Sorry this took so long guys hopefully the chapter I put up will be worth the wait. 31 pages (colapses on floor in exastion).
Anzu Rose: Colette's not dumb... so much as a total innocent. Writing innocence is very hard, and it makes making her dumb very tempting at times. Hopefully with this chapter I continue to follow the character's set personality.
MoonCanon: Thank MC, enjoy chapter 3
Fairy V: That's alright... I've done something similar a time or two before. I've given up on the asterisk.. X's are my new asterisk...
Chapter 3
Efreet's forge
Colette's team
Forest thinned turned to rolling grassland. No rabid wolves shot out from behind screens of foliage, no monsters posing as plants attacked them. It was peaceful, the spring sunshine was soft and gentle, the winds a mere whisper, an afterthought from the heavens to remind all who lived this day that the breath of life still flowed. Large fluffy clouds covered the sky, none of them hinted of storms or ill weather, there was none of that so he was did his best to dismiss it. The sapphire sky was not the one that held his heart after all, so he did his best to ignore it.
If only his companions would take such a similar stance.
"Wow professor doesn't that one look like a dog?"
"Hmm, I think it looks more like a house really..."
"And there's a birdie."
"A raptor actually... see how the wings end in pointed tips, that would mean that the bird is in all probability a specie of falcon."
"No the cloud, see that cloud right there?"
"Where?"
"There!"
"Oh yes, hmm it is a bird isn't it?"
"Isn't it cute?"
"For a clump of water molecules suspended in the air due to the water cycle... I guess so..."
"Professor!"
"I'm just teasing Colette."
The chosen lay on her back eyes riveted to the heavens, the elf had also had cast aside her dignity it seemed to lay on her back and join the Chosen in her silly sport. They both lay in the yellow grass, both pairs of eyes sported the same dreamy look that only those totally absorbed in childishness gain. There was no trees to lean against, so he stood a few feet away and was again back to radiating disapproval. He tapped his boot against the ground, oblivious to the grass he was grinding into the hard water lacking earth, and glared.
"This is fun Mr. Kratos, don't you want to join us?"
"No," catching Raine's glare he grimaced. "No thank you."
"Alright..."
He had hoped his all business attitude would encourage Colette to discard her play. No luck there, she only held onto her slight shame for a few minuets and then went back to staring at the sky. The ladies chatted about clouds and the like he stood, eyes combing the terrain. Soon, possibly in an hour or two, the world would change. The springtime that the rest of the world embraced had already faded into this false summer, and that too would fade. Golden strands of grass would weave in with golden sand. Winds now gentle and soft would become heavy with heat, and the very air would become a force to be feared. Caution would be absolutely nessicary, there would be no time for childish games. This would be the last time he tolerated such a stop, the absolute last.
He made an oath on that.
Breakfast was whipped away, little more then a memory. Sweat water from the ever flowing rivers disappeared into the darkness of three throats, he had firmly insisted that they ration everything, so the losses were not great. That was the only fight he had seemed to won today.
He had insisted they travel in silence, with little talk so not to draw in predators of the two or four legged breed.
The elf professor had lectured while they walked.
He had tried to persuade them to avoid the House of Salvation.
The Chosen had wanted to go there to pray.
He had argued for going at a faster rate, having wanted to put Iselia far behind them.
Rabbit holes had magically appeared every time the Chosen had put a foot down causing her to trip and bring not only Raine down but him as well on occasion.
When nature had seemed to rear it's head and fight against his wishes he had wisely shut up and just went with fates ever strange demands. They went at a crawl and all he felt was the building need to scream in frustration. When they finally did make it to the foot of the desert Kratos almost sighed with relief. The elf sobered up, the child looked a bit scared, those attitudes were far better fitting of this quest then the faintly veiled romp that they had been going through.
"Mr. Aurion, you are more familiar with this region then the rest of us, how long will it take us to get to Triet.?"
"A day, the difficulty Ms. Sage is not getting to Triet it's in crossing the dessert when one wishes to go anywhere else."
"Like when we look for the Seal."
"No one said this was going to be easy." Kratos scanned the hills of sand, scanned the skies, then nodded. "At least the last of the winter storms have passed, and it is far too early for monsoon season, so we have little to fear on that front. Shall we press on?"
His tone had a faint hint of maliciousness, to it... and he knew that Raine picked up on it, for she glared at him.
"I don't see any other choice." The elf relaxed her glare and stared at the first hills of golden sand, she let out a great sigh as the miles seemed to stretch before her.
"Don't worry professor everything will be alright!" Colette chirped. "After all it's just a sandy place right?"
"Who was your study partner when we did that unit on ecosystems Colette?"
"Lloyd."
"Remind me to never have you join with Lloyd during a study group ever again."
"I don't understand Professor."
"And I seem to be missing part of this conversation."
"Never mind, I'll remember, that's all that's important anyways."
Xxxxx X X
Noishe looked at the desert and froze. The stop was so sudden that Lloyd plowed into him and fell on his rump. Genis of course laughed, he was doing that a lot lately, and it seemed always to be at Lloyds expense. Noishe whimpered, though the sound seemed un-connected to the fact that he had been bumped into. When the red shirt wearing swordsman found his feet and walked around Noishe to see what the problem was he couldn't figure it out. Noishe would look at the sands, look at his paws, then whine. That's all he did, and no amount of shoving, begging, or bribes would get Noishe to take so much as a step forward.
"We can't save the world if you don't come with us Noishe, come on, it's only a little tinny step, then after that they get easier! I swear they do!"
"Whine!"
"Noishe come on!"
"Ung leave him here if he doesn't want to come along!" Genis snapped.
"No way, he's my friend, I am not abandoning him here miles away from home! Come on Noishe, please!"
"Whiiine!"
"Noshy please, pretty please! I have jerky, you like jerky right?"
"Bark!"
"You know he might have a legitimate reason for not wanting to go in the dessert."
"Howl!" Noishe bobbed his head almost as if to agree.
"Alright, try to figure it out then." Lloyd grunted, he gave up trying to shove the massive dog into the sands. Ex-sphere beefed up strength or not Noishe just weighted too much.
