Dwarven Vow 143:
Tha fear ceasnachaidh letheach slighe gu bhith glic.
A questioning man is halfway to being wise.

56-

Zelos found Sheena sitting by the side of the river, her knees pulled close against her chest. She was watching the fishing boats pass by, but her eyes were unfocused like she was lost in thought. Not wanting to be the first to speak, Zelos just sat down next to her and stayed there for a few minutes. Eventually, she turned her head to look up at him.

"You have something to say?"

Zelos shrugged. "Not really. I'm just here to make sure you don't jump into the river."

"Wha-?! How dare you?!" She lunged for him, pinching his cheeks. "Don't joke about things like that!"

"Ow, ow!" Zelos pulled away, rubbing his cheeks. "I wasn't joking. I'm really worried about you. It's not like you to storm out like that."

Sheena blushed. "D-did I storm out? I didn't mean to. I just needed to get away so I could think."

"No, I getcha. Nobody's mad at you or anything. Professor Low and Alvarez don't even know what's wrong."

He watched as she curled up again, keeping her eyes on the river. She refused to say it, to speak her fears into existence, so it was up to Zelos to do it for her.

"You know there's no guarantee that baby was you, right?"

Sheena didn't move. "I don't want to talk about it," she muttered. "Just leave me alone."

"No-can-do, hunny," Zelos replied with a grin. "I'm here to keep an eye on you, and I'm staying until I know you're okay. But if you don't want to talk about it, I understand. I'll just sit here and keep you company."

Sheena considered his words for a moment and smiled as she decided he was genuine. "...thanks."

Really, Zelos was a good companion to have when he wasn't being an insufferable ass. He sat next to her, not too close but close enough that she could feel his presence. It was comforting as she wrestled with the information she'd just learned, trying to reconcile it with what she'd always believed about her past.

It wasn't long before the peaceful silence between them was finally broken by voices from the direction of the village center. "Sheena?" It was Raine calling, and Sheena lifted her head in response. "Sheena, is everything okay?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you."

"We're just hanging out watching the boats go by," Zelos added, leaning back against the grass. "Sit down with us and tell us what you found out. Any leads?"

Raine considered Zelos' invitation for a moment before circling around to sit on the other side of Sheena. Genis sat next to her and Professor Low took a spot in between Sheena and Zelos.

"There's just… nothing," Raine finally spoke up again. "I can't believe it. This is practically a closed community. No one comes in and no one leaves."

"Yeah, that happened to a lot of little villages like this while Tethe'alla was flourishing," Zelos answered, sitting up with a sigh. "The church pressured the inhabitants to give up their individual cultures and move to the cities- for control purposes, obviously. The villages that survived either did what Mizuho did, and struck up a deal with the government in exchange for cultural independence, or what this place did, and isolated themselves completely."

"There was the one incident with Mrs. Alvarez's sister," Professor Low pointed out. "I wasn't going to pry further, but the fact that they found no evidence of the baby means that she might have survived. I don't know how, given the dangers of the Gaorrachia Forest, but-"

"Someone found her," Sheena interrupted. Raine put a hand against her arm.

"Sheena, there's no guarantee the baby was-"

"It's okay. This is the only place in Tethe'alla where the summoning gene has been found. It can't be a coincidence."

Professor Low leaned closer. "Coincidence?" she repeated, and Sheena took a deep breath before answering.

"I wasn't born into Mizuho. My grandfather- adoptive grandfather- found me in the Gaorracchia Forest. He said it looked as though I'd been hidden to keep me safe from monsters, but whoever did so never returned. I woke up and started crying… and I would've certainly been a monster's snack if he hadn't found me."

Low gasped. "So, you think you're-"

"It's the right location and the right time frame. And with the summoning gene and the elven lineage, it's hard not to jump to that conclusion." Sheena curled up, pulled her knees in close to her chest. "At this point, the question isn't whether it's me, but what I'm supposed to do with that information. Do I tell Mrs. Alvarez? Is my birth father still alive, and should I be searching for him?"

Zelos shrugged. "I'd say the answers to those questions are 'only if you want to,' 'maybe,' and no,' respectively. It's been twenty-five years and you don't know any of these people. You have no obligation to them just because you suspect you might have blood ties."

