CHAPTER 2
"Man it is hot!" Lloyd complained.
"The heat in this area is due to Efreet's influence." Genis said. "According to legend, the gateway to him is somewhere in this area."
"The gate that leads to Efreet? Could that be…" Lloyd began.
"Yeah, I am sure that is the Seal that Colette is headed for." Genis said.
"Then that means Colette is somewhere in this area." Lloyd said. "You certainly know a lot of stuff Genis."
"That's because I don't fall asleep in class like you do." Genis said as Lloyd frowned.
"Hey, that must be Triet." Lloyd said pointing at the town nearby. "They probably stopped by the city, right?"
"Yeah, I hope we can find something there." Genis said.
"It'd be nice if Colette left behind some sort of evidence that she was there." Lloyd said.
"Like that wall at school." Genis said.
"Heh. I doubt that will happen again." Lloyd said.
"Yeah, I guess you are right." Genis said.
They arrived at Triet and got lucky at being able to avoid most of the monsters, getting there as morning just started. Noishe didn't want to enter, but Genis and Lloyd began pushing him in where they could see a stable for him to stay in. They stopped when they saw four Desians standing in the middle of town near one of the Katz vendors.
"This is an order from Lord Forcystus! A human named Lloyd is on the run with an Exsphere. His identification is unknown. Form a cordon in all areas immediately." one of the men said.
"What does this Lloyd look like?" one of the other guys asked.
"His likeness and description are on the wanted posters. We are counting on you." the first guy said.
"Yes sir!" the other three said splitting up to look around as the leader put a poster on a billboard nearby.
Genis and Lloyd along with Noishe were in the open stable nearby watching the guy after hearing them talk about Lloyd.
"Man, wanted posters and search parties. They're really serious." Lloyd said.
"We need to hurry and find Colette." Genis said.
"Hey, I thought we were looking to find Colette and protect her. This is like we're looking for her to get help." Lloyd said.
"Does it really matter why we are looking for her?" Genis asked. "Besides finding her to protect her, the Desians want her and you, so all of us together would work out better anyway since we can protect each other better together than apart."
"When you put it that way…" Lloyd said.
"You really think to much when you don't have to." Genis said shaking his head.
Asking a few people nearby about the Chosen, they were told to go talk to the fortune teller at the oasis in the back of the village. Before they did that, they looked at the wanted poster.
"It this really the wanted poster?" Genis asked.
The rendition of Lloyd was somewhat close, but otherwise really badly done making him look a lot bigger than he was, in a fat sense.
"Am I this ugly?" Lloyd asked seeing the oversized face and head on small shoulders.
"It's good. They'll never find you with this….I think." Genis said.
"Man, what is with this illustration! Look at what they did to my handsome face!" Lloyd exclaimed.
"Really, I think it looks a lot like you." Genis said with a funny smile.
"Oh really. Thanks, for your opinion Genis." Lloyd said sarcastically with a glare.
"I was just kidding." Genis said.
They walked over seeing a building that was destroyed and a man in front looking angry and sad.
"Isn't it awful? The Desians are responsible for this too!" the man exclaimed when they asked what was going on. "They come to wreck the city just for the fun of it!"
"That's horrible!" Genis said looking at the rubble more closely. "There is even bloodstains."
Going up to a few of the stalls with vendors, one man called them over saying he could make weapons and armor with various materials they could find. Promising to check back at some point when they found what the man needed for the different things he could create from a list they were given, they moved onto the next one.
"Ah man! Look at this building! These Desians just have no mercy!" Genis said looking at a hole in the wall of one of the buildings.
"Um, somehow I don't think they did this." Lloyd said.
"Isn't it amazing!" a man near the human shaped hole said. "This is the shape of the Chosen of Regeneration! It is going to become this cities tourist spot!"
"Huh, it does look a lot like the hole we have in the school." Genis said.
"Well, that means that Colette and the rest of them might still be here if we are lucky. Let's keep looking." Lloyd said.
They went into the Inn, seeing as another person said they might be in there, but also may have already left too. Not finding them there and finding out they had left a bit ago, they went to the fortune teller, having to pay 100 gald, to learn that they had left for the ruins where Efreet was. As they were about to leave Triet, three of the Desains came up and attacked them in an attempt to capture Lloyd and quickly failed as they were easily taken out.
"Heh, all talk." Lloyd said putting his swords away.
"Lloyd, don't let you guard down, or you'll regret it." Genis said.
"Now you're starting to sound like the General." Lloyd groaned.
"Yeah, but he still gets you every time with those back attacks." Genis said as Lloyd groaned again.
"I'm not letting my guard down Genis. These guys are just so pitiful. I'm beginning to wonder why they create so much fear is they are this weak…" Lloyd said only to cry out when some electrical attack hit him from behind.
Genis stepped back as Lloyd was lit up with an electrical field like a bubble around him for a few seconds. When it went away, Lloyd fell forward to the ground unconscious.
"Lloyd!" Genis yelled shaking him.
Two Desian guard walked up from behind Genis, who stood and acted very scared. They took both with them to a base near Triet, or at least in the same desert as the town. Noishe followed along with a whine, but kept from being seen. Two other guards were outside the large base as they walked up.
"I've brought Lloyd." of the guards from town said.
"Who is that child?" one of the base guards asked.
"His friend apparently. What should we do with him?" the guard from town asked.
"The leader only wants Lloyd. I don't see any need to bring this kid along." the base guard said.
The two town guards took Lloyd inside as Genis was left with the base guards.
"What is going to happen to me?" Genis asked fearfully, which he faked well. "Lloyd forced me to come here. I didn't want to…"
The guards looked at each other as Genis faked crying very well.
"All right, all right! As a fellow kinsmen, we'll let you go." the guard said. "Get out of here before we change out minds!"
"Thank you for freeing me! I'll never forgot this! Goodbye mister!" Genis said running away with a smile.
Genis found Noishe nearby and set out to find a way to save Lloyd. Seeing as Genis had an idea of where Raine and the others were, he went to get them for help.
Lloyd awoke in a jail cell, that was made of metal like the rest of the building as he found out later. He moved closer to the jail bars as he heard a few guards talking and quickly learned he was suppose to be executed so they could get his Exsphere. Two of the guards were called off to see Lord Botta while the other paced back and forth guarding the cell Lloyd was in.
Finding he was stripped of everything he had but his clothing and Sorcerer's Ring, Lloyd had an idea that if the ring stunned monsters for less than a minute, it might do the same to the guard. Instead of stunning the guy, he yelled in pain and ran off. Lloyd about kicked himself since the guard didn't fall over or something and ran off unexpectedly, when the cell door suddenly opened.
Going out and around the corner to something like a desk along with other equipment and stuff he didn't know anything about, he found a chest nearby that had all his stuff inside. Heading down the hallway, he encountered two guards he dispatched as they attacked him, only to set off the alarm after he took them out. Going through a door at the end, he entered a room with a drop off in the middle to a smaller floor inside it with a strange and unknown large ring object in the middle along with a few doors around the room, plus two strange blue pads, one on each side. As two guards came in, he got down and hid behind the ring thing. They spread out with one going to the cell area and coming back to say Lloyd wasn't in there. Lloyd watched as they stunned some flying metal bots and moved them over the blue pads, making a door at the back of the room open. Once they went through, the door closed as the flying bots moved again.
"Hmm, that's interesting." Lloyd said.
Lloyd checked out a strange glowing device that when he touched it, changed the ring to fire off electrical balls of energy instead of fire.
"Maybe I can stop those weird machines with this." Lloyd said as he watched for the right moment. "I wonder what kind of technology they are using. I've never seen anything like this before. Just who are these Desian guys?"
