The song "Meaning of Birth" by Motoo Fujiwara and "Crimson Pride" by Motoi Sakuraba really influenced this chapter. Sorry Shards updates have been rare, but the characters in "Song of the Seagulls" have been kind of hogging my attention. I decided to get off my lazy rear and just save Lloyd before the more rabid reviewers spontaneously combust or something. As for Kratos' behavior, those who've read "Double Edged Sword" shouldn't be too surprised as I show the darker side of Kratos' personality in some of the middle and later chapters. To those who haven't read it, it's not some of my best (I "find" my current writing style around chapter ten) stylistically speaking, but it has one of my best stories overall. It's one of those few pieces that I'm fully satisfied with and I'd highly recommend reading it before I get the next few chapters up. Kvar's coming closer, but you're not going to fully understand the significance of what happens in the Kvar chapters, and when they go to Luin, unless you've read "Double Edged". BTW GameCubeGilr1 gave me a positively evil idea, hopefully she'll like it. Rescuing Lloyd, and some stuff on the fake Chosen group that may surprise. Dialogue and action heavy chapter, it all cools/winds down at the end of the segment. Next chapter, the wind temple… malosium(sp) thingie, (don't worry I'll have the spelling right when it comes up)!
Shards chapter 26
Rescue
He returned, less then half an hour later from his scouting Kratos returned, his face grim.
"They aren't many, but they have traps."
He knelt and calling a starlet of flame to form on the tip of his blade he drew a roughly shaped oval on the ground with the fire. Green grass withered, turned black, and ignoring the thin stream of smoke the Mercenary talked as he drew. Genis watched the spell work with open admiration, he was good at making things explode and causing huge things to happen with his spells, but simple things –like starting a fire or making something small burn while making sure nothing else did- were beyond him. He could sense Kratos' will wrapped around the star of flame, could feel the mercenary leashing the flames and contained them, but the "how" of it was lost on him. Raine set her hand on his shoulder, and he smiled, turned to face her, to let her know without saying a thing that everything was alright. She nodded, her understanding, and then looked on with interest as the black clad man lectured about the placement of the various traps he'd seen.
Colette sat at Kratos' feet, watching the drawing with an open fascination; her hands – which had been hurt when she'd grabbed at Kratos' sword to keep the man from killing the imposture Lych- were recently healed by Raine. As Kratos explained and pointed out the traps –most of them just sounded like oversized rabbit snares meant to catch people- Genis had to wonder how the heck Colette could just sit right there by the man who'd just hurt her like nothing was wrong.
But then maybe he should ask himself that, too, after all Lych was sitting only a few inches away from him, and Lych had almost killed Lloyd.
Frowning the red clad imposture meekly pointed to the area behind the cells that he hadn't been able to see and drew a small square there with one finger.
"I saw a few Points with 'em, not all of 'em is human, so there might be some magicin' types with them. An' ya didn't see the Rider, I'm guessin'. Its den's right about here…"
"Rider?" Kratos growled.
"Dragon Rider." Lych shook his head. "Would'a been the two of us making a clean get away if that damned thing hadn't snooked behind your kid, old timer."
Colette laughed. "Mr. Lych, Kratos isn't Lloyd's father, Dirk is."
"Huh." Lych rubbed at the stubble that was on his chin, the bruises along his face and small wounds over his body had been healed. He was a slender man, covered in pale scars that his tattered red tunic and brown pants did little to hide. Dark eyes glinted with doubt, but he didn't question Colette's statement. "Anyways, he fought like Hell. Just smashed through the bars like they were nothin' and knifed one of the Points, he'd of freed everyone on his own if not for the damned Rider."
"A Dragon Rider…" Kratos frowned, fell silent, and the small star on his blade flared up once then faded away leaving only black threads of smoke to waft around Kratos' blade. "That adds a whole new dimension to the issue."
"Knifed a point?" Colette murmured.
Hearing keen from years of listening to rumor and opportunity, Lych heard the words and looked to the blonde haired child as he explained. "Threw his knife, got the Pointy Ears right in the throat before they took him back."
Genis winced at the human's words and Colette bit her lip.
In response Raine gently gripped her brother's shoulder, offered what comfort she could.
"I think we need to understand each other… boy." Kratos hissed, drawing his blade. "My job is to protect the Chosen and her companions, and if I dub anything you say or doas dangerous to her physical or mental well being I will finish what I started."
Pale, shaking, Lych nodded, his eyes locked on the threatening blade rather than the mercenary's ice shrouded eyes. Genis couldn't blame the man; he didn't have the courage to look intoKratos' dead, intense, visage either.
"I have some notes on Dragon Riders, the history of the order..." Raine fumbled through her packs and pulled out a large ream of papers. At the sight Kratos growled, looked at is he was going to just storm off and attack the bandit's camp on his own. "Mr. Aruion, you may think you know everything, but you don't. And I think spending a few moments doing some research and having some idea what to expect is exponentially better then just running in and hoping for the best." Raine flipped through a few pages, and then shot the mercenary a nasty look from over edge of the book. "There are times when I wonder if being around Lloyd isn't a strain on your sanity, Mr. Aurion, and know that if I find you in danger of physically of mentally hurting the children, you will be the one seriously hurt and driven off."
"I believe we've had this discussion before," Kratos hissed.
