As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

Dwarven Vow 21:
Is fheárr teine beag a gharas na teine mór a loisgeas.
A small fire that warms is better than a large fire that consumes.

7-

"I see. So your friends are in danger, investigating a potential magitechnology weapon posing a threat to the Flanoir area. I have to admit, it's certainly the most dramatic excuse I've ever gotten for an employee to miss work."

Miss Lucia sat across from Lloyd in the break room, listening to his story as he explained it. She was always in the cafe early, making sure that everything was setup properly, so Lloyd knew that he would find her there when he arrived. She agreed to speak to him, seeing his desperation, and the two retreated to the break room where they could speak privately.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lucia. I know that this is sudden, and with the festival coming up, you'll be short on help, but… I just can't leave my friends."

"It can't be helped."

Lloyd sat up a little straighter. "S-so you understand?"

"Of course," Lucia answered, closing her eyes. "You have to decide what's the most important in your life, and you've chosen your friends over the cafe."

"…th-that's… I mean…" Lloyd shrank back a little. "I-it's not like the cafe is in danger by my leaving for a short time, is it?"

"Is it?"

"I… I don't think so…"

"And what makes you say that?"

"W-well, because… I mean… the cafe has you and everybody else looking after it. Nobody can work the espresso machine like Phil can, and Eliza makes the best pastries I've ever tasted. Miranda and Jamie bring in flowers all the time to brighten up the place, and Jake has all the regular customers' names memorized by heart." Lloyd stood up as he continued, his voice growing in volume. "I wouldn't leave this place if I didn't think it was in good hands! This cafe… the customers… and everyone who works here… they're all precious to me! But right now, there are people I love who need me more than the cafe does. So that's the way it has to be."

Lucia said nothing. She silently nodded her head. Lloyd glanced away and cleared his throat.

"…I understand if you want to fire me for leaving you so suddenly. I wish it didn't have to come to that. But it won't change my mind about going."

"Do you want me to fire you?"

"I've prepared myself for that possibility."

"But do you want me to fire you?"

Miss Lucia's expression was utterly unreadable to Lloyd, so he couldn't quite figure out what answer she wanted to hear from him. It didn't matter so much- he couldn't lie to her- but he at least wanted to know what kind of response to expect.

"No, I don't. I already told you, I love this cafe. I'd work here forever if I could. But there are things that are even more precious to me that I don't want to lose. So whether or not you fire me is your choice."

There was another period of silence. Lucia tapped her fingers against her knee, completely ignoring Lloyd as though she were waiting for him to speak again. He wasn't going to, however, and so she finally sighed and started talking instead.

"When you first started working here, I got the feeling that you'd be another one of those transient employees, here one day and gone the next. The barista who trained you- I can't even remember his name now- told me that you spent all your training sessions talking incessantly about some journey you were saving for. He said that someday you were going to build a boat and sail around the world with your friends to find all the exspheres. Is this true?"

"Yes, it is," Lloyd answered. "But this isn't that journey. This is just a trip to help my friends. I'll be back in two weeks- three, tops."

"I understand that. But do you expect me to hold a position for someone who might one day take off again and leave it all behind?"

Lloyd didn't answer.

"Besides that, you have little to no skill as a barista. You make drinks well enough, but there always seems to be at least one or two times a week- if not every day- that you give someone an iced drink when they asked for it hot or vice versa. I don't think I'd be unreasonable to say that this seems like a good time to put someone more capable behind the counter."

"So you're saying that…?"

"There will not be a barista position for you when you return, Lloyd."

He cringed. Why had she been winding him up if that was the answer he was going to get in the end?

"I understand, Miss Lucia. Thank you. I'm sorry for… for everything." Lloyd pulled himself to his feet unsteadily, but Miss Lucia reached out to him before he could go anywhere.

"That's not to say I might not have other positions open."

