As you may have guessed, the chapter before this was awkwardly cut off, so here's the next part. (This will also explain why the chapter starts on an odd note)
Disclaimer/Warnings: I don't own. Btw, I probably should have put this in earlier, but this story also contains violence.
Kratos gritted his teeth and fell silent, focusing all his attention on finding Kvar before any more of his men were killed.
"Oh ho! Is this a female? I thought you opposed women soldiers?" Kvar asked.
"Lord Kratos! To the left!" The soldier shouted.
"Damned witch! Die!" Kvar screamed.
Kratos lunged desperately to the left, rage overtaking his senses. "Kvar!" he roared furiously, reaching out with his shield arm while preparing his sword to strike as soon as he knew his target.
"Argh!!! D-Damned wench." Kvar growled... "Using your own soldiers bodies to find me... I under estimated your... cruelty..."
"Lieutenant Kassandra!!" A soldier shouted.
"F-For the g-gl...glory of th...e ki...n...g..." Kassandra proclaimed as she died.
"No!" Kratos cried in horror, realizing what he'd done. He gritted his teeth, pain fueling his fury as his blade lashed out toward Kvar. "I'll see you burn in hell this night," he hissed.
"Try to..." Kvar chuckled.
"My lord!" A soldier shouted, lighting a lamp. "I found light!"
Kratos smiled grimly, an expression more of baring teeth than of humor. "Thank you, Dacian," he said, staring Kvar in the face, "It would be a shame not to be able to see his face when I slay him." He struck out at Kvar, his movements powerful and precise now that he could see what he was doing.
Kvar sneered at him, dropping the body of Kassandra. "It will do you no good."
"For all the deaths you have caused," Kratos told him menacingly, "I will make you pay ...in blood." He slashed with his sword, a vicious strike toward Kvar's midsection.
Kvar dodged, jumping over Kratos and taking a dead run at Dacian.
"I don't think so scum!" Dacian shouted, pulling out his sword, two soldiers jumping in front of him as well.
Kratos whirled around and pursued Kvar, stabbing forward toward his exposed back while the other's attention was on the soldiers. "As I said before," he growled, "you're nothing but a coward."
"Ahck!" Kvar chocked, but managed to jump away from Kratos. "Heh heh heh... Coward? Me? No... that name falls to you humans... you who steal our children for your own personal gain... you who rape our women for your pleasure... one who slays our people for entertainment..."
"Whether your words are true or false," Kratos growled, "none of it excuses the things you have done. You die here!" He struck again, aiming for Kvar's neck this time.
Kvar dodged backwards, a sudden shield surrounding him as he did so. "Ah... my lord?"
"Kvar? Didn't I tell you not to get carried away?" The new voice asked.
"Forgive me... I was... foolish." Kvar said, bowing his head.
"Never mind, return to me." The voice ordered.
Kvar nodded and teleported out, causing the remaining soldiers to gasp.
Kratos gasped in shock as he heard the newcomer's voice. "So..." he growled, "I was right. You're the puppet master behind all of this... Mithos."
Mithos laughed. "Quite... slow, as usual Kratos..."
"How the hell did you even survive?" Kratos responded, ignoring Mithos' comment.
"That is something for me to know." Mithos laughed. "But that is of little consequence, tell me do you know where the ones you love are?"
Kratos paled. "Lloyd," he whispered, then said more loudly, "If you dare to touch my son, so help me, I'll..."
"Cry?" Mithos laughed. "Is that the only one you love? I think not Aurion... you now have your heart tied to many people..."
Kratos' eyes narrowed, though his angry expression couldn't quite cover the dread he felt. "Speak clearly!" he said, "I don't have time for your mind games!"
"Always so slow..." Mithos laughed. "Think harder... who do you love?"
Light slowly dawned on Kratos, and he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. "No..." he whispered, then shouted, "You bastard, what have you done with him?!"
"Many things... but the best is yet to come... just watch and see..." Mithos laughed, voice fading away.
"Mithos!!" Kratos roared, knowing it was too late, that the other was gone. He looked around the room. "You there," he told a soldier, "Take charge. I need to get to the Wilder household and warn Lord Zelos."
"Ah! Yes my lord!" The soldier saluted.
Kratos nodded once, then without another word he dashed out of the house and made his way to the Wilder mansion as quickly as he could. He knocked firmly on the door once he arrived, praying that he wasn't too late.
-
"Zelos?" Yuan knocked on his master's room, waiting outside for reply.
"Hng? Wha?" Zelos said, half-asleep, "Yuan, is that you? Come on in. What are you doing out of bed?"
"I... had a bad dream." Yuan said once he entered.
"Oh," Zelos said, sitting up, "You wanna talk about it?"
"There was a... a castle... or a church... and a man, someone who knew me..." Yuan said.
Zelos frowned, "Huh. You mean like the Martel Cathedral? Have you ever been there?"
"No... I'm not allowed..." Yuan answered.
"Really?" Zelos shook his head, "That's just stupid ...Anyway, what else? Or was that it?"
"I... there was a strange light and I... the man told me..." Yuan was suddenly cut off by a laughter. "Who?! Who's there?!"
"Yuan... it's not time for that yet..." A voice laughed.
Zelos looked around wildly, "What the hell?! Who's there?!"
"Another one Yuan? You are quite cruel..." The voice laughed.
""What the hell are you talking about?" Zelos yelled angrily, "Who do you think you are?!"
"I feel no need to introduce myself to a dog." The voice replied coldly. Suddenly the windows broke open, throwing glass all over the place.
"Lord Zelos!" Yuan shouted, throwing himself on top of Zelos so the glass wouldn't hit him.
