Alaia Skyhawk: For those of you disappointed that I kept Emil being such a wussy early on, it was too key to the dynamics of the plot to really change it. I'll make him much less hesitant later on though.

I don't own Tales of Symphonia so please don't sue me. I do however own Krishka, Dallinius (Dalli), Aluran, the Alurannai and any OCs, except Sanaro and Annule, who belong to 2123, Mika and Fiuras, who belong to WingedWithFireyMana, and Gaea Silverleaf, who belongs to Sparkling Moon Phoenix, so please don't steal them...

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Chapter 3: Hatred and Confusion

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The creature looked down at him from where it floated, appearing for all the world like a giant black cat wearing a purple-trimmed black coat and shirt tails. As he stared up at it, wide green eyes meeting calm amber, Emil swallowed and stepped back.

"Another talking monster?"

It tilted its head, speaking in a calm male voice.

"I am not a beast. I, too, am a Centurion. Centurion Tenebrae."

The cat... Tenebrae... bowed his head in greeting while the youth before him blinked.

"Centurion... Tenebrae?"

Tenebrae continued to regard him, looking almost amused.

"You could never defeat the monster on the other side of this door as you are now. Forge a pact to become a Knight of Ratatosk. Then you will be able to accept Lord Ratatosk's power in battle."

The expression he got in response was one of black confusion.

"What?"

Silence fell, before the Centurion sighed and shook his head.

"There is no time to explain. Lady Marta is in danger."

"But I mean, you're just a monster... a Centurion, I mean... and I-I don't know if..."

The moment the blond-haired boy began to stutter, Tenebrae rolled his eyes muttering to himself.

"...Why oh why did it have to be this one?"

He shook his head again and let out a resounding howl... the howl that had echoed over Luin several times that morning.

Emil went stock still, before slowly looking up at the Centurion.

"That howl... Were you the one calling me?"

Tenebrae's nose twitched, almost as though he were suppressing a retort.

"...Lady Marta was looking for you. You saved her life and she has chosen you to be a knight. Now forge the pact!"

"M-me?" Emil took one look at the impatient glare the creature was giving him before quickly nodding his head. "I-I'll make the pact."

Tenebrae rolled his eyes again, his expression bemused at the delay, before focused his attention of the boy and spoke.

"Understood. Emil, I command you. Unleash the power within yourself. Awaken, Hunter of Evil!"

A stream of shadow swept away from him, enveloping the youth before him. Emil staggered, clutching his head, as that power seemed to seep into every pore of his being...

The door opened, Aqua looking up from where she idly petted her minion to gaze in surprise and spluttering in anger at who came in.

"Spiteful Tenebrae! What are you doing here?!"

The cat raised his equivalent of an eyebrow, his voice bland.

"Let's go."

She stared.

"What! You wanna fight?! You're gonna regret this!"

A figure walked into the room behind Tenebrae, black cropped trousers and sandals replaced by bellowed trousers of the same length, bound to leg above the top of black and gold open-heeled boots, emblazoned down their front by a band of gold that wrapped them at knee and cuff. The white shirt had also been replaced, by a long tunic of midnight blue that ended below the youth's shoulders, trimmed with black shot through with a line of gold like the straps that crossed round neck to the back beneath a loose scarf like deepest shadow. Hands that no longer shook wore long black fingerless gloves, secured by cuffs of green banded grey at wrist and black at upper arm, and the sword they held was as different from the old as an apprentice's work is as different from the master's.

Emil's head was bowed slightly, his eyes closed as he slowly lifted the longer, more elaborate version of his old steel blade; his voice deepened and darker from that of the uncertain boy when he spoke.

"The only one who's gonna regret this is you!" He opened his now blood-red eyes and lunged forward. "Now, come on!"

Aqua gaped and hastily got out of the way, her turtle-minion turning to defend her only to be cut down swiftly and brutally with a shockwave thrown along the ground from the edge of the boy's sword.

"W-what? How..?"

She let out a small cry as it fell, dropping to the damp floor to lay there unconscious while the boy who had defeated her monster blinked now green eyes in confusion.

"What just happened? It felt like I became someone else."

Tenebrae came forward, standing beside him.

"That was Lord Ratatosk's power taking hold of you."

The boy looked at his now gloved hand, before returning his new sword to the golden sheath strapped across his back at the waist.

"I'm not quite sure I understand. Anyway, what happened to Aqua? I didn't even touch her."

Tenebrae regarded her.

"Centurions themselves do not fight. They employ monster servants to battle in their place, thus if their monsters are defeated the Centurion's power will also fade. Right now she is only unconscious."

