Chapter Three
Gratia
At the first sight of her, the 'others' stared at Sara like she'd grown another head. She liked to think it was because they were surprised to see her alive and walking after only one night of rest, but in all likelihood it probably had more to do with the bloodbath they'd seen her single handedly create yesterday.
She didn't blame them. Such treatment was appropriate for a mass murderer.
The small boy dressed in blue stopped mid-sip in his kirima juice to give her a suspicious, calculating glare that was far too old-looking to be on his young face. The silver-haired woman with the staff squared her shoulders defensively. But both Lloyd and the blonde girl he sat next to were giving her warm, welcoming smiles.
She wondered why a group with such varying personalities were travelling together; perhaps, with Kratos' unwavering neutrality, they cancelled eachother out and created a balance.
As she stared apprehensively at the grassy ground, Lloyd stood up from his spot beside Colette and held an arm out, gesturing to her as if she were up for auction.
"Hey, everyone, this is Sara." The sunlight made his eyes shine so vividly that they were almost hard to look at when he turned to face her. "Sara, this is Genis," he pointed to the younger boy in blue, whose expression softened only slightly at the mention of his name in what she guessed was his version of a smile. "And this is his sister Professor Raine Sage," another point, this time to the silver-haired woman with the staff, who seemed too intelligent for her own good. "And this is Colette," he finished quickly, as if he couldn't wait to introduce the blonde-haired girl who was bowing to her for some incredulous reason.
So, Genis, Raine and Colette. Sara swallowed hard and forced herself to look at the three of them.
"Thank you for helping me," she said raggedly. "I owe each of you my life. I'm really sorry for causing you so much trouble."
"Oh, you weren't any trouble, Mrs. Sara," Colette said as she stood up, nodding her head in earnest to accent each of her heartfelt words. "We couldn't just leave you there all by yourself. Really, we wanted to help. So don't feel bad, okay?"
"Yeah," Lloyd added emphatically. "Colette wanted to help you. That's why we followed you in the first place. We couldn't just stand back and watch the Desians take away all of those dragons without a fight."
Between their inexorable kindness in the face of everything she'd done, Sara started to lose it. The tears welling in her eyes spilled onto her freckled cheeks, and she quickly wiped them away with the heel of her hand, hopefully before anyone would notice. This had to be too good to be true, now. What had she done lately to deserve such warm treatment?
"I guess the one you really need to thank is Kratos," Colette intoned cheerfully. "He carried you all the way here from Kozei."
Sara's eyes flew open wide. She turned to the swordsman, gaping openly in a mix of shock and humiliation. This would further explain the little smirk he'd given her earlier when she'd almost passed out, again.
But this time there was nothing demeaning in his expression – rather, nothing in his expression at all – as he stared back at her silently, a soft gust of wind swaying his thick hair.
Lloyd took a seat beside Colette on the grass. Lying next to an iron frying pan, which was still steaming a little, there were two plates that had the world's most delicious-smelling omelettes on top of them. One was already half-eaten; Lloyd set that one in his lap and handed the other plate to Sara. "Here you go, Sara. Kratos makes the best omelettes in Sylvarant."
Bewildered, Sara numbly reached out to take hold of the plate. Sunny yellow eggs stared up at her. After a moment, she realized she should probably sit down and eat, or else she'd come across as extremely rude. Her body agreed, with the way her stomach kept rumbling and the shakiness that hadn't completely left her legs yet, and she halfway sat and halfway collapsed to the soft ground. Kratos followed a moment later, although with much more grace.
Sara forced a smile onto her face. It looked fragile and broken, like shattered glass. "Um…where is 'here,' exactly?"
It was Raine who spoke this time, in a serene voice that sounded exactly like she looked. "This is a small inn just west of the Ossa Trail. We're only a few miles from Kozei."
"Not that she'll ever be going back," Genis muttered, one hand to his chin, absently stabbing at his omelette with a knife.
The fork Sara had just picked up clattered noisily to her plate, sending the bit of egg on the prongs tumbling to the ground. Lloyd and Colette looked up at her suddenly, their eyes wide as they glanced from her lowered head to Genis and back again.
