Dwarven Vow 54:
An làmb a bheir, 's i a gheibh.
He who gives will receive.
58-
"If Song was looking through Yuan's notes, he'll probably be in the control center working with the digital archive interface. We'll search there first."
Once Kratos made it to the old Triet base with Colette and Zelos in tow, he began giving orders. Zelos gave him a glare that suggested he wasn't happy being ordered around, but he didn't argue with Kratos' instruction, and Colette followed with tense obedience.
The building felt so much larger when it was empty, every footstep echoing across the walls and down the hallways. Colette's rigid and methodical steps were contrasted by Zelos' hunched posture and jumpy gait. He stuck close behind her, holding onto her arm and constantly leaning over to glance behind doorways and under tables.
"Song?" Zelos called. "Soooong! We're not gonna hurt you… because Colette made us promise… so get out here, will you?!"
"What if he can't hear you?" Colette murmured. "His ears could be crystallized already."
"If the crystallization is already to his ears, it's too late," Kratos chimed in. "Full crystallization of his throat and windpipe will suffocate him."
"So… if he's dying, he won't be able to call for help?" Colette tugged her arm away from Zelos and sprinted down the hall. "Song, we're here for you! Please hold on just a little longer!"
Song had restored power to some of the machinery, but the automatic doors weren't working, so Colette had to pry the door to the control room open. She'd opened it about halfway by the time Kratos and Zelos caught up and managed to catch a glimpse of the room beyond it.
"Song!"
Colette squeezed through the gap and ran to the main console. The screen had gone blank, and the figure of a man was slumped over the keypad, unmoving. She rushed to his side, grabbing his shoulder and turning him over so she could see his face. Song's arms were stiff under her fingers, but his head flopped to the side, exposing a series of crystals covering one side of his neck. He was breathing, but it was labored and shallow. Colette looked back to Kratos with panic in her eyes.
"Where is his Cruxis Crystal?"
"It's probably on his chest. That's where Yuan wore his." Kratos pushed past her and began unbuttoning Song's shirt. Embedded in the hard, crystalline surface of his chest, on his left side just over his heart, a Cruxis Crystal pulsed vibrantly in time with his rapid heartbeat. Kratos' fingers found the edges of the key crest and tugged at it. It took more effort than he'd predicted, but he managed to pull it free, leaving behind a small patch of pale skin surrounded by now dulling crystals.
"Did… did it work…?" Colette murmured, staring at the crystals on Song's chest with trepidation. Zelos, meanwhile, reached to pry a small object out of his right hand.
"Well, we know this didn't work. Here, Colette."
Seeing the rune crest, Colette pulled her necklace from under her collar, unhooking the chain at the back of her neck. "We can get Lloyd or Dirk to weld it back on later. For now, I'll just attach it to the chain." She glanced back over at Song. "Is he… okay…?"
Kratos buttoned Song's shirt back up and scooped him up in his arms. "It will take some time for his cells to return to their normal state. He'll need to rest for several hours, at the very least."
Zelos stifled a yawn. "Honestly, I'd like to do the same. There any beds around this place?"
"There are some barracks back down the hallway," Kratos answered as he laid Song out onto the floor near the console. "I want to check the research history on this database while we wait for Song to recover. You two can go find the barracks and get some rest."
"Do you want us to take him?" Colette offered, holding out her hands, but Kratos shook his head.
"I'd rather him stay where I can keep an eye on him. You two get some rest."
"Are you sure? I'm worried about him-"
Colette reached out, but Zelos grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Don't worry about a thing. I'll make sure Colette gets her rest," he said with a wink.
Kratos frowned and was about to say something along the lines of 'now's not the time for that sort of thing,' but he stopped as he caught a glimpse of genuine worry in Zelos' eyes. It caught him off-guard, and he realized with a twinge of guilt how Zelos must be feeling. Called away out of the blue, seeing Colette frightened and in pain… there wasn't any need to worry about Zelos' intentions.
"Good. See that she does."
And with that, Kratos set their belongings aside and sat down in front of the main console.
An information network was a dangerous thing, however. Cross-references and links between files sent Kratos on a journey of curiosity, and he didn't realize it had been several hours until he felt an unfamiliar pang of hunger in his stomach. When he stood up, his back ached from the position of the chair, and he felt dizzy for a moment before he regained his balance. Because the time on the console was incorrect, he hadn't thought to make note of it when they'd arrived, and couldn't tell exactly how long it had been. As he approached their belongings again to retrieve some of the rations he'd packed, he noticed Song beginning to stir. Ignoring his hunger for the moment, Kratos sat down next to Song, watching as he opened his eyes and looked around.
