It's me again SANGOCHAN! It's time for chapter six! I'm sorry if this took a long time but, this chapter takes a lot of bouncing around between Yoku and Lloyd and I'm working on another Fan fiction too. Sooooooooo complicated! Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter Six: Sylverant Base
Lloyd groaned he was still so sore. He had no clue where he was, the last thing he remembered was fighting the Desians at Tiret a, shock, then a total blank.
Blink…blink…Lloyd sat up, his vision was still blurry, it took several minutes for him to realize where he was.
"Why am I in a jail cell?" he mumbled to himself scratching his head in confusion, "Hang on! Where are Genis and Yoku?" He had just realized he was alone. Lloyd still felt sore while massaging his shoulder, he managed to catch a few word from some of the guards.
"Man…I have to admit; I really do feel sorry for the kid,"
"I know what you mean. There's no way he and his friend there could've escaped execution."
Execution? What the heck? Lloyd thought. Was Yoku captured too?
"But isn't she supposed to be an expert assassin?"
"Yeah, well I guess their chances would be 50/50…"
"You stay here Butch and make sure he doesn't break out."
"Whatever you say,"
Two of the Desians left the detention center and the third-which Lloyd assumed was Butch, began pacing in front of his cell. It was rather un-nerving.
Crap…I can't get out with him there…He felt at his belt, there was nothing, And they took all my equipment…I only have the Sorcerer's Ring on me…Wait a minute…I CAN get out. I only need good timing.
Butch was nearly in front of Lloyd's cell now. Just one more step.
"OOOOWWWW! WATER! WATER!" A direct hit. A fireball shot out of the ring and set fire to Butch's combat suit. He ran out of the detention center screaming for water. Chuckling to himself, Lloyd managed to pick the lock and open the cell door. He left the cell and found his sword lying on a table nearby, along with the rest of his equipment. After strapping them on, he left the detention center
Yoku felt beads of sweat run down her cheeks. She wasn't about to give up pulling the cover off the air vent entrance. Ever since she went with her older brother Riku, breaking in through the air vents was her way of breaking into enemy territory. Finally, she pried it off; the metal pole she was using was bent weirdly. She tossed the cover and metal pole aside and jumped, only her fingers cleared the vent floor, this always happened, but she knew the secret. Carefully she pulled herself up into the air vent. First her arms, then her torso, and finally, her legs and feet.
Hope I'm not too late…Yoku thought while crawling thought the air vent, praying that someone wouldn't decide to turn the air-conditioning on. Every now and then she checked an opening that would appear below her. No Lloyd, only a few Desians on duty, but something was very different about them. They were Half-Elves like the Desians, but they seemed more…cautious towards Lloyd rather than hostile, and one of them had longer ears than the others. Plus the armour was rather baggy on him; Yoku assumed the guard there was male.
Are they really the Desians? Yoku thought continuing to crawl.
Lloyd had just entered a circular room; he saw a strange device that looked similar to the pedestal the Sorcerer's Ring was on. But before he could further examine it, an alarm went off.
Cursing under his breath Lloyd dashed into the bowl like depression and hid as best he could. He did his best to hold his breath so he wouldn't give himself away, and he had the strangest feeling that he was being watched.
Yoku felt almost helpless inside the vent. First of all the door below her could only be opened from the outside, and was placed so that she could see Lloyd, but he couldn't see her. Plus she couldn't say: "Hey Lloyd! Up here!" it would give him away, and her disembodied voice would alarm him and the Desians.
"Where is he?" One said gasping for breath.
"I don't know, but that kid in the red outfit won't be too hard to find. He'll stand out like a stick in the mud in this place."
The twosome ran from the room grumbling. For three tense minutes, both Lloyd and Yoku stayed completely still.
When Lloyd was sure it was safe, he clambered out of the bowl depression and said, "Red, red, red, red. Does my outfit really stand out that much?"
Actually Lloyd yes…Yoku thought.
Lloyd turned to the strange device, upon closer inspection it actually could be used with the Sorcerer's Ring. He took it off and set it carefully on the pedestal. There was a funny buzzing noise, the ring glowed, and a little spark appeared.
