He chuckled again. "As far as I know, yes." He answered about his sister. "She is the reason that I only have one ear. And I have a scar on my torso from a poison-coated blade she shoved between my ribs. There is no love lost between us. I think she actual loathes me for surviving." Envy smirked.

"Violence is more than a skill, for the Kartaians. Its a way of life. If you don't smash a slaves head against the cavern floor until they stop breathing, or throw your fists against another Kartaian until he is ripped apart by onlookers, you're weak. Unworthy. After a while, I noticed that none of the others looked as ill as I felt after blood was shed. I realized I didn't have the same instinctual adoration for it. And, after that, I knew it was only a time before the others sensed it as well. Knowing how cruel they are in their [i]lessons[/i], I left. Stole away in the night. I was hunted for a time, but I had picked up a bit of knowledge in my days of avoiding conflict. I was able to make myself a shelter beneath the desert sunlight, and those who tried to follow were burned until they gave up. I think they figured I would die there."

Envy traced his fingers along the back of Narda's wrist, feeling the soft hairs on her forearm. "So, I suppose it wasn't so much a turnaround for me. Just, more of finding a place I didn't have to hide who I was. Shortly after reaching the city, I met Ruli, and helping to take care of him felt natural. When Zeke joined, it felt more like a family than I had ever known."