The boat ride was eerily quiet. Lorelai could tell that Verity was rapidly losing strength, but she was helpless to aid her in any way. She didn't know what to say or do. She felt completely useless. Hours passed and the night sky only grew darker. But finally the two were nearing land. Lorelai recognized the continent as Lucis, the only remaining kingdom not completely controlled by the empire.

The front of the boat hit against the rocky shore, ripping a small hole in the hull. Verity struggled to move, the back of her blouse and skirt nearly covered with blood. Using the last ounce of her strength, she took the girl in her arms, trudged over to the front of the boat, and lifted the princess over the rim, dropping her down onto the flat rocks around the shore.

"This is it... Your Highness," Verity breathed out, leaning against the railing of the boat and forcing a smile for Lorelai. "The kingdom of Lucis... you'll be safe here."

Lorelai gazed up at the woman, reaching her hands up toward her. "Come on, Verity, I'll help you down. I'm sure we can find someone to help you around here."

Verity shook her head. "I'm afraid... it's too late for me... You must go on alone."

The girl's eyes had remained wet with tears the entire ride, and now, even more flooded down her cheeks. "Verity, d-don't say that. You're g-going to be o-okay." Lorelai's voice was cracking and she noticed the boat was beginning to drift back out to sea. "No! Don't go, Verity! Don't leave me here!" Lorelai stood at the edge of the rocks, watching the boat float away.

"You'll be... all right," the woman encouraged, her weak voice barely audible over the growing distance. "I believe in you... We all believe in you... Carry on... and live your life..." Verity closed her eyes, letting herself fall against the railing. "Goodbye... Lorelai..."

Lorelai watched the boat drift away with her advisor on board. She knew that with the hole in the front of it, the boat would eventually sink. That was it, she was now alone in a foreign land. Lorelai finally wiped her puffy eyes, seeing the boat finally disappear in the darkness of night.

The girl slowly turned and gazed out at the forested expanse behind her. The cold night air blew her long, black hair, sending chills throughout her body. She looked around, slowly leaving the shore and entering the forests. Everything around her was so different from her home - the sights, the sounds, the smells, though the darkness obscured most of the sights.

The girl found herself jumping at every noise. She tried her best to move quietly, not wanting to be heard by any monsters. She hugged her arms, shivering from being cold and filled with fear. She suddenly froze, hearing low growls in the darkness around her. She listened to the sounds closing in on her. Soon enough, a striped, dog-like beast came into view.

Lorelai took several slow steps back, the creature moving closer while snarling. It suddenly lunged at her. She ducked down, letting the beast pass over her. She then darted off, hearing the creature howling behind her. After a moment, an entire pack of voretooths were on her tail. Lorelai weaved around trees, bushes, and rocks, hoping to escape from the pack. But the monsters were only gaining on her.

One caught hold of the bottom of her dress. Its sharp teeth ripped through the fabric with ease. Lorelai shrieked and tugged her dress free, tearing a large chunk from her dress. She ran as fast as she could, screaming as the beasts chased her. Her foot suddenly caught on a rock, tripping her. Lorelai fell onto her stomach, quickly flipping herself over to face the voretooths. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for their attack.

Instead, she heard a loud whimper and snapped her eyes open. Standing in front of her was a man with short, brown hair wielding a long, thin sword. The man had killed one of the voretooths. He sliced his blade horizontally at the rest of the pack, causing them to whimper and flee from him. He sheathed his sword, turning to face the girl.

"Young lady, are you all right?" he asked, gazing down at her. Lorelai stared up at him in awe. She slowly nodded, unable to form words. He bent down, holding his hand out to her. "My name's Cor. Come on, I'll take you to the nearest outpost."

She took his outstretched hand, letting him help her to her feet. She noticed the way his expression stayed neutral despite the kind gesture. Clutching his hand tightly in hers, Lorelai followed him, the light fastened on his shirt illuminating the way.

"What's a little girl doing out here at night anyway?" he asked, glancing down at the young girl at his side. "Don't you know daemons come out after dark? Where's your family?"

Lorelai hung her head down, remaining silent. She didn't know what to say to him. She couldn't tell him where she came from or what had happened to her. That was something she couldn't tell anyone. Cor let out a small sigh at her silence.

"You're not much of a talker," he stated.

Neither of them said anything else. It wasn't long before they reached an outpost next to a road. Bright lights shown around it, warding off daemons. Cor took the girl across the road to the small caravan. He led her inside and sat her down on a bed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again, kneeling in front of her.

She nodded, still refusing to speak to him. Cor scanned over the girl, realizing her odd apparel. She wore a short-sleeved, fancy blue dress that stopped a little below her knees. It was nothing that an ordinary person would wear.

He added up the facts and asked, "You're not from Lucis, are you?" Lorelai shook her head. "Then where are you from? Accordo?" Again, she shook her head. "Niflheim? Tenebrae?" She shook her head to every place he named. Cor couldn't think of anywhere else she could be from.

"It's all right if you don't want to tell me," he finally said, giving up on getting answers from her. "Just know that you'll be safe here. You can ask for directions and follow the roads to get wherever you're going." He dug into his pocket, pulling out a handful of coins. "Here, this should be enough gil for a couple of meals."

He placed the money next to her and stood up. He turned and began walking toward the door. Lorelai didn't know what she was going to do. Sure, she could rest there and grab breakfast in the morning, but then what? She didn't know her way around Lucis. She had no one to guide her in any way. She was all alone.

"Wait!" she called, causing Cor to stop and look back at her. "I-I... Thank you... Uh, my name... it's Lorelai." She fidgeted around in her seat, nervously staring at the floor.

The faintest of smiles tugged at the corners of Cor's lips. He knew, deep down, that this girl needed him. "Well then, Lorelai, as you've seen, Lucis can be a dangerous place. I think before I go, I need to teach you a few things first. What do you say, would you like me to train you?"

Lorelai shot her head up, her green eyes wide with surprise. A small smile graced her lips and she eagerly nodded. She needed someone like him to teach her how things were done in Lucis. After all, this is what Verity and her mother wanted, for the young princess to live her life. The life they sacrificed themselves for. Lorelai would do everything in her power now to not waste what they had given her.