A/N:
Caradilis is currently busy with college and other stuff and has, therefore, not had time to read the last two chapters one last time before I uploaded them, which is also why one of them lacks a commentary. As soon as she provides me with her notes, I will update the respective chapter and note this in the opening note. We have also figured out that she is a lot more likely to comment on parts of the story that contain Aodhan & Alice or Kratos. Lloyd's PoVs get very little commentary.
This chapter features a proper family reunion for once. And another Kratos introspection, which is always fun =D
Upon reaching Colette's house, the two friends noticed that not only Colette, Kratos, Phaidra and Frank were present, but that the mayor had arrived as well.
"So, we will entrust the protection of the Chosen One to Raine and Kratos", the mayor was saying just now.
"Are you talking about the journey of World Regeneration?", Lloyd asked. "I wanna go, too! I want to see with my own eyes how Colette becomes an angel!"
"Me too!", Genis said. "I want to be wherever Raine is."
"No", Kratos replied almost instantly. "The fights today at the temple were nothing in comparison to what awaits us on that journey. You'll only be a burden."
Phaidra and Frank seemed surprised at Kratos' choice of words, but the mayor agreed.
"Kratos is absolutely right."
Lloyd glared at them both.
"I'm really grateful for your help earlier", Phaidra said, "but I, too, think that you should better remain here, in the village. Genis, your sister has asked us to look after you, and we promised that we would."
"Fine", Lloyd growled. "Let's go, Genis."
As they started towards the southern entrance of the village, Colette caught up with them.
"I'm really sorry", she said, looking at both of them.
"Why are you apologising, you dork?", Lloyd asked teasingly. "It's not like it's your fault. But I'd still like to go..."
"I know, but it's just that the Desians will be after us, and it'll be a dangerous journey..."
"Oh, by the way, Colette, here's your birthday present!", Genis said, handing her a small parcel. "Some of my home-made cookies. Had I known you'd be leaving so soon, I'd made something more special..."
"No, it's fine, I love your cookies!", Colette assured him.
"So, Lloyd, what did you make her?", Genis asked, a challenge in his voice.
"Er – I – uh – it's – it's almost done. I'll give it to you – tomorrow, before you leave!"
"Thank you so much, both of you! I'll come by your house later to tell you when we'll be leaving", Colette said to Lloyd.
She turned to run back to her house, tripped and fell.
"Liar", Genis said as soon as she was out of earshot.
"If I start right away, I can still finish it in time."
"Well, whatever. Say, you're going home now, right? Can I come along part of the way? I have an errand to run."
"Sure, but I didn't know you had friends outside the village – besides me."
"I know, but I just have to see this friend and tell her about the oracle."
"Oh, I get it! It's the one you always give your lunch to!"
"You knew?"
"Yep. That dog must be really happy!"
Genis stared at him. "Dog?! She's a fine human friend!"
"Oh, sorry... I just thought you were secretly caring for a dog or something..."
They left the village, accompanied by Noishe, who seemed very reluctant to leave Iselia. They headed westwards, toward the Forest of Iselia. As soon as they entered the forest, Noishe became even more uneasy and restless.
"Noishe doesn't like this place, does he?", Genis asked.
"He doesn't like places with monsters, for a start – even though there aren't many that are bigger than him."
They continued in silence for a while. Noishe kept whining and flinching at every sound, which really annoyed Lloyd.
"Say, Genis, that friend of yours, where does she live?"
"At the ranch."
"The ranch?! But then – if we go there, won't we violate the treaty?"
"The Desians violated the treaty first by attacking the temple."
"Right. But I'll come with you, or I'll just get worried."
The Human Ranch had been built at the highest point of the forest. High fences made from some kind of metal and steel cables surrounded the facility. Inside, people wearing rags were working, while the Desians spurred them on, shouting insults and occasionally using their whips.
"This is terrible", Lloyd muttered.
"Yeah... I can't understand how they can do this."
Carefully, they crept toward the fence. An old woman had separated from the workers and was resting.
"Marble!", Genis whispered.
The old woman looked up.
"Genis!" She hurried over to the fence. "Is that your friend?"
"I'm Lloyd, nice to meet you."
"Marble, did you see? Did you see the light?"
"Yes, and I saw the Tower of Salvation with my own eyes. Let's hope the Journey of World Regeneration will be successful this time..."
"The last Chosen failed, right?", Lloyd asked.
"Yes. I heard that she was murdered by the Desians."
"I hope Colette can do it..." Genis muttered.
"Let us pray to Martel. May she guide the Chosen on her journey."
As Marble folded her hands, Lloyd noticed something strange.
"Hey, granny - "
"Her name's Marble!", Genis snapped.
"Marble. Isn't that an Exsphere?"
She held out her right hand and examined it.
"Oh, is that what this is called? They placed it on me shortly after I arrived."
"Yup, that's definitely an Exsphere. But it doesn't have a Key Crest..."
"What's a Key Crest?", Genis asked.