"Noishe," Genis looked a little chagrined as if he thought it was weird talking to Noishe like he was a person. Lloyd didn't see what was so weird about it, Noishe was a person to him. "Is something wrong with the dessert?"
"Bark!" The massive green and white head bobbed up and down.
"Alright... umm what's wrong with it?"
"Whine!" Noishe lifted a paw and shook it.
"The sand's too hot for your paws, is that it?" Lloyd guessed.
"Bark!" He was rewarded with a lick.
"Alright so now what?" Lloyd panted, still leaning against Noishe's huge side.
"Hmmm..." Genis looked around then smiled as his gaze fell onto Lloyd's boots. "I think I have an idea."
"Don't look at me like that, you had that same look when you thought up that boat stunt when we were little."
"It did work didn't it? We didn't sink, we're both still here right?"
"Barely, and as I recall we got out into the center of the lake when half of the boat decided to fall off."
"A miss calculation, that's all. How was I supposed to know at eight that glue dissolved when it was submerged." Genis huffed.
"Yeah, and wasn't it your idea to send that note to Raine telling here where we were going that day. If she hadn't known then she wouldn't have seen us swimming away from the parts of that boat she probably wouldn't have spanked us so hard. I still get nightmares from that by the way."
"It... I .. This will work, I promise."
"I've heard that before... Alright just promise me Noishe wont get hurt."
"Noishe wont get hurt, I swear."
"So what's this plan of yours then?"
"You'll see, trust me."
"That's what you said with the boat. Now the hair on the back of my head is sticking strait up."
"Like the rest of your head's hair, that's why I guess I can't see it."
"I give up... I can't win..."
"Good, now hand over your packs, I need to go through them."
Lloyd did so with a grimace on his face.
"Alright now bring the test subject forward." Genis ordered.
"Test subject!"
"Whine..."
"Hee hee I've always wanted to say that it sounds so scientific..." Genis grinned. "Come on Noishe.. Here boy!"
"If he says dissect, run." Lloyd whispered into his dog's huge ear.
"Whine..."
Genis beckoned to the dog. Noishe looked at Lloyd to draw some reassurance that everything was alright. It didn't seem to help him when Lloyd couldn't meet his gaze. Finally exasperated to the end of his patience Genis sighed and back slid on the blood shared by him and his sister.
"Noishe, don't make me go Raine on you."
"Do it, and hurry." Lloyd whispered, his eyes wide in terror at the ultimate threat was brandished.
"Whimper..." Closing his eyes Noishe walked towards Genis, his canine face a mask of absolute terror.
Xxxx xxx xxx xxx xx
A shriek of terror pierced the sun scorched lands. The sound would have better fit a maiden who's honor had been tarnished when, say a man walks in on her while she changes clothes. It did not fit this situation at all. The maiden was red faced, not with shame, but bloody fury. The man was running, he was the source of all the screams.
"Impressive..." Kratos said to no one in particular.
"Wow professor you're really strong, but that wasn't very nice to do to someone."
"He started it!"
"You sound like Lloyd, I never thought you could sound like Lloyd professor!"
"Sometimes Lloyd does have a point." Raine glared at the other men who were openly staring at her with a mix of admiration and hunger on their faces.
"You do understand that this all could have been bypassed if you had merely agreed to wear the local garments I provided..." Kratos always seemed to have to get the last word in.
"I will not dress up in bandages to appease some local superstitious rabble, nor will I do it to aid in a custom that is demeaning to women."
"As you will."
"I hardly need your permission to do as I will!" Raine flared.
"Peace Ms. Raine, you merely have added a slight stumbling block in the situation. As it is I find your moral stance similar to my own, that is why I did not pursue the garments issue so hard."
They stood in the town square of Triet, or rather the circle as it was called by locals. Dust choked the streets, the firmness of the sands beneath their feet made Raine think that perhaps the circle of constructed of white marble was the last un-submerged remnant of a same made street. Alas bending over to check that, to sweep the dust aside would have been seen as a challenge to all the young men around them. One near riot was enough for Raine, more then enough. So they went to the weapons' store to purchase, of all things a whet stone and some other strange accessaries that appeared necessary to keep up the quality of weapons and the like. Despite her protests Kratos bought Raine a new staff, one topped with a steal weight that was crudely shaped into a sun.
"My old staff was sufficient Mr. Aurion."
"Not in my book it wasn't, the protection of the Chosen is priority Ms. Sage, I will not sacrifice it in the slightest for any sentimentalism you carry for that slip of wood you call a battle staff."
Oblivious to the fight between the adults Colette wandered off. Kratos of course tried to shove the blame on her, which Raine just as spitefully returned the favor. It didn't take long for them to find Colette, a small child had pulled her aside to talk to the her.
"-you think so Chosen?"
"I know so, everything will be all right in the end, it just seems a little rough now but things will get better in the end, I promise!"
The dirty faced child looked up to Colette and smiled. Dark eyes shining with tears he reached up with small hands and hugged Colette. She didn't seem to notice the grime, the mix of sweat and dust that covered the child head to toe, and she happily returned the gesture. Colette's long blonde hair seemed to veil the boys small emaciated face, her pure white clothes seemed to shine in the light, and in her arms the boy appeared almost as special to Martel as Colette was. When she pulled back the boy looked up at her with worshipful eyes and with a smile that took away all of his suffering he ran down the dusty street and cut behind a building to get to whatever place he called home.
If he even had one.
Judging by the over large tunic, the shabby turban, and the tattered pants the boy would have been lucky to have a home. Very lucky.
"Hello Professor, Mr. Kratos, did you have fun at the weapon person's store!"
"Chosen it is very st..."
Raine pinched him then smiled to Colette.
"Dear next time please tell us you plan to go somewhere, we were both very worried for you."
Kratos gave her his glare of death, well that's what she had heard Lloyd call it, the name was pretty accurate. When he looked like that it was easy to imagine Kratos killing people with his eyes alone.
"I'm sorry professor, it wont happen again, I promise."
"Well we're just both happy you didn't get hurt. Right Kratos..." She smiled at him and he grimaced.
His reply was his typical silence, and Raine was happy enough that he didn't give her any of his lip. Goddess it was like traveling with a sulky child on a field trip where they absolutely didn't want to go. Even Lloyd behaved better then this man, at least the boy had more tact!