Emil sighed with relief.

"Oh that's good. I didn't want to hurt her."

Amber eyes looked heavenwards before their owner moved to the door Aqua had been guarding.

"Come. We must go after Lady Marta!"

Emil stood there for a moment, thinking over the fight and how he had ended it.

"Did I learn something just now?"

The Centurion suppressed a groan... Did this boy do nothing but ask questions?

"It appears you've acquired a skill, a special technique for battle. Skills are acquired by meeting certain requirements in regard to your strength and experience. Everyone has their own set of skills they can learn, based on their talents. I believe most people refer to them as Spells and Artes. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"Do you really?"

"I've got it. I think."

"...This should be an interesting journey."

Emil joined him by the door, solemn.

"I wonder if I can do this."

Tenebrae stared at him with the intense urge to beat the youth's head off the adjacent wall, before he muttered in what he hoped was a reassuring tone.

"You can. I have every confidence that you can save Lady Marta. You must believe in your powers as a Knight of Ratatosk. As you humans say; 'seeing is believing.'"

Emil bit his lip, a little puzzled but nodding all the same.

"I-I don't think that exactly applies here, but anyway, thanks, Tenebrae. I'll give it my best shot." He reached out to the door, putting his hand on it only for it to do nothing in response. He touched it again, to the same result. "It... It won't open."

The Centurion tilted his head.

"Richter must have sealed it off." He glanced at the passage that led out of the room to their right, pointing to it with the hand-like tip of his tail. I feel a draft. There must be another passage somewhere down there. Perhaps you should use the Sorcerer's Ring to examine the walls."

Emil stared at him blankly

"What's that?"

"There, on your finger."

Emil looked at his right hand, gaping when he saw an engraved silver ring set with a large red stone upon his middle finger.

"Huh? When where did this..?

"That ring was given to you by Lord Ratatosk, as a symbol of your pact. Magical power dwells within it." Emil was about to open his mouth to say something, Tenebrae beating him to it. "Don't worry, that ring can be used by humans. Just point it at your target and focus your will on burning your target... the ring will do the rest."

The Centurion headed for the passage, but stopped when yet another question slipped out of the youth's mouth.

"So, Tenebrae.... Somewhere along the way I got all new clothes."

The response was slightly sarcastic.

"I see you finally noticed. I've been wondering when you would bring it up."

I noticed right away, but it didn't seem like the right time to ask...

Emil took a step back, cringing as the Centurion continued his monologue.

"Along with the Sorcerer's Ring, those clothes are a symbol of your pact with Lord Ratatosk. It's vital that a Knight of Ratatosk present himself with a certain degree of elegance. The outfit's fabric is prepared with a number of special incantations and hexes that make the garment waterproof, wrinkle-free, and mould-resistant. The design is meant to evoke Lord Ratatosk's fierce bravery and subtle grace. The effect is mesmerizing."

Emil set off after him, the two walking side-by-side.

"Wait a sec, one other question."

"Yes?"

"What happened to the clothes I was wearing before?"

Tenebrae looked surprised, starting to answer before stopping.

"That is the darkness'... I'm sorry, forget I said anything."

Emil started to look worried.

"The darkness' what?" Tenebrae started to chuckle to himself. "Hey, come on! Aunt Flora's gonna skin me alive if I lose those clothes!"

"Heheheh... Only the darkness knows..." He paused, spotting a small vaguely humanoid creature hovering in the shadows on tiny black wings. "Ah, an imp. It will do nicely. Emil, let us forge a pact."

Emil stared.

"Pact?"

"Your power as a Knight of Ratatosk is granted to you by Lord Ratatosk himself. However, he is currently in a deep slumber. As a result, the power he grants you is very weak."

Emil kept staring, recalling the ease with which he'd defeated the turtle monster in the other room.

"This is weak? No way!"

Tenebrae sighed; Richter wasn't the only one stuck with a lot of explaining to do.

"Lord Ratatosk is very powerful. As you gain experience and your abilities grow, it's crucial you continue to unlock more of his strength. We Centurions share a bond with Lord Ratatosk. If power is restored to the Centurions, Lord Ratatosk's strength will return as well. We can accomplish this by forging pacts with monsters."

The boy frowned.

"How does that work?"

"As I explained earlier, Centurions do not engage in battle themselves. We use monsters under our control. A Centurion's power depends upon the number and strength of the monsters it employs. I am the Centurion of Darkness, so any pact you make with dark elemental monsters will bring them under my control, and make me more powerful in the process."

"So the more monsters I get on my side, the stronger I'll become?"

