This first chapter is my own hypthesis, and mostly made up stuff, about Decus's past. Next chapter we go through Alice's past. I hope you enjoy this! Please read and review.

Chapter 1

"Decus! Come here!"

The boy, just turning eight, spun around and grinned widely. He scampered into the kitchen where his mother was calling him. He skidded to a halt when he reached the wooden table.

"Now, mama, now?" Decus chirped. His mother was holding a small camera in her hands, there was a meager cake with a single candle in it on the table.

"Not yet, honey," the older woman, Decus's mother, chuckled. She pointed her son to the chair. "Sit down and smile for your picture first!" Decus nodded and did as he was told. He then noticed that his father was not here yet.

"Mama, when's Dad coming home?" he asked curiously.

"I'm not sure… he probably just had a very busy day at work," the mother shrugged. Truth be told, she was worried about her husband as well. He was usually home by now, and the sun was beginning to set. She shook her head and raised the camera, "Ok, Decus, smile and pose for the camera!"

The little boy giggled and struck a flamboyant pose, his arms in the air, and one eye closed. His mother suppressed her laughter as she worked the simple camera, clicking it into motion. As the small flash of light emerged from the mechanism, the door of the small house opened.

"Dad!" Decus squealed as he leaped from his seat, after the picture was taken. He scurried into the tiny main room and clung to his father's leg. "Did ya get me a present, Dad?" he asked eagerly. Decus looked up and saw his father looked ghostly white.

His mother came in and took on a serious expression to match her husband. "Peter, what is it?" she asked solemnly. Peter stoically shook his head. Decus frowned.

"Dad… is something…" he peeped, but was cut off. His mother grabbed his arm.

"Decus, please go to your room, your father and I need to talk," she ordered. Decus silently slinked into the next room. But rather than going into his own bedroom, he stayed against the wall, listening to his parents talk.

"Peter, what happened?"

"The… Desians came today," Decus heard his mother gasp. "And… they decided that they…"

"No, Peter… tell me it isn't," Decus's mother began to cry.

"I'm sorry, Terra," Peter whimpered. "They… they'll be here soon." Decus gasped himself. He heard his mother begin to sob, as his father tried to comfort her, but to no avail. Decus himself began to cry quietly on his side of the wall.

After a few moments of wails, his mother shouted, "Peter! You didn't tell them about Decus, did you?!" Decus froze.

"No…" Peter answered. "We need to get him out of here. He can still live…"

Decus choked on his sobs. He could live? But did he really want to? Without his parents, no family but them, no where to go? He would be taken to an orphanage…

Terra shot from the living room and found Decus crouched in his listening spot. "Decus!" she shouted in a sorrowful tone, "Come on. We need to pack you a bag!" His mother took his hand and they went to his room, snatching up a pack and a change of clothes.

"B-b-but… Mama-a-a," Decus stuttered, "I… d-d-dun wan-n-na g-g-go!" Terra ignored his tear soaked words. Peter was keeping an eye out the window, waiting for the troops to arrive.

Terra began to stuff the backpack with loaves of bread, pieces of cheese, anything that they had in the kitchen. She frantically handed Decus the backpack.

"Put this on, honey," she commanded. Decus did as he was told, tears still in his eyes.

"Mama…" he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. His mother bent down and hugged her child to her.

"Decus, my sweet little baby," Terra whimpered. "Please, be brave. You… you need to try and get to Palmacosta," she told him sternly. "Nobody will harm you there." Decus nodded into his mother's shoulder.

"Mama… please… don't die!" he pleaded. Decus felt his mother stiffen.

"I promise, Decus. I'll stay safe if you do, ok?" she vowed. Decus once again nodded.

Peter ran in from the other room, "They're coming." Terra burst into more tears. Peter helped her up. "Decus, run," Peter ordered. Decus nodded. His parents turned around and went to the windows, watching their death-bringers approach. While they weren't paying attention, Decus grabbed his mother's camera and ran out the back door.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Decus squeaked quizzically.

