No, it's not over yet, and my review response (I've been too busy in class to email you guys so I'll be going back to my old practices) will be on the bottom of this chapter.
Chapter 8
The second and destined meeting
He sighed, considered the starry sky, he had been camped out here in the wilds by himself for a week now. The time was near, so Yggdrasil had told him. Yet another lie it seemed. But then Yggdrasil was the master of lies, and as one of his Seraphim so too was Kratos. He stared at the dull bellies of the clouds, the whole world seemed a dull gray, and it would clear up come tomorrow of course. It would occur even if the angels had to waste huge quantities of mana to push those clouds away. Symbolism, it all came down to symbolism. They would not want it to rain now would they, for the rain would be steel hued in the angelic light, and like steel it would leave bloody gouge marks on the clay rich ground. The sky as filled with the grey bellies of the clouds, there was a golden span touched by the rising sun, a golden tear amongst the steel plats. From that, falling from the heavens came, not golden light, but a soft blue radiance. It was as if the true sky were falling from the heavens, and not the false light. And while most in the village of Iselia saw the storm as an ill omen he looked to that golden span and smiled, admired the beauty, a wild untamed beauty that none in the village could enjoy, that none of the truly devout could enjoy.
Perhaps he was the only one in all this world that looked up at the heavens and smile that day.
Xxx xxx xxx
"Come on!" Lloyd all but dragged a hesitant Genis up the stairs with his words and enthusiasm. "Something's going on and I wanna see what it is!"
Colette was leading for once, outstripping Lloyd, her eyes locked on the light of heaven. Genis whimpered, ran up the stairs, his eyes focused on his friends, his mind lost in his fear of what was above. Out of all of them only Lloyd was really looking around. He could have bet good gald he saw movement in the bushes, there was something there, looking at him.
"Hey Genis did you see…"
"Come on Lloyd, Colette's getting ahead."
"Just a wolf right? Yeah, it's just a wolf." He reassured himself, telling himself he hunted and fought wolves for the people of Iselia all the times so one more wasn't a big thing.
Genis tugged on his sleeve, for once Lloyd was slowing him down, normally it was the other way around.
"Hold on, I'm coming!" Lloyd rubbed the bandages around his arm, his ex-sphere was tingling up a storm. They pounded up the stairs, bits of smoking meat, animal meat he lied to sooth Genis, littered the walk way. The priests were all dead, Gods above damn the Desian's Colette would be next if he didn't do something! "Like Hell Colette's next! No one hurts her while I'm around, not Ivan, not some stinking Desian dogs, no one you hear me!" He growled as he turned another bend, on the winding path marked with weird wooden steps. The steps were so infrequent it was like tan scales on a snake in molt. He leapt over the sprawled out corpse of a priest that lay on one of the broad dust 'landing platforms' kept going, until he realized Genis had stopped. He bent down, picked up his younger friend, and carried him like he would a little kid. "Don't think about it, just keep running, don't stop." Lloyd gasped, when he put Genis down, he had to put him down because three landings later he was getting tired.
"Don't stop, keep running." Genis whimpered, his eyes filled with terror. Lloyd who lived less then three miles away from the ranch could sometimes on a bad night hear the screams was hardened to this a bit. He'd listened to the screams and on some warm days could smell the scent of a slaughter house. To go to school he'd walk by the ranch, less then a mile, and there were times when he just couldn't go because of the horrible sounds he heard. You didn't think of it at the moment, forced yourself to keep going, but it'd come back later, in your nightmares if you were at all humane. Grunting Lloyd looked at the path, it went to the west spiraled up and then went to the east, back and forth, the path was the easiest route, but not the fastest. He looked up and on the higher reaches of the trail could see a flash of white.
"Shit how can she run that fast? She hasn't tripped at all!"
"It's serious! She doesn't trip when it's serious unless it's a lucky trip." Genis puffed, his smaller legs were going twice as fast to keep up with Lloyd's pace.
"Forget this!" Lloyd veered off the trail, went to the steep climb that was topped with stairs. With a trail that he could glimpse when he craned his head up. Numbly Genis followed, not even seeing more proof of another fallen priest. The wizard came back to himself as silver blue light ran across Lloyd's left hand. At that sight Genis paled, Lloyd never used his ex-sphere except once when Ivan had nearly killed them both. Lloyd knelt, his hands pressed against the earth, his legs bent as he crouched, looking much like a frog. "On my shoulders!" Lloyd barked, eyes glittering weirdly as the ex-sphere's power boiled in him. Shivering Genis did as ordered, and when Lloyd leapt held on for dear life. He managed not to scream when they made the first wall in one jump, but when Lloyd made the second wall by kicking off of a boulder Genis couldn't keep it in. He gripped Lloyd's head, covering the eyes and wailed as they made it over the third wall and landed behind Colette, or rather Lloyd fell behind Colette and Genis tumbled from his shoulders. Luckily the screams were covered by the flashes of light and roars of thunder. Whimpering Genis crouched on the 'road' Lloyd lay sprawled out, the light of his ex-sphere having gone out.
"Now I know how a flea feels…" Lloyd croaked, Colette went to him, forgot about the light and helped him stand, or more likely lean against the last wall of the path. "We… told you… to wait for… us…" Lloyd panted. "You shouldn't... run… ahead… dangerous…"
"I'm sorry, are you alright?"
"Fine…" Lloyd smiled, despite all the Desian's nearby Colette looked always the same. Determined but calm, he liked that look on her, it suited her. Panting his stared at her dumbly, she was really pretty in her white vest and tunic with that glossy white fabric making those neat symbols. She looked nice in white, other people may have thought it was a dumb color but he liked it, it brought out her endless blue eyes… Mentally shaking himself for thinking weird things Lloyd pulled away from the wall. "Hey Genis, you OK?"
"I'm alright…" The small elf wizard dredged up a smile. "As long as every one else is alright I'm fine."
"You should stay here, it's dangerous! I'm supposed to receive the oracle of the Goddess and…"
"Not alone you aren't!" Lloyd growled, "And if the angels have a problem with me going with you they can send one of the souperfins after me or something."
"Seraphim." Colette corrected with a giggle.
"Whatever." Lloyd shrugged. "you know I'm not all churchy.. umm religosar and stuff."
