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: The Asgard Ranch falls into the party's sights as their next target, with Kvar at the center of their crosshairs. While they all have their reasons for being there, some understand them far less than others.
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 15:
More graves….
Just the thought made Liane shudder as she hung back from the others while they gathered on the wind-worn outcropping of rock that overlooked Hima. The locals called the place 'the adventurers' graveyard,' but to the Chosen's party, it was just another dead end.
But to Liane… more than that… it was yet more death. She still managed to hold her tongue out of respect for those buried beneath the makeshift monuments, even though the trinkets that dangled over them rattled on the wind – a sound that sent a chill through her. It sounds like old dry bones….
"I suppose digging up the grave is out of the question…."
The Professor's words seemed to startle the lot of them from their contemplation of Pietro's fate. Even her eyes widened when she realized the shocked looks on her companions' faces, but she was quick to avert her eyes and dip her head reverently to the marker that bore the human ranch escapee's name.
Liane knew where Raine had gotten the notion – from the woman that seemed to have been Pietro's caretaker. The woman had seemed so glad to see Sheena when the party first arrived in Hima, but her mood deteriorated quickly once Pietro was mentioned. It was as if she shut down completely at the mention of the man – her protectiveness obviously growing even fiercer after his passing. She offered no explanation or cause – all that seemed to matter to her was that the issue was laid to rest – just as Pietro had been.
"Anyway…" Colette murmured, watching her teacher for a moment longer before she clasped her hands before her and bowed her head once again. "Let's pray…."
One by one, the party followed her example, the howling wind replacing all words for a few precious moments of peace. Liane followed their example out of respect for the man that had apparently done on his own what she had needed the help of all of her friends to do – escape the Desians' grasp. But even as she pondered that, she still couldn't close her eyes. Waking brought her too much to think about until sleep claimed her at night. The night they had spent camping as they traveled from Luin to Hima had not been particularly restful – not with the creatures that milled about just outside the ring of firelight simply seeking their chance to pounce. But even that was becoming a theme in her life… were the Desians really any different? The seal guardians? Weren't they all just lurking and awaiting the opportunity to stop them – to stop Colette? Liane would remain silent, but that was her only concession. But close her eyes? Not until she was ready.
But it was in that refusal that Liane noticed something else. As the wind tossed their hair and their clothing occasionally, it would also lift Kratos' bangs from his face. He also stood back from the group – a few steps further than she did, even – and just at the edge of her vision. But the wind revealed that his mahogany eyes remained open as well. The realization somehow both relieved her and worried her. Her relief came in the idea that she wasn't the only one to defy what they should be doing out of respect. But her worry only pointed out to her the similarity. I'm… acting like… Kratos?
Before that thought could wear into her, Liane heard footsteps shuffling through the dirt behind them. She tensed instantly, her hand moving to her sword even as the form of a light brown-haired young man shambled past them wordlessly on his way closer to the markers.
The group watched the man in a moment of dismay before he approached behind the Chosen. Colette watched him, taking a step back as she studied his face. They all seemed to be at a loss at his appearance, but as he hadn't accosted them, no one moved.
"Chosen… mana… d… die."
The next sound that could be heard was Kratos' sword beginning to slide from its sheath. The mercenary was already in motion to reach the Chosen's side when Genis stepped forward, cocking his head at the man, his kendama in hand. But when no attack came… no further words… everything ground to a halt. The man merely stood, looking between Colette and the markers in what seemed to be confusion - still giving no signs of aggression, much less of being armed. "W… what's he saying?" the young mage asked, watching the interloper for a moment longer before he looked around to the others.
"Pietro! I heard you were dead…"
Sheena's surprised declaration quickly drew the group's attention to her as she stepped forward and gently grasped the young man's shoulders, searching his eyes for a moment before stepping back.
That's Pietro…? Liane's mind whispered even as she could tell from the others' expressions that they shared her confusion. But… if he isn't dead….
"Here you are…"
The second new voice drew their attention back behind them to see the woman from the inn approaching quickly. She seemed to be carefully avoiding meeting anyone's eyes as she reached out and took Pietro by the arm to pull him towards her.
But the action hardly seemed to calm the young man down in the least. He braced his feet against her pull, looking around to the others in panicked confusion. "Chosen… die… angel… die… Human… ranch… underground…."
"You mustn't come out here," the woman insisted softly, maintaining her grip on his arm as she finally shot the Chosen's party a sweeping glance as if in warning. "Let's go."
Liane took a step back at the look she received from the woman, finding herself in her path as she sought to Pietro away. She wasn't sure what to do – what she even could do – they had no right to force the clearly traumatized man to help them… but they needed him despite all that.
It was Raine that found her voice first, her words clearly audible over the winds that whipped around them. "You lied to us," she stated firmly. "He's the one that escaped from the ranch!"
"Really?" There was an eager hopefulness in Lloyd's voice as he trotted after Pietro and the woman, stopping beside the young man and tilting his head to search him with imploring eyes. "Please tell me, how did you get away from the human ranch?"
The woman's mouth dropped open as if she meant to protest, but Pietro pulled his arm from her grasp and turned to Lloyd. "Boulder… big… underground… jewel… boulder… move… Chosen…."
"What are you saying?" Genis demanded as he moved to Lloyd's side, his tone straining, as it was clear he was trying to repress his frustration – and failing.
Kratos crossed his arms over his chest, observing the situation from over Lloyd's shoulder. "Is that… the escape route?" he suggested quietly as Pietro's eyes widened.
"Please… let him be…" the woman insisted, tugging sharply on Pietro's arm to get him moving down the trail once again.
With a barely contained growl, Sheena ran past the others of the group to place herself firmly in the village woman's path. Her glare spoke of her anger, but she still managed to keep her tone from being saturated with the emotion. "You may be happy just protecting Pietro, but because of this guy, countless people from Luin are dead! How about helping us just a little!"
Liane couldn't help but wince at the assassin's words. Many had died… many had been captured – all in retaliation for an escape. It was clear that the Desians didn't want it known that there were any gaps in their security – but if Pietro's escape had contributed to Luin's destruction, couldn't her own – even that of the whole group that had helped her – easily do the same for any town they visited?
The village woman frowned again and wrapped a protective arm over Pietro's shoulders. "I'm sure Pietro has many things he wants to say as well, but because of the curse, he's been turned into this…" she murmured mournfully, finally looking up to meet Sheena's eyes as if in a plea for sympathy.
"But he's still alive," Lloyd interjected quietly, moving closer to Sheena to make sure he held the woman's attention as well. "The dead can't even tell us that they were scared. Please. Help us."
For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the wind along the red rocks that surrounded the town. Lloyd's talent for finding just the right words at the moment he truly needed them shone through, seeming to stun all of them once again.
"Lloyd's right," Liane murmured, his words striking her deep as she remembered the poor child from the ranch again. "They all deserve a voice, too… some of them still have a chance if we can get back to them in time…" she continued, seeing that the others had all glanced to her. She didn't like the look of pity in some of their eyes, but she hated the look in Lloyd's even more. He's still trying to come to grips with what happened to his mother… I wonder if he'll ever find a way….
Colette stepped up to face the village woman and Pietro, her hands clasped before her. "We want to go to the ranch. If it's possible to get out, it's possible to get back in, right? Please…."
'Want' is a pretty strong word, Colette, Liane almost chuckled as her fists tightened at her sides. She would go with the others – she needed to. But she also knew that it would be like walking into a lion's den with steaks tied around their necks. At least we'll all be going in under our own power, she thought as she had to glance away. Getting back out that way will be the trick….
"I'm willing to help you," the woman spoke thoughtfully after apparently considering Colette's plea. She reached out and fondly ruffled Pietro's hair before she turned a determined eye back on the Chosen's party. "But in exchange, lift his curse. The healing technique left behind by Boltzman is in the Tower of Mana. That should be able to cure his curse." Her words were firm, her concession clearly not up for debate.
His curse… Liane's brow furrowed for just a moment at the woman's words. Clearly there was something wrong with Pietro, but a curse? What…? Tilting her head to watch the young man, it only took a moment and a flicker of movement from his hand for her to realize what the 'curse' likely was. Peeking out from beneath his long sleeve was a reddish-purple Exsphere, glinting maliciously in the afternoon sun. She blinked, looking up to Pietro, this time in pity. He hadn't escaped in time. That… could have been me. The Exsphere was still attached to him… and it was still leaching his life energy from him.
"All right," Raine spoke up, nodding slightly even as she kept her gaze cool on the woman that had already lied to them. "But infiltrating the ranch comes first. That, I won't relinquish."
The woman eyed the Professor for a long moment before she sighed and looked back to Pietro. "When he escaped from the ranch, he said he came out through the front yard and he blocked the exit with a boulder," she offered with a shrug before her eyes trailed back to the apparently empty gravesite. "His things are in the grave. Take them with you."
"Thank you," Colette breathed out in relief as the woman started to turn Pietro away from the group. "We'll come back when we've acquired the healing technique!"
"Come… let's go…" the woman muttered to Pietro, offering no sign that she'd even heard the Chosen's words as she guided the brown-haired young man back towards the town.
"Wow… friendly…" Lloyd murmured, watching the couple's retreat with a shake of his head.
Sheena chewed his lip for a moment before her shoulders sagged and she looked over to the swordsman. "Look, I'm not thrilled that she lied to us either… but cut her a little slack? Sophia's been through a lot… I'm sure watching Pietro slide is making her life miserable, too…."
Sophia… so that was her name…. "It sounds like it's getting worse, too…" Liane observed, watching after Sophia and Pietro until they disappeared back into the town. "If he could give her those kind of details about how he escaped before… he sure doesn't seem like he can now…" she murmured, shaking her head. "That thing is just draining him dry…."
Lloyd kicked at the ground angrily. "Yeah… and I bet it won't stop until he's dead, either…" he grumbled before he spun on his heel and stalked back to the others, grabbing the shovel that rested against the nearby fence, starting to dig into Pietro's grave.
"He's… really mad, isn't he…" Sheena muttered as she glanced over to Liane. "I mean, I heard all of that about his Mom… but this is all going to eat him alive if he lets it…" she sighed.
Liane nodded, the assassin's observation all but completely obvious. There was a time that she would have snapped at Sheena for having been in any way surprised by Lloyd's reaction, but her tone was anything but mocking this time. "Lloyd was so little when he lost his parents… he doesn't remember anything about them," she sighed, deciding that along with the benefit of the doubt, Sheena at least deserved a few details. "Leaning this… even as vague as it all is… has really shown him what kind of horrors his mother… his parents might have faced. But worse…" she sighed, her head dipping just a little. "He doesn't know for sure. The most he's heard is from Kvar. I… I wouldn't want to believe it either if it came just from someone like him."
"I guess it's hard enough not knowing anything… but knowing just a little is probably worse," Sheena muttered, her eyes flickering back over the rest of the group as Kratos lifted a small wooden chest from the hole that Lloyd had dug. "Looks like they found Pietro's things… you're going to be okay, right?"
The question shook Liane from her thoughts with a small, dry chuckle. "Hmm? Yeah… I'll be fine… don't worry…" she brushed off the black-haired girl's concern, starting to walk back towards the others before she was stopped by a hand to the forearm.
Sheena met her questioning gaze evenly. "Hey, I saw how pale you got when they were talking about escaping from the ranch – and going back again. You know none of them – none of us – will fault you if you don't want to go… right? We'll find a way in… and back out… so if you want to wait somewhere, it is okay. It's better than you getting in there and freezing up…" she explained, dropping her tone a little. "There's still time for you to think about it… so don't rush in if you aren't sure…."
Liane found herself only able to stare at Sheena for a few breaths before she shook her head again. "No… I am sure. As it stands right now, Kvar wins. I'm scared of him, I'm scared of his ranch, and I never want to go back there again," she admitted with a sigh before she finally found a ghost of a smile to offer. "But that's why I have to. If I don't go back and at least try to help, I'm going to always wonder if I could have… if I would have been strong enough. I really do appreciate your concern. But I need to go. I have to go."
As Sheena watched Liane skeptically for a moment, a sharp crack snapped their attention back to the others. Lloyd had used the blade of one of his rapiers to break the old lock from the latch of the chest. "Okay…" she muttered, sparing one more glance for Lane before she started over to rejoin the others. "But just remember… you still have time…."
The assassin's words made Liane pause for a moment before she, too, began to walk. She's really that concerned? The thought almost puzzled her. From what she had seen, Sheena's acceptance into the group seemed to be solid, even if trusting her wasn't quite there yet. There was still a good deal of animosity from the Professor, but Sheena didn't seem particularly fazed by the scrutiny. But no matter what the rest of the group thought or had seen, Liane had already seen enough of Sheena's behavior to warrant extending some trust to her. Sheena had had multiple chances to harm her – and she'd taken none of them. She had fought beside her – for her – and Sheena had returned with her friends when they ended up rescuing her. Liane couldn't help that it was in her nature to want to trust the other girl… as far as she was concerned, Sheena had earned it. While she couldn't say what would happen with any certainty if Sheena chose to press her issues with Colette, as things stood, Liane was comfortable with her. She seems to have her reasons… she seemed to be struggling with them even in Luin, she sighed as she stood over Genis' shoulder to watch them unload the chest. Maybe… if she ends up trusting us enough… maybe we can work this out….
Genis picked a white orb up out of the chest and studied it for a moment, holding it up to the sunlight before he looked up and around to his companions. "Was there a boulder there?" he asked, his brow crinkled a bit as he seemed to be recalling Pietro's broken words.
"I do recall something that seemed… unnatural…" Kratos muttered as his eyes lingered on the orb in the young mage's hands before he turned back to the chest to scrutinize the remainder of its contents.