"Attaching an Exsphere directly to your skin supposedly makes you sick. Ironically, it's useless unless you attach it directly onto your skin. So, in order to prevent it from making you sick, you carve a charm into a special kind of ore, using that as a mount for the Exsphere. Look."
He pulled the bandage off his left hand, so they could see his Exsphere and Key Crest.
"You're very knowledgeable", Marble observed.
"But Marble's Exsphere doesn't seem to have a Key Crest at all!"
"Nope, doesn't look like it."
"Lloyd, isn't there anything you can do?"
"Key Crests are dwarven technology. If this was just about the spell, I could carve one myself, but without the inhibitor ore, there is nothing I can do...", Lloyd replied while putting the bandage back in place.
"Your Dad's a dwarf! Can't you ask him for help?"
"I'll try."
"Thanks, Lloyd!"
That very moment, some Desians spotted them.
"Hey, old hag, what the hell do you think you're doing, slacking off like that?!"
"What are those brats doing there?!"
"Uh-oh. Run!", Lloyd hissed.
"Marble! Get away!"
Lloyd grabbed Genis and lifted him onto Noishe's back.
"Hold on tight!" he instructed his friend.
As Noishe dashed away, Lloyd followed as fast as he could.
"Open the main gate!"
Since the forest of Iselia consisted mostly of cliffs, Lloyd didn't have many options to choose from. Using the path was impossible, since the Desians had already blocked it. So, Lloyd turned and jumped down the cliff.
Thanks to his Exsphere, that kind of jump was no problem for him and soon, Noishe and Genis re-joined him. Genis slipped off Noishe's back.
"Lloyd, I'm so sorry! Just because I had to go to the ranch..."
"Hey, it's okay. I don't think they saw our faces, so they shouldn't know who we are."
"But - "
"Just do my homework for me, all right?"
Genis nodded, smiling gratefully.
"Mum, I'm home", Lloyd said to the grave marker as he entered the clearing on which Dirk's house stood.
Made entirely out of wood, the house had been built next to a small stream that provided them with fresh water. Dirk had built a shelter for Noishe as well as a second storey, so Lloyd had his own room. Dirk's room as well as the big room used for working and eating were on the ground floor.
"Hi, Dad!"
Dirk, who was currently working on a piece of glowing metal, looked up when Lloyd entered the house.
"Welcome back."
"Say, Dad, is there any chance you could make me a Key Crest?"
"What d'ye need a Key Crest for, all out of a sudden?"
"I met someone today who had an Exsphere without a Key Crest. That's dangerous for your health, right? Oh, wait – don't tell me that it's too late if you already equipped the Exsphere!"
"Naw, not at all. All ye need to do is make an accessory out of inhibitor ore and carve the spell into it, using it as a Key Crest instead."
"Great! Can you make me a bracelet as soon as possible?"
"Wait just a minute. That Exsphere – who does it belong to?"
Not good – I can't tell him Genis and I've been to the ranch...
"A traveller – a travelling mercenary."
"Baloney! Exspheres are basically used only by the Desians. Even if he killed a Desian and took his Exsphere, it should already have a Key Crest. Dwarven Vow # 11: Lying is the first step on the path of thievery. Tell me the truth: Who was it?"
"I met someone today, at the ranch - "
"You went to the ranch?! You didn't let 'em Desians see that Exsphere, did ya?!"
"N-no, I made sure – but why is it so important to hide this thing? The mercenary who came into the village today wears his right out in the open!"
"Yer Exsphere is special. It is yer mother's keepsake."
"What?"
"The Desians killed her in order to take it from her."
"You never told me – I thought she died in an accident!"
"No. Remember what I told you about how I found you under that cliff? Yer mother was mortally wounded, but still conscious, and so she told me everything... She asked me to care for you, and so I did. Yer mother protected ye and that Exsphere with her life. Don't go throwing either away."
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I knew that if I did ye'd run out to take revenge on the Desians. The Tower of Salvation appeared today. Just leave the rest to Colette – that'll take care of the Desians, too."
"So, will you make me the Key Crest?"
"Were ye listening to me at all?!", Dirk shouted, aiming a blow at him.
"Whoa! You don't have to hit me!", Lloyd shouted back, dodging the blow. "I heard you! But you can't expect me to do nothing now that I know!"
Angrily, he stormed out of the house.
On the way to the dwarf's house, Kratos tried to surreptitiously get information about this Lloyd from the Chosen – he had to know whether this boy might be his son. His name and age already matched, and Kratos was terribly worried because of the strong attachment the boy seemed to have to the Chosen.
Fortunately, Colette was extremely gullible and trusting, and Lloyd was, apparently, one of her favourite topics to talk about, as she seemed to admire him greatly. There was very little prompting necessary on Kratos' part for her to reveal that Lloyd had no family he knew of. He had been raised by Dirk, the dwarf who lived in the forest, who had found Lloyd along with Lloyd's dying mother. Colette also informed him that said mother's name had been Anna Irving.
Kratos felt like someone had gutted him.
