We're in double digits, baby! Yeah! Thanks for hanging in there, everyone. Happy reading!

The Elemental Research Laboratory was a surprisingly small building, almost hidden off to the side of the city. It was protected by wrought iron gates emblazoned with the Royal Crest.

"This is it!" Sheena led them inside, where they crowded into a fairly empty reception area. There were a few chairs off to the side, as well as a counter and a set of stairs going down.

There were two people there: a woman dressed in a lab coat and a man dressed in a red outfit that covered his head. When he saw Sheena, his eyes went wide.

"Sheena! It's you!" His face wasn't visible, covered by black cloth. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey, Kuchinawa!" Sheena glanced back. "Everyone, this is an old friend of mine from my village. His name's Kuchinawa. Kuchinawa, these are the travelers from Sylvarant."

"Sylvarant?" Kunchinawa nodded in understanding. "Of course. Pleased to meet you. So, what are you doing here, Sheena? I didn't expect to see you."

"Oh, we need to find a way across the Tethe'alla bridge, but it's closed. We were hoping someone here could help us out."

Kuchinawa nodded. "Then, let's find out." He gestured and started the down the stairs, the rest of the group following after them.

Downstairs, the group was greeted by two researchers, both with pointed ears. Lloyd leaned over to Kratos.

"Are they half-elves?" he whispered. Kratos nodded. "Just like at the Academy…"

Sheena had already launched into an explanation of their problem, and the researchers were nodding along enthusiastically.

"Hmm…" The woman crooked her head thoughtfully. "Well, no ship will transport you now. You're fugitives, it's huge news." She glanced over at her partner. "But…we might have a way…Sheena, you said you'd made a pact with Undine, correct?"

"Undine?" Kuchinawa's head snapped over to her. "Sheena, is that true?"

"Ah…yeah!" She blushed, embarrassed. "It's a long story, but I had to get her help."

"Wow…even after…" Kuchinawa shook his head. "Uh, congratulations, Sheena! That's great news!"

"If you can use Undine's power," the researcher said, "then we may have solution. We can create a modified EC that surfs!"

"Wait…what? An…EC?" Lloyd asked. Zelos made a face.

"Geez, you guys are really in the dark ages, aren't you? An EC is an elemental cargo. It's used to transport stuff around." He turned to the researchers. "It's not very big, just large enough to hold a driver and the cargo. Are you sure it'll work?"

"Wait, is this safe?!" Raine went pale and her voice went up an octave. "A land transportation vehicle is hardly safe for sea travel, it could easily—!"

"We'll do it." Kratos interrupted. The rest of the group turned to him and he gave a weary sigh. "It's our only option at the moment. I sincerely doubt it's any more dangerous than a ship."

"Kratos is right," Colette said. She glanced at Presea. "We have to go back to see Kate, right? And get Presea home."

The researcher nodded. "Alright, then. It'll take some time, but we can modify the EC for you. Come back the day after tomorrow, it should be done by then."

"…Is there anywhere we can stay the night in the city?" Genis asked. "I mean, our faces are plastered all over the place. We can't just drop by the inn."

"Oh, don't worry about that. We can stay at my mansion." Zelos flashed them all a smile. "It's an outrageously conspicuous building up near the Cathedral. I'll take you there."

They started to leave, but Lloyd hesitated and turned back to the researchers. "Hey…thanks, you guys."

Both of them looked surprised. "Um…you're welcome."

"You don't leave your labs much, do you?" he asked. The male researcher frowned.

"No, we're half-elves." He gestured to a door off to the side. "We live here, and we really only ever leave if the Pope or the King calls for us."

"I figured. Thanks again." He waved to them and they both waved hesitantly back. "We'll see you guys around!"

The half-elves stared after him as he walked away, confused, as if they had never met anyone like him.

When Yuan returned to the Renegade base, he seemed distracted. He listened while his soldiers gave their reports, nodding and making the appropriate noises at the appropriate times. It was very out of character for him. Usually, Yuan had something extra to say; this time, all he said was, "Very good. Carry on."

Botta gave him an hour before he went looking for his superior. He found him in the office.

He was sitting at his desk, staring at a piece of paper in his hand, but clearly not reading it. Botta watched him for a few seconds before he finally said, "Sir? Is something wrong?"

