As usual, I don't own anything, I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

Dwarven Vow 149
An duine a tha a 'cladhach uaigh dho daoine eile faodaidh e fhèin tuiteam ann.
He who digs a grave for others may fall into it himself.

42-

Lloyd opened his eyes only slightly, his head fuzzy and his mind unsure of its surroundings. The only thing he could quite focus on was the figure of someone sitting on the end of his bed watching him. He couldn't quite make out the features, but just the sound of his friend's soft, hesitant breathing was recognizable enough.

"Nnnn… Genis? Are we leaving now?"

He felt Genis lean over him, place a hand on his forehead in concern, and then sit back with a relieved laugh.

"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you weren't feverish," Genis explained, "just too lazy to open your eyes and look around."

"I'm not-!" Lloyd tried to sit up, but the tight ache in his back stopped him. He lowered himself back to the bed in pain, and Genis moved around to help.

"Here, I'll move the pillows so you can sit up better. Can you lean forward just a li- yeah, just like that. There you go."

Once Lloyd was propped up against the pillows, he opened his eyes to see exactly where he was. It was totally different from the dark room that he'd shared with Song, the tiny window giving just enough view to see the alleyway and the barber shop next door. Instead, there were multiple windows, the bold afternoon sunlight coursing through and countering the chill of the fresh breeze. The construction was wood, not brick, and instead of the stale, smoky smell he'd gotten used to over the past few days, this place smelled natural and green. It smelled like home.

"My room!" Lloyd gasped, a smile spreading across his face. "When did we get here?"

"Earlier today. You've been pretty out-of-it," Genis replied, taking a step back and sitting down at the foot of the bed again. "Song left some medicine he said would help you with the rheiard trip, and it knocked you out pretty good."

"I see…" Lloyd murmured and then glanced around. "Where is everyone else?"

"They're downstairs. Dirk and Miss Anna were making some chicken soup for you, and we decided that it was best to only have one person with you when you woke up so we didn't overwhelm you."

"And how did you manage to win that prestigious position?"

Genis grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I drew the short straw."

"Hey, now!"

Lloyd leaned across the bed, reaching for Genis, but he couldn't quite make it, and Genis watched him with a laugh. Lloyd pouted and leaned back against the pillows, heaving a long, pained sigh.

"In any case… I'm really glad to be back here. Not that I didn't appreciate Song and Yuan's hospitality, but I just felt kinda off when I was there. I guess I just don't do well in big cities."

"Me neither. I'm glad tae be oot ay Meltokio. Nae offense tae anyain fa li'es thaur, but 'at many fowk in ain place makes me uncomfortable."

Lloyd's head turned abruptly, and his smile returned. "Dad!"

Dirk appeared at the top of the stairs, followed by Raine, and then by Colette, Sheena, and Anna. Zelos was the last to the top of the stairs, and he stayed by the stair rail while the others crowded around. "Sorry to interrupt," Raine added. "We just heard you and Genis talking, so we thought we'd come see how you're doing."

"Lloyd! Are you okay? How are you feeling? Are you tired? Does it still hurt?"

Colette seemed to have been holding back a barrage of questions, and when she finally allowed herself to speak, she couldn't stop. Anna and Raine laughed, and Colette blushed. "S-sorry. I was just so worried…"

"You're fine, Colette. I'm still sore, but I'm okay." Lloyd gave her a reassuring wave and patted the side of the bed next to Sheena, who'd sat down next to him while listening to Colette's questions. "Having everybody here, it kinda feels like a party."

Zelos laughed. "We should have a party- to celebrate that you made it home safe and sound!"

"Unfortunately, we can't celebrate just yet," Raine broke in. "We don't know what the situation is at the Great Tree. And even if that ends as peacefully as we hope, there's no way it will end the animosity between scientists and the Church of Mana. We still have a long road ahead of us in terms of coming to an understanding."

The room went silent, each person considering what she'd said. They wanted to celebrate this personal victory, but they couldn't ignore the truth behind Raine's statement.

Dirk was the first to finally speak up. "Tha deagh thoiseach tòiseachaidh a tha leth an obair," he spoke, and looked over in Lloyd's direction.

