Somewhere I Belong
"Dwarven Vow #12: Your feet will bring you back to where your heart is."
Off shore somewhere…
Zelos and Sheena were flying over the ocean towards Iselia and so far, neither had said too much. The reason for their silence was that Carbuncle was mounted happily on Zelos' shoulder and back. The Chosen had yet to say anything to protest the action, since he did owe the little runt for Sheena coming back, but was quickly nearing the end of his tolerance.
Carbuncle looked toward the horizon and bounced happily. "I've never been flying before! This is so neat!" She exclaimed.
Gritting his teeth, Zelos turned to his backpacking friend. "Can't you like disappear or something? The other summon spirits weren't this annoying, minus Gnome maybe."
"Zelos!" Sheena berated.
Carbuncle raised her nose in the air and replied. "Cause I'm not a summon spirit. I'm a guardian." She corrected. "Besides, I like it up here!"
Sheena giggled when Zelos sighed in defeat. The rheaird they were in suddenly jumped forward then rocked from side to side. "Come on, come on!" She struggled with the controls.
"Hey, what's wrong up there?" Zelos asked nervously.
"The rheaird's running out of juice and I don't think we'll make it to shore." She replied grimly.
Standing up behind her, Zelos leaned forward to look at the controls. "What do you mean we're out of juice!? I thought if you had Volt, we'd be fine!" He exclaimed, madly pushing buttons.
"I haven't been able to summon Volt!" She shouted back, swatting his hands away. "Not quite touching everything! You're gonna make us crash!"
Just as she said that, they began to lose altitude. "This is why you never let a woman driiiiiiveee!"
Coughing up seawater as he crawled up on shore, Zelos growled in discomfort. "I hate being right."
Sheena got on shore behind him and glared at him as she tried to ring out her battle garment. "Don't even get me started."
"Heh." Zelos stood up and began squeezing the water out of his precious hair. "Aw man! It's gonna take me weeks to recover the shine!" He whined.
Carbuncle, having made it to land first, shook her short fur to get it dry, spraying the upset warrior in the process. "I prefer flying to swimming any day!" She complained.
Zelos looked ready to ring Carbuncle's neck next, so the guardian spirit dashed behind Sheena. "Most people would say that." He growled. Looking at Sheena, he crossed his arms. "So when were you gonna tell me you couldn't summon Volt?"
"It's not just Volt." Sheena looked sadly to the side. "I can't summon any of them."
That answer was more than Zelos expected and his eyes went wide. "What?"
Carbuncle came out from behind Sheena and bounced happily. "I can explain that one!"
"Well now that we're here," Sheena cut her off. "Let's build a fire before we get sick and dry off some. We're too far away from Meltokio, so we can walk to Iselia in the morning." She proposed.
"Fine with me." Zelos replied far lighter than Sheena expected.
With the moonlight shining like it is with his hair damp and clinging to his face, he looks so…No! Snap out of it Sheena! Focus! She pounded her head at the thought.It was going to be an…interesting night.
Renegade Base: Triet Desert
"Lloyd. Lloyd wake up!"
The boy Colette called to moaned and opened his eyes. "Colette?" He murmured. "That you?"
The blond girl nodded. "Yeah. We're at the Renegade base in Triet."
Sitting up, Lloyd looked around and recognized the room he'd woken up in once before. That was when Kratos had betrayed them and Colette lost her soul to the cruxis crystal. "How did we get here?"
"I don't really know." Colette responded sadly.
Lloyd thought back and remembered the soft feathers and bright golden yellow glow. "Aska…" He stared off into space at first, trying to remember as much as he could, before looking at Colette. "I remember hearing Aska's call. I think that's how we got here."
"And you would be correct." A voice said as the door opened. The man had slicked back black hair and a small goatee. "Don't worry. You aren't prisoners here. You're free to leave whenever you please." He said when they both tensed at his approach. "But might I have a word with you first?"
