The Path Homeward

Part Two: Threshold

"Liar"

Darkness brought new life to the corridors of the Human Ranch, the prisoners of the lonely and sterile hallways finally daring to raise their voices above a whisper. It made the place seem less desolate somehow, when the Desians were gone to patrol the passageways beyond the cell blocks where they were all kept in close quarters. People had lives here, communities and families, sometimes gangs, and it was almost like a normal city with its own unique social order.

It was a city of the dead and damned.

Anna watched them from where she perched atop her cot, legs draw up to her chest, looking out on the people in the holding block. At her feet, Eren sat, his clear blue eyes scanning the face of every wraith of a man, woman, and child who wandered the corral in their dingy prison garb. He was probably thinking the same thing she was –

The ones who had been here the longest were the quietest, the most resolute and watchful, because to survive in a Ranch you couldn't be defiant. You had to be severe, silent and sly, or your hope and will to live would be squeezed from you like water from cheesecloth.

It was the loudest ones, after all, that they tried to break the most.

"New arrivals," Eren pointed out, stabbing a bony finger in the direction of the relatively clean looking people standing huddled in the corner. "You think someone should do something?"

She looked down to him, running a hand through her long, matted locks before making a face. "The smell might chase them away," she said. "But I can try if you really want me to. Martel knows no one else is going to try to help them."

That was because no one wanted to risk their own neck, she thought somewhat bitterly, standing up and squeezing Eren's shoulder before walking over to the newcomers. She kept her back straight, ignoring the stares of some of the more … violent members of Cell Block 4-C. They weren't so bad if you just pretended like they didn't exist, but give them the time of day, and oh boy …

"Hey," Anna attempted a reassuring smile, but was pretty certain she looked horrifying; being here had made her lean and scrawny, and her face was covered in thick grime, but they were scared, and their fear seemed to overcome their repulsion. "I'm Anna Irving. You're looking a bit lost."

She continued to smile as they exchanged wary glances, not really sure what they should say to her.

"Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted to extend an offer of camaraderie. If you have any questions, find me and I'll see what I can do to help. I've lived here two years after all," which was a year and a half longer than most people made it.

Invitation extended, Anna turned around and left just as soon as she'd some.

She wasn't really sure what had made her successful here, though that turn of phrase didn't really fit Ranch Life very well at all. You couldn't really flourish here; only survive by eking out an existence in the hierarchy of prisoners. If anything, Anna should probably be dead because her Exsphere was special and she was known to have Desian escorts through the hallways (affording her privileges because of it), but she was alive and … Well, not well, but she could be worse.

Sitting back down on the cot, Anna closed her eyes and forced herself to think about what might happen to those people in the next few weeks, of the horrors they would see that she'd grown used to in her time here.

And to think she used to believe true cruelty was uncommon.

"I was in the yard today on water duty," Eren said to her suddenly, drawing Anna's eyes and her attention. "You always hear the most interesting things on water duty."

Anna nodded, feeling attentive; if the prisoners weren't whispering about something, the guards always were.

"Kvar is losing control of the Ranch for awhile."

"What?" Anna's voice grew loud enough to draw the attention of several people close by, earning him their glares; of course she knew that if she were too loud she'd draw the attention of the Desians patrolling the hallways outside, but still …

"What?" she asked again, her voice dropping to an urgent whisper, watching Eren hesitate with everyone's eyes still on them, eventually, though, people stopped paying attention.

"A High Lord is coming to the Ranch," Eren took her hand, pulled her closer. "Someone from the people who run the Ranches. He's apparently coming to check up on some special pet project of Kvar's." Anna's heart leapt into her throat, realizing nearly immediately that he was referring to her – Her Exsphere was the only "pet project" Kvar had that she could think of at the moment.

"Well I hope whoever it is puts that bastard in his place," Anna repressed a shiver as she pulled away, imagining Kvar's cold, surgical fingers poking and prodding at the jewel embedded on the back of her hand. "Martel knows he'd deserve every ounce of it."

