Chapter 7
Hope
The president of the Lazereno company was exceptionally young; being only around his early twenties and already having such a title and responsibility. Still, he wore it well. And if that wasn't enough, he was a duke as well.
Regal Bryant had a lot going for him, yet he was still very humble. The 'fame and fortune' hadn't gone to his head, yet. Maybe it was just a matter of time.
Kratos knew Lazerano had a big mining facility, mostly set up to excavate Exsphere's. But it wouldn't be the only thing there. Other ores are bound to be found in such a mine; he was just betting on that.
However, Kratos needed permission to get into the automated mine. Normally he wouldn't go through the trouble, but there was no choice. A big gate, set up with turrets was blocking the way. The easier and faster way around this, would be talking to the owner.
Curiously enough, the president himself wasn't there. Instead, he had to talk to the butler.
"I would like passage through the mine gate. I know you do not normally do that, but I just need one specific ore. I will not take anything else, in and out."
"I understand, sir. But our president needs to approve of this and the current situation makes that... difficult." The butler bowed deep. "I apologize for the inconvenience."
"Are there no workers in the mine at all?"
"There are some. They would know if the ore you are looking for is there. But I cannot possibly give you our workers information. That is against our policy."
Kratos gritted his teeth. He'd rather not play this card too often, but it seemed he had little choice.
"I am of Cruxis. Surely, something can be arranged." His eyes aglow, he stared the butler down.
Shocked, the older looking man set a step back, bowing his head. "O-of course, sir. My apologies. I will look into it right away. Give me a moment."
Quickly, the butler walked off doing whatever he needed to do. Kratos crosses his arms, sighing. The risk of playing the Cruxis card was that Mithos might hear about it. And this could bring his whole mission in danger. But risks had to be taken sometimes. Most certainly for his one and only son. He had to live. Nothing else mattered to Kratos now.
After some time, the butler came back, holding a folder. "This contains the reports of all the ores found in the mine. Is the one you are looking for in there, sir?"
Kratos ruffled through the papers, that were neatly put in alphabetical order.
"Yes. It is." That was a relieve. He looked at a number next to it, and a single letter. "What does this mean?"
"The rarity and location, sir. It's...rare."
Of course, it was. Nothing was ever easy.
"Is there no stock of it?"
"I am afraid not, sir. I think a miner has to be asked to specifically go find it."
"Well then, do that."
"But sir..."
His cold, deadly gaze made the butler shut up and just nod. "I'll arrange it, sir. Can you come back tomorrow?"
"Very well then."
Kratos said nothing more as he turned and left the company. Did he really have to wait around in this god-awful resort? There was nothing else to it. He made sure to avoid most people. No doubt some among them would try to rope one into doing things like going to the casino or the beach. He did not care for any of this.
To get away from people, he found a quiet place to sit and ponder. He had to plan something, to make sure Lloyd would be safe. He needed to be useful to Mithos. Thinking about this, the night passed.
Some people did notice the lone man sitting on a bench, mostly when it was light out again. No one bothered him, however, which was just as well. He went back to the company, to see the same man, now joined by a younger, sturdy looking man.
"Ivan, this is the man I informed you about," the butler started.
"You know where to find the ore, and the way in?" Kratos interrupted, not caring for introductions.
"Yeah, I know alright." Ivan nodded looking to the older man next to him for a moment.
"It won't be easy to reach, however. The place is crawling with monster."
"No problem. Do you have a map you can give me?"
"That is against policy," the butler started.
"George, I don't wanna go back there. Last time was close enough for me." Ivan pleaded to the older man. He rubbed his upper arm as if it hurt.
"Very well," he sighed. "We can make an exception. Though I have to request you not to copy this map, sir."
"Not a problem." Kratos nodded to him.
Ivan pulled out a folded paper and spread this over the desk. He drew a line on what looked like a complicated maze until he circled a certain area.