All this time, he had thought that Lloyd had died, along with his mother and sister. Kratos had looked everywhere for them, but had found no trace of either the twins or their mother. Noishe had been gone as well. He had eventually accepted that they had died and drowned himself in self-loathing and guilt.
Kratos had never expected to find his son alive, and he had also never expected to feel such despair at the discovery. Why did his son have to go and befriend the Chosen, of all people? If Kratos couldn't convince the girl to leave Lloyd behind, he'd have to -
He forced himself to abandon that train of thought.
No. It won't come to that. I can't kill another member of my family. I wouldn't be able to bear it.
Kratos tried his best to focus on the Chosen's chatter as they made their way through the Forest of Iselia. Being in this place again, at the very scene where his worst memory had taken place, was harrowing, and Kratos had a hard time keeping himself together. His mind started playing tricks on him, and occasionally, he thought he saw a dead Desian or heard the pained roar of his wife.
Clenching his jaw, Kratos forced his mind to stay focused on the present, and to catalogue all the information about the boy who might very well be his son.
As they approached the house, the voices coming from inside suddenly rose in volume. While Colette hurried over to one of the windows to peek inside, Kratos noticed two things at once: Noishe, who was sleeping in a shelter next to the house, and a grave. There was enough light to enable him to read the name carved into the stone, even at a greater distance.
Anna
A wave of pain and despair threatened to overwhelm him, and he sank onto his knees in front of his beloved wife's final resting place.
Anna... I'm so sorry... I couldn't protect you. But I swear, I'll do everything in my power to protect our son.
It still seemed somewhat unreal – that his baby boy had survived and grown into a young man. On the one hand, Kratos was very glad about this – on the other hand, it pained him that he had missed out on so much.
Inside, the voices grew louder as Lloyd and his foster father started shouting at each other. Kratos frowned.
Looks like they established a real father-son bond.
Despite the sarcastic nature of these thoughts, Kratos couldn't deny the stab of envy he felt.
Lloyd was lying in the grass, staring at his Exsphere. He'd always hated the Desians, but now, it was worse – because it was personal.
"Lloyd..."
He sat up straight.
"Colette! Did you hear us – earlier?"
"Yes. I'm sorry about your mother. I promise to regenerate the world as quickly as possible!"
"About that... would it really be that bad if I came along? I should be useful in some way... It's just – now that I know I can't stay in a village that has a non-aggression treaty with the Desians!"
"I understand. We'll be leaving tomorrow at noon. Could you come to the village by then?"
"Of course! Thanks, Colette! Now I can see for myself how you become an angel!"
"Yes. Releasing the seals, reaching the tower, and then, finally..."
"Finally what?"
"Oh, nothing. So, Lord Remiel really is my father... I'm the child of an angel..."
"Does it matter?"
"Huh?"
"No matter who your real parents are, you are still you."
"You're right. Lloyd, I'm really happy to have met you. It was because of you that I could live those sixteen years to the fullest..."
"What are you talking about? You'll keep on living!"
Colette looked a little taken aback.
"Of course, you are right... Well, I have to go now."
"See you tomorrow, then."
"Yes. Good-bye."
As they walked back to the house, Lloyd noticed Kratos.
"Were you at my mother's grave?", Lloyd asked, noting the direction the mercenary had come from.
"I didn't know it was your mother's, but I feel that you ought to respect the dead."
"I see."
Weird guy.
Lloyd couldn't be sure because of the darkness, but Kratos didn't seem as cold and harsh as in the afternoon.
As he and Colette made their way back to Iselia, Lloyd went into the house.
All right... time to make that present!
The next morning, Lloyd packed his stuff and put the finishing touches on the necklace he'd wanted to give Colette as a birthday present. About one hour before midday, Lloyd shouldered his rucksack and went to his mother's grave.
"Mum, I'm going on a journey to save the world. By doing so, I hope to avenge you as well - "
"How brave of you to come, knowing your mother can't respond", Dirk observed.
Lloyd spun round.
"Dad!"
"Catch."
Dirk tossed something small at him, and Lloyd caught it reflexively.
"What's that?"
"The Key Crest ye asked me ter make."
"Dad! Then - "
"Dwarven Vow # 6: Never abandon someone in need! I'm just going along with the teachings. Also, I want ye to take this. I put some money aside, and I have a feeling ye'll need it more than me."
"Thanks, Dad!"
Dirk flashed him a big grin.
"But remember this, Lloyd: no matter what happens, this place is yer home. Yer me son, regardless of blood. Come by anytime ye need a break."
"I will."
"Lloyd!"
Lloyd looked up to see Genis running towards them.
"Genis! Perfect timing – I got my Dad to make the Key Crest for Marble - "
"That's great and all, but what about seeing Colette off?"
"About that, I've decided to join her."
"What are you talking about? Colette and the others left hours ago!"
"What?!"
"I came looking for you because you never showed up!"
"Lloyd, go to the village. Now", Dirk ordered.
"All right. Come on, Genis, Noishe!"