"Just don't get your hopes up too much. The leader of the cardinals visited that one time, remember? "

Anna did remember Arceus' visit to the Asgard Human Ranch very well, but she hadn't been particularly hopeful then just because of the tone that her handler had taken. He hadn't seemed very excited that things would change at all, because apparently Kvar didn't feel threatened by "such a feeble old man."

He had been feeble, Anna recalled, the memory hazy though it had been less than a year before he had visited. That man had been old looking, and he was a Half Elf, almost like some kind of long necked bird, like the ones that were said to prey on the bodies of the fallen in the Triet Region. His jowls had sagged, his face had sagged, but he was deathly thin, with pale skin and paler eyes, nearly blind with age. He'd worn the thickest glasses she'd ever seen, but she was certain when he touched the back of her hand and prodded her Exsphere that he was just as dangerous as every other Desain she'd ever met.

"I don't know, it's just a different feeling," Anna said at last. "The Desains have been acting weird lately. This has to be why."

Suddenly, a grating echo filled the chamber as the doors to the hallway opened with a groan, the great, automatic door rising to reveal a small group of Desians, lead by Kvar, who bustled into the room with a Half Elf she recognized immediately as her handler in tow.

Immediately all chatter ceased and the Humans in their cell gazed upon their captors, eyes brimming with anger and hatred. Most looked surprised, a few looked absolutely terrified, and a handful looked annoyed – This wasn't the time they'd usually come to the cell block.

It violated everything Anna had learned about Ranch Life under Kvar in the past years. He ran his Ranch like a well oiled machine, nothing out of place, the schedule never violated – He'd once told her that he gave the Humans this little "time to conspire" to give them hope and watch them break into delicious pieces, so to see the Master of the Asgard Ranch looking disheveled and unsettled was both satisfying and slightly disturbing.

After all, what could be so jarring that it could ruffle him?

"A012!" A voice barked, making Anna grow a bit pale; though as usual, she met the words with a resolute stare, rising from the cot to walk to the door to the cell.

In front of her, her handler fumbled with the keys, opening the door and reaching out to place shackles on her wrists. Furrowing her brow deeply, she stepped from the confines of the cell, taking one last glance at Eren behind her – He looked … Exhausted.

Quashing her guilt over the fact that he'd been taken trying to rescue Anna back then, she turned to face her captors. "What is it?" she asked, arranging her wrists comfortably in front of herself, her chin raised to address her handler, ignoring Kvar.

She saw his eyes dart to Kvar, who was already spinning around. "Well, we have a guest and on rather short notice, if I might add. Your immediate presence has been requested."

Placing his hand in the small of her back, he proceeded to steer her from the room without another word.

XxX

His footsteps echoed down the hallway, dark eyes focused past the white, sterile shapes of the beings floating about him. They did not spare him a glance, but they had no directive to, not unless he was to approach them, and even then their responses would be automatic and lifeless. And in any case, they would likely only give him directions, something he did not need.

After all, Kratos Aurion had walked this passageway more times than he cared to admit.

Oh, it was a grandiose place, of course, but considering Yggdrasill's taste in interior decorating, it was hardly a surprise. Vaulted ceilings, columns in the Tethe'allan style, effigies in the Sylvaranti, balanced with Elvin elegance. In short, it was far too much for his tastes, though he doubted it mattered since he gave the impression his lord wished it to.

Silently, the massive doors at the end of the hallway swung open with nary a hiss, granting Kratos access to the inner sanctum. He saw that his private audience with Yggdrasill was not so private after all, Grand Cardinal Arceus looking as decrepit as ever, his massive shoulder pads, bald head, scrawny body, and thick glasses making him look much like a chick pleading sustenance of its mother. The man's presence really didn't surprise him as the meeting was about him in the first place, Kratos supposed.

It was not as if he would be around much longer.

Allowing his eyes to strafe the room, Kratos' gaze fell at first upon the Great Seed, its blue glow containing within it the flickering likeness of a woman who Kratos had once known to touch the lives of the people near her like a wind of good fortune. Now she was gone, leaving her survivors to grasp at the straws of hope and morality like blind men.