"But…" Sheena began, her voice trailing off as she realized she was still unsure of what she was going to say.

"Zelos is right." It was a rare statement coming from Genis, but his expression was serious. "Even if they really are your birth family, it doesn't mean you have to build a relationship with them. It's easy to look at Lloyd's family and imagine that's what's going to happen in your own situation. But sometimes you don't get a happy ending with a loving parent-child relationship. Sometimes you get an aunt who thinks you're dead… or a mother who doesn't even know who you are…"

Raine slid her hand over Genis' and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Spend some time thinking it over. Don't let us discourage you if it's what you really want, but don't feel pressured to tell them if it isn't. The decision should be yours alone."

"You say that, but if I were to keep quiet, it'd feel like I was doing something wrong." Sheena looked away, focusing on the ripples in the river's surface. "Keeping a secret from them, lying to them, even-"

"Sometimes people want to be lied to when it comes to family," Professor Low interrupted. "I learned that the hard way.

Sheena stared. "Professor…?"

Professor Low shifted and closed her eyes as she began to speak. "I was adopted too, you know. The adoption was closed, which meant my parents and I were to know nothing about my birth family and vice-versa. Legal steps had been taken to protect my birth family's identity, and my own parents were the most wonderful family anyone could ask for- they were unconditionally loving, always supportive of my dreams and the lifestyle I sought. And yet… when I was a teenager, I decided for some reason that I needed to find my birth family."

She clasped her hands and held them against her chest as though the memory pained her.

"I worked hard to secretly gain access to various documents and records, even those that I wasn't legally supposed to have. I convinced myself that my birth family regretted the decision they'd made, and that I was doing them a favor. But when I found my birth mother and confronted her… of course she was horrified. She'd been a young, unmarried noblewoman trying to remove herself from a shameful situation, and having me suddenly burst into her life, surprising her husband and their young children- can you imagine? I spurned the affection of two loving parents to seek out someone who wanted nothing to do with me and only created trouble for everyone. My parents have long since forgiven me, but I realize now how utterly insensitive it all was. Sometimes people are content with things the way they are. And if you already have a family that loves you, why risk hurting yourself and others?"

The group fell silent. No one moved or spoke at first, and when Raine finally said something, it was nothing more than a whispered "Todd…" under her breath. It was more to herself than actually addressing Professor Low, but Low heard it and went stiff.

"I-! I'm so sorry! I was trying to comfort you and I spent the whole time talking about myself! That was rude, wasn't it-?"

"No, it-" Sheena grabbed Low's wrist to keep her from flailing her arms around. "-it actually helps a lot. Thank you."

"Oh. Um. You're welcome." Low turned away, her cheeks turning a shade redder. "And don't worry about leaving. We accomplished what we came here for, which was to figure out if there was a summoner born in this village. Whether she died years ago or is sitting right here, at least we know."

"It does leave us in a tight spot, though," Zelos added. "Since this was our last lead, and we still haven't figured out who the summoner is."

The group went quiet. Sheena's smile disappeared and she glanced back at the river to avoid making eye contact with anyone. Genis reached out for her, but Raine cleared her throat and interrupted him.

"The genetic survey was only done in Tethe'alla. It's possible there are also pockets of carriers in Sylvarant that we haven't identified yet. It will be difficult, but we can keep searching."

"Yes! That's right!" Professor Low agreed. "We'll return to the Imperial Research Academy and regroup-"

As she spoke, a voice from further up the path called her name and the whole group turned to look. Mrs. Alvarez stumbled down the riverbank, waving, and Professor Low stood up to greet her. But when she arrived, it was Zelos she addressed.

"Mister Wilder…? There's a message for you over the radio. A Lloyd, he said-?"

Zelos scrambled to his feet. "Lloyd? What did he say?"

"I'm not sure. He just said he needs to speak with you right away. It's urgent."

When Lloyd woke up, he found himself propped up in one of the chairs in Song's living room. The world still felt fuzzy, and there was a throbbing pain on one side of his head. He remembered hitting it when he'd fallen, but when he put his hand against his head, he found a bandage tied around it. It seemed Song hadn't actually wanted to hurt them. But then what did he want? A glance at the sofa showed Colette resting just as she had been, the sight of her calm breathing eliciting a sigh of relief from Lloyd. He tried to stand up slowly, but he was still too dizzy, and had to sit back down. As he did so, he noticed a note left on the table and picked it up to read while he regained his bearings.

