Long chapter again. -
November 1st
Kratos silently sits up, glancing about in the pre-dawn light. He quietly gathers his belongings, before standing and walking for the door. Daichi is standing outside, staring at the sky. He's strangely emotionless. Kratos spots him on his way to the kitchen. He makes minimal noise as he gathers utensils, and starts cooking. Daichi doesn't move or look around. There's a slight shimmer in the air behind him. Slight impression of wings. Kratos abruptly stops, almost like he'd been jolted. He turns and stares hard at Daichi. The shimmer is no longer there. Daichi is just standing there. He turns around, looking directly at Kratos, his eyes kind of empty. Kratos is scowling, but nothing more to his face than that. After a moment, he goes back to his cooking, but he seems to be thinking, and thinking hard. After a moment, after he put his dish into the oven, he goes back over and watches Daichi, scowling. Daichi stares blankly back at him. Kratos's fingers dance with shifting-blue light, and make the image of wings before him - like Colette's, but four wedges of the same sort of shifting-blue light. Daichi doesn't react.
Kratos frowns. "..." he's staring at Daichi as if Daichi shouldn't be walking around. "... not of Kharlan, I assume.." his eyes narrow. "couldn't be a child of one, they don't leave..."
"what are you talking about?" Daichi asks blankly.
"I don't suppose you'd actually know." Kratos says, a grim smirk like expression on his face. "Unless you were lying to me before. Angelus Project. Heard of it?"
"No."
"how did you get them, then?" Kratos asks, casually. The glow about his fingers flaps once, and vanishes. "wings."
"Wings?" He looks behind him. "I have no wings."
"Of course." Kratos mutters, turning back toward the kitchen. He pauses, regarding Daichi from the corner of his eye, then the ceiling above. after a moment, the hazy impression of the same style of wings he had drawn in the air appears at his back. "What wings indeed..." they vanish as he looks at the oven. Daichi stares at Kratos before returning his view to the sky. Kratos ignores Daichi. The scent of baking brownies calls Lloyd downstairs and the teen stares in shock at Kratos. Daichi has returned inside, still slightly dead-looking.
"What?" Kratos asks while poking the brownies with a fork to see how well done they were. "Is there something on my face?"
"... You can cook. Other than coffee." Lloyd is still half asleep.
"Yes." Kratos is annoyed. "See if I give you any, should you continue those comments..." The oven shuts again.
"Why brownies?"
"I like chocolate. And brownies are chocolate. there is nothing more to it." Daichi sits, then slumps, obviously not paying attention.
"Right..." Lloyd is still weirded out by Kratos cooking.
Genis comes down next. "I smell brownies!" He too stops in mild shock at Kratos in the kitchen.
"... If you're going to stare at me, I'm sure I can find a way to eat the entire pan myself."
"Noooooo! Both teens wail.
"I didn't stare. Can I have one?" Daichi says, head on the table.
"Once they're done." Kratos mutters, crouching before the oven. Lloyd and Genis hover behind him. It takes a little while for Kratos to get annoyed with them. "Go eat something that at least looks healthy. I take no responsibility should Ms Sage get irritated at your choice in breakfast foods." Genis and Lloyd look at each other and break out fruit. Kratos gets the pan and small plates out.
Daichi yawns, seeming to come back to his senses slightly. "I had a weird dream."
"Really?" Lloyd sits next to him, an apple rapidly vanishing from his hand. Kratos starts cutting up the brownies and then counting plates and forks.
"Aye. Trying to remember it clearly, but Kratos was in it for some reason."
"That would make it weird." Lloyd agrees. Kratos snorts, setting the pan down with plates and forks.
"Don't eat it all." He warns, before going back to his plate. It looks like he cut a square out of the center.
"He had wings. Angel wings. And so did I. Light blue. Like Aqua Mana." Lloyd stares at him, then at Kratos, who had his back to them as he ate his brownies. Lloyd remains silent, but Genis snorts.
"Kratos, an Angel?" Genis asks around a bite of brownie. "I think he fits the bill for demon better."
"And yet you eat my brownies..." Kratos mutters.
"Brownies are brownies!" Genis says. Lloyd looks like he's trying to think and its failing horribly. Daichi seems transfixed on Kratos' back. He reaches to his neck and slips his Exsphere off its Key Crest. It glints a dull red. Lloyd rubs his head as Genis looks between the two of them, and starts reaching for Lloyd's half-eaten brownie.
"No you don't!" Lloyd rescues his snack, all traces of hard thought gone.
Daichi claims his own. "I always wondered why mine was red and the others are mostly blue."
"Dunno." Lloyd says, looking at his. his was definitely more purple than Genis's, or Kratos's sky blue. Daichi re-equips it, yawning again.
Kratos hides a shudder, shutting the window. "Wind is picking up again."
"Are you eating brownies for breakfast?" Raine demands, at the top of the stairs. "Kratos, did you make them brownies for breakfast?" Somehow he was correctly pegged as the one who cooked the treat.
"I made them, they ate it. You want some before Lloyd inhales the rest of the pan?"
"Brownies!" Colette chirps, pulling Aurian down the stairs with her.
"Someone mention Brownies?" Piers chirups in. Colette snags some and gives Aurian a plate as well. The Chosen happily eats, but Aurian prods it with a fork. Piers pounces, literally, a chair, grabbing a brownie.
"Don't like them?" Lloyd asks, watching Aurian as Raine gets herself a plate as well.
"....Looks like..." She doesn't continue speaking, just with her prodding of the brownie.
"Looks like what?" Lloyd completely misses her hesitation, but Kratos doesn't. He's suddenly looking amused.
"Like someone already ate it." Aurian mutters, frowning at her now crumbles of brownie.
"No, doesn't really look like someone chewed it for you..." Lloyd got it, eyes wide. Daichi face palms.
"It's a chocolate... bread." Kratos explains. he even sounds like he's amused for once. "... With a lot of chocolate in it." He almost reached to give himself seconds, but paused. "... Where is Shikka?" No-one answers. No-one seems to know. "....." Kratos looks at the remaining brownies. "...." a quick second of thought snatches them on two plates out of Lloyd's grasp. "I'll see if he wants some." Kratos vanishes as Aurian takes a tentative nibble of her brownie. And then devours it. Shikka is on the roof watching the sun. Kratos sticks his head out a window, twisting to look up. "Do you want brownies?" He asks, holding one of the plates out.
"Thanks." Shikka takes one.
"Double chocolate." Kratos says, taking the second and eating bits at a time. "Or maybe triple. In any case, Ms Sage will not be pleased if this is the entirety of your breakfast, and I believe the intent is to head out for the Mausoleum soon."
"She can try to control my diet if she wants. She'll fail." He smirks.
"Hm." Kratos snorts in agreement, finishing his brownie. "..." he turns and leaves. Aurian, Lloyd and Genis are picking at the tray to try to get the scraps of Brownie off it.
November 5th
Late evening, near enough to full night that they would have stopped half an hour back but for the fact that the Mausoleum was in sight, and the party makes it to the half-in-a-hill stone building.
"Colette!" Raine shoves the tablet into the girls hands. "Climb the central stairway and offer the map at the altar!" Colette nods, while Kratos starts making camp. Daichi frowns, remembering his dream, looking behind him.
"Huh..." He mumbles, taking out the pill bottle once more. Colette takes the tablet and goes up to the altar. before she even gets too close to it, stones shift at the top, opening a slot.
"It's responding to the Map of Balacruf!" Raine practically sqees, moving up and looking over the parts. Colette obediently continues what she was doing and puts the map in place. The Oracle Stone appears. Piers had followed Colette and Raine, watching with interest.
