Hello there, sorry for the very long hiatus, hopefully I'll get back on track. Done with college but now there's the whole job thing so…yeah….sucky

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Elma couldn't help but feel responsible for her son's suffering, watching as the boy glowered down at the tomes in front of him, obviously frustrated. His education had become extremely rigorous ever since that revelation in the forest. They all were determined to educate him on everything they knew, and given that humans lived shorter lives they were trying to cram it all into him as quickly as possible. Elma blamed herself, perhaps she should not have told her father about Origin's decree, then her poor boy wouldn't be going through all of this…

"Kratos, sweetie, why don't you take a break?" she walked over. "You've been at it all morning."

"Grandfather says I have to have this done by tomorrow," the boy moaned, looking at the tome in despair.

"And you won't retain anything if you're frustrated, Kratos." She forced a small smile. "It's all right, really, go play with Martel for a bit and then after lunch you can continue."

"But…" he hesitated, looking between her and the window with longing.

"Even your grandfather would say that play is an important part of growing a child's mind. Now go, have some fun."

Her son only hesitated for a moment more before rushing out of their house, running down the street. Elma sighed and went about cleaning up his workspace and the rest of their home, deep in thought.

All these studies were too much for him; not that he wasn't smart, but he was young. He deserved to go out and have fun, to learn from his own experiences. Though it didn't help, she supposed, that he was just as hard on himself as the rest of the village seemed to be. While Kratos didn't fully comprehend his fate, he was smart enough to know that it was something important. She was not oblivious to the pressure he was feeling and did her best to try and alleviate some of it, yet… Then there was the newest issue.

It had been a few days now, since her father had come to speak with her. They told Kratos to go play outside, and her father told her what the village was considering.

"Magic? He can't learn to use magic, he's a human, he can't channel mana."

"Not on his own, no, but if we give him aionis he'll be able to."

"Aionis-? But Father- that's-"

"It is in short supply, yes, but we do have some. If he is to be Origin's judge, we must prepare him for anything and everything. Learning magic will be an asset to him either way."

"But- we're not completely sure if it can be used on a young human-"

"Origin will protect him. I know you are worried, Elma, but it is our duty to prepare him best we can, in any way we can. Besides, he might like it. He's the only one in the village who can't use magic, perhaps it'll help him make friends."

She sighed as she gathered some ingredients for lunch. Would it really be for the best? Would it help him in the future? Would it help him now, with fitting in? He always had trouble making friends, because he grew so much faster than them…. Maybe he'd feel better about fitting in, though, if he could practice magic with them. Then again, even with Martel he felt a bit left out since he couldn't use magic. Still, somehow she couldn't help but feel apprehensive about it. Was it right, to alter someone's body in that way? Were they sure it wouldn't hurt him?

Oblivious to his mother's dilemma, Kratos was now enjoying himself. Over the last couple years since his lessons had intensified he had not had as much time to see his younger cousin. The half-elven girl was eight now, gentle, kinda, and usually smart for her age. So they sat out by the stream, legs stuck in the water as Kratos jabbered on about how bored he had been as of late.

"I'm sure if you tell Grandfather he'll ease up on the lessons," she said, swishing her feet in the water.

"I'm not telling him anything," Kratos pouted, slouching. "I can do it, I don't want them to think I can't. I just need to work hard."

"You always work hard, Kratos, needing a little help isn't a bad thing," she smiled sunnily at him. "I'll help you too, if you need it."

The boy flushed, slouching even more.

"You're younger than me, it's not fair you're so smart."

"You're smart too, Kratos." She said with the same chipper smile.

"Not as smart as you," he half-pouted, half-smiled.

She giggled, kicking her foot and splashing water all over him. He let out a yelp and then splashed her back, the two ending up in the water and having their splash-fight. That was how Elma found them later, shaking her head as she came up.

"Now what are you two doing? You're soaked, we'll have to get you dried up before lunch."

"Hi, Auntie Elma!" Martel waved, giggling.

"Hi, Mom…." Kratos said a bit more sheepishly.

Elma sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, come along and let's get you all dried up. Would you like to have lunch with us today, Martel?"

"Uh-huh! I'll go tell Mother!"

The Halfling girl clambered out of the stream and ran to her home, Kratos standing on the bank wringing the water out of his shirt.

"Well, did you have fun?" she asked him.

"Yeah." He nodded, eyes averted. "Sorry I got all wet, Mom…"

"It's all right, I just don't want you catching a cold."

"Aw Mom, I won't get sick." He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

He wretched and Elma held his hair back, rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him. This was all her fault, she should have never agreed to this. She shouldn't have even mentioned it to Kratos. But the second she said it'd make him able to use magic he had agreed, she had seen the spark in his eyes and the determination on his young face. Now he was sick, her poor boy was sick and it was all her fault. She blinked back tears, tending to her ailing child.