"Agh!" Zelos cried in fear as the windows broke, then seeing what had happened, he cried, "Yuan! Yuan, are you all right? Dammit, you can't keep doing things like this..."
"I... I'm sorry master..." Yuan whispered, the breath knocked out of him.
"Yuan? What are you doing?" A figure in the door asked.
"Who's there?" Zelos called, angry and frightened, wrapping his arms around Yuan protectively.
A blond figure walked into the room, hair swaying majestically. His sharp blue eyes snapped to Zelos' own.
Zelos glared at the stranger. "Funny," he remarked to Yuan, "up until now, I thought it was a guy attacking us."
"Strange, up until now I thought it was a guy I was attacking." The man retorted calmly.
Zelos' glare turned up a notch. "You're a real comedian," he said coldly, "What the hell are you doing in my house?"
"Retrieving something I left here accidentally. It won't but take a moment my lord" The man sneered.
"You must have the wrong house. You can't have accidentally left something in a place you've never been. I suggest you look elsewhere for whatever it is." Zelos retorted.
The man shook his head. "Of course human." He snapped his fingers and Yuan disappeared, only to reappear in his arms.
"Zelos!" Yuan cried, immediately trying to break free of the man.
"Yuan!" Zelos shouted, leaping out of his bed, "You bastard, what are you doing?! Let him go!"
"You should be getting another guest soon... otherwise I'd take your life as well..." The man sneered, teleporting out.
"Yuaan!!!" Zelos cried in shock, "...no..."
"My lordship?" A voice asked through the door. "Is everything alright... we heard screaming."
"He's ...gone," Zelos said, still stunned by the suddenness of it all.
"My lord... Lord Aurion is here, may I let him in?" The servant asked.
"Lord Kratos? Yeah, please do," Zelos replied. Maybe he'd know of some way to get Yuan back.
Kratos walked inside, taking in the shattered glass destroyed door. "Then I'm too late..."
"You knew?" Zelos asked, "What's happening? Why... Why did that guy take him?"
"I'm... not certain." Kratos sighed, shaking his head,
Zelos deflated a bit, and gazed around the room at the destruction with a lost expression. "How do I get him back, then?" he asked.
"I am... not certain..." Kratos repeated, also looking lost. "I'm sorry Lord Wilder for your loss... I'm certain however come the spring you'll find a new..."
"No!" Zelos shouted, "I don't want someone new! I want Yuan back! There has to be something I can do, and if you won't tell me what it is, I'll just have to find out for myself!"
Kratos looked shocked at Zelos' reaction, but quickly schooled himself into a neutral expression. "If you feel that strongly... then join my Oracle knights and look for him along side me."
Zelos' eyes widened for a moment as he considered this; then, he nodded. "I'll do it, then," he said, "I'll do whatever it takes to get him back."
Kratos nodded. "Then I'll meet you tomorrow at nine 'o clock sharp."
"Okay," Zelos said, "Where do we meet?"
"Do you know where the sparring ring is?" Kratos asked.
Zelos nodded, "Yeah, I've seen it once or twice. Okay, so I'll meet you there, then?"
"Tomorrow I shall test your skills, come prepared." Kratos said, then turned and left.
Zelos sighed. He glanced at his bed, which was covered in glass shards, and decided to move into a guest room for the night. Finding one down the hall, he climbed into the bed and eventually fell into a restless sleep.
-
The next morning, after far too little sleep, Zelos made his way to the sparring ring, his grandfather's old sword strapped to his belt. When he arrived, he spotted Kratos already there. "Good morning, my lord!" he called with fake cheer.
"You're late, not a good impression." Kratos scolded him.
"Sorry... I didn't really sleep much last night, after what happened," Zelos explained, "But I'm here now, so let's get started, yeah?"
"A soldier doesn't offer excuses, just results." Kratos glared at him, pulling out his sword. "Lets get going."
Zelos drew his sword awkwardly. "Agh," he said, "I've... never really held one of these before. Is it supposed to be this heavy?"
Kratos sighed heavily. "We've got a lot of work to do..."
-
"Oh..." Yuan moaned as he slowly came too. "Ow... where am I?"
"You're in the upper section of the Martel Cathedral," a calm voice told him, "How do you feel?"
"Ah!" Yuan screamed, jumping out of his bed. "Who, who's there?!"
"Calm down, child," the man from before told him soothingly, "You don't remember me at all, do you? Ah, well, I'm sure it will all come back to you in time."
What are you talking about!" Yuan shouted at him. "I demand you return me at once!"
"Ah, you poor thing," the man murmured, moving to cup Yuan's cheek gently in one hand, "They really have gotten to you, haven't they? To be so terribly abused that you wish to return to those who have wounded you... do not fear, child. I will restore you, cleanse you of their filthy touch, until your time there seems no more than a faded dream."
"Faded... dream...?" Yuan echoed, eyes lighting oddly. "I..."
The man smiled at him, "Yes, my dear boy... you are strong. Together with your help, we will rid the world of their influence, so that our people may be free."
"Our freedom..." Yuan smiled, before falling in a dead faint.
The man caught him easily. "You're progressing admirably... my son," he murmured, "It won't be long now."
"My lord... what do you wish me to do while we wait?" Kvar asked from behind him.
"Find the rest," Mithos ordered calmly, "Awaken them to their true power, and bring them to me."
"Then it is time?" Kvar laughed. "Gods... how I've waited..." Bowing low he shuffled out of the room to do as his master bid him.
Mithos smiled down at Yuan as he laid the other gently back down in the bed. "Yes," he said softly, "yes, it is finally time..."
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