A/N: Oh gosh. I am so sorry for the long wait. Life was just kicking my ass there for awhile, and I've had a lot of things on my plate to deal with. BUT! This chapter is my longest one yet, and I actually think I did a pretty good job with it. Guess what!? We get to meet Colette, Lloyd, and Genis in this one! Anyway, thank you to my reviewers, people who have favorited, and people who have followed this story! And even thanks to anyone who just reads silently (I don't always review either, guys! xD). Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia. I don't think I could be as creative with the plot twists and things as they were. Nor could I create such beautiful characters as Kratos and Yuan xD
-0-0-0-
Nothing is predestined.
The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.
-Ralph Blum
-0-0-0-
Mithos was seated on his throne in Vinheim listening to a blond angel garbed in green, white, and elaborately adorned robes prattle on about how he was so honored that the seraphim had chosen him to play the role of guardian angel to Sylvarant's Chosen. The man was starting to get on his nerves, however. How long did he intend to go on with his meaningless babble? Mithos was past displeased and was quickly moving into the territory of "annoyed." It wasn't so much that he was annoyed with the other blond man himself, just in the way that he continued to talk nonstop when Mithos was already past caring.
"I swear to you Lord Ygg-" the man started to say before being cut off.
"Remiel," Mithos interrupts. "Are you quite done? I have other things to attend to," he says, his sapphire eyes narrowing dangerously and his tone suggesting unpleasant things in Remiel's future if he doesn't comply.
Remiel immediately bows, realizing that he's starting to get on his leader's bad side – something quite dangerous indeed. "Y-Yes Lord Yggdrasill, of course," he manages before righting himself and quickly leaving the room and quietly shutting the double doors behind him.
Mithos sighs and rests his chin in one hand as he looks out into the violet sky of Derris-Kharlan as he thinks about the man who had just left. Remiel was always trying to get into his good graces, always doing anything Mithos even hints at in an effort to be promoted to the level of seraphim. Not that it would ever happen - it wasn't even possible. Even if Mithos were willing to indulge the other man, he could become a seraph in name only. The seraphim kept all their senses, and even developed enhanced ones, after the transformation. Ordinary angels lost certain things at the expense of gaining others. Remiel at least retained the capability for ambition, but the power that he was hoping to gain was nothing but a fallacy.
However, it made him a little more useful to Mithos than the rest of the angels were. If Mithos said jump, he wouldn't even pause to ask how high, he would merely do it to the fullest extent of his ability. Loyalty to that extreme was valuable.
Loyalty… it reminded him of another person who was just as valuable – Skye. She was as fiercely loyal as Remiel, perhaps even more so, but she didn't hope to gain anything from it. Remiel was "loyal" because he thought it would benefit him; he was purely selfish. The girl, however, appeared to be Remiel's complete opposite. She simply wanted to be useful to Mithos. She wanted nothing but to serve him in return for the salvation he had offered her when Ozette was burning down around her. However, she wasn't blinded by her loyalty in the way that Remiel was, because she wasn't nearly as ambitious as the blond angel. She was the type of person whose loyalty would make her strive to be something better, for herself and for others. It was not likely to make her blindly support someone in an attempt for personal gain.
She also showed great compassion, and rarely passed judgment upon other people. She rarely put herself first, and was always trying to be close to the other seraphim. She was always trying to get in extra training time with Kratos, and everyone could see that she was trying to impress him and gain his approval. Although her skills were not yet great, Kratos was the type of man who fully appreciated dedication, so those two were getting along splendidly.
She was always joking around with Yuan and trying to lighten his mood and get him to smile genuinely, rather than sarcastically, which was quite a rare occurrence for him. They could also be spotted often just sitting together silently, no verbal communication needed between the two. They seemed to almost have their own unspoken language. It was similar to what the other three men had with each other, but this was something that only she and Yuan could understand. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was giving her magical training. Magic was a bit of a relative practice rather than something precise. Sure, there were certain basics about it that related to everyone, but for the most part it was something that was little different for every practitioner. It required him to understand how she thinks in order for him to instruct her effectively, and perhaps that had promoted some sort of mental or overall understanding between the two.
