I'm still alive! Sorry its been a while. I just had a sort of writersblock, it can happen. But I'm back and here is a longer chapter to make up for it. Enjoy :)
Chapter 13
The city of Hope
Crossing over the bridge wasn't all that exciting, because it was a short one. From a small beach, the scenery changed, to high mountains in the distance while their road went over low hills instead of just being flat. There was a lot of luscious green, with patches of trees, and small forests they either had to cross or passed by.
Colette and Genis were mostly impressed by this all. They both have lived rather sheltered life's; growing up in Iselia. Colette even more so, because she wasn't even allowed to leave the rather small town, only to go to the temple.
The girl was especially happy to see dogs, greeting each and every one they met and even going ahead and giving them names. Raine just let her; she needed to enjoy as long as it lasted.
"Sis, you keep looking over your shoulder." Genis eventually remarked. The day was coming to an end as the sun was setting behind the distant mountains.
"Is it because you think that woman is following us?" Colette informed.
"Well, that too. But I also been having the feeling there is someone else following and watching us."
"Maybe the guy who tried to ambush Colette in Triet?"
Raine had a doubtful look on her face. "Let's stop for today, we have walked quite a distance. And we can now decide what to do. As you can see, there is a pass between the mountains to the south."
They all looked at the branching road, leading on between the mountains and forests getting more luscious on one side. In the distance, the road seemed to branch off again, one leading up while the other went on into a deep forest.
"That is the road to Hima, a small mountain settlement for climbers and travellers. I'd estimate about a day's walk from here. Or, we keep following the road east and we will get to Luin, in about maybe half a day."
Lloyd just got to gathering fire wood while the other three sat down to rest and think about their options. Genis looked through his (way to big) backpack, his mouth becoming a thin line. "There isn't that much food left."
"You had the chance to get some in Izoold, why didn't you?" The professor remarked.
"They only had fish." Genis made a face.
"Which place has the best chance of having more supplies?" Colette asked.
"I'd bet on Luin, seeing it's a rather big settlement."
"Then I think the best choice is to go there. Right, Genis, Lloyd?" The girl looked at both boys.
"Yeah, seems to be." Genis answered and the other again just nodded.
Piling the firewood up, Lloyd went on to light it. He looked over to the forest and pointed to it. "Hunting?"
"Uh, no I don't think that's necessary. We can survive for tonight and tomorrow. As long as we get to Luin by then."
Another nod, as the teen sat down at the fire, obviously setting up to be the watch again. Genis came to accepting that as Lloyd's normal behaviour. He pulled out a pan and got to making dinner for all of them.
It was no real surprise, at least to him, that his sister insisted to go over some homework. She pulled in Colette and then even questioned Lloyd. It was a rather basic math problem, but the teen just tilted his head for a moment. Did he not understand the question, or why Raine was asking him?
Of course, this only caused his sister to go off on a speech about common knowledge and the importance of it all. Genis let out a sigh, there was no stopping her now, he knew that. He went on to stirring the food he was cooking. At least Lloyd didn't seem bothered by it at all. It did look like he was listening, but also that it was not really getting through to him.
Eventually, Raine gave up, not looking happy. The smell of ready food kind of saved the whole situation. Her little brother passed out the bowls of food, looking good and smelling great as always. Of course, she was proud of him being this good of a cook, but it also made her feel bad. That she couldn't really give him good food while she was supposed to be the one to take care of him.
They ate, Colette once again having the least out of all of them, and Lloyd by far the most. It was true he burns a lot of energy over the day, fighting the most of the monsters they encounter on their way. So, it wasn't that strange.
When Raine and Genis sat together to go over some homework, Colette stood up. "I'm gonna go for a little walk."
"Don't go too far. Stay within sight." The professor said, looking up to her.
"I will, don't worry, professor."
The girl smiled and then walked over to some hills close by. Raine saw Lloyd following her with his eyes, tilting his head ever so slightly.
"Sometimes people need time to themselves to order their thoughts," she then remarked. "Let her be."
It was no real surprise that the teen didn't say anything. His eyes stayed on Colette for a while longer, then started to move on, taking on his task as the watch again.
Raine let him be, choosing to turn in for the night, like her little brother had already done. Close to an hour passed, the only sounds being crickets and some monsters in the distance rummaging. Colette walked back to the low burning campfire as quietly as possible to not disturb the elven siblings.
The deep red eyes of Lloyd were set on her as she started to settle in her sleeping bag. Her sky-blue eyes looked back. She either couldn't hide the emotion in them or did not mind showing it to him. There was worry, mostly. Nothing was said, as Colette clenched a blanket in her hands, looking away.
"Goodnight." She said with a soft, hoarse voice as she turned to lie down. She could feel his eyes on her, and wondered if that was his way of being worried about her as she drifted to sleep.
When morning came around, Raine was the one waking Genis and Colette up. She had already taken the liberty of heating up some coffee and offered the girl a mug.
"Thank you." She smiled to the professor.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, just fine." Colette nodded.
