22-09-2021: Minor edits done, additional comments added
A/N:
This is where the fun begins! And the drama. Lots of drama.
In this chapter, Alice unnerves Yuan, gives the poor man a minor heart attack and scares the crap out of Pronyma (in this order).
Also featuring: Two equally headstrong immortals having a shouting match.
Timeline-wise, this chapter takes place shortly before Kratos leaves for Iselia.
Yuan alighted at the outskirts of the Ymir Forest and made his way towards Heimdall. Elerína was rather strict concerning the visitor rule and for that reason, Yuan would rather not appear in the middle of the village. On top of that, the elves were not overly fond of members of Cruxis – even renegade ones – and Yuan thought it better not to provoke anyone needlessly.
When Yuan had almost reached the village, he ran into one of the hunters. The elf raised his bow, ready to feather him, then, he recognised the visitor.
"Lord Yuan!" He lowered the bow. "What brings you here?"
"I need to speak with the eldest, now."
"The eldest left for Meltokio a short while ago, to meet with the King. And knowing these humans, this is going to take ages. I'll take you to Lænnea instead."
"Who?"
"Alice. Lænnea is her nickname. In the tongue of the humans it means 'elven-soul'."
"And how come she received such an honourable name?"
"Well, she's more an elf than a human the way she acts."
"What a surprise. It can't be because she's spent almost her entire life among elves", Yuan replied dryly.
As they approached Elerína's house, Yuan could hear the sound of metal being worked on with a grindstone. Moments later, he spotted Alice, who was sitting on a tree trunk in front of the house, sharpening an enormous two-handed sword. Elvish runes had been etched into the blade.
"Lænnea, Lord Yuan wishes to speak with you immediately."
The elf placed a hand on his chest in a gesture of farewell, then, he disappeared.
Alice continued to sharpen the blade without even looking up, which gave Yuan the time to examine her more closely.
The desperate little girl he had first met fourteen years ago had disappeared. In her stead, there was a resolute young woman before him. Alice was slender and tall, her reddish-brown hair fell in big curls down to her waist. From reports, Yuan knew that Elerína had raised her sister to always have her way. Alice knew what she wanted, and she would use almost any means necessary to achieve her goals – but always stay true to her principles.
Alice put the grindstone away and sheathed the sword, then, she rose to her feet.
"Yuan. It's been a while."
Her dark blue eyes locked with his. Her gaze was penetrating and Yuan suddenly felt as if her eyes could see right through him.
"You've grown", he finally replied.
She smiled. "That's human nature for you. Besides, I had no intention of staying a little girl for all eternity. That would be impractical, especially in battle."
Yuan remembered hearing reports that she had gotten into a fight with some Desians in Palmacosta at age 16. Five had attacked her, but only one had survived to report back to Lord Magnius, the leader of the Palmacosta Human Ranch, who had issued the order to capture or kill Alice. However, they had never been able to find her... Like all angels, Alice could control her appearance. She had simply made herself older or younger whenever the Desians came looking for her, and eventually, they had given up.
"Did you finally commission a sword?", Yuan asked, nodding towards the blade.
"Yes. This is Edzard."
"You named it? Why?"
"A lot of people name their weapons", she replied, arching a brow.
"Seems like frivolous sentimentality to me."
"'Your sword is your life'", she replied, quoting a famous line used by fighting instructors. "It seemed only fitting that I name something that stands between me and death. Besides, I don't see why I should be the only one in this family who doesn't name their sword."
The only one indeed… Child, you're in for a surprise.
"I suppose it is a good name", Yuan amended.
"Thanks. Anyway, what brings you here?"
"I have important, though troubling news."
"Go on, then", she replied with a frown.
"Another World Regeneration in Sylvarant is scheduled to start soon. This Chosen's name is Colette Brunel, she is 16 years old and lives in Iselia."
"And what are you going to do about this?"
"I have informed the King of Tethe'alla, he is dispatching an assassin. My men will tend to the problem as well."
Alice grimaced. Yuan knew she hated it when innocent people got hurt or killed.
"But we have a much bigger problem: Yggdrassil learned from his last failure. He has given his most loyal companion orders to protect the Chosen One: Kratos Aurion."
Alice arched a brow upon hearing that, tilting her head to the side while mulling this new bit of information over.
