AN: Cherry here. I had a similar story already written out a few days ago, but after looking it over once more, I really didn't like it. That's me though, I never seem to be satisfied with my works. So here's the new and improved version. I've also noticed a lot of stories very similar to this. So sorry if this sound a lot like yours, I started writing this at school a few months ago. Oh, English is not my first language, and this is one of my first major fanfics.
Anyways, on to Shining Bind!
Disclaimer: Tales of Symphonia, Kratos, Anna, Noishe, Yuan, Yggdrasil, and all of those other people/places/things related to the game does not belong to me.
"Where are you going?" Yuan asked, placing a hand on Kratos's shoulder. Kratos shrugged it off though and turned around to look at the blue-haired angel.
"I need some time to think. Mithos's plan…" Kratos trailed off and shook his head.
"Is madness." Yuan finished for him. He watched as Kratos headed for the portal that would bring him back down to the world of Sylvarant.
"Be careful old friend." Yuan whispered after him, then turned and left. The four seraphim had not been friends for a long time, they were no longer comfortable in each other's presence anymore. The bond they had forged during the war seemed weak now, and the former close friends no longer trust each other anymore. Such a pity.
As Kratos neared the portal, something green and silver flashed on the edge of his vision, but before he could react, something large jumped on him, knocking him down. Chuckling, he pushed the Protozoan off of him, and watched the creature's eager eyes.
"Alright Noishe, you can come." Kratos told the Arshis with a smile. One of his only friends these days, Noishe had been a loyal companion since they had first met four thousand years ago.
So with Noishe at his heels and the Tower of salvation at his back, Kratos descended upon the world of Sylvarant.
--
Only when you have lost everything, are you free to do anything. A prisoner is one such person, and while the jailer might have many things on their mind, the prisoner only has one: escape.
The Desians were not in a good mood. Five escaped prisoners in the last week. Perhaps it was the fact that the Chosen was in the area, but whatever the cause, Lord Kvar was not pleased.
The ranch was going crazy. Two host bodies had disappeared today, and one of them bore a very special exsphere. Lord Yggdrasill will not be happy if it was lost. The remaining human prisoners were forced back into their cells, and most of the Desian were sent on a full-scaled search of the surrounding area, from the forest all the way to the cliffs.
Little did they know that the two were still in the ranch.
Anna watched as the pink sky slowly turned a shade of purple, dark blue, then finally black above them. The blocks of steel around them partially blocked out the moon ahead, and showed but a sliver of the sky. Anna held a small boy tightly in her arms, though he was sobbing quietly, trying to break free. Anna only tightened her hold.
"Ben. Please stop squirming." Anna told the boy in a quiet voice, and Benjamin looked at her with fearful eyes, then dug his face into her chest, stifling his crying. The young boy's parents had just been killed by the Desians this morning. Ben though, tried to interfere, one of the worst things he could do in a ranch. One must not attract attention upon oneself if they wish to remain alive- that is the rule amongst the prisoners.
Anna had grabbed the boy in time, and somehow found this hiding place. It was a deserted part of the ranch filled with metal crates. The two managed to find a small gap between the steel walls to hide. And now, Anna was unsure of what to do. She had fled solely to protect the boy from the Desians, who surely would have beaten the small kid to death. It's a sight too common in the Ranches.
Anna knew that just going back after being missing will earn both of them a good whipping, and she in her poor health knows that she wouldn't be able to take it as she did when she first came here several years ago.
"Stay here." Anna instructed the boy, an idea suddenly forming in her head. Climbing to the top of the metal structures, she could see the main gate from her perch. There was no lighting in the area, but Anna stayed low anyways just in case. She watched the Guards for about an hour. Every once in a while, a Desian comes running back with news to the Guard, who rushes in into the main building to report. But he's never gone for long...long enough for her and Ben to make it out the gate?
Anna helped Benjamin up and pointed out the absence of the guard out for him. The little boy only nodded, clutching at Anna's torn dress desperately. The two watched the Guards carefully, and when the Desian came back to talk to the guard, Anna nodded at Ben and the two quickly scrambled off the metal crates, and ran for the gate. By then, the Guard had already gone back into the building to report.