Genis stretched out with a yawn. "We'd have to do with some simple sandwiches for breakfast. I'd have to use some ingredients I normally don't use."
"We will be in Luin by midday if we walk with a good pase." Raine remarked.
"I know we can do that." The blond girl chimed happily.
The others nodded and they started with breakfast. Genis did note the blond girl didn't seem to mind the taste, even though there was stuff in the sandwich she'd normally won't eat. The small bites she took, and not eating all of it, he took note of too. He shared his worried look with his sister, but she did not seem to be as worried. Or maybe just choosing not to show it.
When they were done, the small group packed up, cleaned up their camping ground and started walking. It was a nice morning, white clouds scattered around the sky while the sun rose from behind the mountains in the distance.
Colette was fascinated by the sights, loving every minute of it. She really didn't mind it was sometimes interrupted by monsters and even people going in for the attack. The people did shake her more, realising they were just trying to get by, desperate enough to attack other random people.
When they arrived at Luin, she and Genis were taken by how the settlement looked. It was a truly beautiful place, set upon the edge of a lake while hills served as the backdrop. It really looked like a dream location.
They arrived at a small plaza first, where a fountain was partly carved into a hill. Raine turned to her younger companions, two of them taking it all in with awe, while the brown-haired one just kept his thousand-yard stare.
"I think it is wise to split up. This is a rather large settlement, after all. We should divide our tasks to be the most effective. Lloyd, I want you to scout out the place, make sure it's safe."
He gave a nod and went ahead to do just that. Raine went on to direct her gaze to her little brother. "You can go to the market to get the food we need."
"Alright, sis. I will and I'll be careful. But what are you gonna do?"
"I'll go around with Colette and talk to the people here. They may have information where to go from here for us."
"I love talking to people." The blond girl said happily.
"Meet back here in a bit then?" Genis informed, to which his sister nodded and he was off.
Genis
The shops were all together, as was rather typical. What was unique was the fact that the inn was right next to it. He looked at the weapons, shields and pieces of armour stalled out; this was the first time he saw it like this.
"Seeing something you like, kid?" A salesman spoke up.
"Uh, me? N-no."
"It's a dangerous world out there, you know. Can't be too careful. You need to be able to protect yourself. As a matter of fact, there is a Desian Ranch not too far north of here. Those damned half-elves are a real pain, if you ask me."
"Y-yeah." He said it rather quietly, biting his lip not to say more.
It was always the same. The hate for half-elves was wide spread, no matter where one would go. Most of the blame could be put on the Desians, yes. But they were a separate group. Just because they choose to be bad, didn't mean all half-elves were like that.
He did remember bits and pieces, of his time traveling around with his sister, just trying to find a place to live. The hostility people had towards them. No one would take them in, or took pity on them, because of their blood. Something they couldn't help. It was frustrating. And even though Iselia wasn't ideal, because of their treaty with the nearby ranch, they were able to call that home. However, they had to lie about their origin to be able to do so.
Balling his fist, Genis turned his face away to hide his anger. "I just need food."
"Oh, just a little more to your left, kid." The man didn't really understand what got the boy so upset all of the sudden.
"Thanks." He went on to the stall that had various food stocked out. He was happy to see the variation here and this made him quickly forget the touchy subject.
Colette and Raine
While Lloyd had gone directly east and Genis south-east, the two women chose the south-west route. The people mostly seemed content and happy to live in the city. It was really aptly named the city of hope after all.
Some did share their concern that there was a Desian ranch up north, not too far from their city. Sometimes they'd show up, take a few supplies, or even people. But no real violence was ever involved as long as they co-operated.
Colette was rather shocked to learn that the people here, too, were fine with it all. It seemed to be that as long as the overall peace wasn't disturbed, it was accepted. Iselia was very much the same, but they had a treaty, mostly to keep her safe as she was told.
They eventually walked into a small church, only the priest being present at the moment. "Welcome, please come in." He gestured them in with a friendly smile.
"Thank you, pastor." Colette returned the smile.
He looked the girl over, mostly her clothing, the unique necklace. They were very typical of... "Are you by chance, the Chosen?"
"Yes, I am," she nodded and bowed her head at the same time.
"Oh, it's a real honour!" he bowed his own head deep in return. "Usually there is another priest here, but he is out investigating the Mana Tower."
"Why, what is going on there?" Raine informed.
"People have reported monsters coming out of the tower. That is not normal." The priest had a worried look on his face.
The two women shared a look before the older one pressed on. "Do you have any more information?"
"Not really at the moment, that is why he went to investigate. Probably he'll lock it up to make sure no one will go in and nothing can come out."
"Have you been there yourself? Have you by chance seen a stone pedestal?"
The priest had a thoughtful look for a moment. "Yes, I believe so."
Raine turned to the girl next to her. "There is a chance the tower might have a seal."
"It does sound like it," she nodded, it seemed to have some key elements.
"Oh. Well, in that case I'd advise you to go north-west from here, Chosen. You will no doubt run into the other priest and he can give you access."
"Sounds like we have our next destination."