Lloyd and Colette exchanged looks but nodded easily afterwards. "Sure." Lloyd stood up.
Leading them down the hallways, the man introduced himself. "My name is Kiga (Kee-ga). I am the new second in command, under Yuan, of the Renegades." Then he remembered his initial statement. "We found you unconscious just outside our gates, Aska was seen leaving when we arrived."
"You remind me of Botta somewhat." Colette commented casually.
Without turning, Kiga replied, "Botta was…my older brother."
Lloyd's step faltered as he felt a twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save him but I…"
"No." Kiga turned around. "My brother strived for what you and your friends have accomplished. I could not ask for more. Cruxis is gone and I know my brother rests in peace." He gave the two a small smile before starting back down the hall.
"Where is Yuan, by the way?" Lloyd asked. Usually the angel was the first one they saw.
"He is out on other business." Kiga reported. "Your other…companion is just beyond these doors." He stopped and stood off to the side. "He was resilient to accept the information we gave him and requested to see you. I felt this needed to be taken care of before going to the central control room."
Lloyd nodded. "All right." Nodding to Colette, he stepped through with her.
Their previous captor, Kamai, sat on a similar bed as Lloyd's but looked tired and upset. When he saw Lloyd and Colette walk in, he looked away. "It seems I owe you an apology." He said in a low voice.
Lloyd furrowed his brow in confusion. "It's not your fault. I can understand where you're coming from too." He admitted.
Kamai scoffed. "To think the hero Mithos would turn out to be a half elf with nothing on his mind but to cause the people suffering."
Colette clasped her hands in front of her. "Mithos may have made some bad decisions, but he did have good intentions in the beginning!" She insisted. "He deserved the title of hero for what he accomplished!"
"Sacrificing hundreds, thousands of innocents in exchange for one life is never honorable!" Kamai disagreed with passion. "When one looses someone close to them, they do what they can to save them, to be with them, but they can't always be successful. You have to learn to move on."
"You speak as if you've experienced such pain." Lloyd said carefully.
"Perhaps, but the past is the past." Kamai ended the subject and for a moment, there was silence.
Colette played with her fingers, debating whether to ask before speaking up. "Kamai, what were all those children doing at the facility? Was it an orphanage?"
Kamai nodded. "That building used to be an energy plant, using a nearby river to create power. Once Tethe'alla began using exspheres, it was deemed obsolete and abandoned. All the equipment was removed except the main building, which was thought to be too expensive to destroy." He explained. "So many half-elves were either abandoned to the creatures of the forest or left parentless by those against the interracial relationships." He said with disgust.
"So you took them in and took care of them." Colette concluded. "That was a really nice thing to do." She smiled.
"What made you want to start such an organization?" Lloyd wondered. "Most Tethe'allans despise half-elves."
"My reasons are my own." Standing up, Kamai walked towards the door. "I thank you for saving the children, but I must take my leave now." He paused. "They won't last long without me." Then he exited and left.
Kiga soon entered and pointed to the retreating man. "Is everything all right?"
Lloyd sighed. "Yeah, let him go. If we need him later, we know where to find him." Taking a deep breath he looked to Kiga. "Okay, take us to the control room."
Kiga turned. "Right, this way."
Yuan had yet to return when Lloyd and Colette arrived at the control room. Kiga activated one of the communication devices and an image of Kratos appeared. "Lloyd?" He asked hastily.
His son gasped. "Dad?" He walked up to the projection. "What's going on?"
Upon seeing his son in one piece, Kratos visibly relaxed. His wings returned to a light flutter as he spoke in a much more calm and collected voice. "You're alright…good."
"Did you know about the attack?!" Lloyd asked, almost accusingly.
"Lloyd, calm down." Colette coaxed.
"Yes…and no. Use the Eternal Sword and I will explain in person." The angel instructed.
"…Alright."
Moments later, Kratos appeared before Lloyd and recalled his wings. "Wait, where is Yuan?" He questioned.
