Good news, I found someone who I hate more than Koton, though not quite so much as Dirk and his name is… untold. We all affectionately refer to him as the Mayor of Iselia! He officially gets second place on the I Hate This Character list…
This chapter should get us through The Mayor's seen; I will be screwing up a lot in this section because I think the way the game did it was crap. So, enjoy.
IMPORTANT NOTE: My laptop died on Tuesday and I lost all the chapters that I had written so I'm going to be having to rewrite EVERYTHING that I had written. That's a lot of words, so, in order to lessen the stress upon myself, I am warning you that updates may not come so regularly, I will try my hardest to continue with the weekly updates. However, this may prove difficult because in the mean-time I am going to be spending much of my time get music, pics, etc. back.
Thanks for your understanding!
Disclaimer: I got nothin', zilch, noda in the way of Tales of Symphonia… I guess I own my monsters. Wootness.
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"I am Forcystus of the Five Desian Grand Cardinals!"
"Lloyd Irving is here! I will defeat you evil Desian!"
The playing children were shouting and laughing as they ran around outside of the schoolhouse near the Mayor's home. Kratos watched as "Lloyd" tackled "Forcystus" and "Colette" clapped and shouted.
"I keep hearing this word "Desian" what does it mean?" Tenebrae ghosted behind the three with his question.
"You don't know?" Marta looked shocked.
"The Desians were a group of blood-thirsty half-elves that wreaked havoc upon Sylvarant before the Regeneration," Kratos supplied, "They were shunned and discriminated against and found solace amongst their revenge-driven kinsmen. They tortured and experimented on humans in places called Human Ranches, there was one on each continent, four in total. Lloyd destroyed two and disbanded the remaining; killing their leaders. The organization fell with the reuniting of the world."
"I thought there were five…" said Marta, "Asgard, Palmacosta, Iselia, Remote Island, and Triet."
"Ah, yes, of course." Right, Yuan's Renegade base had played the part of a Human Ranch.
"They say they did some pretty unspeakable things to the humans they kidnapped…" Emil shuddered.
"You talk like you weren't affected by them," said Marta, "There was a Ranch right near Palmacosta and everyone was so afraid. They even did public executions right in the main square! It was so scary."
"Oh, y-yeah, right, of course."
"Yeah, Iselia got off easy since the Chosen was born here. They made a non-aggression treaty with the Desians so that their people couldn't be taken to the Ranch as long as they stayed away from the Ranch."
Kratos hissed at the idea, the non-aggression treaty was simply to protect the Chosen. Mithos would never have agreed otherwise.
"It seems we Centurions missed a lot while we were dormant."
………………
How the Hell does this society work; how can this man still be in any sort of position of power after everything that's happened? That was all that Kratos could think upon being directed to the Mayor's household by the owner of the inn. How had the man who had outlawed his son, made dealings with Desians and the Chosen alike, and shown himself to be a racist bastard without a thought for what was best for others, still manage to be in charge of Iselia?
Government in both worlds had always been bad, but this was slightly exasperating.
Marta was doing much of the talking for their little party as Kratos was socially awkward and Emil was feeling emotionally unstable today, and Tenebrae was a talking cat-thing.
She was knocking brightly on the door, her eyes and smile refreshed from a comfortable night at the newly built Iselia Inn, Salvation. It seemed that tourism had exploded in the small town since the Final Regeneration.
You would think that they would have chosen a more charismatic face to represent them.
"Can I help you?" The elderly Mayor of Iselia opened the door. The man had not changed much but for his hair which now had strips of white marrying the grey.
"Excuse us, but we're looking for Lloyd Irving and we were wondering if you might be able to help us…" Marta was smiling widely.
"…Perhaps you should come in…" The man searched the crowds nervously, as though expecting someone to be listening to their conversation. After assuring himself that no one had overheard, he ushered Marta, Emil, and Kratos into his home. Inside, a dog ran slept in front of a small fire, though the weather outside was not cold; the fire must have felt good to Emil and Marta. It was a quaint house with little in the way of décor.
"Now…"
"We heard Lloyd Irving was supposed to live in this town and we were wondering if you could help of find him…" Emil looked slightly awkward making the request.