Colette nodded to the professor's remark, being a little nervous too. She hoped the pastor was alright, mostly. And in the back of her mind, she wondered for a moment what was going to happen to her next.
Lloyd
He ignored the stares he was getting from all the villagers while he checked everything out. It was not like he didn't notice; he just did not care. He was focussed on the task that was given to him and nothing would distract him from that.
That was until into he ran into something rather unexpected. The black hair and unique clothing were very recognisable, even though the young women had several kids around her, forming a circle.
"Okay, fine. I'll be it this time. Go on and hide, I'll count down from ten."
"Jeej! Hurry, hurry." The kids cheered and ran off, going in different directions. Some passed him, not even noticing while giggling.
"Sheena." A small voice piped up, as the woman had closed her eyes about to start the countdown. A creature was on her shoulder, about as big as a rabbit, but looking like a small fox with very uniquely colored fur.
"Huh?" She opened her eyes, turning around and as soon as she spotted him, the assassin tensed up, holding up a card as a weapon. "You!"
He didn't move, his hands were near his swords, but not on them, not showing hostility. His eyes moved, looking towards a child that was rather badly hidden behind the low wall of the fountain. The girl was holding a teddybear tight against her chest.
At that glance, even though it was mostly void, the assassin lowered her weapon. "It's not wise to fight right here. But you better be ready next time." After saying this, she backed away and chose to leave the settlement for the time being.
Staring after her, he did not move. The child at the fountain slowly stood up and came closer. "Did she really just leave? She was playing with us." The little girl pouted, but lightened up fast. "You take her place, mister! Play with us."
There was no reaction, so the girl started pulling on his sleeve, holding her teddy by it's arm in her free hand. "Please?"
He looked down, deep amber eyes staring at the little girl. She let go right away and ran off scared, while he just kept standing there.
Genis was almost collided with the little girl as she ran past at a fast pase. He blinked in surprise and watched her run for a bit. She looked scared? He then looked back, kind of spotting the cause. Yeah, it could be pretty disconcerting seeing someone like that, just staring at you with those creepily void eyes.
"Did you get everything you needed, Genis?" His sister's voice scared him because he didn't expect her behind him.
"Oh, sis. Heh, yeah. I got lots of ingredients. Well, enough to last a bit at least."
"Good." Raine laid a hand on her little brother's shoulder. Her eyes fixed on Lloyd then. "Anything that had caught your eye?"
It took a moment before the teen answered. "Female assassin. Ran." He pointed to the bridge that crossed over the lake, leading out of the settlement.
"Really, she ran? She didn't fight or anything?" Genis was surprised at this.
"Well, whatever the case," the professor said when Lloyd shook his head. "We should get moving. We have a very strong suspicion of the location of another seal in the Tower of Mana. That is not too far from here."
"I guess it's worth checking out? I'll just follow where you go, sis. And you, of course, Colette." Genis was quick to add.
"I appreciate that, Genis. Thank you." The girl smiled happily. She looked at Lloyd then. "You are coming along too, right?"
"Where ever the Chosen goes."
Her smile faded a little as she looked down. "Right. Let's get going then. Uh, professor, you know the way the best."
"Yes, I'll lead the way." And so, Raine did just that.
As was said before, the hike did not take long. However, right at the end, they encountered bandits. They were harassing a man that was clearly the priest who had gone to investigate the tower. One could easily tell by his typical clothing.
"Please, by the Goddess Martel, have mercy. I swear I have nothing of value on me!" The man begged them.
"Ha, yeah right!" one of the men dressed up in cheap armour laughed. "You church people always carry some gald around, don't lie. Give it up."
"Yeah, go on. Or do we need to take it from you with force?" the other man said, wearing the same get up.
A young lady, dressed in a more classic mage outfit, complete with pointy hat, was looking on. She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
"Just hurry up, will you? We got more things to do. You know, more people to rob."
"You all are shameless. You will get what's coming to you, just you wait." The priest said with a shaky voice.
"Sure thing, pal." The first guy chuckled once again, now pulling a dagger and pointing it at him.
"Hey, back off!" Genis called out, casting a fireball, aimed at the armed man.
The bandit jumped away, but still got singed by some stray flames. He cursed under his breath because of that.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Back off!" The other guy called out frustrated, drawing his own dagger.
"Well, you should pick on someone your own size." Genis made himself ready to cast another spell.
"That aint you then, twerp." The lady chimed in, playing with her long brown hair while she stayed behind the men.
Raine looked at her little brother puffing his cheeks at the low remark. She let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"You all clearly aren't reasonable people for drawing your weapons so easily. But I'd still suggest you leave now before things get ugly."
"Threatening and insulting us now, lady? You got some guts."
"Just stating the obvious. We have the larger number here, or can't you do basic math either?"
"Professor!" Colette had a shocked expression while looking over at her teacher.
"Why you..."
Both men went for a shameless charge at Raine. Luckily, Lloyd was quick on his feet and because he was armed with two swords, he could block both daggers. While pushing, he ran his swords against the weapons, driving both men back with a fast, second slash.