Genis laughed, Lloyd was yet again playing dumb for them and it helped against the fear a little.
"You think you're going to stop me from going in to the temple where all those interesting religious murals and carvings and artifacts are." Genis grinned, "I'm going too!"
"We stick together, best friends forever." Lloyd pulled off his glove so they could see the small scar where they'd all brought their hands together and shared blood. "Nothing changes that!"
"Thanks." Colette smiled at them, her eyes glittering, with tears? No, Colette never cried, why would she now? Genis shrugged it off, looked up at the path, the last bend.
"Shh, everything's gotten really quiet!"
Lloyd frowned, pushed Colette behind him and they all pressed against the earthen wall and listened.
"Where is the Chosen of Mana?"
"I will tell you nothing Demon!"
"Tough old hag aren't ya?"
"Gra-" Lloyd snapped a hand over Colette's mouth even as Genis snapped two hands over his.
They all looked at each other, Phadria was up there, and she was in danger. They couldn't walk away from that, she was like the whole towns grandmother.
"Genis take Colette back, I'll rescue attack the Desian's and rescue Phadria and we'll meet you at the base of the path."
"By yourself!" Genis protested between his spread fingers, opening his hands so that he could squeak a whisper between his slender digits.
Lloyd tapped his ex-sphere, winked, and Genis rolled his eyes.
"Sir, did you hear that?"
Genis hissed a word that if Raine had ever heard him say would of guaranteed a life time of eating soap. It was a word Lloyd had taught him, and Genis would say that the second Raine heard him using it. There was a crunch of boot across earth coming closer, sand trickled from above and fell on Lloyd's head. Whimpering Genis tried to blend in with the wall, taking Colette's hand so she hid with him. They pressed against one of the concaves of the wall, a mini cliff that while not too deep was enough of a place for two small people to hide if they held their breath. Lloyd for all intents and purposes to the sneering Desian was alone on the path, an unarmed would be hero.
"What do we have here, a little kid? Go run crying to your mommy brat!"
Not the thing to say to Lloyd, defiantly not the thing to say to Lloyd. That juvinale insult hit an all mighty sensitive nerve. Genis had seen Ivan say those words to a battered Lloyd, and watched in horror as his friend would ignore his wounds and get up to beat the heck out of the bully. Lloyd growled, charged, and smashed the Desian against the stone side of the small mountain. There was a grunt, the man tried to wrench free, Lloyd smashed the man into the rock, dazed him, and delivered a punch to the underside of the man's jaw. The Desian's head whipped back, he slumped against the stone and Lloyd let the man drop.
"Let her go!" Lloyd growled, flexing his throbbing knuckles, the Desian had had a thick skull.
"Well this child certainly isn't the Chosen, unless they went for ugly this time. Don't you think so mi' Lord Botta?"
"Aruk, shut up." The man dubbed Botta looked at Lloyd. The Desian Lord wore kingly robes of white, silver bracers, and could have been mistaken for a warrior priest for his pure colored garb. He stroked his short beard, considered the child before him. "We want no more deaths, tell us where the Chosen is and we will let the old woman go."
"I'm not going to tell you filthy Desian's anything." Lloyd growled. "You'll let Phadria go, because if you don't I'll kick all of your assess."
"I bow to such bravery, if more possessed it this world might be a better place, but brave or not you will die. Aruk, Sysn, deal with him."
"Oh shit!"
There was a flash of light, a few crackling sounds, and Lloyd's loud profanities and a yalp pain. Genis honestly was going to do as Lloyd had asked and take Colette away but Colette who was much taller and stronger then him had other ideas. He was dragged up the final bend and got to watch as Lloyd hopped over a lightning bolt and swung his sword over his head and smashed it into the Desian's head as he landed. The man fell to the ground without a moan.
Wiggling his fingers Genis called the fire, he called it from the light of the sun, the heat of is own body, of that of his friends and having the fuel he stoked it with his anger and inner strength. Three blobs of fire materialized and one smashed into the swordsman slipping behind Lloyd, the other was cut in half by the large white robed Desian, and the last went into the temple from inside there was a howl of pain.
"Opps…" Genis gulped.
"Uh oh... that sounded bad." Colette looked nervous.
"Commander Vidarr, if you'd be so good as to join us, your presence is needed!" The man named Botta quipped. "It looks like our target has brought herself to us, so if it wouldn't be too much trouble to stop looting the kitchen and come out here for five minuets…"
"Umm sir… the old woman?"
"Oh let her go, we don't need her anymore." Botta waved a hand dismissevly at Phadria. The woman's guards let her go with obvious relief, one of them pulling off a glove to look mournfully at the bite mark on his hand and wrist.
"Tough old woman…" One of the guards grumbled. "Are you sure you want us to help Sysn?"
Sysn was having Lloyd beat and then some, Lloyd was having to back up from the man's swings, dared not counter, because the Desian was better trained at fighting then he was.
"Fireball!" Genis chirped, Lloyd rolled to the hard right and the Desian was for the second time rolling around on the ground trying to damp the flames.
"What do you think?" Botta sighed. "Why did I allow our Lord to talk me into bloodying the lot of you imbeciles up? They are children for the Gods sake and already two of you are down!"
"They have a freaking wizard…" Grumbled one of the Desian's drawing his sword.
"A fire wizard…" Growled the other Desian, unslung a crossbow from his back.
"Cyan, entertain the swordsman, Urth aim for the magi when he is ready to cast his spells."
Botta began to give a serious of ordered, telling the men how to wear out the children, sparing a glance for the temple every now and then for the elusive Vidarr to show up. He should have been looking behind him. Picking herself up from the earth Phadria saw her grandchild fighting against two demonic beings, saw their leader, and more importantly saw that her grandchild and Genis and Lloyd were losing to those monsters. She hefted her staff, slipped behind the man and grimly brought it down on the Desian's head. He stiffened, the sword that was clearing it's way out of it's sheath slid from numb fingers and fell to the earth. Botta's steel hued eyes stared at nothing with utmost attention, then glazed as the staff hit him again and again. After the third attack he slumped over, more out cold then a Katz on kat-nip potion.
Without their orders the novice swordsmen and archer were beaten and ran off after a few well placed fire spells.