"Correct..."

"But how do I make a pact?"

Tenebrae suddenly smirked, before flicking a ball of shadow at the imp from the hand-like tip of his tail the way children throw snowballs.

"Like this."

The imp turned, growling at the blow it had taken and fluttering towards them as Emil panicked.

"Tenebrae! What are you doing? You didn't tell me I'd have to fight!"

Tenebrae was getting out of the way.

"In order to make a pact, you must first prove you are more powerful than your opponent. You must force them to yield to you in battle. Now do hurry up and subdue it, we don't have time to waste."

Emil turned to face it, shaking as he drew his sword but steadying when his eyes turned red and once again he was in the grip of Ratatosk's power. He turned his blade on the imp, careful not to harm it severely and instead wearing it down. It dropped to the floor, horned head bowed to him as a circle of dark runes and bright points of colour surrounded it.

Instinctively Emil stepped forward, standing partway into that circle and focusing his will on the imp. Then, as if something tied itself to a point inside him, he felt a link solidify between him and the creature after a few moments resistance from it.

The circle vanished, the imp along with it, but the feeling of a link remained.

Green eyes blinked.

"D-did it work?"

Tenebrae strolled forward.

"Well done. You have made the imp your ally. I will look after it for now until you need it."

Emil turned to him.

"Hey, Aqua is a Centurion too, right? Will I get stronger if she has more monsters under her control?"

Tenebrae's ears slicked back, the Centurion looking distinctly unhappy.

"No, Aqua has chosen to sever her bond with Lord Ratatosk. As such, even if she acquires more monster servants, your powers will not increase."

"But there are other Centurions, right?"

"Yes. You will learn about the others in due time, but you may enter into pacts with monsters without the Centurion of the same element. Later, when you befriend the appropriate Centurions, your strength will increase accordingly."

The boy's shoulders slumped.

"That's nice and everything, but I only became a Knight of Ratatosk because I needed to fight now. I'm not really interested in getting any stronger than this."

Tenebrae walked away, tail waving.

"Now, now, there's no harm in arming yourself with a little information. Also, to make pacts, you will need the pact magic appropriate for each monster. When you have subdued a monster you wish to make your ally, I will cast the pact magic. Though do let me know in advance if you are looking to make a pact, unless that is you just want me to cast it whenever a monster submits to you."

Emil caught up, shoulders hunched.

"Yeah, just do that for now..."

They kept going, following the passage until it began to curve back towards where they'd come from. It was there they were confronted by a scruffy canine with black and brown striped fur, one of a number of monsters it appeared had found their way into the ruin.

Spotting it, Tenebrae perked his ears, sounding pleased.

"Ah, now there's a wolfren, often mistaken for the common wolf. Humans are oft to mistake simple animals for monsters, despite the fact that anyone who took the time to look properly would see the difference." He sighed "Well it's just the sort of monster that we're looking for. Try making a pact with him."

Emil stared at him.

"But I just made a pact with a monster!"

"Yes, but I'll teach you a way to make forming pacts easier." Emil sighed, resigned, complaining under his breath as he walked towards the monster as the Centurion called after him. "You can make monsters under your control fight beside you. If your ally and the enemy are compatible, the pact will go more smoothly. Now, use your will and call forth the imp you just made a pact with."

Emil concentrated, pulling on the link he'd felt inside of him. Immediately the imp appeared at his side, and as his eyes turned red the boy ran at the wolfren. Again he struck to subdue, not harm, the imp hampering the other monster's movements. Eventually, when the wolfren dropped and bowed its head, the circle of runes appeared again only this time the imp joined Emil in standing on it.

It's black eyes were fixed on the wolfren, its link to Emil resonating as he sought dominion over the monster. This time he felt no resistance from the creature as the link formed, the presence of the imp making drawing the wolfren into the pact far easier.

Emil looked at his hands, as imp and wolfren vanished like with the previous pact.

"You were right, it was easier."

"Bravo!" Emil stared, as Tenebrae walked over extolling rather loudly. "Beautiful! Fantastic! Simply excellent! I must admit, I am quite impressed."

Emil took a step back, surprised.

"R-really?"

There was a smirk.

"Of course, that monster is ideal for beginners... I would be rather concerned if you had failed." The boy groaned, the Centurion ignoring him to examine the walls of the chamber they were now in. Spotting something, he nodded to himself. "I believe we may have found our alternate passage... Emil, examine the walls and use the ring to burn the moss and algae away from the spot that looks different."

Still a little put out after the deliberate put down from Tenebrae, Emil sighed and looked at the walls, quickly spotting the obvious raised patch on the opposite wall. Frowning with annoyance, he pointed the ring at it from where he stood.

