A/N: Three words to describe this fic; Flashback, flashback, and flashback... Oh and finally some Martel Kratos character developement, lots of Kharlan war hintings, I had a ton of fun writing this chap can you tell.

Chaper 38

It was cold, or rather Anna said that as he sat besides her. They had fled the land of eternal winter, had fled to the forests surrounding Ozzete. It was summer there, but in Sylvarant it would have been autumn now. He sighed, took in the golden leaves that made the whole forest sem old. Sunlight fell through the branches, the whole world it seemed was a construct of gold and light. A paradise, a sanctuary, he smiled for the first time in days, savored the feeling of her hands across his back. Lloyd sat by them, his small hands rested on his Daddy's knee while he tried to cloud gaze through the roof of flora above them. Lloyd wasn't having all that much luck with his cloud gazing, but was cheerful enough to point out the occasional cloud he did glimpse.

Lloyd's eyes were filled with fear, he clung to Noishe so fiercely his hands were white. They lay in an ally, snow and trash providing a shield to the eyes of the world. No one would look their, it was all too logical. He had even passed by a handful of times, refusing to think Noishe would be that harsh to Lloyd. If it had fooled him it was good though, it had been wise. Noishe had not wined, had made no sound to catch Kratos' attention. The seraphim had to see them, and when he did...

Small hands held small fistfuls of fur, a pale face looked at him, stared at his wings. Kratos had not drawn them in, had been skimming over the Falinor, looking for tracks. Having seen none he had paused, to take in his surroundings, to think, and he had seen just a bit of mussed up snow. One boot print, that had been enough for him to investigate. He had to dig, to physically move aside a few bags of trash to find the small den Noishe had made.

"Daddy?"

"Shh everything is going to be alright now." He bent down, gently loosed his son's death grip on the protozoan. "I'm here, I'll keep you safe, I promise."

There were no hints of terror, of cold, or any fear on Lloyd now. He seemed secure in the fact that his father was here, with him. He seemed, if it was possible, even more affectionate then ever. But now he had terrors, terrors of falling asleep. Lloyd would not go to sleep unless either his mother or his father stood watch over him. He wasn't the only one having nightmares, Anna too was waking up with horrors, and perhaps if he slept he too would be afflicted with these nightmares. He would never know, sleep being as evasive as ever with him.

"How are you feeling?" He whispered to Anna. With one hand he reached up and caressed her brow, she shielded away from the gesture.

"Well enough, don't worry about me alright?"
"You look tired." He noted, with one finger he traced one of the rings around her eyes. "Have you been sleeping enough?"

"Yes, though it's been hard lately." She sighed, looked at Lloyd.

Perhaps sensing the scrutiny Lloyd looked at them. He smiled, and Anna managed to smile back. Kratos could not find it in himself to smile, and Lloyd sensing that patted his Daddy's knee. With a gloved hand he reached down and ruffled Lloyd's hair, he knew what it should feel like, but all he could physically feel was a dull tingle. It was almost as if close proximity with Mithos had drained away what bits of his humanity he had snatched back. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Noishe whined, licked him, and again he could only feel that accursed tingle and lingering pressure of water. Not getting the mock wince that he so liked Noishe decided to up the ante. He snatched a mouthful of the seraphim's hair, and jerked his head to the side. Kratos sat for a long moment, looking straight ahead, then with cringing fingers he prodded his hair. It was wet, slimy, and now he had a glob of hair going off in the wrong direction.

"Noishe!"

The protozoan, with a happy bark, ran out of Kratos' range of sight before the seraphim could find his feet. Anna laughed, a breathless laugh that deteriorated into a harsh coughing. The sound made the hair on Kratos' neck prick up.

"Anna, you are sick!"

"No.. no I'm not..."

"You once told me you would never lie to me beloved, do not break that vow now."

Anna winced at his reminder, it had been something they both agreed to during their first flight from Derris Kharlan. No lies, no secrets, never again. They needed to be open with each other. Not only to set a good example for Lloyd but for their own sanity as well.

