A/N:
WARNING looong chapter and exhausted/hyper/giddy author-ess! Yeah I know the ending isn't exactly as it is in the game, a very large hint that there is even more to come.. Or rather a little more. I figure a few people who are reading this story and "Shards" will actually see a very strong link between this chapter and a cryptic nightmare scene in my TOS in game re-write. Yes these storys are interconnect, yes I'm am grossly sleep deprived (stupid cats/college) and yes I will eventually be quiet, I've written well over 400 pages I think I'll take my overdue long rant a little early... Before anyone who's finished pounces on me about the ending bare in mind I still haven't thrown in my final twist, don't worry the story will link up with what Kratos tells Lloyd in Falnoir, just not in the sense most expect...
Well this is the beginning of the end, in my notes there will be five more chapters then that's it DES is over. I'm torn between being grateful and being sad and I honestly can't make my mind which to feel right now. I think I'm leaning more towards sad... after all I've been stalling for several chapters on getting around to the end... not only the end of... Well everyone knows how it's supposed to end. But I think I have one surprise up my sleeve yet... Yes one good surprise and one twist that will bring this story's ending home all the harder, but that's for you guys to read and discover. Thank you for holding out so long, for letting me tell this story, and for your support all through this long long tale. While undoubtably sad hopefully the ending will be fulfilling.
Next reviewers gunna be reviewer 100... Lol I'm guessing MoonCanon will be that one.. Now then to respond to recent reviews then to the point...
FairyV: Highlander-ish? I wouldn't know, I vaguely recall a TV show by that name but since I don't watch all that much... If you think Mithos is a toad I think your opinion of him will drop farther. I'll let you figure that one though.
Homicidal Snowbunnies: You know I'm curious, where did you get that name? Now to answer that question, yes I am old enough to write, younger people then me have been published but I'm not ready to do that. I'm waiting until after college is done before I even try again (yeah I tried and got rejected a few times... happens) And for spell check, I'm slowly going through all my old chapters and changing them, when I have a ton of time I will start swapping them in a massive edit spree. Maybe during the winter holiday... I'll have plenty of time then...
Paint Burner: Almost missed your review, well thanks so far and don't worry it's winding down now.
ArkNavy: Yeah I like to do that now and then, keeps readers on their toes. Evil grin.
And now to the story...
Chapter 41
"Forever" ends
Morning Daddy!" Lloyd chirped, tackling him, or rather trying. He was getting better at this, he must have been taking notes from Noishe. Kratos grunted, cracked an eye open, and eased his son off of his belly.
"Lloyd, what has Daddy told you about jumping on his stomach?"
"That it's bad?" Lloyd leaned on his father, looked at him with a warm smile on his lips. "But Mommy said it was good!"
"Well Mommy..."
"Is what Mr. Aurion?"
"Ahh... we'll talk about it later Lloyd."
"You better not!" Anna's voice drifted to him from the light of the outside world.
In the safety and false night of the tent Lloyd giggled and hugged his father. Kratos smiled, decided that being a little lazy wouldn't hurt anything. He stroked his son's hair. It was as wild and untamed as was both his parent's hair, as soft as silk, and showing hints of needing a trim. Closing his eyes Kratos sighed, listened to his son's heartbeat to the rattle and clack of pot and spoon tapping together and the faint crackle of fire. From perhaps the other side of the clearing he heard a yawn, a grunt, and a sleepy mumble.
"Well look who's up!"
"Bark!"
"Breakfast is ready and Lloyd and Kratos are being a pair of slugs, go get them Noshy!"
Bark!" Pure glee was in the protozoan's voice.
"Lloyd..." Kratos nudged his son, who was starting to drift off in his father's protective embrace. "Wake up a bit..."
"Wasn' sleep'n..." Lloyd grumbled, small brown eyes focused on him, or as much as they could considering they were half glazed.
"Of course, come on. Before Noishe poun-"
The tent flap flew open and a massive silver and green blur flew in.
The tent's mail support pole was nudged, and that was enough, with a sigh the tent fell on itself. Three forms thrashed for a bit, then the largest of them "pounced" on the second largest. The smallest cried out for Noishe and Kratos, or rather "Noshy" and "Daddy" all the while crawling on it's hand and knees.
Laughing Anna found her feet, went to the edge that the smallest form was right by and lifted the canvas. A small brown head poked out and dark eyes focused on her.
"Mommy! It's not dark anymore!"
"No it's not..." Anna frowned at the large mass of movement, or rather at the mass that was cursing in Angelic. "Noishe that's enough playing, come on... Out, both of you, your breakfasts are getting cold."
