Dwarven Vow 134:
Co-fhaireachdainn buannachdail do h-uile duine.
Compassion benefits all men.

54-

Anna was just as excited by the exhibits at Asgard as she was by the ones at the Balacruf Mausoleum, and it took the urging of the docents to get her back to the inn once the excavation sites formally closed for the night. Kratos apologized for her, but it seemed to Lloyd that the docents were happy to have a guest who was so excited about the ruins. They invited her to visit the next morning before the group left for Palmacosta again, and she promised that she would.

Lloyd was grateful for his mother's excitement. As the three of them ate dinner, she chatted on and on about the ruins while Lloyd and Kratos sat in silence. He'd hate to think how tense the atmosphere would've been without her around, and found himself considering the things she'd said to him on the way back from the Dwarven village two nights ago. He was still thinking about it as they made their way to the inn and settled down for the night, so it wasn't easy getting to sleep. Lloyd tossed and turned for several hours before finally deciding that sleep wasn't going to come until his thoughts calmed down. Glancing across the room to make sure his parents were asleep, he quietly pulled himself out of bed and stepped out onto the balcony to clear his mind.

The night air was chilly despite the tropical location. Asgard was so much higher in elevation than Balacruf that its climate was much cooler, and Lloyd felt almost like he was back at home in Iselia. He took a long, deep breath of the thin mountain air and sighed it out, watching his breath cloud over in front of him as he thought back to what he'd heard about the incident at the Great Tree. He'd heard Kratos' report and received a secondhand version of Professor Low's report via Zelos, and it didn't make sense to him how Kratos could blame himself for something so clearly out of his control. There hadn't seemed to be a specific trigger for the creation of the NV Zone- in fact, the conflict was already resolving itself when the event happened. Kratos had done the job he'd set out to do, working to suppress the violence that inevitably broke out. So why did he still feel responsible-?

"Lloyd?"

Lloyd jumped, turning back around to the door and clasping a hand over his chest. "Wh-wh-what the hell, Kratos?! Don't scare me like that!"

"I knocked on the balcony door. Did you not hear?"

Oops. "I, uh, guess I mistook it for something else. Sorry to yell. Did I wake you up?"

"No." Kratos shook his head as he stepped out onto the balcony beside Lloyd, leaving the door open a crack behind him. "I was still awake when you got out of bed."

Lloyd glanced down at Kratos' bandaged hand. "Is your arm bothering you?"

"Not yet. I've had trouble sleeping since before my injury."

"Since when?"

Kratos was quiet, leaning against the railing. Lloyd shuffled next to him, leaning close.

"Since the conflict at the Great Tree?" he asked again. Kratos glanced over at him and then closed his eyes, heaving a sigh.

"It is difficult to come to terms with all that has happened. I'm sure everyone involved is still suffering the effects."

"But you…" Lloyd murmured, "...you still blame yourself, don't you? For telling Yuan not to wear his Cruxis Crystal, I mean."

"Who told you that?"

"Mom did."

Kratos shook his head, muttering something about Anna not being able to keep a secret. "It isn't so much about that. If I had prevented the violence that day, he would still be alive, Cruxis Crystal or none. I had a responsibility and I failed. Following that, I must review the situation and identify my shortcomings in order to prevent such failure in the future.

Lloyd frowned, looking down at the dark city below. "...Kratos, listen… I wanted to apologize for the way I acted. Back at the Great Tree and then in Altamira yesterday morning- I was only focused on what I wanted and didn't care at all about what you thought. I didn't fully realize what you were going through. And I'm sorry. Sorry for being so reckless and causing you pain when you're dealing with so much already."

Kratos looked up in surprise. "That isn't what I expected to hear. Why the sudden change in heart?"

"It's not a change of heart, really. More of a… a realization of how I'd feel if I were in your position. It's so easy for me, as an outsider, to look at the events at the Great Tree and insist that you bear no responsibility for what happened. But I wasn't there. I wasn't you. And it isn't my place to tell you how to feel." Lloyd stopped and heaved a pained sigh. "I had to remember how I felt the other day when Colette fell into the NV Zone. Genis and I didn't know her Cruxis Crystal would protect her. For a split second, we were sure she was dead. And that moment, that one awful moment, it was like my entire world just broke. I was the one who'd brought up the idea of sneaking in, and if she'd died, then I would've been the one responsible. And no matter what anyone else said, I'd never forgive myself. So I'm sorry for trying to force you to do the same."

There was a moment of silence between them.

