Kratos watched Raine as she walked back into the inn and wondered if he should have shared with her what Lloyd had confided to him about Colette. A whisper of doubt snaked around in his mind; he was always doubtful where Lloyd was concerned. Shaking his head, the Seraphim turned away. It was better that he did not bother the half elf. She already was exhausted from training, and he didn't see the point of adding to her worries, which included terrorists, bombings, and who knew what else. Granted, Raine knew his son much better than he did. Her insight would be valuable, he reasoned as he walked to the center of the courtyard and looked up at the orange sky. Maybe he should approach her later for her advice. It was clear that Lloyd and Collette had a mutual affection that Kratos surmised went deeper on both ends. But romantic situations were not his forte, especially misunderstandings. His courtship with Anna had been anything but conventional and due to their circumstances, there had been no room for lovers' quarrels or games. They had to focus on survival first and foremost.
A dull heat flared up inside his body and the Angel bent his knees slightly and launched himself into the air, opening his wings and taking flight. As he soared higher into the sky, his thoughts drifted to Anna, his late wife. She would've known what to do in this situation, what advice to give Lloyd. She was the better parent. Kratos hadn't known the first thing about being a father, much less being a father on the run. Anna had always been confident where Lloyd was concerned, even when they were fleeing from the Desians. A pang of guilt ached in his heart. Anna would've liked to help Lloyd with his romantic troubles. Letting the emotions pass through him, he closed his eyes and continued to ascend into the sky.
The memories of Anna he had were becoming weaker, harder to grasp, more remote in the recesses of his mind. It had been eighteen years since her death, and only two since Kratos had begun to forgive himself as the cause of it (due to Lloyd's insistence). Of course, he would never forget her smile, or her light-hearted laugh. Just remembering her mannerisms forced the corners of the angel's mouth to curve into a smile. But the other memories were slowly fading. The memories of what she said when they first met, the evenings when they planned their escape while keeping watch for Desian guards, the moment when she first tasted freedom from the forests outside the Asgard Human Ranch. It was all slipping away. 4000 years of age was starting to wear on his mind.
He stopped his ascension and gazed out over the city of Palmacosta, thoughtful. Lights started to flicker on across the city, signaling the coming of night. His ears searched for any cries of pain in the streets of the seaside town, but he could find none. The pain of the victims had been quieted by Colette and her healing song. The trauma and destruction was slowly becoming a memory in the minds of the Palmacosta residents. Stretching his wings, Kratos started to circle the perimeter of the city as his thoughts moved towards the High Priestess. The spell she had cast itself wasn't all that complex. But the scale of it. Casting over the entire city… Kratos had only seen such a similar wielding of power by one individual. Yggdrassil. Maybe that is something he should've told Raine. He would definitely confer with Yuan when he saw him in Tethe'alla in the next few days.
Kratos soared towards the city, closing in on the inn. From a distance, he could see Lloyd and Genis sitting on opposite sides of Colette's bed, all three laughing together. He watched Lloyd, seeing the tell tale signs of his nervousness around the High Priestess. The way Lloyd scratched the back of his head or knitted his fingers together. The nervous laugh. Kratos sighed and shook his head. He figured Lloyd wasn't sure what to do after realizing Colette's perspective in their falling out.
His eyes swept over to the room at the end of the building. Raine was standing at the window, the room dark save for the dying daylight seeping in. She was dressed in a robe, her hair clung to her face, damp from a shower. The angel eyes zeroed in on her face, observing the blank expression on her face, but the deep sadness filling her eyes. His forehead creased in concern. Then she was gone, moving away from the window. A light came on in the room a few seconds later. Perplexed, the Angel dropped to the ground outside the entrance and walked into the inn. Without a moment of hesitation, he headed towards his own room, lost in thought.
