The rhythmic puffing of the steam engine and the blowing of wind provided white noise to a constantly-shifting scene outside the train car's windows.

Hurry up and wait. I smiled snidely. It really is the Army way.

The train was headed northeast, and a long ride it would be. I was leaving the semiarid rolling hills of my home headed to a place I'd never seen before, but I'd heard many things about.

My father had told me there was nothing like the first time you saw the massive sprawl of New Meridian in the distance, but it would be awhile until that sight would appear. The train was traveling halfway across the Canopy Kingdom, after all, which would take almost 54 hours.

I'd signed up for the Canopian military at the ripe old age of 18. My father was away in the Grand War until I was 11, but the last 7 years were interesting.

When my dad left, I was quite young and was left in a house full of things with a very busy mother. The dear woman had to hold down the ranch with the meager net earnings from paying ranch hands while I was too young to do it, and hadn't the time to teach me when I was. This naturally led me to being left to my own devices most of the time. I learned a lot of things by reading, and a lot of things by doing. I had a passion for books, especially informative ones, and I couldn't get enough to read. Sometimes the ranch hand would leave worn out parts of machines somewhere within my realm, and I would take them apart, study them.

My father. He was a companionable person, very friendly and easy to get along with. Part of a marksman unit and a lifelong rancher, my old man returned a tired but decorated soldier. He was eager to teach me all of the things he'd missed as a father, and I was a little maladjusted to being part of a tight family unit, but I can easily say I love my family. Now it was me, my parents, and three siblings. I was the oldest of my siblings, with a 12 year age gap between me and the second-eldest, a sister, for obvious reasons. But those years I spent in my youth were likely an integral part in my personality development.

Cold, quiet, calculating. Most common way I was described, and not very wrong. I wasn't a sugary and easily moved person by nature, and kept my emotions under control. Sentimentality that barred the way of efficiency didn't appeal to me. However, people didn't seem to get it. I wasn't amoral, and nor was I a robot. Introversion was for sure a defining characteristic. Of all intellectual endeavors, understanding the people I shared the world with was and is the biggest challenge I face. People are an enigma...

I shook my head, retrieving the derailed thought train and setting it back on the tracks with the real one. I thought about one moment that very probably has changed my entire life. I joined the military for the experience and to serve the nation, but it was going to be a step in the pathway of my life, not a lifetime profession. And now...

After Basic Training was over, we had all been given the relevant documents on our upcoming advanced training. During recruitment, I had thought about engineering, but that was quite a dangerous field and was more about demo and logistics than unique strategic construction opportunities. I instead went with a skill of mine, putting it to the test. I signed up to be a sniper. The necessary skills for the selected route were benchmarked and recorded in order to evaluate what unit an individual would be placed in. I had taken up shooting as a relaxing and challenging hobby after my father had returned home, and I'd often be out a-firing until the old man would chastise me by saying we could make instruments from all the brass. An odd, obsessive sort of hobby, you may say, but it paid off. My skills were well above par… and it seemed people noticed.

Back to that transcript I got after boot camp.

I still couldn't believe what it said.

I pulled it out again.

Name: ADAMS, ALEXANDER

Rank: SPECIALIST

Age: 18

Height: 6' 0"

Eye Color: BLUE

Hair Color: BROWN

Specialization: Marksmanship

AIT Unit: Black Egrets

Note: Selected for individual training and mentorship under Black Egret Marksman Team for displaying exemplary marksmanship ability. Will proceed to active duty after training is complete.

I shook my head. Egrets. I was barely of legal enlistment age and I was headed to the most elite group of soldiers in the kingdom. An exciting prospect, but a daunting one. How could I prepare for this?

It would assuredly be a long train ride.

It was night yet again when we were finally nearing the city. I thought I would never get off this damned train. After irritably shifting around for an indeterminate period of time, I saw the lights of the metropolis.

My father was right.

The city was absolutely immense. Huge towers stood far above the ground, making the walls surrounding them look like rocks next to a tree. The lights glittered and shone in the distance, creating a surreal effect. I began getting ready to disembark.

The train hissed as it passed through the tunnel in the wall, slowing to a stop at the train station. The density of people outside was like that of fish in an ocean.