A auburn haired head poked out from the mess of fabric.
"And what are we having?" Kratos sniffed the air tentatively, as if in fear of what might be in that pot sitting by the fire.
"Breakfast, what else?"
"Anna, is that scent what I think it is?"
"If you're thinking breakfast, yes, it's breakfast."
"No, what I'm thinking is tomatoes."
"Well you were bad last night so..." Anna went to the pot and lifted the cover to reveal a mess of bubbling red.
Lloyd turned a shade of green, and Kratos widened his eyes in not-so-mock horror.
"I believe I will be making a strategic retreat now..."
The seraphim ducked under the canvas. Anna caught Lloyd by the seat of his pants before the boy could run off with his father.
"Noshy, if you would?"
"Bark!"
There was a struggle, a curse, the sound of ripped fabric and an even louder curse. The downed tent buck and heaved, as one lump under the canvas tried to run-or rather crawl- away. It was soon over matched by the larger lump. There was another scuffle, a growl that came from a human throat, then the large lump went to the edge of the tent carrying something, a very large and protesting something. A green head poked out, and then after another conflict Noishe came out from under the tent holding Kratos by the seat of his pants. The seraphim was glaring bloody daggers at his wife, though the effect was dampened by his inelegant position. Kratos' wild auburn hair lightly brushed against the dusty ground as he was carried upside down by his dog. The seraphim's powerful arms were crossed, and his face was a brilliant crimson.
Lloyd laughed, he laughed so hard he fell over clutching his side.
If at all possible Kratos' face went even redder.
"Oh my..." Anna's eyes danced with glee as she spotted the massive hole in the seraphim's pants. "You poor thing.. I almost feel sorry for you."
"Put me down!"
Noishe complied, dropping the angry ex-member of Cruxis.
Grumbling curses the seraphim found his feet, rubbed his head, and glared at Noishe. No sympathy there, Noishe's tail was wagging madly and he promptly rolled on the ground feet flailing, a sound suspiciously like laughter coming from between his fangs. Kratos stormed to his packs, upended them and grabbing the first set of clothes that he saw then stormed out of the clearing.
The overall effect was massively dampened by the patch of white that they could see from the huge gash in his pants.
Xxx xxx xxx xxx
"Today the Gods have made me feel the sharp edge of their humor."
"I think it makes you adorable."
"I am not adorable!" Kratos flared, then he rubbed at his face and sighed. "I am sorry, I shouldn't yell at you but..."
Kratos, you've had more scares today then I can think of. First with Noishe waking you up like he did then with Lloyd deciding he was going to try to swim to the 'deep' end of the lake..."
"Then the tree climbing incident..." Kratos sighed as Anna rubbed more clear liquid on his back. "And now this..."
"You never told me your wings went into molt." Anna grinned, pulling a feather out and rubbing more of her medicine on the rest of them.
"Once every three decades, I though I wasn't due for another four years at least..."
"My poor abused angel, and now you have Lloyd asking twenty thousand questions..." Lloyd sat only a few feet away staring at his father's wings in confusion. "Or rather you will have that to deal with it when he finds his voice."
"Daddy..."
"And with that final note." Anna tweaked his hair and found her feet. "I leave you with Lloyd, lunch, and these orders. You don't move for an hour, just lay still until this dried. I'll be back with you in an hour to tell you if it's dry."
"I don't believe you that it takes an hour for this to dry." Kratos snarled into his arms that pillowed his head.
"Enjoy yourself dear..."
"Are you sure you're not evil incarnate beloved? This seems like a very evil action."
"I love you too, have fun..."
"Fun!" Kratos protested as his son scooted closer so he could better stare at his daddy's wings. "Fun!"
"Daddy?" One small hand reached out and poked at his wings. "See I told you there were shinny things! I was right! What're they called?"
"Damn.. This is not fair!"
"Mommy, Daddy said a bad word!"
"Lloyd, Daddy's had a bad enough day as it is, do not make it worse!"
"Alright!" Lloyd grinned, having long put his last two near life ending stunts behind him. Though the last of those stunts had only occurred a half hour ago. "Sooo..." Lloyd plopped down so he was laying on the ground on his stomach, much like his father. "What are they?"
"Ahh... well... you see..." Kratos sighed. "They're called wings, like a bird's wings I guess..."
"They're shiny, bird wings aren't shiny." Lloyd poked a wing, as if to bring his point home.
Kratos winced as itching traveled across each inch of feathery membrane in response to Lloyd's touch.