"It's the Oracle Stone!" Genis cheers.
"Seal. Just like we thought." Lloyd beams, and Colette beams back.
"Let's wait until the morning to open the Mausoleum." Kratos has returned, and is eyeing the place with mild displeasure.
Piers frowns. "What's the oracle stone again?" Before Raine can open her mouth and talk long about the marvels of the device, Kratos cuts her off.
"The device that responds to the touch of the Chosen." Raine shuts her mouth with a click and a glare for Kratos.
"Okay. But what does it do?"
Kratos shifts with a sigh. "The Oracle stone knows the Mana of the Chosen's, partially because they are becoming Angels, and allows them access to the seal." Raine's watching him with suspicious curiosity.
"...So it's a key?"
"Perhaps it would be better to think of the Oracle stone as a Lock, and the Chosen as the key."
".. How do you know this?" Raine asks, glancing at him - she'd started copying it down as notes.
"Still don't get it." Piers shrugs, looking away and around.
"Mana signatures." Kratos says, looking perhaps annoyed with himself. "Everything has a Mana signature. Angels, and Chosens, have a different one, and the stone is keyed into that. the touch of a Mana signature they are keyed into allows them to open. Touch of someone they aren't keyed into, such as Ms Sage, and they do nothing."
"So it unlocks the Chosen's power, or vice versa?"
"This..." Kratos taps it. "Unlocks due to the Chosen's power. the beasts we've been killing and the arrival of the Angel Remiel are the process of unlocking the Chosen's power."
"But what does it DO!?"
"Opens the door! That one, right there!" Kratos points at it, his voice an annoyed snap. "With all the monsters on the other side!"
"Coulda told me that in the first place..."
Kratos sort of stares at him. "..." he looks like he's mentally going back in the conversation to figure out what Piers had asked in the first place. Lloyd's just sort of inching away, and Genis is following him. Colette just sort of watches, and Aurian's playing with the fire again. "... I had thought you were asking for mechanics, rather than what we've seen happen twice already." Kratos says.
"I asked what it did."
"Then are you blind?" Kratos asks. "We've been to two seals already, with Oracle stones at each."
"Kratos!" Raine snaps at him. "Calm down! If he's curious, he's curious."
Piers frowns. "Yeah. Cool down or I'll cool you down myself. I forgot!"
"How one could forget a rainbow bridge of Mana appearing over a geyser I cannot imagine..." Kratos stalks off, not to the camp.
Piers mumbles. "It got archived already..."
"Arc...hived?" Lloyd asks, while Raine sighs and moves to prevent Aurian from poking the coals.
"Archived. Like stored." Genis says, shaking his head at Lloyd's stupidity.
Daichi appears from nowhere. "Anyone mind if I cook tonight?"
"Nope." Lloyd shoves the bag of name-chips into his pocket again. Raine manages to get Aurian away from the fire. Daichi snags the ingredients, starting to prepare something. Raine is trying to get Aurian to understand that the fire is bad thing to play with, but she doesn't seem to get it. Genis and Lloyd are talking about something with Colette. A nice smell starts wafting through the camp. Daichi seems to be a pretty good cook. Lloyd starts watching. Daichi doesn't seem to notice, concentrating on the pot of stew before him. He periodically adds a few herbs. Lloyd just watches. Kratos comes back and just sits next to Noishe.
"It's done." Daichi states, pulling out the bowls. The stew looks bland and flavourless.
Lloyd looks at it. ".. where'd all the stuff you put in it go?" Aurian simply scoots away from everyone and starts eating.
"Just eat it." Daichi says, smirking. Lloyd takes a nom, and his eyes go wide and he goes into eat cause its going to run speed.
Daichi chuckles. "Its a Desian recipe. I didn't find the name of it, that part was gone, but its some form of seasoned pork stew. It was said it's so delicious the angels made the recipe." Kratos seems to have choked on his bite.
Shikka looks up at Kratos. "Something wrong?" He asks.
"Inhaled wrong." Kratos says, coughing into his hand. "Or didn't chew right."
"Uh huh." Shikka states, obviously not believing him. Daichi hands bowls to Genis, Piers and Raine. Kratos continues eating. Aurian seems to have inhaled her food and was inching toward the pot for more. Lloyd looked like he was about to follow her.
Daichi guards the pot. "No more until everyone else is finished." Lloyd pouts, Aurian blinks, and they sit right where they were, watching the pot and Daichi. Daichi waits untill everyone else has finished, splitting the remainder with those who want seconds and giving the pot to Noishe. Noishe eagerly noms. "I got more where that came from." Noishe makes a snickering whine, watching him. Kratos shoves the canine's head further into the pot, masking the fact that he dumped half of his into the pot as well. Daichi seems mildly relieved that no-one else gets innuendo. Genis is the first to start yawning, although Aurian is the first to have curled into a ball in her bedroll. Raine's reading something, and Lloyd's staring at the sky. Daichi looks up, smiling lightly. It looks as though the man has recalled a fond memory. Colette glances over, and smiles as well. Kratos is very pointedly is going to be Night watch. Daichi rubs the back of his neck, drawing attention, again, to the Exsphere planted there.
"... Hey." Lloyd blinks over to him. "Can I look at it?"
Daichi blinks. "Uh, sure..." He removes the Exsphere from the crest, passing it to Lloyd.
"..." Lloyd puts Daichi's in his left hand, and takes his off with a tiny hiss, comparing the two. "... Mine's more purple..." Lloyd puts his back into place, and goes and takes Kratos's left hand, comparing colors there. Kratos pretends that Lloyd doesn't exist, although he is watching from the corner of his eye.
"Are Exspheres supposed to have a uniform colour?" Piers asks, looking up from a book.
"... Yeah." Lloyd says, taking Kratos's and moving to look Genis next. "Kratos and Genis have blue. Like a Genis's shorts... Mine's kinda indigo.. purpley colored... Daichi's is sort of ... navy. between blue and indigo..."
"So...A Mix between Lloyd's Exsphere and normal Exspheres."
"Yeah." Lloyd gives Kratos his Exsphere back and then goes to Daichi. "Crests look come in sorts of diferent shapes... so that's not really anything." Daichi's crest is merely the thinnest circle of ore as possible, created for speed instead of decorativeness. Lloyd's is teardrop shaped, Kratos's rectangular with small gem like decorations, Genis's is separate pieces somehow, like a sun. Raine's isn't visible, and Colette doesn't have an Exsphere.
Daichi holds his hand out for his Exsphere. "Weird, huh?"
"Mmhm." Lloyd passes it over. Daichi slots it into place, sighing. Lloyd blinks, blinks again.
"I'm tired." he announces, and heads over to sleep. Shikka is already curled up like a big cat. Daichi flops back on his bedroll, sprawling out, watching the stars. Raine finally banks the fire and then goes to sleep, while Colette lays herself all too-neatly for sleep.
November 6th
Lloyd jumps awake when Kratos drops a log into the fire, settling the kettle next to it and going back to shake dew from his hair. Daichi seems to be mumbling, dreaming. Lloyd sits up, and moves groggily toward the fire and kettle. Aurian looks like she's cold, by the way she's got her blanket wrapped about her. Colette gets up, and looks around for the covered well to wash up. Daichi jolts awake, evidently having had a bad dream. Kratos seems to be in a better mood, as he returns to the kettle and fixes coffee. Lloyd snatches a cup to help himself wake.
"You all right?" Colette asks Daichi.
"Yeah. Just bad dreams..." To be honest, the half-elf was having them a lot recently. Since Aurian joined. Was it guilt?