"I mean, kid, that you can't come in here! For all we know, you could be one of the Desians," the guard outside Palmacosta snapped. "They're always sending spies. And since you don't have any passport, I can't let you through."

Decus's jaw dropped. "B-but… My parents…"

"Look, kid, please. It's not my fault!" the soldier sighed. "But you haven't got proof of identity. It's out of my hands!"

Decus tried to control himself, but he kept thinking of his mother's last words to him. 'Try and get to Palmacosta…'

"My… my mama," Decus began again.

"Yer mum isn't here right now! Now git, child!" the guard ordered. "There is a line behind you!" Decus looked and noticed that other people in line behind him.

Surprisingly enough, none of them seemed to mind that he was trying to get in. They were giving him encouraging looks of sympathy. Decus guessed that they too were seeking refuge. After all, Palmacosta was the only town that stood up to the Desians successfully. There was a couple behind him, young marriage. The woman, who looked to be pregnant, put a caring hand on his back.

"Come on," she asked the guard, "Let the child inside. Can't you see?" she asked. "His parents are…" she looked sympathetically down at Decus. The guard's eyes went wide. He understood now.

"Oh… Um…" he scratched his head. He looked at the couple, "Will you… vouch for him? I… need to keep by the books, you know?" the guard asked.

The man of the young couple nodded, "Of course." The guard nodded and took their passports, stamped them, and permitted Decus to enter the city with the two.

"So, dearie," the lady smiled, "What's your name?"

"Decus," Decus answered. "Th-thank you for letting me in…" he sheepishly said.

"Think nothing of it, boy," the man scuffled Decus's oddly purple hair. "So, where are you from?"

"Well," Decus fiddled with his mother's camera, "I used to live just outside Triet…"

"Well, you can stay with us, if you like," the woman offered. Decus smiled at her. "My name is Gemmia, and this is my husband, Brute."

Brute offered Decus his hand, for the shaking. Decus accepted.

"Thank you," he grinned. "But… I'm not sure what to do… I don't want you to get in trouble…" Decus nervously twiddled his thumbs. "I… think I'll go try to talk to… what was it… the Gov… Gov-ernal…." Decus had remembered his father telling him recent news of the brave young leader of Palmacosta.

"Governor General?" Gemmia corrected. "That might be smart. Dorr might be able to find your parents for you." Decus's eyes went wide. He began to jitter excitedly.

"Really? He can do that?! I gotta go find him!" Decus waved his goodbyes and sped off, his arms flailing as he ran awkwardly. Brute and Gemmia exchanged an amused expression before they noticed Decus sprinting back to them.

He skidded to a stop and grinned. "Um… do you know where he is?"

Brute smiled and patted Decus's head once again. "Boy, you really are something. Yes, we know. We're old hands in Palmacosta." Brute pointed to a large building, "That is the Governor General's office, he should be in."

Decus nodded, and was off in a flash, once again. He hurriedly opened the large door to the Governor's office and ran to the front desk.

"Are you… the Governor General?" he asked enthusiastically. There was a tall, young man with thick blond hair going through some papers. He raised an eyebrow at the young Decus.

"Um… yes, I'm the new Governor General, my name is Dorr," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"

Decus sighed in relief, "My… my parents were taken by the Desians! I heard you might be able to save them?" Decus looked hopeful. Dorr bit his lip.

"Um… Where did you live?" Dorr asked.

"Near Triet," Decus answered. "Can… you help?" Decus's face had fallen a bit by the Governor General's nervous expression.

"I can try, but… Triet is some distance from here. I don't think there is anything I can do…" Dorr gave Decus a sad look. "I'm sorry…" Decus frowned. He had bee nshot down all too quickly. His mother had given him instructions, go to Palmacosta, but what to do after that? Decus was only eight! He hardly knew how to multiply!

"What do I do?" he muttered to himself. He didn't mean for the Governor to hear him, or answer, but he got one anyway.

"Well, child, you're an orphan. I suggest you go to an orphanage. Uh, I can make arrangements for you to stay at the large one in Hima," Dorr offered. "But it isn't good for you to wander on your own. You'll easily get picked up by the Desians…" Dorr's voice fell when he noticed Decus's forlorn look.