He was back the moment the two reached the gate. With a startled yell, he quickly ran at the two, weapon drawn, though Anna didn't look at him long enough to distinguish what type of weapon he held.
"Run Ben!" She yelled at the boy, who didn't need to be told twice. Both of them ran out into the darkness of the underbrush, the moon Tethe'ella illuminating everything with a silver sheen. Branches whipped past, drawing blood on numerous scratches, but neither Anna nor the small boy really cared at the moment.
Footing was treacherous, many rocks and roots ready to trip the two. At the reckless pace they were going, it was no wonder when Ben suddenly fell with a pained yell, clutching at his ankle. Anna skidded to a stop, her heart pounding and bent down to help the boy.
The Desians were already upon them.
--
Kratos and Noishe stayed in the City of Luin for several days, though Kratos took time to adjust. The people around him were no longer unthinking angels that would follow commands without question.
During his sojourn, Kratos saw the brutality of the Desians, though he always kept an impassive face whenever an innocent young girl or old man was dragged through the streets by the half-elves, their desperate family calling after them, only to be stopped at the point of a weapon.
It took a while for Kratos to realize that he didn't want to go back to Derris-Kharlan, at least not yet. Mithos had proposed an Age of Lifeless beings…Kratos was starting to think Mithos was taking Martel's last words too seriously.
Thus, Kratos left the city of Luin and the Desians behind. If Yggdrasil wanted him back to Derris-Kharlan, perhaps Kratos shouldn't make it too easy for him. They traveled north of the city, maybe a bit too near the ranch…
"Is something wrong boy?" Kratos asked the protozoan, who had suddenly stopped in his tracks to sniff the ground. There were monsters around, Kratos knew, but they were no threat to the two. Noishe didn't reply, looking at the cliffs off in the distance. It was dark, but the outline of the distant building was easily seen against the star-filled sky. The Asgard Ranch.
Before Kratos could react, Noishe bounded off in the direction of the ranch. Kratos looked around for a moment, then ran after the Arshis.
"Noishe!" He called out, but the Protozoan didn't seem to hear.
--
Anna helped Ben to his feet, aware that their pursuers had surrounded them. She searched the ground for something to fight with, a stick or a rock, anything, but a strong hand already grabbed her arm, holding her still no matter how much she tried to wriggle free. She stopped as a dagger was pressed against her throat, drawing blood.
"Thought you got away didn't you you wretch?" one of the Desian snarled at her, and she just glared at him. He responded with a scowl. "I don't like this one's attitude." He growled, one hand moving the the whip on his belt.
Instinctively, Anna closed her eyes, knowing all too well that Desians were quick to punish. The Desian that was holding onto her suddenly loosened his grip, and a howl of pain could be heard. Anna turned around to see an odd white blur on top of the Desian, a growling noise from it. There was utter confusion in the next few seconds- The white creature was thrown off, the Desians reached for their weapons, then one of them fell down dead.
Benjamin scrambled onto his feet and ran in the opposite direction, but before Anna could warn him, he he bumped right into a Desian. Anna looked away at the small boy's scream, which turned into a gurgle of blood.
Not again… Anna thought, resisting the urge to shut her eyes. She looked around though, realizing that there was a battle going on, though whom was fighting whom, Anna could not figure out. The white creature was now in front of her, growling at anything that got close. Upon a closer inspection, Anna noticed that it was dog-like, though its ears are a bit too long, and patches of green fur could be seen, even under the poor lighting conditions.
Kratos didn't expect to get into this kind of trouble. He parried a clumsy thrust and twisted his blade, forcing his opponent's sword to the side, and gave Kratos an opening which he took advantage of. One foot came up and kicked the Desian straight in the chest, knocking him backwards into another one of his comrades.