"Oh." Colette can't seem to think of anything to say to that. "I'm sorry. I hope you get some good ones soon." Lloyd's waking up rapidly, and makes other mugs of Coffee to offer to Genis, Raine and Piers. Daichi snatches one himself. Piers wakes at the scent of coffee.
"Nngh. Mornin'." He says, yawning and stretching. Shikka is awake, tail flicking about. Lloyd offers one to Aurian, and she tries to drink it too fast, and seems to scald her tongue.
"Morning." Colette chirps. Piers stands, cooling his coffee down a bit before downing it nearly in one. Genis starts breakfast, which was pancakes. Aurian seems intent to stay in a nest of blankets and watch everyone.
Piers blinks. "It's not that cold, is it?"
"It will be." Aurian mutters. "Inside. Get warm now, keep warm then?"
"That won't be effective unless you layer now." Raine says. "And why would it be cold?"
"Wind. Wind and no sun." Aurian pretends to be a turtle with the blanket.
"True. Wind can be cold with nothing to heat it." Shikka notes.
"Wind cold with sun, sometimes." Aurian points out. "Fast winds, very cold."
"Pancakes." Genis puts the first set on a plate. Daichi snags them, probably fighting Lloyd off in the process. Lloyd looks put out, but sits right next to Genis in order to get the next batch. Daichi eats, smirking. Lloyd snags the next batch, then Colette gets some, and sneaks some onto Lloyd's plate. Piers spots this. He frowns, but says nothing, getting the next bunch. Kratos gets a plate after Raine, and returns to sitting near Noishe, with his back to the party. Aurian snags the plate after his, and eats them like floppy cookies. Shikka gets his last, eating them. Genis appears to have been scarfing one down every couple of plates, because he doesn't make many for himself when he took a break, but then continues to finish off the batter for seconds. Daichi gets seconds, again fighting Lloyd off. And Lloyd again sits behind Genis to get his. Piers doesn't want seconds and Shikka claims what remains. Genis and Lloyd go take care of dishes, while Kratos helps Raine basically show by example to Aurian, how to take care of the camp site. Piers helps Raine also, Shikka and Daichi are sparring with stick swords. Once everyone is done, they head back to the Altar before the Mausoleum. Aurian looks like she's trying to absorb as much sunlight and heat as possible on the walk.
"Okay then, I'm going to put my hand on it." Colette goes to the Oracle stone again, and does as she had said. the stone door groans, and shifts open with dust. After it stops moving, Lloyd leads the way with enthusiasm.
"I feel like an explorer!" He cheers.
"Try tomb raider." Aurian mutters, while Kratos says "You always start out enthusiastic."
"And then you get bored, depressed or angry." Piers quipps. Lloyd makes a face at Piers.
"Tomb raider?" Genis asks, looking up at Aurian. "What?"
"The Balacruf Mausoleum is the burial site of the Balacruf Monarchy." Kratos mutters, pulling a torch off the wall and lighting it with some crimson sparks. "We're in a tomb."
"Hm. Interesting..." Shikka states. Aurian manages to make a half a dozen of her little glowing lights, but they aren't much brighter than the torch Kratos picked up. They step out of the entrance, and the torch abruptly goes out, due to a strong wind that plucked at all of them. Raine immediately grabs onto Genis while Lloyd grins and faces it, spreading his arms. Piers spreads his arms, letting his cloak whip about in the wind. Lloyd's streamers lash about a bit, before Kratos reaches over and shoves them down Lloyd's jacket.
Lloyd yelps. "You're freezing!"
Kratos gives him a look like he was aware Lloyd was an idiot, just not this much of one. "It's cold down here."
"WRITING!" Raine's further down the hall.
"I love the wind~!" Piers yells over the gale.
"I thought you loved the water." Lloyd shouts back. It's clear by his eyes he thinks this is the best thing since...Steak.
"I can like more than one thing!"
"Like Steak and Tofu curry!" Lloyd grins. Kratos has wandered down the other path, while Aurian stands with the most people, keeping her lights in orbit about them. Colette moves to go join Raine, who's complaining she can't read the tablet. Daichi and Shikka act as windshields.
Much to Daichi's dissatisfaction. "I hate wind." Lloyd tries walking forward, and steps on something. a clank is heard further down, and the wind stops.
"Awww...." Raine comes back, and grabs Lloyd.
"Come!" she starts dragging him for her tablet.
"Ah? What?!" Aurian follows. Daichi sighs in relief, following. Kratos returns, and it looks like he's killed something.
"Lloyd! Shoot the fixed torch with the Sorcerer's Ring!" Raine lets him go and pushes him for it. It was right next to a dark stone tablet set firmly in the wall and inscribed with words. Lloyd does so, and this torch seems to burn quite a bit brighter than Kratos's, or Aurian's orbs. Aurian goes to stand next to the flames while Raine translates.
"Aha! 'The Balacruf are people of the wind. They are born with the wind, live with the Summon Spirit, and become as wind when they die.' that's what it says."
Shikka blinks. "So, according to the tablet, the wind we feel are the Balacruf?" Genis shivers, Lloyd makes a face like he found it creepy and cool at the same time, and Kratos looks like a bored person.
"No idea." Raine says. "this is old, and it could be just superstition."
"there's another tablet at the other end of the hall." Kratos mentions. Before he even finished his sentence, Raine had grabbed Lloyd and darted to it. Shikka follows, interested. The rest follow, and this one doesn't have wind gusting at it, although there is a slot in the wall where it obviously came from. It turns out, there were two, with a standing torch in the middle, and a chest on the other side. Some sort of large bug monster was dead in front, with some bits of what might have been a living armor type creature. Daichi draws his axe, smirking lightly. Lloyd lights the torch, then goes to look at the chest. It tries to take his hand off, and he yelps, back pedaling.
"Mimic." Kratos points out, as it spews random gunk at Lloyd. he's starting a spell. Piers gets there first.
"Cool!" Piers hurls ice at the Mimic. It screams, like an injured rabbit. Aurian holds her head, as Kratos grimaces, and casts.
"Lightning." it seems to stop the screaming by paralyzing the monster. Lloyd runs up to attack it, and finds his swords sort of... bouncing off.
Daichi casts Aqua. "Physical attacks do less damage! Use Arcane artes!"
Lloyd swears, because he doesn't have any. He gets a great idea though, and starts running in circles about it. This, other than annoying the monster, keeps it from attack the circle of mages about it.
"Photon!"
"Pow Hammer!" Colette's 'spell' is sort of a spell, but it mostly seem to be dropping hammers out of nowhere on the Mimic. Kratos gets this sort of 'Aha!' look, and casts Lightning again.
"Oh violent torrent, cleave mine enemies in twain! Aqua Edge!" Daichi fires off a few Aqua Edge spells.
"Mjollnir!" Kratos shouts, his hand still crackling with violet sparks. Colette looks confused as she sets off another Pow Hammer spell. the hammer isn't red and squishy looking this time, but a big metal one.
"Uhh... Come, Thunder's fury!" Colette shouts, and a large bolt of lightning hits the soaked creature when the metal hammer connects. It sort of.. falls apart.
Daichi blinks. "A union!" Kratos says nothing, going and prodding the remains, coming up with a lens of a different sort, while Raine goes to look at the tablets.
"A what?" Lloyd asks.
"It's a special type of Arte that combines with another when they're both cast together." He frowns. "I think."
"Yes." Kratos says. "It is different than Artes like Lightning Blade, which is as if one used the spell Lightning and the Arte Sonic Thrust at the same time, as even if you have the spells, you cannot recreate them yourself."
