Similar

It was only by mere coincidence that the two met, and yet it changed their lives.


The mercenaries rescued her the same way they rescued him, finding her cold, alone, and utterly lost among the charred ruins of the town, welcoming her with open arms and warm food and safe shelter. Perhaps it was supposed to be a sign of the things to come.

At first glance, there didn't seem to be many similarities between the two- he was fit to be a fighter and she was raised to be a healer, he was poor and she was wealthy, he was used to freedom and she was used to restriction- but underneath the surface the two shared so many similarities that in a way, they could have been the same person living under different circumstances.

When they first met, it was simple: a silent nod from him and a quiet wave from her, and that was all. They passed each other and didn't look back. It was just another survivor, just another victim of the war that was fortunate enough to join the mercenaries. But then they saw each other for a second, third, fourth time, and then they would say, "Hey," "Hello," "Hi."

They helped the war effort in their respective ways: he took up the sword and she took up the staff, and then on the battlefield they bonded, fire forged friends fighting for freedom. They would talk when they could, and then they would confide little things- but underneath their secrets were still buried.

He was a young boy with a past filled with joy, until the war became his reality. He grew up with forgiveness and compassion until the fighting tore it apart.

She was a young girl with a past filled with duty, until the war became her enemy. She grew up with order and commitment until the rules forced it upon her.

He was disillusioned; she was insecure. They both needed help.

"I'm here for you."

A father to his men and mercenaries, and a father to them too; Khieron broke down the boy's apathetic facade and the girl's cheerful bluff, and inside they knew: although for different reasons, they were hurting.

So Khieron helped them. He taught the boy to keep hope; he taught the girl to take pride. He retained his optimism, and she gained her confidence.

"There's always someone here for you," he told them.

They grew closer.

She found out that he loved music, that he liked wood crafting, because his mother was a pianist and his father was a craftsman. He had always hoped to make his parents proud, until that day when his village was destroyed. From that he gained a deep-rooted fear of complete darkness, instilled in him by his captors. Sometimes when he recalled those events, he would freeze- and she was there to support him.

He found out that she loved art, that she enjoyed magic, because she was tutored in it early on by her two older sisters. She always wanted to be independent and unique. She had constantly been overshadowed by her sisters, because the three of them had respectively been taught to rule, to fight, and to support, and she didn't want to live by supporting her sisters, as close as they were. It was her goal to stand out and become recognized, so she picked up the sword, stark in contrast to the tome or staff- and he helped her train.

Through this they connected, empathy and compassion bringing them as close as siblings, and even closer.

Then after a few years the war attacked and Khieron was gone. They were devastated, and then he started to slip into depression, started to lose what Khieron had taught him- until she caught him, steadied him, guided him back to the beginning.

"There's always someone here for you; even if he's gone, I'm still here," she whispered into his ear, an echo from the past.

He went on to win the war in place of Khieron. And even though he left for a moment, even though he strayed for a minute, he returned, and she was waiting for him, knowing that in the end he would always return. Inside, he too knew he would return- back to the beginning, back to the start when his life first changed, back to where they met.

Their fate is still undecided, but in a way- in a way, they had always been destined to be together from the moment the mercenaries took them in from the cold, scorched remains of the city.