I'm posting a lot in a row, i know... I just got around to it :D
January 2nd
Lloyd yawns, picking wood shavings from his hair as he blinks at the early light. He'd been working on his gifts late. Genis snores lightly, still asleep, while Kratos finishes putting on his boots. Tragard and Rynelf are missing. As is Paula and Shikka. They're downstairs, mainly conversing in the ancient Heron tongue. Aurian seems to have spent the night under the dining table, because she's already downstairs and watching them confusedly within her blanket. Sheena's half-awake in the kitchen, starting to cook. Piers enters and starts helping Sheena. Lloyd manages to walk into two doors, the stair railing, and fall down the last two steps before he makes it into a chair and drops his head on the table with a groan. Aurian realizes that sitting under the table is going to get crowded again, so she gets on a chair. Colette giggles at Lloyd, sitting next to him. Piers has a mug of coffee set before Lloyd and Daichi when he appears. Lloyd latches onto it with a muttered thanks before setting to waking himself up. Colette takes plates from Sheena in the kitchen to the table, where Lloyd manages not to face plant into them while eating. Genis comes down shortly after Lloyd's not slouched half over, rubbing his eyes. Daichi is in a similar position, eating slowly, waking up slowly. Piers comes in with his own breakfast.
"Hey...Where are Shikka and the other Laguz?" Aurian points to the door, before setting in on food happily. Kratos joins them, eating a bit before sitting to one side and working on the mending he hadn't gotten to. Colette blinks.
"I'll go see." She smiles, getting up after only eating a tiny bit and basically fleeing. Piers watches Colette, frowning. The four laguz are outside, talking in ancient Tellian. Colette looks blankly from one to the next, tilting her head as she understands none of this. After a moment of thought thinking on what to do, she politely walks up, coughing lightly for attention. "Excuse me... but breakfast is ready, if you want some." The four stop, looking to Colette. Paula smiles lightly.
"Actually, we need to go, but thank you for the offer." Rynelf says, bowing slightly.
"Oh." Colette blinks, before smiling. "Do you want something that can be taken with you? It wouldn't take long to make."
"We've already eaten." Paula says, hesitantly.
"And we have enough supplies. You're too kind, Chosen." Rynelf finishes politely.
Colette blinks, startled a bit by Rynelf, before turning a little pink. "N-no, I just want to make sure you're safe and all."
"We'll be fine." Tragard says bluntly. Rynelf glares at the tiger. Colette smiles brightly at him as if he had re-assured her with words Rynelf would have found appropriate. Tragard mumbles something and Shikka cuffs him across the back of the head.
Colette looks confused. "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that." she then further turns pink. "We're almost ready to head out ourselves, do you want to head out together?" she asks on the heels of her first comment.
"You weren't supposed to." Shikka says, glaring.
"We're heading in the opposite direction." Rynelf indicates towards Triet.
"Oh..." Colette tilts her head a little, before smiling serenely. "I hope you do well ..." she blinks, realizing she didn't exactly know what the three of them were going to do now, and floundered for a moment, before grasping on the fact they'd been looking for Shikka. "I hope your news is welcomed."
"It will be." Shikka confirms.
"We gotta go. Now." Tragard says. The three say goodbye before darting off. Colette waves to them, before looking a little hesitant, then bowing her head and clasping her hands in a tiny travel-prayer to her goddess. Lloyd and Daichi poke their heads out of the door.
"Hey, Colette, Shikka, what're you guys doing standing out here?" The teen asks.
"Paula, Tragard, and Rynelf went back home." Colette chirps.
"Oh." Lloyd blinks. "We're all ready, are you?" Colette nods.
Shikka nods. "I'm ready."
January 3rd
"Okay, go on, Sheena!" Lloyd grins at the edge of the lake. "Ask Undine to take us over there." Kratos gives Lloyd a Look.
"... That's not going to work." Kratos points out.
"Yeah. Isn't only women that can approach unicorns?" Piers asks.
"By a pure maiden." Raine says, clarifying. She's not standing next to lake.
"... At the very least, Lloyd, Genis, Piers, Daichi, Shikka and I are out." Kratos says.
"So... Only females can go?" Lloyd says.
"Pure females." Daichi notes. Piers gives a side-glance at Sheena.
"So, then just Raine and..." Genis says, but Raine cuts him off.
"I'll... pass." Raine says, frowning at Aurian. "But I don't know we're going to do." Aurion looks quite confused.
"So. Only Colette is gonna go over?" Daichi concludes. Piers smirks at Genis' comment.
"Hey!" Sheena snaps. "Are you saying that I'm not qualified?" Colette, Lloyd, Genis and Aurian look confused.
"Qualified?" the four asks.
Daichi double-takes. "I didn't say that!"
"You kinda did." Piers points out.
"Shut up! I'm sure Sheena is as qualified as the others!"
"... Then we shall send Colette and Sheena." Kratos says, sighing.
"... why can't the Professor go?" Lloyd asks, confusedly. "Or Aurian." Aurian is as confused as Lloyd is.
"Because I'm an adult." Raine says.
"It's because you're scared of water, isn't it?" Piers asks.
Raine slaps him upside the head. "No, it's not."
"... So is Aurian an adult too?" Genis frowns.
"... Look, a butterfly." Kratos points before the elf can get her question out. She is distracted in trying to catch it.
Piers rubs his head. "Ooooow." The elf is distracted enough, which means that Lloyd, Colette and Genis have no reason to continue asking about it.
"O.. okay then, I'm going to summon now!" Sheena steps to the lake.
"Are you two all right?" Lloyd asks, as Colette and Sheena return, looking teary.
"... Sheena, are you crying?" Genis notes.
"The unicorn... gave us his horn." Sheena mutters.
"I see." Kratos turns to leave. "Then the unicorn is dead."
"..." Piers doesn't look surprised.
"S-So it gave its life to give us the horn?" Daichi asks.
"You knew?" Sheena's pissed, while she's almost crying.
"When a unicorn loses it's horn, it dies." Raine says. "By dying, a new unicorn is born. That's why the unicorn is the symbol of death and rebirth."
"... A new unicorn will be born?" Lloyd asks.
"Yes." Raine says. "I'm sure one has been."
"...The Unicorn gave us this horn at the cost of his life. We must make good use of it." Colette insists. "Let's use it to save Pietro and Clara."
"... All right." Lloyd says, and Colette passes the horn to Raine. She and it glow for a bit.
"Okay. Let's get going!" Piers says enthusiastically.
