Heart of the Phoenix
Author: Shaddowind
WARNING: Kratos and general game spoilers aplenty! You have been warned! Also, if you haven't beaten the game, you may wish to revisit this fic later….
Summary: False summon spirits, trapped mythical beasts, and yet more difficult choices plague the Chosen's group as the continent beyond Hakonesia Peak opens to them.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia or any of the game's original characters, dialogue, or settings -- I just bend them to my will in this story.
Chapter 12:
"Raging flames in an ancient city deep within clouds of sand overlook the city, lighting the darkness. Pure, flowing water floating, overflowing, in an isolated land becomes a giant pillar and rains down from the sky. Sublime wind, ancient city, the world's… Enshrined in the center of a giant stone seal lurks evil, impersonating a holy force. Shining…gazing up at the summit of the gods, giving praise to the pillar of the world…from the top of the tower of ancient gods. Two giant…" Colette's voice faltered as she shook her head, flipping the page she was reading from the Book of Regeneration and sighing as she quickly surveyed the other side of it. "The rest is too damaged. I can't read it…"
The Chosen's party had gathered in the home of the collector, Koton, after making the trek back from the docks. They hoped that the book would still hold answers for them… hints to continue their journey… to help Colette complete the Regeneration. But all it seemed to hold was more riddles.
Genis groaned, his hands falling to his sides in a gesture of helplessness at the lack of additional information. "Then we don't even know how many seals are left."
"Indeed…" came Kratos' dry comment to the young mage's assessment as his eyes wandered around the collector's hall.
Lloyd ran his hand back through his hair with a shrug and a frown. "The 'raging flames' part at the beginning must be the Seal of Fire, right? What do the other parts mean?" he asked, looking around to his companions.
"Well, the part about 'pure flowing water' in the 'isolated land' is pretty clearly the Seal of Water…." Liane sighed, trying to continue down the order that Colette had read from the Book. Fire… Water… Wind… it's the same order that Remiel is guiding Colette in…. She couldn't help that the thought sounded bitter in her mind. Drawing a deep breath, she glanced around, trying to find something to distract herself from the reaction… her eyes settling on a faded tapestry hanging on the wall behind the pedestal that supported the Book and tracing over the tree limbs that stretched up over the weaving. The once-colored stitches were almost completely faded into the background, leaving only the raised pattern of stitches to truly be seen… that and four shapes beneath… people perhaps? It was enough of a distraction… until Raine's voice called her attention back.
"The Seal of Wind must be…the Asgard Ruin," the Professor declared thoughtfully, looking between Colette and the Book with a confident nod. "If we travel to Asgard, we should be able to find some clues."
Genis took a step forward to stand beside his sister, looking up to her with a frown clouding his bright blue eyes. "What about "gazing up at the summit of the gods?" he asked in confusion, obviously not enjoying the puzzle that the words held for him as his focus slid to the Chosen when she turned with a faint smile on her lips.
Colette considered the silver-haired boy's question for a few moments, her head nodding in thought. "I think that's probably the Tower of Mana. From there, you can see the mountains around the Tower of Salvation, so that's probably the summit of the gods."
"But what seal is that?" Lloyd asked, meeting Colette's eyes, frustration building in his tone.
"Uh… hmm… I don't know…" Colette shrugged before her smile slipped into place with a small giggle.
Lloyd groaned at the seemingly carefree response from the girl. "Oh, well. At any rate, we know where the seals are now. Let's get going." He looked back to Koton with a dry laugh. "Thanks, Gramps."
Liane sighed at her friend's sporadic lack of anything resembling tact or manners as she hefted her pack onto her shoulder as she prepared to leave. But when she happened to see the pleasant smile that Koton had held for the Chosen flicker quickly into a glare of distaste for Lloyd – only to hear the swordsman's snicker of response, she realized how likely it was that the insinuated insult on the man's age was entirely intentional. She reached out, dropping her hand and a firm grip onto Lloyd's shoulder to steer him out of the house. "If you're rude to him, you'll never get to look at the book again – what if you need it?" she sighed in exasperation as they passed through the doorway.
"He likes Colette… he doesn't have to like me," Lloyd replied with a laugh and a shrug as he turned to watch their companions filing out behind them. "Besides, I can't even read it – it doesn't do me any good anyway."
Before Liane could respond to the young swordsman, she heard Genis laughing where he plodded along beside Colette.
"The angelic language is pretty difficult, the young mage stated, pushing twin tufts of silver hair back over his shoulders.
Colette stopped and tilted her head at Genis. "Really?" she asked as if the idea had never occurred to her before.
"Yeah, I didn't really understand what was written," Genis admitted with a sheepish shrug as he walked a few steps ahead of Colette before stopping and turning back to her.
The Chosen giggled lightly at that, her hand going to cover her mouth. "I've read nothing but books written in angelic language since I was a child, so…."
With a small sigh, Liane considered the truth behind Colette's words. While the Chosen had been allowed brief bursts of childhood with her friends, the rest of her time had been filled with lessons that followed the will of the Church. Yet she always seemed happy… so much so that it was almost easy to forget to feel sorry for her for all that she missed out on due to her upbringing and the demands placed on her.
"I wonder if I could learn to read it if I study? Genis murmured thoughtfully as he looked up to the blonde girl. It was difficult to miss the pleading in his tone.
Kratos had been about to pass them all and start up the trail when he suddenly paused, regarding the elven boy for a moment before he sighed. "The angelic language is the basis for the language of this world. The grammar hasn't changed significantly."
Liane blinked at the mercenary's unexpected interjection, shifting her pack across her shoulders as she looked back to him. A linguist too? Aren't you just full of surprises…?
"Yeah," Colette nodded in agreement as her eyes flashed to Kratos and then back to Genis, her smile growing quickly by the moment. "I'll teach you if you'd like."
Kratos once again started to walk away, but watched Genis over his shoulder for a moment longer before turning his attention back to the trail. "I can provide some instruction as well."
"Okay! I'm going to learn it!" Genis cheered his declaration as he ran after Kratos, dragging Colette along by the hand.
Liane couldn't help but shake her head and laugh softly. "Yep. He's a Sage all right."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
Cringing before she turned, Liane mentally kicked herself for not realizing the Professor's presence behind them. Meeting the silver-haired woman's slightly annoyed gaze with a hastily constructed smile, she tried to amend her blurted observation. "Well, the love of learning is a pretty big giveaway," she shrugged innocently even as Lloyd began to snicker beside her.
"Obsession with leaning is more like it," Lloyd chuckled as he elbowed Liane in the side, his feet already starting him forward –
- but unfortunately not out of range of the Professor quite fast enough to evade the sharp slap to the back of his head.
"And what is wrong with craving new things to learn?" Raine growled out as she stomped past Lloyd and Liane. "A life of ignorance is certainly not one I'd wish to be cursed with, no matter how content you seem to be with it sometimes."
Lloyd stared after the Professor for a moment before rubbing his hand lightly over the spot she had hit. "Man, a life of ignorance is all I can hope for when she smacks me like that…" he chuckled dryly and offered Liane a grin.
"You need to think before you speak – that might help on that front, too," Liane suggested in response as they followed after the others. She worried for him sometimes – with how he seemed content to play the joker, no matter the situation. She knew that he was smarter than he let on – but she never understood why he let others underestimate him so easily.
"Aww, it's all good fun," Lloyd told her with his smile dying back from his earlier grin, but still warm. "Besides, Raine wouldn't know how to handle it if I started taking everything so seriously now. There's enough bad stuff going on everywhere we look – is there really anything wrong with keeping things as normal as possible?" the swordsman's grin returned in the blink of an eye as he stated his reasoning. "I mean… as long as my skull holds out and all…" he shrugged before starting to speed up, grabbing her forearm and pulling her along for a few steps before he released her and ran to catch up with Genis.
With as long as it had taken them to secure passage over the peak, their arrival at the northern foot of the path came with so little fanfare that it almost seemed laughable. It was simply another step – one foot in front of the other. As the land once again flattened into a sporadically forested field, Liane drew a deep breath, stretching her knotted shoulders as she reached up above her head.
On the journey back from the geyser, the group had finally given in to Lloyd's whining for a bed and checked into the House of Salvation near the ruins of the Palmacosta Human Ranch. Oddly enough, Kratos had once again approached her and offered lessons – and, even more odd – she had once again joined him behind the House. He had taken her through drills with both Demon Fang and Double Demon Fang - going so far as to comment how well she was doing despite the smaller sword, even – as well as Wind Blade and Guardian. They had practiced her entire range of special attacks. But his time was different from the last – when she had begun to tire, Kratos had not attacked her to push her harder – he had merely run sword drills with her. While she had still crawled into her pile of blankets in utter exhaustion, it was lacking the resentment she had harbored after their last session. It was strange, but it was certainly less stressful. Ever since the night at the geyser, the animosity had calmed between her and the mercenary – neither of them seeming to be bearing any particular grudge against the other.
And while Genis and Lloyd had seen fit to mark the occasion with a few instances of not-so-subtle teasing that Liane was certain Kratos had heard but chosen not to comment on, Liane still thought it was a good thing – for as long as it could last.
Maybe I'm finally pulling my own weight in his eyes… she wondered as her eyes trailed to the indigo-clad man at the head of their group as they started into a forested gorge to the east of the trail from the peak. It was certainly the only justification she could see to his sudden attempt to teach her more – during a fight no less.
That alone had amazed her… but the mercenary topping things off with the sword lessons? He had been tight-lipped as usual… barely speaking anything more than occasional instruction or correction. But he had seemed to somehow be more intense without pushing her like before. Maybe she was just getting used to him – to his style. Or maybe he was getting used to her.
It was a puzzle that kept her to her own thoughts for most of the time outside of the occasional skirmishes with the native creatures that apparently found their intrusion offensive. But even as such times offered her the opportunity to continue practicing with her attacks, her mind still inevitably wandered ahead. Is it almost time? She would wonder out of the blue… after a battle… after hearing Lloyd and Genis share a snicker… even after being able to almost fool herself that she saw a flicker of approval in Kratos' occasional glance. She had at least a touch of fondness for all of them… they were friends, they were acquaintances… and some were almost close to family with how much time she had spent growing up with them. Time… Liane couldn't help but wonder… even if it was… would she have the strength to do it? To leave them all behind? She knew that her presence would likely turn the tides of very few battles… but not knowing what was happening to them… that was what she feared the most. Not being alone in a strange town, not attempting to carve a new life for herself… but being alone… in the world. There would always be the comfort of knowing that her friends and family were out there somewhere… but what if she didn't know?
Kratos had taken the lead in the group after the last bout with what seemed to be a mushroom and its spawn. The day had begun to stretch into early evening and Asgard was close. While Liane generally recognized the landscape, it seemed that Kratos' presence in their group kept them on the correct trail, even where she was fairly certain she would have taken one turn too early if it would have been left to her memory. The rock path that traced the edges of the ancient cliffs was wide enough to easily allow a cart to pass, much less four people to walk abreast. But Liane still found herself trailing along behind them, taking in the valley and how barren yet beautiful it was by the early sunset.
The town of Asgard itself hadn't changed much, something that brought a smile to her face. It was familiar to her, but she could enjoy the reactions of the others to the buildings that simply seemed to sprout from the rock walls. It was the same reaction she had had when she had first wandered into the town with the Priests. Even Raine's eyes glittered at the arrival in the City of Ruins – as a matter of fact, the only one that didn't seem enthralled to Liane's observation, was – predictably – Kratos.
The mercenary firmly planted himself beside the door of the first building inside the city's gateway, nodding to the door, as Raine and the others approached.
"We should get rooms for the night… we won't have time to wander too far this evening," he murmured as the others gathered around him, all of them seeming to find something new about the mountain town to hold their attention other than him.
"Right… and perhaps a bite of food and then we can at least go see the caves," Raine nodded in at least partial agreement, seeming to be more than happy to ignore the mercenary's insinuation that there was no time for explorations. Turning back to her students, she pushed the door open and swept her arm in for them to enter. "Okay… we'll get three rooms then… usual roommates…" the Professor told them as they all filed past herself and Kratos.
Liane looked to her side at the feeling of someone grabbing her arm, Colette's grin making her smile a bit in return. "I take it you're not complaining…?" she laughed softly as Raine and Kratos entered behind them, the door latching shut as the younger members of the party milled about the lobby to allow Raine and Kratos to see to procuring the rooms.
"Nope!" Colette laughed. "It's like a sleepover… just without the trees and stars like in Iselia…" she shrugged, her eyes not quite carrying the amusement that Liane thought she would find in the gazes of Lloyd or Genis at that topic.
Colette had been a part of their group… there was no denying that. But her time had always been at least overshadowed by who she was. For all the grand destiny that always surrounded the tales of the Chosen, part of Liane always somehow felt bad for the girl. But really… what exactly is the learning value of stringing the Mayor's laundry from the city gates…? The thought almost made her snicker, but it really wasn't the time or the place for that. "It'll be fun…" Liane nodded in agreement as she returned the girl's smile. "Just… no snoring, okay?"
Colette's eyes went wide at that before a smile popped instantly onto her lips, her head shaking frantically. "Nope… I won't do that to you…" she told her dark-haired friend quickly as her eyes darted quickly towards where Raine was handing a silver key to Kratos and pocketing another before she started towards Liane and Colette with the third. "I promise…."
"All right…" Raine smiled as she gestured over her shoulder, leading her students from the cave. "That was the Shrine of the Rite… remember it for its significance in local customs," she told them before she turned and gestured down to the first level of the town. "In the next cave, there's supposed to be depictions of the Summon Spirit of Wind…"
"'Depictions'?" Lloyd huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets as he started to follow Colette after the Professor. "Man, the only thing that can save this lesson is if the Summon Spirit actually shows up…" he grumbled as he continued to walk, seemingly oblivious to Genis' snickers behind him.
Liane smiled at the stricken look on Lloyd's face as Raine led her students down the steps and into the passage between the rocks into the second cave, the Professor barely taking a breath in her lecture on the cultural importance of the cave paintings. When they had emerged from the first cave, the assistant teacher noticed that the sky was finally beginning to darken. They would stay in the inn this night, so there would - most likely – be no training with Kratos. The thought was a bit of a relief, truth be told, as his training the night before had left her exhausted, even though she knew that it was worth it. She had finally felt like she had might have held her own against Magnius and Adulocia… even if some of her stand had been nothing more than in-field training.
Pausing outside the cave, she considered following the troop, but before she could bring herself to enter, her feet had backed her carefully away from the entrance. Liane had never had a chance to explore the town when the priests had brought her through. Their visit to Asgard had been an emphasis on the ruins and the caves, which were fascinating, but it overlooked that Asgard was also a living, breathing town. Soon, if her plan went as she hoped, she would be on her own schedule and able to visit the town and explore whenever she wished.
But even in light of that… she still just didn't feel the need to follow her friends.
Kratos had already disappeared after they had eaten, spouting something about checking the shops before they closed, so it wasn't as if she would be the only one that wasn't present for Raine's continuing presentation. The feeling of justification settled securely around her as she walked back to the main road. The houses and shops in the main area were all built directly into the rock of the mountain, which had fascinated her on her first visit and continued to do so. But as the trail hugged the mountainside, more residences began to appear… some that even stood out away from the rock. Some of the houses even bore their own windmills, turning patiently in the evening breeze.
