Author's Note:
Guys, I couldn't begin to tell how sorry I am for my long, un-explained absence. I know this should've been up a long, long time ago. But during my three-day weekend ( March 13th through the 15th) I fell sick. Really sick. Just when I thought I missed the bug that was going around, it reared out of nowhere and bit me in the ass. So, I ended up wasting my three-day weekend, along with an entire week of school. Mom threatened to suspend my account if I tried to sneak out of the house for school ^-^;
Anyway, good news is, I'm beginning to fully recover. Bad news is, I have a load of homework I need to get done before Spring Break ends. I'm thankful I managed to finish editing this last chapter, and I'm praying I'll be able to get the next part up, but please, to hold your breath.
Oh! And from here on out, every chapter should contain hints of spoiler for the game. So if you haven't finished it yet... well, your ruining it for yourself. Just warning you!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of Namco's characters, games, or plots. But the Ocs are mine.
*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Eight– The Fire Seal (Part One)
When my mind roused itself from it's peaceful slumber, when my heavy eyelids pried themselves open to reveal my grey eyes to the world, the first thing I saw/heard, were the rays of the sun shining to light up the dim room and was accompanied by the cheerful singing of a bird nearby.
For awhile, I just laid there on my back and stared blankly at the ceiling overhead as I waited for the rest of my body to awaken. But the quiet rustle of clothes as someone moved about the room made my mind jump start to awareness; pushing away the warmth of the heavy covers, I swung my feet over the edge of the bed to they met the coolness of the wooden floor. That's when my nose had begun to itch, and prompted me to sneeze not only once, but twice.
" Ah, you're awake!"
With bleary eyes I allowed to wander, I soon sought the blond chosen, who was standing near the door already dressed and equipped.
" Did you get enough sleep last night?" Colette inquired with an expression of innocent curiosity slowing dawning on her face. " I kind of noticed how late you returned last night."
Last night? I blinked in mild confusion, since I still had yet to penetrate to the haze of my mind. With a huff, I leaned back on my hands and allowed my head to tilt back so I found myself staring at the ceiling once more. Idly picking through my uncoordinated memories for the answer.
" Hm.... I'm gonna have to get back to you on that one." I replied after a long stretch of silence, bringing my head down to grin to sheepish apology.
" Oh no, that's alright!" Colette waved her hands in a frantic motion. " I'm sorry for asking such a question when you're hardly awake."
I shook my head in bemusement.
" Colette, you don't need to apologize for every little thing you do." I chided lightly, pushing off the bed with my hands so I could stand.
" You're right.. I'm sorry."
I forced my snicker into a cough behind my hand as I moved around and past Colette, heading for my bag which rested against the wall next to the door. " You can go on ahead of me. I'll only be a few minutes." I assured the blond from over my shoulder, when I noticed she hadn't left.
I saw Colette nod in understanding before I turned my attention back to my bag; the closing of the bedroom door followed a few seconds later.
Fishing my brush along with a small pink bag out of my massager bag, I rose to my feet with those items in hand and crossed the room and over to the vanity which sat across from the beds.
' Ick. We need to fix that...' I winced, noting how matted and tangled my hair looked. Picking up the violet-handled brush, I carefully brought it down through a section of my hair, starting from top to bottom and wincing every-time I hit a snarl, which sent small jolts of pain through my head.
' Maybe I should trim it a little...' I mused after finishing with the untangling of my messy mane, setting down the brush to observe myself in the mirror. Seriously people, my hair was a lot longer then most girls my age. Last time I had checked, it was only above my waist. And now it was even longer then Colette's, ending at my butt when it was all brushed out.
Eying my image in the reflecting mirror thoughtfully, I proceeded to weave my hair into a french braid before rolling it into a bun, sticking it in place with spare pins I thankfully had in my little bag.