January 5th
"Desian." Kratos calls, returning to camp. Lloyd still was out of camp. Aurian twitches, but keeps with cutting potatoes. "Come here for moment." he turns walks into the woods without waiting.
Daichi sighs, getting to his feet. "Wish he would stop calling me that. I do have a name..." Lloyd's in a clearing spot, blades drawn as he basically goes through positions and attacks.
"Lloyd. Spar with him." Kratos indicates Daichi with a twitch of his head. Lloyd blinks.
"Huh? Not with you?"Lloyd asks.
"Hey! I didn't agree to this!" Daichi protests.
"You followed." Kratos shrugs, walking to the edge and watching.
"..." Daichi twitches slightly. "Ugh. Fine. But don't blame me if he gets hurt." Daichi draws his axe.
"I promised Ms Sage that I wouldn't allow more than bruising." Kratos says, as if he was mildly annoyed with that, but remains against the tree.
"Okay..." Lloyd holds his swords with one diagonal in front and one at his side. Daichi runs forward, yelling, swinging his axe for Lloyd's legs. Lloyd jumps up, lunging forward with his left hand blade first, the right ready to move quickly. Daichi blocks the left blade with the haft of his axe, bringing the edge towards the boy's arm. Lloyd twists and jumps away from Daichi. Daichi recovers, darting forward again, swinging for the teen's side. Lloyd crosses his blades in an X to catch the ax-blade away from his side, a bright grin on his face at odds with focused look to his eyes. it does send him skidding back a bit, but then he twists to try to kick Daichi's elbow. Lloyd yelps, seeing his danger, and takes a gamble. He moves closer to Daichi, then tries to get his feet on the ax haft to jump over the half-elf. Daichi is overbalanced, falling on the ground. Lloyd manages not to get entangled with Daichi, moving lightly about on the balls of his feet.
"Be more careful." Kratos says from the sidelines, more toward the teen than Daichi.
"Yeah, yeah. It was fun."
"It isn't ..." Kratos shook his head and gave up that train of thought. Daichi groans, sitting up, holding his head.
"You hurt?" Lloyd asks, although he does stay out of what he thinks is arm reach, but his blades are tilted down.
"I'm fine. Just dizzy." He assumes a ready stance.
"Regain your balance first. It would be unfortunate for you to fall upon your ax."Kratos's tone held no insight onto whether he would like such a happening or not, and so Lloyd didn't pick up on anything.
"I'm ready." Daichi growls.
"Ok!" Lloyd chirps, darting in with his blades in a wedge before him this time. Daichi blocks with a swing of his own axe, sparks flying from the impact. Lloyd spins, twisting his grip to drag the left blade up in an uppercut. Grinning. Daichi brings the haft down on the boy's left arm. Lloyd yelps, but manages not to completely drop his blade, kicking out and striking down with his right blade. Daichi turns, glancing the blade of his backplate. He spins, axe going for the teen's left side. Lloyd drops to the ground, rolling away and then springing back to his feet to shake out his left arm, grimacing. He glanced at Kratos, but the mercenary didn't acknowledge it, and thus the brunette got no healing.
"Aqua Edge!" Daichi blasts water at the teen, darting forward, axe swinging, hoping the water distracts. Lloyd yelp-gurgles, as yelping in the middle of a water spell isn't that great of an idea. He immediately moves backward to spit out the water and scrub it out of his eyes, and completely misses the ax swinging. Lloyd doesn't manage to notice this second danger to him, but someone else did, and didn't feel like letting the boy take that sort of damage. A violet gloved hand grabbed Lloyd by the suspenders and white streamers, jerking him aside. A tiny flicker of shifting blues that could have been the remainder of the water spell splashed from Kratos's boot as he shoved Lloyd out of danger. Daichi, again, overbalances. This time, he face-plants in the mud. The blue Mana flickers over to Daichi, and Kratos seems completely unaware of it. Daichi cringes, suddenly yelling out in pain. He doesn't seem injured.
"What did you do?" Lloyd asks, twisting about further to look at Daichi.
"..." Kratos watches, mildly curious. "Nothing I am aware of." The flicker of blue Mana is circling the man's Exsphere. He hunches up, whimpering, occasionally yelling or yelping in pain. He seems oblivious to the other two.
"Hey. What's that?" Lloyd moves to poke the tidbit of Mana.
"Don't." Kratos says, softly.
"Huh?"Lloyd looked like he thought he hadn't really heard the man say anything.
"Don't touch the Mana." Kratos elaborates, not moving. The fleck zaps the Exsphere causing Daichi to howl out in pain, no doubt being heard from camp. Apparently this realization comes to Kratos's attention, because he puts away his sword. Aurian peers about a tree a second before Colette and Raine, Genis trailing behind and Sheena keeping watch over the fire and meal with Noishe. Daichi is now thrashing in the mud, whimpering in pain. Occasionally, the Mana fragment will zap his Exsphere, causing another pained howl. It was like listening to someone being tortured slowly. Aurian seems to make that connection, inching closer. Colette is staring at the little fragment of Mana, although not in the same way Kratos was, curiosity more than 'what the hell?' Lloyd inches to poke it and Kratos pulls him back.
"Don't touch it."
"You know something?" Raine asks of Kratos.
"It's hurting him." He points out blandly. "who says it won't hurt Lloyd?" Suddenly, aqua blue wings sprout from the half-elf's back, causing him to scream out again. They're more-or-less like Collette's, only a pure aqua blue. Aurian retreats, startled beyond Lloyd's yelp and fall on his ass, the teens cry covering Kratos's hiss. Colette looks startled, while Raine and Genis stare.
"... No way." Genis mutters. "Daichi's an Angel too?"
Daichi groans, starting to come around. "Ugh. There was no need to attack me, Kratos... I wasn't actually gonna hit him. Hard." He notices everyone staring. "What?"
"As far as I'm aware, I did nothing." Kratos says. he seems to be thinking, and liking what he came up with. "I think we're done for today." he turns and walks back to camp.
"Dude." Lloyd points the wings.
Daichi blinks, turning around, seeing the wings. He pales. "What. The. Fuck!" Raine almost whacks him upside the head, but the wings make her hesitate, and stop.
"Dude." Lloyd repeats.
"Wow!" Colette poofs her own wings out with significantly less screaming, twitching and pained expressions. "You're an Angel too, Mr. Daichi!"
"A-Angel? H-How? I wasn't an angel half an hour ago!"
"Wings?" Lloyd points out. "Wings make you an angel." Aurian seems to be in some sort of shock. Genis goes to poke her while Colette attempts to get Daichi off the ground and flying.