Taking out a few guards and a few of the flying bots, he found a machine that sold healing items and a few other items, which was surprising. Continuing through, he came into a room with some large square object in the floor. Three spinning pillars were on the side of the wall just out of reach and a strange object was on the floor by him, which basically said, charge the pillars to move the square object so you can open doors.
"Whoa! The weird thing in the middle of the room spun around!" Lloyd exclaimed after he shot the top pillar. "And I think that weird button lit up too….and I can hear something moving from the door on the side of the button lit up….I think I should check this out."
He found nothing but an empty room, so he tired a couple other tries on the pillars, and after checking those rooms, he got a combo that lead to a message.
"Passage to the control room open." a voice said indicating the upper door.
Going through, he was spotted by some guards and ran before they could get to him, entering a room nearby quickly.
"Phew, that was close." Lloyd said tiredly.
"And just who the hell are you?" a man with blue hair, Yuan, with a regal sort of look and reddish black cape, said from behind him.
Yuan raised his hand and a glowing ball of what seemed to be electrical energy sprang forth pointed at him.
"Give me your name and I shall give you mine!" Lloyd said with a cocky attitude.
"You certainly have guts." Yuan said laughing, but not lowering his glowing hand. "But I'm afraid I don't see the need to introduce myself to a pitiful little creature like you."
"Well, what a coincidence. Cause I don't see a need to introduce myself either to a moron who doesn't realize how pathetic he is." Lloyd said.
"Why you little!" Yuan said in anger.
Lloyd put his hands up to block the attack, not seeing the man look at him in surprise and lower his hand.
"What? An Exsphere! Wait, you're Lloyd!" Yuan exclaimed.
"And if I am?" Lloyd asked lowering his arms.
"Hmm, interesting. I see the resemblance." Yuan said looking up as the alarms went off.
Lloyd pulled his swords as Yuan stepped back and then the two backed away from each other with Lloyd still ready to fight as Botta and two guards came in.
"Sir! The Chosen's group has infiltrated the facility! We've already lost over two dozen troops!" Botta exclaimed.
"You…" Lloyd said in anger as he pointed a blade. "You're that pathetic Desian that attacked Iselia!"
"Oh, so you are Lloyd! Now this is amusing!" Botta said.
"Botta! I'm leaving now. Our plans will be ruined if he sees me!" Yuan said.
"What of the Chosen and her group?" Botta asked.
"I'll leave that to you." Yuan said.
"Yes sir!" Botta said.
"Lloyd, the next time we meet, you're mine." Yuan said. "Just you wait."
"As if." Lloyd muttered.
Botta and the two guards started towards Lloyd when the door Botta came through opened.
"Lloyd! Are you okay?!" Genis exclaimed.
"Are you alright, are you hurt?" Colette asked with concern.
"Looks like we made it just in time." the General said.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You all came for me?" Lloyd asked.
"This is perfect timing! I'll take care of everyone…" Botta began as he pulled his weapon and barely blocked the General's swords.
The fighting took place quickly after, with the two guards going down rather quickly. Botta, after being ganged up on, lost his weapon when Lloyd caught his hand and then just managed to back up avoiding his death, but not injury as one of the General's blades caught his chest enough to cut his skin.
"Ugh!" Botta said clutching his chest. "I underestimated your abilities….."
Botta ran out of the room before they could do anything else and the group put their weapons away.
"Hey, isn't this a…" Raine said picking up the large sword.
"Professor!" Lloyd exclaimed.
"Ah Lloyd, Genis told us what happened." Raine said.
"That was stupid, but, I wouldn't have been able to stand back and let them attack an old lady like that either." the General said. "Once we saved the world, then we can go back and fix things and deal with anything else there that we need to."
"Reminiscing and idle chit chat aren't something we should do right now. We need to get out of here while we can." Kratos said.
"Until that last guy, there hasn't been a challenge since we got here." the General said.
"Yeah. Those weird flying machines were the only thing that was actually dangerous." Lloyd said.
"Automated robots. And these are just the small ones." the General muttered.
"You know what they are?" Raine asked surprised.
"Um….yeah, I do." the General said confused. "I know how they work, to a point and that they are computer controlled. But I don't know how I know. Must be something from my past I remember, but not enough to know how I know."
"Maybe you're getting your memory back, though slowly." Raine said ignoring Kratos who seemed between amazement and impatient as he rolled his eyes once.
"Maybe. Anyway, we shouldn't let our guard down, but I don't think we need to be ready for something we can't defeat. Hell, unless they control one of the those damned giant sandworms, even though that was an abnormal one, we shouldn't have anything to really worry about." the General said shrugging.
"What do you mean by giant sandworm?" Kratos asked. "Those sort of monsters are rare and extremely dangerous. I seriously doubt the Desians could even control one just born."
"There was one some two years back that attacked Triet. I along with less than a dozen, or was it a dozen…we'll just say a dozen men attacked it when it got to close to town. I put the final blow on it, but unfortunately was the only one that survived the encounter. Took a week or so to recover, but I lived." the General said seeing a reaction on Kratos he didn't expect. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…" Kratos said coughing into his hand. "I just never expected to meet the man who survived. I only heard rumors. Anyway, we need to move even if these Desians are weak."
"I opened the escape route before I got in here. Let's go before they try to close it." Raine said.
Once outside, Lloyd was not only happy to be out of the place, but also happy to find Noishe and find out that his pet helped get help to get Lloyd out of the base.
"Hey, I have a question. This crystalline object attached to this weapon…" Raine said still holding Botta's sword. "Is this one of the Exsphere's that Genis spoke of?"
"It would seem so." Kratos said.
"Oh yeah, you use an Exsphere too." Lloyd said.
"So you noticed." Kratos said.
"Well duh. I've noticed since you showed up back at the temple." Lloyd said sarcastically.
"What are they exactly?" Raine asked.
"It will take some time to explain. We can talk about it when we reach Triet." Kratos said.
Once back at Triet, they were all rather tired and it being near night anyway, went to the Inn to rest. They took a couple of the rooms for the night and were all currently in the bottom room talking.
"So, these Exsphere's are basically amplifiers that awaken our dormant capabilities." Raine said nodding mostly to herself. "Oh, I wonder if I could use one too?!"
"That would be difficult." Kratos said. "Exsphere's are harmful to anyone that doesn't have a Key Crest."
"Um, can't we just make a Key Crest?" Colette asked.
"As I have said before, a Key Crest is made by processing inhibitor ore." Kratos said leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Then engraving it with a crest to control the Exsphere attached to its surface. It is said that only dwarves know the secret art to making them."
"Yeah, I engraved that charm….er, crest, but only my dad can process the ore." Lloyd said.
"Is there any inhibitor ore among these materials?" Raine asked opening a sack with items she found on the trip.
"Raine! Did you bring these from our house?!" Genis asked.
"Of course! They're valuable research materials." Raine said glaring at him. "This is a holy vase from the Balacruf Mausoleum. This is a jeweled sword from the Martel Temple. This one is a priest crown from the Asguard ruins. And this yellow ore is from the Hima mines…."
"And this blue crystal here is a present from me just over a year ago to you. But I don't recall seeing this when I helped you get things from the house Raine." the General said picking up a small glowing red orb.
"I was wondering where that crystal went. I thought I lost it." Raine said putting it in one of her inner pockets.
"This is all jun…" Lloyd began when the General put his hand over the boys mouth and whispered in his ear.
"What were you saying Lloyd?" Raine asked as she started to turn.
"That it is all interesting stuff, but has no use in our journey." Lloyd said with a sweet smile of innocence.