'Lloyd- There was some mild bleeding where you hit your head, so I disinfected and bandaged it up as best I could. In the next few days, please keep an eye out for dizziness, nausea, light and noise sensitivity, and slurred speech. These could be signs of a concussion, and you should see a doctor… well, another doctor. I suppose you noticed my own illness. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I just can't take off the Cruxis Crystal until I rescue Yuan and Adora. I've borrowed Colette's rune crest to stave off the symptoms for a while. I promise I'll give it back soon, so please be patient. Send Kratos my regards. -Song'

The rune crest. Of course. Lloyd remembered the sight of Song's skin, the blue-green crystals covering his shoulders and neck. He'd only seen them for a split second, but he recognized them immediately.

"...why didn't he just tell us, dammit? We could've helped him…"

At the sound of Lloyd's voice, Colette began to stir. Lloyd threw the note aside and moved to help her sit up. She groaned, holding one hand against the side of her head, and he put a hand against her back to support her.

"Take it easy. Don't try to move too fast."

"...Lloyd? What happened?" She glanced over at him and reached out in surprise to touch the bandage that was wrapped around his head. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I fell in the kitchen earlier," Lloyd explained. "Song put something in the tea to knock us both out. I guess it didn't have as much of an effect on me, but my head still feels kinda fuzzy."

"Where is Song? Why would he do that?" Colette moved as though she were about to get up from the couch, but she collapsed against Lloyd's chest and he helped her sit back down. "I thought he wanted help…"

"He did. But he wanted it on his own terms." Lloyd closed his eyes and sighed. "We should've realized something was wrong, with all the skin he was covering up. I only saw a little bit, but he… he has that disease you had years ago. The crystal one."

The rain had picked up again, and the sound of it striking the rooftop filled the room as Colette realized exactly what Lloyd meant. Her eyes went wide.

"How? I thought that was extremely rare!"

"Me too. I can't explain it. But it was all the way up to his neck, and probably down his arms too, if those bandages were any sign. Far more advanced than yours ever got…" Lloyd reached over and held a hand out. "Can I see your key crest?"

"Sure, but what about i-?" Colette began, reaching for the necklace and pulling it free from under the collar of her dress. She stopped mid-sentence, however, as she got a better look at it. "Wait, something's not right. The back of it is…"

Lloyd leaned over to get a better look. The back of the charm was chipped and broken as if something had been pried away, and the shape left behind was familiar. "He managed to take only the rune crest and leave the rest of the key crest intact. He must've read Yuan's notes about it from the Renegade records."

"The rune crest was…" Colette began, and panic flashed in her eyes as one hand flew to her waist. She lifted the hem of her blouse, timidly searching the exposed skin for anything abnormal. "You don't see anything, do you?" she asked.

Lloyd examined her skin for a moment and then shook his head. "No. I think you're okay. It's not like the illness appeared immediately before, right? We've got time to get your rune crest back."

Colette let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, you're right. Song is the one we should be worried about. If the crystals have spread that far, then he doesn't have a lot of time left."

"Do you think the rune crest will help him?"

"I hope so. But if the disease is that advanced, it might not have enough time to take effect. Raine said that the crystals on the skin were only a small indication of the crystallization happening within the body, but she didn't know how far in it went... I wonder if Kratos would know more."

"We could ask him. He might know a way to track Song down too."

Colette closed her eyes as she thought it over. "He talked about the Renegade base near Triet, remember? He was consulting Yuan's old files, looking for more information on the Great Tree. Do you think he might've gone back there?"

"It's possible," Lloyd replied, and reached for the letter again. "He left this. It says he plans to give it back, but it doesn't say when. I don't know about you, but I refuse to wait around for him."

"...yeah." Colette nodded. "Even if I don't have any symptoms right now, I don't want to chance it. We should talk to Kratos."

"Let's head back to Luin, then." Lloyd stood up again. "The rheiard we borrowed is still at Zelos' place, right? We can grab it and-"

"But Lloyd! What about the meeting in Mizuho tomorrow?"