The train doors opened, and the flood began. I was immediately confronted with an uneasiness from the sheer number of people about. Training took over, and I subconsciously scanned the crowd. It seemed that most people were piling into the train than leaving it, which seemed odd. I couldn't make anything of it, since there didn't seem to be anything obvious going on. I did see several other standard-issue ACU's in the crowd, which I could assume were other initiates. When I was told what unit I would serve under, I didn't even get a period of leave between the end of Basic and being shipped up here to New Meridian; I wasn't told why, but was assured my family would be notified and that all the arrangements for my relocation would be made.

The uniformed individuals clumped up, forming an island in the sea of people. I made my way over to the group. I wasn't told how I was supposed to get to the barracks from inside the city, and that would be a problem…

I stepped to the edge of the group, silently. The group consisted of an older, surly-looking, stocky man who was probably a seasoned soldier who caught wind of me, a seemingly unremarkable male with nothing I could see immediately, and a woman of average form in her early thirties who appeared to be a radio operator.

"You an initiate too?" The older man barked matter-of-factly. He seemed the type who was very accustomed to the battlefield.

"Yes," I replied simply. Despite the immediate camaraderie I wasn't exactly warm to people I had just met. The woman turned to me and smiled. She appeared to be my polar opposite-a personable, breezy type.

"Hello! We were wondering where the barracks are. None of us have been to the city before. Could you help us out?"

"I don't know either," I replied. The obvious solution belatedly bubbled up into my mind. "We should probably buy city maps."

"Good idea." The quiet fellow spoke up. It wasn't a lead for the woman to reply to.

"Great. Hey, where did you all get assigned to?" She still wanted to make conversation.

"Infantry," the older man answered. "Served in the war. Now I'm gettin' called up to the big leagues." He chuckled, and turned to look at me.

"You look awful young to be here, kid. What's your age and why're you here?" It was a legitimate question and the tone wasn't accusing, so I figured I'd answer nicely.

"I am 18… and I've been assigned to the Marksman Team." A small smirk lifted the corner of my mouth, despite myself. He looked up.

"You must be a damn good shot then. Don't think I'd want to be downrange of someone who got to the top this young." He smiled openly, which I could easily tell was a big compliment from this man.

"Thanks," I said, shrinking a little. I wasn't one to brag and didn't respond regularly to compliments. I didn't really know what to do when someone gave me high praise other than try to play it off.

The woman continued to talk the group up. "And you, sir?" She was talking to the other man, who was even quieter than I, and seemed a little… off, somehow.

"Demolition." The quiet man replied, a mildly unsettling smile crossing his features. I should have known. It's always the little bit odd ones in demo.

"Alright, the arrival time is tomorrow at 9:00, so I guess I'll see you all then." I provided my line for leaving the group of acquaintances, and said a goodbye or two. Back to business.

First of all, I need a map. Second, some food. I'm ravenous. Third, a place to sleep.

In a stroke of luck, there was an information center that I had managed to find after some mostly aimless wandering. I bought a map from the kiosk and inspected it. I could use it to get close to the castle, where I could poke around for a bit until I figured out where I was supposed to go.

Now, about that hunger…

Stepping out into the streets of New Meridian presented me with the biggest buildings I had ever seen, all lined up along the sidewalks, which were bathed with a multitude of colorful lights. This marked my dizzying entrance into what was by orders of magnitude the largest city I entered. It was awe-inspiring, but what unsettled me was the utter lack of people on these roads. Even at night, a city street like this should be buzzing with activity. The question was, where was everyone? This was the crown jewel of the Canopy Kingdom, and yet this street, right outside the train depot, seemed like a ghost town. Some of the buildings were boarded up, decrepit…

After a while of wandering the creepily quiet streets to find some restaurant open at midnight, I stumbled upon a small soda fountain that was open. I stepped inside the small building, a bell signaling my entrance, and did a visual pass of the cafe.

The patrons were few. The only I could see consisted of a couple, and a pretty young schoolgirl with long, black hair in a too-small uniform, whose eyes flicked upward to see who walked in, and looked away again-too quickly, I noted. Hang on-were her eyes red? I sat down at one of the barstools a couple of seats down from the girl. A waiter came over and gave me a menu, which I absorbed myself in.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? What do you say I buy you a real drink, sister?" I turned to see a man, probably in his late twenties, approach the girl. A twinge of disgust ran through me. Dude. She's like, half your age. Creep. I watched now, like a hawk. I had a younger sister, after all, and the defensive older brother was awoken.

A muffled masculine voice came from the general location of the girl. "We've already got a drink, thanks."