"Guys! You were supposed to run!" Lloyd panted, rubbing his nicked side and wondering how the heck he was going to explain the blood and slashes in his dwarven clothes to Dad.
"And leave you behind, first you go through all that heck of coming after Colette when she'd in danger and then you tell us to run when you go in danger. Don't be such a hypocrite Lloyd!"
"I'm not a… what ever you called it!"
"Grandma!" Colette ran past them, ran past the downed Desian who lay amongst bits of a broken staff, and hugged the old woman.
"Oh Chosen, sweaty, you are alright, I was so worried!"
"I was worried too, are you alright, those bad men didn't hurt you did they!"
"I'm sorry for worrying you dear, but you know I'm more then capable of taking care of myself!"
"Well I'm sorry for this, it was because of me the Desian's attacked…"
"Oh don't be sorry sweaty, not for that, I'm sorry for making you feel bad and…"
"So that's where she gets it from…" Lloyd muttered, watching the "I'm sorry" and "I love you" chain go on and on.
"Ten years later…" Genis grumbled.
"Be nice!" Lloyd smacked the small elf on the back of his head.
"Why'd you have to "Raine" me?" Genis wailed.
"Because Raine would have if she was here." Lloyd grumbled, "I get this feeling like I'm forgetting something…"
There was a roar from the Chapel, an animal grunt and grumble.
Taking her Grandmother's hand in her own Colette ran from the doors of the Chapel. A huge Desian, his face smeared with red, his armor covered in red liquid, and his lips ringed in black looked at them eyes wide under his poor fitting helm.
"Oh my Goddess, he ate the priests!" Genis wailed. "He's going to eat us next!"
Actually he hadn't eaten one slab of meat, there had been a certain alluring smell in the kitchens that had caught his attention. Vidarr had wandered out of the main room of the Chapel, telling his commander that he was going to look in the kitchen for… priests who might be hiding there. Botta knew his man, rolled his eyes, and told him to save something for the men when he got done. Grinning ear to ear like a little kid being told he could go play Vidarr had skipped through the halls, clanging up a storm, and the noise had attracted some monster. Rather insulted by the animal he had killed the spider with a well placed kick, and had made himself at home. The red was the juice of a half eaten melon and the black 'priest flesh' was the remains of a completely devoured chocolate cake.
"Huh?" The thing… way too big to be called a human… looked at Genis dumbly. "what's goin' on…"
He looked to see his commander down, his allies down, and then set his gaze onto Lloyd who was the only one, as far as he could see, armed.
"You killed Botta!" The thing roared, his huge frame though blurred with fat was impressive. He wore a tight fitting chain mail from which his belly pooched out from. He covered those spots with bits of plate armor tied to him by a series of chains crisscrossing his body. He wore no protection on his arms or legs, but considering the width could have easily been half of a Lloyd they would need axes to probably even draw blood on the thing. In his arms, holding a hammer bigger then Lloyd was in height, a weapon meant for two hands, the Desian wielded it in one.
"Colette… start running…" Lloyd whispered, eyes going wide as those pebbly eyes slid onto him with hate in their depths. Not hearing feet moving Lloyd gathered the last of his courage. "Colette, Genis, get Phadria out of here, NOW!"
"No we aren't leaving you!" Colette drew her strange ring like weapons.
"Run!" He barked. "I'll get you as much time as I can!"
Lloyd spun his swords in his hands nervously. The monster like man charged, his huge waddling steps must of set the earth to shaking, roaring the Deisan lifted his hammer and Lloyd barely managed to get out of the way. When the hammer lifted, dropping bits of ground up earth, Lloyd would have sworn there was a crater three inches deep in the ground. There was a whistle, a hiss of chain and something else cutting through the air. Lloyd managed to roll aside and right where he had been was an spiked orb linked to a chain, the orb was like Genis' size! Pain ran across his hand, his ex-sphere was shedding a brilliant blue light. Lifting a hand to shield his eyes Vidarr staggered back a step, Lloyd smashed his blades wildly, and while he could feel the warmth of the stones power coursing through him he was just denting the steel plates, leaving bruises under the chain mail. He jumped back, the power made the jump go a little too far and he timed his landing bad and fell.
"Damn it, stop it, I can't fight like this, you know that!" He hissed to the stone, and the light dimmed, the strange power went away. With the stone, without it, he wasn't going to last against a guy he could barely hurt.
"Goddess of heaven, Goddess of mercy, in name of your mercy help us! Send us a savior for we fight against the dark and are not mighty enough..." Phadria's aged voice rose in prayer.
Snorting Vidarr almost laughed at the prayer, he smashed Lloyd with the flat of his hammer, swatted him aside like he would a fly and waddled up to Colette who was kneeling in prayer with her grandmother. The only thing between him was a small silver haired slip of an elf child. He held a shapeless mass of fire in his hands, in shaking hands, and the fires barely licked at the air beyond his fingers.
"St…Stand aside Desian…" Genis squeaked. "Or I'll... singe you?"
Laughing Vidarr reached down and grabbed the wizard by the scruff of his pale blue shirt.
"You'll do wha?"
"Ekk…" Genis shaking limbs had betrayed him, had not allowed him to run, now they did not allow him to do anything save look up and tremble much like a mouse would in the paws of a cat. Slowly the fire went out, Genis' eyes went wide and his face lost all it's color.
"Thought so." Vidarr turned, saw the young human pick itself off the ground and looked at the shriveled excuse of a being in his hands. He threw the child, Lloyd rolled under the force of a thrown Genis and the small elf smashed into the earth bawling in pain and terror.
"No!" Lloyd staggered to his feet, silver light licking at his blade, it rolled across the ground, smashed into Vidarr's large butt and the Desian turned bloody murder on his face. "I won't let you hurt… anyone?"
Lloyd's once loud and brash pronouncement turned into a whimper when Vidarr didn't waddle but ran across the earth, his weapon leading.
Lloyd managed to, barely, sidestep the under hand uppercut like swing, duck the sweeping half circle that the momentum of the swing was poured into, and was finally nailed a solid hit in the gut when Vidarr used his hammer like you'd use a sword. A blow that might of winded a bear smashed into him and sent him flying. When he hit the ground he didn't get up, he lay croaking for breath, croaking in pain, as tingles continued to run through his arm. He held only one sword, the other none ex-sphere holding hand had lost its wooden sword.