"That… that is a very mature response," Kratos finally said, sounding almost confused by the whole thing. "To tell the truth, I came out here to offer an apology of my own."

"What? Really?" Lloyd went stiff for a moment before he caught sight of Kratos' genuine expression and relaxed. "So the reason you wanted me to join you at Balacruf wasn't to keep an eye on me, but to apologize?"

"A little of both," Kratos answered. "It may have caused me pain to see you and your friends endanger yourselves, but at the same time, I take a sense of pride in the fact that you view no situation without opportunity. You take chances others are not willing to take. And because of those chances that you and your friends took, we're closer to helping the Great Tree."

Lloyd turned to face him. "You're… proud of me?"

"Yes. But I want you to consider your own safety. When you risked your life to save Zelos in Meltokio, you frightened a lot of people. When you snuck into the restricted area a few days ago, you did the same. Both of those actions surely seemed logical to you at the time, but they were also dangerous. The people who care for you do not want to see you risk your life, no matter how good the potential reward."

"...I'm sorry."

There was another pause, this one more comfortable, almost affectionate. Lloyd felt a hand on the top of his head, gently tousling his hair as Kratos spoke up again.

"I need to protect my family. For your sake, for my sake, for the sake of my friends who weren't able to protect theirs- that's why I can't let anything happen to you. But you're right in that I need to be more understanding in how I do it."

Lloyd laughed. "Well, I should probably be a little more careful too. From now on, I'll try to be aware of the risks I take."

"And I will try to respect your assessments and decisions regarding those risks," Kratos replied with a nod. "However, I cannot promise that I will not scold you for taking reckless actions in the future. You may be a grown man, but you are still my son."

"Heh, guess I can never outgrow family."

"No, you cannot."

The two went quiet again, both still staring at the street below. It was late, but a few people were still roaming about here and there, and their conversations echoed off the walls of the nearby buildings. Lloyd couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but that didn't matter. They were all individual people, all heading back to their own homes or rooms, places where people they loved were waiting for them. Everyone had someone they cared about, someone they wanted to protect. He certainly did. And knowing there was someone out there who wanted to protect him in return… it was a warm feeling that kept even the cold mountain air at bay.

"Speaking of family," Kratos began again after a few minutes had passed, "I've been wondering- what is the status of your engagement with Sheena?"

Lloyd stifled a laugh. "The status? That's a weird way of phrasing it."

"Well, how would you have phrased it?"

Lloyd shrugged. "I dunno. Something casual, like maybe 'how's it going between you and Sheena?"

"Okay," Kratos sighed. "How's it going between you and Sheena?"

The phrasing was so unlike him, Lloyd had to force back yet another laugh. "We, uh, we haven't officially asked the chief and the council yet, but we're planning to do that at the next council meeting in four days."

"The council meeting, hm? And what do you plan to say to them?"

Kratos' question confused Lloyd. "Say to them? What do you mean? I'm just asking their permission to marry Sheena."

"But what will you say to convince them that you are the right choice?" Kratos asked. "They understand that you are in love, yes, but they also have a duty to their community. How will you convince them that an outsider is the right match for the next chief of their village?"

Lloyd frowned and put a hand against his head. "I-I mean, well… is it not enough that I love her? Sheena said that they were growing more open to the idea of marriages with outsiders because the village is getting so small that everyone is related to one another."

"But Sheena was adopted in. She could marry anyone in the village."

"Er… I guess so, but… she doesn't want to."

Kratos closed his eyes and sighed. "Mizuho is a village built on tradition and duty to the community. Sheena holds a prominent role in that community, and it's possible she could be discouraged from pursuing a relationship with someone who does not plan to be part of the community himself."

"Wha-? What are you talking about?" Lloyd turned again, one hand still gripping the balcony railing tightly. "Of course I plan to be part of the community!"

"From Luin?"

"Well-"

"From the Dwarven school?"

"Um…"

Kratos shook his head. "These are all questions you will need to consider. They are questions you should have considered long before now. I'm not trying to discourage you- on the contrary, I want to make sure that you have the approval of your new family in Mizuho. If they refuse, it will not only hurt you, it will hurt Sheena as well. She wants to be with you, Lloyd, and not just in name. And if you want to be with her, you need to make that effort."