Kratos noticed that the Chosen One had stopped and turned to look at her. She was glancing back in the direction where they had come from. She was thinking about her friends, most likely...
Kratos was profoundly glad he had managed to persuade her to leave without the two boys. Genis had tried to protest, but his sister had insisted that he'd stay behind. And Raine could be scary when angry.
At first, Colette had been opposed to his plan, but when he pointed out all the possible dangers they might face, she had agreed, albeit reluctantly. Kratos had come to suspect that she felt more for his son than just friendship.
I do hope it's not the same with him...
Lloyd and Genis went to see Phaidra and Frank, who had been expecting them.
"Colette asked us to give you this letter."
Lloyd opened the envelope and read aloud.
"Dear Lloyd,
by the time you read this, I will have already left on my journey. I'm sorry for lying to you. The world regeneration journey is full of peril – many Chosen have failed. I care about you too deeply to let you get involved. I'm going to do my best to stop the monsters and the Desians, so I want you to live a happy and peaceful life in the regenerated world.
Thank you so much for all your friendship and kindness all those years. I'm really lucky to have met you.
Farewell
Colette"
Lloyd shook his head.
"What is this? It almost sounds like a will."
"Yes... you could call it that", Frank said quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"Lloyd, Genis, there is something we hid from you and the villagers. Colette – no, the Chosen One – is already - "
That moment, the sound of an explosion made them all jump.
"What was that?", Genis asked.
"I don't know. Let's have a look!"
As they hurried towards the town's entrance, they were horrified to see that the Desians had attacked the village. Houses were burning, and several people had been killed.
"Damn those Desians!", Lloyd growled. "Not again!"
The surviving villagers had been herded together near the entrance. The leader of the Desians was a tall man with an eye patch and short light green hair. His left arm was covered by a strange thing. Lloyd didn't need to know much about magi-technology to recognise a weapon when he saw one.
"Lloyd Irving! Show yourself!", one of the Desians called.
Angrily, Lloyd pushed his way through the crowd.
"I'm here! What do you want?"
"I am Forcystus, one of the Five Desian Grand Cardinals. I'm a superior half-elf and in charge of the ranch where we cultivate you pathetic humans!", the leader said.
"A half-elf", Genis muttered, sounding worried.
"You, Lloyd Irving, a human, are guilty of violating the non-aggression treaty. Therefore, we bring judgement upon you and this village!"
"What?! You Desians are the ones who violated the treaty first! You tried to kill Colette!"
"Us? Trying to kill the Chosen?", one of the Desians asked, sounding puzzled.
"I see, they must be after the Chosen", Forcystus said with a chuckle.
"You mean to say that you weren't the ones trying to kill Colette?", Lloyd asked, confused.
"We have no need to explain ourselves. The only thing that matters is that you made contact with the female host body A-0374."
"What?!", the mayor gasped. "How many times did we tell you to stay away from that ranch! Just look at what happened to our village!"
Lloyd hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry."
"Oh, you think an apology will fix it?! People died because of you!"
"Lloyd Irving, we have prepared an appropriate opponent for you", Forcystus announced.
Some more Desians approached the village, bringing a truly hideous monster with them.
Lloyd went pale. That thing was well over two meters tall and had claws the size of his hands – or bigger. Its arms were so long its hands dragged on the ground behind it.
"Now, receive your punishment!"
"Lloyd, I'll help you!", Genis shouted. "Just keep it away from me!"
"Got it."
Lloyd drew his swords and attacked. Growling, the monster lunged itself at him.
Lloyd couldn't get close enough to land a blow, so he used Demon Fang, a technique that allowed him to attack his enemy with shockwaves. He started circling the monster, so it couldn't fix its attention on Genis or the villagers.
Genis tried different spells, but none seemed to be effective.
Just what is this thing?
Suddenly, the monster stopped. Genis' Icicle hit the same moment, and the monster's knees buckled. Lloyd used that to land the final blow.
Panting and breathing hard, he looked down at the fallen monster.
"Lord Forcystus! It's just as you guessed, the boy has an Exsphere!", one of the Desians called.
Lloyd froze, then took a look at his left hand. The bandage was gone, he must have lost it during the battle.
"It must be the one from the Angelus Project we've been searching for!", Forcystus exclaimed. "Give it to me!"
"No way! There's no way I'd let you have that Exsphere!", Lloyd shouted, backing away. "It's my mother's memento, whom you Desians murdered!"
"What? Your mother was – Why am I wasting my time with you, anyway?"
Forcystus raised his left hand and aimed it at Lloyd. Lloyd had no idea what exactly that weapon could do, but things were looking seriously bad.
Forcystus took a step towards him over the monster's body. And the next moment, it rose to its feet, closing its arms tightly around the Desian.
Lloyd froze in amazement and shock, while the Desians let out cries of surprise and disbelief. And the next moment, something terrible happened – the monster spoke.
"R-run away... Genis... Lloyd..."
"That voice – it sounds like Marble's", Genis whispered, shocked.