Burn...

The ring shivered, flame erupting on the far wall leaving moss and algae to drop as blackened ash away from a switch.

Tenebrae tilted his head.

"Nice aim... Not bad for a beginner. Now press it, the wall in here should open somewhere and allow us to pass."

Emil did as he was told, part of the wall sinking into the floor to their left, the direction they needed to go. They walked through it, along the opposite side of the wall they'd followed before now, eventually coming to a chamber that must be the one they'd been locked out of.

Entering it, Emil's eyes widened at the sight of a certain redheaded man sprawled wounded on the floor.

"Richter!" He rushed to his side as the man groaned in pain, kneeling beside him in concern. "Hang on! How did this..?"

"I was careless. Lloyd... Lloyd Irving, he... The Core... He..."

Richter passed out, Emil shaking him frantically.

"Richter!"

"It's all right, the attack missed his vital organs."

Emil looked up at the frowning Centurion.

"So he'll survive?"

"...Yes. Just leave him here and he will be fine. It is more important to go after Lady Marta."

Emil hesitated, refusal in his eyes.

"Leave him here? We can't do that! We need to at least tell someone!"

"There's no time! Now that Lloyd has appeared, time is of the essence. Lady Marta's life is in grave danger. After all, this man is the enemy. Didn't you come here to protect her?"

"I did, but I can't just leave him like this. Richter said some mean things, but he also helped me. I can't just abandon him now!" Emil looked down at the man who had given him the courage to come this far, determined. "Go on ahead and find Marta. I'll follow you as soon as I can!"

Tenebrae stared at him, before nodding once and disappearing in a cloud of shadow.

"I believe you will regret this decision, but it is yours to make."

Now alone, Emil got to his feet and looked at the sealed door that had blocked his way previously. The symbol on this side was glowing, meaning it was likely that from this side it could be opened.

I need to get someone. I wonder if Aqua is awake.

He walked over to the door, gritting his teeth in anger as he put a hand on the panel and it began to open.

Damn Lloyd. How could he do that to Richter?! First he took my mother and father from me, and now he's hurt Richter! I won't let him get away with this!

He entered the room, to find a still slightly dazed Aqua turning to stare at him as he spoke urgently.

"Aqua! You have to come with me!"

She regarded him in surprise.

"Huh? You expect me to just go with you after what happened?"

"That doesn't matter right now! Richter's been hurt badly! I think he'll live, but I'm still worried. Lloyd attacked him and..."

She startled, eyes wide before rushing towards the door.

"What, Lloyd?!" She glanced at him as she passed, thoughtful. "You came back to tell me that? ...You're not half bad. Nowhere near as cool as Master Richter, but still..." She swept into the next room, soaring over to float anxiously over her master. "Master Richter!"

"Aqua, how is he?"

She looked up at him, concern in her eyes.

"He'll be fine. He took a sword to the back, but that's not the reason he collapsed. It's the wound from two years ago."

"What happened?"

She glared.

"If you weren't my enemy, I'd tell you. Anyway, leave Master Richter to me."

He left her there, charging through the next door and up the stairway beyond. He could hear the sounds of battle coming from ahead, and feel the two links inside him trembling before both of them jolted with enough force to make him gasp.

He burst through the next door, skidding to a halt as he saw both his imp and wolfren thrown across the chamber to slam into the wall, Tenebrae fainting much as Aqua had done when both lay still; not dead, but they were definitely out of the fight. There was a clash of steel on steel a moment later, Emil turning to see Marta fighting someone in front of an elaborate circular dais topped by a rectangular altar, a teardrop-shaped object like an opaque gem hovering above it.

Seeing that figure, he growled.

"Lloyd Irving, why are you here?!"

Lloyd and Marta stepped back from one another, both looking at Emil while the former frowned.

"Who're you?"

Emil didn't answer, his fists clenched as anger made him tremble.

"Why did you kill them? My mother and my father, and all those people in Palmacosta... Why did you have to kill all of them?!"

"Emil..."

Marta's gasp of shock whispered in the air of the chamber, Lloyd hesitating before averting his gaze, his expression momentarily pained.

"...Not again... with Palmacosta."

It was barely whispered, but even so hearing it pushed Emil over the edge. He drew his sword and rushed other swordsman.

"How dare you say that! What do you mean 'again?!' I'll never forgive you for that!"

His sword clashed with Lloyd's, the man's eyes widening for a moment when he saw Emil's turn red. Marta also joined the fray, but in trying not to hit the enraged Emil she left herself open to the punch Lloyd sent into her face.