"Huh?" Lloyd stopped and looked down at her. "Other positions…? So you'd still let me work? I'll do anything- you can hire me as a busboy! I'll wash dishes if that's what you want. And I promise, I won't wear my exsphere and I'll be super careful with everything-"

"I'm not asking for a commitment right now." Lucia took her hand off his shoulder and turned around so that her back was to him as she continued. "But the fact is, many of the people who come here, employees and customers alike, have come to rely on you. You've changed the personality of this cafe just by being here, and you're an important contributor to the morale. You understand the importance of a community-like function for a successful business, and you use that understanding in all of your daily interactions. That's precisely the kind of technique I would want someone in a managerial position to employ. You realize I still haven't hired anyone after Kris moved last month, correct? Good managers are difficult to find, so it would only be offered to someone willing to make the commitment to the cafe. Someone I trust won't run off on some magical journey with little to no notice. A few weeks in an emergency is fine. Life throws these things at us and we can't do anything to control them. But there are times when we have to sit down and decide what is truly important to us and our futures."

"…" Lloyd was having a hard time processing what she was saying. "M-Miss Lucia, you're not saying that, after doing this to you now, you'd actually promote me? But my journey… I can't just… I mean…"

She turned around to face him again, and this time she had a smile on her face. "I said I didn't need an answer right away. Everyone has priorities, Lloyd. It's healthy to place the importance of people you love over physical objects or places. I have someone I'd sacrifice the cafe for in a heartbeat if it ever came down to it. Just the fact that you thought so hard about this situation means that you care a great deal for the cafe. I want someone like you managing this place, but I'm not going to force you to give up the journey you've been looking forward to. Think about it while you're helping your friends, if you can, and get back to me. We can talk once you're safely back in Luin."

"…Miss Lucia-"

"Get going, now. Don't you have friends who need you?"

Mornings were Zelos' least favorite part of the day.

Generally he woke up groggy, with a bad case of bed-hair, and unsure of his surroundings until he fully woke up. It was for that reason that he generally didn't stay overnight with others. No matter how charming a girl might have found him the night before, gods forbid she wake up to see him looking less than fabulous and completely disoriented. Leaving in the middle of the night was kind of a jerk move, but allowing someone to wake up to a romantic note was far kinder in his mind than exposing her to the disaster that was him at dawn. So, besides the long-ago childhood nights that he spent in his sister's company, he'd never actually woken up with a woman in his bed. He found that it was oddly terrifying.

It probably would've been less terrifying if he hadn't known her.

"Co-" His voice cut off as he sat up, moving over a little as he noticed that she was practically clinging to the side of the bed. "…what are you…? Did we…?"

The first thought that ran through his mind as he processed the situation was that he was a dead man. If Sheena and Lloyd and Genis and Professor Sage ever found out… they would kill him for sure. Probably literally. It was doubtful that even Seles would have mercy on him, given her relationship with Colette. That was not how he wanted to die. He was too beautiful for it to end like that.

But with the cold air against his face, he easily became reoriented to what was going on. Zelos remembered the conversation from the night before, about identity and hope. He remembered being floored by Colette's way of looking at the world. And he remembered falling asleep, watching her do the same from across the room, a smile on his face the whole time.

"Why is it so cold in here?" Despite the warmth and comfort of the bed, something about the air in the suite wasn't right and Zelos got out to investigate. It was so cold, they might as well be outside. The sensation of his bare feet against the carpet was almost unbearable, but he spotted the reason for the cold right away, and went to fix it first.

"…Zelos?" Colette had woken up at the sound of activity in the room and was sitting up, though she had the blankets pulled tightly around her. "Is everything okay?"

Zelos heard her, but it took him a moment to respond, as he was preoccupied with shoving the window closed. It latched with a click and he sighed. "Colette, did you close the window last night?"

"The window…?" Colette paused and one had flew to her mouth. "Oh no! Is that why it was so cold? I really thought I'd closed it!"

