SPOILER WARNING: If you haven't completed the game or reached a certain point in it, you might not want to read on. Major spoiler on Lloyd's and Kratos' past ahead. Proceed at your own risk ;-)

Otherwise, I hope you'll enjoy!


Blame your fate

Chapter 1

"Lloyd?"

I step out of the general merchandise shop, carrying two large bags with food, water and other supplies I bought. The gleaming midday sun hits my eyes and momentarily blinds me. Squinting I take two more steps from the porch on the street and scan the surroundings. The quiet little village looks just as deserted as fifteen minutes ago when I entered the shop.

"Lloyd?!"

There's no trace of my son, and I curse under my breath. How could I have been so careless? I had let him out of my sight for just a few minutes to pay the shop keeper and gather my belongings, and he obviously made good use of that. He must have slipped out of the shop while I wasn't looking. Damn.

I set my bags down on the porch and straighten up, feeling for the dagger hidden under my cloak. I didn't want to draw any more attention than necessary by carrying my sword. Bad enough this imbecile of a shop keeper kept on babbling all the time, asking stupid questions and annoying me no end. Seems I am the only stranger Iselia has seen in a while. Lucky me.

I keep straining my ears, but the only sound I hear is the incessant chirping of the crickets hidden in the trees lining the empty streets. The heat is probably keeping everyone inside, which was one of the reasons I chose this time of day to get our supplies. We arrived in the area around Iselia last night and Anna stayed in our camp in the forest together with Noishe while I was going to Iselia to replenish our supplies. Usually I find the less contact we have with other people the better, but right now I'm close to panicking and smashing in any of those closed doors to find my son.

I take a deep breath and break out in a run. Sweat starts running down my back.

"Lloyd!!"

What if someone recognized him? What if someone betrayed us again? What if someone watched him coming out of the shop alone, grabbed him, muffled his cries and carried him off? What if…

I pass a vineyard and two small houses and turn into the street leading to the southern part of the village. And there, at the other end of the street, I finally spot something red against the grass around a pretty little pond to the right. I feel a short pang of gratitude for Anna who allowed him to dress in his favourite set of clothes this morning, against my advice. Red seems to be his all-time favourite colour, and even though I'd rather have us wearing inconspicuous clothes in unobtrusive colours, more often than not Lloyd succeeds in having us dress him in his bright red pants and jacket. Which, in this case, turned out to be a blessing.

My soft boots don't make a sound as I'm rushing down the paved street. There's nobody else around and I slow down, relaxing my death grip on the dagger. When I come closer I see that Lloyd is playing with a small boat carved out of a piece of wood, with a shred of white fabric attached as a sail. He's so absorbed in his game that he doesn't even hear me coming.

When I reach him I let out an exasperated breath and cross my arms over my chest while I'm glaring down at him. With my shadow falling on him so suddenly, he gives a startled little yelp. The boat slips out of his hands and lands in the mud. I watch as he wipes his hands in the grass and scrambles up to meet me.

"Lloyd!" It's coming out a lot sharper than I intended, and he looks up at me, his little face troubled and his brown eyes shining with tears.

"Daddy? Are you angry?"

For a moment I feel the urge to shake him, yell at him for frightening me so. But the feeling is gone as quickly as it got hold of me, and I kneel down and pull my son in a firm hug.

"No, I'm not angry at you, Lloyd," I murmur into his shock of unruly brown hair. "But don't ever run off like that again, all right? It is very important that you stay with your mother or me at all times. Do you understand?"

Lloyd leans his head against my shoulder, and I feel him nodding viciously. I gently grab his shoulders, hold him away from me and look straight into his eyes.

"Promise me. Say it."

"I promise, Daddy." His tiny voice is still thick with tears, but he sounds determined and sincere, and I pull him back against my chest. He's a child, for heaven's sake. I can't expect him to understand why he can't play with other kids, or why we never stay at the same place for longer than a few weeks. He is used to our vagrant life; he doesn't know anything else, but still…

"Come on, Lloyd," I say while I'm taking his hand to lead him away. He turns his head to get a last long look at the boat. I swing him up in my arms and look in his serious little face.

"You know what? When we get back I'm going to make you a boat just like that one, okay?" His eyes lighten up and the happy smile on his face is melting away the last dark thoughts from my mind. I carry him over to the shop where our bags are still waiting for us, set him down and pick up the bags instead.

"Let's go, my son."

We set up camp deep inside Iselia forest in a secluded spot, nestled against one of the tall rocks scattered throughout the area and close to a river. It is late, and Anna puts down her empty plate with a contented sigh.

"Sometimes I wonder how I deserve this," she says with a mischievous glint in her green eyes. "A man with such fighting skills, so much knowledge, such good looks… and he can cook, too. You are just too good to be true, Kratos."

"Well, I suppose it comes with age," I reply with a broad grin, leaning toward her. "You agreed to live with a very…" I stroke a stray strand of blond hair behind her ear and tenderly kiss her slender neck. "… very…" I move up to the delicate curve of her cheek bone and plant another soft kiss there. "…very old man." I draw back and look into her beautiful eyes.

"There's got to be something rewarding about that."

She smiles back at me, her wonderful smile that seems to radiate from within, warming my heart and soul every time I see it. I love her so much… sometimes it almost hurts. And I don't tell her that nearly often enough.

"Have I told you today how much I love you?" I ask, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. She wrinkles her pretty little nose and pretends to think.

"Wait… today? No, I think not. You didn't tell me before you went to Iselia and definitely not when you returned and put all your energy and thoughts in preparing this… sinfully delicious meal for us." She moves closer and snuggles against me. I put my arms around her and hold her tight, close my eyes and relax. Suddenly a shiver starts running through me, a feeling of apprehension I can't explain, and I sit straight with a start. Anna looks at me, a worried expression on her face.

"What's the matter, Kratos?"

I shake my head, unable to voice my fears. I release her and take the knife and the piece of wood I started to work on earlier. Furiously I cut into the wood, sending chips flying around while I try to focus on this task, but the feeling of imminent danger remains. Finally I put the finished boat down with a sigh. Anna places a soothing hand on my forearm. The exsphere on the back of her hand is gleaming in the dying embers of our small fire.

"Don't worry too much, Kratos. It has been a long journey from Izoold to Iselia, and we haven't met anyone along the way. Nobody could have recognized us or told them where we are." She wraps her arms around my neck and rests her head against mine.

"We will be fine. I know we will," she whispers in my ear. I gently cup her face in my hands like a precious flower and find her lips in a long kiss. When we break apart I nod, trying to appear confident.

"Yes."

Noishe gives a short whine, and we get up and walk over to him and Lloyd. The little one is stirring in his sleep, cuddled comfortably against our canine companion. He fell asleep before he could finish his stew, exhausted from the long walk. Anna carefully picks him up and carries our sleeping son over to her own sleeping place. She settles down and wraps her arm around Lloyd without waking him. I unfold the thick woollen blanket and wrap it around them. Anna looks up at me with sleepy eyes and smiles.

"Good night, my love. Everything's going to… be… fine…" Her voice trails off as her eyes close. For a long moment I look down at them, savouring this picture and sealing it away in my memory.

My family. My loved ones. My life.

"I love you," I whisper and turn away to begin my long and solitary vigil.