Lloyd hung his head. He could feel the flush of his cheeks against the cold air and hoped it was too dark for Kratos to see. "You're right. I just got so excited about everything I've been working on with the Dwarven school, I didn't even realize that I was building something so far away from where I want to be. I'm so stupid-"

"You aren't stupid. You have dreams and ambitions, and you are actively following them. But you must learn to consider others' dreams too. I'm sure that, with your history, you will find a way to make this relationship work. But you have to put your all into it, just like with everything else."

"Yeah, yeah!" Lloyd smiled. "There's got to be a way I can work at the Dwarven school and be a part of Mizuho! I just have to figure out what it is!"

"I commend you," Kratos answered, his fond expression briefly darkening as he added, "I just hope there's still a Mizuho left for you to be a part of."

That statement caught Lloyd off guard. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, that's right. Sheena hasn't told you."

"Told me what?" Lloyd asked, and then thought back to their earlier conversation with the summon spirits. "This doesn't have anything to do with the earthquakes Gnome was talking about earlier, does it?"

"The village is in bad shape," Kratos replied. He continued with a sigh, "The earthquakes originating in the NV Zone have been destabilizing the ground upon which the village is built. Mizuho is quite literally sinking into quicksand as the ground below them liquefies. So far, they have been unsuccessful in finding a place to which they can relocate, but from the looks of things when I visited a few days ago, they are running out of time."

"Wh…" Lloyd stumbled backward, running into the corner of the balcony railing. "...why wouldn't Sheena tell me about this?"

"She didn't want you to worry. Didn't want you to get involved in something so dangerous when you were still recovering. It just shows that she knows how much you care about Mizuho and the people in it."

"But… but-"

Before Lloyd could protest, he was cut off by a scream from inside the room. His whole body went stiff, and he scrambled inside after Kratos.

"Anna!" "Mom!"

Lloyd stopped just inside the door to scan for danger, but Kratos didn't seem to be worried about that. He, instead, went right to where Anna was sitting up in bed and held her close as she sobbed against his chest. "I'm here," he whispered, running one hand through her hair. "It was just a dream. You're safe. I'm right here."

Anna was speaking through her sobs, but Lloyd couldn't make out any of the words. He walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, placing a comforting hand against her back. She twitched and pressed further against Kratos' chest, but he whispered to her again and she relaxed.

"It's okay. That's just Lloyd. He's here too, alright? We're here with you. We won't let anyone hurt you."

Lloyd sat silently, listening as his mother's sobs began to subside and eventually disappear altogether, replaced by slow, soft breathing. When he was sure that she was asleep again, he looked up at Kratos.

"What was that?" Lloyd whispered. "Did she have a nightmare?"

Kratos nodded. "She's had trouble sleeping for the past month. Every night, it seems, she is plagued by memories of her time at the human ranch, being attacked and experimented on by the Desians."

"I-I had no idea…" Lloyd stammered, and then lowered his voice again. "Has this happened before?"

"When she was pregnant with you."

"Oh…" Lloyd watched his mother's sleeping face, her eyes still red and her cheeks stained with tears. "Is… is there anything I can do?"

"No. Just being here and supporting her now is good enough." Kratos shifted his hold on her so that he could lay her back down in bed and pull the blankets over her chest. "Sometimes she doesn't even remember these episodes in the morning. The best thing we can do is be with her and make sure she doesn't hurt herself in her panic."

Lloyd closed his eyes and sighed. "I can't believe it. All this time I didn't realize how much everyone's been suffering. You, Mom, Sheena… god, I'm such an idiot. Why can't I ever think about anyone but myself?"

"Lloyd," Kratos spoke, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder, "you do think about others when you know what they're experiencing. But when they keep it from you, there's no way you can know. You must help them in the ways you can, with what knowledge you have."

"Knowledge, huh?" Lloyd forced a smile. "I'm not good at knowing things. But if it helps me care for the people I love… I'll do my best."

"I know you will."

Dead ends, all of them.

The following evening's meeting at the Palmacosta University was a disappointing one, with every group reporting the same thing: no summoner had approached any of the other summon spirits. All the spirits had reacted the same way when informed of Martel's willingness to make a pact with a summoner whose name she didn't know. Anna was at least able to report the answer that Gnome and Sylph had given to her unique question, but given how unlikely the scenario was, the group put it in the back of their minds and focused on the information that Professor Low had gathered from the Elemental Research Lab.

"A recent genetic survey revealed a carrier of the summoning gene in a rural Tethe'allan village," Low said, setting the paper down on the front table. "This may be our best bet."

"Carrier?" Lloyd asked, raising his hand. "What does that mean? Doesn't somebody either have a gene or not have a gene?"