"Now tell me, are you feeling bad?"

"A little, but don't make any fuss over it Kratos, it's just a cold!"

She had no luck there, he stubbornly waited on her every need for the rest of that day and night. There was no farther travel for a few days as well while they waited for her condition to improve. And it did seem to get better, a little bit anyways. But she never seemed to get all the way back to her full health, they carried on like this for a week and a half before Anna firmly put her foot down.

"Kratos, I am fine! Stop this right now!"

"But..."

"Mommy's mad at Daddy!" Lloyd giggled to Noishe, the protozoan only barked.
"Oh for the love of all that's holy! Yes I'm a little pale, but it's not important, I feel fine, and I swear sitting here all the time is driving me insane! Now come over here, give me breakfast, and when I'm done eating I'll help you break up camp. And I wont hear another word about it, we are moving on!"

"But..."

"Kratos Aurion, stop worrying about my health, I am fine! I haven't coughed, sniffled, or sneezed in five days, I am better." Kratos' mouth sagged open, he stood frozen, a bowl of porridge in one hand his other hung limply at his side. "Are you going to stand there and let my food get cold?"

"Of.. of course not..." he handed her the bowl.

"A spoon would be nice."

"All right..." He fumbled through their cooking supplies and fished out the last clean spoon. "Are you sure..."

"I. Am. Fine." Anna growled, attacking the porridge as if it had offended her. "Don't make me repeat myself again, or I swear Mithos wont be the only one nursing sore masculinity."

With that threat firmly in mind Kratos fell silent. Lloyd of course started asking him what Mommy meant, Kratos muttered something to the effect of; 'you'll understand when you get older'. Though he was worried to death over her health, Kratos was proud of Anna. She had done something he didn't even think he had the guts to do. On one very small low level he actually felt very sorry for Mithos, it must have hurt what Anna did to him, on all the other levels though... Mithos totally deserved it, it was far too long overdue. If only he had had his Flamberg at that point, he could have finished the whole business, without it's leader Cruxis would have fallen apart. The Desians, no longer having the angels to guild them, would have over stepped their power and humanity would have banned together and overthrown them. That or the Desian's would have destroyed themselves, a fitting end.

Lloyd yawned, stretched, and plopped down by Noishe. The protozoan though got up, padded off, and Lloyd called after Noishe. He was obviously crushed that his closest friend was abandoning him in what would have been their nap time.

"Sorry Lloyd, we are moving on, we wont be taking an afternoon nap."

"Daaaadyy!"

"Lloyd, what have I told you about yelling." Kratos' voice did not go up in volume, but it grew sharp. Lloyd knew that tone, and settled down immediately.

"Sorry..."

"Repeat the lesson."

"Yellin' doesn't get you nothin'..." Lloyd's face was a little sulky.
"Yes, now stop it, and don't glare at me like that young man."

"Alright..." Lloyd grumbled. "I'm sleepy though."

"We all are." Kratos lied a bit with that. He had no need for sleep, but there was no need to explain that to Lloyd just yet. "If we get as far as I plan to we might find a small stream, I hear the frogs like to be in the streams during Summer."

Lloyd lost all sulkiness, and went to Anna, begging her to hurry up and eat. Anna of course did not hurry, but she encouraged Lloyd's enthusiasm by telling him a story about a small creek by her parent's house that she would frog hunt there every Summer. Lloyd all but bounced off the trees in his enthusiasm, and Kratos groaned into his hand. Now she had done it, Lloyd was hyper with something far more toxic then sugar. Encouragement, Lloyd did not need any more encouragement then was nessicary to live. He had enough confidence and wanderlust for five people, and from his self imposed distance Kratos watched as his son's enthusiasm feed into Anna's restlessness, turned restlessness into wanderlust, then watched as it infected Noishe.

Now they were all talking about frogs, how to catch them, and Noishe was hopping up in down in a manner that Kratos could only define as 'froggish'.

"Daddy did you ever see a frog, a big big frog!"

