Alaia Skyhawk: If you're wondering where I've been the last week, I've been making ToS Animations. The Links are all at the top of my profile.
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1) Path of Restoration: Intro Animation (If Path of Restoration were the game, this is what the intro would look like. This is a high quality anime style vid and it's the one that took the most time... Each pic took on average 2-4 hours (except certain flash sections which took less than an hour. The wide pan shot with the protozoans in took me 28 hours to draw and colour!! (Each character was done separate and took between 2-5 hours... Tsahi was a pain... all those bloody feathers . ) The full res of that pic is over 3500 pixels wide. You can see the still shot of the full thing in the gallery mentioned in the end credits. Click the tag under the resized pic to see the full size... and be prepared to scroll the window view sideways).
2) Lloyd's First Flying Lesson (A doodle animation of the scene where Noishe 'helps' Lloyd learn to fly).
3) The Reason... Mithos beat Gnome solo (Again a doodle. This is of the Test of Patience and a compressed fight with Gnome).
4) The Word... (Again... a doodle. This is of the scene where Kratos is putting the last backup in the Earth Seal and the Gnomelette is pestering him).
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Please watch them and let me know what you think. I had too much fun making them for me not to find out if people like them (Note, 3 and 4 are hilarious).
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I don't own Tales of Symphonia so please don't sue me. I do however own Krishka, Dallinius (Dalli), Aluran, the Alurannai and any OCs, except Sanaro and Annule, who belong to Mr.Who2123, and Mika and Fiuras, who belong to WingedWithFireyMana, so please don't steal them...
Enjoy
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Chapter 25: Double Celebration
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The sound of three sets of feet running in snowshoes, the beat of wings, and the thudding cadence of paws over the hissing of steel runners on the white surface, these sounds accompanied what would undoubtedly be the strangest sight any in Luin would ever have seen. Sprinting towards the West Causeway Bridge of Luin were three alurannai, followed by an Arshis pulling a small sled and an Aeros soaring through the air above them. As they passed over the white blanket to the side of the road, a road that was four foot lower than them, a man on that route near fell off his wagon in surprise. Never in all his life had he seen people run that fast in snowshoes, not to mention the huge white and green wolf thing pulling a sled so lightweight and finely crafted that it was like something out of a fairytale by the standards of ones built in Luin. Gawking at them as they passed, he saw a blond head poke up out of the sled, the girl waving at him as her bright blue eyes danced with happiness.
"Goddess' blessings on your journey!"
It was in that moment that he finally placed the strange group... They matched the altered description sent out by the church just a few months ago. Staring in wonder, he watched them go.
"The Chosen..."
As she settled down fully in the sled once more, Collette looked forward to where Vayla led the way.
"Vayla, how much longer?"
The alurannai woman glanced back, not slowing her leaping stride in the slightest.
"About another ten minutes and we'll reach the start of the West Bridge, though we won't reach Luin itself until the day after tomorrow. The bridge, or rather bridges, link several of the smaller islands between here and the far side of the lake. They're too small to really live on, so the city never expanded onto them, but they are enough to support the bridges that form the western entrance into Luin."
The silver haired woman sat beside the Chosen frowned.
"A full day and a bit to cover the distance between here and the city? How far is it?"
Sheena, who had been this way a few months back, slowed a little before resuming her full run once the sled had pulled level with her.
"It's about two hundred and twenty miles from here, across the other side of the lake. Lake Sinoa is huge, and the clustered islands of the city only cover a tiny part of it near the eastern shore. If the lake weren't freshwater, it's actually big enough to be called a sea. It'll take about an hour at this pace to cross the first bridges to the third island out. It'll be getting dark then, so we should probably camp. The bridges are wide, but not wide enough to risk us running into someone coming the other way in the dark. We'll have about eight hours of light tomorrow, so if we take this pace for all of those, we'll be in Luin two hours after sunrise the day after that."
Vayla glanced back again.
"Sheena, I thought we'd agreed not to run like this for more than five hours a day. We can handle it, but as light as that sled is, it's not fair on Noishe for him to pull it for an extra three hours."
Sheena's expression became stubborn.
"But the day after tomorrow is mine and Lloyd's birthday... If we only go five hours tomorrow we'll have almost no daylight time left for looking around the city..." She turned her eyes on Noishe, who glanced at her sidelong even as he continued to ghost over the snow. "Noishe, will you please?"
It was then Vayla saw Sheena unleash a devastating weapon she hadn't used since she was little... The dewy eyed pleading expression that had regularly charmed other families' protozoans from fifty paces... Noishe didn't stand a chance...
