Hello!
Here's chapter three of Heart, Soul and Sword! I hope that all of you who have sat there silent will let your opinion be heard with this chapter, as one review for two chapters has really been bugging me. I don't care if you give me criticism, in fact, I want it! Any acknowledgement at all that my work is appreciated would be greatly, um…appreciated!
Standard disclaimers apply.
Heart, Soul and Sword
Chapter 3 – Preparations and Partings
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I slowly awoke to the sensation of a heavy weight on my chest and hot breath on my face. As I lay there, something hot, wet and soft slid across my forehead and down my cheek. reached out and felt fur, I realized that I had a dog on my chest.
Man…I guess that the whole 'falling into Symphonia' thing was just a dream…the lightning must have just knocked my out, and now Griffin is trying to wake me up…
The dog licked my face again, and I chuckled as I tried to push him off me. He was definitely harder to move than I remembered, and even all the strength I could muster from my position couldn't shift him.
"Man, Griffin, you've really put on some pounds...no more biscuits for you, no sir."
"Whine." he licked me some more and nosed me, prodding with gentle insistency.
"Okay, okay…I'm getting up…" I muttered, chuckling lightly as I opened my eyes. I immediately found myself staring into the face of what was definitely not my golden retriever. Noishe's eyes lit up and he began to enthusiastically lick my face.
"Aaah! Noishe! Cut it out!" I sputtered, trying to get the crazed canine away from my face. "Somebody get this crazy thing off of me!"
Someone out of my vision whistled, and Noishe immediately ceased his friendly assault.
"Thanks, whoever that was." I said, sitting up and looking blearily about. I was sitting on a cot in what appeared to be the second floor of Lloyd and Dirk's woodland home. The wound on my arm was bandaged, and I felt completely refreshed.
"No problem, Rythiel." Said Lloyd, from off to the right. He was standing at the top of the stairs from the bottom floor. "Feeling better?"
"Much. Thanks for fixing up my arm." I looked around. "Where is everyone?"
"Well, Regal and Presea left for Altamira, Sheena's gone back to Mizuho, Genis and the Professor have gone on their journey, and Kratos and Colette are downstairs."
"Ah, I see." I said. I stood up, grabbed my weapon, (Sword-form) and fastened my cloak around my neck. The three of us headed downstairs. There we found Kratos and Colette eating pancakes, and Dirk was nowhere to be found. We sat down to join them, and Lloyd began to stuff his face immediately.
Kratos reached over and jerked him from his plate with a tug on his collar. I chuckled, and Lloyd glared at us, syrup dripping from his chin. Colette reached over with a napkin and wiped it off his face.
"Now then…when is the Exsphere Purge going to begin?" I asked.
Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "The what?"
"The Exsphere Purge. It's just what I've started to call this journey of yours, or rather ours." I said.
"You know…that actually sounds pretty good! Let's just call it that!" said Colette.
"Ok Colette, if you say so." said Lloyd.
"At any rate…" I said.
"Oh, right. Sorry." said Colette.
"You don't have to apologize, I'll settle for an answer." I said, annoyed and amused at the same time.
"Sorry." She said. I sighed. Old habits and all that. She continued, "We were planning to start this morning, if your arm is all right." She said.
"Of course. Wouldn't want to be a burden to anyone." I said, smiling.
"Sheesh, you're as bad as Colette!" groaned Lloyd.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" I asked lightly, knowing he couldn't answer with Colette in front of him. Lloyd thought hard for a moment, muttered something under his breath, and glowered at me.
Kratos sighed. Obviously, we were boring the infinitely mature mercenary with our little display of childessness. "If we are going to accomplish anything at all, it would be wise to get moving."
I mock-gasped. "Oh! He speaks! He's ah-liiiiiiiive!"
Lloyd and Colette laughed, while Kratos rolled his eyes. "Indeed." He murmured.
"So…where to first?" I asked.
"The Tower of Salvation…or, what's left of it, anyways." Said Lloyd, sorrow darkening his eyes. "Kratos needs to go there to get to Derris-Kharlan."
"I suppose you mean the big, evil-looking purple thing in the sky that appeared not too long ago?" I asked. Must keep up my pretenses and all that.
"Yes. I need to jettison the Exspheres from there. I will also remain there, to guard it forever."
"Guard it? A big, purple chunk of Mana?" Why waste your life?" I asked.
"My life will continue for eternity, thus is the curse of the Exspheres." He said. Then, realization hit him. "How did you know it was made of Mana?" his eyes narrowed at me.