"I'm just going out of my way to remind you." Raine's violet eyes flicked to Colette then to Lych. "Just in case you feel your temper starting to run short, putting the facts before you might persuade you to actually control your homicidal impulses instead of act on them."
Raine turned another page and both adults fell into a tense, angry silence..
Colette squirmed, looked uncomfortable; the imposture just turned to look from one adult to the other, and then looked at Genis who was probably the only "safe" person to talk to at the moment.
"No 'fence, kid, but this Chosen's group is really screwed up."
"Well… what do you know, you stupid imposture!"
"That this group's screwed up, never said I knew nothin' else. So, you gunna give me a sword or am I just gunna fight dragons and crap with my fists?"
Kratos' dark eyes glittered with what Genis hoped –or rather prayed- was a bit of humor.
"My vote goes with fists."
"Hardy har har… You're a real laugh, Merc. I'm goin', deal with it. Now, you got a sword or not?"
"I have no spare weapons that I would lend out to you."
"We can't not give him a weapon, Kratos, if there is a dragon…" Colette turned, looked up into Kratos' dark eyes. "We… maybe he hurt Lloyd, maybe he hurt other people, but Martel promises us that there is redemption, that there always is hope for the sinner."
Kratos' lips curled back into a silent snarl, Genis shivered, drew near to his sister. Raine looked up from her research, the hand not holding the book closed over her staff.
"For some sins, there is no redemption --some sins are too dark."
"There's no such thing as too much dark. There is dark, there is light, and all it takes is one candle to make the dark go away." Colette said firmly, and then she smiled. "Or one sword."
"If he gets anything from me it will be a knife, I won't let him take my sword."
"That's the way!" Colette chirped, surprising them all by giving the mercenary a hug. "Now-" She turned while still having her arms around the stiff and pale mercenary's shoulders. "-what do you say when someone gives you something, Mr. Imposture?"
"Ummm…" Lych blinked. "Thanks?"
Colette happily sat at Kratos' side and asked Lych what the cells were made out of. When Lych answered she asked Kratos if fire spells would be bad to use. When Kratos answered that he would need to have a better idea of how they were built and how many were occupied she asked Lych about that. Somewhere in the question and answer hunt Colette fell silent, Kratos and Lych were actually talking to each other, asking questions on tactics, weapons, and the enemy.
"I think…. the world just ended." Genis whispered to his sister.
Raine's lips curled, she hid the smile with her notes and set the staff down.
"Only Colette could pull off such a feat."
"Do you think," he hissed, "that they know?"
Raine shook her head, and Genis sat by her, remaining quiet while she read, and tried not to think about what poor Lloyd must be going through.
X
Genis didn't know the half of it.
"Hehhsss..."
"Nice Dragon…"
Fire licked around the things teeth and came out as the thing exhaled. Yalping Lloyd threw himself against thepole, twisting as the flames missed him by inches. Red faced, panting, sweating, Lloyd was slowly being cooked alive, while the bandits all sat around the pole and pointed and laughed. So far he hadn't been hit, but it was only a matter of time, and he was so tired that dodging was getting harder and harder.
Bored, because the dragon was waiting a little to stoke up its fire and try to cook him again, one of the bandits picked up a rock and threw it. Lloyd winced at the hit, but didn't do anything else save make a pained noise and think.
What in Efreet's Fiery Hell is taking them so damn long!
Then all coherent thought left him, only panic as the blunted snout twisted and lined up with him, tell tale smoke curling from the nostrils…
Oh Luna… not again!
The jaws opened and he saw the fire licking amongst the teeth. He cursed the bandits who had bound his hands together with chains and then wrapped the chain around the top of the pole so tightly that both his arms were forced up, over his head. Kicking off the pole, he twisted himself so that he swung around it and the fire missed him yet again. The chain ran over his already raw wrists even as his swinging made his arms jerk painfully.
X
"Ms. Sage." Kratos' voice was a soft lethal whisper. "We have waited a whole fifteen minutes. Enough is enough, now either set the damned book aside or stay here and read while the children and I go off and fight."
"I've got it!" Raine crowed, and then she looked up, and stared at the mercenary. She was startled to find that he was so close to her yet she hadn't noticed. "Oh… why are you standing in my sunlight?"
Muttering a string of words in Angelic, Kratos turned on his heel and stormed off.
"Got what? I'm not seein' anythin'…" The imposture scratched at the back of his head.
"An idea, the Professor only says that when she gets an idea," Colette told the man.
"It's cold blooded."
Lych and Colette looked at each other, both equally baffled, but it was Genis who figured it out first.
"If I cast an ice spell, do you think it will fall asleep?"
"Perhaps. It's a hope, and it certainly is safer than just whacking at it with a sword. Even if the creature doesn't fall asleep, the cold temperature causes the scales of the veloco flarious draco, or rather the veloco-dragon, to stretch. The expansion of the scales will slow the creature down for a time and will weaken the scales making mundane attacks all the more potent." Smirking Raine looked around the clearing. "What do you have to say about tha- Where's Kratos?"
"He said some bad words then went that way." Colette pointed to the bandit's camp.
"That… idiot!" Genis shot to his feet muttering a few words that were more elaborate and detailed of the man's flaws under his breath. He couldn't believe it If Kratos was going to try by himself then he was acting even more reckless than Lloyd and him had when they attacked the Desian Ranch in Iselia. "He's going to attack them by himself!"