"Genis," Raine hissed, raising her hand as if to slap him. "That's a terrible thing to say. Apologize right now."
"For what?" the boy challenged, his tone hushed but defiant. "I'm just stating the obvious. You saw her kill those people, too."
Sara dropped her plate entirely. She abruptly stood, somehow, her bangs hiding her eyes, her face a stony mask.
"Excuse me," she said quietly, and headed for to the inn, leaving the omelette untouched.
Her steps were heavy and deliberate; she needed to concentrate on where her feet were going, or else lose track of them in all the chaos echoing in her head. Whispers continued behind her back, and though they were softly spoken, they thundered in her ears louder than Ko'tenda's last cries.
"Dammit, Genis, what was that for? You know it wasn't her fault!" Lloyd. Defending her, just like before.
"If she wouldn't have gotten so out of control in the first place, she would never have been possessed!" Genis, in acidic recalcitrance.
"What if your neighbors were giving Marble to the Desians, huh? Or Raine? Or any of us? You would be just as angry!" Lloyd, once more.
The last thing she heard was Genis' unforgiving silence as she slammed the door behind her.
"Genis," Raine scolded, shaking her head in exasperation. "You must learn to put yourself in someone else's shoes before you say such things. I know she's a stranger, but everyone has a right to be treated well."
For the moment, the silver-haired boy seemed that he'd gotten the message. He lowered his vibrant eyes to the ground and continued to poke at his breakfast.
"Yeah, whatever," he said hesitantly. "…But I still don't like her."
"Well," Colette chimed in, eternally optimistic. "I think that's just because we don't know her very well yet. You didn't like Lloyd either when you first met him, and now you two are best friends, right?"
"This is different."
The Chosen's hopeful face fell as she looked down at her hands, and Lloyd surged with sudden anger at the way Genis could so efficiently and carelessly obliterate Colette's happiness.
"You know, Genis," the teen seethed, gripping his fork so hard that it bent in the middle. "Sometimes you can be such a- "
Kratos stood suddenly. He looked over their heads and into the distant mountains, his face a mask of unreadable stoicism as he refused to acknowledge the presence of all four of them. Turning around, the pointed ends of his dark blue cloak trailed behind him as he followed Sara's path towards the inn.
Iselia's group of travellers all finished their meal in silence.
Kratos was entirely unsurprised to find Sara readying to leave. She had dressed herself in the layers of outerwear Raine had removed the night before, both to mend her wound and make an attempt to clean the blood and mud tarnishing the cloth. She was slipping the sleeveless teal duster on over her shoulders, her back to him, moving gingerly to avoid pestering her bruised ribs. The way the garment swayed from her back made the intricately-designed dragons embroidered along her spine seem like they were taking off, their wings beating in-sync with her every move.
She paused for only a second at his intrusion, but carried on a moment later, either too reluctant to acknowledge his presence or intent on ignoring him pointedly. Either way, he didn't really care.
Her gloves were back and her duster buttoned. She risked glancing at him as she turned to sit on the bed and pull on her boots with no small amount of difficulty, though she tried to hide it.
"I have to go," she whispered.
If he hadn't been blessed with such sharp hearing, he would've missed it entirely.
Kratos wasted no time in approaching her, his steps purposeful, and she looked up at him in surprise as he held one hand out to her, right at eye level. In his palm were two small, glassy stones, glowing faintly.
Sara's mouth fell open. "Those are…"
"What remains of your dragons." When Sara narrowed her eyes at him in contempt, he continued before she could speak again. "These are Exspheres. They contain the life force of the beings they matured from; in this case, your dragons."
Sara stood, reaching out a tentative hand to take them, but pulled back quickly when his words registered. "'Life force?'"
"Exspheres are powerful devices that, when properly equipped, raise the wearer's abilities to his or her full potential. They are made by feeding off the very essence of a living thing – absorbing its thoughts, memories, and mana." As if agreeing with him, the pair of gems flashed more brightly for a moment, then returned to their dim glow. "That is why the Desians wanted Kozei's dragons – to enhance these Exspheres."
