Howdy. I had this typed up on Tuesday, but my beta doesn't seem to be responding and I didn't want to keep you all waiting too long :( So if you spot any errors, plot holes, etc. etc, do point them out in a review, and I'll sort it sometime.
Important point: I'm now on holiday! Two weeks of it to be exact ^^ Plenty of time to write, and avoid the copious amounts of holiday homework I've been given ^^
Disclaimer: Don't own characters, settings, etc. etc. I did, however, write the song that Kratos sings close to the end of this chapter. I wrote it for a friend, but it's mine and it fits, so hey. It's now an elven lullaby. It's actually got three verses if anyone's interested.
Skedaddle-San - this chapter is also quite long, although I didn't plan for it to be ^_^" And it's got a whole lotta thickening left to do. I like my plot like my gravy ^^
kirimori - It DOES suck, doesn't it? One story that suffers a lot is my Xmen OCfest that I wouldn't really want to post up here... But I write that on paper and I often have a whole day or two between writing times, and I come back and think "...What was he going to say?"
XD I'd like to see a hurt look in chibiKratos' eyes. There's a lotta stuff that Lloyd says without realising. Poor Kratty.
He suspects. Trouble is, he can't really do all that much about it right now. In a coupla chapters, the Ranch will be involved.
I used the magic lens all the time, and it was always Raine who used it, since you get more data if Raine uses it. I still haven't completed the monster log thing yet though.
If you don't blame me for shoving Yuan in because I like him, I won't blame you for liking KRatty best. Deal? XD And that was NOT a bad review. It was an immense review. I love getting reviews like that. So thanks ^^
LikeAGlintOfLight - To be fair, it is a rather pathetic monster. Something like a seal guardian they couldn't.
Raine is highly suspicious of Forcy and Kratty. For good reason. Kratty doesn't help himself much, to be fair.
It's not that they're all idiots... It's just that Forcystus sees them all as idiots. Point of View bias. They're probably pretty smart, but compared to Forcy, they're idiots. XD
Symphoniafan - quite XD unfortunately for Lloyd, who is a Ruin-phobe.
I have some fun times planned for the Asgard Ranch... wait and see ;)
I've always loved that little skit point where Lloyd tells Kratty to come on his boat with him. One of the reasons why I cried when Kratos left (for the last time). Stupid insensitive man.
Chapter seven: Two Lakes
The group arrived at the House of Salvation at about noon, with the sun high in the sky. Kratos had a map out and was looking at it with Raine, Forcystus peering over their shoulders and pointing out handy landmarks that Kratos refrained from mentioning, something that didn't go down too well with the angel-turned-mercenary. Colette, Lloyd and Genis were talking about nothing in particular, passing the time until something more interesting presented itself.
"Legend has it that the visage of a unicorn sometimes appears on the surface of Lake Umacy," the priest informed them, noticing their distress. "A lot of travellers who pass through here have said they've seen it."
"A unicorn?" Lloyd murmured. "Do they really exist? …Do you think Kratos will let us go and see it?"
"Well, we could get there and back before the day is up," Forcystus remarked, wandering over. Kratos had expelled him from the map discussion on the grounds that he was getting in the way, which translated to telling Raine too much. "Lake Umacy isn't far from here." Colette grinned.
"Really? I'd like to see a unicorn," she enthused. Forcystus smiled slightly.
"You would be able to," he decided. "A unicorn can only be approached by a pure maiden. That is, if it is accessible at all. Likely it may be just a mirage, or the unicorn may be trapped under the lake surface…" Lloyd frowned, thinking.
"Could we get it out?" He asked eventually. Forcystus shrugged.
"I haven't seen it, Lloyd. How am I supposed to know?" He reasoned. Lloyd looked a bit abashed. "But I certainly can't see any reason for Kratos to disallow it. And if you like lakes, there's also Luin. Quite a walk from here, in the direction of the Tower of Mana, but it's a very pretty town." Lloyd, frowning, pulled the printout Forcystus had given him from his pocket and looked at it. Area taken from: Luin.
"It's… It's my mom's hometown, isn't it?" He asked. Forcystus shrugged.
"She was taken from there, so I would imagine so," he replied. Kratos had looked up at them, and he passed the map to Raine and walked over to them.
"What are you discussing?" He asked, giving Forcystus a searching look.
"Luin and Lake Umacy," the half-elf replied honestly.
"Can we go to Luin? Please?" Lloyd asked Kratos. "I just want to see it… I think it was my mom's hometown." Kratos looked at him, a strange look in his eyes.
"…If the Chosen has no objections," he replied eventually. Forcystus raised his eyebrows. He had clearly been expecting a definite 'no'.
"Oh, of course not! Um, can we go to Lake Umacy? The Priest said there was a unicorn there and I wanted to see it…" Colette replied. Kratos sighed.
"This isn't a field trip," he murmured. Forcystus seemed to find it amusing that he would agree to Lloyd's request instantly and be reluctant about Colette's. Lloyd frowned.
"Please, Kratos?" He begged. Kratos sighed, shaking his head slowly.
"…Fine, if you insist," he replied. "Although to deviate so from the journey of Regeneration is foolish…"
"Where are we going, then?" Raine asked, walking over. "I take it we are not continuing as planned?" Kratos sighed and shook his head.
"No," he replied. "They wish to pay a visit to Lake Umacy. It is a round trip we can easily make in the remaining daylight we have." He ran a hand through his unkempt hair, thinking. "Lloyd has expressed a wish to go to Luin, and the Chosen has no objections, so tomorrow we can backtrack and visit it." Raine frowned.
"Are you sure it's wise to go so far out of our way?" She asked. Kratos shook his head.
"No, but the Chosen and Lloyd insist," he replied. Raine gave him a funny look, and Forcystus got the feeling that it was Lloyd's wishes Kratos was listening to rather than Colette's. He wasn't all that surprised.