"Meaning your chances of eliminating the Chosen equal zero. My father is too powerful for a mere assassin to overcome."
"Oh, I'm sure we'll solve that problem somehow. However, there is another matter: the Chosen has two very close friends. One of them is a 17-year old human named Lloyd Irving. Irving was your mother's maiden name, wasn't it? We also know that there's a Larkin Irving living in Luin, and therefore, we surmised that he is actually Lloyd Aurion, your twin brother."
Alice cocked her head to the side again. "So, you found Lloyd."
"You don't seem terribly surprised", he observed, slightly unnerved by her unenthusiastic response.
"I've always known that he was alive", Alice replied. "I just don't know where he is, or how he survived. I'd greatly appreciate any information you could give me on that front."
"How could you have possibly known?"
"Call it a twin's intuition."
Yuan shook his head. "I don't understand. You've known that your twin-brother was alive all these years, and yet you never went looking for him? Rína told me how upset you were that you weren't allowed to see Kratos. Why would you not try to reunite with Lloyd?"
"It's been hard, believe me. I did ask Rína to go looking for him, but she shot that idea down very quickly. See, her taking in a human child already sent the tongues wagging. While Heimdall is a pretty safe place for me to be, there was always a chance that Dad might come here and happen across me. He probably wouldn't pay much attention to one human girl. But twins? It would have been too risky. And besides – if any of his enemies ever found us, they'd get their hands on both of us. If I don't know where Lloyd is, I can't endanger him. The reverse holds true as well. It's better this way", she said, closing her eyes.
Yuan hummed thoughtfully. "I can see where you are coming from. Word of human twins in Heimdall might have reached Yggdrassil eventually. He may be insane, but he's not stupid."
"Indeed. Now – tell me about Lloyd? Please?"
"Very well. Apparently, a dwarf named Dirk who lives in the Forest of Iselia found him. There is a Human Ranch in the area, but I'm not sure the Desians know who Lloyd really is. Overall, he was well-hidden. We only found out about him when we started observing the Chosen."
"I see – Mum may have given Dirk her maiden name to throw off our pursuers. Though – you made it sound earlier as though Lloyd's presence in Iselia is a problem. I just don't understand why you would think that."
"You don't? Well, let me enlighten you: Lloyd and Colette are close friends and he'll most likely do anything so he can accompany her on the journey. But Cruxis won't want people to find out what they're really up to, so Kratos has been ordered to eliminate every member of the group who arrives at the Tower of Salvation alive."
Alice swayed and had to grab the balustrade of the veranda for support, her face drained of all colour. When she started speaking again, her eyes were unfocused and she was, as far as Yuan could tell, talking gibberish – it took him a moment to realise her mind was very far away, as though she was re-living a memory.
Knowing of her traumatic past, Yuan deduced that his words might have triggered a flashback of some sort – though he still couldn't quite understand why she was currently begging for death.
He rushed forwards and grabbed her shoulders, trying to anchor her to the real world.
"Alice! Snap out of it! It's not real. Listen to me!"
Letting out a blood-curdling scream, Alice finally emerged from the pit of her memories. Yuan steadied her to keep her from collapsing. Alice was shaking, and her eyes seemed too bright.
"No... this can't be happening... isn't there a way to prevent this?", she gasped once she had found her voice again.
"Well, I could make sure Kratos finds out Lloyd is his son. Then, maybe, he'll try to leave him behind then. I can't guarantee it'll work, though."
"If that is the case... then I will have to take action myself."
Sensing a change in her attitude, Yuan let go of her and took a few steps back to give her space.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not going to tell you. First, I have to discuss this matter with my sister. Thank you for informing me, but I must ask you to leave now." Alice turned away, picked up the sword and disappeared into the house. "Damn!"
Yuan watched her leave, feeling like this conversation could have gone better. But then again, he had done his duty – it was up to Alice and Elerína to decide what to do with the information he had provided.
He turned on the spot and vanished in a flash of light. Yuan figured that it was probably about time he showed his face in Vinheim again, lest Mithos grow suspicious of his activities.
Feeling utterly bored, Mithos Yggdrassil drummed his long fingers on the arms of his throne while he let his gaze sweep the throne room. Though term "room" was actually rather misleading. There was only one wall right behind the throne, columns to either of the long sides of the room that carried no ceiling, and beyond that was nothing. Just the endless vastness of Derris-Kharlan's mana. No one knew what would happen to anyone who should ever fall into it. And Mithos most certainly wasn't keen on trying it out.
