(A/N) Yes... A quick update! So after talking with another author about how to outline my chapters more clearly, I've got a fair amount structured out and it'll be buckets easier to write at a faster pace now. Things are also kicking into gear plot-wise, so I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Yes, yes I do own Tales of Symphonia. Ha, no seriously, I don't. What were you expecting?

Chapter 19

Kratos slowly drifted awake- a sensation that he hadn't felt for years. It was the closest thing to sleep he had gotten in what seemed like forever, and the fuzziness wasn't entirely unwelcome. However, the dullness in his limbs reminded him of his newfound problem. Stretching his arms experimentally, he rubbed his fingers together. Still nothing.

Kratos hoisted himself to a sitting position with a quiet sigh. He'd have to find a solution as quickly as possible, but until then, he'd have to work on sight alone. Kratos swept a particularly thick section of hair from his face to properly examine his surroundings. Though the building itself was new to him, it had the air of a quaint village town, stock full of basic medical supplies. It was an infirmary of sorts, judging by the white linen covering the cot he was sitting in. When Kratos' gaze fell on the fitfully sleeping half-elf to his right, guilt pierced his gut. He remembered the injury now, and quickly looked down to examine the wound.

The gash was neatly bandaged, and he imagined stitched, but from the pallor of his skin, he figured he had lost a great deal of blood. The thick white strips covered the majority of his midsection, and were also wrapped over his left shoulder for correct support. His upper body was bare, but he still wore the remainder of his clothing from yesterday. The crimson staining was minimal on his trousers, but it reminded him of the sheer amount of blood he'd lost. After blacking out, it was a miracle he had lived at all- from what he knew blood loss that severe had to be treated immediately. He must have just made the cut thanks to Yuan. He was indebted yet again, this time with his life.

Kratos reexamined his friend's sleeping form anxiously. Yuan's face had the weariness of stress ingrained in the curve of his mouth and the scrunch of his eyes. He slept as if he was exhausted, yet there was no deadness to it. His breathing was shallower than normal, and his hands clenched at the arms of his chair mercilessly. Kratos had decided not to wake him, and made to get up when the halfling's eyes snapped open at the creak of the cot he lay in.

"Kratos?" Yuan had spoken without regard to their surroundings, and the Tethe'allan was happy that no one was there to overhear the short statement. They made it a habit of never using his name, no matter if they were in Sylvarant or Tethe'alla. The odds of someone recognizing and acting on it were slim, but it didn't hurt to be safe.

"Yes, Yuan?" He stood fully as he slid off the edge of the bed, spotting the bloody mass of fabric that was likely his tunic in the corner. The half-elf quickly got his bearings upon waking, and stood himself.

"What do you think you're doing, getting up like that?" The Sylvaranti had crossed his arms with a scowl fleetingly crossing his features. Apparently Yuan was given the impression that he was not in shape to move freely. Kratos' eyebrows both shot up in surprise. He had never seen Yuan's bedside manner.

"I'm well aware that the cut has been adequately bandaged for me to walk, Yuan." Now the half-elf's name was spoken patronizingly instead of the respect it had first merited. Yuan's frown deepened into the sour look he always had on when Kratos contradicted him.

"Just like you were 'well aware' of that injury for a full blown minute before you said anything, right?" Now his eyes had narrowed sharply as the phrase had cut across a nerve. Apparently the bedside manner had been short-lived.

"I must've been in shock." He was quick to conjecture, "I didn't notice right away." Kratos answered with half-sincerity, and reluctantly at that. Yuan was not appeased by the effort, though.

"Cut the bullshit, Kratos! For Mana's sake- these things don't happen to you!" The escalation in volume was uncalled for in the red head's opinion, but his voice had the underlying edge of anxiety. Yuan's confrontational attitude was betrayed by the openness in his expression. Frantically searching eyes scanned him again and again. Kratos realized that the half-elf was on the verge of a fit of panic. Was that because of him?

"Evidently they do. It was better that you learned sooner or later." Kratos' voice was quieter than even he expected it to be. "I'm only human. I make mistakes." So that was what it came down to. Underneath all his pride and strength and skill, he wasn't infallible. Yuan's brow creased in a sort of resigned understanding.

"So there's nothing more? There's no reason they beat you other than you 'made a mistake'?" The shift was tangible. He was back to being the ordinary, composed Yuan that kept trying to slip through Kratos' fortified barriers. They wouldn't fail this time, though, not until the matter was resolved. If anything, this incident proved to Kratos that telling Yuan would be a worse idea than he had previously thought.