"Well..." Kratos hesitated, if he told a story it would only fuel Lloyd all the more and drag him into the silliness. He considered for a moment, then sighed. There was no hope for it he guessed. "Not a 'big big frog' it was hmmm about the size of my hand."

Lloyd of course pestered him for more details, as he always did. The seraphim at first grudgingly gave them. All the while he worked besides Anna in taking down the tent, and hiding their campsite. Lloyd seeing they were busy also pitched in, or rather he went to the fire and with Noishe's help proceeded to bury it. That was his job, he loved to dig anyways, and when he was done with that he wandered after his parents picking up small items that they dropped and bringing them to his parents attention. When it looked like they were all done and ready to move on Lloyd began to yet again ask for Daddy's frog story.

Kratos, like every other time gave in to his son. His story wasn't particularly deep, or moving, but Lloyd seemed to like it all the same.

And in the end perhaps that's all that mattered for now.

Natural disaster... that's what it was. He wound up fishing them all from the water. Even Anna dropped her seriousness and tried to frog hunt. They all came back sopping wet, and the seraphim sighed and set them all near the fire. He took some pains to stay downwind of the protozoan. Ancient creature, embodiment of the ages, all that aside he smelled like a wet dog.
"Noshy icky!" Lloyd protested as the protozoan tried to cuddle up to him as was his nighttime habit.

"Whine?"

Deterred and a bit hurt he went to Anna, his eyes wide and pleading.

"No Noshy, not until your err fragrance has gone away..."

In desperation the protozoan looked to Kratos, a world of begging in his eyes.

"I do not wish to scrub my clothes free of the scent of wet dog Noishe, sit by the fire until the smell is gone."

"Whine?"

"You reek, did you not know that the smell of wet dog is offensive to the human nose? Consider that next time before you go tromp around in a stream."

Noishe growled and slunk to the fire and sat down. He was almost as sulky as Lloyd had been that morning. He growled under his breath and swished his tail as if to swat away the smell so he could go back to being the center of Lloyd's world, well one of the centers. Kratos, Anna and Noishe were the center of Lloyd's world right now, they were the only stabilities, and if anything happened to them... A cold point gathering in his stomach, he could no longer feel nausea, or rather he could not inflict that state upon himself just be fretting. But if he had been fully human he imagined that he might now be suffering from that all too mortal ailment. Anna went to bed not long after dinner, and Lloyd sat with him for a time, not really understanding why his father was so distant. Kratos really didn't even know if Lloyd understood what distant meant, but he imagined that Lloyd understood that something was wrong. Not really knowing how to fix it his boy just sat by his father saying nothing, just offering his presence.

For someone so young he was very perspective at times.

"Lloyd, perhaps you should go in the tent now, I imagine your mother is worried that you've been up so long."

"Un uh." Lloyd wasn't even looking at him now, he was looking at the sky, or what little they could see of it. "I wanna stay up... see stars..."

"You are yawning, I think it's time for someone to go to bed."

"I'm not sleepy..."

"The stars will always be there. You wont miss anything if you go to bed that you wont see tomorrow night."

"Un uh, I'll miss this nights stars! I wanna stay up!"
"Lloyd," At his father's steely tone Lloyd quieted down. "Your mother is sleeping, we must be quiet."

"Please Daddy, don't make me go to bed... please..."

Kratos winced, he didn't want to refuse Lloyd. It was selfish, but he wanted Lloyd to be with him just a little longer, to be alone with his son. Lloyd though did look tired, and Kratos would not allow Lloyd to get ill due to lack of sleep.

"Go to bed Lloyd, right now."

"But..."