Sara continued to stare at the stones, but lowered her eyes a moment later. "I knew it was for something like this. The damn Desians; it's just like…" she trailed off, obviously pained by some sort of memory that he had no intention of exploring. He waited with eternal patience, observing the play of emotions on her face like some melancholy motion picture. He was reminded slightly of Lloyd, and the similar way with which the teen was so incapable of hiding his feelings.
"You're saying," Sara said finally, looking into his gaze with renewed confidence, "that Tarja and Ko's memories…their lives are in these things?"
Kratos nodded, the movement swaying burgundy hair across matching eyes.
Hope illuminated her features. He watched in silence as she hesitantly plucked the gems from his open palm.
The reaction was instant; as soon as she took them into her hand, the Exspheres erupted in light. Sara gasped, her eyes flying open wide. Instantly there were images flitting through her mind, none of which belonged to her, but a few that contained a vision of her within them. She noticed that it was the visions of her that stood out the most, crystal clear among the remaining blurred chaos, and it didn't take her long to realize that she was seeing glimpses of Tarja and Ko'tenda's memories.
Yes, the Exspheres seemed to echo in unison, in a language that wasn't a language at all. She had to choke back a sob at a sudden flood of warm comfort, leaving her with the overwhelming sensation that the dragons had truly cared for her as one of their own, in their own ancient, often misunderstood manner.
It was all over in a few seconds, but the sense of love she had felt would last infinitely longer, its searching tendrils finding and ensnaring her heart, squeezing in a painful yet breathtakingly beautiful way.
"Oh, gods, it's them." She held her closed hand against her heart. "It really is them. They're still in here…"
Kratos remained expressionless as she raised her eyes to his. She took a step closer to his rigid frame, brazen in her gratitude. "You…saved these for me. You knew that…If you hadn't, then…I-I wouldn't have…"
Words were clearly not her strong suit at this moment; she eventually stopped speaking altogether and took a second to gather herself, in some sort of attempt to make herself appear less stupid.
"Kratos. Thank you."
He nodded to her, and was just about to speak, but a sudden chorus of screams from outside cut him short.
"What was that?" Sara asked, quickly putting the pair of Exspheres in one of the pockets on her belt.
The mercenary didn't bother answering, and instead threw open the door to dash outside. Sara followed him instantly, but instead of brandishing her claws and preparing for a fight, after a few steps, she came to a halt on the grass and looked up to the sky, smiling brightly.
Lloyd's group, among several other travelers that had decided to rest at the inn, were all looking upwards and pointing to something in the clear, cloudless sky. The screams had come from a group of women dressed in rather high-society attire, all of whom were now running towards the lobby door as if being chased by some ravenous monster.
Sara had to admit that, for those who weren't accustomed, the form of a flying dragon could come across as frightening. But to her, there was only power and elegance.
Her smile widened into a grin, and she ran towards the flying creature, passing Kratos, Lloyd and the others as if they didn't exist. As the dragon descended, she held her arms in the air – or, rather, arm, due to her injury – waving it back and forth.
"Iona!" The violet dragon returned Sara's cry with one of her own. Iona's massive beating wings created a miniature whirlwind as she landed gracefully before Sara, touching down on her hind legs first before lowering onto her front feet. Sara happily threw her arms around the dragon's neck, hugging her as best she could despite being unable reach all the way around. Though Iona was only nineteen years old – a toddler in dragon terms – she was still massive compared to a human, standing nearly thirteen feet tall from paws to horns. She greeted Sara with a high-pitched cry, flapping her wings excitedly.
Lloyd, Colette, Genis and Raine all watched the scene, dumbfounded, as were the dozen or so travellers who had before been fleeing in fear. Lloyd stood, grabbing Colette's hand and tugging on it to stand her up, and he smiled at the blonde girl as he nodded in the dragon's direction. Her eyes widened for a moment as she considered what he was suggesting, but then she grinned, running beside him excitedly, her long hair streaming out behind her in waves of gold.
"You found me!" Sara said to the purple dragon, petting the scales in between its large eyes. "I'm so glad you're safe. I was worried about you."
Iona let out a sound that sounded almost apologetic. Sara smiled at that, but her face fell soon after when she remembered why Iona had to flee in the first place. She lowered her gaze to the ground as one hand absently ran up and down the dragon's long snout.