The smooth and fast movements got the mage's attention. She concentrated on casting, throwing a quick fireball in return. Genis was ready for it, calling on the special protection spell they just recently learned from Lloyd.
One of the bandit men tried to throw their dagger, Colette threw one of her chakram as a counter to block it. Raine followed up, hitting the other man on the head with her staff.
"Auw, auw!"
"Let's just get out of here, this isn't worth it." The two men said after all that and they ran off.
The mage huffed and cursed to herself. "Men are so useless these days..." She had no choice but to run as well, as she wouldn't stand a chance all by herself.
"Thank goodness." Colette sighed in relief and walked to the priest. "Are you alright, pastor?"
"Y-yes. I'm fine, thanks to you all. Praise Martel for you coming here."
"Actually, we were sent this way because of your fellow priest back in Luin." Raine remarked.
There was a confused look on the man's face. Colette felt compelled to explain.
"We heard this tower was plagued by monsters. It can mean that there is a seal here."
"By the Goddess, my apologies! I did not recognize you, Chosen one. I should have been able to tell by your appearance. Please forgive me."
He bowed deep for her. Colette was flustered by the man's mannerisms, tumbling over her words. "I-it's okay. Lots of people say I'm not very Chosen like, hehe."
"We are here to check if this is indeed a place with a seal. Have you by chance seen a stone inscription inside the tower, with a crest?" Raine informed.
The priest was in thought for just a moment. "Actually, now you mention it, yes there is. A stone pedestal. We never really knew what it did."
That was as much confirmation as they needed. After sharing a look with the blond girl, Raine held out her hand. "Please hand over the key, we will take it from here. I advise you to go back to Luin, that is safer than being out here alone."
"Uh, y-yes. Of course. Here you go." The priest retrieved the key from his robe and handed it over.
"Please take care on your way back." Colette said with a worried look.
"Bless you, Chosen one. I will be fast and keep to the roads. Thank you, may Martel watch over you all." He bowed to the small group and then went on his way, back toward Luin.
Raine looked up the tower. It was not as high as she expected, since she had heard it was built in the image of the tower of Salvation. Then again, that was impossible to imitate, because that one reached well beyond the clouds.
She then turned to the others. "Are you all ready to go in? Remember: there will be monsters. So be prepared."
"Yeah, I'm ready sis." Genis seemed to be all pumped up now.
"Ready, Professor." Colette was soft spoken, a tell that she was a bit nervous. Try as she might to hide that with a small smile.
Lloyd did nothing more but giving a firm nod, swords at the ready. And so, they all went in. The afternoon sun lit their way inside, as the tower had only windows as light source for the moment.
Big, stain glass windows, gave off beautiful colors as they looked over the entrance hall. It had a lot of bookcases, all lined up against the side walls. Right in the middle, was the stone pedestal, and a low circle platform, with three little circles around it.
"How curious. This one does not have an impression on it like the last one did." Raine remarked while examining the pedestal.
"This circle is odd." Colette looked it over, tilting her head curiously. She stepped on one of the smaller circles, and it lit up. She jumped back because of it.
"Wait, I think that is what needs to happen. The inscription reads: 'Light your way,' loosely translated."
"That means three of us need to stand on the small circles, right?" Genis chimed in, already stepping on another one, lighting that one up.
His sister nodded, standing on the last small circle, as Colette had stepped back on the one she was just on. The big circle in the middle lit up. They all looked to the big, stone slab that seemed to be blocking the way further in. But that was not the thing that moved; instead, it was a bookcase, moving out of the way, revealing a secret passageway.
"Huh, that was unexpected." Genis walked off the circle, intending to take a closer look. But as soon as he did, the light died and the bookcase closed back up with a heavy bang. This indicated it was not only the bookcase, but also some stone blocking the way.
"It seems it will only stay open if three people stand here." Raine cupped her chin in thought. She then looked over to Lloyd, who was still standing by, rather motionless. "You will need to go and investigate, Lloyd."
"Professor, no! We can't send him off all alone." Colette said upset and worried at the same time.
"There is not much choice in the matter. And besides that, Lloyd is by far the strongest of our group. He is the best bet."
"I-I guess, but still..."
"Uh, you guys, he is already going." Genis interrupted the two girls, pointing towards the teen that was indeed walking towards the secret entrance.
"Lloyd!" Colette called out to him.
Somewhere, she expected him to just keep walking and disappear out of sight. But he stopped, and looked back to her. There was that smallest, little light again, deep in his dull eyes. Just a moment, and it was gone. "Please be careful." This was all the girl could say.
He nodded once and then went on, disappearing from their sight. Seeing the worried look on her face, Genis tried to console her. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Colette."
There was a long, winding set of stairs, Lloyd was faced with. And while he ascended them, some monsters decided to assault them. They were no challenge for him, really. He had always held back, simply because he was told to do so, but now, no one was looking.
Some monsters even had the guts to gang up, making a bigger group in hopes to challenge the sole teen that way. He nearly scuffed at their insolence. Making his sword light up bright, he made a wide strike, getting them all in one, sufficient sweep. After that, the monsters knew to keep their distance.