"Lord Yuan had business to deal with and said he would return. That was shortly after Lloyd and Colette's arrival." As ordered by Yuan, Kiga had contacted Kratos to tell him of his son's safe arrival. "He should be back with the next few hours."
"Then might I suggest you get some rest before then." Kratos looked down at his son.
"Sleep? Now!?" Lloyd exclaimed. "Angels attack out of nowhere, Aska saves me for Martel knows why, you have all the answers, and you want me to sleep!?"
Unnerved by the emotional child, Kratos crossed his arms. "Things will be much easier to explain with Yuan present…since it involves him as well."
The calm response only seemed to agitate Lloyd more and he clenched his hands into fists. Turning red in the face from frustration, he ended up turning around and marching back to his quarters.
As soon as he was gone, Kratos lowered his arms and sighed, closing his eyes. "Fifteen years and he hasn't changed a bit." The seventeen-year-old reminded Kratos of the three-year-old he would rock for hours before the infant went to sleep.
Colette giggled at the angel's reaction. "It's good to have you back, Kratos." The angel's eyes opened his shock, but the girl bowed and left to her own room.
Kratos stood there for a moment, stunned. "Back?" When the warrior returned to Derris-Kharlan, he hadn't thought his absence would make a difference. He was merely going where he was needed for a specific purpose. Did he actually…belong to the ragtag group of heroes? It was a vaguely familiar feeling that warmed him from the inside out…
Lake Umacy, 20 years earlier…
Kratos came down from the sky and landed in a tree overlooking the clear lake below. The human Lord Yggdrasill and Kvar desired sat near the water's edge, humming a tune to herself. Her name was Anna. Kratos had been on reconnaissance over this future host for a good while now. Normally, he would simply capture them and deliver them to the appropriate desian ranch. But this human mystified him and he found himself returning to this spot…just to watch her.
She hummed and played with her feet in the water from the rock she sat on, filling the afternoon sky with a soothing serenade that calmed the angel like never before. As he watched her, another creature approached from the surrounding forests.
With long white hair and a sparkling golden horn, the magical unicorn neighed softly so as not to startle the maiden and lowered its head as she continued to sing. Kratos was still with awe and dared not even breathe. Even his blue wings ceased their movement.
The human Anna continued her song for her new audience and patted the gentle creature on the head, soothing it more. Unicorns only approached maidens with purity in their hearts and those it deemed worthy. Could such a human exist in a world full of prejudice and discrimination?
Mithos had recently told Kratos about his plans to use the exspheres to turn the people of both worlds into the Age of Lifeless Beings. Kratos didn't support the idea, but didn't have a plan as to counter the angel-lord, and so continued to follow his orders until a suitable solution could be found. His faith in humanity to live as a whole with those different had long been lost, but this woman made him think differently.
As Kratos wondered about this, Anna ceased her song and the angels' wings drooped in disappointment. "You know, it's not very polite to spend so much time with someone and not introduce yourself." Anna said softly. Kratos froze, not believing she was talking to him, until she looked up and gazed directly at him with a smile. "Don't ya think?"
The unicorn looked up and upon seeing the maiden was not the only one there, ran off and disappeared back into the forest. Anna stood up and brushed off her skirt daintily before craning her neck and looked up at the tree Kratos was in, shading her eyes with the palm of her hand.
The angel himself was still unsure what to do. For all logical reasons, he should knock her out and take her to Cruxis. But…he couldn't. Something about the way she acted intrigued him. She seemed so happy with the simple life she had been given in Luin. She came to Lake Umacy almost on a daily basis and for the sole purpose of admiring its beauty. She held no hatred, no discontent with the circumstances of her existence, and no ambition for anything that wasn't good natured and beneficial for not only her, but others too.
"Fine, if you don't want to come down, I'll just have to come up to you instead!" Anna exclaimed, taking a step forward on the rock. Not watching where she was going, she slipped on some moss and cried out as she fell backwards into the water with a splash.