"I-it can't be...", Lloyd choked.
"Genis... you were always like a grandson to me... thank you – and farewell."
The monster burst into tiny little sparks. Forcystus let out a strangled sound and collapsed.
Marble's Exsphere fell to the ground. Genis fell down on his knees and picked it up.
"Marble! Marble! Noooooooooo!"
"Protect Lord Forcystus!"
Several Desians crowded around their leader. Forcystus looked up at Lloyd, his remaining eye full of hatred.
"Lloyd... as long as you have that Exsphere, we will be after you... always."
The Desians warped away, but Lloyd's relief didn't last long.
"What have you done?! Just look at what happened to our village!", the mayor yelled at him. "It's all your fault!"
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"
"Is that supposed to make us feel better? The Desians marked you as their enemy! As long as you are here, this village will never be at peace! Do you understand?"
"W-wait a minute!", Genis interrupted, stepping in front of Lloyd. "You're going to exile him?"
"Yes."
"That's not fair! Lloyd didn't do anything wrong, he was only trying to help Marble!"
"Any involvement with the ranch is forbidden. There are no exceptions!"
"So it's fine to let people die at the Human Ranch as long as the village is safe?"
"The people at the ranch are just going to rot there anyway!", a woman called.
"Yes. Had you not done something that stupid, they'd be the only ones that died."
"You humans are all the same", Genis growled.
"That's enough, Genis", Lloyd said softly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "This was my fault." He looked up at the mayor. "I'll leave."
"Mayor, surely you don't have to be so strict on a child", another woman pleaded.
"What are you saying?", a man shouted at her. "Don't you realize how many people died here because of him?"
"It's not Lloyd's fault!", Genis argued. "I'm the one who took him to the ranch, so it's my fault!"
"But it's Lloyd the Desians are after. And besides, he isn't even from this village to begin with! He's an outsider who was raised by a dwarf!", the mayor replied.
"Then I'm leaving, too. I'm just as guilty as he is."
The mayor considered this for a moment.
"Fine, then. By the rights vested in me as a mayor, I hereby announce the banishment of Lloyd an Genis from the village of Iselia. Get out!"
As the crowd slowly dissolved, Lloyd and Genis made their way to Genis' house to get his things. Back at the entrance, they found Phaidra and Frank waiting for them.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble", Lloyd said quietly.
"If you feel that way, please catch up to the Chosen and protect her. If in doing so the world will be saved, surely everyone will think differently of you", Phaidra replied.
"I'm sure Colette would want that as well", Frank added.
"Yes. I will atone for what I've done. I swear to protect Colette for the sake of those who have died because of me."
"I'll follow you, Lloyd", Genis announced. "It was my fault that you were banished, so I promise to stick by you, always."
"Say, Genis, why don't you use that Exsphere? It's Marble's memento."
"All right...", Genis replied, looking down onto the gem.
Lloyd quickly explained to him how to use it and the Key Crest. After that, they left the village where they had grown up and headed south to find Colette and the others.
"Have you heard? There's elves in town!"
"What, for real?"
"Yes! Two of 'em, with horses an' all."
Larkin perked up at that, his curiosity piqued. He paid for his groceries while listening in on the conversation.
"It seems they're looking for something, and they were having an argument about how to proceed", a third person was saying
"One of 'em's male, the other female. An' her horse is quite something – a noble beast if ever I've seen one. Nothing like the ones we keep in this 'ere town..."
Larkin collected his purchase and left, since the conversation had moved away from facts to guesswork and speculation. Were they a couple? What did they want here? Larkin snorted softly. He wasn't a fan of gossip.
He rounded a corner and almost collided with a young man. He was tall, armed and – perhaps most importantly – an elf.
Looks like I've found one of them.
"Ah, my apologies", the elf said, clearly embarrassed. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, just a little surprised", Larkin replied, shifting his purchase.
"Sorry", the elf repeated. "This place is very confusing, and I think I'm lost."
"Is this your first time in a city?"
"Yes. I grew up in a forest."
"Oh, I see. What were you looking for, then?"
"The lake. Normally, I'd just climb a tree to orient myself, but you don't seem to have a lot of those around here."
"I'm afraid not", Larkin replied with a smile. "It's that way."
He pointed down the street.
"Thank you – hang on. You're a half-elf, aren't you."
"Ah, yes. I am", Larkin replied, slightly uneasy. He had never met elves before, and therefore had no idea what to expect.
"Are there any other half-elves living in this town?"
"No, I'm the only one."
"I see", the elf replied, looking very much like he'd just had a realisation. "In that case, could I ask you to accompany me? I need your help."
"My help? What for? Not that I'm opposed to the idea, it's just that – what could an elf possibly need from a half-elf?"
The elf narrowed his eyes.
"No self-deprecation allowed when we're around", he said in a warning tone. "As to answer your question – it's my companion, Lænnea. She needs help, but she's being – shall we say – difficult about it."
"I heard that you were looking for something", Larkin ventured.