"'The Summon Spirit and the wind that serves it are to be found beyond the carving of the holy seal.'." Raine reads. Lloyd makes an "O." face, while Raine moves to the other side. "'That which the blue wind princess protects heads from the throne and across the rich earth, stands upon the calm earth, and gazes up at the power of gods.'" Raine reads. she then pulls out her notebook, and begins writing that down.
"What does it mean?" Lloyd asks.
"I have no idea!" Raine says, excited. "Come! We must go further in!" she grabs Lloyd's hand and darts back for the third path. Kratos blinks, and hurries after them. Piers gives chase, curious. Raine steps foot in the path, then Kratos pulls both of them back. Right before spikes jut from the floor.
"Woah!"
"It's a tomb. For monarchy." Kratos repeats. "the entire place is trapped."
Piers blinks. "Awesome." After Lloyd gets over the fact he almost had holes in his feet, he's thrilled as well. The spikes come up every couple of seconds after the initial strike, and Lloyd's watching them. And grinning. The rest of the party catches up, and stares at the spikes.
"There must be an off switch somewhere..." Daichi states, watching, adjusting his glasses. Lloyd jumps the spikes neatly, grinning. another trap of spikes is another two paces before him, at a faster rate.
"What are you doing?" Raine asks. Worried.
Daichi smirks. "Being a teenager." Lloyd makes it all of the way to the end without getting stabbed.. although once it looked like he'd get a few holes from the last one - the last was very fast.
"Yup. Teenager. Cocky until he gets hurt." Kratos looks torn between following, and staying with the people he was paid to protect. he stayed put with a frown.
"It wasn't that hard."
"Gargoyle." Genis calls. Lloyd yelps, twisting about... but there wasn't a monster there.
"Hey!" Genis snickers.
"Just look for a way to disarm the traps." Raine sighs. Aurian has inched herself closer to Shikka, because she thinks he's likely to be the warmest of the party. "Right." Lloyd says, and begins feeling about. Shikka watches Aurian, raising an eyebrow. She definitely looks cold.
"Aha!" Lloyd pushes something, and the traps stop moving. "ummm... It's not going to last very long." he says, looking at it, and poking about a little more. Genis hurries over, and Raine follows him quickly. Piers quickly follows the two, Shikka making sure that Aurian is close behind. Colette flies, and Kratos moves at the closest to a run anyone's ever seen him move outside of battle.
Raine smacks Lloyd upside the head. "Don't do that again."
"Ow." Lloyd says. "But I found another of your tablets."
"WHERE?!" Shikka stalks Raine, interested. Aurian stalks Shikka, trying to steal his heat without actually hugging him or anything.
"'The great King of Balacruf, Cleo III, died and was reborn as the King of the wind. The king travels the heavens with the Summon Spirit in past, present and future.'" Raine translates, using the glow of Aurian's minor-spell. Shikka sighs, hugging Aurian. Aurian squeaks in surprise, before getting that contented look that you get after finally warming up. Raine glances and shakes her head.
"I don't think this one is a clue like the other one.. the one with the directions." Raine turns on Lloyd. "Lloyd! Have you seen the Holy Seal?"
Piers looks about. "Is this it?" He says, pointing.
Raine peers. "Yes!" it's across a chasm of sorts, or just a place they can't cross. There are two unlit torches, and Aurian extends her spell as far as she can to help them. It's got the fancy circle within a circle with a triangle and wings and all sorts of fanciness. Below it, on another level is an altar for the Ring, and paths go both left and right from its place on the wall.
"What do we do?"
"Get to it!" Raine cheers, turning to their left. "This way." Kratos grimaces, and follows her, obviously keeping an eye out for traps before they got her. Colette continues hovering, and Flies next to Lloyd and Piers.
Piers looks from Colette to the chasm and back. "Uh...Colette can fly?" He points out.
"..." the entire party kinda pauses, and looks at Colette.
"Hi." she waves at them. "I think I can fly across. Maybe not with Mr. Shikka or Mr. Daichi..."
"Fair point...." Piers frowns. "We can get a catapult!"
Lloyd laughs. "Cat... I get it!" Kratos gives Lloyd an annoyed look.
"And just how are we going to build one of those in less than a month." Kratos mutters.
"...Cat?" Piers frowns, obviously not knowing he made a funny.
"Catapult! like.. throwing cats... and Shikka turns into a giant cat!" Lloyd looks smug that he got something that Piers didn't.
"or get one inside the Mausoleum..." Kratos actually looks like he's trying to figure out how to do something that crazy.
"I think I can fly Lloyd... or Mr. Kratos.. or anyone lighter than him." Colette offers. This includes both Sages, Aurian, Piers, Lloyd and Kratos.
"Lame." Piers states, abandoning that idea. "Let's walk!"
"Ok!" Colette says, smiling. Aurian is pushing a little at Shikka's arms - she's had enough with the contact now. Shikka lets go, smiling lightly. So they head around the edge of the building, hugging a wall as the stone path wasn't exactly very wide. Kratos pulls Raine back before a shoving-spiked trap can push the healer into the chasm. Daichi and Shikka have the worst time. Daichi gulps, being affected by light vertigo... This first was a slow moving one... but the first of the spikes had been slow as well. Lloyd works his way to the front of the party again, watching the trap move, and likely going to head to the end to try to disable it. Aurian's pulled some bit of cloth from her pack - strange the things monsters drop - and is using it like a scarf to try to keep warm. Lloyd proves he's likely a ninja, or something close to it again, and makes it to the end without losing anything or getting nudged. it takes him a bit longer to find the mechanism this time, and they shudder back into the wall. Daichi frowns, keeping his footing...Barely. Colette gets the bright idea to hover off the edge, where she can help keep people on the walkway. Raine keeps a hold on Genis, who is second on the tripping-prone list, while Kratos and Aurian seem more or less fine. Daichi and Shikka seem more tripping prone at the moment. Especially Daichi. He slips. Colette eeps, and flies over to grab him. Daichi manages to get back on the ledge. Colette takes to hovering next to them from then on, until they get in front of the 'holy seal' it's the same sort of seal they'd seen in Triet ruins
Daichi sits, feeling slightly woozy. "I hate heights.".
"We can rest here. Eat lunch." Raine says, and Genis quickly offers to make it. Colette wants to go look about a bit, and so Kratos follows her after taking the Sorcerer's Ring from Lloyd.
"Do you actually like anything?" Genis asks dryly. "All we hear is 'I hate this' and 'I hate that'."
"I like dogs. And cats."
"Like Noishe!" Lloyd says, grinning as he gets a sandwich.
"Noishe is too intelligent to be a normal dog." He thinks. "I also like ice cream."
"we don't get ice cream much..." the two teen boys mutter.
"Raine doesn't like it when I eat that much sweets. And I don't want to try her ice creams." Genis shudders.
Daichi shrugs, adjusting his glasses. "You gotta ask to know, kids." Aurian's gone back to sitting right up against Shikka, looking really cold. Genis offers out sandwiches. Shikka hugs her again. Daichi doesn't seem hungry, denying a sandwich. Piers is... Well, Throwing water at a wall. So far, Aurian's the only one feeling really cold, but Raine's starting to get there. Genis isn't, although he's wearing shorts. Colette and Kratos return, with another ring. Piers seems fine, Daichi seems to be shivering slightly, but not bothered by the cold.
"there are more tablets that way." Kratos says, taking a sandwich and nearly picking it to bits to eat. Colette nibbles, and Lloyd inhales the one Daichi turned down. Piers steps aside as Raine will no doubt rush for the tablets. And she does. but instead of grabbing Lloyd, who didn't have the sorcerer's ring, she grabs Kratos, who did. Kratos makes a rather comic expression of 'what?' as he's pulled away by the teacher. Colette giggles. Piers smirks, sitting by Lloyd to eat. due to the shut in nature of this dungeon, you can hear Raine's enthusiastic... yelling from wherever they were.