' There we go.' I smiled in satisfaction at my work. Now knowing my hair wasn't going to be a problem in battle, I turned my attention to other matters. Digging in my bag again, I brought out a little case and a medium-sized bottle; these were my contacts and cleaner. Without them, I was literally almost as blind as a bat. Sure, I had glasses, but I only wore them during the weekends.
' Carefully, carefully...' I chanted mentally as I slowly brought the last contact up to eye-level. Putting in your contact lenses could be a delicate process, no matter how many years you've been doing it.
The knock at the bedroom door came when I was cleaning up my little mess on the vanity. " Yes?" I paused to answer.
" It's Raine." The newcomer replied, her voice strangely muffled due to the fact the door blocked her entry. "Come downstairs as soon as you're finished in here. Someone is here to see you." And with that said, the elven woman walked away, her footsteps growing more subdued the farther away she got.
I stopped for a brief moment to digest the information I was given, before shrugging and went back to cleaning up the rest of my accessories. If someone was here for me, it was probably Taka or Selena. But what could they want?
*~*~*
Knowing I would find out soon enough, I forced myself to quit brooding on it and finished dressing myself within the next five minutes. Really, I wasn't my sister (whom I loved dearly) who needed almost an hour to get dressed and put her make-up on.
' Right, already to go.' I thought idly as I finished tightening my belt (which had my pouches attached to it), letting my own feet blindly guide me down the hall as I concentrated on my little task.
".....Strong-willed."
The faint murmur of voice that echoed from below had me stopping in mid-tug of my belt. I peered over the railing in hopes of seeing my mysterious guest. But they must've been standing near the clerk's desk, because I could not see anyone from where I stood.
Slipping the belt into place, I picked up my pace slightly as I reached the stairs, eager yet apprehensive at the same time to see who the newcomer was. The next series of quiet murmurs had me stopping again, this time at the bottom of the staircase.
"..Are you certain, Taka?" I heard Raine asking with uncertainly. " The last one ever to appear in this world was well over a thousand years ago."
" Selena has never been wrong with her predictions." I recognized Taka's smooth baritone voice assure his fellow elf. The conviction I heard in his tone was strong.. But that didn't mean everyone was persuaded.
" I'm afraid I don't follow." Aurion interrupted. I could hear heavy amounts of skepticism and disbelief in his voice as he spoke. " Are you meaning to tell us..?"
" I believe it is no concern of yours, Aurion." The elf countered smoothly before the mercenary could finish his question. " Your only objective is to get the Chosen One to the Tower of Salvation. You have no need to involve yourself in such.. Trivial affairs."
I sat on the bottom step of the staircase, suddenly weak in the knees as stunned silence took over. I had never heard the elf weapon-smith use such a cold tone before, like the on he had just used on Kratos. It was so.. Rigid, and kind of loathing. But I don't think those two have met before now, so why would Taka–?
A firm tug on my bun yanked me back to reality and left my scattered thoughts behind; I found the hand tilting my head back (using my hair as leverage) until my eyes met amused-filled blue orbs which belonged to Taka, the weapon-smith.
" I believe you were told to come down immediately after you dressed." A ghost of a grin flitted his lips, after watching a slight blush stain my features to show my embarrassment. " Not sit down and daydream."
" S-Sorry!" I squeaked, scrambling to my feet and nearly tripping over myself in the process. " I heard you talking the Professor and thought I should wait.."
But Taka shook his head at my stuttered explanations, placing a large hand on the small of my back to gently push and steer me into the lobby.
" Oh, morning Bev!" Colette greeted me cheerfully, as if we hadn't just seen each other just minutes ago. The blond stood next to her stoic guardian, in front of the clerk's desk just as I had suspected. Kratos had his arms folded in his usual fashion, an emotionless mask in place on whatever was taking place in his head.
But to me, something seemed different. I took a second glance out of the corner of my eye, and realized that his eyebrows were furrowed over so slightly. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't of noticed.
" Taka, what are you doing here?" I asked, more curious then confused. It had only been a day since I left, and I was sure I had received everything I needed from them before Lloyd, Genis and I had departed. So what was so important for Taka to track me down in Triet?