When it came to Mithos she would just lend him her company. She would tell him stories or occasionally ask him to tell her some, making sure to stay away from uncomfortable subjects unless he initiated them first (he didn't, but he wouldn't deny the fact that the sincerity behind her intentions was refreshing – he knew how most of the others in Cruxis regarded him). Sometimes they just sat together in the eastern library in silence as they would read something. Occasionally, Skye would sit next to him and read whatever he was reading over his shoulder. That was a bit uncomfortable for Mithos, but after hearing about the way she would do that with her brother he thought it would be a bit harsh to tell her no. After all, he didn't outright dislike the girl, and he could understand that she just wanted to be able to do something that was familiar to her. The feeling of nostalgia was something he understood well.
Mithos wondered if perhaps she was lonely, or maybe simply afraid of losing the last bit of what she could consider important to her. Regardless, it seemed she had a way of becoming close to the three of them without much thought or effort needing to be expended. Mithos recognized that this was a rather precarious game of chess he was playing. While he was certain that Remiel was merely a pawn to be sacrificed at any moment, perhaps in return for a queen, he was uncertain which piece Skye would prove to be at this point. He didn't think that she was a mindless pawn, but didn't think that she could quite be ranked with such importance as a rook or bishop quite yet. Perhaps a knight – she was unpredictable and a knight had different choices in the way it could be used. The only other piece that was as unpredictable was the queen, after all.
There was one thing he was sure of, however. He would need to take care to ensure that the manipulator did not become the one manipulated.
-0-0-0-
When Skye was a child, her mother would read her and her brother adventure stories. Damsels in distress, daring knights, princes and princesses, she'd heard them all. The thought that soon she was going to be on her very own adventure was exciting – but also bittersweet. She knew she wouldn't be seeing this place for awhile, and that also meant that she wouldn't be seeing Yuan and Mithos. Kratos, at least, was going with her. She wouldn't be completely alone, but she knew that she'd miss her other newfound friends and fellow Cruxis members. Over the past few weeks, she'd become rather close to all of them and even just the idea of not seeing them every day was a strange one at this point after she had become so accustomed to spending the majority of her time with them.
However, on the bright side of things, she would get off of Derris-Kharlan for awhile. She'd finally get to be around nature again. While she had grown accustomed to life on the comet, she still missed Aselia terribly. She didn't like the artificialness of Derris-Kharlan. She wanted to feel the warm sun on her skin, and smell the scent of flowers and trees on the warm breeze as it moved through her hair. However, while she preferred to see trees and grass and a blue sky when she stepped outside, she was starting to realize that she might miss Derris-Kharlan after all. Or maybe it wasn't so much the place that she'd miss, but the individuals who inhabited it – specifically the other two seraphim who weren't going to be accompanying her. Yuan, Kratos, and Mithos were the only people that she really had left, after all. Her blood-family were all dead, surely, and she didn't have ties to anyone else.
Thinking of things that she missed… Made her think about how she missed Mistral. She missed his expressive and ever changing gray eyes. She missed his broad smiles and his teasing. She just missed him. She always thought that when she was finally ready to have her own adventure, he'd be by her side. They'd travel the world together. That couldn't happen now, but she'd travel twice as much for him. After all, she knew that there were two worlds now, not just Tethe'alla. She would let him see through her eyes all that those worlds could show her.
She decided that it was about time to stop brooding in her room and just prepare for the day ahead. Dwelling on things that she couldn't change wasn't going to get her anywhere. After showering and changing into her clothes she tied her hair back. She took a look at herself in the mirror. Outwardly, she looked about the same as she always had. Her long silvery hair was tied back into a loose braid, bangs framing her sky blue eyes and pale face nicely. She preferred to wear her hair down, but she had learned that it was much easier to fight without it getting in her way, so she compromised with a loosely worn braid. She was wearing her blue and gray themed outfit instead of the black and gold one today, opting to leave off the jacket as well, and she was currently in the process of putting on her new equipment. She decided to leave off her jacket because it wouldn't fit right over the armor anyway and she attached her sword to her belt, as well as attaching her small shield to her opposite hip, easily in a position to be grabbed and put onto her arm, and took another look at herself in the mirror.