Closing his eyes, hearing the hiss of chain across the air Lloyd braced himself for a very painful end. He tried not to hear Colette scream out his name, to hear Genis' howls of pain.
Xxx xxx xxx
He shivered, old instincts long dead hissed in him like a disquiet ghost. He could feel from a distant corner of his mind, the urge to protect, to nurture, and he squelched those feelings. They had no place in his mission, in his goals, he dared not get distracted. From his hiding place he had watched the children fight the Desian's of some unknown cardinal's ranch. Maybe it was the elusive Rodyal, or Pronyma, he had heard so much about. Regardless, he was impressed, with the youngsters. For backwater farmer's children they held themselves well.
"Lloyd! Leave him alone you bully!" Shrieked the Chosen in a child's cry; it was a cry of pathetic defiance against the evils of the world.
That name, he'd heard it in bits of the conversation earlier but hadn't been listening to it all that much, as he had been giving a telepathic report to Yggdrasil of the events unfolding. He made his plans, told his Lord of them, then had set back on his haunches and waited for his chance to pounce and take over the situation so to say. That name, it was the red clad child. He pummeled his memory, recalled the other time he had seen that child, in the forest in the guise as a priest. He had told Yggdrasil he would wait until the child's friends were deceased to step in, but that name! That damning name howled at him, stoked something in him long dead.
It's impossible, he's dead!
He stood his sword clearing its sheath.
It's not him, I searched all the bodies!
His feet were little more then a blur, he shoved his way past the obscuring foliage he had hidden behind.
I won't fail you, not again!
Kratos charged, stood before the stunned Desian and with a sweep of his blade struck he chain of that bound rod and orb together. His attack threw off the Desian's momentum the man staggered back, his feet tangling on the chain of his weapon. He fell over, Kratos paid the man scant attention, looked at the child. Battered, bloody, the boy opened those dark, night shard eyes, and stared at him in incomprehension.
"What…"
Pain, a knife in his gut, in his heart, Kvar's insane laughter, 'you may have him back, consider the time I have spent with him worth all the damages'.
A child's voice twisted in forced hatred. 'I hate you, go away! Leave me alone!'
There was no greater pain then the lack of recognition in those eyes. And to that pain he responded. "It's not nap time boy, get up and stay out of my way!"
"Like… Hell I am!" Growling the boy rolled over, used a sword to push himself off from the ground. A wooden sword, an apprentice's sword. The sight and lack of skill on the boy's behalf felt like a personal insult, a mockery of all he was. He channeled that rage into strength, turned on the shocked rising Desian's and anger flickered in his eyes. Paling the man backed up, he was no fool, he could sense power Kratos' power.
Vidarr considered the boy, the creature standing guard over him, and decided something intelligent was in order. Most considered him a fool, a stupid slow witted giant, and while he wasn't' the sharpest blade in the armory he was no fool. He needed a hostage, then the man thing in front of the swordsman would leave him alone. He took another step back, his eyes flicking over to the whimpering ball of silver haired wizard. Vidarr ran, snatched the small elf and tightened his grip slightly on the small one's form. He didn't want to kill the child, but now he had no choice.
"Drop yer swords, give me the Chosen, and the shrimp and the rest of you lives."
"No Chosen, no Granddaughter, you can not, you dare not, the world!" Phadria grasped Colette's arm in a claw like grip. "You must think of the world!"
"Grandmother!" Colette gasped, and saw tears in the old woman's eyes.
"Stay with me child, stay with me…" A hand stroked her arm. "You can not leave, the world, you must think of the world, no matter what."
Vidarr shifted his grip, seeing the refusal.
"Worthless runt," Kratos hissed under his breath, his eyes burning in frustration, before he could get over there the child's neck would be broken, he'd be wrung like a damned chicken's. Not able to save the living he would avenge the dead as best he could. It was all he could do, all any of them could do.
Xxx xxx xxx
Lloyd heard that comment, and knew that whoever this guy was had just given up on Genis.
What a jack ass, you never give up on anyone, no matter what!
Well forget you; I don't need your help whoever you are. I got them in I'll get them out.
"Wait!" Lloyd stared at Vidarr. "I'll make a trade, me for him. After all I'm the guy who was kicking your ass right?"
Vidarr growled, watched the young swordsman and considered.
Lloyd threw his sword aside and then lifted his left hand and unwound the length of fabric. He was breaking Dad's one rule, never show the ex-sphere to anyone. But if it made the monster guy let Genis go…
Vidarr gasped, stared at the gem that was shedding a soft silver blue light. That light sent tingles down his whole body, pulsed like a fallen star, and was almost hypnotizing… He could sense the power, pure power, power of Gods, radiating off that gem and if he took it as his own… He nodded dumbly, dropped Genis to the ground and gestured for Lloyd to come forward.
Electrical hands seemed to caress his back, his heart was churning something hotter, lighter, then blood. He stiffly walked forward, trying to think around all the weird feelings, the distance and the closeness that the world became. It hurt, yet couldn't hurt, he shivered, wanted to pull away, but drawing on the stone made its light glow. And the glow was making the big guy act even dumber.
"Come on Genis, don't let me down…" Lloyd hissed to himself, in the light the monster man thing was little more then a black blur.
Then came the familiar chanting he'd been waiting for.
Three orbs of red smashed into the man's helmet, he screamed, ripped off the superheated metal. Canceling the power, ignoring how cold he was feeling, Lloyd ran, scooped up the small elf in his arms and managed to throw them both out of range of the counter hammer strike. When they were safe enough Lloyd put Genis down.
"Stay out of this!" Lloyd barked, then spotting one of his swords by the white clad guy Lloyd ran to pick it up and get back in the fight. He not so accidentally smacked the guy with his sword when the man –right in the middle of Lloyd's search!- moaned and looked like he was going to wake up.
Grinning he lifted his silver powered up blade and swept it across the earth. Vidarr howled, forgot about what's his face and rubbed his buttocks.
"No one hurts my friends and gets away with it!" Lloyd growled, glaring up at the big guy, a surge of confidence that sprung up from the gem banishing his fears. "You hear me, not even you!"