He actually stumbled as the impact of 'the look' hit home, and unprepared for it in that moment he'd have done anything for her if she'd asked, no matter how silly or humiliating for him it might have been.
I don't mind! Let's run all the daylight tomorrow! I'm up for it!
Sheena's happy smile practically had the canine purring, such was the after effect of making her happy after she'd used 'the look'.
"Thanks, Noishe!"
Laughing with joy, she picked up her speed to pull a little way ahead before matching the pace of the sled again... all the while Vayla could only stare at her manipulating daughter...
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"Cold...! So cold!"
Genis shivered within his tight wrapping of blanket, huddling as close to the camp fire as he dared lest he set himself alight. Out here, on one of the tiny 'bridge islands' some twenty miles or so from the shore of the lake, there was no shelter from the pervading chill the nearby water imposed on the air. It was as if those waters, frozen solid where they met land, sought to pull every ounce of nearby heat into their depths.
Lloyd saw him shiver, and feeling sorry for him he put up a heat ward... much to Vayla's surprise.
"When did you learn how to do that?"
Lloyd glanced at her, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"You ask that, knowing how quickly alurannai children can pick things up? I learnt it from watching you. You've used it often enough."
Lloyd's tone, combined with the expression on Vayla's face, set Collette giggling in amusement. Sighing in resignation, the alurannai woman stared into the flames of the campfire.
If only he would pick up summoning arts as easily... Getting him and Sheena to concentrate on their lessons is turning out to be a nightmare...
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They had gone so far out across the lake now that all they could see was the bridge they travelled upon, the approaching tiny island, and water from horizon to horizon. As they raced along the wide wooden bridge, built upon pillars formed from pile upon pile of stones laboriously thrown into the lake and fused together with magic over countless centuries, Vayla had to marvel at the sheer teamwork needed to make it. These bridges, from islet to islet across the lake, had taken a full three elven lifetimes to build. The result of the Elves reaching out to teach and guide the first steps of the human race. Back then Humans hadn't known mistrust, deceit, or fear of the unknown. Newly created by Origin, bewildered in their sudden existence, they had happily accepted help and friendship when it was offered. Structures like this were the result, and they had endured the ravages of time even after the trust and friendships of old had faded into suspicion and fear.
Vayla glided down closer to Noishe, checking he was ok after pulling the sled constantly for the last seven hours. It was just an hour until the daylight faded, only an hour to go, but she still wanted to be sure he wasn't going to hurt himself keeping his promise to Sheena. She, Lloyd, and her daughter had abandoned the snowshoes for today, deciding that for the crossing it was safer to fly. Sheena, for all her lack of practice, wasn't doing that bad. Lloyd, who had become proficient by this point, was staying close to her just in case.
Noishe, he was clearly tiring, but he also had that stubborn look in his eyes that said he knew it wasn't that much longer, and he was determined to finish. Sighing, flapping her wings to rise higher again, Vayla turned her gaze on the islet ahead, and the three beyond it they would cross before nightfall.
As stubborn as ever... He may like to mess around and play pranks, but his loyalty to friends and determination to keep to his promises has earned him more than a little respect despite his behaviour the rest of the time... 'Stubborn as a mule' they say... It should be 'stubborn as a Protozoan'...
Vayla wasn't the only one keeping a close eye on Noishe, Lloyd too was keeping an eye on him. He could sense that Noishe was getting tired, and he knew from the way Sheena kept glancing at him that she was worried he'd be upset she'd convinced his Bonded partner to pull the sled for so long without stopping. Reaching out, he gave her a mental tap.
Sheena, he was planning to do something like this anyway... You just beat him to the punch by asking him. He was actually going to convince Vayla himself yesterday once we'd stopped to camp.
Violet wings faltering a little, Sheena fell a foot or so before she regained her composure and blushed.
Was I that transparent? And here I thought I was keeping my emotions in this time.
Lloyd's faint chuckle was torn away unheard by the wind of their passage, but she knew from his face he had.
You are, it's just written on your face.
The red tinge of her embarrassment deepened. If she'd been so careless with her expression while living in Mizuho she'd have given the worst village chores to do for a whole week. Sighing as she shook her head, she gave him a small smile before focusing ahead of them once more.
Thanks for reassuring me...
Don't mention it...
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Their arrival at Luin was climactic to say the least. The moment they crossed the last bridge that next morning, Collette had stood up in the back of the sled despite Raine's misgivings about her being on her feet while the sled was moving. Lloyd, Vayla, Sheena, and Mezo had all landed and formed up as escort, two on either side, and Noishe had immediately begun making a show out of pulling the sled at a slow and stately pace over the light covering of foot-packed snow that covered the cobbled surface of Luin's streets.