Daichi lets Colette help him up, but not into the air. "Take it easy... This is my... Ugh." He holds his head, stumbling dizzily.
"Oops." Colette says, looking worried. "Are you getting a Trial now too?"
"T-Trial?" Daichi stammers.
"the night of illness that followed each Seal." Raine reminds him. Genis pokes Aurian once or twice and gets her to go back to camp, ready to tell the other three about Daichi if Kratos hadn't. Which he hadn't.
"Oh. I dunno. Probably..." Genis proceeds to tell Piers, Shikka and Sheena about their new Angel. Kratos seems amused.
"then we'd best return to camp." Raine is practically digging out a notebook/journal already. Colette pulls Lloyd up next.
"Y-Yeah." Daichi stumbles lightly, starting to walk. "Uh... How do I get ridda these things."
"think them gone." Colette chirps. "make sure it's not invisible, cause they stay around then, but think them gone. See?" she drops a half a foot on accident, and falls on her face.
"..." Daichi sighs, picking Colette up.
"Sorry." Colette says, dusting herself off. "and make sure you're close to the ground." She's smiling brightly. Daichi concentrates, but is unable to get rid of the wings. He swears lightly. "Ummmm.." Colette thinks. "Ignore them?"
"See?" Genis calls, pointing at the glowing half elf. Daichi groans as Piers and Shikka stare. Kratos looks like he's very amused, but not to the point of outright smiling. Sheena's also staring, but the stew gets her attention again, although she continues to glance in his direction.
"What are you so happy about?" Daichi growls at Kratos.
"Am I not allowed to find humor in my surroundings?" Kratos asks. In fact, it seems he's the only one not so shocked by the wings. "Reactions are very interesting." Daichi merely mutters expletives under his breath. He still tries to put the wings away.
Piers edges over. "You okay, big guy." Daichi grunts in return.
"Better than a growl." Genis comments.
"Sit down." Raine says, indicating a bed roll. she's got her notebook out. Something suspiciously like "this will be good." is heard from Kratos as he watches. Daichi shoots a glare at the human, sitting down, sighing. He puts a perfectly bland expression on for the duration of the glare. Raine moves to take a peek at Daichi's Exsphere without getting in his wings. Daichi lets her. The skin around the crest looks burned and the Exsphere is burning hot.
"That's interesting." Raine mutters. "That blue Mana is gone."
"Navy." Lloyd says, finally speaking something other than out of shocked wingy ness. "The bit of Mana was more of a navy, or royal blue. his wings are aqua."
"... Thank you for clarifying that.." Raine mutters, looking only a little annoyed. "Which means it likely isn't your Mana that did this..." she's scribbling notes down.
"Really?" He growls sarcastically. "I never woulda guessed!"
Raine absently smacks him upside the head. "Are you hungry? Tired? Feeling anything strange, or the lack of any sensation?"
"Not feeling anything at all. Even that smack did nothin'." Lloyd's kinda staring at Daichi, and Colette seems to be ignoring them now. Genis comes up with stew bowls and starts passing them out. Daichi denies one. a first time event. He stares back at Lloyd. After a little bit, Lloyd gets two drinks, making them with his back to Daichi, quietly. Kratos is watching him curiously now, Same with Colette as she nibbles. Raine leaves off studying Daichi to eat and see how Aurian was doing, because the elf seems to be in a little bit of shock. Daichi sighs, attempting to hide his wings again, failing.
Lloyd goes up to Daichi, and offers him a mug. "Cocoa. Careful, it's hot."
"Wanna try something..." He drinks most of the cocoa down in one. "Didn't feel a thing."
Lloyd stares at him. "... It was cold." he says, a little lamely. "not.. that it matters..."
"You said it was hot." Daichi points out.
"I lied." Lloyd points back. Kratos is watching Colette now, glancing at Lloyd occasionally, before he leaves camp to clean his bowl. Daichi shrugs, lying back, splaying his wings.
Lloyd watches. "Isn't that uncomfortable?" He asks.
"No. Not really. Can't feel much."
"I meant the wings."
"I meant the wings."
"can I...?" Lloyd makes to poke, looking at the wings.
"No."
"Why?"
" Because I don't want you to."
"Fiiiiine." Lloyd says, taking the mug back. Daichi sighs, closing his eyes. Kratos returns and picks a spot toward the edge of camp, again taking Night Watch. Lloyd frowns at him, but goes and curls up on his bedroll. he falls asleep a little too quickly, even for him. Daichi stays awake, too, unable to sleep. Daichi fidgets with a blade of grass. The rest of the camp sets themselves up for sleep, and does so. Noishe curls up next to Aurian, the Sage siblings near each other and Sheena off to one side. Colette looks more like she's laid out for burial than sleep. After a little bit, Lloyd pounces. he's not really aiming to jump on Daichi, just go through the wings. Daichi yelps loudly, growling in pain, eyes watering with pain. Lloyd yelps, freezing up. Unfortunately, where he froze made him still partially within the half-elf's aqua wings.
Daichi flails, moving out of range. "Fuck! What the hell?" Lloyd's gasping, holding his head but frozen.
"You fool!" Kratos almost snarls, grabbing a handful of Lloyd's shirt to pull him back and then smacked the boy upside the head. "Utter.. fool! Have you never read?" strangely, he sounds a bit more worried than angry. Lloyd has just had a fistful of Daichi's memories rammed into his head. A fuzzy cacophony of noise and sound.
Daichi groans. "Save some of the runt for me."
"I would like to point out that the child-mage is the smallest of our party and the title of runt may best apply to him." Kratos apparently speaks quickly when worried. Lloyd doesn't seem very pleased with what he's seeing. "... at least he isn't screaming.."
Daichi flails to move away. "Nnng...This isn't pleasant..."
"I find it hard to imagine that having your life Mana touched by one who doesn't share your Mana would be." Kratos mutters. He looks about for a moment, before dumping his canteen on Lloyd's face. Lloyd yelps. Daichi shivers, his eyes are red now. Lloyd blinks groggily, before realizing who had a hold on him, what he'd just done, and recoils a bit.
"I didn't know it'd do that!" Lloyd says quickly. Daichi starts hovering.
"The wings of an Angel are the soul of an Angel, and one who is not of the Angel's soul should not touch the Angel's wings." Kratos releases Lloyd. It almost sounded like he had been quoting something.
"Huh?" Lloyd blinks at him.
"... I've never heard that before." Raine's frowning at Kratos. "How do you know that?"
