I started splitting them up.
My sister mentioned that my 10-15K word chapters are a little intimidating.
so, i'm splitting them up
Piers shivers suddenly. "I-I...That's a holy light..." the gold light flows out, brightening, and when they can look again, although Kratos is finding one of the walls much more interesting, a winged man, in robes of the priestly sort, floated above them. The white wings flapped, but he barely bobbed.
"Wh-what is that?" Lloyd asks.
"An Angel, I would assume.." Kratos says, glancing, before returning to his study of the very fascinating wall.
"So is that Colette's real father...?" Genis asks softly.
"I Am Remiel." Piers groans, holding his head. -Such...Power!- "I am an Angel of Judgment. I am here to guide Colette, daughter of the Mana Lineage, on her journey to heaven as the Seventh Chosen. " The angel says, in a carrying voice, and he descends a bit, so his shoes are on eye level with Colette. "The time has come to awaken the Goddess Martel, who sleeps at the center of the world." He says, a bit grandly.
"Awaken the Goddess Martel.." Genis breathes. Piers manages to open his eyes, watching. "It's just like the legends Raine told us about." the cruxis crystal floats up, until it was level with Colette's neck, and then to the girl. a flash of light, and the girl twitches, then the gem is in an intricate necklace bout her neck, low on her neck.
"From this moment, Colette becomes the Chosen of Regeneration." Piers just watches, managing to get over the power emitted by Remiel. "We of the Cruxis bless this event, and hereby bestow the Tower of Salvation upon Sylvarant." the angel gestures out the window, and far in the distance, a thin, rather impossible tower appears, reaching high in the clouds. Lloyd rushes over to look, and Genis follows shortly.
"And so it begins." Piers sighs.
"So that's the Tower of Salvation!" Lloyd says, peering at it.
"Now the world will be saved!" Genis says, awed.
"Colette, the Chosen of Regeneration. Unlock the seals that guard the Tower of Salvation and climb its stairs to heaven in distant lands." Remiel says.
"I humbly accept this task." Colette says, solemn.
"Very good." Remiel sounded smug. Piers frowns, feeling the same mistrust as he did for Kratos. "We of the Cruxis shall grant you the power of the Angels with each seal you unlock. Once you are reborn as an Angel, this eroded world shall be regenerated." Remiel sounded faintly distasteful of this 'eroded world' but..
"Thank you. I swear on my life I will regenerate the world." Colette says, still solemn. Was it all ritual words?
"First head south, to the Seal of Fire. Offer your prayers in that distant land."
"Yes, Lord Remiel." Colette says, but then looks a little flustered as Remiel just starts ascending. "Uh, wait! Please wait!" she takes a half step forward. "I have a question I wish to ask of you. Are you really my fa—"
"First head to the Seal of Fire. Understood? My beloved daughter, Colette."
"F...father!...So you really are my true father." Piers' headache starts to leave him as Remiel ascends. "We shall meet again at the next seal, my daughter." Remiel vanishes, leaving a few feathers that vanish.
"So that was an oracle.." Genis sighs. "I wish Raine could have seen him."
"I can't believe Remiel is my father..." Colette murmurs. Lloyd turns away from the window and moves to check on Colette, putting his face near hers and grinning widely. "I'm alright." she smiles back. "I was just a little surprised. That's all."
"oh.." Lloyd rubs the back of his head.
"Piers, are you ok?" Colette asks, looking at the blue-haired boy. "You were feeling tired earlier.."
"Y-yeah...I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"You've received your oracle." Kratos turned from his inspection of the wall, looking at Colette. "Let us leave now, Chosen." Kratos turns and moves for the warp pad.
"..oh, yes." Colette says, bright and cheerful.
"We're going on ahead." Kratos tells the boys as he warps off.
"Um. Thank you, all three of you. Please stop by my house later." With a wave, Colette follows Kratos.
"Shall we go? This place gives me the creeps..." Piers asks.
"Yeah." Lloyd says, crossing his arms behind his head.
"The rumor was true." Genis muses.
"What rumor?" Lloyd asks.
"Colette is the daughter of an Angel and is not really related to her current father." Genis says.
"Even if you're not related by blood, family is family... At least, that's what I think." Lloyd says.
"Ah.. I'm sorry." Genis says. "I forgot..."