It's really amazing, she couldn't help but smile, following the road as it began to weave up the mountain. All these people… they have to love this place to make their homes here – it's not like it's a particularly hospitable location. An image of a thick blanket of snow over the town flashed in her mind and she couldn't help but shiver, despite the relatively warm wind flowing through the canyon. Liane laughed slightly at herself and her imagination as she almost tripped over a giggling child that sprinted in front of her, chasing after a ball.
And then you get so distracted that you start maiming the village children. Nice, Liane. She shook her head, glancing around to make sure no more children would be endangered by her simple act of walking, and continued up the trail, enjoying the smell of the damp mountain earth and the scent of the evening wood fires. Then, a distressed sniffle caught her ear. She looked up to find a young woman, not much younger than she was, pacing the fenceline of a well-kept house and muttering to herself.
"I can't believe I broke the vase! The mistress will be so angry with me," the woman fumed, apparently at herself, as she hadn't seemed to notice Liane's presence.
Liane smiled sympathetically, about to step over to the girl to try to offer her a kind word or two when her eyes were suddenly drawn back to the house… a house that was suddenly blanketed in snow. She heard the girl's startled exclamation, but the actual words faded away into the cruel howl of a blizzard. Staggering a few steps towards the house before collapsing to her knees in the snow, her teeth gritted between cold and a pain like she had never known as she wrapped her arms around her midsection. In her attempt to not scream, one anguished word did manage to escape her…
"Kratos…!"
Kratos walked out of the weapon shop just ahead of the shopkeeper, who quickly turned his key in the lock and hurried down the path between the shops and down to the main level of the town. The skills for the item he had sought had been there, but unfortunately, the items he needed weren't. The customizer seemed to know his trade well enough, so Kratos made a mental note to return when they found some black silver. He really didn't want to wait, but a trip to the shop that he knew he could flat out buy the weapon was out of the question at the moment.
The Professor was going to take them to the caves, he sighed as he started down the stone steps to the lower level of the town, only to spot a familiar figure apparently sneaking away from the lecture. He arched an eyebrow and altered his course to follow Liane, interested to see why Raine's assistant would be trying to execute such an escape.
Perhaps Lloyd is rubbing off on her, Kratos groaned, his disbelief in the boy's lack of regard for study unless it involved food or some sort of weapon growing with every step.
The more he watched Liane travel down the road before them, the more it seemed that she was simply going for a walk, enjoying the sights and sounds of the village. As she continued up the path after dodging a small child, he momentarily considered catching up to her, walking with her before they retired for the night. The tension between them had eased considerably since the Water Seal… she had even been receptive to his offer of further training. She was continuing to progress – and she was using what he had taught her in battle already – although her claims of limited mana seemed to be disturbingly true. She used her spells and techniques well and accurately enough for her experience, but they shouldn't drain her as fast at they did. But that was only the beginning of his fears for her. The rest, he didn't dare think on.
It was then that he saw her pause at the top of the trail – for a full moment or two, even – before she hunched over, staggered forward, and fell to her knees. His casual stride turned into a sprint to the top.
Is she under attack?
But even as her strangled cry to him reached his ears, he realized where they were – and possibly where she was. He approached her slowly, seeing Liane was not alone. A young woman in a maid's uniform looked up at him in confusion from where she crouched beside Liane where she continued to writhe on the ground.
"Are you… Kratos?" the maid asked quietly, trying to help Liane to sit up.
He nodded and motioned for her to move. Crouching beside Liane, he slipped his arm under hers and around her back. "Liane?" he asked calmly. "Liane, can you hear me?"
She raised her head at the sound of his voice and he tensed, wary of what she might say to him this time – but when her eyes were clear as she looked at him in confusion, he relaxed slightly.
"Kratos?" she sniffled, her eyebrows furrowed as she glanced around them "What… what are you doing here?"
"You called to him, ma'am," the maid interjected with a concerned smile as she watched over Kratos' shoulder. "Ma'am, are you well?" she looked from Liane to Kratos. "If she's ill, sir, the mistress could most likely be able to help her… she was once a very talented Healer…."
Kratos watched Liane carefully, scrutinizing how she moved, how her eyes focused and unfocused… and how she kept looking back to the nearby house.
"Are you in pain?" he asked to draw her attention back to him.
Liane paused for a moment before looking back to him and shaking her head gingerly. "No… I think I'll be fine…"
Kratos nodded to the maid. "Thank you for your offer – I'm certain your mistress is indeed talented – but I'm sure it was something she ate… a good night's sleep will probably be best for her. Liane, can you stand?"
With a nod, Liane stood, her legs pressing her up from the ground with his assistance. Offering the maid a few words of parting gratitude, he guided Liane back down the trail slowly, noting that her steps were still shaky.
"Kratos… please… let me sit down…" she begged quietly. He spotted a half-wall a few feet away and helped her get to it, steadying her as she pushed herself up to sit on the wall.
He scrutinized her for a long moment, watching her posture wobble a bit as she seemed to be willing to look anywhere but at him. "If you don't want my help, I can go get the others –" he offered, but she was shaking her head before he could speak further.
"No… just give me a minute."
He was silent as he watched her, observing how her head bowing in weariness as the wind tossed strands of her ponytail across her face. "Another dream?" Kratos ventured, wondering if she would really answer him, even when he already knew the answer.
She nodded, her eyes fixed on the ground. "It felt real," she replied, shrugging weakly. "It was snowing… storming… and…" her voice trailed off as she glanced up to him, apparently accidentally meeting his eyes as she looked away as soon as she did so.
Dammit, why is this happening? He knew full well what she had seen… why she had doubled over in pain… why she had called for him – as well as he knew what she had seen on the docks at Izoold… and at the grave near Iselia.
"Did you eat?" he offered, trying to help her by giving her something to consider… maybe she, at least, could find someway to bury the blame with something other than the truth.
She nodded. "But not much… I wasn't really hungry."
"The kitchen at the inn should still be open. You should try to eat. It might help."
Again, she nodded, although it seemed to merely be a placating gesture. He wondered how long it would be before she would tell him what she saw – or if she ever would. It was obvious how she seemed to orbit him – almost as if she wanted to trust him – to befriend him – almost like she simply knew that she could. But then, in the next instant, that would be gone and she would watch him with a weary caution that bordered on dislike. It was those moments of distrust that he found himself almost able to relax – calm in the knowledge that she – and possibly the rest didn't trust him.
Unfortunately, those were the moments he hated the most as well. He stood back from her, crossing his arms over his chest and watching her avoid his gaze for a few moments before he forced himself to look away. Sunset had almost burned itself out and he knew it would be dark soon. He didn't want to rush her, but he also knew that there would be more questions the longer they were away from the group.
"We should get moving… if you feel well enough to walk, that is…" he sighed out, watching her through his bangs for the reaction his mild challenge had been quickly crafted to evoke. And he wasn't disappointed as he saw a filcker of a glare flash though her eyes just before she set her jaw and pushed herself to her feet.
"I'm fine…" Liane grumbled with a small shake of her head, pausing in the middle of the path to glance back to him again. "I'm sorry if I held you up. I…" her voice hesitated as she glanced around them for a moment. "Um, why are you here? I just went for a walk…" Liane watched him with a suspicious arch to her eyebrow. "Didn't you say you were going to the shops?"
Allowing himself a ghost of a smirk, Kratos' hand settled onto the hilt of his sword and he started to walk past her. "I did. The shops closed. Then I was curious why one of Raine's pupils – that wasn't Lloyd – was sneaking away from her tour." He heard her short indignantly just behind him, her footsteps heavier and a bit more hurried, and he knew she was on her way to recovery... even if all that entailed was pushing thoughts she didn't want to deal with aside for the time being.
"I didn't sneak…" she retorted with a grumble as she caught up to him, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. "It was a beautiful night… and I've seen the caves before. They walked in an almost-tense silence for a few moments longer before she Liane broke her aggravated posture and reached up to massage her temple, a pained sigh slipping from her.
The mercenary glanced over for only a moment, what he hoped wouldn't be long enough for her to even notice. The visions seemed to bring a physical pain in addition to disorientation along with them. He could have guessed that after the night at Iselia… but it still left him to wonder – was she only seeing the nightmare-worthy images? Was she only experiencing the things that no soul should have to experience more than once?
But… there were good parts… there had to be pleasant memories that would have left an impression as well…. Granted, they were memories that he kept locked away almost selfishly even from himself – as if allowing them to the surface would hasten their evaporation from his mind and what was left of his heart.
"Why are you being nice to me?"
Kratos turned his head only as much as he had to to watch her out of the corner of his eye. Liane was staring at him intently as if searching for something – something he didn't want her to find if he knew her curious streak as well as he thought he did.
"I could have left you there, I suppose," he responded coolly, almost hating himself for the response, even if the nature of her question indicated that she was expecting such a retort. "But I don't see how spending the night sleeping on a stranger's lawn would help you much either. "You'll be safer at the inn with the others. And probably more comfortable to sleep this off as well."
Her response was silence – something he had begun to understand as an admission that she knew he was right even if she didn't happen to be in a mood to admit it. They continued to walk in silence until they reached the main road of the town and they started back in the direction of the inn. Occasionally he would spare a glance to her – he couldn't help it. Part of him wanted to reach out and take her by the shoulders – shake something out of her – some reason or excuse for why this was happening now.
"I don't know…" she suddenly murmured, a sullen note tainting the declaration as he realized she'd caught him watching her. "It doesn't matter if you ask me or not, I don't know what's wrong with me… but staring at me certainly isn't helping things."
Kratos sighed at her words as he made certain his gaze was fixed out before them. It seemed that she wanted to believe that he was viewing her like a side-show spectacle. Even if he knew that wasn't the truth – it was easier to let her believe that than to voice the curiosity he truly harbored – including how detailed her visions truly were. He wanted to know – he couldn't help or deny that. But that didn't stop him… not as he held the door to the Vortex Inn open for her, nor as he followed her back to the room that she was to share with Colette for the night. He stood back as she put the key in the lock and entered the warmly-lit room, walking past him almost as if she was making it a point to ignore him. She crossed the room slowly, seeming to be a little bit dazed as she threw a pair of blankets in the corner and crawled into them. If she's going to ignore me… that's probably a safe enough cue to leave….
"Kratos…" Liane sighed, rolling to her side to watch the mercenary stop and turn to look back down to her. "Please… don't tell the others. Me knowing that I'm going crazy is bad enough, but…."
"They won't hear anything from me," he replied quietly, his gaze fixed on her by the dim light of the low-burning oil lamp on the nearby table. "But that should be the least of your worries. Rest. I'm sure the others will be back soon. We still don't know what tomorrow will bring, but if it's another Seal Guardian, you'll need your energy."
"Another day, another fight…" Liane murmured, shrugging further into her blankets. "I'll be ready… or I guess as ready as any of us can be anyway…" her voice trailed off as she fought her eyelids one more time, watching him almost warily before she spoke again. "Thanks…."
Kratos watched Liane for a little longer, nodding when her eyes slid closed. While he was sure that the others would be back soon, he was just as sure that her roommate, the Chosen, wouldn't disturb her.
He left the room, making certain that the door was locked and closed behind him before he made his way down the hall to the room he would share with Lloyd that night. It seemed that the professor didn't trust Lloyd and Genis to room together, but the assignments worked out for the best with the siblings sharing a room. Even if it did make things a bit strange rooming with Lloyd.
But no stranger than what happened tonight… he sighed and let himself into his room, pushing the door closed behind him. Kratos stood in the almost-completely dark room, his eyes adapting after only a moment. He remained standing by the door, letting the darkness wrap around him and comfort him. Long had the dark been his domain, utterly devoid of light or anything related to it. Even in the brightest summer days, his world seemed to be a frigid and never-ending winter that he had embraced in compromise for having nothing – feeling nothing.
Even in the dark that would send most scrambling for a lantern, he saw the straight-backed armchair that sat in the corner of the room. He walked to it and sat down, his elbows going to the armrests as he laced his fingers as a rest for his chin. His eyes searched the darkness of the silent room before they slid shut and he relaxed, the call of the memory he had long ago banished too strong for him to resist after his time with Liane. All he was conscious of was breathing… one deep breath after another….
When he opened his eyes, he spent a moment mesmerized by the strange sensations that surrounded him. A few feet away, a bright fire churned in an old stone fireplace pouring out a warmth at only helped to fill the room around him. The windows nearby still crackled with the raging snowstorm outside, the cold held at bay by the hospitality of the Lady of the house – something he realized he could never express proper gratitude for enough.
He stretched his legs out before him, stretching as best he could where he had propped himself against the sofa to sit on the wooden floor. The warmth… the sound of the ice crystals pounding against the windowpanes – it all set the scene. But what turned the room and its atmosphere into something precious was the breathing. The deep, exhausted breaths of his wife where she slept on the sofa behind him – and the deep, seemingly contented breaths of the small bundle curled into his arm and against his chest.
Kratos looked down, carefully moving his free hand to pull the soft blanked back from the tiny infant's face. He couldn't resist, even as the child whimpered softly as if protesting the idea of waking before he settled once again.
A son. I have a son.
The realization as a million times more amazing than the concept had been for the past nine months. But as wondrous as the child himself was, Kratos simply didn't have adequate words for the woman that slept behind him. There were no words.
He turned - careful to not jostle the sleeping infant – to watch her. She was the woman who had given him her heart even as she had stolen his… the woman who had vowed to love him even in light of the strange truths of his existence… the woman who had given him a son.
"Anna…" he whispered, reaching out his free hand to caress her cheek. She slept soundly, thanks to the herbs that the midwife had given her, her straight chestnut hair spilling from the pillow she rested on and reflecting the dancing flames. Once again, he was in awe of her. She was an angel – and not in the way that he and Cruxis had corrupted the term. She was an angel. She was his angel.
When his wife stirred, a soft moan slipping from her lips, he let his hand fall away, but continued to watch her. He had wanted to heal her – offer her some relief, but the midwife had advised against it for the time being. She had told him that rest would be the best for her – while they had the luxury of time thanks to the raging storm outside. They had been on the run since their latest camp had been destroyed two nights before, but he never guessed that one of the worst snowstorms on record would end up being their ally. Especially when their child seemed to take their first sighting of Asgard as his cue to enter the world. They had barely made it to the midwife's residence before Anna had collapsed in the gathering snow. But now, it would be that same snow that would offer them refuge while Anna and their son gained their strength. It was being said that the storm would last another two days at least – then they would have to be ready to leave.
As dismal as the thought was, he knew better than to take this time for granted. Even as Anna started to turn, the action startled him from his musing as her quilt fell from her and down over his shoulder. Smiling, he started to turn, to tuck the blanket back around her – but he stopped before he could do so, his smile falling away as his gaze fixed on the sky-blue stone at the base of her throat. A soft glow seemed to be coming from it, and even though he knew it could be a trick of the firelight, he still couldn't help but feel it was mocking him. Everything he had ever wanted – even if he had never realized it – was right there with him at that moment – and the blue stone only served to remind him how easily he had almost lost it all – how easily he still could.
Setting his jaw, Kratos gently finished wrapping the quilt over her, covering over the stone before he gently moved her necklace pendant to rest on top of the blanket – on top of the stone and its constant challenge to him. The pendant and small twinkling diamond that she had accepted from him as a token of his love and his vow to never let anyone take her away from him – it was a reassurance even in the fragile bubble of peace that had taken them after their day. He rested his head back on the edge of the sofa and let his eyes slide shut, holding his son just a bit tighter. "I'll protect you… I'll protect you both…" he whispered his vow to them – his wife and son, heart and soul.