He ended up at the top floor, but there was no visible way to the very top of the tower, which was where the seal very likely was situated. There was a gap between him and an odd-looking contraption across the way, looking similar in style as the circles down below.
Stepping a few steps back, Lloyd ran, jumping the gap and without any real problem, landed neatly on his feet across the way. There were two circles there, and there was a warp system. Which seemed to be out of order. He set foot on one of the circles, lighting it up.
Down on ground level, the trio was surprised by the appearance of Lloyd's image. He was in between them, on the big circle.
"Huh, Lloyd? Are you back?" Colette looked confused.
"No. I think this is projection. Just an image of him, from where ever he is." Raine said, finding the image too unclear to be real.
"Can he hear us?" Genis asked curiously.
A short silence, after which he simply answered: "Yes."
"What a curious contraption. But where to go from here? Nothing changed on this side. What else is over there? Anything to work with?" The professor informed.
Lloyd took a moment to look around. Just the warp pad, and the other circle next to him. Maybe he could distribute his weight. Since the three of them could only see him, it looked rather silly when the teen went to stand wide legged.
Genis tried not to laugh at the image. It was quickly muffled by the sound of the big, stone slab moving aside anyway.
"Yes, that's it. There is a way open for us."
"But Professor, what about Lloyd? If we move, he is locked where ever he is."
"We just have to hope there is a way to him in there, Colette. We can't just keep standing here."
"I suppose you are right... Hang in there, Lloyd. We'll find you."
The teen gave his usual nod. The three stepped off and the image faded, but interestingly, the stone slab kept in place. They were quick to walk through the new doorway, entering another big open room with a lot of light coming in and three other passage ways.
Oddly enough, it seemed the light was going through one particular way. Raine raised her brow at this for a moment. "Hm, well if we take the words on the stone pedestal literally, we should follow the light."
"That seems silly and specific. What if we get the wrong way? Will there be a trap?" Genis was actually regretting he asked this question.
"We have to have faith." Folding her hands together, Colette went on to lead the way. Her belief and trust in the Goddess Martel guiding her.
The elven siblings followed behind, not really sharing in it, but of course they would never say this. They did not want to shatter her faith and perspective.
They came into a large room, this one had no windows, so the only light was the one they had followed. There were mirrors and some strange orbs scattered around ground level. There were higher levels, looking like a passage way to go higher up. But there was no way to reach this and there were big gaps between them as well, making it impossible to cross.
"What is all this?" Genis looked at it all with a very puzzled expression.
His sister had more of a studied look, cupping her chin while looking at the mirrors and orbs. "Hm, let's see."
Walking to the closest mirror, Raine adjusted the angle, until the light reflected on it and hit one of the orbs. It lit up brightly and above their heads, a magic bridge appeared, covering a gap. Both Genis and Colette looked at this in wonder.
"How does that work?"
"It is all Magi-Technology, Genis. Rather basic at that."
"But sis, hasn't that been lost to us for years now?"
"Yes, but the technology dates far back. Old enough to be in an old building like this."
He nodded, not questioning the knowledge of his older sister. She wasn't a professor for nothing after all. The three of them went on to use two other mirrors, guiding the light to their respective orbs. They then discovered a doorway in the back, leading them the missing stairs.
Following the way up, going through another doorway at the end, they ended up on the highest platform, another bridge crossing the gap to...
"Lloyd!" With a call of relief, Colette ran over to the teen. She took hold of his hands once there and looked him over. "Are you okay?"
While he gave a quiet nod, Genis looked up at his sister, both still at the other side of the bridge. "How did he cross this? There was no bridge here before we started lighting the orbs, right?"
"Hm, a very good point, Genis." She pondered, while going ahead in crossing over. The gap was substantial, one could not have simply jumped over. That seemed outright impossible. So, how did the teen cross indeed?
Looking the teen over, she instead stated: "No need for healing, it seems."
There was no real reaction, his intense blank stare seemingly looking right through her. Raine resisted a shiver and turned around, spotting the warp panel. Her little brother was already kneeling down next to it, taking a close look.
"It doesn't seem to be working. It seems to be the only way up." Very odd, and stupid, Genis thought to himself.
"You'd expect this contraption would activate it." Raine remarked, looking back to the thing that had allowed them excess in the first place. "Did it malfunction?"
"What do we do now, sis?"
The professor was deep in thought, wrecking her brain for a solution. Meanwhile, Lloyd pulled Colette gently along, since she was still holding his hand. She looked puzzled while the teen seemed to guide her to the panel in question, gesturing her to stand on top of it. She trusted him without a doubt, so the girl did just that.
A glow came from the Cruxis crystal, flaring up brightly. It was so bright, it blinded all for just a moment. When they could see again, the young girl was gone, and the warp panel was humming in an active glow.
"It reacted to her crystal? How did you know?" Raine was curious to know, looking to Lloyd.
The teen did not say anything, instead stepping on the panel and disappearing next. Genis was quick to stand up, pulling his sister by her sleeve. "Come on, lets hurry after them."