She realized how much she had changed over the time she'd been here. It wasn't so much a physical change (although she was beginning to build a bit of muscle – not too noticeable but there all the same) she hadn't been here quite long enough for a large change like that, but the way she carried herself was different. There was more resolve in her sky blue eyes, and she looked more confident than she had before.
Back in Ozette, she didn't do much other than her work at the inn and taking care of her and Mistral's home. Whenever she had leisure time she did rather domestic-type things – cleaning, drawing, reading, and etcetera. She didn't go out much, and she was actually rather timid. She honestly didn't even associate with most of the people of the village. Half-elves weren't well-respected, to put it mildly, in Tethe'alla. She had avoided contact with the other village members as much as possible. It was a sharp contrast to the type of life she'd been living here. Since she came here, every day was devoted to training her body and her mind. She was learning to become a force to be reckoned with, and it gave her confidence. She wasn't looked down on for being a half-elf, and before they became angels, almost everyone here were half-elves themselves. The only person she'd actually met so far that was human was Kratos. Well… not that he was really "human" anymore, but still. She wondered how exactly a human would've come to associate with a group filled with mostly half-elves in the first place. She knew that basics, that he had helped Mithos and Yuan end the Kharlan War, but that was really all she knew. She had noticed that he certainly didn't seem to discriminate against half-elves the way most humans did, though.
Moving away from that train of thought, she looks over to the clock and sees that it's a little after five-thirty. She decides that she should probably go get some breakfast. She didn't know what the conditions on Sylvarant were like, but she was sure that she didn't want to start some long journey on an empty stomach. She walked over to the door that leads out of her quarters but stops in front of it and turns back around to face the room. She pauses for a few moments, eyes taking in her surroundings with a lingering gaze as if to say goodbye to the place. She probably wouldn't be seeing it again for quite awhile, and it really had come to feel like home to her.
After a few moments she opens up the door and walks out, quietly closing it behind her. She makes her way through the winding corridors that she has long since become familiar with until she gets to the small cafeteria. The place is usually almost deserted, and this day is no different. The angels didn't actually need to eat, so the only reason the small facility was here was for the benefit of the seraphim. Skye grabs some food and makes her way to a table, but before she can begin eating Yuan walks into the room carrying a small bag.
"Here," he says simply, extending the bag to her.
Skye arches an eyebrow. "It seems like everyone wants to give me gifts lately. What's the occasion?" she jokes as she takes the bag from him, abandoning her food for the moment.
"Can't have you going off and getting yourself killed on your first mission, can we? Besides, Kratos is making me look bad. If he's going to reward you with new equipment before you leave, I should as well," he says lightheartedly as he watches her take the leather bag.
Skye unties the cord that's keeping the bag closed and dumps its contents on the table. Inside the bag was a green ring with some strange symbols engraved on it, a necklace of a strange emblem in the shape of a six-pointed star surrounded by a circle that was hanging from a leather cord, and a small, simple, dagger. She widens her eyes a bit in surprise. She wouldn't need to purchase any equipment at all for this journey thanks to Yuan and Kratos. If she was honest with herself she wouldn't know where she would have gotten the gald to purchase any anyway. Mithos wasn't exactly paying her for her service and she hadn't had a chance to collect any on her own yet.
"Thank you," she says gratefully.
She picks up the ring to inspect the symbols on it, but quickly realizes that they're in a language she can't read. "What do these symbols mean?" she asks.
"They're elven. The ring is engraved with the word 'magic.' It will amplify the power of your spells. The necklace acts as a focus to help you cast more quickly," he explains. "And the dagger is just a dagger," he continues with a shrug. "They're just things that I acquired long ago that I have no need for anymore. I might as well give them to someone who can put them to some use. They might help you out if you find yourself in some trouble and Kratos isn't around to help you."
"Thanks again, Yuan. I really appreciate it," she says sincerely. "I'd even give you a hug if I didn't think you'd try to break my arm or something," she adds in a somewhat sarcastic tone as she puts on the ring and necklace. She removes the sword from her belt, opting instead to attach it to her back, and puts the dagger where her sword used to be. She also moves the shield to her back over her sword, but with the hilt being tilted it was still easily reachable.
He laughs at her comment. "You're not as stupid as you look, then."