Raine stuffed the book in her packs then snatched up her staff and a few gels.
"Leave your packs; if there are any bandits back at the fake camp then they'll be expecting us to camp here with the tents, hopefully our ruse will make them think that we still believe them to be mere travelers."
Raine tried to remember what Kratos had said, she'd only understood bits and pieces of the battle plan that he had hammered out with Lych.
"We keep the prisoners in their cells until after we've driven off the bandits," Raine ordered, ignoring Colette and Genis' protests. "They'll be panicked, confused, and sick; they can't defend themselves."
"Most of 'em are whipped, or toasted by the Dragon," Lych said grimly. "No one save maybe my mates can fight any, and we'd need our weapons."
"Can they work with staves?"
The Professor and Imposture turned to see Kratos, long lengths of wood in his hand, the edges were jagged, as if torn or ripped off of something larger.
"Bars, from a cell that appears to have taken some serious damage." There was something faint, barely discernable in Kratos' icy voice.
"Do they have a choice?" Lych grunted.
"Stay or fight." Kratos snapped, and then he looked at Raine. "The guards seemed to have gathered near the dragon's den, I could faintly hear cheers and cries of pain, they're torturing someone."
"A toastin' run. Tie someone up and let the dragon cook 'em for kicks," Lych grunted. "They cook the useless ones."
"Or the ones that royally pissed them off?" Kratos murmured, and though still and calm something in his dark eyes burned.
"By breaking a cell and making someone get away…" Genis added in a sick voice.
"Oh Goddess…" Colette went pale.
"Kratos and I are capable of handling injuries, all of you, stay near one of us," Raine ordered; even as they approached the camp. It was more for Lych's benefit then anyone else's.
"Stay away from the northen side of the camp, the traps are there. Guard posts have been put in the trees on the east and west sides of the camp, they're unmanned but have catches of cross bows and bolts."
"Not for long." A faint red aura enveloped the young wizard's hands and Kratos let out a dark laugh at the determination written all over the child's face.
"The prisoners are in the center, they all need healing desperately, they have all been tortured…"
Raine nodded, she would go there first.
"I'll heal who I can, Colette can go with me, she can help."
Kratos growled his eyes distant as he wrestled with himself. Raine knew something of the battle he was fighting. The Dragon's Den lay on the past the cells, past the mess of traps, he wanted to go there, to free Lloyd…
"Hey, what about me?" Lych whined.
"You,-" Kratos hissed. "-will be carrying these."
Lych stared at the staves that the mercenary had just shoved into his hands.
"I'm not some freakin' delivery b-"
The sword Kratos drew and pressed to Lych's throat persuaded him that his task wasn't all that bad. Satisfied the lesson had sunk in, the mercenary sheathed his blade.
"If my client dies," Kratos hissed, "if she becomes hurt, and it is either by your action or inaction I will make Hell seem merciful compared to what I do to you."
Swallowing Lych meekly nodded, his eyes wide, all his old fear returning to him in a heartbeat.
"Smart man," Raine murmured as she passed the imposture.
Lych fell in step behind her, his face pale. "Is he… always this nasty?"
Raine grunted, and that seemed more then answer enough.
X
Sparks leapt from his fingers, between his fingers, a small sheet of flame poured down from the tips of his fingers to gather and pool in his palms. He chanted, called on Efreet to offer vessels suiting his rage. And in that the God responded, a red haze tinged the world around him the color of hot fresh spilled blood, and the fire in his hands flared, rose higher and higher. Growling, he clenched his fingers, damped the flames, then commanded them to fly from his hands and strike his foes. Three orbs of fire were born in front of his red streaked vision, lifting his hands he guided them, and like meteors they flew, with deadly precision, igniting the trees that held the last of the archer stations. Satisfied he murmured a quiet phrase in Angelic, and then damped the flames in his hands with a thought.
The silver haired child looked up at him, his eyes bright, inquisitive. There was a hint of orange around the boy's lips, and he pulled a lock of silver hair out from his eyes to better look at the mercenary. He opened his mouth to ask, but the dark intense look on Kratos' face told Genis it was best not to ask.
Lifting a hand he called upon the water to rise, for Martel to guild the waters to damp the violent flames before the forest burnt down around their ears. But even as he chanted, he heard Kratos' strange words, so soft spoken, almost like a prayer.
"Gracu'ust, Efreet. Mereth-criy us Spire'Nujey erell-trut jar'au."
He wondered who Kratos was praying to, then ignored that and all frivolous thoughts and focused on damping the fires.
X
The prisoners gapped as an angel appeared before them. Her wings of softest pink glowed with a holy light, even as her soft voice brought them calm. A woman garbed in a burnt orange hued coat walked amongst them, in her hands she held the colors of spring, vibrant, living green that flowed from her fingers and took away their pain.
"You must stay inside. We'll free you when they're gone." Promised the angel.
Devout, with that promise and that hope in their hearts they nodded and waited with little complaint.
X
"I'll be damned, she is an angel!" Lych sputtered, watching as the blonde girl with those glowing wings walked amongst the prisoners and talked to them. He didn't catch everything, as it was he was looking among the cells for…
"Big Brother!"
"Ceron!"
Lych clasped the hand that reached through the bars. A warm smile found its way on his face scared face for the first time in days.