Collette's pink and gold wings glittered among the tiny falling flakes of snow that dusted down from the clouded skies, drawing gasps of awe from the people who stopped where they stood as soon as the group came into view. It took but a few minutes for word that the Chosen had arrived in Luin to spread through the city like a wildfire. By the time they'd passed through the Craftsman District, which the Western Causeway connected to, it would have been all too easy to bet that nearly half Luin's population lined the route to the Traveller's District, which was obviously where the Chosen would be staying. Gossip really spread when messenger birds were involved, so most people knew now that the Chosen and her companions had declined special treatment at every town they'd visited so far. It was only once they'd reached the district itself that the crowd finally thinned and people went about their business. It was Prayer day tomorrow, which meant it would be likely the Chosen would be leading the service at the city's main church. That they'd seen her was enough, for the people of Luin were practical and knew that for most of them a glimpse of her was all they were going to get. She had a lot to do, a long way to go, and delaying her just so they could speak to her or such was something the people of Luin wouldn't do... When you lived in a city where you ran the risk of dying or being captured for the Asgard Ranch twice a year or so, you tended not to want to waste people's time... After all when you know you could lose what time you have left so easily, you generally valued it a whole lot more.
The crowds gone, the snow still dusting down, Vayla began appraising the inns they passed. Picking up snatches of conversations within and using taint detection spells to check each inn's cleanliness. Most were good value by the talk within, and all were impeccably clean, which left her with a dilemma... Which one should they use?
"Well hello, Vayla. Fancy meeting you here..."
The group stopped in their tracks, all turning their heads where they stood or sat to look at the green eyed, brown haired man that looked at them with a smile from where he leaned against the front wall of one of the inns.
Seeing him, Lloyd stared in shock before breaking into a grin.
"Inanu Jason! What are you doing here?"
Still smiling, Lloyd's uncle walked over and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Here to wish you a happy nineteenth birthday, of course. I heard you'd likely be here in Luin for it, so I cadged a lift from the jiisumura at the Sentinel near Clear Falls. Mom and Dad would have come too, but for all three of us to vanish for an unknown number of days would have raised questions in the Safe Town. They're just telling people there that I've gone off on one of my little 'hiking trips'. 'Hiking trip' being the family term for going off to visit relatives the people of Clear Falls don't know about." He looked around the currently empty street. "As for me, the people here just think I'm taking a short break from travelling before moving on... None of them even recognise me after twenty years away. I was only a kid when the family left."
Raine clambered out of the sled, having had enough of sitting cramped in it so close to where they'd be staying the next couple of nights. Eyeing Jason speculatively, she spoke.
"'Inanu'... If my memory serves, that means 'Uncle'. So you're another of Lloyd's 'adopted' family?'
Jason laughed, even Vayla cracked a smile anticipating Raine's reaction that Lloyd had actual human relatives.
"No, I really am his uncle. My sister, Anna, is his mother. She and Kratos had a 'love at first sight' moment and things just went from there."
Raine stared, startled.
"An alurannai marrying a human? But that means she won't even see Lloyd reach adulthood. That means Lloyd's father married someone who he'll lose after less than a century."
In that moment, realising the awkward situation that had been created, and that the three who had ridden in the sled couldn't be told Anna was a Crystal User, Lloyd hastily covered.
"Ata and Myrta love each other. Does it really matter how long they'll live? We exist in a world where any of us could lose our lives at any time, so what's racial lifespan when you consider it like that?"
The point struck home, and although neither Vayla nor Jason sighed outright, Lloyd saw the faint glimpse of relief in their eyes.
Raine, conceding that Lloyd was right, let the subject drop before regarding Jason once more.
"So... Since you've clearly been here for a while, could you recommend an inn?"
Jason tilted his head, indicating the inn he'd been leaning against.
"This one's pretty good. I'm staying in it, and I know they have three or four rooms free at the moment. The food's not bad either."
Collette walked up to him, looking concerned, having gotten out of the sled along with Genis.
"Mr..."
Jason smiled.
"R'fernon, Jason R'fernon."
Collette smiled a little back.
"Mr R'fernon, if you spend time with us for Lloyd and Sheena's birthday, people will know you know the alurannai... Won't that put you in danger from the Desians when we move on to go to the next Seal?"
He patted her on the shoulder, touched by her concern.
"The Sentinel I arrived here through is just a few miles from here. I'll head back there and ask the jiisumura there to take me back home. I'll be fine. My big sister would never let the Alurannai hear the end of it if they left me to wander all the way back to Clear Falls on foot."