"If you think it would be wise," she settled on. "We could use supplies that I would be hard-pressed to locate anywhere other than a town, besides. It would be better going there than all the way back to Asgard, which is more out of our way now." Kratos inclined his head.
"Then that is what we shall do," he agreed.
"Thanks!" Lloyd and Colette told them in unison. Kratos sighed and shook his head slowly, as if they were impossible.
"…Well, at least you appreciate it," he murmured. "Come. If you wish to get to Lake Umacy and back before nightfall we must leave now." Raine was studying the map with a frown, and Forcystus leaned over and helpfully pointed the lake out to her. She gave him a look and folded the map, acting affronted. Forcystus just shrugged.
Kratos led the group out of the House of Salvation and off the path, looking as though he knew where he was going. Lloyd noticed him throw several glances into the distance, and after a while of walking the teen saw a dark shadow on the horizon.
"See that?" Forcystus asked, and Lloyd nodded. "It's the Asgard Ranch." Lloyd's gaze hardened.
"Kvar…" He growled. Forcystus sighed.
"Calm down," he murmured. "His time will come." Lloyd made an angry noise, staring in the direction of the Ranch. It was the direction Kratos had been looking in, had he known the Ranch was there?
"It can't come quickly enough," he murmured. Kratos sure knows his way around the world well… I wish I knew half as much as he did… How did he manage to learn so much in eleven years?
"You promised you wouldn't go after him," Forcystus reminded him gently, in an almost resigned way. Lloyd nodded slightly. Yes, he had. And he was going to have to break it at some point. He had made a decision. He and Kratos had. He looked over at the mercenary, noting the look in his eyes. It was anger, but also… Sadness?
Has Kratos lost someone to Kvar, too? Lloyd wondered. Is that why he agreed to help me? Maybe that's why he agreed to go to Luin… I'll ask him later. Kratos, feeling his gaze, glanced back at him, and Lloyd flashed him a slight grin. With a troubled look in his eyes, Kratos turned away, still walking. What was that all about? Lloyd wondered, confused.
Eventually, Kratos led them into a thickly wooded area, and he and Lloyd fought off a giant plant-like creature half-way through it. Kratos gave him a quick nod once it went down, as though pleased with how Lloyd had fought, and that raised the young swordsman's spirits a little. I'm not useless!
When the woods cleared, they were on the shore of a large lake.
"Wow!" Colette exclaimed, running right up to the water's edge. "Oh, look, look! The unicorn!" Lloyd and Genis ran up to join her, and Kratos leant against a tree, watching them carefully.
"It's trapped down there…" Lloyd murmured sadly. Forcystus walked up with Raine.
"My," Raine remarked.
"Can we get it out? Oh, please, Professor, can we help it?" Colette begged, distraught by the creature's plight. Raine frowned slightly.
"Couldn't you do something with your magic, Genis?" Lloyd suggested hopefully. Genis looked at it, then shook his head.
"It's too deep…" He replied. "We'd have to have a more potent magic than mine…"
"It would require a summon spirit," Forcystus cut in. "That is a prison of water, it has been well-designed. We'd need Undine." Lloyd sighed, and Colette looked downcast.
"But I wanted to help it…" She murmured. Raine bit her lip.
"The art of summoning was lost long ago," she replied. "Even if we could get to the summon spirit of water…"
"At Thoda Geyser," Kratos cut in. Raine glared at him.
"…There's no way we'd be able to summon it," she finished. "And don't interrupt." Lloyd laughed slightly. She was telling Kratos off! The mercenary didn't look too pleased about that, either.
"Well, I wouldn't say the art's been lost, but we'd be hard-pressed to find a summoner in this… Part of the world," Forcystus remarked. Lloyd gave him a look.
He was going to say 'world', wasn't he? He thought. Do they have summoners in Tethe'alla? Kratos gave him a careful look.
"…We will have to leave it for now," he decided. "We must head back to the House of Salvation. It will be dusk soon, and it is quite a walk." Lloyd looked disappointed.
"I really thought we'd be able to do something…" He murmured sadly. Kratos walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Sometimes, things happen which you cannot prevent or do anything about," he told him softly. Lloyd looked up at him; saw that sadness lingering in his eyes again. "True strength lies in being able to continue on despite that."
"Did something happen to you?" He asked. Kratos hesitated, then shook his head.
"…No," he replied. "Let us go." He turned and walked away, and Lloyd sighed and followed him, having little other choice.
When they got back to the House of Salvation the sun had just set, leaving the sky in a twilight. Lloyd looked up at the sky, smiling at the sight of the stars.
"Ah, you can see the Phoenix!" He remarked, pointing up at a set of stars. "That's not often visible!" Kratos looked visibly surprised that Lloyd was taking an interest in the stars.
"That constellation is called Aska, Lloyd," Raine admonished him. "Really. If you are going to take an interest in something at least learn the names." Lloyd glared.
"Is too the Phoenix," he protested. "I know it is!" Kratos sighed.
"The Phoenix is the name recorded in books from the Kharlan war," he told them. "It was renamed Aska after the war. Many of the constellations gained new names, as did the moon." Raine glared at him, irritated that she had been sort of proved wrong. Or perhaps irritated that Lloyd seemed to know more than her.
"Yeah!" Lloyd agreed, pleased that he was right in a way. "And there's Volt, and that one's the Weeping Angel…"
"The Crystal and the Goddess," Raine muttered under her breath.
"Wow, Lloyd, I didn't know you knew so much about the stars!" Colette exclaimed. Lloyd grinned sheepishly, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment.
"Well, they interest me, I guess," he replied. "I used to watch the stars with my dad when I was a kid." Kratos looked away then, and Forcystus winced slightly.
"You can remember that?" She asked softly. Lloyd nodded.
"He used to put me up on his shoulders," he told her enthusiastically. "And he'd point at the stars. I used to try and grab them. I think he found it funny, 'cause I can remember him laughing." He smiled sadly at the memory. "Mom always used to tell him off for being reckless."