After a few more moments of quiet, a new noise startled him – a soft giggle from behind him just before he felt delicate fingers starting to trail through his hair. "Protect us? Okay – the old lady did seem kinda scary and mean… yelling at me to 'push' and all that. But she's old. I think you could take her."
Kratos chuckled quietly, leaving his eyes closed for a moment to savor her touch, her voice - as weary as it was. "I don't know… she did seem tough…" he replied before pulling out of her grasp just enough to turn to her, meeting her warm brown eyes as he reached out to stroke her cheek. "Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked, glad she was awake but still worried for her.
"Maybe…" Anna shrugged with a smile as her eyes fell from him to the infant that slept on his shoulder. "Is he… okay?" she asked, her voice dropping to the barest of whispers, almost as if she dreaded the answer.
"He's perfect," Kratos assured her as he moved the baby closer to her, supporting his tiny, limp form for a moment before he pushed himself up to his knees. Gently resting the boy on her chest, he sat back to watch the sleeping baby curl into her as she moved one bare arm to wrap over him. "He's like his mother that way," he told her as he saw her eyes well slightly.
"He's so little…" she smiled, running her fingers gently over faint curls of brown that littered the baby's scalp. Then she looked over to Kratos with as much seriousness as she could muster. "But he's not perfect… not yet."
Kratos raised an eyebrow to her, wondering what she could be thinking, holding the child so close and not seeing him as a little miracle. He had long ago let go of his anxiety of his involvement with the child… how he had feared that that had been a part of his humanity he had left behind… that the child his wife carried would be a reflection of the shadowy creature that had remained over the millennia. Anna's response to his fears had been as serious as could be. 'You're still a man…' and even though it wasn't something he had been accused of in recent memory, her faith was enough. But now, it was that same faith that he wondered had been shaken – if she had seen something in their son that she hadn't expected – or worse, detested. "Not yet?"
Anna rolled her head on the pillow to watch him, amusement dancing in her weary eyes. "Not yet. He needs a name… then he'll be perfect."
"A name…" Kratos smirked, reaching to take her hand in his, running his thumb over the back of the soft skin for a moment in thought. "What would you like to name him?"
"No," Anna shook her head as she met his gaze. "We've talked about this. If it was a boy – you got to name him. It's too late to back out now." She tilted her head to him as if she sensed his indecision. "Come on… I know you've thought about it – maybe… maybe someone from your family?"
Kratos sighed. His family… that had been so long ago. But he still dreamed of them sometimes – including the man that had first put a sword in his hand, the man that had been a proud fighter in the King's elite guard of the time. He was strong in will and body… and it was what the man had wanted for his son… and what Kratos found himself with the same thoughts of for his own son. "You… are my family," he whispered, the same words that came up whenever his blood-kin came up as a topic. "I want to name him Lloyd."
"Lloyd…" Anna murmured, turning her attention back to her sleeping son. "Lloyd Aurion. I like it…" she whispered, leaning her head forward to place a kiss on the baby's forehead. Then she rested back, looking to Kratos with a smile as her eyelids started to droop. "Kratos… may I…"
"His grandfather…" Kratos answered her question quietly before her words could form. "Is he perfect now?"
Anna nodded, reaching to pick up the baby's hand where it rested on the blanket that separated them, waving it gently at Kratos. "Lloyd, tell your Daddy that you're better than perfect… you both are. You're both mine…."
Kratos smiled, reaching out to take the infant's hand from her. "Go to sleep. We'll both be here in the morning – or whenever he gets hungry," he told his wife as he watched her eyes slip shut, a smile still on her lips. As she and Lloyd appeared to share the peaceful sleep, he found himself unable to release his son's hand, marveling at the tiny creature that he had helped bring into the world – as uncertain as it was. "I'll protect you, Lloyd… and your mother, too… any way I have to. Your father will protect you."
Lloyd.
Father. Mother.
Son. Wife.
Lloyd….
"Kratos!"
His eyes shot open, the warm living room of the midwife replaced by the lamp-lit room at the Vortex Inn. The sofa behind him fading back into the wooden armchair… and the teenage swordsman standing before him no longer the newborn curled on his wife's chest – instead, little more than a stranger – and someone that Kratos had broken his vow to.
"Man, I didn't think you ever slept!" Lloyd laughed, shaking his head as he walked to the bed near the door and sat down, kicking off his boots before he flopped back onto the bed. "But I have to tell you – when you and Liane both disappeared, Genis was sure we'd find you two together. He was so disappointed when Colette came back and said Liane was asleep in their room and that you weren't anywhere around. He had the best stories worked up, too…" he grinned before he rolled onto his stomach, clutching his pillow tightly to him.
"Hmmm…" Kratos snorted, pushing himself from his chair and moving to sit on the other bed, carefully reconstructing his mask of indifference. "First you warn me away from her, then you're making up stories. It sounds like you need to make up your minds," he groaned as he leaned back onto his bed.
The only response from the young swordsman was something between a mumble and a snore. It still never ceased to amaze him how quickly the boy could tune things out and fall asleep. Kratos sighed, watching Lloyd for only a moment longer before he reached to turn out the lamp between the two beds – denying the building urge to search the boy's face for some sign of her – denying himself a mistaken glimpse of his family from long ago. But before he could kill the light, something caught his eye and made him freeze. The way Lloyd had curled into the pillow, his left hand had come around, almost as if his Exsphere… Anna's Exsphere… wanted a final word with him.
Kratos stared at the pale blue for a moment… the thing that had helped to tear his family apart… then his eyes widened. Where it had preyed on Anna's life, it now helped protect her son… almost as if in a bid for redemption. It was almost as if he, too, was being offered something similar. Where he had failed in his vows before, he had another chance to make good on them. He would find a way – some way – to protect Lloyd. And if he could find a way to do the same for Liane, then maybe… somehow… his broken word could be restored.
Even if Lloyd and Anna never know it.
With a deep sigh, Kratos turned out the lamp and reclined back on the bed, once again sliding into the darkness and clearing his mind. There was much to do – much to plan.
But that would come with the morning. His resolve was set – the instinct to protect them all solidifying in the knowledge that he would find a way.
He had to.
Before the morning sun had even started to touch the town of Asgard, the doors of the Vortex Inn opened, and the Chosen group was herded out into the street – each of them in various states of wakefulness.
"It's not too early!" Raine declared as she pulled the door to the inn shut behind them. "The sun is up, we have things to do! The journey can't wait just because you want to sleep in, Lloyd…."
They young swordsman grumbled something vaguely coherent before his words finally crystallized into something comprehensible. "It is really so much to ask to wait until the sun's up? Man, we practically still need torches to see our way around…" he groaned, stretching his arms up over his head as he walked between Genis and Liane.
Liane trudged along with them, following Colette and Kratos as she still was trying to decide how she wanted to handle the day. It was easy enough to tune out Lloyd's complaints – she had done it for years – even when Raine predictably pushed her argument for not letting life pass you by. She was certain that she could argue both of their sides for them if they wanted to take a break. But instead, she diverted her attention to trying to grasp the fleeting pieces of her dream, trying to hold on to what images she could. Sleep had only taken away the distraction of the waking world – leaving only the abstract, blurry images that had forced their way into her mind the previous night. Even though they had pursued her through the night, she still couldn't understand the story they were trying to tell her. Or maybe she wouldn't understand – she couldn't be sure. What she was sure of, though, was that Lloyd and Kratos had been there. It was more a feeling than an image – it was their presence she had sensed, and she thought she remembered hearing their names.
Which only makes it seem like more of a dream, she sighed. Why else would they both be together like that? Liane hated writing it off like that… all of the dreams – or visions – or whatever they were – seemed to want to tell her something. And more… she couldn't shake the feeling that they were all linked.
"You just want to make sure we beat the rest of the tourists there…"
Genis' taunting comment and his accompanying laugh warmed its way into Liane's thoughts as she couldn't help but snicker, grateful for the distraction of the silver-haired boy's observation.
"Well, it wouldn't do to put anyone in danger for being there at the wrong time if this is the right place for the next seal," Raine reasoned with a huff as the group started up the stone-slab steps, Kratos and Colette continuing to lead them in following the signs that pointed the way to the ruins.
"Yep. She just doesn't want to be mistaken for just a tourist," Lloyd grinned and nodded to his friends, glancing over his shoulder to the Professor as his feet carried him forward a cautionary step to keep out of her reach.
Liane sighed but still smiled, shaking her head as she heard a groan from Raine. "Now you start dodging, Lloyd?" she asked as the swordsman turned his grin back to her.
"Better late than never, I guess," Genis laughed as he hurried to fall in step with his friend. "One less bruise can't possibly be a bad thing!"
A quickening of footsteps behind her made Liane pause and turn, stepping back at the last moment to allow Raine to run past. The dark-haired girl's eyes were wide – she had never seen Raine actually chase after the boys before, and she was certain they had gotten in much better jabs in the past. She couldn't help but cringe as Raine approached behind them –
- but then she kept running. Raine ran past what seemed to be an equally surprised Lloyd and Genis – and then Kratos and Colette – only stopping finally at the top of the steep stone steps, her arms hanging limply at her sides.
"Oh! It's the Asgard Ruins!" Raine inhaled deeply, her gaze sliding over the expanse of stone before her as the others gathered around her. The Professor took a few more seemingly stunned steps forward, the others reaching the top and following her as the brisk morning wind wrapped around them. The morning sun was bright on the stone slab that crowned the hill, the rock itself almost seeming to shine in the light. She then turned, casually crossing her arms as she gestured casually to Lloyd. "Lloyd, state the historical background of this ruin."
Lloyd's eyes widened as the teacher's gaze fixed on him, his hand already moving to comb through his hair with a nervous chuckle. "Ah, um, well, let's see…
Liane grit her teeth, standing back and clasping her hands behind her back. She still wasn't entirely sure Raine wasn't still just a bit sore at her for the incident at the pass the day before, so she decided that it really wasn't her place to step in. But she still couldn't help but silently pull for her friend. Come on, Lloyd – we didn't go over this that long ago… she's just paying you back for yesterday, now….
"It's the temple where Cleo III held a ritual to offer a sacrifice to the Summon Spirit of Wind in order to quell a storm that had raged for a week," Genis volunteered, stepping in front of Lloyd with an explanatory wave of his hand as if he was seeking to distract Raine's fury from Lloyd.
Lloyd grinned as Genis' response faded on the stiff winds that swirled around them, pointing at Genis triumphantly. "…That's it."
"Gah!" Raine threw her hands up into the air as her eyes clenched shut in what looked to be a very physical pain. "Have you learned anything at all these past five years!"
Lloyd grinned and nodded eagerly, raising a hand and starting to tick off his fingers one at a time. "PE and Art and –"
Raine fairly growled her frustration as her head fell forward for a moment, her shoulders heaving with a deep breath of something resembling defeat before she lifted her head just enough to glare at Lloyd. "Never mind!" the silver-haired woman huffed for a moment longer before she turned her back on the barely muffled laughter that slipped from Genis and Lloyd.
"What perfect form!" she murmured with open admiration, reaching a hand out to respectfully trace the carved lines of the stone. "This delicate curve is said to express the flight of the Summon Spirit of Wind through the sky. In addition, it is said that this stone is infused with a large volume of mana, and at night…."
Trying to set a good example, Liane tried to pay attention to Raine's lecture – her efforts reinforced by Genis and Colette, both seeming to be thoroughly absorbed by the impromptu lesson. Then… there was Lloyd. Lloyd, who – predictably – wandered away with a small yawn. She sighed, watching the brown-haired boy wander over to where Kratos stood away from the group, his back to them as he looked out over the land that surrounded the ruins. They spoke for a few brief moments before she saw Lloyd turn and walk back towards her. But the brown-haired teen only offering her a playful grin as he continued to walk past them and around the corner of the stone platform... effectively avoiding any more education than he has to have… oh, Lloyd….
But when she looked back, she saw that Kratos was still firmly rooted in his place near the edge of the mound, the wind playing vigorously with both his hair and his cape. Liane bit her lip, glancing back to the Professor one more time. Sorry, Raine… but I do know the history… from you and from the priests…. She sighed, turning and walking over to the mercenary, keeping a comfortable distance between them as she followed his gaze out over the valley for a moment.
"Have you been to Asgard before?" she asked quietly, still not looking up to him, even as she partly expected him to ignore her, much less her question.
"My travels have occasionally brought me here in the past," Kratos answered, his voice almost blending into the wind that howled around the carved pillars at the corners of the dais. "Shouldn't you be learning about the stone from the Professor?"
Liane shrugged, glancing over her shoulder to see Raine still lecturing to anyone who could possibly be listening. "I think I could give the lecture, actually – I've been through her lessons as well as those of the church." She sat down near the edge of the plateau, pulling her knees up before her and resting her chin on them. "But she enjoys it too much to butt in…"
Kratos snorted – what could have almost been a chuckle. An awkward silence once again settled between them before he glanced down to her. "So… you're over here to keep yourself from depriving her of the thrill of a lecture on ruins? Commendable…."
"Did you just make a joke?" Liane looked up at him with a snicker before she shook her head and sobered slightly, glancing away. "No… she can have it. I… wanted to say thank you to you, though – I figured while they're all distracted, it would be a good time."
"For what?" the mercenary asked, tilting his head down to watch her as the wind tossed his bangs enough for him to meet her gaze.
With a shrug and a smirk, Liane did her best to keep his eyes even though she so very much wanted to look away. "For covering for me last night. I… I'm not sure why you did, but I appreciate it."
Kratos continued to watch her for a moment longer without acknowledging her words. Just as she started to look away, she saw his shoulders drop just a bit.
"You asked me not to say anything and I didn't. It was a simple request and there was no reason not to honor it," Kratos replied, his tone even.
Liane smirked, stretching her legs out before her as she rested her weight on her hands behind her. "But you didn't have to. That's why I'm thanking you," she sighed, letting her head roll back to watch the clouds that seemed all too close drift across the sky. She was very much aware of the awkwardness – just as she knew it was still somehow easier than it had been. Somehow, she was starting to realize that whatever it was that was happening to her – she was still relatively safe with him.
Kratos nodded, looking back out over the valley for a few moments longer before he glanced back to the others. "I'll accept your thanks if you answer a question for me," he murmured, still watching their companions until he shifted his eyes down to her at the close of his statement.
One eyebrow arching at him, Liane frowned for a moment. It was a simple gesture… now I have to fight him for it? She was almost offended, but she was still curious as to what question he would have for her – curious, and a bit worried. "Okay…?"
"Why don't you want your friends to know about your dreams?" he asked, dropping his voice to afford her as much privacy for whatever answer she might see fit to give him. "You certainly seem to trust them more than me, yet you ask me to keep what I've seen a secret from them?"
A flash of guilt ran through her, although she was somehow certain that he hadn't intended it that way – or at least he hadn't meant it that way for his benefit. Liane frowned, chewing her lip for a moment as she tried to put words to her instinctive reaction to the dreams that both intrigued her and horrified her. "Honestly?" she sighed with a helpless shrug. "I don't know what I'd tell them."
"Perhaps the truth?" Kratos suggested evenly. "I doubt your friends would condemn you for honesty."
