A.N: Same as usual. Although my laptop's fixed...or at least I have open office now so I can work again. So (rude finger gesture) you Microsoft.

Anywhoo...

Enjoy!

Reprieve

Asgard had been quiet when they left, but after just half an hour of walking away from the city, the group encountered parties and pilgrimages headed for the tourist city, and decided they were glad to have got out of there before the huge tourist rush had started.

Raine, who had been striding purposefully out at the head of the group had dropped back, allowing Lloyd to take his customary position at the front again. She herself had little sense of direction and once Kratos had mentioned the direction of travel, Lloyd had been itching to prove himself a capable guide once again.

Walking alongside the chosen and her brother, Raine had at first given them a quick lesson on the history of the Balacruf dynasty, relying on Kratos to keep a watch out for enemies and keep them on track when she explained something to Lloyd. Although she couldn't for the life of her think why she was bothering, given that when it came to boy, information went in through one ear and out the other. She was sure that if you listened closely enough, you could hear the sound of it passing through the seemingly empty space between his ears.

After about an hour or so of walking however, they were suddenly interrupted by a group of snakes accompanied by a grasshopper, at least five of the reptiles gathering about their feet as they shot from the bushes. Kratos called out to the group gruffly, having them all cluster behind him as he formed a plan to take on the large number of enemies.

Calling on Raine to be ready with panacea bottles and healing spells, he dashed forwards with Lloyd, heading for the grasshopper as he managed to step neatly between the writhing creatures on the ground. Faced with the grasshopper, he pulled his sword out to the side, carving downwards with it neatly to shear through one of its front legs, just as the creature lashed out. He jumped back, missing the scythe-like claws by millimetres, treading on a snake as he landed. It burst beneath his foot and he grimaced slightly, when he heard a scream from Lloyd.

Snapping his head around to look at the boy, he found him thrusting his sword down into a snake before charging for the grasshopper. Kratos followed the boy, hacking one of the scythes off cleanly as Lloyd plunged his swords into the creature's mouth.

It was as Kratos watched the creature before him collapsed that he managed to catch sight of a stick flying through the air in front of him….except that sticks generally didn't move and he turned to see Raine twirling her staff before slamming the gem at the top into the head of one of the other reptiles as Colette shrieked and fell onto the remaining one, crushing it.

Kratos shook his head in mild amusement…it was an interesting way to get rid of the enemy to be sure, if not entirely practical.

"Is everyone alright?" Kratos questioned, scanning each member of the party in turn. He received four nods and affirmations before he instructed Lloyd to take up the lead again, falling back to walk beside Raine as they were now accustomed to. He found it comfortable, even pleasurable to walk besides her now.

"That was an…interesting way of getting rid of one of the enemies."

Raine chuckled lightly. "It didn't seem worth conjuring a photon spell just to get rid of one snake. Besides, I wasn't the only one…I saw you stepping on that other snake."

"Ah but the difference was I knew it was there, and planned to step on it." He stated and Raine couldn't tell whether or not he was being serious.

"Of course you did." She replied, in a tone equally as indistinct.

"Hey guys!" Lloyd was calling from the front and the adults turned their heads from each other to look at the boy. "You wanna head into the House of salvation?"

"We haven't been walking that long. It's too early to take a break." Kratos shook his head.

"Yes, but we may be able to gather some information from the local tourists about the location of the seal." Raine stated, shifting her staff.

"If you think it's worth it, then very well."

He called back to Lloyd, affirming the choice to head for the resting point as Raine looked over the scenery.

They headed on in relative silence, coming across the house of salvation after just another hour of walking. Like all others, there were people gathered outside, discussing various issues that they had heard whist travelling. One discussion interested them in particular, though it bore no particular relevance to the journey, and Raine in particular listened intently.

"Legend has it that a unicorn lives in this area," One man was saying to the other "It seems the unicorn will appear before a pure maiden. They say that sometimes, the visage of the unicorn appears on the surface of Lake Umacy."

