A/N: Sorry this chapter is so late. Things have been busy for both myself and Emil Lime. I will not be posting on Wednesday because I'll be far too busy with life but I will be posting on Friday. So, be looking forward to that.
Thanks to all of the readers. We both appreciate you very much. If you feel inclined, leave a review.
Enjoy,
Orangepotato and Emil Lime
Chapter by Emil Lime
Kratos Aurion: Chosen Project (Tethe'alla), Status Incomplete
The mercenary had noticed them. Taking note of their presence because of their possible involvement with a revolt at least two of the cardinals were involved in. Of course, taking note was different than taking action. He worked to avoid getting himself into sticky situations, and fighting off a group of desians who'd wandered just a little too close to town was something he'd classify as 'sticky'.
However, that didn't mean the younger redhead shared his feelings.
It'd only been a second that he'd taken his eyes off of him but that was all it took to lose Holtz. In a flurry of steps, Kratos turned in time to see that the young teen had made his way into the middle of the pile, along with a young woman.
"Holtz," he muttered under his breath, feeling a flare of anger inside his veins. This was exactly why he hated bringing companions along for the Chosen Journey. They always got into trouble. Rushing towards the scene, his sword was out and ready in a matter of seconds, swinging back before slicing through a half-elf.
The teenager let out a gasp, "Well, look who decided to join in."
"You're being reckless, Holtz."
He frowned, "And you're being old. If you can't handle this, just leave it to me." Without another word, he dashed forward, red curls untwisting in the speed. Slicing his short blade in a half circle, he cut across several of the desians, each letting out a soft shout. Holtz didn't stop there, though, throwing his weight onto a spell caster, shoving his blade through the man's chest with a sickening crunch. Wedging the weapon free, he was barely able to slash a half-elf who'd grabbed for him, cutting the man across the hand.
He let out a howl, throwing himself backwards as others advanced.
Kratos, not wasting any time, drove his blade through the one with an injured hand, pulling his weapon back as he slashed some more. It didn't take long for several of the hoard to drop, injured or dead, and the auburn took advantage of that opening. "Grave!" Several spikes shot up, slicing the crowd that stood above it. With pain streaking the air, Kratos grabbed hold of Holtz and the female, pulling them closer to him.
"Don't stray," he warned, giving a venomous glare to Holtz, whom still looked as if he'd ignore the command.
"You should get away while you can," the girl spoke, ruby eyes examining the two warriors. "I can take care of this myself."
Looking her up and down, Kratos wasn't so sure about that. She had no weapons on her person, let alone some kind of transportation she could use to flee the fight. Running into town, the mercenary knew, would only lure the desians inside. If she were any level of intelligence, she wouldn't dare something like that. So how she was planning to manage the situation herself was beyond Kratos.
Shaking his head instead, the auburn said, "Leaving now would only aggravate the situation. It's best to hold our ground and take them out together."
Her eyes lowered, hopefully with realization that he was right. Looking forward, Kratos didn't have time to care what she thought. The desians were regrouping; those that were injured using healing magic to make themselves battle ready. Each was carrying contempt in their features, making the auburn strengthen his posture.
As if waiting for an imaginary signal, each side stood in silence.
Darting forward, Kratos broke the silence, swinging the steel blade in a mighty swoop, catching the flesh of numerous desians. Holtz was right behind him, twisting in a couple of circles while slashing his blade about. Desians were dropping to the ground, hitting the dirt with a puff of brown.
Clearing his blade of the filth, he sheathed it. That's when he heard the sound, causing him to turn. Right as his eyes met the desian's eyes, the man was down, collapsing into the ground right before the auburn.
To the side was the girl, leg held in a kicking position. That's when Kratos noticed it. Why he hadn't seen it earlier was concerning but none-the-less, he saw it now.
Exspheres.
One embedded in each boot and glove she wore. Lowering her leg, she looked at the mercenary with a blank expression. "You missed one."
Color me impressed.
The last time he'd seen someone who fought with their fists was during the Kharlan War. It'd been a fighting style that was considered obsolete even at that time. Why fight with your hands and feet when a blade or a gun could end your opponent's life much faster? However, just because the vast majority of people deemed it useless didn't mean everyone did. Even Kratos himself had been trained in hand to hand combat. And, apparently, the art hadn't died with the separation of the two worlds as he'd suspected.
