R U [ I ] N E D

The Curse of the Manabe

There will be. The boy's words echoed in Callan's ears. He shook off the hanging ominence of the statement, sitting down before the kid. "What's your name?" he asked, preferring to focus on something that wouldn't terrorize the child.

"Sachi," the boy began softly, watching Callan nervously, "Sachi Crue."

"I'm Callan." He offered a gentle smile before easing himself up. "Say, Sachi, are you hungry?"

Sachi shifted his head to face the ground and mumbled, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Callan offered a hand down to him, Sachi eying it with an air of uncertainty.

"Because, well, even my own family didn't want me around them. They all-"

"They all ought to check themselves then," Callan finished with a grumble then wiggled his fingers at Sachi expectantly. "Come on. We have fruit, dried meats, bread, cheese- you can have whatever you like."

In Sachi's eyes, Callan seemed to shine like a gift sent from heaven, but the Grand Commander's son was oblivious to the look of admiration. "Really?"

"Really," he insisted as Sachi grabbed his outstretched hand. "If the grouchy blonde says anything mean to you, just ignore her," he leaned down and whispered to the boy, "She likes shiny metal swords much more than children."

"Oh, okay." Sachi walked shakily beside Callan, still weak from his immense hunger. Callan swept up the bag, the food buried in the bottom beneath the rest of their supplies.Phoena glanced at him for a brief moment before sighing and looking away again, distraught.

Callan's lips twitched slightly, and he shook his head. If only she would lighten up... "Here." He passes the bag over to Sachi, who had taken up residence on the ground once more. "Take your pick of whatever you want."

"We really should ration that. What if something goes awry?" Phoena piped from Brady's side.

"Let the kid eat, Miss Brineri," Brady spoke, his heat rested against the tree, eyes resting, "If it comes to that, we'll figure it out." Callan nodded in agreement, and Phoena remained silent while Sachi fumbled through the bag, taking some of everything in a rampant behavior and shoveling it into his mouth just as ferociously.

"Someone's hungry, huh?" Callan chided lightly, and Sachi blinked, gazing back sheepishly as his cheeks bulged from the roll he had wedged in his mouth.

"A little," the boy replied, but it sounded more like 'awishgul' with his mouth so utterly stuffed.

Once he'd finished his meal, washing it down with nearly an entire canteen of water, Sachi seemed somewhat satisfied, and Callan felt there would be no better time to question the boy again. "Where are you from, Sachi?" He hoped discovering more about the mysterious boy would put Phoena's distrusting mind at ease.

"My parents live in Mystaire. It's a small town a bit inland from the sea," he explained, "but I'm not welcome there anymore."

"Not welcome?" Phoena lifted a brow suspiciously. "Why is that?"

Sachi gulped, stuttering uncontrollably. "W-why?"

"Yes," she stated directly at him, watching, waiting, her gaze never waivering. "Why aren't you welcome at home? Why won't your family have you back? Even the town?

"That's enough," Callan hissed, feeling the sudden urge to intervene in Sachi's defense. "Can't you see you're making him uncomfortable?"

"I want to know what he has to be uncomfortable about!"

"That's really none of your business, now is it?"

"I'll make it my business if it so pleases me!"