"You mean she'd never let Kratos hear the end of it..." They all turned to see a familiar white wolf cub sat at the entrance of an alley between two of the nearby inns. Dalli gave them a canine grin. "So you got a ride here... Did you ever think to visit Anna first? She had to send her and Kratos' present for Lloyd with a certain someone who's with me..."
In response to the end comment, an alurannai man in a dark orange reta, with jet black hair and ice blue eyes, stepped out into the open, his gaze fixed upon the dark haired girl who stared at him with a startled expression.
He smiled.
"Hirrepili, Myrturu."
Sheena took a step forward, before sprinting across the street and into his arms.
"Ata!"
Vayla sniffed a little, wiping a tear from the corner of one eye.
"He's waited as long as I have to see this... To hold his little girl again."
As the rest of the group watched, she too walked over to the newcomer, and moments later all three were in one tight hug as they were all together again as a family after over thirteen years apart.
Collette was teary eyed at the reunion, and even Raine looked like she might search her pockets for a handkerchief at any moment. Genis looked a little wistful, having never known his own mother and father. The two Protozoans in the group looked as sappy happy as the two women... And lastly off to one side a saddened Lloyd watched as his uncle put an understanding hand on his shoulder... knowing it would be a while yet before he got to see his own mother and father...
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"Why didn't you want to go to see the city fountain with Vayla, Sheena, and Rennan? That fountain is really a marvel to see. It's more than fifteen thousand years old."
Jason sat beside Lloyd as the two perched on the edge of one of the beds in the room he and Genis were sharing.
Lloyd looked very distant, and not a little lost.
"I just miss my parents... and seeing Sheena with both of hers reminds me too much... I wanted time to think and get a grip on my emotions before we have that little birthday party Genis and Collette are planning." Seeing the querying look on his uncle's face, Lloyd explained. "They keep forgetting how sharp my hearing is... I overheard them talking about it a couple of days ago while they were riding in the sled and thought I wouldn't hear." He sighed. "I just wish I could see them... My ata, and myrta... Even if it was just for a few moments. It's the better part of fourteen years since I've set eyes on them... and I just..."
Jason gazed at his nephew with sympathy and understanding, putting an arm around his shoulders and giving him a reassuring hug.
"They want to see you just as much as you want to see them... But Anna can't leave Nae Shiu right at the moment, not now that she's practically leading the Alurannai all on her own with Breuntas away... for a reason I wasn't told." His expression at that end comment was self depreciating. "Kratos is off on some kind of big important errand, so he can't come either. Ma and Pa can't come because the people in Clear Falls would get suspicious... So that leaves just me..."
Lloyd looked up at him, a little embarrassed at what his attitude right now would look like.
"I'm sorry, having you here is great. I haven't seen you since Noishe dunked you in that puddle when I was four. Seeing you again for my birthday is... Um... You ok?"
Jason had turned beet red with embarrassment.
"...And the alurannai perfect memory strikes again... I should have realised you'd remember that when you recognised me so easily."
Lloyd began to chuckle, his depression lifting as he pictured that event so long ago.
"Oh of course I remember it... The look on your face afterwards... pricele... AHHH!"
The teasing remark was cut off as Lloyd's thirty year old uncle proceeded to tickle him mercilessly, something which then quickly degenerated into a full scale pillow fight between the pair...
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Arcs of water soared for the heavens to fall gracefully once more into the crystal pool below. The city fountain, situated on the north-western shore of the Market District, was a wonder to behold. It was a true piece of ingenuity, powered by gravity alone. The cliff face it was built into was the highest of all of the city islands, and hidden up on its peak was a deep pool of water that was connected to the fountain's sprays by a gradually narrowing channel. By the time the water reached the fountain, the pressure of what was above forcing it down through the ever narrowing gap sent it reaching skywards as soon as it was freed through the various openings of the structure. The pool itself was fed by a natural spring, the flow through the fountain carefully set to be less than that of the spring so that the pool would never become empty and the fountain stop. Once the water had left the fountain it fed into the island's wells to be used by the people,. Once again the people of the city turning something beautiful into something that was also still practical.
Sheena sat on the rim of the fountain, listening to the falling water as she and her parents looked out across the lake.
"When I think about the all the time we were apart, and look at things now... It's almost like a dream. It's like I was walking around all those years without really seeing things, like there was a veil blocking my sight, and now everything is so clear."
Rennan sat down beside his daughter, putting an arm around her shoulder as she leaned against him.
"That's just the way it works. You were lost, so you instinctively locked away your memories to protect yourself. You suppressed your perfect recall, through you still remembered everything you saw and heard and experienced, and so now that you have it back you think through all those memories where you couldn't recall things perfectly and it seems like you were walking around with a bag over you head."