"Don't worry." He loosed his brother's hand, leaned the staves against the side of the cage. "I'll get ya out in a jif'"
Drawing the knife that the Merc had let him borrow Lych looked at the lock. Huh, simple enough lock. He gritted his teeth, unable to believe that people this stupid could capture him and his group, but what really smarted more then anything else was that the kid who he wanted to beat to a damned pulp was the one he owed his life to. A few jingles of the lock later he pulled off the annoying thing and swung the door open. Ignoring the staves, ignoring anything else but the fact his Big Brother was back, Ceron swept out of the cell and swept him up in a bear hug. Lych felt bones almost snap in that embrace.
"Yer back!"
"Hell right!" Lych croaked, mentally marveling at the new constellations that were flashing across his eyes. "Come on Oaf, gotta put me down, lots ta do…"
Grinning from ear to ear Ceron did so, and then looked around, his dark eyes that were wide and utterly guileless. For a second Lych wondered if letting Ceron out had been a mistake… But then he thought of the wails, the pathetic cries that would have come had he walked by with only a promise that he was coming back.
"Pick those up, we got lots ta do."
Ceron obeyed, fast and eager now that his world was back to normal.
"Now let's go find the girls and kick some bandit ass."
X
"Kreee!"
Looking up from her healing Raine paled, the monster's cry did not sound anything like that which the book described. She drew her staff and called Colette to her. Her attention was split; she couldn't even tell if the girl had heard, as her grip on the physical world was diminished due to the strain of her spell trance. She had to be aware, had to be coherent, but to be so she left her with a bitter choice that was in truth no choice. She canceled the healing spell, leaving the poor battered child in his cage to whimper in pain from a half healed gash in his shoulder.
"Fire, someone set the damned watch towers aflame and then damped 'em!" A harsh voice roared from the other side of the clearing.
For some reason Kratos had been unable to dispatch man before the bandit had called out for all to hear him. Why though, he had told her he would deal with any who came in that direction, why hadn't he done something? They both knew how dangerous it would be if any of the bandits saw the tendrils of smoke that had appeared and disappeared by the watch towers. Even the most dumb would know that a wizard was out there, and it would put them on their guard... When their plan hinged on stealth, on surprise, they had that no longer.
"Goddess… that man wants us to fight; if I didn't know him better he wants a blood bath." Raine hissed to herself.
"Professor!"
Raine jerked herself from her thoughts, then turned to face where Colette was pointing.
"My goddess…"
Blazing down the path between the cells was the veloco-dragon, its tail thrashing wildly; it carelessly slapped its tail against the cells while it charged them. And those people inside, she heard the cries of pain as the fragments of bars flew in and probably slashed and impaled the captives locked inside.
Drawing her throwing rings, Colette charged the creature. Her brilliant pink wings were flapping, throwing her forward so that each step was more of a leap.
"Colette!"
For once, unthinking, she charged after her pupil, into the path of the dragon.
X
"No!" Genis wrapped his small hands around Kratos' sword hilt, bodily putting himself in the way so that the man could not draw his weapon unless he wanted to slice Genis in half to get his weapon. "You can't kill him, he's a half elf."
"He's the enemy!" Kratos snarled. Trying and failing to shake the child off. "For the love of Aska!" The mercenary rasped, his free hand clenching into a fist even as he fought for his blade. "He'll call out the alarm, will you let your sister and your friends die for some damned ra-!"
The bandit cried out what he'd discovered, the dragon shrieked. Kratos, with a growl, back handed the child. Shocked that he'd been hit, Genis stared at the man, watched in horror as the mercenary drew his sword. Never having been hit by anyone but his sister -and that happened only when he was bad, and she never hit him hard- and Ivan -a bully who knew not to hit that hard because Lloyd would beat the mayor's son up if Genis was really hurt-, Genis looked up at the man with smarting eyes, blurring vision.
"It must be nice, living in a world that's black and white, where all the answers are locked away in books." Kratos spat, brushing past him. "Never get in my way again, boy, or I'll use my knife, not my fist."
"No…" Genis scrambled to his feet, a flickure of fire around his fingers. "He's not a desian, I can't let you hurt him!"
Kratos turned, looked to the young wizard, his black eyes unreadable and all but lost in the locks of auburn that spilled over his face. He then turned back to the bandit; the man hadn't heard or seen them yet. The man was going off in the wrong direction, still hollering up a storm.
"Not all desian's wear black and adorn themselves with steel helmets, Genis." Kratos hissed. "Now either get out of my way or die where you stand."
"Not all desian's are half elves either." Genis growled, clenching his small hands to better grab and throw the mana around him. The wind seemed strongest, he'd use it to give a kick to his fire spells, and then he'd rely on just the wind if he had too…
Kratos actually laughed, though it was more of a harsh bark like noise than a laugh.
"You will sacrifice your sister, your friend, the chosen, and this world's sole hope… for what, the fact a man who makes his living preying off the weak has pointed ears?"
Sputtering, anger running him through him hotter then any fire mana he almost said something cutting when it struck him. How quiet it was, how the bandit had fallen silent…
"Kratos, behind…"
Kratos was already turning, he staggered back. His steel shield made a sickening crack noise and the man croaking out in pain, actually fell back. Smirking, the bandit lined his crossbow with the downed man's heart and put in another bolt.
"Good work kid." The man chuckled. "Damn smooth work keeping the animal's guard down for me."