"Well they are special wings, magic wings."
If Kratos was hoping that was the end of it he was sadly mistaken.
"Does Mommy have them? Can you fly? Where'd you get them? Do I have them? Where do they go? Does everyone else have them, even Noshy? Does..." Lloyd went on and on until Kratos felt a headache coming on.
"Lloyd, breathe!" Lloyd took a deep breath, almost draining his lungs of breath with his questions. "Aye Gods.. This is not a good day." Kratos closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "First off, no you do not have wings, Mommy does not have wings. In all there are two other people in all the worlds who have wings." Or rather those people who still qualify as people and not soulless droids. "No you wont grow up and get a pair, you see to get them you first have to have a very special rock called a Cruxis Crystal and you need to be a wizard and be able to call on Angelic mana."
"Ohh..." Lloyd looked a bit disappointed.
"Lloyd these wings... They aren't good, they hurt people. They are like... They are a symptom... Do you remember when I told you how I couldn't feel cold or hot, or how I couldn't taste sometimes?"
Lloyd nodded eyes wide.
"These wings made me like that, they make me different, from you, from Mommy, from everyone. And because being different can get you in trouble... I hide them. But there are times I can't hide them, like now, and everyone can see them."
"Mommy likes them..."
"Mommy," Kratos smiled. "Is a very strange woman, she likes a lot of things I don't. For example, tomatoes..."
Neither male had to mock shudder it was all too real, like that bowl of tomato soup that was just in the seraphim's reach.
"I'll make you a deal." Kratos shifted. "Take that bowl, dump it over there." Kratos lead his son's gaze to a bush with one lazily waved hand. "And I'll tell you a bit of a story, a story about wings... and angels."
As Lloyd wandered off to get rid of the soup Kratos sighed and wondered what to tell his son. What he could tell and what would hurt his son's young innocent mind. With a happy squeak Lloyd announced his return and pounced on his father. The boy wrapped his own small arms around his father's shoulders, or rather tried. With a smile Kratos shifted a bit, and once he was certain Lloyd was comfortable the seraphim began his tale.
"Once upon a time, long ago, before most peoples knowing and the world was but in it's childhood there was a woman, a kind woman named Martel. She was a half elf, and unlike now there were no Desian's. She was no Desian, and she traveled to save what she thought was the world. Her village, a small town names Syoon was attacked by evil humans, a band of brigands.
With her younger brother Mithos and her beloved Yuan in tow they went on a journey to save what they thought of as the world. And in that journey they passed by a river and met a man who had worked with those Brigands and that man's name was Kratos..."
"Daddy, isn't that your name?
"Yes, it is, it stands to reason considering how that man was me. You remember Lloyd, how I told you that Noishe was really old even though he looks and acts young?"
Lloyd nodded.
"He's not the only one, I was born during the Kharlan war, and that occurred a very very long time ago. Well over four thousand years ago"
Lloyd's eyes widened in shock, his young mind reeled.
Kratos made a sympathetic sound, stroked his son's hair.
"I know it's hard to believe it, it doesn't make sense, but I promise it will..." Lloyd nodded, looked to his father with a startling maturity, Kratos coughed, was suddenly uncomfortable in the sudden turn in his child's personality. And yet... it was going to happen anyway... he had to explain it, and in terms that child could understand and remember, all the while keeping the child a child.
"Anyways... back to the story...
In this world of long ago there were two types of people, normal people and those hidden. Demon touched, and you could not tell the difference, could not see the difference until they showed you. Because the warrior Kratos rejected the Demon Seed he was cast aside, almost destroyed by these evil people who destroyed Martel's village. He joined the half elves at first for profit, for pay, but when the Demons appeared and attacked another village the four became bound to each other by more then greed, by more then the need of others around them. They became the warriors.. My... family for a time and together no evil stood before them. But there was a war, and in the confusion of that war the demons were coming out from the places they lived and hurting people... So the war must stop, and so they set off to still that hatreds of the world... "
Xxx xxx xxx xxx
"Lloyd please!"
It was a few hours until night fall. Anna's miracle anti-itch jell had worn off and run out. The seraphim was desperate, tormented, and after being caught rubbing his back against a tree by his wife was now "in trouble". He was banned from using the one item that could bring about some relief, and Lloyd was the safe keeper to the seraphim's salvation. Tossing dignity aside Kratos was now on his knees, begging his son to hand him what was needed.
"Moma said un-uh!" It was a wail, Lloyd wanted to help but he couldn't.
"Just for a moment, I swear."