"Kratos," a soft voice beckoned, and his eyes slid to a petite and elegant looking young man draped in holy white, his cherubic face full of warmth as he smiled. "Welcome home, old friend. I trust your business was fruitful?"

Kratos nodded, offering a stiff and cordial bow even as Yggdrasill glided toward him, wrapping him in a friendly embrace. "Yes. I have done as you wished, and I believe you will be most pleased with the results."

The other pulled away and looked up at Kratos, his smile never faltering, his hands resting on the man's shoulders. "What do you think? I've heard she's quite ambitious, and that her ambition may be a danger to us."

Kratos glanced to Arceus out of the corner of his eye, frowning slightly. It was well known to him that Arecus favored Kvar, who had once been a pupil of his. However, Kratos knew the Cardinals far better than Arceus did, despite the fact that Arecus was technically their direct superior. Kratos had far more contact with them than that old fool did, a fool blind to the true ambitions of his pupil who thirsted for power above all else. Even Kratos was aware that Kvar was power hungry and would throw a wrench in the workings of the organization – Ah, but perhaps Arceus had grown sentimental in his old age? Too sentimental to see he was being played for the fool by his own student.

And that was precisely why Kratos had been assigned the task of assessing who was most suited as his successor –

He was not so blinded by bias.

"From what I can tell she is a true zealot for your cause, milord," Kratos began. "She truly believes in and endorses your ideals with her whole heart. As I am certain you know, a zealot is more easily controlled as they are not so blinded by their own passions. She would give everything to you, of this I am sure."

Approval flashed over Yggdrasill's face, but he didn't respond, finally releasing Kratos, leaning back and humming in the back of his throat. He turned around to gaze upon the Lady of the Seed, indicating with a wave of his hand for Kratos to continue.

"She is also highly intelligent and dedicates herself to any task she sets herself to," he continued. "Without assessing Kvar, I can say I am certainly impressed with her and feel she would be a good fit for the position. She even has a Lieutenant who would be able to easily replace her at her current station."

"If I may be so bold," the voice reminded Kratos of his boyhood schoolmaster, rough like uncut granite. "I believe his lordship is dismissing Kvar before he is even given a chance. That hardly seems fair."

"I will go to the Asgard Ranch," Kratos responded simply.

"Yes, Arceus, my dear old man," Yggdrasill turned around once more and smiled upon both of them the smile of one who knows he holds absolute authority over a given situation. "You needn't worry. I actually have something I want Kratos to check the status of anyway." The empty green gaze flickered to Kratos, who stood at attention, left hand resting atop the pommel of his blade. "You are okay with this, aren't you?"

"Naturally. Although I warn you, I may have to stand on pretense more strongly in this case," Kratos frowned sharply, not overly fond of the idea of having to spend months on end wearing nothing but his nigh impossible to remove formals. "I must take every effort to appear an authority. You are aware that my race will be a handicap?"

"If they cannot respect that you are my voice, Kratos, I will deal with them personally." The voice remained magnanimous and neutral, but those green eyes flashed with deadly rage for a moment.

Kratos was aware just how far Yggdrasill would go to protect what he saw as "his", which included Kratos himself. It was why he was so careful to not overly involve Yggdrasill in his dealings. If he did not take such precautions, there would be a trail of corpses in his wake.

"Of course," Kratos bowed his head and turned to Arceus. "I will give your pupil a fair chance, of this I assure you. I will not allow my personal feelings to get in the way of my job."

For a moment the Half Elves' dark eyes glittered with an unspeakable emotion before he spoke. "Naturally," he replied at long last. "You are nothing if not a fair man, Lord Kratos. Everyone in this organization is more than aware of your knightly virtue. It is not a trait that could easily be forgotten."

This time, Kratos detected no malice in those words, as he was sure had once existed. There was nothing but a resignation, as if the man was finally admitting some grave truth to himself. Perhaps this was what the elderly did? Make peace with their demons?

Kratos smiled a bitter smile.