" Good to see you in one piece, kiddo." The elf said a good-natured tone, ruffling my head in his own display of affection. I scowled half-heartedly (I could never really be mad at him), using my fingers to comb my hair back in place before repeating the question.
" I'll get to that in a minute." The brunette-elf moved so he leaned against the post (that held up the floor to the upper rooms.), and when he lifted his head to meet my eyes again, the soft and endearing expression that he had taken to wear around me was lost, only to be replaced with a grim and hardened look over his features.
" Just now, Professor Sage was telling me you and Lloyd's escapade with the desians." His voice was dark, and full of disapproval, making me flinch guiltily even though I wasn't in any trouble. " Did they do anything to you?"
I shook my head furiously. " No. Just a little electric shock. But I'm fine now." It was true. After a good nights rest the after-effects of the jolt had worn off. I made a show of stretching my arms over my head to prove it.
That's when a great big 'thunk' echoed from overhead, and was followed by a series of crashes and fragile things breaking. All of us snapped our heads up at once; Colette looked up with curiosity and confusion etched on her pretty face. Kratos, who's hand had moved toward the hilt of the sword the minute he heard the noise, glared up at the wooden floor above us with suspicious eyes.
Both Taka and Raine flinched in surprise, exchanging glances between the two of them before nodding to each other and understanding. And with that, both of them tore out of the lobby area, heading right up the staircase at a fast speed. Colette and I trailed after the two adults, but stopped once we reached the bottom of the stairs.
Moments later, Genis emerged from his inn room he had shared with his sister, casting a look of confusion in the direction of the other rooms as he descended down the stairs.
" Hey, what's with all the commotion?" The mage questioned us once he joined. He looked over to me with a frown as Kratos finally appeared behind his young charge, features tightened with apprehensiveness. " It sounded like it was coming from your room, Bev."
" My room?" I echoed, equally confused. ' But why my room–? Oh–' "–Shit!" I blurted out the last of my line, startling my younger friends as well as earning an odd look from the mercenary.
But instead of sticking around to explain my little outburst, I charged up the stairs in a similar fashion to Taka and Raine. Intent on getting to that room before something drastic happened.
' Azra..... Hold on!' I mentally urged this thought to my young dragon, hoping she heard it and would not opt to attack my other companions out of fear. Ever gratefully how short the hallway was, I skidded to a stop upon reaching the desired room, and quickly reached for the door knob.
" Azra!" I shouted, practically slamming the door open to my nerves. There stood Taka and Raine, one on either side of the trembling fledgling with their weapons out and pointed at the dragon. The commotion the opening of the door had caused, thankfully, drew their attention to me. But they still kept their weapons out.
" Azra, come!" I called to the young creature, stretching out my arms to receive the fledgling. Azra let out a small cry (kinda like one you would hear from a baby dinosaur from Jurassic Park) and flew right into my out-stretched arms with such momentum, I was knocked right onto my ass.
This action made Raine's eyebrows raise in surprise, but Taka just sighed and sheathed Eclipse. The elf had figured out over the short time he had known me, was that if I came running straight into these situations without thinking, it was because I usually had something to do with it.
" Beverly." I felt my shoulders hunch in a flinch. It wasn't often I heard that tone come out of Taka, but when he used it, it meant I was in some kind of trouble. " Mind telling me, what you're doing with a full-blooded dragon fledgling in your possession?" Ooh, he made it sound like some kind of crime.
" And is there something wrong with that?" I replied with a defensive question. For some reason, I felt like being difficult this morning. Mom called it a mysterious mood swing; one minute I could be cheerful for no reason, and then the next moment I could be incredibly moody when asked a simple question.
The brunette-headed elf scrubbed his face roughly with a hand, and released another sigh. " Let's just say.. It's very unusual to see pure-blooded dragon out and about. And in the company of a human, no less."