Genis shakes his head. "Not sure if I should pity him, or say that's what he gets."
"Does anyone deserve Ruin Mania?" Daichi comments.
"... not really." Genis admits. Aurian seems to have fallen asleep against Shikka. Shikka smiles. Daichi chuckles.
"Huh?" Lloyd glances over. ".. where'd she get a scarf?"
"some monsters drop cloth." Genis points out. Kratos and Raine return, with Kratos looking a bit annoyed. He gives Lloyd back the sorcerers ring.
"Looks like Lloyd got nominated." Daichi smirks.
"'The World is a giant. Its ruby left hand is the throne of gods. Its emerald right hand is the power of gods. Its pearl white left leg is the calm earth. Its topaz right leg is the rich earth. And its lapis lazuli body is the blue wind princess'." Raine reads what the tablets had told her this time.
"Sounds like a pin-up advert." Daichi comments.
Raine glares at him. "'That which is offered to the throne of the gods from the power of the gods, which makes the rich earth as the calm earth, and arrives at the blue wind princess, will be as if traveling the giant's body in the manner of a clock's hand'." Raine turns a page.
"Why can't these ancient ruins be CLEAR for once." Piers mumbles.
"Where's the fun in that?" Lloyd asks.
"'The holy seal that extols the king flows from the throne of the gods to the rich earth, travels from the power of the gods to the calm earth, and when the blue wind princess is born in the center of the world, the holy seal shall also be complete'." Raine shuts her notebook. "That's what was over there."
"It speeds things up."
"Sounds like directions." Genis says, frowning. "Remember the bit about 'which the wind princess protects'?"
"Yes, it also mentioned the sorts of earth, and the thrones." Raine mutters. Daichi just looks lost. Kratos spots something, and relays this to Lloyd. Lloyd blinks, and lights a pair of torches. the door with the 'holy seal' on it shudders. Lloyd yelps, backing up, and Aurian wakes up, squeaking and wiggling out from Shikka's hug. The stone door groans, the seal lighting up and slides into the walls on either side. inside is another room. Daichi gets to his feet, adjusting his glasses again. Raine hurries in, looking thrilled with everything. Lloyd and Genis follow her, and Kratos pointedly makes sure there's at least four people between the professor and himself. It's a moderately sized room, and the main feature is a set of five windmill like... things.
"Do we have to make them spin?" Shikka wonders aloud. Raine's delicately running her hands over them, and due to their interesting colors - red, green, white, yellow and blue, Lloyd moves to look too. He lets out a low whistle of appreciation.
"These are gems..." He gives one an experimental nudge, and it doesn't budge. "Ruby.. emerald.. topaz... no way that can be pearl... lapis lazuli.." Piers is examining the nearest one to him. Daichi is looking shifty, but knows that tomb raiding will invoke the wrath of ruin mode. they're in a square, red-green, then blue, then white and yellow. There actually doesn't look like there's much tomb-ness in the area they're in, although there's a different pattern to the flooring around the pinwheels. Kratos is, for once, not leaning against anything.
Piers notices the square. He paces around a track of color. "Maybe this pattern... Hm." Raine blinks, stopping rubbing her face against the arms of the gemstone-windmill, and pulls out her notebook.
"That which the Blue wind princess protects heads from the Throne and across the Rich Earth, stands upon the Calm Earth and gazes up at the Power of the gods." Raine reads, pointing at Blue, red, yellow, white then green. Lloyd pulls out the newest Sorcerers Ring. Piers stops to watch, mumbling something about people called Ivan and Sheba. Aurian's gone back to stealing heat from Shikka, while Lloyd uses the Sorcerer's ring to create gusts that start up the windmills. He spins them in the order Raine indicated, while Genis gives Piers a curious glance.
Piers smiles. "I wonder..." He's thinking.
"what?" Genis asks. One of the walls is rumbling, and its not the one on the other side with the Holy Seal again. it stops shortly.
"This. Cyclone." The aura appears, only this time its purple. A strong, but harmless cyclone appears.
"Wow." Genis says. "That's..."
"non-combat spell." Aurian says, watching.
"there aren't many of those.." Genis mutters. Lloyd's tapping on the wall, when it opens, and dumps a skeleton on him.
"Ah!"
"I remembered that I had the Cyclone Gem." Piers comments. Daichi rescues Lloyd from the skeleton. Lloyd looks creeped out, despite the fact that Zombies were mildly common north of Iselia, and in the Martel Temple. Maybe because this one was just dead.
".. that's not the way on..." Raine mutters. "'That which is offered to the throne of the gods from the power of the gods, which makes the rich earth as the calm earth, and arrives at the blue wind princess, will be as if traveling clockwise."
"So we spin the windmills clockwise, now?" Daichi guesses. Lloyd dusts himself off, and goes to shoot gusts at the windmills. they stop with one burst, then continue as they had with a second.
".. they don't spin the other way." Lloyd points out.
"No, I meant the clockwise order." Daichi points it out by pointing at windmills. "Start at blue and go around."
"Oh." Lloyd mutters.
"Start at red, finish with blue." Raine corrects, and Lloyd nods, starting the mills up in that order. the walls shudder again. Daichi watches, smirking. Lloyd hesitantly goes over to knock at the wall again, starting by the Holy Seal on the wall opposite the door in, and ending across from where the skeleton dropped on him. it opens.. and Lloyd hastily jumps back to avoid another skeleton.
Piers smirks. "Scared, Lloyd?"
"I don't want some dead guy hugging me." Lloyd mutters.
"I'm tiiired." Genis yawns. Colette smiles, and covers a yawn of her own with a little giggle.
"Let's get this over with, then!" Daichi announces.
Kratos is looking at the skeleton, before muttering to Lloyd that "that one was female." Lloyd looks creeped out by this comment, and Aurian's asleep against Shikka again.
Raine's looking through her notes. "There's one set of directions left. 'The holy seal that extols the king flows from the throne of the gods to the rich earth, travels from the power of gods to the calm earth, and when the blue wind princess is born in the center of the world, the holy seal shall also be complete'." Shikka is still hugging her. Raine gives them a mildly awkward glance. "... maybe we should rest. If most of us are tired.." She breaks off into a yawn, which causes Lloyd, then Genis, then Colette to yawn, and Kratos to make an irritated jaw pop rather than a yawn. Daichi doesn't yawn, but Piers does.
"It'd be a better idea to rest before facing the Seal." Raine finishes.
"Even with the wind.. it wouldn't be a wise idea to cook." Kratos is muttering to himself. "and the doorframe is lower than the ceiling..."
".. sandwiches?" Lloyd asks.
"And jerky!" Colette cheers.
"Sandwiches sound good." Piers comments.
"I'll make them!" Lloyd grabs the pack of food, and sets to making them. Daichi sits, yawning finally. Lloyd passes out sammiches. Everyone eats. Kratos moves and sits next to the door, watching from there. the others who are still awake get their bedrolls out and put them to use. Daichi and Piers place by Shikka, falling asleep. Aurian simply remains asleep where she was. Raine appears mildly worried that she didn't wake up to eat, but is quite a bit distracted by the ruins about... before she finally gets tired enough to fall asleep.
November 7th
Aurian wakes everyone this time, by yelping and wriggling out from under Shikka's arm. she looks rather terrified, like she'd looked when they'd first met her. Kratos blinks back. He's got a small pile of the coffee grounds in one palm and appears to have been eating them.