"Indeed. And I believe you could greatly help us with that matter. Besides, you seem a lot less skittish around me than the humans, too – I've never been to a human settlement before, and they don't seem used to interacting with elves, either. It's – a bit difficult."
"Ah, I see. Well, in that case, I'll gladly lend a hand. Though I would prefer to drop off my groceries first, if that's all right with you."
"Certainly. Want me to help you carry that?"
"Oh, well, if you don't mind..."
"Not at all. I'm Aodhan, by the way. Please forgive my atrocious manners."
"Larkin Irving, at your service", Larkin replied with a slight smile.
He probably shouldn't say this out loud, but he found that elf kind of adorable. Larkin guessed that he had to be young, relatively speaking.
Once they had safely deposited the groceries at Larkin's house, Larkin led the way to the lake. As they approached the shore, he spotted the female, who was currently watering the horses. He couldn't make out much from this angle, since she had her back turned and a mass of reddish-brown curls tumbling down her back was obscuring most of her face. She was absent-mindedly running her fingers through the curly mane of the black horse.
"Lænnea", Aodhan called with a smile. "Look who I found!"
The woman turned around and stilled the moment she spotted Larkin, her eyes widening in shock. Larkin himself had stopped breathing – it was as though someone had taken Anna's eyes – his eyes – and inserted them into Kratos' face. Larkin blinked once, twice, but the image didn't fade.
The girl still hadn't moved a muscle, it was as if she was frozen in place. Her eyes, however, were scanning his face, searching, probing. Larkin slowly reached out in her direction, afraid that she might just vanish if he moved too abruptly. Hope and doubt warred in his heart, and he finally forced himself to suck in a breath.
"Are you – are you really there?", he whispered, taking a hesitant step closer.
The girl chocked on a sob. "Grandfather!"
She broke into a run and enveloped him in a hug – it was only now that Larkin noticed, to his slight embarrassment, that she was taller than he was.
"Alice... You're alive. I can't believe it", he whispered hoarsely.
"I'm sorry for not coming to see you sooner", the young woman replied.
Larkin carefully extracted himself from her hold and searched her face.
"I assume you had good reasons?"
"I believe so", she replied. "Things are – very complicated, and – I was afraid. Of quite a number of things, one of them being endangering your life. However – things are currently in motion, things that you must know about. I have to take this risk, it cannot be avoided."
"And the other things that you were afraid of?"
Alice bit her lip and looked away.
Behind them, Aodhan softly cleared his throat. "She was afraid you'd be angry with her for concealing the fact that she was still alive for so long."
Alice shot him an angry glare.
"Child, don't be silly", Larkin chided. "Why would I be angry? I am overjoyed to see you again, my dear Silmea."
She smiled at that, and it reminded him so much of Anna that it hurt.
"Is there somewhere we can put the horses up for the night? And somewhere we can talk? It is important that we can't be overheard – and it would also help if we weren't seen together, I believe."
"Why not?"
"Kvar", Alice replied darkly, her face twisting into a murderous scowl.
"I see. You can board your horses at the inn. And we could meet on the roof of my house around sunset, if that's convenient for you."
"Yes, that should work", Alice replied. "You should go back now, though. I promise to tell you everything later."
"Very well. I'll be waiting."
Around sundown, Larkin climbed onto the roof to wait for his long-lost granddaughter. This brought back a rush of memories – he remembered coming up here with Kratos and the twins when they had been little, to do stargazing. The fact that Alice had somehow survived made him hope that, maybe, Kratos and Lloyd were still alive, too.
Eventually, he spotted Alice and Aodhan, who were approaching him from the west, so they had the sun behind them. They were running along the rooftops and steadily making their way toward him.
As they approached the street separating the roof they were on from Larkin's current position, Alice lengthened her strides and leapt across the chasm, landing in a crouch next to him. Aodhan, who apparently didn't fancy the idea of plummeting to his death, used wind magic to cross.
Alice looked exhilarated, her cheeks reddened and her eyes shining. The three of them exchanged greetings and then settled down.
"First of all, I need to know how much you know", Alice said without preamble. "Tell me everything you've heard; be it rumours or facts."
"Very well... I'm not sure how exactly people came by this information, but I was told that Anna had died and that the Desians had been involved. It was a shock, to be sure, but not terribly surprising – the Desians had been hunting you for years, after all. Every time you left Luin, I feared that I might be seeing you for the last time."
"I see", Alice replied quietly. "What you heard wasn't wrong, but – it also wasn't the whole truth. However, the whole truth is very complicated, and explaining everything will take a while."
"I don't mind."
"All right. Well then, I guess I should probably start by telling you that I have a sister..."
Larkin listened with rapt attention as Alice began painting a history – not just her life's story, but also that of her father and sister, a history spanning four millennia. Larkin was amazed to hear that Kratos had been a hero who fought during the Kharlan War – he would have never guessed the man to be over 4.000 years old.
Shock, wonder, outrage, despair – the emotions this story invoked within him were many. He would interrupt Alice at times, ask questions or voice his opinion on something. She would always patiently answer every one of his questions.
