory washed over her mind. Now it was Marcus' turn to embrace Yuri as she lost herself. The missing time, stolen childhood. Everything had been so cruelly taken away from the both of them.

"I never wanted any of this to happen," Marcus told her as embraced her head right into his chest. The tears fell from Yuri now, "But it's alright… I have you now… and I promise that I'll fight to protect you as best as I can…"

They both knew that nothing would ever be the same. It could never be. She was an adult. He was nearly middle-aged. They had both seen things that horrified them in their separation. As much as it pained the both of them to admit, the stolen time could never be made again.

Marcus leaned over and smiled, "That lullaby that your mother used to sing... I remember it..."

Yuri looked up at him with expectant eyes, and Marcus delivered. He started with the song, the very one she had grown to love and miss, "Saaay nighty-night, kiss the dark sky. I'll sing a song, to tell you 'I love you'. Up in the place, where you'll dream of me! I'll always dream of you!"

They both smiled together...

They shared memories of the past. Told stories of their lives after separation. Most of it tragic. Some of it remarkable. Neither cared, as the feeling of being this close to something that they believed to have been so far away was immeasurable. They embraced each other again before realizing that their time alone together was fading short. The world would never slow down, not even for them. A mountain of work still had to be done outside...