Vidarr laughed, turned away from Kratos and charged.
Xxx xx xxx xxx
Shaking in fury he had nearly summoned his wings, made the earlier banter of the children into a grim reality. Blood seeped down his back, the wounds re-opened, and power even greater then Vidarr could sense spread though him.
You bastard how dare you try to take my son from me, I'll send you to bloody hell for the pain you've caused him!
Light, intoxicating, it thrummed through him like a heart beat, first he'd summon the light of judgment on this bastard, then set the carrion on fire, then resurrect the motherless son of a…
Cold shot through his chest, iced the anger, while it did not dull the rage it kept him from losing his head completely.
After all, whispered the woman's voice that had been his only companion for a decade. You always used to say using the blade was by far more satisfying.
Wasn't it though?
He slashed at the chains, and Vidarr lost the momentum of his charge in a trip as the chains that held his slop shod armor together became dangerous threads. The chains had become the threads of the Desian's eventually undoing, the key word being "eventual". Crying out in shock and just a little pity, for one of the smaller Desian's was smashed under the larger one's fall and managed a scream of pain, Lloyd hopped back from his downed foe. He slapped at the enemies reaching hands, not even drawing blood with those toy weapons and Kratos mentally wondered who the hell would give the child fake weapons. He really wondered that when Colette finally broke free of her grandmother's grasp and threw one of her rings and the ring caught on the chain armor and got stuck.
"Master of fire, lend me shards of the sun! Fireball!"
Three orbs or sloppy red smacked into the Desian's armor, he howled, rolled over –at this point the man underneath him stopped moaning and was presumably dead- and managed to tangle himself up even more…
While they all were honestly trying they all were going to be mince meat in ten minuets if he didn't finish this thing off for them. Vidar finally ripped off the chain, his belly sticking out in all its gluttonous glory.
"Eww…" Genis made a gagging noise.
"Yucky! Colette covered his eyes.
Kratos only raised an eyebrow at the girl's word choice but kept his peace about his disgust.
Growling Vidarr swung his ball and chain, Lloyd dodged and even Kratos was impressed when it sank a few good inches into the temple wall. He was pleased however when the weapon got stuck.
Grunting and growling the Desian pulled with all his might and the chain certainly hoped about, but the orb did no move an inch. Making a comical squealing noise seeing Kratos descent on him with bloody murder promised in the eyes Vidarr gave one last almighty tug then abandoned the weapon, and staggered off, his eyes only for Kratos. He grimaced, the grimace of a man seeing death and knowing it was inevitable but going to stubbornly fight on.
For once his focus on the real threat made him vulnerable to a different threat.
Slipping behind the Desian, a tired Lloyd gently tapped his blade against the hilt, pushed on something. And from his position it looked almost like magic as Vidarr's sword rose out of it's sheath. From his tiptoes Lloyd gave the final push and the blade slipped free, fell to the ground. Vidarr whirled at the sound, stared at Lloyd who sheepishly shrugged and ran off, the hammer smashing into the dirt behind him.
"Sword... sword... Where's my bloody sword?" Lloyd growled, looking amongst the area outside the temple. "Come on where is it?"
Lloyd finally saw it. What's his name in black and Vidarr were smashing their weapons together right over the blade.
"Hey, you!" Lloyd yelled, hoping the guy would figure it out. Go figure they both turned. Well rather Vidarr turned and the guy in black turned to deliver a slash to the man's gut.
Howling in pain the Desian staggered back, the guy in the weird black clothes delivered a punch, shield leading, and the Desian had blood pouring down his face from a broken nose.
"Good thinking boy!" Whatever-his-name called to him. Then the guy backed off to dodge yet another hammer strike.
"Umm yeah…" Lloyd winced as his blade was stepped on by that massive thing in Desian clothes. "Guess so…"
He watched the man in black, little more then a dancing blur, sidestep, leap, or duck under the hammer, picking off bits of the armor, but the way things were going it never was gunna end anytime today. There was a tone of armor, but if the guy with red hair could get another big hit in like the last time…
"Genis," he waved his friend over and the small elf came by. "I need you to fireball him when I get close, I'll hit him, when he tries to hit me nail him, that way."
"I got it, diversion." Genis nodded. "You know," Genis smiled at him, though pale and tired Lloyd knew that look, he called it the Raine look. "It's only times like this the wheels in your head turn fast."
"Shut it Genis." Lloyd grumbled absently, was surprised to feel a small hand tug on the ribbons that dangled from his turtle neck of his dwarven clothes.
"Be careful Lloyd."
"Yeah, you too."
Genis began his chant and Lloyd lifting his sole blade hoped this would work.
Xxx xxx xxx
Vidarr grunted, as the blade nailed yet another slash, then heard something like bells. Was it time for church now? Church was boring the priest talked a lot but the cookies after were nice…
He turned, saw the brat who tricked him, blocked the man in black's swing and decided it was time to smash that little skull into mush.
Mmmm mashed potatoes…
Kicking himself mentally Vidarr was surprised to see the kid dive under the attack. Growling Vidarr took a step back, lifted his free arm but whirled and set the blow at the mercenary who was trying to take advantage of the distraction. The man in black staggered back from the blow, shook himself sharply, but Vidarr forgot him for a second. He looked down to kick the brat, but the kid was gone! There he was running off, snatching something from the ground and coming back for more. Why was he so slow now? Normally he could think and cover everything in a fight.
He felt the sluggish warmth from his back where the man in black had slid his blade, and realized that he was in over his head. He could barely feel the attacks as he took them and gave them out. He was bleeding out. From the nicks and slashes, bruises, he was near the end of his formidable stamina.
That's why his brain was going all screwy, his thoughts all skewed, he was on his last legs.
He was dying.
It was a strange thought, he should have been scared of it, and perhaps he was just a little. But now all he wanted to do was sleep…
But to sleep he had to stand through the watch all by himself, he couldn't fall asleep now, it was too important!