Apart from Mithos, his two closest friends Yuan and Kratos were present, as well as Pronyma, the leader of the Desian Grand Cardinals. She was supposed to report on the recent activity of the Desians, but Mithos wanted to wait to hear said report until Kratos had left, since his friend approved of neither the Desians nor their work.
A magic circle lit up at the far end of the throne room and an angel appeared. Apparently in a hurry, he quickly approached and bowed to the leaders, trying to catch his breath.
"What is it?", Mithos asked, slightly impatient.
"An envoy from Heimdall is here, my lord. She said she has urgent business with you."
"She does?"
"Something about her is very unsettling. She looked at me as if she could peer right into my soul. She's so – so – I don't know how to say."
Mithos let out an exasperated sigh. "Send her in."
This could be interesting. Until now, the elves have been determined to stay neutral and not get involved. I wonder, is this going to change?
The envoy appeared at the far end of the hall and moved closer, taking long strides. Her clothes were made mostly from different shades of green – apart from her black boots: a pair of dark green trousers, a jerkin of a lighter colour, a white tunic and a long dark green cloak. She had woven leaves into her long hair, and Mithos was surprised to see she was only wearing a glove on her right hand.
The amount of mana around her was staggering.
As she strode down the length of the throne room, Alice took in a deep breath and sucked in mana at the same time. It was exhilarating – a stark contrast to the dearth that was plaguing Sylvarant.
Such a vast amount of mana – and Yggdrassil was hoarding all of it in order to preserve his sister's soul.
Alice stopped a good distance away from the dais and surveyed the room, noticing that none of the people present could endure her gaze for long. She knew Yuan well enough to only spare him a fleeting glance.
The woman had to be Pronyma – one of the Desians. Alice fought the urge to grimace and kept scanning the room.
Yggdrassil didn't look at all like the image her mind had painted of him. He appeared younger than both Kratos and Yuan, and he most certainly didn't look like a monster. But his looks couldn't fool her – even if she hadn't heard all those stories about him, his emotions would have instantly alerted her to the fact that he was bad news. The fact that she ultimately blamed him for her mother's untimely demise didn't help, either.
Her father was standing right next to the throne, and Alice's heart skipped a few beats when she took him in. He had changed drastically since they had last seen each other, despite the fact that he hadn't aged at all. It was as if he was dead on the inside. He was regarding her with mild curiosity, but apart from that, she could only sense emotions that worried her deeply – Kratos appeared to be suffering from severe depression and self-loathing.
Her heart bled for him, and she wanted nothing more than to rush over, give him a hug and offer all the comfort she could, while also apologising for making him believe that she was dead. However, revealing herself might jeopardise her mission – once Yggdrassil realised who she was, he might not be willing to let her go any more, might even attempt to kill her – hell, he might still try that if he didn't like what she had to say. Therefore, she reined in her emotions, suppressed them as best as she could and focused on her mission.
I can't help Dad right now. All I can do is try and keep Lloyd and Colette safe...
Yuan had to admit that Alice was very brave to simply walk into the enemy headquarters all by herself – not just anyone would do that. But he could also see she wasn't unprepared – her left hand was resting on the hilt of her sword, half-hidden underneath her cloak.
He knew Alice tended to lose control of her powers when angered. Usually, her self-control was perfect, but she was sensitive to the topics "Desians", "Family" and "Racism", which was potentially problematic, given the other occupants of this room. Part of Yuan wondered gleefully who would be the one to set her off, while another was slightly worried about the consequences that might bring.
It was only now that they were in the same room that Yuan realised how strongly Alice and Kratos resembled each other. They had the same hair (aside from length and the fact that Kratos had no curls) and the same grim face (just that hers was a bit more feminine). Only their eyes really differed. Alice radiated an aura of graveness and taciturnity, just like her father. They were lucky, indeed, that Kratos wasn't a vain man and didn't have a habit of admiring his face in a mirror every day, or he might notice that someone was running around wearing his face.
Yuan mentally cursed and started praying fervently that Mithos and Pronyma wouldn't pick up on this as well – hopefully, it was less obvious to people who didn't know those two were related. Alice was a valuable bargaining chip, and Yuan would prefer to keep her a secret as long as he could.