Daichi blinks at Kratos. "Were you eating raw coffee?"
"I am." Kratos shrugs, finishing off the pile.
"Whaaat?" Lloyd blinks awake, while Raine moves to try to calm Aurian, who's curled into a ball.
"...Why?" Daichi comments, staring at Kratos.
"because... I like coffee..." Kratos gives Daichi a look like 'why the hell do you want to know'. "... and if I lit a fire after claiming it was unsafe, it would make me a hypocrite... and lukewarm coffee isn't something I care for."
"Riight."
"More sandwiches!" Lloyd cheers. Colette starts making some, while Kratos pretends that no-one exists, pulling his gloves back on. Daichi sits up, again reaching for the 'painkillers.' Aurian calms, looking confused. Kratos glances back, a faint look of calculation to his gaze, before he accepts a sandwich. Lloyd's happily noming, but Kratos takes a bite and almost chokes.
Daichi lifts the bread. "Whats in this?" His seems to be a mix of ... oranges. Kratos finds a half a lemon. Lloyd's happily munching apples. "Fruit sandwiches?"
"Yep!" Colette cheers.
"... less... lemon." Kratos mutters, throwing them off the edge of the path. Piers has a mélange sandwich. He frowns.
"I like fruit." Colette says, making another and handing it to Raine. Raine peeks inside, and raises her eyebrows. She also seems to have a mélange. Shikka is munching a plum. Daichi takes a bite, finding he likes it, finishing it off. Aurian simply eats hers without looking at its insides. Having finished making food, Colette picks up and tosses the scraps over the edge past Kratos.
"The last pattern is red, yellow, green, white, blue." Raine says. Lloyd blinks, and does so. the walls rumble again.
Piers blinks. "What does mélange taste of?"
"Apples, oranges... pinapples..." Lloyd ticks off on his fingers.
"... um. Lemons too." Genis adds. the Seal on the far side glows.
Piers eats it, enjoying it. "Colette, you're a genius."
"thanks!" Colette smiles. the door opens.
"Genius is stretching it a bit. Brave is what I call it." Daichi comments. Lloyd's already heading into the doorway. Kratos coughs, and points.
"Seal." he says, heading closer.
"... it tastes good, doesn't it?" Colette asks, worriedly.
"Yeah. It does. But it was risky."
"oh..." Colette looks a little down. Aurian's back to being cold, and squishes next to Shikka again.
"I-It was still good! You have to experiment with cooking, anyway." Daichi tries to cheer her up.
Piers rolls his eyes. "Deeper and deeper."
"Shut it."
"thanks!" it manages to work, and then Colette hurries over to the way on.
Genis blinks. "Right... soo.. wind. Therefore, earth." He grins, running after.
Piers shoves Daichi. "Move it, gravedigger."
"We're at the altar!" Lloyd says, looking about. Kratos shoves Lloyd's streamers down the back of his jacket after they slap him in the face once. Colette comes up, and the altar reacts. Genis and Aurian shiver, as the wind kicks up.
"Incredible... Mana..." Genis whispers. Altar Glows, and then this.. winged thing shows up.
"Iapix!" Lloyd shouts, dropping the Magic Lens, and running up with swords ready.
"O violent torrent..." Daichi begins casting.
"Supercool!" Piers yells unleashing the spell.
"Cleave mine enemies in twain! Aqua Edge!"
"Take this!" Kratos growls, while Lloyd slams into one of the big-bird things wings, knocking it closer to the ground.
"It's Pancake time!" Genis is also casting, brown auras flickering about both. Aurian looks like she's finally able to breathe, and joins Lloyd with her glaive.
"Grave!"
"Stalagmite!" the two spells slam into the Seal Beast, the smaller spire Kratos's. Colette takes to the air, but yelps and lands again.
"Mighty power aid my allies." Daichi is casting. "
Darkest shadows, come forth to do my bidding." Piers too.
"Increase their might. Concentration!" He casts on Lloyd.
"Torture the enemy with your might! Shadowa!" Piers summons shadows to slam into the beast.
"Ah!" Lloyd brings his blades into an X just in time to prevent claws from giving him a new face. Aurian spins and takes a talon off. the Beast screams, taking to the air again.
"Light!" Raine shouts. "Photon!" Daichi casts an Aqua Edge at the wings. Piers fires ice at them. the beast screams again, flying lower. Raine casts Healing Circle, the lights about Aurian and Lloyd.
"Stone Blast!" It was the lowest level, but it reached the injured beast and knocked it lower. Kratos joins in on the front lines.
"Sovereign gale!" Aurian snaps, stabbing the beast, and despite its resistance to the element, wind slices at its intact leg. Daichi joins the front line.
"Converging Fury!" He slices at the beast, cutting through it to end up behind it. Aurian's easily knocked back by the beast as it flails, although Kratos is only budged by half a foot at most, Lloyd by a few feet.
"Tempest!" Lloyd slices through a wing, but lands poorly from the attack due to the winds.
"Shadowa!" Piers yells again, blasting shadows at the beast. Lloyd stumbles and turns about, darting back to slash the lamed monster.
"It's pancake time." Genis starts casting again. Aurian looks dazed, and Colette floats over to pull her back from the mid-range. "Stalagmite!"
"O violent torrent..." Daichi begins casting. Piers darts in, drawing his Pirate Blade to attack. The rocks of Genis's spell tumble back down, and Colette gets into the fight, throwing her Chakrams. Lloyd's grinning as he slashes and hacks. Daichi casts Aqua Edge, Piers' sword summons a tidal wave. Lloyd backs up, as Kratos uses Lightning Blade. the beast screams again, grounded and staggering.
"Raining Fangs!" Daichi jumps up, slicing his axe, causing a rain of Mana-spikes to rain down on the beast. It falls over with scream, and vanishes in emerald Mana sparkles. they swirl over the Altar, and light flows down onto the roof.
"Chosen of Regeneration..." Remiel's arrogant voice heralds them. Aurian blinks, and hides behind, of all people, Kratos. "You have done well in reaching this far. Now offer your prayers at the altar."
"..yes!" Colette hurries over to the altar, clasping her hands. Kratos glances at Aurian, then ignores everything. "Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength." her wings open and she flies up. Golden lights come from the sky, and Remiel appears.
"This is the Third Seal." Remiel intones.
Daichi starts to feel a little bit sick. "Mngh...." Aurian's holding her head, but everyone' attention seems to be on the Angel... or on nothing at all.
"You have done well to reach this far, Chosen one... Colette!"
"... Thank you." Colette says.
"Receive this blessing, the gift of Angelic Power from the Cruxis." Remiel extends a hand, and additional glowing lights float to Colette. Daichi falls to his knees, silent, no-one will notice unless they look at him.
"y-yes, Father." Colette says. "thank you." the lights are absorbed.
"The next seal lies far northwest, in a place that gazes upon the center of the world. Offer your prayers at the altar in that distant land." Remiel says.
"I will do as you say." she seems to be thinking a little. ".. Lord Remiel."
"I will be waiting for you at the next seal, Colette... My daughter." Remiel vanishes, but his voice continues. "The end of your journey is close. Hurry and become a true angel. Do not disappoint me."
Colette lands, closing her wings. ".. a true angel..." she mutters. Daichi groans, flopping to the ground.
"What the hell..." He mumbles. Raine notices, moving to check on him while Lloyd peers at Colette.
"What is it?" He asks. Kratos is absently watching Raine and Daichi.
"Ah.. Nothing." Colette smiles. "I was just... thinking when I become a true angel, it'll be amazing!"