"Yasen told me that there was a fortune teller that could help us out!" Colette chirped. "I asked him if he'd know anyone who could tell us about the seals and he said that the fortune teller could tell us anything! Isn't that great!"
"Excellent work Colette!" Raine beamed at her student. "It's more then we had before, shall we be off?"
Kratos scowled at her, then looked back where the boy had run off to, his brown eyes softened, lost there ice. Surprised Raine turned and saw Yasen and another boy with him. By look they were a few years apart and related. Yasen, now that she had a better look at him had to be six, and his brother by the looks of him was eight.
"See I told you the Chosen was here!"
"Oh hi Yasen, who's this?"
"My older brother, Suoi!"
Nice to meet you!" Colette chirped.
"Your holiness." Suoi bowed.
"No, please don't do that please..." Colette seemed genuinely hurt by the boy's genuflecting. "I'm not Martel yet, so I'm just a Chosen and you don't have to bow!"
"If that's alright Chosen."
"Please, just call me Colette."
"So are you really journeying to save the world?"
"Yep!" Colette smiled, though to Raine it seemed a little strained.
"Wow, that looks like fun!" Yasen chirped, "and look she's traveling with a knight and elfy wizard, just like in the stories!"
"Knight?" Kratos blinked.
"Elfy?" Raine protested quietly.
"Oh wow!" Colette was totally forgotten as Suoi turned to gap at Kratos. "You're a knight!"
Yasen became a bundle of questions at that point. "In all of Grandfather's stories said knights had white horses, you don't have a white horse, are you sure you're a knight, you kind of look creepy, have you ever used your sword, can I see it it looks neat, why's a knight going with the Chosen, are you a paladin?"
Having small lungs Yasen had to take a second to catch his breath. The second he opened his mouth they knew he was going to ask more questions, all probably in one breath, just like before. To cut it off Kratos rose one hand.
"I am not a knight boy, nor am I a paladin, just a sell sword. And no, you can not see my sword."
"Oh.." Yasen seemed disappointed at that. He then turned to Raine and took a deep breath.
"Miss elfy are you a wizard, what's it like being a wizard, are there more elves like you, do you live in the forest, what's the forest like, does it really rain all the time there, it only rains a little here, are there dessert elves, why do elves not come by here often, is that a magic staff, can you show me a spell, pretty please?"
Yasen took another deep breath and it was Raine's turn to cut him off.
"I'm an elf dear, not an elfy." She smiled at him. "I'm a healer not a wizard, though if you and your brother promise to be good for a week I will show you a magic spell."
"Yes, please, we'll be good for a whole week!" Both brothers smiled, and looked enthused.
They laughed and gasped in awe as she summoned a small sphere of golden light to appear in her hands. She tossed it to Yasen and he caught it, held that sun for a moment, and he laughed and acted as if she had given him the worlds greatest treasure. Both brothers passed it back and forth, openly sharing that bit of wonder she had given them. She held onto the spell as long as she could, and when she felt her energy running low she asked for it back. She made is disappear from her hands, and they applauded that as much as they had applauded it's appearance.
"Thank you Ms. elf, wow elves really are the nicest people in the world. Bye bye Colette, good luck with the respiration journey!" With that Yasen ran off.
Suoi looked at them in awe, then turned to Colette.
"You wanted to see the fortune teller correct?"
"Yes, we were headed there just now!"
"That's great, she's a friend of my papa's! She's the best in the world... if you can find her tent. I know I'll take you there! Come on, this way!"
With a slender hunger thinned fingers Suoi grabbed Colette's arm and lead her down the street.
Xxx xxx xxx
"Boots... I can't believe this boots!" Lloyd was more upset by the fact that his gald pouch and trinket pouches were emptied in an effort to make those boots.
"It worked didn't it?" Genis protested heatedly, though by no means more heated then the desert before them.
"Alright, let's check 'em. Come on Noishe, try them out!"
Noishe whined, shook his paws as if to check if the pouches would hold. Then with a grimace he set his foot down on the sands. His paw sunk in a few inches, then when nothing else happened Noishe opened his eyes. Seeing his paws were fine he turned to Genis his tongue lolled out, it was a broad hint to how Noishe was going to share his thanks.
"No, really you don't need to, it's not all that big a deal really..."
"Bark!"
"Ahh!"
Pinned under three hundred pounds of pleased dog Genis wasn't going anywhere. He tried to cry out for help but had no luck. The tongue was already at work going over his face, and because it was smaller then Lloyd's Noishe seemed to feel an extra coat of dog drool to go over the first was in order.
"Lloyd help!"
Lloyd laughed for a bit, then pulled Noishe off of Genis. With a hand the swordsman pulled Genis to his feet, a wide smile on his face. It'd been a while since Genis could remember seeing that smile on Lloyd's face, and despite what he'd just been through the sorcerer found himself smiling in turn. Pulling out his father's map Lloyd leaned against Noishe and figured where they were. From there they figured out where they needed to go, and from that they started out to complete the journey of a lifetime.
Xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxx
Their guild was fast, they had to break into a trot to keep pace. Not that he minded the exertion, it was hardly that, but in this heat he worried for the Chosen. She said nothing, kept pace with them, but remained silent. For once she didn't trip, which was almost miraculous considering all the other times she had tripped. He finally dismissed it, if she was weary or tired he would just have to trust her to say something. They entered the tent after navigating the maze of buildings, at least their guild knew the a route that was covered in shadows so the sun was not frying their wits. When they got to the small tent he froze, stared and the tent flap stared back. On it in bold red paint stood an archaic symbol to ward evil. They all had frozen up looking at that symbol and having it look back with disturbing intensity.
Even Suoi stood with them in the sun hesitant to walk up to the tent with such a foreboding entrance.
"Come on." Raine chuckled, the sound was forced. "It's just paint and superstition, and that can't hurt us."
She entered and Colette seemed to shake off her fear, and followed. Kratos made a slight gesture with his sword hand, little more then a flick of two fingers to ward off ill fate, then gripping the hilt of his blade he entered. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the night world under the tent, a woman in purple robes looked at him with a smile on her lips.
