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.

12. PalmaCosta prt3

Reviewer Responses:

Melody of Shadow: It probably was too much for a "Teen" game... but it's something I wondered about until I learned the truth about his parentage. I was lucky I got TOS during a early bird sale or something like that for 25 bucks. Had to get up at three, fight a crowd of confused parents who were desperatly trying to get there kids presents for the upcomming holiday, and I never regretted getting TOS at all -though when I saw the opening me and my parent moaned Secret of Mana re-make- and I'm worse then a fan, look at all the writing I'm doing for a VG! Yes, Zelos will be a surprise to look forward to. Who'd a thought a last minute idea -AKA the threads- would become such a reader's point of interest! Yeah I'm going to keep it to Teen, profanity, violence, aren't enough to nudge it up, though I may put reader warnings up for the Kvar and later chapters. More plot twists on the way, hopefully way I'm going you'll be so speachless you'll be mute for a week.

GameCubeGirl1: Don't worry she'll mellow out again, the last segment will give the "why" to a lot of the characters reactions to Kratos.

Eevetta: In my mind they 'all' are complex characters, hence the fun and chaos of juggling all those personalities at once. As more characters get added I imagine dialouge, interaction, and chapters will lengthen in response. Thanks for not abandoning oyur fics, I understand a lack of updates completly, look at me I'm almost as bad myself, I'm leaving five stories on hold till class ends then I'm going to try to rush transfer them before class starts.

FallenStarAngel: Whoa you like long reviews huh, that's cool but I can't answer everything right now, I'll e-mail you a full response to everything when I get the chance, but please I'm trying to make this spoiler free as I can so please put spoiler warnings up if you mention something that happens later on in the game, thanks!

To my readers,

Oh joy, the professor has finally gave us the guildlines for the final, a last quiz, and an essay, when I'm done with this load I'll have a week to crunch out as much writing as I can then it's back to class full time. When class kicks up full time expect extended spans of not updating, I'll do what I can but I'm taking a language this semester and ironic as is sounds I'm so bad with language that I'll probably be going to tutoring a ton and not writing. Sorry guys you know how it is.

Kasan Soulblade

PalmaCosta part 3

Genis rolled out oh bed, left the protective embrace of his sister's pale arms and forsook the nest of blanket and pillows he had been curled up on. The cold night air that filled the room, laden with salt and the faint scent of burnt out fire filled him, it had seemed so distant, in his sister's arms listening to her soft heartbeat and breath everything physical had seemed to fad away. But in his restless mind, in a mind that never stopped prying, his one gift now turned upon him. He was a victim of his own thoughts, his own guilt, and no amount of staying with Raine was fixing it. At last unable to take it anymore Genis had to get out. Which is exactly what he did. He picked his way against the ghost hued wooden planks that served at a floor, it was a little chilly, but luckily his socks took away the brunt of the cold. Walking on the tip of his toes the wizard wished he knew some way to make Raine's sleep deeper. As it was at the moment he wasn't that good, his only skill was really in blowing things up -Lloyd's words for it not his- and he didn't want to risk hurting Raine by trying a sleep spell on her. So as quiet as a mouse he padded around the room and fount his first boot where it was supposed to be, his other boot was on top of a dresser. Smiling at the weird place he put his stuff, the small pointed eared boy fought with his shoes. Comfortable that he had them laced up right he crept to the door, and on the thresh hold turned.

"Mmm Genis... don't squirm off the blanket..." Raine muttered, gently pulling a pillow to her side and tucking it in. She did all of that without waking up. Tears made his eyes sting, he gulped, feeling in that illogical emotional part of him that he was betraying her with this. But she wouldn't know, he wouldn't tell her so she wouldn't get hurt by what he had to do.

"G'Night Raine." He whispered softly, she said nothing, not waking up, and he closed the door behind him blinking and telling himself it was not time to cry.

xxx xxx xxx

"Lunan Askan selusavess ar.." Tylor rang a bell. Not one of the crystal bells that were in the chapel that were used for a ceremony, rather a bell that had long ago fallen from his boots in a long ago Tiger chase. It had a hopeful note, one that sharply contrasted with the somber notes of the prayer.

"Lloy Askan susav thane..." Murmured Tylor's most unlikely of petitioners.

The bell ran out again, and silence fell. The only sound was the echo of the last ringing of the bell and the whisper of water lapping against the shore. They spoke an old prayer, an old chant that no other worshiper of Martel would have used. It was one of the old prayers the forgotten prayers that did not mention Martel, a chant to sooth the mind and bring the peace of the night sky. The priest asked the holy light of moon and sun to walk a path to the mortal who would speak, the petitioner asked the light that he or she favored to guild their troubled heart. It was the only prayer that Lloyd really knew of the Martel church, oh Tylor had taught him a few others, but it was the only one the boy used and agreed with. Troubled heart was not a strong enough word. Some great poison had entered the boy's heart, or perhaps a wound left untended now could be seen and because of that it's bleeding distressed Lloyd so much. Whatever the cause of this pain Tylor could not guess, but the anger, the hidden anger, was illy hidden this night. It was a deep old anger rooted in desperation, desperation because Lloyd could not speak to anyone of it since Tylor had left so long ago, and it took a long time to spend. Tylor was good at waiting though, it seemed as if he spent half of his time waiting for someone to nerve up to tell him confessions or to vent there anger out on his ears. That was his job, came with the ribbon and robes as he was want to say.

"Feeling a little better?" Tylor asked as Lloyd nursed his bloody knuckle.

"Yeah, 'cept my hand hurts."

"Don't punch walls when you're angry then." Tylor said, and at his logic, now that Lloyd was better suited to following it, made him chuckle.

"Yeah I guess I was pretty dumb huh?"

"Anger does that." Tylor fished out some bread from his pocket and took a nibble, watching the moonlight on the sea, it was a full moon this night, and the waters almost lapped at the toes if you stood on the dock. You could take a step off the dock and onto water, and with the trick of the light think you were to walk on a silver road. As he understood it those of... less sober condition tended to do so on a regular basis. Not allowed to indulge in the drink that let him think that it actually was a road he had let childish fancy do so instead and had enjoyed the cold dunking a great deal. His superior of course hadn't appreciated him coming to service dripping, a fish stubbornly holding onto his hat by way of its teeth, but ah well. You only lived life once, best to fall into oceans and do dumb things so you had stories to whittle the long days of eternity away with. He smiled at the water, aware of Lloyd who was as always smiling at the stars.

"I want to look, I've been trying a little, but the others need me so much right now... and you know how it is at home, no help there." Even in exile Iselia was Lloyd's home, as it was Tylor's. They both were exiles to there homes, one banished by a mortal man the other banished by the mortal voice of a Goddess.

"I understand you know I'll always understand."

"Yeah... They just don't I guess."

"I looked, for a while I looked but I found someone to take that place, it was years later until I even remembered, and

when I did the guilt." Tylor sighed. "I gave up, I was younger then you when I gave up and accepted the substitute."

"It hurts... It hurts not knowing, and the head wall... it's never gone away you know."

"I understand, remember when I didn't and you got so mad. Never knew you could bite so hard or even hit that hard. You said no one would ever understand, and I said you had to make them, that if they didn't listen you just keep looking until you found someone who could and would. I'm sorry Dirk's never seen to it, I kept telling him and he got angry at me for it. Said what was buried best stayed buried or some such rot. You may never find your answer, but looking is better then not in my mind, and if you find something unpleasant always remember, who they are does not make you who you are. Now what else is there? You're still in knots my friend, so you best tell me or I'll tie a tail to you and make you run till you talk."

Lloyd chuckled, rubbed at the back of his neck, then pulled off his boots and dipped his toes in the water. Inspired Tylor followed suit, keeping his socks on just for the heck of it.

"Colette's going on the regeneration, you know that... but when I saw Remiel the first time... Remiel's Colette's angel father... I wasn't scared. Then at the seal of fire..."

"Back up, that's not how you tell a story." Tylor mock cuffed Lloyd on the back of his head, it was little more then a tap.

"Dwarven vow..."

"That's worse!" Tylor put a note of panic in his voice and Lloyd chuckled.

"Ok you're still nosy as ever."

"It's called interest in productive yet intimate details… no that sounded wrong... umm fine nosy fits." Tylor waved a finger in front of Lloyd's face. "But don't you even breath to Catling that I agreed to your term."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Good, now Catling went over what happened at the Martel temple, at least at the beginning so tell me what happened once you got inside and go from there."

"Alright, it went like this..."

xxx xxx xxx

Colette's lips moved, she had her head bowed facing a candle, the fire blazed behind her but she stood back to it, her face in gold tinged shadows. Her words in that soft whisper of a language he couldn't follow, flowed and made a soft peaceful mummer in his ears. She seemed so small in that dark, smaller then him, and that said a lot. He tried to mouse step down the stairs but a creaking board made him freeze halfway down. Lifting her head Colette smiled to the darkness.

"Whoever you are, it's alright to come down, I bet it's all cold and dark on that stair anyways."

Smiling, Genis took that offer, and Colette stared at him in surprise, but then it was a surprise that he was showing on his face as well.

"Hi Genis, why are you up?"

"I couldn't sleep." That was the truth or part of it anyways. He took the bench that ran a path alongside the table, the candle flickured between them; cast them both in its golden light.

"Nightmare?" She took his smaller hand in her own and he smiled.

"Something like that." He didn't mind having his hand held, no matter what Raine said, even though he knew he'd outlive Colette he knew she'd never hurt them. She wasn't like all other humans who hurt people that were different from themselves. "I was just restless... and thinking."

"Wanna talk?"

He looked up at her, she wouldn't try to talk him out of it, he knew that. She believed that everyone had a choice, to pick whatever path they wanted. It was something that she and Marche, and even Phardia fought about regularly. Lloyd never had heard about it, but once when Genis had visited after school he'd walked into it. Colette didn't fight like others, not with loud words or anger like Lloyd, or even logic like him and Raine, rather she just nodded her head and walked her own path. Phardia hadn't agreed to the Sage's becoming friends with Colette, and had been leery of Lloyd's friendship with her, at least that's what Raine had told him, but Colette by taking the path of friendship with them and indicating by sticking with it despite there words and preaching's. Eventually she had coaxed them to come along. And if you asked her, or anyone of her family, they were all bettered by Colette's stubborn streaks. So she'd always listened, and would only act to stop him if she really really disagreed with something. But he had a feeling she would agree with this.

"Yeah, you know in Triet when I told you about Marble..." Genis stroked his exsphere, and a small bit of warm energy flowed from it through him, giving him courage. "Cocao is Marble's daughter and... I need to see her, to tell her. But I need someone to cover for me, I'd ask Lloyd but when I knocked no one answered."

"He went out about an hour ago." Colette said softly. "That's when I woke up, and the inn keeper told me he had just left when I asked. I haven't been able to sleep since he left, silly huh?"

"It's not silly, I sleep better when he's around too... it's just when Noishe goes to bed no one sleeps!" Genis managed a smile and Colette a laugh.

"He does have a silly snore doesn't he? Alright, I'll cover, but if Raine gets really worried I'm going to tell her alright."

And in saying that Genis knew he had all of ten minuets once Raine woke up to get back, but it was better then having Raine run in some wild direction looking for him.

"They live in the shop they own, Raine will know where it is." Genis smiled, squeezed Colette's fingers in thanks. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise, and tell Lloyd when he gets back where I went, so that if you get tired he can take over for you."