"Wow, a unicorn!" Genis exclaimed, turning to Raine, whilst the man turned and glared at them for listening in on the conversation.

"Do you want to head there? It'll take us a little more west, into the lower mountain ranges of the area." Kratos asked.

"It may be worth just looking….how long would it take us to reach there? If it's more than a couple of hours out of the way, then we should avoid it and just hope to pass by later." Raine replied, tapping her chin in thought.

"It'll take perhaps two hours, we can rest there and then head for the mausoleum, with any luck."

"Well…I suppose it can't hurt to look," Rained turned to Colette "What do you think, Colette?"

"Um…um…I'd like to go and see the unicorn, if it's there."

"Then we head to Lake Umacy." Kratos finished, eyeing Lloyd when he noticed the boy frowning. "Is something wrong, Lloyd?"

"Hmm? No…I'm fine…which way is Lake Umacy?"

"North-west."

"Alright, unicorn here we come!" Lloyd exclaimed, dashing out of the area, the other two in tow.

Kratos and Raine followed at a slower pace, one lost in thought, the other scanning the area for enemies more intently now, his eyes glancing back to the boy guiding them. His expression was becoming somewhat strained as they carried on, and his attempts to chat with Colette and Genis failed after a while.

Raine lifted her head, noting the concern on Kratos' face. "Is something wrong?"

"Lloyd…" the name passed his lips softly "he seems to be having some difficulty."

"How far are we from the lake?"

"About half an hour."

"We should rest there, and see how he's doing from there…I wonder what's causing it though. He seemed alright earlier."

"I heard him cry out during the fight with the snakes, but he didn't show any sign of injury…perhaps I missed it though."

Raine shook her head, silver strands flicking out at the motion. "No, he would've told us."

"Hnn…"

Within the half hour, they had reached the lake and Lloyd stopped by the water's edge gratefully as the others stared out over the expanse of water.

And there, within the depths of the clear lake, was a shimmering white equine figure, a golden, twisted horn protruding from the centre of its forehead.

"Look at that." Lloyd gasped, lifting his head to look at the creature, water that he had splashed on his face sliding down his skin. He seemed to have grown pale during the walk.

"It's beautiful…" Colette whispered as she looked at the creature reverentially, her voice holding the tone of wonder that all girls seemed to get when they looked at horses.

"It's a unicorn! Raine, it's a unicorn!" Genis squeaked, hopping around in excitement until Raine let her hand drop onto his shoulder to still him.

"Yes. But why is it…"

There appeared to be a pocket of water surrounding the slumbering creature, and piled above that, the remains of tree trunks that had fallen years ago.

"It's like a prison of water. There's nothing we can do about it." Kratos informed, looking at the creature with no real sense of wonder. He grew impatient as the children continued to discuss if there was a way to release the creature, despite his words. Until Raine cut them off at least.

Settling down onto the ground Kratos gathered wood, intending to start a fire when he noticed Lloyd, kneeling on all fours looking pained.

"Lloyd?"

The others turned at the sound of Kratos calling the boy's name, looking at him to see the state the boy was in. His face was pale, wet with water and sweat, his body trembling. Raine was at his side in seconds.

"Lloyd? Lloyd, what's wrong?"

He slowly lifted his hand to his neck.

"Think…I got bitten…"

Grabbing the collar of his shirt, she yanked it down, finding two perfect purple puncture wounds in his neck, the skin around them webbed with thin, purple veins.

"He's been poisoned by a snake." She turned to Kratos, and the man joined he a moment later to kneel beside her and examine the wound.

"This happened hours ago though…the poison can't be fatal or he'd be dead by now but…at this stage its going to be advanced enough that he'll need a specific treatment. A simple spell or panacea bottle won't be enough."

"The nearest civilisation is the house of salvation…but they don't have a doctor there."

"No…but…Luin does."

"It'll be too far away."

"Not unless one of us takes him on Noishe."

Raine stood as Kratos remained beside the boy, putting a hand out to steady him when he trembled.