"I've spent more time that I'd like working for the church." Kratos says.
Piers frowns. "So...How is Daichi an angel?" Kratos moves off to the edge of camp again, ignoring them. Lloyd's a bit twitchy, and he won't' look directly at Daichi, or Aurian. Colette's watching a little confused like.
"I don't know." Raine is still watching Kratos. "What do you think, Kratos?" Kratos glances back at her.
"..." He ignores her question. Piers stares at Kratos, his yellow eyes seeming to probe the man. Lloyd looks at him too. "Angels can breed." with that wonderfully worded statement, Kratos rattles his empty canteen, and walks off.
"...I doubt that Daichi's parents were angel..." Piers mumbles.
"Yes. I fully agree with Sir Piers. If they were, surely Sir Daichi would have shown signs before now..." Shikka comments. Raine's frowning at where Kratos vanished to, then sighs.
"Maybe one was? that could dilute the blood." Genis muses.
"He couldn't have been a Chosen. the last Journey was 80 years ago, and the chosen was also of Colette's age." Raine mutters. Aurian's just covering her head and trying to ignore all of this. Lloyd stares at Daichi for a moment, then gives a noise of frustration and rubs furiously at his head.
"I agree with Lloyd." Genis grins. "Sleep on it."
"..." Piers plonks himself down by Lloyd. "What did you see, buddy?"
"..." Lloyd's response is to shudder and shove his face into his pillow. "..."
"That bad?" Piers frowns at Daichi. "I wonder what actually triggered a man his age to stop the habit of a lifetime..."
"..." Lloyd just shudders again. Piers is contemplating, lying down and staring at the sky. "I don't think I want to go back to Iselia." Lloyd mutters into his pillow. "Even if I wasn't banished..."
"Why?" Shikka asks, tail twitching.
"They just... live there." Lloyd's shaking, but it seems like he's angry now. "They ignore the fact that... people are suffering.. in Forcystus's ranch... not a half-hour run from their doors!"
"Humans can be..difficult at times." The laguz admits. Lloyd mutters a much more colorful description. Fortunately, Raine's on the other side of camp. Shikka's ears twitch. He smiles lightly. Lloyd shifts, then groans miserably, rolling onto his back to stare at the sky.
"G'night..." Piers mumbles. Lloyd grunts his reply, falling into twitchy dream land.
January 6th
Kratos is poking the fire into life next to the kettle he uses to make coffee. Aurian's sitting on the exact opposite side of camp from Daichi, her blanket wrapped about her. Lloyd seems to be uneasily asleep. Daichi is still hovering there, showing no signs of sleeping. There are a few dead corpses around him. Genis blinks awake, and stares at the dead giant bugs and ax-beaks.
"... Did anyone hear anything last night?" Colette shakes her head, Sheena as well. Aurian nods once, and Lloyd's still snoring.
"...Daichi's a silent killer..." Piers shivers slightly. Lloyd giggles a bit, which makes Genis rolls his eyes. Kratos makes himself coffee, and sits at the edge of camp, ignoring Raine's mildly suspicious gaze. Daichi has his axe in his hand, hovering lightly.
Sheena pokes the corpses a bit. "Yep, he definitely did this." she keeps one eye on Daichi. Daichi stares blandly ahead, with a gaze spookily similar to Kratos'. Kratos is ignoring the lot of them. Aurian scoots over to the fire to make fruited oatmeal.
Piers frowns. "This is weird...Why won't he do anything...?"
"..." Raine frowns at Daichi. Kratos returns to aid with apple peeling.
"Misawa, take your kill out of camp." Kratos says, not looking up from the apple as if it might run from him if he did. Daichi does so, gathering up the corpses and hovering them out of the camp.
"... Huh." Lloyd blinks over his mug. "...You have to tell him to do things?" he muses. Raine is scowling at the back of Kratos's head. Daichi returns, remaining in his place, hovering. Colette's frowning at the sky, and every so often, Aurian glances up too.
"..."
Kratos suddenly looks up. "Scatter!" he shouts, grabbing Aurian and pushing her toward the trees before darting off to shove at Lloyd. Colette need no second warning, nor Sheena and Genis. Raine frowns at him, about to ask when he grabs her and pulls her with him. bestial roars and wing beats tell her the answer. Daichi hovers off somewhere. Piers yelps and ducks after Aurian. Shikka shifts, running after Daichi. five Noishe sized purple scaled beasts with yellow-y orange wing membrane kick up the dust and left sleep items as they land, hissing as they search about the camp.
"..." Kratos mutters something that makes Raine hit him over the head.
"W-What are they?" Piers whispers.
"Wyverns." Genis whispers, putting the Magic Lens down.
"They shouldn't be here." Kratos is glaring at them. "Wyverns do not live in this area..." the conclusion he reaches doesn't appear to be a good one. one of the wyverns is eating their breakfast, and another starts to fight for it.
"If this isn't their habitat..." Raine mutters.
"It means they're ravenous." Kratos draws his blade. Daichi immediately raises his axe. Piers stands slightly. Aurian's muttering to herself, her fingers twitching.
"Then we'd better take them out." Lloyd mutters, drawing his blades quietly. Genis gulps, drawing his Kendama out. Sheena shifts away, and unfortunately steps on a twig. The five wyverns all turn to look in her direction, and Kratos and Lloyd spring from the forest to hack-and-slash. Daichi zooms in.
"Ruin of Destruction!" He jumps up, doing a flip, crashing down on a wyvern. The resulting slam causes a blast, much like Demon Fang, to shoot over to another wyvern. Kratos is chaining Artes, Genis casting his spells, settling on ice as that's what makes the Wyverns wail most. Aurian is doing something strange, her hands glowing two different Mana colors as she sketches out the spell-seals. Raine quickly heals Lloyd of claw cuts before moving in the trees. Piers is casting ice-based spells also. Daichi just seems to be chaining multiple dark-sounding Artes. Aurian mutters some more, and shoves the two nearly completed spell seals on top of each other, so that she only has one of both brown and golden yellow. one of the Wyverns takes off, and Colette follows it, throwing her Chakrams.
"Roar of the earth, loose thy gleaming fangs into the flesh of my enemies.." Aurian whispers. Piers keeps speed-casting. "Crystal Spears!" Aurian presses her palm into the seal, and the ground under the three sort of pinned Wyverns rumbles. Kratos seems to recognize what's going to happen, because he grabs Lloyd by the suspenders as he moves back. Large crystals stab up from the ground, rather like the Grave spell, but in a larger, shinier way. One of the Wyverns is killed, and another is keening.