She dropped unconscious to the floor, Lloyd jumping over her to get some space as the blond youth came after him. He turned, ready to block the expected wild swing but surprised when the attack that came was as precise as that of a marksman.

The blade spun from the twin swordsman's left hand to land with an unusually loud thud a short distance away, his expression one of surprise that such a novice at battle should divest him of it. Lloyd then spun on his right foot, his other sword coming around to strike the blade from the now slightly overbalanced youth.

Emil stumbled, grabbing after his own tumbling sword before realising that the one belonging to his opponent was closer. He raced over to it, Lloyd doing nothing to stop him for a reason that became apparent a moment later as Emil tried to pick it up and use it.

He yanked on it again, barely lifting it off the floor.

"What the?! This sword must weigh... Oooph!"

A red boot struck him in the gut, flinging him away from the sword that clattered back to the floor with another appropriately heavy thud. As Emil began to push himself to his feet, Lloyd reached down and picked the fallen weapon up with ease before sheathing both his blades.

"Fighting me is pointless... Even without my using a sword you would be no match for me, you'd be lucky if you even scratched me..."

The blond youth glared at him with red eyes.

"You're wrong!!" He made a run for his own sword, Lloyd again just standing there as he picked it up an charged at him. Reaching his target, he swung the sword up and over with all his strength, the edge coming down on his opponent's head. Emil then stared in shock. "...What?"

His sword had been blocked by Lloyd's un-armoured hand, the razor edge barely making a dent in the man's flesh.

Brown eyes shifted to look at him calmly.

"That blade is mundane... Such a weapon is useless against me... This fight is over!"

Lloyd gripped the sword by its blade and yanked it out of Emil's hand, before bringing it's hilt crashing down on the boy's head. Emil dropped to the floor barely conscious, as Lloyd then turned away and walked towards the nearby altar.

Lloyd regarded the teardrop shaped object, reaching out after a moment's hesitation to lift it from the flower-like field of mana it was suspended above. After staring at it for a moment he slipped it inside his clothing and turned to regard the two youths on the floor, the boy of the two semi-conscious and probably at least partially aware.

He walked over, kneeling beside the youth and gripping his chin, tilting the boy's head to get a closer look. A tiny frown creased his features, before he stood up and headed to the door they'd entered through, putting his hand on it and muttering a spell. A seal appeared, permanently locking the door to both them and man beyond.

He turned again, eyes moving to the barely visible switch for the door the other side of the altar; it was hard even for his own eyes to spot. A small smile on his face, he pulled several sheets of paper from his ver along with pens... He might as well do something that would definitely catch their attention...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

There was a muffled groan, the blond youth twitching before slowly sitting up and looking around in confusion.

"...I'm alive."

Marta was also awake, the beginnings of a bruise marking her chin where Lloyd had struck her.

"I guess he decided not to kill us."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Tenebrae also coming to before with a cry he darted to the altar and pointed to it with the end of his tail.

"Lady Marta! Centurion Lumen's core is..."

She turned, gasping in horror.

"It's gone!"

Scrambling up onto the dais she stood staring at the empty flower of mana, Emil coming up to stand beside her, puzzled.

"Are you talking about a white jewel? I think that Lloyd took it with him."

She spun, eyes wide.

"He took it?! Are you sure?!"

"Y-yeah. Was it important?"

Tenebrae nodded.

"Yes. Centurion Lumen's core is essential to our journey. Lady Marta, let's hurry. You and I must go after him!"

She sighed, before smiling at Emil.

"Ok, but first... Thank you so much, Emil. I really appreciate you saving me once again."

Emil backed up, blushing.

"Uh, I didn't do anything. I mean, I was pretty much useless."

"But you did save me. You became a knight, a Knight of Ratatosk. That's why you were able to save me, right? I always thought that you would make a wonderful knight! It's true! That's what I thought, ever since the first time we met."

He stared at her smiling face.

"You what?"

She blushed, chuckling a little as she looked away.

"It's okay. I guess that it just wasn't as memorable for you. But honestly I'm very grateful to you for saving me. What would I have done without you?"

The Shadow Centurion interrupted her.

"Lady Marta, we must hurry."

She sighed, becoming serious.

"Yes, you're right. Emil, would you help us? Just until we make it out of this place?"

He looked at her, before nodding.

"Um... Sure."

Marta's kind of a strange girl.

They walked away from the altar, Emil's foot catching on something and sending it clattering across the floor. Picking up the mask he frowned.

"What's this? It's pretty tacky."

Marta peered over his shoulder.

