Author's Note: I would like to thank those who have reviewed. Yes, many of you are shocked that there are so few people reading my story, but the ones that do are enthusiastic and satisfied with my writing. That's all I really need. I'll just think of this story as a diamond in the rough. Another hidden ToS story that few know about is "Broken Bonds" by bbqbert. Check it out!
Oh and one of you ask how I wrote these chapters so fast and so long? Well, in reality, whatever I post is actually half of what I actually have written. So by the time you read this, I'll have already finished writing chapter 14. It makes it so I know I can go back and edit any inconsistencies before they get to you! So enjoy…cause I still have a long way to go!
City of Lost Children
Dwarven Vow #13: Hold a true friend with both your hands.
Somewhere in Gauracchia ForestLloyd awoke with the worse headache he'd ever felt…since the "Kendama Incident" anyway. He remembered Zelos, Sheena and himself playing with Genis' Kendama during their wild adventure earlier, but in truth the sword fighter had attempted the complicated weapon once before. He ended up not only tangling up himself with the string, but also somehow managed to smack himself in the head countless times.
Lloyd's heart skipped a beat when he couldn't find Colette nearby, but relaxed as he caught sight of her coming to behind him. Her burns were completely gone, thankfully, and the tears in her clothes revealed mere scars from her chakrams wounds. Unfortunately he noticed both her weapons and his swords had been confiscated. On top of that, he was still without his mother's cruxis crystal. Damn it, I can't really think of a way for this to look any worse.
"L-Lloyd? Where are we?" Colette asked, pushing up off the ground.
Sighing, Lloyd stood up and tested the metal bars keeping them trapped. "I'm not sure, but chances are our humble hosts will be wanting to know about our glorious leader, Lord Yggdrasill…" Lloyd spoke with a roll of his eyes.
"So, you admit you are indeed an Angel of Cruxis." Their captor strode into the room and walked up to the bars.
Lloyd glared at him and grit his teeth to restrain himself. "You obviously haven't heard sarcasm before." He ground.
The man crossed his arms in an attempt to appear intimidating. The cell they were in reminded Lloyd of the dungeon in which Governor-General Dorr kept his wife, Clara, imprisoned.
Colette stood by Lloyd's side and looked earnestly at the man. "Please, you must believe us. Lord Mithos Yggdrasill is dead! We saw it with our own eyes!"
Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the angel-girl. "Again you desecrate his name. Does your shame know no bounds?"
"I know this may be hard for you to accept." Lloyd said slowly and precisely. "But Mithos the Hero and Lord Yggdrasill – leader of Cruxis and the desians – is the same person!"
"How can that be when Mithos sacrificed himself to end the Ancient War!?" The man countered.
"I don't know!" Lloyd replied just as loudly. "There's a lot we didn't find out before his passing but the point is he did die! Cruxis is no more!" He persisted.
The man was about to retort when the entire building they were in shook with an earthquake. "Another one!?" The man exclaimed.
From the other door in the room, another boy, this one maybe thirteen, came in out of breath. "Kamai! We're being attacked by angels!"
"What!?" Spinning towards Lloyd, the man snarled. "It seems your fellow blasphemers have come to rescue you." Running to the boy the man called Kamai took off out the door, followed by the messenger.
"Lloyd?" Colette questioned worriedly when they were alone.
Trying to figure something out, Lloyd turned to his friend. His eyes quickly caught sight of Colette's own cruxis crystal still attached to her neck. Of course! Remiel fused the cruxis crystal with Colette when she accepted the oracle! That Kamai guy can't take it off! "Colette!" He said suddenly, startling the girl. "Do you think you can bend the bars and get us out of here?" He hated asking so bluntly because he knew she had always felt uncomfortable with her angel characteristics. First it was her lack of feeling, which thankfully she got back later, then it was her lack of speech, and finally her body crystallizing because of the rejection of the cruxis crystal itself. But the point was her strength could free them now.
"I…I can try." She replied unsurely. Placing her hands on the bars, Colette closed her eyes and pulled the bars apart. With a groan, the metal bent enough for both to get through.
"Colette! You did it! All right!" Lloyd cheered.
Colette smiled and felt her heart calm down. "Yeah, I guess I did." Both stepped through and looked back and forth between the two doors. "Which way do we go now?"