"I will." The blonde girl smiled and waved, he waved back and then dashed out into the cold night.

xxx xxx xxx

"Of course you were scared." Tylor snorted as Lloyd finished his story about the angel wings coming to Colette in Triet. If I saw Catling hurt and couldn't do anything about it I'd be scared and angry, you know when I'm mad I'm rasher then you and Dirk put together, I'd have called that angel down and probably smacked him into next week for making Catling go through this. You know I hate talk like Marche's talk. Sacrifice I understand in small doses, but what they ask of Catling is absolutely ridiculous. And I tell you this in strictest confidence Lloyd, if Catling were my child I would never allow the regeneration to go on. I'd get myself a very big sword to keep all the priests who'd protest from being a problem if I had to."

"But the world..."

"My child would mean more to me then the world, or be worth as much. I'd look for something, I'd do it myself just to spare someone else if I could, I'd forsake the priesthood and search the world for another way, any other way, just to spare my child. I'd do it for Colette if she hadn't forbade me from that. She wants to do it, believes it's the best thing, and so I can do nothing put pray that some other way presents itself."

"She forbade you from doing something!"

"She's got steel in her, she's just very quiet about it and doesn't raise as much fuss as certain others do."

"Yeah I'm loud I know." He sighed. "But being louds not gunna change a thing huh?"

"I doubt it." Tylor shared that sigh. "So did you really do that?"

"Do what?" Lloyd blinked, wondering where Tylor was going.

"Tell Genis to say 'are we there yet', and then you joined in, and then you got Catling to join in, all just to drive Kratos wild."

"He was being a jerk!" Lloyd growled. "He called Genis a worthless runt, me a arrogent brat, and was treating Colette like a two year old!"

"But for an hour, then poisoning him with Ms. Sage's cooking for initiation?" Tylor winced. "That's a tad cruel don't you think?"

"Try a sparring session with him and then talk to me about cruel..." Lloyd grumbled, recalling the bruises he'd picked up in Triet.

"Heh, his initiation was easier then mine, you had me eat that gunk and then spun me around, then made me ride Noishe while he was going full run all blindfolded... What is it with you poisoning people?"

"You try making dwarven stew when your eight and tell me how it comes out."

"Lloyd… all I make are sandwiches, toast, and the occasional bowl of porridge that's more lump then anything else."

"Hmm spinning him around... I wonder if..."

"If you do I get to watch." Tylor's eyes gleamed wickedly. "That or maybe we can trick him into putting on a tail."

"He'd scare your kids off." Lloyd smiled, glade that even though Tylor was a priest he was agreeing about the whole angel thing.

"I guess he would, speaking about fear... It's supposed to be my job to say "don't be scared, to take calm for the angel's are symbols of the great light of the goddess," and now that I've said that I can tell you what I really think." Tylor gripped Lloyd's shoulder. "I can't answer your questions, no mortal probably can, but if something feels wrong then you keep saying it just like with that head wall thing. It's going to make everyone very mad, at least at first, but if one of them has an sense in there head they'll pay attention to you eventually."

"I hate waiting, I want them all to just notice and no one does!"

"They'll pay more heed to you after today. I can freely say those two adults should have seen what they were doing wrong on there own but the fact you did, and made them see it too, means they'll respect you more in the future."

"I thought I did what was right..."

"It was, you just shouldn't have to have done it." Tylor snorted. "I don't know whether you're brave or just rash, I'd of let them smack each other then gave them a earful after."

"I don't think I could have, Kratos would have hurt her Tylor. Does that fact that he could have made him a bad person, is Genis and Raine right?"

"Are they, I don't know? Has he ever hurt anyone else?"

In answer Lloyd pulled open the button that held the long neck of his shirt closed. A scar, little more then a thin line of white gleamed in the moonlight. Tylor gave it a long look, and then gave Lloyd a fierce look.

"You didn't mention that, if that's the man's idea of sparing I'll..."

"No!" Lloyd grabbed Tylor's arm. "I surprised him in Triet and he apologized, it was an accident, he heard me and struck without thinking, it was like... like he was expecting to die if he didn't hit first."

"I'm still going to have long words with that one." Tylor growled. "And to Hell with the pacifist Martel oath, I'll leave my robes in the chapel to weasel out of that oath for an hour. I know a little now of why he might have hurt Genis, and maybe why he hurt you, but if he can't control it then he's a danger to everyone around him. It happens to the guard, the army when they've been in fights too long, any little surprise, a sound, and they go for a sword."

Sighing Lloyd agreed and changed subject, because if he didn't Tylor would hunt the mercenary tonight, and country born as he was even he knew wandering around after dark wasn't the safest thing in the world to be doing.

xxx xxx xxx

(A/N: Spoilers on Sage heritage, avoid this section if you haven't beat the game... You should look for the next series of xxx, Kasan)

"Hello?" He knocked, and then gasped when there came a bobbing light that drifted by the window. Though he wanted to come part of him wanted to run, but the streets loomed about him like stone scaled bests and the buildings leered at him like empty skulls. He was scared to run, scared to stay, so that kept him knocking and meekly calling out despite his wish to go back. The door swung open under his pale and shaking hand, and in the dark for one second... Tears stung behind his eyes, his lips moved to form the word but with no air behind it all he did was make a kind of squeak cough.

"Oh you poor thing! Come in, no one else but me right now so don't worry about bothering anyone." Hands gently ushered him, into the store that had so scared Kratos. Even in the dark it seemed friendly and warm, and he half expected to be given a coat and sent on his way. He was surprised when she asked him to join her upstairs, shocked that a human would see his pointed ears and let him in. His lips moved even before his brain could think of how stupid it was.

"But I'm a half elf!"

"You're not a Desian are you; if so they're taking shorter and shorter people in everyday." Her smile warmed her eyes, just like hers had warmed.

"No... I'm not a Desian... I'd never hurt someone like that."

"Good, I hate to have to fetch Chocolat so late at night, she's my Desian bane, but you saw that didn't you?"

"She must of told you huh?"

"No, she didn't, now if you'd be a dear my legs are a little touchy and a shoulder would be helpful..."

Blushing Genis took Cocao's wrinkled hand in his own, and wondered with a flash of pain if Marble had had 'touchy' legs. If so the Desian's wouldn't have cared, they'd have made her work just like everyone else. Bowing his head, thinking of what had happened to Marble; he gulped, and gasped when he saw Cocao's leg. It was burnt, covered in scars, and then the dress whispered over it. Catching the sound the old woman smiled slightly.

"They wanted my little girl once, I made sure they never came back but one of them, a wizard, hurt me badly. It's not bad now mind, just a little on the touchy side."

"Oh..." Genis shivered, wondered what kind of horrible person would cast a fireball on someone's leg. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Cocao sniffed, and suddenly Genis thought of Chocolat. "It was worth it, they never hurt Grand Mother or my baby ever again."

Genis pulled open the door, and came to a room sporting a three chairs and a table, some pictures hung from the walls. He smiled at the floral images, the true flowers and the bird houses too small to hold any birds that had beautiful pictures painted upon them.

"You like those?" Cocao smiled. "I made them a few years ago."

"There nice..." Genis knew the rest of the house, knew every room as if he had walked it himself, in a way he had, Marble's words had walked him through this home a hundred times.

"I'm in the mood for some coffee, by looks of you; you could use a sip of something warm. And I think I could find some cookies I made earlier today." Genis couldn't say anything, seeing his mood Cocao ordered him to sit and retreated into the kitchen for a little to make what she offered, and to compose herself. There were shadows about this little one, shadows of sadness; she had not missed the haunted look when he had entered her shop earlier today. Nor did she miss it now. She came out with all promised, seated herself in a fluffy chair covered with pink fabric after serving him, then waited.

"I... I knew Marble..." He whispered, staring at his boots, they kicked against the leather stool he had taken as his own for the visit. "She was at the ranch in Iselia, and I used to live in Iselia."

Cocao said nothing, nibbled her cookie and after a while he did the same. Looked at everything it seemed but her, and that told her, even as he stumbled through his tale with tears lodged in his throat half strangling him, what had happened.

"I met her... I was walking home from Lloyd's and decided to take a short cut home. I saw the fence, and I saw a few of the people there in the camp, and I saw her..."

"Child you must leave!" The gray haired human whispered. "Please, leave, they'll be back any moment!"

And so he had left, trembling he'd fled onto the familiar path that now had a break in it that he'd never forget. He lay all night staring at the ceiling, Raine could not coax him to sleep nor talk that evening. Later that day he had not eaten lunch, the glimpse of those starved faces, and haunted eyes in turn haunted him, during lunch he had slipped away, bag in his shaking hands, mind that never rested tormenting. He avoided Lloyd and Colette, picked his way into the forest. As if in pity the monsters did not attack him, a lost child who was shaking so he could not have cast his magic or run to save his life.

Stupid, his logic railed, you know what goes on there you know what you'll see don't go back. They'll take you in; they'll hurt you if they see!

Yet still his feet carried him, he slipped behind a boulder, from there to a bush. Grey clad humans with numbers drawn in there arms sat listlessly in a yard. They looked out from behind a cage of steel bars wrapped in barbed wire. Red stained the fence, some one not too long ago had tried to climb it and recently the corpse had been removed. A few scraps of fabric still hanging on the spikes attested to that.

Why are you here? Are you sick, mental? This is a ranch of death, are you enjoying watching humans suffer like this!

He whimpered, from behind a screen of greenery he whimpered and one of the humans, the old woman looked up and saw him.

"Little one, what are you doing here?" Her voice was quiet, raspy, he'd never heard a human sound like that, and curiosity made him poke his head out. She was older then Phardia! Phardia had to be one of the oldest humans he'd ever seen!

"I... I don't know..." He wrung his hands, the bag crumpled in his hands, and suddenly he did know why he was here.

Wordless was there response as his small hand slid between bar and wire, ghosted between the spikes to offer an apple. She took it, the elderly woman with tears in her eyes. She dug into it with her fingernails, ripped it a part as best she could and offered it to those nearby, his sandwich was split with more ease, and she reached through bar and wire to offer him the last piece.

"You shouldn't go hungry, you're still growing little one."

He blinked back the tears in his eyes, smiled and shook his head.

"I already ate," he lied. "There were two sandwiches." She looked at him, saw though his lie, and though half dead with hunger offered again.

"I... have to go..." He whispered, shaking, drawing away from that skeletal hand and its offering. "I... have to go home... My sister..."

"I'll pray to Martel to grant you a safe path." The old woman whispered. "Safe path and fair light to you young one…"

He had come back, this time with some food taken from their pantry, Raine would get mad at him but it didn't matter. It meant nothing for they had needed him. Whispered prayers of thanks to him came from there blood caked lips, the old woman had smiled, and unlike all the others who had merely taken his offering with a word of thanks she had gently patted his head.

"Who are you brave one?"

At her words he blushed, and rubbed the back of his head acting for all the world like Lloyd.

"It's no big deal," He whispered as her fingers gently stroked his hair. "We've got plenty of food at home."

"I didn't ask that," Her eyes sparkled and she favored him with a smile. "I asked you name young one, and it means more to us then you could ever know."

"Genis Sage, and yours?"

"My name is Marble Wyath. The man over there is Nathen Savst he's from Triet, the woman over there is Casandra Brightwater and she's from Luin, and I'm from PalmaCosta."

For one second he thought how interesting it must be to meet other people from all of those other places. That thought faded away to horror as he considered the circumstance of there meeting. They met in the yard when limbs failed them and they had so little left that the Desian's let them snatch a short span of rest.

"When… After Lloyd and I saved her from the whipers they must have done something to her, because they turned her into a monster and turned her on Iselia. We had to fight her, and the Desian's, and we were exiled…" Genis sniffled, hid his tears behind a screen of hands. "I'm sorry; I never should have gone, if I hadn't…"

Slender hands enfolded him, held him like she used to try to hold him. He was kissed gently, and he allowed his hands to be pulled away by hers.

"If you hadn't gone that first day Mother would have died, others would have died. Your generosity and courage allowed her to live longer and helped a lot of other people Genis. Thank you."