Unnatural…? Liane sighed and reached up to tuck a stray curl back over her ear. "Any more unnatural than digging through an empty grave before we go back to a place that the Desians are torturing humans?" she shook her head even as she saw the look that she had earned from Kratos for her comment. "Let's just get going…" she muttered, turning her back on the others and starting back into the town. She knew she was being moody, but she honestly just wanted to get all of it put behind her.
"Yes, let's go check it out," Colette voiced her agreement before Liane heard the girl trot up behind her. A bit surprised by her actions, Liane looked over to the blonde girl and couldn't resist returning her gentle smile. "We can go get supplies while they finish cleaning up…?" the Chosen offered her friend a wide smile as she held up a pouch that jangled with gald coins.
Back to old habits…Liane nodded, feeling some relief in the familiarity of the routine. Gels, food… check their weapons and armor… her mind ticked off items to do before the group would once again be travel – and battle – ready. While the latter thought hardly thrilled her, it was the next logical step – and they all had to be ready for it.
"I can't believe you guys made me trade my rapiers…."
Genis snickered at Lloyd's grousing, running ahead of the brown-haired swordsman and quickly spinning to walk backwards in front of him. "Aww, come on, Lloyd… Colette and Liane got a good deal for you. The Osafune are longer… and pointier… that's important for a sword, right?" he grinned, clasping his hands innocently behind his back.
Lloyd sighed, pulling one of the matched blades from its sheath and looking down to it. "I guess… but it's just… they feel different…" he huffed with a shrug. "I just don't think something new at this point is a good thing."
"Yeah, that makes two of us…" Liane smirked, speeding up a little to walk beside Lloyd. "At least yours are about the same weight… I'm pretty much starting from scratch here…" she shrugged. "We weren't trying to offend you. We just thought it would be a good change for you…"
"Okay… I'm going to let you guys talk pointy sticks, then…" Genis waved a hand of playful exasperation to Lloyd and Liane and hopped to the side to allow them to pass, offering them only a grin as they both glared at him.
Lloyd's eyes followed after Genis for a long moment before he sighed and shook his head. "Says the kid with the toy…" he grumbled – just loud enough to make the mage snap a quick glare back to him. But it was enough to bring a hint of a smile back to Lloyd's lips again. Then his shoulders heaved with a deep inhale. "I know they're better," he shrugged, tilting his head to watch Liane as they made their way across the plains. The sun was steadily making its way towards the sunset, but they had decided to travel as far as they could that night so that they could be rested to take on the ranch – again – the next day. "I just want to be ready for this. I have to be."
"Lloyd…" Liane murmured, glancing over to meet his gaze as she reached out to place her hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to do this on your own. We're all going to be with you."
He looked away at that, both of his hands clenching tightly at his swords as he glared at the ground passing beneath his feet. "I should do it myself," he muttered, his jaw set with a stubborn shake of his head. "After Kvar did… all of that to her… I owe her that. I hate that I'm probably not strong enough to do it myself…."
"She wouldn't want you to, Lloyd…" she frowned, her hand tightening on his shoulder in an attempt to bring his eyes back to hers. "I can't believe that any parent would want their child to be alone – especially in something like this." But as Lloyd continued to evade her gaze, Liane felt a deeper sadness. Something was missing in him… there was no sign of his normally light-hearted ways. She almost felt like she should be able to see such a weight since it seemed to be smothering such a vital part of him. He's mourning… he's probably never really done it before… she realized, almost chiding herself for letting that surprise her. "Lloyd…."
When he finally did look up to her, a small, clearly forced smile was on his lips. "Hey… don't do that, okay? Things will be okay. We're going to beat Kvar… we'll help Pietro… then Colette can regenerate the world. Don't worry about me, Liane… okay?" Lloyd shrugged. "We've made it this far. We're not going to stop now."
Before Liane could further object to how Lloyd seemed to be trying to ignore something affecting him so, Genis' voice shook them both from their conversation, making them both pause and look back in curiosity.
"You're lying. Anyone can see you're mad about something," the young mage declared, planting his fists on his sides as Raine and Sheena looked on.
The fact that Genis had turned his attention to someone else hardly surprised Liane. But the fact that the 'someone' was Kratos made her jaw go just a bit slack. Yet even that surprise waned as she watched the mercenary draw himself up to his full height, fixing his partially obscured glare on Genis.
"I am not angry!"
It was as if a jolt went through each of the party members, momentarily stunning them all at Kratos' outburst.
"Whoa…" Lloyd murmured numbly from where he stood beside Liane, the spectacle taking center stage for his attention.
Liane could only stare, awed that something had eaten so far into the normally almost maddeningly collected swordsman. While the obvious element to the situation was that Genis had apparently finally pushed one button too many, the deeper question remained… what nerve had been rubbed so raw to elicit such a response from Kratos?
But even as they all seemed to be pondering the question, Kratos glanced up, even his own eyes widening as he momentarily met Liane's gaze. The contact was brief, but for a moment they both froze.
But once that long heartbeat lurched back into the time stream, the mercenary quickly looked away, his head falling forwards just enough to shroud his gaze in auburn once again. "I'm sorry…" he murmured, his hand resting back to its habitual place on his sword's handle and he started to walk past the others. "Please… let me be alone for a while…" he muttered as he passed by Liane and Lloyd, striding out ahead of the group.
"What… just… happened?" Lloyd muttered, finally tearing his dismayed gaze from the mercenary's back to look at Genis.
Genis shook his head, his hand waving to ward off the question. "Hey… he was looking all grumpy and scary… I'm not the only one that saw it!"
"No… you're not," Raine murmured, shaking her head a little as she shrugged to the others. "He's been quieter than normal since we made it out of the ranch… and that look he's been wearing has only gotten worse since Hima… since we talked to that old woman wandering near the graveyard."
"Hmm?" Liane murmured, the conversation finally distracting her enough from Kratos' retreating form. "What old woman?"
"It was while you and Colette were at the shops," Sheena offered. "An old woman said that the people in the graves had all escaped from the human ranch. She made it sound like Pietro is just like them… 'cursed'… and they all eventually died."
Liane frowned a little more. "I guess 'adventurer' does sound better than 'prisoner' if you're looking for something to name a graveyard…" she sighed, exhaling a bit as she pushed he ponytail back over her shoulder. Could Kratos' reaction have been set off by something like that? Or maybe it had simply festered when the group had confronted him?
"Yeah, that was right after Lloyd turned into a dork when the guy at the top of the mountain started talking about dragon rides…" Genis snickered, grinning even more when the young swordsman shot him an exasperated glare.
As the boys began bickering once again, at least some sense of normalcy settled over them once again and they continued to follow Kratos' lead down the trail. But even the welcome familiarity of the friends' banter couldn't keep Liane's eyes to seek the mercenary. What got to him so much…? I just can't believe that he'd get this rattled over nothing… or even over an old woman's ramblings…."
Kratos' eyes shot open to the blackness of the canvas tent that his family had called home for the better part of the last three weeks. Even with his enhanced vision, it still took a moment for him to adjust to the darkness of the canyon near Hima that they had chosen to remain in for a while until they had to move again.
"Anna?"
It was her shivering that had awoken him from his light sleep, her fevered moans something that he hated he was already used to. Sitting up just enough to reach the lamp they kept at the head of their improvised bed, he touched the striker and the tent slowly illuminated around them.
He then looked down to his wife – and his heart clenched. Her face was contorted in pain and her hands clenched tightly into the heavy blankets on top of them. But despite the sheen of sweat that beaded on her forehead, she still shook as if she was freezing.
It's getting worse….
His frown deeply set, he reached over and gathered her to him, guiding her head to rest against his shoulder. Allowing his eyes to close, her focused on her, crafting the soothing green rune circle that began to glow around them. "First Aid," he whispered, opening his eyes as he felt the mana slide from him and into her. Anna drew a small, quick breath before she settled against him once again. He sighed out, reaching over to brush her damp bangs from her eyes. When she was awake, she would never let him use his healing magic on her. But at night, it was sometimes the only way to settle her.
As she shifted in his arms, she threw an arm limply over his chest and nuzzled closer. Almost smiling as he pulled her closer, he glanced down to her – and the expression faded immediately. The neckline of her nightgown bunched just a little with how she had hugged herself to him, revealing the glaring gem fixed at the base of her throat. Angry irritated tendrils of raised flesh radiated from the blue stone – practically daring him to rip it from her flesh. He knew what was happening – he'd seen the reports that detailed the creation of both Exspheres and Cruxis Crystals. While her Cruxis Crystal was growing at a slower rate than the Exspheres normally did, the stone was nearing the end of its need for her. It would have likely been harvested long before if she had remained in the clutches of the ranch.
"Mmm… Kratos…?" she murmured, lifting her head from his shoulder and offering him a bleary-eyed smile. "Why are you awake…?"
He shook his head a little, guiding her head back to his shoulder. He doubted that he would ever cease to be amazed at how she could always muster a smile for him… or for Lloyd… no matter the pain she had to be in. "I couldn't sleep," he replied honestly, feeling her shoulders droop immediately.
"Oh… you mean I woke you up again," Anna murmured, disappointment clear in her tone. "I'm sorry… maybe it would be better if we slept –"
"No." Kratos cut her off before she could finish the offer that he had turned down every time they had a night like that – the offer he would continue to turn down. "But we will need to be moving again soon…."
Anna lifted her head and searched his shadowed eyes with concern. "They found us again?" she asked, dread in her hushed voice.
He quickly shook his head, mentally berating himself for not phrasing himself better. He knew how she would interpret a statement like that, but his concern and determination had ignored that for a crucial moment. He reached over to lightly brush his thumb over her cheek. "No… but we are going to take a chance that my contact was correct in that there's a dwarf living near Iselia. You can't go on like this. We need to get you a key crest."
She set her jaw, just as he knew she would. It was what she did every time a trip for that purpose came up in conversation. Anna had been violently opposed to his idea to return to Welgaia to steal one of the devices for her. Her tears had been more than he could bear – the thought that he could be drawn back into Yggdrasill's fold and away from her and their son enough to distress her to the point that she barely spoke to him over the next two days. Even after that, she wouldn't hear of a special trip anywhere for that purpose. Anna clung to her argument that they were already disrupting their son's life enough by being constantly on the run and denying him the stability of a physical home without dragging him off on a 'treasure hunt.' She claimed to be 'fine' – that the measure of going to any effort to find a crest was unnecessary.
But this time… something was different – something in the depths of her eyes that anyone knowing her any less would have missed. Anna sat up, looking over to where Lloyd slept with Noishe curled protectively around him.
"Lloyd will turn three on the way there, then," she murmured thoughtfully before she looked back to her husband with a ghost of a smile. "Maybe we can see to it that he gets a real home by his next birthday… if we do this?"
Kratos blinked, pausing before he reached out and snaked his arms around her waist, gently pulling her back into his arms. She… didn't even argue…. Clenching his eyes closed as he inhaled deeply, he used the combination of his breath and her scent to try to calm his nerves. She knows how bad it's getting… his mind whispered even as he denied the thoughts to continue from there. Anna had agreed to seek help, and that would be what they would do. There was a chance that a crest would diminish the crystal's signature, even through his own would still remain distinctive to Yggdrasill. Still, it was all worth the chance – for a real life for his family. "Nothing's impossible, Anna…" he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead as he reached up to the lamp, extinguishing the light and keeping her pillowed against his shoulder. "Nothing is impossible…."
The mercenary leaned back against the rock wall that backed the group's campsite for the night, his eyes trailing up to the stars that peeked through the forested canopy above them. Resting his arms out over his knees, he inhaled, gratefully absorbing the relative peace of the night. The others had given him a wide berth all through the evening and the night, sparing him only curious glances and only a few short words to assure that he would once again be taking the first watch. Beyond that, the only one of them that had braved approaching him was Noishe. Kratos looked over to the creature that had stretched out beside him, white forepaws stretched out before him as a pillow for his head, his ears twitching occasionally to the innocent noises of the forest.
No wonder they call you a dog…he mused as he reached over to rest his hand lightly on the creature's head. He was grateful that Noise had always been fond of Lloyd. It was some condolence – even if it wasn't much. At least some part of Lloyd's family got to watch him grow.
How long had it been since he had tried to numb himself to that night's conversation? It was an endless cycle of blame that had already worn ruts into his soul. He simply couldn't shake the irony that the very dwarf that he and his family had set out to find was the same being that had taken in his son and raised him safely in a solid home.
I don't know that I could have done any better for you, Lloyd.
"So, you're really just going to sit over here by yourself?"
Kratos looked up, trying not to look startled even as he mentally kicked himself for not having noticed Liane rise from her bedroll near the wall on the other side of the camp. "That's the theory behind standing watch alone…" he replied quietly, watching her from beneath his bangs as she approached from his side. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
Liane paused, watching him with a tilt to her head, silhouetted by the campfire for just a moment before she walked around him to sit down, effectively placing Noishe between them. "Tried that. Can't shut off my mind for that long…" she sighed, reaching out to scratch Noishe's side as the creature rolled just enough to make her actions easier.
"It's just another battle," Kratos blatantly lied to her, shaking his head a little at Noishe's antics. "You need sleep if you're going to fight with us." It was one of the farthest things from being just another battle, but it had the same requirements as any other now – they only needed to win.
She turned her head, staring at him before she drew a breath and narrowed her gaze on him just a little. "No, it's not just another battle," she murmured, her eyes never wavering from him as if in challenge. "Not for any of us. Not for me. Certainly not for Lloyd… and… if I had to guess… not for you, either?"