"Though we are saving the world, that doesn't excuse you, Genis or Colette from continuing school." Raine said crossing her arms.
"Ah man! Why didn't you tell me of your idea?!" Lloyd exclaimed to the General.
"Other than the fact it is a good idea, it is better to teach you along the way of what is happening and what we see so when we do return back to school, you'll remember things better, or so we hope." the General said. "Besides, I'm learning right along with you. So, Raine, what is this?"
"Oh, that I found in front of the human ranch when we let." Raine said. "I saw it was engraved with the angelic language so I couldn't leave it behind."
"Good find." the General said looking it over with a concentrated look on his face. "I have no idea what it is, but something tells me I've seen it before and that it is important."
"I think you would remember seeing an angel." Raine said.
"That is a Key Crest!" Lloyd stated as he pulled the General's hand down to his level.
"Hmm, the crest is half worn off." Kratos said as he plucked it from the General's hand and looked at it. "It is unfortunately useless like this."
"Here Lloyd, you should be able to fix this." the General said as it was given back. "Then Raine can use that Exsphere she so much wants to try."
"I'm surprised that you don't have one General with everything you can do." Lloyd said seeing Raine's eyes light up at the thought of getting her own. "I wonder what would happen if you did have one."
"I've wondered myself. I just wish I had my memories back." the General said sitting down on a bed.
"Wait, even though this is faded." Lloyd said. "I can see enough here to see it reminds me of something I have seen before. Or at least the lettering."
"Let me see." Genis said as Lloyd gave it over. "You're right! But I can't recall…."
"What do you mean?" Raine asked looking at it next. "It does seem very familiar."
"Can I look?" Colette asked as it was handed over. "General, I think this letter is one on that jewel of yours."
"That's right!" Lloyd and Genis exclaimed as they realized it.
"It is?" the General asked as it was gave back and he looked at one of the readable letters.
The jewel glowed for a brief moment, so brief if you didn't see it happen, you wouldn't have even noticed. None of them heard Kratos gasp when the General looked at the stone seeing a few letters in a language he didn't know running across the bottom of the metal.
"Sorry to say, mostly to myself, I still have no idea what it says." the General said with a defeated sigh.
"It will come to you one day General." Raine said putting a hand on his shoulder. "If anything, during this journey, we should come across someone who will recognize you."
"I hope." the General said with another sigh.
"May I ask where you got that?" Kratos asked.
"It was passed from my grandmother to my mother who gave it to me. I don't know how I remember that and little else about my past. I also know that the jewel is suppose to be very important and apparently, along with the Mithril metal the chain is made from, elves were behind its creation. Or something like that. I think angels were involved in its creation too. Dirk knew more about it than I did and I've since forgotten the conversation." the General said.
"It looks very familiar. May I see it?" Kratos asked.
"No. Not only for the fact I don't really trust you, but I can't take it off either." the General said putting it back in his shirt.
"You should have seen how fascinated Raine was when she saw it. And the fact it wouldn't come off even when she tried to pull it over his head." Genis said.
"It must be the Osterhagen Jewel then." Kratos muttered.
"That name sounds familiar. What is it?" the General asked.
Kratos seemed to be thinking, which made the General glare at the man so much Kratos looked away when he finally spoke.
"It is a jewel, supposedly of immense power, or so it was claimed to be. It belonged to a elven woman that was created by the elves, and also as the story goes, created by angels too. But it was lost over two hundred years ago. I find it very strange, if it is the Osterhagen Jewel, that a human would have it." Kratos said turning back at the last part of his sentence.
"Well, if we come across any elves, I'll ask them about it." the General said.
"We could ask my father when we see him again at the next seal." Colette said.
"That would be the perfect time." Raine said with excitement. "I can't wait to hear more about his precious and apparently rare jewel!"
"And there she goes again." Genis muttered, thankfully not loud enough that Raine heard.
"Genis, you're sister takes archeology with the same interest as you do in learning and cooking, and as Lloyd takes in his sword skills." the General said. "Try to be more sympathetic."
"What did you say?" Raine asked looking at Genis with a glare.
"He didn't say anything. He just sighed like he did that time when we were allowed to all go look at the temple as a school field trip, but not go near it." the General said, giving Genis a look to keep quiet as his butt was covered. "While I thought it interesting to see you get excited, he also sighed at that time. Now stop glaring at him and think of tomorrow and having your chance to see what happens with you and your skills when you use that Exsphere."
Genis breathed a sigh of relief as Raine got excited at the thought of tomorrow and forgot about him.
"I can fix this within a few minutes and then we can set it on the Exsphere tomorrow." Lloyd said.
"Thank you Lloyd! I'll give you and the others the day off from doing school tomorrow for this, but no longer." Raine said seeing Lloyd look happy, at least for that moment.
Lloyd and Kratos were in the same room, while the others were sleeping upstairs. Though they didn't tell the others, Raine and Genis allowed the General to stay in their room since the General kept getting a real bad vibe off Kratos and would rather sleep outside than in the same room with the man. Plus, Kratos kept looking at him on and off and had been since they left Iselia and was doing more so now than before, which Raine had noticed when they had dinner before splitting up for the night.
"Ah, it is finally finished." Lloyd said getting up from the table in the room. "Took less time than I thought."
Kratos was lying on the bed with his eyes closed and sat up as Lloyd stood.
"You're giving it to her now?" Kratos asked.
"Yeah. It will make her happy and maybe I can get her to give us more time off from school." Lloyd said knowing it wouldn't work. "I want to go talk to Colette anyway."
He headed up stairs and walked up to the room, hearing the General and the two talking. Seeing as the conversation seemed important, he went to Colette first and walked in finding her laying on the bed.
"Are you asleep Colette?" Lloyd asked.
"Lloyd. Can't sleep?" Colette asked sitting up.
"No, I just came to see you before I gave this to Raine." Lloyd said.
"Oh." Colette said seeing the fixed Key Crest in his hand. "I'm sorry that father, grandmother and I couldn't prevent your exile."
"It's not your problem so you don't need to be worrying about it." Lloyd said. "Besides, the General has had an idea going he wants to do if Raine will join him, that he's been thinking about for over a year now. At least since that time that group of jerks came in and found out Raine and Genis were half-elves."
"I'm glad that didn't escalate into a fight. The mayor was able to get those people to leave town before trouble started. What is this plan the General has?" Colette asked intrigued.
"I actually promised not to talk about it." Lloyd said nervously. "Raine and Genis don't even know about it and I only know because he had me come along to help look around outside of town with him. I promise to tell you about it later when I know more of what he is planning, okay?"
"Okay." Colette said with a smile. "I trust you and won't say a word."
"Thanks Colette. I'll see you in the morning. Good night Colette." Lloyd said.
"Goodnight Lloyd!" Colette said smiling again as he did the same and walked out.
He knocked on the door and then went in after they asked who it was.
"If Kratos ask, you don't know where I am and last saw me go outside." the General said.
"Um, sure." Lloyd said a bit confused. "Here Professor, I got it finished. But wait till tomorrow before you do anything."
"Yes Lloyd, I already know that. Even with the excitement of trying it out, it is still something new and seeing as I am the one trying it, I'd prefer to do it with others around and awake in case something goes wrong." Raine said from where she was sitting at a table with the General in a chair beside her.
"Not surprised Genis is asleep already." Lloyd said seeing his friend on the bed. "What are you two doing up still?"
"We've been organizing the data we have collected about the different monsters we've came across. I've been a few more places so I'm helping her put it together more." the General said. "We need to have this in order to know what we'll be fighting as to their weaknesses and strengths in case we find more powerful versions of them later."