He looked her straight in the eyes, unable to believe.

"Yes, I said thank you, you made her happy Genis. She was lonely sometimes, missed having her children around her in that horrible place and you gave that to her by being with her and telling her of your friends. She knew Genis, she knew how much her advice and council meant to you. But did you know how much you coming to her meant? When you're alone and scared like she was in a horrible place, it helps when someone you care for comes by, it makes the fear go away for just a little. Now," Cocao set aside her cookie that was half eaten, Genis had nibbled his to pieces not tasting it in the slightest. "You look a little warmer, but I think I know something to warm you up all the way. Do you know mother's recipe? Heavens knows she's taught it to me a thousand times and I've never gotten it right, they always come out so stale."

"They taste fine to me…" Genis blushed, not really knowing how they tasted truth be told.

"Oh hush, you're a horrible liar you know that?" She waved a digit in front of his face, just as Marble had done when he'd felt sorry for himself for too long. "Now out of that chair, I'm not making this batch by myself."

"It's the middle of the night…" He protested meekly, still hesitant, still feeling guilty.

"Rubbish, if I want to make cookies I make them, time of day can just go stuff itself!"

She offered him a hand and he shyly took it. Together they entered the kitchen and began to work together side by side on, of all things, chocolate chip cookies. Soon tears were forgotten in laughter, lecture, and an incident when he decided to try to summon a gust of wind to bring down the flour and caked half a wall in a coat of white powder.

Xxx xxx xxx

Hours had passed, the moon was falling from its perch. Luna was going to her home, she'd glide over the tower of mana and then taking her train of shadows and stars behind her retreat before Aska's light. He spoke of Aska and Luna, of things unspoken to all put a green pair of ears, and had left feeling better and more suited to bed. He yawned, stretched, and rubbed the hilt's of his swords with tingly fingers. All of him dripped, parts of him tingled from the cold dunking, and Tylor had left him running down the street, bells and laughter making a trail of sound behind him. Lloyd smiled, for the first time since that afternoon he smiled.

'You are who you are, no mater your parents,' How could he have forgotten that? He'd said the same thing to Colette, and he had said the same thing to himself years ago. Yet he had forgotten and it helped to remember, made him feel more like himself.

'You get tangled in the vows and promises, you forget yourself sometimes. You aren't the vows, there admirable but they don't fit you completely, just like the book doesn't fit me all around. When that happens we take what we can, and we move right along.'

Tylor could be so cool sometimes; he knew stuff kind of like Kratos. And thinking of the mercenary, Kratos owed him a huge favor. He'd talked Tylor out of pounding the mercenary senseless, talked Tylor out of yelling at Kratos, but hadn't been able to pull enough strings to get Tylor to avoid talking to him. So what if Kratos knows I talk to Tylor about the journey? I doubt he'd care, and if he does I might not be able to outrun the mercenary but Lloyd'd yet meet an adult who could climb a tree. There was always an escape route open, if only he looked.

Images of an infuriated Kratos yelling at him while he was nice and safe in the branches of a tree flashed though his mind, troubling questions of where he'd find that tree didn't even cross his mind. A snicker from behind made him turn, made him grip his blades and whirl.

"Hey there, where's your white coat buddy and your freaky shadow friend now?"

Slipping from the shadows of an abandoned building came a guy about his age, wearing a dark red tunic, black pants, and a miss match of steel armor that made him look spiky all around. It was one of the people who'd taken the book of Regeratitn… that didn't sound quite right, oh well.

"Nearby." He lied easily enough. "Hey," he made his voice a show of false friendliness. "Did you know the city guards are looking for you? Looks like you took a book that wasn't yours."

"I made it mine kid." The guy smiled, drew his sword. "Like I'm gunna make your ass mine to kick."

"Phht…" Lloyd took a few steps back and cursed in his head, the place was a mess of abandoned shops. "I'm not going to fight a jerk like you, I've got other things to do."

"Really? What a shame, you'll just have to be late for 'em." Knife in one hand sword in the other Lloyd cursed a little louder in his head. Shit he'd just started training with Kratos on knife sword fights. They hadn't even fought like that yet in practice, just talked about how it was different from sword shield battles.

"I don't want to fight." Lloyd snapped, taking another step back, he realized he'd just have to run to avoid this. Maybe if the bastard had ran into him earlier he would have wanted to fight, but now all he wanted was to sleep. To let go and let everything sort it self out while he napped; sleep on his problems so to say.

"Really? Something tells me you want to." Pulling a scrap of something wet and green out from his pocket he threw it between them, it fell into a pool of torch light, it was fur dipped in blood. At Lloyd's growl of rage and narrowed eyes the guy laughed. "Yeah you really wanna fight now huh freak? You try to run kid and my bro will go back to that stable your mutt's at and finish cutting him up, I need a new cloak anyways and green 'd go so good with red you know?"

Lloyd drew his swords, trembled with rage.

"This is more like it!" Going into a lazy crouch, more exaggerated then Kratos' but still a sign that the guy knew what he

was doing, the imposter smiled. "Come on kid, let's see which one of us is the better Lloyd huh?"

Lloyd snarled an insult in dwarven then tapping his blades in a formal dwarven challenge he charged.

Xxx xxx xxx

"Where's the Book?" He slammed the small girl into a brick wall that was between two houses that over looked the inn, it was chillingly close to where the others rested and it made him weary. In his mind this looked like an assassination attempt, and she an assassin, so he was showing no mercy. He tightened his grip, and she coughed, thrashed and whimpered, her hands that had once been clawing at his one went slack. He repeated himself, a soft lethal whisper that promised death by his bare hands dare she not answer or tried subterfuge.

"Ceron's got it!" She gasped, white cloak plastered to her, tangling against her. The false symbols of Martel were fouled from contact with the alley's wall. She was telling the truth this time, so he loosened his grip. She panted like a half strangled dog, and he knew what that looked like for he had a specimen less then two feet away. Still in the vise of his one handed grip, unable to free herself from his hand around her throat, she began to cry. He glared up at her and she trembled, the tears stopped.

"Why did you have my friend tied up with you?"

"Friend? It's a freakin' do-!" He drew a knife considered it, then looked at her. She got the message and begged and pleaded and apologized to Noishe. "I was supposed to skin him if Lych came back unbloodied!" She howled, writhing in his grip as her soul would writhe in the fires of whatever after life she believed in. She'd see those fires shortly if she didn't keep evading his questions and dragging this out.

"Lych?"

"The guy in red, if he comes by I'm supposed to skin the mutt!"

"Why would he come by?" Kratos hissed, this wasn't pertaining to the book, but had a scent of wood smoke about it.

"If the guy in red... what's his name? Lloyd that's it! If he runs Lych's supposed to come here!"

"Runs from what!" Kratos growled, and the girl nearly curled up and died from his rage.

"Lych wants to fight him, if the kid chickens then I'm supposed to skin the dog!"

And that would explain the flap of skin that had been missing and the bloodied knife. Kratos tightened his grip and as the woman writhed under his grasp. He considered letting her die, but she had information, information he needed. And really this was petty evil, childish vindictiveness in adult form. Anyone else could deal with these animals just as well as he; he didn't have time to kill roaches anyways. He let her go and she collapsed in a puddle of animal piss. Grimly he pinned her down with a boot, allowed her to smell and taste the stuff.

"If you talk, tell me everything, I might not kill you."

"Lych will kill me!" She whimpered.

Kratos merely drew his sword, slid the point across her pale skin, and traced a path of thin line of red from her temple to her jaw, using the flat of his blade to push back her hair. He stared at her throat for a long moment, considered his sword, and then with a kick rolled her over. On her back, to terrified to move, to scream she lay in the filth that was piled between the two houses. Dorr it seemed had been skimping on public restoration and waste disposal projects of late. All the better for him, he didn't mind the smell, not needing to breath as fast as a woman who was falling into a panic attack.

"I will kill you," he promised in a silken whisper. "It shall hurt, I will make it hurt in ways you can not imagine. I will ram my sword into your guts." He lifted the blade, wasted a bit of power to make it glow red, and he put the tip against her vest. The white fabric began to darken, smolder, and he smiled a thin little smile into her terror filled face. "Only an inch or two you understand so that it hurts but doesn't quite kill. I'll make a path of those in areas I know aren't fatal and leave you to either bleed to death or sicken and die. You'll talk of course, but I wont stray from my path once it's started, you'll tell me everything to make the pain stop and I wont break my sworn word, I'll waste my time killing you then leave and hunt down the rest of your group."

"Not Faith, she doesn't know what we're doing's wrong!" The false Chosen whimpered, thinking of that orange clad girl perhaps.

"Unless you talk, and talk quickly, I shall."

So she spoke, Ceron was out of town and therefore out of reach, damn the fates that would make him keeper of the book. Faith was at the university, trying to find out more of the book since none of them could read angelic, and Lych after a fit of brooding had talked her –his girlfriend Kratos presumed- into pulling this sick little stunt. What she couldn't tell him however was where Lych was, he'd been frustrated by the fact that Lloyd wasn't exploring town by himself or with Genis, and after kidnapping Noishe and no one noticing that, he'd been ready to skin Noishe alive and leave the pelt hanging from the rafters for someone to find in the morning. That was until a very distracted Lloyd had wandered out and walked right by them without noticing a bloody thing. Luck had changed, as had the plan, and Lych went off hunting leaving his girlfriend to crouch in the filth with a thrashing demon dog for company.

"Find this Faith of yours, and stay with her," He snarled, sheathing his weapon. "Tell Lych the truth and he probably will not kill you, if he does it's hardly my concern."

He spent a second to put a glowing hand to Noishe's wound that was in the inside of the four legged creature's right foreleg. It was deep, and the wound's position had made Noishe unable to walk, tended for now the dog found it's feet and gave his captor not even a moments glance. He began to sniff the ground outside the alley without anyone's command. The girl's eyes widened at the show of intelligence, and in Kratos' mind it was the first hint of intelligent thought he'd seen from her. Perhaps she might honestly consider his words, and consider what she was doing, perhaps but unlikely. He spent no more time with her, followed Noishe into the gloom choked streets of PalmaCosta.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

"That it kid?"

Blade snapped against blades, and the knife slipped through to draw a line of dripping red across his arm. Grunting in pain, he stepped back, staggered was more like it, and his blades dragged against the coble stone streets leaving a trail of sparks. There were not guards here, they stood in attention in the pools of light, forsaking the darkness to those who favored it and equally dark deeds were committed in the shadows of the city of Sylvarant's hope it seemed. He barely could hold onto his blade, his hands and arms were covered with nicks as whatever his name was slowly bled him out. I was a nasty trick, a vile trick, he'd take little jabs and cuts and wait for Lloyd's arms to go numb. And it was working, he only knew he held his swords because he kept checking, because he was pouring his will in place of his blood to his fingers and kept them clenched.

"I'm not done yet."

"Tough brat, aren't ya?"

"Shut up!" He charge and at the last second side stepped his foe and spun his blade so that it ran alongside him like a sheild. The sharp edge gained the strength of a slash from his foes wild rush, from his foes passing. I was one of Kratos' tricks, he'd explained it using the tip of his blade to draw out the scenarios it could be used for on a plank while they'd sailed on Max's boat. You took the energy of an enemies reckless run and let them bruise or gouge themselves on passing. It wasn't tricky against large monsters or foolish opponents, but this guy had proven to be smart, and Lloyd spun once he felt a tremor run up along his sword telling him the guy had totally passed him. He spun as did the red clad guy, and Lloyd barely managed to catch the fury driven slash that would have severed his spine.