Sheena smiled.
"That describes it exactly. It was like I was walking around with a bag over my head... It makes me wonder what it was like for Lloyd though. Where I was it was in my favour to be intelligent, but for him being stupid was the best defence. He has thirteen years of memories of being a total dunce with a bag over his head. It must have been really weird for him to suddenly be so smart again." She sighed, tugging at one of her long purple gloves, gloves that Livian had altered to leave gaps for the sarren on her elbows back in Hima. Her voice became quiet. "He was really upset back there, outside the inn. I still haven't got the hang of keeping my emotions from him all the time, while he's really good at it... but even so, for a split second before he hid it, I felt how sad he was that his parents aren't here. It doesn't seem fair. I get to travel with you Myrta, and you're visiting Ata, but Lloyd hasn't even gotten a visit. He's seen neither of them for so long and now he has to watch while I have you beside me..."
The two alurannai adults immediately looked somewhat guilty. Such had been their joy at the reunion of their family in this place, they hadn't stopped to consider Lloyd's feelings. He had been alone for so long, but had shown no sign of his yearning for his parents... He was too good at hiding it...
Vayla sighed, sitting down on Sheena's other side.
"At least he has his inanu here, that's something... Kratos is at the Seal of Wind right now... and he can't do the Seal of Light until after we've been there and released it. That means it's still going to be more than two months before there's even a chance he can join up with us."
Sat on the edge of the fountain, here on this day of Lloyd and Alysii's nineteenth birthdays, they sat and looked out over the lake...
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"This market is so cool! All of the ones in Triet together are tiny compared to this!"
Genis' eyes constantly moved from one sight to another as he, Collette, and Raine headed down one of the many 'streets' between the hundreds of stalls situated in this central part of the Market District. The Market District consisted of a double row of shops that ran around the island's edge like a pair of concentric rings, with the huge market area set inside the space those shops left in the island's centre. Here, sheltered from the wind by that double ring of shops, the market stalls could operate all year round in all but the very worst of weather. Luin was a huge city, it's population numbering over two hundred thousand, and with numbers like that, a few hundred stalls would get more than enough business to warrant the effectively permanent 'Market Day' that the city ran. If stalls only opened once a week, the crush in the Market District on those days would have been impossible to handle. Thus, the only day of the week when the market would be closed was Prayer Day. Just as well for the Chosen's group since that meant the group's two youngest members were able to do some last minute birthday present shopping, with Raine acting as escort.
Speaking of the half-elven woman, she too was actually taking this chance to pick up a few presents for future birthdays... After all, who knew how long it would be before she had a chance to browse such a large market again.
Glancing over at the two youths, she chuckled to herself as they chattered away to each other about what things on the stall they'd stopped next to that they thought Lloyd or Sheena would like. Vayla had once again doled out pocket money, leaving the two of them with plenty to spend since they both still had most of their pocket money from Izoold and Hima left. It had been more than eleven years since she'd last set foot in this town, back when Milleisi and her friends had helped her and Genis get to Iselia. It didn't appear to have changed much at all.
Continuing her reminiscing as she followed her brother and Collette through the market, listening to their chatter, she simply enjoyed this moment of peace in her rapidly more complicated life.
Times like these should be cherished, for this journey is dangerous and as skilled and strong as Vayla is there'll always be the chance something will happen.
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The two of them walked along the narrow street, passers by staring curiously at the younger of the two for his strange appearance. As the two continued on, the passer by would resume whatever it was they were doing, but before long the youth would find himself being stared at by yet another, and yet another after that, on and on as they walked through one of the Residential Districts.
Lloyd sighed as he and Jason passed another, getting increasingly annoyed.
"Geeze, don't they know it's rude to stare. Half the city saw us arrive earlier, you'd think they'd have got enough of a look back then."
Jason patted him on the shoulder.
"They would have been too busy staring at Collette to have really noticed you then. It's not that surprising they're so curious now. C'mon, we're almost to the house. I want you to see the house where Anna and I spend most of our childhood. we're almost there."
After tidying up the mess they'd made with their pillow fight, Jason had offered to show Lloyd around Luin and take him to some of the places he and Anna had played when they were young. It had been a glimpse into his mother's past for Lloyd, a chance to know more about her when in truth he knew very little. Not much had been said of her past before he'd ended up with Dirk, and now he was getting the chance to learn. The two of them had been walking around for about three hours and to be truthful it was starting to get dark, but this would be their last stop and Jason was determined Lloyd see it. With the Prayer day service tomorrow, and replenishing the group's supplies at the market to do, there just wouldn't be time to do it then.