Looking into the drooling, grinning face, he saw Magnius. Face smeared with blood, animal bone in hand, calmly watching his men being slaughtered. The man had waited until the killing was over before he struck out to kill the intruders, or rather that had been the man's plan.
Not all desian's wear black…
Drawing his kendama, Genis leapt in front of the downed mercenary, muttered a quick mantra, and blocked the arrow meant for Kratos with a magic shield of palest azure. Now the half elf wasn't so smug, now he looked angry.
"Get out of the way kid."
Genis was shaking, his knees literally knocking together as he looked into those blue eyes not too different from his own. He saw the pointed ears, the pale face and dull grey locks, all marks of the degenerate half elf specie. He looked into the face of what he might be when he was older, looked into those hate filled eyes.
"N..no…"
X
"Goddess, shed a fragment of your glory of on us… Photon!"
Screaming the dragon reared back, tears streaming down its eyes. The jaws that had nearly descended to snap Colette's head from her shoulders were now occupied with screaming in pain. The beast staggered back, Colette lashed out with her throwing rings, treating the fragile weapons like giant razors and just flailed at the monster. Goddess, Colette should run, she shouldn't put herself in danger like this! Turning on her heel the half angel did a quick spin, her chircuns(sp?) made the childish move dangerous, any level with Colette's hands would have been ripped to shreds.
With a croak of pain the land bound dragon hopped back, a nasty line of crimson running along its flank.
Smoke wafted from the monster's nostrils, it opened its mouth wide and let out an orb of fire. Raine leapt ahead, called forth her protective green shell with a thought then banished the arcane shield with a gesture when the fires were gone.
"Colette-" Raine did not look away from the creature who was staring at them both in shock. "-are you alright?"
"I'm fi- Professor look out!"
Seeing that fire wasn't going to work, the canny creature spun on one paw and lashed out with the other. Raine tried to call up the shield again, even as she lifted her staff in a meager defense. Arms clasped around her chest, wings of softest pink wrapped around her as if to shield her from the incoming talons. Then the world around her burst into soft golden light, and the air was filled with pink feathers, they swirled about her, a storm that gathered, thickened, and became a wall between them and the talons.
Ludicrous to think that mere feathers could hold off talons, but they did, with a ting like steal hitting steel the creature's foot smashed against the wall. The feathers sank to the earth soundlessly, and reveled to them that the creature was pin wheeling it's comically short fore paws and swaying as it found the balance on its wounded leg wanting…
Grimly Raine shifted her grip on her staff, held it much like she has seen Kratos hold a blade. Both hands a few inches above the base, the thicker, heavier portion of the staff as far away from her hands as she could manage, she tightened her grip and advanced. She heard Colette chanting, recognized the spell and delivered a sharp up sweeping blow to the creatures lower jaw. The long neck whipped back, and the pink feathers arched over Colette, over Raine's head, and sank into the creature's softer throat scales.
Making a raspy croak the monster's eyes glazed, then it fell on its side, smashing into one of the –thank Martel- empty cells and breaking the wooden cage to little more then tinder.
Looking at the destruction, eyes wide in shock, Colette shook in horror as what she'd just help do sank in.
"Shh…" Raine took one of the girl's hands in her own. "It's alright, it's over now." She turned then embraced the shocked girl, turning her so that she didn't have to face the dead monster.
The sounds of battle from the cells nearby made her words a lie though.
X
"Step down little boy." The archer hissed; his patience, much like his supply of arrows, was almost spent. "Your pretty little bubble might block arrows but I'll use my knife next and you can't hold up against that forever…"
Genis didn't even have time to beg the man to put up his bow again, Kratos rasped a few words and screaming winds came out of nothingness and smashed into the bandit. The localized typhoon literally lifted the man off the ground and pounded into him like unseen fists and knives. Bloody gashes and bruises appeared all over the man, and then with a snarled "Auust!" the last gust of wind threw the bandit aside like a child's toy.
The bandit did not moan, did not stir, the grass around him was fast turning red…
Kratos grunted, got to his feet and then carefully worked off his shield and pulled the cross bow bolt out of his arm.
"Go back to the camp little boy. You're no use to me, or anyone else, if you don't know why you fight."
"I know why I'm fighting!" Genis flared.
"Really?" Kratos set a glowing hand over his wounded arm. "Then why did you hesitate, why do you hesitate?"
"I… I don't want anyone to die!" Genis whipped at his eyes. "I don't want anyone to get hurt!"
Kratos' eyes grew distant, then they sharpened, like twin black swords they pierced into him, read the truth of his statement, then the man's lips curled into a sad smile.
"The world would be a better place if there was no need for death or pain, but it is not, and until you can decide what you will kill for, and what you will die for, then you need to go back to camp. Leave the killing to those who know why they do what they do."
And with that he turned, ran to the cells where the sound of fighting could still be heard.
"I… I'm not going to sit back like some… coward…" Genis gritted his teeth, wanted to go forward. But his legs were knocking together, he was scared, could barely stand much less move. "Lloyd… needs me… Sis… Colette…"
And with those words he managed to find the courage to go forward, though what he could have done… he wasn't too sure, but it was better then doing nothing at all.
X
Faith grinned, spun her staff around in her hands with an expert air and Lych chuckled at the sight. For a baker's daughter she was tough, she'd smacked those Points back and blocked swords for a while. Little wonder his girl Aryll took a likin' to her.