"Icicle Rain!" Genis shouts. Shikka is in human form, throwing gels at people who need them.
"Misawa, target more than one!" Kratos snaps, lunging in to strike off the head of the injured one as the crystal spears receed. Colette has knocked the flying one back into the trees, and it comes out on the ground. Sheena turns on it, slapping her seals onto it.
"Oh, blessed one, grant thy servant a portion of thy power..." Daichi seems to be casting something. Aurian's returned to simple spells after a few moments of shaking. Colette begins her Holy Song, hovering still to avoid the Wyverns - Aurian's spell had targeted their wings. Lloyd and Kratos avoid claws and teeth to crowd the remaining two together. "...Give me thine power! Angel Feathers!" Daichi's feathers scatter out, exploding on contact with wyvern pair. and makes it explode in turn. Sheena makes a disgusted noise, as Lloyd spits and scrubs at his face, only to jump backwards as the remaining Wyvern takes a snap at him. Kratos shield bashes it back, the gravely injured beast keening. "Oh, holy one. Cast thy light upon these sinners. Grand Cross!" Daichi yells, the spell striking the wyvern. it keens, and then falls over. Kratos stares at the Wyverns, scowling at them, then repeating that Wyverns did not live in this area, and seeing what was usable of their items. Lloyd heads over to find a stream to get the wyvern gore off him. Piers follows and does the same. Daichi hovers in the spot where he casted. Raine pulls Aurian out of the forest, the elf seemed to be falling asleep on her feet again.
"Daichi, please clean yourself up." Neither of the Sages or Aurian were too messy. Daichi does as he's told, hovering over to the stream and doing just that. Kratos has made a pile of untouched, salvageable, and scrap worthy items, before he begins checking under Wyvern parts for anything of theirs. Daichi hovers back, followed by Piers and Lloyd. Raine shoves at Kratos, who blinks at her, then seems to remember he was caught by the exploding wyvern too, and heads off. Lloyd pokes at the damaged items.
"... damn..." Lloyd sighs.
"... We're going to have to see if we can find a peddler..." Raine is looking at the bedrolls.
"We have enough supplies for going and coming from Tower of Mana, at least..." Genis muses, picking up the stuff that needs to be cleaned.
"We could always see about taking more off monsters." Kratos says.
Piers watches Daichi, frowning. "I wonder why he isn't back to normal."
"I don't suppose simply asking him, or telling him to go back to normal'd work." Lloyd mutters. Colette and Sheena move off to clean up a bit as well.
"Try ordering him." Piers says nudging Lloyd.
"Eh?" Lloyd blinks. "Go back to normal, Daichi." Lloyd says, sounding very convinced that it wasn't going to work. Genis is making sandwiches so they can eat while getting away from the corpses. Daichi stares blandly at Lloyd.
"..." Lloyd stares at Daichi. ".. See? not like it'd work." Lloyd mutters.
"Misawa. Return to your normal state." Kratos must have overheard them as he returned.
Daichi twitches slightly. "C-Can't." Kratos frowns slightly, but wipes it of his face as Raine turns to frown at him.
"...He lacked conviction." Kratos mutters, moving to pick up things that are, or where before the wyverns attacked, his.
"So...He's stuck like this?" Piers says, smirking lightly.
"Seems like it." Lloyd mutters, gathering his stuff. Raine's continuing to watch Kratos, and he's continuing to ignore them all. Piers orders Daichi to collect his stuff, and he does so.
"see? Conviction." Kratos mutters, turning for the way to the Tower of Mana and waiting against a tree.
Daichi blinks, his wings slowly fading. He grunts, falling to his knees, passing out. there's a sort of group "..." moment as everyone stares at Daichi. Raine heads over to check on him with healing spells. He seems to be immensely fatigued and suffering from wounds caused in the Wyvern battle. Raine heals him, and then uses one of her new spells, Charge, so see if it helps. Everyone else stops and waits. Daichi twitches, but he snores lightly in response. Everyone resumes staring at him.
"... Noishe!" Lloyd calls for the green and white dog creature. with a bit of help, they could have Noishe could carry Daichi.
"...I could have carried Sir Daichi." Shikka says.
"It's better to keep track of Noishe." Lloyd says, frowning at the large canine creature. Noishe whines at him. "You know, so you don't run off and get yourself eaten or something!" Kratos snorts, looking back at the Tower of Mana again.
"I guess it's true." Shikka admits. Noishe makes low growl like grumbling complaints as they head to the Tower of Mana with Daichi on his back. "Don't deny it." Shikka mumbles. Noishe whines. Kratos shakes his head as they continue moving on. "I can imagine."
Genis tilts his head. "Are you talking to yourself?" they're almost at the stone courtyard before the Tower.
"No."
"... huh." Genis says, before following Aurian up the steps. Noishe gives them, then Daichi a look, before heading up. he manages not to drop the former Desian. Piers darts in ahead, making a beeline for the exact shelf he left the last time he was here.
"... You remember where you were?" Lloyd blinks. Colette joins him after a second, and Noishe drops Daichi. Daichi falls to the ground with a grunt, starting to stir.
Piers looks at Lloyd, the same book in hand at the same page he left. "Of course."
"..." Lloyd blinks, but writes this off as more Piers Weirdness. Colette and Raine then move to the pedestal. The room glows for a second. Piers replaces the book and Daichi sits up, groaning lightly.
"Oh, you're awake." Genis blinks, while Lloyd studies the doors that... didn't budge.
"...I was asleep?" The half-elf grumbles.
"Passed out, asleep." Genis shrugs.
"... the doors haven't budged." Lloyd announces. "... and they don't have locks either."
He stands, stretching. "What happened?"
"you sprouted wings." Aurian mutters. She's on the opposite side of the room, conveniently next to Kratos, who looked like he was either reading, or re-sorting the shelves.
"I...Sprouted...W-what?"
"Not 'what'. Wings." The elf repeats.
"..." Daichi seems to have went into a state of shock. Lloyd returns, and shoves a roll of bread into Daichi's open mouth. Daichi Mphgls, blinking. Lloyd watches him, a little strangely serious considering what he just did.
Daichi swallows. "What...?"
"Nothing. Thought you might be hungry." Lloyd shrugs, turning away.
"I am." Daichi blinks, having just realized this himself. "Starving. Like I haven't ate in days..." Lloyd fishes out sandwich makings and proceeds to do so. "I...Don't have...Wings?" He looks behind him.
"They faded." Lloyd says, handing over a sandwich. "And then you passed out."