"Kratos…" Liane stopped, holding her breath for a moment before her head bowed forward. She didn't know what to tell them – or him either. She knew full well that he had appeared in some of her dreams – nightmares – whatever they were. Or it was someone eerily like him. Either way, she couldn't allow herself to put faith in her tentative bond with the mercenary. She could barely put her faith in herself at the moment. "I don't really know. I mean, isn't it rather silly? I'm well past the age that nightmares should bother me like this – and beyond that… well, the other options aren't pretty. I… I've always thought that dreams meant something… that they'd make sense some day when and if you remembered them." Liane shook her head, still not looking up to him. "Now… that's the last thing I want to believe."
The mercenary was silent, still not looking at her until his response started to form with what looked to be a shrug. "That's the thing about free will – you can choose what you want to believe in. You can let what you've seen control you… haunt you even, if you so desire. But ultimately, it will be up to you."
Liane nodded thoughtfully, considering his inflectionless words before she couldn't help but chuckle dryly. "Sounds like you have some experience in that."
"Perhaps we all do… at some point in time," he replied. "Believing is the one decision that no one can make for you – that no one can force you into. All the help and advice in the world can help with that."
"I guess…" Liane replied thoughtfully. "It just seems that there's so much more to worry about right now – so much that's bigger than me – than all of us. It's all hard enough without dealing with dreams I can't even explain to myself that won't be content to leave me alone."
Kratos glanced down to her, meeting her gaze completely for just a moment as the winds carried his bangs away. "Maybe you have to be content to leave them alone," he offered. "They only have the power over you that you allow them."
Blinking, Liane was almost ready to take his words as an insult – but as his suggestion echoed a bit in her mind, she drew a deep breath, seeing the honesty – and the truth in his words. "I… guess so…" she admitted softly. "They're just hard to ignore. I can't help but feel like I'm missing something – like I'm not hearing what they're trying to tell me…" then she laughed a bit humorlessly at the notion. "And there I go again…."
"Sometimes a dream is just a dream," Kratos told her quietly. "Sometimes you're not meant to have all the pieces. You have to be as willing to accept that as you are to grasp at the chance that there is some greater meaning to it."
"Hurry, everybody!" Lloyd called out as he rounded the corner of the dais at a run, Raine close behind him.
Liane looked up, startled by Lloyd's call as she shot to her feet. On the far side of the dais, she saw a man in a skullcap and robes accompanied by a pair of villagemen pursuing the young swordsman and the Professor. Oh, Lloyd… what did you do this time…?
Raine paused at the top of the stone steps with a wistful look back to the dais and a deep sigh. "I wanted to study it more…."
Genis planted his hands on the small of his sister's back even as Liane grabbed her forearm and pulled. "And if we run now, you might have a chance of coming back later – now go!" the young mage grunted as his face scrunched and he threw his weight against Raine.
"Come on…" Kratos murmured beside her, shaking Liane from her attempt to understand the situation as he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her towards the steps that led back to the town below.
Raine and Lloyd led the group in their break-neck sprint down the steps, followed closely by Genis and Colette, and finally Kratos and Liane at the back, leaving the angered complaints of the robed man and his companions. As they reached the bottom of the steps, all of them except Kratos wheezing slightly as they spared a collectively weary glance back up the steps.
"Lloyd, what did you do? Who were those guys?" Genis hissed out, his small arms shaking in exasperation. "And why did we have to run from them?"
"Hey!" Lloyd bit back defensively with a wheeze. "I didn't do anything! The other two – the dark haired guy and the redhead – they were trying to blow up the stone! I tried to stop them – ask Raine!" he crossed his arms, glancing over to the Professor for backup.
As Genis spun to look to his older sister, his eyes widened as she shrugged and nodded.
"He's right… I thought he would have been the one causing trouble… but for once, Lloyd didn't seem to have a hand in it," the Professor told her brother and the rest of the group.
Lloyd rolled his eyes at the revelation that Raine had been ready to blame him, but merely shook his head and clenched his teeth. "Who were those two?" he puffed, leaning forward as he tried to catch his breath after their sprint down the steps.
Colette shrugged, glancing around to the others, and then to the relatively deserted road that stretched to either side of the mountain town. "I wonder why they wanted to destroy the ruin?" she asked in confusion, flipping her hair back over her shoulder in the wind.
"Yes, the ruin!" Raine's head snapped up to look back up the steps they had just descended, her hands curling into tight fists. "We have to stop them from engaging in such foolish acts like trying to destroy a ruin. Let's go, Lloyd."
"Go where?" Lloyd waved his hands in frustration at his teacher's impatience. "It's not like they're friends or they left us directions to their house so we can find them…!"
Liane's arms fell against her sides in a moment of exasperation, but only until she spotted the dark-haired little boy milling near the cave opening that sported a sign boasting Dragon rides for tourists. Almost too simple… she smirked as she walked to the boy, crouching before him and meeting his wide-eyed curiosity with a smile. "Hey, kiddo… did you see a couple of guys run past here a minute or so ago?" she asked, hoping it was enough description to get the little boy to be able to help them. Really… it's still kind of early… how many people have really come down in the last few minutes?
The boy blinked, watching her suspiciously for a moment before he rolled his eyes. "You mean Linar and Harley?" he asked, shaking his head before he leaned back against the rock wall beside the cave. "What did they do this time…?"
Liane giggled a little at the boy's assumption, getting the distinct feeling that this wasn't the first time that Lloyd and Raine's new 'friends' had found themselves in trouble in Asgard. "Well, we just want to talk to them for a few minutes… do you think you can tell us where we might find them?"
"Down the road…" the boy pointed back into the town with a roll of his eyes. "Take the last right you can… it'll go up between a few houses… it's the second house you'll pass on your way up on the right – lots of wood… two floors. That's Linar's house, but if they're in trouble, they'll both be there…."
Standing, Liane straightened her tunic with a sigh. Oh… that road… she shook her head a little, hoping that her last journey down that road wouldn't be repeated – especially with everyone there to act as witness this time. Pushing the thoughts away, she forced a smile back to her lips and reached into the coin pouch at her side, flipping the boy a single gald coin, which he eagerly caught. "Thanks for the help, kid…" she smiled before she turned and looked back to her companions with a shrug. "Better than going door to door?"
Raine nodded appreciatively at her assistant's methods and turned to fall in step beside her as they started in the direction they had been given. "Well played…" she murmured as the rest of the group fell in step behind them, Lloyd still grumbling about their forced retreat and how they were going to get blamed for it. "We really need to know why they'd destroy something so culturally important as the dais…"
"I know, Raine…" Liane sighed, once again just going along with her mentor's concern for all things ancient. Long before she had decided it was easier to smile and nod pleasantly than to try to understand all the quirks of the elven woman's personality. "We'll find them… we'll ask… and we'll decide where to go from there, right?"
While the path was identical to the one she had taken the night before, Liane noted that the children playing at the base of the hill parted to allow the party to pass. She fought the urge to groan as she felt their eyes on them… her mind reading into their curious expressions. They probably think I'm back to finish trampling them from last night… she sighed, a small voice in the back of her mind wondering if the children had been there as Kratos had brought her down the hill – she honestly didn't remember. Dreams out of nowhere were one thing… but blanks in her memory were unnerving… almost like the dreams were absorbing time from her own life.
Her thoughts were once again banished with a feeling of relief as the house that the boy had described to them presented itself from the hillside.
"That's it! It's gotta be…" Genis stopped on the path and gestured to the structure.
"Yeah… now we can figure out why they were trying to blow up the ruins…" Lloyd mumbled as he walked out ahead and reached up to knock firmly on the door of the house. The sound of the rapping seemed to echo slightly off the nearby stone walls, but there was nothing else save for the faint whine of the ever-present wind through the canyon and the distant laughter of the children playing below.
After a few moments, the door opened on its whining hinges to reveal a dark-haired girl with wide eyes. "Can I help you?" the girl asked politely as she studied her visitors, only to have the door pulled from her hands by a redhead that was all too familiar to Lloyd and Raine.
"You're those tourists from earlier!" Harley grumbled accusingly, trying to shut the door in their faces only to be stopped by the girl that had opened the door.
"Honestly, Harley…" the girl glared at the red-haired boy, staring at him until he backed down with a wordless grumble under his breath. "Please… come in…" she sighed, sweeping her arm inward to bring the strangers into the dwelling.
Raine snorted indignantly as she entered the house, her hands clenched at her staff as she stopped to glare at Harley. "I am a scholar," she declared, keeping a cold glare on him.
"Whatever," the redhead snorted, his arms crossed contentiously over his chest. "Get out!"
Liane could only stared at the half-elf before she couldn't help but look to Kratos, barely containing a snicker in light of the situation. Huh. Bet those two would get along famously if we left them alone for a bit… either that or they'd kill each other.
"Harley, stop it. This is my house..." the girl groaned, planting her palm in the middle of Harley's chest to get his attention. She waited for a moment, staring up to him pointedly before sighing and turning back to the others. "I understand that you were the ones that stopped Harley and my brother. Thank you."
"I'm not sure "stopped" is the best way to put it," Kratos sighed from the back of the group, still standing near the door with his arms crossed over his chest.
The girl giggled at the mercenary's comment, hiding her mouth with her hand before her eyes scanned over all of her visitors one at a time. "I'm Aisha…" she nodded to the corner, where another villageman familiar to the group sat in a stuffed armchair. "I think you know my brother, Linar, too…?"
Harley's face flushed with anger as he spun on the black haired girl, seemingly had enough of being ignored, pointing a shaking finger in the newcomers' direction. "They got in our way!"
Aisha turned back to the redhead, her head rolling back in exasperation as she shook her hands at him in frustration. "It doesn't matter what you call it! The point is, the people of this city are the ones that would suffer if that ruin was destroyed."
Ah… dissention in the ranks… seems everyone has one kind of stress or another at this point… Liane shook her head as Linar stood from his chair and silently crossed the room to stand beside his sister, his hands clenched behind his back as he walked.
A growl of frustration slipped out of Harley as he seemed to forget the newcomers to his friends' home, shaking his open hands in a pleading gesture to the girl. "But… as things are now, you're going to be sacrificed!"
Lloyd looked up, apparently startled at the statement, his eyes shifting between the Asgardians. "Sacrificed?"
Liane heard Aisha sigh and looked up to see her shoulders droop, the simple gesture suggesting the truth of Harley's words.
Linar reached out to his sister's shoulder, squeezing it before he looked up to the others with a nod of confirmation. "It's a ritual in honor of the Summon Spirit of Wind. Aisha was chosen for it. Originally, the ritual consisted of just dancing on the stone platform, but – "
"This idiot started meddling with the stone dais as part of his research and opened the seal," Harley huffed, completing Linar's tale as he reached over to the meek dark-haired young man, shoving gently at his shoulder to make his point. "Because of that, that Summon Spirit of Wind-thing awoke and is demanding sacrifices."
"The seal?" Raine's head shot up at Harley's words, her eyes wide and fairly sparkling. "Do you mean…"
Colette looked between the Professor and Linar, gesturing a bit in helplessness. "What! The seal?"
Linar nodded in answer to Raine, his focus clearly solely on her and their conversation, as if the rest of them had all faded away. "Yes! If you, too, are researching the Balacruf ruins, then you must be aware of the altar erected in praise of the Summon Spirit of Wind. The seal really existed, just as the legend said!"
"Are you saying that the Balacruf Pillar hieroglyphics are not just a myth!" Raine exclaimed, her jaw dropping and her eyes glazing just a bit as she waited for the dark-haired man's confirmation.
Colette took a step forward, acting almost as if she wanted to speak as she looked between Linar and Raine. She clasped he hands behind her back and rocked back on her heels as if waiting for a turn to speak.
Lloyd nudged Liane to get her attention. "It sounds like this isn't the seal we're looking for," he whispered, his brow furrowed in thought.
Shaking her head in response to the young swordsman, Liane met his gaze with a shrug. It's like they've both forgotten the rest of us are even here….
Genis took a step to his sister's side, putting his hand gently on her arm. "Raine…Aren't you forgetting why we're on this journey?" he asked just loud enough to earn a questioning glance from his sister as if her focus was still torn between her brother's concern and the tantalizing conversation with the Asgardian scholar.
Kratos groaned softly, shaking his head. "Well, it's all right…It's not as if it's completely out of our way," he shrugged as Genis turned to look at him in surprise.
It was a surprise that Liane echoed as she took a step closer to the mercenary. "Is this the same mercenary that was so bothered that we were derailing the Regeneration to try to help Chocolat?" she murmured softly, arching an eyebrow at him. Her only answer, predictably was an indifferent grunt as Linar continued babbling at the Professor, still ignoring everyone else.
"Yes!" Linar nodded eagerly as he gestured in the air, drawing a square with his finger to serve as his exhibit. "In the back of the of the platform there is a small indentation, and –"
"That's enough!" Harley stomped his foot to get everyone's attention, his eyes flashing with anger. "Aisha's about to be sacrificed to the Summon Spirit tonight! Now get out of here!"
As the door to the home slammed shut behind them, Liane heard voices – angry voices – from within. Aisha didn't seem nearly as upset about being a sacrifice as she does about Linar and Harley trying to blow up the dais….
"Now what?" Lloyd groaned, his arms hanging limply at his sides as he turned back to the others. "That girl is gonna get eaten by the summon spirit-thing – and the only way to stop it is if we destroy the ruins? What am I missing here?"
Raine sighed. "No one said she would be 'eaten,' Lloyd… there's no reason to be so dramatic. Use your energy to find a way around this so that nothing will happen to her."
"Perhaps a return to the dais is in order," Kratos murmured quietly from where he stood near the path that led back down into the town. "There might be something in the carvings on the stone – or on the columns?"
With a sigh, Liane shook her head. "Sure… why not? We already ran from the Mayor once – I'm sure a pack of strangers won't stick out at all… he'll never know it was us, right?" We're all going to end up in jail….
The path back to the ruins seemed to go quickly as their familiarity with the winding town road grew and the group found themselves ascending the stone steps once again. Lloyd and Genis led the group this time, but their steps stopped short as they looked up to find that they weren't alone on the path this time. Just ahead of them, the Mayor was stopped in the middle of the steps, his arms crossed sternly across his chest as he made himself an obvious obstacle to them going any further to the stone ruins. "You're the ones that went up on the dais," he snorted his statement, his chilled gaze sliding over all of them.
Raine left her position beside Liane at the back of the group to move to the head of the group, nodding her head and bowing respectfully to the robed village elder that stood before them. "I am a scholar. May I please have your permission to study this ruin?" she spoke evenly, her posture straightening and meeting the bearded man's gaze.
The Mayor sighed, resting his forehead in his hand for a moment. "There's an idiot just like you in this city already. Thanks to him, the city's tourism industry is on the verge of collapse," he looked up, locking his gaze with that of the professor. "I refuse."
Raine stared at the Mayor, her head tilted in curiosity. "What are you talking about?"
"If you want to know, try asking Linar," the Mayor shrugged while keeping his gaze cool on the visitors and Raine in particular.
With a roll of her eyes, Raine waved off the evasive comment of the Mayor. "If you're talking about the sacrifice, we've already heard about it."
"Then you should understand," the Mayor snorted with a shake of his head. "We can't allow anyone to disturb the dais any further and risk bringing down the wrath of the Summon Spirit of Wind. The only one who may step up upon this stage is the Summon Spirit dancer."
Raine was silent for a few moments as the wind holed around them. Then, as if she had made a decision, she nodded, fixing her gaze on the mayor. "Then I shall become the dancer. Then it would be fine for me to go up onto the stage, yes?"