"We don't have much of a choice, I suppose," she sighed "Get him on Noishe and take him to Luin, we'll meet you there."

Kratos shook his head. "You take him. Noishe will be able to find the way, and you're considerably lighter than me, you'll get there faster."

"But…"

"I can stay behind with the chosen and Genis, and I know the way. None of you do, so if you get lost…"

After a moment, Raine nodded. "Alright."

Calling Noishe over, Kratos pulled Lloyd to his feet, finding the boy unable to stand, despite the aid and the older man was forced to lift the boy into his arms before placing him on the 'dog', Raine clambering on behind the boy.

"Get a bed in the inn. We'll meet you there." Kratos slapped the animal's flank hard as Raine nodded, sending the creature galloping off at a furious pace.

"…Is he gonna be alright?" Genis asked, shuffling forwards to look up at Kratos.

"Providing they get there in time. We should follow."

--

Raine sat uncomfortably on a chair beside the bed Lloyd slept in, watching over him as she waited for the others to arrive. The doctor had already attended to Lloyd, given him the antidote and disappeared, claiming that the young man would be back on his feet within a few days. Apparently, they got a lot of poisoned travellers coming in here.

Resting her hand upon his head briefly, she sank back into the chair, finding his high temperature to have cooled a little. With the boy seemingly recovering, she closed her eyes, thinking over the events of the past few days.

To think that this was just the 18th day of their journey, to think that they'd travelled so far, done so much, met so many new people…formed so many new relationships. Now, as she thought about it, they weren't far off from the end…half of their journey was done already and she felt a sudden pang in her chest…and she wasn't sure whether it was the ending of Colette's journey, or her own personal one that upset her more. She had thought, before she came on this journey, that she was mature, that she had a lot of what she already wanted in life…and yet now she realised how young she really was, how much there was to do and see, how many people there were out there to form new relationships with.

Her last real relationship had ended….badly, to say the least and this journey had taught her that despite her previous beliefs, she did want and indeed, need a companion to spend her life with. Someone whom she could associate with, who had intelligence, strength, maturity but a youthful side too. She wondered if the person she was gravitating towards had that youthful side, for though he looked young enough, he acted so wisely at times, was so calm and rational…and the idea of his contrast, the man he was in battle, the man he was with the children, and the man he was when he was with her…that's what made her want him…and she had finally admitted it to herself. Now all she had to do was stop herself from yearning after him. Admitting you are interested in someone was one thing, but she wouldn't bend to him…and she wondered he admired that in her, or if he hated it. He was a strong character himself, used to getting his own way, yet he had deferred to her wishes frequently. In any other person, she would have found the behaviour pandering and annoying, in him, it was flattering. Though, she hated herself for allowing herself to feel flattered by him. But she supposed it couldn't be helped…that was what happened when you found yourself looking at someone in a romantic manner.

She grinned to herself, remembering yesterday. She had caught a glimpse of his face as she had walked off with Linar to do the research on the Balacruf map and for once, his expression had been clear to all. Jealousy.

To think, a man like Kratos Aurion being jealous of a mousy boy like Linar. No…Linar, despite what others may have thought, was not her type. He shared a love of learning, and though Kratos didn't share that love, he was willing to learn and could teach as well…he clearly had a rather broad knowledge, perhaps suspiciously large, but she put that out of mind for now. The common interest aspect didn't bother her, it was the match of personalities that appealed to her. They were parallels of one another…Raine, a professor, Kratos a warrior, her doing the job for the love of it, him doing his out of necessity. Yet, the cores of them were the same, they were both lonely people, strong-willed, confident, intelligent and though not actively looking for a romantic relationship, finding themselves inexplicably drawn to one. She tilted her head back a little, thinking of their midnight talks…she should like to do that again, to have that peace and privacy, to be allowed to share and show emotions when she kept them locked up for the rest of the day. He was the one she went to relax with, he was the one she was willing to tell her secrets to. Maybe not all of them, not yet, but one day, maybe, she might…

But it was that thought that disturbed her 'one day'. One day from now, they might not ever see each other again, and though she knew it had been so all along, she became somewhat aware of how short a time they had left in each others company. She wasn't usually one to push such an issue and she may end up regretting trying to take this relationship to a new level…but she wouldn't know until she tried. She knew it was a cliché, but surely it was indeed better to love and lose than never to love at all?

