The bed was dangerous. It was too soft and too large for a single person, and every time Sakura looked at it she had an urge to lie down and drift away into darkness. She grabbed a fistful of the simple but soft blanket, marveling at how wonderful it felt. She let the blanket fall from her hand, moving to the window, where she had a clear view of the empty courtyard. Not only were the beds amazing, but she was even provided a nice view. What kind jailers she had.

A knock on the door made her turn, and her attention went to her guest.

"Good morning, Sakura. Did you sleep well?"

She gestured for her visitor to sit at the small table and set of chairs she'd also been provided.

"I did," she replied. "The bed is too comfortable for my liking. I'm afraid I may never wake up."

"I'm sure some people would be happy to hear that."

Sakura laughed a little before taking a seat as well.

"Good morning to you as well, Lord Muu."

Muu had visited Sakura many times already in the past two weeks. Their conversations were usually meaningless and trivial, but they had settled into a comfortable sort of companionship. Muu would come to ask about Sakura's role as his servant, which she would answer with vague but truthful statements. Sakura would then ask about his life and his friends, as well as his goals for the future. He would respond similar vague but truthful statements.

Today was different however, as far as she could tell. For the first time since her arrival, Muu was not wearing his armor. Sakura had long since changed into her casual clothes, wearing a sleeveless red shirt with white accents and cream colored pants reaching below her knees. Her forehead protector had been replaced with a simple red headband, and she wore more lightweight, casual black sandals. She had done what she could to appear non-threatening, though she knew that it wouldn't make much of a difference without the trust of Muu and Lady Scheherazade.

Muu was not only unarmed, but he was also not alone. Two Fanalis warriors stood on either side of the door, hands folded behind their backs. One had a scar running through her face and other scars running along her chest and arms, and the other had shaggy hair nearly obscuring his face.

"May I ask for the purpose of this visit?" she asked, excitement rising within her.

"The Fanalis Corps has been given an assignment. If you wish, you may come with us."

Finally, she could leave this room. There was much to learn about this new world of Muu's.

"However, you may not interfere," he continued. "You are an outsider and do not represent us. Any action you take will be dealt with accordingly."

"I understand," she said. It was more than enough. With a small smile, she added, "Thank you, Lord Muu."

Muu gave her a weary smile. He did not trust her yet—that was clear. But he was willing to give her a chance, and that was all she needed.

"We leave in two days at dawn," he said. "Don't be late."

"Yes, sir."

The knock at her door came in the evening, and Sakura was not surprised. She settled herself on the chair and folded her arms in her lap as the door opened, revealing the unhappy, younger Alexius. Myuron wore a simple dress with a pretty pink sash across her torso. Her hair was properly done up, and she held a book in her left arm. She would be the picture of nobility, if it weren't for the scowl on her face.

"Welcome, Lady Myuron," Sakura greeted. "How have you been?"

Myuron's scowl only deepened, her posture lined with distrust.

"What are you planning?" she asked sharply.

"Nothing, I assure you. I just want to help Lord Muu."

"You are not my brother's household," Myuron snapped. "He may give you the benefit of the doubt, but I will not."

Myuron placed the book on the table, leaning forward on her arms as she made her declaration. Her shoulder was still recovering, but the pain it had been giving her had been reduced to a dull ache with the new treatment her healers had started a few days ago. Her hands closed into fists, and her suspicion was clear on her face. Suspicion and rage, but they could not hide the slight tremble in her fists from Sakura's eyes. Myuron was scared, yes, but she was also fierce and a daughter of the Alexius. She would not shrink back from those who wished harm onto her brother.

"What would you like to know?" Sakura asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Why did you come with us?"

"Your brother asked me to."

"Don't play games with me. You know what I mean."

Sakura leaned back, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke again.

"I want to help your brother achieve his goals. It's my mission to do so," Sakura said. "I will not harm him, Lady Myuron. I give you my word."

"Why should I believe you?" Myuron asked, scrutinizing the older woman. "Why should I believe in your word?"

Sakura smiled, leaning forward on her elbows. What a wonderful and tenacious young girl.

"I never break my promises, Lady Myuron, and it is all I have to give you."

Myuron regarded her for a few more seconds in silence. Thinking of all the different ways Sakura could sabotage Muu, most likely. Finally, Myuron stood, giving her an icy stare.

"Don't you dare harm my brother," Myuron said. "Or you'll wish you never left the dungeon in the first place."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sakura replied, smile ever present. It infuriated Myuron to no end, and she could tell. "I'm glad Lord Muu has such a wonderful sister looking out for him."

Myuron flushed, caught off guard by the sudden compliment. Despite that the words were coming from Sakura, Myuron couldn't help the bright hue that rushed into her cheeks. Pressing her palms to her face, she struggled to regain her composure.