Yuan looked up, seemingly giving up on the charade of work. He tossed the paper into the pile on his desk. "I won't lie to you. Yggdrasill is starting to worry me."

Botta raised an eyebrow. "Starting?"

"He's surprisingly calm for a man who has been betrayed," Yuan continued, ignoring Botta's snark. "Back when Kratos was travelling with Anna, Yggdrasill was furious. He ordered every Grand Cardinal to find him, he plastered his face all over both worlds as a heretic of Cruxis, even sent me down personally to search for him. But now…" Yuan shook his head. "Now Yggdrasill is acting…cocky. As if he's already won."

Botta sat down in the chair across from the desk. "Hmm. I don't see why that's so concerning. He's often confident in his power."

Yuan sighed heavily. "…Do you know how Kratos came back to Cruxis after his family's death?"

"I'd assume that Yggdrasill had his angels collect him. Why does it matter?"

"When it happened, I told Yggdrasill I would go get him." Yuan clenched his fists on the desk, his anger still there after all this time. "I figured it would be easier to get Kratos to comply if…if he had a friend beside him. Or something close to it."

"So you brought him back?"

"No. Yggdrasill told me that it was unnecessary. Do you know what he did instead?" Botta shook his head. "He waited. He did nothing for three weeks, while Kratos just wandered around God-knows-where. And then, one day, I went into the throne room and…" Yuan held up both his hands in surprise. "There he was. Kratos said he had nowhere else to go."

"So he returned to Cruxis." Botta sighed and shook his head. "A sordid tale, but why are you bringing it up?"

"Because it's a perfect example of how Yggdrasill operates." Yuan closed his eyes and tipped his head back. "He was irate when Kratos had others to rely on. When Kratos had no one else to cling to, Yggdrasill assumed—correctly—that he had nothing to worry about."

Botta leaned back in his chair. "What do you think Yggdrasill will do now?"

"He'll start with killing Lloyd," Yuan said immediately. "Yggdrasill regards him as the root of the problem. Just like before, if Kratos loses his family, he'll have nowhere to go."

"So he'll have no choice but to return to Cruxis," Botta finished. "I see. It's risky, since Kratos could easily defect even further."

"I doubt it. Kratos is…" Yuan inhaled. "…Let's just say, he's a follower, not a leader. If he loses Lloyd again, I don't know how he would react."

"So then." Botta said. "What do we do now?"

"We'll just have to keep a close eye on Lloyd, I suppose. I hate to say it, but…he is the lynchpin of our plan."

"What a thing to be keeping it together." Botta sighed and stood up. "According to Zelos, the group is heading back to Sybak and then to Ozette. Perhaps we should try to intercept the group there."

"Just keep an eye on them for now," Yuan responded, settling his elbows on his desk. "Eventually, they're going to have to return to Sylvarant, so they'll come to us."

Botta nodded. "Yes, sir." He started to leave the room, then hesitated. "Sir, I have to ask. Do you really think Kratos would willingly return to Cruxis if they killed his son?"

Yuan had a faraway look on his face as he stared at Botta, as if he couldn't see the man in front of him at all. Finally, he broke out of his stupor and said quietly, "I'd rather not find out."

Zelos' mansion was a large and ornate stone house, towering over everything around it, save for the church and the castle. The group quickly made their way inside, keeping their heads down and avoiding people who might recognize them.

"Hey, Sebastian, I'm back." Zelos shut and bolted the door. There was a well-dressed man waiting for them, smiling benignly at Zelos.

"Welcome home, Master Zelos. I trust your journey was a pleasant one?"

Zelos shrugged. "Eh, same old, same old. Anything happen while I was gone?"

Sebastian cleared his throat. "I was instructed by the Pope and an emissary of His Majesty Tethe'alla the 18th to report as soon as the Chosen returned."

"You can just ignore that."

"Very good, sir. And who is the guest with two swords?" He turned towards Lloyd and gave a small bow.

"My bud. Make yourselves at home," he added to the group. "Food's in the kitchen, bedrooms are upstairs."

"If there is anything you need, Sir Bud, please do not hesitate to ask." Sebastian bowed again and started to walk to the kitchen. Lloyd blinked.

"Wait, my name's not Bud!" he called, but Sebastian was already gone. "Ugh…"

Zelos plopped down dramatically on the couch. "Sit down, relax, guys. Read a book, or…Lloyd, you can, I dunno, count the ceiling tiles or something."