"The windows here are kind of tricky. You have to close them the right way or they'll pop open again. I guess I should've told you that, but… the way you moved the piano last night, I didn't think I needed to. My bad." He scratched the back of his head as he apologized, heading back over to sit on the side of the bed. "I guess that's why you decided to bunk with me last night?"

"Y-yes. I'm sorry about that. I woke up and was so cold that I couldn't get back to sleep. I would've asked you, but I didn't want to wake you up."

"Don't apologize. It's cool. Literally." Zelos laughed and waved one hand dismissively. "You stay there under the blankets, and I'll see if I can get the radiator working. It should help to warm the place up."

Colette didn't respond at first, watching him as he worked with the machine in the corner. "…thank you very much for letting me sleep with you, Zelos. I appreciate it."

She couldn't see what happened, but he yelped as though he'd pinched his hand on something.

"I-I told you, it's cool. Don't mention it. And by that, I mean seriously don't mention it. To anyone."

"Huh?" Colette blinked a few times, but finally nodded her head. "…okay, then. Whatever you say."

When Ida returned to the house, she questioned Lloyd's absence, but Sheena assured her that he was going to take care of some things and would be back shortly. She didn't know how much he'd want her to tell Ida, so she decided to wait until he returned to talk to Ida about the trip. Instead, she decided to work on breakfast while they waited.

Ida watched Sheena busy herself in the kitchen and wasn't sure what to do, so she retreated back to the chair and pulled out one of Lloyd's books that she'd been looking through. Most of the books he owned were picture books of some kind; illustrated encyclopedias and whatnot, so it was fun to browse through them and examine the pictures in detail. Some time passed and Ida finished looking through the book she had set aside the night before, so she went to retrieve another from the bookshelf.

"…you're Ida, right?"

Sheena's voice interrupted her as she reached the bookshelf. She stood up a little straighter. "Y-yeah! Sorry, I didn't want to bother you."

"You're not a bother. I just finished up with some rice balls and the omelets. Let's eat while they're still hot, okay? We'll set Lloyd's in the oven so that it'll be warm when he gets back."

Ida smiled. "Okay! Thank you!"

With Sheena's hospitality, Ida felt more at ease, and began chatting as they ate. "So you're Sheena, right? Lloyd talks a lot about you. You're so cool! Is it true that you've made pacts with summon spirits from all over Sylvarant and Tethe'alla? And you're from the legendary village of Mizuho, right? Lloyd said that their location is super secret, and that outsiders generally aren't allowed."

"Lloyd has probably exaggerated some of the stories about me, but… yeah, what you said is true." Sheena chuckled sheepishly, wiping a few grains of rice away from her mouth. "I-I mean, all except for the cool part. I'm really not that cool."

"Don't say that! You came all this way in the dark to talk to Lloyd about something important. That's pretty cool, isn't it?"

Sheena glanced away. "It's true that I don't like riding Rheiards in the dark, but…" She shook her head and moved onto another subject. "You're Ida, right? At least, that's what Lloyd said he named you. Was that something he came up with, or…?"

"Yes! Ida is a name that Lloyd chose. It means hope." Ida beamed as she spoke.

"Hope? In what language? Dwarven?"

"N-no, it's… well, I'm not sure, actually, but I remember him saying something about the name Ida, and how it means hope for a bright future and all that." She shrugged. "But the name Sheena is Dwarven, right?"

"That's right. Sìna- it's the Dwarven form of Jeanne- y'know, like Jeanne d'Arc?"

Ida gasped. "With a name like that, you must be cool!"

Sheena scratched her cheek, a little overwhelmed by the praise. "Well, Sheena isn't exactly my real name. Names are a powerful thing, so in Mizuho, only your family members can know your true name, and everyone else uses pseudonyms. Still, I've been traveling with friends so much, I don't know if I'd answer to my real name as easily as I do Sheena…"

"I get it. So it's a little like Ida. Not your real name, but since people don't know your real name, it's something for them to call you. And since your friends use it, it's precious to you anyway."