"Family is where people love and care for you." Piers mutters. "No matter the blood."
"It's ok." Lloyd waves it off, grinning. "Don't worry about it." They make it to the teleporter, and warp away.
Piers yawns. "I need to rest..."
"MARVELOUS!" Raine cries. Lloyd and Genis stop dead.
"... professor..?" Lloyd asks in a small voice. Raine whirls, and spots the three of them.
"What? What are you two doing here?! You're supposed to be studying in class!"
"uh.. uh-oh!" Lloyd remembers the way behind them is the warp, and that Raine is in the way of their actual escape...
"Uh-oh. What do we do now?" Piers whispers. Raine approaches, and snatches Genis up, bending him over her knee. Lloyd flinches and starts inching past the professor.
"Raine! I.. I'm sorry!" Genis wails, as his sister spanks him.
Piers quickly starts rummaging through his bag. "Damn...Where's that Teleport Gem?!" Raine turns on Lloyd, and the teen barely gets his arms up before his teacher kicks him. Lloyd goes flying. She turns on Piers.
"Professor...Don't make me fight back...Please..." He starts calling up his remaining strength.
Raine frowns. From somewhere, she's got a staff. "You should know better than to cut class."
"It was research, professor. We found out about the trials the chosen has to go through."
"And Lloyd said that, didn't he." Raine crossed her arms, tapping a finger on the staff she still held.
"I, uh, agreed, Professor..."
"And there we go!" Raine roars, and launches a kick. Piers jumps back, but gets caught by the edge and is sent sprawling. Raine dusts off her hands, and then turns back to the wall. "Now, you three, if you've learned your lesson, go back home. There will be no class for the rest of the day."
"What about you?" Genis moans, standing again.
"I've received permission from Phaidra to study this temple a little while longer. It's not often that ordinary citizens have the opportunity to enter this place." Raine wanders off.
"Ugh...She's fast." Piers gets to his knees, wincing. Lloyd nods mutely, and they head for the door.
"MUHAHAHAHAHA!" Comes echoing from behind them.
"What the hell was that?!"
"...You're better off knowing." Genis mutters, looking grim. "You really are..."
"I think I'm going to take your word for it..." Lloyd says, inching for the door.
Piers grumbles. "Now I'm even tireder. I hope my Psyn...Magic comes back soon..."
"Huh?" Genis asks, looking up at Piers as they headed out. the dead were still there... Lloyd skirts them.
"My magic." Piers says.
"Let's get back to Iselia." Lloyd starts down the stairs, neither Kratos, Colette, or Phaidra was in sight...
Piers gasps suddenly, sinking to his knees. "Agh..." He swears. "Dammit..."
"Hey.." Genis stops, looking at Piers.
Lloyd stops, noticing they aren't behind him, and comes back up. "Hey, you ok?"
"T-Too tired. I can't move...dammit, I knew I should have kept up with my training." He pushes himself to his feet. Piers stumbles, falling onto Lloyd.
Lloyd yelps, and catches Piers, holding him up fairly easily. "Hey, you're pretty light. You eating enough?"
"I am a mage. I don't need to build myself up." Piers explains.
"Yeah, yeah." Lloyd says, helping Piers to walk. if its possible. otherwise, poor Lloyd will just carry Piers. "You used a sword."
"So? I'm a Mariner after all."
"Huh?" Lloyd asks.
"I think it means he's able to use a sword, but he uses magic more often. You'd be called a Twin-blade, or something close." Genis guesses. "I'm just a plain Mage."
"Oh..." Lloyd thinks he gets it.
Piers shrugs, pushing himself off Lloyd. "Lets go."
"Yeah." Lloyd looks a tad confused yet, but they head back to Iselia. A few wolf-monsters attack them, but even with wooden-swords, Lloyd could kill them. Piers sighs. When they split up, Piers catches Genis' eye, motioning for him to come over. Genis comes over, as Lloyd starts dusting himself off, heading to the left - Colette's house.
"Why couldn't we tell Lloyd about me being...you know." Piers whispers.
"Because..." Genis glances up, then at his feet. "Most people hate Half-Elves. because Desians are mostly all Half-Elves, and look at the things they do." Genis shifts. "Iselia is pretty Anti-Half-elf.. and I don't know how Lloyd thinks of them. We, Raine and I, we told the Iselian's we're elves."