"The ore is red colored, you can't miss it. There are no lights that way. I can let you in at the maintenance passage, but that is as far as I will go."
"Very well. Let us get to it, then."
Kratos crossed his arms, looking at the miner. Ivan looked at George, who nodded to him.
"Sorry to ask this of you, Ivan." He bowed with this apology.
The man sighed. "Alright. We can take the boat to the site of the mine here."
Kratos followed the man. They went on a special ferry line. He knew the surroundings of course, but the Seraphim had never been in a mine, he had no reason to.
The maintenance entrance was cleverly hidden away in the ground with a handle, and there were some more interactions needed after that to really get into the mine. Things that only a mine worker would know.
Ivan stopped at an archway that seemed to be slightly sunken into the ground. "This is as far as I go. Here, you will need this."
He picked up a pick axe, and reached it out to Kratos. "It's possible that ahead there have been cave ins. We don't work in this section anymore."
"Because it is not safe?"
"Yeah, that's one of the reasons." Ivan touched his upper arm again, in thought it seemed. "Keep closely to the map, or you'll get lost. Even if there is a cave in. You probably have to dig through. Honestly, it isn't worth all the trouble."
He looked up at the tall man. Kratos just started walking, map in one hand, pick axe in the other, not saying anything.
Ivan just shook his head at this madness, quickly turning around and getting out of this place.
The darkness of the mine was no problem for Kratos. His sharp, angelic eyes could still see like it was brightly lit. The monsters were not much trouble either. They were weak, for his standards at least, and quickly taken care of.
Following the map to the dot, he ran into the real problem; where there was supposed to be a tunnel were only piles of rocks. Kratos looked at the pick axe in his right hand and with a sigh, he started hacking the old fashion way. He didn't want to just blast through it, thinking it would only make things worse.
Good thing he did not have things like human fatigue or sweating to worry about. He worked for hours, keeping close to the map. It was slightly challenging, because the line was hard to keep to without any real hints of it.
When it finally opened up again, it showed that he had been following this line correctly. According to the map, he still had a way to go. But this was for Lloyd, Kratos kept in mind. To at least give him some kind of protection, so he would not become a monster. Not again.
Concept of time had slipped from Kratos once again. It came and went in his case. Sometimes he was very aware of his way to long time on this plane. Other times, he didn't regard it. In this case, it was hard to tell time, just like it was on Derris-Kharlan. He really had a love-hate relationship with that place, now more than ever.
Finally, after hacking at rocks and monsters, he found it. The red orb was very noticeable, even from a distance. For a moment, Kratos wondered why this ore wasn't as desired. It was rare, so that made it valuable, right?
Instead it seemed to be fairly unknown, and avoided even. Was it only useful for Dwarves? Were they the only ones who could work with this ore, who knew how to process it?
Carefully, Kratos picked out the relatively large chunk of inhibitor ore. Finally, he had it. Now to go back to the dwarf and see what he can do, how long it will take. He teleported out of the mine, appearing again, at the edge of the forest, a short road leading to the house.
Dusting himself off, the Seraphim walked to the sole home, eerily close to the Human Ranch. It was late in the afternoon, when he knocked on the wooden door and then opened it; the dwarf was clanking away inside. He looked up from his work, looking surprised.
"Didn' expect yah back so soon. I know that stuff aint easy to get." Dirk's eyes lingered on the rough ore for a moment, before stepping closer and looking up at the tall man. "This must be someone close to yah."
Kratos said nothing, reaching out the ore for him to take. The dwarf took it studying it a bit longer.
"This will do nicely."
"How long will you need for it to be completed?"
"That depends on the pay, lad."
Of course, it came down to that.
"You gotta earn a livin' some way, right?"
"Five thousand gald and you will have it done in a week."
Both of the dwarf's eyebrows shot up at this.
"Ten thousand then?" Kratos misunderstood the expression.
"Easy there. Look, I'm an honest dwarf. I aint gonna take more than necessary. Two thousand is more than enough."