"Yeah."

Ida rested her head in her hands, sighing happily. "I know that, once I find out who I am, I should switch back to my real name, but… the name Ida makes me really happy. For some reason I can't quite remember what Lloyd said about it, but he put so much time and thought into the name, I can't help but love it."

"Time and thought, huh?" Are we talking about the same person? "You really seem to look up to Lloyd."

"I do! He's helped me a lot, even though I can't do anything for him right now. He's a truly kind person. I feel like, even though he's only known me for a few days, he truly cares about me. For someone with no memory of their own family and friends, to have someone care about you is…"

"I understand. There's no better feeling than when someone makes you feel like you belong." A soft smile spread across Sheena's face. "I know the feeling myself. Lloyd is good at making you feel that way, isn't he? That's one of the things that makes him special."

"Does he make you feel that way?"

Sheena didn't even have to stop and think about her answer. "Yes, he does."

"Let's stop here and stretch our legs a little. The dogs need to rest too."

Orrison called out for the dogs to stop, and they slowed obediently. Once the sled came to a full stop, many of the dogs fell to the ground and began rolling about playfully. Colette giggled as she watched them.

"They're having fun in the snow, aren't they?"

"Well, yes, but they're also doing it to cool down. Even in the snow, the dogs can easily overheat from running too much." Orrison spoke as he secured the sled. "We can walk around the area a little if you like, but it's probably not a good idea to stray far. There's a shallow lake nearby that's covered in a thin layer of ice and snow, so it's hard to tell where the ground ends and the lake begins."

When Colette and Zelos had reported to the dogs' training area that afternoon for their tour, they'd found that their guide had sprained her ankle on the morning trip, and was currently resting. Disappointed, Colette had said that she'd be content postponing their tour, but Orrison assured her that he knew how to work with the dogs and would be happy to take them on a tour instead. Zelos was the first one to agree, surprising Colette a little, but she had no objections, and soon was enjoying the feeling of the brisk air against her face. Orrison had allowed her to bring along a puppy that she was enamored with, and she held the little creature close to her, under her jacket to keep it warm.

"Thanks for the tip," Zelos nodded in response. "I probably won't go too far, but Marie, you can explore if you want. Go look for some of those snow bunnies you like so much!"

"Okay!" She giggled and waved, setting the excited puppy on the ground and watching it hop about in the snow. It felt a little odd, knowing that Zelos was going to be interrogating Orrison after the guy had been so nice to them, but Zelos had promised to do so nicely. After all, they still weren't sure how involved he was in the situation and whether or not he was a victim.

The puppy preoccupied itself with a stick that it found, picking it up and dragging it around the area, making trails in the snow. Colette bounded after it, trying to grab the stick, but purposefully not succeeding in an attempt to excite the puppy more. It worked, and the tiny creature was practically racing through the snow. If dogs could smile- and Colette knew they did in their own way- that puppy would've been grinning from ear to ear.

Meanwhile, Zelos had other concerns on his mind, and he needed to voice them.

"Hey, Orrison, can I ask you a few questions?" Zelos, meanwhile, drew closer to where Orrison was checking on all the dogs, making sure that they all could drink their fill of water. He paused and looked up.

"Sure thing, Enrico! As me whatever you like."

"Uh, well, I just…" Zelos glanced over to where Colette was still interacting with the puppy. "…I wanted to ask about a couple of things I heard from some of the others last night."

"Oh? Like what?"

"There's this rumor going around that you're part of some doomsday cult. I don't believe it, of course, but rumors tend to come from somewhere. I figured the right thing to do would be to ask you directly." Zelos scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry if that sounded a little insensitive, but-"

"No, it's fine." Orrison waved his hand and motioned for the two of them to sit down on the sled. "It's natural for people to talk. The truth is, I am here for religious purposes. It's not a doomsday event so much as it is a renewal of the world."