"Well, we gotta find my crystal and our weapons first. We'll have to avoid anyone until then." Lloyd explained. Pointing to the door Kamai had walked in, Lloyd led them out of the room and down the hall. The building seemed a little run down and the grated floor was rusted in some places. On each side of the hallway were three doors and one larger door at the end. The corridor split into two ways on either side of the last door.
"Which one do we try first?" Colette asked.
The entire floor shook with another jolt and one of the doors opened to reveal a little boy maybe four years old at most.
Lloyd frowned. "What's a kid doing here?"
Colette knelt before the boy and asked, "What are you doing here little one? Are you lost?"
The boy shook his head. "Big Brother takes care of us and lets us live here for free." He said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Us?" She repeated. The other doors slowly opened and five to seven children appeared from each one. "Is this…an orphanage?"
The boy in front of her ran to join the others. "Big Brother calls this a haven for half-elves."
Lloyd gasped. "These are all children abandoned by their parents for being half-elves?" In truth, some of the mothers and fathers might've been killed for their forbidden love, but Lloyd didn't bother to mention that.
"How horrible…" Colette stood up. Another shockwave shook and some of the children began to cry. "We have to do something Lloyd!"
"Is there someone where you kids can hide? A basement maybe?" Lloyd wondered. The children nodded. "Okay, Colette take them downstairs and make sure they're out of harm's way. I'll find our weapons. We'll meet back here and look for that Kamai." Knowing the kind of operation he was trying to run, Lloyd felt the need to make sure he was all right, despite what he thought of them. What could cause an entire building to shake anyway?
"Okay kids, this way." Colette took them down the stairs to the right of the large door and gave Lloyd one last smile before heading down.
Mizuho
Feeling bad for Zelos, Carbuncle had taken it upon herself to get Sheena and bring her back. The warrior had been relieved to hear the exspheres had been destroyed, but the level of relief was peculiar and the little guardian knew there was more he had yet to say.
"I don't care Carbuncle!" Sheena shouted, looking the other way. She'd come to the edge of the village like she always did when she needed to cool off. Now her spirit guardian was trying to convince her to go back and talk with the guy that upset her in the first place. "No way! That jerk has nothing on his mind other than what dimensions I am!" She growled in frustration. "Nothing's change during this whole time! Nothing!"
"Sheena!" Carbuncle tried again, not sure the ninja even knew she was there. "Zelos was really worried about you!" Sheena responded with a roll of her eyes. Good, at least she was listening. "He was afraid whatever attacked him could've come after you!"
Throwing a rock into the creek, the ninja sighed. "Sometimes I think I'm finally getting to know the real Zelos…then he goes and pulls pervert on me!" Sheena wondered if what she once felt for Lloyd was the same as what she felt for Zelos.
She hadn't known Lloyd too long, but unlike so many in Tethe'alla, he treated her like…well, like a regular person. Despite what she'd tried to do, he never seemed to lose faith in the goodness of her heart. It surprised her, especially being from Mizuho and growing used to ill treatment everywhere she went. She liked the way he made her feel, like she was…a real woman.
With Zelos, whom she'd known longer, having both grown up with constant contact with the Research Institute, many of the hardships he went through concerning his status of Chosen One, Sheena could understand, even if he didn't openly talk to her about it.
When her training got hard, or the experiments proved painful – mana augmentation and stuff – Zelos was always there to support her and tell her not to give up. Sheena's later discontent with the Chosen was probably due to jealousy from all the woman that hung around him. Whenever they were around…Sheena didn't exist to him.
But then there was that one mission when Zelos' timing couldn't have been sweeter…
Mysterious cave, Tethe'alla – 10 years earlier…
A nine-year-old Sheena held her back tightly against the cave wall and peeked around the corner for any signs of monsters. She had been sent by request of the king, and her village, to retrieve inhibitor ore for the Chosen's keycrest. The Chosen, Zelos, was too valuable to loose until the Day of Prophecy, so the Royals requested Mizuho to send one of their own to retrieve it.
Sheena's feelings for the Chosen were…complicated. Just the thought of all those snobby noble girls swooning over the Chosen made Sheena's stomach twist. How could he enjoy being surrounded by those airheads all day long? Sheena had never been very feminine; it just wasn't her style, only relying on herself and her own skills and abilities to get things done.
But for once, just once, the girl from Mizuho would like for Zelos to look at her like he did them…
Sheena was still training with the Igaguri style, but she gladly accepted the mission, wanting nothing more than to prove her worth not only to the village chief, but everyone else in the village too. I can do this. She thought confidently.