"Umm," I thought quickly, then answered, "Didn't you feel it? The huge surge of Mana that accompanied that thing? When it didn't go away, I figured it must have been coming from the comet or moon or whatever that thing is."
"Ah… I suppose you're right…and you're Exsphere lets you sense Mana even though you're human…" Kratos trailed off, thinking.
A few moments passed in silence.
"Hey Dad, wasn't it you that wanted to get going? Let's move!" said Lloyd.
Kratos grunted, and we rose from the table and left the room. Soon, we boarded the Rheairds and were on our way.
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As we flew onward to the ruined Tower, I thought. Why did this happen to me? How did this happen? I know lightning is powerful and all, but to actually transport a human being to another universe? And a video game universe, no less?
As I pondered spontaneous wormholes, trans-dimensional space-time fluctuations, and other such complex scientific obscurities, I came to another conclusion. You know, geek-boy, it could just have been dumb luck. Stop trying to explain everything and appreciate the company of those you never dreamed you would be able to meet.
You have a point…but I'm just trying to understand how this happened so I can figure out how to get home!
My second voice gave me the mental equivalent of rolling his eyes before replying. IDIOT. You have the unlimited potential of the Eternal Sword and Swordsman sitting not fifteen feet away. When you've done what needs doing, just get him to send you back.
Fine! You win!
I always do.
Kratos was giving me a strange look. "What?" I asked.
"You were talking to yourself." Said Kratos, looking almost amused. Almost.
I goggled at him. "I knew you could read minds!" Kratos raised an eyebrow, but he continued.
"No, I can't. But I do have very good hearing." He said. Noticing my confused look, he added, "You were talking out loud, albeit very softly. I could still hear you."
"Damn angelic powers…" I muttered, glaring at the console. Kratos' eyes widened, but I didn't see. How can he know about the Eternal Sword? And Lloyd? And ME? And what was that about a video game?" He made a mental note to interrogate me eventually.
Unaware, I flew onward.
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We reached the blasted remains of the formerly great tower about a half-hour later. After landing, we entered the ruined seal chamber and approached the dais that would take Kratos to the giant hunk of Mana that would soon be departing for deep space.
"Kratos…you don't have to stay on the comet…after you release the Exspheres you could just come home!" said Lloyd.
"I'm sorry, Lloyd. Someone must pay the price for the sins of Cruxis. I have chosen to bear that burden. I will drift with Derris-Kharlan for eternity, to ensure that it will never fall into the wrong hands." Kratos' face was almost painfully impassive.
Lloyd's eyes darkened with sorrow, and I could tell he was trying not to let tears show. Since he didn't speak, I decided to do so for him, interfering with the ending be damned.
"Can't you see what you're doing to him? He finally finds his true father after you abandoned him for seventeen years, and then you go off and tell him you're leaving and never coming back?" I glared coldly at Kratos, trying my hardest to look intimidating and at the same time regretting my harsh words. "That's pretty cold, even for you."
"I have no choice." He said shortly, barely suppressing the anger in his voice.
I match his eyes for a moment but quickly look away. "I'm sorry. I know I was harsh, but I just had to… nevermind. I spoke without thinking. Why do I always…gah!" I trail off, talking more to myself then to them by the end of my sentence.
"You know…you're right." Said Kratos. I looked up in shock. "You shouldn't apologize. Your counsel is wiser than you might think. Just… you might want to work on your delivery a little bit."
"Heh heh…I'm sorry." I said.
Lloyd slapped a hand to his forehead. "Man…you are just like Colette." he paused, as if remembering something. "Hey Dad! You said Rythiel was right. Does that mean you are coming back after you've dumped the Exspheres?"
Kratos looked at him. "If that is possible, I will try, Lloyd."
"Yessss! You'd better, Dad!" he rushed forward and hugged Kratos. "Now…ready to go?"
Although it took Kratos a minute to recover, he replied, "Yes. Send me to Derris-Kharlan."
Lloyd immediately summoned up the Eternal Sword. "Eternal Sword…send Kratos to Derris-Kharlan!"
Lloyd's father vanished in a flash of purplish light, a spark of it streaming up towards the departing comet.
"Well, that's that." I said. "Shall we be on our way?"
"Of course! The first stop is Altessa's house, he's a dwarven craftsman, like Lloyd's adoptive father. He probably has several, and even if he doesn't, he can help us get together a plan to get the rest of them." Said Colette.