Hell after this he'd take a likin' to the girl, still she wasn't as good to the eyes as his girl…
Aryll was behind them, rummaging through the loot pile, and she came back from the mess of gald, cloth, fine foods, wines, and weapons with two very special weapons in hand.
"That's m' girl!" Lych grinned, and caught the thrown twin blades.
Aryll was already going back to her mad hunt, looking for the whip that belonged to Faith. Besides her, pawing through the pile of gald and the like, Ceron was looking too. His search was a bit more chaotic, but he was doing alright…
"Big Bro, I found a whip!"
"Throw it to Faith!" He barked, and then drew his blades. The three bandits paled at him as he offered his most vicious grin to them. "You have made your asses mine to kick, boys."
There was a loud "crack" and he spared a glance at the orange clad woman covering his side.
"'Less you boys wanna go over there and take what ya gave us in double…"
"Either way." Aryll snapped, coming up behind him, her twin knives resting in hand. "We'll make sure that Kvar fella of yours hears you scream."
X
Kratos snarled; lifted a hand that glowed with fire. Flames leapt around his fingers and he leveled his hand at the bandit that had tried to take him from behind. The first fireball neatly melted the face off, the other two smashed into the downed man's gut and set the carrion ablaze.
"Mereth-criy us Spire'Nujey erell-trut jar'au, mere-"
"Wh.. what are… you trying to do? St... start a forest fire?"
Kratos blinked, looked over his shoulder to seethe small silver haired boy wave a hand and cast a water spell to damp the flames. Unperturbed by the intense stare Genis continued.
"You… need someone with you… who c… cares that your state of fluctuating state of sanity might torch innocent forests and animals and the like. Since Lloyd isn't here… I'm going to have to suffice... until he comes back. Then I'm… st… staying really far away from you! Because you're crazy and I don't want to catch it!"
Kratos raised an eyebrow, said nothing for a long long moment.
"Hurry up boy, if you're coming along you need to keep pace."
X
They found no resistance, none of the groups, as they joined up in the cells. Colette ran from cell to cell looking for Lloyd, Genis right behind her burning away locks and helping the people who were hurt clamber out of the cages and into the sunlight.
"He's not here!" Colette sobbed. "Where is he?"
Kratos looked upon the suffering of those around him, untouched, uncaring, his mind only on one thing. His search had been as desperate as Colette's, and hearing the Chosen's words he let out a low growl and spun on one of the nearest prisoners.
"A boy, red clad, brown hair, where did they take him?"
The old man muttered something, twitched, and Raine left the patient whose wounds she was binding to Colette's care and advanced on the mercenary.
"Advanced dehydration, starvation, he's in no state to even know his name much less tell you that."
Snarling Kratos dropped the man to the ground, his dark eyes smoldering in frustration.
"We'll take over here."
Kratos whirled, stared at the group of impostures. In that one moment he and Raine shared the exact same distrust, their hands drifted to their weapons and Lych grinned at them. Lych grinned even as Kratos let out a bestial snarl, willing to vent his frustration on the man who had lead to the recapture and pain of Lloyd.
"Yeah, I hate you, you hate me. We'll settle our score later old man. You owe me." Lych rubbed his scared face. "You owe me for this; your freak dog, and your runt, you all owe me one hell of a debt. But I'm putting it off collecting… for now. You helped me save my mates; I help you save your son. Don't make us even, not by a long shot." Lych's dark eyes burned as fiercely as Kratos'. "Not by a long shot."
Kratos nodded. "Any time, any place, Lych, name it, and I'll come to clear that debt."
"I will. Someday we'll have a chat, no guards or nothin' to interrupt us. One of them's missin', that Rider guy. Find him, find your kid, best bet I can make. After all, he was over there getting' toasted, my bet is they weren't done wi' 'im yet, and left 'im here to take us on."
Kratos took the knowledge mutely then turned on his heel to abandon the wounded.
"Stay here." Kratos barked. "Make sure they don't steal anything else from the loot if nothing else."
The impostures winced, looked a bit guilty at that.
"Kratos, someone should…" Colette stood, looked ready to leave the man she had been tending to come along.
"Just stay here." He snarled. "I'll deal with it on my own. You'll just get in the way."
Raine considered her state, she was tired, and the wounded needed her. Genis looked like he was on his last legs, and Colette was all but spent. There was little they could do now, very little. Shaking her head, she had to wonder at the man's energy, he wasn't tired, not in the slightest…
Such stamina, even an exsphere could not account for all of that, certainly hers didn't do much for her save give her healing spells a slight boost.
Shaking her head, wondering, Raine looked at the hurt, the tortured, the wounded, and then to her pupil and brother.
"Genis, get a fire going, Colette, go back to the camp and bring back our packs. There are too many, we'll need to start treating them with more mundane medicines. Lych, we'll need firewood, you in white, go with Colette and help her with the packs, and you two, find something useful to do."
The large one, with dark wide eyes stared at her with a frightening lack of comprehension.
"Useful?"
"Ceron, get your rear over here and help me out!" Lych bellowed. "Aryll, do what the witch says, Faith take down one of those bandit tents and make bandages!"
"They need to be sanitized…" Raine snapped.
Lych shrugged, jerked his thumb to the woman in orange named Faith. "Talk ta her 'bout it, not me."