"You're half too? I told 'em I was human..."
Genis shrugs. "We use magic - we had to tell them we were elves. Human's can't use magic unless they have Elven blood." Genis frowns. "Although, that Kratos guy.. i can't tell if he was full or half elven..."
"Or something different... He's a strange one..."
"He's too tall to be a dwarf." Gensi says with a laugh. Lloyd spins, farther along the road.
"Hey! Colette told us to stop by, right? C'mon!" he waves and yells.
Piers sighs. "I wish I had Lloyd's energy about now."
"Don't- it comes at the cost of your brain." Genis teases his academically challenged friend. Lloyd turns back around to head for Colette's house. The streamers flick in the wind.
Piers smirks, getting an idea. "Watch this." Getting a second wind of energy, he runs after Lloyd. "Hey! Race ya!"
"Huh? Sure~!" Lloyd stops walking and sprints, dashing ahead, white streamers and swords flicking back and forth as he runs.
"I'm not racing!" Genis says, waving his arms in defeat. "I refuse to run!"
Piers mouths "just watch" to Genis, bursting into a sprint. Once he gets close enough, he grabs the streamers and pulls. Lloyd squawks, arms flailing as this unbalances him, the streamers are attached to the collar of his jacket, and he falls backwards, feet in the air.
Piers makes it to Colette's door. "I win."
Lloyd gets up. "You cheated!" Genis is laughing, but he walks past Lloyd to join Piers at the door.
Lloyd makes a face at Piers as he opens the door."-protection of the Chosen to Kratos and Raine." the mayor says. Inside Colette's house, he sits at the head of the table, Kratos sitting in a chair to his right, Phaidra, Frank and Colette sitting down the left side.
"..I have no objections." Kratos says. Colette notices them in the doorway.
"Thank you so much for your help earlier!" she says, waving. Phaidra and Frank look up at this too, Kratos glancing once, then studying the grain of the table.
"Ohh, you're back! Thank you for your assistance earlier! Please accept this small thanks." Phaidra slides a book down the table.
"Eh? What's this...?" Lloyd looks at the book in his hands like its homework, the most dreaded thing in the world.
"It's a Collectors Book, Lloyd." Genis sighs, and takes it. "You mark off things you see in it."
"That's useful. You can keep a record of what's helpful and harmful." Piers takes a peek at the book. It's currently blank.
"Yes." Genis says. "Thank you."
"Thanks, Phaidra." Lloyd says. "Say.. were you talking about the World Regeneration Journey just now?"
"Yes." Phaidra says. Piers shuts up and pays attention.
"Wow!" Lloyd cheers, as if he hadn't just seen an angel. "I want to go too! I wanna see Colette regenerate the world." You can almost see Kratos twitch at that, and Phaidra looks worried.
"If Raine is going, I want to go too." Genis says.
"And someone needs to keep an eye on these two." Piers adds.
"No." Kratos says, looking irritated. Lloyd and Genis blink and look at him. "You'll only get in the way." Lloyd looks like he's been slapped with a fish.
"Wh..what?!" Lloyd asks, getting rather angry. First the guy shows up out of the blue, tells him to get out of the way, then tells him to be a 'good boy' and now says he'll get in the way?! Kratos stands up, his arms crossed, and his right hand seeming to droop for the sword still at his side. Piers glares at Kratos, his energy building up. He shifts into a ready position. He REALLY didn't trust Kratos. Kratos semi-glares down at them, looking irritated that they don't just take the hint and get going.
"The battles at the chapel were nothing compared to the battles ahead, on the road and in the Seals." he flicks his eyes past Piers again. "Children.. need to stay home." he seems to be bringing up Piers's dislike of him calling them that on purpose.
"Children need chances to prove their adulthood." Piers retorts. Kratos snorts.
"Kratos is absolutely right." The mayor says. "Now then, we still have things to discuss. You three should go on home." Lloyd turns, fuming, and heads for the door. Genis gives a small smile to Colette, and Kratos sits back down after hooking his chair back into place. Piers is greatly considering casting a spell on Kratos, but leaves with Lloyd and Genis.
"Please wait!" Colette follows them, and as Lloyd and Genis turn around, she trips on the doorstep of her house. Piers blinks, grabbing her arm.