"Wonder what happened…" Lloyd mumbled slipping the ring back on his finger (pointer finger). He saw a raybit, thought he'd do a little target practice, made a fist, and a ball of electricity shot out of the Sorcerer's Ring hitting the floating raybit. It hovered for a second, and then crashed to the floor. Lloyd's jaw dropped.
"Whoa…I'm going to have to remember that if I run into trouble…" Lloyd said.
He was right, that new function to the Sorcerer's Ring would be very useful indeed.
Good thing the door was left unlocked... Lloyd thought relieved. He left the room.
Yoku crawled through the air vents trying to stay very quiet so that she could hear Lloyd-long ears are useful for something like that.
If I had known this was going to happen…we would've made a beeline for Tiret Ruins…Yoku thought grumbling…But…then there would've been awkward questions and the whole shebang…
Eventually, Yoku came across a fork in the vents. This is going to be difficult…
Lloyd gasped for breath after beating a Desian senseless. He didn't know why, but, killing them seemed far too extreme at the moment at least.
What I wouldn't give for a spell to wipe their memory…Lloyd thought pushing his bangs out of his face. He turned to the door which had opened up to reveal a circular room.
"What is this place?"
Lloyd crossed the room and noticed three pillars and a podium that contained instructions. It was far too complicated for him to make out.
"Genis…this would be a good time to help…" Lloyd mumbled.
After a long wait, Yoku took the left vent. I'm getting too big for this…she thought straining her hearing for Lloyd. It sounded like he was having a fit. Yoku lay there catching her breath, while she struggled not to laugh at Lloyd, if she did, she was in the soup.
A little later it sounded like Lloyd figured out his problem, Yoku started crawling again. Only this time, she missed the vent opening.
Crap! I'll have to crawl backwards too…a noise started.
"Uh-oh…" Yoku choked. Someone decided to turn on the air-conditioning. The cool air hit her with enough force to knock over a horse. She was blown backwards out of the vent, and into Lloyd's arms.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Yoku dropped right out of the ceiling air vent door. Lloyd looked up; he had about one second to react. As though on instinct he held his arms out and caught her. Knocking the wind out of him, but he was still standing.
"Thanks." Yoku said, "You can put me down now."
The door ahead of them opened a Desian came in. He stood there completely dumbstruck.
"HEY! WHY AREN'T YOU IN YOUR CELL! AND HOW'D YOU GET IN?"
"Uh-oh…" Lloyd said and bolted for the nearest door, still carrying Yoku, who didn't seem to be enjoying that.
"LLOYD! PUT ME DOWN! I DO NOT LIKE BEING CARRIED LIKE THIS! I ONLY ACCEPT PIGGY-BACK!" Yoku shouted angrily.
But Lloyd didn't listen to her, he kept running until he reached a door, which thankfully opened for him ran in, and put Yoku down, who promptly hit him on the head with her bow.
(And she's supposed to be protecting him…)
"OW! What was that for?" Lloyd asked.
"For carrying me like that! I do NOT-I repeat-I do NOT like that. If I have to be carried, please do piggy-back." Yoku said still brandishing her bow.
"Still," Lloyd said, "that was a close call, and I couldn't have just dropped you."
"And, just who are you?" a voice asked quite suddenly behind the two teens.
Yoku whirled around knocking an arrow and aiming at the blue-haired Half-Elf. He raised his hand and a ball of electricity crackled in his palm.
Lloyd shielded himself, he had a feeling that he'd better shield his eyes, but he had exposed his Exsphere to him.
The man looked surprised and lowered his hand, "That Exsphere…You're Lloyd!"
Lloyd chuckled darkly, "Give me your name," he said lowering his arms, "and I shall give you mine."
The man frowned slightly as if to say: "Kids these days…" He turned to Yoku, "You're Yoku aren't you?"
"And, if I am?" She said smirking.
The door at the other end of the room opened, Botta entered the room with three more Desians. He too was surprised that Lloyd had escaped.
"This is going to make things difficult." He said clenching his teeth.
Footsteps were heard outside, and it sounded like several people.
"Botta, I leave this to you if he sees me, it'll ruin everything."
"What of the Chosen?" Botta asked.
"I trust that you can handle her and her companions."