"Shut it!" Lloyd sat beside him, with Colette on the other side. Presea started upstairs, heading for a rather uncomfortable looking chair. Genis followed her, looking a bit like a lost puppy.

Raine found a seat in an arm chair and curled up, her book from the Imperial Research Academy already open in her hands. Sheena opted to head outside, Corrine following her, bells chiming as they walked.

Kratos went for a chair that was off to the side, pulling out one of his own books.

He'd developed a list for what he would need based on the information he had found. The notes were scribbled in the margins of the books, written in the ancient language. He scanned over the list and exhaled softly.

If he wanted to create something to wield the eternal sword—this "Ring of Transference" the book detailed—then he needed to be able to melt down, cut, and shape Aionis. The adamantite he had made in Sybak would make any crafting tool sharp enough to manipulate the material. If he could get his hands on some sacred wood, then perhaps he could melt the Aionis down.

"Where did Presea say she was from?" he asked abruptly. Lloyd, Colette, and Raine all looked at him curiously. "Well?"

"Ozette." Zelos answered, sounding almost bored. He didn't seem surprised or bothered by the question. "It's in the middle of nowhere, past Sybak. Why?"

"Making plans," he lied. "At some point, we'll have to pull out a map and figure out a good route to take."

"Oh! Just like we used to in Sylvarant!" Colette clapped her hands excitedly. "This is just like the Regeneration Journey. It'll be so much fun!"

Zelos was still focused on Kratos' question. "You curious about the little one, eh, old man?"

Kratos huffed and went back to his book. "As I said. Just planning ahead."

"Hmm…I'll admit, I'm curious what sort of people allow their young daughter to travel across the world and don't send anyone after her." Raine went back to her book, but her face showed her concern. "We arrived in Meltokio about a week ago. Presea has been gone from home for longer. The fact that they'd let her just…travel the world alone…it's concerning." She sighed deeply. "Of course, given what we learned about her being part of an experiment…it's highly likely that she's an orphan."

"Hmph." Kratos glanced up, where he could just barely see the girl's boots, unnaturally still as they hung off the chair. "We'll find out soon, I suppose."

Pronyma often made a point to check in on Lord Yggdrasill, especially on long stretches of days when he would hole himself up in his castle. It worried her, though she would not admit it to him. A man shouldn't spend so much time by himself. Not for so long.

"Lord Yggdrasill? Do you have a moment?"

He was sitting on the throne, his chin on the back of his hand. He looked pensive as he stared out into the abyss. "What is it, Pronyma?"

She knelt down near him. "My lord, I have new information on the Chosen's location. Currently she is in Meltokio, staying with Zelos Wilder, but they plan to leave in two days. They required a vehicle to get to Sybak, so they've asked for help from the Elemental Research Laboratory."

Yggdrasill turned to stare at her. "Rise, Pronyma." She did as he asked. "Yuan hasn't collected everything for the Crystallus Inofficium yet. Don't make a move for her, just observe her activities."

"Of course, Lord Yggdrasill." She hesitated, then added, "My lord, is something bothering you? If I can possibly do anything to help..."

He waved his hand dismissively. "No, I'm simply trying to..." He stopped and gave her a curious look. "Actually. Perhaps you can help."

"It would be my pleasure," she said eagerly.

"I want you to find out any information you can on Lloyd." He stood up and started toward her. "Observe him while you observe the Chosen."

Pronyma seemed taken aback. "Lloyd? Why?" He narrowed his eyes and she quickly backtracked. "I-I mean, of course, my lord. Is there something in particular you're looking for?"

Yggdrasill folded his arms and turned back to the sky around him. "...His personality," he said finally. "I want to know the sort of person he is."

She nodded and gave him a tight smile. "Well...there is one thing..."

"What?" he demanded.

"There is a researcher I know," she explained. "She works in the Elemental Research Laboratory. It was through her that I discovered the group's plans. While talking to her...she told me something interesting about Lloyd. She said he was incredibly...kind. Polite. He thanked the researchers for their help, asked questions about their lives. She said he was the nicest human she had ever met."

"...That's very interesting," Yggdrasill said. "He travels with half-elves, he treats half-elves well. Curious."

Pronyma stiffened. The way he was talking about Lloyd was almost as if he were impressed. "My lord, what...do you wish to do with this information?"