Kratos gasped and jumped into the air, acting before the thought to save her even entered his mind. He flew down and dove under the mirror flat surface. When he got to her, she didn't seem to be lacking the ability to swim, but the weight of her clothes pulled her down and made getting to the surface more difficult.
Wrapping one arm around her, Kratos tapped into his angelic strength and jetted through the water back to land. He had long recalled his wings and gently laid the woman down on the soft grass. She was breathing, so Kratos played off his initial fear and stood to the side, waiting for her to recover. He was soaked as much as she, though he knew the discomfort would be fleeting so it was of no concern. Already his outer coat had begun to dry in the bright sunshine while the woman coughed and shivered with the light spring breeze.
Grumbling to himself, he removed his coat without a word and draped it across Anna's shoulders. The woman gasped and looked up in shock, but when Kratos crossed his arms and looked away stubbornly, she pulled it closer and smiled. "I knew you were a good person. Thank you."
"Don't assume you know everything about that which you know nothing." He said darkly.
Still squeezing water out of her ankle length skirt, she replied with a false air of nobility. "Well then, why don't you tell me?" Tilting her head up, she looked disappointedly at him. "My name is Anna, in case that was something you didn't know."
Scoffing, Kratos remained as stiff as ever and debated whether to respond back or not. "My name is Kratos and I don't see the need to explain myself to a human."
Frowning she stood up and looked crossly at him, putting her fists on her hips. "You may not have looked in the mirror lately, but take away the wings and you're just as human as the rest of us."
The comment surprised Kratos and he turned to glare at her as if insulted.
Anna continued when she seemed to start getting reactions from the person before her. "You can change your appearance on the outside, you could be an elf, a half-elf, or even a summon spirit for all I care, but what you did back there proved you have a good heart and Kratos...that's all I need to know."
Renegade Base: Triet
Kratos smiled in memory at Anna's stance at that moment. She crossed her arms and tried to look intimidating with anger, but with her hair sticking to her face and water still dripping from her clothes, she only proved herself to be painfully adorable in the angel's eyes.
It was strange…that before that moment, Kratos had completely forgotten that he too was human at one time. After 1,000 years of living in Derris-Kharlan, of seeing the people from both Tethe'alla and Sylvarant as mere bugs on a grand scale, it took the…insightful reproach of a human female to open his eyes and see the wrong in Mithos' ideals.
Kratos had long begun to feel discontent with Mithos' continuing manipulation of both worlds, for Martel's sake or not, and began questioning everything he once believed in after that day. It was not the first of their encounters and it would not be their last. Anna's nature gave Kratos the desire to find an alternative to Mithos' method: a way for mana depletion to stop now, not later – as Mithos promised.
'As soon as we find a suitable match for Martel, I will germinate the great seed and reunite both worlds once more.' The angel lord had said. But even though his vow to the summon spirits had been similar, even they felt discouraged with their master and wished for the pact to be broken. But he had been smart…the wording of the pact keeping them under his control to serve as mana links between the two worlds.
Kratos would begin his investigation into the Eternal Sword around that time and Anna insisted on coming with him, not caring about the details of what Kratos strove for, only that she wanted to help in any way possible. When Kvar did not receive his host as requested, he sent out his desian underlings to hunt her down. Over the time they ran from Cruxis together, no matter how many times Kratos wished to hide Anna somewhere, she would not leave his side. He belonged with her and she with him.
What Kratos felt now certainly wasn't the same as what he'd felt for Anna back then, but…the feeling of belonging was the same and Kratos would treasure it. The man that desired to disrupt that and harm his family and friends had another thing coming. You will not get away with trying to harm my son. I will see to it you and your abomination are vanquished from this plane…forever.
Camp out near Iselia
"Gosh I wish I'd eaten before leaving Mizuho! My stomach's killing me!" Sheena complained. Sighing she scooted closer to the fire as Carbuncle sat in her lap. "Well, no use complaining about it now…"
"Isn't that just what you did?" Zelos smirked from next to her.