"Dwarven Vow 60," Lloyd interpreted, his smile returning. "A good start is half the work."

"In workin' wi' fowk like Professor Low and the Pattons, ye've awreddy laid th' foundations fer these tois groups tae open up tae ain another. Aye, there main be struggles tae come, but it's important tae acknowledge how much ye've accomplished an aw."

"Still… I don't feel right celebrating while Kratos and the others are still fighting," Anna added. "Let's wait until he and the others return- I'm sure we'll have plenty to celebrate then."

There was a murmur of assent among the group, and Colette clapped her hands together. "I know they'll be here soon with some good news!" she chimed. "Until then, we'll just have to be patient."

Sheena looked around the room and laughed. "Sorry to break it to you, Colette, but I don't think most of us here are particularly good at that."

There was some protest at that comment, but the laughter that followed was shared by everyone. It was a mix of amusement at the conversation and relief at the way the situation had turned out. They were safe and they were together.

What more could they ask for?

Song watched the whole thing, frozen in place on the ground where he'd fallen when Yuan had tripped him. He saw Yuan reciting a spell of some kind, but he didn't recognize it, and it didn't occur to him that it was an angelic spell until he noticed that there didn't seem to be any magical response to the incantation. If he'd realized Yuan's mistake sooner, he could have said something, could have done something, could have made a difference somehow. But by the time he realized what was happening, it was already too late. Simon's horizontal strike sent the sword directly into Yuan's chest.

Simon wavered for a moment as Adora's piercing scream filled the air, his eyes widening in horror as he realized he'd only barely missed injuring the baby. He grabbed for the hilt of the sword again, and while Song wanted to yell for him not to, it was too late- Simon pulled the blade out and staggered backwards.

Yuan toppled over onto his right side, his left arm still shielding Adora and protecting her from the impact of the fall. Song scrambled to Yuan's side to assess the damage, and Yuan seemed to come out of his haze just enough to lean his left side forward.

"...S-Song… take care… of Adora…"

"No, no, no, no. Don't say that, buddy, don't say that. You're gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay-"

"I… meant… right now… you asshole…"

Well, the injury certainly hadn't put a damper on Yuan's signature sense of humor- even if it did seem to subdue his unwillingness to curse in front of Adora. Still, Song's assessment of the wound worried him more than he wanted to admit. The sword had punctured his abdomen just below the sternum, meaning severe liver trauma and likely- if Yuan's labored breathing was any indication- hemorrhaging in the lungs as well. If Song didn't go get help immediately, Yuan might not recover. Even if he did get help immediately, Yuan still might not…

No. Now wasn't the time to think like that. As a doctor, he knew never to think like that when he was focusing on a patient. What he had to do now was treat his patient with the assumption that the patient would live. His patient had to live.

Song took Adora in one hand and used the other to help prop Yuan up against the trunk of the tree. Once Yuan was steady, Song placed Adora back in his lap and removed his own jacket to tie around Yuan's torso.

"Adora should stay with you for right now. I'm going to get some supplies so I can patch you up. In the meantime, keep the jacket pressed as tightly to the wound as possible to help slow the bleeding."

"Song..." Yuan caught his hand as he started to run, and Song stopped more from the shock of the gesture than any strength on Yuan's part. It sounded like Yuan could barely get the air out of his lungs, and Song's first instinct was to tell him to stop and rest. But the conviction in Yuan's words gave him pause.

"Seriously, though…" Yuan breathed. "...I want youto raise Adora… not Colette, not Kratos… you…"

Song felt a deep, sinking numbness in his stomach. Yuan had gone from his usual dry humor to such cold seriousness so quickly, it was obvious that the injury was affecting him.

"I'm going to get help," Song repeated, forcing his statement through the lump in his throat.

It was all he could promise.

Finding help was easier said than done, however. With the commotion surrounding them, everyone was so caught up in their own fights that it seemed as if no one had noticed what had happened between Simon and Yuan. Song didn't know who had the medical supplies, so he made a beeline for Kratos.

"HELP! KRATOS! SOMEBODY!"