"Well met Kratos Aurion, you bring no ill will so fear not for none shall befall you."
He gazed at the Chosen and her teacher accusingly but both woman looked baffled.
"We didn't introduce ourselves, or you, if that's what you're thinking..." Raine said, then she turned to the woman. "You must have skilled informants."
"Believe what you will... And please don't say "I don't need your permission to believe what I will"... I do not mean it like that."
Raine's mouth sagged open in complete shock.
"Is there anything else I need to say to prove my authenticity? Or will you believe that I have means beyond a normal humans to see that which should remain unseen?"
"That or you are a very good reader of body language and you have an extensive network of spies."
The human woman shrugged off the elf's disbelief as she had probably shrugged off the disbelief of thousands of others. She smiled at Colette then she looked at him and the smile slid off her face.
"Your pain, I am sorry for it."
Kratos grunted, narrowed his eyes, and let his hand drift to the hilt of his sword.
"No need to threaten, I respect what He of Eternity hides from my vision with the Dark between the Stars... You owe him thanks for doing that, normally I'm a nosy old coot." She smiled at him, then looked back to Colette. "I can only help you a bit child, my full service is for another, and he's late as always."
The old woman rolled her eyes.
"How can you help us?" Raine snapped, growing exasperated before him. That was a first that he never expected to come to pass.
"First I must have a hundred gald."
Kratos tossed ten deic coin on the table besides her crystal ball. Ten deic equaled about a hundred gald, merely a slight fraction under the amount. Like most commoners the fortune teller either didn't know or didn't care that it was off by a bit. She smiled, reached out with a thin hand, and carefully counted the coins. Satisfied she pulled a small box from under her chair and put the money inside that.
"You look for the seal of fire, the ruins hold one of the keys you seek... I imagine one of the tourist centers could help you better then I could with directions."
"Thanks!" Colette then went outside, Suoi went with her.
It was a good thing she left, and that the tent could muffle sound. Raine snarled a line of profanity in elvish and stormed out of the tent.
"I believe my apparent knowledge of both the material and non-material worlds has greatly upset her. It must do with her attempts to be all knowing." The woman smiled. "She will out grow it, or perhaps grow into that role she seeks, or become as close as a mortal can come to it. Mr. Aurion your heart is in peril with this journey. Guard it close if you wish to complete your job with little pain... but open it if you wish to rise above all other men and be blessed with the God's greatest status."
Kratos said nothing, but swept from the tent. No... he fled. He was running, after so many years though he could feel no shame in that. It felt as if he had been running for eternity now.
Xxxx xxx xxx xx xx x
"Hooot... so hooot... Genis please!"
"I can't, it's just to hot to cast more water spells..."
"Whiiine!"
"Not... much farther, look there's Triet..."
"Please don't be another mirage..."
"Whiiine!"
"Goddess Lloyd you're almost as bad as Noishe."
"Whiiiine!"
"Can't talk... need water..."
"I can try again..." Genis offered.
"No, just keep walking, can't be that much farther off right? We can do this, we have to do this..."
They were walking through the desert, had been walking for what felt like forever. Their feet were cooked in their boots, their wits all but scrambled... In truth they had only been journeying through the lands of fire for four hours. Sunset was magnificent, the whole sky was painted a myriad of molten hues and fanciful shades of red and deep blue. All they saw was the next step, all they could feel was how each molten rock slammed into their feet, and it was with morbid intensity that Lloyd -while he walked- waited for smoke to slither out from under his toes. When they finally made it through the city gates, which were little more then a crude arch constructed from sand stone, the whole world seemed to have dissolved into a gold tinted oven temperature dream, well if dreams had temperatures oven would have been the lowest setting that Lloyd would have given it.
All thoughts of dreams, heat, everything, left their thoughts the second they drifted towards on of the towns inns.
"Red shirt, brown hair, brown eyes you say?"
They froze, in the middle of the sun blasted expanse of sand, in what must of been in the center of Triet's marketplace, the most busy place in the town they froze. Their lack of movement, drew in a few curious eyes, made them all the more noticeable. Genis ribbed him, and they both ducked behind Noishe. Hiding behind a green and white dog in the middle of a city whose main color scheme was brown and tan probably wasn't the smartest move. There were dumber moves though, like walking out in the open, like approaching the men in their skin tight black and maroon uniforms and asking "are you Desian's?", like... well there were probably a few other dumb moves but those two were the dumbest he could think of at the time. Braving a glance over the massive silver and green shoulder Lloyd glimpsed the men, the Desians had there back to them, were talking amongst themselves. One of them pulled a rolled up bit of paper and stuck it to the wall of the inn, he couldn't see what it was through because Noishe whined at him and Lloyd ducked his head down. The dog seemed happy enough now that he was half stooped over and not so out in the open. He saw nothing more then his boots, and this time as his heart hammered in his throat he had no thoughts of smoke and burning toes.
Between one step and the next they were in the shade. Even in his fear he could feel how cool it was in she shadows, he hesitantly lifted his head. They were in a small box like building, well it wasn't even a building really, just a collection of three walls and fabric nailed to those walls that served as a roof. Along one of the walls was a strange long rectangular box, it took him a moment to realize it was a traw, like a horse traw As they slink-ed into the shadows of a empty stable stall Genis swallowed, wiped at his brow, and Lloyd could not get himself to let go of Noishe. They both stood, no trembled in the concealing shadows and shook.
"They're out here?" He whispered it over and over again, as if reciting it could undo the fact. "How can they be here, out in the middle of no where?"
"We'll never stop searching so long as you draw breath..." Genis whispered, his eyes so empty that they seemed to be looking back and seeing the green haired man who had said those words.
"Damn Desian's, what the heck are we going to do, we can't leave and..."
"Sirs?"
Both boys hopped as a very small child in tattered tunic and pants stood less then a few feet behind them. A slash of white teeth marred the dark tan of his face, with a dirty hand he pulled a strand of rebellious black out of his eyes and adjusted his weird bandage hat thing.
"Lloyd Irving and Genis Sage, correct?"