"We… get quite a few asking about Lloyd, is this about the Blood Purge in Palmacosta? It doesn't make sense; Lloyd would never join the Church, let alone lead it against Palmacosta."
"What?"
"Lloyd… didn't believe in the Church of Martel?"
"Yes, he would never join the Church even when his best friend was the Chosen of Regeneration."
"Yes, that… sounds like Lloyd." Kratos forced back a small smile at the thought of his son; Lloyd had obviously retained the fear he and Anna had placed in Lloyd when it came to the Church. Their always being on the run had introduced Lloyd to many things very early on in life, the Church being in every town, it was difficult to avoid, but they had done it, teaching Lloyd of the falsehoods and evils of "Martel's" teachings.
"You knew Lloyd?"
"I met him on the Journey of Regeneration." Not a total lie…
"Then you must understand why I find it so hard to believe that Lloyd could do something like that."
"That bastard killed my parents!" Emil's hiss took the whole room by surprise. His eyes blazed Ratatosk's red and his fists clenched aggressively.
The Mayor sighed and continued on as though Emil had not interrupted; "Two years ago, before the World Regeneration, a massacre took place in our town at the hands of the Desians because of Lloyd."
"See, it's just like Palmacosta, Lloyd is nothing but a worthless murderer!"
Kratos and Marta both started, Kratos toward Emil and Marta to cut Kratos off, but the young Knight ignored them.
"B-but," said Marta quickly, trying to distract them both, "I thought Iselia had a treaty with the Desians."
"Lloyd tried to save a friend of his who was being held at the Human Ranch, it provoked the Desians into attacking."
Kratos hissed under his breath; the treaty had been a charade that Mithos and Forcystus had set to give the humans a sense of security, and it also was a good reason to keep the Chosen safe, though the Desian Grand Cardinal knew better than to attack the Chosen. The Renegades were the only ones who ever "broke" the treaty, Botta lead his men on the day of Prophesy to kill the Chosen, though this only made a more dramatic entrance for Kratos himself… This supposed breaking of the treaty was what had provoked Lloyd into attacking the Human Ranch, although it was mostly for Marble's sake.
And both Lloyd and Genis had paid in full for those crimes.
"What a fool, even a child knows that the lives of the Villagers are more important than the life of one insignificant woman!"
"What…? "One insignificant woman", what a monstrous thing to say!" Marta's hands went over her mouth in horror, "How would you feel if she was your family?! Then would you say something like that?"
"Then which would you choose? Save one person with a thousand lives, or a thousand lives with one?"
"And Chocolate and Cacao? Should they be forced to hear of their loved one's death? If it was your grandmother would you ask her to suffer and die to save a village of people that you do not know?" Kratos' question cut through the air, a question that he had been wondering about for a while.
"Well…" Marta's eyes were tearing up.
"It's obvious, the one should be sacrificed for- Wait! That's not right, what if you were the one person? Would you still feel that way? And what if you could find a way to save all thousand and one people?!" Emil's shout sounded, hissed for a moment before the green eyes had broken through the red and the generous little Knight corrected the blood-thirsty Ratatosk.
"Yes, Lloyd thought that way as well."
Emil looked, for the first time, at the Mayor, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Kratos crossed his arms and nodded knowingly.
"But ultimately, he failed. Lofty principals are all well and good, but there is a difference between "ideal" and "reality"."
"…" Emil looked disgustedly at the Mayor.
"Lloyd is a fool. He believes that all men are created equal. He imagines a world where those who want to live can. But he's also a man who works tirelessly to realize his ideals. Of course, whether this is a good or bad thing is yet to be decided."
"Mayor, you believe in Lloyd."
Kratos and Emil's jaws hit the floor.
"Well, I cannot say that I like him much, but yes, for some reason I do."
"Why the Hell does everyone stand up for him?! I know for a fact that he killed my mother." Emil, swiftly as a tilting swing, had returned to Ratatosk Mode.
Why do I still find that unlikely? Kratos' sarcastic thought could not be voiced, but the truth of it was obvious.
"Ask the people in town, his old teacher is back here right now as well."
