Seravine - Chapter Two

[Author's Note: A bit of a warning is necessary, I suppose: I am a slow writer. Add on to that the fact that school will be starting within the next few weeks, and it is likely I won't update nearly as often as I'd like, so here's my apology in advance. That said, I fully know what will happen next chapter (the real fun begins), so I honestly believe it'll be written quite soon. Now, for the reviews:

Al: I'm glad you mentioned that, actually, as I forgot to bring it up in the previous chapter. Yes, Lloyd should be traveling with a companion, but for the plot's sake in this story, he's going alone. After all, if I did have him wandering about with the person he choose at the end of the game (Sheena, in my case), it would effectively set possible romantic pairings into stone, and I'd much rather write all the tension and triangles I could. ; )

FireEdge: Thanks! I'm glad it wasn't terribly confusing, at least in the beginning. Things will steadily grow clearer in the next chapters, of course.

Tearatone Maystar: I'm glad you caught those mistakes, I'll admit, as I couldn't find them. : ) I've read this chapter multiple times before uploading, but knowing my luck, I'm sure I missed a few things.

Potter29vo: Better late than never, right? : ) I'm sorry it's still confusing, but as that is a bit intentional, well, I guess I'm doing something right. This chapter doesn't reveal all that much about the overall plot, unfortunately, though it sets in motion a few events that are vital to later chapters.

That one guy: Glad to see you like the style! I'm afraid this chapter won't be terribly interesting, so I hope you'll stick around for future updates. And, as per request, the lack of Rheiard use has been mentioned, though somewhat sparsely. More detail will be added in later chapters as to why they are not being used.

That should be it. Next chapter, the fun (meant in the most evil of ways) will begin…

Thanks for reading, and please review!]

oOo

The first thing that struck Lloyd Irving was the silence; it was strange and pervasive and all of those other oppressive words, wrapped heavily about the cold stone houses of the newly rebuilt Ozette. Admittedly, Ozette had never been much for even the idea of hustle and bustle, due in part to the quiet sort of majesty that clung to the air - or perhaps the blame could be shouldered squarely upon the residents of the town itself, who were certainly as unyielding and regal as the great forests they had carved a life into. Seemingly little had changed, for even in the midst of reconstruction and renovation there was only the sound of his footsteps, and even those were muted and gray.

The second thing was likely the shrill scream that rent the air in two; immediately his swords were in his hands and his back against the frigid stone of a nearby home, moving cautiously so as not to be caught unawares. In the familiar silence that followed he could see little of the great fountain that sat squarely in the middle of the town, shrouded as it was in the morning mist, though Lloyd had a strange feeling that it was from somewhere within those depths that the cry had emerged. Throwing caution to the winds, he darted forth as yet another scream rose from the mists, the note hanging heavily against his ears before settling into the sound of sobbing.

The situation became steadily clear as he reached the fountain, the torrents of water still raining down into the great basin situated at the statue's base, seemingly indifferent to the young girl curled up in the grass close by. Lloyd bent to calm her, his eyes sweeping across the mist, his swords never leaving his hands. The sun's rays settled around the fountain, scattering the wispy clouds hanging atop the grass, and Lloyd stood to attention at the first groan, taking into careful calculation the horde of ghouls stumbling their way towards him. Cursing lightly under his breath, he stood and settled into his familiar stance, feeling that sweeping rush of adrenaline that could only come before a battle, and without a second thought ran forward, vaulting over the closest monster to land in their midst.

In a flash the nearest ghoul fell, torn in two under the edge of his blades, though Lloyd turned immediately from the sight and smell of its blood spread across the grass, forcing himself to focus on those that still remained. Six more. He was less than pleased to see a few branching off, stumbling their way into other parts of the town - thinking quickly, he ducked and rolled forward, winding his way below the ghouls' strangled moans until he could lift himself to his feet behind the stragglers. Executing a clean spin, he slid his swords neatly above the waist, almost wincing at the sickening crack as the two ghouls tottered and collapsed, their lower halves standing still for only a second before crumbling.

