I don't own TOS. Hasn't that become apparent?
I really need to update more often, don't I?
Faith
Lloyd opened his eyes to meet the blackness of the early morning. The sun had yet to rise. Grunting, he threw on his over coat, strapped on Ico and Sano, and put on his boots. Stepping out of the inn, if you could call it that, Lloyd closed his eyes again as the sea breeze blew through his hair. The rolling of the waves seemed like a lullaby. It made Lloyd queasy.
Then, he noticed a purple clad figure standing on the beach, arms crossed like usual. Kratos must have gotten up a while ago. Perhaps when he had brought Colette back inside after she fell asleep. He didn't know, nor did he really care.
"I believed I was the only person who got up this early." Kratos said, his gaze not straying to Lloyd has the young man walked next to him. "The sea soothes the soul, doesn't it?" Kratos ran his fingers through his hair.
Lloyd looked at the sea with apathy, simply replying, "Do you think we can find a ship to Palmacosta today or not?"
"If we can't, we'll go around Hima, to Asgard. We'll release the wind seal if we can't release the water. How do you think this will all end, Lloyd?" the elder man looked down at the other swordsman. "Do we all just end up getting to go home, and live out our lives, or do we continue on?"
The brown haired man met Kratos' gaze, before sitting down on a nearby log. "When one journey ends, another is just beginning. Just as the sun sets and the moon rises, we enter one adventure after another. The ties that bind us to the world strengthen, our bonds with each other grow strong with some and break with others. In the end, we can't stop."
"May I ask what you mean by that?"
"We'll discover things on this journey, not only about ourselves, but about others, and Slyvarant itself. We'll want to change some things, find something else, our just simply go on a trip for some other reason. The journey never ends." Lloyd looked up at the sky. Dawn was just starting to break.
"Who do you believe you are Lloyd?" Kratos stood in front of him, hard eyes meeting uncaring ones. "What kind of person do you believe yourself to be?"
Lloyd merely smirked and said, "I could ask you the same thing. Good morning Raine."
The elf gained an annoyed look upon her face. "Oh please, don't stop because of me. Come on, go get some food. Here's some money." Raine handed them a few bills and coins. "I'll try to wake up Genis and Colette, but I'm not making any promises."
Lloyd looked at the money once, before he gave it to Kratos. "You heard the lady, go get some food. You barely do any mediocre work around here. You'd best start." Walking away, following Raine if you want to be technical, he left and annoyed Kratos staring at the money.
Once the mercenary returned, He handed Lloyd some fish. "That's the best I could get while still having enough to restock on supplies. Make something." said the purple clad mercenary.
It was now Lloyd's turn to be annoyed.
Once everyone had been woken and fed, Genis receiving less because of Lloyd's insistence of 'You're smaller, I'm bigger. You use spells, I spells and techs. I need more, you need less.', the Chosen's group went about deciding on their next course of action.
"As Lloyd and I were talking about this morning, if we can't find a ship today, we'll go around Hima to Asgard to release the wind seal, and from there, we'll cross Hakonesia Peak to Palmacosta and the water seal on Thoda Geyser." Kratos said, gaining the attention of the group. "Since we don't know the location of the actual seals, we can only speculate."
"I suggest we try to find a boat before we decided to make the trek Asgard. It would be much simpler to go to Palmacosta first." Lloyd said, before walking off towards the docks of Izoold. "If we can catch a boat, we'll make better time, as the monsters further north tend to be more aggressive than the ones in Palmacosta's general area."
Genis watched Lloyd's retreating back as Colette followed him soon after, Kratos following her. "I swear, he's got some sort of motive hidden up his sleeve."
"Kratos hasn't said anything about it." Raine replied to her brother. Hard eyes were trained on his back. "But if he doesn't react in time…"
Genis cut his eyes towards his sister. "You'll end it."
Raine just walked towards the docks.
Faith
The docks weren't all that crowded, at least today. The group had separated, Colette playing a dog near one of the docks, Kratos keeping his eye on her. Genis and Raine were trying to rind a ship to Palmacosta, but were failing miserably.. Lloyd, however, had gotten the most pleasing results.
Turning his head slightly, he saw that woman, the grandchild of the lady he had talked to yesterday, trying to convince a sailor to take her to Luin. Walking over, he tapped the woman on the shoulder. "You're looking for a way across the ocean?"
She looked up Lloyd, startled for a few moments. "Uh, y-yes. I have a letter to deliver to a man named Aifread in Luin. But somebody," her eyes cut a glare to the sailor who glared back, "won't take me over."
"I keep telling you, Lyla. Why would I help my rival in love? And there have been more and more attacks at sea! I'm not going to risk your safety!" He shouted.