"Good point. Genis tried that once with a monster we knew was very resistant to fire, but eventually died after several blast of his fireball attack. I didn't understand at first why he did it, but he said it was for his own personal research." Lloyd said with a shrug.
"I know there is a monster, maybe more than one, that is very resilient to physical attacks." the General said. "I don't remember what it was or where, I just had a vague recollection of fighting something where my swords didn't do a lot like it did to other monsters."
"I sincerely hope we find that one!" Raine said a bit excited, but keeping her voice down.
"You're not going to talk to me and Genis tomorrow about staying here or going back to my house to wait till you all return are you?" Lloyd asked.
"I won't deny that I want you to both do that, but I know you both will just follow along anyway no matter what I say. And the General is right, we will need your help along with Genis's. As soon as this Kratos guy is tired of staying with us or quits for whatever reason, we'll need more than just the General to help get through this." Raine said.
"Colette will be better and less nervous if she has people she knows and more importantly, trust." the General said.
"Oh, here's the Exsphere with the Key Crest I finished. Genis can show you how to use it tomorrow." Lloyd said handing it over finally. "I'm sorry about Genis too."
"What for?" Raine asked confused.
"Him being dragged into all of this. Me being exiled and all the trouble that happened was because I tried to save someone from the ranch without thinking things through." Lloyd said.
"I wouldn't have sat back and watched that happen." the General said. "I told you that earlier."
"Yeah, you did." Lloyd said remembering.
"Do you regret what you have done?" Raine asked.
"I don't know. Like you said General, I couldn't even let someone suffering so bad be ignored when I knew I could do something." Lloyd said.
"What you did was right and morally correct." Raine said. "But you broke the law which was wrong. You can't go back and change what has happened and if you could, I sincerely doubt you would stand back and let her suffer instead of doing what you did."
"He always has snored rather loudly." Lloyd said standing by the end of the bed.
"Lloyd…" Genis said in his sleep.
"No, he's still asleep." Raine said as Lloyd jerked back and turned to them.
"I heard him talk in his sleep before when we went camping out a few times." the General said. "I don't know what he ever said because I didn't pay attention."
"I've heard him a few times too." Raine said. "I've learned to ignore it."
"Lloyd, we're best friends….forever.." Genis muttered before turning over in his sleep.
"He is really attached to you Lloyd. The first real friend he has ever really trusted." Raine said.
"I know he not telling me something about his past and I can only guess at what it probably is. Especially with what you just said Professor. But I'll wait till he feels ready to tell me." Lloyd said.
"Good night Lloyd." the two said as he said the same.
"Raine, you have to wait till tomorrow." the General said putting his hand over hers that held the Exsphere as she was staring at it intently.
"But it is such and interesting and marvelous object…" Raine began with sparkling eyes.
"Go to bed Raine. It will be there in the morning and I'll make sure no one touches or takes it." the General said.
Lloyd left and saw Kratos go outside. Interested in seeing what the man was doing, he walked out and found him over by Noishe. As he walked up slowly, Kratos pulled his sword and spun around with it. Lloyd saw it and almost managed to duck out of the way as he brought his sword up to block the attack in defense, thanking the General for all the lessons, only to fall back as Kratos sword hit his hard enough to knock him down and the sword from his hand.
"Whoa! What are you doing?!" Lloyd exclaimed.
"Lloyd. Sorry to have startled you." Kratos said putting his sword away as Lloyd got up, got his sword back and put it away.
"Startled isn't the word I'd use." Lloyd said shaking his hand that lost the sword.
"You best not stand behind me, nor sneak up like you did." Kratos said.
"I wasn't trying to sneak up in the first place." Lloyd said as Kratos turned back to Noishe. "Do you like animals?"
"Why?" Kratos asked.
"Cause it is the only reason I can see why'd you be over here." Lloyd said.
"No, not particularly." Kratos said with a shrug.
"Hmm. Noishe seems to be quite comfortable with you. He was the same with the General too when they first met. He usually doesn't like strangers and runs away or, on rare occasions, growls at them." Lloyd said.
"I once had a pet, long ago." Kratos said.
"Really? What was it?" Lloyd asked as Kratos shrugged and turned to him.
"Lloyd…." Kratos said.
"What are you staring at me for?" Lloyd asked nervously.
"Your swordsmanship is a bit unrefined. I am impressed that you tried to block my swing, but the fact you lost your sword and fell would have meant your death if I was really attacking you." Kratos stated. "You need better focus and balance to eliminate your vulnerabilities."
Lloyd mocked the man behind his back, repeating his words quietly after watching Kratos walked off and back into the Inn.
"Just because he's a little better than me, he has to talk like he knows everything!" Lloyd growled. "Well, a lot better than me. But not better than the General I think."
"Why am I not surprised." the General muttered the next morning when he saw they were all there but one person.
"Lloyd always oversleeps." Genis said with a shrug. "You want me to wake him?"
"Nah, I'll go do it." the General said as they went outside to wait so they could all go eat before leaving.
Lloyd was sprawled out in the bed, snoring lightly with his swords and clothes piled on the floor near the bed.
"After all this time, you think Colette would have finally taught you how to at least pile them in a nice way than tossing them into what looks like a mess." the General said picking the pile up and dropping it on Lloyd, minus the swords.
"Ow! What the hell?!" Lloyd yelled tossing stuff aside in surprise.
"Get up already. The day is wasting and we need to eat, get a few supplies and head out. The world isn't going to save itself." the General said as he headed for the door and walked out.
"I hate when he does that. I should be used to it by now." Lloyd grumbled as he got dressed.
He found them standing near the Inn waiting as the General basically said.
"We can head out and release the next seal once he have eaten and gotten what supplies we need." Kratos said.
"I'll do my best as always!" Colette said.
"The seal Remiel spoke of is in the Triet Ruins southwest of here." Raine said. "If we are fortunate, we should arrive there by midday or just a little later."
"Cool, let's go check out that seal then!" Lloyd said.
"Eat first then we go." the General said. "Come on Genis, I'll help you get whatever we can at that place up there by the water while the others find what supplies we need."
"Lloyd, you will need to have this." Raine said giving him a small book.
"What is this?" Lloyd asked. "I thought you were giving us the day off from school today?"
"That is that monster guide the General and I made." Raine said bopping him on the head lightly. "You will need it to help protect Colette. With each new enemy, you'll need to write down what their weaknesses are and strengths to ensure any fights we have later with them don't end up with us more injured than they are."
"Wait, I'm going to be writing it down now?" Lloyd asked.
"We'll be helping too. Just think of it as ongoing homework that you need to concentrate on to keep Colette safe." Raine said.
The others got what they needed and came to find what was keeping the General and Genis from getting back to them already, finding them talking about different things they could cook or make with the ingredients the vendor was selling. After a bit of talking with the group, they decided on what they wanted and started off. A lady by the oasis caught Raine's attention and they went to ask her something as Raine did earlier yesterday.
"Excuse me, can you tell me the legend about the world regeneration in this area?" Colette asked the lady near the oasis beside a dog that Colette named Cammie, apparently because of the cute tail.
"Certainly! It is said that the Chosen of Regeneration once visited Triet and carried out the ritual. In doing so, the mana of fire was released along with the summon spirit, and the oasis evaporated." the lady said.
"Until the last regeneration, Triet was an oasis southwest of here." Raine said. "Now the remains of that city are buried in sand."
"And that is where we need to go." the General said.
"Yeah, and that place was destroyed by Efreet's hellfire attack." Genis said.
"What are you all talking about?" Lloyd asked.