Kratos took a moment to look at Noishe, who was standing protectively in front of the girl. Kratos then went back to the fight, unleashing a series of skilled attacks and parries that the Desians found hard to counter. None of them has as much experience as Kratos, and quickly two of them fell to his blade. The remaining half-dozen or so cursed him and retreated back towards the Ranch. Kratos did not give chase, but turned back to face Noishe.
"Why did you do that?" Kratos whispered gently to the protozoan and Noishe only looked at the slain body of the young boy as a reply. Kratos understood well enough. Kratos then looked at the girl they had just rescued, the unmistakable shine of an exsphere on her hand.
Anna's eyes darted around nervously, unsure of the intension of the man that had saved her. What is to happen to me now? She wondered.
"Um…thank you for rescuing me." She said shakily, noticing that the men was eying the gem on her hand. She was going to start to explain before she caught a glimmer on the stranger's right hand. He had one too.
Kratos didn't seem to notice her words though. He bent down and wiped the blood off of his blade on the grass, then deftly sheathed it.
"Come on Noishe." He told the Arshis, and Noishe obediently padded over to his side, both turning around, ready to leave.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Anna asked. How strange of this man to come and rescue her. She's not going to just let him run off without at least learning a bit about him. Kratos just shrugged in response, not even turning around to look at her.
"My name's Anna. Anna Irving." She said, pausing to see if the other would offer his own name.
"Kratos Aurion."
Anna was about to reply, before feeling suddenly very light-headed. She hadn't realized how tired she was from running. She wasn't in the best health after being in the Ranch for so long, and she swayed to the side a bit. Noishe spotted this and was quick to get to her side, letting the girl lean on him for support. Kratos noted this and realized that it wasn't the best idea to leave the girl by herself.
Anna closed her eyes as her vision suddenly began to swim, a racking pain in her head. She bent down on one knee, taking a steadier position as she tried to sort out her thoughts better. But exhaustion and the wounds she had suffered physically and emotionally finally caught up to her, and she fell forward -caught by strong arms- and lost consciousness.
--
Kratos sighed hopelessly. What trouble had he gotten himself into now? Noishe nosed the young girl, licking her ears and nudged the hand that held the exsphere. The desians were obviously going to come back with reinforcements. Desians never liked to keep an escaped prisoner unpunished.
Noishe moved away from the girl named Anna and into the underbrush, though Kratos knew he hadn't gone far. A few minutes later, Noishe returned with a limp figure on his back, looking up at Kratos expectantly. It was Benjamin. Kratos shook his head.
"That one's dead. There's nothing I can do." He said rather bluntly, and Noishe whined flattening his ears. Kratos shook his head.
"I told you Noishe. I can't do anything about that one." Another pleading look from Noishe made Kratos sigh. He knelt down beside the dog-like creature and inspected the young boy's injuries. As he expected, the small boy had no pulse, and his body was cold to the touch. Hardened by the many battles he had fought before though, Kratos didn't let any pain show through his face, even if there was no one around to see.
"Sorry Noishe." The Protozoan carefully lowered the body on the ground, watching the young boy mournfully. Kratos then looked at Anna. They can't leave her here, that's for sure.
"Noishe? Can you carry her?" Noishe padded to Anna's side and Kratos helped lift the girl onto Noishe's back. The three then quietly traveled back towards Luin, Kratos with his sword drawn.
--
"And you let her get away?" Kvar slammed his fist on the table, making the three Desian in front of him back away in fear.
"No sir! We had her! But then someone came and killed three of us and wounded many others. We didn't stand a chanc—" One of the Desian dared blurt out, but Kvar silenced him with a quick motion of his hands.
"There were eight of you that went after the two escaped host bodies correct?" The three in front of him nodded slowly, fearing Kvar's volatile temper.
"And there was the only one man with the sword?" Again, nods.
"With odds like that, do you not think that you would have defeated this man, who dared to defy the Desians?" The three were all silent now, and one of them looked uncomfortably around, obviously wanting to say something. Kvar noticed easily enough.
"Speak, one of you. Do you have any reason as to why you fled like cowards?" Kvar snarled.