"Listen, Iona…It's just us now. All the others…and your mom, and dad…they're…"
Iona bumped Sara with her nose and released a long, low call filled with sadness. Her wings slackened, drooping low enough that their tips brushed the grassy ground.
"I knew you could feel it," Sara said softly, letting her hand drop to her side. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save them. I…there were just too many Desians. I couldn't…" she trailed off, holding one hand over her eyes.
Iona lowered her massive head to Sara's level, and with incredible tenderness for a creature of her size and strength, nuzzled her scaly nose against Sara's back as if to say, 'it's okay.' Sara turned and leaned against Iona's neck, smiling faintly. "Thank you, my friend. You're…all I've got left now."
"Wow…that's amazing!"
Sara turned around to see Lloyd and Colette standing behind her, both of their youthful faces filled with a mixture of awe and enthusiasm.
"That dragon can understand you when you talk!" Colette continued, wringing her hands together excitedly. "I…didn't know that dragons could be so smart."
"Iona is…different," Sara said hesitantly, refusing to meet the girl's gaze. One hand fished through a pocket on her belt and pulled out the pair of Exspheres Kratos had given her. "So were her parents," she added sullenly.
Lloyd's eyes widened as he took a step closer to her. "Hey, it's those Exspheres! You're going to equip them, right? I've never seen what a dragon's Exsphere can do."
"'Equip…?'" Sara echoed, slowly blinking in confusion. Behind her, Iona let out a small sound as her wings fluttered.
"Well," Lloyd went on, holding a hand to his chin pensively. "You would need Key Crests first. Equipping an Exsphere without a Key Crest is dangerous. It can make you really sick."
Sara's gaze fell from his hand and down to the grass. Her fingers closed loosely around the stones in her palm. "…Right," she said softly, and Lloyd and Colette exchanged glances at the sudden sadness in her voice. She cleared her throat and continued a moment later: "Okay, so where do I find some Key Crests, then?"
"I noticed a travelling merchant when we first arrived," Kratos announced suddenly, approaching the three of them with the same confident, calm stride as usual. He stopped beside Lloyd, giving the boy a quick, emotionless glance before looking up at Sara. "Key Crests aren't exactly commonplace, but perhaps he has some in his stock."
Iona turned to stare at the mercenary. Craning her neck back, her slitted eyes locked onto him with a startling intensity. She shifted from one clawed foot to the other, a low growl rumbling in her broad chest as wisps of steam poured from her nostrils.
Kratos narrowed his eyes just a fraction, but remained motionless. Sara looked up at the creature and placed a steadying hand on Iona's quivering neck.
"Easy, girl," she cooed, eyeing Kratos somewhat curiously. "I'm sorry. She doesn't seem to like you much."
"It's fine," he said flatly. The growl continued to vibrate in Iona's chest as he turned towards the inn. "If you want to use your Exspheres, I suggest you follow me."
Both Iona and the trio of humans watched him walk off, Lloyd in distaste, Colette in confusion, and Sara in skepticism. Gradually, the dragon's threatening growl faded into silence, though her spiked tail still swished anxiously across the grassy ground.
"I wonder why Iona didn't like him," Colette asked innocently.
"Probably because he's a big jerk," Lloyd retorted, crossing his arms. "Acting like he always knows everything… Would it kill him to just be nice for once?"
Sara glanced at the gems in her palm and frowned. A jerk wouldn't have saved these for her. Plus, he'd carried her all the way to the inn when he could've just as easily left her there for the Desians.
"He's right about the merchant, at least," she said, glancing up at Lloyd and Colette. "I'd like to see if he has any Key Crests. Iona, why don't you find yourself some breakfast and roost somewhere for a little while? The people here are afraid of you, it seems."
A glint of amusement flashed in Iona's otherworldly eyes, and Lloyd swore the dragon's lips curled up in a smile for the briefest of moments.
"I'll be sure to summon you if I need you, don't worry. Take care of yourself, my friend."
The beat of Iona's wings sent air gusting hard enough to almost bowl Colette over, and Lloyd quickly reached out a hand to steady her before she toppled to the ground.