"Oh, that... Lloyd was wearing it when he came into the room behind me and Richter. The two of them started fighting while I ran ahead, but I had trouble getting the door open so he caught up to me." She looked at it again. "As for it being tacky, I agree. It's super tacky."

"Tacky indeed."

They glanced a Tenebrae, the Centurion leaving their side and moving to the door they'd entered through. When he came close, the symbol on its surface glowed, overlaid by another more complex pattern.

Seeing it, his fur stood on end for a moment and he backed up.

"It appears the door has been sealed with a spell. It cannot be opened from either side, if what I'm sensing is correct."

Marta's angry exclamation filled the room, as she clenched her fists and scowled.

"Damn! This must be Lloyd's doing. I'm sure he did this to trap us in here!"

Tenebrae glanced at the doorway visible at the back of the chamber, barred by a series of clamps on its surface.

"If I may suggest we try that door, there should be a switch in this room to open it. It is a design I am familiar with, one for an emergency exit that allows one-way passage. Lloyd likely left that way, the door locking behind him as it was designed to."

They looked around, not seeing a switch in sight, just the item pinned to the wall that Emil walked over to. When he reached it he found it was a poster, bearing a crude drawing of a grinning Lloyd holding a yellow teardrop gem.

"'Jewel Hunter Lloyd Irving was here.' What's this?"

Marta glared at it, furious.

"That jerk! Set it on fire!"

"Emil, burn it for her."

The youth blinked, realising what the Centurion meant. He pointed the Sorcerer's Ring at the poster, once again mentally commanding it to burn. The paper was incinerated in seconds, along with the moss that covered the wall behind it. Seeing the suddenly exposed switch, he pressed it.

A faint tremor rumbled through the floor, the clamps on the other door retracting and the panels sliding apart as Marta grinned.

"Great! Now we can go search for Lloyd!"

Tenebrae frowned, his expression concerned.

"But I'm only able to pick up a small trace of Lumen. It may be to late to follow."

Emil looked between the two of them, curious.

"Is this Lumen's Core really so valuable that you'd fight over it?"

Marta glanced at him apologetically, both she and Tenebrae explaining.

"Oh, I guess a lot of this doesn't make sense to you. To put it simply, the Centurions' Cores are the eggs of Centurions like Tenebrae. Lumen's Core is the egg of Centurion Lumen."

"You might say that cores contain Centurions in hibernation."

"And the core on my forehead is Ratatosk's core, and it's..."

Emil stepped back.

"Th-the demon lord's egg?!"

Marta sighed, exasperated.

"I told you he's not a demon!"

Tenebrae gave her a long look, before heading towards the now open door.

"Perhaps we should take the time to explain all of this to Emil."

She followed, still frowning.

"True, but let's get out of here first."

They walked through the door, it slamming closed behind them once they started up the stairway beyond. Looking between Marta and Tenebrae as they continued to climb, Emil plucked up the courage to ask.

"So, Marta, about this Ratotax."

She corrected him absentmindedly.

"It's Ratatosk, not Ratotax."

"Oh, right. So this Ratattacks."

Tenebrae nudged him, enunciating carefully as though he thought the boy to be stupid, much to the irritation of said boy who was already considerably fed up with the Centurion's attitude.

"His name is Ra-ta-tosk."

"Sheesh! What's the difference?"

Tenebrae rounded on him.

"What's the difference"?! How rude! How would you feel if someone were to call you Eh-mule?"

There was a small chuckle, as Marta added further insult to the conversation.

"Actually, my Eh-mule is quite the combination of strength and servility."

She flushed when she realised what she'd done, Tenebrae naturally interpreting her embarrassment of Emil to be deliberate.

"Well played, Lady Marta, well played."

Emil just sighed.

So much for asking about Ratatosk.

He changed the subject, as they reached the top of the stairs and continued down the following passage.

"Why do you think Lloyd is collecting Centurions' cores?"

Marta glanced at him, thoughtful.

"He could be trying to exterminate anyone who resists the Church of Martel. I bet it's something like that."

Emil flinched.

"Th-that's why he's collecting them?!"

"I don't know. But in Palmacosta..."

"Palmacosta?!"

She shook her head, uncomfortable.

"N-never mind." Her expression hardened. "Anyway, he's teamed up with the Church of Martel to oppress the people of Sylvarant. So he must be gathering the cores for some lousy reason or another! It makes me want to scream! Lloyd stands for lousy, with a capital L!"

Emil nodded, clenching a fist.

"Yeah! And that second L in his name stands for loser!"

"Or even lardaceous."