Lloyd lock his eyes with the sailor. "That's very…admirable." He turned back to the woman, Lyla. "What if we take the letter?"
Lyla looked at him, then at the sailor. "Max, you won't take me, so what about him?" she saw the look of reluctance. She looked at him pleadingly, "Please? For me?"
Lloyd watched the interaction, his eyes calculating. "We'll pay you, if that's what you want. We can protect ourselves, and the ship. Four spell casters will be coming aboard, myself included. We can protect it from harm…Do we have an accord?"
Max looked at Lyla once more, her eyes looking pleadingly at him. "..ugh. Damnit, fine. Be ready in an hour." He said, looking at Lloyd's retreating back as he gathered up the members of the 'Chosen's Group'.
"Kratos," Lloyd addressed the older man, also gaining Colette's attention. "I've found us a ship. Chosen, please get ready to depart within the next hour." Colette nodded to him.
"I'll go get Raine and Genis. You watch the Chosen, Lloyd" Kratos said, leaving the intimidating swordsman with the clumsiest woman alive.
Lloyd simply nodded, as he watched Colette go back to playing with the dog. How, he wondered how could she bear such a burden, yet be so happy? So carefree, so happy, so…so…innocent. He ran a hand through his hair.
"Is something the matter?" Colette looked at him with curious blue eyes.
Lloyd regarded her with apathetic eyes. "Nothing." He turned away from, not noticing the pained look cross her face. "It's nothing."
He heard stand up, and walk over to him. Colette placed a hand on his back, and whispered, "I wish you'd talk to me about these things. You're just…so-"
"Lloyd! Colette! Let's go!" shouted Genis from over the docks, waving at them to hurry.
"We'd best hurry." Lloyd said, as he pulled Colette to the ship, and helped her on as the rest of the group got on the ship. Lloyd turned to Max. "Is this safe?"
Max's face puffed up with embarrassment. "This is a fishing boat! It's not meant to hold so many people! I'm sorry it's so small!"
Lloyd just sat down, leaning against the rail as he said, "Careful you all don't fall off."
"Don't even joke about that!" shouted Raine.
Faith
As Palmacosta grew ever larger and larger, Lloyd wondered what he was going to do. His little talk with Kratos in the early hours of the day had done something to sway him, and his night before that with Colette had made him think. If he handed her over, she would die. Lloyd had no doubt about that. So, it really came down to one question.
Did he want to be the one to cause her death? Or better yet, did he even want her to die?
It had been a question that had been bugging him ever since the trek over the Ossa Trail, when the assassin had come after Colette. Why had he defended her? The Desians needed her dead. So, why did he stop her? Because he wanted to be the one to do it? Lloyd scoffed at that. He couldn't, wouldn't do that to her. Maybe to others, yes, but not her.
He looked up at the sky. Seagulls were flying.
Why?
"Lloyd? Lloyd? Are even paying attention?" Genis was waving his hand in front of the swordsman's face.
Lloyd snapped his attention to the half-elf, looking at him almost curiously, before letting out a sigh. He would deal with the dilemma of the Chosen later. He had more pressing matters.
Max had docked at one of Palmacosta's esteemed ports, and helped everyone off. Lloyd turned back to him. "Thank you for the passage. I'm in your debt."
Max looked confused at Lloyd, before giving him a small smile, and offered his hand. "Just make sure that letter gets delivered. Lyla would kill me if it didn't."
Lloyd stared at the hand as if it was an alien object, his cold eyes staring at it, before he grasped it with one of his own gloved ones. "It shall be done."
Lloyd released his hand, and turned to catch up with the group, "What is our plan? I have decided…against, going to the Palmacosta Ranch."
Raine looked at him shocked, while Kratos looked…relieved? Lloyd shrugged it off. He didn't really care what the man was thinking. Raine had a suspicion that he had to put an end to, now. Colette looked at him happily, however. Lloyd felt an odd sense of relief at that.
Kratos nodded at the young man. "I suggest we go talk to the Governor-General, I've heard that he has a book containing details of Spiritua's journey to the seals. If we could get our hands on that, we could locate all of the seals."
Lloyd just nodded, not really caring, as the group set off away from the docks. They had only gotten into the main part of Palmacosta, when Lloyd heard the clinking of armor. And only one set. Soldiers of Palmacosta walked in groups of three, normally. When one was going alone, it was just as a messenger, and didn't make so much noise. This was a fighter.
Just as the group rounded the corner, Lloyd pulled Colette to him just as she bumped into someone, pulled out one of his swords, and leveled it between the eyes of a red head wearing armor.
"H-hey!" the red pushed the sword downward. "Do you have any idea what you just did?!"
Lloyd analyzed his group. The red head was wearing purple stained armor, they had a mage among them as well. Another red head was also wearing some armor. The woman Colette had knocked down was getting back up, looking down at the spilled potion she was carrying. "Oh no! Our Palma potion!"