"Lloyd," Forcystus cut in. "It's getting late. The Chosen needs her sleep." Lloyd looked downcast.
"What… You don't care?" He asked dejectedly. "…But it's the only thing I'm good at besides fighting…" Genis made a comment about his fighting skills under his breath, and Lloyd glared at him.
"Where did you learn the names?" Kratos asked as Raine walked in after Colette to make sure she was alright. Lloyd sighed.
"I found a book," he replied. Genis raised his eyebrows. "No, seriously! Phaidra leant me it. It had some pretty hard language in it, but I just looked at the diagrams and the names. All the easy books had the wrong names in them."
"You mean the right names," Genis told him, his voice droll. Kratos chuckled.
"Nah, they're the ones I learnt when I was little!" Lloyd protested. "I remember, ok? It's… Pretty much all I do… 'Cause those nights… They're all I…" He trailed off, looking at the floor. Genis made an uncomfortable noise, realising that he had inadvertently brought up a delicate topic.
"Um… I'll go check on Colette…" He murmured, running off. Lloyd sat against the wall of the House with a sigh, and, unusually, Kratos joined him.
"Do you regret not knowing?" He asked softly. "Would you rather you had grown up with your parents?" Lloyd nodded.
"I miss them both…" He murmured. "…Do you know the right… Um, the old names for the stars?" Kratos nodded.
"I know both," he replied. I was there when most of them were renamed…
"Would you… Teach me?" Lloyd asked hopefully. "I couldn't really learn all that much out of the book." Kratos looked hesitant.
I can't get too close to him… He thought warily, but the look of disappointment in Lloyd's eyes swayed him. "…Very well," he replied. "I will teach you what I know." Lloyd brightened up instantly.
"Thanks, Kratos!" He told the mercenary happily. Kratos sighed.
I will regret this later, I can feel it… He thought, and he started to teach Lloyd constellations.
"Do you ever go back to your home?" Lloyd asked spontaneously as Kratos was trying to remember the current name for the Unicorn. Kratos looked at him.
"Home? …No," he replied eventually. "Rarely if at all. Why?" Lloyd sighed.
"It's just… I was banished from Iselia, and I already kind of miss it. Don't you get lonely, travelling around all the time, never getting to really know anyone?" Kratos looked at him, slightly surprised.
"…I did not expect you to ask something like that," he remarked. "I don't miss my home, and I suspect is does not miss me." Lloyd frowned.
"Doesn't that make you feel bad?" He asked. "Where were you born?" Kratos hesitated.
…I shouldn't tell him… But what harm will he do? He has never been to Heimdall… He will not know of it, surely, and he will never go to Tethe'alla… "…I was born in Heimdall," he murmured. "I doubt you will have heard of it. It is a very small village." Lloyd frowned, certain he'd heard that name before.
"Heimdall…" He repeated.
"I left mainly because… Of my… Friends," Kratos continued, hesitating over the use of the word 'friends' after so many years. "They were half-elves, the village threw them out. I left with them." Lloyd gave him a surprised look.
"You knew half-elves?" He asked. "I didn't think many humans were friendly with them…" Kratos chuckled.
"Ah, one of them was my best friend," he replied. Yuan… How times change. "And another I taught the art of the sword."
"So you've been a teacher before!" Lloyd exclaimed. "Guess that's why you're so good, huh? What was your friend's name?" Kratos looked uncertain at the barrage of questions, unwilling to reveal too much.
"…I do not deserve to be called a teacher," he murmured. "My friend's name was…" He hesitated longer there. Was it safe to tell him after their encounter in Asgard? "…It's not important," he settled on eventually, although he regretted it. In four thousand years we do not change at all… Lloyd is a breath of fresh air to me… If only… He shook his head. He couldn't think like that. Those years were gone, and not even he could turn back time. If I could, I would do many things differently…
"Aw, c'mon," Lloyd protested, eager for information now he sensed something was up, a habit picked up during his time in the Ranch.
"Yuan," Kratos relented. "Like the half-elf we met in Asgard."
"Yuan," Lloyd repeated, sounding the name out for the first time. "Is he nice?" Kratos laughed, amused.
"'Is he nice'," he repeated. "My. I have not spoken to him in a while. My… Job means I do not see him very often."
"Ah, yeah… I forgot…" Lloyd mumbled weakly, running a hand back through his hair in embarrassment. "Do you ever see any of the people you work for again?" He asked, trying to save face. Kratos shook his head.
There's often a generation or two in between them at least… "I wander. I do not stay in the same place; in fact, I rarely visit towns and cities unless my work demands it. It is unusual for me to meet up with those I have already worked for." Stop talking. You are saying too much, he chastised himself mentally. Lloyd had an uncanny knack for drawing information out of people who did not want to talk.
"What does your friend look like?" Lloyd asked, changing the subject onto a more productive, and interesting, one. "You know Genis, it's only fair you tell me! Maybe I'll see him one day; I could tell him I saw you!" Kratos sighed. Lloyd was so blissfully naïve.
"I do not think that would be wise," he remarked, amused. "We are not currently on the best of terms. We parted ways last on a rather sour note." Lloyd pouted.
"He's still your friend, right?" He persisted. "Nothing should stand in the way of true friendship." Kratos grimaced at that, looking up at the sky, although the stars had long been forgotten.
"Perhaps you are right," he conceded. "But… Time changes people." More time than I would care to admit, in truth. Lloyd laughed.
"You're silly, you know that?" He informed him bluntly. "If he's really your friend, he'll always be your friend, no matter what he says or does." Kratos smiled sadly.
"…You are a very special person, Lloyd," he remarked. "In both a good and a bad way." He looked at the teen properly, at the way his interest sparkled in his rust-red eyes, eyes that matched his father. Eyes that matched his. "But it is getting late. I know what you are like when you do not get much sleep."