"Very well," Botta turned to Lloyd and Yoku, "I really don't want to do this, but, I'm going to have to have you take a nap." He then advanced on the two teens, with a very large red scimitar in hand.
Lloyd and Yoku were backed up against a wall; this wasn't going to be easy.
The door opened and, Kratos, Colette, Genis, Raine, and Noishe bringing up the rear ran into the room.
"Are you hurt?" Colette blurted out, "Are you all right?"
"They seem all right." Kratos said.
"Looks like we arrived just in time," Genis said reading himself for a fight.
"Genis told me everything," Raine said, "But, enough chit-chat now."
Botta gritted his teeth, "I'll just take care of all of you here and now."
"Bring it on!" Lloyd shouted.
"Are you ready for a real fight?" Botta asked tauntingly and he and the three Desians rushed forward.
Yoku fired an arrow and it hit a Desian in the chest, he faltered and collapsed to the floor unconscious. She knocked another arrow in her bow and fired it at Botta, but he blocked it and attacked her; thankfully Yoku dodged it just in time.
"SONIC THRUST!" Kratos shouted lunging at the second Desian. The Desian keeled over dead in a pool of blood.
A glyph appeared under Genis, but this time it was a brownish color, "STONE BLAST!" he shouted after a minute had past. Several stones exploded out of the floor bombarding Botta leaving him with several cuts and bruises.
The third Desian lunged at Colette, who surprisingly knocked him senseless by tripping over her own feet and landing flat on her face in the middle of her 'Ray Thrust' attack.
"DEMON FANG!" Lloyd shouted, slashing his swords at Botta, Lloyd received a kick in the face in return. Lloyd flipped over backwards in mid-air and landed neatly four feet away, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and attacked Botta again.
"FIRST AID!" Raine shouted raising her staff, right after that, the Desian that Yoku had knocked out attacked Raine. Raine was knocked to the floor, "OW!" She swung her staff at her attacker's feet, causing him to trip and land splat on his back. She then began repeatedly whacking him on the head causing the sound of a thousand church bells every time her staff hit his helmet.
A blue glyph appeared under Yoku's feet after a minute she raised her bow shouting, "AQUA EDGE!"
Botta was hit right in the gut with a blast of water, he staggered. Yoku took that chance to hit him with, "RAIN OF FIRE!" Multiple arrows homed in a Botta, but he blocked one of them, the other hit him in the leg. The other two killed the third Desian.
"DOUBLE DEMON FANG!" Lloyd shouted. Blood spurted out of the wound on Botta's arm.
"I…underestimated you…" He gasped for passing out.
"Well…" Yoku said, "He won't be waking up for a while."
"We should leave before more security shows up." Kratos said.
"Lloyd, why is there a bruise on your head?" Genis asked.
"Yoku whacked me on the head with her bow."
"He deserved it. He was carrying me in a way I really don't like…" Yoku said, still slightly grumpy.
"How did that happen?" Raine asked.
"Yoku sort of…fell out of the ceiling air vent." Lloyd said awkwardly.
"Someone turned the air conditioning on and…I land on Lloyd."
"Hey, at least I saved you from a yucky landing…" Lloyd said.
"I would've preferred the yucky landing…"
The party reached the exit of Sylverant Base and returned to Tiret Village.
"Oh, man I'm beat!" Genis yawned, it was already very late, "Let's get to the inn…" he started to run for the inn.
"Genis! Don't-ahh…too late…" Raine groaned.
"Owww…" Genis groaned, he had tripped.
"Genis, let me see that scratch." Raine said bending over her brother.
"Oh come on Sis…it's just a scratch…"
"The sands of this desert are very fine; do you want that scratch to become infected? I'm going to clean it."
Yoku looked away.
"Yoku, what's wrong?" Colette asked.
"It's just…that…someone used to call me 'Sis' all the time…"
"Who?" Colette asked.
"My twin brother…Jonouchi." Yoku said.
Lloyd tried to picture a boy version of Yoku.
"I'm sorry…" Colette said suddenly.
"For what?" Yoku asked.
"This is going to be so dangerous…and I'm directly involved in this…and you're protecting Lloyd…Yoku…don't put yourself in danger…"
"Uh…Colette…there's something you should know…everyone in the Jade Clan lives for danger." Raine said awkwardly, "That's why…they were very good fighters…"
"My siblings and I got it from our dad." Yoku said.