Kratos only glared at Lloyd, it was enough this time. With a "hurmph" his boy crossed his arms over his chest and glared at him. But he did go to bed, he did admit defeat, and it was the lack of a real stubborn refusal from Lloyd that told Kratos his decision was the right one. Alone, well almost alone, Noishe was still sitting by the fire trying to still dry out, Kratos unsheathed his sword. Despite it's fiery appearance the steel was cool enough to place on his knee, his pants did not smolder, or catch a flame. He smiled, a grim smile, to the old weapon. Even after all these years it still felt right to take the hilt in hand. he had been up for what felt a eternity, though it had been only three weeks since his last nap, and much to his chagrin he felt his eyes grow heavy. Between one moment and the next he drowsed off.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

"K...Kratos what are you doing?" Martel's green eyes were wide in horror as he walked to the corpse of the brigand leader. The dead man was a mix of demon and human limbs, once so majestic and deadly in life he seemed almost laughable now. Kratos kicked aside one of the spidery limbs that covered what had caught his attention earlier on in the duel.

"Taking what is mine, humans do it a lot half elf, it's called reaping the spoils of a fight."

"Kratos... I don't deserve that."

"Perhaps." The human shrugged. He was totally indifferent to the woman's prattling, for they were even. He had owed her his life and he had now just irrefutably saved her life. Farther chivalry was now no longer nessicary. Gripping the bloated corpse he managed to roll it over, now he could see it, what he wanted. With a grin he bent down, picked up the crimson colored sword. At his touch orange swirled with the red, fire licked across the edge of the sword, yet was contained by the steel. No, no mere steel held all this power, it was some ancient substance, now long forgotten material lost to time. He smiled, held the blade close to his face, admired his red tinged reflection in the blade. It practically hummed with power this sword, and it was his. After so long and hard a battle, it was his.

"Kratos... are you alright."
"I am fine." he pulled his old steel sword, now bent and with numerous nicks in it's edge, and let it fall to the ground. In it's place he sheathed his new weapon. A shame it had no name scrawled on the promel, no insignia on the hilt. If it's style was an indicator of it's crafter that too was long lost to history. He patted the hilt, a grin on his bruised face. "More then fine actually."

"Kratos, I don't like that sword, it gives me the chills..."

"It is a serviceable weapon, perhaps I will discard it sometime in the future."

"But..."

He said nothing, only looked at the torched tents, the bodies tossed around like rag dolls. Theron in his transformation had killed several of his men, some had fled. But the rest, those who had been loyal fanatics, they were felled by Yuan and Mithos' magic. The half elven males had been holding those troops off, not with illusion, but true fire and lightning bolts from a nearby hill. Kratos and Martel had pressed ahead, had gone down into the encampment, and had basically watched as the small army ran past them howling in terror as their superior officers became twisted monstrosities. The tents were burning, the cook fires left untended were going to be a hazard soon. Someone should do something about it, Kratos though was not going to be that someone. He ignored the half elven girls prattling and went to one of the pots that had not been up-ended in the flight of those soldiers. Actually to be more accurate it had not been really anywhere near the fighting, so none of their enemies blood had a chance to come into the food. He lifted the shield like cover, and considered the stew with practiced eyes. It wasn't all that bad looking, he decided to be brave and with a finger fished out a bit of meat and popped it into his mouth.

Not bad... not bad at all, he set himself to looking for a bowl and spoon that wasn't broke, and he found two of each item, and they were clean as well. A nice little bonus. His finds improved his humor somewhat, and he decided to be kind. He filled both bowls and left the one he wasn't going to eat out of by the fire. She recognized the offer, and for once her good sense over ruled her ever obscure morals. She joined him, her moon hued robe shivering around her as she walked. The firelight, he noted, gave the strange unearthly fabric a red halo. Not all that much unlike his new sword.

"So when are your lazy brother and your husband coming down to deal with all this?" He gestured to the fires that were sluggishly burning.

"Yuan? He's not my..." She blushed, and Kratos snorted.

"As you will... When are Mithos and Yuan re-joining you?"

"In two days... they have to make sure that the prisoners in the smaller camp get back to their homes after all."

"Of course." Kratos let the mater drop, shoveled a few spoonfuls of stew in his mouth.
"Kratos... I have a question..."

"Mmphh?"

"Why are you... are all human's like you?" He ignored her, concentrated on chewing and swallowing. "You're so brave.. but so.. so distant. Are all humans like that, well of course not all... but are most male humans like that?"