"Oh god." the General muttered. "We went over this the other day Lloyd."
"Yeah Lloyd. It was three days ago that Raine and the rest of the class talked about this. The city was almost annihilated by the summon spirit Efreet when he went berserk!" Genis said.
"Oh, yeah. I knew that. I just, forgot a little." Lloyd said not hearing the General muttered about how that was his excuse a lot, to which Raine agreed with a sigh. "Anyway, let's hurry up and go."
"Hmm, you're not very good at studying are you Lloyd?" Kratos asked.
"Oh shut up and leave me alone." Lloyd said.
Once they got fed and grabbed a few things they needed, they started out. Or at least tried as Genis, Lloyd and Colette were trying to get Noishe to get out of the stall and follow as the other three stood by the gate out and watched.
"Other than the Chosen, our group doesn't look like a bunch that are going out to save the world." Kratos said.
"You still don't trust Lloyd and Genis?" Raine asked.
"They are much to young to bear the burden of saving the world." Kratos said.
"They are at least trying better than some adults who probably would run away in fear." the General said. "The fact those two didn't back down when we were doing everything back at the temple where this all started shows they want to and will go through with this without crying as most kids would. Unfortunately, Lloyd's best skills are in fighting and using his swords, and his brain goes wherever when at school."
"I may be just an elf, but I am a school teacher…" Raine said.
"And a archeologist." the General said.
"That too, but the point is, I'm not a fighter like they are, even though I do know how to defend myself." Raine said. "And you are a mercenary who just fights for money. I don't think that we are all that fit for helping save the world any more than they are, wouldn't you agree?"
"Hmm, indeed." Kratos said.
"Actually, I think we are perfect for the job. With what I have learned about the other Chosen's, they had more or less people with them to protect them and that made them stand out. Us, we don't really look anything like that in a lot of ways, and Colette doesn't seem to look like Chosen material. If I didn't know her, I'd say I'm looking at a young lady who's enjoying being with her friends." the General said.
"You were surprised when you found out who she was, remember?" Raine asked.
"Surprised was an understatement." the General muttered. "Anyway, we almost look like a family in many ways. Except for the different hair colors, we could still pass off that we are a family just traveling around."
"But we have to tell the people we come across who we are so that they can help us pray for a safe journey for Colette." Raine said.
"I don't know what it is, but to this day, something keeps telling me that this journey isn't right. Something is all wrong with this and not knowing why I have this feeling is driving me crazy." the General said seeing Raine sigh.
"If you are having doubts, then your ability to protect the Chosen will be compromised. In which case you should leave…" Kratos began only to stop as the General pushed him back into the wall.
"Despite what these feelings I have are, I will not abandon Colette, or my friends. Colette already knows I have mixed feelings, but that isn't going to make me not protect her no matter what happens." the General stated with venom in his voice. "And for your sake, I hope you are just some guy in it for the money."
"General…" Raine said with a groan.
"No, I'm telling him this. I don't particularly like you Kratos. I can't explain it, but I don't trust you. And the moment you do something that does something that harms any of us or you betray our trust, I will put you down." the General growled in his face.
"Is everything okay?" Lloyd asked as they walked up with a reluctant Noishe.
"Yeah, just fine." the General said as he moved away. "Just a disagreement over something. Let's go before it gets any hotter."
They got out of the town with no trouble and set out while trying to ignore the heat and sand blowing around.
"Hmmm." Raine said while thinking with a frown after they had been walking for about half an hour.
"What's wrong Professor?" Lloyd asked. "You look troubled."
"I'm questioning why a lot of researchers mix pure science and magi-technology." Raine said.
"Huh?" Lloyd asked confused.
"The power of mana abilities. It is the root of magi-technology, but it has never been proven by science, but still they…" Raine said.
"Professor?" Lloyd asked.
"Yes Lloyd?" Raine asked.
"Are you going to question why you are talking to someone who has no idea what you are talking about?" Lloyd asked.
"Lloyd." Raine said.
"Um…yeah?" Lloyd asked in hopes that he didn't get a lecture.
"That is a good question." Raine said. "I am basically straitening out my thoughts by talking to someone."
"So you're just going to keep on talking aren't you Professor." Lloyd said with a sigh. "Why don't you just talk to the General? He will understand you better."
"He would, but he's talking to Colette right now and you're here with…" Raine began only to look and see Lloyd was missing and the General was walking back towards her.
"Something wrong? Lloyd said…." the General began as she sighed and then told him what she was doing since getting Lloyd back would actually only make her thinking worse.
Though they saw the ruins in the distance, they were still pretty far away and Lloyd grumbled about it.
"I am seriously tired of this desert." Lloyd said with a sigh. "Just getting to Triet the first time was bad enough, and then getting caught and leaving that base only to walk back to town again and now leave, ugh."
"Well, go you want to go back to the village, or in your case, your house or perhaps Triet?" Kratos asked.
"No!" Lloyd exclaimed.
"Then stop talking like you are on a vacation." Kratos stated. "There is much more intense and dangerous trials ahead worse than this heat, so get used to it."
"Whatever." Lloyd grumbled as they continued on.
Colette laughed at something while Genis and Lloyd were talking to her as the others were watching for any monsters or making small talk amongst themselves.
"You seem rather happy Colette." Lloyd said as she giggled.
"Yeah! It might seem inconsiderate, but I'm having a lot of fun and really happy right now." Colette said.
"That's a good thing Colette." Genis said.
"Why are you so happy anyway?" Lloyd asked.
"I've made a lot of friends." Colette said with a big smile. "You were my only friend for awhile Lloyd. And then Raine and Genis showed up along with the rest of the kids in the village and the General later."
"Yeah, we did stick out like a sore thumb." Lloyd said recalling the two of them together back many years ago.
"No, I was the only one that stuck out." Colette said. "You were just nice and always kept me company. That is why are you my favorite person in Iselia Lloyd."
"Oh, um….thanks." Lloyd said embarrassed as Genis saw his friends face redden and laughed.
They got attacked by several sidewinders that were hiding out along with a few scorpions that joined in during the fight with the snakes. Colette, Lloyd and Genis, along with Kratos all got bit with Lloyd getting bit twice and stung once. Since they didn't have all the supplies needed to get rid of the poisons, they had to return back to Triet to buy more of the panacea bottles to replace what they used. Lloyd and Kratos were the worst off of the group attacked but thankfully not anywhere near dying when they returned and got them healed. Since it was well past noon now and the group was tired, they stayed the night again and were planning to leave early the next morning to hopefully get to the ruins before noon. That night, while they were all sleeping, someone other than the group came into Lloyds room.
"Whoa! Who's there?!" Lloyd exclaimed loudly as he got up and grabbed his swords in the dark. "What was that?!"
The group came in as the lights were lit showing Lloyd looking ready for a fight near his bed with swords ready.
"What's wrong?" Kratos asked.
"Some weird guy came in here." Lloyd said lowering his swords.
"Are you hurt?" Colette asked.
"Nah, I'm fine." Lloyd said.
"It might have been a Desian. Everyone will have to be extra careful from now on." Raine said.
"Maybe you just had a bad dream." Kratos said.
"No, this was very real. I know the difference between my dreams and what is not." Lloyd said.
"Maybe it was someone you made mad at some point." Genis said. "You always have someone after you."
"What, so this is my fault?" Lloyd asked.
"No, I doubt it is your fault." the General said. "Everyone in this town knows who we are and that we are with Colette to help her with saving the world. It's no surprise that people are out to make sure that doesn't happen."
"True." Raine said rubbing her chin in thought. "The fact one of us was attacked during the night makes sense that they'd want to get at us when we are more vulnerable and off guard."
