Tales of Crimson Tears Chapter Seven:

Yay its Chapter Seven! Enjoy~

The Desian was looking at Lloyd-Forcystus-with some concern in her eyes. Then again, it probably wasn't really usual for them to walk into his office and see their boss muttering and apparently arguing with himself. People like that were generally considered to be crazy. Lloyd wondered just what was currently running through her head as she stared at him, waiting for him to answer her question. "Sir?"

"Ah! Um, well, no I wasn't talking to myself!" Lloyd blurted out hastily. "I was...uh..." He didn't have the slightest clue of what to say or do.

Tell her it wasn't anything important. Forcystus prompted him.

"It wasn't anything important." Lloyd told the Desian. She slowly nodded.

"Alright sir. I was just coming in to give you the report on our latest mission." Quickly and quietly she set a stack of papers on the desk and then scurried out the door, shooting a look over her shoulder at Lloyd-Forcystus-as she closed the door behind her. Lloyd stared at the door and felt a bit of worry. If he started acting strange the Desians might start suspecting something was up and that might impede or endanger what Lloyd had to do. Speaking of what Lloyd needed to do, he had to find a way out of here without raising suspicion and then look for his body thief.

That was handled poorly. He heard Forcystus grumble from the back of his mind. I hope she thinks something is wrong and you get found out you lousy little inferior rat. Lloyd sighed and rolled his eyes. It would have been SO much quieter if Forcystus hadn't decided to stick around.

"Then again it might have been a stroke of luck..." Lloyd mumbled. After all, he didn't have a clue to act around Desians and he might get angry at some of the things they said and get caught or something. But with Forcystus around he might be able to convince him to help him. After all, it would benefit them both. Lloyd would get his body back and Forcystus would get his back. "What do you think about cooperation?" Lloyd asked.

...You have GOT to be kidding. Me? Help you? Nu uh, not gonna happen. First of all, I won't lower myself to helping an inferior being like you AND you stole my body. What reason could I possibly have to help YOU of all people?

"Well it would get me MY body back and you would get your own back." Lloyd reasoned with him.

...You may have a point there. Forcystus relented with reluctance in his voice. Who knows what will happen if you stay in my body. You might ruin everything!

"See? I want my body back, you want your body back, we help each other and everybody wins!" Lloyd felt an inkling of hope that he could get the stubborn Desian to help him, or at least not interfere. Forcystus was silent as he thought Lloyd's propisition over.

...Fine. But you better not mess anything up or I'll mess YOU up. Forcystus threatened. Lloyd sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." Right now the most important thing was getting back into his body and finding out what the body thief had wanted. Actually, the most important thing right now was getting out of the ranch and finding the body thief before he did anything to hurt Lloyd's friends. Lloyd was getting a bad feeling that the body thief was planning something and it involved his friends. "How do I get out of this ranch?"

Before I help you at all I want you to explain all this shit to me. Forcystus demanded.

"Fine. Basically, earlier today I was headed to school and then I blacked out and when I woke up I was a ghost. I saw my dead body, freaked and then my friends showed up. Then, my body sat up because an evil spirit was currently taking up residence in it." Lloyd paused to take a breath. "My body thief left and then this guy showed up and told me a whole bunch of stuff, mainly that my body thief was planning something and if I didn't get my body back soon I was going to disapear forever."

Lemme guess. You had to steal someone else's body so you could get your own back.

Lloyd blinked in surprise. "How'd ya know?"

I'm not stupid and why else would you have gone and stolen my body? Forcystus rolled his eyes, seeming to be a bit insulted that Lloyd has underestimated him.

"...Anyways, so I headed after them, fought a specter and then I saw the Desians and got an idea. I didn't want to take someone's body from my village so I decided to take a Desian's. I went in and saw you and decided-"

Wait a second. You didn't want to take someone from your village so you decide it's perfectly okay to take a Desians? Geez, what are you, an asshole? You act like Desians aren't as important as the people in your village! Lloyd could hear anger rising in Forcystus' voice but before he could say anything Forcystus continued. Well news flash kid! Just cuz we're Desians doesn't make us your tools! We have feelings too believe it or not!

"I-I'm sorry!." Lloyd stammered. "I-"

Didn't think of it that way huh!? You never do! Its always, your a Desian so you must be an evil heartless prick! Forcystus snarled. You hate us but you should really be hating yourselves for driving us to do these things. Did you ever wonder why? Its because you act like half elves are inferior, are trash! You don't respect half breeds at all so why should we respect full bloods? Forcystus fell silent, waiting for Lloyd's reply.