"Moma said we'd have Sk'etti if I gave you it..."
"She wont know if we don't tell." Kratos reasoned, not even looking at his son, but at the back scratcher that the boy tried to hide behind his back. Lloyd wasn't doing a good job, considering the wooden rod's three prongs were not hidden. In any other situation it would have been cute, seeing Lloyd with three false horns, but as it was he was suffering far too much to take note of anything but his salvation from... well from his current situation.
"No Daddy, no! I don't want sk'etti!" Lloyd, perhaps a bit scared, backed up.
"I'll allow you to ride Noishe three times tomorrow."
Lloyd's eyes widened in awe at such a promise and the back scratcher came with no farther protests.
Noishe growled at Kratos, anger obvious for being used as a bargaining chip.
Kratos could have cared less. He all but snatched the wooden rod from his son's hands and worked it under his shirt. A few moments the seraphim was vigorously scratching away at the points he couldn't reach. If Lloyd had been asleep he'd have drawn his wings out and scratched those as well, no such luck there. He sighed in releif, leaned against a tree and continued to work the rod. Lost in his need, his base human need, Kratos sighed as the sensation died down. He muttered a quiet curse as if didn't go away entirely but it did weaken considerably. That was enough for now... He closed hi eyes, rod in hand still scratching, so lost in his near bliss he did not hear the soft whine.
He did not see Noishe slick his ears back nor see the Protozoan slink away leading a very pale Lloyd out of the clearing.
"MR. KRATOS AURION!"
The man in question blanched, stopped using the rod, and backed away from the svelt brown haired woman who was glaring daggers at him.
"Ahh Anna what a surprise... how was your walk?"
"Fruitful." Anna's teeth were clenched. "Very very fruitful." She dropped a basket to the ground, revealing more tomatoes then he could count inside.
Ahh..." Kratos fumbled with the back scratcher. "This isn't what it looks like?"
"Kratos, shut up, don't dig yourself in deeper, unless you'd like to say you were giving the tree a courtesy scratch?"
"Ahh no, I wont say that."
"Good, then I wont have to say what we're having for dinner. Bring me the noodles out of your packs and fetch some water and wood."
"But..."
"And bring Lloyd and Noishe here, they both are in trouble for giving it to you, unless you'd like to tell me you forced it from your son's hands."
"No, I didn't."
"Good, at least I can take that part out of my planned lecture."
"Planned lecture." Kratos squeaked, he had been on the brunt of Anna's passionate lectures and her planned lectures. Neither were good experiences but her planned lectures were absolutely brutal.
"Yes, planned, now then get to work Mr. Aurion."
Sighing Kratos gave in with a meek 'Yes dear' and slipped off to do as ordered.
Xxx xxx xxx xxx
"You know what would be nice? If you showed some self restraint."
Anna's nails ran across his back vigorously. It was little more then friction, because of what he was Anna could not have drawn blood if she tried. His wings drawn out as they were solidified his Angelic Powers. They made him impervious to steel and other mortal means of drawing blood and causing pain.
"I felt like I was going insane." He muttered into his arms, eyes closing to thin slits of pleasure. "It was worse then mosquito bite, poison oak, and... And anything else you can think of that itches all tied up into one bundle." Anna found the worse spot and went to work, he sighed and his wings caressed her face and hands in gratitude. Kratos had given up trying to understand why they did what they did. Whether the responded to his unconscious mind or their own will he didn't care at the moment. With a throaty chuckle Anna tickled the tip of a wing in her way and then went back to work on that spot.
"Heh, this is kind of funny." Anna muttered, pausing in her work to lean onto his back. "You make such a good mattress, do you know that. You're warm, snuggable, and might I add you come with a nice feather blanket?"
Kratos blushed, studied a it of ground while Anna leaned on him and absently scratched his wings on the right side of his back.
"My you're rather quiet, maybe I shouldn't have yelled so loud at you earlier."
She got a slight chuckle for that.
"I don't mind the lectures all that much." Kratos admitted with a smile. "I figured I deserve something like a lecture every once in a while when I'm being a bit pig-headed."
"Ohh I even have you using my words, we may have been together a bit too long if you're starting to talk like me."
"When I start finishing your sentences then we know we've been together for too long."
"Oh and when that time comes along then what oh-mighty seraphim?"
"Mmm I do not know... we will work on that when it comes. And for-"
"the thousandth time stop calling me that, it makes what I am more grotesque then it is."
Anna sighed with him, saying the sentence with her husband adopting his half sigh half grumble tone of voice.
