Shards of Regneration

by Kasan Soulblade

Religion is a panel of fine stain glass window, but when that glass is broken it is among the shards that you must look. Each shard is a soul, and if you put them all together perhaps the truth will be seen and all illusions lifted.

5. preadventure adventure

A/N: More character development, pre-seal of fire activity. I managed to get the poster and nighttime scenes into the story but couldn't fit in the "hole in the wall" scene... but don't fear I will have it mentioned in some way just not at the moment. This chapter focus' on Lloyd (sorry die hard Kratos fans) and it looks like the bulk of them will be focusing on Lloyd from here on out. Don't worry too much, this wont mean I'll be skimping on other characters in future chapters only that Lloyd's perspective is going to be the main one I use. As always lots of added in scenes, add on to existing scenes, and on not-in-game party. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

"No!" Lloyd crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared.

"Yes."

Raine countered, the spoon still in hand, it hovered right in front of his face and was a thousand times more dangerous then any knife, sword, or spell. The reek from the food, if food was even the right word, was making his eyes water. It was green; the "chicken broth" was green. As long as he'd lived, which wasn't long compared to the professor who was an elf and had probably lived to be a thousand or something, chicken broth was yellow, or orange. Not green. He turned his face, and tried not to breath in the chicken, which smelled strongly of green peppers.

"For the love of all that's holy just take the damned medicine!" Kratos flared, he'd been listening and watching this exchange since suns rising and it was almost noon now, he had tried to slip out earlier in this contest of wills. Raine had icily informed him that no one could leave the inn until Lloyd had eaten the soup. No one else though was hounding him to eat it. Genis was totally sympathetic to Lloyd's stubbornness, he knew his sister's cooking, Colette just didn't get it. At least she didn't until she tried a bite, tasted it herself, than ran to the inns privy chambers to get violently ill.

"No." Lloyd glared at the mercenary now. "I will not eat it, it made Colett-" Lloyd closed his mouth as the professor tried to shove the spoon in his open mouth. "Mummph!" Even lips sealed Lloyd was able to say no, or at least radiate it.

"I wish to go out and purchase supplies, to if nothing else re-stock our water stores. I can not do this if I am trapped in the room all day." Kratos hissed in a dangerous tone. "I can not do anything trapped in a room all day by a man who is acting like a baby and refusing to take his medicine."

"That's not medicine." Genis chuckled. "That's Raine's chicken soup!"

"It's... soup..." Kratos lost some of his anger, looked just a little sympathetic. "Lloyd, just... try to eat it."

"Are you making fun of my cooking Mr. Aurion!" Raine snarled, leaping to her feet and upsetting the bowl. She was ignorant of that fact though, and also ignorant of Lloyd's sigh of relief. The look on her face said louder then words, trained fighter or no Kratos was going to be on the brunt of a Raine Storm.

"I'd start running..." Lloyd hissed to the mercenary.

"Uh oh the Professor's really mad now..." Colette scooted away from Kratos, so not to get in the way of Raine's rage filled glare.

Kratos rolled his eyes, indicating that he figured he was safe from Raine's anger. Catching the gesture, remembering his own same gesture the first time he's incurred Raine's wraith, Lloyd chuckled.

"It was nice knowing you Kratos." Genis quipped. "Should we bury you outside or right here in the room?"

Raine turned on him and smacked the small elf firmly for his sarcasm. At that sound Kratos flinched and looked just a tad uncertain of himself. His gloved hand drifted to the hilt of his weapon, and he eyed the elf woman wearily. Raine stomped towards the mercenary, staff in hand. Slowly Genis crept to Lloyd's bedside, five gald in hand.

"Five says he gets away." It was a mere whisper.

"Five says he gets Raine'd" Lloyd countered, placing five of his gald in the elf's hand.

"Winnings after Dinner?"

"Yeah..."

Kratos stood, shoved the chair out behind him, his sword was whistling out of it's sheath. He wasn't fast enough; Raine smacked the sword hand with her staff.

"Spank or kick?"

Lloyd considered Kratos who was rubbing a bruised hand, then considered Raine's stance.

"Spank, ten gald on spank."

"Ten on kick."

Both boys winced as Kratos was Genis smacked for as Raine put it for "foul language". Snarling another profanity Kratos looked like he was going to draw a dagger from his belt. No such luck, a sharp tug on that unruly hair caused the mercenary to stoop forward with a yalp. Spanking soon followed. Yalping in pain Kratos tried to fight, to break free of Raine's grip, but Raine was experienced. She'd done this to Lloyd often enough to know how to keep a swordsman pinned down, and really the mercenary wasn't all that much bigger then Lloyd. Genis covered his eyes, but could not shut out his ears as the sounds continued.

Raine stormed out of the room, leaving a bruised and dazed Kratos on the floor. Colette went to him, helped him to his feet, and then offered him a chair. A long time veteran of Raine's anger Lloyd shooed Colette out of the room and Genis left with her. Both men regarded each other, this time the elder was the one in an uncomfortable position.

"Don't sit." Lloyd suggested. "And don't ever talk to the professor when she's worried about someone, ever... Or that'll happen a ton. I swear every time Genis got sick I learned that ditching class those days was safest."

Kratos only rubbed his behind, looked chagrined, and muttered a few words under his breath.

"Iselian saying number twenty one, "No one lives through a Raine-y season."

"When does... the stinging die down." Kratos muttered his face a bright red.

"An hour, until then don't walk or sit, just stand if you can."

"You're experienced in this?"

"Very..." Lloyd shuddered and for once Kratos did not press him for information, only was content to sit and wallow in his pains. Lloyd shifted in his blankets, he really wanted to get out but with Raine making him eat that horrid food before he had been allowed to leave Lloyd had voted to stay inside. Things had built up to this point, had turned into this confrontation, and Kratos just happened to fall into the cross fire. "I'm sorry, it was my fault, but I couldn't... the food..." He shuddered and Kratos nodded his understanding.

"How does one go about avoiding these flashes of temper?"

"Never let Raine cook... anything, ever. And if she does say you're fasting or something." Lloyd grimaced. "I was just unlucky, I couldn't get away."

"I will remember that... an hour hmm." Kratos winced in pain. "Longest hour in my life by the looks of it."

"Oh yeah, Raine Hours are horrid long hours."

"Do you Iseilan people have any more of these obscure saying that might be helpful to know?"

"Raine Hours, the hours your in pain after being Raine'd. Raine'd what you just went through. Colette-step, to trip. Genis wit, very fast or smart. Noishe'd, when Noishe pounces you. Lloyd moment.. Is... ahh never mind that's not important."

Lloyd moment is?" Kratos' eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Ahh when you lose you train of thought, forget..." Kratos favored him with a pitying look. "Hey I don't have the world longest attention span OK!"

The look if nothing else deepened.

"Stop that... Gods you make me feel this big you know that." Lloyd pinched two fingers together.

"As you will..."

"I swear we're going to make some saying about you sometime." Lloyd grumbled into his pillow. "Well now that Raine's not going to be feeding me anymore I guess we could slip out..."

"You are still hurt, and I am as well."

"Aww come on, Raine wont even notice that we're gone!"

"And if she does?"

"We get Raine'd I guess..."