By the time Colette was standing solidly on her own two feet, Sara had already made it halfway back to the inn, the tail of her teal duster swaying behind her in the last wisps of wind. Lloyd could still hear wings beating somewhere above him as he headed after her, tugging on Colette's wrist to encourage the Chosen to follow.
"Wasn't that cool?" Lloyd beamed, grinning from ear to ear. Colette instantly caught his contagious smile as she nodded her golden head, trotting to keep up with his energetic stride. "That's the first time I've seen a dragon up-close," he went on excitedly. "This journey just keeps getting better!"
Colette was thankful he didn't see the way the smile tumbled from her face for the briefest of seconds. When he looked at her for a response, his russet eyes shining with life, her delicate face was once again the picture of happiness.
"Yeah," she agreed, although her grin wasn't quite as wide as it had been before.
The merchant's table was strewn with a completely random assortment of items - from strangely-shaped rocks to old, frayed paintings. A fine layer of dust coated everything in a slight brown. The inn's outdoor lobby was empty except for the sale display and a few chairs surrounding a small table, and the pergola overhang provided a welcome respite from the early afternoon sun.
Triet was written all over the merchant himself - he appeared middle-aged with a long pepper beard and skin that had seen too many desert days. His pale grey eyes brightened as Kratos approached, with Sara limping behind him. A small, shaggy dog beneath the table gave the air an experimental sniff before settling its head back on the floor with a disinterested sigh.
"Welcome, friends!" the merchant said cheerfully, rising from his chair and spreading his arms wide. "I am Ramut, and I bring treasures from all over southern Sylvarant." One leathery hand idly adjusted the worn beige covering on his head. "Is there anything specific I can help you find?"
Kratos eyed the sale display carefully. "We are looking for a pair of Key Crests."
"Key Crests," Ramut echoed. "What might those be?"
Sara halted beside Kratos in front of the table, wincing a little as she straightened her back. "They're these little golden emblem thingies used with Exspheres."
"They're Dwarven technology!" Lloyd added proudly, trotting up towards Kratos and Sara with Colette in tow. "I was raised by a dwarf. I've seen them made before and even helped make a few myself." He smiled at Sara, pointing his own thumb at his chest. "I'll know if they're the real thing or not."
Sara returned his smile kindly. "Thank you, Lloyd."
"Oh yes," Ramut began with an air of excitement. Instead of selecting any of the items from his crowded table, he instead opened a canvas bag strapped at his side and began digging through it. The previously aloof dog rose slowly onto its short, stubby legs and meandered towards Lloyd to sit at his feet and stare up at him expectantly. Lloyd didn't notice, but Colette did, and her face brightened with childlike excitement as she reached down to scratch its scruffy ears.
"You were raised by a dwarf?" Sara asked curiously, glancing at the boy in red. "I didn't know there were any dwarves left around Sylvarant."
Lloyd shook his head. "There aren't, really. For all I know, Dirk is the only one. He's an amazing craftsman. He can make statues, jewelry, even weapons and swords."
Ramut mumbled to himself as he was still attempting to find something in his bag. He reached out and swept an arm's worth of items to the edge of the table to clear a spot, and instead dumped out the bag's contents there for easier access. Kratos frowned and sighed impatiently.
"Speaking of swords, Lloyd," Sara continued. "Why do you use two instead of just one? I've never seen anybody fight quite like you."
Lloyd straightened his back. "If one sword is good, two swords is twice as good. It's just math."
For some reason, Sara and Kratos were both giving him the same disbelieving look. Lloyd narrowed his eyes, squaring his shoulders defensively. "Wh-what? Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
"Aha!" Ramut exclaimed finally, beaming as he raised his hand out to the group of travellers. In his palm were two star-shaped, metallic Key Crests, and although they weren't quite as polished as Lloyd's or Colette's, they looked similar enough to serve the same purpose. "You're in luck. I acquired these just yesterday from a group of Gypsies near the Ossa Trail."
"Yes!" Lloyd said excitedly. "Those are Key Crests, all right. Would you mind if I inspected them?"
"Not at all."