Lloyd's eyes widened as he took a step forward to Raine's side. "Professor!"
Liane bit her lip, sharing Lloyd's concern, but – on the other hand – she knew the Professor wasn't prone to rash decisions. She had a plan – even if it looked like it could easily put her in the path of danger.
Raine turned to her brown-haired student, drawing a breath to start her explanation even as a smile started to curl her lips. "According to the Book of Regeneration, this should be the next seal. If we can meet the Summon Spirit, we should be able to tell. The sacrifice that the Summon Spirit seeks might even be the Chosen of Mana."
"…I see!" Colette grinned, clasping her hands together at the explanation of Raine's plan. "That's our Professor!"
Lloyd, on the other hand, snickered quietly, edging closer to the professor, his eyebrow arched accusingly. "…You just want to study the ruin firsthand."
Raine's retaliation to the swordsman's taunt was swift, her hand flying out to catch the boy's cheek before he even seemed to register what had happened. She kept her glare fixed on him for a moment longer as if in warning before she straightened her coat and pointedly turned her attention back to the mayor.
Genis looked over to Lloyd with a weary shake of his head even as the swordsman kept a protective hand over the site of the Professor's assault. "You should learn to keep your mouth shut, Lloyd."
"That's what I've been trying to tell him," Liane groaned, shaking her head as Lloyd actually looked surprised that Raine had smacked him. How can that possibly be a shock? It happens at least once a day….
Raine took a step away from the group and their discussions of how Lloyd should know how to act – or at least duck – and she fixed her attention wholly on the mayor. "Please, Mayor," she spoke, her plea simple, leaving no room for doubt of her wishes.
The Mayor set his jaw, making a show of his exaggerated shrug. "Do as you wish. I won't be held responsible if it costs you your life," he stated coolly as he started forward pushing and down the path, through the group as if to prove how little he cared.
"So he'd rather pay with the life of one of his townspeople than take the chance that we can help… that we can stop this. Nice…." Liane grumbled, glancing down to Genis with a shrug. "Sounds like callousness is a requirement for being a Mayor… I wonder if they test them for it."
"I wonder if they have to pass a test in that to get elected," Genis grumbled his response as they all started walking. "Seems Iike Iselia and Asgard both have 'A' students on their hands if they did."
"It's not right for you to have to take my place…" Aisha shook her head as she paced the living room of the house she shared with her brother, occasionally eyeing the strangers that had once again returned to her home. The dark-haired girl bit her lip, watching each of the travelers for a moment as if measuring their sincerity… or maybe searching for some sign that they actually realized what they were offering.
Raine chuckled, waving off the village girl's statement with a smile of confidence. "There's nothing to worry about."
"Raine, are you sure you're going to be okay?" Genis asked in concern as he moved closer to his sister so that he could reach out and take her hand.
Laughing at her brother's concern, Raine placed her finger to her cheek as if deep in thought. "Well, let me choose a few bodyguards just in case," she sighed in her gesture of pacification, earning a glare from her younger brother for her well-intentioned light sarcasm.
Liane looked around the room, her gaze settling on her blonde friend. Colette… she frowned, biting her lip before she turned back to Raine. "Raine… I think Colette should remain somewhere safe. I mean, if it is a seal… somewhere that she can come help, but if it isn't…"
"Liane is right," Kratos interjected from where he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest before he tossed his head to look at Colette. "We can't risk her life for something we're unsure of."
Colette looked up, her mouth dropping a bit as if she meant to object, but then, with a sigh, her shoulders fell and she nodded resolutely. Liane frowned just a little at the girl's reaction, as she knew where it had come from. The Chosen was too important to the world to risk… it was why she had been sheltered throughout her life… why she had been treated almost as some sort of idol or treasure than as the girl she had been born. It seemed to her an almost cruel trick that the Chosen was born human… with human needs and emotions from the start… only to be denied those things when they were deemed unnecessary by others.
"Well then," Raine cleared her throat with a nod as she saw that Colette wasn't going to object. "I should change clothes now. Would you mind?" the professor asked, the general inquiry clearly aimed at the rest of the room's inhabitants.
"I'll help you get ready," Aisha offered meekly from the closet before she turned, holding out the ivory and maroon costume to the Professor. "It… really is the least I can do considering all you're doing for me…"
"I will, too…" Liane murmured, glancing up to meet the Professor's gaze, knowing that the silver-haired woman would know that as a cue that there were things that she wanted to discuss without the rest of the audience. While Aisha's presence was likely necessary to make sure Raine was prepared, Liane wasn't about to lose the opportunity. Liane waited until Colette and the males of their collective group had left the room, Aisha quickly moving to close the door behind them. Then turning to her mentor, she bit her lip slightly. "Raine… I honestly don't mean to question your judgement, but –"
"No…" Raine cut her off with a shake of her head, reaching out to the maroon and ivory garment without looking at her apprentice. "Question it. I've taught you better than that," she laughed softly before she shrugged. "Not that it's going to change my mind… but question it all you like." She took the hangar and quickly stepped behind the changing screen in the corner of the room.
With a sigh, Liane sat down on the side of the bed, catching Aisha's gaze for long enough for the village girl to offer her a bit of a weary smile. "Is there anything Raine needs to know? Anything that might help her?" she asked even as a familiar orange coat draped over the top of the changing screen. "Maybe… how previous rituals have gone?"
Aisha shuddered visibly at the question, her focus suddenly riveted to where her hands wrung together in her lip. She was silent for the space of a few halting breaths, as if choosing her words. "The… ritual is simple – the dance is short – a simple show of reverence for the four winds - North, South, East, and West. It signifies waking them and a plea for their attention so that thanks can be offered."
"Which is all understandable," Raine commented as she stepped from behind the changing screen, still straightening the ivory tunic. She paused, regarding Aisha and Liane for a moment before she continued. "The winds affect so much of our lives – travel, crops – they bring the rain clouds or they push them away to provide sunlight. It's no wonder that the ancients worshipped them enough to influence this ritual." Then she turned and offered Aisha a smile and a nod. "Thank you for letting me do this – no matter what happens, it's an honor to participate in the ritual."
The black-haired girl blinked and then giggled nervously. "You really shouldn't be thanking me in any way. But I am glad that you might be able to help us – I'm afraid that I wouldn't have much of a chance at changing anything… but maybe you will…" she sighed as her eyes trailed across the room and fixed on Raine's staff where it rested against the wall. "You're fighters, aren't you? You can make a difference…" the girl murmured as she stood and walked to pick up the staff.
"Some of us more than others," Liane shrugged, standing and holding the hat that matched Raine's dancer costume out to the Professor. While the costume wasn't exactly what she pictured when she thought of a 'shrine maiden,' it was a bit more modest – and it suited Raine perfectly in that, even if the bared shoulders were a large change in themselves from her normal attire. "Raine, please be careful – we don't know what's going to happen…."
Raine chuckled as she accepted the hat and adjusted it with the help of the mirror in the corner. "There's nothing to worry about as long as you and the others don't get too far away," she shrugged, sparing a playful wink at her assistant over her shoulder.
"Raine!" Liane groaned, flopping back onto the end of the bed. "I'm serious!"
"I am, too…" the silver-haired professor replied, turning away from the mirror, her tone sobering a bit as Aisha handed her the staff. "I can't do this myself, Liane. I know that. All I can do is get it started. It will be up to all of us to finish it, though."
Liane wasn't certain if Raine's words encouraged her or made her more apprehensive. The situation seemed to walk a razor's edge between the two – and that simply wasn't comforting. She was placing herself in the line of danger to help a town of strangers. But… isn't that what this journey is boiling down to?
It was a solemn procession that followed Raine up the steps to the dais. Aisha walked just slightly behind the Professor, whispering to her occasionally what Liane could only think were last-minute instructions as they neared the top of the hill.
A small group had already gathered at the dais, parting to allow the new dancer and her party to approach the stone. Liane saw the mayor and his silent companions up close to the ruin, almost as if they were expecting the Professor to do something sacrilegious that they could condemn her for. But Raine carried herself with an air of solemnity that Liane doubted any of their group but the Professor could pull off with any degree of believability. Kratos and Linar moved to Raine's side, each of them offering her a hand to help her up onto the dais. Genis stood beside Aisha, watching his sister climb onto the ruin with an almost lost expression. Liane moved to his side, as did Colette and Lloyd, and she put a hand on his shoulder, struck by the moment that it was once again the four of them… just as it somehow seemed like it had always been.
Raine made her way to the center of the dais as the small assembly fell quiet, her head bowed reverently as the winds swirled around her, tossing the silver strands that curled out beneath the hat she wore as part of her costume. After a few moments of standing frozen, she raised her staff above her in both hands, turning in a slow circle, her head thrown back and her eyes closed in concentration before she stopped and her form straightened. Taking three steps forward and spinning the staff to tap it lightly on the etched directional rose in the stone. A tone rang out and she bowed her head once again, pausing before paying similar homage to the other three prime directions before she returned to the center. Once again, the staff rose above her head, turning with her before she knelt and placed the staff on the stone before her, her pose one of absolute prostration.
Light suddenly erupted from the now-glowing symbol on the stone that Raine had just danced upon, a column of blinding light dancing up and down in the afternoon light before it finally settled in mid-air before Raine, hanging there before it refined itself into something that was anything but light. The thing hovered, eyeing the professor hungrily for a moment as what almost seemed to be a cross between wings and fins twitched on the back of its purple-skinned shoulders. And – even more worryingly – the guillotine-looking blade that appeared to be its tail switched with the air currents the creature floated on.
"I have come for the girl," the thing snarled, moisture dripping from its jaws as its attention was fixed solely on Raine, one of its hands' worth of elongated claws starting to reach out to her.
Colette stared at the creature for a moment her eyes wide before she gasped and cupped her hands to her mouth. "It's not…No, Professor! That is an evil creature. It's not the guardian of the seal!" she called out, panic clear in her voice as she reached to where her chakram were secured beneath the folds of her tunic.
"Colette… no…" Liane reached out to catch the Chosen's shoulder, holding her back even as Lloyd rushed past them and hopped up onto the stone slab, his blades flying from their sheathes before he even landed to face down the purple-skinned creature. Gritting her teeth, Liane looked over to Aisha and Linar. "Please… keep her with you…" she asked before she saw Linar nod and move to gently pull Colette back to him.
The beast snarled as Lloyd lunged at it, deflecting the flash of the young swordsman's rapiers with an effortless slash of its tail. Lloyd staggered backwards, having barely avoided being sliced open by the attack – stumbling back into the firm grasp of the mercenary that had taken a defensive stance behind him.
"Stay out of the range of that tail…" Kratos warned as he righted the teen and then snapped his attention firmly on the imposter win spirit.
"Yeah… I got that part," Lloyd nodded with a slight grumble as he stood, adjusting his grip on his blades as Liane and Kratos moved to flank him on the stone, creating a protective wall between their enemy and Raine and Genis, who were both already chanting behind them.
Kratos leapt forward, his sword braced before him as waves of mana coiled around it, stopping to loose the blast at the creature at the last moment. "Sonic Thrust!" his voice rasped over a sharp snarl from the creature as it fell backwards onto the stone.
Before Liane could follow up on Kratos' assault, Lloyd moved beside her, little more than a flash of red and silver as he charged the horned beast, lurching up into the air along with his rapiers. "Tiger Blade!"
Liane shook her head in the moment that it took for Lloyd to finish his attack and spring back, her grip tightening on her short sword even as she started to dip it backwards. Sonic Thrust, Tiger Blade… her mind grumbled as she forced her concentration onto the false spirit. At least they have choices… while I have my Demon Fangs and my oh-so-useful Wind Blade... she continued to grouse even as her sword completed its double-arc just as her window of attack opened "Double Demon Fang!" she commanded as the twin slashes slammed into the barely recovered creature, knocking it back to the ground again. I soooo need some new tricks….
With a growl, the blade-tailed creature rose once again, immediately throwing itself into a forward spin at its closest adversary – Lloyd. The young swordsman's eyes widened, but only for a moment before he braced a blade out before him. "Guardian!" The protective green bubble blazed under the force of the creature's attack, and while a soft grunt slipped from him, he was only forced back a bit, unharmed.
"Stone Blast!"
Liane glanced over her shoulder to see Genis' kendama train on the beast. Her attention snapped back to see the ground beneath the wind-creature shimmer, a hail of stones slipping from the still-somehow smooth surface of the dais to pelt their adversary. The monster reeled for a moment, swaying on the wind currents that it seemed to control as Kratos lunged at it once again, using its disorientation to his advantage.
"Light Spear!" the mercenary's voice called over the creature's angered howl, his blade spinning up into the air, a blaze of light seeming to disorient the wind-beast even before the sword started a rapid succession of hits. At the apex of Kratos' ascent, he turned, his blade once again targeting his enemy, driving the sword up to the hilt just above the creature's tail.
With an enraged snarl, the beast snapped its tail, dislodging Kratos' sword as well as the mercenary himself, the gleaming blade on the tail ripping a gash in Kratos' upper thigh just before he could leap out of range.
Liane couldn't help but gape for a heartbeat of time. He… bleeds, too… her mind murmured numbly before she gathered her wits and shoved her surprise aside. Placing herself between the wind creature and Kratos. Hoping to buy the mercenary some time to back off, she dipped her blade back, pouring as much mana as she could scrounge into the attack. "Demon Fang!" she called out, meeting the creature's eyes for only a moment before she released the mana slash, somehow fending off the panic she had felt staring into the seething red of those eyes to complete the attack. Her effort earned her a small victory, though, as the purple beast howled out, actually touching down to the stone beneath it, its lethal tail coiled like a serpent beneath it as its eyes fixed on its adversaries one by one.
"Tempest!" Lloyd's voice broke through the tense moment of stand off, somersaulting through the air after he rushed past Liane, his blades shining brightly in the sunlight before they impacted the purple monster, sending it once again sprawling to the ground. When he landed, his shoulders were heaving, but there was still a hint of a cocky grin on his face. "Come on, bring it!"
Nice, Lloyd… classy… Liane almost groaned, but kept her attention fixed on the beast that was once again rising from the stone, its wind currents spinning beneath it as it started to advance. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Raine kneeling beside Kratos, the greenish rune circle she had apparently been constructing since the onset of the battle now flaring brightly beneath both of them. Kratos must have made it back to her while Lloyd and I were attacking, she realized, still watching their enemy for even the smallest twitch to tell her what to expect next.
"Are you okay? First Aid!" Raine's invocation was almost lost on the winds around them, but Kratos nonetheless rose to his feet only a moment later, immediately edging back to the front line with Liane and Lloyd.
But before the mercenary could make it far enough to face the monster once again, the thing threw itself into another forward assault, this time targeting Liane. Her eyes widened as the flash of the oncoming silver blade came closer, giving her barely enough time to brace her sword before her. "Guardian!" she ground out, clenching her teeth as the force of the attack pushed her back, her leather-soled boots sliding over the stone. The mana-barrier held, though even as she kept her energy flowing in to it for perhaps longer than she needed to. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes once she felt the attack subside – only to find herself staring down the tusked creature that was glaring back at her with clear hatred from the other side of her field.
"Back off!" Genis called out from behind Liane, calling the combatants' attention back to him even as an angry red rune circle blazed around him. Throwing his Duel Star out at the creature as the mana glow began to crackle, he spoke again with all the authority his small voice could carry. "Fire Ball!" Three fiery orbs materialized in the air above the silver-haired boy before they streaked down on the beast, forcing it back from Liane.