Hissing in pain he staggered back, broke the attack off and put a hand to his side. The red tunic darkened red, it was the first real hit Lloyd had nailed on the guy. Oh he'd smashed the bastard's nose in for him in the beginning, and had made a cut along the jerk's leg, but nothing too serious. This was serious; a wound that if not treated and healed wrong could lead to being crippled because you had to be able to turn your waist to put that behind a swing or a dodge, and losing that for even a short time could do heck to your swordsmanship.

"Give up…" Lloyd gasped, wondering how much longer he could hold up now, not much, he was shaking from exhaustion and cold.

No response, save a sharp kick that Lloyd barely managed to block with a wall of crossed blades, while he avoided the bone breaking force behind the steel tipped shoe his numb arms gave up on him. Both swords went flying into the darkness, clanged against the stones some ways off, and he fell to his knees unable to stand.

Sword to his throat Lloyd froze, stared into his enemies eyes unable to even feel pain much less afraid. Rage, hot angry fury poured from the man, lapped against him and yet did not touch Lloyd. Lifting the sword in the manner of an executioner Lloyd's foe grinned at him with a hungry gaze he was all too familiar. Lloyd cringed back, tried to curl away from the attack. A roar from the shadows made them both turn.

There was a blur of green and silver and the sword fell to the stones as its owner was wrestling three hundred pounds of ticked dog, fighting to keep those fangs away from his throat. Eyes closing, wanting nothing more to sleep but not daring because the way Noishe was going he was going to kill the guy, Lloyd tried to call his dog off.

"Don't bother." Came a familiar voice, Kratos joined him, laying his sword against the cobble stones and taking one of Lloyd's arms in his hands. The mercenary hissed in sympathetic pain and Lloyd grimaced at the sight of his mauled arms. "Noishe kick the bastard in his man parts for me or something before you rip his throat out." Kratos called, then with hands sheathed in a soft silver blue the mercenary muttered a few words and that light slid across each cut and became water. He was faintly aware of water lapping around him; it came from the ground, rose like a great snake, and funneled through Kratos' raised hand to wrap around Lloyd's arm in a cold moist gauntlet. The other arm was taken up, and again came the water. Sighing, looking drained for the first time since they started this journey, Kratos closed his eyes and sagged weakly into Lloyd.

"Noishe!" Lloyd barked, seeing he was still struggling with what's his name. "Forget him, Kratos needs help!"

With one final snarl Noishe kicked his enemy, who now looked as bloody as Lloyd had been. Unable to get his teeth into the fight Noishe had dragged his he claws over the man's thrashing form. And even thought Lloyd regularly filed them down they had done enough damage to make the man hard to look at. He wasn't dead, but fell limp as Noishe left him alone, probably fainted from relief or terror, or both. Had it been him Lloyd would have fainted a long time ago in the fight.

Shifting around in the water that was fast disappearing into a nearby drain Lloyd called Noishe again. He wanted to take the mercenary, work him onto Nosihe's back, but a quick test of that idea proved he couldn't do it even when the dog was laying down right next to them. Lloyd's arms wouldn't stop shaking and he was just too weak, and when the last attempt made him drop Kratos face first in the water...

"Forget it," He croaked, when Noishe scooted closer on his belly and gave Lloyd a hopeful look. It was too much of a fight to support the man on his shoulder. He was too heavy! "Get Raine, hurry!"

"Whine…" Noishe licked the mercenary and gave Lloyd a look that begged him to try again.

"Noshy I can't keep this up, you've gotta get Raine!"

"Whine!"

"Stop arguing! I... can't…" His body was shaking from the cold water and blood loss. "Just… go…"

Running off the massive dog went to –hopefully- do as ordered. And when he was gone the man in a mess of armor, cloth, and blood, rolled over. Slowly the imposter found his feet.

"Thought I was dead, didn't you?" He croaked, eyes blazing. "I'm not dead yet, and I'll kill one of you, don't care which one it is now… sos long as one of you bastards go down." He lifted the knife, somehow in the fight with Noishe if had been forgotten. It winked like a malicious star, then hissed through the air as it flew.

Xxx xxx xxx

Something was pounding on there door.

"Genis… I'll answer, go back to…"

She reached out to pat his head and felt a lumpy hairless mass that smelled of dust. She reached in her half befuddled mind and either Genis had shrunk and become very fluffy or he was gone. Her eyes flew open, and the door almost fell on its hinges, there was a frantic panicked barking on the other side telling her that her guest was Noishe.

"What in Martel's name!" She pulled back the covers, no Genis, his boots were gone, and at the sound of her voice the pounding halted for all of a heart beat before picking up volume. "I'm coming!" She yelled, not thinking of the illogic of talking to a dog as she fought to her feet. Spotting her boots exactly where she'd left him, by Genis' right boot, she worked them on, snatched her staff and kicked something in the dark on her way to the door. Something small, something metallic, a key? She didn't have time, not now, the howls started again, and as if Noishe was sensing her hesitance and not liking it he went up a to shrill octaves that no dog should ever have been able to reach. She threw the door open, and in the shadows, behind Noishe, was a scared Colette.

"What's going on!" She snapped, looking to the one person who could talk.

"Noshy came from outside all wet and ran to your room and started howling." Colette whimpered, in her hands was a length of ribbon. One of Lloyd's ribbons that would hang around his throat lay in Colette's trembling hand. "He had this in his mouth Professor!"

"Where's Genis?"

"Visiting Cocao!"

"Go to him, bring him here, I don't care what he's doing, if he's not there come straight back here and wait!"

"Yes professor…" She hesitated, wanting to go with Noishe no doubt, she was scared for Lloyd, confident Genis was safe. Well Raine didn't share that confidence!

"Now Colette, run!"

Colette did so, and Noishe growled, slid onto his belly in the middle of the inn and looked at her. She'd seen Lloyd do this before but never dreamed it would be her swinging her legs on the mess of hot fur. With a growl Noishe ran, his paws scarcely seemed to touch the ground, one second they were in the inn and the next in the dark shadow streaked night. Closing her eyes, for riding Noishe was uncomfortably like flying; Raine prayed the dog knew where he was going and held on for dear life.

Xxx xxx xxx

Light streamed through the window, fell on his face, and he cracked open an eye, it was by far a better stream then the one he had woken to earlier that evening… or morning, he wasn't too sure of the time his sight had been obscured by red. He'd woken to Lloyd out cold, Raine sliding off of Noishe's back, her pale worried face locked on her pupil. Confused Kratos had wondered why she should be concerned; he'd tended the worst of the wounds already. The taste of iron, salt, ad a gummy lump of hair fell into his eyes as he began to come back fully to himself. Lloyd was bleeding, he'd fallen, no they'd fallen over. He reached up shake Lloyd awake when his fingers had brushed against steel. A knife, someone had knifed Lloyd, and for good measure had decided to rob him as well. With the last remains of his healing spell soaked into his clothes and some of it still dripping into the sewer system Kratos dared not raise the energy in his weakened state such exertion might do worse then kill him. He might have dared had Raine not been present, but she was so he let her take Lloyd in her arms and work the dagger out… So much red, so much blood, gagging he'd turned away shaking, and for the first time in ages allowed the weakness of horror to rob his stomach of its contents…

He felt a ghost of that sickness in him even as the sun stroked his face with golden feather soft fingers. He could hear the breath of someone sleeping nearby, and dredged up the energy to turn. Lloyd wrapped up in a mess of bandages, mana, and gels; lay looking for all the world like a cardinal chick in a most unlikely of nests. He must have been feeling better and more in control if his humor had come back to its normal dry self. He'd been professionally undressed, checked for wounds by pale elven fingers, and given an earful for not fetching her before going out to play vigilante. He'd pointed out in a dry tone that if he had come any later Lloyd would have been dead, not hurt, and Raine had left, forgetting in her anger to redress him. So garbed in undergarments, bandages, and blanket he stared at the golden tinted world of late morning, thinking on nothing save the fight.

There were holes in his recollection, times when he wasn't awake and therefore did not know what had happened. Raine had made one accusation that he had lead to this by fighting the girl and its very nature had set him into such a rage that she'd almost abandoned her post. Colette and Genis left the room while the adults had a not so friendly chat not that it spared them from hearing at least Kratos' half of it. Growling in anger at the reminder that this was his fault the mercenary flexed his fingers and wondered why in God's name Noishe hadn't killed the bastard before fetching Raine. Something must have happened; Lloyd probably had panicked seeing Kratos fall unconscious and ordered the strange shaped being to fetch the healer. Lips curling in a mix of pleasure, for worry was a form of affection, and frustration, Kratos stared at nothing and listened. There was the muffled calls of merchants selling there wares, a dog barking, children laughing, and of course not hampered by a closed window was the soft drawing and releasing of breath form Lloyd. As he listened his mind ran its patterns of analysis, counter analysis, and frustration, all the while planning he wondered if this was the end of things. The man, Lych, was vicious, spiteful, so no there was no end in sight… yet. Perhaps at the next town he could do some hunting, if he caught any of them, he decided with a grim anticipation, it would make the demon that haunted Luin seem tame.

A knock at the door told him that they had a visitor.

"Come in!" He growled, hoping it wasn't Colette or Genis, Raine could be a decent and deserving target of his anger at the moment. Genis would openly worry, bring food, and leave. Colette would openly cry, fret, and have to be taken away by Raine. Out of the other two options Noishe liked the first and Kratos liked the second. Colette, before she'd became hysterical, was at least a good doctor, Genis was sorely lacking on that front and hurt more then helped. The only reason Noishe liked Genis at all, Kratos presumed, was because the boy was lavish with giving treats. Noishe had been eating a large number of chocolate chip cookies, since Kratos' stomach was being rather touchy of late.

He blinked, missing bells and cape, missing his ghostly white robes and marks of his office, was Father Tylor.

"Expecting Catling Mr. Aurion?" Tylor asked, walking soundlessly in the room and taking a seat in between the two beds.

Interesting choice, Tylor was in perfect position to help either of them if they needed it. Raising an eyebrow, but not bothering to respond Kratos slithered deeper in the obscuring blanket, and favored Tylor with his silent glare of death.

"You're as charming sick as you are well aren't you?" Tylor grinned and despite himself the mercenary relaxed the glare just a bit. "Riane told me a little, Catling a little more, so I came by."

"You'll be missing noon service." Kratos pointed out, hoping the man would leave him to his thoughts and lone watch.

"Catling, Raine, and Genis are covering, or rather Catling's covering and the others are going along for sake of her protection."

"Humph." Kratos closed his eyes, hoping that if he mimed sleeping the man would grow uncomfortable and leave.

"If I had gone with you back to the inn you probably wouldn't have been bothered Lloyd." Tylor muttered, there was the barest of sounds, of a hand caressing hair.

A thin spark of rage touched Kratos, he snapped his eyes open and his glare was so fierce the priest felt it and turned. If that rage was given even a slip of fuel he'd find the reserves to climb out of bed and got for the man's throat.

"He was with you last night?"

"He needed an ear, something was bothering him and no one listened to him so he went looking for me."

"Why didn't you stay with him then!"

"I went part of the way," Tylor's lips curled. "Sad and I was hoping you'd at least ask."

"Ask what?"

Tylor shrugged, turned to Lloyd and patted the unwounded shoulder. Kratos repeated himself; fire ran through his tone and still the priest seemed unfazed, unafraid.

"What did he talk to you of last night?"

Again nothing, it was then rather belatedly Kratos realized that was the wrong question to ask.

"What was... no is, troubling him?"

"Family, he's looking and not finding anything. He feels guilty because he wants to look but that takes away from the regeneration journey." Tylor pulled a strand of chestnut from that pain lined face on the pillow. "He also has been wrestling with the idea of all the Regeneration entails. After all to see the physical embodiment of someone else's faith and not your own is a bit rough. He's angry because he doesn't follow Martel and everyone he loves is being dragged into this without a reason that he understands. Plus his total denial of the Goddess has been making Catling try to convert him. Quite a mouthful that." Tylor made a face. "Of course it took him longer to say it all last night and vent, but then I think what's worse is he only has one set of ears to listen to him."