"No," Kratos glared at Lloyd's puppy eyes. "I will not all but sign myself up for another dose of this."

"Fine." Lloyd kicked off the blankets, after being healed and doctored so much he only felt a little weak and sported only a handful of singe marks, he'd be fine for a bit of exploring. "I'll go then, see you when I get back!"

"Wait, if you go and I'm here and she comes in..."

"Yep, you get Raine'd again, see you later Kratos." With an evil grin Lloyd went for the door, and left the helpless mercenary to gap after him. "Have fun with Raine!"

"You boy are dead when you get back, if Raine doesn't kill you I will."

"Big threat from the guy who can't move!" Lloyd laughed and ran out of the room, leaving a fuming Kratos far behind.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

Lloyd stood in the shadows of the inn, to stay out of the blasting sun. He waited by one of the inn's windows, when a strand of spiky silver hair strolled by, just barely peaking over the window frame, Lloyd gathered his courage and opened his mouth praying that it was not Raine…

"Genis!"

"Lloyd what are y-"

"Shh!" Lloyd glanced around nervously. "Is the Professor near?"

"No, she's in her room making another batch of... It..."

"Great!" Lloyd grinned. "She can feed it to Kratos, come on let's go!"

"Go?"

"I'll meet you at Noishe's stable. Hurry up!"

"Al... alright..."

Lloyd went to his hiding spot. Noishe seemed a little annoyed when his 'master' lightly vaulted over the 'door' of his room and slipped into the shadows like an over melo-dramatic spy. Grinning ear to ear Lloyd reached out, scritched his dog's green tuft of fur and the annoyed look went away. Tail slapping against one of the walls with a wild beat Noishe closed his eyes and lolled his bright red tongue.

"Hey Noshy, up to some adventure?"

"Bark!"

The tail wagged madly, and those dark brown eyes met his own and that huge head bobbed up and down.

"And Genis says you're dumb, heck I bet you're smarter then Raine."

One bright human eye that peaked out from the doggish face closed in a wink.

Footsteps crunched against sand, Lloyd paled, ducked behind his massive dog, and a familiar spiky patch of silver hair peaked up from the stable's door. Grinning from ear to ear Lloyd slipped up as quietly as he could to the door, sparing only one second to turn to Noishe and put his fingers to his lips and toss a wink. When the tentative calls of his name stopped and ten small digits wrapped around the highest plank of wood that served as part of Noishe's door, Lloyd hopped up with a loud 'boo!'. Squeaking Genis fell down and with a good natured chuckled the swordsman pulled his young friend up.

"Hey, you took way too long to get out here and I got bored so..." Lloyd was still grinning, and maybe he deserved to grin at this. It was probably one out of a hundred attempts that he managed to succeed in shocking the normally unflappable composed elf.

"Lloyd!" Genis gasped, than he too began to laugh. "What did you do to Kratos, he was yelling that he was going to kill you and he was being really graphic about how he was going to do it, especially after Raine stormed into your rooms wanting to have a talk with you and give you another batch of soup."

"Did she Raine him?"
"Yeah, kicked him this time, or rather tried. He wasn't standing for it though and blocked her hit. You should have seen it, it was great!" Genis laughed. "He Raine'd her... nah that doesn't sound right... he 'counter Raine'd' her. He blocked everything she threw at him then told Raine that you had slipped out and that he couldn't stop you because of what condition she had put him in. Now they are both looking for you. You are in so much trouble when you get caught Lloyd."

"Yeah," Lloyd laughed. "Well then I guess I can't get caught huh?"

"Bark!" Noishe rolled his eyes.

"You're going to have to come back sometime, they have to realize that eventually."

"Well then," Lloyd grinned, striking his dad's 'idea' pose. "Since I'm already in so much trouble how 'bout we avoid them for as long as we can?"

"You're only going to make them even madder if you stay away for a long time." Genis pointed out.

"Yeah but I'll get to have some fun before I get in trouble, wanna come along?"

"I should say no, I should turn you in to Raine..." Genis dropped his serious pose and smiled. "But nah, I want to see the market place and local library, if they have one."

"Man... the library... Oh well anything's better then that room... and that soup, after we're done there wanna go to the weapons shop?"

"Sure!" Genis chirped.

"Alright, come on Noishe, no way I'm leaving you behind, I bet you're even more bored then me huh?"

"Bark!"

Noishe couldn't smile, he was a dog after all, but he could get close to it sometimes. Now was one of those times.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

"I can't believe this!" Raine fumed, staring at the pen where Noishe had been. The boys had taken there dog with them on their little attempt to run away.

"They are just being immature children." Kratos sighed. "As I've said before they are not up to this, this is only more proof for that argument."

"Mr. Kratos, Professor, what's going on?"

Colette called to them; walking through the open door they could only see the top of her golden head. Kratos sighed, left Noishe's empty stall and went to the rail and looked down. Colette looked up to him, blue eyes wide in concern. Strangely the door was not level with the ground; a pit had been dug into the earth, a decent sized one that one must descend to get to the door. Stairs had been put in to make that easier, and the close walls had prevented any miss steps on Colette's part, or rather they had allowed Colette to catch herself before those missteps had done any damage.

"Chosen, your two friends..."A hot wind stirred his hair, made it fall into his eyes and mask his face, he absently pulled it out of the way so that he could better see her reaction. "They have disappeared."

"What? Did they take Noshy?"

A strange reaction from a girl who was so close to her friends, Kratos frowned, suspicion built in him.

"Yes, they did."

"Oh, then they're fine, they just went out."

"Colette." Raine joined Kratos, looked down on the Chosen who was going back to the inn. At the sound of her name she stopped, turned to her mentor. "Colette did they tell you where they were going?"

"Yep, don't worry they're fine, and Noishe will protect them if anything bad happens!"

"Colette where did they go?"

"I'm sorry professor I can't tell you."

"Why can't you tell us?" Kratos tried a different track, hoping it would gather some information.

"It's a surprise, for the professor's b- umm I mean, I just can't I'm sorry..."

"My birthday," Raine turned a shade of red, her anger forgotten. "Genis and Lloyd are getting something for my birthday?"

"Umm well Genis is... Lloyd's done making yours... oops...I shouldn't have said that!"

"I... don't know whether to be flattered or angry at the fact that they went to the trouble of doing this." Raine muttered to herself. "Well let's go then."

"Go... where Professor?" Colette looked up to her teacher in confusion.

"To find them of course."

"What you really mean." Kratos said, arms crossed over his chest. "Is that you wish to snoop and find out what they are getting you."
"I mean what I said Mr. Aurion, you can think whatever you want."

"I will do that." Kratos countered, tugging on the edge of one of his shoulder pads. "Why does this Regenerations Journey seem to stray off of it's course every other second?"

"Because we are real people Mr. Aruion, with real dreams, hopes, amusements, and purposes that don't go along with your wishes to get this over with. We don't see this as... as I don't even know what you consider this... but whatever it is in your mind it means much more to us." Raine shifted a bit protectively to Colette and it seemed as if her pupil's gaze carried the same message as Raine's words did. "Now Colette dear, do you want to come along? I almost made you come along without asking."

"I can come really? I wanted to see more of Triet Professor!"

"Well now you can, come on." Raine grinned, taking almost as much amusement from her pupil's enthusiasm as she was in Kratos' discomfiture. "I've heard there is a ribbon merchant of great skill here."