"Show off." Kratos flicked his wings and Anna squeaked as her "blanket" and support shifted under her.
"No fair!" Anna squeaked as he rolled a bit and she slipped to the forest floor with a soft thud. "You're supposed to stay still!"
"I'm not being fair, I am suffering and going to take a quick bath and hope the itchiness dies down."
"You mean down by the lake, do-"
"No, I will go alone, wait for Lloyd to come back from..." The auburn haired man chuckled. "Scouting with Noishe."
"You mean playing."
"I told him that we needed him to scout for us, Noishe knows what that means. They'll be fine but it has been at least twenty minuets, and I imagine that they will be back soon."
"Why can't I come along?"
"Because..." Kratos glared. "Just because."
"You don't want me to see you naked, is that it? Gods Kratos we..."
"Anna!" Kratos looked at a point beyond her and she turned.
"Mommy what cha talking about?"
"Bark!" Noishe wagged his tail and sunk down. Taking the hint Lloyd swung his small legs over the Protozoan's back and slid down the massive creature's back. With a happy noise Lloyd ran to his mother.
"Nothing dear." Anna smiled, scooped up her son and mock groaned as she lifted him. "Oh so heavy, must be all that muscle!"
"Must be." Kratos chuckled, drew his wings in before Lloyd pointed them out and started asking even more questions. Kratos was still recovering from the first batch. "Well I'll be off."
"Whine!" Noishe cocked his head to the side, a world of question in his eyes.
That was strange Noishe normally didn't care when Kratos went off by himself so long as he wasn't gone for too long. Worried he turned to his son.
"Lloyd, is the reason you came back so early was because you saw something?"
"Mmm..." Lloyd scrunched his face up as if trying to remember something. "We saw prints, funny foot print track thingies."
Kratos pulled his tunic on and looked sternly at his pet.
"Noishe, why didn't you come here immediately?"
"I saw them, not Noshy! Noshy was being a meanie, he didn't believe me." Lloyd pouted a bit at the last. "I made him come home when I saw them, he wanted to keep playing!"
"Well I do, and Noishe we are going to have a very long talk when I get back.
"Whine!"
"Kratos are you sure it's safe for you to go out on your own?" Anna looked at him with worry clear on her face.
"I'll be fine, we'll move the camp so take down the tents and pack our belongings beloved."
She smiled at him, and before he went to look for those tracks Lloyd saw, he gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
Lloyd of course "ewwed" like always, but his parent ignored him.
"Coming?" Kratos asked, Noishe cocked his head started to pick himself off of the ground.
"Not you." Kratos said to the protozoan, he then looked to his son. "Can you find them again you think?"
"I can come, really!"
"Kratos I don't know about..."
"Fa merth Derisa, ul'l guath." He smiled at her. "Trust me. After all are I not Derris Fa Guthsaan ast Sith?"
She laughed, rolled her eyes.
"Someone's not going to fit their titles soon... Fine, go and be back soon."
Kratos bowed and Lloyd looked confused. He was still too young to understand the subtle flirting that went on between his parents. He'd understand when he got older. Yet perhaps it was the language that was a problem, he had a kind of pidgin Angelic he'd made up for himself. A melding of Angelic, archaic language, and common. From time to time Lloyd actually did slip into using the other languages, especially after he heard his father make a small lapse himself. As they left the clearing Kratos decided it was time to start teaching his son Angelic along with common so that he'd drop this miss match of languages.
"No running ahead Lloyd." He set his hand on his son's shoulder as the boy's small frame gave a familiar twitch that meant he was going to break into a run.
"Daddy!"
"We are scouting, being serious, so we can't run off in a random direction right now. When it's safer we can go run over to that hill and see what's on the other side, alright?"
"Alright..." Lloyd looked a little disappointed, stared at that small hill and the sunlight that highlighted. That light turned the hill's red leaves into a brilliant patch of crimson that was screaming for Lloyd to jump onto and throw them around.
Kratos smiled to his boy as he tugged on his son's brown sleeve, and gently steered him away from the temptation.
"You can go ahead, a little bit." He added hastily. "A tiny bit, and show me the way."
"Alright Daddy!"
Lloyd ran a good three feet ahead and looked back at him expectantly.
Suddenly the Seraphim was in PalmaCosta, with sun warmed wood floors shining with a golden light while his son gently lead him across the room. Lead him to his wife with that solemn intensity that was surprising considering Lloyd's normally cheerful personality.
Kratos frowned, rubbed his head and then shook it sharply, he could almost smell the sea, hear the murmur of those who lived to either side of their little home.