Shaking his head he didn't even feel the fire hit, couldn't feel it smolder against his skin. He was aware of a slight sting in his back, a blade plunging, piercing something inside that when it ripped spilled fire. He grunted, staggered forward, whimpering in pain as his kidney was pierced by the blade. Never knowing what had happened, that there was pain. He saw the kid in red looking at him, looking sad. Why'd that little weakling, that human runt, dare look at him like that? He was beyond them, beyond all of them, he was bigger and stronger and no one would defeat him! He'd pound that shrimp in the red shirt…
But the red was spreading, in his brain, in his eyes; he moved to wipe it away and tripped on those infernal chains.
Chains that had fallen early on in the fight, that were no longer their.
There was another bit of pain, two feet walked in his muddy red vision, he looked up dumbly, stared at death clad in the shadows of the next life. He whimpered, gibbered, it wasn't his time, he didn't want to die now, he was scared of the dark and… There was a flash of pain, a flash of light off steel, and the world fell away into dark. And those sad eyes seemed to follow him down.
Xxx xxx xxx
"I… I'm gunna get sick… please?" Genis whimpered, then ran off down the trail to a bush and they all could hear him noisily get ill.
He wasn't alone for long, Colette ran off to get sick too.
Somewhere, a part of him was doing so too, but he didn't, not for reals, just in his head.
The guy in black whipped his blade on the back of the armor, frowning the man went to a bit of grass and proceeded to wipe his blade. With shaking hands Lloyd sheathed his swords, they weren't bloody so he didn't have to do something horrible like that, but he felt that they were bloody, like he was covered in the stuff. The smell was awful, he couldn't… how could the guy stand this? Lloyd ignored the man, went to a small quant wooden fence that had a good view that faced away from Iselia, and the ranch, and the temple, and leaned against it and focused on that view. There was a sound a meaty thud, Lloyd turned and wish he hadn't, the guy was pulling his blade out of the comatose Desian, the thud had been the body sliding off the blade and hitting the eath. This guy had just stabbed his sword into a downed man's heart. Phadria muttered something, made a sign of warding, and Lloyd hurriedly looked away. He heard the sound one more time, there was a groan and he looked to see the Desian in white was waking up.
He looked about, saw his soldier's dead, and cringed back from the black clad man in terror.
Lloyd couldn't blame him in the least; the guy in black freaked him out too.
He saw what's-his-name frown, advance on the wounded man in white.
"Enough." Lloyd whispered his voice thick with sickness. "That's enough, let him go."
"You hardly know the mind set of these animals." The man in black countered.
The guy in white, Botta, was looking at him funny, well it must be weird to have a human stick up for you when you're a half elf.
"Please, isn't this enough?" Lloyd gestured to the carnige, the dead priests and the dead Desian's, the area was so churned up and bloody that who was who was hard to tell anymore.
"Such compassion is strange in humans." Botta said coolly, looking him over. He then spared a glance at the red haired man. "You killed my men."
"You were going to kill children."
Botta sighed, pulled himself to his feet, the guy in black tensed. Botta ignored the older humans looked to Lloyd.
"I hope your breed of mercy becomes dominant with your specie human. I'll remember you." Then waving a hand red light engulfed the man and when it was gone there was nothing left.
"Lloyd…" Phadria looked at him a slight smile on his face. "Perhaps the goddess has granted you a sliver of her light in you in the form of mercy."
Lloyd shrugged, looked to the ocean.
"So, your name, is Lloyd." The man asked, there was something kinda familiar about the look he felt boring into his back.
"You know," Lloyd said in a vice that Phadria recognized all to well and groaned to hear it. It was the exact same tone he used when he was going to say something cutting to Ivan. "I don't know if I wanna give my name to a killer."
"What did you just say?"
"Wow old man, is your hearing that bad?"
The man sputtered, his eyes seemed to burn into Lloyd like fiery daggers.
"If I hadn't come in you all would have been killed."
Lloyd's grip on the rail of the fence when so tight his knuckles when white, there was a stubborn set to his posture that made Phadria realized that if she didn't step in she'd have to explain to poor Dirk why Lloyd was dead.
"Lloyd, could you please check on Colette and Genis?"
"But…"
"As your priest…" Lloyd's eyes narrowed in anger and Phadria sighed, corrected herself. "As the friend of your priest, please Lloyd, it's for the betterment of all things."
"Somehow, I dunno." Lloyd looked to the carnage with a horridly cool eye. Phadria knew he fought beasts in the forests, was close to the ranch, but certainly he wasn't this hardened. "I don't see how it's better."
"Martel's blessing…"
Lloyd turned, walked away, refusing to have her benediction, refusing the grace of the Goddess. As he always did, he clung to the dark and denied himself the light. With such a dark star to show what that path could reap before her Phadria resolved to begin yet again to coax him back to the light. She stared at that example, watched it wearily, as it knelt by the last comatose Desian and lifted a blood seeped blade. She turned away as the blade fell.
"Who are those I just saved, and what worth is it to me?" The man said coolly, yet again cleaning his blade, Phadria did not watch however, stared at the sky, at the sun.
"How would you feel if I said, 'give me your name and I shall give you mine.' ?"
The man in black snorted.
"I'd say whom ever said that was arrogant."
"Then I am arrogant, and in my arrogance I demand an answer."
"I am Kratos Aurion, a traveling mercenary, and if you will pay me for escorting the child through her trial at this temple I would be grateful, for I am currently un-employed at the moment."
"I do not know if I could trust Martel's Chosen with a murderer." Phadria said softly, "but it is not my choice in full, but hers. We shall see what she says upon returning."
"You leave the choice of the Chosen's welfare with a child, two children if you refuse."
"I leave it in the hands of heaven." Phadria whispered. "There are times when mortals must submit to the Devine."
"Hurmph, indeed," Kratos crossed his arms in front of him, looked formidable, he was good at doing that.
Xxx xxx xxx
"We should probably go in the temple then. Now that things are decided and I will be escorting you Chosen one."
"No way, I'm so going."
Absolutely not, do you think I want you to die again! Go home, go back to whatever you call home and after…
Kratos mentally kicked himself, stared at the boy and in his coldest voice state his opinion with traveling with a child.
"I'm older then Colette." Lloyd protested.
"You are still a child." Kratos growled.
"We're going." Lloyd growled.
"We?" Genis squeaked.
"Of course, we. After all you're Iselia's best wizard."
"Tha... Thanks, I think."
"Children, should stay at home." Kratos rumbled. His voice was dipping to a dangerous note that made even Colette scoot away from him in fear.