"Careful. Some doorsteps can be deadly." Lloyd shakes his head as Colette thanks Piers.
"No, Colette is just a Klutz..." Lloyd says.
Genis nods. "You saw the hole in the wall of the school, didn't you? The one shaped like a girl..."
"Oh, I remember that!" Colette says with a bright smile. "It was during Spring Cleaning, I was helping the Professor and I tripped and.." she blushed.
"T-That was you?" Piers gapes.
"Um.. yeah..." Colette looks away. Genis gets the light bulb above his head, and then fishes around in his pocket.
"Oh, Colette, I almost forgot!" Genis pulls out a small cloth bag. "Happy 16th Birthday, Colette!" Lloyd looks startled, then frantic.
"Oh, yeah. I have something, too!" Piers fishes out a small pearl on a piece of metal string. "It's a rare pearl... My mother gave it to me. I thought you'd like it."
"But.. if it's your mothers, I can't take it..." She protests at Piers's pearl. "It's very pretty." Lloyd is looking through his pockets.
Genis grins. "I baked you cookies! If I knew you'd be leaving tomorrow, I'd have made something a little more special but..."
"Just take it. It'll protect you more than me. Its made for a woman. Its one of those sexist charms that hardly work for men." Piers mutters. Colette doesn't know what that word means, but since he insisted, she beams at them both, taking the cookies and necklace.
"Genis, I love your cookies! Thank you very much! Both of you!" Genis glances at Lloyd sneakily.
"So, what about you, Lloyd? You promised to make her a necklace, right?" Genis whispers over to his friend.
"Uhhh..." Lloyd rubs the back of his head. "Heh..."
Genis sweat drops. "Don't tell me you forgot..."
"Uh, it's.. It's almost done." Lloyd tells Colette. "Uh, I'll give it to you... Tomorrow, before you leave. I swear!"
"Really?" Colette says, completely oblivious to the fact that Lloyd hadn't even started making her gift yet. "I'm so happy! As soon as I find out when we're leaving, I'll go to your house to let you know." Piers smirks at Genis.
"Isn't that going to be dangerous?" Lloyd asks, thinking of the forest between the two places.
"I'm the Chosen, remember? I'll be fine. See you later, then." Colette grins at him.
"She's doomed." Piers whispers to Genis.
"Don't say that." Genis whispers, making a horrified face. Colette turns and manages to walk back into the house without tripping, and shuts the door.
"I'm joking. She'll be fine." Piers mutters.
"she better be.. the world is running out of mana..." Genis shudders, then turns to Lloyd. "Liar." Lloyd looks back at the door quickly.
"If I start on it now, I'll finish it in time." Lloyd shrugs.
"That means getting no sleep. I don't think you can do it." Piers says to Lloyd. Lloyd sticks his tongue out at Piers.
"Oh, really? Well, whatever." Genis secretly agrees with Piers. "By the way, you're going home now, right? Can I go part of the way with you?"
"Sure, but where are you gunna go? I wanna get my stuff from the classroom first."
"I'm.. going to see a friend." Genis says.
"A friend?" Piers asks.
Lloyd is also confused. "Huh? I didn't know you had friends outside the village besides me." Genis starts walking for the school.
"Does it matter?" Genis calls back over his shoulder. "Anyway, can we swing by my place after the school? so I can get my stuff." Lloyd nods, and heads after Genis for the School.
Piers just tags along. "While you guys are at school, I need to get my stuff." They head for the school, and Lloyd grabs his equally bright-red bag, before he realizes Raine is in the front of the classroom.
"Hey, it's Raine." Genis points out, then goes up to his sister. Lloyd follows, memory of the kick brighter.
"Professor." He gets her attention tentatively.
"Oh, Lloyd, Genis, Piers." Raine sounds a bit absentminded. "Class is over for today."
"Raine... A-Are you okay?" Piers remembers that kick too.
"Yes." She's looking at the chalk she had beamed Lloyd in the face with earlier.
"We know that." Lloyd comments about the class bit. "I heard you were going with Colette on the Journey..?"
"Yes, that's right. It's too dangerous a journey to send Colette alone." Raine says.
"But.. Then what's Genis going to do?" Lloyd asks. Raine turns to the board, placing the chalk back.
