Gensosuikoden: Paths of Idleness
By: Chii Motosuwa
Disclaimer: Suikoden and its characters belong to their respected companies (Konami and such) and no money was made in the production of this Fanfiction.
"Is it true that the monsters on that ship were all dead cause you ate them when they were alive?"
"...wha..." Ted's brows furrowed deeply at the taller young man with the ponytail standing before him while the light brunette sputtered and laughed heartily from where he was sitting on the deck.
"What the heck, Aldo?" the teen chortled.
"That's kinda creepy... don't you like fish?"
The situation would have been a lot easier to deal with if Aldo didn't look so serious. Oh gods, he better not be serious.
"Aldo... that has got to be the stupidest thing you've said up to date." The brunette got off the barrel he was using as a seat and headed to join them near the railing.
"Really?" I thought it was reasonable..." Aldo frowned.
So he was serious...
"I don't know... it sounds a bit far-fetched."
Oh well... woe was the innocent.
"Really?"
Or something stupid like that.
"I'm leaving." Ted muttered before throwing Aldo a glare and making his way towards the door leading to the lower decks.
These people... made him feel tired.
"Ah..." Aldo said quite openly as the door slammed close behind Ted. "I think he's mad."
The other boy laughed lightly in reply.
---
His eyes couldn't believe it. At first he thought it was his eyes playing tricks on him since he was already weakened by his wounds, but really... he should have known. He never did trust that woman when he first saw her more than a hundred years ago... but now, he knew.
"You were the last person I thought I'd see..." he hissed to the young boy standing by the cell's entrance. "I suppose witches must really work hand in hand."
You can't trust them.
"So what does that make you?"
Not that damned woman.
"Their dog?"
Immediately, the young mage glared at him.
---
He was surprised that no one was up on the lookout tower of the ship that evening. Now where did that guy go...? Nico, was it? Ted let out a sigh and slid against the wood paneling, facing the pillar piercing through the floor of the lookout post and down into the ship. Maybe this could work. Aldo was making an effort to being extra annoying today... so there was no way he'd think he was up here.
"Hmm... this is rare. I thought you went back to your room."
Ted turned to the source of the voice above his head, only to see the head young man with Aldo from earlier that day peering over the railing. His name was Lazlo, a former Knight of Razril and leader of the Island Nation Alliance against the Kooluk army. He was Ted's current biggest mystery. Upon the left hand of that very young man was the true rune known as the Rune of Punishment... a rather life-threatening entity to the one who hosts it. But somehow... this guy... He could still manage to laugh and smile and act normally around the people on this ship.
And before that, Lazlo helped him take back the Souleater from the master of the fog ship, and then was reckless enough to offer him to stay with the young man's crew... Despite knowing the danger Ted could prove to the people on board who gave Lazlo their trust and very lives. But all of that may have been possible because the teen was over-confident, too trusting, or just plain ignorant. Either ways... it would make him a fool in the red head's book.
"Mind if I join you?" Lazlo asked with a slight smile on his face.
Reluctantly, Ted nodded.
"Thanks."
The brunette climbed over the railing and wandered to the other end of the lookout post before falling silent. The two of them exchanged no words, one watching the sea from the portside of the Dauntless, while the other stared towards the evening sky.
After a few minutes, the silence was interrupted by the sound of Lazlo's humming. Ted sighed.
Such an easy going guy...
"Hey..." Ted finally called, causing the former Razril knight to tilt his head towards him.
"Hmm?"
Ted's brow twitched.
Way too easy going.
"Are you sure it's okay for you to be here?"
"Mmh..." Lazlo scratched his cheek before breaking into another smile and turning back towards the scenery he was admiring. "Probably not. Setsu and Desmond were looking for me to start the debriefing."
"W-What!" Ted almost jumped to his feet, but proved quite a challenge seeing as there wasn't much space to move around up there. "Then what the hell are you doing here...?"
"Obviously." Lazlo blinked at him. "I'm hiding."
"That's not what I meant!" the red head scowled at him. "You're being irresponsible!"
"It's okay. It's only this once." The younger teen laughed lightly while waving a hand to him. "It's not everyday the sea is this calm and with all the things going around, I barely have any time to just sit back and relax. They won't mind waiting a little..."
Lazlo finally turned towards him completely, his smile disappearing and turning into a small frown.
"And why are you getting mad for? Weirdo."
"W-wh..."
Silenced by Lazlo's candidness, Ted simmered down slowly. The guy was right... Why was he getting all worked up for? It's not like he cared. He didn't care.
...Right?
"There's a nice breeze today." Lazlo said off-handedly as he watched the waves disappear into the horizon.
This guy...
"Yeah..." Ted mumbled.
He couldn't understand him...
"...It is."
... he just couldn't.
---
"So why do you hide it?"
The boy had turned away from him before he had asked the question again. Was it that hard to answer? Ted had tried to hide his rune from others as well and he had his reasons. Good reasons...
He didn't want them to fear him... not his friends. Not Tir... not the others...
So maybe he figured that this boy had some good reason as well. He had to admit, it made him curious. A fellow True Rune bearer wasn't exactly someone you meet everyday.
"Because..." Ted quickly noticed the change in the boy's voice and even in the ambience that surrounded him.
What was that feeling?
"It's disgusting."
It was... familiar...
"Even if it all ends and this rune consumes me..."
Ah... this memory.
"I would rather live my life near them than run away until the final grain of sand falls in my time."
That life from a long time ago...
"We shouldn't live according to what the rune wishes..."
The people he wanted to repay, but could never do so anymore...
"No matter what, it's still your life, Ted."
That's right... there was that time... There were those people. They were the reasons he decided to change this time. To pay them back... make up for all the time he gave them grief or just plain ignored them. He over came his fear, and began to live.
And this boy... He was following that same path he journeyed in himself. That life where everything and everyone was the enemy and you were left with nothing but to wait... just wait... It was the cursed path of idleness.
Stop him... He should stop him...
"How did you get that rune?" Ted asked as he collected his thoughts together. "Did that woman give it to you? Did she force that to you?"
The boy snorted at him.
"Lady Leknaat saved me and gave me freedom." He muttered to Ted haughtily. "Don't put her in the same level as that crazy sister of hers."
"Oh? You don't look very free to me, kid."
Somehow... the boy managed to get those eyes to look even more deadly when he first glared at Ted. There was obviously more to this boy than he was letting on. Ted could feel it in his gut.
"What do you care?"
It's the same... that's why... But he also understood that he had to right to prod this child or to tell him anything. Still, if nothing was done... if no one says anything...
"Luc."
The young mage froze. He probably didn't expect to hear Ted actually call him by his name.
"Just what are you afraid of?"
Even though it was for a short moment, the boy's proud disposition faltered. The pain Ted felt from his wounds was gone now that Luc had healed his injuries... But this boy... his own wounds... no magic in this world could probably heal them. Ted could tell...
The red head flinched as Luc suddenly got up from the floor, putting distance between them instantly.
"H-Hey..."
"You..." Luc's glare had intensified by the tenfold. "I hate you."
The young mage vanished from the cell. Ted could only assume that was the same magic the boy used on him and the others back on Magician's Isle. But that look on that kid's face...
"Ted, what are you most afraid of?"
"Lazlo..." Ted muttered to himself in the darkness of his locked cell.
"...uh..."
"... what would you do in my place?"