"How is your shoulder, by the way?" Sakura asked. "I do hope the healers took my advice."

The implication of that statement was not lost on Myuron, and she felt her face burn even brighter.

"It's none of your business," she snapped. "Leave me and my brother alone."

Spinning on her heel, Myuron stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her hard enough to leave cracks around the frame. Her face continued to burn as Sakura's light laughter followed her down the hall. How Myuron hated that woman! How she hated that smile and calm demeanor that said that woman would one day be trusted to save her brother's life. How Myuron hoped that when that day came, her brother's trust would not be misguided.

Sakura, on the other hand, rather enjoyed her time with the younger Alexius. Myuron was strong, brave, and ready to take on the world for the sake of her brother, and she'd be damned if she let someone stand in his way. She was incredibly intelligent, and if she kept reading books (such as the one still lying on Sakura's table), she'd be a force to reckon with in the future.

Reaching across the table, Sakura turned the book so that it was no longer upside down. It was a simple red leather bound book, embossed with gold along the spine. She would keep it for safekeeping for Myuron until she returned. In the meantime, she would help herself to the treasure the girl had given her. In her hands, Military Tactics by Pernadius Alexius stared back up at her, and Sakura turned to the first page.

The next morning, Sakura's door was open before she was even out of bed. She was on her feet immediately, but she relaxed once she realized who stood at the door.

"I'm taking my book back," Myuron stated, crossing the room to Sakura's nightstand.

Sakura stepped aside as Myuron picked up the book. The girl didn't spare her a glance before marching right back to the door.

"If you're having trouble with that book, I can help you," Sakura said, making Myuron freeze at the door.

"I'm not having trouble," Myuron replied sharply. "Keep your thoughts to yourself."

Sakura bit back a smile; the Lady Myuron was too easy to read. Myuron left, but the door remained open, as Muu had appeared in the doorway. He watched his sister trudge down the hall for a moment before raising an eyebrow at Sakura. She shrugged, letting out the smile she'd held back. He sighed before shaking his head.

"I don't want to know," Muu said. "Just be nice to her."

"Of course," Sakura agreed. "She's adorable."

That's not the word people usually used to describe Myuron, but he supposed it was better than his strange new companion describing Myuron the way the others did.

"Do you need me for something, Lord Muu?" Sakura asked. He was wearing his armor today.

"Yes," he nodded. "I'd like you to meet the Fanalis Corps before we leave."

Sakura found herself at the training grounds, observing the military drills the soldiers performed. Their entrance had not caused a stir, but she could feel the stares on them. Some soldiers even gave her looks of contempt, though she soon realized they were not solely aimed at her. She glanced at Muu, who had excused himself to greet the commanding officer in charge of training the soldiers. It seemed that there was more to the Fanalis Corps than meets the eye. He left her with the two Fanalis who had accompanied him when he first told her of the new assignment. Yaqut, the shaggy haired man, was eager to learn about the dungeon, unlike Razol, who watched Sakura warily.

"What was the dungeon like?" Yaqut asked, an excited gleam in his eye. "Were there lots of monsters?"

"Yaqut, stop it," Razol scolded. "We're supposed to be watching her."

"I am watching her," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Doesn't mean I have to be bored while I'm doing it."

Razol sighed in resignation, and Sakura silently gave her her sympathies.

"It was quite a sight. Dungeon monsters were protecting the treasure room," Sakura said. "I'm not sure how to describe them, but I'm pretty sure at least one of them had teeth as big as me."

Yaqut was enthralled. Razol was exasperated.

"I'm glad to see you all getting along."

Sakura turned to Muu, who wore an amused expression. Her eyes slid to his companion, who towered over Muu and had a scar on his face that exposed his teeth. It would be a terrible sight in battle, she thought.

"Sakura, this is Lo'lo, one of my oldest friends," Muu said. "Lo'lo, this is the person I was talking about."

"Oh? This is the woman who beat you in a fight?" Lo'lo laughed, taking in Sakura's slim figure. "I'll believe it when I see it, Captain."

"She's not what she seems," Muu replied. "You of all people should know that."

Lo'lo let out another laugh, grinning at Sakura with interest. At his laugh, she felt more stares latch onto them.

"As long as she doesn't get in our way, Captain, I don't care," he said.

"The captain beat Lo'lo in a sword duel when they first met," Razol murmured to Sakura. "Followed the captain ever since."

"I've know these three the longest, but there are a few more of us," Muu said. "Come with me."

Sakura followed, eager to get rid of the unpleasant stares. He led them to the mess hall. Most of the soldiers had long since finished their meals and retired to their barracks, so she spotted the remaining members of the Fanalis Corps easily.