"I asked Frank and Phaidra to take care of him." She says.
"Raine.. I.." Que touchy sibling moment.
"Genis.. I promise I'll come back, so please, don't look like that." she turns to Lloyd and Piers. "Lloyd, Piers, please look after Genis for me."
"Yeah..." Lloyd wants to flee the touchy-feely moment.
"Sure. Of course."
"Please be careful, Raine. Don't do anything dangerous and don't go near any ruins." Genis says. "And don't offer to cook for them!" Lloyd winces with a laugh at a memory, and Raine scowls at the last.
"I'll be fine."
"..Promise me you'll come back!" Genis flees and Lloyd follows him after waving goodbye to Raine. Piers does so as well, running to his house and getting his Pirate's Blade and sheath. Genis and Lloyd wait outside Genis's house, and then go inside once Piers arrives. Genis sets about making sandwiches, explaining that Gels are nice, but expensive. Thus food is good too. Lloyd doesn't get how eating food can heal him, but food is good, so he doesn't think on it for long. Piers also explains that his Ply doesn't take much of his strength. After eating a late lunch, curtsey of Genis, they head to the village gates.
"Lloyd! Do something about this.. this thing!" One of the pitchfork wielding, home-made helmet wearing guards says, indicating the whining large animal.
"What?"
"Your pet! This.. creature!" The second one nods at the large white and green creature.
"Noishe!" Lloyd cheers at the critter. Piers runs over to Noishe and starts petting him. He loved that creature. Noishe whines at him, eyeing him with his small brown eyes, and then whines at Lloyd.
"Hey.. how many times have I told you not to enter the village?" Lloyd asks his 'dog'. Noishe whines at him, flicking his tail and ears.
"Hey, You always have him bring you to the village!" Genis protests. "Don't talk to him that way."
"What do you mean, smelled something familiar..?" Lloyd asks his pet.
Piers blinks. "You can talk to him?"
"Kinda... I get the gist of it." Lloyd admits, grinning.
"Oh, that reminds me." Guard 2 says. "The mayor wanted me to ask you a question, Lloyd."
"From the mayor..?" Lloyd masks his grimace. "What is it?"
"It's about the NorthWest forest you go through. You know there's a human ranch on the way through, right? You haven't been playing near the ranch, have you?"
"Ranch?" Piers mutters.
"Of course not!" Lloyd says to the guard. "Right, Genis?"
"Y..yeah, of course not." Genis turns to Piers. "Is Lloyd contagious? Human Ranches are the bases of Desians, where they force captives to make things for them, or something like that."
"Really?" the guard asks. "If so that's fine, but.. that weird animal..."
"How many times do I have to tell you that Noishe.. is .. a .. Dog!?" Lloyd asks, throwing his arms into the air.
"Noishe is cute. Not weird." Piers tells the dog to reassure him.
"Ah, sorry. He just doesn't look like a dog.." Gaurd 2 soothes Lloyd. "Anyway, make sure he doesn't go near the ranch either."
"W..we can go now, right?" Genis asks, shifting to look at Noishe. "Let's go."
"Be careful, you three." the first guard says.
"We will." Lloyd waves. "See you tomorrow." Lloyd turns to Noishe. "Time to go, Noishe." Noishe whines, eyeing the village.
"What's the matter with him?" Piers asks, peering at Noishe.
"He smells something familiar. Maybe someone's cooking his favorite food." Lloyd shrugs. Noishe whines at him, giving the distinct impression of 'why am i with this stupid human.' Piers picks up on it, petting the creature, chuckling. Noishe whines at him, the teary look on his face saying 'why couldn't it be you who could understand me?' Or something of the like. Lloyd leads the way to the Forest. Piers smiles, glancing at Lloyd. Noishe suddenly halts, they were in the entrance to the forest, a clearing below a cliff face.
"Whiiiiine!" Lloyd turns back, looking startled.
"Ah.. thats right. Noishe doesn't like this place." Genis says.
"He'll never go near places that have lots of monsters..Even though you hardly ever see monsters bigger than him... like that golem..." Lloyd mutters.
"Whiiiine!" Noishe turns tail and runs.
"Awh. Poor Noishe..." He draws his sword, just in case. The perfectly crafted metal gleams in the evening light. Lloyd spends a moment staring at the base of the cliff, before shaking his head and turning away.
"Ah, he ran off again! Fine, do whatever you want, Noishe." Lloyd looks exasperated.
"I keep thinking, if he's going to run away, he should at least take us with him." Genis mutters. Piers glances at the two before sheathing the sword, loosening it a bit in its sheath.
"Well? Shall we go?"
"Yeah." Lloyd says, crossing his arms for his own blades, but grins as he realizes there's no monsters as of yet. "This way." he walks for a path up the cliff, through the forest. There aren't too many monsters stirring at this time - a little before sunset, when it's still light. a few bees, one or two sets of mushrooms. They reach a split in the road, one heading for the cliff-top, one heading farther into the forest.
"This is my stop." Genis heads for the cliff-top path. Lloyd stops to look strangely at Genis.
"At the Desian Human Ranch?" Lloyd asks, a little shocked. "Doesn't going there violate the non-aggression treaty?"
"It does if he goes Desian hunting." Piers says. "I'll come with, Genis."
"Lloyd, the Desians already attacked the temple." Genis points out the other conversation they had about this.
"Well, yeah, I guess that's true but.." Lloyd still has reservations.
"I know I'm not supposed to go, but there's someone I just have to tell about the oracle! I'm not going to pick any fights or anything.." Genis says.
"... I'm comming with." Lloyd sighs.
"Thanks, you two." Genis says, before leading the way up to the ranch. The trio sneak around the edge of a large teal fence, much to high to climb, even with its chain-link like pattern. they stay to the bushes, and crouch there. Some humans, clad in potato sack like garments, are shoving around large stone blocks, rougher than what the Golem had turned into upon defeat.
Piers twitches slightly, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Ghk...This is...What is this?"
"This is the human ranch.." Genis whispers, and Lloyd's hands clench. The Desians and their working humans leave the yard. An old woman rounds the corner, clad like them, but not looking as fearful. She moves for the fence near them. Genis jumps from the bush they sit in. "Marble." he says, moving closer to the fence.
Piers follows, nudging Genis in the back. "I'll keep watch." Genis nods, and Lloyd follows them too.
"Genis!" Marble sounds like a generic hard-working grandma. "These are your friends?" She looks from Piers to Lloyd.
"Yeah. I'm Lloyd." Lloyd almost offers her his hand, before recognizing the barrier of a large fence between them.
"I'm Piers..."
"I'm pleased to meet you." For all she was in the ranch, it was like she was in the comfort of her home.
"Marble, did you see it?" Genis asks, all 12 year old enthusiasm. "There was an oracle!"
"Yes I did. I saw the Tower of Salvation. Now, the Chosen's journey of regeneration can finally begin. I hope it is successful this time..." She says, nodding.
"The last Chosen failed, right?" Lloyd asks.
Marble nods. "Yes. I heard the Chosen was killed by Desians during the journey."
"I wonder if Colette will be all right?..." Genis mutters.
"Colette won't fail. She has Raine and Kr...That Mercenary with her." Piers swiftly avoids the hated name. Lloyd has a frown-second on at the mention of 'That Mercenary's' name, but he gets over it.
"Let us pray to Martel. May she guide the Chosen on a safe journey." Marble says. Amazing how people in horrible conditions keep their faith. Lloyd spots something on the back of Marble's hand when she clasps them for prayer. Piers draws his sword, laying it tip into the earth as he kneels and prays to his deity of choice. A green-blue gem, set directly into her skin, and veins seemingly coming from, or to it.
"Hey, grams..." Lloyd says after a respectful prayer time had passed, comfortable to call her something other than Ma'am.
"Her name's Marble!" Genis elbows Lloyd.
"..Marble." Lloyd agrees, still watching her right hand. "Isn't that an Exsphere?" He indicates her hand.
"Oh, is that what it's called?" Marble asks. "They placed it on me shortly after I came here."
"Exsphere...Like yours?" Piers looks at Lloyd.
"Kinda." Lloyd shifts the wrapping on the back of his hand. On the back of his left hand is a gold-brown plate with an intricate design, with a round dark-blue gem on it, and it was somehow different from the one Kratos wore. "That's definitely an Exsphere, and Mine is too. But yours has no Key Crest on it. An Exsphere without a Key Crest is dangerous." Lloyd taps the gold-brown base.