"I wouldn't know." Kratos considered the dull brown sludge with it's mess of vegetables and meat floating in it. "I am not exactly the most sociable member of my race."

"Why is that?"

"Are all half elven woman so annoying?"

Martel had the grace to blush at that. Any human woman who carried on like her, with all her questions would have been forcibly hushed by now. A shame he didn't quite dare do that to her, but there was Yuan and Mithos to consider. Had they been honest swordsmen he wouldn't have been worried, but magic users were always hard to fight. After this last battle he was not in the mood to fight, certainly not what would be a hard fight, so he'd just keep his peace and steeled himself to endure this woman for two more days. Done with his meal the human stood, his black leather armor creaked as he did so, he absently shifted his sparrow tail cloak, and considered the fires that were now getting a bit more potent. Then without another world he left Martel and went to tend those fires, turning a deaf ear to her protest that she raised about him abandoning her.

When he returned she had a glare on her face, her foot was tapping, and she took in his dusty form. There was a lake nearby, he could have used water, but to make all those trips seemed tedious, so he had thrown fistfuls of sand on the small conflagrations.

"Where were you!" Martel snapped at him.

"Tending to the fires, you didn't want the whole forest to burn down did you?"

She had enough sense to wince at that. He ignored her apology, and took his seat by the one fire he had left burning. It had been hard hot work, a shame he could find no wine in the tents that he had searched while he worked. Ah well, his new gald was enough to keep him happy for a while. He got up with a grunt, and decided that after an exertion he would treat himself to half a bowlful of stew, after all work did stir up the appetite. After a long awkward moment Martel sat back down, chagrined by her lack of foresight, but all those half elves seemed to have that problem. It must have something to do with there thin blood lingering in their brains long enough for them to gain any wit.

"Why do you hate me?" Martel asked in a small voice. He grunted, focused on his food. "Stop ignoring me, I'm here you know!"
"Do me a favor, go somewhere else then. Oh and don't forget to scream if a monster comes to kill you so I can save you... Or better yet don't scream and save me some trouble."

"Ung you humans are all the same!" She stomped a foot and glared at him. "You pig headed, stupid, jerk!"

"Is that the only insult you know?" Kratos rose an eyebrow at her, it was another of his subtle barbs, and he inwardly smiled as he saw it hit the mark. Martel went red and sputtered at him. He almost felt sorry for her, she was quite clearly overmatched, he had had much more experience in verbal fighting then she could ever dream.

"I'm still here, and being nasty about it wont save you from that fact." Martel huffed after she had calmed down a bit.

"Yes, and in two days you will be gone. Our paths will split, and I will leave you and your kind with a happy heart."

"Your kind..." Martel looked sad, stared into the fire, and it was to his disgust he saw tears in her eyes. "You are just like them, you hate us because we were born."

"Interracial marriage does have it's set backs doesn't it?" Kratos muttered. "It's a disgusting practice after all, why should the results be any purer then the action itself?"

"What, so it's wrong I was ever born!" Kratos ignored her, tried to enjoy his meal. Conversations like this bored him and tended to sour his meal, he was going to enjoy the stew and tone her out... She though wouldn't comply and be quiet. "Is that what your saying! Kratos if I hadn't been born you would have died! All those people, those humans, would have died in that camp! Are you really saying the world would be a better place if monsters like.. like Theron were still around killing your people! Sacrificing them the that.. that thing!"

"My life was a mistake." Kratos sighed, now she'd done it, he couldn't eat anymore. With a disgusted growl he slid the bowl away from him. "What am I honestly little girl? My whole mercenary company died, my family is dead, my own people wont take me back because I murdered someone when I was twelve! So your existence, mine, anyone elses', it doesn't mean anything girl. Life means nothing. We live, we die, end of story."

"You cried..." She whispered, "when they put that boy on the alter and slashed his throat, you cried."

"Shut up!" He whirled on her, his hands clenched into fists. "They are an abomination, you are an abomination, neither you nor those things ever should have come into being!" he sighed, forced himself to calm down. "But they did, just like you, and it is nothing more then farther proof this world has nothing of worth in it."