Liane started to turn – to offer Genis a nod of thanks – but a flash of purple caught her eye before she could voice the sentiment. Huh…? She looked to her left to find Kratos encircled by a spinning purple rune circle. Liane recognized the runes from the time she had spent watching Genis learn his art, but that didn't lessen her surprise. That's a lightning spell… Genis and I gave him time to do a spell?
"Lloyd! Tiger Blade… now!" the mercenary called out to get the young swordsman's attention.
Lloyd's head snapped to Kratos for only a moment before he started running at the wind creature. "You ready?" he called back over his shoulder as he leapt into the air, having closed the distance between himself and his prey.
"Lightning Tiger Blade!" both swordsmen cried out as Kratos released the energy of his spell to mingle with that of Lloyd's technique, a blast of lightning augmenting his final strike and sending the imposter wind spirit to the ground in an unmoving heap.
The glow of the stone beneath their feet slowly faded, even as the broken form of the false summon spirit sparkled for a moment before disappearing in the same flash of light that it had arrived in.
The group stood in silence for a moment – fighters and observers alike before Genis' voice could be heard over the wind. "Huh… guess I'm not needed anymore…" the boy snickered, shaking his head as he looked between Lloyd and Kratos. "But I gotta say… that looked really cool from this perspective."
Lloyd sheathed his blades with a grin, running a hand back through his hair with a laugh. "I bet… it's fun to do, too…" he declared before he looked back to Kratos. "I didn't know you could do that – I mean… First Aid, yeah… but… Lightning?"
The mercenary shrugged, striding past the others to stand at the edge of the dais and gesture to them to get down. "The creature was distracted by Liane and Genis… it was the element of surprise that helped us, considering Genis had just finished casting," he stated simply, crossing his arms as he waited for them.
He… knows spells, too… why am I surprised? Liane leaned over, bracing her hands on her knees before she forced herself to draw a deep breath and stand – the sound of stone bouncing from stone tickling her hearing and drawing her attention to see Linar running from Colette's side towards the stone. Her only guess was that something had tumbled from the ruin as the malevolent creature had been defeated. Did we knock something loose? she wondered for only a moment before a whoop of victory made her turn to look back to where a widely grinning Lloyd had a laughing Genis in a headlock as they celebrated.
Linar rushed forward as the Professor hopped down from the stone slab, a wide smile on his face as his voice revealed that he was almost breathless. "Fantastic! You're fantastic, Raine!" he blurted out with an excited laugh.
Raine waved off his gushing with a smile as she straightened her ceremonial garb. "Hah. It was hardly a challenging opponent. Now, more importantly, about that stone tablet you acquired…" she spoke, taking a step closer to him and watching as he held the thin stone slab out to her.
The two scholars stood side by side for a few moments, their eyes sparkling as they studied the markings in what seemed to be awe before Raine looked up, catching Linar's gaze.
"This stone tablet has ancient Balacruf writing inscribed on it," the professor breathed out as she started to smile.
"Let's decipher it right away!" Linar declared, looking up to Raine with an excited grin, clutching the tablet protectively to his chest. "I have the necessary materials assembled in my house."
Raine nodded in agreement and started down the stone steps without a second glance back to the others. "Yes, let's go!"
Liane blinked, but couldn't help but smirk at the quickly disappearing pair. "Huh… there goes kindred spirits if I've ever seen them," she sighed, shaking her head as she pushed her frazzled braid back over her shoulder.
"Yeah… they even get that same look in their eyes…" Lloyd shuddered, looking up to Liane for a moment before a mischievous grin curled his lips. "Creepy."
Aisha giggled at Lloyd's assessment as she turned to the group gathered around her. "Um…Thank you very much."
"That thing wasn't the Summon Spirit of Wind after all, was it?" Harley spoke up, shaking his head as he looked back to the now once-again quiet dais, his frame still taut almost as if he expected it to come to life once again.
Genis shook his head in response to the redhead before he shrugged playfully, a grin curling his lips. "I bet Raine and Linar will investigate what it really was."
"Yeah, that Raine is a half-elf after all," Harley chuckled, planting his fists on his hips with a satisfied nod as he watched Raine and Linar disappear into the town at the base of the steps. "You can count on her wisdom."
"N…no, you're wrong!" Genis' voice was almost shrill against the droning howl of the wind. "Raine is…an elf. I'm an elf, too!" he declared, his hands clenching for a moment before he planted them on his hips.
Harley cocked his head at the silver-haired boy, planting his hands on his hips with a quiet snort and a dry chuckle. "What? Surely you don't think I'd mistake my own…"
Genis' shoulders slumped a little, the fire behind his correction to Harley's declaration seemingly forgotten as his hair fell forward to shadow his face.
A thoughtful frown tugged at the corners of Liane's mouth, hating to see her friend's distress, but not really knowing what to say that wouldn't make the situation worse. She well knew the grief that the boy took from some of the less-tolerant citizens of their hometown simply for being elven, but half-elf? The Desians give them a bad enough reputation… I guess I really can't blame him for reacting badly….
"Ah, actually, I guess I was wrong," Harley suddenly chuckled awkwardly as he continued to watch Genis. "It seems you two are pureblooded elves. I must not have been paying careful attention." His laugh seemed forced, but he still pushed the reaction with a quick explanation.
Lloyd looked between Harley and Genis, pausing for only a moment in indecision before he approached the young mage.
Good boy, Lloyd… take care of your friend… Liane silently cheered him on. She wanted to try to help as well, but from the looks of Genis' posture, the last thing he needed was more people drawing attention to him. But even at the display of friendship, Liane couldn't help but notice the Kratos remained standing up on the dais, his arms crossed over his chest as he observed all of them down below, as if waiting for the momentary drama to play out. Ever the caretaker, eh, Kratos? she sighed, unable to banish the bitter note from even her thoughts. Hope you're enjoying the show…. She chewed her lip, almost in punishment for such thoughts. They were getting along better… and she knew that she would have to let things like that go if they were ever to find firm common ground.
"We should get some rest, too. I'm exhausted," the young swordsman spoke quietly as he nodded to his younger friend, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder and grinning when Genis looked up and offered him a half-hearted smile of agreement.
The remnants of the Chosen's group made their way back down to the town, their steps noticeably more weary than their ascent as part of the shrine dancer's entourage. The decision to stay at the Cool Breeze inn was made mostly due to the proximity, and the message of the change was sent to Raine with Aisha before she parted ways with the group.
Their rooms paid for, Liane started handing out keys – one to Genis, one to Kratos, and one to Colette. As she signed the guest registry on their behalf, she saw Kratos move to Lloyd's side out of the corner of her eye.
"I am going to train now," the mercenary started, waiting with his left hand closed over the handle of his sword until Lloyd looked up to him. "Would you like to join me?"
"Yeah, I'll go," Lloyd replied after only a moment's hesitation to watch Genis trudge up the stairs, a flicker of worry flashing in his eyes before he looked to Liane and shrugged, his normal good-natured grin snapping back into place. "Wanna come? It'll give you a chance to laugh at me getting trounced…?"
Liane snickered, pushing herself up from where she had been leaning on the front desk. She watched until Genis disappeared down the hallway, knowing that she should probably check on him – especially if Raine wasn't there. But she knew the youngest member of their group better than that… that this particular mood usually required a little thinking time alone for the boy. Shaking her head a bit, she made the effort to reclaim a bit of her amusement at how Lloyd had phrased his offer. "Like I can't see that just by sparring with you myself, but sure… I really didn't have any other plans…." I don't think I can handle going for another little walk on my own right now, anyway….
Kratos looked between Lloyd and Liane for a moment before he nodded to their acceptance. "All right, then, let's go to a better location," he commented as he strode back to the door and held it open for them.
Following after Lloyd, Liane paused, realizing that Colette was still standing near the front desk, her hands clasped before her as she watched her friends. When she met Liane's eyes, she smiled and glanced up the stairs again before she waved. "Don't worry… I'll check on Genis. You guys go have fun," she spoke softly, a laugh in her tone.
"Fun… yeah… these two and swords… not sure that's the word I'd choose…" Liane giggled, hearing Kratos and Lloyd both sigh as started through the door. "Thanks, Colette… we'll be back in a little while.
Liane sat beneath an ancient tree that grew at the base of the mountains, absently turning one of her daggers in her hand as she watched Kratos and Lloyd work. The first half of their training had consisted of Lloyd trying to convince Kratos to teach him spells instead of sword work – and Kratos' best efforts to convince the younger swordsman to concentrate on the training before him. She could tell that Lloyd knew he was right – even as she had to admit to herself that she would back Kratos up if Lloyd pushed her. Magic was no simple matter – it took more concentration in come cases than she was even sure she could scrape together, even if she had somehow managed to learn a spell herself. If I'm going to be fighting… I really should learn more than Wind Blade… that was embarrassing today. IF… she frowned a little. I don't want to fight for the rest of my life, though….
"I've gotten better than before, right?" Lloyd puffed, rocking back on his feet with a weary laugh, still holding his blades crossed before him in anticipation of the mercenary's next attack.
"Yes," Kratos nodded, his posture straightening as he lowered the tip of his blade to the ground, "…but you still have a long way to go."
Lloyd grunted a little at the response, but his tone revealed no real surprise as his shoulders drooped a little. "… Humph. I'm not getting good very fast."
Glancing up, Liane tilted her head as she watched her friend. After all the years they'd known each other, she could hear more than just a whiney teenage boy. It was clear how much he wanted to help – to contribute to the journey. As playful and forgetful as Lloyd sometimes seemed, she knew how strong his resolve truly was, especially when his friends – people he truly cared about – were involved. It was one of the reasons she had turned down the offer to train with the two swordsmen in favor of observing. While she was still relatively new to swordplay, Lloyd could learn faster, more powerful techniques that he would likely need before she would. But there was just something about watching them work – an elegant dance of muscle and metal that even the sometimes-uncoordinated Lloyd Irving seemed to take to so naturally. She knew how much Lloyd would love to be instantly proficient – but it was a process – and Kratos was right: there was still much for him to learn. Don't get discouraged, Lloyd… Liane smirked, drawing her knees up and hugging them to her chest. You're already stronger and faster… I can't imagine what you'll be by the time the journey is over….
Kratos shrugged, rocking his sword slightly back and forth as he stood still-tensed across the wooded clearing from Lloyd. "The fault may lie partially with my teaching methods. I do not use two swords."
"But thanks to you, I've learned the importance of the basics and a bunch of other stuff," Lloyd grinned, his spirits rising once again as he let his blades angle to the ground to a resting position. "And I'm just happy."
Kratos cocked his head at the younger swordsman's declaration. "About what?"
Chuckling a bit awkwardly, Lloyd shrugged, the gesture exaggerated by the blades in his hands. "I'm an only child, so I always wanted a big brother who would practice swords with me."
Liane's eyes widened at Lloyd's explanation, the dagger she had been balancing on the pad of her index finger tumbling to the ground. It was no secret to anyone who knew the boy how much family meant to him, not to mention how it slowly ate at him that he had no real ties to blood-kin. She had long ago figured out that that fact drew Lloyd closer to his friends and managed to bond them all tighter into almost a new family. While Lloyd was playful, mischievous, and sometimes just a little scattered, it took a hardened heart to not see that he offered just about everyone he met the hand of friendship. And now… he was trying to do so to Kratos.
"I see…" Kratos murmured quietly, watching Lloyd from behind auburn tufts, the evening breeze aiding the spiked locks to hide any further expression.
Lloyd tossed his head with a laugh. "But you're kind of old to be my brother," he chuckled, sheathing his blades as he looked back to the path that had brought them to the clearing.
It was all Liane could do to keep from snickering at Lloyd's words, distracting herself by replacing her daggers in her boot sheathes and climbing to feet. Way to close up that warm, fuzzy moment, Lloyd… she shook her head as she glanced to the mercenary, amusing herself by imagining him flustered at Lloyd's statement.
Kratos paused, cocking his head as he watched the younger swordsman for a long moment before he sheathed his own sword. "Ah… I see…" he repeated again with a small sigh, gesturing for Lloyd and Liane to start back towards the town.
As the three started back up the mountain trail, Lloyd and Kratos walked roughly side by side, and Liane trailed behind by a step due to the width of the path. She didn't really mind all that much – even as the wind was beginning to howl around them, it wasn't overly cold – but it would be just enough to allow her to seek and appreciate her blankets when they reached the inn. None of them had talked for a few minutes – which was what made the sigh that Lloyd uttered as he shoved his hands into his pockets attract the attention of both Liane and Kratos.
"What's wrong?" Kratos spoke first, turning his head just enough to observe the young man walking beside him.
With a heavy sigh, Lloyd let his arms fall to his sides as he trudged along the path, his boots kicking up small plumes of dust. "Ah, well, this whole seal breaking thing, it's starting to get…"
Kratos tilted his head, his bangs swinging to reveal an arch to his eyebrow. "Boring?" he offered in question.
Liane chewed her lip, cringing a little as she realized that Kratos had most likely accurately assessed the situation.
"N… no," Lloyd stammered, his eyes going wide as if it was dawning on him what he had been about to say. "I haven't forgotten the people of Iselia and all the other victims."
"Good," Kratos nodded, his comment coming almost too quickly on the heels of Lloyd's declaration.
Lloyd hung his head for a moment. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," his tone apologetic.
" A single mistake could destroy everything," the mercenary breathed out, running a hand back through his shock of auburn hair. "You should think about what your reason for being on this journey is."
Lloyd mumbled some kind of response that sounded distinctly like some sort of grudging admission that Kratos was right and he continued to trudge ahead. Liane huffed, shaking her head as she hurried her steps just a bit to walk roughly side by side with the auburn haired man. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?" she asked quietly, attempting the civility she thought they were progressing with. "You know Lloyd… his attention span isn't the best… and he's honest almost to a fault – things like that are just going to come blurting out once in a while."
"Then that's a weakness he'll have to work to overcome," Kratos stated, keeping his gaze to the darkening path before them. "Childish instincts like that will only serve to be a liability as the journey progresses. He needs to check himself."
"Check himself?" Liane stopped staring at the back of the mercenary's head for a moment before she ran to catch up to him, planting herself in the path before him and her hand firmly on his chest. "You just got done encouraging him – then you turn around and chastise him like that? Are you blind to how he looks up to you? He just told you to your face that you're like a big brother to him! Do you have any idea what saying something like that means to him?" she asked, her voice a hushed whisper so as not to attract Lloyd's attention, but her glare more than making up for the lack of tone.
Kratos stared back at her, what she could see of his eyes seeming unfazed by her confrontation. Then, slowly and deliberately… he reached up and removed her hand from his chest, guiding it back to her side. The gesture caught her off guard, her eyes widening in reaction, momentarily at a loss for words as he drew a small breath.
"I'm not his big brother."
The bitter note in his voice froze her in place as he made a show of stepping around her and continuing to follow after Lloyd. He sounded almost… insulted? Liane's brow furrowed for a moment longer, able to do little more than watch the retreating forms of the swordsmen. No… insulted isn't quite right… but then, neither was any other description she could think of. Her hands involuntarily curled into fists before she had to force herself to relax and start back up the rocky trail to Asgard. She was starting to see that she might never understand anything about the mercenary. Every time she had some hope, he managed to crush it in the space of a sentence. That's okay… she told herself. It'll make things easier – one less person to worry about saying goodbye to. The flash of sadness that fell in the wake of the thought was pushed away after a moment, allowing her to focus on more immediate concerns. I'll check on Genis when we get back to the inn… I'm more worried about his feelings than Kratos' anyway….