The transition from cold, dark stone surroundings to high open air was rather jarring. It took the siblings breath for a moment, as they gazed at the view. Blue sky with clouds still high above them. And far below, the lush green stretching out, interrupted by forests, mountains, rivers and lakes. The only town that could be seen clearly was Luin.
Ivy was climbing on top of the tower, impressive of itself. Did people just let this happen intentionally, Raine wondered. Or did they just not care? Ivy could do serious damage to a building, ripping apart the seams which holds it all together.
Right in the center, the altar was waiting, having rather bright glow to it. "I feel a high mana level coming from there." Genis said wearily.
"Yes. This seems to be just like the first seal. It has a guardian, a final test." Raine looked at the others. "Be ready for a fight."
Lloyd drew his dual blades, eyes set on the altar. Colette was clearly more nervous, arming herself a little shakingly with her chakrams. Genis bit his lip as he readied his kendama. Raine held her staff tight, readying herself for support and healing.
The light above the alter got brighter and with a flash, the guardian appeared. It looked like a big, horned horse, with wings and great hooves that looked like they would hit hard. They seemed to have a lightning pattern, while the rest of the creature was mostly yellow colored.
Even though it didn't have the dangerous looking spikes on its head, the being had its own surprises, which soon would become clear. At first, however, it showed off a baffling amount of strength and power.
Having very typical, horse like mannerisms, it often went on its hind legs to stomp down as an attack. Another was turning around and using its hind legs to deliver powerful kicks. It was hitting them all back hard, even Lloyd, who was by far the strongest of them all.
"I... I don't understand. Why- why is it so much stronger?" Genis said with a shaking voice. He tried to stay back and cast his spells. He mostly got hit by the heavy tremors the guardian produced. Honestly, he was wondering when the whole tower would come tumbling down.
His sister was standing a little bit closer to the action, to provide for the needed support in time. She managed to deflect the limited damage that came her way, because, well... Lloyd took most of it. She looked at the teen with a mix of concern, frustration and fascination. The bruises were mostly clear on his face, because his clothing covered the rest up.
Yet, Lloyd showed no reluctance, no pain. He did not back off, going back in again and again, even when the guardian just drove him right back. Colette used this way of distraction, to hit the guardian from the other side. She used her main weapon as well as her hammer, hoping it was causing some damage; it was honestly very hard to tell. Thanks to her wings she was immune to the tremors the creature was producing.
After some true strikes from Lloyd, it made a noise that made one's skin crawl. It was a mix between a screech and a neigh, as it stood up high on its hind legs. On each of its sides two dark forms appeared; horses seemingly made of shadow with glowing red eyes. They both galloped straight at Lloyd, but instead of going straight, they crossed, to surprise him.
It seemed to have effect, as it staggered the teen and pushed him back, bringing him to his knees. Raine quickly had to cast a healing spell, while her little brother tried to distract it with his water spell. His and Colette's attack hit the guardian at the same time.
Jumping back, it huffed, clouds of steam coming out if its nostrils while its eyes had a pure white glow. It had never utilized its wings before, but now they started to move, lifting the guardian up from the surface. It didn't go too high, but high enough that it was out of easy reach.
The horn on its head started to glow bright, a ball of light formed and from that, a beam fired, going straight for Colette. She yelled out in surprise, having no real time to cast the protective spell. It seemed to be in a fraction of a second, that Lloyd was suddenly in front of her, crossing his swords, letting the barrier come up. Due to the short time frame, it only half formed, and Lloyd still took most of the hit.
Sparks and smoke came with the flash of bright light. Some of it even still came of the teen as he panted slightly. Despite all that, his face was stone faced, he looked back at Colette for a moment, to seemingly check on her.
It was the look in those eyes, which surprised Colette. It wasn't just the usual void look. There seemed to be some actual concern there.
"I-I'm okay." She told him softly, coming over the shock of everything.
The red eyes went ahead again, dead set on the guardian. Did she spot frustration in them, too? It was hard to tell, because the next moment, there was a glow. This time, it came from Lloyd's Exsphere, as it seemed to envelop him as he started to run towards the guardian. He jumped up, unnaturally high, swords at the ready and started to spin as if he was a windmill in a storm. Even more impressively, he did this in an updraft. The downdraft, was straightening himself out in mid-air, putting his swords together and delivering a hard strike, stabbing the guardian right in the chest.
Both came down from the sky, guardian hitting the top of the tower first with a harsh crash, dust rising. It let out a final whimpering neigh before everything went quit. Well, just for a moment.
"Lloyd! Are you okay?" Colette called out worried, being unable to see through the big cloud of dust.
It settled and was also blown away by the strong winds on top of the tower, in a rather quick manner. The teen was on top of the guardian, a little hunched over as he pulled his swords back out of the body. After this, the guardian faded away, a little ball of light remaining, which floated back to the altar and made it light up.
Lloyd looked up when Colette called his name a second time. He really looked roughed up, even for him. He held both swords in his left hand, as he started to walk over to her, hobbling ever so slightly and his right arm clearly being dislocated from his shoulder.