"I...It feels dangerous...." Piers mutters. "The aura..." Genis looks curiously at Piers, but he wants to know something else a bit more.
"What's a Key Crest? And how is it Dangerous?" Lloyd wraps his bandage back over his Exsphere, then hooks his thumbs into his belt.
"Attaching an Exsphere directly to your skin supposedly makes you sick. But ironically, it's useless unless you attach it directly onto the skin." Lloyd says from memory, staring at a spot above Marble's head on the fence.
"And the Key Crest...Prevents the sickness?" Piers guesses.
"Yeah. In order to prevent it from making you sick, you carve a spell into a special ore and use that as a mount for the Exsphere. That's the Key Crest." He taps the base again. "There's a few different shapes you can make the ore into, but the spell and the material are the important parts."
"You're very knowledgeable." Marble complements Lloyd, and he rubs the back of his head.
"But Marble's Exsphere doesn't have a mount!" Genis points out.
Piers stares at Lloyd. "Wow. You've actually learned something." Lloyd sticks his tongue out at Piers.
"Nope. There's no mount at all. If the charm was the only thing needed, I could carve one myself, but there's nothing I can do without the inhibitor ore that acts as the mount." Lloyd thinks.
"There has to be something you can do, Lloyd!" Genis says.
"Where can we get this ore you need?" Piers asks.
"It's not as easy as you think." Lloyd says. "Key Crests are dwarven technology."
"Your dad is a Dwarf." Genis says, as if he had to poke Lloyd into doing anything. "Please ask him for help!" Lloyd nods.
"Fine, Fine, I'll ask him."
"All right! That's why I like you, Lloyd." Genis beams up at Lloyd.
"Please don't trouble yourself." MArble says.
"Hey, Old hag, what the hell you doin' over there?!" A man calls out, and Marble glances back.
"Oh, no! The Desians.. Run away, you three, hurry!" Marble says to the teens. Piers nods, getting ready to pull Genis away if needed.
"But..." Lloyd might be the one Piers should be worried about. "Who knows what they may do to her...."
"I know that, but what can we do? If the Desians find out we're here, just think about what they'll do to Marble and the people of the village!" Genis glances farther into the ranch.
Piers grabs both of them. "Talk later!"
"That's right, you must go!" Marble says.
"I'm sorry, grams!" Lloyd twists out of Piers's grip, and darts back into the bush. Genis wave's bye, and follows. Piers nods at Marble, retreating into the bushes, too. Marble turns around as a trio of desians round the corner.
"What are you doing over here?! Who said you could slack off?! Get back to work!" one says.
"..I'm sorry." Marble mutters.
"What's with that look, huh?" The second asks.
"like someone's got an attitude problem!" the third says. Piers had hung back, watching, keeping his anger under control.
"No, of course not, I..." Marble looks and sounds worried.
"Shaddup! You two, take her to the back! We're gonna give her a little lesson on respect!" the first says, and the other two chorus "Yeah!" they quickly surround Marble, and head her out of the teen's sight.
"Oh, This doesn't look good.." Lloyd mutters, disentangling himself from the bush. "They're taking her to the back." Not that he knows what that entails, but..
Piers growls. "What do we do?" He knows they can do nothing.
"There's gotta be something." Lloyd mutters. "Let's find higher ground where we can see what's going on in there." Genis nods, and they head back around to the front of the ranch. There's a cliff face to the right, and Lloyd indicates it. "We climb that so we can see." Genis voices that he's not sure if he can climb it, but Lloyd says he'll help. Piers starts climbing, flashes of his memories surfacing. He smiles slightly. Lloyd assists Genis, and then climbs like a monkey up himself. They peer into the ranch, and spot the Desians moving in on Marble with their whips ready.
"She's.." Genis stares in horror.
"We've gotta save her." Lloyd sounds angry now.
"But how?!" Genis wails.
"I-I could try casting Diamond Dust. But I'd need to be closer. I'm not from Iselia..So I won't be breaking the treaty." Piers offers. Lloyd thinks.
"If you get closer, you'll be seen. Genis can cast Fireball."
"But we're from Iselia, we'll get in trouble!"
"We don't have a choice!" Lloyd retorts. "Afterwards, you two hide among the bushes and make your way back to the village. I'll act as a decoy."
