Note: More changes... a rather big one at the end. More personality changes for some characters. This update took too bloody long... Anyway, thank you for you patience and understanding. Especially to those who've kept up with the original version. Xx

Disclaimer: Suikoden and its characters belong to their respected companies (Konami and such) and no money was made in the production of this Fanfiction.

GENSO SUIKODEN: Atonement

By: Chii Motosuwa

Chapter Six: "Akia"

By the time Leon Orfield decided to move his troops out of Liskora, almost three weeks had already passed. The first week, Hisoka was confined to bed rest while Deis was stuck between sentry duty and taking care of the child. When the first week passed, Deis took up his full duties again and the care of the child was put in Hisoka's hands. During this time, sentries around the bishop were doubled because of the previous problem with their former commander, especially when the child was with him most of the time. And with guarding the bishop being Deis' primary duty, Hisoka, himself, and the child were rarely separated.

At their third day in the village, she began to speak a few words to Leon in her foreign tongue. By the time they left Liskora, she was capable of talking to him in long sentences... or at least the two young soldiers figured it to be. But not once has she spoken in their language again.

"So the closer we are to Kyrisal, the easier it is for her to remember?" Hisoka asked the bishop who was across from him and the girl in the carriage.

"In theory at least." Leon nodded. "People who have suffered memory loss tend to recuperate better if they're surrounded by familiar things."

Hisoka felt a bit uncomfortable by this information. He looked at the girl sitting beside him. All that was left of Liskora were the remains of burned down huts and the ashes of the dead villagers killed during their attack.

Was that what was familiar to this child?

A flash of his former village came into his mind... the fiery scenery... the scorched earth... bodies of friends... his mother... his only family... the scent of blood... and the intense gaze of their executioner's mismatched eyes.

He blinked as he realized the child was looking at him. He turned away, lowering his stare upon the floor.

"Your holiness!" Deis rode up beside the carriage on his mare then gave Hisoka a slight nod and saluted the bishop. "We're approaching Nénuphar."

"Very well." Leon said to him.

Deis remained by the carriage's side watching the child curiously, who returned the same look to him. Leon quickly took note of it.

"Is there something wrong, Deis?" the bishop asked.

"Oh, no. Of course not my lord." The young soldier quickly replied. "I was just wondering... if you had decided on a name for her yet."

Leon was taken aback as he was caught off guard.

"It just seems a little awkward since we don't have anything to call her." Deis continued. "And calling her 'Kaos' is a little..."

The bishop frowned.

"I was told that once we name or learn a name of something..." Hisoka suddenly blurted out, still not moving his gaze upon the floor. "They become a part of us. We become biased towards it. If we give her a name, our judgment may become influenced... lenient... incase we become attached."

He squeezed his hands tightly into fists on his lap.

"But... I was also told that by showing some lenience... it's easier to understand."

"And who told you this?" Leon asked the young man sitting across from him.

"My... birth mother did." Hisoka reluctantly replied, raising his eyes to face the bishop. "I... also think... maybe a name for her would be appropriate, your holiness..."

"Hi-chan...?" Deis' brows furrowed.

"I see..." Leon smiled slightly. "Your mother sounded like a kind and well-taught woman."

Hisoka bit his lip and nodded.

"Yes... thank you, your holiness."

"Very well, then. I will put some thought to a name for her." Leon turned to the girl and smiled at her gently. "It's alright with you, isn't it?"

The girl merely tilted her head to the side and blinked at him.


Another week nearly passed in Nénuphar, a former village part of Lorrianne, before they made their move back to Crystal Valley. While Deis remained by Leon's side, Hisoka was left with the duty of taking care of the young girl. To Deis' surprise and amusement, Hisoka seemed to act more like an older sibling to the young girl even when he nagged her, despite the fact that the girl could not understand. The child also seemed to cling to the young non-Harmonian teen, following him like a newborn chick trailing after its mother. The night before they left the small village, Deis finally had the chance to confront Hisoka concerning what he had heard him say in the carriage. But Hisoka refused to speak any further than what he had said. Disappointed, Deis questioned him no further.

One their way to Crystal Valley, Leon finally had decided on a name for the young girl. He had named her 'Akia'. At first, Hisoka and Deis thought Leon had given her a rather simple name as 'Akia' meant the color 'red' or 'scarlet' in the old Toran language. Perhaps to accommodate the odd scarlet left eye of the girl. But the bishop had meant something else.

"The word 'Akia' has two different meanings in Sindarian writing." Leon explained as they rode on the carriage heading towards Crystal Valley, "It just depends on how it is written."

"Ah, I see." Hisoka nodded while glancing at the little girl who had stuck her head out of the carriage window as she watched the scenery around them move slowly, "Hey, you."

He pulled her gently back into the carriage while she kept her eyes on the world outside the window.

"So what does it mean then, Lord Leon?" Deis asked while he watched Hisoka try to calm the girl down when she had started pointing outside after seeing a herd of cattle roaming about an open field.