At the sound of a low growl behind him he pitched and twisted his body to the right, watching with a sort of amazement at the black claws sailing through the space where he had been only moments before. With a snarl the ghoul lurched forward to where he lay on the grass, bringing its fists in a tight arc, and Lloyd could only roll before leaping to his feet and thrusting his sword tips through the rotten flesh. The ghoul groaned, staggering, and he yanked the weapons back, watching with a hint of satisfaction as the monster fell to the blackened grass, a twitching corpse at his feet.

A thundering roar echoed behind him and Lloyd whirled, watching as a familiar boot swung in a deadly arc, snapping the nearest ghoul's skull cleanly from its neck. Grinning, he almost laughed aloud, bending to wipe his blades clean across the grass, the edges winking darkly in the sun. "Good to see you, Regal," he called, looking up to see every last ghoul laying shattered. The sudden silence was almost startling; the ruins of the battle were spread liberally around the fountain, but in one long moment Ozette returned to much as it was before, quiet and indifferent to the bloodshed.

Regal turned, a warm smile settled across his lips, and a brightness and strength to his eyes. His arms settled easily across his chest and he looked almost as Lloyd had remembered him, with the notable absence of the handcuffs and the burden he had always carried upon his shoulders. "This is a surprise," he said, with a low chuckle.

Lloyd stood properly and set his swords back beside his waist, crossing his arms in a perfect imitation. "A bit, yeah," he replied, his own laughter echoing in the fountain's downpour. A small sniffle tore him abruptly from his thoughts, and he turned to see the young girl dart towards Regal and throw her arms around his legs, sobbing. Regal smiled gently, and bent to whisper in her ear; Lloyd turned, shifting a rotten skull to the side with his boot, moving to get his first good look at the town since his arrival. It looked, truthfully, much the same as it originally was, though he was not very surprised to see a certain prominence set to stone, rather than the timber Ozette was normally known for. Almost instinctively his eyes fell across a single spot that stood alone in his thoughts; had it been only two months since they had found Mithos there, amidst the fire and pain his own minions had created? A wave of loneliness swept and left him within the passing of a long second, and despite his words with Sheena not a day prior, he had the sudden urge to take a long, much-needed break, and seek out all of his old companions.

"It's been a long time," Regal's voice came, and Lloyd turned his head a bit, nodding, moved briefly from his thoughts. The older man, in an unexpected display of affection, wrapped him in a one-armed hug, speaking over the fountain's roar. "It's good to see you."

Lloyd managed to break free, laughing. "Shame it wasn't under better circumstances, though," he said, nudging a nearby skull with his foot. "What happened?"

Regal shrugged, looking faintly troubled. "I wish I knew, to be honest. I was in the middle of a meeting with Madam Rose - that's the new mayor of Ozette, mind you - when I heard the screams." Something akin to anger flitted behind his eyes. "I shall need to have a word with the guards." He glanced towards a stone outpost situated not far from the entrance, which looked perfectly abandoned.

"Has this happened before?" Lloyd asked, wrinkling his nose as the corpses' stench assaulted his senses, suddenly feeling rather sorry for whoever would land the job of cleaning it all up.

"No," Regal said, shaking his head. "This is the first time, to my knowledge, and I shall ensure that it will be the last."

"Good." Lloyd turned suddenly, sweeping his gaze across the fountain. "What happened to that little girl?"

"Diana? I presume she has ran off to her mother - " Regal paused, and, with a small sigh, cupped his hands over his mouth, his voice rising with the winds. "It is safe!" The words echoed across the stone fields and out into the forest before fading into silence.

For a short moment, nothing much occurred, but then the first door cracked open - and then another, and rather slowly the townsfolk stepped back into the sunlight, looking perfectly relieved. Lloyd watched with barely concealed amusement as they merged slowly into small crowds, talking with hushed tones - for all of a long minute, Ozette faintly resembled a normal town, its inhabitants pointing animatedly towards the fountain and the corpses lined below it.

Regal wore a tired smile. "I suspect they'll wish to thank you before you leave. Diana's mother in particular."

Lloyd shrugged, trying in vain to play it off casually. "Nah, it was nothing, really - "

"Lloyd?"

A pair of arms wrapped tightly around him and, though somewhat painfully surprised, he came rather quickly to the conclusion that he was being hugged, and by a girl, no less. "H-hello," he said, wincing at the stammer. So much for playing it cool. The girl stepped abruptly back, beaming, and Lloyd caught sight of the familiar yellow dress. "Chocolat?" he asked, stunned.

