(The next day...)

"Come on Cylus!" Alannah barked, decking me square in the face, "Get your head in the game before I knock it off your shoulders!"

I stumbled a single step back in my sparring arena and spat out blood. "My mother taught me to never strike a woman."

"Well, hit me like you mean it!" she snapped, "You've tracked down female targets before, right?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Well, what's the difference?"

I sighed. I don't want to punch the woman I like too much to admit. Alas, I didn't have time to voice this thought: While Alannah was an easy-going person, she certainly lived for combat...Much like I do...

This morning, I was surprised to find the fiery redhead at the front door of my house.

"Oh," I had said. I had thrown on my helmet, so my voice came out as a quiet rasp, "To what do I owe you the pleasure of this visit?"

Alannah had flashed me her trademark dazzling grin. "Since we're going to be pursuing bounties together, I want to see how your skills hold up against mine."

I took note that she was wearing her padded combat armor, and I should've known she wasn't going to hold anything back. The fact she had her voluminous orange curls tied back into a messy pony tail should've told me enough.

Alas, it didn't.

Back to the present moment, I assumed a defensive stance as Alannah laid into me. We both had our head gear off, so I saw her hair whip around as she tried to overwhelm me.

Finding a brief opening in her attack, I swept her feet out from under her. Alannah fell to the ground, only to spring back onto her feet in the next instant.

"Good!" she chirped, drilling me in the stomach. "But still unsatisfactory! I've seen you tear through crowds of people before, Cylus. Show me that rage, damn it!"

Alannah kept chipping away at me before I finally snapped. Using my left shoulder to power through her attacks, I sent her staggering back several steps. At this point, I was not going to let up.

I delivered an open-palmed strike to her diaphragm that left her gasping for breath. Targeting a small group of pressure points such as the jaw, elbows, and knees, I left Alannah in a crumpled heap in little under a minute.

When I snapped out of my trance, I realized what I had just done.

"Fuck fuck fuck." I growled, mentally tearing myself apart while kneeling before the stunned redhead. "Please tell me I didn't break anything."

When she gathered her breath, Alannah started laughing.

"Holy shit, that was exhilarating!" she exclaimed, not ceasing in her laughter. "I now understand why you never lose in hand-to-hand combat!"

I bowed my head in relief. "Fuck...Alannah, don't do that."

"Do what?" she replied, cocking her head to the side in question.

"Don't push me that far."

"Why?"

"Because I could've killed you." I responded, gathering her up in my arms. "You'll regain feeling in your limbs in a few moments. I...Didn't mean to cripple you this badly..."

I felt her caress my cheek with a shaky hand. "Hey, least I know you don't hold your punches."

"I can say the same for you." I replied, leaning into her touch. "You're a capable fighter."

I carried Alannah upstairs and laid her down on one of the couches in the living room.

"I'll get you ice." I told her, cringing to myself. "And some painkillers..."

She huffed and stretched her arms. "Thanks love."

I felt warmth spread through me in response, and I forced myself to focus on gathering up the aforementioned materials. It was as simple as going to the kitchen, grabbing an ice pack from the freezer along with a glass of water, and stopping by a bathroom on the first floor to grab a bottle of painkillers.

When I got back to Alannah, I felt my throat bob when I saw her toss her breastplate off to the side.

"Ah...So much better." she breathed, slouching into the cushions she was leaning against. "Oh, thanks Cylus."

I handed her the painkillers and glass of water before sitting down beside her. After I took some of my armor off and set it aside, I waited for Alannah to ask for the ice pack.

"Ah...I feel a little better." she breathed, pressing the ice pack against one of her bruised knees. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I used to be part of a bounty hunter's guild." I told her. "An old friend of mine taught me how to fight smart."

"Well, that friend of yours did a great job teaching you." Alannah mused to herself, only to cringe. "Ow–Charlie horse..."

"My my, what's going on down here?" Boreas inquired as he walked downstairs into the living room. "Alannah, why do you look like shit?"

She laughed. "Your partner kicked my ass."

Boreas gaped at me. "You what?"

"She wanted to spar, so who was I to deny her that..." I responded in a small voice.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head in disbelief. "This morning is getting better and better."

"Hey, don't look at me," Alannah began as she tried and failed to raise her hands in an attempt to ward off attention, "I did nothing wrong."

"That's not where I was going," Boreas hissed, "You should know better than to beat the shit out of women, Cylus."

"Alannah was the one who wanted to spar..."

I was seated pretty close to the gunsmith, and I heard her yawn a few moments later.

"Mmm...Damn. I could go for a nap right about now..." Alannah murmured as she laid her head on my shoulder. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

"Smooth." Boreas murmured. "Yep. You're stuck, mate. I hope this is what you wanted."

You have no idea. "Go to hell, you twisted bastard."

I heard him laugh as he walked into the kitchen. "You're fooling no one, Cylus. I know you're enjoying yourself."

You're not wrong. "Go cook something before I strangle you."

He continued to laugh, but didn't say anything else on the matter.

I rolled my eyes and wrapped an arm around Alannah. Before I knew what hit me, I felt myself drift off into unconsciousness.

"Oh, great." I grumbled, taking in the vast expanse of darkness that surrounded me. "I'm back here again, huh? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, my old friend."

I heard my father loose a dark laugh. "You can never escape me."

I sighed, too weary to handle this right now. "You're dead. You should stay that way."

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" he cooed, appearing before me. His pale green eyes glittered with malice, and his immaculate visage presented the illusion of a respectable business man. Unfortunately, his eyes showed more than words could ever convey: they were the eyes of a cold hearted, cut-throat son of a bitch.

I shook my head in aggravation and turned away from the man I had the dishonor of calling my father. "I don't have time for this. Just...Let me face the failures of my past in peace."

"We all make mistakes, my son." I heard my mother say. "Please, I implore you to move on–Get away from me, you son of a bitch!"

I turned around sharply to see my father holding onto my mother's wrist

"Let go of her!" I barked, hurrying over and shoving my father away from the woman who gave up everything for me. 

He let go of her, and I had only a moment to breathe a sigh of relief before I felt burning pain radiate from my shoulder.

The bastard had...Shot me. I fell to a kneeling position while my father blew on the smoking barrel of his weapon.

"Some people just never learn." he mused to himself as he aimed his gun at my mother.

With the resounding ring of a gunshot pounding on my eardrums, I woke up with a startled grunt. I've dealt with bad dreams before, so I'm used to waking up in a cold sweat. I forced myself to not scream, and resolved instead to focus on controlling my breathing. However, my sudden movement roused Alannah. She took one look at my pallid expression and embraced me before either of us could speak.

"Bad dream?" she prompted me in a soft voice.

I could only nod.

"I have those every now and then." Alannah admitted. "They tend to be a pain in the ass, don't they?"

I nodded once again and forced myself to speak. "Sorry..."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Cylus." she assured me. "How about we leave your house–Get a little fresh air?"

For the third time today, I nodded like an idiot and rose to my feet. "Sounds splendid to me. I'll let Boreas know."

"I know already." he chimed in from within the kitchen. "I'm working on lunch right now. Just be back before noon, please."

"We will." Alannah and I replied.

Boreas laughed to himself. "Have fun, kiddies!"

We exchanged a glance and laughed.

How is this woman such a kind spirit? I asked myself while we exited my house and walked toward a small aircraft that had brought Alannah over to my house. She doesn't ask questions and she strives to comfort me, a cold-hearted bastard. I do not deserve this.

"Your father may play a dirty game, but do not think you are undeserving of happiness." my mother whispered. "Enjoy these small moments while they last."

You don't have to tell me twice...