Either Yggrasill made nothing of their exchange or pretended not to, for he simply continued on as if nothing had passed between them. "I have left a report in your quarters, Kratos. Please, take as much time as you need to prepare and take time to file an official report on Cardinal Pronyma."

"As you wish," Kratos offered another, stiff, bow. "I expect I will be gone by morning."

"And I would expect nothing else of my most loyal companion," Yggdrasill smiled a small and secret smile; one he saved for only Kratos, the one the man knew to be genuine. "You are dismissed."

Without another word to either of them, Kratos spun on his heel and strode away, suddenly feeling every bit his age, as if the weight of the entire world was resting squarely upon his shoulders. Laughing bitterly, having no fear of anyone caring or reporting him (after all, the inhabitants of this place cared not for emotional displays and would ignore what they didn't see as relevant), he realized this was likely true. All his years made him feel very tired, resentful of everything that he had ever allowed to happen in his time on this mortal plain.

Yes, in reality, it was he who was the self-loathing and wounded old man whose soul was in need of something cathartic. Arceus was so fortunate he would soon be liberated of this vast mess.

At last he came to his quarters, though it was far from a safe haven. It, too, lacked a personal touch, was just as grandiose and saintly as the rest of this damned complex. There was no bed, no kitchen, nothing to indicate this place belonged to anyone living – Save for the fact that a set of files rested neatly on a table near the room's only furniture, a rather worn out looking chair.

Walking over to them, Kratos set himself to his task to distract himself from his current emotional dilemma; one speaking with Yggdrasill had only served to exacerbate.

The Angelus Project.

Kratos ran his fingers over the simple printed letters on the front of the file, opening it to reveal a slim packet of notes in handwriting Kratos recognized as Kvar's regarding this "Angelus Project." After skimming the notes only briefly, Kratos discovered that this project attempted to revive Hi-Exsphere technology, which quickly prompted a frown as he realized that Yggdrasill had personally made this request. The reasons why were not made clear, but as Kratos tracked the project through its first 11 host bodies, it was becoming more and more apparent that there were things going on behind the scenes of this operation of which he had no idea.

Perhaps it was simply for practical reasons, Kratos told himself, his eyes lighting on a name for more than a mere second, causing his brow to furrow. He skimmed over it, unable to figure out why it sounded familiar, when he froze and then frenetically sprung into action, flipping through pages until he found what he was looking for.

It was a lineup of the host bodies involved in this project, of those whose mana signatures were compatible with, and there, at the end, was that girl.

Anna.

Rage filled him, and a sort of deep sadness.

The anger was due to the fact that this had happened to her, that she had lost her family, most likely. After all, the notes here said she had been picked up during a raid of Luin two years ago and it was unlikely many survived who had fought back. She was a good person and this … Should not have happened. She should have been able to run away and start a family with her merchant lover, to travel and see the world, not become host to a deadly crystalline parasite.

The sadness was due to the fact that he had failed her. The acting, the posturing, attempting to assure that he remained as normal as possible in her eyes had all been for naught because soon enough he would arrive in her life once more and shatter that dream.

Kvar had made a liar of him.

And as much as it pained him, Kratos realized that he really had proved her wrong about him –

Some things, no matter how much they seemed to mean at the time, really were simply a job after all.

XxX

Anna glanced to Adrus, who walked beside her, grey eyes filled with a deep sort of worry. She didn't have any idea of the source, hadn't really had the time to ask him, no chance to be alone with her handler and to interrogate him.

Because that was the thing about Adrus.

When push came to shove he would usually give her enough answers to keep her satisfied, and Anna could usually figure out the rest from the way other people in the Desian organization were acting. Like she used to think that they didn't have a goal before she was taken, and some of the people in the Ranch still did, but Anna had realized that they were trying to make some kind of Half Elf Utopia by listening them to talk and that making Exspheres was part of some kind of elaborate revenge.

It was just the snippets of conversation she'd heard sitting in cold examination rooms with Adrus and Kvar, surrounded by their men, how they believed there was some better world out there for them in the future. Their resolute belief in their better future might have made her feel bad for them if she hadn't seen most of them torture and abuse the prisoners here on a day to day basis.