"I...I guess your right in a way." Lloyd said slowly. "But it's kinda hard to think otherwise. You attack the Chosen, you got these Ranches..."

Its revenge I guess. We're finally getting revenge for what humans and elves did to half elves thousands of years ago. You treated us like we treat you, only worse. Lloyd blinked in surpise.

"Really?"

Yeah. Of course, they didn't put it in the text books. They want to be know as the innocents, the ones who always got hurt. They don't want you to know that once, they were just as awful as "the terrible Desians." Of course, Forcystus wasn't going to tell Lloyd everything. He wasn't going to explain WHY the Desians attack the Chosen or why they had the ranches and he certainly wasn't even going to mention the truth behind Cruxis. At any rate, let's get off the subject. I want you to get out of MY body as soon as possible. Lloyd nodded in agreement. Put the cannon back on. It'll arouse suspicion if I-you-don't have it on. Forcystus walked Lloyd through getting in back on. The cannon was heavy but Forcystus' body was used to the weight.

"Lets get out of this ranch and down to the village." Lloyd walked out of the office and down the hallway, hoping to avoid any awkward encounters. But if he did, Forcystus might help him get through it. Thankfully, the halls seemed fairly Desian-free. The few Desians that they did pass were absorbed in the current tasks they had been assumed and only mumbled as he passed. In no time at all they had reached the yard again. At the moment it was currently empty. Lloyd made his way towards the gate. "How do I open this?" He whispered.

Press the big red button on the side. Lloyd did so and the gate opened. Quickly, he walked through, feeling relieved that it had been so easy. Quickly, he started jogging towards the village. Be more careful you idiot! Forcystus suddenly said frantically. What do you think will happen if they see me jogging towards the village? They'll freak out! Go in the bushes dumbass! Quickly, Lloyd ran into the bushes, silently berating himself for not realizing that sooner. Of course, he wasn't used to having to hide as he approached the village...

"GRrrrrrRRR..." Lloyd looked up as two hungry and mean looking wolves approached. He could see their ribs sticking out and the long red tongues hanging out of mouths filled with teeth. Lots of teeth.

Heh, looks like a couple of mutts have come out of play. Forcystus said, smirking.

Lloyd looked up at the wolves, then down at the cannon, and then back up at the wolves again, feeling a sense of unease rising. He knew how to handle a sword very well and could easily defeat the two wolves. However, he strongly suspected that a cannon worked differently from a sword. At the same moment Lloyd was wondering what he was going to do, the wolves leapt at him, snarls bursting from their muzzles. "Ah!" Quickly he swung the cannon, smashing a wolf with it. Said wolf tumbled away with a startled and pained yelp. The other wolf in the meantime landed on Lloyd and went for his throat.

You idiot! It's not a freaking baseball bat!" Forcystus shouted.

"Kinda obvious now!" Lloyd shouted, using the cannon as a shield. The wolf was biting onto it, trying to get through it and to Lloyd. Lloyd rolled over and then jumped away from the wolf. The wolf that Lloyd had hit was dazed and was shaking its head, trying to reorientate itself. "How the heck do I use this thing?!"

Shoot you imbecile, shoot!

"If I knew how to do that we wouldn't be having this problem!" Lloyd shouted. The second wolf dashed at Lloyd, intending to get his leg in between it's jaws and snap the bone. Quickly, Lloyd dodged and pointed the cannon at it. Predictabley, nothing happened. Lloyd could sense Forcystus rolling his eyes. Snarling, the wolf jumped at Lloyd again. He decided the most effective method was hitting it and managed to clip it's muzzle.

Your going to break it!

"Well would you prefer we die here?!"

...Bash it's brains in! Forcystus shouted. Lloyd swung the cannon down at the wolf, hitting it in the head. With a yelp, the wolf crumpled to the ground and curled up whimpering in pain. The wolf that had been hit earlier leapt at Lloyd. Dodging the attack Lloyd hit the wolf on the back, making the wolf slam into the ground. The second wolf had managed to get up but apparently had lost it's appetite and fled the scene yelping. The other wolf lay on the ground. Sighing, Lloyd wiped his-Forcystus'-forehead.

"Whew, for a second there I was worried." He viewed the cannon which had fur and blood smeared on it.

You're paying the cleaning bill...Forcystus muttered grumpily. Lloyd rolled his eyes and pulled a few tufts of fur off of the cannon.

"Whatever. Lets just get to the village." Lloyd turned and continued towards the village. He could see the entrance to the village...He was positive that this was where his body thief was. He picked up the pace a little, anxious. He had no clue of just what awaited...

Well there it is! I hope ya enjoyed it! Please comment, review, ya know the drill. XD