"Hey!" she exclaims as she drops her mouth open in mock offense and gives him a light punch to the shoulder. "Shouldn't you be a little nicer? I might die or something on this journey!" she jokes.
"If only it were that easy to get rid of you," he says sardonically but not seeming to really mean it. "I have some business to attend to, so I need to get going."
"Alright, I guess I'll see you when this whole thing is over," she says a bit dejectedly, remembering exactly what she was leaving for and what she had to do. She still wasn't feeling too comfortable with sending the young Chosen on her journey. She would do it, though. She wasn't going to go back on her word; she would serve Mithos faithfully in whatever way he wished, even if she didn't always like what she had to do.
Yuan picks up on her lack of enthusiasm and he knew exactly why she felt that way. Unlike her, he knew the entire reason for the journey, but he didn't like it either. He intended to do something about it, however. He couldn't reveal that to anyone else right now, though.
"I'm sure it'll be over sooner than you think. At the most it should only take a couple of months," he says. "I'll give you one piece of advice – don't let your emotions interfere with your duty," he adds seriously.
"I'll do my best," she says, trying to insert some resolve into her voice. "You know, you sound like an experienced soldier giving advice to a rookie," she adds thoughtfully.
"At one time I was a soldier."
Skye is surprised at this. "Interesting," she muses. "Tell me more." The statement comes out sounding more like a question than a request, however.
"There's not really time for a long explanation, but I was actually the first half-elf to ever achieve a position of importance in the Sylvaranti military during the Kharlan War."
"Impressive. I knew you were a talented fighter, but I didn't know exactly where that experience came from," she says.
Yuan nods. "Now you know. Also, I may not be around to train you anymore, but you need to keep working on it on your own. Slacking could get you killed from here on out. You need to keep your magical abilities sharp just as you would with a blade."
"I will," she replies, her resolution strong and aflame in her eyes.
Yuan sees this and nods in silent approval as he turns to leave and Skye turns back to her meal.
-0-0-0-
Yuan arrived back in his office and was currently speaking to his second-in-command of his Renegade force via hologram. Yuan was standing in front of his desk, and the brunette man in the hologram was seated at a desk with a serious look on his face.
"Prepare a small, but adept force. The Oracle will be arriving later today so you should start heading for Iselia immediately," Yuan says seriously.
The other man ran a hand through his spiky hair that was short and styled back in such a way that it left his pointed ears exposed. He emitted a small sigh of exasperation and uttered a 'yes sir.'
Yuan raises an eyebrow. "Is there a problem, Botta?"
"I'll be sure to carry out your orders, as always, sir," Botta replies.
"I'm certain that you will," Yuan says with a look prompting him for the reason for his hesitation.
"I just wish there were some other way. She's just a girl," Botta says with a tone of regret. He never had enjoyed the amount of killing that they had to do, even though he understood that it was sometimes necessary.
"This is the only way to be certain that we will be successful. Even if we could convince her to stop the foolish journey, Yggdrasill would still be able to forcibly use her to make her into the vessel for Martel. We can't let her live. There's no other way," Yuan explains.
"I understand," Botta replies. "I'll prepare the men. We'll be there by noon."
"Good," Yuan says. "And Botta? Kratos and Skye will be arriving to guard the Chosen. Refrain from seriously injuring the girl. There's a chance that she could come to be an advantage for us later, I don't want her killed. She's still an enigma, both to Yggdrasill and to me. Until I can uncover more about the situation I don't want anything to happen to her."
Yuan regretted the way everyone Skye was surrounded by were attempting to use the girl. Yggdrasill surely had something planned, so Yuan would need to counteract that, and who knows what Kratos may be thinking. Kratos and he weren't as close as they used to be, regrettably, and he definitely couldn't share his plans with Kratos anymore now that he was a traitor to Cruxis. He could feel that Skye was going to be an important variable in the events that would unfold, but in what way was something he had no means of knowing yet.
-0-0-0-
After breakfast, Skye didn't have any other preparations to make so she decided it was time to find Kratos so they could leave. The place he would most likely be was his room, so she decided to head over there. As she made her way back to the building that they lived in, she was stopped by a smooth voice calmly calling out to her from behind.