"I wonder how many more seals there are." Genis muses.
Daichi grumbles. "I feel fine, now..." He mumbles. "Some sorta pressure when the envoy appeared."
"Perhaps you're sensitive to Holy Mana." Raine mutters. "it isn't one of the main Mana types... not even too much like Light..."
"That... we don't know." Lloyd mutters, talking about the Seals.
"At any rate.." Kratos pulls Aurian to her feet, and walks for the stairs down. "All we can do is keep going."
Daichi nods. "then why aren't I allergic to Colette?"
"Colette is a fledgling angel?" Raine offers. Aurian's muttering about 'soak up sunlight, it's going to be freezing again' as she slowly walks for the exit as well. Colette follows.
Daichi frowns. "Maybe..." He mumbles, standing to follow. Colette's humming to herself. The traps seem to have reset, so Lloyd takes care of them again, and Colette again hovers near the edge to help people stay on the walk. they almost get to the exit.
"Stop!"
".. that voice..." Lloyd's got a mildly annoyed expression as he turns around.
"Oh, no..." Genis face palms.
"This day has finally come." the lilac clad ninja-assassin drops into their path. "This ancient ruin shall be your graveyard..."
"Oh, you're here too!" Colette smiles, walking forward.
"S..stay back!" Sheena backs up. "Don't move! Don't touch anything!"
Daichi looks behind. "Isn't that the clumsy assassin before?"
"yeeeep." Lloyd drawls.
"Now that we've finally become friends, why do we have to fight?" Colette asks.
Sheena looks flustered. "Since when are we..?" she coughs. "I have no intention of befriending you!" she draws her paper seals. ".. Prepare yourselves!" Kratos lunges before Lloyd can do more than reach for his blades, and his kick sends Sheena staggering back.
Daichi blinks. "Wow. What's with Kratos?"
"He looks annoyed." Genis mutters, inching back while Sheena tries to dodge and Kratos simply follows and smashes her back again. He isn't even using his blade yet.
Piers frowns. "Well. That's mildly awesome." Lloyd's got this expression of awe, and that look of 'damn it, he thinks he's so cool' he had at first meeting Kratos. Sheena staggers back again, and Kratos finally stops acting like some sort of murderous cat, and hilt-bashes her in the gut. Sheena chokes, running back.
"why...why can't I win!" she screams in frustration.
"Goodness and Love will always win!" Genis cheers.
"... and grumpy mercenaries." Aurian mutters.
"He seems a bit too fast for his size and age..." Daichi comments.
"Maybe he's a ninja too." Colette muses. Kratos has this incredulous expression of '.. what?', but he backs off.
"Genis... please don't bring up that stupid Dwarven vow." Lloyd mutters.
"'Goodness'?!" Sheena screeches. "What do you mean, 'goodness'?! If you're good, I'm good as well!"
"Not you, too!" Lloyd groans. "Everyone, stop saying corny things!"
"How about this for a motto. 'screw those who screw myself?" Piers offers.
"... what?" Lloyd asks, confused.
"What do you know?!" Sheen yells at them. "When you regenerate the world, my country will be destroyed! I won't let that happen... I swear!"
"Wait." Colette frowns. "What are you talking about? If I regenerate the world, everyone will be saved... right?" Colette worries.
"...THIS world will be saved!" Sheena snaps. Before Kratos can lunge again, she's gone in smoke.
"This world..." Daichi muses.
"Stop!" Raine runs up to the smoke cloud. "Who are you?! So you're not alone?!"
"This world?" Lloyd mutters. "what did she mean?"
Kratos has his head tilted to one side. "That girl.... is she..." he mumbles.
"Do you know her?" Genis asks.
"No."
"This is strange..." Shikka mumbles. "Maybe she... No. She can't be..."
"Cold." Aurian announces.
"Let's go." Kratos turns and heads out. Colette nods, and they, in varying stages of thought, leave the Mausoleum.
Once Colette passes the oracle stone, she starts to crumple.
"Colette!" Lloyd grabs onto her, holding her up.
"It's the Angel Toxicosis again. Let's hurry and let her rest." Raine announces after checking on her.
"Are you okay?" Lloyd asks Colette worriedly.
"I'm sorry to trouble everybody again.." Colette mutters. Daichi offers to carry her.
Piers frowns, bopping Colette gently on the head. "Stop apologizing."
"Don't worry about that, but-" Lloyd says at the same time as Piers bops Colette, but he had a sudden blank, like he blacked out, and both fall over.
Piers freezes then steps back. "I didn't do it." He says instinctively.
"... Oww." Lloyd says a couple seconds later, while Kratos rolled him off Colette, the mercenary poking Lloyd in a less gentle check than what Raine was giving Colette.
"what are you doing, Lloyd?" Genis says, exasperated. Aurian seems to be sunning herself, and more or less oblivious to this. "Are you okay, Colette?" Colette stares blankly.
Piers kneels by Colette, waving his hand before her face. "Colette? You there?"
Genis also moves over. "Colette? Wh..what's wrong? Did it hurt? did you hurt yourself?"
"n..no." Colette blinks. "I'm fine...Hehe." she's talking about the fall, not the fact that her lips are turning blue-ish and she's very pale again. "I just blanked out for a moment." Lloyd watches her, silent, as Kratos pulls him to his feet.
Piers frowns. "I think we'd better get you before the fire. You look frozen..."
Kratos nods, and walks off to where they'd made camp the night before entering the Mausoleum. Like usual, fire is easily made. Aurian moves for that instead of leeching off the stone. Colette shakily gets to her feet. Piers and Daichi are there to help. Lloyd pulls out her bedroll, and folds it into a seat, before Raine pulls him over and checks on him too. the teen complains through it, but doesn't fight.
Genis pulls out Lloyd's bag of name chips, and draws... "Kratos."
"Have you ever cooked a meal before, Kratos?" Shikka asks, sounding innocent.
Kratos glances at them. "For you all... no."
"Except for the brownies." Lloyd says with a grin.
"and coffee." Genis points out.
"Hope you're better than you-know-who." Piers states, motioning at Raine. Kratos gives Piers a very, very bland look, and starts looking through their collection of food to figure out what he could make. Daichi, Piers and Shikka get comfy, Daichi staring at the stars, cleaning his glasses. Lloyd's studying Colette, and goes up to her, mildly suspicious. They're near the edge of camp.
"Colette. Let me see your hand." Lloyd says quietly.
Colette blinks, and grasps her hand. "Huh? Why?"
"Just show me!" Lloyd says, snagging her hand. It's bloody. "You're hurt!" he hisses. "It must have happened when you fell. Look how much you're bleeding!"
"But it doesn't hurt." Colette steps back.
Piers follows, looking over Lloyds shoulder. "Wotcher... Colette...? You're hurt?" He keeps his voice down.
"It doesn't hurt." Colette repeats, almost like she's not thinking. The amount of blood on her hand sais that it definitely should hurt. Lloyd's grip changes for a few moments, while he studies her face.
"what?" Lloyd says, frowning.
"Uh, I mean, it doesn't hurt that much." Colette smiles.
"Either way, I should heal you." Piers states.
"Right." Colette says, holding her hand out. Lloyd's got a curious look to his face, mixed with the serious, it made him look older.
"... Colette... can I talk to you over there in a sec?" he asks. Colette blinks, then smiles. Lloyd studies her for a moment more, then goes to the fire, meddling with the kettle while Kratos sat studying his meal preparations. Piers' aura surrounds him, his hands glowing as he casts Ply on Colette's hand. Kratos glances up, but Genis ahs his nose in Piers' book, Raine is checking her notes on what had happened in the Balacruf, and Aurian is still stalking the fire, and Lloyd is still preparing whatever it is he's making. Daichi is still cleaning his glasses and Shikka seems to be asleep.
