1 "Leaf."

A ball of fiery white gently caressed the field of green, each blade of grass shimmering from the morning dew. Gentle winds flew by and weaved between the dark, green leaves of the maple. In wavering stillness, a browning leaf fluttered down, wavering in the wind. The leaf brought its body to rest, laying its crisp orange sides down onto a shaky, golden patch.

In a flash, a fleshy peach hand climbed upon the patch grasping for the leaf, "I caught it!" A feminine voice yiped in joy. She pulled it down in front of her, satisfaction and excitement beaming from her face.

A loud crack sounded. On the ground, she lay flat on her back, and her head throbbing with pain.

"Looks like you managed to catch more than just that," A voice, woven of iron wool, crackled leisurely beside the tree trunk. A man, twice the size of the girl, pushed himself up from the leaf bestrewn ground.

"Not funny, Levi."

Levi kicked up the fallen branch high into the air, "Oh come on," the stick twirled, its dwindling, decayed leaves dancing gracefully in the crisp wind, "it was hilarious- bet even he found it funny." A soft clap rang from his hand- the long branch sat firmly in the grasp of his large fist, pointing into the direction of the carriage.

Many moments passed. Nothing happened at all.

"Oh. Maybe not," Levi tossed the branch back down, its body loudly cracking in its center as it collided with the terrain.

"At least put it in with the rest of them!" a soft, warm voice snapped from behind the carriage. A short, young-looking man appeared from its side, stretching his arms and spine before strolling down the gravel path towards the two, "Can't you be the least bit considerate for the old man- for me even? We were lucky he even gave us a job."

Levi laughed heartily, waving his arms in the air and shaking his fists with a sense of victory, "Knew that'd make ya come out, Cliome."

Cliome sighed, "At least do something."

The tree branch Levi tossed flew towards Cliome with immense force. The little girl- still on the ground- pulled her foot back, and stuck her tongue out at Levi before charging off.

"Oh- are we playin' tag, Amyth?" Levi called out, a smirk spreading from ear to ear.

A large bundle of sticks came crashing into his back, "Something productive," Cliome said, bundling another pile of wood with reed twine.

Levi stared at Cliome in disappointment, but Cliome paid no attention, and continued to bundle sticks, "Man, ye are no fun."

Many hours passed of them collecting wood while Amyth ran around playing amongst the grass. The sun was beginning to fall down, "Aight, I think we got enough. Let's head back."

Levi's face flushed in happiness, "Finally! Thank the Lord." Levi hopped beside the carriage, and Amyth shortly followed.

Cliome walked beside them, "Hey, Levi, help me out with pulling the carriage this time. It seems like we got more than last time."

"Are you kidding me?" Levi sighed in defeat before heading to the front of the carriage, and grabbing one of the pulleys, "Are we ever goin' to get one of the horse pulled ones?"

"Like we have enough money."

Many hours of travel passed, the sun was gently seeping behind the mountains that lay in the foreground as the sky turned red. A few kilometers in the distance giant beams of stone peered over a wooden wall.

Gravel crunched as their feet gently pressed down into the earth. "We're here!" Amyth shrieked with joy, her face a vibrant smile.

Just passed the gate lay the sound of workers that violently crackled throughout the crimson sky. Rooftops of golden straw sat stacked upon worn, stone walls. Amongst the mass, people were happily going through the town, buying necessities, or conversing among themselves.

"Come on," Cliome continued to walk forward pulling the wagon through the gate, "We are going to drop off the wood at the smith." The three of them strolled down through the town gates and down the streets, desperately trying to squeeze their way through the valleys of people.

"Can I just go home?" Amyth's plea rung loud from the noise of the crowd. She was beginning to slow down, large droplets of sweat dripping down her flushed face, and her breathing was ragged and heavy.

"Yeah, just leave the rest to your brothers," Levi smiled widely, pointing at himself with a lack of humility.

Cliome looked down at her, "Just make sure to leave the door unlocked for us."

"Will do!" She scurried off at full speed, as if she hadn't lost any energy at all.

Cliome looked back upwards, and pulled the carriage forward; Levi watched as Amyth weaved under legs and in between people rummaging through the busy town square. A soft shot of pressure pressed into Levi's shoulder, "Help me out with the carriage for now. She'll be just fine."

After a little under an hour of uncomfortable travel among the huge crowd, Levi and Cliome reached the smith and dropped off their wood in a designated pile, "Thanks again, Cliome," A large, burly man called from his seat placed just outside the drop off zone.

Cliome headed off without a word, Levi following foot.

Levi smirked teasingly, "And you say I'm the disrespectful one--" He curled over from sudden pain resonating in his stomach.

"You are," Cliome's fist sat burning into Levi's belly.

Levi coughed, clearing his throat as he looked up at Cliome with an uneven smirk, "Yea, I deserved that."