"Oh ribbons!" Colette squeaked, looking like a girl given a promised candy treat. "Can we see the merchant, maybe even buy some ribbons? That'd be fun."

"Ribbons…" Kratos muttered, grimacing. "Well if we want to get this foolishness over with we should head out now."

"You Mr. Aurion don't need to come along." Raine snapped; glaring at the mercenary. Kratos coldly returned the gesture and the air seemed to crackle between them.

"Professor… come on let's go!" Colette gently tugged on her mentor's arm.

"Go on ahead dear; I'll be by in a second."

"Alright."

Raine took a step away from the mercenary, suddenly unnerved by the man. She hated talking to him, his silence and brooding eyes were enough to make her skin crawl. He represented an unknown a mystery, and one that she knew was dangerous. He said nothing, only glared at her, did not complain of the heat, he did not look around them with any interest. It was as if any sense of curiosity and life had been stamped out of him. He could have been made of ice, or had ice in his veins. For all she knew he did.

"Mr. Aurion I would greatly appreciate it if you would discard the attitude. I don't particularly care about your past." No mater how sad it is. "I don't care about whatever pains you cling to that make you as you are. What I do care about is that your attitudes may hurt the children under my protection. My protection Mr. Aurion, not yours, you weren't original going to be sent on this little excursion and it was only because Colette said that she liked you that you got to go." She had the pleasure of seeing start in shock. "Keep that in mind Mr. Aurion and all it means, and also know I have the authority to dismiss you from this job with no pay. You were hired to keep Colette safe, not to bully her into doing this trip as fast as she can, not to harass Lloyd, or to snipe at Genis. Do you understand me?"

His eyes narrowed and he nodded.

"Good, because I will not bother to repeat myself." Satisfied Raine turned on her heel and joined Colette, she was surprised to see the mercenary followed a few steps behind.

She was even more surprised when he opened his mouth and spoke to Colette in such a gentle tone; it was as if he had been around children his whole life. As he coolly inquired Colette if she preferred to browse all the shops or only those holding a certain type of merchandise Raine reached out and leaned on a wall to steady herself. This was not expected, and she looked at him expecting an act... and what shook her even more was the fact that it wasn't an act, as far as she could tell. While obviously not enthusiastic about shopping with two woman Kratos seemed to have in ten seconds picked up the basics of being human.

For once in her life she was shocked, dazed, and allowed an enthusiastic Colette to drag her to the first of the stalls.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

"Lloyd... I hate to say this but I'm getting bored."

"I'm sorry they didn't have a library Genis, but they did have a book shop."

"Yeah I know."

Genis smiled, his pack filled with books and notes. They'd gone to the restaurant to eat a bit and realizing they didn't have enough gald to pay for anything they'd decided to leave. Genis inspired on how Lloyd had gotten him a discount on his new kendama by talking to the blacksmith decided that he wanted to talk to the cook. They'd swap recipes, talked shop, gripped about people who had "no taste for fine food" all the while catering to customers and offering them food with a smile. Seeing the man didn't have help in the back and a large number of customers coming in Lloyd and Genis decided they should follow the dwaren vow about helping others. Genis had squeaked behind the counter, scrambled around the kitchen and worked alongside the chief while Lloyd had run out among the customers getting them seated and passing out orders of food. Noishe had even had a set of trays strapped to him, and the novel of having a tame green wolf bring you your food brought even more people in. They'd worked like that for a few hours, and while hectic it was… well it was fun.

During a long lull they were given a meal and while eating with the chief in his bulbous white had and garb had spent a good hour or so just talking. That had been fun, and out of gratitude they were given that free meal and a decent payment for their services.

"I wonder if after we're done if I should come back, just to visit that man."
"He was nice." Lloyd admitted, absently draping a hand over Noishe's shoulder. "Are you going to um apprentice with him?"

"No," Genis shook his head. "There's a school, a big school in PalmaCosta, I want to see if I can apply to study there."

"Ap-lie? Sounds like apple…"

"So I can learn there!" Genis flared, than sighed. "I'm sorry Lloyd, even thinking about it kind of makes me scared, it's the best school in the world and…"

"It makes you nervous and you get a little scared because it's the best right, and when your stomachs all knotted you get this sick feeling and it kind of makes you crabby?" Lloyd smiled. "I know the feeling; don't worry about it so much. I know you'll get in." Lloyd suddenly laughed. "Can you see me applying? Shesh I'd get a two or something on the test!"

"Provided you stay awake for the whole test!" Genis teased and Lloyd laughed.

"Oh yeah, paper and desk is the best pillow ever! You should try it sometime!"

"I like to stay in one piece so I'll skip the "Raine'ing"."

"Unlike me huh, since I'm always "Raine'd" on? Speaking of Raine I was thinking, you know that Kratos guy?"

"Who'd forget him?" Genis grimaced. "He's a jerk just like you said. Mr. stone face, Master swordsman and unfriendly jack-a-"

"Wha- Oh shit, it's them!" Raine, Colette, and Kratos strolled out from behind a stall. They hadn't seen them yet, but were headed their way. "There!" Lloyd pointed to an empty stall and grabbing Genis by the seat of his pants threw the young elf over the side and leapt over. Noishe whined, milled about, and Lloyd's frantic hissing of the word "shoo" weren't helping the dog hide himself.

"Oh look Professor Raine, its Noishe!"

"Life flashing before my eyes…" Genis whispered.

"Shh!" Lloyd clapped a hand over his friend's mouth and lay down in the concealing shadows.

"Oh Noshy! We were so worried!" From his position Lloyd could see Noishe's booted paws and a pair of white shoes. "I bet you want to go back to that nice comfy stable don't you?"

"Whine…" Noishe inserted a 'no I don't' note into the sound.

"And where Noishe is Lloyd is never far behind." Came a dry voice that had 'punishment is coming' laced all through it. "Lloyd, we know you're here, come out, right now!"
Lloyd held his breath as the professor's boots padded into his range of sight. He watched as her boots, and presumably her, drifted from each empty stall and even went up to some empty crates and gave them a firm smack from her staff.

"You know professor maybe Noishe got out on his on and Lloyd and Genis are looking or him."

"Bark, bark, whine!"

"Isn't that cute professor? Noshy's trying to talk!"

"Adorable." Came a cold ice flecked voice that set both boys to shaking. "Where are they dog?"

"Whine?"

"Mr. Aurion, just because he can act intelligent doesn't mean that he is. Lloyd's just taught him to act and respond when people talk, a fancy trick but noting more then that."

"Whine…" Noishe sounded a bit hurt over that.

"You hurt Noshy's feelings professor!"

There was a sigh.

"I'm sorry Noishe will you forgive me?"

"Bark!" A wet sound told Lloyd that Noishe had licked the professor.

Noishe was now, in Lloyd and Genis' minds, the bravest person in all of Sylvarant.

"You... I… don't ever do that again!" Raine screeched.

"Good dog." Kratos' voice was a mere whisper; Lloyd doubted that anyone but Genis and him head it. Clearing his throat the mercenary's boots fell on the edge of Lloyd's vision, little more then a black smudge. "We should head back; I imagine that they'll be at the inn by now, if not then they should be on their way." A hand, pale, gloved in black, calmly draped over the edge of their stall.