"Yeah. More than likely we are being watched even now. The Professor and Colette are in more danger than the rest of us." Lloyd said.
"I think we need to change how we all sleep and stay together. Colette is in a room all by herself and for whatever reason, you were alone when whoever it was came into this room." the General said.
"Yeah, I was." Lloyd said. "Where were you Kratos?"
"I was outside using the bathroom and then talking to the night guard." Kratos said. "I did see someone enter the Inn, but did not think much beyond what their intention might be."
"I will go sleep in the room with Colette. Lloyd, you and the General can stay in the room next to us upstairs with Genis. In anything does happen, any of you three will hear it and can come to our aid. And vise versa." Raine said.
"I will stay here and be able to block the entrance out if they attack upstairs and then try to run away." Kratos said.
All of them thinking the idea were good, they helped move Lloyd and Raine's stuff and then went to bed for the night.
The next morning they set out early with Lloyd not complaining for once and glad it wasn't so hot when they left and started getting hot by the time they got to the ruins.
"Say Colette…" Genis said.
"Uh-huh?" Colette asked.
"How did you make that hole in the wall in Triet?" Genis asked.
"Um, well, see, what happened was fans of the Professors were chasing her around, see?" Colette said.
"And?" Genis asked.
"Then, the General chased them away from her." Colette said.
"Uh-huh, and?" Genis asked.
"I tripped and smashed into the wall." Colette said.
"I'm extremely surprised she didn't even hurt herself." the General said.
"Sounds like you had a rough time." Lloyd said.
"He, he, he. Don't worry though, I was and am fine!" Colette said.
"I'm so glad we got here now. It's starting to get hot and I'd rather be inside instead of out here." Lloyd said as the got there.
"Lloyd, it is only going to get hotter probably." the General said. "This is the temple with the Seal of Fire, remember?"
"I'm glad someone paid attention to the lessons." Raine said with a smile as Lloyd groaned.
"I am sick of this desert and heat." Lloyd said.
Noishe whined rather loudly and backed up before running behind the group.
"What's wrong Noishe?" Lloyd asked as his pet ran.
"Everyone on guard! There is enemies coming!" Kratos said pulling his sword.
Mostly because of Genis were two fire elementals taken out since the rest of the group managed to keep the two enemies busy and not be able to use their mana attacks on them.
"This is going to be a nuisance." Kratos said.
"Then take your pay and leave." the General muttered.
"Where did Noishe go?" Raine asked.
"I should have realized it even after these two years being with Lloyd." the General said smacking himself in the forehead. "Noishe always runs off if there is monsters around."
"Yeah, and he whines about it to." Genis said.
"Some dog." Lloyd muttered. "He has never once been there to try and help or protect me."
"I don't think he is a dog. For one thing, dog's do not get that big." the General said.
"Yeah, yeah. You've said that since the day I showed him to you." Lloyd said.
"You can remember that, and even I was there, yet you can hardly remember the assignment we had the day before in school half the time." Genis said with a shake of his head.
"Shut up!" Lloyd said.
"I guess the best thing we can count on with Noishe is if he whines and runs off, that means monsters are around." the General said.
"In that case, he will make a good alarm detector of sorts." Kratos said.
"I guess he is useful in that regard." Lloyd said with a shrug.
"Wow, this place has seen much better days." the General said as they walked up onto a large stone platform that had a raised tablet on it.
Around them was crumbling walls and other buried sections of the former temple that time and sand had slowly broke down and buried since Efreet's rage way back when.
"There must be some way in." Genis said.
"I think down." the General said pointing.
"It would make sense." Raine said seeing what looked like a passage down in the large stone platform they were on. "But a stone cover is in the way. And there is some very interesting writing on it!"
"Say, is this the seal? It has my family crest on it…." Colette said pointing at the raised stone tablet as Raine was reading the words on the stone cover.
"Fantastic!" Raine exclaimed as she ran her hand over the stone. "Look at this slab covering! It has to be the entrance to get further below! It's is clearly a much different composition that the surrounding stone!"
The others looked at each other, except the General who was kneeling beside her as he watched her in her element.
"Ah!" Raine said with a laugh of excitement. "This is just as I thought!"
"What to tell us what it is?" the General asked.
"This is polycarbonate! A material developed during the Ancient War to defend against mana attacks!" Raine said.
"That would explain why everything else is crumbling from Efreet's attack all those years ago while this looks as new as the day it was made." the General said.
"Yes! The surface is so smooth there isn't a scratch or blemish at all on it, even after all this time!" Raine said rubbing her hand across it. "It's so incredible!"
"I bet the inside looks even better." the General said.
"I can't wait to see!" Raine said.
"Raine…" the General said as she kept looking.
"What?" Raine said as she ran her hand over the words.
"If this is the entrance, which it has to be, then we can't open it until you get off it. Unless you want to fall in…" the General said trailing off.
"Oh, yes. Let's get inside then." Raine said as the General helped her to her feet.
"How do we get in anyway?" Lloyd asked.
"Is she always like this?" Kratos asked as Raine moved over to look at the tablet and ignored the others.
"Yeah, she is." Lloyd said.
"She's a archeological maniac." Genis said with a sigh.
"Interesting. This depression here reads, Oracle Stone." Raine said pointing at the tablet.
"Well, since Colette talked to the Oracle, that means she must be the one to open it." the General said.
"Yes, that would be the case. Only the Chosen can open them in order to ensure no others can get inside and do anything to keep the Chosen from completing their journey from releasing the Seals." Raine said. "The stone is enchanted with mana designed to identify the Chosen and only the Chosen."
"Though once it is open, by the Chosen, a group can rush in and attack afterward, but since the first temple had monsters in it, this one and all the others we go to later will have them too." the General said.
"Yes. I was told the trip through the temples would be trials." Colette said and then smiled. "I'm just glad I have people I love and trust with me."
"Colette, please put your hand on this. It should open the entrance for us then." Raine said.
"Yes Professor." Colette said.
Once she put her hand on it, the stone tablet covering the hole moved away showing stairs leading down.
"Wow, it did open! I guess I really am the Chosen after all!" Colette said amazed.
"Princess, how could you even doubt that?" the General asked.
"Yeah, that angel guy did talk and give you some power or something." Lloyd said. "It certainly wasn't any of us."
"I know, I'm just surprised." Colette said with a smile.
"Things are getting exciting again! Let's hurry up and go inside!" Lloyd said.
"I hope you'll be able to maintain that enthusiasm." Kratos said with a sigh.
Inside it was hot, but not as much as outside. And the interior was in much better condition than outside. Further, it was no surprise that there was monsters moving around either. After taking out a few fire birds and a fire elemental, they came at a crossroads.
"Hmm, a way left and right and forward." Kratos said.
"I say forward." the General said.
"Why that way?" Lloyd asked.
"It is right in front of us and we can back out once we look around inside." the General said.
They were amazed and yet not surprised, other than Lloyd, at the heat for the most part from the lava that was on the lower floor that surrounded the mass maze of raised and lowered platforms and walkways going around the room. The monsters were few and far between making it look rather easy to get around once they were taken out.
"I see a few treasure chest here and there." the General said.
"This place hasn't been opened in a very long time so nothing has been disturbed or removed." Raine said and then smiled with excitement. "We are so lucky! We're the first to be in here in who knows how long!"
"I see a doorway out of here to the south." the General said.
"I think there is one up here to." Kratos said looking northward.
"Hmm, if I am right, then those other two directions lead to the doorways you two see. From here, we can't get to the other platforms and walkways." Raine said.