"What about love, isn't that worth something?"

"Phh don't make me laugh, being in love is just the pretty word they call sex driven youngsters who want nothing more then to roll on the ground with each other."

"You." Martel whispered softly. "Are a very stupid man Kratos Aurion." He shrugged off the insult, he'd been called worse. "I'm sorry life has been so hard on you, I'm sorry about you family, your friends, but you should be above that. You should learn from it, use what you have to protect other people. And not because they pay you, but because they can't protect themselves. I saw you around Mithos, you cared for him, you let that archer hit you to save Yuan.. all that, for what, a debt?" She snorted, gave him a knowing smile. "You may hate us, but I think somewhere in that very very thick pig headed skull you care for us, and you know that we aren't any different then you."

"Are you going to talk all night? If so then go to the other side of the camp." He snapped, he had left his supplies with the half elven boy Mithos, so he left her yet again to find something that would serve as a mattress. He came back with a mess of blankets for himself, and to make a point he did not fetch anything for her. Then turning his back on the half elf he threw his finds to the ground and wrapped himself up not unlike a caterpillar in a cocoon.

"Kratos, someday you are going to find out there is a lot more to life then just getting paid and following duty... And when it does I'm going to be so happy for you!"

"You accuse me of stupidity!" He growled to the night air. "Here I insult, mock, and abandon you, and you still cling to me. In Origin's name you need to have your head checked!"

There was a long pause, then Martel's sweet bell toned voice replied in what must have been false mocking innocence.

"Kratos, what is an Origin?"

"Shut up, lie down, and go to sleep."

"Please Kratos, if you know something you have to tell me, that's what traveling companions do!"

"What!" He was so surprised he sat up.

"I knew I'd get back at you! You look so silly when you get surprised!" She laughed at him and with a snarl he grasped the end of the blanket and threw it over his head. "You can't hide forever you know, I'll make you come out of that cocoon if I have to! Yes, I said 'traveling companions', Mithos really likes you a lot. So him, Yuan, and I, got together and we decided you're joining us!"

"Volt, strike me down now..."

"Why do you keep saying funny stuff like that?"
"It's complicated..." He growled into the roof of his impromptu sanctuary. "And not thank you, I'd rather take poison then lose my reputation by traveling with half elves."

"You already were poisoned as I recalled, so I guess you'll be going with us."

"No, never!"

"Come on! please!"

"No Martel, I make my own path. I'm not saddling myself to your damned ideals, I'm not going off to save the world, it deserves what it gets!"

"You don't believe that.. alright fine... we'll pay you... does that make you happy?"

"There isn't enough money in the world to make me join you."

"Mithos will be sad..."

"Let him." Kratos growled, he cursed as he felt her tugging at his makeshift tent.

"You are coming out right now and talking to me!"

"No, leave me alone!"

"Fine!" She walked off, and he relaxed for a bit. When she came back he heard a strange sound. A "slosh" punctured by a rattle of a handle... It couldn't be, she wouldn't dare... He clambered to his feet, soaked and cursing. She laughed at him, and gently put the bucket down.

"You.. I'll kill you..."

"You and what army?" She quipped, then she pulled her staff from her belt and raised it in mock attack pose. He glared at her, then despite himself he chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You are a stubborn girl, you know that?"

"You called me Martel a while back." She tossed her hair to the side then gave him one of her piercing looks. "Keep calling me Martel, it's a sign of respect."

"Whatever."

She smiled at him as if they were the best of friends.

"Kratos someday you are going to be happy again, I know it, I get these feelings sometimes and they are never wrong." He shrugged. "So you are coming right?"

"I will consider." He offered, it was little more then a surface gesture really, he didn't plan on going with them but he didn't want to get soaked again.