"'S not that late," Lloyd protested. "Not really. We were up longer training." Kratos sighed, remembering Lloyd's childish protests to Anna. They had been almost identical. "Besides, you never told me what that constellation was called," he added.
"Wanna stay up 'n' lookit the pwetty lights wiv daddy…"
"No!" Kratos scolded himself aloud, shaking his head. "I…" Lloyd frowned, confused, and Kratos stood up. "I… I will tell you tomorrow," he replied, walking away quickly before Lloyd could question him, although he heard the young swordsman call after him in confusion. Stupid, I am so stupid! He scolded himself. I did the one thing I promised myself I wouldn't do! I let him get too close to me… I let myself grow too close to him… He sighed softly, shaking his head. He is my child… How can I not grow close to him? His hand closed around the locket that hung around his neck, pulling it free of his top, and he smiled slightly. Maybe… If I find a way… If he does not hate me so much he never wants to look at me again… I can… Give the Eternal Sword to him… He closed his eyes. Yes… If he has the strength… If he learns enough, if he does enough… He could become that strong… If only there was a way to break the pact with Origin that would result in him gaining the sword… We need a summoner… But where can I find a summoner? He sighed. There were always complications. I know what I need now, almost all of it. I can provide the materials to forge a Ring of the Pact. I just need a way to get it to Lloyd… For him to realise after my death that that is what I want for him… What he needs… If… Mithos does not kill him first… No! I will not let that happen! Even if it is my life I must give, I will make sure Lloyd lives! His hand tightened around the locket. For you, Anna…
The next day, the group headed in the direction of Luin. Lloyd was walking with Forcystus after a failed attempt to get Kratos to talk to him, and was feeling a bit put out about it.
"…I don't get it…" He muttered angrily. "I was just being friendly, then he got all snappy for no reason and now he won't talk to me! It's not like I'm asking him anything I wouldn't tell him!" Forcystus sighed.
"He's a complicated person," he replied. "Give him some space. Maybe you asked him something that means more to him than you think."
"…I only protested that we hadn't stayed out that late and he hadn't told me what the constellation was…" Forcystus sighed.
"Stargazing. Oh dear," he remarked, more than aware of Kratos' connections to Lloyd and stars. Lloyd glared at him. "No, no, don't get the wrong idea. I don't think it's silly in any way," he reassured quickly, seeing that Lloyd had taken that entirely the wrong way. "I just…" He looked over at Kratos, worried, but the mercenary didn't even register the glance, if he saw it.
"Do you know the names of the stars?" Lloyd asked, intrigued now.
"Only the new ones," Forcystus told him with a slight, weary smile, brushing an unruly lock of hair from his eyes irritably. "I'm not a well of knowledge on things from before the Kharlan War. I'm better versed on the summon spirits and magic." Lloyd looked disappointed.
"…Oh," he murmured. "I was just, y'know…"
"Hoping I could teach you in place of Kratos?" Forcystus supplied helpfully. Lloyd looked put out, but nodded anyway, making the half-elf laugh. "You needn't worry. Give him today without pestering him and I'm sure he'll relent." Lloyd sighed.
"…Fine. Alright, I'll just… Give him some space. Not that he'll give me a choice," he decided unhappily. "I guess my training's gone out of the window…"
"I doubt he'll begrudge you a session or two," Forcystus disagreed. "He wants you to grow strong." Lloyd gave him a funny look. "…We all do. You have so much potential, Lloyd, like I said. We simply want to see you use it." Lloyd made an irritated noise, getting the feeling that there was something Forcystus wasn't telling him, and Kratos for that matter.
He fell into silence after their little conversation, thinking through everything that Kratos had told him before he'd gone funny.
Heimdall… He thought. I'm sure I've heard that before… But where? He gave Forcystus a look, wondering if the half-elf would remind him if he asked. It was almost certainly something he'd heard from him… Wait! I know now, it's the village of the elves… Kratos was born in an elven village? That makes no sense… Further dredging up of memories reminded Lloyd that it was in Tethe'alla, because that was where Origin's Seal was. No, he can't have come from that Heimdall… But it makes no sense for there to be a Heimdall in Tethe'alla and another in Sylvarant. Is Kratos hiding something from me? But he can't be from Tethe'alla… He just can't… He glanced over at Kratos, who had just hacked a wolf in half before it could get to Colette. Forcystus said something like only Cruxis and the Desians can go between the worlds, and Kratos is human, the Professor and Genis would have said if he wasn't… So he can't be from Tethe'alla. Lloyd smiled slightly to himself, pleased with his deduction. Cruxis and the Desians were half-elven organisations. There was no way a simple mercenary would be part of them.
"There, Lloyd. Luin, in the distance," Forcystus pointed out as the sun was starting to set. Lloyd grinned.
"We're nearly there!" He enthused.
"Don't let your guard down," Kratos chided him in a low voice, and Lloyd sighed.
"I know, I know…" He murmured. "An enemy could strike at any time, from any place…" He glanced around; no enemies seemed to be striking at that particular moment.
"From one place in particular," Forcystus murmured under his breath, looking over at the Asgard Ranch, which was now more clearly visible on the horizon. Kratos shot an evil look at it, pure hatred in his eyes.
"…Indeed," he murmured, his voice betraying none of the hatred he felt. "…We must press on." Lloyd muttered under his breath in annoyance at Kratos' constant scoldings as they walked, until Forcystus punched him in the arm lightly and told him to shut up.
"…Luin, the City of Hope," Kratos told them all as they walked into the town. It was bustling with life, a lot more lively than even Asgard had been.
"…Wow…" Lloyd murmured, looking around. "It's big!" Forcystus laughed softly.
"That's why it's called a city, Lloyd," he replied. Lloyd glared at him.