"I can cast Cool. Think of it as a cold version of Fireball." Piers says.
"Work it out between you two." Lloyd says, moving for the edge of the cliff. "Marble's in danger."
"You'll be in danger!" Genis protests.
"Don't worry." Lloyd grins back. "I'll head down the cliff so they don't see my face, then I'll run in the opposite direction from the village."
".. Piers, if you can reach, you can cast your ice spell. I'll follow it with Fireball." Genis says, pulling out his Kendama. Lloyd grins wider.
"Cool is the only one that can reach from here..." Piers draws his sword, an aura glowing around it and himself. Something blue shimmers in the air as the spell freezes the water vapor into an ice-ball. Only fast. Its then hurled at the nearest Desian to Marble. Genis catches twirls the Kendama, catching the ball, before thrusting it forward. A trio of Fireballs fly, one for each Desian. Two collapse, and the third turns.
"What the?!" Lloyd jumps from the cliff face to the large fence-top, his bright coat and flicking streamers attracting the Desian's attention as he ran along the fence toward the gate.
"Quick, down the cliff!" Genis hisses, moving back. Piers fires off another Ice Ball, following Genis.
"There he is! Stop him!" One Desian points up at Lloyd.
"Open the main gate!" Another shouts. Lloyd jumps down at the gate, and starts running. Two Desians come out the gate. Some slaves move to help Marble.
"Are you all right?"
"Quickly, come this way.."
"Genis, Lloyd, Piers.. thank you.." Marble mumbles. Genis drops down from the cliff. Piers follows Genis. As Lloyd runs for the cliff face, Genis makes his way cautiously behind the bushes to the Desians right. and trips on a root.
"oww.." he hisses. the Desians stop.
"What was that?" Piers crouches by Genis, placing his palm on the boy's ankle, healing it slightly, a bit too weak to successfully heal the sprain, but the pain was gone.
"Uh-oh." Lloyd quickly makes a u-turn, drawing his blades to run back and face the Desians.
"You little brat!" Successfully distracting the Desians from Genis, Lloyd starts attacking, using the newfound attack Tiger Blade.
"What should we do?" Piers mutters.
"Get out of here." Genis hisses.
"Whiiine." Noishe sneaks up on them. he nudges Genis, trying to get his head and shoulders under the boy.
"huh..?" Genis uses Noishe to get up, and then climb on the critters' back. "I think Noishe has a plan."
Piers nods. "Think he can carry both?"
Genis nods, and so does Noishe. "He thinks so." Lloyd has taken down one of the Desians and is working on the other.
Piers climbs on. "Lead on." Noishe whines, then runs for the cliff face. Genis looks shocked.
"Whaa?!" Noishe jumps. Lloyd grins, taking down the last Desian.
Piers blinks. "What the hell?" Noishe lands easily, and walks forward, then shakes. Genis tumbles off. A few seconds later, and Lloyd comes crashing through the trees, to roll and get back up. He'd also taken the fast way down.
"Lloyd, they saw your face! I'm sorry! It's all my fault..." Genis wails, getting up and giving Noishe a wary look. Piers is thrown off, yelping.
"Don't worry about it." Lloyd dusts down his pants, and pulls a crossbow bold that had lodged in his streamer out, grimacing at the tear. he's had no problem with the jump.
"But.." Genis really feels bad about messing up.
"I took out the ones that saw my face, and the rest of them are still back up on the cliff. " Lloyd says, crossing his arms as if it was all that simple. "As long as we hurry up and get out of here, they'll never know."
Piers stands, dusting off again. "Yeah."
"o..ok.." Genis still feels bad.
"... Just do my homework for me, ok?" Lloyd grins.
"Ok!" Genis says.
"Blackmail." Piers notes.
"All right then, I'm gonna head on home. You two should head back to the village." Lloyd notes that Noishe has already run off, before moving back for the mountain path. Piers nods, motioning at Genis to follow.
"Thanks for helping Marble!" Genis calls back to Lloyd.
"That's what friends are for, right?" Lloyd replies, before heading home.
I OWN NOTHING
Leon controls - Piers
Frozen controls just about everyone else (for now)
Piers = Golden Sun/Camelot
Everyone Else = Bamco/ Tales Of