"But...Only Angels have wings. Angels and those Laguz guys." Kratos glances at them as he passes with a book.
"Certain breeds of demons have wings." He points out.
"..." Daichi frowns. "I am not a demon."
"If you are so sure you are not an angel, that is the other option." Kratos goes to the other wall of books, setting the ones he held into shelves.
"... I think they looked like Colette's." Genis says. "Although blue."
"They definitely didn't look like demon wings." Piers confirms.
"B-But...How can I be an angel?"
"Kratos is the opinion that Angels can produce children." Raine says, watching the merc.
"My parents weren't angels..." Daichi says. "I'd remember otherwise. My dad was in a militia and my mother was a healer."
"Huh." Lloyd scratches his nose. "... Dunno." Raine blinks, looking at the floor.
"Genis, Piers, stand on these circles!" Raine demands, stepping on one.
"...Okay." Piers stands on one of the circles.
Daichi is munching at the sandwich made for him. "Hey, Kratos. I have a question." Kratos gives him a glance that says 'oh?', crossing his arms to watch the other three. Raine's cooing over the machine. "Do you know anything more about Angelus Spheres other than what Kvar told us?"
"..." Kratos gives him a blank look. "It has killed far too many." there's a definite undercurrent of anger to that short sentence.
"I'm just thinking..." He frowns. "Angelus. Angel..." He looks at Kratos. "You lost someone in the creation of the sphere?"
"Two." Kratos says shortly. He's definitely angry now.
"...Sorry." Daichi says. He drops the subject, but still looks thoughtful.
"...If you were involved, you would be dead already." Kratos definitely sounds like he's struggling with his anger to get this out. "You have no need to apologize." Lloyd pulls on Kratos's swallowtail.
"You're with us." Kratos blinks, noting the group of Colette, Piers and Shikka off toward the open door. Piers stretches, waiting for Lloyd to catch up. Aurian takes a seat on the circle Piers had vacated, which had shut the door for all of the time it took for her to step on it.
"Ready?" Colette smiles, waiting in the door way. Kratos nods, Lloyd grinning and moving through the door with Colette. Shikka freely shifts to lion form, padding behind the group. It's... the interior of the tower, with a ton of stairs lining the inside. Lloyd gives the stares a look and deflates a little.
"... They aren't going to start moving." Kratos mutters, and starts up. Lloyd mutters and follows.
"Nothing wrong with stairs~" Piers says cheerily.
"There's a lot of them!" Colette says cheerily, but she's cheating with her wings. She's nice enough to keep pace with them as they head up the long spiral of stairs. Lloyd's not having trouble, but he also doesn't look pleased. Shikka is bounding up the stairs, taking point. The monsters are in ones and twos, floating blades half as big as Colette, teddy bears with spikes inside and head that pop off to attack, transparent-white ghosts, and shades reminiscent of the description of Death - cloaks and scythes and little else. Colette is discovered to be most effective against the immaterial with Angel Feathers, Kratos falling in second with his low-level spells. Piers has a sword drawn and is apt against the floating blades, whereas Shikka can take down the possessed teddy bears easily. Lloyd plays the role of Lure, keeping the monsters distracted from the casters. Eventually, they reach the top, which is a square room with a orb in one direction, a red curtain across from it, and a solid wall for the third side, no sign of a door.
"What do we do here...?" Piers asks.
Kratos moves and inspects the orb. "... Lloyd, set fire to the curtain."
"Huh?" Lloyd blinks, about to ask how, before remembering a certain Ring. "... Right. Sorcerer's Ring." Lloyd checks the curtain, before setting the ratty old thing on fire. Piers extinguishes some embers that remain. A beam of light shines from the now uncovered cubby hole, and strikes the orb by Kratos. the orb flashes, then seems to be moving, but it looks a bit more like the light inside it moves than its surface. Colette yelps as the third wall, where the sealed-off cubby hole was, flashes, and reveals a doorway.
"Oooh. Makes sense... Kinda." Piers comments.
"If anyone spots something that doesn't seem to quite fit, let the others know. It is likely part of the seals.. puzzle." Kratos says.
"Oh! It was light, because this is the Seal of Light!" Colette claps her hands. "So it has a light-themed puzzle!"
"Right!" Lloyd grins.
"Puzzles?" Piers says, smiling nostalgically. "I'm great at puzzles." Colette heads through the door, and Kratos blinks, quickly shadowing her.
"Good... cause I'm only so-so on the ones you can hold." Lloyd mutters, following. Piers coughs as if to say that isn't what he meant. Shikka walks alongside Colette and Piers alongside Lloyd. They don't come out into another sealed room, but into a larger hall, them on the second floor and with nowhere to go. there's a metal circle in the floor, with another Oracle stone, and some sort of raised platform behind it across from the metal circle. there's a gap in the railing, as if something could go there, and across the room was another part of the second level with a matching gap. Piers frowns, thinking. He takes the entire room into stock.
"... What's this?" Lloyd's eyeing the metal circle on the floor. It looks familiar to three in the lobby. Piers walks forward, stepping in the circle. the circle behind the oracle stone flashes, and Raine appears.
"Piers! Marvelous!" she cackles, leaning forward, her hand reaching out before she withdraws, even more thrilled. "It must be linked to an apparatus somewhere! Can the rest of you see this side?"
"... No, just you." Lloyd says.
"Lloyd!" that was Genis, although they couldn't see him.
"We can hear you!" Colette smiles.
"Eheheh!" Piers seems slightly modest. "I was just curious because it seemed the same as the entrance."
"This machine is cool." Lloyd says, looking at the metal ring.
"The door on this side has opened. We're going on in as well." Raine says. "Let's meet up and regroup before we reach the seal."
"Understood." Kratos says. Piers and Shikka both nod. Piers waits a bit before stepping off the ring.
Raine steps off the platform, turning to the other two by the door and the remaining two on the rings.
"Let's move out." Raine says, indicating the door that had opened for them. the door to the spiral stair that Lloyd's group had taken shut as she stepped off her ring.
Daichi has seemed to mustered up the energy to stand, stretching. "Ugh...I don't think I can cast..."
"That's fine." Raine says, although she does fish out an orange gel. "Genis, Aurian, and I are casters as well. You and Sheena will be needed for the front lines." Aurian blinks, looking about like she hadn't realized they'd been talking about her.
Daichi nods. "Fair point." He draws his axe.
"Ready?" Raine asks. Aurian quickly gets up and does her best to keep a hold on her glaive.