"I feel the need to mention that they did not 'beat me', as you put it. They were all on the ground long before I collapsed." It may have been petty, but he had pride he had to maintain even in this dire circumstance.

"You didn't answer me." Yuan had gotten just as good at directing questions as Kratos had gotten at avoiding them. Paired together, they had quite the dance of words.

"Yes." Kratos made eye contact with Yuan's own teal orbs, meeting only a revitalized layer of disbelief. 'This isn't over', the expression said, and Kratos felt the disappointment swell in his chest when the Sylvaranti wouldn't buy his not-so-blatant lie.

Of course that couldn't be the end of it.

Yuan was sure his face fell when Kratos refused to open up. They'd been through so much together, yet he wasn't even trusted. After all that the Tethe'allan meant to him, he was not let in at all. The sense of betrayal was stronger than he would've liked to admit. He didn't push further. It was clear he wouldn't get much from the exceedingly blank look on his companion's face. If he could just read him, like he knew Kratos could read himself, everything might be easier.

When the swordsman was sufficiently prepared to leave, donning one of his spare tunics from their pack, they decided they would not overstay their welcome at the healer's home. The man had returned periodically throughout the night to check up on their mutual patient, and he was likely sleeping a well-earned rest into the day. Kratos wrote a brief note of gratitude and left a generous amount of gald to cover the costs before they left. At long last, the wooden door was swung upon its rusty hinges and they stepped into the outdoors.

Yuan was still remarkably tired from the prior day, but the morning sun was spirited and invigorating to his drooping eyelids. He'd traveled on less sleep before, so it would be no issue he couldn't handle. Assuming they were traveling, that is.

"So, are we off to Tethe'alla, then?" He kept his tone casual, though he was itching to do more than ask questions. He'd much rather demand some goddamn answers. If he resorted to that, it was likely Kratos would just close up like an oyster and leave him behind. That knowledge was the only thing keeping him amicable around his unpredictably cryptic companion. He'd rather tag along than never know. Kratos had trained a curious look on him.

"Excuse me?" It was a surprised statement- not an offended one, so Yuan continued.

"You said something yesterday about needing to return to Sybak." The 'before you almost died' went unmentioned, yet it was still heard by both parties as loud as if Yuan had said it. Kratos' expression was reined into one of understanding- though Yuan was strangely struck by how off his guard Kratos was. He was thinking pretty hard about something, the half-elf concluded, to be put off by something he'd already said. Kratos made a sound of affirmation, though.

"I need to return to the research facility there in order to see about getting the exsphere removed." Yuan blinked, foreign to the notion that it should be removed at all. Though there was no clear indicator, he got the sense that Kratos was choosing his words carefully.

"But it makes you faster, and stronger, right?" They had fallen into an easy walk as they strolled through the cleanly paved streets of Luin. In unspoken habit, they set course for the market as was custom whenever they came across cities. Restocking was something that had become routine enough to never warrant conversation. Again, the pause before Kratos spoke was noticeably longer.

"Theoretically," he began, "but as of late it seems to be getting warmer. I'd rather have it removed if there is a malfunction of sorts causing the minor discomfort." Yuan cocked his head to the side as the idea rolled about in his head. It sounded wrong, but nevertheless he couldn't find anything intrinsically incorrect with the idea of a dysfunctional exsphere. It was the first he'd heard of such things.

"You can't take it off yourself?" This was harmless prodding on his part, not enough to cause a shutdown of the man's social demeanor. Kratos shook his head, auburn wisps shifting and falling out of his face in the process of the movement.

"No. It may be possible, but it would be stupid of me to attempt such a thing." he lifted up his left hand as if contemplating what lay beneath his glove. "If exspheres truly do manipulate mana in the manner we have come to believe, incorrectly removing one could mean removal of all or part of one's mana from their body as well." Yuan could feel what Kratos meant. The mana concentration in his hand was higher than that of the rest of his body. The power was undeniable now, within Kratos, but the exsphere seemed a force of its own.

They had reached the main shop that served as Luin's grocery and provisions store. It was a small establishment- easily blending with the other simple oak homes and shop fronts, but only distinguished by the hanging sign above that dubbed it very simply 'Supply Store'. That was Luin in a nutshell, though- very simplistic and small-scaled, but picturesque on the lake because of it. Yuan liked it here for that reason.