After a struggle, the soldiers finally managed to restrain both Felix and Professor Low. One of the soldiers had confiscated Low's exsphere, while another had placed a pre-prepared seal on Felix's magic. Margie stayed by her brother's side, and Veronica called her group over to keep them in order. Simon, still visibly shaken from his experience, had slipped back into the crowd of Veronica's followers, making a futile effort to "hide" behind Gisela. Kratos had been speaking with Veronica, but as soon as he noticed Simon, he made a beeline for the man and grabbed his arm.

"Jackson, help me restrain him while Laurel confiscates his sword-"

"Th-that's not necessary…" Simon breathed, his voice shaky. "Take it, please. I can't… I shouldn't…"

Kratos let go of Simon's arm, taking a step back and letting Veronica step in. She placed her hand on Simon's cheek, examining his subdued features in surprise. "Simon, darling, you're so pale. What happened?"

"I… was careless… I almost hurt… that poor innocent baby…"

Kratos snapped to attention. "Adora? What did you do?" He spun around to look back toward the tree at where Yuan and Song had been, but he didn't quite make it before he was stopped by a familiar voice screaming in a tone that was altogether unfamiliar.

"HELP! KRATOS! SOMEBODY!"

By the time Kratos registered what was going on, Song was already by his side, tugging on his arm. He didn't even have time to ask what had happened before he found himself caught up in a barrage of questions from Song instead.

"Where are the medical supplies you brought? I need to work on Yuan immediately!"

Kratos' gaze flashed momentarily up toward the tree, where he could see Yuan's limp form slumped over against the trunk. He could faintly hear Adora crying, but Yuan didn't seem to be making any movements to soothe her- or any movements at all, for that matter. He was still and lifeless, having thrown himself in harm's way for the sake of the people he loved and the Great Tree.

It sent a shiver of dread through Kratos' body. He'd seen that before.

Martel…

"Bryan took Anita and Professor Low to more solid ground so that he could treat their injuries. They're up the hill to the east." Kratos pointed Song in the direction of the small group that could be seen along the hillside. "It's simple first aid, so they declined Veronica's help, but-" Kratos stopped and looked back at her. "-if Yuan is hurt that badly, will you accompany Song to help?"

"I'll do what I can." Veronica stepped forward and glared over in Simon's direction as she spoke again. "We didn't come here to kill, after all."

"I… I…" Simon started to stammer out an excuse, and Song opened his mouth to cut him off, with a sharp "there's no time for-" but neither one got to finish what they were saying. The ground beneath them began to move, slowly at first but building in intensity before any member of the group could even get out the word "earthquake."

At the same time, there was a sudden burst of light and a deep rumbling like the vague notion of thunder in the far-off distance. The light illuminated the Great Tree, seeming to originate from deep in the roots and move upward into the branches until every leaf was glowing. Song's breath caught in his throat and when he finally found it again, all he could do was breath the name "Yuan" in desperation. He lunged forward, his body angled to barrel back in Yuan's direction, but Kratos grabbed his arm and held him back.

Something wasn't right.

From the base of the tree where the roots met the soil, the light began to move outward from the trunk along the ground, making a bright wall that obscured everything within its radius. As it did so, it shot up into the sky, creating a tower of light that grew wider and wider with each passing moment. Song struggled against Kratos' grip- he couldn't see Yuan and Adora anymore, but he remembered where they had been sitting and could find them blindly if necessary. But Kratos wouldn't let him go, instead pulling him backwards away from the tree. The radius of the pillar was growing faster now, and its edges were approaching them more rapidly than they'd anticipated. Kratos called out to Bryan's group, waving his arm.

"Retreat to a safer position! We don't know what that is or how dangerous it might be!"

Professor Low, whose injuries had only been on her shoulder and arm, helped support Anita, who had injured her leg and ankle. The two women retreated first and Bryan pulled up the rear, making sure to keep an eye on the approaching light. Unfortunately, that meant he wasn't looking where he was going. His foot hit a patch of slick, loose mud, and he tumbled over onto the ground. His hands flew out to break his fall, and it took him a moment to regroup. He propped himself up on his arms and drew his right leg in to begin standing, but his left leg was still extended and the expanding light began to cover his foot as it passed over the ground.

His scream sent a panic through both civilians and soldiers.