"Lord Kvar! I might have been wrong…but I do believe I saw Lord Kratos and his pet. Please my liege, Lord Kratos's swordsmanship is well known throughout Cruxis, surely you can not expect us to stand up against him." He blurted out desperately. Kvar raised an eyebrow. Kratos? One of the four seraphim? There had been reports that he had left Derris-Kharlan for a bit.
"Are you sure?" Kvar asked, and the frightened Desian nodded.
"I have met with Lord Kratos once before. I am certain that it was him."
--
When the trio finally reached Luin, the sun had already broken over the horizon to the East. Kratos wasn't the least bit tired after missing a whole night's rest, though it was obvious that Noishe was struggling to stay awake.
Kratos brought out the small purse of gald he had brought with him, and knew that there wasn't much in there. Enough for the doctors at least, and a few days stay at the inn. Kratos had fixed Anna up the best he could, but magic could only go so far, and he couldn't do much more then seal the wounds on the surface.
People gave them odd looks as they passed, but nobody bothered to ask. Monsters have become way to frequent these days, the injured being rushed to the healer is not a rare sight anymore unfortunately.
"What had this poor girl been doing?" The Healer asked, checking Anna's pulse. Kratos shrugged.
"Found a few Desians chasing her. I would imagine that she escaped from the Ranch." He replied, scratching Noishe behind the ears. The healer cast the two a disapproving glance. Animals weren't allowed in here, but Noishe wouldn't have any of it. He howled and scratched and growled so much that the Healer finally gave up and let the Protozoan in.
"Bloody Desians. They'll get what's coming to them once the Chosen reaches here. They had just passed the House of salvation to the east a few days ago. Serve those freaky half-elves right when…" The healer continued to mumble about the Chosen, and Kratos winced at the mention of half-elves. It was attitudes like this that had driven Mithos to his current state.
"Here, give her a few apple gels –about two will do- every day for a while, and she should be fine. Make sure she's properly fed too, the poor thing's horribly thin. Also, see to it that she gets some proper clothing, catching a cold is the last thing she needs. Now will you and that weird dog please get out of here?" The Healer wasn't the nicest person around, but she had her uses. Anna was already conscious and walking on her own legs after leaving the hospital, though she needed Kratos for support.
"I grew up here." Anna mumbled to Kratos. It's been years since she had set foot in Luin, but it's the same as always. Kratos just listened quietly, leading Noishe behind him. Once they reserved a room at the inn, Noishe was fast asleep by the empty fireplace. Anna rested on the bed, while Kratos took a seat next to the window, watching the busy street below. Then he turned his gaze back on Anna.
Her clothing was a simple light dress, perhaps a light creamy-yellow before, but it was now gray and unrecognizable. There were holes in numerous places where the thin fabric had worn through, and and many tears that could easily be blamed on the edge of a weapon or the cord of a whip. Some of these had revealed half-healed wounds, though Kratos had healed most of them. It was amazing that the tattered dress was still intact.
Anna stirred and tried to sit up, leaning against the wall for support. She felt a lot better then before though, and was aware of Kratos looking at her. Raising her gaze, she examined her rescuer.
What struck her first was his eyes. They say that eyes are the window to your soul, and Anna saw countless years of knowledge in those brown orbs, filled with a profound sadness that hurt Anna. Kratos had been through a lot in his life, Anna knew.
"Is something wrong?" Kratos asked, aware that Anna was eying him strangely. Anna shook her head.
"It's nothing, just wanted to thank you again." She stammered, looking down reflexively. It was a instinct that she's developed in the Ranches: look down when spoken to. Desians seem to notice you less.
Anna suddenly realized how generous Kratos had been. Saving her from the Desians, paying for a healer and the inn. She looked up again and gave him a grateful smile. She felt something odd inside her as she looked at Kratos, something very confusing. She wondered what it was, though she knew that she liked the feeling.
Kratos resisted the urge to return her smile as he looked at Anna's dark blue eyes. She was looking at him oddly, a look he found uncomfortably familiar. After a bit of searching his memory, he realized why it struck such a familiar chord.
It was the same look Martel always gave Yuan.