She sighed to herself. Even if she decided to do so, the key issues were when, where and how. Was Kratos interested in her enough to further their relationship?

She didn't know. She supposed she would never find out unless she tried…

Opening her eyes, she lifted her head from where it had fallen against the wall, hearing footsteps on the stairs outside that lead up to the rooms she had reserved. Moments later, the outer door opened and feet shuffled in and then the door to Lloyd's room was opening.

Kratos stood in the doorway, meeting Raine's eyes levelly and she began to fill him in instantly. She had seen the flicker of worry in those garnet eyes.

"He's been given the antidote. The doctor said he should wake within a few hours and be fit to travel in a few days…it'll be rough on him though. The poison advanced far enough into his system that it'll cause some…let's say 'digestive' problems,"

Kratos scowled a bit. "That last part may have been a little too much information."

Raine let a soft smile crawl onto her face as she looked over to Kratos before she shrugged non-nonchalantly, standing up to stretch her legs.

"Where are Genis and Colette?"

The mercenary flinched his head backwards gesturing to the other room, and it was only at that point she realised that he was leaning against the door to stop the two from entering. He stepped forwards after a moment, approaching the bed and kneeling beside it, peering at Lloyd intently before letting his hand come to rest on his forehead.

"He has a fever."

"Yes, but it's gone down in the last few hours."

Nodding, Kratos stood again, opening the door and allowing Genis and Colette to enter. They immediately rushed to the bed, checking the boy was alright, bombarding their teacher with questions.

"He'll be fine." Raine reassured simply and saw Kratos turn to sit in the chair that she had been occupying before.

"If you wish to take a break from watching him, I'll remain here."

Raine nodded "Yes…I think I'll take a look around the city. Genis, Colette, you should come too."

"But…Lloyd…" Genis sputtered.

"Is asleep," Raine finished, firmly "And needs to remain sleeping. Your presence is likely to wake him and Kratos is here to watch over him, so come along."

Complaining quietly, Colette and Genis followed Raine from the room, not noticing the subtle smile that Kratos had been wearing at watching Raine deal with the children.

He turned away once they had left the room to look over at Lloyd. The boy was slumbering peacefully, and from the looks of it, would be for many more hours. Kratos sighed, he wanted to go and look around the city, but someone responsible needed to watch over Lloyd and it wasn't fair to make Raine stay longer, considering she had already sat here for what must have been four hours.

And he had dealt with Genis and Colette for four hours…on his own. How Raine managed to cope with teaching a class, he'd never know.

Of course…Genis wasn't too bad. In fact he rather liked the boy, for someone his age, but Colette, sweet as she may be, had an annoyingly cheerful, not to mention ditzy streak.

There was nothing he could do at the time but ignore her or remain patient with her constant questioning about whether Lloyd was going to be ok. He could understand her concern, but after the fifth time of saying that he was sure the situation wasn't life threatening, his patience had began to wear thin...not that he had let it show, but it had.

Resting his elbows on his knees, he leant forwards placing his chin atop interlaced fingers, watching over the boy in his care.

--

Three days had passed, Raine mused, as she wandered out into the cool, late evening air of Luin. She just had to get out of the inn. With Lloyd having been confined to bed for the past few days, his usual barely-existent patience had completely worn away. Kratos was the only one who could handle the boy when he got upset and she was glad that he had fallen asleep early tonight…especially since Kratos had disappeared about an hour ago.

Despite not wanting to interrupt his private time, she was curious as to where he had wandered off to and for so long. There wasn't a huge amount for a traveller to do in the city, and especially not this late at night. There were a few shops open, the inn, and a bar or some such place, but nothing else really.