Following his uncle, Lloyd did his best to endure the stares of those they passed. He hadn't minded it that much back in Izoold and Hima, since the people there seemed to just take it in their stride and give him just a brief glance, and in Triet Oasis his sarren had been kept covered up. But now here in Luin he was becoming increasingly upset by it, probably because his parents weren't here to support him and since he was still just a very young child by Alurannai standards, his instinctive wish was for them to be there to shield him from it. All he had however was his uncle, who could do little to stop the stares other than clear his throat meaningfully whenever a bystander got a bit too curious.
Lloyd hunched his shoulders, ducking his head down as he continued to let Jason lead him through the Residential District, wishing he'd worn a cloak or something since he was walking around in just his trousers, shirt and reta in what was sub zero temperatures. Against the thick coat Jason was wearing, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He began to mutter to himself, wishing and wishing and wishing he could just disappear or something. A split second later the most curious sensation came over him and all of a sudden he felt like his sense of his surroundings had gone dull. He stopped in surprised, trying to figure out what had happened.
"Huh?"
Jason stopped and turned to see what had distracted Lloyd. It took all of a second's glance before he began to chuckle.
"I think you just solved your problem Lloyd, although you need to put a coat or something on to blend in completely." He walked up to the youth, and tapped him on the side of his face. "You hid them."
In shock Lloyd brought his un-gloved hands up to his face, finding his sarren to be gone. Checking his shoulders and elbows, he found empty gaps in his clothing that revealed only smooth bare skin and not a trace of green in sight.
He broke into a grin.
"I've adjusted! That means I can put my wings away now too!" Just to prove a point, he did just that, willing them away with the same method he used to will them solid so they'd stay under his reta. "This is great! If I don't want to be stared at I can just put them away now!" He touched the side of his face again, as that strange sensation came again and he found his sarren trying to come out again. Forcing them back with his will, he grimaced a little as skin that had tinged green became flesh pink again. "But it looks like I need to practice keeping them put away. It feels like wearing clothes that are too tight." He fidgeted, twitching his shoulders. "My wings don't like it either..."
Jason chuckled, clapping him on his now tendril free shoulder.
"You'll just have to keep at it then until you get used to it." He took his coat off, pulled off one of the three jumpers he was wearing underneath, and tugged it down over Lloyd's head. "Here, with this on you at least look like someone who's making a quick trip out. The kind of trip where people wouldn't bother with wasting time piling a thick coat on."
Getting his arms into the sleeves, Lloyd reached under it and unfastened the front of his reta so he could pull it down and out at the back. Folding it, he put it in his ver. Without the pale blue sticking out of the bottom of the jumper, Lloyd now just looked like a town youth who, as Jason said, was on a quick trip where a thick coat might not be bothered with.
"It feels kinda weird. With my sarren in it's like I've turned off one of my senses. My sense of the air pressure around me is nonexistent now. Everything feels muffled."
Jason smiled.
"Well you can describe it more to me later, but right now we'd better get moving before it gets dark. C'mon."
The two of them set off once more, only this time no one stopped and stared as they passed...
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"Hi, Corrine."
The little fox-like spirit glanced down the slope of the roof to where the wolf cub-like spirit strolled up it towards him.
"Hello, Dalli... What's a big time Spirit like you hanging around as a pup for anyway? You keep cropping up to check on Lloyd, but you also always seem to end up doing something silly. Like when you played fetch with that kid in Izoold."
Dalli settled himself next to Corrine on the peak of the roof, his expression a little amused.
"So you noticed I'm not what I seem... I can't say I'm surprised, most Spirits spot it right away anyway." He glanced at the street below, at the people passing by down there unable to see either spirit who were both concealing themselves as their kind could. "I'm Dallinius, the Summon Spirit of Unity and Third Sumara Lord. The Kharlan War diminished my power and I became like this. I've' been like it ever since." He chuckled. "When you go from big proud wolf to little pup, you tend to gain a new perspective on things. Truth was I didn't interact that much with people before I was diminished, losing my power taught me to live alongside them better... You could say I learned a new facet of Unity from it... Friendship... Since then I've discovered I have a thing for little kids... I can't help but enjoy making them smile. Fetch happens to be my favourite game as 'Dalli', who you could say is my less serious alter ego. When things call for formality, I'm 'Dallinius', my more serious side."
Corrine mulled this over for a moment, before nodding in agreement.