"Oh. I see." This, Kratos did not expect. "Thank you."
"Heh, no problem, lad. I'll see yah back here in a week around the same time."
Kratos nodded, after which he left the house. He was so close, he might as well check up on the Chosen to kill some time.
Just wait a little bit longer, Lloyd. Soon, you will no longer have to suffer under that cursed thing.
The test was simple enough. It was just two cups, one with hot contents, the other ice cold. It was one of the more telling effects of the Exsphere.
Kratos needed to know the current situation, while waiting for the key crest. So that hopefully, after fitting it, the difference would be very obvious. Then again, this was not a normal Exsphere. Who knows if a key crest would even help matters?
Lloyd was in his cell, being bored out of his mind. Now he could no longer sleep, he had even more time on his hands. He had no clue what to do with it all. The now eight-year-old was surprised to see his father coming to him with drinks. He never did this, and he already knew that his son didn't really have the need for it anymore. So, this earned him a confused look.
"Here, hot chocolate." Kratos just said flatly, offering one of the cups.
"Uh, okay. Thanks?" Lloyd took the cup, looking up at his father.
"Drink it."
It was a command, not a request. Lloyd was kind of used to this demeanor now, so he just did what he was told.
"Hot, isn't it?"
"Yeah. It's nice." The boy smiled while sipping the drink.
Kratos narrowed his eyes. "I actually made it iced."
"Huh? Oh yeah, of course!" Lloyd now took a much longer sip.
"That would have burned your tongue."
The Seraphim said it after a few moments of no reaction.
"What...?"
"It is actually steaming hot."
Just now, the steam rose from the liquid. Lloyd stared at it.
"Why are you lying to me? You can't feel it, can you?"
"I - I..."
Out of nowhere, Kratos drew a knife, took his son's right hand and made a cut in his palm. He wanted to cry out, he really did. But...he didn't feel it. Even with the blood running down his hand, the cut in clear view, there was nothing.
His father even squeezed his hand. Out of habit, the boy wanted to flinch. But his body did not react. It was as if his body and his mind were two totally separate things. He knew it should have hurt; it should have been very painful. But there was nothing.
Kratos looked him straight in the eyes. The boy knew he should be mad at him, for doing this to him. Once again, he did not express it. No, not that he did not want to; it was more that he was not able to. There was no pain, no hate...
"There is nothing." Lloyd said it quietly.
Nodding slowly, his father said: "It will heal."
He took the boy's other hand, looking at the Exsphere. It had the faint, aggressive red glow he knew all too well. His mouth was a thin line.
"Something will be made for you. Hopefully that will slow it all down, or stop it entirely."
Wishful thinking, Kratos knew this. But one could always hope. It was about the only thing he could cling to.
"What is happening to me?" The boy finally asked with a small voice.
"Come. There is still work to be done."
Avoiding questions as usual, Kratos went ahead of his son, going to their usual training spot. This was at least making some good progress. Maybe this was thanks to the Exsphere.
There was no knowing what might come. The future was uncertain like that. Though they were trying to guide it for ages now, there was no real certainty.
Other than death.
Hopefully.
Eventually.
In order to get somewhere, to finally end this agonizing vicious circle, something needed to change. Could Lloyd bring about this change? Could he be expected to break it all and finally set them all free?
For some reason, Kratos felt that spark of hope. One he rarely felt. One he had to cling too, for his own sanity, and for the good of all of them. Lloyd, Yuan, himself, Mithos and even Martel.
The only thing was that he needed to convince Mithos. Make him think this would all be to help him when in actuality...well, in a way it could still be seen as help.
After the long training session, Lloyd was brought back to his cell. His father went on to find Mithos, who was in that dreaded room. Even for him, the sight of Martel's body, floating there, was difficult.
He could only imagine what it was like for Yuan, who would have been her betrothed. And even though Mithos was in his grown-up form, standing there, looking up at her resting form pained, Kratos saw the young boy he actually was.