"Take it slowly. Your skin is mostly clear, but there's probably still some internal crystallization."
Song stared up at him, blinking a few times before he was able to speak.
"...you… removed the Cruxis Crystal…"
"We did. You wouldn't do it yourself."
"...I couldn't… couldn't…" He paused and placed a hand against the side of his head. "...I had to… to…"
"Don't strain yourself. You can explain later. The important thing right now is that Colette has her rune crest back."
Song reached his other hand up to cover his face. "It didn't work. I'm so stupid. I took an important medical device from Colette, who needs it, and it didn't even work."
"Doesn't matter that it didn't work," Kratos shot back, reaching for the bag of provisions again. "You stole a necessary medical device and caused a relapse of a potentially fatal disease. If your medical license hasn't already lapsed, it should be revoked immediately. You're lucky Colette doesn't want to press charges, or I'd arrest you on the spot."
Song didn't respond, turning over and letting out a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a whimper. Kratos allowed him to rest while he sated his hunger with a hard biscuit. Once finished, he took a swig of water from his canteen and then held it out toward Song.
"You should try to drink something if you feel up to it. Can you sit up?"
Song didn't make any effort to get up, but he turned back to Kratos and smiled. "Oh? Offering me an indirect kiss in these trying times?"
"Don't make me regret saving you."
There was a pause, and Song let out a weak laugh. "You wouldn't regret it. Yuan always said that Lloyd had turned you into a goody-two-shoes."
Kratos scoffed. "I was always a goody-two-shoes. I just spent most of my life doing it for Yggdrasil."
"Huh. Yeah, I guess so. Yuan once called you 'Yggdrasil's lap dog' behind your back."
"He said that to my face too. In hindsight, I wonder if that's why I killed him."
The room went silent again. Song's voice was soft when he spoke up.
"...you didn't kill him, Kratos."
Kratos shook his head. "I know you're convinced that Yuan and Adora are still alive, but-"
"That's not what I meant. Even if Yuan were dead- which he's not- his blood wouldn't be on your hands." Song laughed again. "When he gave me his Cruxis Crystal for safekeeping, he said, and I quote, 'I'm doing this for Adora, not because Kratos told me to.' End quote."
"Stubborn until the end," Kratos groaned. "You know that's hearsay and wouldn't be admissible in a court of law."
"Maybe. But no one's charging you with Yuan's death."
"..."
"...no one except yourself, huh?"
Kratos turned away, refusing to answer the question. "What makes you think they're still alive?" he asked instead. "I went through your research history on the console over there, but it wasn't exactly enlightening. The whole thing sounds more like a case of-"
"Don't." Song managed to lift one of his hands. "I know what you're going to say, denial is a natural part of the grieving process and all that. But I'm telling you, this isn't normal grief. Something deep down tells me that Yuan's still alive. I can feel it… or, I could feel it when I was wearing the Cruxis Crystal."
The statement prompted Kratos to look back over at him. "That's why you refused to take it off. I'd thought the initial effects would put you off."
"It was pretty bad at first," Song admitted, "y'know, 'til the whole not-feeling-pain thing kicked in. But I knew, if Yuan really was out there somewhere, wearing the Cruxis Crystal was the only way I was ever going to find him. I just… didn't count on this whole disease thing."
Kratos scoffed. "Quite an oversight for a doctor."
"Obviously, I can't put it on again. Not after what happened. But if that means I'll never find Yuan and Adora, then I… I…" His voice trailed off and he closed his eyes again. "I don't have the know-how to run the business side of the shop and I can't go back to the medical field. If I have to give up on them, then-"
"Then don't give up on them."
There was another pause, and Song finally managed to sit up.
"What?"
"You heard me. If you're so convinced, I won't tell you to give up. Just… don't hurt yourself or others. Your stubbornness could have gotten you killed- and Colette too, if you'd died somewhere inaccessible without ever returning the rune crest. If Yuan really is still alive somewhere, he'll want you alive too… and not behind bars."
Song shuffled over next to Kratos, reaching for the canteen. "Lloyd told me everything about the NV Zone and the pact with the summoner. That's what I was trying to research here, but I didn't find anything about it. There's just no information on Martel as a summon spirit, much less how to make a pact with her. I want to help figure out who created the NV Zone and why. It could lead us to Yuan and Adora."
"Tomorrow, we're having a meeting at the Elemental Research Lab in Meltokio. If you feel recovered enough, you can come with us. After all the research you've done, you may have something to contribute that we don't know about yet."
Song was taking a swig from the canteen and almost spat it out. He paused to cough and clear his throat. "You… you… trust me?"