"Quite a plateful for someone to handle," Kratos agreed, no longer wondering at the purpose of the urgent walks Lloyd had taken with Noishe when they'd been in Izoold and Triet.

"I couldn't find who did it. I looked, stupid I know, but you'd expect me to be rather stupid hmmm?" Tylor was again talking to Lloyd. "What could I do if I found anything at all?" Tylor sighed.

"I already found who did it, they got away, but only for now."

Both men shared a long look, and then Tylor grinned, it was not a friendly grin that would have appeased any child by any means.

"Good."

Strange how warrior and priest were on the exact same page with one another, especially since the priest was a member of a pacifist order.

"Goddess of my heart… this is a rather funny echo of the past. I met him half dead on the side of the road and his dwarf father came in half dead with exhaustion. Here he is half dead, his respected swords teacher hot on his tail half dead with exhaustion! If you were only a few years older I'd be having some thoughts about you two!"

Kratos snorted, shifted a bit on the bed, careful to keep his form hidden under the blanket.

"Let's finish this proper! A bit of tea for some sentimental old fools?"

"Why not?" Kratos sighed, "It'll be the first bit of nourishment I've had in a day. And what was that last bit about 'respected swords teacher'?"

"Goddess the irony of this… I'll make the tea, we'll split a kettle and talk it over. Something tells me we'll be at it a few hours."

Xxx xxx xxx

"So you and Dirk spent an evening like this when he was little, on this same topic?" Kratos sipped his cup, clad now in a clean tunic and pair of pants. He'd made quite a sight getting dressed under the blanket, but on off chance Lloyd woke up he was not leaving the sanctuary of bed till he was dressed. The boy had enough nightmares as it was he wasn't adding to it.

"Yes and yes." Tylor smiled. "Martel, lass, you have one great sense of humor." He lifted his cup and Kratos joined in on that toast.

Kratos sipped on his cup, eyes thoughtful. "Your recipe?"

"Cinnamon, a few odd and end sweet leaves that are local to Iselia, some mint, and a pinch of ground rose."

"Not bad." Kratos who had a bit of a dislike for most teas –mainly because all the ones he tasted were for medicinal purposes- found this one acceptable.

"Not a tea person?"

"I have my reasons."

Tylor favored Kratos with a long look, and rolled his eyes.

"Well I can't beat you at your own game of staring, so I'm not going to try. When I talked to Dirk it was more of explaining how not to pressure Lloyd. He was trying to push Lloyd into naming him as father, as I know of it Lloyd never called Dirk father till he turned twelve. He took the last name as his own about then because enough people started doing it that it caught. I had a lot of long talks, was a family priest to them really, though I never did nag at them to convert, it was more of a running joke between us then anything else. Anyways with Dirk it was 'be patient, listen to him, and remember he's human not a dwarf'. For Lloyd it was 'be patient, he'll figure it out about Noishe eventually, and why weren't you at class' yesterday?'"

"He has not much improved since you left academically." Kratos said with a note of distaste in his voice.

"Something tells me he will; I can see you ramming books down his throat the whole journey."

"Perhaps, provided Raine does not drive me off with her staff first."

"She'll understand eventually. She's a woman who thinks with her head, she can rationalize your reaction and rationalize reasons to get rid of you for it, but she can't understand it just yet."

"And you do?" Kratos chuckled, "provided you know what I'm talking about."

"About you nicking Genis or you nearly decapitating Lloyd?" Tylor said in an ice flecked voice.

Kratos winced at that tone, cringed from the man as he echoed his own conscious.

"You're a warrior, you kill for a living Mr. Aurion and instincts develop. You have some control, or else Lloyd and Genis would be dead." Tylor downed the tea with a grimace. "Not a comforting image that, and if Lloyd hadn't been so damn persuasive last night I'd be taking Raine's side of things and changing Catling's mind about you. She trusts you; bless her heart, so does Lloyd and Noishe. If she didn't have anyone on her side in that trust you would have been told to leave long ago."

The idea that some how he had earned Lloyd's trust and respect made a warm tingle run through him. He kept it of his face, bowed whilst sitting, and went to rolling the empty cup over in his hands.

"Do you know of Lloyd's oath?" Tylor asked at last. "Why he started it, any inkling of why or how?"

Kratos shook his head.

"When he explains it to you –and I think he will before this all gets sorted out- a lot will make sense."

"You passed it?" Kratos asked, setting aside the cup.

"Almost ten years ago… the initiation was absolute…" A noise from the bed made the priest roll his eyes. "Well the slug a bed awakens!"

"That's Noshy…" Came a grouchy voice, a pillow was promptly pulled over Lloyd's face. "He's green."

"You're working on red though."

"I like red… Why's my arms hurt so much?"

"Still muddled from the fight," Kratos explained. "Raine gave him something for the pain, it should last all day."

"Whatcha doin' here Tylor?"

"Ditching priest class," the man chuckled, "you've got to stop doing stupid things Lloyd, what was it this time, taking on twenty wolves by yourself, or pulling Ms. Fluffkins from Phardia's apple tree?"

"Both…" Lloyd cracked a smile, which he reviled to them by pulling the pillow aside.

Fluffkins? Kratos mouthed, the priest winked and said nothing to him.

"Well I'm glad your awake and doing better." Tylor patted Lloyd's un-bandaged arm and offered a warm smile to his old pupil. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No… fine…" Lloyd blinked. "Where's everyone?"

"The church at the town square conducting service, see I know how to ditch in style, I get other people to do my work or me."

Lloyd chuckled, then blinked up at the priest.

"E'vn Kratos? Didn't think 'e liked church…"

"I don't." Kratos sighed. "So I am trapped in here with your snoring for company."

"I don snore Noshy does!"

"I guess so, it's more of a squeaking really…"

"Sqeakin'?"

"Chipmunk like." Tylor added, lips curling into a wide smile. "Well since you heretics might contaminate me I'll leave you two alone for a bit. If you need anything," Tylor said to the mercenary. "Call out; the help will hear you and I won't leave the inn so I'll be easy to find."

Kratos nodded.

"Chipmunk?" Lloyd sounded… pained.

"He is exaggerating Lloyd, he thinks it is funny."

"It is funny!" Tylor huffed going for the door.

"Not!" Lloyd protested.

"Is too!"

"Is not," Kratos mock growled, and Tylor outnumbered ducked out of the room before one of the swordsman remembered there craft and went after him blades at the ready.

xxx

Healing came faster with two people who could coax the body to mend with a few words and touch. Raine's touch, her power, was warm. The light would sheath her hands, and glide from her cupped palms to his injury. It wrapped his skin in golden light and the injuries in warmth, warmth that would pool around the injury, settle under the light that encircled his hurts. On pulling out of a healing there would be a final flash of light, one second of searing heat, then a throbing warmth would cradle the disappearing scar for a few hours. Kratos' touch was cold, it set every hair to pricking forward and extended contact would leave him physically shivering. Unfazed by the Artic cold -Genis' description Lloyd didn't even know what an Artic was- Kratos would set his hand an inch from the wound where the cold would stab into the cut and numb it. Unlike Raine's golden light, which was blinding, Lloyd could see what was going on under that silver blue light. The first time he'd almost got sick, heck Raine had almost got sick and she had to leave, but a few times later now that Kratos was quietly explaining what was happening it wasn't so bad. Or rather it was enough to keep Lloyd from losing control over his guts as he watched his vains and muscles writhe while the mercenary coaxed then to work faster in sending something called 'nutrients' to another thing called 'cells' so that his body would hurry up and put itself together. The worst part was the skin, it would twist all around the wound then slowly knit together and cover each gash. At least with Kratos' technique he didn't have any scars, Raine's left his arms covered in a mess of small white lines. Since they were so on hand he asked them how it worked, how magic made someone heal, there responses had been different but equally confusing.

"What?" He looked at them wondering if there healings had turned off his mind.

"Using the mana I gather from the local environ I..." Kratos began again.

"Simple words Mr. Aurion," Raine sighed. "Why do you ask when you know you wont understand? Alright, what I do is bring the mana from around me and from myself into my hand, I then tell it to warm the area I'm healing so it wont hurt then use the rest to kind of... Inside your mind is the knowledge of how it works and how it's put together, I give your body the energy it needs to follow those instructions at a faster rate then it normally would."

"So you speed heal?" Kratos' voice had just a touch of scorn. "You accelerate the natural healing process and therefore age him everytime you do so."

"Only a few days at worse." Raine countered, the hostility between the two adults made Lloyd squirm and they put on there masks of tolerence for each other for his sake.

"I spoke too harshly, not everyone favors my method of healing and I should not criticize you on yours."

"Thank you Mr. Aurion, after all it's only a matter of style, we shouldn't quibble over it."

"Indeed... My technique is different. As Ms. Sage explained there is a part of your mind that is aware of everything you expereince, you only precieve..." Lloyd's eyes were begining to glaze and Kratos sighed. "You only understand so much so it only lets you see so much. I go to that part and see the things that are around the injury, I don't know the names or what's needed for the body to heal on my own, but that part of your mind does so I go to the parts of your body that have those substances your mind tells me they do and use my mana to... take what's needed and bring it to the wound."

"By using controled biodegeneration, by completly manipulting the boy's biology you heal him!" Raine hissed through her teeth. "And you criticise me for-!"

"I take from various places, not enough to put him in danger and what I feel uncomfortable taking I subsitute with my own mana." Kratos said cooly. "I put him in no danger with the tactic."

"Oh so playing with his subconcious is no danger, you could be doing irrufutable harm!"

"I'm never asking about mana again..." Lloyd grumbled, closing his eyes. "Look guys I'm getting a headache.. could you let me nap for a bit?"

"Of course." Raine stood, absently reached out and touched Lloyd's brow to check for a fevor. "It's a wonder you don't have spliting headaches all the time." She growled, as if his headache was Kratos' fault, it was there talking of mana and theroies, and bio what'cha'ma call it's that was giving him a headache. "Is the pain keeping you up, I can numb it if you'd like."

"Nah, I'll fall asleep on my own."

"Rest well dear." She kissed him on his brow and Lloyd blushed, Raine only was affectionate when she was worried to death over someone, at least if you were the patient, if you weren't the patient she'd bit your head off for breathing wrong.

"Thanks Professor, g'night."

"I shouldn't of asked." Lloyd said in an appologetic tone. "Now she's gunna bite your head off for something that she doesn't like."

"She's been looking for the excuse to do so all day, don't worry about it." Kratos looked at Lloyd for a long moment. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Lloyd shrugged with one shoulder, until the adults figured out who was going to patch it they left it bandaged up with a coating of red jell on the inside. "Saving me? Don't worry about it, people like to do it sometimes and I normally wound up getting cut like this during, nothing new."

"Almost bleeding to death isn't new?"

"Nah doing stupid things isn't new." Still Kratos looked guilty. "Come on Kratos you met me when I was fighting that huge guy in Iselia, if that wasn't a hint that I get my butt kciked when I pick fights against people twice my size then the bone thing in Ossa and that fire thing at the temple were even more hints."

Kratos didn't quite crack a smile, but there was a hint of one in his eyes.

"Mr. Aurion a word with you..." Riane's voice drifted from the hall like the voice of doom.

"So you cleared where you wanna be buried with Genis right?"