"Daddy?" A small hand tugged on his own, and while it was small it wasn't as small as it should have been. "Daddy!" Fear in that voice brought him back, or at least allowed him to come back somewhat. He opened his eyes, what he saw was enough to banish the scent and sounds of the sea.
He was startled to see that he had sunk to his knees, the dizziness that assaulted him was enough to persuade him to stay there however.
"Daddy, are you sick!" Lloyd sounded scared to death.
"Shh it's.. alright..." He reached out, drew his son close and stroked his hair.
That son of a bitch, I'll kill him if it's who I think it is.
He fought the sickness, and using a tree as a prop found his feet. A quick glance at those leaves and how the sun was hitting them told him an hour had passed at least. Yet it felt like all of a moment. A throbbing headache and a slight twitching along his back helped him figure out what kind of mana had just been used on him. Only on angel had the power to manipulate time with his mana, only one who could so utterly warp perception and time like this.
"Daddy, we're going the wrong way!" Strange it was almost an obsession. Another facet of the spell no doubt. Lloyd tugged on his cloak stubbornly when his father started back to the camp.
"We have to go back..." Kratos fought down a wave of nausea and swallowed hard. "Now..."
"But..."
"Lloyd, I think the bad person from Falnoir did this to you, made you see the tracks when you didn't really see them. I think he tried to do the same thing to me..." Kratos staggered, tried to work around the dizziness and was somewhat succeeded. "We have to go back.. Now Lloyd."
Lloyd gulped, his eyes wide. He'd never heard Daddy snarl something like that. He never seen Daddy mad before and it scared him. But what scared him more was how pale Daddy was, and though he didn't know the word for it he knew that the funny walking that Daddy was doing wasn't good.
Xxx xxx xxx xxx
"Down!" Kratos hissed, tugging his boy by the seat of his pants and making him fall. There was no way to gentle this so Kratos did his best not to wince when Lloyd fell and turned to him with tears in his eyes. Miracle of miracles Lloyd did not burst into loud sobs at his hurt, only whimpered and lay down as ordered. Kratos shivered with rage, and stared at their camp and the Desian's walking through it. Rage conflicted with terror, and it was only by the thinnest margin that rage won out.
Illuminating the camp with a surreal purple aura Mithos hovered in his adult form in the center of the Aurion's camp, his silver eyes cooly looking on as the Desian's pawed through the supplies.
"Disgusting..." Mithos hissed in his rich voice as he stared at the food rations.
"Sire?" One of the black clad men dared.
"Nothing, continue."
A blushing Desian came forward and handling a pack like it was filled with vipers upended it at his master's silent command. Mithos looked at the woman's clothing with emotionless eyes. Cocking his head to the side the lord of Cruxis's lips curled into a vile grin.
"Kratos, you truly have repudiated what you are haven't you? Pathetic."
"Your orders Sire?"
"Burn it, the she wont need it anyways, not after he is done with her. Is this all?"
The guard shook his head, then brought forth a small set of packs and upended those. And at Mithos' feet were the relics of childhood, the small toys and items Lloyd had picked up and kept. Startled Mithos stilled his wings, landed on the ground, soundless, still, as death. He bent, picked up a small rabbit and for one second the ice in his eyes melted, then it was back, he dropped the item and waved his hands at the pile, to include it in his previous order.
"The last packs Sire." The Desian announced, upending these with all the others.
Mithos smiled at the state of those packs, orderly, folded with precision. There was no question whose packs these were.
"Hmm, something never change, the same as the others. Any luck finding the brat and the traitor?"
"No sire, it seems as if they never came to the ambush spot."
"The scouts?"
"Nothing yet My Lord." The Desian bowed low and Mithos grinned.
"When Kvar comes back from his playing bring him here."
"Sir... must I?"
Those eyes narrowed and the guard blanched.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing Great One."
"That's a bit better, I'm getting bored, fetch him now."
The guard nodded and stiffly did as ordered.
Lloyd whimpered, clung with a death grip to his father as Kvar cooly strolled from the forest. Blood, fresh blood was drying on the man's tunic.
"Lord Mithos." Kvar bowed with an oily grace, his thin slit eyes sparkled and a wild grin was plastered to his lips. The old man's breath was ragged, sharp with an almost sexual pleasure. "Wonderful evening isn't it?"
"Has the ex-sphere been extracted from the host body?"
"Yes, and a little something extra as well."