"We could move on to this one leading up, but there is a drop off unto a platform below." Genis said.
"Hmm, there is two stone blocks here." Lloyd said pushing on one nearby that moved somewhat. "Maybe we can use them. It's not really heavy."
The group moved one of the blocks around and forward, dropping it on the platform below giving them partial access to the walkways leading up.
"I think the other one is needed, not only for safety, but also to possible light that torch." the General said.
"Light what torch?" Lloyd asked.
"That one. I can see another torch in a recess in the wall that isn't lit." the General said.
"Interesting. It would seem that this place is much like the first temple and those rock golems you all encountered. Instead of rocks to drop to make a path, I think lighting these torches will be the same as activating a switch that will cause something else in this place to move." Raine said.
"It would make sense." Kratos said. "I have encountered something very similar before in my travels."
"I may have." the General said thinking, only to shake his head the next second. "I can't recall, but I swear I did something like this before, or had to do something like this. Ugh! I hate not remembering things when they seem so familiar!"
"Let's worry about it later General." Raine said touching his shoulder. "As much as I would like you to know who you were and you to know as well, we need to be on our guard."
"Yeah, I know." the General said. "Let's move the other block and check the other routes before we trigger any switches, just in case."
A good hour later, a few trial and errors with the torches to get to the various chest, one of which was new armor and weapons, and a 1000 gald, they finally got to one of the small glowing platforms that lead to a higher chamber like the one in the first temple did to see Remiel. Sitting down to take a couple minute break, they ate a bit, healed up with what they needed since Raine was getting much better at it now that she was practicing it more, and then headed up. It wasn't to surprised to find the room wasn't that much different from the first temple, but also enough to notice as well.
"This place is also built with magi-technology! Absolutely fantastic!" Raine exclaimed.
"Raine, the temple will still be here for you to look at, but if you look now, you won't see this Remiel guy and all that happens with Colette." the General said pushing on her back lightly.
"Oh yes! I can't miss that!" Raine said following the others.
The platform glowed reddish and small balls of energy flew out of it going straight up.
"Ahh! What the?!" Genis exclaimed.
"From the story I got from what happened at the first temple, this was not part of what happened." the General said.
"No, it wasn't." Lloyd said.
The platform stopped as the room shook and then a massive burst of red energy blasted out of it and once it settled, three large monsters, two of which were the same, were there now and ready to attack them.
"You know, this just got difficult." the General muttered.
The fight was tedious, them getting burned quite a bit by the fire attacks, but nothing extremely serious. All of them were knocked around, not surprisingly since the creatures were fast and so big they were hard to avoid. Once they were put down, they sat down as gels were used and Raine did what she could.
"You know….I didn't expect that. And I hate to say it, but I doubt the next seal will not have something also protecting it either." the General said sitting against one of the scratched pillars.
"More than likely, each monster protecting these seals will correspond with the seal it is protecting, elementally." Kratos said as he held his injured but still working arm.
"Great." Lloyd groaned. "At least we'll know what its weakness will be ahead of time once we get there."
"Yeah. My Aqua attack didn't hurt them a whole lot, but it was enough to distract them so you guys could attack without being slammed aside or blocked." Genis said.
"I think Remiel is coming." Colette said.
The others got up and came towards the platform Colette was at as it let off steam and then some object drew out of the platform like a glass cage. For a moment, some creature seemed to be inside but it faded away into a glowing ball of light that stayed even after the glass like cage dropped back into the platform.
"You, Chosen of Regeneration. Offer your prayers at the alter." a voice said from the glowing ball apparently.
"Yes, my lord." Colette said as she walked forward. "Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength!"
The ball disappeared and then the ceiling glowed as Remiel appeared.
"Colette, my dear daughter, you have done well." Remiel said.
"Thank you…Fa…ther." Colette said.
"The guardian of the seal has fallen and the first seal has been released. Efreet shall awaken soon." Remiel said. "In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels."
"Thank you, my lord." Colette said.
A couple balls of light came down around her and suddenly Colette had visible but transparent wings on her back that lifted her a couple feet in the air.
"The angel transformation will not be without pain. Yet, it is but for one night. Be strong and endure." Remiel said.
"I humbly accept this trial." Colette said.
"The next seal lies for to the east, across the sea." Remiel said as the General noticed Raine's eyes widen and she shuddered a moment. "Offer your prayers at that altar."
"Yes Lord Remiel." Colette said.
A light engulfed Remiel and he faded away.
"I shall await you at the next seal, the Chosen of Regeneration, my beloved daughter, Colette." Remiel's voice said.
"Colette….has wings!" Lloyd said in amazement.
"That's….pretty cool." the General said. "But at what price…."
"What was that General?" Raine asked.
"What? Oh, nothing. I was thinking…." the General said unsure as Colette turned around.
"You like them Lloyd?" Colette asked as Lloyd nodded. "I can put them away too."
"Oh wow! That is so cool!" Genis exclaimed as they vanished.
"Here, look!" Colette said with a smile as she brought them back and flapped them a lot.
"Alright!" Lloyd said as Genis was still impressed with Colette and her wings. "He said the next seal is in some place across the sea! That means we have to go by ship! I can't wait!"
"A ship, hmm." Raine muttered. "I wonder if there is any ships sailing with the way things are right now."
"We should head to the coast to see what we can find." Kratos said.
"Colette, as fun as that looks, you shouldn't wear yourself out. We do have to walk all the way back to Triet." the General said.
"Oh yeah." Colette said putting them away.
"Oh man. Not the hot desert again." Lloyd groaned.
Once they got out, Colette fell to her knees.
"Colette, are you okay?!" Lloyd exclaimed in worry as they gathered around her.
"I'm….fine…" Colette said.
"You don't look fine at all! Your face is completely white!" Genis exclaimed.
"He did say there would be pain, for like a night." the General said kneeling in front of her with his back facing her. "Come on princess, I'll carry you so you don't have to wear yourself out any more than you have."
"No, I'm fine…" Colette began.
"Let him help dear." Raine said. "It will be easier on the rest of us if we know you're not overstraining yourself and maybe get some rest as we return."
"Okay." Colette said getting on his back.
"Colette, look at me." Raine said suddenly seeing something. "Oh no. Her lips are turning purple. We need to get her to a doctor in the city immediately."
"You're having trouble breathing?" the General asked worried as Colette shook her head.
"Wait, it is best not to move her right now." Kratos said.
"Yeah, leave her here in this hot desert to try and rest. I don't think so." the General said glaring at Kratos.
"We have the enough water to stay here, but even with my healing arts, I am not that versed in knowing how to deal with what is wrong with Colette if things get worse." Raine said.
"You are all forgetting the angels words. The angel transformation process requires her to overcome a trial." Kratos said.
"No wonder the other Chosen have failed in the last 800 years." the General said. "Colette is the strongest girl I know, besides Raine. She'll survive but Remiel didn't say we couldn't help and he sure as hell didn't say leave her here either."
"I'm okay, I'll be fine. I just need to rest." Colette said.
"Only if you say so." the General said. "I think we can set up a camp for the night since it is getting dark behind some of the ruins to keep the blowing sand from bothering us."
"That's a good idea." Raine said. "Lloyd, find some firewood if you can, Genis, you help too. Kratos and I will see to everything else. You watch her General."
An hour or so later, there was a fire going since night came and their bags and such around it, plus Genis finished dinner as Raine was checking on Colette who was a bit better yet still rather tired. They all ate, though Colette didn't have much and they more or less got ready for bed.
Lloyd saw the General and Raine talking to each other and Colette at the moment and Genis was putting what was left of dinner away, so he went and talked to Kratos first.