For a moment, Alice's gaze landed on him, but moved elsewhere almost instantly, for which Yuan was profoundly glad. He really didn't like the way she looked at him. He found it very unsettling.
Alice placed her right hand on her chest.
"May the Great Tree watch over you. I am Alice Lænnea, younger sister of Elerína, Lady of Heimdall. I have come here to - "
But that was just as far as she got before Pronyma interrupted her.
"You're human!"
Alice slowly turned to face her. "Is that a problem, Desian?"
Even though her voice was even, the strange gleam in her eyes was a warning that Pronyma should better think before answering. Even Pronyma had realised that.
"No, not at all."
"That is fortunate. Otherwise, I would have to ask you to leave, for I cannot do so until I have carried out my task."
"Does that mean the Lady of Heimdall is human?", Pronyma asked in disbelief.
Alice snorted softly. "You are part of the organisation that rules this world, and yet you don't even know Heimdall is ruled by a half-elf? How pathetic."
Yuan thought she sounded very much like Kratos right now. It gave him a minor heart attack.
"But that means you can only be half-sisters."
"Correct. But that makes no difference to us."
"You're wearing only one glove", Kratos observed. "Why is that?"
Alice lifted her right hand. "I got injured, and I don't want the wound to fester."
"Those kinds of injuries can be very troublesome."
"Indeed."
"I hate to interrupt this very fascinating discussion", Mithos interjected, annoyed, "but I would like to know the reason for your visit."
"I was about to tell you before I was so very rudely interrupted", Alice replied, giving Pronyma a withering look. "We have learned that another World Regeneration will take place in Sylvarant. My sister believes the elves have been passive for too long – we intend to join the fray. I'm here to negotiate."
"Interesting, really. And what exactly are we negotiating about? You still have not told me."
"Does no one around here value patience? I am getting there. We demand that you leave the Chosen alone and cancel World Regeneration. Furthermore, we want you to use your power to reunite Sylvarant and Tethe'alla."
"If I reunite the two worlds, they will die. There is not enough mana."
"I'm sure you could solve that problem if you wanted to."
He smiled. "Maybe. What if I do not give in to your impudent demands?"
"In that case, you risk war with Heimdall. We shall no longer tolerate that you do as you please", she replied with an icy smile that did not reach her eyes.
"I do not intend to give up on Martel!", Mithos exclaimed, rising from his throne.
"So you really intend to sacrifice an innocent girl just to bring back your sister?", Alice hissed. "The dead are dead!"
"You do not understand", he replied dismissively.
"You think so? I had to watch my mother's death. It was very painful for everyone involved... she died because of you, Lord Yggdrassil. Does that give me the right to sacrifice Pronyma in order to bring her back?"
She jabbed a finger at Pronyma, who actually flinched.
"That is something entirely different."
"How so?", Alice inquired.
Mithos shrugged. "One human life more or less matters not."
"Excuse me?!", Alice shouted angrily. "I could say just as well that one half-elf more or less doesn't matter and tear Yuan to shreds!"
Yuan regretted his thoughts from earlier – he didn't particularly like where this conversation was headed right now.
"You could never do that."
"You'd better not underestimate me."
"To get back to the matter at hand: it is not like we force the Chosen to sacrifice herself. She is doing it out of her own free will."
"Yes, of course! You manipulate the church, who in turn manipulates the Chosen! And your 4.000 years of breeding made sure her character is so weak that manipulating her is child's play. This girl doesn't have a choice."
"Based on what kind of information do you claim to know the Chosen One's character?"
"I did my own research. And my sources are very reliable."
"Fascinating. But I still think your arguments are invalid – after all, you are just a human and a child on top of that."
He should not have said that. Yuan noticed the change in Alice's aura immediately. Light burst out from within her, illuminating the area around her. Pronyma shrank back.
"That's it! Who do you think you are?! What is the difference between you and me? Just give me one reason why you're so superior to me! But it has to be a good one because I've grown tired of your excuses!"
Mithos wisely decided to keep his mouth shut for a bit, having apparently been startled by the sudden display of magic. Kratos didn't seem to be affected.
"I thought as much", Alice said, a little calmer. "There are no good arguments to justify your actions. What drives you is mere selfishness. I'll ask you one last time: Do you accept our demands?"
"No. I shall not give up on Martel."