When she was done, Larkin took a moment to absorb all of this. It was quite a tale, after all.
"This is all a bit hard to believe, you know", Larkin said at length. "It's not that I doubt you, but part of me desperately wants to refuse to believe that this might be true..."
"I can prove it, as a matter of fact", Alice replied, rising to her feet. "Please don't be alarmed."
She spread her arms wide while feathers of light whirled around her. Then, an enormous pair of wings sprouted from her back – they were as tall as she was, and blue-green. The wings made soft tingling noises and little bursts of light fell off them. Alice started beating her wings and rose off the ground.
Larkin clamped his hands over his mouth to keep himself from making a sound. Aodhan placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
Alice alighted and put her wings away.
"I am an angel, as you can see", she said while sitting down again. "It's not hereditary, though. Lloyd is still a normal human. Well, as normal as a human with elven blood possibly can be."
"Part of me really wished that all of what you just told me wasn't true", Larkin whispered. "It's quite awful, when you think about it."
"I'm sorry", Alice replied, her face mirroring the pain he was feeling. "I wish some things weren't true myself... Grandfather, I have a request."
"Go on, dear."
"Please – please don't blame Father for what happened to Mother. Please. He's spent the last 14 years hating himself. He's a broken man, barely clinging to life. Mother – Mother hates seeing him like this. She doesn't blame him either, so please - "
Her eyes were wide, and she looked about ready to cry. Larkin reached out and took her arm before pulling her into his embrace.
"Hush, child, it's all right. No, don't. You look like you need a good cry. Go on, just let it all out."
Alice gasped and buried her face in his chest, her whole body shaking with sobs. Aodhan watched them, his face etched with worry.
Finally, Alice's sobbing subsided, and she sat back up, hiccupping.
"Sorry", she muttered sheepishly.
"Don't apologise. A lot of terrible things happened to you when you were still young – by the goddess, you still are young. Far too young to be worrying about things like this... Alice, listen: I know your parents loved one another and that they loved you and your brother above else. From what you told me, your father wasn't to blame here – he had to choose between his wife and his son. I certainly don't hate him for the choice he made – rather, I pity the man. I don't even want to begin to imagine what it must have been like – being forced to kill someone he loved. No, I can't hate him for that."
Alice smiled, more tears streaming down her cheeks – though those appeared to be tears of happiness or, at the very least, relief.
"Now then, as interesting as this history lesson has been, I still don't understand why you suddenly felt the need to tell me all of this, when you certainly didn't do so a couple of years ago."
"Right. Dad has been appointed the guardian of the Chosen of Regeneration by Yggdrassil, he is to accompany her on her travels and make sure the Renegades don't kill her. The Chosen – Colette – and Lloyd are childhood friends and very attached to one another. According to Rose – Elerína's mother – Lloyd wanted to accompany them on the journey, but Kratos urged Colette to leave earlier than planned, so Lloyd was forced to stay behind. However – according to the latest news I've received, there's been an incident with the Desians. Iselia was burned to the ground and Lloyd, who is now a wanted man, was exiled from the village. The only path for him is forward – he's currently trying to catch up to Kratos and Colette."
"Why did Kratos try to leave Lloyd behind? Wasn't he glad to find out he was alive?"
"I can't say", Alice replied. "Dad is so good at masking his emotions, even his parents have trouble reading his expressions. However, I do know one thing: Dad has been ordered to kill all of Colette's companions that reach the Tower of Salvation."
Larkin paled. "So, if Lloyd does rejoin them, Kratos will have to kill him."
"Yes", Alice replied heavily. "I'll try to prevent that from happening, naturally, but there is another problem: It is possible the Chosen and her companions will come here."
"Oh. You are worried that I might accidentally blow Kratos' cover."
"Yes. As things stand now, we can't have Lloyd find out that Kratos is his father. They already had a rough start. But Lloyd finding out the truth – that would be terrible, for everyone involved. He mustn't find out."
"What do you want me to do?"
"If at all possible, avoid them. Given Dad's mental state, it's unlikely he'll seek you out. If Lloyd should be with him, pretend that you don't know him. Dad will probably not question your behaviour but blame himself."
Larkin grimaced. He didn't like the idea of making his son-in-law hate himself even more.
"If you do get a chance to talk to Dad on his own, pretend not to know anything. Feel free to tell him what you told me earlier, that the Desians were to blame for Mum's death. Don't mention me – or the fact that I am still alive – and don't let on that you know more than that.
"Dad will probably try to keep the fact that you're family hidden, for obvious reasons. However, there is a chance that Lloyd might find out that you have the same last name he does. In that case, play along with him depending on the questions he asks. If he mentions Mother, you can admit that you are his grandfather. Feel free to answer any questions about Mum, but try to avoid talking about Dad. If he should ask about him, pretend to be ignorant. You could even go as far as to pretend that you don't know who the father was. Mum gave her maiden name to Lloyd's foster-father, after all."