"…There are a few shops around, including several that stock weapons and supplies," Kratos told them. "And the fountain is in that direction." He waved his hand in the vague direction of the fountain, although it wasn't visible to them, being on the other edge of town. "The Inn is this building here." He pointed to the building they were stood outside, the wooden sign not being wonderfully helpful in telling the same, half-worn away as the paint was. "We meet here in an hour and a half, understood?" He told the group firmly. "Get what you need but don't go overboard. We are not that rich, and I would like to be able to afford at least three rooms at the Inn tonight." Lloyd nodded happily, before grabbing Forcystus without warning and pulling the protesting half-elf off to see the fountain. And, more than likely, question townspeople about his mother. Kratos sighed, shaking his head slowly, watching as Genis and Colette went off to look at the closest shop.
"…The things that half-elf puts up with," Raine remarked. "I'm surprised he can stand Lloyd, considering he's been around him almost constantly for about two months now." Kratos made a slight noise.
"Mmm. I shall go and book us into the Inn. Feel free to look around the town," he told her, avoiding remarking on the subject. Raine gave him a careful look.
"…I think I will accompany you," she decided, her suspicions suitably stirred. Kratos shrugged.
"As you wish," he replied, walking into the Inn without seeming perturbed. Raine followed, watching him. His behaviour regarding Lloyd had been strange, and she was being careful. The last thing she wanted was for Lloyd to be hurt by the strange mercenary, especially with what would happen to Colette at the end of their journey.
"Ah, sir, would you like a room?" The Innkeeper asked as Kratos walked in.
"I want to reserve rooms for a party of six, if there is room," he replied. The Innkeeper glanced down at her books.
"…We've three double rooms free. Separate beds," she replied. Kratos nodded.
"That will be just fine," he replied. The Innkeeper gave him a careful look, examining him more closely.
"…You look familiar," she decided eventually. Kratos looked back, seemingly unaffected by the scrutiny.
"…I have been here before," he replied. "However, I doubt I am who you think I am." The Innkeeper frowned at that.
"…Our Anna said some strange things about her angel. I was fairly young at the time, but I still remember it…" She murmured.
"…I do not know an Anna," Kratos replied curtly. "If you were too young, I highly suspect I also was. We will be back later." He turned abruptly and walked out, Raine following him with a frown on her face at the abrupt exchange.
"And just what was that about?" She demanded once they got outside. Kratos shrugged.
"I have no idea," he replied, somehow managing to stay composed. I can't give anything away in front of Raine; else she'll suspect me even more than she already does… Which is a lot, thanks mostly to Forcystus…
"Anna… Do you think it is the same Anna as Lloyd's mother?" Raine asked, changing tack. Kratos shrugged again, following his usual routine of staying silent and saying nothing. It was a well-practiced and effective routine, at least in his opinion. Raine sighed.
"You're usually willing to help. What's got into you?" She asked, perplexed and frustrated. "You're… Confusing. And I think your current actions are hurting Lloyd. He doesn't understand."
"There are a lot of things that boy does not understand, and he must learn to accept that if he wishes to live a normal life," Kratos replied reasonably, looking up at the sky and sighing. "Luin… It has been a while since I was last here, I must say." Raine watched him carefully.
"…I see," she remarked. "Don't be too harsh on him. He's only a boy, really. He's not perfect, he makes mistakes. Give him some leeway," she told him. "I am going to make sure he doesn't drive Forcystus to suicide. Excuse me." She turned and walked away. Kratos sighed.
"…I know he is only a boy, Raine… He is my boy," he murmured once he was certain she was out of earshot. One of the townsfolk walked up to him then, making a remark about having seen him before, but he shrugged it off as he had with the Innkeeper. It hurt, denying having known Anna, but he had to, otherwise there would definitely be room for Raine to suspect him, and with good reason, too.
"…And they built the fountain last, as a sign that the city would always spring anew out of its ashes," Forcystus was saying as Raine walked up. "That was about… Oh, a hundred years after the Kharlan war? Hello, Miss Sage." Lloyd turned.
"Professor!" He exclaimed, surprised. "Forcystus was telling me about the history of Luin." Raine gave the half-elf an evil look.
"If you had listened in class you would know it already," she informed Lloyd icily. Lloyd looked a little abashed.
"Things are often more interesting if you are at the place in question," Forcystus told her, trying to placate her. "He probably didn't listen because it meant nothing to him then." Lloyd nodded slowly. Raine glared at the half-elf.
"What do you know about teaching?" She asked. "Where were you taught, hmm?" Forcystus flinched at the memory, making Lloyd and Raine look at him strangely.
"…Most of my knowledge was learnt first-hand, the rest of it I learnt… Where I grew up," he replied. Lloyd bit his lip.
"I thought you said…" He started, but Forcystus shook his head, holding out a hand to silence him. Raine gave him a strange look.
"And that is bad why?" She asked. Forcystus gave her a look.
"Where did you learn?" He asked in return.
"From books," Raine replied curtly, looking affronted. "Of course."
"Of course," Forcystus repeated affably. "But books are not Lloyd's way. He learns by doing, not reading. Which is why he learns how to fight so well. Where has Kratos gone?" Raine looked a little startled by the sudden question.
"Ah… He was outside the Inn last time I saw him…" She replied eventually. "Why?" Forcystus tapped his nose and walked away, presumably to find said mercenary.
"…It is mom's city," Lloyd said quietly. "Forcystus said so. And he's a Desian, so he knows, 'cause mom was taken by the Desians… By Kvar." Raine gave him a worried look.
"You trust too easily," she told him. "And regardless of what that Desian has done, it is too risky for us to do anything." She made an unhappy noise, a mixture of frustration and uncertainty. "…I still do not trust Forcystus, either," she said eventually, surprising Lloyd. "I'd rather we didn't go anywhere near a Ranch with a Desian, ex or no, in our group. We must keep to the journey of Regeneration now, understood?" Lloyd nodded, although he looked unhappy about it.
"I know," he replied. "I won't do anything that'll put Colette in danger." Raine nodded.
"Good," she replied, looking up at the sky as the sun started to set. "We should head back to the Inn. Kratos booked us rooms." Lloyd sighed softly, running one hand through the water in the fountain.