"Sounds like you have things settled. As for kids, yeah you've gotta love them. They're so innocent, so willing to accept the people around them unconditionally. They don't look at you and expect things, they just accept things are they are and when you play with them the smiles and laughter they give back make me feel all fuzzy and warm. When Sheena was young, after I got out of the Elemental Research Laboratory and made it back to her, she was sad a lot of the time, but she never failed to smile when I tried to cheer her up. Once she was older she didn't need the comfort as much, but I still liked cheering children up, so I started playing with them whenever I got the chance... Sheena always likes to see others happy."
Dallinius remained silent for a moment, glancing sidelong at Corrine.
He's Verius, I can sense it... but does he know?
After yawning, he continued.
"If you don't mind my asking. How did you end up in that laboratory?"
Corrine looked a little startled, and a little uncomfortable.
"Um... They sort of 'made' me... They used some weird machine to pull mana together to form me. I vaguely remember several glimpses of the lab, but it was only once Sheena was there that I didn't fade away again. She promised to always trust me, that was our pact, but I'd been in her arms no more than a moment before I was taken from her and locked in a special cage that I couldn't teleport out of... And Sheena was dragged out of the lab screaming for me... They didn't care that they were separating Summoner and Spirit Partner... all they wanted was a spirit to study... It didn't matter that they were hurting us... It was months later that I 'heard' her scream, felt her terror. In that moment it was almost like her promise to trust me pounded through me. She believed in me with all her heart, and somewhere she was in danger and I wasn't there to help her. All of a sudden the cage seemed so puny. I just smashed it in seconds and teleported out of the lab as the scientists all started shouting that I'd gotten out. When I appeared by Sheena's side Volt, the Summon Spirit of Lightning, was just about to kill her. I just glared at him, I didn't even say anything... and he just stopped in his tracks like he'd hit a wall. All I wanted was for him to stay away from her, and he did..." Corrine began to tremble. "But the people with her, who had taken her to the temple... Volt killed almost all of them, and when one fled he followed them all the way back to Mizuho and flattened half the village with lightning. Over fifty people were killed, and because of me Sheena didn't get so much as a scratch... And because she wasn't hurt at all... they blamed her for what Volt did..." Corrine looked confused. "I don't understand why he stopped trying to hurt her when I glared at him... It was almost like he was afraid to hurt me..."
Dallinius regarded the spirit beside him, understanding in his eyes.
"So that's why Sheena is so jumpy about making a pact with Undine. I know she's told Lloyd, I sensed she'd told him why, though I didn't pry into it. It also explains why Volt flipped out eleven years ago, if they tried to make a seven year old amnesiac alurannai form a pact with him... As for why he stopped, maybe he saw the trust and faith you had in her, and she in you. Volt's First Test for summoners was the Test of Trust and Faith, to see it so strongly between you two was likely the reason he backed off."
It was a small lie, and a perfectly valid explanation, and it certainly would satisfy Corrine. Watching as the spirit nodded in agreement, accepting the reasoning, Dallinius mulled over what he knew to be the real reason.
Faced with the Summon Spirit of Heart, the Second Sumara Lord, the command to leave Sheena alone that would have been in your eyes in that moment, he would never disobey... Even diminished as you are... The Greater Spirits, no matter how enraged, would never turn on a Sumara Lord... You clearly have no idea who you really are... Corrine... It took Sheena to call you out of oblivion, and it will likely be her that calls forth your knowledge of who you are once more... Telling you would be pointless, it's far better you rediscover it yourself...
His curiosity satisfied, Dalli remained beside Corrine on the rooftop, watching as the people of Luin passed by down below. He would speak to Krishka and Maxwell later, to tell them of Verius' unknowing return...
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"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHEENA! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LLOYD!"
Having the inn common room pretty much to themselves, the other travellers staying at the establishment having gone to their respective rooms, the group and the three visitors all gathered around Lloyd and Sheena as the two nineteen year olds began to open their presents. They'd halted in shock when they'd first arrived to see a wingless and sarrenless Lloyd sat playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with his uncle. Jason had been losing miserably, with Lloyd beating him every time. When Lloyd had explained he could see the faint twitch of the muscles in his uncle's arm, as he brought his hand down to make his move, and know from how they twitched which one he was going to use, Jason had folded his arms in disgust and called Lloyd a cheater as those present burst into laughter. To make it up to him, Vayla had challenged Lloyd to the Alurannai version of the game... which had fifteen hand positions, not three... and royally trounced him. It was now, after the laughter had died down again, that the two youths were given their respective gifts.
Lloyd... He'd gotten a new pair of very good suspenders, picked by Collette and Genis, and a book on the history of Luin, since once he'd gotten his memories back Lloyd had shown a keen interest in learning new things, and since they were in Luin it seemed appropriate.