Sheena growled at him, but pouted none-the-less. "I'm surprised you haven't started to complain. You usually ate more than any of us." She accused.
"I've got these rolls left over from the party at Meltokio. I've been eating these all night." He held up the small piece of bread.
Sheena gaped at him and stole the roll away. "You had this the entire time and you didn't say anything!?" She took an angry bite out of it and looked away.
"Do you two always fight like this?" Carbuncle craned her neck to look up at her mistress.
"Yes/No!"
Both looked at each other and Sheena only crossed her arms when Zelos laughed. "We've known each other for a long time and something about me always ticks her off."
"No matter what everyone else thinks of you, I know you to be a selfish pervert!" She said hotly.
"Weren't you guys wondering about the summon spirits, Sheena?" Carbuncle asked carefully, feeling that if the tension got any thicker, fists would fly next instead of words.
Sheena gasped and looked down at her guardian. "That's right! Sorry Carbuncle…what's going on?"
"Yeah, why'd Sheena crash the rheaird?" Zelos got in the last insult and finally looked at the guardian.
"Well, the pact maker states a vow with which the power of the summon spirits abides by until either the pact maker dies or the pact maker breaks their vow, right?"
"Well yeah, but we germinated the Great Seed and combined both Tethe'alla and Sylvarant. That's what I swore to do." Sheena said in confusion.
"Right, and as soon as you kept your end of the bargain, the summon spirits were no longer under your control." Carbuncle said as a matter of fact.
"Wait, I don't get it. It's because she did as promised that they left her?" Zelos asked.
"Kind of." Carbuncle hopped out of Sheena's lap so she could look at both present. "The summon spirit lends their power to the pact maker until they complete their vow, or one of the other two conditions are met. You used their power to accomplish what you set out to do, so the deal was completed."
"So, they returned to their seals?" Sheena wondered.
Carbuncle shook her head. "The seals created to keep both worlds together, the mana links, were something created by Mithos. The summon spirits return to the one who created the pact with the King of Summon Spirits: Origin. If the same pact maker also makes the pact with Origin, whose pact can only be broken by death and by no other means, then they retain the power to summon."
Understanding dawned on both Zelos and Sheena and they looked at each other in shock before both shouted, "Lloyd!"
Renegade Base: Triet Desert
"Lord Yuan! You've come back!" Kiga exclaimed.
Yuan walked into his office and the voice of his commander made him look up surprised. He looked ragged and exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days. "Kiga…"
Getting worried, Kiga walked over to Yuan. "Lord Yuan, are you alright?"
Yuan forced a smile and nodded. "Yes, of course, why do you ask?" In truth his head was killing him and his entire mana felt drained. He walked warily over to his desk and sat down
Sensing his leader wouldn't say what was wrong with him even if asked, Kiga turned to other business. "I contacted Lord Kratos as ordered, sir. The boy and the former Chosen have rested and are waiting to convene with you as planned." He reported.
"Kratos?" Yuan looked up as if that had been the first time he'd heard the name. "Oh yes, of course. I'll be right there. I simply need to recover from…my long flight back."
"I understand. I'll tell them of your arrival." Kiga bowed and left the room.
Yuan sighed when the man left and laid back in his chair. So many things were eluding him and he barely recollected what he did each day. He did remember hearing from Kratos at Derris-Kharlan and the announcement from Kiga that Lloyd and Colette were practically delivered to them by the summon spirit Aska, but between then and now was a blur.
Standing up, he walked into the adjacent room that held the heroes and his long time friend. He stood as straight as he could, so as not to give away his present condition, and smiled. "Kratos, it's been too long."
"I wish it could be on better terms, Yuan. But I fear recent events has led me to believe that Zaichar (Zai-Kar) has finally decided to make his move." Kratos noticed Yuan's less than straight posture and his mana signature wavered, like it would snuff out at any moment. "Are you well?" He frowned.