"…I'll catch up," he told her. Raine sighed, walking away from him with a shake of her head. Lloyd looked after her, still running his fingers through the water. It wasn't fair. Why did the Desians have to take everything away from him like they had? His mother, his father, his home…
"Ok, ok! I'll be it this time!" A young woman agreed with a laugh, walking up with a throng of kids surrounding her.
"Yay! Everybody hide!" One child cried out in delight, and they all ran off, the woman staying there. Lloyd frowned, and she looked over.
"Wh-what are you looking at?!" She demanded, affronted. Lloyd laughed softly.
"That's pretty nice of you, playing with the kids like that," he remarked, a slight smile on his face. The woman looked affronted.
"Wh-what?" She demanded, clearly confused. "…Who are you?" Lloyd held out a slightly damp hand.
"Lloyd Irving," he replied. "You?" She seemed torn.
"…Sheena Fujibayashi," she confessed eventually, shaking his hand. "Ew, did anyone ever tell you not to put gloves in water?" She told him, wiping her hand dry on her trousers.
"Sorry about that," Lloyd replied sheepishly. "Stuff's been going on."
"Sheena! Come play!" One of the kids protested. Sheena laughed softly.
"Duty calls," she remarked. Lloyd stood up.
"I'll join in," he offered. "What is it, hide and seek?"
"Hide and seek tag," Sheena corrected with a smile. "I'll teach you the rules as we go along. It may involve you being dunked in the fountain if I'm that way inclined." Lloyd grinned.
"You'll have to catch me first!" He replied, running off, and Sheena laughed and chased aftr both him and the kids.
They were still playing half an hour later. Most of the kids had been called away, and although neither of them would really admit it, they were only still out there because they both enjoyed the spontaneous company of a friendly stranger.
That changed abruptly when Kratos walked up.
"Lloyd" he started, and Sheena froze.
"…You," she muttered, as Lloyd looked up at the sound of Kratos' voice.
"You talking to me now?" He asked, looking hurt. Sheena glanced between the two of them.
"…You're with them," she realised, sounding hurt. "…With the Chosen." Lloyd looked surprised.
"Yeah," he replied. "So?" Sheena clenched her fists.
"…We will meet again," she muttered, her voice cold and hard, and she vanished.
"Now look what you've done," Lloyd accused, not really understanding half of the situation. Kratos sighed.
"Yes, Lloyd. I apologise for last night… And for the strange behaviour of that ninja, if it appeases you," he replied. "I was wondering if you wished to train with me." Lloyd looked over in the vague direction of the Asgard Ranch, although it was hidden by the houses.
"…Yeah, please," he responded eventually. "I want to be stronger, so I can avenge my mom…" Kratos looked troubled.
"…We will pass by this town again later on in the journey. The last seal is the Tower of Mana, over there." He pointed. "…Leave Kvar for now. It is for the best." Lloyd sighed.
"Yeah… Alright," he replied. "But we can still train, right?" Kratos nodded.
"Of course," he responded. "Come with me." Lloyd followed the mercenary out into the woods skirting the town, looking back as they went and marvelling at how beautiful the sun setting on the city looked.
"…It's beautiful…" He murmured. Kratos nodded; a slight smile on his face.
"Yes, it is…" He agreed softly. Lloyd gave him a surprised look.
"I didn't think you liked anything," he remarked. "You're always so cold." Kratos laughed softly, drawing his sword with a ring of metal on metal.
"You may think so," he agreed. "Draw your swords." Lloyd did so, watching Kratos carefully, not eager to repeat the lesson on not watching your teacher that Forcystus had taught him. Kratos sighed sadly, noting that his stance had barely improved since their last lesson, and rushed him. Lloyd was taken off-guard despite trying to keep an eye on him, and he barely blocked. Kratos fought as though Lloyd was an enemy, and was disappointed to find that Lloyd was on the floor within about twenty seconds, Kratos' sword at his throat.
"Ow! Kratos, geez!" He protested as he got up, rubbing his sore arm. Kratos sighed irritably at Lloyd's apparent hopelessness.
"You must be able to protect yourself from any attack," he told him. "Even from me. There are others who are just as skilled as me in the world."
"I find that hard to believe," Lloyd muttered, now rubbing his elbow ruefully. "Even Forcystus thinks you're good, and Forcystus has been… Lots of places." Kratos frowned.
"I… See," he murmured, deciding that a questioning session with said half-elf was in order to find out the extent of Lloyd's knowledge. "Even so. You must be prepared." Lloyd sighed, readying his swords again.
"I know, I know…" He allowed grudgingly. "But you're so much better than me… It's not fair."
"You will improve," Kratos reassured him, walking over and physically moving his left hand into the right position. "There. Try to remember what I teach you, else there is little point in us having these lessons." Lloyd looked abashed.
"Sorry…" He apologised. "I try! I really do! I want to get stronger so I can protect Colette…" Kratos looked troubled, and he made a strange noise and walked off.
"…I see," he murmured. "…I hope you do grow to be that strong. Let us try something different." Lloyd gave him a funny look. "I shall hold back. I want you to floor me." Lloyd looked openly dubious then. "No, try. I shall fight as though I were trying not to hurt you. Come." He went for Lloyd then, and Lloyd fought back as well as he could. He could feel Kratos making a few stupid mistakes, missing him where he could have hit, and not taking openings that he left, and it made the young swordsman feel very inadequate, but he did his best, and eventually managed a downwards slash at Kratos' left side. "That will do," Kratos told him, jumping backwards elegantly. "That would disable an angel." Lloyd gave him a funny look.
"Will we have to fight Cruxis?" He asked dubiously. Kratos sighed, looking up at the sky.