"Y..yeah..." Lloyd was so startled he didn't do his usual 'give me your name and I'll give you mine' routine, considering that the kid already had their names it was kind of pointless anyways. When he didn't do it he felt all un-tough, all weak, he didn't like that. If he wasn't strong, if he was weak then he couldn't protect Genis, he had to toughen up so he could protect his friend, and Colette, whenever they caught up to her that was...
"Whoa, what happened to Give me your name and I'll give you mine?"
"You're not helping Genis... Alright you already seem to know us and all, so what do you want?" That sounded tough, not a great save but it worked, kind of...
"The Mistress wishes to talk to you. Her tent is at the top of the hill, she can help you greatly, go to her when you can... I'll keep an eye out for the Desian monsters and let you know when they have stopped loitering around the walls of the town."
"What.. Umm yeah thanks, we'll be here then."
The young kid slipped out of the stable and into the sun cooked square Genis snickered.
"You don't know what loiter means don't you? It means to linger, to stand around and do nothing."
"I knew... I just forgot, that's all..."
"Un huh."
"Bark!"
"Noishe your supposed to be on my side!"
"Bark!"
"Shhh... The Desian's will hear us!" Though Genis was trying to be serious Lloyd could hear the snickers in his voice.
Things deteriated rapidly as they both fought down a case of the giggles. In the shadows, crouching behind Noishe, with death and worse waiting for them if they were caught, they choked on laughter. It got to the point that even Noishe was making soft muffled yips that sounded almost like a human chuckle. Lloyd wasn't sure how long they hid in the stall choking on laughter, what he did know is that when the boy came back he looked at them for a long moment and rolled his eyes. That set them off into even more laughter, and it took even longer for Lloyd to pull himself together.
"I... take it the coast is clear?"
"Yes..." The boy looked at them as if disappointed. "I can not believe... never mind, come this way."
"You can't believe what." Lloyd pressed.
"You will find out on your own, come friends of the Chosen."
Genis followed the boy, still in the stable Lloyd turned to Noishe.
"Stay! No adventuring, no leaving the stable, I don't want the Desians to hurt you... So you have to stay here, alright?"
"Bark!" Noishe winked, which made that bark a definite 'I'll do what ever I want' kind of bark.
"Please Noishe, stay here till I get back..."
Noishe licked him on the cheek then firmly head butted him out of the stable. His dog's shove -there wasn't another word for it- was so firm that he staggered out of the stable and tripped over his own feet and pulled what was fondly known throughout Iselia as a Colette-step. Picking himself off from the dust coated ground Lloyd tried to ignore the stares of what must of been every person in the whole square. He spared a moment to adjust his swords, then he ran to catch up with Genis and their guide.
They passed from the shadows of the buildings, crossed a expanse of blistering open ground, and after a few misadventures where there guild became lost, came into the welcome dark of a tent. A woman in purple robes looked up from caressing a orb of glass, she took their unannounced entrance not in surprise, but humor.
"You are late." She noted.
"I'm sorry Mistress, we became turned around and..."
"Umm where were we going again and are we there yet?" Lloyd asked, blinking owlishly in the near midnight dark of the tent.
"And I have been dealing with that the whole walk. If I may gather my pay and be dismissed Mistress."
"Of course Suoi, and don't worry he will mature... slowly but it will happen." The woman smiled, then set five gald on the table. "Off with you now I must talk to them alone."
Both natives of the dessert ignored the loud 'what do you mean by that?', and brushed off the barely contained temper as casually as they shrugged off the blistering sun that pounded on them day in and day out. Lloyd's anger was a poor comparison to the sun, a child's heated temper was nothing compared to the eternal fire that hung over their heads and tried to obliterate them every time they stepped outside.
"We were told you know where Colette is." Genis spoke up, more to get information then in any hope to get Lloyd to cool down.
"I will need a hundred gald in payment before I offer you my services."
"What!"
Genis and Lloyd huddled together to have a quick conference, and managed to come out with a grand total of thirty gald. With an embarrassed air Genis walked up to the woman in purple robes, he did not meet her black eyes, did not even look at her face, he merely put down the gald and returned to Lloyd. The woman looked at the gald, looked at them. She grimaced, and pushed the money away.
"Fortune has been harsh to you, I should not have asked such a thing from you two. Please, take your money back, I have no need of it."
"Ummm alright." Lloyd took the money back with a mix of relief and chagrin.
"The chosen has gone to the seal of fire which is located at the Triet ruins, it's not far from here, one of the tourist centers can give you a map."
"Thanks..."
"Really Lloyd do not feel so bad about being unable to pay me, I extracted full charge from one of your friends." She smiled at him. "The surly one who likes to wear black, you know who I'm talking about..."
"From Kratos!" Genis laughed. "And let me guess you told him to go to the tourist center after he paid you?"
"Why yes I did." The woman smiled. "Something about him tells me he deserved it."
"Oh he did..." Genis muttered, recalling the runt statement back in Iselia's temple. "He more then deserved it."
"Gloating is a bad habit of yours Mr. Sage, I could ask you to give me what gald you have and hold you to a promissary payment of the other seventy gald with interest."
"Interest?"
"Never mind Lloyd now we know where we need to go so let's get going."
"Actually, Lloyd..." The woman gave him a pointed look, her hands caressed the glass orb on the table. "I'd like to give you a reading."
"We can't pay you though..."
"No need, what you do in the future will be payment enough... please... sit." A chair dragged itself from the one half of the tent that was covered in clutter and slid right up to the startled swordsman.
Genis stood, his mouth sagging open at the human's display of magic.
"Mr. Sage, if it isn't a problem could you go pick up that map and wait with Noishe at the stable. Put some speed into it, a stableman is going to see your friends... dog and cause some problems if you aren't there to head them off."
Genis all but fled.
"Good boy, a little on the brattish side, but still good at heart. Now then," She set the orb aside with a smile. "Your hand please."
With a grimace Lloyd extended his left hand, then catching himself he started to pull it back in and offer his right.
"No I need the first hand you moved, I can't get a good reading off of your right hand because it isn't your prominent hand. Don't be shy, I don't bite, and I don't particularly care if you have an ex-sphere on that hand. I may have my vices young man but working with the Desian's is not one or them. There see, that wasn't too bad..."