"Akia means 'the one who is loved by all' in one way." Leon continued as he watched Hisoka and the girl as well with gentle smile on his face.

"And the other?" Deis asked again, giving him a half glance then laughed as the girl grabbed hold of Hisoka's ears and tugged at them as she frowned at him.

"Hey, stop!" Hisoka yelped in surprise and took hold of her hands to try and pry them off.

"The other means 'the child born from ruin'."

Hisoka suddenly stopped, glancing completely at his superior. The girl looked at him questioningly, then at Leon.

"It's better than 'Kaos' I guess…" Hisoka thought as he put all his attention back to the child sitting beside him.

Leon suddenly started talking to the girl in that foreign tongue again. Hisoka and Deis guessed it was Sindarian and watched the girl's reaction. She merely looked at Leon, seeming a bit surprised. After a short pause, she nodded and then sat back quietly on the seat while looking at the window passively.


The girl named Akia stared at the entrance of the Temple of the Circle uneasily. Hisoka, who was standing by her, stared at her as she began to fidget a little. He reached over and wrapped his hand around the girl's tiny hand while giving her a small nod. Akia merely looked up at him, doubt not disappearing from her usual quiet face. She looked at the entrance again, closing the palm of her other hand tightly and placing it close to her chest. Leon was already walking in front of them towards the main doors, clad in the deep blue and silver uniform worn by the Bishops of Harmonia. Hisoka and Akia followed as he beckoned them to enter the building, trailing behind him down the long hallway to the center room of the temple.

The hall itself was heavily guarded by Temple Knights. They were soldiers trained solely for the protection and safety of the bishops and currently within the pale blue and white marble walls was one of the central bishops of Harmonia. Hisoka caught his breath as he saw the beauty of the interior of the holy structure. Not everyone has had the opportunity to see the very inside of the temple. He considered himself lucky.

"Stop!" a female voice echoed into the hall.

To their right was an adjacent hallway heading towards the gardens of the temple where a woman was holding on to the wrist of a young boy who was struggling to get free. The boy was no older than 'Akia'. Brown shoulder length hair adorned his head and green defiant eyes glared intensely at the hand around his wrist. By the look of his clothes, he was not a member of nobility. He looked more like a commoner to Hisoka. He continued to try and pull his hand away as the woman labored to calm him down.

"Ah..." Akia took a step towards the woman and the boy with her hand slightly reached out.

Hisoka looked at her, surprised by her curious action.

"Luc!" Leon's voice suddenly boomed into the room.

The boy raised his head quickly, turning his glare at the bishop. He then scratched the hand around his wrist with a growl, causing the woman to withdraw her grasp with a small cry. Taking the opportunity, he turned and ran to the opposite direction from where the other's stood and out of their sight.

"A-Ah! Luc!" the woman called after him, holding her injured hand close.

She turned to Leon and gave him a low bow.

"I-I'm so sorry your holiness." She said and then ran after the young boy.

When the woman was also no longer in their sight, Hisoka turned to Leon.

"Do you know him, my lord?"

"Yes..." Leon said gravely and then kneeled down beside Akia and turned her to him.

Her eyes remained on the hall, as if she was hoping that they would return. Again, Leon began to speak in that language and Hisoka watched the look on Akia's face grow more miserable as the bishop continued to speak. With what sounded like a question to Hisoka, Akia nodded to and said one word in return. The young soldier could only assume that it was a 'yes'. He frowned slightly.

They resumed their procession towards the main room. When they came upon another set of large doors, Akia suddenly froze up. She had pulled her hand away from Hisoka's and looked at the doors before them in fear. Leon did not appear to be surprised by her reaction. Instead, he ordered the two sentries to open the doors and calmly walked into the brightly illuminated room.

Within was another hall and at the end was a platform of blue and white marble. There was an elderly man standing in the middle of the platform, while at the steps down to the hall stood a man and a young boy at either side. Hisoka stepped into the room only to realize that Akia had not moved from her spot. Her hands were not both close to her chest, tightly closed into fists and he was sure that her breathing had become irregular, almost as if she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Hisoka." Leon said in a rather commanding tone.

"Y-Yes, sir." He replied, then took one of the girl's hands and whispered to her. "It's okay... I'm here."

Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be guided towards the platform. All eyes watched her as she moved forward, her other hand still clasped closely to her chest and her gaze solidly towards the floor. The hand Hisoka held in his felt cold as it gripped him tightly. She was undoubtedly scared.

Hisoka's eyes wandered to the three people standing on the platform. The one in the middle was well known. He was a representative of the High Priest Hikuusak. They called him "Golan". The one to his left was someone Hisoka also knew. His name was Kureno and he was a captain who was once under the command of Deis' late father. Hisoka had met him during his first week in training for the army. To Golan's right was also someone well known across the kingdom of Harmonia. The young boy was known as "Sasarai", a child under the care of the Harmonian council since his birth. It was said that he was next in line to take Lord Golan's place once he comes to age. He was after all born with a True rune... The child would be ageless... endless... just like Harmonia's beloved High Priest.