It turned out "a few more" only amounted to a total of ten people, including Muu and the others she'd met. Now that they were all together, Sakura noticed the silver lip piercing they all had. They also all had the same red hair and red eyes, and she found that she had to ask.

"What is a Fanalis?"

She was met with ten blank stares.

"Have you been living under a rock?" Razol snorted.

Ouch. Guess that wasn't the right question to ask.

"The Fanalis are a race of people with stronger physical abilities," Muu explained patiently. "You can tell who is a Fanalis by looking at our red hair and red eyes."

"Like the slave traders do," Lo'lo spat.

Ah, she understood now.

"Lo'lo is right," Muu agreed grimly. "I say 'our,' but I'm only half Fanalis myself."

"Half?" Sakura asked.

"On my mother's side," he replied. "I think this will be all for today. Sakura, I'll take you back to your room."

The walk back was quiet. Sakura trailed behind Muu by a few paces, taking in the sights once more before she returned to her room. The sun was high in the sky, illuminating Muu's armor as he walked. A sword lay at his hip, looking the same as it did the day they fought, although there was now an eight-pointed star on the blade hidden from sight.

"Why do you have a sword when the others don't?" she asked.

"I'm half-Fanalis," he replied. "I may be stronger than most people, but I'm not as strong as the full blooded Fanalis like Lo'lo."

"Are you the only half-Fanalis?"

"For now, yes."

"Myuron?"

"She's injured right now, but she has a place in the corps once she recovers," he replied.

"Even as young as she is?"

"It was her decision."

"I suppose it would be," Sakura mused. "How old are you?"

"Twenty."

"You're pretty young too," she sighed. He raised an eyebrow.

"And you aren't?" he asked, earning a smile from Sakura.

"You'd be surprised."

After returning to her room, Sakura found herself lying the on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. Despite her best efforts, she was absolutely and utterly bored. There was only so much she could do in this space. The Lady Scheherazade had not stopped by even once, but she supposed the high priestess couldn't be bothered to visit her while she remained in this cage. In any case, come tomorrow, Sakura would be free to go outside, and she couldn't hold back the grin that made its way onto her face.

When dawn came, Sakura could hardly contain her excitement. She was fully dressed in mission gear by the time Muu came to her door. He was dressed in his golden armor again, his sword at his side.

"Ready to leave?" he asked.

"I've been ready," she replied with a smile. "Let's go, Lord Muu."

Muu briefed her on the details as they headed southeast, moving toward the border. It was a simple suppression mission of the bandits that were terrorizing the villages along the border. The soldiers dispatched to the borders had yet to be successful in stopping them. The villagers were already poor to begin with, so they were helpless when the bandits came into town to take what little they had.

"This seems like a bit much for bandit suppression, to be honest," Sakura said, observing the ten, well-trained Fanalis she travelled with. "Are we not taken seriously, or is there something else I should know about?"

"There have been reports of a Fanalis among the bandits."

"A single rogue Fanalis warrants the entire Corps?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. Muu chuckled and gave her a wry smile.

"This is our first official mission as the Fanalis Corps," he explained. "The Senate finds it difficult to trust the word of a Fanalis."

"Even though you are an Alexius?" she asked.

"It's because I am an Alexius," he replied. "They can't stand that their most noble house has Fanalis blood in it."

"I see."

It took a few days to reach the village, and the sight of it was about what Sakura expected—silent and tense. The sun was high overhead, but the streets were empty. Muu left the group with Razol and Yaqut to speak with the village head while the rest of them waited for further orders. Sakura made herself comfortable under a tree, leaning against the sturdy trunk. She wondered how long until she would be back in her isolated room, spending her days in boredom once more.

"So why'd you come with us?"

At the question, nine pairs of eyes turned to her. Sakura did not move, but turned her head to Lo'lo, who gave her a neutral stare.

"I want to help Muu," she replied. She seemed to be saying that a lot lately.

"And how are you going to do that?" Lo'lo approached her, the other Fanalis moving out of his way as he did. "You haven't done a thing yet."

"I haven't had an opportunity." Sakura pulled away from the tree and planted her feet firmly on the ground as she looked up at him calmly. He met her eyes with a warning in his.

"I don't give a damn about what you want to do. But—" his gaze hardened and his lips curled back in a snarl. "—if you get in the captain's way, I'll kill you myself."

"I'll keep that in mind."

When night fell, the group found themselves pressed against the trees encircling the bandit encampment. Sakura and Lo'lo stood on either side of Muu, who observed the camp. Sakura slipped a kunai into her hand as she watched the sentries patrol the area. The camp was small, smaller than she'd expected. She only saw five horses grazing and maybe fifteen people lazing about. However, she didn't see even a hint of a Fanalis' red hair.