She set her slender fingers to caressing his palm, drawing out the various lines and studying the veins that could be seen in his wrist.
"You have many friends now and will gain many more. That table of yours, it will be full in less then five years passing, as will be your heart. You once called this a quest of a lifetime, know that it is that, and it will be then end and beginning of lifetimes. It will be the conclusion of an eternity and the conclusion of a tyrant's rein.
All things will fall on you, a heavy burden and one you shall have to shoulder alone for a time. Yet others will come to strength under your guidance, and when they have that burden shall be shared then banished. For now that burden is not yours but another's, and at the end which is in truth a beginning that burden will be thrust upon you.
There are many on this path you have met and are to meet, it is not the time for you to tell me of those in the future but those you know of now.
You have five guilds, the guild of the soul, the mind, the heart, the child, and the fire. Listen well to them but head this warning, there will come a time when each will be silent, and the one who is silent is the one you will need the most. During this time you must then look on the past and recall all teachings and draw strength and wisdom from that.
The soul will seek to guild you with firmness and experience. His only tongue out of a multitude of tongues is truth, and remember that always. No matter the circumstances put before you both, no mater the odds, you both will meet on the even ground of honesty and brutal bluntness." Her lips twitched a bit. "Try not to cut each other to pieces with your tongues and don't take everything he says to heart. He is learned in many things, but tact eludes him. His guidance will be your salvation, and know no matter what happens between you you may turn to him with any grievance great or large and he will do his best to aid you.
The mind is from your past, and one you know well. Her passion is great and her love of knowledge greater. She is... to put it delicately 'eccentric' but if you sit quietly through her bouts of strangeness with patience you will be spared much pain... and you will learn much. There will come a time when all knowledge will fail her and what will be needed is time, you must give her that. It will be her hand that tends your wounded body, that will nurse you back to health when you fall, and you will fall a multitude of times, and with each fall you must be the feet for both of you, she will be your calm and you shall be her hope.
The heart is gentle, and known to you from earliest childhood. You know her well and forever protect her. There will come a time when she will protect you to give you strength when the time comes that your strength will fail you. She is hope and joy, a light in the dark, a lone star in the night of eternity. Guard her with twin walls of steel, do not fail this delicate flower for from her comes hope and hope will be needed in the very end.
The child, well he just left." The woman smirked, then picked up her orb and looked at it for a moment. "And he did what he needed to do just in time. He's not all that fast is he?"
"Genis?" Lloyd rubbed at his aching head. "Not really."
"I see the soul is not the only one who needs some lessons in tact."
"What'd I say?"
"Never mind... He is as his title indicates, a link to childhood, innocence, and that which you may very well lose when this all comes to a head. Innocence is the answer, one of the answers, and one of the greater insights to all of this mess you are going to be wading through." The woman smiled. "I see many mudpits and puddles in his past... could you explain that?"
Lloyd blushed, recalling the time that he and Genis had rough housed and fallen into muddy patches of ground, that's how all of their childhood games had seemed to end.
"I also see many more in his future... you'll need a better explanation when that time comes around."
"Umm yeah I'll work on that..."
"The fire, she is both a bearer of flame and a bearer of the pain flame can bring. Fate has not been kind to her, and she has grown to use fire as a shield. Do not let the smoke fool you but do not grow careless, she can and will turn her true essence on you a time or two... Though I see that it will mainly fall on another who will well deserve it." She looked at his hand intently. "Her mark is no mark, and it will fall here."
The woman spread his fingers out then gently traced a line between his thumb and first finger.
"And that young man is all I may tell you, you best run along now, come back whenever you are by. I would like to talk to you again, I imagine when you are not in a state of shock you are good company." She smiled at him and patted his limp hand. "Fate is waiting for you outside this tent, don't make it wait too long."
"Umm thanks..."
"No problem, and don't worry if you don't quite understand everything I said, it will make sense in time. Now get going, before I change my mind and do charge you!"
Lloyd fled and the woman sighed.
"Such a heavy destiny for one so young... It is a shame that is must come to this..." She pulled out the glass orb and looked into it. "Yet there is no other way out of the madness save that of the straight path, and that path must cut through a multitude of webs and mist to see the truth, and only a speaker of truth, one who lives solely by truth and instinct can even see that path. And even then it may be clouded..."
Xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx
"What took you so long?" Genis snapped.
"The fortune teller had a lot to say, a ton to say, and now my heat hurts."
"Why am I not surprised..." Genis grinned at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Genis laughed at Lloyd for a bit. After getting tired of hearing his master get teased Noishe stretched his neck out from the pen and mouthed a chunk of Genis' hair. With a firm tug he totally mussed up the young elf's hair and covered it with a great amount of saliva. As Genis "eww"ed and reached up with cringing fingers Lloyd had his turn in laughing.
"Good boy Noishe." Lloyd ruffled his dog's mane. Noishe's tail went nuts wagging and the tongue lolled out. Lloyd ducked out of reach of his dog's jaws and avoided the licking. "We'll be back in a bit Noishe, howl if trouble comes."
"Bark!" With a parting tail wag Noishe watched them go, then ducked into the shadows of the stable, and on crossed fore paws pillowed his head and got ready for a nap.
Xxx xxx xxx xxx
"Professor are you sure we're going in the right direction?" The Chosen dared to ask. They had been walking a long time and well it seemed too long for even the Chosen's inexhaustible patience.
"Yes, Colette, the map said south west, and that is the way we are going."
"Ms. Sage the guild said that the map was not accurate, he gave us the proper directions."
"I'd trust the map over a guild any day Mr. Kratos."
"At the rate we are going we are going to be back in Iselia by midnight tonight."
"We will not be in Iselia, we will be at the temple!"
Kratos took a deep breath, counted to ten in the common language, angelic, and elvish, and still did not feel the tenseness ease out of him. He wanted, rather sorely, to smack the woman with the flat of his blade and drag her in the right direction. Colette, the peaceful, happy, carefree, Chosen, was sharing his thoughts. He had yet to dwell on homicide, or elvish-cide if that was even a word, but he was getting to that point with every mile they went in the wrong direction. It was with relief that the Chosen finally admitted she was tired, and they set up camp. When the Chosen went to her blankets with a yawned "good night" Kratos snatched the map out of the older woman's hands. He looked at the map for a second, then firmly turned it over so that it was no longer upside down, and handed it back to her.