Holtz' footsteps alerted Kratos to his presence, the teen making it to the older man's side and giving off a smirk, "You almost died there, gramps. You sure you shouldn't sit this journey out?"
Not biting to the childish antics, Kratos instead bowed towards the girl, "Thank you."
"No problem. But you really shouldn't have gotten involved. You'll only make enemies with the desians."
Holtz crossed his arms, turning his head to look at nothing in particular, "It's not like they're already not our enemies. Besides, when you're travelling with the Cho-"
"We couldn't sit idly by and watch it happen," Kratos interrupted, earning another glare from the redhead, "We simply did what was right." Stepping forward, he passed the two as he headed towards the city. Holtz let out a call but Kratos ignored him. If the teen wanted to lollygag around, he could. It wasn't like it was the mercenary's responsibility to watch after him. He wasn't his keeper.
Re-entering the city, he could see a couple dozen people gawking at him, obviously having just witnessed the events outside the protective walls. Deciding not to comment, he continued walking, even when he heard two sets of feet behind him.
"Hey," Holtz' voice was the last thing Kratos really wanted to hear, "Gramps." When Kratos didn't answer, the boy continued to talk to him, asking over and over for 'gramps' to answer. "Are you deaf or something? Answer me."
"What is it?" Giving in to Holtz' demands wasn't the smartest thing he could do but right now, he wasn't all that interested in listening to the teen make elderly people jabs. Quite frankly he was getting sick of it and if it wasn't for his everlasting temper, he'd have exploded on the kid by now.
The teen must have been shocked he'd gotten an answer since he paused before replying, "She needs our help."
It was the first time in a long while he had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Everyone needed help and with Holtz' little slip earlier; it wouldn't surprise him if this girl thought the Chosen could bless her or something. Regardless, he had to deal with this issue head on. Turning around, he gave a passive look to the both of them. "She needs help?" He tried to sound as neutral as possible, agitation creeping into his voice regardless.
"That's right, pops. She said she'll explain everything to my sister." Kratos could see the determination in Holtz' eyes, the girl standing right behind the redhead with the same determination. Forcing down a sigh, Kratos nodded.
"I suppose if the Chosen wishes to speak with this girl…"
"Her name is Esperanza." The teen corrected, something sweet as honey in his voice. Today was a day of firsts for Kratos, since he'd never head Holtz speak with such a lacking of hatred in his voice.
Correcting himself, the auburn continued, "With Esperanza, then who am I to say no." Turning on his heel, he continued forward. The two followed after him, their steps light within the massive city. Heading back to the Inn at which they'd made their home, Kratos sensed that the two girls had returned. Hopefully, he thought, they'd managed to get the supplies they needed to fix the ship.
Kratos wasted no time knocking on the door and entering Ilene's room, the red head girl and the sandy blonde sitting on a bed with tons of pieces scattered before them. The Chosen turned to see who was entering, a smile crossing her lips when her ocean blue eyes landed on Holtz.
"Look who's finally up," her tone was childish, earning a blush from the younger brother.
"Sis, please. I'm not a kid anymore." Kratos watched as she raised an eyebrow at her sibling, obviously a new response to her as well. So it wasn't Kratos' imagination. Something was up with Holtz. The teen wasn't going to say, however, as he walked forward and frowned at the work that was being done on the bed. Shaking his head as if to rid it of the thoughts that were rising, he spoke, "Sis, do you think you can help her?" Pointing back, all eyes landed on the pink haired Esperanza, whom was standing in the doorway.
She walked in then, long hair trailing behind her. There was something set in her eyes, though Kratos couldn't tell what it was. Stopping before the Chosen, she bowed slightly, "I have a very big request to make to someone like you, if you'll hear me that is."
Ilene furrowed her eyebrows, "I'll hear you out."
Kratos waited for the tense seconds to pass, being so palpable he could slice it with his sword. What could this girl possibly want?
"I need your help," Esperanza spoke, her voice soft, "With freeing my parents."