Lloyd's heart hammered in his chest, Kratos knew where they were, he knew and all he had to do was to say one word and…

"They better be…" Raine grumbled. "We've been looking for hours."

"And I imagine your shopping was merely a side activity in your diligent search?" The irony in the mercenary's tone made Lloyd wince.

"There's a saying in Iselia, have you heard of the term Raine' Storm before?"
"Yes, I am acquainted with it." Kratos' voice was calm. "Are you familiar of the term 'disembowelment'?" They all heard his hand as it patted the metal sheath at his side. "If not you will become 'personally' familiar with it if you ever attack me again."

A long pause followed that, a very long span of time in which Lloyd could have sworn his heart stopped. No one in their right mind ever challenged the professor.

"I am not your pupil, I am not a child, do not ever think you have the right to treat me like either one."

Noishe managed to whistle between his teeth, Lloyd knew it was Noishe because besides Lloyd Noishe was the only one who could.

"I... I think I'm going to take Noishe to the inn and go to sleep…" Colette whispered; Colette and Noishe disappeared from Lloyd's limited range of vision.

Lloyd suddenly had his own problem; Genis twitched and started to squirm in his grip. Obviously wanting a piece of Kratos' hide because he had just "diss"ed Raine.

"Did you forget what I told you, about the fact that I can and will terminate your contract if I see it fit?"

"I am well aware of that." The hand over the stall clenched and Lloyd had the dubious pleasure of watching the knuckles pale. "I have treated with you with respect suited to your station and skill base Ms. Sage, but I want you to understand something very clearly. I will not tolerate any disrespect from you nor do I expect you to tolerate any from me. You have been treating me as a child and I thought this the best means to bring you up short." Kratos' hand tightened, and Lloyd could almost hear the wood snap under the mercenary's grip. "If you ever do so again, if you ever dare lay hand on me as a form of discipline and there for demean me I will strike back. Know I will not take any pains to warn you if you look like you are going to step out of line, and I will not use the flat of my blade to defend myself. We are adults Ms. Sage; discussion should be the means of communication not fists, but I that's how you want it I will comply. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes," Raine's voice was filled with suppressed anger. "And understand this, if you don't prove to be as useful as you are boasting by the time we get to the seal of fire you best consider yourself dismissed."

"Pathetic," Kratos spat. "You'd allow such a thing as personal feelings lower the chance of this worlds Regeneration. My God woman who's going to take my place? Lloyd? He's not even an apprentice swordsman and your younger brother… While I'll admit he has some potential he isn't skilled enough to be any use right now."

"If I allowed something like personal feelings to control my feelings Mr. Auion I would dismiss you right now without even giving you a chance. As for Lloyd and my brother I would say put together they would be your equal, at least by my reckoning."

The wood finally snapped under the mercenary's grip, it did so with a terrible sound that set chills running down Lloyd's back.

"This world is more then just our petty anger Ms. Sage. The regeneration of this world is more then ourselves, and should be worth at the very least for us to set aside out issues and work together."

"It is that's why you're getting a chance." Raine sounded scared, and Lloyd didn't blame her.

"Then I won't fail you in that." Kratos broke the wood into smaller pieces, each crunch made Genis shiver so violently that Lloyd started to shake in response. "Our purpose is to see to her safety, to take care of her physically. That's it." Kratos' voice was soft. "To form any other attachments might very well be dangerous…"

"Having emotions and feelings Mr. Aurion is the most dangerous thing of all." Raine countered, her voice losing its anger. "Attachments… as you called it; we need those, just to stay sane."

"You might actually be decent company when you aren't treating the world like it's your classroom and that every other person besides those you are personally acquainted with is a bad student." Kratos noted. "I sincerely hope that I pass this test of yours."

Raine said nothing only walked of. Kratos waited a few moments, then turned and looked in the stall. He picked both boys out of the shadows with expert eyes and made a slight beckoning gesture. They both scrambled from behind the booth, torn with fear, dread, and in anger.

"Get out of here both of you." Kratos snapped. "If you aren't at the inn when she gets back she'll skin you both alive. Cut behind those booths, follow the side street, it should be the fifth building to your right."

Both boys fled.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

"I'll never get that guy figured." Lloyd panted to Genis as they sank down on the bed in Lloyd and Kratos' room. "First he yells a Raine, turns it around so she agrees with him, yaps about discipline, and then lets us go and get more or less off the hook."

"He's a jerk Lloyd, he said all those things to Raine that weren't true!" Genis snapped, the effect was dampened due to his panting.

"Was it all lies, really? I mean your sister can be a bit nasty to strangers."

"She has her reasons!" Genis countered.

"Yeah, I'm not taking his side all right? Stop acting like I am… He was a jerk to her; he went totally over the line…" Lloyd closed his eyes. "You know what, I think he kind of deserves something for being that nasty, and I think I have it." Lloyd grinned. "Heh, let's wait to initiate him in the Order for a whole day, starting tomorrow."
"A whole day? Isn't that a little harsh?" Genis gasped.

"Not as harsh as he was to Raine."

Genis thought it over then grinned.

"I like it!"

"Great, I'll tip off Colette and we'll set up a stash tonight, code S?"

"Yeah, code S, and code T if S doesn't work."

Genis chuckled, should we prompt Raine, you know say that we want…"

"No, no green peppers! I'm not applying for that!"

"Lloyd, applying doesn't go in a sentence like that."

"Whatever. You better go back to your room; I've hidden Raine's present in those packs." Lloyd gestured at the packs, his and Kratos' were so close and all their stuff so mixed up Lloyd couldn't say whose he honestly put the gift in. "And mines hidden at the bottom of my packs with Colette's present."

"I don't wanna move, I'm too tired."

Genis whined, lapsing into what was known as a Lloyd moment. Lloyd smacked his friend with a pillow in a valiant attempt to get him to move. Genis just closed his eyes, after being smack by Raine for years being hit by a pillow was nothing.

Through the open window voices drifted in.

"Oh Noshy your little boot fell of!"

"Whine…"

"I swear if he weren't a dog I'd say does it on purpose."

Genis was already on his feet, running for the door with a speed that fear only enhanced.

And now it comes, the wraith of Raine…

Closing his eyes Lloyd replayed the experiences at the restaurant, at the weapons store, and the quest for the elusive and none existent library. He weighed that against the punishment he was going to receive.

It was worth it he decided with a smile, well worth it.
Xxx xxx xxx xxx

""Don't move, don't sit, do nothing." That is what you told me if I recall."

"Stop laughing at me!" Lloyd flared, rubbing his rear. "Oww… what'd I ever do?"

"You ran out when you should have spent the day in bed. And do I look like I'm laughing?"

"Yeah, you're laughing with your eyes, this hurts."

"You got off rather lightly considering what I went through."

"Yeah... I guess you can say that." Lloyd grinned at the mercenary, had the pleasure of seeing the man frown in confusion.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothin' Ouch, pain…" Lloyd shifted in his seat, and finally ordered himself to work on the small band of metal on his desk. Picking up a small rod with a pointed tip Lloyd scrapped at the band, rolled it over in his hands and considered the runes. All the while Kratos watched him with an open interest.

"Are you sure you know what you are doing? If you make even the slightest error it could be dangerous."