"Ignoring you," Lloyd announced calmly. "I could hardly care less what you want. Colette's going in danger and I plan to stick with her every inch of the way."
"There will be danger…"
"Yeah and I'll protect her from it, you can go follow some trading caravan or something alright, I've got it covered."
Kratos felt his face twitch, felt his hands clench, and images of wraping them around Lloyd's throat were alluring ones.
"Lloyd, this man isn't Ivan…" The priestess hissed. "He is not constrained by any law to not hurt you. Mercenaries are lawless and cruel, don't push him."
"Alight, don't push fine. Krabos, go ahead and escort Colette, don't even worry about me because I won't be going in to protect Colette, I'll just take a little look around since the doors wide open. If I happen to walk down the same hall as Colette, just a little ahead or behind who cares? It's not like I'm deliberately hanging with her and protecting her and making you look like a total…"
Phadria cleared her throat and Lloyd rolled his dark eyes.
"No, continue, I'd like to be enlightened on your opinion of me." Kratos hissed.
"Why waste my time, I mean a total jerk like you…"
Genis began to make choking noises.
"Is probably so insensitive that I doubt you'd have the ability to care…"
You may have your son back, no charge, I consider the damages fully paid with the time…
Kratos' hand snatched the front of Lloyd's tunic dragged the startled boy forward, but the litany stopped, the childish voice in his head screaming words of hatred stilled as the near adult before him went quiet.
"That's enough." Kratos hissed, his eyes burning with hell fire in their depths. Lloyd paled, nodded his head. Something in Kratos' gut clenched, writhed. He hated to see fear in Lloyd's eyes, but the anger was almost as bad. "Of all things I will not tolerate boy, one of them is disrespect."
"I have a name." Lloyd snarled. "When you don't say it you sound like my Dad, and no one is my Dad but my Dad."
This is not my son. My son is dead, my son would never look at me like this, he would remember me, some bit. He would remember me.
This is not my son.
Relief, pain, and numbness, took him.
"Of course." Kratos released the child, let the boy down.
"Jackass…" Lloyd growled, rubbing his throat. "I dunno Phadria, can you trust this guy, he's such a jerk, I'd rather have Ivan with her, and I hate Ivan."
This is not my son!
"Be polite Lloyd."
This is not my son!
"Why should I? It's not like I'm ever going to be seeing Sir Vicious again!" Lloyd growled. "Who cares what he thinks about me?"
"Lloyd, that's enough!" Genis squeaked.
"I think you like each other!" Colette chirped.
Kratos lost his mantra against the pain, Lloyd lost his anger, they both stared at her in shock.
"You're a lot alike." Colette said brightly. "You're both swordsman and… you both look and act alike. See look at you two, you look the same right now!"
Kratos looked down at Lloyd and Lloyd looked up at him. The child was right, it wasn't physical, lines of pain and anger had carved jagged marks across his face, his form under his clothes was a mess of scars, and the windows to his soul was shuttered and locked in ice. Lloyd had not a mark on him, showed everything to a very obnoxious fault. They both had different hair, different builds, radically different clothes… Yet in that moment Kratos could see no difference. Could feel his expression turn to surprise in time with Lloyd's, like a mirror image, well a shorter mirror image but…
This is not…
The words died away, he did not know for sure in his head, but his heart would hear no more lies. He could not even think it now.
"Colette… are you feeling OK? I look nothing like this guy, I mean at least I can see and don't have my hair in my face all the time!"
"I feeling fine, now that I know you're coming with me I know everything's going to be alright Lloyd!"
"Heh…" Lloyd went crimson, looked uncomfortable at the hug. "Yeah, I guess so."
Kratos' heart clenched, recalled a brown haired woman's embrace, a gentle kiss, and his hesitance at such returning such gestures. Lloyd squirmed out of Colette's hug, looked embarrassed.
Kratos learned why he was less then ten seconds later. Phadria said she would pray for them outside the temple, shuffled off, and Genis' lips curled into a wide smile.
"Colette and Lloyd sittin' in a tree. Kay-eye-ess-ess-eye-en-gee! First comes loooove…"
"Genis, if you don't SHUT UP I swear I'll "Raine" you so hard your ancestors will feel it!"
Of course the words shut up caught on the domed roof and bounced back at them for a while.
"See even the winged feathery people in the temple are telling you to shut up, I'm right!"
"They're called angels Lloyd." Colette sighed, a sign they had this conversation so much that the child was weary of it.
Despite himself Kratos smiled at the words 'winged feathery people' it was a rather accurate description after all.
She was not heard, as the boys got into yet another fight.
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
"We're going on ahead!" Kratos barked, cutting off the fight. "Any children on the fieldtrip to tour the Martel temple will be left behind."
"We aren't on a field trip… we're on a… an archeological expedition." Genis countered.
Kratos' glare told Genis to shut up, and with the 'feathered people' saying shut up behind him the small elf went quiet.
"Whatever." Kratos turned on his heel and began to walk down the center hall.
"Oh my Goddess, he used a Lloyd-ism!" Colette gasped. "I knew I was right!"
"Uh boy… Colette that sounds like something I'd say… And if Kratos is talking like Lloyd and you're talking like me and I talk like you then what's Lloyd gunna talk like?"
"Oh I know, Noishy!"
"Whine?" Lloyd tried to speak like Noishe. "I dunno Colette, I don't think Noishe talk suits me."
Kratos was grateful he had wandered ahead, he leaned against the wall of the temple and stared at nothing for a long while.
"What is a Noishe?" Kratos asked, when he felt in control of himself.
"Oh Lloyd's doggy, he's really nice!"
"Lloyd or the dog?" Genis snickered, then owed as Lloyd gave him a rough head rub with his knuckle.
"Noishe is not a dog, well he's kinda a dog, acts dogish, but he's really smart."
"Don't believe a word he says." Genis warned Colette. "Next he'd going to tell you the story about when Noishe cooked dinner or something."
"Breakfast," Lloyd countered, sounding sulky. "He cooked toast when me and Dad were sick with the flu. Why does no one believe me? I'm telling you he's really smart, he's like a special super dog."
"He's a dog that got painted funny colors."
"Green's a good color." Lloyd growled, defending his dog.