So that's most definitely not her voice. Who said that? And… we?

"Uh, that's quite the deep voice you have there, little lady. But it's cool."

To my complete disgust, the man began to feel her up.

That's it.

"Excuse me, but doesn't she seem a little young for you?" My voice was mostly polite, with a slight inflection of passive-aggression, and my mouth formed a thin line. My eyes had no such facade, and held glints of molten steel.

"Now, you can never tell. She looks old enough to me," the man said. My blood began to boil, but the guy backed off. Creep.

The girl now shot me a quick, blushing "thank you", which I wasn't quite sure I understood the sheepishness in. Her eyes are red. I nodded slightly, and turned back to my menu. The rest of my meal passed without any events, and wondering how one has red eyes.

It took place after I'd paid my bill. The waiter returned with my cash, which I took and thanked him for without turning to look at him.

The young girl had just left the cafe, and I saw him again. The guy approached her again. I stood up, and walked briskly for the door, still pocketing my cash. Nope.

As soon as I stepped out of the door, I heard the same muffled voice again.

"That's it! You could have left her alone!"

Suddenly, the hat the girl was wearing was catapulted into the air, and the hair began to take on a form. It was a pair of eyes and opposite rows of sharp teeth, clearly expressing anger at the sleazy man.

"A parasite?!" I heard him yell. The strands all struck him, sending him flying. He landed on the street in a startled, breathless heap. I stood there, blinking, trying to process the events that had just unfolded.

Parasite? The girl's hair had taken on a shape only describable as that of a pair of wreaths. She spoke to the creature in her hair in an exasperated fashion with a soft, feminine voice while looking about to see if anyone had seen the event take place.

"Samson, you've got to stop doing… that." She saw me, and she looked like she had been caught stealing bars of gold.

Awkward tension pulled the air as taut as a tug-of-war rope.

"Oh hey, it's that guy," the creature, Samson, presumably, said, extremely nonchalantly. There's the source of the voice...

I said nothing.

"Umm… well… I guess there's no chance of a normal introduction..." The girl looked down, pandering a bit. It seemed she was quite embarrassed.

Looking up again and pulling together the words, she addressed me proper. "Well, my name is Filia…" She then looked up at her hairline, expression becoming clearly unamused. "...and this is Samson."

"Hi," I said, expression still flat. I didn't know what else to say.

Again, Samson, who I had already determined was Filia's complete opposite, broke the silence again.

"Yeah, hi, that's great and all. Anyway, thanks for standing up for my girl here. Guy was a total creep." Samson addressed me. Without the hat, the parasite was fairly obvious.

"Yeah... No problem." I responded simply. She didn't remind me of my sister anymore. I scratched the back of my head, trying to figure out something I could say as Filia came to a more natural speaking distance. The height disparity still made this a little odd, as I was still the better half of a foot taller than her.

The obvious thing to say was here.

"My name is Alexander."

She smiled a little, and I had to come up with some speaking point now to keep this from dissolving into something even more awkward than it was.

"So… how do parasites work, exactly? I've heard of them, but never looked into them much..."

To my luck, the conversation managed to last until I found a walk-up hotel nearby.

"Thanks for not being freaked out and everything. You're really understanding," Filia said, beaming. I was yet again left in a position where I was supposed to respond to praise.

Honest deadpanning was a skill of mine and really the only thing I could do. "It's nothing… really. No big deal. Might even say it was…interesting."

Samson grumpily stayed quiet. The statement did have some unintended jabs at him.

"Yeah? A lot of people would have called me a freak..." She frowned, looking away.

"Why's that? It's not like Samson makes you any different."

I stayed quiet. Samson didn't. "Hey, don't give a damn about what they think. You know you're still a person, and I'm not a bad guy, right?"

"Yeah, Samson," she said, reaffirming her constant companion. It must be odd to constantly be attached to another entity.

I reached the door to the hotel. "So, uh, I guess I'll... see you around?" A smile and a blush swept across her face.

"Yeah, sure," I answered. "See you later."

Somehow, we went the whole way without learning anything about each other, but talking about Samson and the concept of "parasitism", which was probably inaccurate-it seemed like mutualism, in a way, but…

Something nagged at me, about the events that took place, everything that had happened.

"Okay… 'Bye," she said. I waved, making my way inside, wondering if I saw the slight shift to a frown as I turned away. The question struck me, but she had already left by the time I thought to ask about why she was out so late.