Still, the city itself was pleasant enough, along with the evening, so perhaps he had come outside merely to enjoy the evening. Kratos seemed to her to be the outdoor type, not to say he looked odd or uncomfortable when inside, but it just seemed more natural to find him outside, usually standing on something and gazing out over the landscape.

Quietly, she walked over the wooden bridge away from the inn, booted feet padding over hard-packed dirt and clicking over wood as she made her way towards the shopping district of the city over on the next island. It seemed almost strange to her to build a town like this, clusters of buildings on small islands in the middle of a lake, but she supposed it was peaceful and calming to be near water all the time…if you weren't hydrophobic anyway. She looked down into the blue water, lit by a nearby oil lamp, finding a fish swimming sleekly through the pool of light before nibbling on something one of the inhabitants had dropped into the lake.

Smiling, she paused, turning away to look about the city. It was so idyllic here, with sunset settling over the city now, a few people standing around, chatting pleasantly to one another and they greeted her as she walked past, heading for the next bridge. She gave her own greeting in reply. The people here were friendly and open, as if they had never been troubled and she could see, if it weren't for all the water, why people wanted to live here. Stepping over the next bridge she came to a smaller island, the port of the city, with its single wooden pier, a cargo ship bobbing gently in the water as she passed.

The final area was up ahead, the 'centre' of the city, despite the fact it wasn't in the centre and she found a male figure leaning against the fountain wall.

Slowing her pace, Raine approached slowly, trying to walk over the wooden planks of the other bridge as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the man.

He was sitting side-saddle on the wall, she noticed as he came further into her field of focus, his long legs resting against the floor as he leaned over to look in the rippling salmon coloured water, fingertips resting just beneath the surface of the water. Though he was perfectly still, and his face held no trace of emotion, Raine thought she could sense an air of both great sorrow and joy hanging over him.

She stopped. It was rare to see Kratos in such a state…thoughtful as he looked, it was a sort of nostalgic thought, not that of the present, as if he were reliving a past memory and she didn't want to break into whatever private reverie he was in.

She turned away, planning to walk back the way she had come, when his voice fell on her ears. It was soft in the quiet air of the evening, seemingly more emotional tonight, though there were no emotions in it, save for amusement perhaps.

"You're welcome to join me, Raine."

She started, not expecting him to notice her. "I apologise. It seemed you were having a private moment and I didn't want to disturb you…and yet I did, nevertheless."

"No," he looked up and at her, sunset's light catching his brown eyes, "To disturb would imply your presence is unwelcome and that's not the case. If you wish to speak with me, come and sit."

His hand gestured to the spot next to him and she lifted an eyebrow surreptitiously. He wasn't usually so open about inviting her to speak with him in this manner, though he had never made her feel unwelcome…and he had never held such a soft, or indeed affectionate tone when speaking before. Was there something in the water in this place?

Hesitantly, she walked over to join him, perching herself on the wall before looking at him.

He was…relaxed. It was the only way to describe him at that present moment, his face neutral but eyes soft. Sunset cast a warm glow over his pale skin, the light catching the tips of his auburn hair, bringing out shades in it she hadn't noticed before. His entire body radiated contentment… and she was not entirely comfortable with this Kratos. She had never encountered him before…there had always been something keeping him alert, on guard, even at midnight, when it was just the two of them.

They sat in silence, Raine not knowing what to say, Kratos contented with the situation…until he noticed Raine's discomfort. It took him a moment to realise just what the problem was and he smiled softly to himself. He supposed he never had been fully relaxed around her before and he knew people were thrown by it when he was.

Trying to ease her discomfort, he broke their silence.

"I'm…particularly fond of this city," he commented, by way of explaining his mood to her "it always gives me a sense of peace that nowhere else quite manages to."

"A lot of people seem to get that here."

"True. Though…reasons may differ somewhat for each person."

"Do you have any particular reason?"

He smiled in a way that suggested he was going to be mysterious about the subject. "Just some…fond memories."