Bryan crumpled to the ground, unable to do anything but cry out in pain. Low and Anita doubled back, Professor Low bending down to grab Bryan's arm and toss it over her shoulder. One she was sure that she could securely support his weight, she sprinted forward with such confident speed that you'd never have thought she'd been carrying the weight of two soldiers.

Low managed to catch up with the main group, and they retreated further until the pillar of light finally stopped expanding, its halt punctuated by another earthquake that sent several people toppling over, and those still standing holding onto one another in support.

It was at this point that Low finally noticed the trail of blood that stained the grass over the path they'd run. She looked back and let out a scream as she noticed the state of Bryan's left leg- cut off about halfway up the calf and pouring blood. Professor Low dropped him and immediately tore off her scarf to wrap around the wound.

"Somebody help me out here! There's too much blood!"

Veronica was by her side in an instant. She had retrieved her dagger, but instead of using it at a weapon, she kept it in its sheath and looped it through the scarf. Nudging Low aside, she began to twist, and within moments, had created a makeshift tourniquet. The bloodflow began to slow, and Veronica motioned for Professor Low to hold onto the tourniquet while she took the medical supply kit from Anita and searched for proper bandages.

"Normally, I'd say to be careful with how much pressure you apply to prevent complications with his foot later, but… unfortunately, it looks like he doesn't have anything left for us to worry about," Veronica commented, wrapping bandages around what was left of Bryan's leg. "I've never seen such a clean cut through a tibia before. It's like everything below that point just… disappeared…" Low said nothing, keeping her grip on the tourniquet firm and staring in silent horror at the scene.

Kratos entrusted Song to another of his soldiers and walked over to where Bryan lay unconscious, staring in restrained horror. His whole body felt tense, but he steeled his nerves and addressed the soldiers.

"Platoon A, sound off!"

Fourteen voices responded with their own names one after another. They were cold and professional, with none of the emotion of the situation showing through in their speech. But anyone could look at their faces and see the turmoil within. Once they had finished, Gisela did a headcount of everyone who had come with Veronica. She turned back to Kratos with a nod.

"All ours are accounted for too, Captain. That just leaves Doctor Lu's group."

Kratos didn't need to do a head count for them. Margie and Felix were standing back quietly, Professor Low was still helping Veronica, and Song was standing next to the soldier who had his arm in a tight grip.

Only Yuan and Adora were missing.

Song wasn't struggling physically, but he was pestering the soldier who was holding his arm, begging her to let him go. He was pointing back in the direction of the light, pleading, almost sobbing.

"Please, they're still in there! We have to get them out! We have to save them! Adora's just a baby; we can't leave her-"

"I'm sorry, I can't allow you to go anywhere until the captain deems it safe."

"But… but… but…"

Kratos wanted to stay by Bryan's side, but it seemed like Veronica had things under control. He turned around to address Song again, taking his arm and nodding for the soldier to step back.

"I'm worried too. But after what happened to Bryan, we can't allow anyone to interact with… whatever that is until we know more about its effects-"

As he said this, there was another, smaller earthquake accompanied by a sound akin to breaking glass. The few members of the group still shielding their eyes against the light lowered their hands to examine the scene beyond where the wall of light had been. It was possible to see the Tree now, but the sight wasn't at all reassuring.

The Great Tree was still in full leaf, its branches still reaching high into the air, but the trunk was misshapen and gnarled with bulges and knots sticking out of the bark in various places. The ground around the tree, once covered with grass and low foliage, was now barren. The soil, in a perfect circle from the tree's base all the way out to where the pillar of light had extended, was stripped of all plants and organic material. Gusts of wind blew loose soil along the ground and into the air, creating ripple-like effects along the barren ground.

For a moment, no one moved.

Simon finally took a few steps forward, inching closer to the boundary where the grass stopped. Kratos ran after him, putting a hand up to keep others from following, but Song trailed him anyway. They stopped as they saw Simon reach out toward where the invisible boundary lay, moving the tips of his fingers across the "line" that divided grass from bare soil. As soon as his fingers crossed that line, he let out a yelp of pain and staggered backwards, clutching his hand to his chest. Song was by his side in an instant, reaching out for his hand.

