Vulpes in the Desert

All his life he had been a nobody. Even as a child, he was overlooked enough to the point that he started to hate, long before realizing what the emotion truly was.

He'd had no friends to call his own. Always left out of the village goings-on, the boy would stay to the shadows, doing his own thing while wishing that he could participate; that someone would call him over to enjoy the various games all kids enjoyed. But he was always overlooked, excluded. He knew he didn't belong - except to be picked on now and then.

School was the worst. He had no where to hide, no where to just vanish and be alone with his own self. Developing a means by which to remain anonymous meant being as small and quiet as possible during classes, sitting in the back and not participating.

There was this girl who was about the same age as him. She, like him, was more of the loner sort, and she, like him, was never acknowledged by anyone. The girl, NOT like him, however, didn't let anyone get to her. It was as if she enjoyed being left to her own thoughts; reveled in it, actually. She was always quick with the tongue too; snapping at those who angered her. The boy both envied her that while at the same time disliked her greatly for remaining so strong. Yet, she enthralled him; brought out curiosities.

After a rather harsh day in school, the day had ended and the boy was waiting for everyone to leave the classroom so he could head out and return to his activities of being alone and unbothered. But this day was a different one; he and the girl had done well in class and the teacher had given both some candies; also, the girl had actually talked to him. It was a short conversation; nothing really major - but it stuck with the boy for a long time. She was the only one who seemed to care without caring. Perhaps she had the same kind of sad life where there were a million people around her yet she was alone. Yes, he could tell that was the issue.

They had a lot in common, he knew this.

Because of that, the boy had begun to look out for her in his own way. Those who would go out of their way to pick on her would later find their pet dog cut open, its entrails decorating their home stoops. Or they would find their favorite toys missing or ruined beyond repair. No one would point a finger at the boy because he never did anything of the sort to gain any accusatory fingers pointed his way. He was always just another pair of feet on the stairs, something to walk around, a nothing.

He thought the girl had an idea of how he was silently sticking up for her. The abuse towards her actually started to move onto him and he took it gladly, knowing it wasn't her who was being harmed.

It was one evening after pretty much everyone was inside when the boy went for a walk to clear his mind. His father had had a very bad day with the small crops the village tried to grow and the boy had gotten in his way inadvertently. Now the boy was walking aimlessly down one of the paths which led out of the village, fighting to keep tears from leaving his starting to blacken eye.

Tears were for the weak. Even as a child, he knew this to be truth.

Stopping to sit on one of his favorite boulders, the boy looked out at the Mojave desert below him and started to daydream about a better life, one where he could be someone people looked up to, feared... his name would be one that all would know and respect. He'd finally be someone and everyone who treated him like nothing would never be able to do that again. Ever.

"Hi..." He heard and looked over, wiping the stray tears off his cheeks. It was her. Without asking, she hopped up next to him and the two looked out over the seemingly calm desert below, both silent in their thoughts. Finally she broke the silence.

"I wanted to say thank you." She softly said, idly playing with her shoe. "I know you were the one to pay those jerks back for me."

He was quiet for a moment before asking, "How did you know?"

She gave him a small smile before looking back out at the desert, "You're the only one who won't pick on me or ignore me. You're the kind who would -" Her voice faded and he pressed her to continue, curious what she was getting at. She took in a small breath and finished, "You're the only one I know who would take out your avengement by hurting someone where it counts. Their pets, their toys..."

He was quiet again, digesting her words and then murmured, "They deserve it. If I could I'd do worse..." His voice faded as he just gazed out at nothing. "That time hasn't come. Yet."

Again the two sat in an amicable silence until the girl spoke. "What do you want to do when you can get out of this place? I plan to leave, never return and wander until I find what I'm meant to find. I will be someone. Watch. May not have a lot to offer but what I do have, I'll put it to the best use. Maybe I'll protect people. Maybe I'll be a vigilante who brings justice to those treated unfairly. But I'm going to be someone or I'll die trying. I do know one thing. I'll have to be killed before I'm stopped."

The boy took in her words, mulling them over in his mind and nodded. That did sound like how he envisioned her in his mind in the future. One who took up for those who weren't treated fairly. He finally answered her question, "I'll be someone no one will mess with. I'll be known far and wide. Those who treated me so badly here will hope to not cross my path. I hope to never see them again. Being kids... that doesn't matter anyway. It's what we do when we're grown up that makes the best imprint."

Wise words for a ten year old, but he meant them unconditionally.