X
Fire had blackened the trees, turned the grass and leaves to ash on this side of the clearing. He stared at the crude cave that had been constructed, looked upon the mess of stones dragged from the nearby mountains. Nothing was inside, that he was certain. Secure that it was safe he allowed himself to now look at the stake that had been pounded in front of the man-made cavern. It was wood, little more then a skinned and ash covered tree, chains had been looped around it. Arms raised above his head by the steel bondage, head bowed, Lloyd let out a soft moan of pain. Battered, beaten, burns were so plentiful that it looked from the distance as if his arms and hands were covered in red fabric.
At the sight of such pain, such damage, safety be damned, he raced across the clearing, was at the young man's side in a heartbeat.
"Lloyden…" Kratos moved to reach out, but stopped himself in fear of causing more pain. "Mer Oriss… I'm here… everything is going to be alright…" Kratos murmured, greatly daring he tilted the boy's chin up and looked into that pain scrunched face. Even in sleep Lloyd did not lose his pain.
Taking a step back he lifted his blade, silver arched through the air, smashed into the chains, broke them in one pass. He caught Lloyd before the swordsman could fall, eased the young man onto the ground. He laid the tortured swordsman's head in his lap, ran a hand through the chestnut hued locks, and even as he smoothed down the hair he was in the young man's mind, nearly drowning in the agony that screamed in Lloyd's unconscious mind.
What hell, living must be when the poor boy was awake…
"Aska, Selunea… Undi derris garcuin askan…"
Blue runes whispered around his ankles, water seeped from them like blood from a wound, sloshed against the invisible yet impenetrable barrier of his will.
"Bue' m'er…"
And at his command the silver blue waters came, and enveloped them both.
X
Lych tossed another piece of wood on the fire, watched the sparks spiral up, watched them stain the air a bloody red, and then settled down. He was wearing one of his red tunics, one of his "Lloyd" costumes, which had been retrieved from the bandits. Nice of them to give them their stuff back, he sneered as he sat down. He stared into the flames while the chatter of the real Chosen's group flittered around him.
"We just have to… trust him, if he isn't back with Lloyd by morning I'll go look for him." The silver haired woman's voice promised.
Way you say trust, gal, you must hate that word. Lych thought to himself, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. Piss these people off and they might kill him, his brother, his girl… having everything to lose and nothing to gain he kept his trap shut.
It was assurance enough to the little kid and blonde girl, they took it all bait, line, and sinker. Went to bed after wishing everyone good night, even him! Huh, that blonde one had to be a dunce to wish him good luck. He didn't respond, just stared blankly ahead, he was vaguely aware of the elf sitting by him. What'd the witch want… oh yeah, they were sharing watch, that was right…
"Not much we can do, we can save ourselves, but them." Lych waved a gauntleted hand to encompass the mess of freed captives scattered around them, some wrapped in blankets… a few with blankets drapped over them. "They're just screwed over if anything comes at us."
"I know, but it's wrong not to at least make the motions, and who knows, we might be able to act fast enough to ward off a monster before anyone gets hurt." The silver haired woman sighed. "It's not logical, but some level of optimism should be maintained in dire situations."
"Screwed up and stupid… you guys are a wonder." Lych grumbled, shaking his head.
"What was that?"
"You're screwed, or rather world's screwed." Lych explained with a shrug. "You're travelin' with a crazed Merc, the world's Chosen's a dunce, that shrimps a total wuss, that kid in red -what-iz name?- Ah… Lloyd, he's stupid and a bad swordsman. You're screwed."
Raine's eye twitched, then her rage cooled, turned from fiery to icy in a heartbeat.
"I could argue against those statements, but I'll merely describe them as "fallacious comments based upon the observations of an inadequate intellectual" and leave it at that."
Wondering if he'd been insulted, Lych decided to act cool and calm and pretend that he knew what the pointy eared which just said.
"Um… yeah, I'll say that's true and all… but really, you guys are pretty stupid."
Raine bit down on her cheek to keep from laughing. Then, after a few moments managed a slightly choked "How so?".
"Well… ya don't take advantage of it! You got all the damned power in the world right there!" Lych pointed to Colette. "Just tack her name on it, say some holy junk, do a few "angelic" doodles on a paper and whole treasuries could be spilled out at your feet."
Raine's face twisted into a scowl. "Mr. Lych, not everything in the world is about money, it's not the sole force in the world. There are other things…"
"If I believed that… why the Hell did I help you? Why the Hell I tell that Merc where his kid was? Why'd I put my life on the line to save my mates, eh? I may be stupid nex' ta you Point, but I ain't that damn stupid."
"If Colette were awake… she'd talk about redemption, about how there is hope for you, even though your scam artistry must have ruined the lives of hundreds."
"Good, she's sleepin', I won't have to hear about that crap." Lych snarled, he looked into the shadows beyond the fire, shook his head.
"You must have been desperate." Raine murmured. "With your brothers… condi-"
"Shut up!" Lych hissed, drawing his sword he pressed it against her throat. "Just shut the Hell up! Don't you dare drag my big brother into this!"
Cool as ice, Raine looked into the imposture's eyes; she acted oblivious to the steel that rested less then a hairs breadth from spilling out her life.
"I thought you were the younger."
"It's what he thinks. It'd jus' confuse him if I tried to explain…" Lych lowered his blade, his scarred face pained.