"Just wait a little longer, sister. You will be back with us really soon, I promise. We will all be a family again."
Kratos bit his lip, but he then cleared his throat. "A moment of your time, Mithos?"
The blond man turned and looked at him, eyes growing cold and distant. "What is it?"
"I would uh, like to discuss our plan."
Mithos arched a brow, it wasn't like his former mentor to hesitate. "Well, out with it."
"I know the plan is that I am to be the one guiding the Chosen during the journey of Regeneration. But I think it would be better if someone else filled this role."
The Cruxis leader tilted his head at this proposal. "Who could be a better fit than you, Kratos? You are a sure bet. Experienced, knowledgeable and trustworthy. This one will be the one, Kratos. It has to be perfect, so you will have to do it, guide things along and make sure it all goes right. I know you can do that."
"I appreciate your vote of confidence." Kratos bowed his head. "However, I still think my son is the better choice. Hear me out. He is around her age, so the connection would be better. His training is going smoothly. By that time, he will be well prepared. Introduce him a small period of time before the oracle and so earn the trust of everyone involved. That way, I can work from the side lines, make sure nothing will go wrong. I know the dangers; I can keep a closer eye on them that way."
Mithos narrowed his eyes. "You are expecting me to put my trust in that boy?"
"My lord, this is all he knows." His old mentor gestured around him. "Where else can his loyalty be?"
"All he would ever want is to get out of here."
Then again, Mithos now had a mold to work with. A soon to be blank one at that. No resistance, no questions, no betrayal. It would be the ideal poppet, to dance at his strings.
The blond man grinned. "Yes. I do think that is a good idea."
Kratos didn't like that scheming look he knew so well. "My lord?"
"He will take your place. I agree with your plan, Kratos."
This was a surprise. He was sure it would have taken him hours, if not days to convince him. What was with this sudden turn around?
"You will keep training the boy, and dial it up while you are at it."
"Ah, yes my lord."
Don't look gift horse in the mouth. Kratos bowed deeply for him.
It took some time, for the dwarf to make the key crest. He had to be sure it was fixed, that it would actually work. Dirk knew an Exsphere without one, was dangerous. But he had no real clue what it exactly did. It made people sick, that's how far his knowledge went.
His client, the man with the amber colored hair, came in to check on the progress, several times. Even though he did not show it in his face, it was clear he was concerned. Dirk wondered for who this crest was. It had to be someone close.
"You maybe up for that 'something stronger' I offered yah?" The dwarf said to him one evening.
"I... Hm. Why not?"
Kratos nodded an sat down on a wooden chair at the dwarf's invitation. Dirk made up the drinks, set them on the small, round table and took a seat across from him.
"So, yah mind tellin' me your name?"
"Kratos Aurion."
"It's not often I have to make a key crest. But that's a good thing I reckon..."
Dirk noticed the man shook his head at this.
"Ay, I suppose not."
"Exsphere's themselves should not be used as they are." Kratos more or less mumbled it, while sipping his drink. A hard whiskey always had a nice taste. The alcohol itself did not affect him whatsoever.
"I wouldn't know, I aint to familiar with 'em. The craft of a key crest was actually meant for another purpose."
"That is true." Kratos nodded at this.
The dwarf eyed him curiously. It sounded almost like he knew. It wasn't very widely known knowledge.
"Is it for family?" Dirk then asked after a short silence.
The man did not answer this question, drinking from the glass, eyes as unreadable as ever.
"How come you live so close to the Human Ranch?" Kratos instead asked.
"Hmf. I already was here when that showed up. It came here ten years ago, give or take."
It was true. The Ranch here was specifically set up to keep a close eye on the Chosen. Her fate was set, and it seemed his son had very much the same problem. Mithos set the course, a one-way road, all going towards reviving Martel. All to keep his grip on the worlds, ruling them.