"Yes, just very busy lately." Yuan projected his mana so it remained steady and strong until his friend's suspicious gaze faded and he turned to his son.
"Lloyd, I believe you're going to need to sit down for this one. It may take some time to explain." Kratos said. Lloyd, for once, did as told and he and Colette sat down on one of the couches. "Much about the Ancient Kharlan War was falsified by Mithos. What is true is that two kingdoms went to war and after 4,000 years the reason why the war was started was all but lost."
Yuan stepped up. "Towards the end is when Mithos and Martel were born and later exiled from Heimdall." At the mention of Martel's name, Yuan's eyes flashed with sadness and regret, "Martel wanted to end the war so she, myself, Kratos, and Mithos left to find a way to end the war through…peaceful means."
"Is that why Mithos made the pacts with the summon spirits?" Colette asked.
Kratos nodded. "Mithos wanted to make Martel happy, no matter what, and under my supervision, we traveled to each seal and made pacts with each element, including Origin." Sighing, Kratos placed a hand on his sword casually. "Mithos believed that with more power, he would be able to convince the kings from both countries to sign a peace treaty."
"And he was successful." Yuan cut in. "Martel was happier than we ever remember seeing her, but it was happiness that was short lived." Looking at Kratos for a moment, the angel turned back to Lloyd and Colette. "A man by the name of Zaichar confronted Mithos, demanding the power of the summon spirits and if Mithos refused, Zaichar would kill him and forcefully break the pact formed between Mithos with Origin. It was his belief that the one who controlled the mana should control the world, since the Goddess Martel was no longer…awake." Yuan's voice quieted and Kratos knew it was hard for him, so he finished the story.
"Mithos refused and Zaichar attacked, that was when Martel jumped in front of Mithos and…"
"She died to save him." Lloyd interrupted. "I remember seeing a vision from one of Mithos' memories about that time…"
Martel lay dying at Mithos' feet, the young half-elf struggled with his shock at what had just happened. "Martel? How could you…?" He asked the assailant.
Yuan glared at the man, his own grief tearing him apart. Martel was his… "Human! Your kind must not be allowed to live!" It was an uncharacteristic thing for the half-elf to say, but after seeing Martel and Mithos exiled and now the girl lay near death, Yuan completely lost his cool. Raising his hand, he powered up an attack.
Kratos stood on Mithos' other side, anger filling his veins as well. After everything they did to end the war, the one who wanted peace more than anything, despite how she was treated, would never get to see it. "How far are you willing to go to take control of the mana?" He asked raising his sword.
Mithos shook with grief and looked up with tears in his eyes, his sister's limp body still warm in his arms. "I'll never forgive you…You humans are all the same!"
"When Martel died, Mithos was filled with despair and lost his faith that elves, half-elves, and humans would ever be able to live in the same world peacefully." Kratos continued. "You see the two countries were mostly half-elf versus humans, the villagers from Heimdall deciding to stay out of it completely. Of course some humans sided with the half-elves and vise versa. Mithos, using the Eternal Sword, split the two countries into the two worlds of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant, then using the power of the Great Seed before it completely withered away, fused Martel's soul with it, to preserve her until it came time to resurrect her."
Yuan, having regained his composure, nodded. "We were all…very close, but Mithos felt it more than any of us, which is understandable. When he discovered the power of the cruxis crystal, he evolved into an angel and convinced Kratos and I to do the same…for Martel's sake. We believed him, but over time, it was obvious he wasn't going to fulfill his initial vow with the summon spirits and germinate the great seed. He became obsessed with Martel and began the entire system of mana links and the story of the Chosen."
Lloyd, amazing, kept up with everything being told to him. "That was why you left to form the Renegades." He concluded. "And you think this Zaichar is still alive?"