"I see…" Raine mused. She wondered vaguely if this city had something to do with Kratos' past love, or whether he had grown up in this city perhaps. "Childhood memories or…earlier adulthood memories?"

"Earlier adulthood."

Ah, so it was to do with his lover then.

"I think I understand."

"She…grew up and lived here."

"I had guessed that," her tone was not exactly what one would call supportive but, what was she supposed to do in this situation? "I…uh…"

"You needn't say anything about it. It's just a fact and…she's…" grief, just a hint of it crept into his voice and he didn't seem to be able to bring himself to say the last word.

"Her memory soothes you though."

"Yes but…I think that it is to be expected. It doesn't mean much other than I…cared for her deeply."

"Do you miss her?"

"…sometimes. There are times when I feel her loss more acutely than other and there are times," he looked at her, meeting her gaze steadily "when I barely notice her absence."

Her eyes widened and he suddenly pulled his gaze away, shaking his head. "I apologise…I may have become a little lost in my memories."

"That's…quite alright…" Raine stammered as he turned his face away from her. Was he embarrassed by what he had just said…or ashamed for not still mourning his lost love?

"Raine…I…wish to ask for you opinion on this…matter…"

"You…you do?" she murmured, taken aback and anything but eloquent.

"Yes. In all frankness…" he pressed on, apparently ignoring her discomfort this time "do you think it reflects ill on a person that he should no longer mourn his lover?"

"That depends on how long she has been…absent. If it is a significant amount of time, then, no I don't think that it's inappropriate. It is only natural for people to come to terms with loss and find ways to deal with it, no matter how great."

"I see. "

"Kratos…"

He turned his head back to Raine, meet her eyes again in the red light.

"I don't know what happened in your past, or to your partner. I can make assumptions, but it's none of my business so, if you wish to tell me, I shall let you do so in your own time but…"

"But?"

"You're allowed to mourn…and you're allowed, if not expected to move on. I don't say this for my own gain, considering the situation developing between us," and she refused to let her eyes leave his as she confronted the issue of their budding relationship "but you should move on, if only for yourself. I don't know a lot about you, I have a feeling there's a lot more to you that fails to meet the eye but you seem a decent person despite your job and the way you portray yourself. So…just don't go punishing yourself unnecessarily for having a normal reaction to something."

She took a deep breath, finishing her little 'moral' rant and sitting back on the wall, squirming a little as the surface cooled.

Kratos gave a slight nod and turned away, looking thoughtful, as if he were playing the words over in his head again and seeing if he could take her advice. After a while, he shook his head and stood.

"Heading back?" Raine questioned.

"Yes. I should probably keep and eye on Lloyd…he's becoming a bit of a handful."

"He's just frustrated about being 'cooped up' all the time. When we leave tomorrow he'll be back to his usual self."

"Hnn…well, I shall bid you goodnight, Raine."

She smiled softly "Goodnight Kratos."

Nodding, returning the smile, he walked away, heading back to the inn. Raine sat on the wall beside the fountain a little longer, staring into the rippling waters as the red-light faded from the sky, leaving darkness in its wake.

With the cold of night setting in, she stood, turning away from the fountain where Kratos had reminisced about his love and returned to the inn, hoping that by leaving the area, she would leave behind the feeling of guilt for moving in on a man who still mourned his lover.

--

The next morning, Lloyd was out of bed before everyone, including Kratos, dressed and ready to leave before anyone had even got any sense of wakefulness about them.

"C'mon! C'mon! Let's go to the seal already." Lloyd demanded, standing at the door, his hand on the knob as everyone hefted their equipment.

"Just a moment, Lloyd. Be patient." Kratos scolded.

"Um…can we visit the fountain before we leave again?" asked Colette, looking at Lloyd with wide blue eyes, "I wanted to make a wish."

"I see no problem." Kratos stated, nodding at the girl and she beamed brightly. "C'mon Lloyd, we can make a wish and it's so pretty, too!"