Liane woke up to sunlight streaming through the window of the room she had shared with Colette. When she had finally neared sleep, she remembered that her friend had still been sitting up on her bed reading. Wonder when she fell asleep… Liane wondered absently, combing her fingers back through her hair with a yawn as she sat up and looked around, seeing that she was the only one in the room.
Standing up from the floor with a tiny groan, Liane quickly folded the blankets and placed them in a neat pile on a nearby chair. The night had passed uneventfully, and she even slept fairly well. While she knew better than to be optimistic that the pattern would continue, she readily accepted it and began to unpack her clothing for the new day. She was eager to see how Genis had fared through the night… Raine still hadn't come back to the room when she had checked on him, but he had been asleep and she hadn't had the heart to disturb him. Hoping his mood had just been a reflection of his weariness, she sighed and finished securing her bedroll to her pack.
It only took a few minutes for her to wash her face and pack her belongings, making her way out of the room and down the steps to the lobby of the Inn. There, Liane found Colette and Kratos waiting – all but Raine. Colette met her gaze and stood from the straight-backed chair she had been sitting in, shrugging as Liane approached.
"Morning…" Liane murmured, offering the pair a smile in an attempt to start the day on the right foot. "Anything new?" she asked even as she noticed that the tear in Kratos' trousers from the battle the day before was no longer visible. The realization left her to look for something… anything… to keep from trying to picture Kratos sitting up into the night and methodically stitching the hole in his clothes. As macho as he seemed content to be normally, she wasn't sure she would be able to take him seriously for a while if that image got a chance to fester in her imagination.
"It looks like the Professor hasn't come back yet," the Chosen reported meekly, her tone almost apologetic as she clasped her hands behind her back.
"Are you serious?" Lloyd's voice came from behind them as he took the steps two at a time to almost slam into Liane where she stood at the landing. He gaped at Colette for only a heartbeat before a somewhat evil grin started to form on his lips.
With a groan, Liane shook her head and hefted her pack higher onto her shoulders, continuing to watch Lloyd with an air of exasperation. "Grow up, Lloyd. Have you met Raine? Did you see the look in her eyes? Her attention was glued to that tablet. She won't notice anything else – even if it WAS there."
Genis snickered. "She's conducting research with Linar," he grinned before he looped to Lloyd with a flash of mischief in his eyes, rubbing his hands together conspiratorially. "Let's go get her."
Lloyd nodded, tossing his pack over his shoulder with a chuckle and a sweeping gesture to the door. "All right."
"Like you're going to catch her doing anything but studying," Liane rolled her eyes as she followed after her snickering friends, hearing Kratos pull the door closed behind them all after she had stepped out into the bright morning sunshine.
When Lloyd once again knocked on the door of Linar and Aisha's home, it was only a matter of a few moments before a sleep-looking but smiling Aisha answered the door, ushering them all inside and closing the door behind them.
Raine looked up from the table and stood, her smile somehow excited and her eyes clear despite the scattered mass of papers that was tell-tale of their all-night research session. "Good timing. I just finished deciphering it."
Linar turned to Lloyd and the others, a side smile curling his lips despite his weary expression. "The Professor is amazing! She deciphered the complex Balacruf writing in no time at all!"
Genis edged between Lloyd and Liane, elbowing the swordsman with a laugh. "…Heh. Raine just gained another fan."
"She's quite the catch, huh?" Lloyd nodded in eager agreement even as the Professor's eyes flashed on them.
"Uh-huh!" Genis grinned before he burst into giggles, holding his middle even as both boys proved unable to keep their joke private, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room.
But before the young mage's amusement could be fueled by another breath, Raine's hand flew out to deliver a sharp slap to the boy's cheek. She took a moment to glare a warning at her brother as one of his hands moved to cover the assaulted cheek, his eyes wide in surprise.
Liane groaned, shaking her head as Genis started to whimper. "You deserved that," she muttered softly, sparing a quick glare for Lloyd as well. "You make it sound like you're trying to sell her off." Liane had enough of that with her parents and Michael – countless conversations that had seemed her presence had been overlooked – that she was a bargaining chip and that her future would be decided for her. While that likely wasn't what Genis and Lloyd were trying to do, she really couldn't help the flare of defensiveness the situation fueled.
Raine snapped her attention away from her brother with a soft snort as she tossed her head to get her bangs from her eyes. Drawing a deep breath, her shoulders settled just a bit and she cleared her throat. "It would appear that the monster was the cause of the calamity that afflicted the ancient Balacruf Empire," she explained as she spoke.
"It seems that the summoner at the time used Sylph, the Summon Spirit of Wind, to seal it away, then built this stone dais to suppress the calamity," Linar spoke up, pointing to the tablet on the table and ignoring the conflict between the siblings.
Raine picked up the tablet, her fingers lovingly tracing over the inscriptions before she looked back to their audience, her eyes reassuming their wondrous glitter from before as she drew a steady breath. "In preparation for the day when this calamity might reawaken, he left this map in order for people to be able to locate the Summon Spirit of the Wind," she murmured before looking back down to the tablet.
"After a great many years, people eventually confused the calamity with the Summon Spirit of Wind…" Linar continued Raine's explanation, drawing another breath to continue before Genis stepped forward.
The young mage waved his hands in the air to cut off further narration from the scholars who were clearly enthralled with the tale they had pieced together over the night. "So now you know where the Summon Spirit of Wind is located?"
"Of course," Raine nodded, closing a notebook and sliding it into her pack before she looked back to her brother. "The location of the Summon Spirit is the location of the next seal."
Lloyd laughed, bouncing just a little where he stood near the doorway of the house. "Wow! I wonder what the Summon Spirit of Wind is like! I can't wait to see it!"
While having to admit that actually seeing a Summon Spirit sounded amazing, Liane still chuckled at Lloyd's renewed enthusiasm.
"Now we can finally regenerate the world!" Colette cheered, her excitement echoing Lloyd's as her eyes shone with excitement.
Aisha looked up as if startled by Colette's words. "Regenerate the world?" the girl murmured, turning her curious gaze on the blonde girl "… Now that I think about it, what was your purpose for coming to this city? You don't look like ordinary travelers or tourists…"
Ignoring the girl's implied question, Kratos cleared his throat. "Well then, if you know our next destination, we should be on our way at once."
Raine nodded to Kratos, the rush of discovery fading back into the demeanor of the serious teacher. "Yes. It's likely that the seal is inside the Balacruf Mausoleum."
Mausoleum… Liane tried not to cringe at the word. They had spent a couple of days there during her journey with the church, and the memories weren't exactly fond. The dark corridors and eerie torches – and the winds that seemed to come from nowhere within the stone structure were enough to put the stories that she, Lloyd, Genis, and Colette used to concoct to scare each other in their younger days to shame.
"Okay. Let's get going," Lloyd shrugged, turning on his heel and stalking back to the door, holding it open for the rest of the group.
Aisha's eyes widened as she started to reach out to the blond girl, curiosity plain in her eyes. "Ah, um…" she stammered as Colette turned to her, her head cocked slightly before she smiled at the dark haired girl.
"Well, please take care," Colette nodded to Aisha and paused only to wave at Linar before she followed Genis and Raine from the house.
While the group's retreat from Aisha & Linar's house – much less Asgard itself – struck Liane as rushed, she also recognized that it was for the best. It was still early in the day – and they knew where they would be going next – spending more time becoming a spectacle to those curious about the Chosen's journey would probably do little good for completing the tasks at hand.
The trip across the grassy plains of the northern continent wasn't utterly without conflict, but the scuffles were just enough to keep any of them from being bored by the trek – or at least enough to keep Lloyd from complaining about it. Liane noted a slight weariness on the part of the younger swordsman to give Kratos a wide berth for the better part of the morning. It wasn't anything she could fault him for, though… it wasn't like she was doing much differently. She couldn't decide if their uneasy truce had ended… or simply been shaken. But quiet conversation with the others filled any gap that Kratos' signature aloofness left and helped her to keep from wondering too much about it.
When a House of Salvation rose from the landscape before them close to lunchtime, there was no disagreement about stopping to fill their water pouches and seeking some shade before they continued for the afternoon.
Predictably, a friendly brown and white dog outside the fenced structure immediately caught Colette's attention. Liane smirked and walked over to where the blonde girl had dumped her pack in favor of playing with the dog that was now writhing on its back in the grass in a happy bid to have it's belly scratched – a favor Colette was more than happy to indulge. Liberating the Chosen's water pouch so that her playtime with the dog wouldn't be interrupted, Liane stood and started into the House of Salvation behind the others, with Raine passing off her own pouch to Genis so that she could remain watching over Colette.
As the remainder of the party entered the darkened House, a dark haired man was standing from the prayers he had been offering at the altar. "Oh! More travelers!" he smiled as they approached, adjusting his packs on his back as he chuckled dryly. "It's a wonder there's as many people traveling as there are right now, what with all the monsters and all. I guess humans really are pretty nomadic creatures… either that or just curious…" he shrugged.
Lloyd laughed in response, leading Kratos, Genis, and Liane further into the room. "Yeah, well, the weather's nice and the monsters are kinda wimpy… so it hasn't been too bad, I guess," he offered, once again displaying his talent for almost unwittingly attempting to make friends where ever he went. "What brings you out here?"
Liane almost cringed a little at that, distracting herself by approaching the water fountain at the side of the room and starting to fill her pouch. Too many questions… asking him only opens the door to ask us…. Not that she wanted to keep the Chosen's journey a secret… Colette's trip was being made for everyone. But the more that word spread where they were, the more likely it was that more people would try to take advantage of it… either to impersonate them or to endanger Colette. Both had already happened at least once… and she knew the odds favored that it would happen again.
"Me?" the dark haired man laughed with a shake of his head. "Sylvarant has a lot to see… so many things you'll only ever hear about in stories unless you grab your gear and set off to see them yourself," he shrugged, gesturing broadly around him, giving the distinct impression that he wasn't talking about the walls around them. "The Church tours show you what they think is important… but when you can decide that for yourself – you wouldn't believe the trip you can have. The places, the stories…" his eyes seemed to glaze just a little. "For instance… something I bet the church tour guides won't tell you about this area… legend has it that a unicorn lives in this area. It seems the unicorn will appear before a pure maiden. They say that sometimes, the visage of the unicorn appears on the surface of Lake Umacy."
"A unicorn?" Genis murmured, tilting his head just a little at the man's claim. "Near here? Really?"
Kratos sighed, looking down to the young mage. "The lake isn't far… a bit to the north," he shrugged as Liane returned to the group.
"Well, you guys seem to have a maiden with you…" the traveler grinned at Liane, laughing a little awkwardly as she rolled her eyes at him. "No offense, miss… I've just heard it's hard to see the unicorn without a girl around, that's all."
"None taken…" Liane shook her head, tossing her dark braid back over her shoulder as she watched Lloyd and Genis make their way to the water fountain, talking softly as they filled their water bottles. She looked up to Kratos, smirking a little as a thought occurred to her. "So what do you say? Maybe a little sightseeing? I mean… we are close…?" she shrugged, unable to stop herself from pushing at him just a bit.
Glancing to the boys in the corner, Kratos' shoulders drooped just a little. "Anything I say has probably already been outvoted…" he sighed, turning on his heel to follow after the boys.
After a few words of farewell and general wishes for good journeys, Liane, Lloyd, Genis, and Kratos stepped out of the house, the red-clad swordsman running out ahead of them to Raine.
"Raine! Raine! There's a unicorn near here!" Lloyd blurted out. "A guy in there told us that it's a legend around here! Have you ever seen a unicorn? That would be cool!" he chattered excitedly as the others joined him.
"A unicorn…?" Raine murmured in surprise, looking up as Colette said goodbye to her playmate. "Unicorns are said to have miraculous healing abilities…" she mused, her eyes glittering just a bit at the information.
"We should go see the unicorn," Genis muttered as the group walked out of the house of Salvation. Ignoring the groan that came from Kratos, Genis turned to look up to his sister. "Maybe it'll help us somehow and – I mean, come on! How much more pure a maiden can you get than the Chosen?" he grinned to where Colette walked beside Lloyd.
Liane couldn't resist a quick glance to Kratos… nor could she resist the innocent shrug… or slightly smug smile she gave him as he started to walk past them, gesturing over his shoulder for them to follow. Looks like you were right… at least you know when you're outnumbered….
As the trees of the plateau parted, an idyllic scene presented itself to the group – a lake of crystal blue bounded by vividly green grass and a small pebbled shoreline. Lloyd ran out ahead of the group, one hand shielding his eyes from the glare as he looked around the area. After a few moments, his excitement faded a bit into a frown – but as he turned back to them, his shoulders already in mid-shrug, he did a double take, pointing down into the waters of the lake. "Look at that!
"It's beautiful…" Colette murmured, clasping her hands together as she leaned out over the water's edge.
Genis ran to Lloyd's side, peering into the water before he turned back to his sister, his eyes wide with excitement. "It's a unicorn! Raine, it's a unicorn!"
Raine nodded to her brother's excitement, but her head cocked slightly as she studied the sight. "Yes. But why is it….?"
"It… it's trapped in that air pocket," Liane's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she tried to get a different viewing angle on the unicorn. "Who would do something like this?" she asked in disbelief as she walked a few steps from the group to a grassy bluff that overhung the shore. It's a unicorn… a real unicorn… she blinked in amazement, the sense of awe she had known was missing from the journey for her flaring to life as she watched the creature beneath the rippling water.
"It's like a prison of water," Kratos assessed after a moment's inspection of the creature's situation. "There's nothing we can do about it."
Colette stared at Kratos for a moment longer before she turned her sorrowful blue eyes back to the unicorn. "Then, we can't go see him…" she murmured, her arms hanging limply by her sides as she shook her head.
Lloyd's posture shifted as he stared out into the lake, his hands tightening on the handles of his swords before he tilted his head to Genis, who stood also appearing to be weighing their lack of options. "Can't you do something with your magic, Genis?"
"Do what?" Genis rolled his eyes as he turned to the swordsman, his hands clenching into helpless fists in frustration before he gestured out at the still waters of the lake. "We could probably do something if we somehow borrowed the power of a Summon Spirit, but I'm not a summoner."
Raine sighed, watching the creature in its wavering cell at the bottom of the lake for a moment longer before she shook her head. "The art of summoning was lost long ago. There's no way we'll be able to do that…" the professor commented as Genis' shoulders drooped.
"Magic can only do so much, Lloyd…" Liane murmured quietly as the group fell into silence at that, the apparent dead-end to the unicorn's plight deflating the group. So speaks the least magically-talented of the group, she sighed as she took a few steps from her mentor's side to crouch by the edge of the lake, reaching out to draw her fingers through the water, disturbing the glass-like surface with a frown. The poor thing… someone else that we can't do anything to help….
"Perhaps it would be best to camp for the night," Kratos suggested, his voice breaking into the brooding melancholy that had taken the group as he took a few steps from the lake's rocky shore before pausing to look at them over his shoulder. "We can start out to the mausoleum first thing in the morning."
Colette nodded, but walked over to stand beside Liane, casting a sad gaze back to the unicorn. "Okay… but not here. We… we can't help him. It's just too sad here," she shook her head, her voice filled with sadness.