Kratos snorted, rolled his shoulders like he did from time to time when he got in a fight, then stepped out into the hall. And thought they tried to be quiet and not yell Lloyd could hear every word. He frowned in the gathering gloom, they were going to be gone in a day or two and they couldn't leave PalmaCosta like this, him hurt and everyone at everyone elses throat. But what the heck could he do?

xxx xxx xxx

The table was long, two tables put end to end actually, and it was like that for a reason. If a real fight started people woudl have time to get away from each other and run, and considering how on edge everyone was that wasn't bad thinking. No one would have guessed it was Colette who'd suggested it, or even Colette who'd pushed him into doing this. 'If we all talke like we do during Autn at Dirk's and we fix everyting there maybe doing it here we can fix what's wrong now.' Colette was really cool like that, but what wasn't cool was when he followed her idea on having a 'mod-er-a-ter' a person who was supposed to be nutral and fair that they'd picked him. He'd gone to everyone, and asked who they thought was the most nutral, the most open if there was a fight between two people in the group who would they go to? Every single one of them had picked him. Even Noishe had picked him, or rather the red ribbon that represended him. Thinking of Noishe he was slowly scooting farther away from Colette and closer to Kratos, Lloyd met Noishe's eyes and gave a passable death glare and the dog lay his head on the table and made his eyes twice there size.

From left to right on the half of the long table that was opposite of him it was Kratos, Noishe, -who he gave a sharp gesture to with his good hand and the dog went back to his spot between the two- and Colette. On his end going the same way was Genis, himself, and Raine. He'd deliberatly put Genis out of sight from Raine and vica versa and put Kratos and Raine as far from each other as he could, putting Noishe in front of him though was proving to be a mistake. Noishe first acted all petted deprived, then wanted food, then made faces everytime Lloyd tried to talk. Noishe was driving him nuts, but despite Raine and Genis' protests Noishe had a place here too. Unlike Dad's table in Iselia there wasn't a lot of talking, but then there were some people -OK person- that weren't liked. Tension was high and it made him sweaty and that dripped into his still untreated shoulder and made it hurt all the more.

"Why are we here again?" Kratos was mad at him, he had wanted to go out today and look for traces of the false Chosen group and this meeting was keeping him inside.

"It's a meeting, like for the club, but since it's serious everyone has to attend." Colette said and Kratos looked over Noishe to stare at her. They could almost hear his thoughts that it must be serious if Colette was seeing something wrong.

"Not serious enough to have you up and about young man!" Raine growled, giving him a firece look, or rather his shoulder bandage that was seeping red.

"It's OK Professor Sage..." he hissed in pain despite himself. "I'm fine... really."

"Un huh, why don't we believe that?" Genis snapped, he was not enjoying having to sit across from Kratos, he had wanted to sit by Raine but Lloyd had been his usual stubborn self and Genis had given in. "You're as pale as a sheet, you should be sleeping!"

"I'm fine, really..." Lloyd traced one of the buttons on his shirt.

"You should let me heal it..." Kratos began.

"Oh no! No Mr. Aurion if you have such little reguard for Lloyd's saftey as to use a highly unorthadox healing method such as you described then..."

"Well be talking about that later!" Lloyd barked, feeling strange having to cut them off. Now they were all staring him, Raine, Kratos, Colette, Genis, even Noishe were looking at him like he was acting wierd. But then he'd never yelled at anyone before, he'd never had to. Raine normally never did anything bad, he never was in a position where he knew more then she did so he just kept his mouth shut and his nose out of adult things. He felt sick with all there eyes on him, wanted to suddenly leave and let them fight and argue, but he couldn't, it wouldn't be right...

"It sounds as if you have this planned Lloyd." Kratos said, crossing his arms in front of his chest, at the gesture Lloyd's stomach sunk into his shoes, he knew that look, he was going to have trouble from the mercenary.

"I might," Lloyd took a deep breath, told his stupid wound to hurt some other time. "I'm sick of everyone fighting." That seemed a safe place to start, they all shook there heads ready to deny. "Everyone is fighting, You and Raine," He looked at the mercenary then let his gaze go to his elf friend. "Genis and Kratos you haven't been fighting but it's almost as bad. heck I've been fighting with almost everyone, so we need to do something about this."

"There's one solution, get rid of the main problem."

"Ouch Professor you want me and Noishe to leave already?" Lloyd said before Kratos could probably explode and say something even nastyer.

"Don't be rediculious-"

"Then stop being it first." Lloyd siad in a tired voice. "This is part of the problem, You and Genis have a problem with Kratos."

"We all do!" Genis protested, then seeing Colette wouldn't meet his eyes frowned. Colette cringed as she was given death glares by her elven friends.

"OK stop it both of you, Colette's got every right to think what she wants so stop telling ehr she doesn't!"

"We weren't saying anything!" Genis protested, giving him the dirty look now.

"You don't have to." Kratos snapped, taking Lloyd's side for a minuete. "You're practically glaring her to death."

"Yeah I guess that would be what you do to people huh?" Genis snapped.

"What did you say runt?"

"If size were reflected in kindness you'd be the size of an ant!" Genis growled back, though he was shaking in fear of the man.

"Genis, Kratos, shut it!" Lloyd barked.

"You have no right to adress me like that young man-"

"How dare you talk to my brother like that, Genis let's..."

Oh great things were going nuts already.

"We'll have a vote, we'll have a damn vote right here right now to decide if Kratos stays or not!" Lloyd gaspped in pain as someone bumped the table and it hit his arm.

"How's this going to work?" Riane asked, calm once again at his logic, though she had not returned to her seat.

"Kratos and me can't vote, everyone else can, if he leaves Ryou can write Phardia telling him how far he got with us and Phardia can figure what to pay him." Lloyd rubbed his bad arm with his good.

"How do you know that I control his pay Lloyd?"

"I was there when you yelled at him in Triet." Raine's eyes nerrows and she turned to Genis. "Before you guys started fighting I sent him back to the hotel, he didn't hear a word."

He could feel Raine's glare pierce through him and Genis' silent gratitude, he'd lied to protect Genis from a Raine'ing while all but signing up for one once he was healed. Kratos showed no sign of being aware of the lie, he was so still he looked like a statue, but then considering his pay was on hinge by a vote of people who didn't like him...

"Fine," Raine sat, and Lloyd told his heart it could beat again.

"You say yes or no when your name's called and say why. Raine..."

"No, he's dangerous, he's hurt Genis already with a instinctual reaction that he shows no sign of control over, who's to know who he'll hurt or even kill next."

"Genis..."

"No, he hurt me, and he might hurt Colette, and his threads were..." Genis shivered. "Ivan didn't even scare me this much Lloyd."

"Colette..."

"What do you think Lloyd?" She whispered, staring at the table.

"It doesn't matter Colette," Lloyd closed his eyes, thinking fondly of sleep. "I can't say anything until everyone else's voted, it's your call."

She frowned and looked confused, but then it was the first time in Lloyd's knowledge anyone ever let her make her own decision. When Raine moved to say something Lloyd kicked her chair, and the look she cast him promised a very firm lecture later. He ignroed it, ran a hand over the slips of ribbon that would let the last person vote if she went the way he though she was going to.

"Yes, I want him to stay." Both the elf sibs and Kratos stared at her in surprise, Noishe only barked and his tail slapped a wild tune against the wooden floor. "He's really nice, and smart, and good with swords, and knows a lot about where we're going, so I think he should stay."

"Nice?" Genis strangled.

That was a word even Lloyd would have trouble pinning to Kratos.

"Well he paid for your lunch, and went to the school with us, and kept us safe even when he wasn't getting paid in Iselia, and he rescued Lloyd, and..."

"Chosen, enough." Was Kratos blushing, it looked like it?

"Still even though Colette wants him to stay it's still two to one."

Seeing Lloyd's look at Noishe Genis groaned. "No way, a dog Lloyd!"

"Noishe isn't a dog... well he's kinda a dog you know but kinda not. And so no one thinks I'm cheating you and Raine can hold the yes or no slips. Raine'll be yes and Genis no."

"Fine," Raine agreed, thinking that Noishe who liked Genis would go to him by instinct. Lloyd tried not to laugh when Noishe all but sat on Raine's toes to indicate his decision. "This is illogical trusting an animal to make a decision."

"You want me to vote?" Lloyd said at last when no one could be persuaded to change there vote. They nodded and Lloyd closed his eyes. His words were going to spark a few more fights and the meeting had a long way to go before it was done. Giving himself a mental shake he sat up and looked to each of his friends, old and new.

"Yes, I want him to stay, not just because I like him but because he is as Colette said, he's smart, he knows what he's doing, and I mean come on Professor between you and me we'd be lost for twenty years out in who knows where. I know he can be dangerous, but so's everyone else with a sword." At that he saw Lych and Ivan in his mind but shoved those two ghosts back. "Not every swordsman's a good person and so far Kratos has shown himself to be good, not just in skill but in taking care of us. How many times could he have just walked away and let any or all of us get hurt Professor. His 'job' is to protect Colette, and that's all he has to do, but he protects all of us, and that counts for something."

There was a long silence, again with the staring, Lloyd squirmed in discomfort at all those eyes.

"But then I'm this moderator right now so my vote doesn't count, you have to change someone's mind and that's part of what we're here for."

Raine nodded and turned to Colette and a more controlled arguement occured, seeing it was safe to do so Lloyd closed his eyes for just a second and quite un-intentionally took a nap.

xxx xxx xxx

Kratos listened to them argue, keeping his peace, only speaking when something was so outragious in it's error that he felt his voice was needed. Things were more controled now, tensions and angers were slowly draining out, and he marveled a bit at Lloyd's intellegence. This was a perfect way to tend to such problems, a cleaner way then the endless snipping he was prepared to endure for the rest of the journey. As Genis seemed to be mulling over something that Kratos had siad in his own defense the mercenary looked to see if Lloyd was seeing how well his plan was unfolding. It would be the perfect opratunity to watch for improvements or to see upcomming problems. He winced as he saw the young man's eyes closed head lolled back against the back of his chair. His observation skills must be slipping if he had missed that Lloyd's breathing was that shallow and slow. He caught Raine's eye and jerked his head at Lloyd, the way she started told him he was not alone in his mental self flagulation.

For the adults of this group they were doing a poor job of doing there jobs, and the child who had taken pains to remind them was now sleeping off the pain of his wound.

"Vote," Kratos said, more to cut off the chatter then check the waters and see if he was still employed. "We have other matters to discuss and I believe that we don't need a nanny to supervise hmmm?"

The children noticed Lloyd's state and they too flinched in shame.

"Ms. Sage..."

"I will change my vote on two requirements." Kratos turned, gave her a long brooding look and that seemed enough for her. "First I want you to keep away from Genis, as much as you can."

"Agreed." Nothing would suit him better, but he kept that to himself.

"Second, I want to know the truth about you Kratos, and I think Lloyd deserves it as well since you are both so... close."

"What truth?"

"Who are you Kratos Aurion?"

"Well," He chuckled, "A comprimise if you would, I'll tell him and he can tell you what he wills." Raine said nothing, stared at him, and at her protest that it was also her buisness as well as Lloyd's Kratos snorted. "Do you give a swords to your foe Ms. Sage and bow low so they get first strike? It's a highly improbable move, and while I like the boy and the Chosen I have no like of you."

"I acknowledge that, and also convey the same feelings towards you."

"Then we understand each other and that will be enough for this journey."

"Mr. Kratos..." Colette looked pained, but he was not going to take back what he just siad if that was the issue. "When Lloyd wakes up cna you give him five of my gald."

Genis asked Raine to do the same thing and both adults gave the gald and then the child who had given it to them a long look.

"What's this for Genis?"

"Nothing important, just a game I'm glad I lost."