"You're…Parents?" Rin-Tins looked at the taller girl, eyes filled with curiosity. "What happened to your parents?"
More tension, which the auburn had deemed impossible, but the girl still spoke, "They were taken by the Toize Valley desians. I managed to get away but they…they weren't so lucky." Sadness crossed Esperanza's face before it disappeared into determination.
Taken by desians, a common story amongst the declining world's inhabitants. It'd always been something that bothered him, honestly. How so many lives were lost to create Exspheres. Unfortunately, it was a necessary evil, since Exspheres were created via human life and said stones were used to run Dherris Kharlan. Not only that, but they were used to barter and make deals with crooked politicians and church members. They were the sole key to Yggdrasill's success so far.
That didn't mean Kratos had to like it, he just had to live with it.
Esperanza gave a glance at all of them, "I know this is a lot to ask but I can't save them on my own." Though her features were stony, the auburn could see it in her eyes, a trace amount of pleading. She cared for them deeply, that much was clear to everyone.
However…
"I don't think that's wise," Kratos' voice caught everyone off guard, their heads twisting to see him better.
Rin-Tins spoke up, "What do you mean? She needs help. Besides, who says we can't go around kicking some desian butt while Ilene saves the world?"
Shooting her a glare, Kratos' voice was filled with intent, "Because, storming a ranch takes more than sheer will. It'd take months of planning, weeks of preparation and, ultimately, time she does not have. Regenerating the world will have the same effect as raiding the ranches, isn't that right?"
Dropping her gaze, Rin-Tins didn't answer. Holtz did, however. "It only takes a lot of time if you're using a big group of people. With a small group like this, we can go under their noses and break them out before the desians even notice we were there."
"Do you really think they'd keep their prisoners in a place that was easy to break through? If that were the case, those ranches wouldn't be operating right now." Holtz didn't back away, taking a step closer to the mercenary instead.
"Why are you so dead set in leaving them there to die?"
"Because if the Chosen dies there, then the entire world is doomed, not just her parents." He pointed towards Esperanza for effect.
The pink haired girl growled, "Maybe my parents don't mean a lot to you, but they sure as hell mean a lot to me."
Kratos looked at her, his eyes intense, "I understand what you're going through but that doesn't mean you can throw the Chosen into danger. It's very possible we could all lose our lives in this endeavor. Is that what your parents would want?"
"I don't know what they'd have me do in this position, but I do know they wouldn't want to be trapped in a cage like some animal."
Ilene stood up, cutting off the argument, "Look, both of you have good points. Let me think on it for a little bit, okay?" She gave a sympathetic look to Esperanza, who flashed a glare before looking away. The redhead shook her head, curls twisting as she did. Then she walked towards the door before leaving, her hand not even bothering to close the door on the way out.
"Sis," Holtz ran after her, feet slamming against the ground before disappearing into the silence that suffocated the room.
Nothing passed between the three of them, none wishing to discuss what'd just happened. After a short moment, Kratos sighed, "The Chosen will meet you outside the lobby. She'll deliver her answer then," Esperanza didn't bother sharing eye contact, her boots turning her and taking her through the open doorway without another word.
The room's very walls seemed to relax when she left, the table and beds stretching out their wooden planks to take up the space they'd previously scurried from. Turning to look at Rin-Tins, she glanced at him as well.
"What are you going to do?" She asked, her voice catching him off guard.
"What do you mean, Ms. Ross?"
"I mean, what are you going to do if Ilene agrees to help that poor girl? Are you going to deny her protection because she's doing something you don't believe in?" That question, to Kratos, was a childish one but apparently held a lot of meaning to Rin-Tins.
He wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond. On the one hand, he couldn't let the red headed girl wander into a desian ranch when Martel-knows-who is working against Cruxis. But then again, on the other hand, he couldn't go along with it because she wanted to save some kid's parents. He'd have to put his foot down and demand that she reconsider.
Though, the more Kratos got to know Ilene, the more he realized she was oh-so-similar to Martel. That woman wouldn't abandon someone in need, so neither would Ilene. He supposed he'd just have to go with it. That was, if she said yes.
"We'll just have to see what the Chosen chooses to do."