Decus sighed and sluggishly turned to leave. His chance of finding his parents had been shot down, and he had been told to find an orphanage. That… pretty much meant that there was no hope for him. Decus suppressed even more tears as he began to leave.

Decus decided to go to Hima. He had already heard that name several times on his way to Palmacosta, it mustn't be too bad.

It had taken Decus two weeks to reach Asgard. He had been turned away then, too. An orphan on the run from Desians was a dangerous thing. So he continued for another three weeks until he found his way to Luin. Once again, Decus was allowed to stay at the inn, but was hastily encouraged to leave town. After two more weeks, he was in Hima.

As Decus huffed and puffed his way up the steep path, he gazed upon the tall standing wooden buildings of the Town of Adventures. He smiled inwardly, he had made it. Took quite a while, and the journey was hard. But he had made it!

Decus dragged his feet to the inn and entered. He rang the bell and waited for the innkeeper to come.

"What d'you want, boy?" the gruff and grisly innkeeper asked as he descended the stairs. Decus smiled politely.

"Um… I was wondering where the orphanage is? I've been told to-" Decus began.

"Ah, another little bastard brat, are ye? Well, just go up the hill." The innkeeper didn't seem too happy to see yet another orphan. "I'm surprised they haven't gotten filled up yet, all these dirty little brats!"

Decus simply nodded, not wishing to offend the man further. He slipped out the door and scampered up the hill, staining his shoes and pant hems with the clay-red dust. The Hima orphanage was more tall than wide. It was perched precariously on the cliff edge. There were many stories, probably rooms for all the kids. Decus could hear the eruptions of shouts, giggles, and other child-like noises. There were a few tattered toys outside the establishment.

When he entered, Decus was drowned in the noise. Lots of arguing children, crying toddlers, laughing playmates. Everything under the sun. Decus had trouble finding the owner of the building, but he soon saw an adult trying to quell the yells of two three-year-olds.

"Um… Excuse me?" Decus had to shout to be heard. The man spun around and gave the Decus a scrutinizing look.

"Oh Goddess, another one?!" he cursed. "And what's your story, might I ask?"

"Um… Desians took my parents…" Decus answered obediently. The owner rubbed his temples.

"Whatever kid, you can stay. Just… try not to cause trouble, ok?" The man grumbled. Decus nodded and began to explore the orphanage. He didn't want to stay near the angry owner.

Floor after floor was packed to the gills with children. Decus bypassed each room, most of them being overcrowded, other filled with kids too young or too old for him to feel comfortable.

Decus soon found himself at the top of the building, nothing above him but the attic. Decus paused, the attic? Chances are not many kids were up there. He popped open the ceiling door and peered inside.

Oddly enough, Decus found the attic to be empty. Well, empty of other people. There were piles of dusty boxes, broken furniture, and many useless nick-nacks that had been pulled apart by children. Decus climbed inside and sat down, removing his pack from his back. He pulled his knees in to his chest and sighed.

He regretted not taking up the nice couple in Palmacosta on their offer. Instead of being in a noisy, over crowded orphanage, he could be with a nice people, probably getting a tasty meal. Decus sighed again, trying to control his quivering lip.

Now, after finally finding sanctuary, Decus began to fully realize that his parents either were dead, or would be soon. He fished inside his backpack and found his mother's camera.

His mother always loved this camera. The notion of pictures. They captured moments, memories, milestones. Terra always took pictures of the family on their birthdays, and any big moment. She had documented each year Decus was alive, she had framed a photo of her and Peter when they had bought the house, Decus's learning to read two years ago. Anything significant in their lives.

Decus turned the lens towards himself and he pressed down on the activation button. The flash blinded him momentarily, and the photo was spewed from the camera's little mouth. Decus grabbed the small, square picture and watched as it came to light, the moment of his being documented for life. He hadn't smiled, this was not a happy moment, but this was the beginning of his new life.

Decus was eight years old, and an orphan.