The two headed across the courtyard towards a row of trashy looking buildings. After scanning the layout, Cliome walked towards a small building. Walls of rough, uneven daub extended upwards two stories with a thatch roof of reed and straw. Cliome pulled the latch outwards. The door didn't budge.

Levi hurriedly traipsed up beside him, "You have got to be kidding."

Cliome pulled the latch again, "Nope."

"Lemme try," Levi impatiently pushed Cliome to the side. He squatted down, flexed his right arm, and individually wrapped each of his fingers around the chill iron latch.

The latch went up. Immediately, the door began to warp, a snapping sound crackled from the wood around the metal knob. After mere moments of trying, the sound of wood breaking internally vanished, and the door stopped warping; in its stead, the clamor of metal skidding against stone shocked the still, night air, "The hell Amyth..." Levi kneeled down in defeat, kicking the knob across the ground, small sparks flying off of the metal ring.

"How about we try there?" Cliome pointed at the window above, "We usually keep it unlocked."

Levi glanced up before looking back down in disappointment, "No way we can reach that."

"I'm not so sure," Cliome tapped the wall, gently grazing his finger along the stone's ridges.

"Knock yourself out."

Cliome looked around the wall until he found a large enough spot to place his foot on. He tested his weight, and the stone didn't budge. Repeating this process, Cliome scaled up about halfway, "You still sure it won't work?"

Levi peered up, eyes widening in surprise at the progress he had made; his breath blew white fog in the chill air, "Maybe not."

Cliome continued his ascent, climbing higher and higher up the side of the house. After a few minutes, Cliome reached up high, fingertips barely grazing the windowsill, "Just a little higher," he murmured to himself. Cliome pulled himself farther up towards the window, and was able to press his whole hand against the glass pane. It didn't budge. Without hesitation, he slammed the side of his forearm against the window, the shattering glass vibrating in the night sky and throughout the whole town.

"The hell ya doin'?" Levi yelled before dodging out of the way of the falling shards of glass.

Cliome climbed in, "It don't matter, just get up here."

Levi breathed a flustered sigh, pushing himself off the ground, and copying Cliome like a shadow in broad daylight, "If people come, I'm sayin' ye're a criminal."

"Just be glad you're inside."

The chirping of birds signaled the rising sun; streaks of purple and blue jetted across the sky. Soft, cold winds slivered through the shattered gap of the window, chilling the wooden interior. Following an assassin of grey who hopped gracefully beside the remnants of glass, prancing peachily to its victim-- it bounded upon Cliome.

Light drifted through the shattered window, clawing its way into Cliome's left eye. His eyelids peeled back into a slit, emerald balls blotched in blue and gray glistened dew in the rising light.

"Hey, hey! Look who's 'wake," earth-shattering, lazy footsteps drew forth.

The walk of a giant stopped, and a heavy weight pressed deep into Cliome's stomach. With a groan, he slothfully opened his eyes and leaned upwards to meet Levi eye-to-eye, "Get off."

"Heh," Levi stared at Cliome pitifully before resting his head on his hand, "Ya really think it'd be that easy?"

Cliome blinked, his eyes foul. A crash sounded from the friction of skin and hardwood.

"Okay-y," Levi's voice quivered from the impact. He lifted himself into a squat, and looked at Cliome still on his bed; on top of the bed was a blanket, Cliome's head on a pillow, "At least get up!" Cliome didn't budge muscle, "Ye got a window to repair."

Sheets flew across the room, a pair of swampy emerald orbs starred into a pair of amber. "You're coming with."

"Yeah, yeah," Levi pulled back, an uncomfortable, shaky grin spread across his face, "I'll come with."

The two headed down the small daub flight of stairs leading down to the kitchen and main living space. The edges of each tread were dwindled and cracked, and the risers were smeared in dust; the umber trim degraded.

A crisp, welcoming smell of well-kempt lavender invited Cliome and Levi upon stepping off the last step into the kitchen and living area. Sitting on a stool, watering a lavender plant, was a girl with messy blonde hair and sleepy blue eyes.

"We told you not to lock the door last night!" The two boys yelled in unison, pure frustration caking each of their words.

Amyth looked at them, her tired eyes closing and reopening slowly, "What?"

Levi walked forward towards her, "We told you that you could go home, but to not lock the door so we could get home."

"But," Amyth looked at them in confusion, slightly cocking her head to the side, "you're in the house right now aren't you? How would you have gotten in then."

Cliome and Levi sat in silence for a few moments, "We broke in through the window. Actually, how did you not wake up?"

Amyth turned around to face her flowers, pouring more water into their soil, "I don't know what either of you are talking about, so maybe you should go outside and get some fresh air. I think you both are still sleepy."

Levi couldn't take it anymore. He walked across the adobe and wood floor towards Amyth, and raised his hand far above her, curling each of his fingers together to form a fist. He slammed it downwards.