At last, after what seemed like hours of marching, they came to a small room, where Kvar barked orders to his men to guard the door while he went ahead with their plan to bring the Lord here. Then, in a flurry, he was gone, flanked by a few of the men, Adrus escorting her into the small room.

It was much nicer than any of the other rooms she'd seen before, more a conference hall of some sort than a cellblock or examination chamber. There were padded chairs, even, though everything was still made of cold metal and shined with a harsh and unnatural gleam.

The door hissed closed behind them, leaving her and Adrus, finally, completely alone.

"So what's going on?" she asked eagerly, spinning on him, the shackles still heavy on her wrists.

"We have a visitor. A very, very, high level official from C—" He cut himself off and frowned sharply. "From our superiors up above." He paused and chewed his lip. "I'm unsure what to tell you, though I want you to be prepared. If I give away too much, Kvar might catch wind of it, and that would not be good for either of us."

"Well let's start with why he's visiting," she said, prompting him to speak; she wasn't really sure how much she could get away with this time since he really did seem worried, but it was worth a try.

"To check on the status of the Angelus Project."

Right. Just like Eren had said.

"Okay so, it's just a routine thing?" She asked, and Adrus gave her a look like she was crazy.

"Host Body," he began, "listen – This is anything but routine. If it were, Lord Arceus would have come, but this man is not Lord Arceus. He far outranks them, outranks anyone who has ever step foot in this Ranch before, and he's probably here to …" He lowered his voice and wrung his steady hands together, seeming to contemplate the wisdom of confiding this in her; Adrus may treat her well and disapprove of Kvar's methods, but at the end of the day, he was still a Desian, no matter how nice he was.

She had to remember that.

"Arecus is very old and is probably going to retire. I think that Lord Aurion is here to assess whether or not Kvar is suitable to replace him."

So that was it …! It made perfect sense, what, with Arceus practically being a living fossil, even by Half Elf standards. He was probably being forced by their superiors into retirement because he couldn't do his job well anymore. Frowning, she wondered what kind of stone cold bastard the guy they sent must be to intimidate Kvar.

Though … That name …

Aurion.

Where had she heard it before?

"So, this man, he scares Kvar?" she asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs and grinning when she found that it spun around.

Adrus didn't answer, so she figured she'd pushed him too far. Sighing, she spun around again but froze when she heard the door swish open – That had taken less time than she was really expecting; she was hoping she would have more time to question Adrus about this person to prepare herself before he walked into the room and –

"Kratos …?"

"Oh? You know the Host Body, Lord Aurion?" Anna recognized the voice of Kvar, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the man in front of her.

Tall, red haired, dark eyed, handsome … It was Kratos for certain. He didn't have a face anyone could forget, and right now he looked like he was contemplating eviscerating her.

"So this is the Angelus Project," he said in a voice so cold it sent shivers down her spine; was he … ignoring her?

"Hm. I see you won't answer me," finally managed to tear her eyes away from Kratos, she looked to Kvar, who was staring at the taller man with a look of absolute contempt in his beady black eyes. "Rude, aren't you?"

Kratos snorted. "You'd best watch your tongue, Lord Kvar. Or do you forget who I am? I would think you should have realized that my previous engagements are no concern of yours."

"Lord Aurion –" Kvar began, but was silenced when Kratos held up a single hand and kneeled before her, taking her shackled wrists and looking at the gem embedded on the back of her left hand.

Gently, he touched the gem, his fingers icy cold but somehow less surgical than what she had grown used to. She winced, then narrowed her eyes as she realized this really was Kratos, that all those years ago, she had risked her reputation to save a Desian, that she had, had –

"I see you kept your promise," he muttered in a voice loud enough for only her to hear. "You are still alive, and after two years in this place as well. I am impressed."

"Go to hell, bastard," she hissed. "You lied to me. To all of us! So just where the hell do you get off thinking you can just waltz in here and strike up a conversation with me as if nothing happened?"