Kratos' face twisted into a grimace of pain; why did she have to be here?
"And Lloyd's father is at Martel Temple. Perhaps he could shed some light on things."
Kratos twitched horribly and Emil and Marta both trained their stares on him. The Mayor missed this.
"It's possible he's been in contact with Lloyd."
"The Temple of Martel?"
"It's located north of here and belongs to the Church of Martel. Lloyd's father is a skilled craftsman and he has been doing repair work there."
"Lloyd's…father?" Emil's question caused Kratos to flinch.
"Adopted, but yes, his father: Dirk Irving. Why do you look so shocked; he's got to have parents somewhere."
"Dirk Irving…"
"Yes, yes, Dirk is a dwarf who lives a few miles north of Iselia. He does repair work and takes crafting requests for a living. He found Lloyd when he was abandoned about sixteen years ago with his dead mother in the forest near the Human Ranch. Apparently the father had abandoned them. Who knows what kind of scum-."
The door slammed shut as Kratos disappeared out the door, his white cloak snapping behind him furiously.
"What the Hell's his problem?"
"Oh, poor Kratos…"
"Kratos? That was the name of the Mercenary who assisted in the World Regeneration."
"Yeah, we get that a lot," said Emil bitterly.
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What kind of scum…? What kind of man abandons his wife and child on their deathbeds and allows his son to be raised by another man?
Kratos felt the pain of self-loathing rising in his chest like nausea. He wandered the rocky streets, mindlessly passing around the citizens. The sound of his clothing making soft sounds as well as his footfalls and soft breathing were blocked out by his fury.
Why did I do this to them? Anna was better off in the Ranch, and Lloyd… I should have never abandoned you my son. I should never have come back, polluted his life again. He is better off without me. I abandon him again and again, I am constantly running.
His self-hatred had taken him deep into Iselia Forest, wandering down the path toward the Human Ranch where Anna and Lloyd had… Why did he do this to himself? The steep cliff that rose in front of him was already branded into his mind; he had searched around it again and again that night. Until the soft light of morning had brushed its long fingers upon the grassy stone, revealing the deep red of blood staining the cliff.
He would have stayed forever, searching for his lost love and child, calling their names in tortured anguish, if he had not come… Mithos, donning his child-like form, moving toward him with liquid grace; warming him with open arms and comforting words… the damn child had pulled Kratos back into his "purifying" embrace. Warping his mind, cutting further into his tormented soul, Mithos sunk his hand into the mentor's chest and pulled out the last fragments of his heart.
"Return with me Kratos, my friend, my dear mentor, let us save Martel together. Let no one else suffer as we have. Let no one else feel the loss that we have sustained. She cannot be saved, but there is one who can. Please, Anna would want you to do anything you could to save Martel. She knows how much Martel suffers. Please…"
And Kratos had agreed.
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"Come on Emil, we have to find Kratos! He's all alone in the forest, what if he's attacked or something?!"
"Serves him right for abandoning us! And lying. I don't think I'll ever forgive him!"
"Emil… Argh! You're such a jerk! You know, you and Kratos aren't the only ones with feelings! How do you think I feel when the two of you are having pity-parties or fighting and I'm the one who had to keep you together? You think I like doing that?" Marta was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling with the strength of her words. Her fists were clenched into tight balls, as if she was ready to attack Emil. "I have to deal with everyone trying to kill me, and Ratatosk's Core being stuck to my forehead, and everyone always trying to keep me safe. You think I can't do anything on my own and it drives me nuts!
"Honestly, do you think I can't defend myself? I love you, but sometimes I hate you so much! You, Kratos, Tenebrae, and all your stupid monsters!"
And Marta too was gone. Stomping away from Emil; heated tears in her eyes.
The blond Knight was left standing on his own, alone, confused, hurt, and, above all, deeply betrayed. First Kratos, now Marta; he completely devoid of any true friendships. He should have seen this coming. He should have known that they were too good to be true; that everything they had said about "not abandoning him" was all crap. Everyone left him. No one cared anymore.
"We… care."
Emil jumped, the unfamiliar voice sending jolts through his body.