"Convenient", Larkin observed. "Very well. I'll try my best to memorise all of that. You have my word that I will try my utmost to keep both Lloyd and Kratos from harm."
"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."
They spoke of other things then, happy things, ordinary things, the stuff a normal family would be discussing. Larkin at one point disappeared down the hatch to fetch some food, and Alice asked Aodhan to braid her hair, which he did with a lot of skill. Larkin watched the two of them with a smile. He might not be an empath like his granddaughter, but he was still very perceptive. It gladdened his heart to see two members of different races interact so well with each other. It gave him hope for a better future.
A/N:
The scene where Kratos and Colette cross the Forest of Iselia wasn't in the original draft (we jumped right in when they arrived at Dirk's place), but I figured it would make sense for Kratos to try and get information about Lloyd. And re-visiting the place where his worst memory took place should also have quite an effect on him.
Meet the Desians, a bunch of certainly not lovable idiots – they're just idiots. Take Forcystus, for example – whom I'd have considered one of the smarter ones – he either a) never made the connection between Lloyd Irving, a human who popped up 14 years ago and proceeded to stay with the resident dwarf, of all people, and Lloyd Aurion, who went missing in that area around the same time or b) figured it out but never bothered to check if said boy had an Exsphere and/or to inform anyone that he had found Kratos' son. He could have curried massive favour with either Kratos – for reuniting him with his lost son – or Yggdrassil – for enabling him to do the reuniting and getting back into Kratos' good graces (somewhat). Forcystus is either denser than Lloyd and Kratos put together or a complete moron.
Though he's by far not the most stupid of the lot – the one who takes that particular cake and eats it (all by himself, since he's an asshole) is Kvar.
Another thing that confused me in the game is that only Kvar and Pronyma seem to know who Kratos is – granted, Magnius is a bit vague on the topic, and we never see Kratos and Rodyle interact, but Forcystus very clearly didn't know who Kratos was – even though he spent 3+ years hunting the guy. At the very least, Yggdrassil should have shown them pictures and be like, "This the guy I want. Alive."
Probably due to the fact that he's not a good student and doesn't seem to know a lot of things (especially compared to Genis) and even falls asleep in class a lot, some people think that Lloyd is stupid. Which is not true. There are different kinds of intelligence, and the one Lloyd excels at is emotional intelligence. He acts based on emotions and instinct, which is why he saves Marble (and Cacao) without caring about possible consequences. He sees something that he thinks is wrong, and acts, whether it is legal for him to interfere or not. Lloyd is also very good at things that interest him, like Dwarven craftsmanship and fighting, and he knows all of the Dwarven Vows by heart.
Several writers have suggested that Lloyd has ADHD or ADD, which would explain a lot. Unfortunately for him, the people of Sylvarant seem unaware that this is a thing, and so Lloyd often gets criticised by Raine, Genis and Kratos.
Also, meet Larkin, best grandpa ever (sorry, Cyrus). The two scenes he's in weren't there originally – I had him reflect on this meeting at a later point in the first draft. However, Caradilis complained about the lack of Alice in recent chapters, and so I decided to put said meeting in here.
Despite his kindness (which he passed on to Anna and Alice), Larkin can be very assertive if need be – if you're acting like a complete moron, he will let you know, regardless of who or what you are. And I loved writing his interactions with certain people. You can look forward to that.
Larkin actually looks slightly older than in the image in my gallery – not old enough to be a grandfather due to his elven blood, but certainly like an adult.
Larkin is, by definition, not an Aurion man, so he's not afflicted by the density (denseness?) that Lloyd and Kratos suffer from. He sees Alice and recognises her – though, to be fair, Kratos met her as "the envoy from Heimdall" who then turned out to be a human for some reason. The thought that she could be his daughter – that his daughter could even still be alive – hasn't even crossed his mind.
We never see Kratos and Anna interact in this story, but I imagine she would have been the dominant one in this relationship – ordering her 4000+ immortal husband around. She did inherit her father's assertiveness, after all.
Girlfriend Commentary
Kratos felt like someone had gutted him. (Aww, poor baby Kratos)
He had eventually accepted that they had died and drowned himself in self-loathing and guilt. (Noooooooo! *activates puppy eyes* Poor Kratos! I need to hug him!)
Why did his son have to go and befriend the Chosen, of all people? (I don't know, I'd say plot-relevance?) If Kratos couldn't convince the girl to leave Lloyd behind, he'd have to – (Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! NO! No.)
No. It won't come to that. I can't kill another member of my family. I wouldn't be able to bear it. (*sniff*)
There was enough light to enable him to read the name carved into the stone, even at a greater distance. (Ow, my poor heart!)
I do hope it's not the same with him... (yeah, Kratos, you're about to murder your son's girlfriend, good job!)
Larkin grimaced. He didn't like the idea of making his son-in-law hate himself even more.(aww)
It gladdened his heart to see two members of different races interact so well with each other. It gave him hope for a better future. (Aodhan's main magical power is making everyone who comes into contact with him immediately ship him with Alice.)