Alice nodded, her face grim. "Then you leave me with no other choice. I would have rather avoided this..." She plucked one of the leaves from her hair and made it float above her right palm. "In the name of my sister, the Lady of Heimdall, I hereby declare war on Cruxis."
Yuan had not expected this, though, given the sisters' personalities, it shouldn't really have come as a surprise. It was a risky move, though, and he wasn't entire certain what their aim was.
A magic circle appeared beneath her feet. It radiated white light that lit her from below and gave her a rather frightening look.
"I vow to fight you, Lord Yggdrassil, until I see you lie dead before me, or my own death ends my struggle. This I swear on my life!"
With one last flash of light, the circle disappeared. The leaf burst into flames and Alice let the ashes fall to the ground. Then, she again placed her right hand on her chest.
"A good day to you, Lord Yggdrassil. May the Great Tree watch over you."
She turned on her heel and strode out of the throne room.
Yuan shook his head, pitying Alice. That girl was just as foolish as her father – binding her life to a vow. This could only end badly...
Next to him, Mithos shook his head in disbelief.
"What is this? First she says she will kill me, and then she wishes me 'a nice day'?"
"Maybe she believes that you should treat even your enemies with respect", Kratos replied. "I think it shows a good upbringing."
"Whatever. We will continue as planned. You will be able to handle a little girl, Kratos, won't you."
Elerína was sitting in front of her house, enjoying the sunlight and smoking her pipe when Alice returned. Alice's furious expression told her everything she needed to know.
"Didn't go too well, did it?"
Alice snorted. "It was a total waste of time and effort!"
She marched into the house. Rína got up and followed her.
"Was it really that bad?"
"Bad?" Angrily, Alice kicked the table. "Yggdrassil is an arrogant, conceited jerk who is only interested in his own well-being! He is putting two worlds and their inhabitants at risk just to resurrect Martel! I can't believe it... And Dad just stood there and said nothing."
"Didn't he have anything to say at all?"
"Oh, he did open his mouth a couple of times. For example, he asked me why I was wearing only one glove. I claimed to have an injury because I didn't want him to see Mum's ring. I thought that might be too risky."
"Yeah, Kratos is pretty good at putting two and two together. So, that means we're officially at war with Cruxis?"
"Yes. Even though Yggdrassil doesn't seem to think he needs to take us seriously."
Rína smiled. "Guess we'll just have to teach him a lesson..."
"I'm going back to Sylvarant."
"Why?"
"To protect Lloyd. And Colette."
"Well, I can understand the part about Lloyd, but why Colette as well? You don't even know her, so why bother if the Renegades kill her?"
"Mum told me that Lloyd and Colette are close friends. Her death would be a hard blow to Lloyd, and I most certainly don't want that. I promised Mum to look after him. And Dad as well."
"Oh, very well. When are we leaving?"
Alice raised an eyebrow. "We? I wasn't planning on taking you along. You'd just try to kill Dad the moment you see him. Besides, Yggdrassil might attack the village, so someone has to stay here and defend it."
"All right, but you won't go all by yourself... Take Aodhan."
"Aodhan? I – I don't think that's a good idea..."
"Why not? He's a skilled hunter and magic user with some very nice abilities, and he is madly in love with you. Doesn't that makes him the perfect companion?"
Alice turned pink. "Aodhan isn't the problem – it's his father. He really hates me and Aodhan always quarrels with him about me... And I don't want to make it worse..."
"For heaven's sake, Aodhan is a grown-up man, he can do as he pleases. But if it's so much of a problem for you, I'll simply order him to accompany you. I don't think Aodhan will mind, and his father can't do anything about it, either."
"All right, I give in."
Rína nodded, very pleased with herself.
That way, Alice and Aodhan get to spend some time just by themselves. Let's see what will come of that...
"You'll have to get an Exsphere from Yuan for Aodhan, or he won't stand a chance against the Desians. Check your equipment thoroughly before departing, and make sure to always hide your Cruxis Crystal, the ring and your pendant. Oh, and I got something for you."
Elerína moved over to a chest, opened the lid and took out several bottles filled with a golden substance.
"What is that?", Alice asked curiously.
"Mana-replenishing potions. You have a habit of exhausting yourself – these will help you get back on your feet more quickly. Making them is quite tricky, though, and the ingredients can be hard to find, so don't go downing them one after another."