He didn't move. He wouldn't allow himself even the slightest reaction to her words. Liane was right – there were few beings in existence that he was certain he would get such satisfaction from unapologetically slaughtering with his bare hands as Kvar. But even when the time came, he knew that he couldn't do that except as a last resort. Lloyd deserves some measure of it as well – if he would take it. "Kvar will be difficult to defeat. Just as Magnius was… just as the seal guardians have been… but he is simply another advers –"
"Don't lie…" Liane cut him off, her voice rising only a hint above a whisper to accentuate her accusation. "You knew who he was at the ranch, and you've been moodier than I've ever seen you since then. Considering how moody you normally are, trust me – that's saying something," she grumbled, continuing to watch him. "Your little performance today as everyone on edge… and if you don't want to tell me what's going on, fine. I know that you barely trust me as it is. But you'd best consider your explanations to the others. Because if they ask you what's wrong and you give them the 'just another battle' line… they're going to know that you're lying, too."
Kratos kept her gaze unflinchingly. "You are that certain that I'm lying?" he asked calmly, wondering at the strength of her resolve. There was a very real chance that she could read him infinitely better than any of the others – whether she realized it or not. But that was the true question – how strongly did she feel it? How much did she believe in it? "Are you so sure that I am hiding something that you're willing to disrupt everyone's focus to prove that you're right?"
"If I were, I would have asked you in front of all of them instead of waiting until now…" she sighed, rolling her eyes as she continued to scratch Noishe's side. "I just refuse to be so egotistical to believe that you're this worked up over them capturing me – or the rest of Luin, for that matter. It's not your style."
"You are not the first human they have captured," Kratos replied, the best he could come up with without pausing to craft a better response. "Kvar is evil. He has no respect for humans as anything other than hosts. He will use them… he will throw them away. It makes no difference to him."
"That much was obvious just in what I remember hearing…" Liane fairly groaned, keeping her mind focused on Noishe and not the oddly disembodied voices and words that haunted her as the memories of her rescue. "Well, you're as forthcoming as ever… so let's try this: If you won't tell me what's eating at you, then I want to know something else. You've known about Exspheres the whole time, haven't you? You knew how dangerous they were, you knew where they came from, and you knew what could happen to a person wearing an uncrested one, didn't you?" she asked, her eyes snapping onto him once again. "You barely reacted the other night at Luin… you just stood back and watched…" she murmured, an accusatory note creeping back into her tone. "What are we… just a study to you? An amusement to see when we'll put things together? What else aren't you telling us?"
Kratos set his jaw slightly, meeting her gaze even though it meant he had to fight the urge to stand and walk away. "It was unnecessary," he rasped, keeping his tone even. "You all knew what you needed to. I never lied to you – knowing more has simply made all of you more emotional. And an emotional motivation will not help us in the coming battle at all – if anything, it cripples us even more."
Liane sat up at that, her hands curling into fists against her thighs. "Human brings are emotional creatures… it's what drives us…" she ground out. "Love, hate, happiness, sadness, fear, contentment, compassion – it's what makes us human and what drives us to change our lives… to deny that is to deny everything that makes us what we are," she shook her head, clearly agitated. "There would be no battle against Kvar… there would be no regeneration if we were all apathetic like you sound like you prefer… but just remember – you're human, too –"
"And you sound sure of that as well," Kratos groaned, knowing that the response would probably only anger her more. Rising to his feet, he regarded her for a moment longer, making full not of the glare he was receiving. He knew that if he had simply answered her first question, it might have avoided the whole confrontation, but that was a story he was choosing not to tell. He then turned on his heel and slowly strode away into the forested darkness around them. "It's been a while since anyone accused me of that."
It was mid-morning when the group cautiously approached the Asgard Human Ranch once again. But even the chirping of the birds in the trees that they passed through did nothing to ease them from their quiet surveillance for any motion around them.
Liane walked between Sheena and Genis as they filed ever closer to the walls of the compound. Occasionally, she caught a glimpse of the walls looming over the trees ahead of them – and it was then that she found that her only comfort was the feel of her sword's handle. What sleep she had found the night before had been troubled at best – it had been as if the Ranch itself had been calling out to her – showing her a glimpse of the life it had promised her if she were once again kept as a resident. Small, darkened compartments with barred doors and Kvar's squinty-eyed smile – perhaps even his laugh – standing out as her mind seemed to be determined to immerse itself in the new day and erase the troubling dreams. All I remember of the ranch was white, she sighed, shaking her head as she walked. White walls, white coats… the dream was just my imagination… it was never that dark… that bad…. Liane set her jaw as she once again spotted the metal and mortar walls ahead, a flicker of guilt funning through her.
It was never that bad… for me….
"This is it, the one Pietro was talking about…" Lloyd's hushed declaration snapped Liane back into the moment as she joined others gathered around a large boulder that did indeed seem out of place propped against the hillside.
"So it would seem," Raine muttered, standing back with a finger thoughtfully poised on her cheek before she nodded as if having made some internal decision and then gesturing to the stone. "Let's try moving it."
Watching as Lloyd moved to the side of the boulder and braced his hands against the rock, Liane exhaled, glancing around and halfway expecting to find a Desian patrol waiting patiently behind them. I can't believe we're actually sneaking back IN… she chewed her lip as she looked back to Lloyd and the strain on his face as he tried to move the boulder. I can't believe I'M sneaking back in…. But that thought lasted for only a moment as she accidentally met Kratos' cool gaze. Quickly looking away, she set her jaw and concentrated on Lloyd. She and Kratos hadn't spoken all morning – not since the abrupt end to their conversation in the woods the night before. She would have loved to have blamed him for the rest of her restless night, even though she knew how irrational that would be. Every time that it seemed they might have a chance at understanding, it somehow collapsed around them. As much as she hated to admit it… it probably wasn't entirely his fault.
"It's no good. It won't budge…" Lloyd wheezed, dragging his sleeve across his flushed forehead as he stood up, bracing a hand the boulder.
Raine shifted her pack to rest on the ground beside her, kneeling as she opened the buckles to remove the white sphere that they had found in Hima. Hefting the sphere in one hand for a moment, she then stood and held it out towards the boulder. "Then let's try using the Desian Orb we received from Pietro."
As the orb grew closer, the rock seemed to shake, almost as if attempting to uproot itself from the undisturbed ground around it. When Raine took another small step forward, the rock slid to the side, making it seem that a giant, invisible hand had brushed it aside to reveal a metal-framed opening into the hillside.
"But when I pushed it, it didn't even budge…" Lloyd pouted as Kratos strolled by him, leading Colette and Genis into the opening.
It was hard for Liane not to smirk at the wide grin Genis gave his friend before he descended into the shadows of the passageway ahead of her. "Guess you can't fight magic with brute strength, Lloyd…" Liane murmured as she followed after Sheena, glad to have even the momentary distraction to keep her from letting her mind imaging what they were willingly walking into. She wasn't even certain it WAS magic… she was simply sure it would get a reaction from Lloyd.
Even as Lloyd drew a breath for his retort, Raine approached behind him, her pack once again over her shoulder as she grabbed the swordsman's shoulder to push him into the passageway ahead of her. "Let's go, Lloyd…" she muttered, her words echoing in the otherwise quiet hallway.
"Yeah…" Lloyd grumbled, setting off an answering snicker from Genis near the front of the group. The young mage's laughter was almost instantly hushed by Colette, who had paused in mid-step to turn to the silver haired boy, pressing her finger to her lips to silence him.
It only took Liane a heartbeat to understand why: Ahead, the passage brightened and an almost eerie him filled the air. The noise was subtle, but it tickled her memories and sent a shiver through her as she and Sheena stepped into the light.
We're in….
Kratos remained beside the opening of the passage until Raine and Lloyd emerged, waiting a moment longer before drawing his sword. "Be on your guard…" he hissed as he watched the rest arm themselves as well. "These halls should be crawling with –"
"Who the hell are you?!"
Liane cringed at the voice from behind them, only sparing a moment to wonder at the mercenary's timing before she joined the others in turning to spot a full Desian patrol staring them down and beginning to spread out as if to encircle the group.
"Follow my orders!! Take them out quickly!" Kratos demanded as he lunged at the Sorcerer, tackling him to the floor just as the Desian's rune circle was beginning to glow and form beneath his feet.
The mercenary's order was accepted quickly, with the rest of the group pairing off to take down the remaining three fighters: Colette and Genis teaming up on the spearman, Lloyd and Raine on the footsoldier, and Sheena and Liane on the whipmaster. Liane was surprised by how easy it was to move against the Desian – to use her memories of the fight in Luin as her fuel to close the gap between herself and the fighter. The act effectively negated the range of his weapon and kept him off balance just enough for Sheena to use her strange cards to blow the whipmaster back against the wall, leaving him to slump limply to the floor.
"That's it??"
Liane's head snapped up at Lloyd's dismayed tone, seeing the young swordsman standing over the fallen footsoldier in obvious frustration.
"If you want to wait around, I'm sure they'll send more," Kratos grumbled, nudging the unconscious form of the spearman with his foot before he gestured down the hall. Come on… our time is limited."
As the group edged along the hallway, Liane found herself unable to sheath her sword. It was almost unnerving how unfamiliar the interior of the ranch was. Granted, I was unconscious when they brought me here… and not much better when they took me out… she reasoned, even though it did little for her nerves. She had expected to recognize something… something specific to fear. Instead, every door they passed or hallway they crossed was more than enough to keep her on the edge. A small nudge to the back of her shoulder made her jump, glancing back to see Sheena watching her with a tilt to her head and one eyebrow arched in curiosity. Liane shrugged in answer to the question she thought she read in the black-haired girl's eyes – Are you okay? – Turning to see that Kratos and Raine had selected a room to enter, Liane sighed. Not really… but it's too late for that now… her mind grumbled as she and the others followed the Professor into the room, Kratos remaining to closer the door behind them. A collective exhale issued from the group once they were certain that the room was otherwise unoccupied. Liane forced her shoulders to relax as best she could as they all took in the room, complete with the eerie hum that seemed to permeate every inch of the ranch.
"Let's bring up the ranch-wide map…" Raine murmured, studying a pedestal of brightly lit buttons for a moment before her fingers began to dance over a few of them. After a moment, the hum of the device escalated a little and there was a pale flash of light from the smooth glass-like surface of the top, the light solidifying into a display of a series of linked, transparent boxes that seemed to hover in mid-air.
"Professor, you're fantastic!" Lloyd exclaimed with a wide smile as he approached the display, planting his hands on the edge of the device to lean closer.
Sheena had been approaching with the others, her steps just a little slower as she lagged behind Liane. "Hmm, so there are people on this side who can operate machines too…" she spoke softly. But the acoustics of the smooth-walled room betrayed her as Genis spun from his sister's side to stare at Sheena.
"On this side?" the silver-haired mage questioned as Sheena's eyes went wide, her form tensed before he was even done speaking.
"Ah, um… nothing," Sheena clearly forced a grin and a chuckle as she shrugged to Genis. "Just… talking to myself…" she explained, moving closer to watch the display over Raine's shoulder and pointedly not looking at Genis.
Liane frowned as Sheena hurriedly walked ahead, her eyes trailing after the other girl. She had heard her words clearly, and – for a moment – she had to fight the urge to grab Sheena's shoulders and shake her. As much as she found herself wanting to, trust would be difficult to ever justify if it continued to be so obvious that she was still hiding things. But if the group was content to let her keep her secrets at the cost of not trusting her completely, shat could she do? Making a scene certainly wouldn't help anything. She sighed, shaking her head as she started to join the others. What's a little more uncertainty at this point… her mind grumbled a little before she caught a glimpse of the look Kratos had fixed on Sheena as well. At least that feeling is mutual. Liane frowned as Raine set to work on the control panel once again. On this side… of what?
"This is where we are not," Raine murmured thoughtfully as a box in the glowing display began to blink for emphasis, her gaze not wavering from the control panel before she tapped another button. "And this is where Kvar should be…."
As another part of the map began to flash, Liane heard what sounded like a growl slip from Lloyd as his hands visibly tensed on the edge of the device, looking like he was ready to climb right into the blinking box. She understood, but she still found herself caught between wanting nothing more than to run and to stay and help her friend see closure for what had happened to his mother. She knew what her choice had to be – especially since she knew that running was likely all but impossible. Standing by her friends was the only thing she could do… after all they had done for her. I'll just have a breakdown later, she sighed and shook her head a little as Raine began to speak again.
"It appears that in order to get to the floor that Kvar is on, we'll have to deactivate the guard system," the Professor sighed, a deep frown on her lips as she tapped a few more buttons, a quick series of soft beeps responding to her actions.
Colette blinked, looking away from the map to watch the Professor. "Guard… system?"
Glancing over to the blonde girl, Liane nodded. "Probably more of these machines," she murmured, nodding to the device projecting the map for them. "Something to protect themselves even if they don't have patrols everywhere…" … or something for them to hide behind… a bitter voice in the back of her mind grumbled as another series of beeps issued from the projector.
"Here…" Raine spoke, her blue eyes flickering up to the map again, her hand moving through the transparent images to point out another blinking area near where she had indicated Kvar would be. "If we don't deactivate this guard system, we can't get to Kvar."
There was no mistaking Lloyd's growl for anything other than what it was this time, his arms waving as he stepped back from the pedestal. "What are we supposed to do, then?"
"Calm down," Kratos sighed, tossing his head a little to see Lloyd through his crop of auburn bangs. "There should be a switch somewhere to deactivate the system."
"Yeah… we all know Kvar doesn't just stay in his hole…" Liane grumbled. "If he can come out, there has to be a way for us to get in."
Raine stood back, eyeing the controls for another moment before she turned yet another dial. "Here it is." On the far end of the map from Kvar's lair, two spots brightened and began to blink. "See the two switches at the ends of this left-right passageway? Those are the deactivation switches."