They stopped in their tracks to stare at the Centurion with eyebrows raised, the two of them commenting in bemusement.

"What does that mean?"

"Beats me."

They set off again, coming to a junction between two doors. On the wall between the doors were two more sheets of paper, arrows pointing to each door declaring 'short cut' for the left and 'scenic route' for the right. The two humans glared at them, stubbornly taking the door on the right and finding themselves in a small room with a circular glowing panel on the floor.

Tenebrae walked over to it.

"It's a teleportation panel... They transport those who step on them instantly to the other panel in the pair. There's no guaranteeing where it will send us, but as we can't be certain of the other path either I leave the choice whether to use it or not up to you."

Marta strode over to it and stood on it without a word, stubborn, Emil and the Centurion following after her. They reappeared in another small room, some scrabbling at a partially blocked door bringing them tumbling out through an illusion and into blinding sunlight.

Emil squinted at the brightness, blearily noticing there was a tall root-twined tower nearby.

"Um... Where are we?"

Marta rubber her eyes, blinking before she spoke.

"Ugh, of course... It's the Tower of Mana. It's an important archive for the Church, and Lloyd and his companions came here on the Journey of World Regeneration."

Emil turned to her.

"So it's a historical site for the Church of Martel."

She nodded.

"Yeah. It's no wonder there are hidden passages, and of course Lloyd would show up if that teleporter thing leads to ruin where Lumen was."

"Oh, so Lloyd's friends in the Church of Martel guided him."

She shrugged.

"It's only a guess."

Tenebrae, who had been examining the illusion that perfectly hid the entrance to the teleporter chamber, tilted his head.

"Remarkable workmanship... Spells of this quality and detail are most rare; I'd even go so far as to say the manner of its construction is familiar to me. I wonder..."

Marta frowned.

"You know who might have made it?"

Tenebrae twitched, before shaking his head.

"It's nothing, just idle musings on my part." He turned to her. "As for our objective, I am unable to sense Lumen's presence. We are a great deal further from Luin than we were in the cave, and I'm afraid I've lost track of her."

The girl groaned.

"Well the Tower of Mana is four weeks walk from the city. We need to go back the way we came and try that other path..."

Emil muttered to himself.

"You mean the one Lloyd marked 'short cut'?"

They went back to the teleporter, grudgingly taking the other door when they reached the posters again and going through it. They emerged into sunlight again a short time later, Marta looking around at where they were.

"We're in the lakebed, not far from the cave entrance."

Emil scowled, arms folded.

"I can't believe Lloyd's stupid posters were right... First he attacks us, steals that Core, and then helps up. What's he up to?"

She turned to him, moving and sitting on a nearby rock after a moment.

"I don't know. Anyways, why don't we take a break here? It'll give us a chance to explain to you about Ratatosk."

"Sure. I want to know what's going on."

He sat down, Tenebrae settling himself beside Marta before beginning.

"How much do you know about the world before its Regeneration by the Chosen, Colette?"

"I know the basics."

He nodded, pleased that much at least could be missed out.

"As you know, our world was divided into two by the will of the Goddess Martel and the Hero Mithos. Now, while the world was divided in two, Lord Ratatosk transformed into his core and became dormant."

Marta lifted the hair from her forehead, revealing the shards of jewel set there.

"That's this core on my forehead... Ratatosk's core."

Emil gulped.

"You mean that's the demon lord Ratatosk's egg?!"

Tenebrae's expression said he couldn't believe Emil was still thinking that after all the explanations that had already taken place.

"Lord Ratatosk is not a demon lord. He was a summon spirit of the Great Tree of old, and is the lord of all monsters."

Marta continued.

"In order to awaken Ratatosk, we have to first awaken all of his servants, the Centurions, by hatching them. That's why we're on a journey looking for the Centurions' cores. If he's asleep, nature will be thrown off balance and destroy the world. For instance Ratatosk's sleep is the reason why Lake Sinoa has started drying up. And without him around to oversee things, most monsters have cut ties with the Centurions they serve. So the monsters are running wild and causing the world's mana to fall out of balance."

Tenebrae nodded.

"Even while Lord Ratatosk is dormant, the Centurions are supposed to form ties with monsters and maintain order. Yet, the Centurion of Water, Aqua, has allied with Richter and is neglecting her duties. Which is precisely the reason why we have seen one water-related disaster after another. It's absolutely deplorable..."

Emil looked confused.

"If all this is true, then why do you have to fight?"

"Lord Ratatosk is exceedingly powerful. Though they may not be as powerful as Ratatosk's core, Centurions' cores still possess remarkable powers."