"I know, you've said that like twenty times. First, I know what I'm doing, I've done this since I was old enough to hold one of these steady." Lloyd waved the hand with the caring tool in it. "Second I have these." He pointed to the pages of notes in dwarvish. "Now if you'd mind, this takes concentration…"

Kratos only fell silent but continued to stand and stare for another hour.

"You read dwarvish?" Kratos asked at last, as Lloyd set aside the rod and breathed on the metal to make the residue of his carving come free.

"My dad's a dwarf, so yeah, I do. And they call it Orishream, not dwarvish. Calling it dwarvish is an insult, because the word "dwarf" in Orishream Lungem is an insult. It's just tolerated because human's are supposedly not smart enough to know the right form of address."

"You sound like you know more then just the language." Kratos commented, leaning against the wall and continuing his one sided staring contest.

"Oh come on, I told you I was raised by Dirk. You think he'd not teach me the language and customs of his people."

"His people?" Kratos asked eyes intent.
"I'm a human, not a dwarf. Dad tried to raise me as a dwarf and we both realized that I wasn't a dwarf. I'm not a dwarf in just in how I look, but how I think, how I act. I'm not as… Dad called it 'earthy' once, as a real dwarf." Lloyd smiled a pained little smile. "'You got too much fire in you boy, too much wildness in you to be a real dwarf. You're stubborn, but not in the steady way I am, even when you're butting that thick skull against a wall you're still trying to see the other side, to peer around and look for a corner. You ask too many questions; don't leave what is as is. You forge answers out of moonlight and star shine and take them as real and make them real.'" Lloyd chuckled, picked up the rod, and went back to work.

Kratos said nothing, moved a bit closer, and set his hand on Lloyd's shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to learn that."

Lloyd blinked, totally shocked by the mercenary's understanding, and open show of sympathy.

"Yeah… well that's how life is I guess. I still love him, he's my Dad, it just hurts sometimes that we aren't… that there is this thing that keeps us separate." Lloyd chuckled, ordered the stinging in his eyes to go somewhere else. "Hey could you pick us up a bite of dinner or something while I work on this? Carving always makes me hungry."

"Of course," Kratos took the hint and let go of Lloyd's shoulder. "Anything you want in particular?"

"Nothing with green peppers or tomatoes, I hate green peppers and tomatoes. Oh, and lots or whatever you get, I'm starved."

"Something with lots of green peppers, and tomatoes, I'll see what I can do."

"Hey, I did not say that!" Lloyd turned, but it was too late, Kratos was out the door. "Man, I don't know if he thinks he's being funny or if he misheard me. Must of been the hearing, after all the guys like thirty something? That's pretty old, right? Hearing goes at thirty-ish… Oh well, whatever, if he does Noishe can have my supper."

Scanning his notes Lloyd found the proper description of how the last rune was supposed to go, and got to work on it.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

"Are you aware of what time it is?" The chief groused, he was not exactly thrilled at having been woken to feed a client. A client who should have been in bed like most of the other people in Triet were.

"I am aware of the hour, yes. Are you aware I am the client who ordered three suit rooms and provided your employer with more money then he has seen in the last few years? If not then allow me to make a complaint about your attitude and you can become pointedly aware of what not having a source of income is like."
"Fine fine… What did you want?"

Kratos calmly scanned the menu, picked something for himself and Lloyd and told the man. A knock on the door frame made the mercenary start, his hand snapped over the hilt of his sword. The door to the commen room, little more then a basement sporting stove and a few benches and tables creaked, opened. With a yawn Colette slipped into the room, dressed in a robe of palest white.

"'ello Mr. Kratos. Hi Mr. Cook. Are you still making food?"

"Yes." The man physically stopped breathing as he stared at the Chosen One, the child who was the embodiment of his faith. "How may I help you?"

Colette pulled a list from her pocket, than read off the rather long slip of paper.

"Who all are you feeding Chosen? The whole inn?" Kratos was shocked by the quantity of items on her list.

"Nope, just me, Genis, Raine, Noshy, and Lloyd. We're going to have a little party in Noshy's room."

"Oh well that's nice." Kratos seethed, having been thrown out so that Lloyd could yet again slip off.

Only the cook seemed to pick up on his anger, for the man took a few steps away. Colette just smiled at him.

"Isn't it, it was all Genis' idea! He's so smart! You can come to if you want!"

"No, I'd rather not." Kratos managed to suppress his anger and frustration. "I'm not one who takes enjoyment in parties."

"Please?"

He mutely shook his head.

"Alright, but are you sure, what are you going to do?"

"Train I guess…" Kratos shrugged, managed to mask his response to a suspicious stabbing pain that struck him in the chest. "I'll entertain myself. There are probably some books in my pack that I can brush up on."

"Oh…" Colette seemed disappointed, what did she expect him to do, actually join them? She was grossly over optimistic if she thought a please would win him over to spend the evening in foolishness. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Kratos asked. He turned to the chief; his gaze was enough to encourage the man to get to work.
"For bothering you." Colette sat at a bench and Kratos remained standing despite her mute offer for him to join her. "I do that a lot I guess."

He grimaced, looked to the fire that was cooking their food.

"Don't be Chosen One, it's not a bother."

The fire flickered and he turned to her to see her expression. She didn't believe him. She thought she was a bother to him. It was another rift, another gap, which would keep her from trusting him.

Whatever god of fate set me up for this has a nasty sense of humor. I'm as suited for this job as a rock is for flying.

"Are you sure? Won't you get lonely?"

"I'm never lonely Chosen; I'm one of those men who are best suited for spending the bulk of his time alone."

He said nothing more, nor did she, and having nothing to say to each other they both watched with little interest as the chief went on with his work.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

Someone knocked on the door, looking up from his work Lloyd shrugged. Probably just someone realizing they had the wrong room or something. He squinted at the runes he put in the metal, and smiled. Finishing the tail of the symbol for protection Lloyd under scored it with three zig-zag lines as the notes indicated was proper and breathed the last of the shavings away.

"And done!"

The knocking made him hop in surprise and almost drop Raine's key crest. He'd felt kind of weird about working on what had been a Desian's key crest but he'd been able to forget for a little while. Now totally jarred back to reality Lloyd felt a little sick handling it. He set it and his tools on the table and brushed his hands off on the front of his tunic.

"Come in!" Lloyd yelled at the person on the other side.

"Lloyd?" Colette poked her head in. "Hi, you're up too? Great! Everyone else is up and we decided to have a little party, do you want to come?"

"A party!" Lloyd all but popped out of his chair. "Where, when, and who beat me to that idea?"

"Genis." Colette smiled, just happy to see him happy.

"Genis, well then it's not that bad, still I probably should of thought of it first. So's everyone coming?"

"Mr. Kratos said he couldn't, he had something to do."

"Oh, too bad. I better leave him a note telling him I went… nah forget it, let's go!"

"All right!" Colette giggled. "Let's go. Raine and Genis already picked up the food so all we have to do is go to Noishe's room!"

"That's great Colette." Lloyd fumbled with his swords, decided to leave them since after all it was a party and not some really dangerous outing. "give me a second…" Lloyd fought with his sheathes, unhooked them from his belt, and leaned them against the wall. "Alright, ready to go, he I'll race you outside!"