She looked over at Muu, who was staring at the kunai in her hand. She sent him a troubled look, which he responded with a nod. He was also feeling suspicious. Muu turned to Lo'lo, who grinned back.

Five Fanalis leaped into the camp, taking out the sentries with ease and capturing the others in an instant. Muu grabbed the nearest bandit and forced him on his knees before flashing a confident smile.

"Mind telling me where your leader is?" he asked.

The bandit said nothing, instead opting to spit in Muu's face. The Fanalis bristled in anger, the air abuzz with energy. Still concealed in the trees, Sakura tightened her grip on her kunai. Glancing at Lo'lo, she saw the barely restrained rage in his tense posture, but he did not move. She returned her gaze to the camp. The night was still young.

"I see," Muu said in a disappointed tone. "That's all right. We can always get them ourselves."

The bandit began to shake, but not out of fear. Rather, he was laughing. He grinned at Muu, who regarded him calmly.

"I'd like to see you try," the man said with a cackle.

The uneasiness spiked in Sakura's gut, and the next thing she knew, the unmistakable sound of the ground splitting and a cloud of dust appeared right where Muu had been standing. When the dust cleared, red hair was the first thing Sakura saw, but it wasn't Muu she saw standing there.

A Fanalis as large as Lo'lo stood in the remains of the shattered earth. Wild, matted hair fell into his eyes as he stood. His clothes were dirty and little more than slave's rags. He whirled around, searching for something. He stopped once he caught sight of it, and Sakura let out a sigh of relief as she saw Muu standing a ways off surprised but unharmed.

Lo'lo let out a savage cry as he lunged for the Fanalis, smashing the latter into the ground without mercy. The Fanalis let out a strangled sound then stilled. Lo'lo stood and grabbed the bandit who had spit in Muu's face, hauling the man up off the ground.

"What was that about trying?" Lo'lo sneered. "Want to join this guy in the ground?"

The bandit wasn't even fazed, despite the fact that he was in an even more perilous situation than he had been a moment ago.

"It won't be me who's in the ground," the bandit said with a confident grin.

Lo'lo lifted the man over his head, but before he could kiss the earth, Lo'lo was slammed into the nearest tree. He immediately fell into a fighting stance, but his eyes widened as he saw his attacker was none other than the Fanalis that had been in the ground. The Fanalis charged, swinging his arm, but Lo'lo brought up his arm to block it.

"What the hell? I know I hit you hard enough!" Lo'lo exclaimed, dodging another punch.

The Fanalis said nothing but instead aimed a kick at Lo'lo knees.

At this moment, bandits burst from the trees, flooding the camp. Sakura's eyes widened. There were at least three times the amount of the people compared to before, each armed to the teeth. The remaining Fanalis Corps members charged into the camp, battle cries echoing into the night. Adjusting her gloves, she leaped into the fray.

She punched one bandit into the ground, then ducked to avoid the sword that cut the air above her. Grabbing the bandit's waist, she threw him across the camp. She made her way to Muu, knocking out as many people as she could.

She stood with her back to his, kunai at the ready. Muu had drawn his sword, eyeing the circle of bandits around them. Her kunai was a flurry of movement, disarming and slicing through the enemy. There were a lot of them, but the Fanalis were making quick work of the bandits as well. Yet, the uneasiness hadn't completely left Sakura yet.

She sensed the threat before she really registered what it was, pivoting on her heel and shoving Muu to the side as hard as she could. A sickening crack filled her ears as she crashed into a tree hard enough that it broke. The air left her lungs in an instant, and her chest burned. It felt like she'd just been hit with a ton of bricks.

"Sakura!"

Someone ran to her side, helping her stand properly. She winced at the effort—she'd definitely broken a few ribs. She glanced at the person at her side, eyes widening when she realized it was Muu.

"Can you move?" he asked, eyes staring ahead.

She turned her head to the side to spit out the blood in her mouth. Wiping her chin, she nodded.

"…I just need a moment to heal myself," she said, removing one of her gloves. She placed her hand over her ribs, familiar green chakra enveloping it.

"Good. We're going to need your strength," Muu said. "I'm afraid this has gotten a lot more complicated."

When Sakura looked forward, she saw her attacker a distance away—a Fanalis with short cropped hair wearing dirty rags and covered in scars. Farther away, she saw two more fighting the other Fanalis Corps members. She let out a dry laugh.

"And here I thought the entire corps would be overkill," she joked.

A strained smile made its way onto Muu's face, and Sakura knew that she was in for a long night.

I'm... a little speechless at the reviews I got for the first chapter. Thank you for all your kind comments. I'm really touched, honestly.

I know the wait was long, so I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!