"Makes sense." I said, not particularly caring. As Colette and I began to walk out, I paused and looked back at Lloyd. He was still standing in the same place, looking skyward with the Eternal Sword held loosely at his side. He shook his head, sighed and followed us out into the sunlit valley, where we mounted our Rheairds and hopped over the mountain range to where Altessa resided.
"Hello! Altessa? Anyone home?" called Lloyd as we set down in front of his house.
"Strange," I said, looking around with false puzzlement. "I don't remember a house being here before." I looked around again, scanning the mountains. "Come to think of it, most of these mountains are new to me too."
"That would be a side effect of the joining of the worlds. I know that sounds weird, I'll explain later." Said Lloyd. We entered the dwarf's home, but there was no sign of him. "ALTESSA!" Lloyd called. The dwarf did not emerge.
"I bet he's in his workshop." Said Colette.
"Well, I was, until someone came in here yelling at the top of his lungs." Said the dwarf grumpily, as he emerged from the doorway, streaked with soot and smelling of charcoal and ozone. "What do you need, young saviors of the worlds?"
"Well, we were wondering if you have any Exspheres sitting around…or working, for that matter." I began.
"We're on a journey to round them all up and get rid of them so they can do no further harm to anyone." Finished Lloyd.
Altessa looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. "And just who might you be?" he asked.
"My name is Rythiel Kerukan, artificer by trade, wanderer by necessity, and companion of these two by odd circumstance and choice, sir." I paused, drawing in a breath "Nice to meet you."
"That's quite a mouthful. To answer your question, yes, I do have several. Give me a moment." He retreated into his workshop, and after several minutes he returned bearing a polished metal case some eight inches long and three inches wide. He set it on the table in front of him and popped a latch to reveal three blue and two red Exspheres. The light from the lamps cast glittering reflections on each of them, giving them the appearance of malignant eyes staring out at them.
"I'm glad you're undertaking this…it will be a long, hard road but hopefully good will come of it in the end." He said gravely. "Take these. Let it be a start."
"Thank you. Umm, by the way, can you give us some suggestions on were to go next?" asked Colette, closing the box and picking it up.
"'Cause if you couldn't tell, we're pretty much doing this by our hearts and our guts right now." I added.
"To be truthful, that's not a bad way to go about most everything, but if you need a starting point, I would recommend searching the remains of the Human Ranches. It is very likely that there are still many of the accursed stones among the rubble, and there are the rumors of Desians lurking around them to consider as well." The dwarf shook his head sadly. "If you ever need anything, you are certainly welcome to stop back here and ask. My door is always open to you."
"Thank you, Altessa. May the Goddess Martel watch over you and grant you her blessing." Said Colette.
Altessa retreated to his forge, as the three of us departed the dwarf's home for the nearest Human Ranch.
Kratos arrived on the dead world of Derris-Kharlan in a flash of purple light. Truth bet told, it wasn't really dead, there were hundreds of residents in the city. But could you really count them as living if the never spoke, never felt, never ate, never slept, never did anything that would make them remotely human? Kratos personally didn't think so. Even after nearly four thousand years of their company, they still unnerved him slightly. He hurried to the supply buildings.
He met no resistance as he entered. Even without his Judgement uniform, the angels knew him on sight as Lord Kratos, Seraphim. He was allowed total access without question, and no angel even gave him a glance when he removed the thirty storage containers of Exspheres and floated them over to the deep-space ejector. He cracked open the seals on the containers so they would open in space and scatter their cargo to the solar winds, and pressed the button. With a hiss of compressed gas, Welgaia's entire supply of ability-enhancing, soul-eating chunks of rock was blasted at supersonic speed into the heavens.
Kratos dusted his hands and left the building. Looking out at the tail of the comet, he could see the jettisoned Exspheres sparkling in the sunlight, glimmering as tiny specks of red and blue in a cloud of purple gas.
He was about to turn back to the city, but a bright flash of silver caught his eye. He looked closely, but even his angelic vision could see nothing but the drifting Exspheres and chunks of rock. He passed it off as sunlight catching a fragment of metal and turned toward the teleportation center. It could pose no threat.
He could not have known how wrong he was.
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Halleluiah! I finally updated! Trust me…I've had no time to do very much been sideboarded…no choice. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but hey, this one's here! Enjoy it to it's fullest until the next time around! (Note: this would have been up a week ago but Doc manager ate my file and then had the gall to not let me post it again! (Sigh) Don't you just love technology?
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