Genis yawned, "Can we get some rest? I'm sleepy!"
"We're all going to be needing rest for tomorrow." Kratos said.
"You've got a point there Kratos." Yoku said.
Later, after dinner Raine was pouring over several objects that seemed to have been from Sylverant Base.
"Hmmmm…What can I use to make a Key-Crest for this Exsphere?" Raine asked Lloyd.
"Let's take a look-see."
"Ok…A sword hilt from Martel Temple, some armor, a strange ore…" Raine went on for several minutes before Lloyd spoke up.
"This is junk…"
Raine slugged him hard, "HOW DARE YOU INSULT THESE ITEMS OF HISTORY!"
Kratos ignored them while he examined the ore.
Looks like Inhibitor Ore…
"We can't use these to make a Key-Crest!"
"Lloyd," Kratos said, "Can you use this?"
He handed Lloyd the lump of ore.
"Hey! This we can use, it's Inhibitor Ore. Just let me shape it and carve the spell in and it'll be good to go."
X a little later… X
"It's done!" Lloyd said cheerfully as he finished carving the Dwarf Runes into the handmade Key-Crest. He sat up and left the room he was sharing with Kratos. But, before he opened the door to Raine and Genis' room, he thought he'd stop be Colette's and Yoku's room. He opened the door, Yoku was at the window and Colette was catching some Z's.
Colette woke up.
"Oh Lloyd!" She said smiling, "Bet you can't wait for tomorrow eh?"
"Yeah, I'll bet it's amazing." Lloyd said.
"The Fire Seal should be at Tiret Ruins." Yoku said.
"What makes you so sure?" Colette asked.
"Simple, Grandma told me." Yoku said winking.
Lloyd hoped he wasn't blushing, "Well uh…see you in the morning guys." He said leaving the room. He turned on his heel and entered Raine and Genis' room.
"Here Professor, I finished the Key-Crest for you." Lloyd said handing it to her.
"Thank you Lloyd. Oh…how MARVOULUS!" Raine said.
"Uh…no problem…Genis can show you how to use it when he wakes up." Lloyd left the room yawning.
Raine giggled happily.
Lloyd was just about to go downstairs back to the room, when he saw Kratos leave.
Maybe I should follow him…Lloyd thought. He too left the inn. Kratos was with Noishe, scratching Noishe's ears. Lloyd took a few steps closer.
Without warning Kratos whirled around pointing his sword at Lloyd's throat.
"Ahh…"
"Oh, Lloyd, it's you." He sheathed his sword, "Forgive me if I startled you."
"St-startled…isn't the word…" Lloyd stammered still recovering from the shock.
"Perhaps you shouldn't come up at me from behind."
"Good idea…Say, Kratos, do you like animals? Noishe really seems to like you and he normally doesn't like strangers." Lloyd said.
"Not particularly…no…but I do have a weakness for dogs." Kratos said chuckling slightly, "Long ago, I used to have a dog too." He turned to Lloyd, staring at him for a long while.
"Uh…" Lloyd said a little uncomfortable and starting to have that feeling of familiarity again, "Kratos…why are you staring at me? It's really freaking me out…"
That was a mistake. Kratos snorted turned away and said, "You are far too reckless. Self taught sword skills won't be much help to protect The Chosen, you're just lucky Yoku was employed to protect you." He said all this very fast and in one breath. With that, Kratos turned on his heel and re-entered the inn, fuming.
Lloyd stood there completely stunned. Then, he got his bad mood back, "You think you know so much…" But…where HAVE I seen him before? And he said all that really fast, did really mean to say that or…something else?
Lloyd yawned hugely; he really needed to hit the hay right now. I am so going to sleep in late I know it…Lloyd thought pulling the covers over him and rolling over; he fell asleep very quickly.
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SANGOCHAN: Whew! 13 pages…And I got it all done…I don't have much to say, but stay tuned for Chapter Seven: The Seal of Fire What will happen? Will there be romance budding between Yoku and Lloyd? And if there is, how will Colette cope with it? Please keep checking for the next chapter! See you there! ;)