Dashing between rocks and ducking under stalactites, Sheena made her way deeper into the cave. The inhibitor ore would be in the darkest part of the cave, or so she was told. It was strange, Sheena thought, that the Church of Martel and the King of Tethe'alla would want to be discreet about the ore instead of getting it directly through the Lezareno Company. But it wasn't her place to question. Just to follow orders.
Keeping absolutely quiet and her breathing under control, Sheena activated her mana lamp, powered by two exspheres, and began searching for the necessary ore. She knew even the slightest sound could cause a cave in, so she treaded softly.
There weren't any monsters about that she could see, but that's not to say they weren't there. Many hours later, Sheena began to sweat from the heat and no matter how hard she breathed, it seemed oxygen eluded her. The air must be thin this far underground. She concluded. Ignoring her discomfort, Sheena squinted her eyes and tried harder to find the ore. The sooner she found it, the sooner she could leave.
Something discolored caught her eyes and she knelt to her left. "Gotchya." Putting the lamp down, she unhooked her laser and began extracting it. The laser was the size of her hand and as thin as the hilt of a sword. The laser was created by channeling energy through an exsphere into a narrow beam that could cut even the strongest rock.
Sheena was so concentrated with getting the ore, that she didn't hear the thin rock floor beneath her start to crack. It wasn't until she grabbed the ore and held it up that she exclaimed in a hushed voice, "All right! I got it!" She had just tucked it into her robe when she heard the final crack of the floor giving way. She dropped suddenly and barely caught the edge of the hole in time. The cavern revealed beneath was barely visible below and Sheena knew if she were to lose her grip…it would mean her life.
Sheena struggled to get back up top, but the edge of the hole was weak and could give out at any moment. Smiling grimly, she accepted her fate. "Heh, I guess Kuchinawa really will finish his training before I do." She laughed shortly. "I guess I owe him 20 gald." Closing her eyes, Sheena released her grip and prepared to meet hard rock.
Out of the darkness above, a hand caught her wrist and she gasped in shock. "Easy there. That would've been a nasty fall." A voice said.
Looking up in shock, Sheena's eyes went wide when she saw none other than Zelos Wilder, Chosen of Tethe'alla, smiling down at her. "C-Chosen!" She exclaimed.
"Hang on, I'll pull you up." He said as he hefted her out of the hole.
Sheena was beyond flushed and was glad it was too dark to see at the moment. Zelos held onto her a moment before, making sure she was safe and sound, before retrieving his own mana lamp. "W-what are you doing here, Chosen. It's dangerous. You should be back at the castle."
Zelos scoffed. "Please, just because the Pope wants to keep me around so he can sacrifice me later, he feels the need to imprison me within the walls of Meltokio." He came up to Sheena and said darkly. "I can handle my own whether the King, the Pope, or even you think I can't."
"B-but Chosen…I would never…!" Sheena protested. He has the desire to prove himself…I can understand that.
"Sheena, we're pals, aren't we? Call me Zelos." He insisted.
Sheena's blush deepened. Even if he was only three years older, he looked so smooth and collected, even in a dark place like a cave. "Y-yes Chosen One Zelos." Zelos rolled his eyes and was about to retort when Sheena saw movement behind him. "Look out!" She shoved him out of the way and felt something smack hard into her, ramming her against the stonewall.
"Sheena!" Zelos exclaimed in worry. "You okay!?"
Sheena winced, but pulled out her cards. "Yeah, I'm fine. You?"
"Good over here." Unsheathing his sword, Zelos regarded his attacker. It looked like a canine, but was entirely made out of rock.
Sheena saw it too and doubted their success. "This is gonna be a tough battle."
"Nah, it'll be a piece of cake." Zelos winked. Running in, he slashed twice facing his opponent, then twice with his back turned, and jumped up to land the last hit. "Crap! It doesn't work!" He exclaimed when his sword made mere sparks against the stone skin of his attacker.
"The armor's too thick!" Sheena gritted her teeth.
"Let's combine attacks!" Zelos shouted.
"What!? Here?"
"Yeah! Come on!" He smiled at her from across the way. "Just like they taught us at the Research Institute!"
The monster roared and spun around, trying to cleave its prey with its round spiked tail.
Zelos raised his shielded arm. "Not the face!" He pleaded, deflecting the attack. The sheer force of the blow cost him precious inches as he was forced back.