She smiled and nodded, looking almost strangely cheerful, though Lloyd couldn't help but notice the pallor to her skin and the dark rings collected beneath her eyes. A quick glance to the side confirmed that Regal had noted it too; the older man was frowning, looking faintly concerned, but Chocolat still maintained a presence of optimism and Lloyd realized with a start she was speaking.

" - so long since I saw you! I never got thank you properly for everything you've done, you and the Chosen and everyone else. I'm really sorry for how I treated you after learning about Marble, you know - "

Lloyd simply smiled, feeling that familiar surge of guilt connected with Marble's name. Pushing it away, he closed his eyes for only a short moment, trying his hardest not fall back into the shadows of the past. A hand settled lightly on his shoulder and he shot Regal an appreciative glance, feeling slightly comforted. With forced cheerfulness he turned back to Chocolat, who had abruptly fallen quiet and was looking faintly disgusted in the ghouls' stench. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Chocolat lifted the heavy satchel in her hand, shaking it gently. "I'm just on my way out, actually. Mother is the new mayor here, did you know? She wanted to come too, but she's a bit busy, you know." She paused, rather suddenly, and turned to the watch wrapped firmly about her wrist, her eyes widening. "Oh! I'm going to miss my boat!" And, with that, she gave a short curtsy and another wide smile, one that didn't quite agree with the exhaustion written across her eyes. "It was nice seeing you, Lloyd. I'll see you around!"

"Bye!" Lloyd called, waving at her retreating form, then dropped his voice and turned back to Regal. "She doesn't look so good."

Regal merely nodded. "I suspect all of the moving has been hard on her, particularly after Palmacosta was destroyed."

Lloyd gestured towards the fountain. "You've done a great job here. It's hard to tell this place was in ruins only a few months ago."

"A bit incredible, isn't it?" Something akin to pride flashed across the older man's face.

"Yeah! It's a great fountain."

Chuckling. "No, Lloyd. Isn't it incredible how quickly things come together? I never expected such a turnout; the amount of volunteers was simply astounding."

"Oh. Yeah." Lloyd knew he was blushing. "That too."

They stood in a comfortable sort of silence until Lloyd sighed, running a hand through his hair, and spoke. "Do you miss them?"

Regal did not speak at first, glancing down towards the pale skin about his wrists, seemingly in deep thought. "Very much, yes," he said slowly, mulling over the words. "I was hoping to schedule a reunion of sorts."

Lloyd brightened immensely. "Hey, that's a great idea! We could all meet somewhere and just catch up on things, you know?" He paused and frowned, previous good mood temporarily dampened. "Where, though?" he asked, glancing towards Regal, who appeared similarly puzzled.

"Altamira?"

"Nah, Sheena hates that place, remember? Triet's kinda hot and Flanoir's kinda cold, so I guess those two are out." Furrowing his brow, he mentally cycled through the remaining locations, and dismissing each as they came - until it struck him, seeming rather obvious. "My dad's place!"

Regal arched an eyebrow. "Dirk's home?"

"Yeah! It's great! And, besides, that's where it all started, didn't it?" He couldn't help but grin, feeling quite pleased with himself, knowing full well the dwarf was forever lonely and certainly wouldn't mind a bit of company. There was the added benefit of it being quite close to Iselia, of course, and chances were Genis and Raine might be paying it a visit, as well as Colette, eliminating much need for travel. "What do you think?"

"As long as your father agrees, I have no qualms with it."

Lloyd dismissed the notion with a wave of his wand. "Nah, dad won't care. He used to complain all the time that I was never home. He gets lonely, I guess."

"Yes, well," Regal said, with only the faint traces of a smirk, "you're not one for keeping in touch, are you?"

"Not you too!" Lloyd sighed, running another hand through his hair, and gave the older man a somewhat sullen glare. "It's not easy, you know. The Rheiards are back with the Renegades, so I can't exactly cross the world like we used to."

Regal held his hands up in surrender, chuckling. "Fair enough. Though I fear the others won't let you off quite so easily."

Lloyd paled. "Raine?"

The glint in the older man's eyes was rather frightening. "Colette."