"It's going to be okay, Kratos, it's going to be okay," she kept whispering.

He was pale and had not been able to keep food down for the last week; at this rate he was going to starve. It was all her fault, she shouldn't have let him, she should have said no to him and her father.

The boy drove himself to exhaustion and finally fell into a deep sleep. She cleaned him up and put him to bed, then collapsed in the chair by his bedside. Her green eyes stared numbly at her boy, going over a million different things she should have done. If this didn't pass soon she didn't know what she would do. What could she do? He was wasting away, he was pale, weak, burning to the touch. He didn't look like he could last another night… Maybe-…maybe…maybe there was something she could do.

Slowly she staggered to her feet, barely able to stand. She hadn't eaten or rested well at all since Kratos had fallen ill, but she was not concerned with herself. Elma staggered to the door, grabbing her cloak and slipping out into the dead of the night. It was cold, beginning to rain, but none of that registered. She slipped straight into the forest, nothing but a knife on her belt and a lantern in her hand as the rain began to intensify. She couldn't see the way well even despite that, but she never knew the way. If there spirits were with her son, with her, then they would send her the bushbaby to guide her. If not, if she had failed in her task of protecting her son then-…then…she deserved whatever fate she met.

Her fingers closed tightly on the lantern. No, no she would not fail. She would find the altar, she would save her son. Not for Origin, not for the village, not for the world's judge, but for her son. With that in mind, she pressed on through the darkness. She slipped and stumbled more than once, at on point tearing her cloak on a branch and at another slicing her knee open. The rain stung the wound but she ignored it, numb to the cold and damp after her seemingly endless trek. Finally, she found it, the clearing up ahead. She struggled to go faster, stumbling in the dark and from her own exhaustion.

She nearly made it to the clearing when she suddenly hit the mud, letting out a shriek as a weigh landed on her back. It took her all of two seconds to realize a canine monster had her pinned down. She let out a scream and a burst of her mana to accompany it. It was unchanneled, not a proper spell but it was enough to make the beast back off- if only temporarily. She whirled around, attempting to stand but slipping back onto her rear in the mud. Her eyes widened as the beast lunged at her and she pulled the knife from her belt, thrusting it forward.

She sat there, shaking as blood poured off her arm. The beast's fangs had cut in deep, but not fatal. Her arm was halfway down its throat, the knife thrust through the top of its mouth. It dropped and she struggled to back away from it, yanking out the knife. She scrambled to her feet, panting and shaking while she stared at the body. With a shriek she thrust the knife into its head again, and again, and a third time with all her strength. She might have been crying, she wasn't sure, in the rain. But she staggered away, slipping into the clearing and finally collapsed onto her knees before Origin's altar. She slumped against it, her forehead pressed against the wet stone.

"Please," she whispered with what little strength she still had. "Please save him, please, my baby…please…"

You are foolish. You were foolish to do that to him and foolish to come begging to me.

"I don't care!" she shouted, her throat rasp. "I don't care if I'm a fool, save him! It is my fault, it is, kill me if you must but save him! Please! Just…just…sa…"

She swayed and hit the forest floor, the world going black.

Her head was against someone's chest, arms were around her firmly and she felt herself being carried. Elma forced her eyes open, just a little, staring in the darkness. Red. Why was it red-a red coat…

"It's all right," the person spoke. "You're going to be okay."

She tried to speak but closed her eyes once more.

"Mom! Mom!"

Her eyes snapped open and she sprang upright, greeted with a sharp pain in her arm.

"Mom! You're up!"

Her head whipped aside, staring at the boy at her bedside. Kratos looked up at her, on his feet, color in his skin, energetic and healthy. She stared at him and began to shake, tears falling from her eyes. The boy's relief quickly changed to concern.

"Mom-? Mom are you okay? Are you hurt-?"

She threw her arms around him, sobbing and kissing his face.

"M- Mom-?!"

"You're okay, oh my baby boy you're okay, I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry-"

"Mom! I'm okay, I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"I-…how…how did I get here?" she frowned, looking around her room. "I-…"

The sun was shining brightly outside, a beautiful morning. Her arm was bandaged, her body dry, and her son was healthy…

"I woke up a couple hours ago and it was raining, but I felt a lot better, but you were gone," Kratos said with a frown. "I was really worried but then this guy showed up and he had you."

"Guy…?" Elma frowned. "Who? Who was it?"

"I don't know, I've never seen him before," Kratos shook his head. "I think he was a human. He brought you in and I helped him take care of you, but then he left."

"I-…a human? But-…what was his name? Did he say?"

Kratos shook his head.

"No, but he was wearing this dumb red outfit."

Well….that was fun. Oddly more than I thought it would be.

Review if you still remember this fic exists, please~