Yuan adjusted his cape slightly upon their entrance to the store, reminded of the charm by the little bell that rang when the door was opened. It was as if their daring journey was preceeded by an eerie calm. The pleasantness here would contrast strikingly with the border region through which they would have to cross.

Kratos purchased several kinds of gels and food provisions before Yuan had finished thinking through the swiftly drawn up plan of which he knew not the slightest how they might proceed. They would have to either pass through Asgard or Ossa Trail in order to avoid the worst of the conflict. Being only two people, they could probably manage to slip through without too much difficulty.

He'd rather not pass through Asgard unless it was a last resort, though.

Mithos had quickly grown to love traveling. The first half of the day had been a breezy stroll, but Martel assured him that he needed to stay prepared for monsters. He could feel them stirring, but little else. Monsters had an odd quality to their mana signatures; it was a kind of fuzzy omnipresence that he couldn't pinpoint. Not like humans or elves at all, they had the impulsive thought processes that made journeying through such a region hit or miss. They may run into monsters, but just as likely they could slip through unnoticed.

Mithos didn't want to wish bad luck upon them, but he was silently wishing they could run into a couple. Just for kicks, he told himself, but what kind of adventure would it be without battle?

Their path had taken them into a deeply forested area, spotted with the occasional clearing and thickly vegetated with enormous tree trunks and underlying brush. It was pleasant to travel due to the gentle downhill slant to the ground and nothing big to obstruct their steps. The tree trunks made visibility somewhat limited and far off to the right the ground dropped away in a sort of precipice.

Mithos had zoned out since Xilia and Martel begun talking. Everything out of the human's mouth was 'How great would it be if we could-' or 'the impact of such a finding could-'. So many 'coulds' that Mithos begun to wonder if she had ever heard the word 'should'. What if she shouldn't meddle with the balance of the world? Martel was encouraging the thoughtless behavior with her own excited speculations on what may lie ahead. She was different, though. Mithos had never been able to fault her with anything- her purity was unmatched. Her intentions were mostly fueled by curiosity and her will to help things. And people, Mithos hated to admit. They didn't always deserve her help, but she was always willing to give it.

Mithos wished he could be like her, but he always saw the errors in human nature. He could never be so trusting to one of them. Not after the repeated wrongs they had unjustly thrust upon the both of them. Scowls and sneers were always tossed their way for just being alive. Xilia can cover it up well, but deep down he knows that she feels the same way. At first it was subtle nudges, people bumping into him when he was in the streets running around like other children. Then the name-calling would start before he even knew what they meant by it. Few half-elves had lived in Yggdrasil aside from his sister. Martel stayed off of the streets, but he had seen the worst of it by age six. Since then he had always been careful.

His contemplations of things past and future ended abruptly as Martel's smile dropped and she raised her staff defensively.

"Xilia, get behind us." she hissed warningly, a hand coming up to brace Mithos' shoulder and position him in front of Xilia's right side. "Mithos, get ready. They're coming." Any apprehension on the blonde boy's face was eradicated and replaced with an inappropriate look of absolute glee.

"Wha- really?" He swung his kendama experimentally and trained his eyes ahead. He felt them coming, too. Easily three creatures of dark origins were approaching now close enough to tell that they would be upon them soon.

"They're drawn to the denser mana in the region." Martel answered, already beginning a light spell to inflict when they came into view. The untainted white light splaying from her casting circle danced and intensified as the quiet words were chanted. Mithos took his cue and focused his mana.

He shut his eyes briefly, expanding his senses to feel as much as possible. It appeared they were electrically based beings if he had to pick one element based off of their mana's flickering and jittery cycles. Earth magic would do best to counter them.

Mithos flicked his wrist rhythmically, expertly catching and tossing the sphere within his kendama. The device was given all of his attention- his energy pooled into it and he concentrated as the words came automatically to his lips. Just as the spell was coming to fruition, he saw the first of the wolves break into a run.

The beings were swift and animal-like, yet they weren't true wolves. These were odd hybrids, half dark energy, half physical. They were easily twice the size of an ordinary dog, but the crackling and snapping sounds their paws emitted were most certainly magical. Electrical sparks flew in a purplish glow from their dangerously clawed feet, and still did nothing to take away from the lethal looking incisors that they had bared into a vicious snarl. Three had approached in a circling, pack-like maneuver that felt predatorial. Not hesitating a moment longer, Mithos released his spell beneath one of the targets.