"That was..." Genis couldn't find the words, looking startled about the whole ordeal. And most of that look was also for the teen. He had taken all that, was still left standing. Now that was really impressive, and also intimidating.
"Why do men have to act so reckless?" His sister complained unexpected. She sighed, recomposing herself after the whole ordeal. Her fist concern was Colette, as she looked over to the girl. "Are you not hurt?"
"N-no. Not at all, thanks to Lloyd." The Chosen gave him a thankful and worried look.
"I'll take care of him; you go on and offer your prayer at the altar."
"Oh, right. Okay, professor."
Nodding, Colette turned to said altar and went to stand before it, folding her hands together and doing her standard, Angelic prayer.
"Are you okay, Lloyd? You took a lot of hits there." Genis asked with a small voice.
The teen just slightly tilted his head, as if he did not understand what Genis was talking about. His sister come close and looked him over. Some of the electric sparks of the guardian had been so intense, they made holes in his clothing, showing bruises and singes underneath. And her eyes landed on his right arm, hanging limp from his body.
"Do you not even feel it? The electric burns, not to mention the dislocated shoulder?"
Genis looked at that, making a pained expression just by how uncomfortable and painful it all looked. But the teen did not share the look. Void eyes just stared at Raine, as he shook his head in response to her questions.
Odd, and off putting. This was what went through the elven woman's mind. She did not show that in her face, as she just shook her head and stepped closer, first correcting the dislocated shoulder. Genis shuddered at the popping sound.
As Raine went on to healing the wounds of the teen, a bright glow lit everything up, as the Angel Remiel came down to answer his daughter's prayer. Though his face was hard to read, he did seem to look a little displeased.
"Why did come here, Chosen? This was not the seal you were meant to go next. You brought yourself in unnecessary danger." Remiel said.
"I am sorry, Father. That was not my intent. Things just happened to go this way. Lloyd protected me, as I knew he would. I am very thankful for that." Colette bowed her head in apology to the Angel.
"Yes, he did." Looking over for a moment, stark green eyes met with bright red. Nothing was said. "Very well. A seal, is a seal after all. Well done, Chosen. Just two more to go, until you can ascend the Tower of Salvation. The next can be found to the southeast, in a place that desires death. Offer your prayers at the altar in that distant land."
"Have I done something to displease you, father? We didn't know this one would pose such more of a challenge..." Colette dared to ask, having that feeling.
"It matters not. All that is needed is for you to become an Angel. I will be waiting for you at the next seal. Hurry and become a true Angel, do not disappoint me." After he had said this, Remiel vanished from sight.
"What was up with him? He was acting like a..." Before Genis could even say more, his sister slapped him against the back of the head. She knew him well enough of course, to know where that was going.
"Think of Colette." She glared at him with narrowed eyes.
"Aha, that's okay. It's just how father... Lord Remiel is." Colette smiled as she had turned to them. She approached them, looking all her friend over. "Are you all okay?"
"For the most part, yes. I healed Lloyd, even though he does not even seem to want to admit the damages he had received." Raine looked at said teen for a moment. Of course, he did not say anything.
"By the way, did Remiel say we went to the wrong place? Was that why we were having such a hard time?" Genis then asked.
"That seems to be the case. We had no real choice however. And we couldn't have known this ordeal would be so much harder. You are feeling alright, Colette?"
The professor kept in mind how the girl reacted the first time by almost fainting. She looked at her with a frown of concern. Colette smiled her usual smile. "I'm fine."
"Well, let's go down and try to get back to Luin. There, we can have a good rest in some nice beds."
"I like that idea, sis. But man, we have to go down all those stairs again." Genis sighed.
"Stop complaining, we are all tired. Lloyd has done the most work, and he doesn't say a word."
"Well, he never does, so that doesn't count." Genis more kind of muttered between his teeth. Raine had sharp ears however, and gave him another smack.
The four went back down again. No matter how fatigued they were, they had to keep going; the tower was not safe to stay at after all. However, while going down, it seemed all the monster had magically vanished. It was a real blessing in disguise.
When they hit the ground floor, Colette fell to her knees, looking pale again. The others were with her right away, both men offering her support so she wouldn't hit the ground.
"Colette, are you sick again?" Genis asked worried.
"I-it's nothing. I'll be fine, after a little rest." Typical of the girl, to deny any problems.
Raine knew she did this so they wouldn't worry, but it just made her worry more. Would she know where the boundaries were? Would she ever admit to it? "If this happens every time a seal is broken, Colette has a difficult journey ahead of her. For now, I will call this infliction Angel Toxicoses. Let's try to set up camp in here."
"Inside the tower?" Genis informed with a frown.
"This place now seems safer then outside. It's closed out from dangers; no monsters are around and it is not as exposed to the elements."
The professor was right. They just nodded and went to work. While Colette was set to rest on her sleeping bag, the camp was set up. A small fire was made, because Raine did not want to take the risk of damaging the many valuable books that were stored there.