"What happened?" Song forced himself to ask, his stomach churning as he saw the effects on Simon's hand. The man gave Song an angry glare, but allowed him to examine the fingers anyway. The tips of the fingers- about halfway down the nail- had turned a pale, almost greyish color. "...looks like necrosis," Song murmured, more to himself than to either Simon or Kratos. "The skin cells that were exposed to whatever's within that boundary have been killed. Such a small area of exposure means these cells should regenerate fine, but…"

Kratos had heard enough. He called back to the group, his voice once again taking on its strict military tone.

"No one is to approach the vegetation boundary. Exposure could be deadly, and we aren't yet sure of the cause."

There was some commotion amongst the group as they processed what had just happened. Simon jerked his hand away from Song and scurried back over to the safety of his companions. Frowning, Song turned back to look at the tree, scanning desperately for something that just wasn't there.

"B-but, what happened to Yuan and Adora? I don't understand; they were right there-" Song pointed, but Kratos put a hand on his arm and shook his head.

"You saw what that light did to Bryan's leg, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yeah, but-" Song started to protest again, realizing what Kratos was getting at. He didn't understand it, didn't want to understand it. But it had happened.

"Whatever that energy was, it consumed them. They're gone."

LEZARENO COMPANY
OFFICIAL MEMORANDUM
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

To all Lezareno employees, shareholders, and customers,

Numerous rumors and misconceptions have been circulating amongst the populations of both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla since the incident at the Great Tree one week ago. News outlets have provided inadequate coverage up to this point, disrupting the flow of information and leading those with morbid imaginations to fill in the blanks with tales of their own fantastical design. This not only undermines confidence in Tethe'alla's public information network, but also sows seeds of dissent that may lead to further conflict. Because of this, I- on behalf of the Lezareno Company- seek to provide accurate information, received myself from primary sources.

While the tragic loss of life should not be understated, the public painting of the event as a "massacre" is misguided. Of the twenty-seven involved in the conflict at the Great Tree, eleven sustained minor injuries, three sustained major injuries requiring hospitalization and are currently in stable condition, and two were pronounced dead on-site. The identities of those killed, a father and daughter pair, have not been publicly released for the sake of their family. While their deaths were not intentional, a Meltokio man has pleaded guilty to their murder as well as the assassination attempt that took place during the Unification Day picnic and the attack on a Meltokio police officer at a protest two weeks ago. He currently awaits trial for assault, attempted murder and two counts of manslaughter.

In the meantime, the state of the World Tree Yggdrasill has been thoroughly analyzed. Atmospheric mana-level readings taken by the Tethe'allan Meteorological Society show no significant decrease in mana production following the incident, and the tree's outward appearance, while slightly altered, shows no sign of injury. The only remaining danger is the Non-Vegetative Zone, colloquially known as the NV Zone or the "zone of death" due to the breakdown of living tissues caused by exposure to the unstable mana within. It is currently unknown what caused this deadly phenomenon, though some researchers and historians have hypothesized that it is a natural defense mechanism of the Tree brought on by localized stress. Until the effects of the NV Zone are fully understood, it remains a restricted area and will be under 24-hour patrol to prevent trespassing and further endangerment of the public.

I have received many letters concerning the future of the Alpha-Beta research project and Lezareno's involvement therein. The Palmacosta University issued a statement yesterday that the project would be suspended indefinitely, and the Lezareno Company has made the decision to discontinue support until the university deems the project safe to resume. We at the Lezareno Company like to consider ourselves leaders in innovation, but we also believe that innovation should never be built on the loss of life.

My intention in making this statement is not to minimize the severity of what happened, but to make sure that it isn't overshadowed by the specters of what didn't. A single loss of life would be one life too many, a single injury one injury too many. We can claim that we are working for the ambiguous principle of the "greater good," but as soon as that principle blinds us to the harm that we are doing to others, we can no longer claim either of those words. Now more than ever, citizens of both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla need to consider the impacts of their actions on those around them, as they affect not just one of these countries, but the whole of the united world. Keep close to those you hold dear and never take their presence for granted. It is in loving and supporting one another that we, as citizens of this united world, can truly work for its greater good.

Yours sincerely,

Duke Bryant, President of Lezareno Company