She turns around looking slightly confused. "Mithos?" she questioned aloud. He was walking towards her at a sedate pace, with a calm and relaxed look on his face, slightly smiling. He didn't usually seek her out for anything; it was usually the other way around. If he ever needed to see her for some reason, however, he usually just grabbed the nearest angel and told them to inform her.
"I am glad to have caught you before you left," he replied, coming to a stop in front of her. "I have something for you," he continues. He reaches out and takes her right hand in his and raises it up so that her palm is out, he then places his other hand over it and she feels him place something in her palm. "Call it a good-luck charm," he says as he removes his hands from hers.
Skye looks down at her palm and what she sees is a bracelet. It is beaded with smallish turquoise colored beads and every few spaces there is a bead with a symbol on it. Each symbol is different, and there are nine of these types of beads in all. She's struck by a feeling of familiarity. Hadn't she seen this somewhere before…?
Skye slips the bracelet onto her left wrist before looking up at Mithos. "Thank you," she says sincerely. "I'm sure I'll need it," she admits.
Mithos smile widens slightly. "Well then I made the right choice in giving it to you," he says. "I am sure that you will do fine, however."
I wish I was as confident in my skills as he is, Skye thinks. "I'll do my best," she says with a nod and a smile. "I was just on my way to find Kratos and set out for Iselia now, actually."
"Ah, then I'll leave you to it," he says.
She smiles and they say their goodbyes. She takes a look at the bracelet again after Mithos had left and then remembers where she'd seen it. When Mithos first came to her in his younger form, he had three bracelets like these – two on his right arm and one on his left. She gets a strange, but not entirely bad, feeling when she realizes that she's wearing something of his. She'll have to make sure to take care of it.
She finally makes it to Kratos' door and knocks quietly. The door opens shortly after, and Kratos looks her over as he takes in the new additions to her equipment. He doesn't comment on anything, however. He's already seen the other things before and knows where they came from. He does find it curious that they had been given to her, though.
"Ready to go?" he asks her.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she replies with a smile.
-0-0-0-
"Okay, so what's our story?" she asks Kratos. After he had changed into some different clothing, this outfit being purple with fewer belts and a plain steel sword rather than his usual Flamberge (which disappointed Skye, she loved watching him fight with the fiery blade. She thought it was a rather beautiful sword, actually, but he told her it was too memorable. It was important to try to retain some ability to be anonymous apparently), and double-checked his equipment they had headed down to Iselia – or rather, the outskirts of Iselia. They hadn't actually entered the village yet. Appearing right in the heart of the village wouldn't be very good for their cover, after all. Skye was going to miss this whole teleporting thing, though. From here on out they'd be walking everywhere on this journey. Ordinarily they would have had to have started all the way back at the Tower of Salvation, but Mithos had been kind enough to teleport them down near to Iselia. Kratos couldn't teleport like Mithos and Yuan could. They could both fly, but no one else could know that they are angels, so that could only be done away from the view of other people.
"We are mercenaries looking for a job," he replies simply from his place next to her as they approach the 'gate' to Iselia and the two militia-men guarding it. It really isn't much more than a wooden arch. Certainly not anything that would keep anyone who really wanted into the village out of it.
"That's it?" she says looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. She really thought that it would be some elaborate story that she'd have to remember.
"If they ask us anything else we'll make it up as we go."
"Alright," she replies. "I can do that."
They continue walking towards the village entrance when there is suddenly a bright flash and a column of light appears to the west extending up into the sky – or perhaps from the sky and down to the ground.
"We're a bit late, it seems," Kratos comments dryly.
As they approach the two men guarding the gate to the village, now with their backs turned looking toward the direction of the light, they overhear them talking. Apparently, from what Skye hears, that bright light is the indication that the Oracle is happening. One of them must hear them approach because he turns around and when he notices them approaching he quickly elbows his partner, who also turns back around and puts on a friendly but serious face.
"Welcome! What brings you to Iselia?" the first man says with a smile.
"Oh, we're just passing through," Skye says, returning the smile. "We're mercenaries, actually. Would you happen to know anyone who might require our services around here?"
The two men exchange a look and eye Skye doubtfully. They haven't really seen many women who were mercenaries, it seems, but after seeing Kratos they decide to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Just for good measure, Skye decides that maybe she should try a different method. "Although, this village looks pretty safe with capable-looking militia-men like you around," she says with a grin. If she didn't look much like a mercenary, maybe they'd be willing to give some information to a pretty girl instead.