After some back and forth between her and Genis, he was able to make sure he'd cook for all of them. After all the work of today, they deserved a good meal after all. When the food was ready, Genis brought the first plate to Colette. She took it with a smile and a nod in thanks, not eating it right away. Hopefully she will do so later, the young elf thought to himself. The next plate of food, he brought to Lloyd.
"You've been doing most of the work. You know, honestly, at first I wasn't sure about you. I was not sure about your motives and such. But you really pulled your weight, proved yourself. Sure, you protect Colette most of all, as you promised. Next to that, you also look out for me and sis. You keep watch over all of us, teaching us how to use those protective barriers and provided us with Exspheres to make sure we'd be strong enough. I guess, what I'm trying to say is; thanks."
A little awkward, Genis scratched the back of his head. It was not often he'd say stuff like that. But honestly, he was rather impressed by Lloyd's actions. He did not really expect a reaction. The unsettling red eyes looked at him with the same void look. The boy let out a breath he didn't realize he'd held and handed him the plate of food, as Lloyd was eyeing that the next moment.
"Very mature of you, Genis." Raine complimented him as he came back to sit next to her.
"Thanks, sis."
They ate the food, a stew mix of pork and various bits if vegetables. Colette was having very small bites, sitting upright on her sleeping bag. She smiled away the worried looks directed at her, so the elven siblings knew not to ask further. The girl would just say she was fine anyway.
Sometime after dinner, they decided it was time to turn in for the night. Raine looked over at the blond girl, who still was wide awake. "You should try to get some sleep, Colette."
"I am not sleepy yet, professor. I know, I need my rest, but I feel fine. I'm sitting, that is a form of resting, right?"
A soft sigh left Raine's lips as she nodded. "Fine. Try to do so later."
"I will. Goodnight, professor."
"Goodnight." She nodded and settled in to the sleeping bag.
A silence set in, only disturbed by the quiet crisping sounds of the camp fire. It was very low now, which was the intention. Lloyd poked it with a stick every now and again.
Standing up, Colette walked over to the teen and set down next to him. She took his right hand, closing it in with both of hers.
"I didn't get the chance to really thank you, for what you did today. You helped us to the seal and you took a hard hit to protect me. You did not have to do that, but you still did. No matter what, something like that is risky and dangerous. I was really concerned for you."
Red eyes crossed with bright blue. "I promised." Lloyd said after a moment of silence.
"That's right. You did. Thank you, for keeping your promise. And for being such a good friend." Colette showed a soft, genuine smile.
His eyes went down for a moment, looking at his hand being held by hers. Nothing was said, almost as expected.
"You really should try to get some rest. You did a lot of work, after all. We all need sleep, every once in a while. Don't worry, I will keep watch instead. You think you'll have trouble getting to sleep?"
Lloyd nodded, so she continued. "Lay down first, settle in as much as you can."
He did so slowly, as if he did not exactly know what he was doing. Colette helped with the sleeping bag and the blanket. After taking a moment of tucking him in, she told him to close his eyes and he simply complied. She knew that wouldn't be enough, so she started to sing softly.
The song was of course a lullaby, but not just any. It was one in the Angelic langue she was thought at a young age. Even though a lot of people wouldn't understand it, it would still sound beautiful with Colette's great singing voice. And it was effective too. This time seemed more challenging, but after a while, Lloyd seemed deeply asleep. She could tell, because of the sound, loud snore coming from him.
It was a little surprising, but the girl could not help to chuckle a little. She was happy she could help, most of all. For some reason, she still found herself wide awake, not feeling tired or the least bit sleepy. So, Colette took over the watch, poking the low camp fire, trying to keep herself occupied.
Some time passed, and an especially loud snore came from Lloyd. This seemed to startle Genis; he sat up wide awake. "What was that?"
"Ssh, keep your voice down please." Colette whispered to his direction.
"Huh? Why are you still awake?" He rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleep out. "You should be resting."
"I'm really fine." The blond girl smiled at him.
Genis opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by the same, loud sound. He looked over to the source, his open mouth only growing wider. Was Lloyd really sleeping soundly and snoring like he was sawing a whole forest on his own?
"What the..."
"Keep your voice down please, Genis. He needs rest most out of all of us, don't you think?"
"Uh. Yeah, I guess so. But, don't you need it too, Colette? Don't you feel sick?"
The blond girl just showed her typical smile and shook her head. Genis was quickly distracted by another loud snore however. "Geez, how does sis just sleep through this?"
"Oh, I know." Colette chuckled. "You are a pretty loud snorer too, you know."
The elven boy puffed his cheeks. "T-that's not true. I never heard her say anything about that."
"I am telling you the truth. She just doesn't mind, because you are her little brother after all." She said it with a sweet smile. "Try to get some more sleep, Genis. I promise you I'm okay and I will keep watch. If anything happens, I will yell for help."
Genis looked at her and nodded finally. "Alright, if you say so, Colette. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." She smiled as the boy laid back down. Then she whispered to herself: "Please, dream some good dreams for me."