He snorted again, a sound so familiar that it made her heart ache for the days when things were so simple, the days before all of this had happened, before –

"I am not a Desian, so erase that perception from your mind," he told her simply. "You are correct that I lied to you, though –" He paused and glared at Kvar, who was leaning closer to them, attempting to eavesdrop. The coldness in his eyes was so severe that the Grand Cardinal slid back swiftly, as if burned. "If I had my way, you would have never had to know that this is what I am."

"Oh so that suddenly makes it right?" She spat. "You didn't want me to know, so that makes it okay that you're a dirty, filthy, liar, who works for the Desians? I overlooked a lot of stuff for you! I defended you against all those people and believed you were a good person and you're just -!"

"I told you that it was just a job," his low voice dripped with an emotion that she could not identify. Anger? Bitterness? "I warned you that I was not who you thought I was and you refused to listen. And then I went along with your perception of me to spare you pain, because I genuinely had hoped that you could make a difference if you applied yourself. And I told you, I do not work for the Desians."

"Then who do you work for?" she demanded.

"That is none of your concern."

"That's not good enough."

He stood, apparently refusing to say any more on the subject, and turned to Kvar. "I want her moved to solitary. The Exsphere is highly sensitive and knowing the condition of your holding pens, it's a miracle someone hasn't tried to rip it from her in a fight. A massacre of that sort is out of the question, Kvar."

"Where do you suggest I move her, Lord Aurion?" drawled Kvar, seemingly unconcerned with the order, though his eyes flashed in rage at being ordered about. "Those are the only holding pens we have available for the Inferior Beings at this Ranch. It's not nearly as expansive and modern as the Iselia complexes, I'm afraid."

"You have empty rooms on the second floor. Not only is that closer to the medical facilities, but it is also closer to where I am staying, and while I am here I would like to keep her under close watch," his dark eyes flickered to her, and she growled at him, clenching her fists in rage.

Maybe if he had stayed he could have talked the Desians off! Maybe if he had stayed, her father would still be alive, would be breathing and well, and they would all be back in Luin instead of being here, wasting away into nothing!

But he apparently didn't care after all.

Why would he?

He was just like the rest of them, and even the good ones, like Adrus, didn't care enough to turn against their masters.

"As you wish, Lord Aurion," Kvar bowed with an almost scornful amount of cordiality. "It will be done."

"In the meantime …" Kratos trailed off," I am going to my chambers. It has been a long day."

And with that he strode from the room, his receding footsteps cracking open her precariously patched heart.

Kratos the traitor.

That's what he was.

And she'd been a fool to ever think otherwise.

XxX

The books slammed against the wall as he swept them from their shelf in rage, falling against the carpet with a numb "thud". It wasn't nearly as dramatic as he'd hoped, did not truly fit his mood, but as he did not particularly feel like paying reparations for the glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling, they would have to do, as unsatisfactory as they were.

Foolish woman! Stupid woman!

He picked one of the books up, prepared to tear its binding in half, put paused and stared at the pictures on the cover. A green haired woman with green wings, and a young blonde man flanked by the vague shapes of blue and red haired angels stared back up at him.

A children's book, he snorted, as out of place here as that woman is.

Gently, he set the book down on the coffee table as he sank into the depths of the couch that faced the elegant mural wall, painted with the faces of angels and the Goddess, fantastically rendered. Kratos sighed, remembering that, in his youth, Arecus had loved to paint and sketch, those nearly 800 years ago. Yes, these rooms belonged to him, simple, but refined. Outside of the gaudy chandelier and mural, Kratos found they had similar tastes.

It was too bad they hadn't met under different circumstances, Kratos thought, they might have been able to get along.

But then again, perhaps not.

Kratos had a way of outliving nearly everyone he met, and so forming lasting friendships had become impossible, which is why he had been stupid to let the Human woman get to him in such a way. He was a fool to have let himself become fond of the idea of someone so normal and vibrant out there living their life doing good things for others.

Life had a way, after all, of taunting him with good things and then taking them away from him at the last moment.