Kratos inwardly sighs at her tactic.
"Well, perhaps you could ask the members of the Church. That bright light to the west is actually where you can find the Martel Temple. The Chosen is going to be receiving the Oracle today, apparently. That's what the light is. Perhaps they may want to contract someone for the journey," the second man says with a bit of a blush visible under his helmet and eyewear.
"Ah, I see! Well, gentlemen, thank you for the information. We'll head over there right now," she says, still grinning, as she walks past them into the village and Kratos follows after her, coming up beside her. Kratos places a hand to his face and shakes his head. Skye sees this and quietly says "What? It got us a quick excuse to head straight to the Temple."
"That it did," he replies with a nod.
They continue their walk through the village and it doesn't take them long to make it all the way through it. Once they pass through the village, they follow a dirt trail to the Temple. As they approach another winding trail leading up a hill to where the temple sits, they hear a distinct and almost rhythmic clanging noise and some shouting that could only be fighting.
Skye looks to Kratos, he acknowledges her with a nod and they quickly start to make their way up the trail. When they arrive, they see the three teens that are already familiar to Skye as the Chosen and her friends fighting a rather large man in a brown and green battle uniform who is wielding a large flail. There is also an elderly woman who looks like a priestess belonging to the Church being held back at sword point by two average sized men wearing uniforms matching the huge man currently battling the teens. Next to the two average men is also another brunette man with rather spiky long hair and pointed ears and a large, and rather unique, red sword who looks to be their leader, although he isn't wearing the uniform.
The Chosen and the younger silver-haired boy have already collapsed to their knees, the man being too strong for them, but the older boy in red is still attempting to fight him off and protect his friends. Kratos draws his sword and Skye realizes that it's her cue to do so as well. The brunette boy in red finally collapses and she and Kratos walk up in front of him as Skye draws her sword and shield getting into a battle stance.
"Get out of the way," Kratos directs to the boy. The Chosen and her friends give the two newcomers confused looks and Skye offers a smile before throwing herself into battle after Kratos.
Kratos approaches the large man and takes a swipe at him opening up a large gash on the man's bicep when the man quickly twists away. Skye is surprised by his speed. She assumed that since he was so large he would be a bit slower. The man gets ready to retaliate and Kratos jumps back. While the man is distracted with Kratos, Skye fires off a quick "Wind blade!" After she finishes casting she rushes in and slashes at the man with her sword, and as she does this Kratos backs off and begins casting healing spells on the three teens behind them.
The large man is rather angry by this point, and with a shout he spins around his flail before aiming it at Skye. She jumps back as she holds up her shield arm, and since she was mostly far enough away already the flail is deflected harmlessly from her shield. A red blur runs past her left side as the boy from earlier decides to take another go at the man with his twin swords, and a water spell rushes past her on the right. She looks back and notices that the younger boy is actually a mage. Kratos rushes past her and begins attacking the man along with the red-clothed teen and the blond Chosen comes up next to her and utters a quick 'thank you' before joining into the battle with her chakrams.
Skye turns back to the battle and with all five of them against just the one man, he quickly goes down. Seeing that they've been defeated, the strange rogues who had attacked the temple turn to flee. The two in uniform quickly pick the larger man up and drag themselves down the slope with their leader silently following behind at the same quick pace.
The Chosen and her younger companion collapse to their knees from exhaustion, but the older teen in red is still standing. All three of them are breathing heavily.
"Amazing!" the blond Chosen gets out in between breaths.
"These guys are incredibly strong!" her young silver-haired friend exclaims, wide-eyed.
At his younger friends exclamation the older boy seems a bit put off and replies with a stutter-laden "Y-yeah… I-I guess so…"
Skye's blue eyes fill with concern for the teens in front of her and does a quick once over on all of them. "Everyone okay?" she asks as she assesses their conditions from where she's standing.
"No one seems to be hurt," Kratos says after a moment in a tone that suggests that he wouldn't really care either way.
Kratos and Skye both sheathe their swords at the same time and put their shields back in place. Kratos crosses his arms and Skye places a hand on her hip. The red-clothed teen notices the Cruxis crystals on their hands.