One silver stone crossed the distance between the Desian. Easily Mithos caught the silver ex-sphere, he turned it over in his hands. On the whole ex-spheres were a dull iron color, so much so that they were sometimes mistaken for iron orbs. It was when put either on a host that the stone would flash with a multitude of colors. This one caught the sun's light and set it to a thousand and one hues.
Residue mana from the soul passing clung to an ex-sphere, allowed the colors to flash when they encountered the life force that could fuel the old soul's energy which in turn would fuel the 'hosts' own power. Mithos grinned, rolled the stone over in his hands and marveled at the silver blue radiance that pulsated along the stone.
"As you can see my lord, my efforts on the angelus project were not wasted."
"No, I can see they weren't..." Mithos whispered, his eyes wide with hunger. "Such power, never have I felt this kind of power before. And other humans, they possess this potential in them? You never did detail me on what the key to this power is Kvar."
"Genetics primarily my lord. Anyone who shares either blood or has a similar part in their code will more then likely produce these special ex-spheres, but that is not all Sire..."
Mithos looked up, his eyes intent. He lifted his head and pinned the Desian Cardnel with a look of hunger.
"What else could there be?"
"This." Kvar drew a fist size ruby from a pocket. No, on second glance it was not a ruby, it only appeared red in the fire light. Held in his fist, half caked in blood lay a gem of many facets. Silver, it was silver streaked with soft veins of deep blue. "A cruxis crystal my lord, and unlike any other I have ever seen."
The half elf in black calmly rolled it over in his fingers, smearing it in more blood but uncaring.
"It was red, crimson, until the moment I took it from her breast. When she breathed her last the gem changed, darkened to black, then after a spectacular flash of light..." Kvar shrugged. "It was as it is now."
Kratos trembled, tears burned behind his eyes, his mind seethed in rage.
"A shame really, ah well..." Kvar shrugged. "The agreement still stands?"
"Of course, what is your is yours." Mithos grinned
"The dog?"
"Keep it chained with the carrion, it will teach him not to disobey me or lash out when I do something it doesn't like."
Mithos flexed his fingers, red dripped between them, evidence of a bite wound that was speed healed closed.
"As you will..." Kvar bowed, then paled as he saw Kratos rise out of what appeared to be pure darkness. "Sire!"
"I see him..." Mithos smiled to Kratos. "Old friend, it has been far too long..." Power crackled in the Cruxis leader's hands.
"Where is my wife Mithos?" Kratos' voice was a whisper, the few Desian guards scattered around the clearing, pale and trembling, but training made them lift there bows.
"In whatever pathetic after life she believed in.. Oh wait you mean her physical body? Ah over there a ways..." Mithos waved a hand to the forest. "Tell him Kvar, let him see her dead for himself."
Kvar only took a step back, hesitantly rose his staff in a half hearted defense.
"Oh come now Cardinal, do not be so scared of this insignificant gnat."
Kratos' eyes were empty, he looked with dead eyes at the man he once proudly served.
"But then... I'm entitled to be merciful..." Mithos cocked his head to the side. "After all Martel would put me to task if I didn't at least make a gesture. Here are my terms of surrender Kratos Aurion, surrender yourself wholly to me, you may not rebel or plot against me, re-accept my ideals, Martel's ideals, come back to the fold brother. Re-claim what is yours, set aside that filthy humanity and all it's inherent weaknesses that you wallow in. Give your son to Kvar, then rejoin me. That's it, that's all. Considering all the damage you've wrecked on my cause I'd say I'm being very generous." Mithos grinned, made a beckoning gesture, a gesture one would use to call a dog.
Kratos was no dog however, no man's servant, and his cause had long ago been severed from Mithos'. What had been started by his doubts in Forcysutus' Ranch, what had been started in the march of time and nature, what had been forged as he held Anna in his arms, and what had been sealed by his son's first breath, this cause his unspoken oath was made of all these things in life and... and in death.
Kratos lifted his flamberg cooly dipped the blade, leveled it to the purple winged seraphim before him. Mithos cocked his head to the side, golden blonde hair cascaded down the slender neck. A neck that with one swing might spill out the seraphim lord's blood to fast for any healing mana to replenish. Blue eyes the color of a storm touched sky narrowed to mere points.
"Kratos, what are you doing?"
Kvar paled, he'd seen enough humans in that mental state to recognize it. It was the look of a human with a mass of their soul cut out, a family gone and a life ahead with only emptiness in it. It was the glance of a father watching his son being torn from his grasp, of watching a sibling killed. It was the gaze of a starved man who attacked the armored and armed with his teeth and nails.
It was the gaze of madness, of a cornered and beaten animal.