"Thanks", Alice replied, hugging her. "Tell Aodhan to be ready at dawn. And he is to bring his horse, too."
The village was still hidden in the morning fog, and everything was silent. Aodhan stood next to his stallion, Chestnut, and stroke his nose absent-mindedly. Aodhan was carrying a quiver full of arrows and a bow. He had also brought his hunting knife, which he normally used to disembowel his prey, it should be useful in close-range battle as well. A slim leather headband held his long green hair back.
Chestnut neighed and another horse answered. Two figures appeared from within the fog. Alice and her Frisian stallion Blár.
"Aodhan. Thank you for coming with me."
Aodhan smiled. "No need to thank me. I've always been curious about Sylvarant, besides, I'd like to meet your brother. Wonder what he's like..."
"Me too... the last time we saw each other we were three years old, after all..." Alice twirled a strand of her long hair around a finger in a nervous manner. "Aodhan, it's very important that nobody finds out who I really am. It would only make things more complicated."
"I won't say anything. You have my word."
Alice smiled. Instantly, the closeness she usually displayed was gone. He watched her thoughtfully. In his eyes, Alice was the most beautiful, kind and smart woman he had ever met. In addition, she was also a skilled warrior and hunter.
"There is something else... Since yesterday, I've felt short bouts of depression every now and then. It's not bad, but I brewed some of the potion, just in case. If I start acting strange and still don't drink it, you'll have to make me. Otherwise, the consequences might be terrible – and not just for me. I might endanger others as well."
Aodhan nodded. "Don't worry, I'd never let you die, no matter what."
"Thank you. Let's go, then."
"How are you going to transport the two of us and two horses on a Rheairds?"
"I can't. I could get another Rheaird from Yuan, but we still won't be able to transport the horses that way – we'll have to teleport instead."
"All right. Can you do it?"
"Sure, leave it to me."
The world faded away and only moments later, they materialized inside one of Yuan's bases. The horses were spooked by the sudden transition, and it took them a while to calm them. Alice told one of the soldiers to tend to their horses and made her way to Yuan's office.
"Yuan, I need an Exsphere for Aodhan."
"Ah, so you have a private bodyguard now. Don't you want a Cruxis Crystal?", he asked Aodhan.
"No, an Exsphere would do just fine."
"Well, we have enough of those in stock."
Yuan went into the next room and took a small box from a shelf. It contained a small gem and a circular thing.
"Where do you want it to be attached? Most people have it on their hands."
"Well, I don't really care."
Yuan attached the Exsphere and Key Crest to Aodhan's right hand. It was a strange feeling when the gem fused with his body.
"Never use the Exsphere without the Key Crest, since that would make you ill. Ask Alice for details."
Alice gave Yuan a murderous look.
"I'll give you another Key Crest just in case this one should break. You mustn't remove the Exsphere without the Key Crest or allow anyone else to do so – for what would happen to you then is worse than death. Again, ask Alice if you want to know more."
Alice turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
"Why are you provoking her like that?", Aodhan asked, frowning. "If she gets angry, she might kill you, you know."
"I know that. I just couldn't resist."
"And this little thing now makes me stronger?"
"Stronger, quicker, and it also allows you to react faster. But since all Desians are using Exspheres, you can't expect to be better than them."
Aodhan nodded. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Aodhan left to look for Alice. He was slightly worried about her – given her mother's tragic fate, Yuan's words must have hurt her.
A/N:
Rína ships it.
14 years later, and Kratos is still a depressed mess. Not surprising, given how little support he gets from his "friends", one of whom keeps trying to kill him.
Pronyma seriously thought she was going to die. Meanwhile, Kratos is so done with everything, he literally didn't bat an eyelid when Alice exploded.
Alice's travelling/fighting outfit is practical, comfortable, sensible. The cloak is mostly there for flair, as she doesn't necessarily need it to stay warm (Rína is actually the type of person who would waltz across the snowy plains of Flanoir in nothing more than a dress simply because she can), however, it also helps with the whole "blending in" thing.
Glossary:
Edzard – strong sword point (Old High German); from ekka – point, blade and harti – hard, strong, solid, determined. Edzard is the Frisian form of Eckehard.