Sheena barely avoided the swing and shouted. "Okay! Let's do it!" It wasn't like she had much of a choice. The only bad part about the idea was that neither tried combining powers before and the results were unknown. "Power Seal!" Throwing her card forward, Sheena hoped his plan worked…
"Sonic Thrust!" Zelos pulled his sword back and pushed forward towards the rock dog. The energy from Sheena's cards fused with Zelos' sword and the blade lit up even brighter. "Power Thrust!" The sword punched through the rock and the monster exploded into chucks of nothing but dirt and dust.
Sheena was in too much shock to say anything, but Zelos jumped up victoriously and exclaimed, "Man, I rule! I'm sooo cool!"
The trip back outside was thankfully uneventful and Sheena dutifully dug into her robe to give Zelos the ore. "Here ya go, Chosen. As agreed."
Zelos took it, but seemed sad.
Worried, Sheena asked, "What's the matter? You won didn't you?" The Chosen One's sword skills were renowned in all of Tethe'alla, even as such a young age, so Sheena knew she probably shouldn't have doubted his strength.
Looking regretfully at the ore in his hand, Zelos replied, "Half the time they want nothing to do with me and the rest of the time, they lock me up 'for me own good'. Now they don't even trust me to gather my own materials for my key crest."
Sheena frowned. "How were you able to perform that sword attack without a key crest?"
Zelos held up his fist with the exsphere attached to the back, though no key crest was visible. "I learned that you can attach an exsphere for a short amount of time without a key crest and be okay. Since this mission was to build my key crest I made a decision and took the risk."
"But that's dangerous! You could get sick and…"
"What die?" He replied angrily. "Here's news for you, hunny, I am gonna die no matter what I do. I'm the Chosen, as you so constantly remind me. I was born for the sole purpose of becoming a sacrifice!" Turning away, he began walking back towards Meltokio.
Sheena felt a lump in her throat and sniffled before she could stop herself. She knew about the Chosen and his journey of regeneration, but to put yourself at death's door without so much as a second thought? It just seemed so sad…
So sad yet so much like her own life…
With hatred and discrimination everywhere she went, Sheena often wondered about ending it all. If she did, she might earn more honor than she had now.
Hearing her muffled cry, Zelos stopped mid step and turned back around worriedly. "Hey don't cry. I'm sorry. The Great Zelos can't bear to see a lady cry."
Sheena raised a hand and knuckled her eyes to wipe away the tears before he came too close. "No, I'm sorry Chosen. It won't happen again."
"Wait, you're hurt." Zelos gently took her arm and looked at the elbow. There was a nasty gash surrounded by dark bruising. It must've happened when she…
"I-it's nothing." Sheena tried to pull away nervous.
But Zelos held on. "Hang on, I got some apple gel in my pocket." He held her elbow with one hand and dug into his pants with the other. Pulling out the packet, he gently applied it to her wound, while the ninja tried miserably to keep from blushing. "Hey uh, thanks for what you did back there. You saved my neck."
"Mm hmm." Sheena managed.
Pulling out a handkerchief he wrapped it around her elbow and smiled as he tied it off. That should hold you over until you get back to Meltokio or Mizuho to see a healer. I'd patch you up myself, but my healing arts still have a ways to go."
Sheena looked up and met his eyes for the first time since they exited the cave. They were so clear and beautiful, it was no wonder he was so popular amongst the girls. This smile… it seems different than the one he always flashes at those other girls. This one seems more…carefree. "T-thank you, Chosen."
"No more of that either. We're friends, aren't we?" Zelos had yet to release her elbow and she could feel the warmth of his skin. "Call me Zelos from now on."
Sheena nodded, too lightheaded to argue. "O-okay Zelos."
Sheena smiled at the memory, but shook her head. The next day that pervert found a way into the ventilation shaft of the girl's shower room and peeked at me at Meltokio castle! It was also after that she went on that fateful journey to Volt's tower and…
"Sheena?" Carbuncle asked in worry.
"Hmm? Sorry, I must've spaced out." She covered up quickly.
"I've known some people, other pact makers, who felt they needed to hide their true self in order to survive." Carbuncle explained. "Maybe Zelos is just having trouble showing that side of him."
The guardian's words echoed Sheena's own thoughts, though she hated to admit it. "Okay fine, I'll talk to him!" Standing up, both made their way back to the chief's house.