Liane stood, placing a sympathetic hand on her friend's shoulder. "Maybe we can camp closer to the edge of the plateau?" She understood how the Chosen felt – such a magical and majestic creature, trapped by forces none of them could command. It was like placing punctuation in the disclaimer that pessimism seemed content to add to the tale of their journey. Even with all the hopes for the Regeneration of their world, it was becoming a rather depressing given that some would suffer – that some would be sacrificed and never get to see their world in prosperity again. "We can still have some of the protection of the trees… and a view of the area around us as well?"
"That's a good plan," Raine nodded, stretching her arms up over her head with a deep breath as she glanced around. "It'll start getting dark soon. We can set up camp… then I can start dinner –"
"No!" Lloyd and Genis chorused, snapping everyone's attention on them in their panic. Even as Raine's glare on the pair grew colder by the moment, Genis put his hands up in a gesture of peace, but still took a step backwards from his sibling.
"I meant… No… you relax!" the silver-haired boy laughed uneasily. "I wanted to try out that recipe for meat stew tonight – I already promised Lloyd I would…"
Lloyd's expression was blank for only a moment before his customary grin returned and he made a show of rubbing his stomach. "Yeah… I love meat stew… and I wanna see what Genis can do with it!" he laughed, shaking his head as Raine fixed her glare on him. "I don't know if it can compare to my Dad's – but I'm sure hungry enough to find out!" he declared before walking over and placing his hands on Genis' shoulders, steering him away from the rest of the group… and obviously out of reach of Raine's wrath for at least the moment.
Camp started to come together with what was becoming practiced ease. Lloyd and Genis were clearing spaces for their bedrolls – clearing the semi-grassy area of large rocks and prickly weeds and such, Raine and Colette had started gathering firewood, Liane was unpacking the cooking gear that would be used for the evening's meal. And Kratos… well, Kratos was busy sharpening his sword and apparently making a point to ignore the rest of them. But it was all normal… and even relatively peaceful, just the whispers of the winds and the snickers of Lloyd and Genis coloring the rather idyllic setting.
"Kratos."
Liane glanced over her shoulder at the sound of her mentor's voice, certain she hadn't heard the woman walk past her to where Kratos had seated himself, methodically drawing his sword over his whetstone. Her tone was quiet, and it seemed that she didn't want to make a show of their talk, so Liane merely slowed her actions… wondering why the Professor would so quietly seek out the mercenary.
"What is it?" came Kratos' terse reply, taking his time in turning his gaze from his work and up to the Professor.
Raine crouched down beside the mercenary, balancing on the balls of her feet as she watched him for a moment longer before drawing a breath to voice her question. "Why did you take on the job of guarding Colette?"
"Humph. I'm a mercenary," Kratos huffed wearily, sounding almost as if he was about to chuckle. He looked back down to his blade and continued to work it over the stone, shaking his head slightly. "That's how we earn money to live," he murmured in further explanation, almost as if trying to explain to a child.
"In other words, it's just a job?" Raine offered, her voice still calm as she stared at Kratos. Liane knew the woman's tone all too well – it was one that indicated that the elven woman already anticipated a certain answer – and that the answer was more than likely just an excuse.
Kratos met the professor's gaze evenly with a nod before he went back to work on his sword, his actions making a clear statement that she and her questioning were hardly his priorities at the moment. "That's correct."
"That's really all?" the professor asked, as if giving him one last chance. It was a tactic that was usually seen used on Lloyd or Genis right before one of them would get smacked for lying to her. Liane had to glance away to keep from indulging in the fantasy of Raine smacking Kratos over the head, even as part of her cheered for the unlikely possibility.
"Yes…" Kratos replied quietly, only the faintest hint of annoyance tinting his tone.
"Hmm…" Raine murmured, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched Kratos for a few moments. Kratos continued to ignore her, as if the conversation were already over and forgotten as far as he was concerned. With another shake of her head, the Professor turned on her heel and strode across the camp to where Lloyd and Genis had found a pair of staff-like sticks and were starting to beat on each other… or… spar… as they would call it.
Keeping her gaze averted, Liane busied herself with unloading the cooking gear, unsure that she had a place in hearing any part of the conversation between the professor and the mercenary, but it still tickled her interest anyway. Raine doesn't believe him… she chewed her lip, looking up only after the elven woman had strode past her, the professor's attention now held solidly by Lloyd, Genis, and Colette. After a sigh, she steeled herself and stood, content that the items they would need for dinner were all organized for Genis to start cooking when he liked. "She doesn't trust you…" Liane told him softly as she slowly walked close enough to sit beside the mercenary, watching him with a tilt to her head. You really should be smart enough to figure out why…. You know way too much about things to have shown up out of sheer coincedence….
"She doesn't have to trust me. None of you do. It's not part of my contract," Kratos shrugged indifferently. "My job is to protect the Chosen through her tasks. Nothing more, nothing less."
Liane considered his cool response for a moment before she shrugged. 'Really? And that would be why you've taught both Lloyd and I sword techniques? Why you've saved all of us at one point or another on this journey?"
"I've told you before, if anything happened to any of you, it could distract the Chosen –"
"I know, I know… 'it could distract the Chosen from her duty,'" Liane snorted a bit, rolling her eyes before she simply stared at him. "Would it really kill you to admit that you actually like us? That it's not just a job? Think of all the good you're doing – not just in keeping Colette in one piece and on the right path… but it's the world you're helping! How can you say it's just a job?"
"But it is," Kratos replied quickly, yet his tone still carried no emotion. "It is a job with its goal being Colette completing the regeneration trials. More that you can imagine rides on her success – or her failure," he continued to explain before he looked away with a sigh that sounded vaguely exasperated.
Liane nodded to his words, letting them drift away on the evening breeze before she spoke again. "But I suppose you can."
It was enough to get him to look back at her again.
"'I can' what?"
"Imagine it," she replied quietly, inwardly smug that she had seemed to have taken him off-guard just a bit. "I suppose you have a so much better idea of what will happen than the rest of us do. But I guess it's easier to sit back and toss out cryptic comments than to admit that you trust us – than to share what you know," Liane tilted her head to the side and imagined for her own sake that she was making him squirm. "I suppose the surprise on our faces as we've blundered into battle after battle has been pretty entertaining."
The silence that met her rant was predictable – she really wasn't certain why she was even bothering. Looking away from him once again, she drew a deep breath to try to release the building tension that she was starting to fear would lead to a much more scene-making argument. She didn't want that – but she didn't want him to patronize them, either. While some members of the group seemed to be a bit more oblivious than others, it was building – and getting more insulting. Feeling her shoulders tense more as the thought coiled on itself, she exhaled, but caught it as he did the last thing she expected him to do at the moment – he actually began to speak…..
"When you've traveled as much as I have – when you've heard stories from countless beliefs and ages – when you've seen things that no matter how long you live, you know some part of you will always be amazed…" his voice hadn't warmed, but there was something new there… it was something almost… weary? "… you can't help but find familiarity in things. It would take far too long to pass on all of that experience – anticipate how it would help. It's for the best if I simply do my job."
"And why is it that your job can't let you drop the 'high and mighty' act?" Liane asked as calmly as she could, finding herself staring at the side of his head. "This journey is supposed to be a good thing – and we're all working for the same thing. So why would it be such a terrible crime to stop acting like you're so above us? Sure, you have more experience, but you didn't have to take this job, either. I'm sure there's plenty of paying work out there for someone like you…."
Liane heard him snort at that, the soft noise making her narrow her gaze at him. But when he offered no more, she drew a deep breath and forced her hands to unclench. "Sure, the priests couldn't accompany Colette as they'd planned, but we're holding our own… together. Don't you think those might be grounds for you to ease up a little –"
"This is the last time anyone should 'ease up,'" Kratos stated coolly, cutting her off. "This journey won't stop because one of you is suspicious of my motives… or scared… or distracted… or tired. This isn't like when your mother would coddle you for as long as it took to forget the nightmare that scared you awake in the night. There is more at stake than any one person can grasp – and the only way that what must happen will come to pass is if we concentrate on where we are now – not where we were. The Chosen won't get anywhere by looking backwards."
Liane's eyes flared a little, ready to instantly take insult at his words. She almost regretted the moments that he had somehow made her feel better… like less of a freak for what was happening in her head – the times that she had actually thought of him as a friend. Then she drew a deep breath, her shoulders drooping as she shook her head, having to admit to herself that he was right. "I didn't want this… any of this," Liane sighed, pulling her knees to her chest and hugging them there. "I didn't to fight– and I didn't want dreams that I can't make go away, if that's what you're using against me. So if that makes me weak in your eyes, so be it…."
Kratos chuckled softly in the darkening shade of the trees beside her. "It's rare that we get what we want in this life," he spoke, his tone quiet but not condescending. "It's even more rare that – if you do get it – you can hold onto it. Happiness, wants, needs… are all fleeting concepts. They can all change irrevocably in the space of a breath."
Liane release her knees and stretched her legs out before her as she looked over to Kratos, one eyebrow arched at him. "Well, aren't you just the eternal optimist?"
"If you wanted sunshine and puppy dogs, perhaps you should have been speaking with someone else," Kratos sighed, his words a bit clipped, but not nearly as badly as she knew he was capable of. "I could go get the Chosen for you, perhaps?"
"No…" Liane shook her head even as she wondered if she hadn't answered too quickly. "I just wanted to talk to you a bit more… to warn you about Raine's little inquisitions. If she felt strongly enough to say something to you… she's watching you."
"Thank you for the warning, but I believe I can handle the professor's concerns…" Kratos replied quietly, reaching to his side and sheathing his sword. "You don't need to worry about me."
Liane blinked. "But… I wasn't worrying…" she started before she flustered just a bit. Was she? Frustrated, yes. Annoyed with how he seemed to be able to read her, definitely… but… worried?
"Your friends are waiting for you to help them chop ingredients for dinner…" Kratos murmured, not looking to her as he waved a hand generally back over his shoulder, effectively dismissing her.
With a frown… Liane sighed and stood. The discussion was over… and the awkwardness was back. How did she ever think it was gone… or even fading for that matter? "Sure… thanks…" she murmured, shaking her head just a little before she started away. Don't know why I bothered anyway….
Liane watched the stars above her, each of their tiny lights seeming to dance as the branches of the pine tree she rested under shifted gently in the wind. She sat up, the gnawing at her gut only getting worse the longer she sat there. She had tried to sleep, but only brief naps would visit her. Luin was close. And it was in the opposite direction from the Mausoleum. On one hand, she could stay with them and simply tell them that she wished to stay in Luin when they visited there. There would be good-byes, sat attempts at explanations she really didn't have, and then, perhaps her being left in their wake for her to carve out a life for herself. But on the other hand, if she left… they wouldn't have to worry about her… they would still have plenty of time to adapt to her absence and that of any help she hand managed to offer them. Raine, Colette, Genis, and Lloyd… they all knew that she had no intention of staying in Iselia for the rest of her life. It had really only ever been a matter of time. All that was left was actually following through with her plan – and hoping that her friends could forgive her after.
Sitting up, she chewed her lip in another long moment of indecision. She didn't want to leave her friends – she truly didn't. But she knew that the split would have to come sometime – and right now, somehow, that fact had never been clearer. They were all set on fighting until Sylvarant was regenerated – and she was no fighter.
Lately… I don't know exactly what I am… but it's not fair to them to use this time – their time – to figure it out… she told herself a bit dismally as she crawled from her bedroll and started to fold it up. It has to be this way. For a moment, she hesitated, glancing over to the low-burning campfire to see four blanketed lumps – her friends – her companions for so long.
Shaking her head, she secured her blanket to her pack. Another decision that no one else can make for me, I suppose, she sighed, checking around their campsite for some sign of the mercenary that was likely still on watch.
He wouldn't stop me even if he did catch me, a bitter voice whispered in her mind. But… did she actually want him to?
Liane shook her head to dislodge the ludicrous notion. He's made it clear in the past that I'm a complication… it's easier this way – it's easier for everyone.
She wondered for just a moment what she would do if she ran into him – how she would explain herself – if she would even have to. With another huff, she set her jaw and stood. Liane knew if she faltered and gave in to second thoughts, she'd never find her own path – she would always follow what was familiar to her. After a deep exhale, she lifted her pack to her shoulders and shifted it until it was moderately comfortable. She had only taken what was hers – her share of the gald they had earned so far, her clothes, her basic supplies – but none of the food. Liane would be near food once she found a place to stay – and her friends needed all they could get.
Finishing her mental checklist, she cast one last, long gaze back to the fire. "Bye, guys…" she whispered before she bit her lip harshly to keep tears at bay for a little longer. "Good luck… thank you for letting me come with you this far… and… I hope you can all forgive me someday…."
Liane turned, even as an image of her friends' smiling faces burned brightly in her minds' eye – and a traitorous voice in the back of her head started to chide her. You're abandoning them… all of them. You won't know if they're save… if they're alive or….
Clenching her hands into fists, her fingernails started to dig into the flesh of her palms – the stinging pain her punishment as she started down the rocky side of the plateau to the valley floor below. She didn't look back… not even as a slightly chilled wind whipped at her, almost as if trying to push her back – turn her from her new journey.
No… tonight… I'm going this way… no matter what….
Kratos hated the exhale of relief that slipped away from him as Liane disappeared over the edge of the plateau. But there was no denying it for what it was.
I can't keep her safe, too… not without endangering everything. I can barely keep Lloyd safe… and he's insistent on seeing this journey through to the end.
Hopping down from the tree limb he had been perched on and strolled to the edge, keeping back to the shadows of the ancient trees. Liane was easy to spot by the bright moonlight – she was the only thing moving out over the plains. The realization bothered him a bit – if he could see her, then so surely could other creatures of the land. She can fight… a voice in the back of his mind reassured him. You've seen to that.
Shaking his head, he ignored the voice, momentarily allowing himself a sigh and a frown. For just a moment, time wavered around him… and it wasn't the dark-haired girl from Iselia he was watching walking away… it was his chestnut haired wife… turning her back on him and the life he offered her… seeking the safety that a world without him would promise her.
Anna… you should have been the one to walk away…
He shook his head a little at the bitter tone of his thoughts. Whatever had happened – however it had happened – nothing changed the fact that she was gone. It was simply harder than he could admit that this new person confused his senses so much – like some cosmic taunt of how he had gone so wrong. All the nights he had spent near her – near Liane – as she had slept, oblivious of his presence… if he closed his eyes, he could almost fool himself that he was with her again….
'The soul calls to its kin… it's the nature of the human spirit….'
Kratos frowned as the fortune teller's words came back to him once again. He didn't understand it… and there was no one else he could really ask that might without endangering her. All he would know would be what he observed from her. And no matter how he wished to guide her… even if it was to feed his own curiosity to see how much was still there… he knew that staying with him would only bring her into the fire again. While it meant that he might never see her again… might never know what she remembered or what it all meant, he knew that he couldn't trust himself to keep her safe. History would repeat itself if she stayed.
This is how it has to be. If I had stayed away in the first place…
At that, he almost laughed at himself. What had he just been lecturing to Liane about looking backwards? She had made the right decision and she had made it for herself. Sparing one more glance out to her retreating silhouette, he nodded resolutely and turned, starting back to the low-burning campfire and the remaining members of the group. He knew that Liane's departure would set them off balance… but they were resilient. They had to be. And he would help them. He let his eyes slide over them all, his gaze lingering on Lloyd at the end. Now… if I can just manage to keep all of you from getting yourselves killed….