"We have been heading in the wrong direction Ms. Sage."
"But now the writing's upside down!"
"This is perhaps one of the worst maps I've ever seen." The mercenary growled, "it looks like he put in the landmarks first then held it upside down to write the town names. I guess it could be accurate, if Iselia were located at the top of the world."
"The proportion is grossly inaccurate... Perhaps I made a mistake in trusting that map-maker..."
"There's an understatement." Kratos snapped, he was not pleased, having wasted a full day going in the wrong direction.
"You don't need to beat me upside the head, I made a mistake, I apologize."
"Humph."
"We'll head back to Triet then, restock our water, and then head in the right direction."
"Yes, but from here on Ms. Sage I will be in charge of guiding this expedition, if we were to leave you in charge it would take the Chosen twenty years to get to where she needs to go." He extended his hand and she dropped the map in it. "All the maps Ms Sage, the compass, and any other items that have to do with navigation, you have proven well beyond a shadow of a doubt you have no skills in leading, so it shall fall onto me. Let's hand everything over all at once so there is no confusion later on."
With a air befitting a child handing over a toy she handed him several maps, two compasses and a strange device that looked like a nick covered half circle.
"Is this all?"
Another map was handed over, and a glare on top of that.
"This better be all Ms Sage, is it?"
"Yes, it is." Her eyes were like slits of ice
"I will take night watch then, go to bed Ms. Sage."
"I am not a child Mr. Aurion. Just because I made one mistake doesn't mean I am a simpleton, and it doesn't make me a child, so don't treat me like one."
"When you prove yourself other wise Ms Sage I will treat you with more respect and trust in your judgement, until then go to bed."
She could do nothing but fold to him at that point, and by the steely glint in her eyes he knew that she was going to go out of her way to prove himself. When she was safely wrapped in her blankets and her breath had slowed to the pattern universal to those in deep sleep Kratos smiled. Good, that was good, he would see no more foolishness out of this one, perhaps she would even become serious about this whole journey. That alone would make his job a hell of a lot easier. Once child was bad enough, he needed no others to look after. All but alone the mercenary looked to the stars and allowed those flickering lights to drain away his anger, his frustration, and to calm his mind from the turmoil that had been raised in his soul. He sighed, looked at the stars, and allowed all burden to fall away from him for a moment, for his soul to soar to the lights above and find solace from his pain. Calm again he looked to the world around him with cold unfeeling eyes. There would be no problems tonight, something in him told him this, there would be no problems, perhaps in the end everything would turn out alright. He could hope in the very least, after all if you were going on a journey to save the world holding onto some hope was nessicary to staying sane. Something told him that by the end of this journey he'd need every scrap of sanity in his possession.
He then suddenly saw with a surreal vividness a child. She had clambered up a green covered hill, her blonde hair flowed out behind her, caught the sunlight. White tunic, pants, jacket, all were tinted silver in the sun's light, as was her hair turned gold. She laughed as she ran, oblivious to the dangers around her, discarding her clumsiness in her joy. Though she tripped once she did not alow that to slow her down, she laughed as she ran, laughed as she tripped, determined to get to the top of that hill and to do so with a smile. He moved to go to her, to shadow her, but a hand held him back. He looked down at his sword arm, saw the slender snow hued fingers wrapped around his thick forearm. He allowed his eyes to follow the path of those fingers to a hand, followed that hand to an orange clad shoulder, and went father up until he looked into those calm dark blue eyes. She smiled at him, she who held him back, her slender lips pulled into a smile that caught and lit her eyes.
"Let her go, she wont get hurt."
"As you will."
He rolled his shoulders, and the woman let go of his arm. He didn't have to say anything about how he despised being touched, she wasn't so much of a fool to miss the obvious hints. Sensing his mood she took a step away from him, and he was a little surprised to see disgust on her face. Oblivious to them both the child was on the hill calling out to something that they could not see. What in the names of the higher powers did she think she was doing? She was giving away their location and...
"Don't get too mad at her." The elf grumbled. "She's still a child, let her be that for just a little while longer."
"She demeans what she is with this foolishness."
"No, she enriches it... I know you're going to get very sick and tired of this, but Lloyd once said something to me that I find rather fitting. We all look at her like she's special, like she's devine, and we all forget the most important thing of all. She's still a child, she's still a human, and journey or no nothing is going to change that... In some ways Lloyd is very wise, and I wish that he could have come with us sometimes. He has a way of seeing into things that no one else can, in seeing a straight path when all everyone else sees is tangles. We all thing that the "Chosen" is god touched, is an angel from the day that she is born, and we asked her to be like that... no we forced her. And she isn't and now.. Now I see that, and I think we've all wronged her in making her into something that she isn't. I owe her an apology for that, and allowing her to play a little is part of that apology I owe her. So if you have to grit your teeth, count to ten, or whatever you want, just keep quiet."
He blinked, startled at the woman's observations as much as her order for him to keep quiet. With a growl he shook his head, and watched as the child called out to some unseen person in vain hope of being answered. And even in the sunlight, even in the peace around them there was something so pathetic in the gesture, not childish, but truly tragic. She called out yet no one was there to answer, the even though she was hoping for, her hope in some random fairytale wasn't coming true. No matter her hope it would never come true.
Xxxx xxx xxx xxx
He ran, cried as he ran blindly while the sun was little more then a memory and the cold shards of silver light above illuminate the path around them. Tears blurred the world, the silver lights and the silver highlighted ground were so intermixed that he stumbled no few times. Each miss step he would reach out to grab the ground, and feel with dubious pleasure the sand scrape against his skin like small claws, like small teeth. He was bleeding, and could do nothing about it. Lloyd had been carrying all their supplies and now..
One foot in from of the other, one foot in front of the other, don't remember, don't think!
But he never could stop thinking, it was his way to always think.