"Yep!" Genis says. the next room is a long hall, with mirrored blocks, a second level, and strange white orbs that sit there all dull. to the left is a hall, with a red curtain at the end. Above them is a railed ledge with a gap in it, and across from that is another ledge, with a matching gap.
"..." Daichi looks utterly confused at the puzzle.
"Try moving that one west." Raine blinks and looks up. the other half of the party is above their hall part of the room, and Lloyd's pointing at a mirror block that had the mirror so that it would reflect left to up, or from up to left.
"Hi!" Colette waves.
"Try moving that one west." Raine blinks and looks up. the other half of the party is above their hall part of the room, and Lloyd's pointing at a mirror block that had the mirror so that it would reflect left to up, or from up to left.
"Hi!" Colette waves.
Daichi waves back hesitantly. "Uh, hi." Raine nods, shoving the block.
"The balls need light." Colette calls. "the curtain hides a beam of it." Genis moves over and Fire Balls the curtain to ashes. Daichi smirks at Colette's seemingly innocent statement, his mind no doubt warping it. Aurian seems to have seen the pattern as well, because after Raine moves the mirror, and thus adjusts the beam of light, Aurian's adjusted it further, hitting two of the remaining three white orbs. Daichi stands back, watching, not interfering. Raine and Genis make it all work, and then the door at the end of the hall, where there are a trio of old wooden boxes, opens.
"Time for the next room." Raine says. Genis waves bye to the other half. After two sealed rooms, which were easily solved with application of Fire Ball and moving the beam of light via a helpfully placed Mirror Block, they get their own set of stairs. Genis is not pleased with this. Daichi smirks.
"If you wanna ride my shoulders, you can." He offers.
Genis eyes him. "... I'm taking you up on that offer." Raine sighs, but looks a bit winded herself as she waits. Aurian blinks, and pauses ahead of them with Sheena.
"Oh? Go ahead." Daichi crouches a bit. "Any treating me like a horse stuff and you go bouncing back down these stairs." He warns.
".. What's a horse?" Genis asks, but he carefully climbs onto Daichi's shoulders. "... I bet I could cast from up here..." he mutters.
"A Mythical creature...Didn't you know that?" Daichi frowns, standing up to full height, adjusting his glasses.
"Kharlan War Myth." Raine shrugs. "We were going to cover them in a few weeks."
"Oh." Genis shrugs, resting his arms on Daichi's head. Aurian starts walking again, and Raine mutters but follows.
"Humans rode on them." Daichi says. "That's all I really know, apart from reports that they were tasty."
"With garlic." Aurian mutters. "Lots of garlic." Genis spots a monster on a curve above them and looks sneaky. he starts casting just to see if it works. The Kendama's ball bounces perilously close Daichi's head, but never gets close enough to knock his hair about. Raine eyes Aurian speculatively.
"Wonder if you can cast while I attack..." Daichi mumbles. He doesn't move until Genis finishes, flinching occasionally as the bouncing ball is in his peripheral vision.
"As long as I'm not forced to move, my concentration isn't broken." Genis casts Fire Ball on the evil teddy bear that he'd spotted.
"...Should we try it?" Daichi indicates the haunted swords coming closer.
Genis grins a bit evily. "Let's go for it!" Violet flickers about Genis as he plays with the Kendama. Raine sighs, stopping and flickering with gold as she charged her own spell. Aurian clutches her glaive and wavers a bit, Sheena lunging in with seals ready. Daichi chuckles, starting to run for the enemy, axe raised to slash, since he can't use Artes yet. Genis uses his legs to cling as best as he can while he gathers Mana.
"Wanna charge?" he chants, catching the ball. "Thunder Blade!" the electric blade crashes down.
"Wind Blade!" Aurian casts.
"Light!" Raine shouts. "Photon!" Daichi strikes a second after the spells hit. It works, the blade falling to pieces.
"Yeah!" Genis is quite pleased. Aurian pokes through the bits to pick up some items.
Daichi smirks. "Looks like we found a new combo."
"Heh heh heh." Genis cackles a little. "Definitely."
"All right." Raine checks them over for a First Aid need, and finding none, indicates the way on. Daichi proceeds up the stairs, not seeming to mind Genis at all. The top of the stairs spits them out into the long hall again, but up on a higher level than Lloyd's group. Spanning the gap is a bridge of white glowing Mana. Aurian pokes it.
"What's this?" Daichi asks, doing the same as Aurian, poking the bridge.
"... A bridge." Sheena carefully steps on it. It holds. "Guess it's where we go next." Raine nods, following Sheena.
Daichi stands back up. "Is it really this easy?"
"Apparently." Sheena and Raine are on the other side.
"We still don't have the other half of our party." Raine points out. Aurian crosses quickly. Daichi doesn't trust the bridge, but carefully walks over it with Genis still on his shoulders. It holds. Raine's studying a pair of raised stone circles, while Sheena pokes at a warp device that sits quiet and inactive.
Daichi relaxes as soon as his feet are on solid ground. "So. How do we get the others up here..." Raine steps on one circle.
Lloyd appears on the other. "Hey, it's Raine again!"
"..." Daichi frowns. "Magic mirrors?"
"Holograms." Raine says. "We've made it in further. It would be best to regroup here." As she says this, another bright flash lights up the room.
"Oh, look, a bridge!" Colette's voice comes from both the other end of the room, and the hologram.
"..." Daichi smirks lightly. Lloyd's group rejoins Raine's group by crossing the light-bridges.
Piers looks at Daichi and Genis. "...I want a go."
"No."
"Why not!"
"Too big...Headed." He adds the last part silently. Kratos looks vaguely amused, while Lloyd is struck by the sheer awesome of the situation.
"... The warp still isn't active." Sheena says, staring at the metal.
"... Colette, stand on the other circle." Raine says.
Daichi looks at Lloyd. "Don't even think about it."
"Think of what?" Lloyd asks.
Piers smirks. "Exactly. What do you think about?"
Lloyd stares at him. "... Penguins."
"..." Piers frowns. "..Amazing. So do I."
Daichi grunts. "I hate to break up this FASCINATING discussion, but we have a job to do?"
"Oh." Lloyd blinks. Colette steps on the second circle, and another Oracle Stone appears. Colette knows what to do with this, and puts her hand on it. The teleport activates.
Daichi pushes Piers towards Shikka. "Ask him."
"Ready?" Raine asks. Aurian to Kratos nod. Daichi looks up at Genis, shrugging slightly to make the mage sit more comfortably on his broad shoulders.