"Okay then…" Lloyd exhaled, shaking his head as his hands moved to his blades. "Let's go deactivate it."
The Professor's hand shot out, catching the young swordsman's shoulder as he was in mid-step, pulling him back to the group. "Wait a minute. I'll bring up the route leading to Kvar's room." The silver-haired woman paused thoughtfully, studying the image before them before she released Lloyd to once again reach into the display near the Cardinal's room. "It looks like the conveyor belt prevents passage through there. In order to stop that, we'll need to stop the conveyor belt control mechanism… but…"
Liane chewed her lip for just a moment. Conveyor belt… it was at the fringes of her memory, but it almost sent a shiver through her anyway. Those poor people… boxed up like some kind of product… her mind whispered even as she ground her teeth together. But that's exactly what they are… a commodity… a means to an end product….
"It seems it's constructed in such a way that you can't get close to the control mechanism while containers are on the conveyor…" Raine continued despite the unease of the others over the growing list of requirements to reach Kvar. "Let's see… in order to adjust the container dispatch control system…."
Her voice trailed off as the room lights suddenly began to blink and bathe the room in a crimson glow. But more disturbing were the blaring klaxons announcing danger to the whole ranch.
Raine spun back to the control panel, one hand curled into a tight fist. "Dammit…" she growled softly, her fingers dancing across the buttons once again. "They've detected my access of the main computer."
Genis gaped at his sister for a moment before he spun, his arms waving in the air as panic gripped him, looking up to his friend for guidance. "Lloyd, what do we do?! The Desians will be here any minute!"
"Dammit…" Lloyd echoed Raine's earlier sentiment, his eyes leaving Genis' to search the room, his eyes lingering momentarily on the nearby doors, that seemed to be exits.
"Doing nothing isn't an option," Liane grumbled a little, backing away from the pedestal and map to turn to face the door they had entered from. "Neither is staying here."
The Professor also turned, facing Lloyd with what seemed to be a nod of agreement to all of their concerns. "It looks like we don't have any choice. Let's split into two teams to deactivate the system and infiltrate Kvar's room.
"What?!" Genis blurted out, turning to stare wide-eyed at Raine. "We're going to split up?"
"There seems to be no other way…" Kratos answered the young mage before he stepped forward to face the Professor. "I would like to be in the group that goes after Kvar."
Liane glanced over her shoulder to the mercenary as he voiced his request, one eyebrow arched in mild surprise. He's not asking to stay with Colette… he really wants a piece of Kvar…. It simply backed up her growing suspicion that their prior visit to the ranch had made the fight personal for Kratos, even if he wouldn't admit to it, much less say why.
Genis quickly drew his kendama, a bit of a cocky grin spreading over his lips where he stood beside Kratos. "Me, too!"
"And me…" Sheena added herself to the assembly that sought additional time with the Grand Cardinal. Her expression was firm, no amusement present – simply determination.
Raine eyed the group for a long moment before she sighed and turned to the Chosen who was standing beside her wringing her hands nervously. "Colette, please choose for us."
It made sense, on some level, Liane realized after only a blink of puzzlement. It was technically Colette's journey, and her safety as well as that of those that had gathered to travel with her, ultimately fell back onto her shoulders. But despite all of that and the way the girl's eyes widened as she fidgeted with the cuffs of her sleeves, Liane still found it hard to not at least smirk at how uncomfortable Colette seemed to be with such a decision.
"Ah… um… well, then…" the Chosen fumbled for words as she nervously surveyed her companions, her eyes finally settling on Lloyd as her smile instantly grew. "I'll leave it to Lloyd."
Lloyd's jaw dropped as he gaped at the blonde girl's words. "What? Me?!"
Colette nodded with what seemed to be a relieved smile. "I know you'll do a good job of splitting us up."
"He lives only by instinct and intuition," Genis snorted, shaking his head with a playful roll of his eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lloyd asked as he raised an eyebrow to his friend. After a deep exhale, he ran his hand back through his hair and straightened his posture. "Anyway, I'm the one that's gonna pick? I'm going to Kvar," he announced, his hands gripping the handles of his blades as his expression darkened. "I want to avenge Mom."
Lloyd began to eye the others one by one, not questioning Colette's decree any further. It was a wise move, whether Lloyd realized it or not, considering every moment of indecision brought them closer to being faced with yet another Desian patrol. Liane glanced nervously back towards the door as the others began to voice their desires for which team they wanted to be placed with. I don't ever want to see Kvar again, her thoughts muttered to her. But I… I need to know that he won't come after us – after me again, too. If Lloyd was on the team that went to Kvar, she was certain that either Kvar would fall or that she'd never see her friend again… the latter being something she didn't think she could take.
"You are going to take me along, right?" Genis demanded of his friend planting his feet firmly in front of the red-clad swordsman, his fists balled on his hips.
With a chuckle, Lloyd reached out to playfully shove the younger boy's shoulder. "Be part of the infiltration team."
The younger boy's face brightened immediately as he bounced on the balls of his feet. "That's what I wanted to hear!! I'll reduce Kvar to cinders with my magic!" he proclaimed proudly.
Lloyd patted Genis' shoulder once again, his eyes searching over the rest of the group as if he was unable to share the mage's excitement completely. His gaze scanned over Raine and Colette… Sheena and Liane… before it finally settled on Kratos. He walked to stand before the auburn-haired man, drawing a small breath to speak before Kratos beat him to the act.
"I desire to fight Kvar. Please, Lloyd. Take me with you," Kratos spoke with undeniable sincerity.
And, if Liane didn't think that she knew better, there was also a note of pleading in his tone that truly took her by surprise.
Lloyd eyed the mercenary for a moment, a parade of unreadable thoughts flashing across his features. Then, without blinking, he finally nodded. "Be part of the infiltration team."
Kratos nodded at the invitation, his shoulders squaring just a bit. "Thank you." His eyes remained fixed on the younger swordsman and as Lloyd started to turn back to face Colette and Raine, he spoke once again, sounding almost as if the thought surprised him as well. "Lloyd… let's defeat Kvar together."
The teenager turned to look at Kratos over his shoulder, considering his words before he smiled and dipped his head to him for just a moment before he met the Chosen's bright blue eyes.
"It's too bad I can't go with you," Colette shrugged, clearly trying to smile at her friend as the Professor stepped up and put a hand on her shoulder.
Raine offered Colette a sympathetic smile and then looked back to Lloyd again. "I understand. Leave the other team to me."
"Well, I guess you trust me if you're gonna put me on the other team," Sheena shrugged, catching Lloyd's attention before she nudged Liane's shoulder. "Looks like it's up to the girls then, huh?"
The black haired young woman's words gently jolted Liane from the distraction of her own thoughts. Lloyd… Kratos… Genis… they're going after Kvar… her mind whispered to her. I don't want to see him again… that stare… that laugh…. 'Filthy human host body….' Her fists clenched beyond her control and she stepped forward, words spilling from her lips before she even realized that she was speaking. "Lloyd. I want to go, too." She could feel the others' eyes on her, but her focus was fixed squarely on Lloyd. Some part of her had decided that she needed this, even if the term 'want' – by definition – wasn't entering into the equation.
"Liane?" Lloyd turned to her, shaking his head slowly. "But I didn't think –"
"No."
Liane lifted her eyes to Kratos, her glare becoming sharp on the mercenary. "I think it's Lloyd's decision…" she murmured, meeting his gaze as coolly as she could. His denial of her somehow made her want it even more, even if she couldn't honestly say why. Pointedly turning away from Kratos, she sought her friend's eyes again. "Please."
Lloyd frowned, looking between Liane and Kratos before he breathed out with a huff. "Liane… I…."
"This fight will be hard," Kratos insisted despite being ignored. "There will be no room for hesitation or second-guessing. Liane is still shaken from being her before and she will be a liability. This is not a fight she should be in."
"That's exactly why I have to fight him. You thin I want to look back on that for the rest of my life and realize that I never had the strength to stand against him?" Liane bit back. "I know I'm not even close to the strongest fighter here… but I refuse to be victimized by him! Even if I'm not the one to bring him down…. I need to help… or he'll haunt me!"
A momentary silence fell in the room, broken only after Kratos shook his head firmly. "No."
"You have NO right-" Liane started to object again before Lloyd moved directly between her and the mercenary.
"Be a part of the infiltration team," the boy spoke, his eyes catching and capturing Liane's complete attention away from the argument.
Liane choked back her assault on Kratos to stare at Lloyd. While it wasn't true relief that came over her, it was a start. She nodded, exhaling a little. "Thank you, Lloyd…." She knew her request could end up getting her killed – but the regrets were something that she couldn't face. She would fight… she wouldn't be scared into inaction. Kratos' jaw set sternly as he shook his head, a faint groan slipping from him that Liane chose to ignore. For better or for worse, she had gotten what she had asked for – now she had to do what she could with it. Taking her place with the infiltration team, she stood beside Genis and then met Sheena's questioning gaze with a small shrug. Even if she couldn't say precisely why she needed it so badly, she knew that she did.
"Let's meet in Kvar's control room," Lloyd spoke, his voice conveying a sense of urgency. They had to be just about out of time… there were probably only a limited number of places that the main computer could be accessed from and the Desians were probably whittling down the possibilities further with every passing moment.
Colette spared a long look at Lloyd before she, Raine, and Sheena turned and hurried from the room. Liane felt a little guilty for not sticking with the plan that Lloyd had made – for pushing his decision to include her. It's not like you can split seven evenly anyway… it only makes sense for the group going after Kvar to be weighted a bit heavier… her mind tried to reason as she followed along with Genis. Kratos had opened the nearby door and started through, Lloyd barely a step behind him as she and the mage hurried to catch up.
The room that opened to them made Liane catch her breath – row upon row of containers stacked to the towering ceiling above chilled her to the bone. All those people… she shook her head, her eyes fixed on the containers as they walked, the cold unfeeling machines going through their motions as metallic limbs filed the capsules into the hive-like arrangement one after the other, giving no regard to the person that was within.
"Liane…"
She looked down at a small tug at the sleeve of her tunic, finding Genis' liquid blue eyes searching hers. With a sigh, she somehow mustered a hint of a smile for her young friend. "Sorry… a little distracting in here…" she sighed.
"Yeah, I know…" the elven boy nodded as he released her and nodded ahead of them to where Lloyd and Kratos were just turning around the end of the row. "No guards so far… but we have to stay together…" he told her in a hushed tone, the metallic walls of the room even echoing that back at them.
Genis was right… she knew that. I asked for this… I knew what we'd be seeing… she chided herself as her steps sped up to match Genis so that they wouldn't be left behind. Other than the ever-present hum of the machinery, the only noise was their footfalls. Which made the conversation between the swordsmen ahead of them stand out even more as they rounded the end of the first wall of containers.
"Soooo… why did you come to Iselia?" Lloyd was asking, obviously needing small talk as he matched his pace to the mercenary beside him.
Kratos shrugged as Liane looked up to them and she couldn't help but snort softly. That's probably the extent of the answer you're going to get, Lloyd… she started to shake her head before her eyes widened in surprise as the mercenary's low voice began to reply.
"I was hired by a rich individual to escort a pilgrimage. I was near Iselia, so I decided to stop by there to look for a new job," Kratos explained as they paused, glancing down the next aisle in caution before continuing.
Lloyd's head tilted a little as he watched the other man. "And there you saw the Oracle?"
Kratos nodded. "You should thank me. If I had not come, you would have died."
Liane froze in her steps, her hand clenching at her sword as she glared at the back of the mercenary's head. Arrogant bastard… she grumbled, what was becoming a term of endearment for the mercenary somehow not finding voice as she caught Genis' gaze flicker up to her as if he was already expecting it. It was a 'yes' or 'no' question….
"You're so condescending," Lloyd grumbled, hesitating in his steps for a moment to shake his head in disbelief to Kratos. "But what makes it worse is that it's true."
As Kratos offered his standard, 'Hmmmm…" Lloyd started ahead of him, continuing to glare at the mercenary until he could no longer comfortably glare over his shoulder at him.
"And I hate it when you do that. It's patronizing…" Lloyd snorted as they started around the end of the middle row of containers.
"Did… Lloyd just use 'condescending' and 'patronizing' correctly in the space of three sentences?" Genis whispered, elbowing Liane in the side, the look on his face not sarcastic, but rather shocked. Liane almost considered chiding Genis for such a thought – and would have, had she not been thinking the same thing. "Raine's never gonna believe this…."
"I guess your dislike for me runs quite deep…" Kratos spoke just loud enough to make it clear that he didn't think the conversation was over with the younger swordsman was over, continuing to follow after Lloyd, but maintaining a small distance between them.
Lloyd paused, turning just enough to shrug back to Kratos. "I don't dislike you. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't speak to you like this," he offered with an explanatory wave of his hand as if it was the most logical thing in the world.
Kratos' head lolled to the side for a moment as he watched Lloyd, finally shaking his head a little and continuing to walk. "I see… I apologize for my prior remarks."
"It's okay…" Lloyd grinned back before he turned and started forward again with a wide shrug. "I was pretty rude about it, too…."
Liane and Genis shared another moment of silence before they followed along behind their companions. The brown-haired girl looked down to her young friend with a shake of her head. "What… just happened there…?" she just barely mouthed the question, mindful of the echoes in the room.
Genis shrugged. Even after all of their years of friendship, it seemed that their friend still maintained his ability to keep them guessing. "Bonding?" he replied as close as possible to silently with a small grimace and then grabbed her wrist to pull her along as they hurried to catch up to the others.