Zelos was just pulling on his clothes over his bandages when Sheena walked in a caught him. Gasping, she twirled around and blushed bright red. "I-I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. Carbuncle merely snickered at her reaction.
Zelos laced the front ropes around the buttons on the other side of his shirt and smiled, blushing a little himself. "No, I'm the one who should be apologizing."
The response surprised Sheena and for a moment, she thought she'd heard wrong. "Huh?" She turned back around.
"I probably shouldn't have come here." He said sadly. "Whatever attacked me and killed those workers could've followed me. I just…"
"I know." She cut him off. "You were worried. You did the right thing. What was it that attacked you anyway?"
So Zelos sat down and explained everything and his suspicions about the creatures' intentions.
Sheena now understood the severity of the situation. Whatever purpose the creatures needed the exspheres for needed to be investigated and what's more, the one who sent them. From Zelos' description, they were the angels from Derris-Kharlan…but those were all taken care of…right? "Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing the angels in Derris-Kharlan the last time we were there."
"Exactly." Zelos nodded.
"So what do you want to do now?"
"First I need to give you this." Zelos handed Sheena the king's letter. "You're to be the envoy of peace to Iselia and get them to join the king's World Council." He instructed.
Raising an eyebrow, Sheena smirked. "And who's the bright one that signed me up for this?"
Zelos laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Look, it's for the good of my reputation, please?" When she seemed like she was going to hesitate, he added. "You've got a rheaird here, right? We'll just zoom over there, give the king's message, and head straight to the castle. Please?"
Rolling her eyes, Sheena looked down at Carbuncle as if she was still deciding just to make Zelos sweat it out, then nodded. "Fine, but you owe me."
"Anything you want."
Already knowing Kuchinawa would have to wait, Sheena faked a smile to hide her despair over leaving her friend to wait even longer. "Come on then! First one there gets to fly!" She bolted out the door, followed by Carbuncle, before Zelos could even react.
Smiling, Zelos gathered his weapons and remaining armor and took off after her.
Gauracchia ForestLloyd checked each of the other rooms for any stragglers before coming across Kamai's office. As suspected, his swords and Colette's chakrams were there, but Lloyd still couldn't find his crystal. Cursing, he dashed out of the room and looked around for Colette.
The next shockwave made Lloyd loose his balance and he slammed hard into the wall. "Urg, I don't have time to wait! I gotta see what's going on!" Running back into the dungeon, Lloyd ran through the other door Kamai had taken and ran up the stairs behind leading to the roof.
There was some sunlight filtering through but the tallest trees still covered the three-story building. Lloyd immediately saw Kamai and the boy from before holding their own against a dozen angels. The first thing Lloyd noticed that was strange about the evolved half-elves were that they had larger black feathered wings and their appearance in general was more twisted and grotesque. Even the wings themselves seemed tattered. One of the attackers used their staff to summon fire and aimed it at Kamai.
The large fireball flew at the human, but he jumped to the side and avoided it, resulting in only collateral damage. Unfortunately, the building rocked harder than ever before and Lloyd doubted it could handle much more before it collapsed.
"Kamai!" The boy shouted in worry. He was armed with a small dagger, but had nothing but determination burning in his green eyes. "Are you alright!?"
Kamai recovered but when he turned to scold the boy, he saw another angel rushing in with their twin rapiers. "Kokoro! Behind you!"
CLING!
Lloyd intercepted with a cross of his swords, having ditched Colette's weapons near the access door.
The boy Kokoro, landed hard on the rooftop in shock. Kamai cursed and tried splitting his attention between fighting the two angels in front of him and his now freed prisoner.
Lloyd, without his cruxis crystal, could only hold the angel at bay and barely block the attacks it sent his way. He remembered that time when Regal had stayed behind to fight the angelic dolls and these were nothing like that. These were far worse.
"You even attack your own kind!?" Kamai asked in disgust. His sword flashed in a column of light as he landed a hit on his enemy. It shrieked and fell from the sky.
"For the last time, I'm not with Cruxis!" Lloyd shouted back.
Kokoro, not being attacked at the moment, turned to his leader. "Kamai! The children!"
"They're all safe downstairs! Colette's making sure of it!" Lloyd replied. Gritting his teeth he pressed forward and took the opportunity to kick the angel into another behind her.
"The Chosen!?" Kamai breathed in shock. Despite countless injuries he'd suffered defending the orphanage, he still looked strong and ready to fight.