"He is." Kratos said gravely. "Sometime ago, maybe 400 years, he confronted me and goaded me into a fight."
Frowning, Yuan looked at his friend. "You never told me this."
Kratos shrugged. "Until I knew more, I figured it was of little consequence." Turning to Lloyd, he continued. "I failed to kill him, merely wounding him, but the powers he used were unlike anything I'd ever seen. They were dark powers, similar to what the angels of Derris-Kharlan and Mithos himself used. But for some reason, Zaichar still wanted the power of the summon spirits. I assume since Mithos is no longer his opposition, he has now turned to you, Lloyd."
"Me? What do I have to do with any of this?" The swordsman wondered.
Colette tilted her head. "Is it for revenge against Kratos?" She asked. "Maybe you prevented something he had in mind all those years ago."
Kratos nodded. "It's possible, but the reason, Lloyd, that he's after you is because the summon spirits are now under your control."
"Because of the pact with Origin," Yuan caught on. "Once Sheena completed her vow, they went under Lloyd and that's why Aska saved them."
Lloyd's mouth was wide open in surprise. "I…have the summon spirits? All of them?"
"But he can't summon." Colette spoke up. "And don't you have to have elven blood in your ancestry somewhere? Isn't that what you said Sheena told you Lloyd?"
Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, I didn't even make vows at the other seals."
"You don't have to." Kratos explained. "When you formed the pact with Origin, the King of the Summon Spirits, your validity into the summoning world was complete. I suspect also having the Ring of the Pact, forged by Dirk has something to do with it. What I wonder about is why would Zaichar want the power of the spirits to begin with? With as much power as he showed back then, he could have easily caused any sort of trouble."
"That is what we have to find out." Yuan began making his way out. "I'll send my men out to investigate at once. In the mean time, I've heard there have been some strange attacks near the Tower of Mana. I myself have flown over there and the…sense of the mana seems off somehow Kratos. Perhaps you will find clues as to Zaichar's whereabouts there."
Kratos nodded in agreement. "You aren't coming?"
"Not this time, my friend. I still have some loose ends to finish concerning the desian bases and the mana reactor. Once I am finished, I'll come and find you." Replied the angel, before stepping out.
"Wow! So I can summon now, huh!? Awesome!" Lloyd was ecstatic. Colette giggled by his side and the two talked about their next move.
Kiga, who up until now had remained quiet, walked up to Kratos. "May I have a private word with you?"
"Of course." Kratos stepped to the side, away from Lloyd. "What is it?"
Looking concerned, Kiga felt guilty about bringing this up to a third party, but Kratos was Yuan's friend so… "Lord Kratos, Lord Yuan has been acting…strange lately."
"Strange? How so?" Wondered the angel.
"Well, his memory seems to be kind of patchy, he seems to forget certain things he was doing or why. Then when he returned from his travels, he seemed extremely fatigued. I'm worried about him." Kiga admitted.
Agreeing, Kratos had noticed the same things. "I'll have a word with him. Thank you."
Nodding, Kiga made his way out the door.
Turning to his son Kratos said, "Lloyd, prepare for our trip and head to the entrance. I will meet you there." When Lloyd nodded, Kratos strode out of the door Yuan had back into his office.
Yuan sat back down on his chair and was visibly shaking. Martel's murderer was back and he would get his chance for revenge. So why then did he hesitate to go? Some part of him was afraid. In his present condition, he would only fail and be sent to hell…away from his beloved Martel. He wanted to be prepared for the confrontation he believed had eluded him for far too long.
Oh Martel… Yuan thought sadly. How I long to hear the soft melodies of your flute. Have you truly been freed from your torment, or do you suffer still while your murderer lives? Yuan hung his head down. Martel…
Martel sat at the base of a tree while her brother and Kratos spared in the clearing just ahead. The sky was beautifully clear above and the sunshine filled the world with nothing but brightness. "Oh Yuan, isn't it amazing? I wish everyone could just stop what they were doing and enjoy the simplicities life has to offer."