The swordsmen had stopped before a machine in the corner, both of them looking over the control panel which appeared similar to the machines that Raine had been manipulating in the control room. "If we stop this… we can prevent the captives from turning into monsters…" Lloyd murmured, chewing his bottom lip as he eyed the buttons closely for another moment, finally deciding on one of them and poking it, jerking his hand back almost as if he was expecting to be shocked.
"Shutdown in progress…" an all-too-calm voice announced from somewhere above them. There was no malice, no real inflection, and no indication that it was anyone speaking to them, but it was still unnerving. Liane drew her sword and took a few steps away from the console, glancing down the nearby aisle to watch the machinery that was switching the containers out of their places slowly grinding to a halt.
"Shutdown complete."
Kratos turned on his heel and started away. "That takes care of the containers. Hurry. We still have to stop the conveyor belt before we can get to Kvar…" he ordered, starting out ahead of the other three, not looking to any of them as he walked.
"Wow… I knew we were in a hurry… but…" Lloyd grumbled a little before he started after Kratos. But, in contrast, he waited for Liane and Genis to join him.
Liane sighed, keeping her sword in hand as she walked. "We do have to hurry. Even if he is being a jerk about things, he is right in that…" she grumbled a little, not even bothering to drop her voice – and noticing that he made no sign of having heard her.
"You know… I really don't know what's going on with you two…" Lloyd glanced over to her, shrugging a little. "One day, you two are holding hands all cuddly-like… the next day, you're at each other's throats…" he murmured. "He acted like it was going to be so bad to have you come… you guys really need to work this out…" he frowned. "Besides… I didn't think you wanted to come anyway."
"I… wasn't sure…" Liane hesitated, the young swordsman's assessment of the situation between herself and Kratos taking her by surprise. How was she supposed to explain when his observations were about as close to how she saw things as possible – with the only exception being that she knew she'd never use the term 'cuddly.' "But it doesn't sound like you exactly see eye to eye with him either, you know…"
"Oh, that?" Lloyd laughed a little as they rounded the corner of the last row of containers and spotted Kratos ahead of them, waiting by the door. "Nah, we're getting along better. I'm starting to kinda understand how he thinks… maybe…" he shrugged, running his fingers back through his hair. "Or maybe not…."
Genis groaned. "Yeah… that sounds about right. C'mon, guys… let's hurry. The faster we get to Kvar, the faster we get out of here…" he smirked before he trotted out ahead of his friends, leaving them both to their thoughts on exactly what kind of footing they were on with the mercenary.
Lloyd sat on the edge of the inactive warp pad with his elbows braced on his knees, his chin resting in one hand with regular impatient sighs. "They knew where they were going, didn't they? I mean, we all saw the maps, right?" he huffed. "After all that running around… trouncing those guards… now… we just sit here? I mean… Kvar's on the other side of this warp pad… and we're just sitting here!!"
"Maybe they had a few guards to trounce, too…?" Genis offered where he stood against the nearby wall in the alcove that housed the warp pad.
Liane sat back against the wall where she had slumped not far from the two boys, her arms resting on the tops of her knees. "They had to go through hallways… main corridors. I'd bet they ran into more resistance than we did…" she shrugged, feeling a little guilty for leaving Raine and the others to do the initial dirty work of their divided mission. "They'll make it. And we'll know as soon as they do." I hope…. She sighed, letting her head roll to the side, absently watching Kratos pace a few feet away in the main part of the room. He had said very little since they had left the container storage area, stepping in to the couple of minor scuffles that they had found their way into and treating the Desians like some form of stress relief. They were all on the edge, and the wait wasn't helping any of them.
"I can't believe that Exspheres are made from human lives…."
Lloyd's soft words drew the attention of his companions, but his own attention was fixed on the pale blue gem on the back of his hand. It seemed that the wait had even bored him away from their situation, at least for the moment.
Genis shrugged, watching his friend for a moment before he sighed. "I… sort of had a feeling about it."
Lloyd pulled his eyes from his Exsphere to raise an eyebrow to the silver haired mage. "About what?"
Figures… Liane smirked, chuckling softly under her breath. Lloyd must have been pulled deeply into his thoughts to miss a relatively easy bridge to Genis' comment.
"When I received power from my Exsphere, it always felt so warm and gentle," Genis explained with a far-away smile on his lips, turning his hand up to the lights to show his own Exsphere, his small fingers tracing over the smooth surface of the stone. "That was Marble lending me her power. I'm sure your mother, too, has been watching over you this whole time, Lloyd."
Liane looked away, studying the burnished grain in the metal of the panel directly across from her. Maybe it was Marble… maybe it was Anna. Maybe it was their influence that was driving them, giving them strength to keep going… to face Kvar again. Even if she didn't carry an Exsphere, maybe it was those presences that were driving them all… a kind of contagious courage. She couldn't say she didn't feel it… even if she wasn't certain that she had a right to.
Lloyd's smile brightened at his friend's words, the encouragement showing in his voice. "You think so?" he asked, looking back to his Exsphere almost as if expecting it to respond to the hopeful thoughts.
"Yeah!" the younger boy nodded, his smile a happy one in spite of their surroundings, his fingers still stroking his Exsphere fondly.
Whatever it took to encourage the boys… the inspiration was welcome and needed. Liane was grateful to it whether it was true or not. But the odd thing was… it was easy to believe. If everything happened for a reason, then it explained much. They had gotten in and out of the ranch before… they had found Pietro and gotten back in again… why wouldn't it have been the will of the lost women to end Kvar's plans? Sheena, Raine, and Kratos all bore Exspheres as well… so wouldn't the people that gave their lives for those Exspheres want to end the cycle as well?
Those thoughts were shaken as Lloyd scrambled to his feet, his blades clearing their sheathes as he practically stumbled trying to spin around. "It… it's working!!"
Only a moment later, a burst of slowly spinning light erupted from the warp pad. Liane and Genis stood as well, flanking Lloyd as they all stared at the device. The way was open – Raine and her party had succeeded. They should only be but a step away from Kvar's room.
"Kvar is waiting. Draw your weapons… he has to be aware of our presence by now. He might not give us another chance once we go through," Kratos muttered from behind them.
Liane drew her sword and turned just enough to see the mercenary standing, sword in hand as his eyes were fixed on the warp pad. With an exhale that did nothing to help her building nerves, she nodded, watching him as calmly as she could manage. "I suppose you and Lloyd want to go first…."
"I don't want to go first… I AM going first…" Lloyd announced, sparing one more glance around the other three before he started forward.
It wasn't even a heartbeat later that Kratos stalked between Liane and Genis to step onto the warp pad beside Lloyd. The device responded to their presence and flared once again and before any of them could speak again, the swordsmen were gone.
He… he looked so determined… Liane realized, frowning a little as she glanced down to Genis. "Guess it's our turn… "
Genis and Liane materialized in a room that seemed vaguely familiar to the young woman… calling back to their 'visit' to Magnius' chamber at the Palmacosta Human Ranch. Lloyd and Kratos stood only a few steps ahead, both of their frames tensed as they watched the other being in the room. It seemed that Kvar was ignoring them, intent on finishing the conversation he was holding with the green haired woman in the projector.
"So, this is Lloyd," the woman purred from her transparent image, almost hidden behind a bizarre semi-halo of what looked like embellished banners. "I see, he does bear a resemblance."
Lloyd advanced a step, only to be held back by a quick movement of Kratos' arm.
"So, you've come…" Kvar purred out, turning to follow the green haired woman's gaze, stroking his chin thoughtfully before his head snapped back on her. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't change the subject, Pronyma! It's clear you've been stealing research data from my Angelus Project."
Angelus Project… Anna was a part of that… Liane frowned. It almost seemed that Kvar was flaunting his actions once again… ignoring the four intruders to make sure that they heard every word that he was sharing with the scantily clad woman.
Pronyma shifted in the light of the projector, fixing her glare on Kvar once again. "I grow tired of your accusations, Kvar. As I have told you, I know nothing of it," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
Kvar snorted with a stern shake of his head. "…Stubborn woman. I suppose I should expect no less from one who usurped the leadership of the Five Grand Cardinals," he grumbled before one arm fell to his side, his hand coiled into a fist. "Take heed, Pronyma. Once I retrieve the Exsphere from this inferior being, I will become the leader of the Five Grand Cardinals. When that happens, you'll be begging for my forgiveness," he growled out, sparing another glance to Lloyd.
"How can he act like we're not right here?" Genis hissed to Liane, his eyes only leaving the Cardinal for a moment before flashing back to him once again.
"He's showing off… like Lloyd's a trophy. He's just playing with us… trying to show us how insignificant he thinks we are…" Liane murmured, frowning as she saw Lloyd struggle against Kratos' grip, which had moved to his shoulder. The mercenary didn't move, other than the shift of his hand, his attention raptly attached to the conversation between the Cardinals.
"You speak nonsense, Kvar," Pronyma declared with a mocking laugh. "I've also heard that Rodyle has talked you into joining him in one of his schemes…" she continued to laugh, the disdain dripping from the tone of her voice. "But it would be best not to believe that you can deceive Lord Yggdrasill for long…" the woman shrugged beneath the strange wreath that encircled her shoulders before the device flickered and she disappeared, stealing away with the last word.
Kvar stared into the empty space that Pronyma's image had left for just a heartbeat before his shoulders squared. "So the Mana Cannon is no longer a secret. Well, it doesn't matter." He turned just a little, tilting his head to acknowledge his company. "Once I succeed in retrieving that Exsphere, any suspicions I might have been under will be but a distant memory." The Cardinal eyed the four fighters that were advancing slowly on him, a low chuckle rumbling in his throat as he reached to his side and picked up a staff that had been resting against the projector. Casually hefting the weapon, it was easy to see the smug smile growing across his lips as he swept his hand out suddenly. Against the wall behind the projector, a panel slid open and three purple objects hovered out, each set with an angrily glowing red stone at their core – and each crackling with energy.
"Get ready…" Kratos ground out, keeping his free hand planted in the middle of Lloyd's chest and his stance wide as Kvar turned to them, the stone-like objects now flanking him.
But Lloyd was quick to shove the mercenary away, leaping forward before Kratos could catch him again and slicing into one of the stones. "You're not gonna take this from me!!"
It wasn't clear to Liane exactly who Lloyd's enraged declaration was directed towards, but even she could only stare for a moment at the sheer anger that the swordsman attacked with speed she wasn't sure she had ever seen from the boy. His blades were a blur as the stone that had placed itself directly between Lloyd and Kvar took the brunt of his beating. "Sword Rain!!" Lloyd snarled as every one of his hits landed on the defender, the stone flying back past Kvar as the top part of it crumbled to the floor.
"Genis…" Liane grit her teeth as she pushed the boy behind her, hearing Lloyd's growl of frustration as he found that another one of the stones had blocked his path to Kvar. "Can you take that first stone thing out? Whittle them down?" she asked, her grip on the handle of her new sword almost painful as she watched Kratos start after the third of Kvar's defenders.
"On it…" Genis murmured, his concentration clear in his clipped tone. Glancing over her shoulder, Liane saw the pale blue rune circle blink out around the boy as he thrust his kendama out before him toward the stone that was once again advancing behind Lloyd's back. "Drown! Spread!!"
For a moment, nothing happened other than Lloyd and Kratos both connecting attacks to their respective blockers and the first wounded stone's continued stalking behind the younger swordsman's back. Then, barely a heartbeat later, the ground beneath the stone seemed to shatter into an eruption of water not entirely unlike one of the spouts at the Thoda Geyser, tossing the already wounded stone high into the air before it crashed back to the ground and shattered.
Kvar's eyes narrowed on the young mage as he took a step back and casually rocked his staff in his hand. "So good of you, Kratos… to bring back both the boy and the girl you stole from my doctors…" he grinned as the mercenary glanced towards him and then rushed the stone that he had squared off against without acknowledging the taunt.
But Kratos' actions seemed to be how he had chosen to answer the Cardinal, charging forward as wraps of green energy gathered around his sword. "Super Sonic Thrust!!" the mercenary commanded as he loosed the energy on the stone, the blast knocking it back into the wall, shattering it not far from where Genis' prey had fallen.
"Doctor…" Liane snorted, not liking how Kvar had referred to her in the least. Kratos had already spun, locking his sword with Kvar's staff, but Lloyd's blades were singing under the spinning attack on the last of the stones, the Osafune crossed before him as the thing pushed his locked legs back across the floor and away from Kvar. She knew that her techniques hardly earned her a spot with Lloyd and Kratos' assault, she knew that she could at least try to help after she'd put up such a fuss to come in the first place. As she spotted the edge of a rotating ring of pale blue runes peeking out from under her feet, she dipped her sword back, doing her best to mind her stance as her sword arced before her. Focus… Lloyd's close… she coached herself as she kept her eyes on the stone and released the twin crescents of mana towards the stone. "Double Demon Fang!"
Liane's attack halted the stone's pursuit of her friend, giving Lloyd the chance to back step and gather his footing before launching himself into a somersault, both blades stretched out and fairly crackling with mana. "Tempest!" the teen called out, pummeling the stone as chunks fell from its form and it fell to the floor, teetering for a moment before Lloyd landed and planted his foot firmly in its center, sending it crashing to the floor in defeat.
"Lightning Strike!!"
Kvar's chamber erupted with purple light as a column of lightning fell onto Kratos, drawing a pained growl from the mercenary's throat as he fell to his knees, leaving the Cardinal proudly snickering over him. "Pathetic human…" he grinned, taking his staff in both hands as if to swat at the mercenary.
"No! Kratos!" Lloyd called out as he ran past the dazed Kratos slamming his shoulder into the momentarily distracted Kvar and knocking him back from Kratos before he planted his feet and swiped both blades at the Cardinal. The mana from the swordsman's attack shimmered and condensed into the image of a fanged creature that blasted Kvar back even further and off his feet. "Beast!"