She mulled over what he'd said and nodded. "I think whatever you end up doing, a Ranger, NCR Captain... you'll definitely take down those who oppose you." She looked right at him. "You have strength in you. Always saw that. I think that's what scares the others. There is a depth to you which they can't understand. I think they know this and it frightens them."

Slowly nodding in agreement, the boy gave her a rare smile. "I... I'm glad I know you. Even though we don't talk a lot, you understand me more than anyone. Maybe more than I understand myself. If anyone bothers you, you let me know. I don't care if it's tomorrow or years down the road. If your life is ever in danger, and I'm close by, I'll ensure I take the killing blow so you can escape."

She looked at him and it seemed like minutes stretched into hours. "You... you really would do that for me?"

He studied her and gave a single nod. "You have my word." Before he could double think his next actions, he had leaned forward and gave her a soft little kiss before moving back, blushing hard. "I... I'm sorry." He mumbled, wishing he was anywhere else. No doubt she was going to slap him for that or never speak with him again.

To his surprise, she kept talking with him and the time passed. Once the moon was over head, they decided to head back to their respective homes. The boy jumped off the boulder, followed by the girl. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He gave her another little smile and she looked down for a moment, not saying a word. It made the boy a little nervous. Was she NOW going to say she didn't want to talk with him anymore? Of course, he thoughts were silenced fully when she gave him a funny smile, leaned forward and gave him a small, quick kiss back.

"See you tomorrow!" She smiled fully and took a few steps backwards before she turned, running up the hill.

He had noticed the faint blush on her cheeks and he also smiled the entire walk back home.

They never kissed again and time, as it was want to do, passed. People, as they were want to do, changed, grew; some becoming more mature versions of their childhood selves, some becoming better and some becoming worse.





Right now, time found an adult and very dangerous Vulpes Inculta kneeling in the sand of the Mojave, weeping hard. Something which was very alien to him in every sense of the word. He had remembered who the Courier was. He remembered what he'd promised her all those years back under a moon. He also vaguely remembered that they had... no. There was no way that had happened. No way.

Shaking it off, the Frumentarian didn't bother wiping his tears away. It actually felt good, as if a ton of bricks were lifted off his back. Anything to be able to hold more hatrid was a good thing, after all. Vulpes just didn't realize... a lot of things. He was too close to losing Caesar; the man who had saved his life long ago. Rightfully, Vulpes should have been dead, nothing more than a skeleton long forgotten by anyone living. Aurelius had wanted the then-Decanus crucified for breaking the lines as he had; but Caesar had seen the potential which Vulpes had offered, recognised a leader when he saw one, and had personally stayed his execution.

Caesar was the closest thing to a father Vulpes had - and now the man was going to die unless he got help. Vulpes refused to lose Caesar. The fact of the matter was that he was the only person alive whom Vulpes respected, feared, admired... even loved to an extent. His father. Caesar was his father in all sense of the word and Vulpes loved him as such; though he'd never admit it aloud.

And yet here was the crossroad said to show up in every person's life. The Courier. Caesar. Caesar. The Courier. HOW Vulpes had been able to let her go that day he'd killed Benny... NO, he'd not think of it.

Just as he didn't want Caesar to die, the kid inside Vulpes (which was still there, just buried so deeply, tied so tightly, bound indefinitely under the years of hatrid) was now tugging on his memories, reminding him of his vow to her so long ago.

Caesar wanted her dead and gone.
Aurelius had wanted Vulpes dead and gone.
Caesar had saved Vulpes from Aurelius.
Vulpes had let the Courier go for another day upon realizing WHO she was... saved her from Caesar.

His loyalities were all for Caesar.


Or... were they?

The man stayed on his knees for a few more moments and then angrily wiped his tears away before moving to his feet. Emotions were for the weak and powerless; those without backbones. Those who CARED. He didn't care. He was a killer, feared, despised. A rock solid, unfallible man who was third ranking in the great Caesar's Legion. Loyal to Caesar to the end, with no swaying.

His mistake of before wouldn't be repeated.


And yet that voice spoke up again from deep within him. The voice of that ten year old long buried, but not dead.

Once upon a time, while sitting on a boulder under the witnessing light of the moon, Vulpes had given her his word.
Vulpes Inculta never broke a promise.
The moon shone bright over head as a steadfast reminder from this point on.

With a dangerous growl, he pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind and started walking toward his destination. He had to find a doctor for Caesar.