"What do you think, Lloyd?" Sara asked with genuine wonderment. Kratos was beside her, silently following her gaze towards Lloyd's hands. Even Colette paused in petting her new furry friend to wait for Lloyd's word.
Raising both Crests before his eyes, Lloyd turned them back and forth several times. He brought one very close to his face, nearly poking him in the nose, and then for whatever reason, he opened his mouth and bit down on its edge with his front teeth.
"These are grade-A," he said at length. "Made from the best inhibitor ore, and with - "
"We will take them," Kratos interrupted quickly, turning his intense gaze back to the merchant. "Name your price."
Lloyd frowned, narrowing his eyes and glaring at the mercenary.
Ramut trailed one hand through his long, dusty beard. "500 gald each."
"500?!" Colette choked. "But sir, that's-"
"Here," Sara said resolutely, taking several large, gold coins from a pocket at her belt. She met Ramut's eyes as she offered him the money, briefly bowing to him in respect. "Take it, with 50 extra as my thanks."
Ramut grinned, eagerly accepting her payment and returning her bow. His dog returned to his feet, wagging its short tail happily. "You are too kind, my lady."
"So, uh."
Sara stared down at the Exspheres in one hand and those Key Crests in the other. The four of them had left Ramut's stand and were now back around the side of the inn, near where Raine and Genis had been packing up their things. The silver-haired siblings met up with the rest of the group, approaching Sara with remnants of caution.
"What do I do now?" she finished, blinking.
"Well, first you'll need to decide where to equip them at," Lloyd said, raising his left hand up to eye level. "Genis, Kratos and I wear ours on our hands, and since Professor Raine does magic, hers is in her staff."
"I want to use Tarja and Ko's power to defeat the Desians and bring happiness back into this world," Sara said roughly. "I want to spend the rest of my life doing good for others and helping people in need… like you all helped me." She paused as if collecting her thoughts, glancing up at each of them with heartfelt sincerity. "I don't have skill with swords or magic. My weapons are my claws and my body. So I'll put one Exsphere on each of my hands… and hopefully my dragons will help me put them to good use from now on."
Raine stepped forward, meeting Sara's eyes with a look of steel resolve. "Then you should come with us," she said simply.
Lloyd, Genis and Colette all turned to her with surprise.
"Raine," Genis protested in a mixture of shock and contempt, tugging at her robes with one hand. "But she-"
"-Has the exact same mission as we do," the Professor finished for him. "Bringing good to the world, helping others, and defeating the Desians. Is that not the true reason why we set out from Iselia in the first place?"
Sara gawked at all of them, bewildered and once again a few steps behind.
"We are on the Journey of Regeneration," Kratos offered, noting her confused look. "Colette is the Chosen of Mana. The rest of us are here to protect her and keep her safe through her trials."
Colette smiled at Sara sheepishly, bowing her golden head in silent agreement.
"Sara is obviously a skilled fighter and has a dragon she can summon at will," Raine continued factually. "I believe she would only further increase our Journey's chances of success. That is, if she's willing to join."
Everyone was silent as Sara took turns looking at each group member for some sort of reaction: Colette with innocent hope, Lloyd with excitement, Genis with distaste, Raine with scholarly certainty, and Kratos seemingly with nothing at all. After several moments, Sara's gaze settled on Colette and the crystal at the base of her neck, and she smiled softly.
"Well, I've never been very religious, but it sounds like I should be asking you, Chosen," Sara said, and lowered her pumpkin-orange head, holding one hand over her heart as her eyes closed. "I… don't have a home anymore. All I've got left are the good deeds I have yet to do. I'd be honored to protect you and fight alongside your friends, if you'll let me."
Colette blinked several times and breathed a nervous laugh. No matter how many years of training she'd received to prepare her for her life as the Chosen, she would never be accustomed to the strange reverence with which other people treated her.
"Oh, well… um…" Colette raised her cerulean eyes to Lloyd, who had forever been her dependable barometer of change. "Wh-what do you think, Lloyd?"