"A carrier is someone who has a certain gene, but does not express it," Raine explained. "The gene associated with summoning affects how a person's cells process energy. But unless that person has some elven heritage, the summoning gene won't activate."

"A gene can… activate…?"

Genis nudged Lloyd's arm. "Think of it like a light switch, Lloyd. Elven blood- the inherent ability to use magic- is the switch that makes someone a summoner, and the summoning gene is what turns that switch on. Most elves and half-elves don't have the summoning gene, so their switch never turns on and they can't make pacts with spirits. And if humans have the summoning gene but no elven blood, there's no switch for the gene to turn on. A summoner needs both."

Lloyd nodded, though his face was still blank. "Okay… okay… I think I'm getting it…"

"Is there a way to know for sure if somebody has this gene?" Zelos spoke up. "I mean, actually sequencing a DNA sample takes months, right?"

"Yes, but we don't necessarily have to do any sequencing." Professor Low shook her head and handed Zelos one of the papers. "The summoning gene is not found in the nuclear DNA, but in the mitochondrial DNA. We can, therefore, trace it through matrilineal records without the need for sequencing. This one recorded carrier is all we need."

Lloyd's hand shot up again. "What's matrilineal?"

"It refers to mothers," Colette replied. "Mothers pass their mitochondrial genes directly to their children. If a mother has the gene, then all of her children will have the gene as well."

"Oh. That makes sense." Lloyd closed his eyes and nodded his head, though his eyes shot open again as he came to a realization. "Wait! Sheena, does that mean if we have kids someday, they'll be summoners too?"

"Wha-?" Sheena blushed. "Th-that's not… I-I mean, not necessarily. They'll carry the gene, sure, but I doubt our children will have enough elven blood to activate it."

"Oh. Right. The light switch-"

"Where is this village located?" Kratos interrupted.

Professor Low held up a map. "It's on the Gaoracchian continent, along the coastline to the north of Gaoracchia forest."

"Th-the Gaoracchia-!" Sheena gasped and then covered her mouth with one hand. "Er, right. What would be the best way to access the village? If you're going to go investigate, I'd like to join you."

Low nodded. "You're welcome to join us, Sheena. I was planning to ask Zelos to accompany me as well. Would you be willing to help with-" She suddenly stopped, and took a moment to dig through the stack of papers. "Wait, I forgot. I met a man named Sebastian while I was in Meltokio, and he gave me a letter that was delivered for Zelos and Colette. Apparently, it's time-sensitive, so perhaps you should read it before agreeing on anything."

Colette and Zelos glanced at one another, and Zelos stood up to take the letter from Professor Low. Colette leaned over in her seat, trying to look up at the envelope. "Zelos? Who's it from?"

"It's… it's from Doctor Lu," he said, a sense of amusement in his voice. "The guy disappears for months and comes outta the woodwork again now-?"

"What did he say?" Kratos interrupted, approaching Zelos to read over his shoulder. Zelos flinched and swatted at Kratos.

"Hey, do you mind? This is addressed to Colette and me! ...it says he wants us to meet him at his place sometime in the next couple of days. He wants to talk to us about Yuan and Adora."

"To you?" Kratos demanded, but Colette broke in before he could say anything further.

"It's probably because we took care of Adora for a little while. This is part of the grieving process, isn't it? Being able to talk through your feelings with others? I think we should go."

"Genis and I will go with Professor Low," Raine volunteered, prompting a surprised look from Low.

"R-Raine, you don't have to-"

"We want to," she interrupted. "It's important to our research too, to better understand this summoner and what they're doing with the Great Tree. Please allow us to accompany you."

"Yes… y-yes, of course!"

"I'm coming too," Zelos volunteered, handing the letter over to Colette. "As much as I love hanging out with Song, I'm supposed to be working as the professor's assistant. I can't just leave her to a big job like this on her own."

Colette glanced down at the letter. "But Zelos…"

Lloyd raised his hand again. "Why don't I go with you, Colette? I need to be in Tethe'alla this weekend anyway. I can stay with you in Meltokio for a couple days and then leave for Mizuho from there."

"Oh, Lloyd, that would be wonderful!" Colette chimed. "Thank you!"

Kratos heaved a sigh. "Just be careful, you two. I don't… I don't know how stable Song is right now. Stay together and don't go meeting him alone, alright?"

Lloyd and Colette looked to one another, neither completely sure what Kratos meant, but both sure he was completely serious.

"...alright."