"Stone Blast!" The pent-up magic twisted through the earth and crushed upwards with a vengeance, manifesting itself into a spiked pillar of unforgiving stone. The demon-wolf yelped in surprise as it was pierced and knocked airborne, dissipating into light and dust as it was sent back to the gates of Niflheim. Mentally congratulating himself on his aim, Mithos did not wait to begin his next enchantment.

Martel had finished her spell as well, casting an effective Photon on the infuriated monster that had come dangerously close to their tightly formed triangle of people. The blinding flash of illumination enclosed itself around the creature and collapsed into pinpricks of needle-thin beams of light, eliminating the second threat.

However, spell-casting was limited in the respect of remaining stationary, whereas the wolves had speed and freedom of movement on their side. The last of the attackers had bared its teeth and closed in while Mithos and Martel frantically attempted to conclude their spells.

Mithos realized it wasn't going to work in time- the demon was already getting close enough to lunge. Quickly, he dropped his spell in favor of a simpler one. It would be ineffective, but if it could buy Martel time, it might work.

"Fireball!" the rudimentary attack came as expected and landed a deliberate hit on the wolf's snout. Unfortunately, that meant he had its attention. The monster sprung at him, clearly pissed off, and Mithos was barely able to slip to the side. The claws had come so close to his face he could feel the air charged with electricity that vibrated around them. He aimed for the nearest obstacle to skid behind, hearing the wolf twist behind him to take part in a likely very short chase.

Adrenaline pumping through him, Mithos absently recognized Martel's spell finishing as he ducked frantically around the thick tree trunk and another Photon finished off the raging beast that nearly killed him. He peered around to watch in fascination as the menacing grey coil of muscle was reduced to dust by mere light, blasting it to oblivion and leaving a strange quietness to take its place.

"Are you okay?" Martel rushed to his side like a mother hen, checking him for scratches and encircling him in a warm hug when the search came up with nothing. They were both breathing heavily from the strain of magic and suspense.

"Yea." Mithos felt the grin come to his face instantaneously, "Did you see me dodge that?" His heart was still pumping unnaturally fast, but the thrill of battle had not let go of it yet.

"Yes, Mithos, I saw it." Martel hadn't released him from the hug, and he could feel the vibrations of her voice over her own elevated pulse. "I'd rather you not worry me like that, though." she scolded halfheartedly.

"I was buying you time!" he whined back just as feebly. Both of them knew as much, but it didn't ease Martel's mind as much as she'd hoped. Perhaps it would've been better to hire a mercenary to accompany them to ensure such circumstances never arose. Either way it was too late now, as far as they'd made it.

"I know." She pulled away to meet his luminous blue eyes with a faint smile. Her attention was drawn to a wide-eyed Xilia who had been watching their interaction silently.

"You can really fight." she said with some surprise, which rubbed Mithos the wrong way.

"Of course we can fight! We have to, we're half-elves!" He averted his gaze from the human with distaste. Did she think he was useless?

"No, I just- thanks, I guess." At this Mithos suspiciously met her bespectacled stare. Since when was the chatty researcher ever at a loss for words? He'd take what he could get, then. Martel smiled brightly at the two of them for some reason he couldn't fathom.

"We should keep moving, I think the forest ends somewhere up ahead in favor of grassland." Martel pointed them in the right direction, and sure enough Mithos saw a break in the previously unending trees. From what he could tell, the light was getting greyer between bouts of branches, and he wanted a better look. Evening should still be an hour or two off.

Their pace increased perceptively in anticipation of a flatter territory and better view of their destination. Pretty soon, Mithos had just decided to run ahead for a look and he crashed boisterously through the periphery of the woods. Eyes widening, he was stopped in his tracks until Martel and Xilia caught up with him.

"What is it?" Xilia had found her voice again, and she pushed up her glasses to get a clearer image.

On the horizon, a dilapidated grey structure pressed low to the ground, surrounded by grassy fields and low hills. The thing that really captured their attention was the swirling and rolling mass of dark grey thunder clouds twirling around restlessly. The center of the storm appeared to be the same structure, the present target of crackling arcs of lightning and echoing rumbles of thunder. It was as if the building was the source of the tremendous storm.

Kratos and Yuan walked peacefully through the lightly wooded grasslands rimming the desert of Triet. Walking at a brisk pace in silence was their habit, Kratos reflected, though he knew it was not one Yuan enjoyed. Feeling bad enough as it was in deceiving his closest companion, Kratos cleared his throat almost ineptly.