Colette softly pushed away from Lloyd, but he kept his sword out. If one of these idiots tried anything…He would deal with it accordingly. Lloyd watched as Colette helped gather the broken pieces of glass. "I'm so sorry! I've made a mess haven't I? Can we replace it?" she asked, innocently.
"A replacement?!" shouted the red head. "Do you really think that'll be enough to appease my anger?!"
Lloyd stepped in front of Colette, pulling his second blade from its sheath. He felt Colette place a hand on his shoulder, as the woman placed a hand on the red head. The woman said, "Please, let's just let them replace it. There's no harm done."
Colette asked him to sheath his swords. Lloyd did so.
"Tch, alright, but hurry up! I dislike waiting." The red head said, cracking his knuckles, trying to look imposing. Lloyd thought he looked he was trying to be a school yard bully.
Lloyd had enough of this guy. "And why should I replace something that your-"
"Please, Lloyd? Can we just replace it?" Colette asked him with pleading eyes. The rest of the group was watching the encounter, thinking Lloyd could handle it.
"Fine."
Colette smiled at him. "Thank you."
"Hurry up!"
The group walked away from the incident, towards the center of town. They decided to talk to the Governor-General first. However, when they reached the center of town, they saw a small boy talking to a grown man. "Governor-General Dorr! My daddy was taken to the ranch and hasn't come back, even though I've been a good boy…"
The man smiled kindly down at him. "Just wait a little longer, soon everyone will be saved from the ranch."
"But…I'm lonely…"
The man continued to console the boy, before he took his daughter into the town center building. Colette looked at the building quizzically. "Who was that man?"
An old man answered her before Kratos could. "That was Governor-General Dorr. He's recruiting soldiers to fight the Desians. After losing his wife to illness, he raised his daughter all by himself. Even if we're carried off to the ranch, we won't stand down. We trust Dorr to come save us." The old man then walked off, muttering something about afternoon tea.
Lloyd let out a sigh. "Such blind devotion to one man…that's not good." He muttered. Kratos led the group into the central building, where Dorr welcomed them. "Greetings travelers! We welcome travelers, as per the teachings of
Martel. May the blessing of Martel be upon those who journey. By the way, may I
ask where you have come from? Are you on a pilgrimage for Martel?"
Genis answered the Governor-General. "We came from Iselia. We're on the journey of world regeneration."
Dorr looked at them suspiciously. "World regeneration?..."
"Colette here is the Chosen of Mana."
Dorr's attendant looked at him. "Governor-General…"
"Yes, I understand Neil. The Chosen was just here moments ago! How dare you defile that name! These despicable criminals must be arrested and turned over to the church at
once!" Dorr shouted as guards surrounded the group.
Lloyd didn't skip a beat. In two fluid motions, he pulled his swords out and cut off the heads of the spear pointed at him and Colette. "Colette, I suggest you offer up proof." Lloyd said as he stood in front of her, blocking the guards. He saw Kratos and Raine pulling out their weapons in case a fight broke out. Genis was looking around worriedly.
Colette simply nodded, pulling out her angel wings, eliciting gasps from the soldiers, Dorr, and the others that had not seen them before in the room. "Put down your weapons!" called out Dorr, as the soldiers backed off. "Forgive us, Chosen, but we had already encountered some one posing as the Chosen, asking for the book of Spiritua's journey. We had handed it over."
Raine snapped her head in his direction. "You mean to say, you gave the only record of Spiritua's journey to someone saying they were the Chosen without having them offer any proof?"
Dorr had the grace to look ashamed. "We had heard the Chosen was on her way here. So, we naturally thought that that was her."
Genis snorted. "Are you that stupid? You humans-" Genis shut upped after Raine slapped him on the head.
"Is there any place that might be able to help us then?" Raine asked.
Dorr looked at her, regarding her with an odd look. "The Church of Martel may be able to help."
"I see. Thank you."
Dorr apologized once more, and the group left.
Lloyd stopped the group before they even got close to the church. "The Church won't have anything regarding it, believe me. The book of Spiritua is the only thing in the world detailing her journey. Anyways, we'd best get that potion. I don't want to have that thought on my head any longer than I have to."
The group went around, entering shops to see if any had a Palma Potion. They were eventually recommended to a shop called Marble's, not all that far from the port.
When the group finally located the store and went in, Lloyd almost cursed out loud.
Desians.
Faith
Chew me out. I know I deserve it. I've had a MASSIVE case of writer's block for not only this, but all my stories. And the original one I'm trying to write. I'll try to get over it, I've been feeling it going away, but I'll try to get the next chapter out before the end of March. No promises though.
I'm sorry guys.