Sheena... From Raine she'd gotten a simple necklace of teardrop shaped violet and tiny spherical white glass beads, from Collette and Genis she's gotten a bell bracelet which unfortunately didn't fit her. A moment's inspiration though found Corrine wearing the bracelet instead as a collar, and the little spirit was much taken with his new accessory.
The first gifts received, it was Jason's turn, and he handed Sheena and Lloyd a little hand carved wooden whistle each that he'd made himself.
Last of all, Vayla and Rennan handed out the gifts from themselves and from Lloyd's parents. For Sheena, there was a full set of the enchanted cards she used to fight, in the full range of elements, crafted by her father Rennan and enchanted by Anna who had long since mastered such magic. For Lloyd, there was a new pair of swords crafted by his father, heavier that the pair he'd gotten via Dirk which now seemed ridiculously light to him. Forged of one of the Alurannai's special alloys, they were no thicker than the average normal blade, but they weighed a full nine times more making them far far stronger, as they needed to be to handle Lloyd's full strength.
As the two youths admired their gifts, Genis and Collette commandeered the inn's kitchen to make party food, while Corrine jingled around the common room wearing the bell and Vayla attempted to teach Jason her people's version of Rock, Paper, Scissors which was impossible to cheat at as the rules stated the competitors had to keep eye constant as they made their move... Stopping the method Lloyd had used to beat his uncle.
Shortly thereafter the silver haired mage and the Chosen emerged from the kitchen with plates of food... of which Collette's was saved by Rennan's fast reflexes as she tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her face. As the standard 'whoops' was said, they broke into laughter once more as the double celebration continued well into the dark of night.
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A shadow slipped out of one of the inn's upper windows, scarlet wings briefly visible as they propelled the youth up onto the building's roof. Sitting himself on its peak, looking up at the darkened and starless sky as flakes of white appeared out of the shadows above to fall silently around him, Lloyd sighed.
"Where are you, Ata? ...When will you come?"
He didn't have those answers, wouldn't find them in this snow filled night. He could only do as he had done ever since he'd regained his memory... Wait...
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A faint chime resonated through the still and icy air, another backup in place. Sitting back on his heels, Kratos took a moment to shake off the several inches of snow that had settled on his hair and shoulders, sending a miniature avalanche tumbling to the snow covered stone he knelt upon. If there was one disadvantage to the Seal of Wind being on the mausoleum's roof, it was that it was exposed to the weather, though a good portion of the snow had been held off, or rather melted off, by a certain visitor.
Efreet glanced down at him, having paused here at the Seal for a couple of hours in the guise of looking for trespassing angels. He'd been somewhat disappointed, with not a single one being at any of the three other Seals in Sylvarant. It seemed Yggdrasil really wasn't going to risk wasting angels to a ticked off Spirit of Fire, and later ticked off Spirits of Wind, Water, and Light.
"Only another seven to go, Kratos, and this Seal will be done."
The Inartu ran a hand through his hair, dislodging some of the more stubborn snow from the auburn tresses.
"Only... I'll be glad when I see the back of these things. I've spent the better part of a year now sat motionless at the sides of Seals putting these things in... I won't be sorry to see the last of them go."
Efreet laughed, the snow stripped from the section of stone floor beneath him by the sheer heat radiating from him.
"Just think of how things will be once we rid the worlds of Cruxis and put things back as they should be. All this effort will be worth it as you stay here and finish what you've started." He glanced around at the snow that fell and melted around him. "And speaking of staying, I think I shall leave now. The Spirit of Fire in a cold place it one thing, but putting up with all this snow..."
In a soft flare of red light he was gone, the snow beginning to settle on the bared stone that had been beneath him once more. Allowing himself a few minutes to rest, Kratos mulled over his memories of the past few months and worked out how long it had actually been... His expression becoming shocked as he finished and found out what day it was.
He reached out, out through the Sentinels, searching... Searching until he found the sleeping mind of Vayla, the only alurannai in the Chosen's group he could locate at such a distance. About to 'prod' her awake to pass on a message from him to Lloyd, he sensed that one mind in the inn, or rather on top of the inn, wasn't sleeping.
Tentatively he brushed past the edge of that awareness, picking up the words spoken, which brought a hint of tears to his eyes.
'Where are you, Ata? ...When will you come?'
Touching his son's mind more firmly, he 'spoke'.
I will come as soon as I am able... Happy birthday, mi unatu...
He pulled away, breaking the link before a startled Lloyd could reply... But not before he felt the joy his son took from those few murmured words from his father...
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Alaia Skyhawk: Man this was a slow typer. Took me two days to get this out. :S Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy the videos. After all, I made them for you guys to see.