"Yuan, am I right in assuming we aim to travel through Ossa Trail?" A clumsy excuse for discussion, nevertheless, yet he had to be careful approaching a touchy topic. Yuan's brow furrowed in near confusion, as if to say 'Kratos is initiating pointless conversation? What planet is this?' and Kratos had almost decided to just roll his eyes and shut up again before Yuan answered.

"Obviously. You knew that, so why ask?" Yuan's exterior was colder than he remembered, likely due to their earlier chat. Kratos kept his eyes pinned ahead, occasionally glancing down to make sure he was placing his feet correctly and avoiding the rough dips in the gravelly soil.

"I was curious as to the reason we were avoiding Asgard." He didn't mean to be so blunt about it, but it had turned out that way anyways. "It would've been faster from our location in Luin to simply cut through the border there. This path roves further north than was necessary." Yuan had stiffened to his side and mumbled something incoherently. Kratos waited for a proper answer patiently while they continued to transverse the barren country-side. This close to the sands of the desert meant poor nutrients for plant life, but enough to support wiry and hearty fauna. It gave a tougher appearance to the chaparral, as if surviving was infinitely more work here than elsewhere. Finally, Yuan sighed as if to speak.

"I told you before that my elven mother lives in Asgard." Kratos had thought as much, but he didn't voice it. "I'd rather not run into her face-to-face. It's been a long time since we've last seen each other." His tone was tight and private- almost strained with the given topic. Kratos wondered if that was how he always sounded to Yuan.

"It's fine." Kratos cut him off. He just needed to know that it was no oversight on Yuan's part. "That's your business. You don't need to tell me." They all had their secrets, and he would not partake in the hypocrisy that would be rooting out Yuan's while he kept quiet about his own. Something about his statement made Yuan cross, though, the half-elf had twisted to point an annoyed glare at him.

"So you don't care?" Teal eyebrows rose dauntingly. "See, I thought that we were friends and knew each other. But-" a harsh gesture later landed him in the next sentence, "- it's as if you don't want to know me, and you don't want me to know you. I don't get that." Frustration evident in the timbre of his voice, he turned his head sharply. "You're supposed to care." Questioning russet eyes met the halfling's hurt glare.

"Why do you think I don't care?" Kratos found himself asking, though he knew the train of thought would end with something he couldn't answer truthfully.

"I would want to know if I was in your place, but you put it to the back of your mind in two seconds- not a second thought on my troubles at all. I think that means that this is a one-sided friendship then." Stored up spite and betrayal were strung into the words that were so sharp they cut. Kratos felt justly accused and guiltily broke eye contact.

"Yuan, you're the only one I trust here." He could feel the calculating look the half-elf was boring into him and reluctantly continued, "You know who I am, meaning you have the power to turn me in with a few words. I stayed with you because I wanted to- because you're the closest friend I've ever had, not because it was the safest decision or anything of the sort. It's riskier here than if I stayed in Tethe'alla- we're goddamn enemies for heaven's sake. Yet, you follow me without question and I'd do the exact same for you. I'm affording you the same privilege you gave me when you decided to come with me to Sybak. I don't ask to respect your privacy- not because I don't care." A sigh escaped his lips as he focused on the tips of his shoes, silently marveling at how strange it felt to not feel the ground beneath his feet. Quiet had fallen upon the two after the argument closed and Yuan seemed to be mulling over his response.

Kratos felt the pressure lift from his shoulders as the tension dissipated back into their easy-going calm. He'd never said such things, and he couldn't help but feel that he'd somehow said them incorrectly. Apparently the awkward motion had been accepted, because their steps never stalled until one could see the thin range of mountains ahead that separated Sylvarant from Tethe'alla. Ossa Trail cut through the very valley they were headed for, but their progress would be arrested by the fall of night.

Already the sky was darkening as the sun was falling behind them. Kratos knew he'd need to stop with Yuan for camp soon, and from what he could see and hear, a strident wind was pooling across the grasses, rippling in waves and tugging at their hair. It would be best to be in the shelter of the mountains for the night. Ossa Trail was lightly guarded on both sides, so straying a bit south of the outpost could work smoothly in their favor to shorten the trip once they crossed over.

As he adjusted their own path to swing southward the slightest bit, Kratos barely caught Yuan's next words.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, the words ripped away by the intensifying winds. The corner of Kratos' mouth twitched upwards at the small statement.

He was forgiven.

(A/N) There you go, my faithful followers- hopefully I'll get another out soon. As usual criticisms/typo notification is welcome. Thanx for reading xD