"Lloyd… MOVE!" Genis yelled, startling Liane as she turned from Lloyd's hurried retreat to watch the silver haired boy once again push his kendama out, this time directing his attack at Kvar. "Drown!" the boy demanded. "Spread!!"
Kvar had barely climbed back to his feet when Genis' spell struck, tossing him limply into the air with an angered yelp before he flailed back to the ground, his staff skittering from his hand. But the blow had no time to be counted as a victory as the Desian's hand snapped out and pulled his staff back to him, using it to pull himself to his feet, purple runes already beginning to glow in the air around him.
Liane backed off, knowing a spell when she saw one, but also recognizing the opportunity it represented. Drawing her Silver Sword up before her, she closed her eyes as she released just enough of her mana supply to whip around her and form into softly glowing green runes. Just a moment longer….
"Air Thrust!"
Kratos' voice startled Liane just enough to make her scramble to keep her concentration on her own spell, but her eyes flashed to where the mercenary had regained his feet and was sending a barrage of pale blades flying at the Desian.
But Kvar merely chuckled as the blades ricocheted from his staff, his posture straightening even as his gaze fixed on Genis, all but ignoring Kratos' attack. "Little fool…" he purred, the air around him beginning to crackle with energy as he advanced a step towards the mage, ignoring the others for the moment.
He was guarding while he was casting…? Liane's mind choked before her eyes shot back to Genis. "Genis… get away!" Liane screamed at her friend – but it was too late, as Kvar's malicious show of power coiled around the mage with a slightly growing orb of swirling blue-purple mist.
"Why would you stand against me?" the Cardinal shook his head in mock pity before his staff swept out, seeming to igniting the energy that swirled around Genis. "This is the end! Spark Wave!!"
The boy was thrown back as the spell enveloped him, his cry barely audible over the crackling energy. He didn't even try to keep his feet as he crumpled to the ground, the only sound in the chamber being the dry chuckling of the Cardinal. "Traitor."
Lloyd's anguished howl made Kvar turn his amused smile back to the young swordsman, the teen's blades already alight with mana. "Not Genis, too! Hurricane thrust!" Lloyd ground out through clenched teeth, the attack blasting out and pushing Kvar back across the floor, his staff grinding against the floor as he hid behind the weapon.
Liane glanced over to the still-unmoving form of her elven friend, her heart sinking as she saw the bright runes of Kratos' healing spell begin to materialize in the air around the mercenary. She spun, her braid swinging over her shoulder as she tightened her grip on her sword and scrambled to reclaim the mana her distraction over Genis' assault had almost cost her. This is for you, Genis… she thought as her spell came back to life. "Wind Blade!" she called out, completing the spell and sending a trio of blades at the Cardinal.
Kvar snarled as one of the blades slipped around his defenses and cut into his upper arm, his free hand going to cover the wound as his thin gaze pinned the girl. "You are interesting…" he purred. "Much more interesting than the last time we met. I simply can't wait to get you back into the lab…" he grinned before he spotted Lloyd's movements to his side, his hand moving from his arm fluidly – almost casually. "Not a chance. Lightning Strike!" the Desian smiled maliciously, a column of purple lightning falling towards Lloyd. The swordsman dropped into a roll, narrowly dodging the brunt of the attack with a startled yelp.
Goddess… he cast that without even blinking… Liane gaped, cringing as Lloyd rolled back to his feet and threw himself at Kvar once again.
"Lightning Strike!"
Lloyd had made an assumption – just as any of them might have – that Kvar would need time to mount another attack. The second column of lightning that fell directly on the brunette swordsman proved them all wrong as Lloyd convulsed and dropped to his knees, his head thrown back in pain.
He's so fast…! Liane's hand moved to her belt pouch with a frown as she tried to use the glower that Kvar still held on the dazed form of her friend to find an apple gel and to slip around the Desian to try to get closer to Lloyd. Can we even do this…?
"Pathetic, really…" Kvar shook his head. "You have no idea of the power you carry. You don't deserve it… you worthless –"
"Kvar!!"
Liane stopped, her head snapping in the direction of Kratos' voice – shocked to see the mercenary practically airborne, his sword already in mid-slash. Where… did he come from…? He was healing Genis…? Her eyes flickered back to the mage, relief flooding through her as she saw that not only was the boy standing, he was once again weaving his mana into the rune circle of a spell.
"Hell Pyre!!" Kratos' firm voice drew her attention from Genis, leveling his sword at the Cardinal as his leap began its downward travel, three fire balls launching from the outstretched weapon and slamming into Kvar, knocking him away from Lloyd.
The attack was timed perfectly, buying Liane enough time to slip in beside Lloyd and press the apple gel into his hand as she slipped under his arm and pulled him back, using Kratos' presence as cover. "Eat fast, Lloyd…" she murmured, looking up to see Genis open his stance and gesture out towards Kvar with his kendama.
"It's pancake time…" the young mage grinned as the mana of his rune circle dissolved, changing into a sparkling current that ran across the floor and momentarily pooled at Kvar's feet. "Stalagmite!"
Even as Genis' spell reared up beneath Kvar, large monoliths of rock erupting beneath his feet and then collapsing on him, the young elf ran to Lloyd's other side, helping Liane drag the swordsman further away as Lloyd popped the last of the gel into his mouth. "Yeah, Lloyd… for once, eat faster…" the younger boy hissed.
"That won't help, you fools…" Kvar snarled, staggering for just a moment before he surged forward again, side-stepping around Kratos in a rush as he approached the three younger fighters. Gripping his staff in both hands, he thrust the end of his staff into the floor and leapt up, hovering in the air as ring upon ring of runes began to radiate from the staff… spreading out and beneath all three of them.
"Go away…" Kvar bit out, landing and snatching his staff back, sweeping it out at them, the act seeming like it uncorked the building spell as the ground erupted in an upward rain of energy. "Guardian Shield!"
Liane, Genis, and Lloyd were blasted back by the very tangible streamers of light, scattering the three friends as Kvar laughed. Liane hit the floor harshly, sprawled face down behind the projector. "Uhnnn…" she groaned, wincing at the sharp sting of her forehead, her sword still clenched tightly in her hand as her mind screamed for her to get up. Lifting her head, she glared at Kvar as she stood, surveying his victims – her friends – as they were sprawled on the floor around her. "Bastard."
"Shut up, J620," Kvar snapped, rolling his eyes over to her in a show of exasperation. "Some discipline will do you all good…" he grinned for only a moment before the expression faltered, angry red tendrils of mana suddenly splintering out beneath his feet.
Kratos stood a few feet behind the Cardinal, his sword braced out before him as red runes spun around him, his bangs floating just a little before a hint of a smirk curled his lips, the runes illuminating his expression. "Ready…? Eruption!"
Kvar's scream echoed from the smooth walls as lava exploded beneath him before he could guard. But the howl encouraged Liane to press past the silent assessment she had been making of her own condition, reminding herself that she still had her sword, and she could still help stop Kvar. Stumbling just a little as she found her feet, Liane used the slight flail in her bid for balance to charge her blade and swing the mana away. "Demon Fang!" she called out, managing to stay upright for just long enough to see her attack strike the Desian before she fell back to her knees. That's it… no more….
"Aqua Edge!" Genis' weary voice could barely be heard over Kvar's groan as the Cardinal clung to his staff in a desperate bid to stay upright.
Liane could see a thin trail of blood creeping from the Genis' temple, but other than that, it didn't seem that he could be in too much worse shape than she was – tired, beaten-up, but still determined to finish the fight.
As the three pale discs of Genis' water attack crashed into the Cardinal, Lloyd stepped in closer, his shoulders heaving as he crossed his blades out before him. "Give up… Kvar…."
The Desian snorted, his disdain accompanied by what looked to be a pained cough as his hand swept out again. "Take this…" he wheezed, the air crackling once again around his staff. "Lightning!"
Despite the wobble in the swordsman's stance, he drew his swords protectively out in front of himself. "Guardian…" he commanded, his voice weaker with the bolt of Lightning bouncing off of his mana bubble. Lloyd only waited for a moment for Kvar's attack to dissipate before he ground his teeth and leapt up into the air, slashing at the Cardinal on the way up and then once more on the way down. "Tiger Blade!"
Kvar choked and stumbled forward, his chin dipping forward to his chest and his staff clattering to the ground as he collapsed to the floor. "I was… so… close…" he wheezed out before he slumped to the ground.
Lloyd leaned forward as the form of their adversary went limp, a tired exhale slipping from him just before he sucked it back in, a shimmering green glow absorbing into him as his eyes flickered back to Kratos. Offering the mercenary a quick nod, he straightened his frame and walked closer to Kvar. His expression darkened as he nudged the Cardinal with the side of his foot, both blades still clenched tightly in his hands. "I did it, Mom… you've been avenged…" he murmured softly.
Chewing the edge of her lip, Liane moved to her friend's side, placing her hand on his shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Genis shimmer green for just a heartbeat, and she knew that their younger friend was safe. But her concern for Lloyd was still strong. He had fought so hard – taken a severe beating at the hands of Kvar. She could understand his desire to set things right, but at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder if it was just another way he had found to punish himself for not remembering her – that he had lived while she had died?
At the sound of footsteps behind, Liane glanced over her shoulder and turned with Lloyd to see that the other part of their group had joined them. Colette approached to stand beside Lloyd, watching him with a worried eye as she looked from the swordsman and back to the crumpled form of Kvar.
"We've learned of Chocolate's location," Raine murmured a bit distractedly, looking between the members of Lloyd's party and the fallen Desian Cardinal.
Lloyd's posture stiffened at the Professor's words, looking around Colette to search the Professor's expression with an air of disbelief. "Really?"
"Ouch… good thing he's on the ground or I'd say you look worse than he does…" Sheena chuckled softly as she moved to stand with Liane, craning her neck just a little to offer Liane a sympathetic smile.
Liane sheathed her sword and reached up to her forehead, a sharp sting making her wince before she pulled her hand away to find her fingertips coated with a thin layer of sticky red. "Heh… yeah… leave it to me to be the one that can't figure out how to roll with a hit…" she shrugged, certain that she could feel Kratos' eyes on her from across the group. He had healed Lloyd and Genis both, but he hadn't even attempted such a feat for her. Dismissing the thought with a shrug, she tried to smile for the black-haired young woman. It's not like you've been so receptive to it in the past… she chastised herself. "It'll heal fast enough. Maybe even remind me to not get thrown to the ground so much…."
"Oh, stop… you have healers here…" Sheena grabbed Liane's arm and started to tug her towards the Professor. "Hey, Raine – "
"Look out!"
Colette's voice rang out in the paneled room, shaking them all from their individual conversations in time to see the Chosen grab Lloyd and pull him back, spinning her back to Kvar, who had somehow found his feet again. The passage of time seemed to nearly grind to a halt as the glinting head of the Cardinal's staff sliced through the air. It was a deadly whisper in the stunned silence of the room – until the sickly sound of ripping fabric replaced it, Colette's defense of her friend leaving her vulnerable to the attack.
As Colette slumped forward into Lloyd's arms, the young swordsman could only gape at her, stunned. Colette?!"
Bracing herself against Lloyd's chest, the blonde girl looked up, searching his expression. "Lloyd… are you okay…?"
"Yeah…" Lloyd breathed out, staring back at her for a moment before looking over her shoulder to see Kvar wobble and drop his staff. "But you're…."
Liane stared in horror along with the others as a crimson gash began to stain the pristine white of the back of Colette's tunic. Without batting an eye, Colette had taken Lloyd's place before Kvar's attack, placing the importance of her life – the entire journey, even – behind that of her friend's. No… it… it can't be over… not like this…!
"I'm fine, really…" Colette protested, puling back just a little further to offer the swordsman and the others an almost out-of-place smile as Kvar turned and started to shuffle towards the back of the room, one hand clutched to his side.
"You bastard!" Lloyd snarled after the Cardinal's retreating form as Raine stepped forward to gather Colette protectively into her arms.
A soft 'poof' and a rush of air puzzled Liane for just a moment before she realized that Sheena had disappeared from her side, reappearing in front of Kvar – her card drawn across her chest and her glare cold on the Cardinal as she blocked his path. Drawing her own sword, Liane followed Sheena's example, moving before she even realized what she was doing to grab Kvar's arm and crank it up behind his back – a harsher version of a move she had learned out of necessity growing up around Lloyd and Genis. "You think you can just walk away?" she demanded, jerking him back closer despite how her skin crawled being that close to him. She spun him back to the others, the Desian's ragged breaths coming out as a hacked cough at the action. But before she could force Kvar back to the others, a sickly noise made her stop. She looked around the half-elf's shoulder to spot Lloyd standing before the Cardinal, one of his swords lodged in Kvar's gut, and hatred like she had never seen in him burning in his eyes.
Before Liane could even react to the sight, Kratos was before her as well, his hand closing over her forearm and jerking her away from Kvar. The mercenary met her eyes for only a moment before he flung her away from the Cardinal with one hand and silently echoed Lloyd's actions with his own sword. Barely able to keep from sprawling to the floor once again, Liane spun, ready to once again protest the mercenary's treatment, but the sight before her killed her angered words long before they could find breath.
"Kratos…" Kvar wheezed out, staring dumbly down at the blades that had pierced him below his armored chest plate before he blinked and glared back up to the mercenary. "You pathetic, inferior being!"