Grabbing the young swordsman's hand she dragged him from the room, Genis in tow as the adults followed at a more reasonable pace. They were, however, confronted with an unusual scene when they arrived at the fountain.

The so-called 'heartless' assassin, Sheena, whom had been trying to kill Colette, was standing amidst a group of small children and they darted away from her squealing in delight at the game they were playing with her.

The young woman grinned at the back of one of the retreating children before looking up, catching sight of the Chosen's party. Her smile faltered instantly.

"Wh…what are you looking at?!"

"You're actually a nice person after all." Lloyd commented, smiling at the girl who took a step back, expression showing surprise.

"Don't think saying stuff like this is going to change anything! You're still my enemy!"

She turned and ran a moment later, leaving the group standing by the fountain and more than a little confused by the girl's behaviour.

Shaking his head, Lloyd approached the fountain with Colette, throwing a coin into it and the girl bowed her head, as if offering a prayer before smiling at Lloyd and turning back to the group.

"Ok, I think we can go now…"

The group agreed, turning and heading back the way they had came…except Kratos, who was staring at the fountain wistfully.

"Kratos…are you ok?" Colette asked, glancing behind and noticing that he hadn't followed. The mercenary didn't respond and Raine stepped towards him, laying her hand lightly on his shoulder as she stood slightly to the side of him.

"Kratos?"

The man jerked, before shaking his head and turning back to face the group. Each of them looked concerned at his behaviour and he reassured them.

"I'm fine. I merely remembered something…let us continue."

Receiving hesitant nods, he directed Lloyd to take the head of the party and, this time, not be bitten by any snakes.

--

The road from Luin to the Balacruf Mausoleum was long and uneventful. They stopped a couple of times to rest and eat and Kratos directed Lloyd through some basic training as they walked, making up for the past few days that they had not been able to train.

He was relieved to see that the break in training, had done the boy's ability no harm. Despite the relative tedium each of them had experienced in Luin after a few days, the short reprieve had done them good. Three days of eating home-cooked meals made with non-salted meats and preserved fruits and vegetables, coupled with good beds and periods of rest had invigorated them. There was something of a spring in their steps as they made their way west, before doubling back on themselves in a wide U-turn, up onto the island that housed the next seal.

The building itself was nestled at the end of a long valley, stark white against the lush green of the mountain air. For a place situated between the bases of towering mountains however, it was surprisingly windy and Raine supposed that it must have been the effect of the dormant summon spirit that dwelt here.

With the white, blocky building in sight, Raine dashed forward eagerly.

The mausoleum itself was a huge piece of ornate architecture. Like so many other seals it was ancient beyond thought, white fluted columns supported the vaguely pyramidal shape, its door set within a recessed area bearing an oracle stone.

"Climb the central stairway and offer the map at the altar." Raine instructed Colette as she herself looked at the building, trying to take in its scale.

Colette nodded. "Yes, professor."

Heading up the steps, she lead them to stand before the small pedestal and as Raine pulled the map out, a section of stone atop it spilt and slid away smoothly.

"It seems to be responding to the Map of Balacruf." Raine mused, handing the tablet, reluctantly, to the clumsy girl, allowing her to place the stone in the revealed slot.

Seconds later, a second pedestal appeared, this one bearing the familiar oracle stone.

"Ok then, I'm going to put my hand on it…" Colette stated, lowering her hand onto it. The far door slid away smoothly, revealing the dark entrance to the seal.

"Let's hurry up and get this over with." Lloyd turned, flashing a grin to the rest of the group before heading in first...or he would have, if Raine hadn't barged forwards, dashing past him and into the cool darkness of the temple.

I...don't know what happened to this chapter. I apologise...it was supposed to be a big sort of emotional thing for Kratos but it just turned out...badly. He's just...blargh in this.

And it was boring...nothing happened. So, yeah, sorry for that... And yeah...they don't go to Luin for that reason, but I wanted them to meet Sheena there first and to have Kratos' little reminiscy thing...but I couldn't see why they would suddenly divert their course to balacruf for no reason.

Um, still...review please?