Blade slashed though the air, wood clacked against steel, deflected it. With a curse the brown haired swordsman ducked, an arrow whizzed through the air where his head would have been. Genis squeaked, and just like all the times before when he got into a fight he froze. Words of mana lodged in his throat, he couldn't think but he could see. He watched as Lloyd fell to the ground clutching his leg, an arrow glittered in the sunlight, winked with a slyness that was disgusting. Lloyd grimaced, then with trembling hands ripped the arrow out of his thigh with a scream.
"Pathetic, not even worth the arrows to bring him... ack!"
Lloyd blindly lashed out, caught the Desian with the sharp of his blade, and though it was just a wooden sword the man crumpled in half. The other swordsman shook his head, waited as Lloyd using a sword as a prop found his feet, the lone archer grinned, lifted the crossbow with Lloyd in his sights. Lloyd turned, saw the man, and more importantly saw the swordsman eyeing a young child nearby. It was as if Lloyd looked at his enemy and went into the Desian's head and saw what he was thinking.
"Genis, cover me!"
With those last words Lloyd ran at the swordsman, blades flailing through the air with no grace, only stubborn will. Startled the Desian tried to go through with his idea anyway, and Genis saw in horror the man grab that child. The little girl screamed, Genis screamed, and he watched as Lloyd brought his blade down on the man's arm. There was a loud crunch, the Desian sank to his knees howling. A steel sword clattered to the dust ground, a child sobbed out in gratitude then ran.
And the archer, forgotten in the heat of the moment lifted his weapon and fired.
Lloyd fell soundlessly to the dessert floor, his limp body stirred up dust and set it flying in a great cloud. The sound of Lloyd hitting the earth, and the sight of him not moving... Nausea rouse in him, he wanted to puke, to run, but he couldn't. His legs wouldn't stop twitching, if he tried to move he knew he'd just collapse and not get up.
This couldn't be happening, not to Lloyd! Lloyd was always there to protect everyone! He never got hurt, never, this couldn't be happening!
Cold hands descended on his shoulder. They grabbed him, dragged him, even as one Desian came out of nowhere to pick Lloyd up and carry him. A few more were materializing just out of the edge of his vision, slipping from the shadows and the marketplace to take their fallen comrades and drag them off. He numbly followed, whimpered, and quietly cried as he walked and saw the hero of his childhood fallen and slung over a Desian shoulder like some hunters trophy.
"You told me to protect you and I didn't... I didn't... I'm sorry Lloyd I am..."
Noishe stopped walking, turned to face him and then gently licked his cheek, as if to say everything was going to be alright. He then looked around them, at the featureless dunes, and with a sniff he swerved his head around. Seeing something that Genis couldn't even imagine what it was, it all looked the same to him, Noishe turned and started padding off in a new direction. They crested a hill, walking farther and farther away from Triet and back to Iselia, and then he saw it. He froze as he looked down at the camp, his legs buckled from the potent mix of wariness and shock. He hit the sands with a quiet whimper, a whimper that was mimed by Noishe. The dog looked at him, looked to the camp, then gently picked him up by the scruff of his shirt and carried him down the last hill, down to safety.
But was it safe, was there really a safe place at all. In the cold night, so scared and alone Genis didn't know if he'd ever feel safe again.
Xxxx xxx xxx xx xx xxx xx xxx
"Noishe?" Kratos stood, shook off his woolgathering, and looked at the dog in shock. It took him mind a bit to slowly realized what the burden that the dog was carrying in his mouth. "Genis?"
At his cries the tent flap was pulled open, Raine tumbled out, staggered on the sands, and joined him staff drawn. She looked, saw, and the staff fell to the sands. She ran up that hill, took Genis in her arms, and cried.
"Wha..." A yawn, and the sleepy eyed Chosen staggered out of her tent all the while rubbing at her mucked up eyes. She wore a loose pair of sky blue pants and a baggy same hued tunic. "What's going... Noishe... Genis!" Then she made the observation that sent his shocked mind into near turmoil. "Noishe, where's Lloyd!"
Raine mutely carried her brother to the firelight, and it was in that light the full extent of his injuries were revealed. Kratos hissed in sympathy, covered in scrapes, bruised, the young elf had been obviously miss treated by terrain and human hands. Noishe was in better condition, baring only a small scratch on his face. Raine already had emptied her packs, drawn out bandages and medicines and was stooped over her brother applying both in generous amounts. Her brother did not protest, and knowing what he did of boys Kratos took that in as a sign that the boy was greatly hurt.
"Raine... We made it... we're safe..."
"Shh everything's going to be alright Genis." Raine drew him close, held him, and in the arms of his sister the boy lost all control over himself and cried.
A few hours later, with generous healing mana applied Genis sat up and told them everything. Iselia was attacked, nearly destroyed, and he and Lloyd had thrown themselves into the mess trying to save the people. His voice cracked when he spoke of the human woman Marble, and the way he stroked his ex-sphere made Kratos suspect a few things, but he said nothing. He listened to the pronouncement of the mayor of Iselia with a openly disgusted face, and shook his head and growled as Genis spoke of the townspeople who had eagerly fallen in line with the Iselian mayor's pronouncement. Triet, the town's name was greeted with more tears and several hiccuping sobs, and through stammering lips Genis admitted what had happened. The Desian's had taken them, had attacked them, and after an ugly fight had dragged Lloyd off.
"You carried yourselves well for your lack of experience and ill experiences you endured." He told the boy crisply. "But you both should not have done what you did, your actions lead to your Marble's death and your own banishment."
"What were we supposed to do, nothing, just sit back and let them kill her!"
Genis met his gaze and shivered, then crawled to the sanctuary of his sister's arms. As Raine held her brother she looked at him, her eyes unfriendly and accusing. Even Colette would not meet his gaze, she busied herself on the other side of the camp. Noishe growled, then after giving him a flat stare went off with the Chosen
"Genis, what you did..." Kratos swallowed. "It was not morally wrong, but sometimes you must do what is immoral to save the lives of many, the consequences of following justice all the time are heavy, as you have learned."
"It shouldn't have to be like that, the world shouldn't have to be like that..."
"No," Raine held her brother, stroked his hair. "But sometimes it is Genis, I'm so sorry but sometime it is."
Genis only lay in his sister's arms and cried all the more.