"Are those exspheres?" he questions. He is ignored, however, when the priestess walks over to where the group has assembled and pulls the blond girl into a hug.
"How could I ever thank you for saving the Chosen? You have done a truly great deed today. Tell me how I might be able to repay you and I will gladly do it," the elderly woman says generously as she looks over at Skye and Kratos.
"I see. So this girl is the next Chosen," Kratos says, ignoring the woman's question.
The younger girl quickly perks up in surprise. "Ah, that's right!" she exclaims, as if she had forgotten something important. "I have to go accept the Oracle!" she finishes as she turns to the old woman. "Grandmother, I'm going to undergo the trial now," she explains as she moves out of the embrace.
The brunette boy looks confused as he asks "What trial?"
"The monsters, I assume. An evil presence radiates from inside this chapel," Kratos explains as he looks back towards the chapel's doors.
"That is correct," the priestess explains, everyone turns to look at her. "The Chosen is to receive judgment from heaven. There were priests that were meant to accompany her, but…" she trails off.
"What happened?" Skye prompts.
"They… fell at the hands of the Desians," the elderly woman hesitantly explains.
There is a quiet moment before the red-clothed teen quickly exclaims "Then I'll take on the job of protecting Colette!"
Kratos would laugh at this moment, if he were a man that did so. Alas, he was not, so he kept his humor on the inside.
"Lloyd? I would be uneasy with just you…" the elderly woman explains.
Kratos makes a nearly imperceptible movement when the woman says this. No one but Skye had noticed, and she probably wouldn't have if she hadn't known him as well as she does.
"Your name is Lloyd?" he asks nonchalantly.
"Yeah, but who are you to ask for my name?" the brunette teen says cheekily.
Kratos is silent for a moment as he regards the teen.
"…I am Kratos. This is my partner, Skye," he says as he gestures to her with one hand. "We're mercenaries. As long as you can pay us, we'll accept the job of guarding the Chosen," he explains, directing the last part towards the priestess.
"Under the circumstances, I'm afraid I have little choice in the matter. Please, be of service," she says.
"Looks like we've got ourselves a deal, then," Skye says as she smiles and looks to Kratos. He simply nods and they begin to turn towards the entrance to the Martel Temple.
They stop when they hear a certain brunette teen say "W-Wait! I'm going too!"
Skye exchanges a look with Kratos. She already knows what he's going to say, but she doesn't want to tell the eager teen herself.
"Lloyd, you'll only get in the way. Be a good boy and wait here."
Skye is shocked at the way Kratos explained it to the boy. She has to hold herself back from laughing.
"W-What did you say!?" Lloyd sputters, clearly insulted.
Skye does start laughing this time, but she covers her mouth with her hand and keeps it quiet. She can't do anything about the shaking of her shoulders, however.
Kratos, however, quite frankly didn't give a damn about the brunette teen's feelings.
"Did I not make myself clear?" he asks, rhetorically. "You're a burden. Go home."
At this point Colette must start feeling a bit bad for her friend, so she decides to speak up. "U-um… Mr. Kratos, would it be okay if we took Lloyd along, too?"
When he just looks at her she continues. "Please. I get nervous when he's not around."
At this point Skye is getting curious as to what his answer will be as well. She can tell that he's had enough of this situation and just wants to get started already.
"Kratos, we might as well. He seems like the type of kid to just follow us on his own anyway," Skye says.
Kratos looks from her to Lloyd, who looks back at him defiantly, and eventually says "You're a stubborn kid. Fine, do as you wish."
"I'll do just that," Lloyd responds. He looks to his silver-haired friend and says "Let's go, Genis!"
The boy, Genis, shakes his head but walks towards the group who then turn around and head for the chapel. "Lloyd, I figured you were going to say that."
"Of course!" Lloyd says, almost proudly.
Kratos just shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose. "This isn't a field trip, you know."
Skye just laughs. She doesn't even try to hide it this time.
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A/N: And there is Chapter 6! Total of 6,382 words this time, guys! Phew. *wipes brow* Leave me a review to let me know what you think! OTL There hopefully won't be such a long wait for the next chapter T_T