Blár – blue/black/dark one (Scandinavian)
Girlfriend Commentary
"What a surprise. It can't be because she's spent almost her entire life among elves", Yuan replied dryly. (lol, Yuan's sarcasm is the best)
"Lænnea, Lord Yuan wishes to speak with you immediately." (lol, like he can boss her around)
The only one indeed… Child, you're in for a surprise.(lol)
"One of them is a 17-year old human named Lloyd Irving. (oooooooh shit) Irving was your mother's maiden name, wasn't it?" (Yuan, you little shit, don't act like you don't know already!)
"So, you found Lloyd."(lol, Yuan thought this was news to her)
"Call it a twin's intuition."(Liar)
"While Heimdall is a pretty safe place for me to be, there was always a chance that Dad might come here and happen across me. He probably wouldn't pay much attention to one human girl. But twins?"(oh come on! Kratos is an Aurion man, chances are pretty high that he wouldn't even have noticed.)
"He may be insane, but he's not stupid."(lol, as opposed to other people in this universe)
Knowing of her traumatic past, Yuan deduced that his words might have triggered a flashback of some sort – though he still couldn't quite understand why she was currently begging for death. (ouch)
"Alice! Snap out of it! It's not real. Listen to me!" (parenting à la Yuan)
Yuan turned on the spot and vanished in a flash of light. He figured that it was probably about time he showed his face in Vinheim again, lest Mithos grow suspicious of his activities.(lol, yes, Yuan is not up to aaaany shady shit, Mithos… Nothing to see here… Totally isn't running a resistance. Totally isn't trying to murder the shit out of Kratos on every occasion. Not Yuan… Yuan is a very good boy…)
Feeling utterly bored, Mithos Yggdrassil drummed his long fingers on the arms of his throne while he let his gaze sweep the throne room. (lol, he is SUCH a child!)
He was regarding her with mild curiosity, but apart from that, she could only sense emotions that worried her deeply – Kratos appeared to suffer from severe depression and self-loathing. (aww, poor Kratos)
Her heart bled for him, and she wanted nothing more than to rush over, give him a hug and offer all the comfort she could. (awwww)
It was only now that they were in the same room that Yuan realised how strongly Alice and Kratos resembled each other. (lol, let's hope he's the only one who notices)
They were lucky, indeed, that Kratos wasn't a vain man and didn't have a habit of admiring his face in a mirror every day, or he might have noticed that someone was running around wearing his face.(they were also lucky indeed that Yggdrassil is apparently fucking blind)
"Is that a problem, Desian?"(shots fired)
It gave him a minor heart attack. (lol, Yuan has activated "shit we're gonna get caught mode)
"Does that give me the right to sacrifice Pronyma in order to bring her back?" (I mean, please do)
"You could never do that."(lol, you sure?)
"No. I shall not give up on Martel."(Mithos, reverting back to petulant child mode.)
She turned on her heel and strode out of the throne room.(Drama queen)
"Maybe she believes that you should treat even your enemies with respect", Kratos replied. "I think it shows a good upbringing." (pffft)
"We will continue as planned. You will be able to handle a little girl, Kratos, won't you."(nope. He won't. He will not be able to handle this little girl. She is going to drive him crazy.)
"Yeah, Kratos is pretty good at putting two and two together." (Unless 2 and 2 is his daughter's name, a face that definitely came from his genetics and an older sister called Elerina. Seriously, how many Elerinas are there in the world? Doesn't sound like a very common name…)
"I'm going back to Sylvarant." (We'll teach him a lesson – nope, I'm going to do some world-hopping instead)
"To protect Lloyd. And Colette." (Welcome to the Aurion family, where protecting the Chosen is an afterthought.)
"Mum told me that Lloyd and Colette are close friends."(understatement of the century)
"We? I wasn't planning on taking you along.(cold) You'd just try to kill Dad the moment you see him.(lol, point taken)
"He's a skilled hunter and magic user with some very nice abilities, and he has a crush on you." (omg, yes, please let me ship that) (lol, I love how this implies that either Alice has been telling Rina of the Aodhan dilemma, or Aodhan has absolutely silch subtlety. I think it's the latter)
That way, Alice and Aodhan get to spend some time just by themselves. Let's see what will come of that... (lol, Rina ships it!)
Elerína moved over to a chest, opened the lid, and took out several bottles filled with a golden substance. (I'm disappointed. For some reason, I expected a chain of dried tomatoes to ward off evil Kratosses)