The boy straightened his back proudly, eyeing Sara with refreshing trust and confidence. "I understand what she's going through. I've… also done some things with consequences I never intended." He paused and shook his head. "But that doesn't have to be the end. The end is when you stop caring, when you stop trying for the greater good. And she's not there yet." He met Sara's gaze and smiled. "I think she should come with us."
"Okay!" Colette grinned. "I agree with Lloyd! Welcome to our group, Mrs. Sara!"
That was a phrase she never thought she'd hear again. Tears arose once more, but Sara successfully managed to keep them from spilling over this time. She wasn't sure what she'd done to find a group of people this forgiving, not only to travel with but also to save her life. Whatever it was, she was deeply, immeasurably grateful for it. Funny how something positive could come out of the worst of days.
"Thank you all," she managed, hiding her eyes beneath her bangs. "Thank you. ...I can't say it enough."
She heard Kratos step up beside her. He glanced at her out of the corner of one garnet eye. "Then let us equip your Exspheres, and we can see what a dragon's power can do for a human."
Sara nodded, and removed both of her shoulder-length black gloves, revealing more freckled tawny skin marred by occasional of claw-shaped scars: a souvenir from years of both training and being a student of Kozei's dragons.
"Alright." Carefully, she placed the Key Crests on the backs of both of her bare hands. The Crests were in the shape of four-pointed stars, and she arranged them both in the directions of a compass, with the northern point facing towards her knuckles and the southern point towards her wrists.
"Is this okay?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
Lloyd gave her an affirmative nod. "That's just right. Now you only need to place the Exspheres."
Carefully, Sara retrieved the pair of gems from the pocket at her hip, holding them in one hand and glancing back and forth from the Key Crests to the Exspheres with a puzzled look. "Um…how do I-"
"Here," Kratos said quietly, holding out his hand in an offer of assistance. Sara met his stare and dropped the gems into his open palm in a mirror image of when he'd given them to her earlier.
"Blue on your right?" he asked, as if he'd already known the answer.
Tarja, the green one, had been the gentle mother, though full of fierce love for her family; Ko'tenda, pale-blue, had been the protector, a bastion of strength and power. Sara was right-handed, and as such did the most damage with her right side - so it was only deserving of the patriarch's place. She nodded, and Kratos immediately placed the pale green gem, within the Key Crest on Sara's left hand. The greyish blue one went on her right, fitting perfectly within the Crest's golden circle.
The group reflexively backed up several steps, eyeing her with wary anticipation. Sara felt suddenly like she was on display, a part of a carnival sideshow with an anxious audience.
"So… is something supposed to happen? Or-"
She was halted in mid-sentence by an overwhelming, thrumming heat that surged up her arms and into her chest, settling in her heart and mingling with her blood. Her eyes widened, pupils dilating, and her skin seemed to emit a soft reddish glow for a few seconds. Fiery orange hair swayed in a nonexistent breeze. She brought her hands out in front of her, looking at them in astonishment, curling her fingers one by one as if testing them.
"Wow," she managed. "This is… amazing."
"How do you feel?" Raine asked, just barely hiding the enthusiastic curiosity in her voice.
"Strong," Sara breathed, straightening and aligning her spine, her arms flexing. "Alive. And loved," she added softly. "I would test my skills, but I don't want to risk opening my wound again yet." A mischievous smirk tugged at her lips. "So it'll just have to be a surprise for the next Desians."
"That's more like it!' Lloyd exclaimed. "Professor, is everything ready to go?"
Raine nodded and picked up one of the packs on the ground beside her to hand it to Lloyd. "Yes. Let's continue on to Palmacosta."
"Yeah," Genis agreed, his small face flickering with excitement. "It's the biggest city in the world. I'm sure we'll find something there."
"Then let us delay no longer," Kratos added. He turned away dutifully to head east towards the still rising sun, but spared a glance back at the group. "However, if we're going to Palmacosta, we'll have to pass through the Ossa Trail. It's not a treacherous trail, but there's no harm in being prepared."
"I can help," Sara offered, desperately attempting to stave off her feelings of uselessness. "I don't have a ton of gald, but I always carry plenty with me in case of emergencies. I'll get us some supplies before we leave."
Colette was still smiling. "Thanks, Mrs. Sara."