"Know every weakness of every creature," he told Lloyd. "It is wise to be prepared. The weak point of an angel is the wings. I have… Queried Forcystus on this matter." Lloyd nodded. That made sense. If there was anyone to ask about Cruxis, it was Forcystus. "It is the only place a true angel can feel pain," Kratos continued. "The wings of an angel are delicate. Even pulling a single feather from the wings can cause discomfort, as has been proved with Colette." Lloyd pulled Forcystus' feather out of his pocket and looked at it dismally, pulling a face.
"Forcystus doesn't trust Cruxis," he remarked without thinking. Kratos laughed.
"I would imagine not. He is a Desian," he replied. Lloyd put the feather away with a sigh. "It would seem that, despite your words, the Desians will attack the Chosen…"
"Magnius was deceived, Forcystus said so," Lloyd responded. "I don't know who by, though. But I doubt Yggdrasill will be pleased we destroyed one of the Ranches, so that's one good thing, I guess." Kratos looked troubled.
"Deceived indeed," he murmured. "I would advise against doing things specifically to anger an enemy leader when you know nothing of him."
"I've seen him," Lloyd responded. "So there! He hurt Forcystus. He's not a nice person at all." Kratos looked openly worried then.
"You must not provoke him, besides," he cautioned. "Don't go seeking the wrath of others." Lloyd nodded slowly.
"…I guess you're right," he agreed. "…Are you backing out of your promise, then?" He added, looking hurt, but Kratos shook his head.
"No, I will help you fight Kvar," he replied. "You will likely need the help, with what little progress you have made so far." He smiled wryly, and Lloyd frowned.
"I'm getting better!" he protested. Kratos nodded amiably.
"Perhaps… But not fast enough," he replied, readying his sword once more. "Try again." Lloyd nodded, rushing him to try and take him off-guard, and they spent the next twenty minutes training like that.
"…Whew… I'm beat," Lloyd remarked after being floored for the fifth time, certain his back would be more brown than skin-coloured in the morning with bruises. "Can't we go back to the Inn now?" Kratos shook his head.
"If you have the energy to talk, you have the energy to fight," he told him curtly. "Draw your swords." Lloyd looked at him incredulously.
"Are you serious?" He panted. "I'm exhausted! If I use up all the energy I have now, I won't have any to go back to the Inn with…" He trailed off as a piercing shriek sounded from close by, and Kratos' head shot round in the direction of the sound.
"…Draw your swords," he repeated softly. Deciding not to argue with this new threat present, Lloyd nervously got to his feet and picked up his swords, glancing in the direction Kratos was looking. "…It's after us. It must have picked up our scent whilst we were training," the mercenary muttered, clearly unhappy about the situation.
"Can't we leave?" Lloyd asked, but Kratos shook his head.
"No. It might follow us back to the village. The best thing to do would be to deal with it here," he responded. "It should not be a hassle. Get ready."
The monster, a giant plant-like creature, burst out of the foliage a few seconds later, and Kratos was instantly on it, hacking off a tentacle and evading an attack instantly. Lloyd rushed it too, despite how tired he was, determined to prove himself useful, and Kratos noted that and instantly changed his tactics to try and keep Lloyd out of danger. Lloyd's swords practically bounced off the creature's tough body, so he decided to go for the tentacles like Kratos was, and he managed to hack a couple off before, despite Kratos' efforts, one of the spine-covered appendages raked its way down his back, and he fell to the floor with a cry of pain, trying desperately to reach for his dropped swords to defend himself.
"Lloyd!" Kratos exclaimed, horrified, instantly running around to the downed boy and blocking an otherwise fatal attack. "Get back if you can!" Lloyd hissed through his teeth as he tried to move.
"Ow… I think I've broken a rib…" He lamented. Kratos cursed softly under his breath, and decided that a slightly different tactic to his normal ones would be necessary. He would have to use some of his better spells, despite the suspicion that Lloyd might get of him. Gritting his teeth, he jumped back to just in front of Lloyd and held his sword across his other hand, mana gathering around his feet.
"Burn," he hissed at it. "Hell Pyre!" He leapt into the air, fire magic flaring at the monster's feet, before diving at it, cleaving it in two with a burning blade. The creature shrieked as it died, but Kratos paid it minimal attention, landing and going straight to Lloyd, who was looking green. There was a lot of blood.
"Ow…" He lamented ruefully.
"Lloyd…" Kratos murmured, turning the injured teen over to get a better look at the wound. "…You need to be more careful. One mistake could cost you your life."
"…I know that! If I wasn't so tired…" Lloyd protested weakly, crying out as Kratos tugged something out of the wound that hurt like hell. "Ow! What was that for?!" Kratos sighed.
"I am trying to get the poison spines out of your wound, otherwise you will only end up worse off after I heal you," he explained patiently, one hand on Lloyd's back to stop him from getting up. "Hold still." Lloyd yelped as another was removed, with a worried look still on Kratos' face. He pulled out another three, much to Lloyd's dismay, before he decided they were all gone.
"Ow. Ow, ow, ow," Lloyd moaned, trying to turn around. Kratos sighed, holding a hand above him.
"Healing Wind," he whispered, and green-white light flowed around the boy. Kratos could hear Lloyd's breathing ease as the pain went, and he put one hand on Lloyd's side to stop him from trying to get up. "Take it easy," he warned him. "You've still got the poison in your system. Here." He pulled a Panacea bottle from a pocket, pulled the stopper off it and offered it to Lloyd, who gave it a disgusted look. Sighing, Kratos helped Lloyd to sit against the nearest tree and practically forced the Panacea down his throat. "It's for your own good," he told the unwilling boy. "I have not as large a range of healing magic as Raine. This will have to do. I would rather not have had you try to attempt the walk back to Luin with all that poison in your blood." Lloyd made a weak noise.
"…Thanks," he murmured, a sheepish grin on his face. "…I guess you were right. I made a really stupid mistake…" Kratos shook his head.
"Pay me no mind. I was worried," he replied. "It was not foolish; it was only to be expected of someone who is still learning. In time you will learn to anticipate your foe's attacks and be ready to block. It is a technique that comes with practise."