With a squeak Colette dashed for the exit, Lloyd right behind her.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

(Spoilers look for next set of X's if you haven' finished the game)

So he hadn't known… Kratos closed his eyes as he re-entered the room where the two children had been talking only a little while ago. By her words and his actions Lloyd had not known, and he had based his decision on a thought that was not accurate.

Yet another mistake out of a string of so many.

Kratos closed his eyes as bitterness welled up in him.

Yet really what was the point? It wasn't as if he lied to the child, he did not like parties, did not enjoy celebrations of any ilk. They seemed hollow, meaningless. But then so did everything else. He walked across the room, shed his sparrow tail cloak and let it fall to the earth behind him. He didn't quite care to be tidy at the moment, didn't care for anything right now.

He landed on the bed with a drama ill suited him. Normally he'd have eased himself down with care, if nothing else with care for his sword. He didn't care though, so he stared listlessly at the darkness. Moonlight spilled from the room's sole window; fell on the lone wooden blade that had been so carelessly left behind.

Stupid, stupid boy, what if you are attacked? You don't have any means to defend yourself.

Not that that… toy would do much good in that regard.

Pathetic, why should I care, why should I even bother to worry?

Yet he was, he was worrying, worrying and playing the improbable situations that could occur to disrupt that little party over and over in his head.
"Damn it!" He rolled over, felt his sword's hilt digging into a very uncomfortable spot and flopped about until he was on his back. His sword was draped over his belly, resting on him, cold unfamiliar. The sword's touch was a poor substitute or the touch of a living hand, of a child eagerly hopping up and down on him demanding attention and love.

"They are dead!" He snarled, closing his eyes, forcing the pain down. "They are dead and nothing will bring them back!"

Yet did the dead look at him in respect? Did the dead occasionally challenge his authority and constantly try his nerves with their gross immaturity?

"They are dead, I can not hope, or even day dream other wise."

Because the implications of that thought being true despite his wishes for it to be false were too horrible to bear.

Laughter drifted out from the window, he put a pillow over his head and tried to drown it out. No such luck his ears were too sharp for that.

"It was not my idea!"

"Oh yes it was… do you think I'd even say 'glue submerged under water would not dissolve' I don't even know what two of those words mean!"

"Lloyd, you should take your studies a little more seriously, am I the only one who finds this even remotely distressing?"

"Wha? Diss-tostin'?"

Colette and Genis' laughter cut through the night air and he heard Raine sigh.

"You are so sophomoric Lloyd, but not exactly in a bad way." Raine chuckled. "Let me guess, you don't know what that means either?"

"Hey, I know what distressing means; I was just making a joke. Sheesh Professor you take me too seriously sometimes."

"And yet you gripe at me when I don't take you seriously enough." Raine countered with a chuckle.

"Oww.. why don't you smack me and just finish me off?"

"Oh alrght…"

"No, ahh, I didn't mean it…help!" There was a loud splash and a bit of sputtering. "Aw man, no fair using Noishe' bowl to soak me!"

"Who made up these rules?"
"I did…"

"Wrong answer." Raine had adopted her 'teachers' voice. "Genis could you answer the question?"

"Of course Sis. Lloyd when Raine answers 'who made up these rules' you say 'it doesn't mater because if it doesn't go with what you think I will be smacked, so there fore your rules are my rules oh great and powerful teach-' Ouch!"

Lloyd laughed, and after a bit of sloshing around in Noishe's 'water dish' finally fought his way out.

"Sorry Noshy I didn't mean to land there, you want some more water?"

"Ha you do call him Noshy!"

"Do not!"

"Do too! You just did!"

"So what if I do! He doesn't care!"

"Bark!"

"You do? Well sorry Noishe. Hey, no, bad dog!"

There was another splash and another sound of someone struggling out of water.

"I think he wants more water Lloyd." Colette offered cheerfully.

"Ungg… what he wants is a deathbed. You dunk me again Noishe and you wont be getting another supper like tonight's for a long long time."

"Whine!"

"Heh, stomach's where your heart isn't it boy?"

"Growl!"

"Hey, don't give me any attitude, I'm being nice here!"

"Bark!"

"No you aren't!" Genis chirped.

"Am too!"

"Are or are not, I know one thing..." Genis said with an evil note in his voice. "There's a certain picture of you floating around that makes you look like a..."

"Don't you dare!"

"Dare what? Do you have a picture of Lloyd Genis?" Colette asked, from her tone she was quite eager to see that picture.

"Yep, here you go Colette!"

"No, you double crossing-"

"Ahh take it Colette hurry!" There was the rustle of paper, a wail and a thud. "Ow, no fair tackling me! Give it back!"

"No way, it's my picture and... Professor!"

"I want to see this, since you've roused my curiosity." Paper was again rustled. " Oh... oh my..."

"Hee hee looks horrible doesn't it?"

"Well yes, I mean no.. I mean... The artist's skill is certainly in a great deal of doubt isn't it?"

"I think it's accurate!" Genis chirped. "Come on you can see it's him, you can tell it's him, and it's not all that hard so the artist's skill can't be in all that much doubt can it?"

"Well..." Raine hesitated.

"Professor, that does not look like me, I don't look that bad... do I?"

"No." Genis said in a false conciliatory tone. "No you look... worse! Hey ow! Put me down! Ack!"

"Lloyd that's enough." Raine chuckled. "Settle down you two, and Lloyd don't put him down in the traw, no matter how much he deserves it."

"Yes Professor Sage." It came out as a sigh.

Stories and jokes passed between those outside his window for hours. Then as everyone's conversation was punctured by yawns the female elf called for a halt of the festivities.

"Children, I think that's enough for tonight."

"Yes professor." Two voices said in very subdued tones.

"Oh and congratulations on being the 'hot skip' champion Colette."

"I can not believe that you beat the professor Colette!"

The Chosen giggled, and he could almost see her blushing in his mind's eye.

"Goodnight Lloyd, Professor, say goodnight to Genis or me when he wakes up."

"Of course dear, run along."

"Nice night huh Professor?"

"Yes it was… is… Now to bed with you, scoot!"

"Yes Ms. Sage." Lloyd yawned. "Oh yeah, can I come up to your room for a bit, I finished that project you asked me to do."

"Of course, I'll leave the door open so you don't have to knock and wake up Genis."

"Well I'll see you in a bit. Bleh need to change out of wet clothes."

"Yes, it would be bad for you to track water up the stairs someone might slip."

"Yes Auntie Sage…"

"Lloyd! You haven't called me that since you were eight!"

"Well sorry, you just seem like that tonight, always taking care of us and all that. It means a lot, and I guess with that key crest I can kind of return the favor and keep you safe for once you know?" Lloyd yawned. "See you in a bit."

"Goodnight Lloyd."

"Yeah, G'night... Auntie…"

"Oh if I had an eraser!"

Lloyd only chuckled, and sloshed his way back to the inn. Kratos rolled over when the door opened, and Lloyd stopped halfway in taking his shirt off when he realized the older man was up.