"Shoot him, kill him!" Kvar barked at his soldiers.
They lifted their bows, ten soldiers armed with magiteck bows lifted them, set the un-winged seraphim in their sights. Muttering a few words the Desian lifted his staff. A deep purple light radiated off of the tip, which he leveled at auburn haired man.
Silver runes encircled the man who stood still, and oddly only lifted his blade over his head, as if in pleadence to some god.
Fool Kvar could almost hear his guards thinking as they pulled the trigger to their weapons, as Kvar released the power in those runes and watched the air above the seraphim gleam with the first hint of his indignation spell, he watched with a strange detached state as those steel points hissed by. Fool and a dead fool at that.
Calm, as if merely taking a battle stance in a practice session Kratos lowered his blade. A silver blue light surrounded the human. Arrows hissed like curses, sunk into the light as they'd sink into flesh, and drifted by to the human's feet nothing more then ash.
"Sacred power, cast your purifying light upon these corrupt souls..." Kratos' eyes which had closed slid open, and were radically different. Once a indeterminate black brown hue they were all white. Marred with no irus, no pupil, they were an expanse of empty white.
At long last, after what felt to be an eternity of waiting the mana from the God's Indignation spell rained down, first as a rain of lightning bolt, then as a sheet of pure mana that would destroy all who stood in it. Kvar heard no scream, but that wasn't uncommon. Most people were instantly vaporized, which stood to reason why Kvar rarely used it. Dead foes, much like Anna, had no value to him where as screaming ones did.
Only a hint, a nagging sense in the back of his mind made him stare into the light, made him endure the after flash and blink wildly. Because something in him told the Cardinal that whatever was happening was not over... and because he was the only one who was looking he was the only one who saw it. All the power in the indignation spell seemed to... to flex, writhe, then with a sound that he more felt than heard -an undescribably sound that scratched at the back of the inside of his skull with dull talons and made him want to vomit- the power arched off of the seraphim and in a pillar of light shoot to the heavens.
Thunder rumbled, and the skies grew black, filled with clouds.
A chill slid up the Desian's back.
"Shoot!" He roared. "Stop his spell!"
Snarling a curse Mithos threw bolt after bolt of mana, in a wild attempt to kill his former companion. All of it sild off of or was consumed by that blazing light.
Then the darkness that was starless, moonless, and felt of madness was gone, and there was an un-flickering, unflinching, light. Dumbly Kvar looked up, and the very heavens themselves split with a shriek and all the light of the world poured down. And with the light came silver tears, red tears, as the sky rained with blood...
He felt a searing pain as it consumed him, as that light and it's blue dagger shards it threw into the air around him. Daggers that looked like feathers and ripped at him. Seeking with mad purpose his essence, his center so that the light could go in and obliterate him. He looked around and saw a few pulses of green and when those faded away he saw blasted and mauled corpses. Light slammed into the earth, churned up minerals and the water around him, the pouring rains slammed into the earth and turned it all red.
And from long ago, in a time of ignorance, where he had once believed as all others believed he had read the book of Angels, the text of Martel.
And lo the sky will rain light and the sinful earth shall bleed under devine judgement.
And for Kvar the light still burned in him, still dug at him... seeking... seeking his essence... even as he closed his mortal eyes and slid into the realm of what he thought would bring him to death.
Xxx xxx xxx xxx
What have I done... Death all I have gazed upon is dead. Water slid around him, slid across wings he did not recall drawing. Blood, the earth itself looked like it was made of poisoned blood. Dark red, clogged around the smoldering stumps and gathered around the feet of those trees at the edges of the blast. To mock the utter destruction, to mock the devastation that he had welded silver blue feathers drifted to the earth. Oblivious to the rains that should have forced them down, oblivious to the howling winds that should have tossed them about and let them fade into the building night. He moaned, closed his eyes, and leaned wearily on his sword. The orange blade glowed softly, it's light it seemed subdued by it's owners grief. Subdued or not it was still powerful, it's edge sharp. With shaking hands and a howling soul Kratos lifted his sword, turned it over in his hands and to better position it to end his pain.
Sketched in red, marred with orange swirls he glimpsed world behind him.
Tear filled brown eyes, a frightened face regarded him. Limp, his hands dropped his sword, he turned and his son looked at him.
A sob, a muffled horrified sob came from his boys mouth as he tried to say something...
That same sob lodged in Kratos' throat as he staggered to his boy, sank to his knees, and took the trembling child, his child, his son, in his bloody arms. And with the rain of the Gods pouring on them they released the first of their mortal grief.