"Yes, the Chosen! Now would someone without a soul be willing to save the lives of those she didn't even know!?" Lloyd asked the man who thought he knew everything.
Kamai scoffed and saw three more angels come down towards him. Glaring at them, he spun around and his sword lit up green with the power of the exsphere. "Demonic Circle!" He slammed the sword down and a wave of energy flew towards the one angel in front of him, while another green circle appeared beneath him, slamming the other two angels back as well. They flew and hit trees just off to the side of the roof. The angel he'd hit in front crumpled to the ground unmoving. "Kokoro! Get down there with the children!"
"But!" The boy protested.
"If our defenses here don't work, I'm going to need you to get the children out of here!" Kamai instructed. "Now go!"
Lloyd watched the boy clench his eyes, but do as told and abandoned the battle. The angel he'd kicked came back stronger than ever and Lloyd's reaction time was slowing down as his muscles tired. "You know, I could do a lot better if I had my crystal with me!" He shouted, knowing Kamai probably had it with him.
"Ha!" Kamai laughed. "And after we're done with the troops you no doubt control, you'd probably turn on me next!" Kamai elbowed the spellcaster he'd picked out next and grabbed its staff. Spinning around, he threw the angel into the same tree its comrades had had the joy of meeting.
Lloyd jumped back and avoided a fireball aimed his way. "By the great Goddess Martel, what do I have to do so that you'll believe me!?"
Sweat pouring down his face, Kamai was finally beginning to tire and there were still plenty of enemies to go around. If the children have any chance of surviving the day…Digging into his pocket, Kamai took out Lloyd's precious crystal. "Fine! Catch!" He threw it over.
Lloyd caught it and placed it in his key crest. "Thanks!" He felt relief having it back with him.
Kamai scoffed and blocked one of the duel-wielding sword angels. "I'm getting too soft in my old age." He berated himself.
The same angel who'd tried to attack Lloyd the first time with fire tried again, but the half-angel was ready and smirked in anticipation. "All right! Right back at ya! Fierce Demon Fang!" Slamming his blade down, a wave of powerful energy hit the fireball as it flew in, smacking it back towards the caster.
The angel screeched and caught fire, then went flying back as Lloyd's energy assault it too, making it fall from the sky like a rock. Lloyd laughed like a little schoolboy and pointed his sword at his fallen enemy. "It just wasn't your day."
Another of the spellcasters had their eyes closed in concentration and with the time it took to cast, Lloyd knew they were in for a doozy. Off to the side, he saw Kamai was barely staying on his feet now and ran to his side as another magic attack, this one hurling rocks, came flying at him.
Raising his sword, Lloyd put up a green shield shouting, "Guardian!" The rocks hit it and bounced off, but with each assault, Lloyd felt the barrier weaken.
Kamai saw all this through one squinted eye and began to consider the idea that he'd been wrong about the boy. The pummeling rocks stopped and Lloyd took a few healthy needed breaths.
Before either could full recover, the other angel finished its chant and glowed black. "Those who oppose the Master must be destroyed." He said with a sneer. "Gravity Well!"
Acting quickly, Lloyd erected his shield again but it had already taken too much damage and collapsed. The immense force pulled Lloyd into the ground, along with Kamai, and both were caught in the merciless bubble. Lloyd hit his head repeatedly against the stone rooftop and found himself close to passing out. Kamai was already unconscious and the attack only succeeded in opening a wound on the side of his head. Blood trickled down from Kamai's injury but there was little Lloyd could do.
Through the darkness and waves of continuous pain, Lloyd began to hear a heavenly voice. It was a language he didn't understand, but the voice he did. "Colette?" He managed. On the other side of the gravitational dome, Lloyd could make out his angel friend, a pink aura building around her, growing in intensity as she continued to chant.
Floating above the ground, her wings sparkled behind her, Colette opened her eyes and shouted, "Thy faithful servant asketh for thy blessing. Honor us with the splendor of thy song. Holy song!" A shockwave of energy flew out in all directions. As it passed over Lloyd and Kamai, the dome vanished and the two were released from its powerful forces. The same shockwave slammed into the angels, throwing them back into the darkness and Gauracchia Forest shrieking. "Lloyd!" Colette flew over to his side as he struggled to get up. "Are you okay!?"
He looked weakly over at Kamai's body. "Check on him…I'm alive…" He assured.