That was his way, acting as a god. While he was powerful, Mithos was no god. He could still be hurt, he could still die. Did Kratos wish for this? Looking at the whiskey in his glass, that he slowly swirled around, he pondered this thought.
He still saw the boy, instead of the man he chose to become. They were two very different people. Kratos hoped strongly, that he could snap Mithos out of it. He has tried in the past. Him and Yuan have both tried. But just like Mithos himself, they gave up.
Hope was no longer there. But maybe, just maybe...
It was true that Lloyd felt like a freak. His own body was denying his whole being it seemed like. He should have felt panic, disgust, fear, anything. But he did not feel it. There was a numbness in his whole body. He was only left with the necessary sensors.
Even if he wanted to scream or cry, Lloyd was not able too. Still, he had to keep up his smile, now more just putting on a mask. For the sake of his father. He was working so hard, to make him stronger, to get him out of this place.
"How are you feeling, Lloyd?" Kratos informed first when entering the cell.
"I am fine, dad." Such a lie. And now, his face did not betray any of this.
The Seraphim nodded. Good, he still had his voice.
"Hold out your left hand, Exsphere up."
The boy just did what he was asked. His father showed a golden, oval shaped thing that almost looked like jewellery.
"Hopefully, this crest will solve some matters. Or at the very least stop the course it is going."
Carefully, Kratos fixed it around the Exsphere. The boy looked on, blinking and looking confused.
"Huh. It's kind of pretty," he said when it was done, raising his hand to look at it closely. In the artificial light, it gave of a harsh glare.
"Come. We should get to training."
The Seraphim went ahead, his son following in his footsteps. Only after a couple of steps, did Kratos notice they were being followed. He looked over his shoulder and staggered in his steps when he saw Mithos.
"My lord. Can I be of service?" He made a stilted bow. His son stood next to him, taking a moment and then clumsily bowed his head.
"Oh, please go on. I would like to personally witness one of your infamous training sessions. Maybe even for a bit of nostalgia."
Mithos had a coy smile on his face. All what his mentor could do, was nod and continue forward, walking to the training room. Lloyd didn't ask anything, didn't look curious, he just went along.
The Cruxis leader contently watched as the session went on, watching their every move. Well, mostly Lloyd's, because he could practically dream his old mentor's style.
Yet, even when he was teaching his son exclusively, the boy did still seem to have his own style. It was mostly because he had chosen to wield two swords, which required a different kind of fighting style.
Of course, he already knew that the boy was experiencing the effects of the Expshere. And Mithos did spot the golden crest that was now set around it. He planned to take a closer look after this session was done.
He stepped forward when it did end. "I will have a private little chat with the boy now, Kratos. You can go. I'll bring him to his cell."
"Yes. Of course, my lord."
Kratos clearly did not like it, unable to hide this from Mithos. He bowed his head and left the room. Honestly, he disapproved, but surely the man would not do anything now? After all this time, it wouldn't make sense.
The Cruxis leader grinned as he looked down at Lloyd. He could still spot the fear in this boy's eyes. Good to know he was still intimidating. He grabbed the boy's left hand forcefully, to take a closer look at the key crest.
Lloyd did not resist or try to pull back. Somewhere he knew it wouldn't help the situation. And he was also afraid to do so.
Taking a moment, Mithos narrowly studied the key crest, squinting his eyes. Then, he started to laugh. It was a chilling, haunting one, giving Lloyd shivers down his spine he could feel.
"That is right," the blond man chuckled. "I should bring you back to your cell."
Lloyd just nodded, going along with the leader. Mithos was musing. The key crest was pitiful. It will not have the effect Kratos was hoping for, he was fairly sure of that. This Exsphere was special and his former mentor did not exactly know in what way. He had no intention telling him.
Sure, the key crest will do something. Maybe even be helpful for his goals. He would ensure things will go his way, that everyone will dance at his strings. He will be like a god at the end of this all. Ruling over a perfect world, together with his sister.