Piers finishes, washing Colette's hand. "Good as new~"
"Thank you." Colette smiles at Piers, and moves over to where Lloyd had indicated he wanted to talk, drying off her hand. Lloyd returns, holding two cups of coffee in one hand, and offers Piers another with his other hand. he's still got this suspicious-serious look, but he put his smile back on. Piers takes it, starting to cool it with a bit of magic.
"What is it?" Colette asks, when Lloyd approaches her.
"I thought it'd be nice for us to talk just by ourselves." he's aware that Piers is close enough to eavesdrop, but not the rest of the camp.
"... Sure." Colette smiles.
"... Here, it's hot coffee." Lloyd breaks awkward silence by handing a mug to Colette.
"Thanks." Colette smiles.
"Hot, isn't it?" Lloyd says sipping while watching her.
"Yeah." Piers does indeed eavesdrop, slightly conspicuous, but Lloyd would have moved if it bothered him. "Really hot." Colette says.
"It's actually iced coffee." Lloyd says, watching her still.
"What?" Colette is confused.
"I had Genis make it cold." Lloyd says, shrugging.
"Oh, hehe, yeah, of course it's cold." Colette takes a gulp.
"I lied." Lloyd says flatly. "It's actually hot." Colette dropped her mug.
Piers scootches closer. "So you can't feel?" He asks Colette. Colette looks startled, then smiles and opens her mouth to deny it starting with a small giggle.
"I knew it." Lloyd says. she shuts her mouth. "How long have you been like this?! You can't feel anything at all, can you?!"
"th... that's not true."
"You're lying!" Lloyd points out. "When you fell earlier, you already couldn't feel anything, could you?!"
"w..well, uh... but... uh..."Colette stammers.
"Just as I thought." Piers muses.
"You were bleeding like crazy, but you didn't even flinch when I squeezed your hand!" Lloyd says, frowning.
"...I guess the secret's out." Colette mutters, looking down.
"you haven't been eating lately either." Lloyd continues.
"I eat! Hehe.." Colette protests.
"Barely." she looks down again. "You even started eating things you don't like. And that's not all. Have you been sleeping?" Lloyd asks.
"Every time I've woke during the night, you've been there. Awake." Piers states.
"Mr. Kratos too." Colette points out weakly. "and of course I sleep. hehe, see?" she opens her eyes wide. "My eyes aren't red or anything."
"He takes night watch, and he's probably wired on caffeine or something." Lloyd says, frowning. "And stop lying. You always do that fake giggle when you lie."
Piers nods. "I noticed that, too."
"th.. that's not true..." Colette mumbles.
"... Is it that hard for you to trust me?" Lloyd asks softly.
"No! .. it's not like that! I just..." she clasps her hands, sighing. "I just don't want anyone to worry." Lloyd looks a little startled by this.
"We worry when we're not told things. Look at Lloyd. He made this elaborate plan because he was worried." Lloyd's not sure whether he's supposed to like this comment or not, and settles for asking Colette another question.
"What's happening to you?"
"I don't know." Colette says, but then continues after glancing at them. "I don't know, but things first got strange when I released the Fire Seal. I suddenly didn't want to eat anything anymore. Even when I did, it didn't have any taste."
"...no taste?" Lloyd seems to be trying to comprehend food without taste, and failing.
Colette nods. "I can't hold anything down when I force myself…so, I haven't been eating. I never get hungry." Colette shrugs.
"That's..." Lloyd seems to be unsure if it was cool, or not. "that's.." right now, not.
"Wow." Piers obviously thinks its some kinda cool.
"then when I released the next seal, I stopped getting sleepy. I close my eyes, but I just can't sleep. I haven't slept at all since then. Then with this seal, I stopped feeling anything." Colette finishes.
"Why.. Why didn't you say anything?!" Lloyd asks.
"Well, I figured, this is just what it means to become an angel. So I shouldn't let it get to me." Colette shrugs.
"It could be a part of the Toxicosis..."
"This is what it means to become an angel?!" Lloyd prods her in the shoulder. "Not eating anymore, not sleeping anymore, not feeling anything anymore?!"
"But my eyes have actually gotten better." Colette hastens to tell them it's not all bad. "I can see really far away now. And my hearing, too. I can hear even the faintest sounds really well. I hear them so well that it's kind of painful sometimes."
Lloyd hugs her. "I'm sorry." Lloyd mutters in her hair. "I didn't realize what was going on at all. I'm sorry."
"... Please don't tell the others." Colette pleads.
"..Why?!"
"I won't tell, but why?" Piers echoes Lloyd.
"Well, I mean, we're all on this trip together and I want it to be fun." Colette fidgets. "So, I don't want you to worry about it either, okay?"
Lloyd tightens his hug. "...you're so stupid." he complains, and he's choking up with tears.
"I'm sorry. Even though you're crying for me, and I'm happy, so happy I want to cry.... I can't anymore. I'm sorry..."
Piers scootches in to join the hug. there's a bit of the awkward silence of someone who just saw this.
"... Dinner is done." Kratos tells them, before turning and going back to the camp. Lloyd turns pink and lets go.
"...Was Kratos watching us the entire time?"
"I thought he was cooking..." Lloyd mutters, rubbing his eyes.
"No. He just came up then." Colette says, smiling.
"Good..." Piers yawns. "I wonder what he made." It's chili. With celery on a plate next to it, and a handful of baked potatoes.
"... what?" Lloyd pokes it. "It... look suspicious."
"Says the boy who likes Dwarven Potluck Surprise." Kratos mutters.
"Yaay! Chilli! My favorite~!" Piers states, moving over.
"'chili'." Lloyd pokes the meat-stew-with-more-beans-than-meat with his spoon. Kratos offers him a half a roll that had been in someone's pocket too long while he crumbles the other half to add to his bowl. Aurian eats happily... but she's never eaten unhappily yet, so this doesn't mean much. Lloyd eats. "... good. But what's the bread for?"
Piers eats happily. "Its just like Jenna and Felix used to make~!"
"Who?" Lloyd asks about his spoon, while the rest of the camp gets their bowls. Colette only gets a little bit, but Lloyd doesn't protest now that he knows why, although he looks sad for a second. Kratos heads to the edge of the camp site, eating with his back to them again.
"Oh. Just friends." He dismisses the question by eating.
"Oh." Genis says, eating carefully. "Never heard of this." he mutters, while eating. Raine's gone to find some milk or cheese in the pack of food - apparently it was too spicy for her.
"Do you tell me every aspect of your lives?"
"Do you want me to?" Genis asks warily.
"Not really~!"
"good, cause that's creepy." Genis says. "Where did you learn this, Kratos?"
Kratos glances back. ".... Don't remember." Daichi eats carefully, but seems to get used to it. Shikka denies his and Lloyd and Daichi's eyes lock to claim the bowl. Lloyd reaches for it, but it's not a lunge because he doesn't want to spill.
"oh." Genis says, watching. "... Can you teach me?" Kratos appears mildly startled.
"... If you want." he says, shrugging. Daichi pounces onto it, grabbing it at the same time as Lloyd. Lloyd yelps, trying to pull it toward him, but to the side as well. Kratos seems amused.
"... there is more in the pot..." he trails off, because that's where Aurian is. Daichi pulls it free. Piers is the first for seconds. Aurian goes away with her bowl of seconds, and Lloyd gets behind Piers. Raine's discovered that adding cheese helps.
I know that what Kratos did was insanely risky for him.... but, who cares -