She nodded and rolled the man onto his back. "He looks in pretty bad shape. We need to get him to a healer." She reported.
"Send these fools to the underworld in an icy coffin! Ice Tornado!" The last recovered angel shouted, casting the hailstorm on the three.
The wind around them picked all three up and lifted them into the air. Lloyd struggled to reach Colette as he was tossed around by the icy winds. Chunks of ice struck his extended arm and he recoiled it painfully. Another ice rock struck his side and then his back. He could barely see Colette use a shield of her own, but it was weakening fast.
They were thrown up above the canopy of Gauracchia Forest, branches and twigs cut the exhausted group up further, before the winds died down and they started to fall. Lloyd could feel the wind rushing up as he fell facing up, but was too weak to call out his wings. Above him, Colette fell just as weakly and he could only assume Kamai was somewhere below falling faster than either youth.
A bird's call reached Lloyd's ears and he thought he saw golden yellow feathers cross his vision before he landed on something soft. He heard two other thumps but couldn't bring himself to look around as sleep beckoned him. This sound…Aska? Before he could find the answer, though, Lloyd finally closed his eyes and passed out.
Tower of ManaRaine and Genis made their way around the mountains to the Tower of Mana carefully and cautiously. Both half-elves kept their wits about them in case high increases of mana alerted them to the enemy's presence. The mana was even thicker at the tower's base and Raine had to swallow to keep from gagging. There was something different about this feeling than the mana the Great Viscus Tree gave off. This almost made her feel sick.
"Be careful." She warned out of habit. Right now, being careful was a given.
The two made it to the base of the tower and Genis had yet to sense anything close by. The congested mana they did feel was emanating all around them, not giving them any clues as to what was going on. "Should we go inside?"
Before his sister could answer, a weird metal clicking sound was heard and from the side of the tower came a six-foot tall creature matching the description from the man at Palmacosta. The metal claws were attachments artificially made to the fingers, connecting through the top of the hand to the wrist.
"It can't be!" Genis shook his head, stepping back.
Raine narrowed her eyes and held her staff in front of her. "The bone structure is definitely elven." The long slender legs and arms made it undeniable.
"Why!?" Genis demanded.
In response, the creature growled and bared its fangs and claws before jumping towards Genis. Caught off guard, the boy fell backwards and had to dash between the monsters legs to avoid being slashed.
"Light! Photon!" Raine raised her staff and attacked, buying her brother time to get away. When the creature raised its arms to ward off the light, Raine caught sight of something on the back of its hand. "An exsphere!" She gasped.
"Create a torrential vortex and engulf the evil spirits. Tidal wave!" Genis sun his kendama and a giant wave of water struck the monster and rammed him into the ground.
When he got back on his feet with no problem he smiled, almost amused. Bending its legs, it dashed at Genis and would've landed a hit had Raine not intercepted and blocked with her staff. "You want him? You've gonna have to go through me first." She ground and attacked with her staff.
Genis watched in horror as his sister started fending off the twisted elf. Her battle skills rivaled those of her healing arts, but should she get even one wound, one cut from those claws, she could become infected, just like that man before. "W-what spell do I use?" With Raine so close, he risked hitting her and it didn't seem the element water worked at all.
Clenching his teeth, Genis thought of Lloyd and fought down his fear. "Let's try fire then!" He spun his weapon again and shouted, "Raging Mist!"
The increasing mana beneath her was enough to warn Raine to jump away, but the creature was caught in the sea of flame and shrieked in pain. "Good work Genis!" Raine congratulated.
Her attention split, the elf jumped through the wall of fire and rammed Raine to the ground. Standing over her lying form, the monster smirked and jumped high into the air.
"Raine!" Genis exclaimed, running over.
In each of its hands, black energy disks formed and it threw them down one after another, sending a barrage at the recovering half-elf.
Raising her staff, Raine shouted, "Force Field!" The shield didn't last long and crumbled beneath the evil assault, leaving Raine to cry out as at least half of the remaining disks struck home, blasting her back.
"Raine!" Genis suddenly got mad, his hope in seeing the elves of Heimdall all right shattered, and attacked with his kendama like never before. He spun it and smacked the creature again and again, driving it back towards the entrance of the tower. Black blood splattered his face and clothes, showering the green grass with its taint, but he kept at it. The monster didn't even have time to counterattack in between blocks. "Fireball! Stone blast!" Genis shouted, needing no time to cast. His anger fueled his mana, made it stronger. Both attacks combined and he fired flamed chucks of rock, like flying meteorites at the retreating elf. "How dare you hurt my sister!!"