"It was a thought of mine," he said quietly, almost as if to himself, "What a waste for Lloyd to be so set against us, when I feel his ideals match our own."

"You want Lloyd to join Cruxis?" She considered it for a moment. "Hmm...we could use a passionate soldier for our cause. And if Lloyd joined us, Kratos would surely follow."

"I see great minds think alike, Pronyma." He nodded. "Go. Gather information on Lloyd. Anything you find, report directly to me."

Pride swelled in her chest at the compliment. "Of course, Lord Yggdrasill." With that, she gave a quick bow and marched away, towards the teleporter.

Yggdrasill watched her go before he sighed. With a simple flash of light, he reverted back to his younger self, swiping his golden bangs out of his eyes. East of Meltokio, he had told Zelos. That was where he would wait.

It was time for Kratos to face what he had done.

The Wilder mansion had several servants, including two cooks. Both were young women, absolutely besotted by Zelos, and eager to make an elaborate dinner for the group. They seemed almost disappointed when Zelos said, "Nah, my bud's a country bumpkin. He's a fan of simple, home cooked meals."

Lloyd shot him an annoyed look. "Hey! Don't talk about me like that!"

"I'm sure whatever you make will be fine!" Colette assured the women. "Just…nothing with tomatoes, please."

The cooks headed back into the kitchen, while Sebastian cleared his throat. "Master Zelos, didn't you have plans for after dinner?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Zelos breezily ran his fingers through his hair and turned to Lloyd and Kratos. "I was gonna go train after we eat. You two in?"

Lloyd grinned, ready to agree, but Kratos and Raine both cut him off.

"I'm not taking you out to train this late at night," Kratos said coldly. "It's too dangerous."

"I agree." Raine folded her arms and gave Lloyd a chastising look. "This isn't Sylvarant. With more mana in the world, monsters will be more powerful. It would be unwise to take risks like this."

Lloyd opened his mouth to complain, but Kratos interrupted him. "We can train tomorrow morning if you truly wish. When it's light outside."

His son's face lit up. "Alright! Hear that, Zelos? What time should we wake up?"

Kratos barely hid a smile. "We'll leave around eight, is that good?" When Lloyd nodded enthusiastically, he continued, "Very well. We'll have to find a good place, somewhere we won't be easily seen."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Zelos said with an enigmatic smile. "I know just the place. It's a little ways east of here."

There was something off about the statement: it was a little too prepared, as if Zelos had rehearsed the line. By the way Raine's eyes narrowed and slid over to Kratos, he was sure she noticed it, too. Lloyd, however, was oblivious as ever.

"Awesome! I'm really excited, I think I have the spiral slash down!"

Zelos grinned and put his arms around Lloyd's shoulders. "Good job, bud. I knew you could do it. I have a sort of sixth sense about this stuff. Trust me, you're gonna be a master swordsman."

Zelos led Lloyd into the dining room, their voices fading as they walked away. Kratos moved to follow them, but Raine stopped him.

"Wait. I saw your face." She folded her arms and gave him a worried look. "You think Zelos has something planned."

Kratos nodded. "I do."

Her frown deepened. "And you still feel it's a good idea to be alone with him?"

"I think," he said slowly, "that it doesn't matter. If Zelos is plotting something, it's not going away on its own. He'll manage to separate Lloyd from the group one way or the other."

"Hmm. Fair point." She sighed. "But I think you have the wrong target."

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Zelos probably isn't interested in getting Lloyd by himself." She turned to face Kratos. "He more than likely wants you. I'm sure by now that he's figured out who you are."

"Hmph. That had crossed my mind," he admitted. "But Zelos will have a hard time getting me alone. I can hardly stand being around him in a crowd. He's insufferable."

Raine chuckled. "It's not like you to complain." Her face sobered. "But still. Be careful around Zelos."

Kratos' reply was cut off by the cooks calling for dinner. As the rest of the group headed for the dining room, Raine gave him one last meaningful look.

"And make sure you watch out for Lloyd," she warned. "I still don't trust you. I just trust Zelos even less."

"Truly, words that inspire confidence," he said dryly. He sighed. "But you have my word. I'll protect Lloyd."

As he walked into the dining room, his eyes caught the boy in question. He was sitting between Zelos and Colette, laughing at something the other swordsman had said. He inhaled and mentally repeated his promise.

He didn't care what it took. He would protect his son.