The child carried himself with benevolent grace. His green eyes clearly showed that as he gazed upon them from where he stood. He gave Leon a curt nod the elder man quickly gave them a low bow in response. Hisoka followed his superior's actions promptly.

"My lord." Leon finally said as he raised his head to face the people standing before them.

"Leon. I am pleased that you have returned to us so soon." Golan uttered in return. "I have received word of your work as of lately. I am very impressed."

"Thank you, my lord."

"Lord Leon... is that the 'Demon of Chaos'?" The young boy asked casually as his eyes lingered on the girl standing beside the young soldier.

"Why, yes your holiness." Leon smiled. "Although... we have given her a name."

"A name?" Kureno blurted in a rather repulsed tone.

"Demon of Chaos didn't seem appropriate..." the bishop calmly explained. "And it is rather long."

"W-Wha—"

A chuckle escaped Golan's mouth as he raised his hand, telling Kureno to speak no further

"And what would this 'name' be, Leon?" the elder looking man asked.

"Akia."

There was a pause of silence in the room. Kureno and Golan seemed caught off-guard by Leon's response, while Sasarai and Hisoka merely blinked at their elders curiously. Akia on the other hand grasped Hisoka's hand even tighter and she pressed herself against him, still trembling in fear, and her other hand took hold of the back of his uniform.

Leon finally turned to them, taking note of the young girl. His kind eyes remained the same... calm... collected... It was as if he did not seem very surprised by the child's reaction. He gave Golan a quick bow and asked if the child and Hisoka could be excused. Two temple knights then escorted them out of the room, leaving Leon alone with the other three standing on the pedestal of the great hall.

By the time they reached the gates outside, a voice called over to Hisoka, catching his attention. A brunette woman walked towards them, carrying a bundle in her arms. Her brows were furrowed deeply as gentle blue eyes surveyed them both as she approached them.

"Ms. Ellen. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She said to him in a rather distressed tone. "I get that filthy bird flying into the window while I'm cooking supper for Lord Leon's return! It slams into the wall and down my kitchen floor, and then runs around like a headless chicken while Mr. Toren tried to calm it down to get the note off its leg. When Mr. Toren finally gets the letter off that wretched creature, it tells us to send someone to come and pick you up."

"W-Where's Mr. Toren now...?"

"That creature scratched and pecked my poor fool for a husband! I have blood all over my kitchen. There was no way he could have come here to pick you two up with his arm injured. I wouldn't have it! The others are cleaning up after the mess they made." She grumbled. "I also sent Cyndle to the market. That darned bird ruined tonight's supper. I should have stripped its feathers and cooked it in a stew."

"I-I see..."

Ellen placed her hands on her hips and looked over at Hisoka and Akia, letting out a breath. She smiled at them kindly then handed the bundle to the young soldier.

"I wasn't sure if the weather here was appropriate for our guest so I brought that with me." She explained as Hisoka unraveled the bundle which appeared to be a cloak.

The woman then knelt in front of Akia, handing her hand to her as Hisoka wrapped the cloak around the child. Akia carefully studied the woman's face before placing her small hand into the woman's, and then looked up at Hisoka as if she was waiting for him to tell her if what she did was appropriate or not.

"This is Ellen." Hisoka nodded. "She's... the one who takes care of Lord Leon's house when he's away."

Akia tilted her head to the side in response.

"You'll be living with us starting today." Ellen said to her gently. "It's not too far from here. There's a carriage waiting for us just outside."

The girl nodded reluctantly and Ellen squeezed her hand in response, again, smiling gently at her.

"Welcome to our family, young lady."


"You will be careful, right?" Sarasa looked full of concern as she handed Akia her satchel. "You promise you will be, okay?"

"I'll be fine." Akia replied, smiling slightly as she took the bag from the younger girl's hands. "Do not leave Kaiho without telling Leona. To be more exact, try not to leave the castle until I come back. And if you really must, do not even think about leaving the castle on your own... Understand?"

Sarasa nodded.

"Miss?" the ferryman in charge of the boat for Lake West called from behind them.

"Alright." Akia nodded to the man, and then turned back to Sarasa and patted her gently on the head. "I'll be back soon..."

"Okay."

She stepped into the small boat and the ferryman immediately pushed the small vessel away from the dock. She looked back at the girl standing by herself at the castle docks waving made uneasiness overflow in her slowly. Memories returned, haunting her within. It was familiar... She remembered how it felt when she was the one who did the "biding away" as she had to stay behind to study in the One Temple while those dearest to her left for duty.

"Just...how long has it been?" she thought.

"The next time we meet… I will be stronger…and I will make you see."

"How long have I been waiting...?" Her hands clasped to her sides and she let out a quiet long breath.

"I'll come for you. I promise."

(to be continued...)