The magic attack slammed the atrocity into the double doors and dust kicked up, hiding his form. "Hmph, all talk…no action…" He said coldly with narrowed eyes. Genis breathed heavily and waited a moment to see if there would be any retaliation, before running to his sister's aide. "Raine, hang on!"
While he ran, the creature, its outer skin severally burned, ran out and jumped up, slashing Genis across the back as it came down. Genis cried out as he felt the metal claws rip open skin and foreign mana invade his body. Falling to the ground, Genis couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so much pain.
The monster walked over and stood between the two injured halflings. It spoke and taunted its prey in the elven tongue, but Genis couldn't understand it. Behind the creature, though, he saw Raine force herself to her feet and silently start to chant a spell.
Sensing what spell it was, Genis summoned strength into his arms and legs and stood up. The action seemed to amuse the elf as it crossed its arms, expecting a last meaningless attempt from its "already defeated" prey. Mana gathered underneath Genis as he chanted the spell in a whisper. "Engulf this pathetic soul…ground dasher…"
When he saw his sister give the signal by raising her staff, he glared at the darkened pureblood and swung his kendama. "Prism Stars!"
Fireballs of pure light mana appeared from all angles assaulting and devastating the elf. Raine passed out half way through, but Genis kept at it. "I don't understand why you would do this! I don't!" He added the last of his strength to finish the spell and shouted, "WHY!!!?" The final blast erupted with a bright flash and Genis saw through unfocused vision, the mere husk left over fall dead to the ground. "Why…" Then he too fell down unconscious.
Toize Valley Mine
Presea and Regal stacked out the new mine until nightfall, when the supposed employer of Regal's former miners was said to make the switch. Regal observed his younger companion carefully, in case she got cold, but it appeared she either didn't feel the cold, or didn't find it a problem that had to be addressed.
Regal had to remember that although she looked ten, she was actually much older and therefore much wiser. The president of the Lezareno Company often wondered if Presea would've turned out like Alicia had Rodyle not stepped in. But he had to admit, her calculative nature reminded him of himself and was actually refreshing.
"Incoming presence. Non-human." She said in her usual even voice.
Regal ducked tighter against the rock and looked towards the mesa. The person in question wore a hooded black cloak that hid their every feature. They walked slowly and evenly, not even bothering to look around to see if others were watching or if they'd been followed.
"I believe it is time we find out what is really going on here." Regal stood up.
"Agreed." Presea pulled forward her axe and joined his side. Both walked right up behind the visitor and he had yet to acknowledge them. "For what purpose are you here?" Presea asked.
When the man ignored them and bent to pick up the bag of exspheres, Regal narrowed his eyes. "You are in violation of mining code 2436. This land is under my ownership and you have not been given…"
"Retrieve exspheres. Eliminate any opposition." The man said mechanically. Turning around, he outstretched his hand and fired a blast of energy straight at Regal before the other man could even react. Regal was blasted back and hit the rock face, slumping down warily on one knee.
"That voice…!" Presea immediately recognized the identity of the man and now knew why he wasn't human. Swinging around, she used her oversized axe to try and attack him, but only managed to drag the cloak off the man revealing blue hair and sparkling wings. "Yuan!"
The man looked coldly and emotionlessly at her, then repeated the same attack he had on Regal against her. The axe-wielder acted quickly and raised her weapon to deflect it, but was forced back by the strength behind the attack. By the time she recovered, Yuan was already flying in the sky and out of sight. "Destination by the angle of departure: unknown."
Grunting, Regal looked up as well. "So following him is out of the question." He summed up.
"Are you injured?" Presea asked with a furrowed brow.
The president shook his head. "No, let us return to my office where I can secure us passage to the Renegade base in Triet Desert. This reeks of trouble."
Presea nodded and replaced her weapon to her back. "Understood." Part of her felt guilty that she had not reacted fast enough to prevent harm to Regal, but she forced the feelings down and focused on their current situation. Feelings that clouded her judgment only resulted in weakness and Presea was anything but weak. Logical solution: become faster and attack the enemy first. Performance increase 20, success rate increase: 78. Approved. Next time, she would see to it no one close to her got hurt. No one.