Amyth's head instantly folded down into her lap, and she covered her head with her hands. Following seconds later, a bump began to swell in the middle of her head as she squealed in pain, "What was that for?"

"Come on, Cliome. We're going to go get supplies for the window," Levi scornfully moved his body towards the door as Amyth frowned at him from a distance.

Cliome sighed, and headed out the door with Levi. They closed it slowly, and informed Amyth to not lock the door again. Shortly after, the two decided to head towards a market aisle a little ways out from their house.

A few more minutes passed and they had reached their objective, and were met with rows of stands, each with different merchandise. They looked around for a simple tools shop, and spotted one in the midst of the rows. Cliome and Levi stopped in front of a street shop, blue cloth draped over its top. After only a few moments of looking at the wares, they hustled away.

"Twelve hun'r'd coin?" Levi erupted from the debacle, "No way in hell we'd get that much!"

Cliome scoffed, his feet kicking up dirt in his swift stride, "'Best merchant in town'."

"Well, if we're lucky, Gramps'll have somethin' for us to get it done in a month."

"A job ye say?" A man covered in tan, wrinkly skin spoke forth. His hair peppered and oily with long, unkempt strands twirled together down his anemic face. His eyes drew forth a sharp gaze, cold

"Yeah, Manthei, we really need the money to fix some things Amyth broke." Cliome lied naturally as he breathed.

Manthei looked down, losing himself in muddled thought, "Hmm… I do have a task available- though it is an incredibly grueling trek--"

"We'll take it!" Levi smiled, a serious gaze yet childish gaze shining from milky, golden pools.

Cliome leaned his eyes over to him, irritation stemming from his body and pricking into Levi's skin, "Didn't I say to not give our old man trouble?"

Levi nervously strained a hefty chuckle as slowly he backed up against a wall.

"I'm so sorry about that, Gramps. You know how he gets," Cliome turned back earnestly to face Manthei, "but, like he said, we really do need this job."

"The both of ye haven't changed much, have yer?" Manthei laughed heartily, his eyes welling with light tears.

"Yeah," Cliome looked away in embarrassment, his pale face flushed a bright cinnabar, "I guess we haven't."

Manthei calmed down a bit, clearing his throat as he wiped his eyes clear of tears from his exquisite joy; he then proceeded to describe the expedition in which a party assigned is to take a long, exhausting trek up Kólasi Ridge that lies around their village. The party is to travel through the harsh snowstorms of the mountain range and scavenge for a material known as ousia raith, their overall objective.

"...tiny shards o' shiny blue rock, that is what ousia raith is; the trek there isn't an easy one. Ya both sure ye'er fine with this task?" Manthei finished describing the job, taking a sip of tea to help clear his throat.

The two nodded in acknowledgement simultaneously without an ounce of hesitation given.They both were ready for anything, as long as it could get them money. They both knew they were lucky to get another job the following day they already got one.

"Better get ready, ye head out in an hour with an honorary mercenary." The walls of the house shuttered in unison with his voice, and Manthei grinned whole-heartily, "Actually, it seems he's comin' in right now."

"Is it alright if I just start now? I doubt we're gonna get anybody else," Words of gravel rolled out of a large, burly man behind Levi and Cliome at the entrance to the building. His body was of light caramel, each crevice of his skin was chapped and crumbly; spheres of butterscotch and milk sat steadily in designated carved pits against his face. Liquorice-like hair stood spikely upwards, leaning backwards towards the ceiling. His clothes were tattered and fairly tight, revealing his muscular, defined features.

Manthei turned his brilliant, shaky smile towards the large figure, "Well, Peth, it seems I did find two others willin' to take upon the job."

Peth turned his eyes towards Cliome and Levi standing in the middle of the room. Pure disgust and gloom shaded the entirety of his face, "You sure these twigs will be able to handle that jebel?"

"Hey--!"

"They'll be able to handle it better than most can. I know that much," Manthei glared at Levi and turned his dreadful gaze back onto Peth.

Peth looked at them for a few more minutes, his disgust still clearly protruding out of his expression, "Okay. I'll trust you on this one old man. Don't blame me if they get hurt."

Manthei nodded his head before turning to the boys, "He may be irritable, but he's a trustworthy companion. Put your trust in him, and he'll prove his value." He turned around and headed towards the stairs across the room, "You all may head out whenever you are ready."

Shoes clattered against rough stone, as Levi and Cliome drifted out of the room, an extra pair of footsteps overwhelmed by the clattering of iron wood shuttered behind them, "You two ready?"

Cliome waved his hand over his head as he walked farther down into the town square, "Sure thing. Let's get going, Levi."

The group of three walked out of the gate surrounding Katadika, and followed the path towards the mountain range laying far out. Their feet pressed into the vast expansion of green, morning dew springing off their soles with each step.