Valentine's Day

Disclaimer: Suikoden and its characters are owned by KCE, not me. And if my fics resemble any other author's works, it's purely coincidental, since I'm sure there are millions of Suikoden fics out there, and I haven't read all of them yet.

Author's Note: I was bitten by the love bug, and it inspired me to write this. It's my first fic...Hope you enjoy! ^_^; Oh yeah, I used the default name for Hero2 (Riou), and my castle is called Genkaku Castle (in reverence to the late great State hero.. *sniff*)

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Chapter 1: Treasure of the Sindar

The chilly February wind howled through the leaves of the great trees, ruffling the black and crimson cape of the man walking underneath their canopies. His footsteps were light and cautious; once in a while he would take a quick look behind him.

~That woman had better not be following me.~

He was alone. He smirked.

~Everyone's back in the castle, preoccupied with that silly holiday, Valentine's Day... What nonsense! Love... I've no time for things like that. I couldn't have picked a finer day to explore the ruins!~

Finally, he stopped. In front of him was the weathered stone entrance of a Sindar ruin, half-covered in moss and vines.

His eyes narrowed in determination.

"Go ahead, Killey," he told himself. "I know you hate taking the leftovers, but Alex must have missed something in here."

Killey took a deep breath, thankful that the Sindar ruin was far enough away from the stench of the pigs near the White Deer Inn. He stepped up to the massive stone doors, inscribed with a language he only knew too well.

"This must be it," he said, and pressed a hidden button beside the door. With a whirr, the doors slid open and he stepped into the darkness.

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"Damn! All the treasures have been taken!" Killey spat in disgust. "I've been wasting my time in here!" He stormed out of the treasure room of the two-headed snake, cursing to himself. In his rage, he kicked the Journeyman crystal, the blue orb toppling off the pedestal and landing at his feet. He stared at it.

"Oh well, this may fetch a meager price, but a price nonetheless," he sighed and bent to pick it up. Before he could touch it, a soft rumbling sound came from behind him. He straightened and turned around to see a trapdoor on the floor slide away, revealing a descending stairway.

He smiled slyly. "Well, well, what do you know? That amateur treasure seeker missed something after all." He grabbed a torch from the wall and proceeded into the place that was revealed before him.

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~A long, narrow, dark, endless tunnel.~

Killey wiped the sweat away from his face, taking in small breaths.

~It's stuffy... like the prisons of Falena.~

He shuddered at the thought. Three years, three precious years he spent in those dungeons... and all because of that blasted woman.

~We've crossed paths so many times...I was so gullible! I should have known that she would do anything to stop me.~

He had to admit, though, that he somewhat admired her. She was clever and sneaky... just like him.

At the end of the narrow tunnel, Killey stepped into a wide room. In the dimness, he looked at the wall in front of him, where a large mural was painted.

"The Rune of Change," he muttered in awe, and stepped closer. Beneath the painting were more Sindarin inscriptions. He set his torch in the sandy ground, knelt down, and read aloud:

"Beyond this chamber, if you believe,

The greatest gift you shall receive,

Greater in measure than the ones above...

The Sindarin treasure is none other than true--"

"True... what?" Killey demanded impatiently, squinting in the dim light. "Damn it! The stone has crumbled away!"

~Gold? Silver? Precious jewels? What can possibly be greater than all these things?~

Killey stepped back and rubbed his palms together, eyes gleaming in excitement. As he searched for a way to access the chamber behind the mural, his mind went weld, thinking of all the things that could possibly be waiting for him.

~Mountains and mountains of treasure! Or maybe the true rune itself, hidden away all these years! Of perhaps something that will reveal all the secrets of the Sindar!~

His fingers grazed a loose panel on the wall, and he pressed it firmly with a `click.' The wall shuddered and started to open.

~Yes! This is what I've been waiting for all my life! My life's meaning, everything I hold dear...~

The wall slowly revealed another chamber, lit by torches. Killey stepped inside and stopped.

"You?!" He gasped. "You're the treasure of the Sindar?!"

Lorelai tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled.