Emergancy note to my Beta: I wasn't able to get this to you through the normal means, and as you know my e-mail is 100 unreliable, I'm submitting it now but if you have the time and want to go over it go ahead and I'll re-submit it with correction and all ASAP.
Leashing the wind
Chapter 24
Shards of Regeneration
Some humor, the adults learn from the skits and find a way to keep Lloyd in line he he... Oh and Raine pushes Colette and Kratos too far... the world must be ending. Kratos Lloyd bonding, some more of their religion, some angelic banter, and Martel faith and Angelic language is brushed up on. I'm a little surprised... but Raine got a hard lesson from Colette in this chapter... She also learned quite a bit about Kratos. I think they are done fighting, (Lloyd gives his first corny speech sniffles)... after all neither are stupid enough to push it farther since both now know how far they can trust the other. Kratos' goals probably chill Raine (and will chill the readers) a bit but I think the bickering is going to quiet down now. Oh and the song... it's mine, I wrote it a while ago.
Lloyd shivered, and not because he was cold –though he still was, cold that is- and scooted just a tiny bit away from the seething mercenary.
"So it's just been a bad day overall." Lloyd muttered, nicely summing up everything that had happened to them. He scrunched into himself in an attempt to warm up, but Kratos' bucket of cold water was still making him cold.
"You might say that."
There was no more talk after that statement. Kratos drummed his fingers against the hilt his long sword while Lloyd shivered and stared into the darkness almost wishing the assassin would try to break into the common that Kratos would have something to vent on. Of course the one time he wanted her to come she didn't. So Kratos just silently glared at the darkness, thinking his dark thoughts, and death glaring everything in sight. Lloyd split his wits; one half of him wondered what he could do to make Kratos act normal again, the other part kept gripping that he was cold.
Still, he'd all but asked for it. Falling asleep like that in the middle of watch though…
An idea came to him, and he smiled then tried to smooth down the smile so that his expression wouldn't give him away.
" Plum."
Kratos turned, stared at the red clad swordsman in confusion. It was in bafflement that the mercenary lost his homicidal rage.
"Plum?"
"It's plum."
"What "is plum"?"
Your tunic, it's kinda a plum color."
Snarling, Kratos punched Lloyd on the shoulder, and the Iselian laughed.
"And your cape, it's kinda a lavenderish color."
Lloyd winced as Kratos mock punched him again.
"Well I guess it could be worse." The mercenary murmured, his black eyes flicked over the younger swordsman's garb. "Cranberry is by far a thousand times worse than plum."
"Take that back!" Lloyd snarled, hopping to his feet. "It's not cranberry!"
Kratos nodded sagely. "Yes, perhaps cranberry is too extreme-"
"Humph, course it is, it's just red and-"
"-it definitely possesses a rose hue."
Lloyd's jaw sagged open in total shock.
"What!"
There was the sound of a door opening, the stomp of steps coming down stairs and the tap of a staff striking the wooden floor. While the common room was nice, and somewhat warmer then outside, Raine was coming. Lloyd decided being outside where it was colder and windy was better then sticking around and getting "Raine-d".
Kratos must have agreed, because the man hopped to his feet and the friendly chatter suddenly became a race to see who could get to the door leading out first.
X
"'Morning Lloyd! 'Morning Kratos!" Colette chirped as the purple clad mercenary and red clad swordsman walked into the inn around dawn. "Why do you two have leaves in your hair?"
"No reason." Lloyd muttered, running a hand through his hair and pulling out the largest of the green leaves. "I call dibs on the baths."
"There was a small… mishap last night." Kratos grunted, and then glared at the smiling Genis. "Ask Ms. Sage about it if you wish to know about it. Now -if you'll excuse me, Chosen- Lloyd is not the only one with pressing need to use the men's bathing facilities."
Colette blinked and Genis snickered, at that familiar sound Colette turned to her elf friend.
"Raine chased them and they climbed up a tree to avoid being "Rained". Hey, Lloyd!" The small elf grinned broadly as he chased after the Iselian swordsman. "How'd you rest last night?"
"Shut it!"
"Did the birds attack you?"
"No!"
"Does Kratos snore, is that why you're grouchy?"
"I'm not answering that!"
"I-" Kratos rumbled. "-do not snore."
"So why are you so sleepy Lloyd?" Genis' tone was stuffed with muffled laughter.
"Because your psycho sister went all ruin bonkers and we were stuck outside …"
"RUIN Bonkers!" Raine screamed, hopping to her feet, abandoning a breakfast of fruit and cream that Colette had ordered for everyone since she'd been up first. "Lloyd Irving, you get back here!"
Colette, and the few people staying in the Fresco watched the elf professor storm up the stairs. There was a scream of terror on Genis' part, a yelled "I didn't do anything Raine!" and then a loud "outta my way!".
Lloyd ran down the stairs, Raine –staff in hand- chasing after the Iselian swordsman around the common room.
A few moments later Kratos strolled down the stairs, a tunic and pair of pants were draped over his arm along with two towels. His eyebrow rose as he watched the chase.
"This, is becoming… commonplace to me. It is no longer disturbing, just habit, or perhaps routine. Is that a bad thing?"
"It's called "being an Iselian",-" Genis sighed, coming down the steps to join the mercenary. "-it's always crazy back in Iselia."
Colette frowned, not quite understanding the depth of Raine's ruin-insanity or how Lloyd careless comment could trigger such a spectacular show of violence. She thought about it for a moment, anger and fanaticism were alien to her so she was quietly tackling something that was beyond her normal scope.
Perhaps that's why she came to the wrong answer.
"Do you think the Professor's sad that we're leaving Asgard?"
At her comment Kratos' expression became strained and Genis groaned.
"You know Lloyd could explain this much better then I could…" Genis smoothly evaded responsibility for explaining -or trying to explain yet again- why Ruin mode was bad. "I think you should talk to him Colette, it's one of those tricky things, you know?"
Colette nodded, smiled, and then the frown came back.
"If he gets caught I don't think that he's going to be able to explain it." Colette fretted.
Genis weighted leaving Kratos alone with Colette, weighted it against trying to explain something that he'd tried to explain at least ten times before. While he liked Colette he didn't have much patience when she didn't understand him –kinda like Lloyd and almost everyone in Iselia actually- and he didn't want to be mean to her. After all they were going to be going to the next seal, and that was always really hard on Colette. He decided he shouldn't add to it and he'd just have to deal with Kratos being with Colette for a little. Anyways it wasn't like the man would hurt Colette; he was hired to protect her for Martel's sake!
"Well… I just need to pack, but I'm sure Kratos can explain." Genis then dashed up the stairs to get away from Kratos, who might very well "Raine" him for this. The mercenary's famous "death glare" locked on the wizard and Genis got to his rooms and closed the door behind him. It was only then that he felt a little safer.
X
"Oww… stop walking so fast…"
"Whine whine whine!"
"I do not whine you double crossing mutt." Lloyd cuffed Noishe on the back of his head, the hit hardly was felt –fluff on the back of one's head was very useful for muffling teasing smacks- so he ignored it. "You ratted on me!"
Noishe lolled out his tongue, he, after watching the chase for a while had jerked his head to the empty stable by his own. Lloyd had lost Raine for a little and decided to take up that offer of hiding. As if it was his tail's fault for wagging when the woman had snapped "You've seen him, haven't you?".
As Lloyd continued to whine and moan about his sore butt Noishe's ears slicked back. Finally he decided enough was enough.
"Whine bark." The green dog went into a quick trot; Lloyd tightened his grip on the dog's mane and held on for dear life while they easily bypassed the elves, Chosen, and mercenary. A few yards up the road Noishe sat, while the items were nicely tied down Lloyd was not. The pots, pans, packs, and books thumped and jingled against each other, Lloyd just fell off.
"Bark!" Turning on his paw Noishe padded back to the others.
"Stupid dog…" Lloyd huffed, wearily clambering to his feet. "When we get to the next stream I swear you'll be sorry!"
Noishe only bared his teeth in what only could have been called a smile.
X
"My rear still hurts…" Lloyd growled, throwing down his packs on the grassy earth while Kratos polished his blade.
"I'm sure the world is interested in hearing about the state of your butt Lloyd." Genis rolled his eyes, looking up from his notes in Angelic.
"Whatcha doing?" Lloyd sprawled on the soft grass and sighed in relief, walking for whole days was really hard sometimes.
Kratos actually looked up from his work at the sound of Lloyd's pain. A glimmer of concern flashed across the mercenary's eyes, and Lloyd dredged up a grin.
"It's not that bad, just stings, you've been Rained before so you know how it is."
Kratos nodded, it was the closest any had gotten him to talk since they set up camp for the evening. Since they knew the assassin was going to come after them and knew where they where going Kratos and Raine had talked and argued for hours upon returning to the inn. Kratos had wanted to disregard his vow and just finish the woman off. Raine had been against it. While practical it was dishonorable, and the idea of killing someone in cold blood went to far even for Raine. Colette had protested, Genis had protested, and when Lloyd finally took Raine's side Kratos had grudgingly stepped down.
In the end it was too late for them to head out when the bickering had finally ran it's course, they all agreed to stay one last night in Asgard then head out as fast as they could. Kratos had abandoned them in the inn the morning of the chase, saying he was going to go shopping. When Kratos came back with a lot less supplies than any of the others would have brought, that had caused some problems. But he still had most of their Gald, and the necessities were covered.
"Mr. Aurion, you are not going to ask children to go on short rations!"
"I'll do what I deem as necessary for this Regeneration Ms Sage. If you'd like, you can stay here, that way there are less mouths to feed and the ration will be a little more plentiful."
Kratos and Raine had spent most of the day pointedly ignoring each other. It was all they did now, fight, and it was making Lloyd, Colette, and Genis, sick. Kratos had already tried to separate Lloyd from his friends again and that had lead to yet another fight. This time it was Kratos against Lloyd. Lloyd had held out for an hour before the sick feeling in his gut made him apologize, but even as he apologized he didn't back down.
And neither had Kratos, if you thought about the stiff "I understand", it didn't really even mean "I'm sorry" or "I won't do it again". Lloyd sighed and pulled his pack over to him, it made a decent pillow, but he was kinda missing Asgard and all its inns.
Raine's mournful sigh told him that the Professor was missing all of Asgard's ruins, and Lloyd decided that he didn't miss the inns all that much anymore.
Colette came back from setting up her tent, she muttered something to Kratos in Angelic and the mercenary told her to talk to him later in common. Man, Kratos was really being a jerk today, but maybe he was sick and tired of the bickering like everyone else was.
Lloyd knew for a fact that the man was only tolerating Genis' company because the elf was stuttering through a song in Angelic that Lloyd had caught Kratos humming from time to time.
"Guer, guer, bue' gu"
"Guen, guen, guen, bue' gu." Kratos murmured. "And it's pronounced "g-oh-ian" not "gwa-en". Guen is short and modernized version of the archaic name, Gwynevear."
"Oh…" Genis frowned. "Angelic's a bit tricky isn't it?"
"Yes, it is." Kratos didn't even look up from polishing his sword.
"Hey, how do I know you aren't making it up just to make me learn it wrong!" Genis huffed.
Lloyd rolled his eyes and Kratos made a quiet rumbling sound in his chest that told them all his patience was almost gone.
"I mean you might just be making all this up, how do we know anything you say is true. You could just be li-" Genis continued as if he hadn't even heard the noise.
So maybe the sound just told Lloyd that Kratos was angry.
"Mr. Sage, the world does not end five feet away from the fire pit. It might, however, end very abruptly for you if you stay in my company."
Genis decided to leave and go study with Raine. Lloyd closed his eyes, almost able to feel the waves of heat that came from Kratos' anger.
"Guen, guen, guen, bue' gu?" Lloyd tasted the words from an alien language. He frowned, and rolled over so he was facing the mercenary. "It's no a command is it, "buer' guer" would be the command, right?"
"That's right, and no, it's not a command." Kratos looked up from polishing his blade, his dark eyes locked with Lloyd's. "It's a plea."
"What's it mean?"
"Come home. The whole song… is about someone telling someone else what home is Lloyd. That's all the song is about."
"And Angels actually sing about boring junk like that?" Lloyd snorted, rolled over. "Man, Martel worshipers are crazy sometimes."
"Sometimes…" Kratos' eyes went distant as he looked back on something only he could see. "People don't know where or what their home is Lloyden. It's a lesson that we think we know until we really consider it. You might consider the song sometime, you could learn from it."
"And how would I know how it goes or learn from it if I've never heard it before?" Lloyd grumbled, closing his eyes and curling a bit around his packs, he was aware of how the few pieces of jerky and one piece of bread he'd had for dinner rattled around in his mostly empty stomach.
"Guen, guen, guen, bue' gu.
Ut-pedu pede ped'a'il erend,
trut ne'nuhjori nu'illisal Nuhjney.
Topashi' oya'illun-use?
Muin tot'eded Orich-pend buen guen."
"Wha?" Lloyd blinked dumbly at the mercenary. "How can I understand something in Angelic?"
"Study and learn Lloyden, having a challenge before you will spur you to take the lessons seriously."
Lloyd grumbled something under his breath about crazy mercenaries and was annoyed when Kratos prodded him with the flat of his long sword.
"I heard that Lloyden, and this "crazy old fool" might very well teach you a few very painful lessons in swords craft for that comment."
"You're as bad as Raine is!" Lloyd moaned.
"I said might." Kratos nudged the Iselian again. "We have last watch, and with Aska just beginning to come to roost I believe it is safe enough to go off a ways and have a quick spar."
"You just wanna smack me with your sword."
"I might, on the rump, if you don't get out of bed."
"I'm not in bed, I'm on the ground."
"Ne gracu-mer pshi nui, Lloyden."
"Grouch… and I am not giving you lip." Lloyd grumbled, picking himself from the grass.
"I won't argue the first boy, as for the second you knew you were… Now, since there is no bucket available I must temporize it seems." Kratos cocked his head to the side and his lips turned up in the corners ever so slightly. "Perhaps I should find Raine to give you a quiz on Asgard's history?"
Paling at that threat, Lloyd clambered to his feet.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!"
"Heh… why am I not surprised?"
"You're evil you know that, I'd never sic Raine on anyone!"
Kratos only smirked and Lloyd brushed the worse of the grass off. His swords rattled in their sheathes so Lloyd pulled out one of the most noisy of the pair. He held a long, yet slender blade, it wasn't a rapier, it wasn't a broadsword, but something based off of a "katanna". Kratos had bought for Lloyd in Asgard when he'd picked up a new shield for himself. Lloyd absently checked the blade, shifted it around so it wouldn't jingle so much, and chuckled.
"Every town, every big monster fight, I seem to need new blades."
"Sylvarant has a very poor selection of blade. After all, the world itself is decaying, would rotten steel make a good blade?"
"No, I guess not." Lloyd frowned. "I've heard of steal rusting, I've never heard of it rotting before."
"There are many things you haven't seen or heard of before Lloyd, you are young, time will fix that." Kratos smiled, and though he was smiling there was a glimmer of pain in his eyes.
"Yeah, think of it, in five years I'll be as old as you. With aching bones and grey hair and…"
"Come along Lloyden…" Kratos snatched at the twin ribbons that were pinned to the long neck of his shirt by way of two buttons. The red clad swordsman let out a squawk and tried to fight as Kratos dragged him off.
Held by his "leashes" though, he couldn't get away.
X
"Maaaaan… you guys are really over doing this!" Lloyd moaned as Raine snatched his ribbons to keep him from running away. It was a small shrine that triggered Raine's ruin mode. It was made out of stone, perhaps once long ago covered in paint, the mundane boulders were bleached a dull white from lifetimes of being out in the sun. Almost falling apart, it had symbols of women, and men, and three things with wings that looked too happy to be angels. The roof was broken, almost if someone had thrown a huge rock at those long lengths of stone that served as a covering against the elements. Funny thing was… the chapel was more long then tall, it was really long -almost two barn lengths- and kinda tall -enough so that two people standing on each other's shoulders could touch the roof- but the chapel room thing didn't make sense. It wasn't built like it was meant to hold anything. The whole place was all about doors. Each of the four "walls" were little more then a big door. The openings were clogged with debris, shattered statues, rock, slabs; the openings were impassable unless you really wanted to do a lot of climbing. The only thing holding the structure up was the thick pillars on each corner.
Not that the doors were there anymore, they'd probably rotted away a long time ago.
Of course Colette thought it was a church to Martel. She found her proof with the happy green winged angels, the symbol of a woman, and since she couldn't enter the building went to the steps that were bathed in the most sunlight to pray. Genis and Raine went with her, Kratos thoughtfully snatched hold of the "leashes" and saved Lloyd from being dragged off by Raine. Although there was a scary moment when he thought he was going to be choked when Raine and Kratos held a leash a peice and both looked like they weren't going to let go. Eventually Raine let go, but not after casting Kratos a venemous glance that the mercenary ignored.
"Thanks... I think..." Lloyd rubbed his throat and Kratos nodded absently.
Shifting his sword around Kratos went to one of the temple's doors. He frowned, pulled his blade off of his belt and then began to go inside.
"Wait, remember Thodia! Are you crazy?" Lloyd hissed. "Raine will kill you!"
"Do as you will, what I do wont be influenced by that... woman's opinons."
"You're going to get us in trouble." Lloyd hissed, tromping after the older swordsman.
"You don't have to co-"
"You're going to get us in trouble, Kratos." Lloyd smiled at the pleasure that warmed Kratos' eyes. "Anyways you should know if there's trouble I've gotta get into it."
Kratos chuckled, nodded, then pointed to where his blade lay. "Leave your weapons here, it's disrespectful to do otherwise."
Lloyd unhooked his sheathes and lay them besides the mercenary's broadsword, then pulled the knife that Kratos had ordered him to carry from his belt and lay it amongst the mess of steel. It was to his surprise that he realized that there were three knives scattered in the shadow of the long sword. Kratos, the man who never went anywhere unarmed, was now well... unarmed.
X
Colette prayed and Raine squealed like a kid in sugar rush in a candy store. Genis sighed and tried to concentrate on his prayers but the cries of "marvelous" were really distracting. He had to wonder how Colette was doing it, but looking at her he saw a thin line between her brows.
"Marvelous, this stone must date back to the-!"
Colette's blue eyes opened and there was a hint of steel in their depths that shocked Genis to his core.
"Professor Sage." Colette said quietly. "It's really really hard to pray with you screaming."
Raine was so startled at the anger in Colette's tone that she forgot her mania, it then came back in a flash, like it always did.
"Colette Brunel, I am disappointed, I had hoped that you would see the significance of this discovery..."
"Professor, could you go please scream somewhere else, please."
"I do not scream!" Raine shrieked.
"You just did." Colette pointed out calmly.
"If I am excited..." Raine began.
"Then please be excited quietly, or be loud somewhere else. I'm trying to pray to the Goddess... and I don't think she can hear me over your screaming."
Genis' mouth sagged open and Raine's eyes nearly double in size.
"I mean... she's sick and sometimes sick people have a hard time hearing... it wouldn't be very nice if my prayers didn't reach her because she couldn't hear them. And you are a little loud Professor."
Raine only could stare at her pupil and sputter as all intelligent thought abandoned her.
"Fine," Raine nodded after she spent a very long time trying to compose herself. "Genis, let's go, we'll be a little ways off but not too far..."
"Ahh... I'd like to stay here... with Colette, and uh pray." Genis squeaked.
"What? Don't you want to study this fascinating..."
Genis mutely shook his head.
"Fine," Raine almost huffed. "Lloyd, I guess you'll have to do..." Raine turned and found him gone, and Kratos was missing as well. That meant only one thing. "There's an Assassin after us and they run off to go play."
"Sheena."
Raine blinked and so did Genis.
"Her name is Sheena, and her kitty's name is Corrine."
"Kitty?" Genis protested. "I don't think cats talk Colette.'
"Well, when we see her again, I'll ask." Closing her eyes, clasping her hands in front of her, Colette went back to praying.
Genis joined in and Raine stomped off to look for the swordsmen. The wizard had to wonder as he closed his mortal eyes to the world and hopped his immortal ones would open to the Goddess' light, why his world felt like someone had shook one of it's foundations. If... no when the light came, he wondered if it would allow him to understand what had just happened.
X
After squirming through the mess of stone, mainly long, slabs that had to be kinda climbed over and squirmed around they stumbled on an area that was clear of any debris. It was a circle of jade and white rock that gleamed like emeralds and marble in the sunlight which streamed from the broken ceiling. The area was so clean that even the dust didn't seem to have settled in the circle. Kratos easily leapt from the perch. It was a piece of roof that had fallen at such a steep angle they had slid down quite a ways and had to walk on the tips of their toes across line where the slab met a mess of mangled statuary. To say the least the last leg of the journey had been a tight squeeze.
Having to pick their path through the destruction, they had gone everywhere it seemed. They had climbed up to the roof, had squirmed amongst the destruction that laced the floors, they had scrambled across whole sections of the chapel that were so clogged with stone that the floor all paths seemed lost.
"The temples of my faith are few and scattered along the back of the world. Each is different. So much so, that someone who did not know that they were linked would say that each came from a differing faith." Kratos explained, he hovered in the shadows of the debris and stared into the lightened part of the chapel.
"Doesn't it? I mean the spirits are the center of everything... and if only one spirit is reveared here and worshiped then couldn't you say it does come from a different faith?" Lloyd pointed out.
Kratos shook his head, stepped into the warm sunshine and turned to look at the red clad boy intently The light gave his hair a golden sheen and streaked the folds of his black cape and tunic with muted yellow light.
"Ne Lloyden, that's not the case. There is one thing that exists in all of them, one thing that despite their diversity unites them."
Seeing it was safe Lloyd decided being smushed wasn't fun and made the jump down. Pulling his neck ribbons out of his eyes and pulling back his hair Lloyd tilted his head to the side.
"What'd that be?"
"Origin."
X
"I'm going to kill them, both of them. They run off without their swords out to who knows where. This has to be the most juvenile display I've seen from either of them. I don't care if Kratos sees Lloyd as his long lost son, the second I see that man he's fired! He has no judgment around Lloyd, it just all goes up in smoke because Lloyd acts childish and looks just a little like Kratos!"
Her audience of none was highly impressed with her speach. Alone, her returning ruin mode and anger were mixing into a potent brew that promised at the very least a long chat with Lloyd and the termination of the groups sole mercenary.
"Professor Sage?"
Raine turned, lost her place in her rant at the interruption. Surprised, no shocked, Raine quickly shelved her anger. Colette was the Chosen, and it would be wrong to expose the poor girl to her anger.
"Yes dear?"
Colette's soft blue eyes gleamed, almost as if with tears, then she smiled a sad little smile.
"Could I sit with you a little?"
Raine blinked, that was a strange request. "Of course sweetie."
Colette sat, turned to face the ever stirring waves of green and Raine sat besides her.
"Colette-" Raine frowned as the silence stretched between them for a long while. "-is something wrong?"
"It's something Kratos said." Colette sighed. "I don't like it but... I think he might be right."
"What did he say?" Raine felt a hint of steel creep into her tone.
"That you're scared, and you hide that you're scared by acting like this at ruins."
Raine hissed through her teeth, how dare that man assume anything, much less something that erroneous about her?
"Colette, the reason I get... excited is because I find ruins fascinating." Raine smiled, the wind stirred about them and tossled her silver locks. "Sometimes it's hard to explain, but than passion is hard to explain. I like the past, and ruins are a big part of the past, and while I sometimes do get a little loud it's only because it's facinating. I can understand why Lloyd and Kratos don't like it, they have little intellectual curiosity." Raine sniffed.
"Lloyd and Genis say you act crazy sometimes. It scares them. Sometimes... it scares me a little."
Raine blinked, turned to look at her pupil.
"Colette, you shouldn't be scared of me." Raine laughed, but it sounded forced, even to her own ears.
"I'm not, I just get scared when you forget about us."
"What do you mean?" The teacher frowned.
"You forget about us sometimes, you get so excited that... it seems like your forget everything. Kratos told me that's how you hide form what you're scared of, you get excited about something else and forget about what you want to forget about. But... when you forget everything, that scares me because that means you want to forget us."
"Colette-" Raine gently draped an arm over the sniffling Chosen's shoulders. "-sweetie, no matter how long I live I wont forget you, or Lloyd, or anyone, I promise."
"Even Mr. Kratos?" Colette sniffled, there was a hint of a smile in the girl's tone and Raine ran her hand through Colette's golden locks.
"Well... maybe not everyone, but almost everyone."
Colette giggled and lifted her head. And though she smiled there were tears in here eyes. Tears that did not fall.
X
"Origin?"
Kratos nodded, knelt by the jade dais and Lloyd joined him.
"All things begin and end. Life, death, both is conflicts, not beginnings and endings in the great scheme of things. You are dead or alive, not both, one does not necessary lead to the other. Murder does not bring forth a life nor does the start of a life necessary lead to the elves if you need an example of that, they are born but do not die, ever. Oh, they fade away into nothing or are absorbed into the soil of their homeland, but they do not truly die. They change, perhaps in ways we don't comprehend, but they don't die."
Lloyd frowned. "I never heard about that, Genis and Raine never talk about that."
"It's not something elves really do talk about. Why you waste time trying to talk about why you breathe? Why explain to the heartless why your heart beats? It's routine, nature, a process, and not worthy of discussion amongst outsiders or even amongst themselves."
"Oh-" Lloyd frowned. "-but how do they know about it then?"
"How do you know your heartbeats?"
Lloyd blinked, considered that for a while. "Well, I can check my pulse, and I can feel it, and sometimes hear my heart beating."
"But when you don't check, how do you know it's there?"
"If it weren't, wouldn't I be in a lot of trouble, I mean I wouldn't' be alive or anything..."
Kratos chuckled. "Yes you would be in a great deal of trouble it your heart stopped beating or disappeared, but how do you know it's there?"
"It just is."
"Exactly, to the elves what happens to them "just is"."
Lloyd smiled. "Hey that wasn't to hard, why can't Raine's lectures be this easy!"
Kratos raised an eyebrow at that and gave the younger swordsman a long look.
"You're making this easy for me aren't you?"
"No," Kratos sighed. "We're actually discussing something very advanced. Ms. Sage's lectures focus on the material, she goes over the details of the world about us, on what's happened before and how that effect the current state of now, mine are... a bit more mystical. I don't place such a large value on the past. While it's important to learn the details of what happened before so we don't make the same mistakes over and over a great deal of foolishness can actually be avoided by thinking ahead and looking at events from more then one side. History, in it's obsession over facts and figures, losses that. Whole cultures, ideas, are lost in the mangle of dates and statistics."
"Well a lot of dates and statistics are kinda boring."
"Yes, if nothing else it puts the youth to sleep. There is a time however when that information might be useful, and a nodding acquaintance with some history wouldn't hurt you."
Lloyd winced. "Kraaatos, Raine's ruin-moding is scary enough, don't you join her too!"
"Me?" Kratos tried to look slightly innocent. Since the mercenary was normally cold and expressionless though the gesture looked really weird, it was so weird that it seemed hilarious. Probably because Kratos pulled it off so badly.
Lloyd snickered and Kratos frowned.
"What's so funny?"
"The look, on your face..." Lloyd snickered. "That sooo was not innocent."
Kratos scowled.
"Iea-hu nu Lloyden!"
"Sooo was too."
"Stop that, you sound like a nus-iea when you do that." Kratos scolded.
"A what?"
"A fool, we've been over this before, as an adult such gestures as dragging out words make you seem like an idiot."
"Geeze... fine fine I'll stop." Lloyd plunked down on the stone floor and Kratos folded his legs under him, absently tucking his cape under him to offer some softness to the earthen chamber. "You are soo a grouch, you know that."
"And that knowledge sooo rends my heart Lloyden, the agony of that insult, it brings tears to my eyes."
Lloyd frowned then picked up a small rock and threw it.
"Oh shut up!"
Kratos took the small hit with no complaint, only raised an eyebrow. "Does it not sound foolish?"
"You've made your point, don't whack me upside the head with it." Lloyd grumbled.
"It seems as if I must, some days."
"I'll get another rock." Lloyd huffed.
"As I recall you owe me a sparring match." Kratos murmured a faint hint of threat in his eyes.
"Or... I could forget about rocks." Lloyd gulped.
"A wise move."
X
"Could you perhaps explain something of the Angelic language to us, at least until Kratos and Lloyd return."
Colette blinked, startled that even in front of a ruin Raine could sound normal. Genis also seemed to be having problems with Raine's lack of ruin-mode. The two children looked at her part in worry part in fear. Despite how facinating the ruin was, despite her interest in the past, she could not forget the present or what she'd just learned.
"Well..." Colette floundered; she'd never given a lesson before. "Angelic's pretty complicated, I wouldn't know how to teach it really..."
"Nothing is so hard that it is impossible to learn it. Genis is trying and perhaps I should try too."
"It's really hard Professor, and while Genis is doing better there's so much that it's impossible to teach it to anyone really... At least that's what the priests told me."
"Nonsense, and did you think history, or government are simple subjects? You start with something easy Colette, a word, a phrase, and you work out from there."
"How about that song Kratos was singing one watch. He's a swordsman so anything he knows cant' be that hard, right?" Genis frowned as he struggled to remember it. Finally he had to look through his notes to find it.
" Guen, guen, guen, bue' gu.
Ut-pedu pede ped'a'il erend,
trut ne'nuhjori nu'illisal Nuhjney.
Topashi' oya'illun-use?
Muin tot'eded Orich-pend buen guen"
Colette frowned. "That's a sad song Genis. I never sung it but I know what it means. And it's really tricky because it can mean so many things. T.. Tylor used to sing it sometimes, and Grandma didn't like it."
"Well if you don't want to use it I have some notes on other stuff from the scriptures of the Book of Regeneration..." Genis offered.
"No... no I'll do it. It's not a problem, really, so don't worry about it." Colette smiled to her two elf friends.
"Why's it sad Colette?" Raine decided then and there that if it was unsuitable to children she'd order that something else be studied, after all Genis shouldn't be exposed to anything morbid, and Colette shouldn't be either. They had had more then enough of that in the Ranches and in the more frantic parts of their journey for Raine's taste.
"Because the person who sings it is talking to someone who's lost, and the person never finds thier way home. It doesn't have a happy ending."
"Sometimes things don't always end happy." Genis sighed. "Maybe that's why people make sad songs, because not everything ends well in the world."
"Probably." Raine mentally grimaced. She hated Genis to lose some of his optimism, to lose his faith in everyone around him, but that was part of growing up.
"Don't worry Genis, we'll make sure everything ends happy, I promise." Colette chirped.
"Yeah," Genis smiled. "After all we are doing the Regeneration, and that always fixes everything so everyone's happy."
"Yep, that's right!"
Only Raine noticed the strain in Colette's tone, and the faint hint of fear in her eyes. The Professor reached out, took Colette's hand in her own.
"You should probably start at the beginning of the song Colette. The first word comes first, then move onto the second. It's more logical to begin a lesson at the beginning then go out from there."
"Thanks professor, I'll remember that." Colette chirped, and Raine had a feeling that she was being thanked for so much more.
"Guen; means home, or sanctuary." Colette began. "It changes to gu when someone asks something about the home or sanctuary. Ummm like "is your house pretty?" -would be- "us-gu' yan?".
"Oh, where's the "us" come from?" Genis had even raised his hand, as if Raine were teaching, Coletete giggled at that and then explained.
"Us, or ust, you can use both it doesn't matter, means "you" or "your". Ust is a tiny bit more formal then us..."
Genis was burrowing through his packs and fumbled out paper and charcoal stick and began to take notes.
"So then, "guen guen bu gu"is a question?" Raine hazarded.
"No... no it's not a question, it wouldn't make sense because "buen" means "come" and because it's spelt like "guen" it get's changed the same way. And it's said bow goh, not boo goo. Boo goo sounds a little silly."
"Then-" Raine paused, allowed Genis to catch up in his writing. Raine didn't have the parchment to spend on notes in Angelic, but she resolved to buy a notebook at the next town to write down everything Colette would teach them. "-'come home" can't be a question, can it? At least not in common, or elven, does the angelic language have a different concept of what a question is?"
"Oh no... It's just when something isn't sure... well you ask without asking. But you don't ask as a question. It's a... a soft question, something that should be an order but isn't one."
"A request then." Raine guessed.
Colette nodded. "Normally a request is said with tone, or with a please in front of it... but because it isn't set up like that it might be mean something else. Maybe they changed it a little so it could be sung better."
"What is the meaning if it isn't changed for the song?" Raine pressed, she smiled at the sound of Genis frantically writing, it was so quiet, so peaceful with the birds singing that if the wind were to be still they could have been back in Iselia having an after school study and dinner session.
"That the person singing is begging the person listening to come home. It would be personal, very personal, especially if the pleading tone and the changed format were used together at the same time."
Raine and Genis blinked in confusion.
"It would be a song that no one else was supposed to hear, something private, really private and personal between the singer and the listener... It might not even be a song then, but a prayer."
"Angelic's really subtle isn't it?" Genis said at last.
"It can be," Colette giggled. "It's fun that way. You can say a lot with only saying a little."
X
"Origin is eternal as is Apocalypse... or perhaps it should better be called Lachyen Nuhj'ney tal. It becomes a bit crude when translated over from the old tongue to modern speach, but it means "the beginning, the end, of all" it's a rule almost." Kratos drummed his fingers against his leg; he'd been struggling through this most of his adult life, to explain it to a child would be very difficult. "All things which have a beginning must heaven end. Everything is in conflict with everything else. Life and death conflict over anything with a soul. After all you can be alive or dead, you can not be both, as death and life are opposites, right?"
"I guess..." Lloyd frowned, rubbed his head. "I take back what I said, this is hard."
"Most worthwhile things are, it's just knowing how to recognize what's worth the struggle and what isn't that's the trick."
"Head... hurting..." Lloyd clutched his skull as if in agony and Kratos snorted. "Really... it does hurt Kratos. This thinking thing's hard, can't you Raine smack me and make me dumb again?"
"You weren't dumb to begin with, just stubborn and short sighted. A person who can master two languages is no fool."
Lloyd rolled his eyes and plopped down on his side.
"However the person who falls asleep during one of my explanation might very well be."
"I'm not gunna sleep, promise."
Kratos snorted, the only sound was the quiet tap of Kratos' fingers drumming, then he went still.
"Everything starts somewhere."
"Yeah..." Lloyd wondered why Kratos was saying something that dumb.
"Origin is the first start and the last start. When I speak of Origin I speak of the beginning of everything. Not just say... the first link in a chain of events, or even the first human to be crafted. Origin is the beginning of existence, perhaps it was the first thought that birthed the nameless creators, what I know for a certain is that whatever the form Origin took, it was a break. Creation, creators, they are a break in the perfection of nothing, or Apocalypse."
Lloyd frowned. "What is Origin, Kratos."
"No human mind could comprehend what the Origin is, oh we can speculate, if it is a thought as some might say, what of the mind that made the thought? If it is the light, what of the source? If mana was the beginning, what life was there that made it? Are you familiar with the saying what came first, the chicken or the egg?"
"I've heard who took my chicken and ate my omelet?"
Kratos groaned, he put a hand to his head and rubbed at the skin above his eyebrows as it to smooth out a headache.
"It means..." Kratos frowned. "You were born from your parents, correct?"
"Well no duh." Lloyd snapped. "What'd you think, I crawled out from a rock?"
"Where did your parents come from?"
"You know I don't know that!" Lloyd flared.
Kratos scowled and Lloyd shrank back from the mercenary.
"That is not what I meant Lloyden, and you know it."
"S... sorry..." Lloyd gulped.
The mercenary sighed, leaned against a large pile of rubble and stared up into the light.
"You were born from your parents, as were your parents born from theirs, and so on and so forth. If that's the case then where does it start at?"
"Well that depends, Colette would say Martel and the Angels. Raine would probably name some crazy civilization like the people who live on the moon..."
"And I would say, Origin. I would be the only one out of all your friends to say "I don't understand, nor could I ever understand"."
"There aren't many answers, are there." Lloyd said at last. "If you can't answer the beginning..."
"I just did. Something happened, something is occurring, and I am not the cause of it or even a main player in the grand scheme of things. Angels look like humans Lloyden, we can understand them because they look like us and talk to us in a way we can comprehend."
Lloyd frowned, looked as if he was going to say something but Kratos rose a hand and Lloyd went silent.
"That begs the question, who made who? Were we made in their image or did they make themselves in ours? If something was made by humans, or influenced by humans, how could that be the cause of Origin? If Origin is by definition the beginning beyond comprehension, how can it come in the form of that which we comprehend?"
"It... can't..."
Kratos smiled. "Exactly."
"If... the angels are lying about something that big then we can't trust them... and if we can't trust them or understand what's really going on, then what?"
"We busy ourselves with the conflicts of the world." Kratos said. "Life, death, good, evil, they are opposites, conflicts. Humans, most creatures, comprehend conflict and strife."
Lloyd blinked.
"Elements are conflicts Lloyden. What good is wind when it runs over nothing, what good is earth not stirred or nourished by the wind? What is skyfire but caged in heaven with no water to ride down upon? And what would water do if it could not sooth the wraith of the skyflame and mend what its thoughtless fury breaks? What is winter but a frozen eternal death without summer to temper the ice maiden's presence and remind us that there is heat and life still in our bones?"
"Martel says we'll come to peace, that there is peace if you join her." Lloyd said slowly.
"The dead are the most peaceful lot in all the world Lloyd, death is the ultimate stilling of the conflicts that we can understand."
Lloyd shivered at that thought, remembered the picture of the angels and the destruction around them. They weren't moved, were still and uncaring. They could have been dead for all he knew.
"No comfort, huh?" He said at last.
"Not one bit in the world, save only this. You aren't alone. You may not like the company Lloyden, it may be that only the elements of the world will be at your side. But at least they are no longer lifeless extensions of something you can not trust."
"And I'm not alone." Lloyd tasted those words.
"Never in life, never in death."
"That's enough for me." Lloyd grinned. "Well unless they're annoying, then I'd kinda -er kind of would like to be alone, but I'll manage somehow."
Kratos leaned into the shadows and the sunlight streamed down and pushed back the gloom a little, just enough to let Lloyd see that the mercenary was smiling.
X
"Lloyd Irving, where were you?" Raine snapped as he rounded the corner of the temple and saw his friends sprawled out on the soft grass with paper in front of them.
Lloyd ran his hand through his hair and some dust came out. He was covered in dust and white rock, and was grinning widely.
"Just went somewhere to think."
"You mean nap." Genis rolled his eyes.
"Eh... whatever." Lloyd shrugged, shifted his swords around.
"And you, Kratos Aurion, I expected some maturity out of you." Raine's tone was razor sharp and Lloyd winced.
"I felt Lloyd should have some company, and your ranting about ruins tries my patience to near breaking Ms. Sage."
Raine's eyes grew -if at all possible- even harder and her tone became acidic. "Mr. Aurion, your job is to protect Colette, not to leave when it becomes an inconvenience to you."
Kratos nodded, took the rebuke silently and then looked to Colette.
"If you are ready to move on Chosen then we should get to walking, the ruins are still a three days walk from here and we only have two days left before our agreement with the assassin is up."
"Sheena." Colette corrected.
"I don't give those I kill names, Chosen, it makes the matter of killing them harder than it should be."
"You don't think she'd try something at the seal, do you?" Lloyd protested.
"Why not? Any place is as good as another when it comes to killing.
Genis shuddered, Colette looked a little sick, and Raine gave the mercenary a long look.
"I believe that is enough Mr. Aurion, more then enough."
Kratos smiled, a dry mocking smile that made his eyes gleam with wicked mirth.
"As you will."
X
No fire offered warmth, the children were curled up in blankets and sleeping, Kratos looked up at the stars, let his undrunk cap of water tilt ever so slightly and trickle to the grassy earth. The plants muffled the sound, satisfied it was empty he put the cap over his canteen and strapped it to his belt.
"That's very wastefull Mr. Aurion."
"Most offerings are Ms. Sage." Kratos murmured, not taking his eyes from the stars.
Raine said nothing, she would not talk to him of religion, which was fine by him.
"Go to sleep Ms. Sage, it will be a long day tomorrow."
"I want to know what you are talking to Lloyd about."
"It's none of your concern, if he wants to tell you that's for him to do."
"He wont talk to me about it. He said I wouldn't understand." Raine snapped.
"Then trust his judgment and leave him alone."
Raine shot to her feet, walked up to him, he coolly met her eyes.
"You're pressing him, making him forsake everything because you want to force him to be something he isn't. Your son died Kratos, he died a long time ago by your words. Lloyd isn't your son. Have you even told him about that, or are you just not bringing it up?"
"He already knows, he knows more about me then most ever have known. He accepts me despite that, or perhaps because of it." Kratos shrugged. "Until he tells you, until he feels you can understand, then he isn't going to talk and I won't either."
"I want something crystal clear between us Kratos Aurion." Raine whispered. "He respects you, looks up to you, but he already has a family. He's found it, in Colette, Dirk, Genis, and I."
Kratos smirked. "I am aware of that." He looked beyond Raine, focused on the stars.
His tranquil reaction though spurred Raine's anger to greater heights.
"If you hurt him..." Raine hissed. "If you ever take advantage of him in any way..."
Kratos' eyes flicked onto her, a deadly glimmer was housed in their depths.
"I would never hurt him, ever."
"The second I doubt your judgment, the second I see you stepping over any line beyond the acceptable in any situation Mr. Aurion, you'll lose not only your contract but a great deal of your health. As a healer I know how people are put together, just remember that I'm more then capable of taking apart what's put together. I don't like his secrecy, and I don't like what I'm seeing of your obsession, the second I consider it dangerous to him in anyway I will drive you off."
"So the fact he cares for me, concerns you?" Kratos raised an eyebrow, the gesture and tone were laced with challenge.
"He is young, innocent, you are anything but. You've killed people, and you are training him to do the same. You are actively isolating him from his friends, you have a violent temper that's matched with an equally violent streak, and you are possessive. Don't delude yourself in thinking that I missed your tantrums before Thodia and PalmaCosta."
Kratos gritted his teeth. "You can't understand Ms. Sage, in that Lloyd is most correct, you are incapable of understanding anything." Raine's eyes flashed and her hand snapped through the air, only to be caught and restrained by a grip that might have better suited iron then a mortal man. "Don't ever try that again Ms. Sage. I've killed for less then that."
He released her and she stepped back, staring at the finger-shaped bruises along her wrist.
"Get out of here..." She hissed. "The second Iget to a town I'll sent that letter to Phadria."
"Go right ahead Ms. Sage." Kratos turned his attention to the sky. "It seems as if you are the one living in delusion if you haven't figured it out. The money was a nice enough bonus I guess... but it's not about the money. It hasn't been about the money, there isn't enough money in PalmaCosta much less Iselia to buy out my services."
"What is it about then?"
Kratos laughed, it was a dark and bitter sound.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
"Why waste the effort withon a fool? We both want the same thing, that's all you need to know."
"The Regeneration of the world."
Kratos smirked up at her. "Call it what you will."
Raine gnashed her teeth in rage. "I want the truth Kratos Aurion, and only the truth."
"Wanting is not the same as getting."
"All I have to do is show Lloyd these bruises; he'll turn on you in a heartbeat."
And Raine had him, she had cornered him, blocked him by threatening the one thing he cared for. Kratos' eyes seethed with hatred and fire writhed in thier depths as he planed and schemed. And the fire died as he came up with nothing, there were no evasions for this.
"I have a vendetta to settle, a debt that needs paying, the Regeneration is a way for me to do so."
"What debt?"
"The killing of the Desians." Kratos said curtly.
"Why?" Raine pressed.
"My reasons are my own."
"Not good enough." Raine snapped, turning on her heel she strode in Lloyd's direction. Kratos stiffened; because her back was turned to him she missed the desperation flash across his face, desperation settled into anger. He spat the last words, making no pains to hide his hatred.
"They killed my family and made me watch, exterminating them would nicely settle the score between us."
Raine shuddered, refused to turn to face the man.
"I distinguish between my foes Ms. Sage, I don't kill all half elves, just the Desian's. But killing is killing, and I've no qualms about the blood on my hands." Kratos' eyes darkened. "Regret, yes, if there had been any other way I might have taken it. But there isn't, what happened has happened, and it has shaped me into what I am. You may not understand my thought, or my reasons, but for now we go in the same direction and my goal helps you in yours. That's all you need to know."
"Does Lloyd know about..."
"No, and he won't. He has enough anger on his own, he doesn't need mine added to the blaze. Now, he can control it, but if he found even more reason to hate them, he might very well lose that control. He would be consumed, and that is the one thing I can't defend him against." Kratos' lips quirked into a dark smile. "After all, it's a battle I've lost long ago."
"I don't trust you." Raine whispered.
"You don't need to."
The silver haired elf shivered as Kratos' voice, a mere breath, whispered against her back. Dangerous, he was dangerous to her, to her brother, to all of them.
"Your trust has never been part of my agenda, and the only reason you live is because the Chosen needs you. I assure you, the second she no longer does I will stop protecting you."
"And if Lloyd cares for me, even if -somehow- Colette no longer does?"
Kratos went quiet for a long time.
"I will protect my Client, and Lloyd with my life. If you are somehow relevant to Lloyd's continued sanity, then yes I will... but if ever I judge you less then I am in the boy's eyes... accidents happen and I can not be everywhere at once Ms. Sage."
"My brother..."
"He is a child, so long as he remains one I will try to protect him. But you have to understand I'm rather busy at the time, protecting two other children, my attention isn't on him as much as it is on the Chosen or Lloyd... But then why get so upset?" Kratos murmured, it was as if he could see the horror in the elf woman's eyes. If there was horror he mocked it with a slight curl of his lips. "You knew this already didn't you? You more or less said the same thing to my face on occasion, and I'm not fool enough to miss that you heal everyone but me when it comes to combat. Just protect your own Ms. Sage and I'll do the same."
"No human is as cold as you are, no elf, no half elf..."
"Time as made me as I am, time and circumstance Ms. Sage. You don't have to like me, you don't have to trust me, I'll do my job and that's all there is to it."
"You'll do your job." Raine murmured. "and you'll lose your son... or rather another man's son, whom you are stealing. We both know what's going to happen, and we both know what that will do to Lloyd."
"Do we?" Kratos hissed. "Do we understand anything, really? Do you understand anything?"
"I understand that when Lloyd sees you as you are, he will hate you."
Kratos laughed softly. "He'd be wiser if he did. But I will have my memories of this time, and that will be enough. That will be more then enough."
X
"Proffesor, what's wrong?" Lloyd walked up to the silver haired elf, she's seemed glum and non-ruin mode-ish and he began to really get worried when Genis said he didn't want to cook, and Kratos said he didn't want to cook, and Raine hadn't hopped at the opportunity to kill them all- um cook for them.
In response to the question Raine sighed, smoothed down some imaginary wrinkles in her orange coat, and then cast a glance at the mercenary. Grudgingly the man nodded and Raine grimaced.
"Kratos and I had a very long discussion last night. I don't like the agreement that we've reached, but then that's mutual I guess. Kratos has agreed to stop isolating you from Genis and myself and I have agreed to stop interfering with your swords practices and what time you chose to spend in his company."
Lloyd blinked. "You mean Genis isn't going to be yelling stupid stuff at me when I'm trying to practice with Kratos anymore?"
Raine sighed. "I won't be present, nor will Genis be. Unless you say otherwise, of course."
"Alright!" Lloyd grinned. "Hear that Genis, no more yelling at me when I sword practice!"
"Raaaaine... what's good swords practice if I can't heckle at him while he's practicing?" Genis whined.
"Children!" Raine snapped, and both boys looked up at her in shock. "I would appreciate it if you both would stop fighting, just for a moment!" Taking a deep breath the elf scholar composed herself. "I have a bit of a headache. I'm sorry, but I'm feeling a bit out of sorts."
"Hey Genis, look through my packs, there's a pouch, red with black strings, could ya bring it here?"
"Alright..." Genis looked at his sister and friend in confusion, and then focused on opening the sack. "Huh... all it's got is a bunch of leaves."
"Yeah, leaves." Lloyd shrugged. "Colette do we have any firewood?"
"Yep, I'll set up a fire!"
"Great, then Kratos can start it."
Raine made a choked noise and Kratos growled in his throat.
"Fine, I'll do it myself." Lloyd snapped, he firmly grabbed Raine's arm and dragged her to the nearest rock, ignoring the elf's stream of protests that she was fine. "Un uh Professor, if your sick we should at least give you some medicine before we leave camp."
"The Assassin would find us easy targets if we sat and waited for your... teacher to recover from every headache, scrape, and small pain that she picks up while traveling." Kratos growled.
Genis muttered something in elvish and Kratos snarled at the child.
"Kratos," Lloyd's voice grew cold, sharp. "Why don't you and Colette go around the parameter and check for monsters, maybe clean up some of our tracks, I'm gunna stay with Raine for a little."
Kratos' dark eyes smoldered, but he nodded and the mercenary and Chosen left. The second they were gone, and Genis went into spell chant and was distracted enough Lloyd gently reached out and took the arm Raine had been cradling since waking up. He stared at the bandaged arm in shock.
"Professor... you weren't hurt yesterday, what happened?"
"I.. attacked a monster, was attacked, it was just my lack of foresight really. It got a good grip on my arm and left some bruises Lloyd. Really, it's not all that bad."
"I've got some gells left and we could rub in noe, maybe give you a little tea for your headache, that way you'll feel better an- Professor!"
Raine jerked her arm back out of his grasp and shook her head.
"I'm alright, really, you shouldn't be making this much fuss over me..."
The rest of the bandages that had started to come undone fell away with a sigh and Lloyd stared in horror at the human shaped bruise on Raine's arm. Lloyd trembled; he went pale then red with fury.
"Kratos did this!"
"And is what he did to you in Triet any worse, or somehow any better? Like you I surprised him and he responded."
"How did you know about..."
"He told me, last night we talked and that was part of what we talked about. But before we talked I lost my temper and slapped him, or was going to. He caught my hand and..." She left it hanging and Lloyd swallowed down something hot and bitter.
"He should have at least healed you!" Lloyd snapped.
Raine put a finger to her lips and Lloyd snapped his teeth together hard, so he wouldn't yell anymore.
"He won't heal me, ever. He wants nothing to do with my brother and I. He will never heal me, he wont even protect me anymore. He said he might protect Genis, but I highly doubt that."
Lloyd growled and Raine closed her eyes.
"Help me re-bandage my arm please."
Lloyd stared at her in shock.
"If Genis finds out he will attack Kratos, Kratos will defend himself and Genis would get hurt. I can't allow that Lloyd, I must protect Genis..."
"Fine," Lloyd picked up the fabric and despite looking ticked was gentle in rewinding the cloth. "I swear I'm going to beat the crap out of Kratos for this. If he hurts you and hurt Genis maybe he shouldn't even be here."
"He can't leave Lloyd, he backed me into a corner with his logic, we can't complete this journey without him, we would be killed." Raine sighed, pulled the sleeve of her coat over her arm. "Never ask me to help him Lloyd, because as he swore he would never help me I will never help him."
X
They walked, the silence was omni-present and tense. Even Noishe's tail remained drooped and dragged across the ground. Kratos had tried to talk to him, Lloyd had coldly told Kratos to hang with Noishe.
"Why, what has gotten into-"
"You weren't going to tell me, were you-" Lloyd hissed so he wouldn't be overheard. Genis was out of hearing shot and Colette seemed intent in watching the path, but that could change. "-about Raine's arm?"
Kratos stiffened then gnashed his teeth together to quell a number of profane and sharp rebuttals.
"Would you listen to my end of it, would you even consider..."
"No, just go away."
The mercenary stormed off to do as ordered, and it surprised Lloyd a little that Kratos would actually listen to him.
That shock was a numb point, a drop of calm in the roaring anger that licked against his reason. As if sensing his state, Kratos stayed with Noishe and made a point of staying out of the range of Lloyd's sight. Not that Kratos kinda avoiding him took away that gaze. Those dark eyes, they locked onto him, bore into him, and he could feel it. Finally Lloyd suddenly stopped in the center of the road, it was so sudden that Genis, who'd been trailing behind him, smacked into his leg. Lloyd ignored that for a moment, clenched his hands into fists, and stared straight ahead.
"For the love of Luna, would you stop it already Kratos? I'm not a damn window!" Lloyd could feel the gaze slid off of him and settle on Raine. "And don't bother the Professor, she didn't put me up to it!"
"Really, then who did?" Kratos spat.
"You did."
There was a long silence. Kratos' glare and all it's hostility were focused on him now, and under that gaze Lloyd wanted to do nothing but run and not stop running. He gathered up the last bit of his courage and turned to meet the mercenary's stare with one of his own.
"I'm pissed because of something you did." Lloyd hissed. "I'm not going to say what it was, we both know what it was, so I don't need to. I'm mad and you don't have anyone but yourself to blame. Maybe Raine baited you, but you should have just left before it got to the point of where it went."
"If you knew what she had said you wouldn't hold blame to me..." Kratos hissed.
"Yeah, I would, maybe she started it, but you got involved. You're responsible too, you both are."
Raine's eyes setled onto him and was almost as hard as Kratos'.
"Yeah, I said you both are." Lloyd snapped. "You're stupid fighting and stuff... It's driving me crazy, and I don't want anything to do with either of you until you're done fighting with each other."
"Lloyd Irving..." Raine began.
"Professor. No."
"You are being illogical and..."
"Not listening to you Professor! There's a lotta road so I'm gunna get to walking, you guys can come along or not, I don't really care right now."
Raine sputtered, tried a few more times to get Lloyd to reply but he only kept walking.
Lloyd went a few feet and suddenly stopped again. This time Genis managed to stop before plowing into his friend.
"Noishe, come!"
"Whine?"
"Now Noishe!"
Ears slicked back Noishe padded up to the red clad swordsman. Lloyd set a hand between his dogs ears and scritched, letting Noishe know he wasn't in trouble like the adults were.
"Genis, Colette." Raine snapped, and the brother and Chosen came to her.
"You are digging your grave boy." Kratos hissed, his hand winding around the hilt of his blade.
Lloyd ignored them all, petted Noishe while he walked, and it was a long tense walk where no one said a single word for miles. Miles that became hours, that spanned from noon to dinner. Genis cooked, the meal was bland, no one commented, maybe no one noticed. Lloyd took Noishe, took the far side of thier camp, and then lay down with his dog. Raine lectured, but it seemed half hearted, and Kratos ran the whet stone over his blade and the polishing cloth over it so many times Genis had to wonder when the weapon was going to turn to dust under the constant friction.