"…In time," Lloyd repeated grumpily, trying to get up, but Kratos kept him down. "What?" Kratos sighed.
"You must not overexert yourself. Take care," he cautioned. Lloyd looked put out. "If you try and walk back now you may well collapse," Kratos added. Lloyd glared at him.
"So, what, are you going to carry me back?" He pointed out. "I can walk! Let me up! Stop fussing over me like I'm a child! I'm not a kid! I'm 17!" Kratos sighed at Lloyd's protests.
"Technically, at 17 you are still a child," he informed Lloyd gently. "If you try to get up now, you will ikely only end up back where you started." Lloyd, irritated, attempted to stand but only ended up proving the more worldly-wise mercenary correct. "Just calm down," Kratos told him, an amused look on his face now that he was certain Lloyd was all right. "Rest here for a while, just for a few minutes, then we will return. The worst thing you could do now is to push yourself." Lloyd pouted miserably, and Kratos chuckled and stood up. "Stay there," he ordered the younger man, before going over to the corpse of the giant plant creature and summarily incinerating it. Lloyd watched his prowess with magic with slightly envious eyes, wishing that he had the elven blood that would let him use such a powerful force. Kratos didn't seem to notice Lloyd's eyes on him as he grunted in irritation at the ashes, before calling more magic, wind this time, to scatter them. "And stay away," he muttered, a slightly irritated edge to his voice. "Pathetic…" Lloyd shifted, grunting slightly. It still hurt a little. It only irritated him more to learn that Kratos had been right.
"…We can't stay out here too long… There's more monsters around, right?" He asked the mercenary, who turned to look at him, his rust-red eyes hiding something.
"…Yes. However, the only way we would be able to get back now would be for me to carry you, which I am sure you will not appreciate," he replied. "Just wait a few more minutes. I can handle anything that may come to attack." Lloyd sighed in despair.
"…I'm sorry…" He apologised again, woefully aware of his own inadequacy in the face of Kratos' skill.
"Everyone makes mistakes," Kratos replied amiably. "Although you will no doubt feel the lack of sleep in the morning, but it cannot be helped." Lloyd, right on cue, yawned, and Kratos smiled slightly. "You may sleep if you wish," he allowed. "Just for a little while. I will wake you when I think you are strong enough to travel back." He frowned slightly. "The others may have become a little concerned by now, but I believe all of them save perhaps Raine trust me to take care of you."
"You wouldn't betray us… Would you?" Lloyd asked sleepily, his eyes half closed.
"I wouldn't hurt you," Kratos replied. "Not physically." Lloyd frowned slightly.
"You're on our side… Right?" He asked. Kratos sighed softly.
"Yes, Lloyd… I am on your side," he replied. "Even if it does not always seem that way."
"Promise?"
"…Yes. I promise," Kratos replied, hating himself for it. "But, Lloyd, people sometimes seem as though they are breaking a promise, when they may in fact be doing the only thing that is possible to keep it. Think on that."
"…Can we go back yet?" Lloyd asked; his eyes heavy with the need for sleep. Kratos shook his head.
"Wait a little longer," he replied, and Lloyd gave in to the temptation and fell fast asleep.
He woke a few minutes later; uncertain of what it was that had actually woken him. Sleepily, he looked about for Kratos, and saw him stood a little way off, one hand on the hilt of his sword… And he was singing softly. Lloyd was surprised, he hadn't thought of Kratos as the singing type. He seemed to fit the 'strong and silent' bill quite well, in fact.
"Sleep, my child, sleep soft in your cradle, guided by wand'ring stars high above, I'll clothe you with moonshine and sing you to sleep, so sleep, my loved one, sleep deep." Kratos had a deep, soft voice, as gentle as Lloyd remembered his father's being, from those childhood memories he could barely recall.
"…Dad…" He murmured sadly, and Kratos turned.
"Lloyd?" He asked; a slight frown on his face. "I thought you were sleeping." He seemed concerned by this. Lloyd laughed softly, still sleepy, and he rubbed his eyes.
"Your singing woke me up," he replied. "It… Reminded me of how my dad used to sound… I think." Kratos sighed, walking over to him and holding out his hand.
"Try standing," he offered, and Lloyd grabbed his hand and got slowly to his feet. "Lean on me. I think it will be safe for us to return now," Kratos explained, and Lloyd nodded, using the mercenary as support. They walked back to Luin like that, Kratos wearing a permanently troubled expression that worried Lloyd. Had he really caused Kratos that much worry?
I hope he's not mad at me… He thought ruefully. He'd tried his best, but he'd been worn out from their training before and hadn't dodged in time, and now he was causing Kratos all this trouble…
"Do not worry," Kratos told him softly, as though sensing his discomfort. "I will not say anything to the others if that is what you desire. Everyone makes mistakes, and you were tired. I am simply glad that you were not more grievously injured."
"…Thanks…" Lloyd replied. "…I'm sorry…" Kratos shook his head.
"Do not worry," he repeated, walking up to the Inn, allowing Lloyd to stand by himself as they walked in, but none of their group were there to comment. "It was not your fault." He hesitated, uncertain. "…Get some sleep. Hopefully you will be fully recovered by morning," he settled for eventually. Lloyd nodded, heading off to the room Kratos indicated. The latter waited until he was in, and he could hear his breathing slow to a sleeper's rhythm through the door, before going in himself. "…Lloyd…" He murmured softly, brushing his hair from his eyes and watching him stir in his sleep with a soft murmur. With a sigh, he went to sit on the other bed, to wait out the night until the morning came.
Angels such as he did not have the luxury of sleep to help them pass the time.
A/N - I'm starting to confuse myself with this angel issue, after a long hard thinking session when detailing out backstory. How many of Derris-Kharlan's angels are feelingless like Colette becomes? I thought most of them were meant to be, but then we have Remiel, and that angel who gives you the mana fragment seems to be able to feel flustered, at least... Help out a girl in distress?
On another note - Holiday yay! :D:D