"No. Quite frankly, I don't. But I trust the information Yuan and the Renegades gathered, and I don't have the time to spend going through all the files that you did. Because of that, you're useful."
"Useful… yeah! I'm useful! I'll be useful!" Song swung the canteen around excitedly, but winced and clutched at his side. "I'll, uh, rest for now. So I can be useful."
"See that you do."
Lloyd awoke briefly and shifted in bed, covering his face with the blankets to shield his eyes from the sunlight. He wanted to turn over and fall back asleep, but something felt odd about the bed. The sheets felt unfamiliar, smelled unfamiliar. It was a clean, impersonal smell, like something he'd find at an inn. He sat up, observing the unfamiliar surroundings with a frown. The room was bare, save for three other beds besides his own, the other mattresses bare of sheets or pillows. It wasn't a place he'd ever seen before, and he called out in confusion.
"Hello? Somebody there?"
He slipped out of bed, the wooden floor cold beneath his bare feet. He was still wearing his everyday clothing, and the legs of his pants were stained with what looked like mud, but he couldn't remember what had caused it. When had he gone running through the dirt like that? Before he could sit back down to examine his clothing, the door swung open, and Sheena burst through.
"You're awake! Oh, thank goodness!"
Lloyd broke into a smile, holding his arms out for a hug. "Sheena-!"
She didn't hug him, however, instead grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulling him back to his feet.
"Why do you always have to play the hero?! People worry about you, dammit! You ran headfirst into danger after pulling an all-nighter with a concussion-!"
"Oh, that's right! The landslide!" Lloyd gasped, grabbing hold of Sheena's wrists. "Is everyone alright? Kumiko and Genji and Momoka…"
"Fine, thanks to you and Orochi," Sheena huffed and snatched her hands back so that she could turn away. "We're in your debt, but that doesn't mean I'm not still angry."
Lloyd let out a relieved laugh. "Hey, your summoning skills were what saved everyone. I just jumped in at the end and grabbed all the glory."
Sheena groaned and nudged his shoulder. "You should get some rest. Your dad is out in the main lobby talking to my grandfather."
"My dad?" Lloyd repeated, sitting back down on the bed. Sheena sat next to him and nodded.
"After you passed out, we called up the militia in Luin. They helped relocate the villagers back here to Sybak. The Imperial Research Academy agreed to put us up in one of the dormitories that's undergoing renovations until we find a suitable place to relocate. Dirk came to check on you, and he's been discussing relocation plans with my grandfather."
"Oh, that's right. The village…" Lloyd's voice trailed off, and his expression darkened. "You've really got nowhere to go now. I'm so sorry, Sheena. I had no idea it was this bad."
Sheena leaned against him, sliding her hand to rest against his. "None of us did. We've known for a while that the village was in trouble from sinkholes, but the landslide was such a surprise, I don't think any of us predicted it. The important thing is that, thanks to you and Orochi, everyone made it out safely."
"And to you."
"And to… Celsius, yes." Sheena blushed, but Lloyd was satisfied that she took the compliment anyway. "Do you want me to call your dad in here? He's been worried about you."
"I can go out to see him-" Lloyd began, but Sheena held out a hand to keep him from standing up.
"No. You stay here and rest. If you're up to talking, I'll call him in, but you're not leaving this bed."
Lloyd let out a sigh but didn't protest. His head was still throbbing, and he knew when to call it quits. Dwarven Vow 36- a good retreat is better than a bad stand.
"Alright, call him in. And, uh, could you bring me some water too?"
"Absolutely."
Lloyd lay back on the bed and closed his eyes, just intending to rest them while he waited. He didn't realize he'd drifted back to sleep until he heard voices around him.
"Jist leave it oan th' table there for him. He can drink some when he wakes-"
"Hmm?" Lloyd murmured, his eyes fluttering open. That voice was unmistakable. "Dad? Dad!"
Dirk stopped by the table and looked over in surprise. "Sae you're awake efter aw! Are ye gettin' tired o scarin' the hell oot of your loved ones yet?"
A blush of embarrassment passed across Lloyd's cheeks. "I-I didn't mean to, I swear. I was just worried about Kumiko and the others, and I acted without thinking-"
"Upholdin' your Dwarven Vows. I know." Dirk laughed and winked at him. "I'm jist pullin' your leg frae Anna that ye were up all night with Colette, sae it was obvious ye were jist exhausted."
Another voice, one less familiar, spoke from the other side of the room.
"We owe you a great debt, Lloyd. Without your quick thinking, some members of our community might not have made it out alive. Orochi said you were the one who saved Kumiko."
Lloyd looked over to the other side of the bed, where Sheena and Igaguri were standing. Igaguri's face held a warm, gentle expression, and Lloyd relaxed as he listened to the man continue.