The reminder gave Lloyd pause. "But… but Song is dying! If we don't do something, then…!" He shook his head and then reached for Colette's hands. "Besides that, you shouldn't be alone right now. That's not fair to you."

Colette forced a smile. "I'll be fine, Lloyd. Really."

"Then why are you shaking?"

The two went silent. A low rumble of thunder echoed from beyond the window, and Colette bit her lip as she tried to fight back tears. She threw her arms around Lloyd, squeezing him close.

"...I'm scared. That disease is so horrible, to think that Song has it… that I might get it again… I don't know what to do. I don't want to be alone."

Lloyd returned the hug, placing a gentle hand against the back of her head. "You won't be, I promise. We'll go back to the manor and radio for Zelos to meet us in Luin. Sheena's with him, and if we explain the situation, I'm sure she'll understand. When Zelos hears you're in trouble, he'll be there in a heartbeat- plenty of time for me to get to Mizuho. But until he's there, I won't leave your side."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Kratos awoke to a knock on the door, and he sat up slowly in bed, trying to gauge his surroundings. He'd been pulled out of deep sleep, and his mind was still groggy, half stuck in a dream. As he came to, his first worry was for Anna- but a glance next to him found her curled up beside him still sleeping soundly as though she hadn't heard a thing. Noishe had been curled up in the corner of the room with the two fox kits nestled in his thick mane, but he had been roused by the sound of the knocking as well, and Kratos could see his ears twitching back and forth. There was another knock, this one louder and more urgent, and Noishe let out a whine in Kratos' direction as if begging him to go for the door.

"...hm? What's going on…?"

Anna reached up to tug at Kratos' sleeve, and he felt a pang of irritation. She- and he- had been sleeping soundly for the first night in many. Whatever this was about, it had better be important.

"...'s nothing," he grumbled, waving her away. "Somebody at the door. I'll take care of it."

"At this hour?" Anna asked. "Something about the Great Tree, maybe?"

"Like I said, I'll take care of it. Go back to sleep."

Noishe had managed to corral the half-asleep kits onto the blankets he'd been resting against and was able to follow Kratos to the door. Kratos opened it only a crack so he could see who it was, but the sight of Lloyd and Colette caused him to let go of the door handle and allow it to swing open.

"Oh, Kratos, thank goodness!" Lloyd shoved his way into the entry hall without so much as a 'hello,' and Kratos stumbled back.

"You two… what are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it i-"

"Song's in trouble!" Lloyd didn't even let Kratos finish his question. "We visited him, and he was all bundled up and bandaged, and he said he was fine but it seemed like he wasn't, and he made us some tea but he spilled his, and we thought it was an accident, but it turned out it was drugged, and Colette passed out and I passed out-"

Lloyd's frantic speech was a stark contrast against the peaceful din of insects from outside, and Kratos stepped around him so that he could close the door again.

"Slow down. I'm not following you. What's this about Song? You said he drugged you? What the hell happened?"

Lloyd took a deep breath before continuing. "Song said he's been wearing Yuan's Cruxis Crystal and using it to access Renegade archives at the old base near Triet. He's convinced that Yuan and Adora are still alive, and he's trying to find some kind of evidence to back that up. That's what he told us, right Cole-"

He turned to her as he spoke her name, but cut off as he caught sight of her expression. She was trying to hide it, but the pained grimace on her face was apparent to someone who knew her well, and she held one hand against her waist. Lloyd drew closer in concern.

"Colette? You okay?"

"...it hurts…" she began, her voice laced with fear. Her fingers clutched at the edge of her blouse but didn't pull on it just yet. "...I'm scared to look. Will you?"

Lloyd lowered his voice and placed his hand over hers, kneeling to get closer to her waist level. "Of course. It's gonna be okay. Just show me where it hurts."

Kratos took a step back, watching as Colette lifted the hem of her blouse for Lloyd to see. Kratos could see it too, a clear discoloration on her upper hip, along the waistband of her skirt. It shone, even in the dim light, reflecting like the surface of a crystal. Kratos still wasn't sure what had happened with Song, but whatever it was, it was bad.

"Get in here, both of you. Tell me everything."