"Oh sorry if I woke you!" Lloyd flushed, and then pulled on the shirt. "Umm, I'll go to the bathroom…"

"Don't bother." Kratos could feel the tightness in his throat, but was glad nothing in his tone gave it away. "I was just on my way to the privy's myself, you can change in here without me present." Kratos stood, mock stretched, and went for the door. "Just don't lock the door behind me." And with those parting words left before his heart betrayed him.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

"Wow, talk about weird" Lloyd shrugged, threw his wet clothes across the room, and fished a towel from his packs. Now dry Lloyd put on his last set of clean clothes and snatching the charm off of the desk went for Raines room.

"Hi." He whispered as he slipped through the door. "How's he doing?"

"Sleeping, as you should be. You didn't have to go through this much trouble…"

"Anything for my favorite Aunt…" Lloyd grinned, and mock ducked as she mock lifted an 'invisible eraser' at him.

"So…." Raine turned the small band of metal over in her hands. "How does this work?"

"Talk to Genis about it in the morning. He can explain it all to you better then I can."

"Didn't he learn from you?"

"Um yeah, why?"

"I see an inconsistency in your logic Mr. Irving." Raine chuckled. "Never mind, you should go to bed."

"On it." Lloyd smiled, "see you in the morning professor."

"Try not to sleep in until noon Lloyd…"

The door was already closed though and she doubted that he had heard her. Now alone Raine's eyes gathered an unnatural light and her face curled into an almost evil smile. "So this is an ex-sphere's key crest… MARVELOUS!" Paper and pencil was pulled out of a small drawer then cackling to herself the teacher began first with sketched then with detailed descriptions… and when that was done she would move onto speculation and… experimentation!

Xxx xxx xxx xxx
He hopped as a loud cackle rang out behind him. He almost went back up the stairs to see if everything was alright. Curiosity, though, nagged him and he went down the steps. And, though he'd not admit it to himself, that cry behind him sounded a little scary. He'd take snippy mercenaries over evil cackling monsters any day.

He decided to slide down the rail, and after a spectacular fall when the rail ran out decided never to do that again a night. Grinning Lloyd picked him self off the floor and tried to sneak after the mercenary. After the fall it was probably futile, but heck he'd have a bit of fun trying.

He went out the already opened door, and followed the tracks he found in the sand outside. Bending down for a moment and he blinked in surprise. Wow, no cloak that was a first, maybe he wasn't even trailing Kratos after all. Perhaps he should go inside or something... A loud creak from the direction of Noishe's stable made Lloyd steel his resolve to go forward. There was no way he was going to turn back now! Someone might be trying to take Noishe!

He walked through the darkness, not at all daunted by it. With the stars and moon out the dark wasn't all that scary after all… He walked as fast as he could to Noishe's stable, and was shocked to see the mercenary out there holding the gate open. He took another step forward, word of greeting on his lips. He nearly lost his tounge with what happened next.

In less then an eye blink Kratos had spun about, drawn his sword, and brought it around at a full swing.

"Ah!" Lloyd staggered back, and even as he fell the sword followed him, pressed against his throat. Drew a line of red... "Kratos, it's me!"

Sense came to those horrible empty eyes, sense and shame. It radiated off the man in waves Lloyd could almost see.

"I apologize if I startled you." Kratos sheathed his sword, offered a hand. It was only then that Lloyd realized he was on the ground, crab walk position, and had actually scrambled back a bit in his terror.

"Startled?" Lloyd managed to croak out. "Startled!" He took the hand and allowed the man to pull him up. "Sweet Gods startled is not the word."

"I apologize, but you should not have come up behind me." Kratos still radiated that near suffocating sense of shame and it took the bite out of his words. "Never stand behind me, ever. I have a very nasty set of instincts, you wouldn't be the first I've hurt because of them."

"I'll keep that in mind. Gods you could have killed me!"

"You wouldn't be the first person I killed." Kratos sighed, than turned to Noishe who took a step out of his pen and regarded them both with a silly smile on his dog face.

"Wow, Noishe seems happy!" Lloyd rubbed at his throat, tried to ignore the wetness under his hand. "Don't you even think about it Noishe!"
Noishe wiggled his rear and that wiggle traveled up his frame and to his ears.

"Oh man… Isn't once enough?"

"I don't understand." Kratos admitted, looking to the two of them in confusion.

"You will in a se-"

Noishe pounced, pinned Lloyd, and decided that a licking was in order.

"No, don't! Damn it you're too big to keep doing this to me, you're going to break my bones or something!"

"Woof!"

"Ung…" Lloyd rolled his face away from Noishe. "Stupid dog, let go, get off!"

"Bark!" Noishe decided to lie down.

"Can't breathe… help m…e…"

"Noishe, Auust!"

Noishe hopped off of Lloyd with a whine.

"Whoa," Lloyd wheezed. "How'd you do that?"

"I have a way with animals." Kratos sighed, taking hold of Noishe's skull. "Lloyden deci auust Noishe auust!"

"Whine…" Noishe scuffed a paw across the ground.

"Something tells me you aren't saying bad dog bad…" Lloyd chuckled, found his feet.

"I am saying the equivalent." Kratos let go of Noishe's head and the glare he gave made Noishe slink back to his pen. The mercenary firmly closed the door behind the dog and Noishe made a face at the mercenary once the man's back was turned. Lloyd coughed, fought down laughter.

"Something humorous?"

Noishe tried to mime Kratos talking. He closing one eye and squinting up the other he soundlessly opened and closed his mouth.

"Ah no... nothing..."

Kratos rose an eyebrow, as if to say he knew Lloyd was lying, when Noishe scrunched up his face in an attempt to do the same Lloyd had to look away. The safest place was to look up, so look up he did.

"Man the stars are awful bright here, aren't they?"

"Yes, I guess they would seem that way." Kratos turned his gaze to the heavens. Shards of silver winked down at them from the jet black sky. "In the dessert the sky seems more... prominent then the earth."

"So what you're saying is the heat burns away everything that'd normally catch your attention and makes you pay more attention to the sky?"

"Something like that." Kratos closed his eyes but kept his face tilted to the heavens.

"I'd never of guessed." Lloyd said with a chuckle.

Kratos turned to him, rose the eyebrow that Lloyd could see under his mess of hair. Not that Lloyd had any right to say anything, his hair was pretty messy too. What was the saying 'pot calling kettle'? Whatever it was something like that. Rubbing at his own brown hair Lloyd tried to put his thoughts together because what he had to say well... it felt important to say it right.

"We're... like I guess, at lease when it comes to that." Lloyd waved a hand at the sky. "We both see it as something special, not something that everyone else seems to take as 'it's there, it's pretty'."

"The stars have some importance to you?" Kratos asked, his dark eyes felt like they were boring there way into Lloyd.

"Yeah, they do." The youth walked past the black clad mercenary and leaned over the rail on the stall. Noishe padded over to him, gave him a long look, and his tongue lolled out. "Don't even think about it."

"Whine?" Noishe's eyes were almost twice there normal size.

"You do and I'll give you a flea bath."

"Bark!" Noishe's eyes widened in fear and the tongue slipped back where it belonged.

"You two seem... close." Kratos noted, Lloyd blinked in surprise. Somehow the man was just there leaning on the rail a few feet away. Lloyd hadn't even heard the guy walk over. That was really creepy how someone could just be that quiet.

"Me and Noishe have been friends since day one, isn't that right!"

"Bark!" The tail wagged happily and it went even faster when Lloyd reached out and gave his dog's head a scritch.