"For someone who was once an outsider, it's clear you care a great deal about the people of Mizuho- and they, in turn, have grown to care about you. I've received many questions about your wellbeing since we arrived here in Sybak, you know."
Dirk laughed and nodded. "The wee lass wouldn't stop. I donnae ken how her mother got her tae sleep."
"Kumiko?" Lloyd repeated with a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad she's okay. And… sorry I couldn't do more to save the village…"
Igaguri approached the bed, resting his arms on the end of the frame. "It is true that a great deal was lost. However, we have been dragging our feet in moving to Sylvarant for over five years now. Sometimes, when you waver too long on a decision, fate forces your hand. What was lost can eventually be rebuilt in our new home once we find one. Perhaps, as difficult as it was, we needed this push."
Lloyd was quiet for a moment, looking back and forth between Sheena and Igaguri. "How long do you think it's going to take to decide on a new location? You don't have any in mind, do you?"
Igaguri smiled.
"Actually, your father had a suggestion."
"Dad?" Lloyd looked to Dirk, who was smiling ear to ear. "You know a place? Why didn't you say something earlier?"
"I didnae kent o a place earlier," Dirk replied, shaking his head. "But, thanks to ye and your maither, I think I may hae the perfect spot."
"Thanks to Mom and me… so… you mean…"
"The Dwarven village near Luin has been abandoned for a long time, an' there's no way they'll want it back nae that the ceiling has caved in. The place has fresh runnin' water, fertile soil for crops nae that it's exposed to the sun, an' already-established foundations for homes."
"Not only that, but the location is unknown to the outside," Igaguri agreed. "With some work to explore the connected cave systems, we could create a whole network of tunnels leading in and out of the village to make sure our presence in the mountain is concealed. This is, of course, provided Dirk is willing to share the village's location with us."
Lloyd's head still ached, but he could feel excitement coursing through his body and ignored the pain as he sat up straighter. Moving Mizuho to the location of the old Dwarven village would put them right by Luin, with easy access to the Dwarven school. He could live there with Sheena and continue his work. "Y-you'll share it with them, won't you, Dad?" he begged. "That would be perfect! It'd be better than perfect! It'd- it'd-!"
Dirk held out a hand to cut Lloyd off, stifling an amused chuckle. "Ye donnae have tae ask sae desperately. I think it makes sense for a Dwarven family tae ally themselves with Mizuho. We're both tryin' tae save our unique culture an' preserve it for the next generation. Workin' together, we can achieve much more."
"Dwarven vow 42, there is strength in unity."
"And, to that end-" Igaguri broke in, "-Dirk and I have been discussing a potential expression of unity between Mizuho and your Dwarven clan. You would have to agree with it, of course."
"Wait, expression of unity?" Sheena repeated. "What does that mean? I wasn't here for that-"
Igaguri cut her off. "In long-ago days of ninja villages, political marriages were common shows of support between allies. I'm sure that the village would approve if we were to propose a marriage to strengthen our ties to this Dwarven clan." His eyes sparkled with an almost mischievous glint as he looked back at Sheena. "What do you think?"
Sheena blushed. "G-grandfather, you mean…?"
"I'm confused," Lloyd spoke up as Sheena's voice trailed off. "Does that mean Dad is going to marry someone from Mizuho? Dad, I thought you-" He stopped short as Dirk began to laugh. "Wh-what's so funny?"
"Think about it for a minute, Lloyd. He's tawkin' abit ye and Sheena."
"Huh? Me and… oh! Oh!" Lloyd sat up straighter, inching closer to Sheena and Igaguri. "You really mean it? You approve? The council will approve? I-I haven't even given you my speech yet! I studied and prepared for it and everything!"
Dirk continued to laugh, giving Sheena an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Ye hear that? Lloyd did homework for your sake. He's truly in love."
"Daaaaad-!"
Sheena, meanwhile, was still blushing- though her expression was all smiles. "You really think the council will approve?"
"I think they would have approved regardless of the Dwarven alliance," Igaguri replied with a shrug. "After Lloyd's display of bravery this morning, there should be no doubt that he is truly one of us. But using it to secure a new location for the village will ensure approval from all sides."
"That's the mark o a skilled leader, gettin' what ye want by convincin' everyone else that they want it too."
Sheena's blush died down. "Is that a Dwarven vow?"
"Nae. Jist somethin' I've learnt o'er the years."
"We can make it a Dwarven vow," Lloyd suggested. "It'll be a new one all our own, for a new future."
"A new future, huh?" Sheena replied, closing her eyes. "I like that."