The Chosen only smiled and called to Noishe, who now no longer bieng riened in by Lloyd set his head on the mercenary's lap.

xxx xxx xxx

Tylor came the morning of the last day, he spent that time telling Colette stories of his younger days on a pilgrimige and was pleased to have heard Genis' sucsess at the academy. He certainly patted the elf's back and challenged him to a game of riddles. A mistake on Tylor's part as he lost thirty gald when he made a bet that his last riddle would keep Genis busy for a day. Raine scolded priest and child for gambling, and with a good natured Raine shooing him out. Then came classes, from noon to three hours after. Head still ringing from all the drilling he was getting Lloyd challenged Colette to hop skip and lost every game. Genis moved to take his place, and then pleading sleepiness Colette went to her rooms. It was a few hours until sunset, and there was nothing to do. Raine and Genis were quietly studying by the fire, Colette sleeping, as was Noishe who seemed content to be Genis' foot stool for a time. It was nice, this piece of normalicy, it was almost like Iselia, and that sliver of home was very nice. Funny really, he had always wanted to go on an adventure and he was thinking and enjoying every reminder of home he got.

Another page turned, and the fire crackled. All seemed still, and when the sun set the mythical tower of mana to look like a tourch in some hours to come Lloyd would leave them and Noishe would join him. They would, for a short time, lay side by side on the roof of the inn and stare at the stars. But till then to now was a... transitional span... that's what Raine called it. A moment before something else happened. For Lloyd who spent all of his moments doing something it was kind of boring waiting for the time between them to pass. Yet it was fitting to, because he knew that so long as something hadn't come up that lazy time between important time would be filled. There was a knock on the door frame and they all looked up.

Kratos ignored the glare of anger, the faint hint of disapointment. Raine was hoping and had kept saying Kratos would not come, that he would be late or found something else 'more important' to attend to. Genis cringed in his sister's arms just a bit, then relaxed, but the initial fear made Raine draw an arm around her brother and in the arms of her anger rested his fear. Kratos did not respond, did not care for them, merely lay the blades he had carried from his room against the door frame. Both steel hilts flickured like gold rimmed stars in the sunlight and Lloyd met Kratos' eyes.

And he smiled.

He knew of Genis' threads and Riane's fears, he knew there persuasion and caution. But he knew something else. Raine and Genis were still a part of Iselia, just like he was, they loved that old town and knew in the end when it was all over they could just go back. But not Lloyd, he would never go back, not to the place that had allowed the Desian's to do as they pleased. Even when the Desian's were all gone, like they would be at the end of this journey, he could not go back. There were unclosing eyes that haunted his dreams, in the red rain there were unblinking unclosing eyes that he would forever face. He could not go to a place where everyone else would not look at those who could not look back.

So he had to let go. He loved Iselia, it's where he had grown up, and he really did love it. He knew every path every inch of the place, it was his childhood home. It was his childhood home, nothing more. He stood, having chosen Raine to fix his shoulder earlier much to Kratos' disapointment, he had a pale spot the length of his thumb, but it was better then a red one. To him Kratos was change, he wasn't from Iselia -which is why Genis and Raine really disliked him- he didn't know all the sayings and stuff but he had a few of his own.

Walking over Lloyd picked up his swords, pulled one out of it's sheath and shot the man a warm smile. So he had sharpened them, not that Lloyd wasn't well enough to do it himself, but Kratos seemed to like to do nice stuff for him nowadays.

"Be careful Lloyd." Raine said as she watched him go.

"Yeah Professor, I'll avoid wolves and monsters and all the fun... I mean dangerous stuff."

"Will you ever grow up!" She sighed.

"Nah, I'll stay a kid forever, just to drive you..."

Raine pulled the erasser out and Lloyd chuckled and tried to make a run for it, no such luck, she'd been nailing him for ages and a little thing like running wasn't going to be an issue. Laughing, he pulled the erasser out of his hair, whiped away the chalk and then set the erasser by the door behind a vase. She knew where to find it, having pelted him several times today for old times sake when he dozed during a lecture and he'd scamper off to hide it.

"So training, food, or food?" Lloyd asked as they went outside, brushing the last of his play from his hair. "We could always shop for you know... food if that's not a problem."

Kratos rolled his eyes but a small curl of his lips told Lloyd he was still in the mercenary's good graces.

"I thought you wanted to see it."

"See what?"

Kratos gave him a long long look and Lloyd tried to remember and gave up with a sigh that the black clad mercenary echoed.

"Come on, we'll eat later."

"Oh come on, cafe... sandwiches!"

"I am not particularly hungry at the moment, and we will be sparing after."

"Really?"

"If you are up to it, then yes."

They went down a weapons shop street and paused. Kratos turned then slipped between two abandoned stalls to come into an alley. Blinking, for the alley seemed a nest of darkness after a path of sunlight Lloyd gripped one of the shoulder pads of Kratos' cape and he could feel Kratos surpress his darker instincts. Lloyd was not scolded however and since Kratos could still see, or perhaps knew the route so well sight was unnessicary, they went forward. From the alley they squirmed between a tight man sized space between two houses and came to a small little street. There were houses, a row of five houses long since abandoned, and it seemed wierd as if was the shops and merchant's stalls had been built to hide the place. It seemed as if the single story houses had once belonged to a poorer district, but as if someone had wanted to hide the buildings, to lock them away. it seemed rather sad, they were nice looking, if you ignored the pealing paint and tried to imagine them new. To his shock Kratos calmly walked up to the fourth house, his manner of someone comming home. He pulled open the small waist high gate and turned to Lloyd.

"Comming?"

"Kratos what if someone lives here?"

"All the other previous residents have abandoned this lot," The mercenary held something small and metalic in his hand. "And the owner of this house has just returned."

Spreading his fingers a length of chain fell from his hands and on the end was a key. Feeling like a idiot Lloyd flushed, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"So you lived here?" Lloyd closed the gate behind him.

"Over ten years ago." Kratos smiled slightly, and after working the key, pushed open the door. "Gods it's good to see it again. Despite how Dorr and everyone else wishes to hide it from me. Take a look around, it's not much but it was... is my home."

Lloyd did as offered. He walked slowly through the kitchen, two buckets one cracked and brittle the other still usable stood filled with dust rather then water. Plates stood in small cabnits, the last meal that rested on them was fadded into perhaps only one man's mind. Running a hand over the simple cabnit that had been nailed into the wall he smiled, brushed off the dust.

"Your work? If so it's very good, if not tell me who did it and I'll need to apprentice to them."

Kratos' quiet chuckle drifted amongst the dust like a content ghost, but he did not answer. Picking his way across the floor boards, not caring that everything was sheathed in dust, Lloyd walked to the small kitchen table and spent a moment admiring the simple if sturdy wood work. He blinked, stared at the chairs around it, there were two clearly for adults... and one for a child. A very small child.

The implications hung over him, but he did not understand them, so he let it go. Time would tell him what he needed to know. He picked his way across a living room, little more then a slight dent in the hallway, a very small book shelf with one or two books inside had stood there, save the books had been ripped down and there pages ripped out. Half molded and decayed there was no way to salvage what little was left. Something had happened here, something aweful, it seemed as if the whole house sighed with gentle regret and echoed with found memories. He wandered down the hall and half way in he stopped, one of the walls had been destroyed, torn down and though a curtain of spider web hung over it he could glipse a hint of green on the other side. Despite himself he gripped the hilt of his blade, tried to room to the right. The door came open at his touch, inside was a small crib meant for the youngest of children. That was the rooms sole furniture, there was a rug under the craddle, a pool of pale green, and a pile of what might have been folded clothes. Not having the heart to look thorugh that pile he left it to it's blanket of dust and tried the door to the left. Remains of a bed, brown spots in the matress' blankets told a story that the wall confirmed. It was as bare as the child's room, the covers stirred like ghosts as a wind from an open door came in. It carried the scent of the sea and the sweet caress of flowers. Blinking, suddenly eager to leave and see outside he went to the door and opened it all the way. Sitting on a bench, rolling a flower, a rose of white over in his hands, was Kratos, as he stared out at the sea. The view, despite the buildings that crouded around them was magnificent. A plane of blue green tinged with threads of gold, serounded by the peering heads of other buildings, it was like looking over a group of people and seeing an treasure.

"She used to tell me we'd move out any day now, but I honestly think that she didn't mean it. She was so litteral though, saying what she ment it was hard to be sure. The rose bush that's taken half the wall by you, her work... I guess her trout idea worked."

"How long did you live here?"

"A year, with my wife, and our child. He died when he was very young, as did she. Niether of them diserved what happened to them. I was gone for a day doing some work around town and I had a bad feeling so I came home early..." Kratos gently set aside the plant. "She asked me to give this up, to give up wandering and living by the blade for her, for our child, and I did. My reflexes were slow, I had fallen out of my prime and if only I had been a little faster... Despite that, despite the Hell that happened here there is enough good, enough light to draw me back, I've avoided this place for so long and when I come here I always wonder why."

Lloyd only gripped Kratos' shoulder, understanding perhaps in a way no one else could.

"Thank you." Was all Lloyd said, it seemed enough for Kratos smiled a sad distant smile.

"Despite Mr. Sage's thoughts I don't bite."

Lloyd smiled, took the seat offered and for a time the looked out at the sea. Lloyd's mind swum. Kratos a father, married even, he'd never had guessed or believed.

"What was it like..." He muttered, feeling something twist inside of him, some old pain. "Being a father."

"Though I only was one for less then a handful of years." The mercenary whispered, eyes seeing something far away. "In the long eternity that will serve as my life I would trade nothing for it, no riches or gold could tempt me to forsake those memories, for I charish nothing else but that time."

"You don't have eternity," Lloyd teased. "You're an old man."

Kratos chuckled. "Fair enough, yes I guess at twenty eight I must now make use of a cane when beating you into the ground for over thrusting or preforming the wrong counter."

"Please, don't rub it in."

"I appologize..." Kratos' eyes told him that appologie was totally false. "What is it like... being a son to a dwarf?"

"Not as wierd as I bet your son had it. I could so hear you over dinner telling your kid not to stick the fork into the carrot like that, the grips' wrong."

"Actually, I would have encouraged my son to seek a different career, I never wanted him to be a swordsman, it was practical of course after all my blade is my dominent skill, but everytime I could see him rushing into danger in my mind my blood would go like ice."

"I wonder... if my Dad felt the same when I wanted to be a swordsman."

"You stopped wanting that?"

"I, and don't tell anyone else I said this, was out stubborned. Dad taught me to be a craftsman, keep me so busy I wouldn't have time to learn the sword, not that I'd try but after almost cutting off my ears Dad relented a little and gave me some lessons. By then I was too old to pick it up so I let it go and stuck with craftswork. Anyways I told you what it was like at that College place."

"Were you happy?" Lloyd froze, hesitate, the old answer of 'yeah of course I was' filled him. But that hesitance said more then any words to a man who's language was half silence and thought. "The truth Lloyd, you can tell me that after I have told you mine, can't you?"

Flushing in shame Lloyd looked to the sea, beter then those eyes that read every thought in his head.

"Sometimes I missed my human parents and when I'd look no one would help me. No one would listen when I asked if they had seen my parents, they'd all smile and nod and look at me in pity. I love my Dad, my dwarf Dad, but I miss my human parents too. Mom's dead... Dad knew that for sure and told me when I was little, but my human Dad might be alive. And I hate that word, 'might' becuase... I can't know for sure, and I hate not knowing, it makes it feel wrong."

"Not knowing is not a crime." Kratos said softly, and at his words Lloyd turned to stare at him. "Lloyd, I can not give you your answers, and the odds may be that you never will get them, but not having them is not a crime, it's complacency in ignorance is the crime."

Blinking sharply Lloyd ordered the stinging to go away in his eyes, and managed to shove it down inside with some effort.

"Yeah, I guess you're right... Hey, do you like boats?"

"As long as they aren't fishing boats then the answer is yes." Kratos made a noise in his throat. "I spent my youth undernieth far too many of those to last a life time."