Yuan sat by her side, but he stared not at the beauty of the sky…but at the beauty before him. "Once our journey's over, you will see your vision of a peaceful world come to pass. I promise."
Martel looked at him and smiled with her lovely jade eyes. The wind blew her green hair across her porcelain face and she giggled as Yuan gently placed it behind her ear once more. "You think so Yuan? I can't wait for that moment. To hear children laughing, dogs barking…no more of these weapons of war."
Yuan saw her smile fade as she hung her head in sadness. Looking over at the injured creature on her other side, Martel patted the animal on its head. "Then gentle creatures such as this wouldn't be harmed in such cruel ways." She sighed. "What was the name Sir Kratos gave him?"
"I think it was Noishe." Yuan looked over at the green and white dog as it slept to regain its strength. Just recently the group had come across the animal bleeding and near death from starvation. Kratos took the animal in and began nursing him back to health. The dog looked better by the day. "His healing arts are amazing, don't you think?"
"Yes they are…" Martel replied, still depressed.
Smiling as an idea came to mind, Yuan leaned forward. "How about you play him a song? Your melodies always soothe me. I'm sure it'll work on him as well."
Blushing at the compliment, Martel nodded and gave her love a half smile. "As you wish." She took out her simple pan flute made from the nuts of the linkite tree, and placed it on her lips.
Yuan closed his eyes and let the music flow through him. Once this war really was over, Yuan had with him a ring he hoped would be the binding tie between him and Martel. The initials Y. and M. were engraved on the inside of the band. Maybe they could start their own family in the peaceful new world. He knew Martel always loved children and as long as he was with her, he didn't care what happened. Martel…I will always love you…
Kratos walked in and saw Yuan sitting with his eyes closed, and thought for a moment he was asleep, until Yuan gave a feint smile and said, "Martel…I will always love you…"
"Yuan?" Kratos said suddenly.
Jolting from his dream, Yuan saw Kratos in front of him and blinked as he came to his senses. "K-Kratos…I thought you'd left already…"
"No, but it appears you did." The angel said. "Tell me Yuan, what's really
the matter?" Kratos hoped since the two were friends, the other would confess
as to what ailed him.
"N-nothing, simply remembering Martel. That's all." Yuan slowly admitted.
Kratos could understand what Yuan was going through. "You know, when I first came across Kvar, I wanted nothing more than to exact my revenge for what he did to Anna and Lloyd. With the injuries I gave him that day, I thought I had, but he survived still. That is until Lloyd and I confronted him at the desian ranch." Kratos remembered both father and son stabbing the scientist through the heart from two angles. Kratos' parting words to his beloved's murdered had been, 'Feel the pain…of those worthless beings…as you burn in hell!' "Wherever Zaichar is…we'll find him, Yuan. I swear it."
"I know you will my friend. I have faith in you. I simply am not myself lately. Perhaps I should rest up a bit. I have already sent out the word to the other underground outposts. Should anything suspicious happen that could be related to Zaichar, I will have it forwarded to you via comlink." Yuan said standing up. "Thank you for going through all this trouble."
"It's the least I could do." Kratos replied. "To know that he survived after our battle proves how strong he's gotten. I don't doubt he will target Lloyd and myself directly from here on out."
"May the Goddess Martel protect you." Yuan shook hands with Kratos and watched the angel leave. "And Kratos…" His friend stopped. "I have heard the villagers from Heimdall have completely vanished and no one knows where they went. Their home is nothing more than a ghost town now. Be careful. Zaichar may be behind the kidnapping…" Slowly the angel nodded and left.
Once the doors closed behind Kratos, he sighed. "May the Goddess Martel protect you as well, my friend." Then he left to join Lloyd. The Tower of Mana would be a long flight, so the angel prepared to make stops for his son, seeing as he still wouldn't be used to it. "If Zaichar really is there, I will send him to hell…in pieces."