The safest answer he could think of, though it didn't seem to satisfy Rin-Tins, who pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips. "Right." Leaving it at that, she went to work on the scattered pieces of scrap lining the bed, not bothering to look at the mercenary again.
He took it as his cue to leave, stepping quietly through the door and doing what no one else had managed, closing it. Walking down the hall, he eventually reached the room he'd taken. Making his way inside, and making sure to lock it afterwards, he went to the shower.
Undressing quickly, he pulled himself into the warm embrace of the droplets, letting them soak away his problems.
He'd been told by someone he very much admired that a hot bath could solve anything. Although he'd doubted such words at first, he quickly found, after years of being a solider and decades of working with Cruxis, that it was true. The hot water cleaned away his troubles, allowing his mind to be free of thinking of anything.
Getting done, his hand reluctantly twisting the water off, he quickly dried himself and dressed before working over his hair in the mirror. It was really a lost cause, even Yuan said so. His hair had always been a mess and, to this day, that'd remained true. Leaving the small bathroom, he collapsed on the bed, wishing he could sleep.
That was something he'd never be able to do again and, on nights like these, he really wished he could. Closing his eyes, his mind ventured through the previous events, tumbling over the conspiracy he'd managed to uncover.
Two desian Grand Cardinals were betraying Cruxis. Huey and Vyra, the Foogi continent's heads. It came as a surprise to him, that those two would suddenly start getting along just enough to decide to betray their leader. From what he could tell during meetings, the two didn't exactly hate each other, but they weren't fond of each other either. Of course, that was how Kratos viewed most of the Cardinal's relationships with each other.
Never in his entire life had he met a pair that enjoyed the other's company. He suspected it had something to do with land and trade. It's hard to make a decent living when someone else is always stealing your flock. Especially on a shared continent, like the Foogi region, it put a restriction on how many people each ranch could cultivate.
Numerous times he'd listened to past cardinals complain about such things but never had he taken it into any consideration.
Could it be as simple as that? They simply wanted to up their quota and felt that revolting would bring them such a result? Maybe they wanted to force Cruxis into negotiations.
But that didn't feel right. Killing the Chosen wouldn't accomplish that, it'd only anger their leader. Capturing her would be their best option and yet…
He opened his eyes, darkness greeting him.
Evening had long since passed and now night was upon him. Sitting up, he rubbed at his eyes, angelic sight enhancing the abyss around him. He could feel it.
Something wasn't right.
Getting up, he made his way to the door, making sure to grab his sword along the way. Scanning the darkened hallway for sound, he was greeted with nothing. Stepping lightly, he made his way to Ilene's room, remembering the previous conversation he'd had with her and her companions. It hadn't been a pleasant one, the ending being a bit sour even still. However, Kratos realized he hadn't heard her verdict on the issue.
Maybe she's decided to wait until morning, to sleep it off…?
No. He already knew that wasn't right, the sinking feeling in his gut told him so. Gently and as quietly as he could, he opened the door, finding it unlocked. Glancing in, he saw no sign of Ilene or Rin-Tins, whom she was supposed to be sharing a room with.
His eyes instantly picked up on the white sheet, pure against the dark void around it. The moon captured it, making it dance crisply in his eyes. He didn't waste time entering, hands snatching up the item before reading over the words it contained.
Crushing it between his fingers, he growled, anger swelling inside of him.
This wasn't happening. She couldn't be serious.
Un-crumpling it and reading over it once more, he threw it down before making his way outside. The moonlight struck him as he flicked his way through the empty streets. He was seething, feeling that everlasting cool beginning to thaw. The print was still fresh in his head as he made his way across the massive bridge connecting the two land masses and through the large gate that sat as a greeter for the holy city.
Kratos,
I've decided to help Esperanza. I know you won't agree with this but I feel that it's something I must do. After all, how can I claim to be the Chosen if I refuse to help those who are really in need? That's why Rin-Tins, Esperanza, my brother and I are going to save her parents. Please wait for me, I promise I'll be back.
Ilene
Recalling the words only made him angrier, causing him to pick up speed. Esperanza said they'd been taken to Toize, the mountain range that stringed itself along the lower half of the continent. That's where they'd be headed and that's where he'd go.