"That's common with Moon Touched. Few are as articulate as he is few as... intelligent."
Lych's face twisted in pain, then the man gritted his teeth and slammed his sword into his sheathe.
"He wasn't gunna be stupid, he looked that Damn Goddess in the eyes and said 'fore he came around. You might try ta make me stupid but I ain't havin' none of it. He lost, ya can't beat Gods, but he fought hard for what he's got."
Raine said nothing, Lych sat down, stared into the fires.
"You don't know how much damage you're causing. You're hindering the real Regeneration, making us fugitives. That's why Kratos wants to kill you, what you did to Lloyd was little more then added incentive to that homicidal maniac."
Lych shrugged. "I know that if I didn't I'd starve, my brother, my girl, her friend, we'd all starve. Humans just don't hate the Points, Witch. They hate everyone. They hate the poor, the weak, the smart, the dumb, the strong, so if I tell a lie, I screw a few people over, so what? They hate us anyways, and I hate 'em."
"If we die the world dies." Raine hissed. "If we fail the world dies, can't you see that, don't you understand?"
Lych snorted, turned to look at the refugees. "Like I care?"
Apathy, indifference, to that shield no passion, no logic, no life, could touch. Eyes dead as a corpse's, Lych looked at her and smiled.
"Like I give a damn for the world that did me over? I owe no one nothin' girl, I protect my own, they protect me, that's it."
X
"Easy-" A hand clasped over his shoulder, and he relaxed, recognizing both the firm calloused hand and the soft voice. "-you've had quite a day."
Water whispered, lapped against sand, he fuzzily heard that, could feel the cool sand under his back. His first through was "I'm at a beach" but that was just plain stupid. It was at least thirty miles to the coastline and there weren't any beaches on the way to the next seal. Just shear cliff.
"We're by a pond, if you're curious."
Lloyd closed his eyes with a chuckle. Figure Kratos to know what was going on in his head before he even opened his mouth.
"Was…" His voice was all scratchy sounding, all harsh.
"Here." Something was pressed to his lips. He opened his mouth, took a few mouthfuls of the water then turned his head aside.
"No… more… ung I feel sick…"
"Too much mana." Kratos said gruffly. "You're a Sensitive; someone who can feel mana and absorbs it in small amounts. I had to use a great deal of my power on you to fix you up, couple that with the concussion you had-" Kratos paused; there was a soft scrape as he sealed the water canteen. "-little wonder you're feeling sick. I'd do something about that, but any more exposure to the arcane will cause you to get sick, and it it's not in one way it will be in another."
"You're a load of comfort."
Kratos chuckled, patted him sympathetically. Lloyd groaned, rolled over, and –unlike say Genis would have ran off… granted he'd have ran off to fetch Raine but still- Kratos stayed as Lloyd got re-aquatinted with his last meal.
"Feeling a little better?"
"Water!"
Kratos offered the re-opened canteen. Lloyd took a mouthful, gargled, and spat out the water.
"I hate getting sick!" Lloyd moaned.
"Can you think of someone who likes it?"
"No…" Lloyd weakly rolled away from the spot he'd gotten sick at. He would have rather gotten up, but the world started spinning and he knew standing would equal getting sick again. "Damn, this is embarrassing…"
He was about to drift off to sleep, when something that had been nagging him shot to her surface, he jerked, eyes opened wide as he woke up completely.
"Kratos, we gotta go back to the others… there are bandits and… a Dragon out there, and they got a lot of people held cap-."
"They have been dealt with." Kratos firmly put his hands on the young man's shoulders, forcing him to remain down. "Lloyden, trust me, all has been dealt with."
"Where is everyone?"
"Back a ways." Kratos' tone and expression twisted slightly. It was only a hint of something, but for Kratos' tone to change at all meant that whatever he felt must have been deep.
Bitterness was in the tone, a flash of jealousy glittered in those dark eyes.
Lloyd squirmed a bit, Kratos let go, stood.
"I'll need to go back to camp, it's the day after we rescued you and I imagine Professor Sage will be looking for you and will be after my blood."
"You're smart right?"
Kratos blinked; or rather Lloyd imagined that Kratos blinked as the mercenary had wandered out of his range of vision which consisted of the blue sky above his head and an annoying branch right in the corner of his eye.
"Where are you going with this Lloyden? If it's meant as a joke, know I am not in the mood for…"
"I thought smart people didn't forget things, like promises, made in Palma Costa."
Kratos' silence was long, maybe a little guilty, Lloyd could read glares and long looks but he was still learning his "long silence" Kratos speak translations.
"You know the boat, journey, questless, payless, thing we have planed after the Regeneration?"
"You mean pointless?" Kratos chuckled.
"Yeah, that too." Lloyd closed his eyes, decided it was safe enough to squeak in a Katz nap. After all if Kratos had "dealt with it" then that meant all the innocent monsters (could monsters be innocent?) in a ten mile radius were probably diced into ingredients and stewing in Genis' cook pot by now. "Don't be greedy, 'k?" Lloyd yawned. "They're m' friends too… and I don' wanna have t' yell at you 'gan t'…" Lloyd rolled over, curled up a bit on his side.
"I understand, sleep well Lloyd."
"M' not sleepin' real… ee…"
"M hm, indeed."
Lloyd's only response was a snore.