The mercenary advanced on Kvar, the Desian's weakening legs almost buckling as he took a step back, removing himself with a choke from both blades. The movement freed Kratos to draw his sword up, pausing to fix his predatory glare on Kvar before the blade arced back down, cutting into the Cardinal again. "Feel the pain…" Kratos ground out, using the momentum of his strike to follow the collapsing Desian with a second swing, "… of those inferior beings…" he continued as the second swing connected and Kvar crumbled to the ground, "… as you burn in hell!!"
Every part of the mercenary was visibly tensed as he stood over Kvar. Kratos continued to glare at his beaten foe in the stunned silence of the room until a long, tormented breath issued from the Desian and his form went utterly limp, his life skittering away from his grasp. The swordsman glared at Kvar's broken form for a moment longer before he finally drew a long breath and sheathed his sword, turning on his heel and striding to where Liane had been observing. His gaze was still cold as he reached out to push her bangs back, eyeing the raw, bloody scrape for a moment before he closed his eyes, pale runes swirling in the air around them.
Liane was frozen in place, startled by his sudden attention, much less his touch. She flinched as his fingers brushed lightly over the shallow scrape, though not entirely from the sting. Liane had just seen him kill… she could still see the bloodlust in his eyes, but at the same time, she couldn't look away – she couldn't move out of his reach. Any other time, she would have objected to what he was silently offering, but this time, she found herself unable to speak, much less move. Part of it was easily fear and shock – but she couldn't deny that at the moment, she was afraid of him. But there was something else… something oddly reassuring as the runes blazed just a little brighter around them.
"Don't overdo it…" the mercenary whispered as he invoked his healing spell. "First Aid…" he completed the spell, watching for a moment as the steadily oozing wound slid closed before he removed his hand and let her bangs fall back down again. Then, with a sigh, he cast another last glance over his shoulder to Kvar and then stalked back across the room to the warp pad.
"Colette… that wound…"
Raine's concerned tone snapped Liane out of her thoughts, looking over to see that the Professor had turned Colette to inspect the gash that the Chosen had received from Kvar's attack. But even as her friends gathered around Colette, Liane couldn't keep her eyes from trailing after Kratos, watching as he found a place against the wall and leaned back against it, his chin falling forward enough to obscure any view of his face. It seemed obvious that he wanted to be alone – yet, she still felt that she should have said something – even a 'thank you.' Even though she hadn't asked for – nor did she think that she had needed – a healing spell, Liane frowned with guilt before she sighed and turned back to the others. Colette's needs were more pressing than those of the brooding mercenary at the moment.
Genis had already moved to the blonde girl's side, taking her hand in both of his. "Colette, hang on!"
Lloyd had slowly sheathed his blades, his complexion a shade paler than he normally wore as he had allowed his gaze to linger on Kvar's remains. Then he turned, his previously unreadable expression suddenly flashing to concern as he approached the Chosen, his frown deepening as he gently pushed at her shoulder to get her to turn. "Colette! Your wound…."
Quick to shake her head and offer her friends a bright smile, Colette pulled out of Lloyd's grip. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm really okay," she shrugged with an attempt at a laugh. "Fore some reason, it doesn't hurt. Strange, huh?"
"You certainly are not okay!" Sheena declared, obviously having her fill of Colette's attempted show of bravery. She turned to the Professor, her hands gesturing in helpless frustration. "Raine, you can use healing arts, right?!"
Raine nodded, but her eyes were shifting between Sheena and Colette as if she was struggling with something. "Yes, but…" the silver haired woman huffed.
Liane stepped closer to Colette, placing her hand on her shoulder, careful to avoid the girl's wounds. When Colette looked over to her, Liane was almost startled. While the Chosen had never liked people to worry over her – to be treated any differently because of her role of the Chosen – there was no pain in her eyes. There was a flicker of frustration, but no physical pain. "Colette…?" she murmured, trying to understand what was happening to her friend. Even if the wound was shallow – which it didn't appear to be – there should have been something… discomfort of some sort. Not that she wished it on her friend, but it simply was wrong to be utterly absent.
An exasperated grunt escaped from Lloyd. "Colette, I can't keep it a secret any longer!" he declared, drawing the group's puzzled expressions and concern to him. "Everyone, listen to what I have to say! Colette can no longer feel anything," he stated, blurting out a truth that it seemed he had been keeping painfully pent up.
"What?" Genis exclaimed, planting his hands on his hips, his eyes piercing the young swordsman in challenge. "What do you mean?"
"Colette is growing closer to becoming an angel," Lloyd sighed, offering Genis a helpless shrug before looking back to Colette. "Now, she can't sleep or feel hot or cold or pain or anything. She can't even cry! Becoming an angel means losing her humanity!" she swordsman stood, allowing his revelation to sink in to each of them before he sighed, his shoulders heaving as he met the blonde girl's eyes apologetically.
Liane turned, watching Colette, hoping she would tell Lloyd that he was wrong – that the price she was paying to save Sylvarant wasn't truly that high. But when Colette's gaze merely fell to the floor, she could see that such a denial wasn't going to come. I… I don't wish her pain… but to not feel anything…?
"Lloyd, it's okay…" Colette sighed, finally looking up to the swordsman with a smile – but this time, it was much more of a resolute expression – not one for forced reassurance. "I'm okay, so… right now, we need to do something about this ranch." She reached out to take his hand, seeking his eyes as if to guide his focus. "Right, Lloyd?"
Lloyd stared back at the Chosen for a long moment, almost as if he was trying to rally his objection to her words. But when such a stand didn't come, he nodded and glanced over his shoulder to the elder Sage sibling. "Professor, can you destroy it like last time?"
Raine continued to watch Colette, keeping her hand poised on her brother's shoulder before she sighed and turned, her eyes searching the nearby banks of controls. "I'll give it a try," she murmured distractedly, her fingers hovering over a row of buttons before she began pressing them one by one.
"That's kind of extreme," Sheena grumbled before she shrugged and drew her card from the pink sash at her waist, "… but I suppose it is the best idea."
The lights overhead once again began to blink crimson, alarms filling the air as Raine turned back to the group and pointed to the warp pad. "That's it… we have to go… now…" the Professor insisted. "Colette… can you…"
The blonde girl nodded as Lloyd slipped under her arm. "I'll be fine – don't worry. Besides, we have to make sure all the prisoners got out, too."
As the others started to file out of the room, Liane glanced over to Sheena as they waited their turn to leave. "Prisoners? You found them all, then?" she asked as Raine flickered from their sight and they stepped up to take her place as the last pair of the group to evacuate the control room.
"All of them that hadn't been transferred," Sheena answered with a dejected shrug. "It's not everyone… but if we can get anyone out of here, it's worth it."
Liane nodded in agreement and tensed as the pad hummed to life beneath them. As the room began to fade around then, she allowed her eyes to fall on Kvar's shell once again. This ends here, Kvar. You'll never have me… or my friends.
- - - - -
The ground shook from the residual death-throes of the Asgard Human Ranch and Liane finally ventured a look over the boulder that she had chosen for shelter from the blast. Flames still burned around the perimeter of the compound, but the fallout seemed to have finally settled, making it seem at least a little safer to come out of hiding. The others were scattered in the woods nearby along with the prisoners that Raine's party had released.
It's over… she told herself, standing and brushing the dust from her blue tunic. The ranch would no longer offer the Desians a place to torture humans – to grow and harvest their Exspheres. There's still another ranch… she frowned at the thought of the compound that still shadowed her hometown – how the same thing was happening there and likely had been for years. The journey… it should still stop the Desians… right? She tried to nurse the encouraging thought, attempting to distract herself from thoughts of ever having to return to another ranch. Then she spotted Lloyd not too far away, helping Colette to her feet – Genis and Raine gravitating closer to them – and Kratos milling just a little further away amongst the prisoners. If it needs to be done… we'll do it….
"There she is!"
Turning at the sound of Sheena's voice, she stopped short when she found herself face to face with a ghost from her recent past. "W-Wendall?" she sputtered as the black-haired girl giggled and patted the weaponsmith on the back as she walked away.
"See? Told ya she was here…" Sheena grinned, offering Liane something similar to an innocent shrug. "You two… talk. I'll go see what's going on with the others…."
"Sheena…" Liane exhaled, shaking her head a little at the other girl's not-so-sneaky attempt at matchmaking. Even through she knew her cheeks were warm, she finally turned to meet Wendall's amused brown eyes. "I'm… glad you're okay…" she managed along with a smile for her new friend.
Wendall laughed a little awkwardly, still doing his best to keep her eyes. "Yeah, Dad is, too… they never got around to doing much with our group," he shrugged. "But I was really worried about you and Sheena – no one seemed to remember either of you being here. When Sheena came in with the other women, she said you were safe, too," he smiled a little, running one hand back through his hair. "I didn't mean to embarrass you… I didn't think she'd just drag me over here like this…."
"Oh, I'm not embarrassed," Liane lied, rewarded for the act with an even hotter burning in her cheeks. "I'm just glad you're safe…" she sighed, her fluster giving way to her memories of Luin's current state. "Luin is going to need your skills if it's going to be rebuilt."
The black haired man's smile faded at her words, exhaling as he turned his gaze to the south. "Luin always rebuilds," he sighted before he looked back to her. "It will just be even better now… the ranch is gone." His smile returned a little as he tilted his head to watch her. "Thanks to the Chosen and all of you."
"Wendall…" she started to protest, but then chuckled. "I told you that you give my fighting skills way too much credit. I was there, but I didn't do much…" Liane shrugged, one hand moving to close over the handle of her sword.
Wendall smiled, nodding as his eyes followed her hand. "I'm sure you did fine… a new sword puts new life into every fighter… I'm certain that at very least, you were safer. A Silver Sword is really a good choice…."
Liane glanced down, kicking herself for being surprised that he of all people would notice her new weapon. With a small laugh, she drew the blade about halfway from its sheath. At least it will hold an edge," she smiled as the smith leaned down a little to inspect the weapon. "A… friend… gave it to me after I lost my short sword," she explained, not entirely certain that her description of the mercenary was correct, but at a loss for finding anything more precise.
"He's good that you have friends like that," Wendall nodded appreciatively as he stood, his eyes moving to a group that was gathering nearby. He was quiet for a long moment before he finally looked back down to her. "Liane… you know… if Luin is as bad as I've heard… there will be plenty of jobs there… both rebuilding and after…?"
She looked up to him, her eyes widening. Is he… asking me to come back? Her mind chewed over the implication, momentarily speechless before she found her smile for him again. "Maybe… once the journey is over, I'll give it another try. But right now…" Liane sighed, shaking her head. "Now, I'd worry about them too much."
Chuckling, Wendall nodded and took a step back. "I think you've figured out that Luin has room for everyone. If you decide to come back, I'm sure you'll find a place."
Liane actually felt bad for just a moment. She had been so certain that Luin was where she belonged… now she was certain that it simply wasn't the time. Somehow, the uncertainty of the journey had become more of a draw to her than a single place to call her own. Her worries, her thoughts, and her heart would be with her friends – it didn't make sense for the rest of her not to be as well. "I'll be back, Wendall…" she smiled. "And if we pass through again before the journey is over, I'll be sure to stop and say 'hello' –"
"Liane. We are leaving."
Jumping at the intrusion of the mercenary's voice, Liane glanced over her shoulder to find Kratos standing behind her, his arms crossed impatiently. "Oh, okay…" she murmured as she turned back to Wendall again. "I guess… I have to go…" Liane sighed, stepping to the side so that the two men could face each other. "This is Kratos Aurion… one of my friends from the journey…" she offered, deciding not to toy with semantics for the moment as she glanced back to the mercenary. "Kratos, this is –"
"Wendall Thane…" Wendall thrust his hand out to the swordsman without hesitation. "Nice to meet you!"
Kratos regarded the younger man for a moment as if searching him for something before he nodded curtly. But he made no effort to accept the greeting. "Yes. Liane, if you are coming, we're leaving. Now…" Without another word, he turned and strode back toward the others, leaving Liane to stare after him and Wendall to chuckle a little as he drew his hand back to his side.
"Goddess… I knew he wasn't a people person, but…" Liane breathed out, almost ashamed for Kratos' behavior. "I'm so sorry…!"
Wendall waved off her concern with a laugh. "When you see as many swordsmen as I do, you pretty much have to expect them to be cold. Don't worry about it." He looked up, watching the other man's retreating form for a moment before he shook his head. "Maybe I've just met him before, though. He seems familiar…."
Liane's frown was beyond her control. 'Cat-toes! Cat-toes!' the voice from her dream rang in her memories before she finally recovered enough to shrug. "Maybe… I guess most mercenaries aren't known for their manners, huh?" she tried to laugh as she faced him again. "I guess I have to go… but… be careful, okay? Luin is in pretty bad shape."
"It won't be the next time you see it," Wendall laughed, taking another step back from her. "You be careful, too. Get him to teach you some new tricks to go with that new sword…" he grinned, turning and offering her a wave over his shoulder. "Bye, Liane…."
"Bye, Wendall…" she sighed, watching him walk back to the other prisoners before she shook her head. Liane knew that this was the only decision she could truly make – not being with her friends at that moment was not an option. Squaring her shoulders, she embraced the truth in realization and started walking towards where Lloyd and all of the others stood near the path that led away from the ranch.
"Aww, come on… you could have at least kissed him goodbye," Genis whined as she got closer, his smug giggle answered by a swift snap of his sister's hand to the back of his head. "Owwwww!"
Lloyd snickered where he remained under Colette's arm, starting to guide her as Kratos led the group down the path. "Hey, as long as I get to be there when Michael figures out he's been replaced, I don't care what else she does."
"Michael will be sad…" Colette chimed in with a shrug, her voice still not betraying any sign of pain as she smiled back to Liane before holding her hand to her mouth and giggling.
"Colette… not you, too…" Liane groaned before she shot a glare at Sheena. "You planned all of this, didn't you?"