"I knew I was right about you!" She chirped and threw her arms around his neck. He sighed and endured her embrace, not really seeing why Yuan liked it so much. "You still are a little thick." Martel observed as she let him out of her embrace. "but you'll figure it out, and you'll be happy Kratos, so happy, I just know it! You'll have a nice family again and.. and that will be your happiness." He turned to Martel, surprised to see her normally alert eyes glazed, yet still she talked despite appearing to be comatose. "When all the world seems to fall to ruin they will still be with you, in your heart. One will be in the stone that holds your heart, the other will remain at your side for you shall ever be at his..." Martel jerked, then blushed. "I'm sorry I must have just zoned out for a bit..."

"That's quite alright, you should probably go to sleep now." He suggested, his eyes were little wild at the sound of that strange voice that had spoken through her.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning then!"

"Yes, I guess so..."

Martel looked over his head and smiled.

"Look Kratos, isn't it beautiful!"

Startled the human turned and looked up. He smiled as well, watched as a flash of light slid across the heavens. It was shortly followed by many other flashes. It was one of the rarest of astrological phenomenon, it was a meteor shower, one that happened every three hundred years. He said nothing, only stood in awe of the falling stars.

xxx xxx xxx xxx

"Look Noshy, shooting stars!"

It was a happy squeal, and it was also very loud. With a groan the Seraphim opened his eyes, his cheek had been resting on the flat of the flamberg, and it was lucky for him the blade wasn't as hot as it looked. Or he'd have been short a face by now. His stretched his body out, it had been stooped over and ached a bit. He groaned as his muscles twitched inside of him, not pain precisely... but a warning that he would have been in pain if he stayed like that the whole night. At his soft groan Noishe whined, and Lloyd turned to face him, he was as always perched on the protozoan.

"Uh oh..." Lloyd's face was scared as he waited for his father's ultimatum.

"What..." A flash of light raced across the heavens, Kratos snapped his gaze up and for one moment went tense. The coloring was natural, the time interval as well, Kratos relaxed. Mithos was not deploying an army of angels to hunt them down, not this night anyways. He breathed a sigh of relief, and Lloyd looked at him with a pleading expression.
His dream, he could still hear Martel's voice, but the words were distant, four thousand years distant, and they receded into the back of his mind with little more then a whisper. Lloyd was looking at him, begging. And yet again Kratos folded, he gave in and showed he was doing so by looking up. He watched as the leaves shadows danced, as the streaks of light would pass through what little of the sky they could glimpse through the holes in the mess of branches and such above their heads. And Lloyd gasped in awe, his eyes wide with a mix of fright and admiration. An impulse seized Kratos, and the seraphim at that point firmly took Lloyd from his perch on the protozoan, and set his son on his shoulders. Lloyd laughed, hugged him, then leaned forward and went back to watching the heavens, as did Kratos. The stayed like that for an hour, until the last of it had long passed, and Lloyd yawned again. The seraphim chuckled, set Lloyd to the forest floor.

"This time, nothing happens." Kratos told his son in a quiet voice. "Now go to bed, I wont say anything to Mommy this time, so hurry up before she realizes you are gone."

Lloyd smiled, and the gesture was so impish that the seraphim knew that Lloyd was well aware he should be in trouble and was getting away with it. Then with that parting smile still on his lips the boy ducked into the Aurion's tent. When Noishe started to go for the tent Kratos firmly grabbed the scruff of the protozoan's neck.

"Oh no, you can't go in, you are far too noisy. Do you want to wake Anna up in the middle of the night?" Noishe wisely shook his head. "Good, I would hate to have to grow you a new skin after Anna was done with you."

Noishe swallowed, then eyed the tent wearily. Kratos gave his oldest friend a swat on the side, then considered the flamberg that he had fallen asleep on. He sheathed the blade, and patted it almost apologetically. There wasn't much left to the night, it seemed safe enough to leave and hunt up some breakfast. With another parting pat to Noishe, the Seraphim walked to the darkest edge of the clearing and drew his wings. It wasn't as painful as if had been all the other times, but then he had been doing this every night for quite a while after all... With one hop he kicked off the ground and glided into the dark forest, his family would need food, their rations were running out. And he would do his best to provide, as always.