"Renewal? You mean like how the journey of the Chosen was supposed to 'regenerate' the world?" Zelos knew he had to tread carefully with a question like that, but Orrison's accent and mannerisms suggested that he was originally from Sylvarant, so the issue of his identity was unlikely to be a problem.

"Yes! Well, not quite." Orrison shook his head. "This is not some petty fight over mana. I am the Chosen of a god who is called the Great Divine- it is the Great Divine who will bring an end to this world of suffering. That's what I believe and why I'm here."

Zelos repeated the words in confusion. "…Chosen? Great Divine? World of suffering? I don't quite understand-"

"The world we live in is a world of separation. No matter what anyone does, there will always be separation from the people they love. Separation is suffering. When the world is ended- during the End of Nights- every being who is alive and who has ever lived will be reunited. There will be no more separation, no more suffering, no more farewells. At least…" Orrison turned his head away, his pale cheeks reddening some in embarrassment. "…that's what I believe, as it has been revealed to me. You're free to tell me that I'm crazy, but…"

"I wouldn't say that you're crazy." Zelos crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back "Everyone has their own beliefs and is entitled to follow whatever religion they're led to. I can't say whether or not you're really a Chosen like the Chosen of Mana were, but we all know that even they didn't have the power to save the world on their own. I guess what I'm curious to know is… why here? Why now? Why is it that your god chose this time and place for this, uh, end of nights?"

Orrison stood up, smiling and offering Zelos a hand to help him up as well. "It's because this is where all the pieces fit together."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"I'm not completely sure myself." Orrison closed his eyes and sighed. "When I was chosen by the Great Divine, I heard its voice. But in the years since then, I have heard nothing. I've traveled around the world, trying to help people, working odd jobs where I can. I've heard many things from the people that I've worked with in shops, cafes, inns… and I've had to piece it all together on my own. This time and place is where it's all led me."

"That's-"

The two were interrupted by a nearby shriek, and a cracking noise. Zelos stiffened and turned to see Colette a short distance away, and the puppy even further. A limb had fallen near where the puppy was playing, and revealed that it had started out over the ice of the nearby lake. Deep cracks had formed in the ice, and the puppy had huddled against the limb for safety.

"H-hold on! I'm coming to get you, don't worry!" Colette had figured out where the edge of the water was, but she was having a hard time working up the nerve to step out onto the ice. The pitiful whines of the puppy as the ice continued to crack around it were her motivation, however, and she stepped a hesitant foot out onto the lake's surface.

As she did so, there was a loud cracking sound, followed by someone yelling.

"DON'T, COLETTE!"

By the time Orrison's voice reached her, she had frozen in place, and it was only a few seconds later that she felt him grab her arm and pull her back onto solid ground.

"It's too dangerous," he murmured. "I don't want anything to happen to you. Wait here."

"B-but, Mister Orrison…"

She didn't have time to protest or ask questions as Orrison began to shuffle out onto the ice. It was cracking underneath his feet, but he seemed to be doing a good job of observing the cracking pattern and finding a solid enough place to put his foot. Finally, he made it a few meters to where the puppy was, and scooped it up in his arms before turning his attention to getting back to land. He'd have to come back a different way than he'd come, with the state of the ice the way it was. Gently, he began moving toward the next closest shore.

Colette ran over to where he was headed and Zelos followed behind her. A lot was going through his mind, but now wasn't the time to say anything. Had Orrison really said…? Or was he hearing things?

"It's okay, don't worry." Orrison was murmuring to the puppy in his arms. "We're almost there. You'll be alright. Just calm down and-"

It all happened so fast, Zelos blinked and nearly missed it. There was a crack, a yelp, and a splash, as the ice under Orrison's feet broke and gave way.

"ORRISON!"

((Thank you to everyone who's been following along so far. I can't believe it's already been this long, but next week's update is going to be my last for a while, as I'm taking a summer hiatus due to travel. Updates should pick up again in early July. I appreciate everyone's support, and hope you continue to enjoy the story!))