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," Sheena blinked, her expression a mask of innocence. "He was worried – I pointed him in your direction. Not my fault your friends enjoy the drama this much. I didn't tell them anything."
Liane sighed as she heard Lloyd and Genis snickering ahead of her. "Leaving it to their imaginations is even worse…" she groaned, shaking her head as Kratos led them out onto the plains and then to the east. "We're not going back to Luin?"
"They decided Asgard would be a safer place for Colette to rest," the former assassin shrugged. "Personally, the idea of a roof over my head for the night is sounding pretty good at the moment, so I'm not complaining."
Here we go again… Liane's mind whispered, unable to voice an opinion either way. It was almost as if she'd never left. Other than the new member of their party, everything was falling back into step again after the obstacle Luin and the Asgard Ranch had presented to them all had been conquered. While it seemed that Kratos had wavered for a moment on being kinder to her, she felt completely shut out once again. And why was he so rude to Wendall? Like he cares who my friends are. I'm just never going to figure him out, she snorted softly, shaking her head.
Liane turned in her blankets, packing her pillow closer into the corner in yet another futile effort to get comfortable. She wasn't tired – and closing her eyes was no different from keeping them open – either way, she was simply awake in the dark.
It's all so much worse than we thought….
As much as she wanted to kick herself for it, it was the truth. Looking back, it was so obvious that there would be a price for something so miraculous as the regeneration of an entire world. But just the very essence of 'becoming' meant that something was changed – something was left behind.
Angels shouldn't have to know what suffering is… should they?
Maybe Colette was right – maybe once her transformation was complete, maybe she would be better. But… why would anyone just be born for the purpose of suffering? If she was meant to be an angel… shouldn't she simply have been born one? It just still didn't seem right – the welfare of the entire world on one girl's shoulders. It didn't matter that it was how it had always been – that didn't make any better.
The sound of a pillow falling to the floor tickled the edges of her hearing and coaxed her to sit up. Sheena had been sleeping restlessly since the lights had been turned out. The Professor had insisted on Colette staying in her room, allowing Genis to stay with Lloyd and Kratos. She still doesn't trust Sheena… Liane breathed out as she reached for her boots and pulled them on. She could hardly blame the elven woman, not when she had been hesitant to trust Sheena as well. But the girl had fought alongside them… he concern for Colette had even seemed sincere enough – even though convincing the Chosen to stop her quest would still go along with Sheena's original apparent motives. At least it seems we've evolved from trying to kill each other, though… that has to count for something….
Fastening her sword belt, Liane carefully crossed the room and opened the door as quietly as she could, trying not to disturb her roommate's rest. As the light from the hallway flooded in through the cracked door, she paused to pick up Sheena's pillow and place it carefully back on the edge of her bed before she slipped out of the room and down the stairs to the lobby. Nodding a quick greeting to the weary-looking night desk clerk, she pulled the front door of the inn open and stepped out into the chilled night air.
Glancing to her left, Liane frowned and shook her head, forbidding herself from wandering that way - she still didn't understand what had happened the last time she had given her feet control to wander where they would, and she wouldn't make that mistake again. I'll go back up to the ruins if nothing else… she sighed, tugging her sleeves down around her hands. Liane knew she should be exhausted – the fight had drained almost all of her meager supply of mana, and just the thought of facing the Cardinal was draining. Sure, they had won, but who was to say that the next fight wouldn't be worse – a pattern that could easily carry through to the end of the journey.
It was thoughts like that that kept sleep at bay for her. If we have to fight, we'll fight…she sighed. 'You all need to learn to see beyond the moment stop living from fight to fight…' Kratos' words came back to her as she walked down the darkened path, what was left of the mom almost entirely obscured by clouds. 'There will always be another fight. A tougher fight… sometimes against things that you never even thought you'd face…' she whispered, almost surprised at how cleanly she remembered the mercenary's now almost-prophetic comments. She had never thought she'd be a ranch prisoner – she didn't think she would be back with her friends after she'd left to find her own way. But all of it had come to pass already. I guess he's right… dreading what could come next distracts us from what will happen in the end… we have to have a goal… not just live in fear…. While it shouldn't have been that much of a revelation, it still gave her some comfort.
Drawing a deep breath of the cold night air, Liane glanced ahead to see the shadowed arch that seemed to function as the entry portal for Asgard. While she was armed, she didn't think that venturing out of the town alone was probably a wise choice. So she turned, her eyes surveying the silent town that seemed to melt into the rock cliffs by night. Guess I should head back… maybe I can –
"When will I finally be able to stop saying, "I didn't know"?"
Liane froze at the sound of the voice she knew all too well, her eyes flickering up to try to spot Lloyd. Not far ahead of her, she spotted two figures sitting on the edge of a small stone footpath that bridged the gap that above the passage back to one of Asgard's famous caves.
Kratos?
"Not knowing is not a crime…" the mercenary's quiet voice answered Lloyd's question.
Liane was certain that she never would have heard them had they not been surrounded by stone that saw fit to share the conversation with her.
"Crime is remaining complacent in your ignorance and feeling no shame. Humans are… far too powerless to know everything," Kratos continued, almost swallowed into the shadows beside Lloyd.
The younger swordsman's answering sigh rang out as he kicked his heels back into the stone. Neither of the men showed any sign of recognizing her presence, so she stepped a little closer to the nearby storefront. Lloyd needed guidance at the moment – with all that he had learned and done over the last few days. He had been so sullen as Raine had shooed him from Colette's side, his unwillingness to accept what was happening almost painful to watch.
"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Lloyd finally cobbled his words together with almost a growl in his tone. "But I still hate the fact that I didn't know. I feel so ashamed for not knowing anything about my parents."
His parents? Liane had been expecting her friend to be brooding over the role fate had cast Colette into… but even at that, she knew that after all this time, she should know Lloyd better than that. It was all falling on him at once – the truths of Colette's duty and their journey, pieces of his own lost past – it seemed almost cruel to not think that Lloyd would be grasping for a way to make sense of it all. Oh, Lloyd… no one blames you…. She wanted to go to him, but he was already confiding in Kratos – she didn't want him to pull back into himself.
"Your parents care only that you are well. Even if you don't know anything about them, your safety is enough."
Liane's jaw fell open in surprise at the mercenary's amazingly sensitive reply. After he had been so cold to the boy before when the topic had come up, she was amazed at the words he used – not to mention the fact that he even sounded sincere. If I hadn't heard it with my own ears….
Lloyd glanced over to Kratos with a shrug. "I wonder if you're right…" he mumbled, pulling himself to his feet and shoving his hands into his pockets. "I hope so." The teen's voice died on a gust of howling wind that served to shatter the quiet of the moment, and then he chuckled. "I'm going to try to go to bed then… thanks, Kratos…" he murmured before he wandered back across the bridge and hopped down the last ramp to the lower level of the town.
Barely having enough time to duck into the passage to the cave, Liane watched Lloyd pass by, grateful that he didn't seem to notice that she was there. She hadn't wanted to intrude – and making her presence known would have only delayed or denied the swordsman his chance to vent. Waiting for Lloyd to get closer to the inn, Liane started to move to follow after him, planning on staying in the shadows as long as she could to avoid making a scene.
"Haven't we already played out this scene?"
Liane cringed, her head snapping up to see Kratos leaning over the edge of the footbridge and watching her, his elbows braced on his knees and his hands clasped out before him. "I… didn't want to disturb you… or Lloyd… I thought that if he had seen me –"
"I saw you when you wandered by the first time," Kratos sighed, sitting back on the bridge. "It would seem that sleep is being somewhat elusive tonight?"
Liane chewed her lip in momentary indecision, finally turning and making her way up the ramps to the footbridge herself. When Kratos didn't move – or act to stop her, she sat down on the edge of the bridge as well, somehow keeping herself from asking if he was going to try to choke her for eavesdropping. "There's… just a lot to think about…" she shrugged, dropping her eyes to the ground below, almost groaning as she realized how she and her ivory tunic must have been so obvious. Lloyd must have been really distracted….
"So it would seem…" Kratos murmured in response. "The assassin is asleep?"
"Her name is Sheena," Liane sighed, shaking her head a little. "And yes… she's asleep, though I'm not sure how with the way she's tossing and turning…."
Kratos was silent as another gust of wind wrapped over them finally drawing a breath when the wind settled. "You haven't been to sleep either?"
"Liane chuckled softly and shrugged, her hands curling over the cool stone edge beneath her. "A lot has happened in the last few days… not exactly sleep-promoting."
"I suppose so."
Frowning as her mind began to formulate a barrage of questions. Liane knew she couldn't push too hard, or things would end up like the night before… with Kratos shutting down and her angry at him for it. So she finally chose one and worked with the wording, deciding it actually could lead into another question that she had. "Kratos… why didn't you want me to go to Kvar? Is it because you think I'm weak?" she asked, careful to keep her voice even and unaccusing.
"I felt that it was unnecessary with what you had already faced in the ranch…" Kratos replied casually, hardly waiting long enough for her to finish her question. Yet, despite answering her, he still didn't look at her – instead, he kept his gaze fixed out over the darkened town. "And I don't think you are weak."
She was surprised enough by his explanation, but, when he continued, her eyes grew wide. "Then… maybe… you can teach me more with my sword?" she ventured hesitantly, knowing that she was already pushing her luck after already receiving the closest thing to a compliment that she had ever gotten from him.
He turned to her, the breeze tossing his bangs just a little – just enough to allow her a glimpse of his piercing mahogany eyes. "Do you think you are strong enough to learn more?"
Liane considered his question, chewing at the edge of her lip once again. Her pride wanted her to answer to answer him, and answer him quickly, but she somehow managed to take a moment to try to construct her answer. "You told me that I have to push – that I have to be ready to press what I know I can do – "
"That's not an answer. I asked if you think you are strong enough."
Hesitating for only a moment, Liane's temper flared just a little at his tone. "I know I am," she answered with a defensive tone she had held at bay for too long. "I need options. Two sword techniques and a wind spell get to be fairly useless pretty quick," she shook her head. "And I want to learn more spells, too." Might as well nail the coffin shut and give him the whole list….
Kratos snorted, chuckling quietly as he again looked away. "Spells will be harder on you. You're lucky to be able to cast the spell you have without an Exsphere."
"Then I cast a single stronger spell and don't have to use my sword techniques as much. I'm willing to accept that," she shrugged, setting her jaw. "If I'm going to be here, I'm going to make a difference. And if you won't teach me, I'll ask Genis. But I won't be the token girl with a sword – I want to hold my own. These are my friends – this is my world – too."
The wind blew between them once again, filling up the silence that fell in the wake of her declaration. "We will work on your lessons the next time we get a chance. But you will remember – you asked for it. I never claimed to be a teacher. It is simply better than watching you and Lloyd haphazardly hack your way through the journey."
Liane nodded, inwardly pleased that he had agreed to her request – feeling like she had somehow measured up to whatever standards he was holding for her. She exhaled, glad for the first part of her victory, but the small triumph pressing her further yet. "May I ask you a question?"
He sighed, shifting his weight forward on the edge of the path. "No one can stop you from asking a question, Liane."
'But it doesn't mean that I'll answer…' Liane could easily read the unspoken continuation of his statement in his tone and she sighed. Guess there's no harm in trying…. "Why were you so short with Wendall this afternoon? He was only trying to be polite…."
"There was no point in standing around talking when we still had to make it here by sunset," Kratos responded quietly, shrugging beneath his cloak. "No offense meant. I take it that you met him while you were in Luin?"
Liane tilted her head at him, curious at how Kratos was working in questions of his own. "I don't think he was offended – but I was kind of embarrassed… and yes. He worked in the weaponshop in Luin. He actually tried to fix my sword for me… not that that matters any more, I guess…" she sighed. "But he was kind to me… and I just couldn't figure out why you snubbed him like that."
Kratos sat motionless, still staring out ahead of them. "I already told you why."
"Do you know him?" she pressed, sitting forward a little to try to see his expression. While she couldn't say for certain that he wasn't simply being his usual guarded self, there was still something that continued to bother her about his evasiveness.
"Possibly… it's not as if I've never been to Luin before," Kratos shrugged before he pushed himself to his feet. "But I'm not sure what that has to do with this?"
Liane's eyes followed the mercenary. He didn't seem to be avoiding her questions – and it was still very much possible that her mind was simply grasping at straws to prepare herself for whatever attack that he would launch on her. Wendall did say he was used to mercenaries coming in all the time… "You've been there… recently?"
"No," Kratos shook his head, regarding her for a moment longer before he turned and walked past her. "Not for a while…" he muttered as he started across the cliff and down the ramps.
Frowning, Liane exhaled as she watched Kratos walk the road below her, the shadows swallowing him a little more with every step until he disappeared from her sight. Guess the conversation is over… her mind grumbled as she drew her feet up and hugged her knees to her chest. He had agreed to her request – that was as much as she could hope for in her ambiguous relationship with the swordsman. But no matter how he blocked or avoided her, no matter how much she wanted to hate him at times, somehow, things always boiled down to an uneasy truce. Somehow, the aloof mercenary could always find a way to surprise her – usually just before she was ready to write him off completely.
He talks to Lloyd, he protects and heals the rest of us, he gave me a sword… she sighed and released her knees, crawling back to her feet before she dusted herself off and set out back to the inn as well. But as she reached the bottom of the last ramp, she stopped, a particularly frigid wind whipping around her as her eyes widened. As if the wind had frozen her shifting thoughts on Kratos, a truth emerged – something she couldn't justify by any one action or reaction, much less a combination thereof. Despite everything – even the times that she couldn't help but fear for her life at his hands even…
I… I trust him??