"For as long as it works!" Genis grins.
"All right." Colette steps onto the warp, Kratos shadowing her. Lloyd follows, with Sheena on his heels. Daichi sighs at the answer, but isn't really bothered about it. He steps onto the warp, followed by Piers and Shikka. Aurian and Raine are the last ones up. the Seal shines and does its clicking thing and begins to spew light Mana.
"Mana... Powerful Mana is coming out!" Genis says, as a beast appears. it's yellow-y, with purple hooves and rings of light and wings. It looks like a horned Pegasus with a mace tail, blade feathers on its hooves,.
"Iubaris." Kratos pockets the Magic lens. "Don't use light." Colette frowns for a second, but takes off anyway. Daichi draws his axe once more, Piers his sword. Piers begins casting Froth as a distraction while Daichi runs in. Genis yelps, but keeps his leg grip as he began casting. Kratos and Lloyd dart in as well, Aurian staying back with Raine.
"Mirage Seal!" Sheena shouts, arte-ing the Seal Beast.
"Item Thief!" Colette just about drops herself on the Iubaris.
"Dark Sphere!" Aurian casts the opposite of Photon on the seal beast, before running from Raine as it charged toward them.
"Converging Fury!" It seems that Daichi has summoned up enough energy to use the Arte. And does so. Genis yelps again, grabbing a handful of Daichi's hair.
"Grave!" the rocks jut out of the ground under the Iubaris, striking it on its underside.
"Hey, I think I got something." Colette hops back to a little above the floor then back into the air.
"Lightning Blade!" Kratos attacks.
"Sorry!" The man says, darting in for another attack. Piers is glowing.
"Froth Sphere!" The bubbles pop painfully on the Iubaris. Shikka pounces and mauls at it.
"Dark Sphere!" Aurian casts it again, but she's a bit gray and shaking. Kratos quickly jumps back before the dark spell implodes about the Iubaris. It rears, flailing its front hooves and the blades on their outside edges spinning. Lloyd yelps, Guardian-ing. Daichi Guardians, too, the sphere covering Genis also.
"Thanks." Genis mutters. "Thunder Blade!" he casts.
"Ring Whirlwind!" Colette flies in for a quick Chakram Attack then flies back out of range.
"Nurse!" Raine heals the lot of them. Piers casts Diamond Dust, Shikka sinking his fangs into a wing. It dies. the seal cracks, golden yellow Mana flowing out.
"Chosen of Regeneration... You have done well in reaching this far." Remiel's voice echoes about them. "Now, offer your prayers at the altar." Daichi shivers slightly at the angels presence.
"...Yes!" Colette flies over. "Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant my thy strength!" Colette prays. The yellow glow spreads, then flashes. A woman in a purple sash dress sitting upon a crescent moon appears, holding a staff across her lap and a runic halo above her head.
Piers steps back. "Wh...what?"
"...Where is Aska?" the woman asks.
"Whoa, it talked!" Lloyd starts.
"...Without Aska, I cannot do anything - I cannot form a pact or a vow... Please... Find Aska... in order to restore my power." the woman vanishes, Colette looking confused. A spark descends, and forms Remiel.
"Your journey has been long." Remiel stares blankly at the party for a good moment. Mostly at Daichi. Then he turns his blank gaze at Colette. "You have done well to reach this far, Colette, the Chosen one!"
"Thank you... Lord Remiel." Colette says. Daichi stares blankly back.
"Let us grant you your blessing." Remiel says, staring above the lot of them now.
"...Thank you." Colette says. Sparks fall from the sky above Remiel and flit into Colette.
"You have taken another step closer to becoming an angel, yet you seem anxious." Remiel says.
"Ah, no." Colette looks up. "I'm very happy."
"Hmm...?" Remiel watches her. "Now, Chosen One. Your journey is finally drawing to a close. It is time for you to rejoice. The path to the Tower of Salvation is open! Head to the Tower of salvation and offer your prayers of regeneration! Then, you will be able to climb the stairway of heaven."
Piers relaxes slightly. "Finally. This is nearly over!"
"The Tower of Salvation?" Lloyd's imagining climbing all of the stairs inside that thing to the top.
"The World Regeneration is going to finally going to take place." Genis sounds awed from his place on Daichi's shoulders.
"Is regeneration... really going to happen...?" Sheena mutters.
"I shall do as you instruct, Lord Remiel!" Colette says.
Daichi smiles lightly. "Finally..." He mumbles.
Remiel vanishes. "I shall await you at the final seal. Colette... my daughter. There, you shall become an angel, like me." Colette lands and her wings vanish.
"The end is finally in sight." Kratos's tone and expression are unreadable as he turns about. "Let's head to the Tower of Salvation."
"Colette... are you sure?" Raine asks softly.
"... Yes." Colette smiles. "I'm fine."
"... Dammit!" Lloyd mutters.
Piers frowns at Daichi. "Why did Remiel look at you?"
"I-I dunno..."
"He never looks at anyone other than Colette, and even that's rare." Piers presses.
"C'mon." Genis taps Daichi's head. "They're leaving." True enough, Kratos was vanishing on the warp.
"..." Daichi sighs. He turns to leave also, Piers following him. Aurian's shaking enough that her grip on her glaive keeps failing every few paces. Turns out that using Dark Mana burns her a bit, marking the elf as being aligned with Light as well as Wind. The trip out of the tower was easy. Once in the courtyard, Colette falls to her knees.
Daichi, who was one of the last out, blinks. "C-Colette!"
Lloyd hurries over. "Professor Sage! It's Colette's Angel Toxicosis..." Colette's shaking, once again nearly blue lipped.
"I see." Raine says, as it was a bit obvious by looking at the blond. "Let's rest here for today." Colette makes a weak gasping noise.
Piers frowns, walking over. "Damn...We win and then we lose..."
"What's wrong, Colette?" Lloyd asks, sounding a little pained.
"I would assume she's lost her voice." Kratos points out. Aurian blinks, looking startled along with Genis and Sheena.
"What?" Genis yelps. Colette makes a gasping noise again. Daichi yelps as Genis inadvertantly tightens his legs around the half-elf's neck. Lloyd helps Colette up.
"Genis, let him breathe." Raine says.
"B-but..." Genis realized what his legs were doing and stops choking Daichi. Kratos turns and starts making a camp fire. Sheena stares at the ground for a bit while Lloyd helps Colette to seat on her bedroll. Daichi gasps, starting to turn a normal color again. He plucks Genis off his shoulders, setting the boy down, panting.
Yay plot twists :D