"Have you heard of a Protozoan?" Kratos asked, turning back to them, staring at Lloyd intently.
"Um no... What's that?"
"Nothing… it is not important, let us move on."
"Is there evil down that tunnel too?" Lloyd snipped, sounding angry.
"Perhaps we will see once we traverse it we shall see what it holds."
As with this tunnel, as with so many other things, we must walk to see where it leads. Who are you, hope, despair, some bittersweet mix of both? Or are you delusion? When will I know the truth? A truth I may not turn away from, and then what to do?
"Sylvarant to Krabos, you hear me?" Lloyd waved a hand in front of his face, and Kratos hopped back.
"It's Kratos," The mercenary corrected icily.
"I like Krabos, it sounds like a crab!"
"Kratos the crab?" Genis snickered.
"And then some." Lloyd added nodding wisely.
And if you are my son how am I going to not throttle you, ah there's the question I'll dwell upon. Someone made several mistakes when they took my place. And if we are traveling together I plan to correct them, every single last one.
"Um why are you grinning at me like that?" Lloyd took a step back wearily.
"No reason." Kratos let his eyes slide to mere slits. "Is there a problem Lloyden?"
"It's Lloyd, Krabos! Not Lloyden!"
"Say my name correctly and I shall gift you with an uncorrupted version of yours."
"Urg, that's it I'm going ahead!" Lloyd stormed down the tunnel.
In his haste to get away he missed Kratos' smug self congratulatory smile. The small elf scampered after his friend and Colette smiled at her friend's backs, seemed to be ignoring him completely.
"I'm happy you and Lloyd like each other this much! Lloyd never teases anyone except people he likes! He acts like he doesn't like some people at first because it takes him a while to figure he really does like them, and when your done fighting I bet you'll really really like each other!"
Kratos stared at the girl in confusion.
"Lloyd and Genis fought a lot at first, they still do, but they don't mean it. They're really really close, but they started out not liking each other at all. It's really confusing, because Genis liked Lloyd, but Lloyd couldn't like Genis because Genis was too smart. But Lloyd got used to that Genis was really smart and they grew to really like each other and now their best friends. I bet this is just the "you like Lloyd but Lloyd doesn't realize that he can like you yet" step."
Kratos stared at the girl, rubbed his aching temple, this was perhaps the most drawn out and contradictory explanation he'd ever heard in his life.
"Everyone looks at me like that when I explain it. No one understands it until its done. I think even Dirk, Lloyd's Dwarf Dad, went through the same thing. It takes a really long time for Lloyd to say he really likes you back, he's always so scared to say he likes anyone, because everyone leaves him. I bet even Dirk went through it. Don't worry, it'll make sense, I promise." Colette then patted him on the head, as if he was the youngest of children.
"Everyone leaves him?" Kratos picked out and held that one piece of her narrative.
"His family did, they died." Colette looked sad. "If they do that then who else wouldn't, he said that once when he was really sad, I don't think he means it, but I don't know." Colette looked down the tunnel, Lloyd and Genis were arguing about lighting a torch. Bits of the argument were reaching them, it was angry, but not a genuine anger. "Since you and Lloyd are going to be such good future friends can I get a head start and can we be friends now?" Colette asked, with such a hopeful look Kratos' heart clenched.
To be a Chosen and have friends, it must be so difficult knowing what she knew was to come. So many others turned to faith to be their only friends, and this one did not. And if she didn't have a word for it in her vocabulary he did, she was lonely, a lonely child in need of a few more friends.
"Of course, Chosen." He said before the over controled part of him made him stay silent. The tingling from his chest made him stop wondering exactly who had influenced him and made him more suseptable to his emotions then normal.
"Wow, it's nice having a friend outside the village now, well Lloyd kind of lives outside the village but he lives so much in it that doesn't really count you know!"
"Ahh…" Kratos was going to ask another question when he heard an impassioned.
"OK I'll just use my mana if you promise to use your stone when I get tired!"
"I can't do that, it makes me get all sick when I use it too long!"
"Well then we'll light a torch then, like everyone else!"
"But it'd be so much cooler if you…"
"I'm tired, I can't keep it up and fight."
"Don't they use Guano for the fuel?"
"I donno… it smells nasty though."
"Hey, I have an idea! Let's have Kratos carry the smelly torch!"
Kratos' face twitched.
"He likes me hmm?"
"Oh yeah, if he didn't he'd just ignore you. The Mayor tried to make Lloyd and Ivan like each other but Lloyd just ignored Ivan no matter what the Mayor did. He even tried pretend threatened to exile him if they didn't act like they liked each other."
Kratos sighed. "I hope I survive this first stage then."
"Don't worry, it's not that bad, it'll be over like that and you'll forget all about it."
Smelling burning guano and seeing a cheerful Lloyd offering him the torch Kratos took it and since he could do nothing else, decided to follow the Chosen's advice. He tired not to think too fondly on infanticide. And tried to pointedly ignore the woman's laughter in his head, and ignore the strange tingling from his cruxis crystal. But even as they went deeper in the temple, all those downwind him trying not to breath, Kratos could almost hear Anna's teasing mix with Lloyd's.
"Hey, Krabos…."
Anna laughed richly at that one, called him 'derris fa crabbiness'.
"Yes, Lloyden." Kratos lips curled as he delivered return volley, and it triggereda spectacular show that rivaled an ember falling ontoa oiled wood pile.
"Ung forget it!" Lloyd stomped off, taking point yet again.
Colette only looked at them both and giggled.
REVEIW RESPONSES
ArkNavy: Weird as it seems I do. I have emotional connections to all my characters (OF and fanfic) even though it's just fiction. It's one of my writer quirks I guess. Anyway glad you liked it, and even more Lloyd to come. About last chapter I was using something called 'unreliable perspective' so that's why it was so hard to follow.
Jakia: I think one more chapter, don't worry I put "the end" up nowadays when I have a multi chapter fic going on.
Memumbo: You'll probably grow to hate him more in shards.. I'm trying to make him a hated but pitied villain... Doesn't look like it's working - -'
GAmeCubeGirl1: Your answer is coming shortly, I imagine there is one more chapter after this one.
InuKratosStan : Hands IKS tissue umm thanks?