"W-who said that?!"
"We did silly!" It was Valkie, Lithos, and Isho that had appeared behind him. Valkie slipped her wings around him and was practically hugging him. "Don't worry; you can always count on us. We love you!"
"Love here being a relative term." Isho said, though it was kind, sarcasm only in a light dose.
"Oh, come on buddy, we'll always be here!"
Impossible, Emil was… actually hearing his monsters speak to him!
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Tenebrae was not sure whom to try to comfort first. His instincts screamed at him to go to Lord Ratatosk and make sure that the already unstable boy was not falling apart, but, on the other side, Marta, being the woman, deserved to have her heart calmed first. Tenebrae was, first and foremost, a gentleman. Then there was Kratos who, if truth be told, could, and most likely would, be the most destructive in his depression.
Life never seemed to have easy answers.
"Lord Tenebrae? The Centurion looked down to see Kratos' monsters and Lithos, Sophie was speaking, "Valkie, Isho, and Lithos can take care of Master Emil, and we'll go make sure Master Kratos will be okay. You go after Lady Marta, please."
"Yeah, otherwise we're sending the Toad, and I'm not sure that's the best idea." Nero smirked.
Perhaps Fate was not as bad as Tenebrae remembered her.
"Yes, that does sound like an intelligent idea, thank you Miss Sophie."
"Alright, we're going to go look for Master Kratos. See you at the inn."
"Ciao Tenebie!"
"Have fun dealing with the girl!"
"Don't worry; we'll take care of Emil."
Yes, it was times like this when Tenebrae really appreciated having other monsters running around. They could do a lot of the dirty work.
Now he just had to help Marta. Hopefully she will have calmed down; he really did not want to have a very angry Lady Marta after him.
She was not hard to find, as she had "Ratatosk's Core" on her forehead, Tenebrae could easily sense her anywhere in the area; she had chosen a rather abnormal place to sit and cry, a pond in front of the ruins of a burnt building. However, it was a pretty little lake; lilies scattered the surface of the water and colorful little fish swam the cool spring.
It could not have been any lovelier.
"Lady Marta, are you alright?"
"Go away Tenebrae, I'm not in the mood to talk."
"Oh, neither am I, actually I'm never in the mood to speak more than what is necessary. It is just so pointless. What is the point of over-speaking? Words can only express so much, which is why I think more creatures should be born without mouths. It would have made all our lives much easier. Not being born with mouths, however, it may have made communication difficult, perhaps a silent body language. Or telepathic. There are actually some monsters that-."
"Shut-up Tenebrae."
"Lady Marta, if you do not mind my saying, most men are just as pig-headed as those two, and believe me, they are the least of your worries. If you ask me, they actually handle themselves very well, despite the self-pity. They are trying though."
"If that's trying I don't want to see what happens when they don't."
"Then you get people like out dear friend the Mayor of Iselia."
"Pleasant."
"Perhaps you should count yourself among the lucky to have wound up with them."
Marta did not respond and Tenebrae felt a sinking feeling in his chest, was she really so angered at them? After a moment she sighed, frustrated.
"I know I'm lucky. It just hurts so much when they do things without me, or stuff I don't get! It's like I stop mattering to them!"
"Now, now Lady Marta," Tenebrae sat down next to the girl, his tale wrapping around her waist comfortingly, "Emil may like Kratos, but I do not think he is the type to develop feelings like that for him. And even if he did, Kratos would not return the sentiments. You are the only candidate for his affection. I think the most important thing you can do right now would be to go to Emil and re-forge the bond that brought the two of you together in the first place."
"Yeah, our bond is way too strong to be broken by something as silly as a little fight like this!"
"Then the two of you can go after Kratos, unite the two of yourselves against a common enemy. In addition, he will realize what a kind, selfless, and truly caring person you are. Emil cannot resist you charms, I am sure."
"Tenebrae, you're a genius!" Marta was grinning ear-to-ear with the prospects of Emil falling further in love with her. There was no sign of her tears.
You are Tenebrae, you sly dog. The Master of Darkness and Relationships strikes again!
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Next week will be the oh-so-angsty part two.
R&R
~Yoshi