There was a beeping noise from the pouch he'd cast haphazardly to the floor when he arrived, a noise that he wanted nothing more than to ignore, however, he could not really risk the chance if it was Yggdrasill. Standing, he walked over and retrieved the pouch, fishing inside of it until he grasped something cold and round in his hand. He continued letting it ring until he reached the couch once more, getting some satisfaction from making whoever was on the other end wait for him, for once.

Pressing the button, he finally opened the comlink, a holographic image of the bust of a certain, blue haired, nuisance staring back at him with an irritated expression on his face. That expression quickly morphed into a smug one, and the man crossed his arms over his chest, "Someone looks like he swallowed a bug."

Kratos just scoffed. "What do you want, Yuan?"

"Is it so wrong just to want to talk to my old friend?" The tone was innocent, something Yuan had never been.

"You never want to speak without a reason anymore, Yuan. So cut the nonsense. I'm too tired to properly deal with it right now," he leaned back and closed his eyes, though not before seeing the barest hint of shock flicker across the other's face.

"Fine. Yggdrasill asked me to "check" on you. He said you seemed strained just before you left for the Ranch this morning." Kratos doubted that was all, but he was willing to accept that as the only reason for now; whatever Yuan's ulterior motives were, they were none of Kratos' business. "Having read the files on the Angelus Project, I thought it was probably related to that damn girl."

"Are you going to scold me about getting attached to her?" Kratos asked, imagining Yggdrasill's action if he found out about what had transpired. They were not pleasant. "If so, save it. I am already feeling the consequences keenly."

"On the contrary, I think it might do you some good to remember that you're not like the rest of us every once in awhile." It was such a candid statement that Kratos found himself opening his eyes to gape at Yuan, whose face looked almost sad, until he noticed Kratos was looking at him. "I called to ask what you wanted me to tell Yggdrasill."

"Tell him that I think Kvar is an insufferable toad," Kratos growled. "It is not too far from the truth as he is at least half the reason today was such a terrible day."

Yuan made a face that was a cross between disgust and sympathy. "At least you're not stuck dealing with a group of idiots like the Church in Tethe'alla. I swear to Mana, I hate the aristocracy there. Though I do understand …" Yuan trailed off. "From what I've read of Kvar, he's the nastiest of them all."

"Rodyle is not exactly a pleasant fellow, either," Kratos growled. "I wish Arecus had selected better men to serve as his seconds. They have too much free reign, though Magnius and Pronyma are not so bad. They, at least, follow the orders they are given."

"Yggdrasill should let us select them," Yuan said simply. "We're the ones who end up working with them anyway."

"Indeed," was all Kratos said in reply, sill puzzling over Yuan's statement earlier. "What do you mean I am not like the rest of you?"

"Oh, I'll just let you riddle that out all on your own," Kratos glared at the hologram, who smiled smugly back. "You're a smart man. I'm sure you can figure it out."

He frowned, but relented, knowing that Yuan would never give him the information he sought. Kratos would just have to be content with thinking about it on his own, which was not a bad thing, he supposed, since it would stop his mind from wandering to other subjects that he, frankly, wanted nothing to do with at the current time.

"Is that all you wanted, Yuan?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes," there was a pregnant pause. "Kratos, no matter what you do, be careful. There are things going on here that you have no idea about."

He cut the line before Kratos could comment on the cryptic message.

Standing, Kratos dropped the communicator on the coffee table and glanced tiredly to the pile of books in the corner. He would probably regret leaving them there in the morning, but right now he simply wanted the solitude of a dark room, and this apartment, at least, would have a bed he could make use of.

In his heart of hearts, Kratos knew there would be no sleep for him this night, or for many long nights after. There were too many questions that had been raised and far too few answers for his liking, and Kratos swore he would get those answers, no matter what it cost him.

Many years later, he would both cherish and regret that decision, but for now, he simply sought the numb blackness of a chamber devoid demanding superiors, slimy henchman, estranged and cryptic friends, and the wounded green eyes of that woman, eyes that would haunt him now and long into the distant future.