"..."

I tossed a few sticks into the fireplace, and watched as the vibrant flames danced with life. It burned the wood with ease, the brown bark slowly peeled off, revealing the pale branch on the inside. A few minutes later, the branch had shifted to a dark, dismal grey hue.

I sat before it, on the floor. Letting the heat spread through the small cottage I was resting in. I had arrived at this cottage a few hours ago, after a long trek through the deadly snowstorms of this region. Luckily my armor had insulation, but still, that was barely enough to keep me warm in that intense weather.

These cottages were built for weary travelers, and you found them nearly everywhere, but this one wasn't too far from civilization. Which was odd... but I could care less.

As I moved a stray strand of my platinum blonde hair out of my face, I remembered that I probably needed supplies. I was gonna sleep here tonight. I scratched the side of my head, letting out a yawn.

I decided that I'd head to the nearby village. With a sigh, I stood up, and grabbed my broadsword, which had been leaning against the wall. It was a dark silver blade, engraved with red markings in a language that I couldn't understand, even after ten years of wielding it.

I strapped it to my back, and began to walk towards the door. I grabbed the handle, and as soon as it opened, a blast of cold air and snow hit me, after that, I decided not to go to the village today. Especially with the storm going on.

I looked around, shielding my face from the snow with my arm. And I noticed that there was something— no, someone collapsed in the snow outside the cottage, face down, which wasn't there when I got here. From their petite size, I knew she was a young woman, dressed in a pale white dress. Next to her there was a peculiar looking trident. In a panic, I decided to try and brace the winds to get her and the weapon inside, and luckily, I succeeded.

I put her near the fireplace, hoping that it'd warm her up. I placed my sword and the trident against the wall near the door, before walking back over to the girl. Her long, pale blue hair was a mess, and she looked starved. She had started to get frostbite on her arm, not to mention she had scrapes and bruises, too. I pressed my finger against her neck, checking for a pulse.

Surprisingly, her heart was beating. She was still alive.

"Jeez... first a snowstorm and now a dying girl. Great." I groaned, standing up and leaning against the wall. I had numerous questions, but I wasn't sure if I'd get answers.

I started to feel bad for putting her on the floor with nothing, but she was closer to the fire that way. 'I could probably move the couch with ease...' I thought, picking the girl up once more, before placing her on the couch gently. I walked behind the couch and pushed it towards the fireplace. It was just close enough to keep her warm, without being able to set the couch on fire. Perfect.

I let out a yawn before sitting down, my back against the wall. I began to think of how she got here, and how she got those injuries. As I speculated about what had caused her harm, I didn't realize that a whole hour had passed.

Before I started to doze off, I heard a shout. I opened my eyes and looked towards the couch. She woke up. "You alright?" I asked, standing up, before she looked back and saw me. "AAAAH! W-where am I? And what's going on?" She looked around in a panic. "Relax, you're safe here." I said, as she looked around. "I found you outside, in the snow." I told her, before she seemed to calm down a bit. I noticed that her wounds were healed, it was as if the injuries were never there in the first place. "Where's my Relic?" She asked, as I pointed over next to my sword at the trident. "Is that it?" I asked, as she sighed in relief.

"Yes, that's it. Thank you." She said, looking tired. I crossed my arms, "So, care to inform me about how I found you in the snow outside of this cottage?"

"..." She went quiet, as if trying to remember more than she needed to. The orange flames reflected off of her pale indigo eyes as she let out a sigh. "Have you heard of Atlantis?" She asked, as I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, in children's books as a kid, why?" I replied, as she looked down. "That is— No, was my home." She said, as I scoffed. "Are you overtired? That city is a myth, it isn't real." I said, as she gained a heartbroken look on her face.

She let out a sigh before moving some strands of hair off of the side of her face. She revealed sparkling, iridescent scales that had been around the edges of her face, they were on her arms too. "I'm an Aquarian. I know the depths of the sea better than the land you live on." She said, as I noticed small gills below her ear.

"I recall that the myth involving Atlantis said fish people lived there, but I never would've thought it was true. Fine, I'll believe you." I said with a sigh, as she smiled. "Thank you. Now, I'll continue my tale."

"Atlantis is ruled by a Queen, rather than a King. My mother was the queen, and I was next in line." She said. "So you're royalty?" I asked, as she nodded. "I was supposed to be crowned as the queen, when we heard a loud rumble that shook the city to its very core. A few knights barged into the room, and that's when we learned about what was going on, I referred to it as the "apocalypse" of Atlantis. A wave of shadows engulfed the city, shadowy beings claimed the lives of the populace with ease. My father told me to run, to the surface. I fled, and I had to have been the only survivor. And so, that's how I got here." She said, as I began to think.

"So you're a Princess and your kingdom fell, huh? So you've got nowhere to go?" I asked, feeling bad for her. I understood the pain of losing people all too well, especially at her age. She looked like a teenager.

"You were going to be crowned as a queen? At your age? You look like a 16 year old." I said, before she gasped. "I-i'm not a child!" She pouted. "I'm 228 years old, well, in Aquarian years." She said quietly. "So, I-I'm not a kid!" She stood up, putting her hands on her hips, trying to look confident, but failing. She then looked up at me. "... Oh... maybe it's because of the height difference?" She asked, as I shrugged.

"My apologies then." I said, as she sighed. "Anyways, these shadowy beings... I've definitely seen them somewhere, but I can't remember." I said, as she gasped. "Truly?" She smiled, as I slowly nodded. "I've been on a quest to find them ever since the castle fell!— which was two days ago, but—" She stuttered And just let out a sigh. "You're kinda clumsy for a princess. I'd assume they usually act all high and mighty but in this case I suppose that isn't true." I said, as she smiled nervously, looking down as she twirled her hair.

"S-sorry..." she mumbled, as I shrugged. "No big deal, you're fine. So, you wanna track these guys down and get revenge basically?" I asked, as the girl nodded. "Hm. Interesting. I'm after them too. Because of that." I pointed to my broadsword. "Hm. We have a common goal then. I have a proposal, if you'd like to hear me out." She smiled happily. I looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "I made a promise to my late father, that I'd defeat these specters of shadow, and restore my home to what it once was." She said, as I crossed my arms. "Let me guess, you want me to help you?" I asked, as she nodded, looking determined.

"Please, if you would." She held out her hand. "...Alright." I smiled, as she nodded. "Well, if we're going to be working together, we need to know each other's names. My name is Meridia Val Titanius. And you?" She asked, as I shook her hand. "Leon Disignia."

And thus marked the beginning of a legendary adventure of a Aquarian Princess who is tasked with restoring her kingdom, and a Wandering Mercenary with a few skeletons in his closet...

Though the journey may be long...

Their determination to fulfill their goals will fuel them along the way.