"When... when this is all done I think I'll make a boat and just sail somewhere, no idea where yet, but I figure you can make up your own way when you travel you know?"

"That sounds like a good plan."

"Well I can't sail or anything so it's not all that great, but even if it doesn't work and I can't do that maybe I'll just travel and see what's over the next hill without all these seals and stuff messing things up."

"A better plan."

"Would you, I don't know, want to come?"

"Come?"

"For a little while, just for the heck of it, no mercenary junk involved, just to go somewhere for the heck of it."

Kratos smiled, a small guarded smile that warmed his eyes and spred just a litte wider then it's norm.

"I might like that."

"You don't snore do you?"

"No." Kratos snorted, sounded a touch insulted.

"Good, then we'e all set, we'll wrap up those seal things and chuck the map and go where ever." Lloyd offered the man his hand and Kratos stared at it a long time. "So deal?"

"It's a deal." Kratos took it and gave a firm shake.

"Good about that cafe."

"Not until after your appointment with my cane... I mean sword outside of town young man."

"You're no fun." Lloyd whined, and was totally surprised when Kratos laughed a warm full throated laugh.

"I've never claimed to be fun." He crossed his arms in front of him, and gave a decent mock glare.

"Yeah well..." Lloyd thought fast, crossed his arms and gave a very poor mock glare. "Well you'll just have to learn wont you?"

"If you can pick up the remnants of swords craft I'll work on trying to be 'fun' how is that for a deal?"

"Best one I've had for a while." Lloyd said with a grin.

xxx xxx xxx

Tail thumping a wild beat and in all probability annoying who ever owned the room below him, Noishe didn't care. He was getting his spot rubbed, his greem patch, and had spread himself out, legs all going in different directions. Making a little gaspy of pleasure Noishe rolled over with a quiet howl and looked at Lloyd with his puppy eye look. Grinning Lloyd ran his fingers through the thick main of silver and green and the purring started. One long arm snagged him around his shoulders, pulled him down and he plopped against that huge furry chest. Then perhaps, thinking on all the childish romp where Lloyd had pulled him into this position the dog worked a paw back and forth over Lloyd's hair and gave him a noogie. The young man mock growled and shook off the paws. He half tackled, half shoved his dog and they slid on the slick roof tiles. Gripping her staff in terror Raine was about to rush out, to open the window she stood behind and try to save them. Noishe caught himself by digging his claws in between the shingles and Lloyd laughing, caughed himself with an ease that showed that he had slid for the fun of it. He picked his way back up to the window that they'd used to climb out, and Noishe on shaking paws joined him.

"Fraidy cat, I can't believe you're scared of hieghts."

"Whine whiiine bark!"

"Weirdo."

"Whiiine..." The ears dropped and the tail stoped wagging, it started wagging when Lloyd foundly ruffled the fur.

"Half cat!" Lloyd teased, and was firmly swatted on the head. "You so are a half cat, half fraidy cat!"

"Howl!" Noishe pounced and they slid down, this time Lloyd's head hung over the side of the roof and he began to go over. She had the window almost all the way open, and was about to squirm her way out, to do what she didn't know. Noishe dipped his head, snagged the boy's twin belt and dropped him back onto the roof. She was half in half out and aware that from Lloyd's room a figure in black was doing much the same, but they both froze seeing that Lloyd was alright, she came to herself first.

"Lloyd, I think that's enough stargazing for the evening."

"But the stars just came out Professor!"

"For the sake of my nerves come back in boy." Kratos barked, his knuckles were pale from gripping the window frame so tight.

"Lloyd don't argue with me, come in right now!"

"Yes Professor..." Lloyd hung his head, "We'll be in in a sec."

Satisfied that Lloyd would do as ordered Kratos ducked back inside, Raine however knew beter then to trust that tone. Lloyd made a show of going to the window that he had crawled out of that lay between Kratos and Raine's windows, then secure that none of the adults were watching opened the window and sat on the frame. Noishe, despite the slant of the roof, laid at Lloyd's feet to admire the sky. She allowed them to watch the silver dawns that drove off yet inhanced the onyx sky, she gave them all of a minuete to savor the sight.

"Lloyd Irving we did not mean half in half out, we ment all the way in, now come inside!"

Kratos' window that had been left open a crack opened all the way and a very annoyed head poped out.

"If you aren't inside this room in ten seconds young man..."

"You know my Dirk, my Dad, doesn't care when I stargaze on the roof with Noishe!" Lloyd growled.

"Well I'm not Dirk, now get inside!"

"Fine fine... sheesh." Lloyd stepped aside and Noishe hopped through the open window, Lloyd followed and went back to his shared room. The mercenary was not good company for the rest of the night, as a matter of fact he was snippy company.

Lloyd lay on his back staring at the roof, tossing a block of wood he had yet to work into a project. He threw it into the air and caught it, then rolled over with it still in his hands, Kratos in all appearences was sleeping. But then Lloyd had tried to sneak out the window to go back to star gazing and those closed eyes had slid open. The man hadn't even said anything, Lloyd slinked back to his blankets under that expressive glare. He rolled over, aware of those eyes boring into him. He tossed the block in the air, caught it in one hand. He tried to juggle it in the dark, and as to be expected miscalculated a catch and it bonked off of his hand to skitter in the middle of the floor, right between him and Kratos' bed. He was going to go for it when a flash of silver snapped across the room, smacked into the block and set it to skittering farther off in the gloom. Lloyd whistled, surprised at how hard Kratos had thrown that pice of gald.

"Go to bed, stop playing and get some sleep, we start early tomorrow."

Frowning, unable to quite pick out the small block, he fumbled in the dark and brough up his swords. Following the belt in his hand he fished out his gald pouch and found a celin piece, a gald coin worth two coins. He threw and hitting the edge of the block made it spin into a pool of moonlight.

"What in Efreet's fiery Hell are you doing?"

Lloyd fished another celin out and threw, the block slid in Kratos' direction, unable to turn down the opratunity he missed, lightly pelting the man with a coin.

"Woops, so sorry..."

Kratos picked up the block and threw, Lloyd managed to make a pillow a shield and catch the projectile. Feet tromped to there room and Raine opened the door.

"What's going on, I thought I heard something?"

"Nothing professor... just dropped my umm project." Lloyd showed off the piece of wood.

"I'm studying and I'm in the room next door, I expect no distractions." She gave Lloyd a look that he knew all too well.

"Gotcha." He tucked the block under his pillow and closed his eyes, the second the door slid shut he lay the wood on the floor. He pulled out another coin and tossed it on the block, another smashed into the back and set pice of gald and block to the mercenaries bed. "The trick," He told the confused man. "Is to keep the piece of gald on the block but make them both move. If it falls off you lose."

"I am not playing a child's game."

"You said if I learned the rem.. ren.. Sword stuff you'd let me teach you to have fun, well this is my first lesson." Lloyd gave a poor mimic of Kratos' tutoring glare then let that disolve into a pout. "You promised!"

"I did didn't I." Kratos looked... well pained. Pained as if he were eating something bitter and his stomach didn't like it.

Lloyd knew that look, his dad, Dirk had worn it a lot when Lloyd would play. Dad had forgotten how to have fun and Kratos seemed to be the same way. He recalled with startling clarity the sheer amount of nagging it had taken Lloyd to get his Dad to play tag, and catch, and walk around with him when he looked for fish and other weird things. Dirk would always look back at the smithy, or in the direction of the house, at least for the first bit, then after much nagging and coaxing he'd play along with Lloyd's childish games. But always with hesitence. It wasn't a dwarf thing to play, it was a human thing, dwarves did not play,were very serious minded folk who would focus on the task before them and when it was done indulge in a big meal before going to the next one. Lloyd could not be like that, though he always was busy the hours after dark when Dad would sleep had always been his to just... be a little kid for just a bit, for as long as he could fight off sleep. And traveling with Colette wasn't going to change that one bit, he'd fight mosnters and Desians and look for seals in the day, but a few hours at night before sleep, they would be his. Raine could tie him to Kratos or to herself and hope that the seriousness would rub off, could bunk him with anyone and he'd still be up at night doing what he liked best. That, was why he wasn't with Genis or Colette, he'd get them to play along, get them to join in, and he'd just drive Raine nuts, so he was with Kratos when they went to inns.

Maybe Kratos was hoping the seriousness would rub off too.

Whatever, he threw the next gald piece and hit the block which spun and the coin on top almost fell.

Wincing Lloyd closed his eyes, and held his breath. There was a 'tink' and the block skid across the floor. Cracking an eye open he saw the block slide more to his side. Lloyd's counter throw missed and smacked into the ground and wall. Kratos rolled over, closed his eyes and his breathing slowed, either the guy had fallen asleep in a second or... Feet stomped agianst the wooden hall.

"You jerk, you're playing possim!" He hissed, then pulled the covers over his head and closed his eyes.

Raine opened the door, her staff tapped in her hands, an ominous sound and he went still as he could while she walked into the room and glared at them both. With a muttered word in the elf language she closed the door behind her.

"Is it safe?" Lloyd whispered, not daring to open his eyes.

"I believe so." Lloyd heard Kratos roll over so he pulled the covers off of his head. "Close, no?"

"That's part of the fun." Lloyd grinned.

"Hurmph, goodnight Lloyd." Kratos rolled over and pulled his blanket over his shoulders. Even when he was sleeping he wore that black tunic and pants, on one of the chairs obscured by the dark was a simular hued cloak. Lloyd watched the man curl up around nothing in particular and gradually watched the man's breathing slow to that common to someone asleep.

Seeing this as his chance Lloyd swung his feet over the side of the bed, plans of slipping out the window for a few hours stargazing dancing in his head.

And were just as swiftly dashed when Kratos twitched ever so slightly then rolled over so he was facing the window.

Slipping under the covers without a squeak of protest Lloyd waited and Kratos seemed to go back to sleep. He fingered his greatly diminished gald pouch and considered the block.

"If you try the next thing I throw will be my dagger, and it wont be at the block."

"Sheesh, you're pretty grouchy without sleep you know that?"

"Others have siad that before, it hardly hurts me now, go to sleep Lloyd."

"I'm still wide awake." Lloyd growled.

"Then stop drinking coffee at dinner."

"You're up, what's up with that?"

"You're keeping me up!"

"Well.."

The door slammed open and Raine decended bloody murder writen on her face. Lloyd fell on a trick Genis had taught him long ago.

"Raine, Kratos wont shut up about swrods practice!" He put just a hint of whine and innocence in it and the professor turned on the mercenary.

"Sith jasun ust Lloyden." Kratos growled, his eyes blazing.

xxx xxx

"Well we both got in trouble if it makes you feel better." Lloyd offered meekly, hiding as best he could behind the lump that had taken the whole blanket.

"No it does not," Kratos tugged on the lump, which growled and smacked him with a paw. "Damn it Noishe, share!"

"Growl!"

"Don't you dare growl at me!"

"Yip!" Noishe whirled on Llyod who had slipped his cold hands under his belly and smacked his master on the head. Kratos snatched the only blanket for himself. He didn't have it for long, Noishe nipped the man and took the blanket and threw it over himself. Lloyd swipped the blanket and drapped it over both of them. They'd been banned from the inn, and having no where else to go had slept in the stables. Spotting the blanket and his master Noishe had picked the lock on his stall and padded up to them and taken the best for himself. Still not satisfied Noishe gave Kratos a strange look, and Lloyd chuckled.

"Don't that's beyond evil!"

"Bark!" Noishe stood, walked up to Kratos and firmly laied down, the mercenary squirmed and fought and while Lloyd was incapitated by his laughter the... dog wheeled him in and used him as a pillow for his head.

"Noishe, let me get up... this isn't funny anymore!"

Noishe, comfortable under his human pillows, thumped his tail agianst Kratos' leg and with a yawn fell asleep.