"You're Exsphere has an unusual color." Kratos said as Lloyd walked up.
"It does seem to be a little different from yours and the others. By the way, why do you have an Exsphere?" Lloyd asked.
"I took one from a Desian." Kratos said. "I heard that the Desains force the humans at the ranch to make them."
"So that is why Marble had an Exsphere too." Lloyd said.
"Is it all right if I ask you something else as well?" Kratos asked as Lloyd nodded. "Why were you raised by a dwarf?"
"Dad found me collapsed in a forest along with mom and Noishe. Although, what really happened was that we were attacked by Desians." Lloyd said with anger.
"I see. From the sounds of it, your father is probably not alive either." Kratos said.
"Probably not." Lloyd said with a shrug.
"So, the Desians are responsible for your parents death. Your life has been completely torn apart by them." Kratos said.
"Huh?" Lloyd asked confused.
"Your mother was killed and then you were chased out of the village because of them." Kratos said.
"I guess you're right." Lloyd said.
"People are….hopelessly powerless." Kratos said.
"Yes they are. But you can't blame others for that weakness." Lloyd said. "That is why I am going to grow stronger. I am going to become powerful and defeat the Desians."
"I see. Then, no matter what awaits you ahead, you must not forget that determination." Kratos said.
"Why am I talking to you about this anyway?" Lloyd wondered.
Seeing Genis was finished with the food, he walked over to him next.
"Hey Lloyd, what did you think of the tofu curry?" Genis asked.
"I thought it was missing something, but otherwise pretty good." Lloyd said.
"Wow, I'm surprised you noticed. I didn't have all the ingredients I needed to make it just right." Genis said. "But everyone did say it tasted good otherwise."
"What do you mean by surprised?" Lloyd asked.
"Ah, sorry. I mean, I didn't expect you to hear me say that." Genis said.
"That's the same thing!" Lloyd stated.
"It would have been better if I had some Kirima fruit." Genis said.
"Oh? You're the one that made this?" Lloyd asked.
"Of course! You aren't doing it and Colette isn't either even though she is good at some cooking. I don't think Kratos knows how to do anything but fight and I guess the General, who has been cooking on and off for this trip could have done it, but it isn't one of his dishes he is good at since he likes sweets so much more and good at them."
"Ah, yeah, I remember that now." Lloyd said as Genis shook his head. "What about the Professor? Why isn't she cooking at all?"
"Oh, will you try my cooking next time Lloyd?" Raine asked hearing part of the conversation.
Lloyd looked over seeing the General grimace somewhat behind Raine's back, which he found surprising since the man seemed to tell her everything and rarely held anything back.
"If you want to live Lloyd, you better not." Genis said.
"Hey!" Raine exclaimed.
"It's true." Genis said quietly.
Saying goodnight to Genis, he walked over to Raine and the General.
"What was that grimace you had for General?" Lloyd asked.
"Her cooking leaves much to be desired if I'm not helping her." the General said at Raine's glare. "Experimenting with foods is good, but certain things just don't go together. Just because it is called fish cakes, does not mean is it made as it sounds. I'm sorry Raine, but the town dog wouldn't even touch that and I've seen him eat things that make me sick thinking about it."
"How's Colette?" Lloyd asked before Raine could say anything further about cooking.
"She seems to be doing a little better. Didn't eat a lot which is unusual for her." Raine said.
"I think it is just the pain she says she has, which we can't unfortunately help get rid of." the General said sadly.
"It looks like becoming an angel is pretty rough." Lloyd said.
"I have been wondering if her biological structure is changing." Raine said.
"Bio…what?" Lloyd asked.
"Lloyd, we went over some of the subject in school." the General said. "You know, how the body changes as we get older."
"Huh?" Lloyd asked.
The General sighed as he rubbed his head and then stood up and whispered into the boys ear about the more adult changes that take places as the person grows, though not anything about sex.
"Oh, that. So that is…" Lloyd began.
"No. Well, maybe. Colette is in her teenage years. But what Raine means is her body is trying to change to the fact it won't be as human as before. While we take years for the changes I just told you in your ear to happen, it is happening to her overnight with this angel change. In a way, her pain is like growing pains you have in your legs sometimes." the General said.
"Yeah, I hate those." Lloyd said rubbing one leg unconsciously. "So, she's changing from human to angel."
"Yes, an entirely different life form." Raine said. "Makes me wonder if that's how all angels become that way."
"I keep getting that feeling something about this is wrong, especially this angel idea." the General muttered. "Hopefully I'll know more by the time we get to the end."
"Whatever happens, Colette will always be Colette." Lloyd said.
"Yes, you're very right. You always point out the truth." Raine said.
"Yeah, well…." Lloyd said.
"That's because he lives only by instinct." Genis said.
Saying goodnight to them, he walked over to see how Colette was doing.
"Colette, I'm sorry it is late, but here is your birthday present." Lloyd said pulling it from his pocket.
"Oh no, it's broken." Colette said.
"I wonder when it broke?" Lloyd said thinking it might have been when he dived out of the way of an attack during the battle in the upper room with the guardian. "I'm sorry, I'll make you a new one."
"Thanks Lloyd. I'm sorry I keep causing trouble for you." Colette said.
"Don't worry about it. You didn't eat much with us. Are you still feeling sick?" Lloyd asked concerned.
"No, I'm fine, at least now. I just don't seem to have much of an appetite." Colette said.
"You won't be able to keep up your strength if you don't eat though." Lloyd said.
"I know, you're right." Colette said as she covered her mouth from a couple of coughs.
"Lloyd, don't push her." Raine said.
"All we can do is let her rest and watch her until she ask for something. It is all part of this stupid trial." the General said.
"Yeah, Colette is delicate, unlike you Lloyd." Genis said.
"Shut it!" Lloyd said as Genis smiled. "I'm sorry Colette."
"No, I'm okay. I'm sorry for worrying you and everyone." Colette said. "I'm going to go for a little walk."
"Want me to come?" Lloyd asked.
"Thanks, but I'll be fine by myself." Colette said and then walked off.
"Wonder why she didn't want me to go with?" Lloyd muttered.
"Probably because she has to go." the General said.
"Oh." Lloyd said as Genis laughed.
Colette was sitting by the water nearby worried as she coughed again and was unsure of the feeling that made her uncomfortable and a bit painful inside.
The next morning, Raine said they should head to Palmacosta seeing as there probably wasn't any more clues on the continent they were on. Genis was excited to go there because it was the biggest city in the world, plus had a school and probably lots of stuff he could use to make other foods. The General said the city sounded familiar and he knew it was a port city of some importance he couldn't remember, but hoped to find out something by the time they got there. Kratos said they'd have to go through a place called the Ossa Trail, but it shouldn't be dangerous, but that didn't mean they shouldn't be careful either. Deciding to go back to Triet first for supplies and maybe some information if anyone knew anything, they'd head out in a day or two for the trail since it was a couple days journey through the desert to begin with.
"I'm exhausted! Let's get to the Inn!" Genis said as they entered town.
"Genis, you're going to trip!" Raine shouted as her brother kept running.
"I'm fine!" Genis yelled only to slip on the sand and fall on his face. "Ow!"
The others ran up as he was getting to his feet.
"You alright Genis?" Raine asked.
"Yeah, just a little scrape." Genis said.
"There, you see? You need to be more careful. When you're overly excited, you don't pay as much attention." Raine said treating the cut on his knee.
They stayed the night and Colette prayed for the people of Sylvarant before they all headed off to bed. Gathering supplies again before leaving the next morning as the sun had yet to rise, they headed out.