"Noishe and I..." Kratos muttered.

"Huh?"

"Never mind..." Kratos sighed. "It is not important." Kratos looked at Noishe with a frown but something told Lloyd that he wasn't frowning at Noishe so much as the space in front of Noishe.

"You have a pet, a dog?"

"Once a while back."

"Whine!" Noishe stretched his neck and head to sniff at Kratos' hand.

"He wants you to pet him." Lloyd informed the mercenary.

"I doubt that..."

"Whine!" Noishe slicked back his ears and widened his eyes. While he could not get his lower lip to tremble he did manage to look pathetic enough without that effect.

"Uh oh... he's going to start howling in a minute. Pet him, I swear he wont bite."

Kratos hesitated and Noishe's whimper was the most pathetic sound Lloyd had ever heard. Finally, seeing the man wasn't going to comply the Iselian snatched the Kratos' hand and put it in Noishe's reach. Pressing himself against the low wall Noishe dropped his silver and green head and wormed it under the mercenary's limp, gloved, hand.

"Now flex your fingers, like this..."

Lloyd mimed scratching Noishe then gave the mercenary a long look. As the older man complied Lloyd shook his head and set the ribbons that dangled from his collar to swish behind him. He said without words that he was thinking that the mercenary was being awful thick. Satisfied that Kratos was well on his way to making Noishe happy Lloyd reached out and gave his huge dog a pat on the shoulder. Noishe's brown eyes flicked in Lloyd's direction, and mutely conveyed a world of gratitude, then those dark eyes slid shut in bliss. A strange sound, more suited to another animal came from the dog's throat.

"What in the higher power's name?"

"He's purring..." Lloyd chuckled. "Man I am gunna turn as green as he is if this keeps up. He only purrs when he's really happy, it's not the I've missed you while you've been gone all day or the slightly happy mood... He's only purred at me when I was gone for a week and he found me, or when I've gotten better after being sick. He's purred for Colette once, and purred at Genis when they tricked me into rolling in... Nah that wasn't purring, that was just him being evil." Noishe lolled his tongue out, his eyes saying that if only he could tell stories.

"This is... strange..." The mercenary managed, his fingers lost in the green mane that flowed down Noishe's shoulders and thinned out when it ran into the dog's back.

"He's a strange dog." Lloyd admitted with a gin, that he would have sworn Noishe returned. "Smart as heck, sneaky too." Lloyd chuckled. "Would you believe he once tried to actually cook something over the stove one day? He had flour all over him and something I swear was muffins in a pan. Dad wont believe me but I swear Noishe's tried to cook at least three times since I've been around. Of course every time he does I get blamed for it..." Lloyd reached out, swatted his dog's silver furred side. "You've gotten me into a ton of trouble you know that?"

Noishe's response was a wink.

"Of course you do, and I bet you're going to bet me into even more. Just remember, I have lots and lots of soap in my packs, so don't get too evil on me."

"Whine!" Noishe's eyes widened in terror.

"Well..." Lloyd yawned, tried to ignore how Kratos was just staring at him. "I'm turning in."

"Lloyd..." The elder swordsman caught his gaze and with just the force of his presence made Lloyd not look away. "I am curious... what training did you receive for your swords craft?"

"I'm that good?"

"No," The smirk fell off of Lloyd's face at Kratos' blunt response. "Your style is grossly unrefined and totally unorthodox. I am just curious, have you any training?"

"Hey what d'ya mean unrefined and unorthodox! I can hold my own in a fight!" All the guy had to do was look at him, meet his gaze and the Iselian swordsman felt like a little kid arguing something futile with an all knowing parent. "Alright maybe I'm not as good as you but I'm not that bad!"

Those brown eyes made him squirm in discomfort.

"Forget I asked." The mercenary brushed past him, paused in the dark street. His clothes made a sliver of dark lost in the greater dark. "I am going for a walk, just leave the door open I will be by in a bit."

"Yeah... Maybe I wont!" Lloyd called out, it was childish but it made him feel just a bit better. There was no response, Kratos was just gone. "Man what a weirdo... You like some really odd people Noshy."

"Grr!"

"Hey, what's your problem, come on he's a little weird isn't he? The cloak if nothing else, what kind of person wears a cloak?" Noishe stretched his neck out and nipped one of Lloyd's neck ribbons that had drifted into the stable. "Hey, I am not weird because I like these!"

Noishe only gave him a long look that said otherwise.

"Shut it dog, Dad put them on, they stay on."

"Whine."

"Yeah yeah whatever... Why the heck does he think he's all that cuz he's better at swords them me. It's not like we had sword-masters under every bush back in Iselia." Lloyd sighed, leaned into the rail and told himself the truth. Compared to the mercenary he was a novice, a little kid trailing behind an adult insisting he was better. "Damn it... it's not fair!" Leaning into his crossed arms Lloyd muttered a few more expletives. "Why does he have to be better then me and make me feel like an ant while he's doing it?" Noishe only licked Lloyd's hand in an attempt to bring some comfort. The boy smiled, reached out and gave Noishe's head a rough shake. "Even if there was someone to train with it's not like I'd be at his skill anytime soon. Learning something takes time." Lloyd closed his eyes, remembered just how long it took him to get where he was with carving, with blacksmith-ing. It was a sobering thought that he wasn't the best swordsman, he'd been the best in Iselia and it was a bit scary to know that outside of Iselia he wasn't the best.

It made him want to go home, to go somewhere safe where he knew what he was and what he was doing. He suddenly did want to go home, he wanted to be where he knew what was going on, where the whole world didn't depend on how good he was at protecting Colette. He wanted to go back to the time when Colette was just Colette and didn't have to hold the world up on her own.

Yet was there ever a time when that hadn't been the case?

In his head, yeah, there had been a time when he hadn't known, and when he had learned he'd clung to the old idea. Even though everyone else kept telling him over and over that she was the Chosen. It meant nothing to him, he wasn't religious, didn't even believe in Martel. And yet look how it was changing everything, that belief in Martel, look how it just ripped Colette from her home and had everyone making her into this Chosen person.

If it wasn't fair to him what was it to Colette? To Genis? To Raine?

"I don't like this." He announced to Noishe. "This Chosen thing, I don't like it... It's not right... Am I wrong Noishe, to not like it I mean? I know it's wrong to say that to Colette and all... But is it wrong to think it?"

Noishe only shook his head and gave him a long look like he wanted so bad to tell him something but couldn't.

"Well at least I got you to talk to about it. I'm thinkin' way too much, I'm heading in, you need anything?"

The horse sized dog shook his head.

"Why's it you act all smart around me but act all dumb around everyone else?"

That only got him a wink and a toothy grin.

"Weirdo." Lloyd locked Noishe's huge head with an arm and roughed up the tuft of fur that was between those huge ears with the other. Releasing his dog Lloyd laughed at the expression on Noishe's face. "You so know I'm right!"

"Bark!"

"Yeah, whatever... see you in the morning."

With a parting scritch Lloyd left his dog and wandered back to his room. It was all he could do to stagger to the bed and let his legs buckle. Tonight, he decided before sleep took him, had been nuts. A little bit of everything had happened to him it seemed. As he closed his eyes his last thought was of how that was not so bad a thing.