Marta sighed, Tenebrae picking up as she left off.

"Some people are trying to get the cores for their own selfish reasons."

"Lloyd and Richter are among those people. Lady Marta has been keeping Ratatosk's core from them."

"But somehow the core managed to attach itself to my forehead. To tell you the truth, it's a bit frustrating."

"Do you understand now?"

Emil nodded tentatively, getting up.

"Y-yeah, I guess."

But I still can't believe Richter would do something like that.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The city was the same as it had been that morning, people going about their business as usual. It was hard to believe so much had happened in so little time, and that his view of the world had been tipped upside down to such an extent. Tenebrae had made himself invisible somehow, though Marta could still tell where he was, after stating he didn't want to draw unwanted attention. At Emil's question if he'd been one of the monsters who'd attacked the town, the Centurion had retorted that he was not and that the monsters had been drawn to the area by Lumen's out of control power. It seemed that dormant Cores would cause havoc in the areas around them, that being one of the reasons he and Marta didn't want Lloyd or Richter to get their hands on them.

They crossed the main bridge into the city, Marta moving to walk closer to the thoughtful young man at her side.

"All right. Why don't we go to your house for now? We're both tired so taking a rest would be a good idea."

The blond youth flinched, hunching his shoulders before hurriedly speaking.

"Oh, um... We should go tell the mayor what happened with Richter first. Don't you think?"

She seemed a little deflated by his suggestion, but agreed all the same.

"Okay... Maybe we can ask him about Lloyd, too. Let's go."

She skipped ahead a little, cheerfully, Emil sighing in relief behind her.

That was close... I don't want her to see me being yelled at by my aunt and uncle.

Meanwhile, ahead of him, Marta muttered to the Centurion she knew was walking beside her.

"Rats! Here I was getting all ready to visit Emil's house, introduce myself to his family, and make our status as a wonderful new couple official!"

Tenebrae's voice was amused.

"So that's why you demanded he take you to his home so suddenly."

She smiled as a new idea occurred to her.

"I get it now! Emil's so shy, he must be too embarrassed to return home with his girlfriend."

"That sounds like wishful thinking to me."

She reached out and whacked him over the head with a hand, her aim perfect despite not being able to see him.

"Quiet, Tenebrae! That settles it, I've got to get him to like me more!." She spun round, running back to Emil and grabbing him by the arm. "Hey, Emil! When's your birthday? What's your favourite food? Do you like girls with long or short hair better?"

"H-hey, Marta! Stop clinging to me!"

Tenebrae sighed in resignation.

"I'm afraid this will be an unrequited love."

He glanced back, moving to walk alongside the 'couple' as Emil eventually got Marta to let go of his arm.

That done, the boy looked around, searching.

"Hey, Tenebrae, are you here?"

Realising that as yet the boy could not sense him, the Centurion silently chuckled in gleeful anticipation before proceeding to dart about around the youth.

"Yes, I'm right over here."

Emil turned his head to look where he heard the voice.

"Huh? Where?"

Tenebrae darted behind him.

"Here."

Emil flinched, looking over his shoulder.

"Uh... Over here?"

Tenebrae leapt over his head.

"No, over here!"

"Wait, you mean here?"

Marta grabbed him by the tail as he soared over her, yanking him to the ground to raise a disembodied cloud of dust from the paving. Emil's twitching was making people stare.

"Tenebrae! Stop teasing Emil"

The Centurion muttered at her side.

"How rude. This is part of the training of a Knight of Ratatosk." He slipped out of her reach, laughing wickedly. "Let's see, where am I now?"

Emil sighed, giving up.

"Now I know why Aqua calls you 'spiteful'."

The two of them ignoring the antics of their invisible annoyance, they walked through the city towards the Government District, entering the plaza in front of the Mayor's Office just as a group of footsteps came up behind them.

"Lady Marta! We've been looking for you!"

They turned, to find a group of mask-wearing men and women standing there with a uniformed man at their head, Marta glaring at him bitterly.

"Hawk..."

Emil glanced between them, confused.

"Marta? Is he a friend?"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Alaia Skyhawk: There ya go. Note, I changed the name of the Wolf to Wolfren, and added the thing about there being some monsters that can be mistaken for ordinary animals. There's no way all creatures in that world would be monsters, farm animals and general wildlife for instance wouldn't be, so it makes more sense this way.

Also I swiped the 'teleporter to Tower of Mana' thing from the teleporter to Balacruft Mausoleum under the dais in Asgard. Given that, like Marta said, on the scale of my map it would take 4 weeks to walk there from Luin, it was the only plausible solution :)