" Pure-blooded dragons are thought to be all but extinct." Raine clarified in a gentle tone, like an adult trying to talk to a young child about a serious manner. " Back in the days were they thrived, they're were usually scene in the company with people of elven blood."
" Hmm.." I demurred, looking down at the baby dragon in my arms. " So what you're saying is, that if I'm seen with Azra at this point, it'll cause a huge, unneeded ruckus?"
" Yes." Taka said, answering in a blunt manner that earned him an odd look from Raine.
' Can't you do anything about it?' I asked Azra, attempting the question through our mental link.
' About what?' She asked back in a childish innocence.
' About you're.. You know, you're appearance.'
' You mean, like this?' The questioned ended with a series of crackles and followed by a giant poof! Of smoke enveloping around the young fledgling, causing me to jerk my head back in surprise and enticing a gasp from Raine.
But the smoke only lasted for a few seconds, and soon cleared away to reveal the little human form I knew of Azra. I stared down at the little girl, as if my life depended on it. While Azra stared up at me with equal innocent confusion.
Boy, this was going to take awhile to explain.
*~*~
By the time I had finished explaining just exactly how Azra came into my possession (with a little help from Genis), it was almost late morning, exactly almost two hours since I rose up out of bed.
Now I found myself downstairs in the lobby room again, with Taka leaning against the edge of the table had me sit at, rubbing his forehead almost as if this kind thing was natural to him now. Raine sat in a chair to my right, while Kratos leaned against the wall a few feet away, keeping an eye on his charge (who was now currently playing with Azra in her dragon form) while still keeping a ear in the conversation.
" So, let me get this straight..." I frowned, chin resting on my folded hands. " All these things Azra can do now, she shouldn't be able to at this stage?"
" Yes, because technically, Azra is still a fledgling." Taka answered wearily. " No dragon I know should have the ability to shape-shift until they're near their adult stage. The fact that our little dragon friend can do that trick now, makes me think there's something more to the little one then she's letting you know."
The three of us, Taka, Raine and I, looked over to where Azra and Colette were; Colette was tossing a little ball around for the fledgling, laughing whenever the little dragon chased after it, like a normal pet would.
" So.. What do you suggest I do?" I asked hesitantly, glancing up at my guardian elf. It's not that I didn't trust what Taka was trying to tell me, I was just having a hard time digesting the fact that Azra might me dangerous.
" Take Azra to Lady Celestia." The weapon-smith replied slowly, as if he was unsure of his own answer. " Lady Celestia is an expert when it comes to the lineage of a pure-blooded dragons. Only problem is, she has a bad habit of moving from place to place when it suits her."
" So then why..?"
" Ask Warlic for help, when you arrive in Luin." Taka clarified. " He and Celestia are old friends. And as such, he should know where to find her, and how."
" We should get moving." Kratos announced suddenly, drawing attention to himself for the first time in awhile. I looked up from my position at the table in time to see the mercenary heading out of the inn entrance, which was currently open to welcome any and all guests.
" I suppose so..." Raine sighed out, placing the palm of her hands on the surface of the table to aid her in rising to her feet. " Genis, Chosen One, why don't we head on out, as well?"
" But.. Lloyd's not up yet–"
" I'll wake him up." I volunteered, hearing the scrape of the wooden chair as I pushed it back and rose to my own feet.
The professor placed an arm around the blond chosen's shoulder's, giving me a nod of thanks as she ushered her protesting young charge out the door.
Turning towards the door that led to the room that housed the duo swordsman, I inhaled and quickly let out that breath in a 'here I go' motion.
But I hesitated when I neared the young man's room. Why? I had no clue. I was used to waking up my younger brothers for school all the time. So why was now any different? Shaking my head to dislodge such distracting thoughts from my mind, I raised a hand and rapped my knuckles against the wooden barrier.
" Lloyd, are you awake? Everyone's waiting on you!"
The sound of a muffled crash from on the other side of the door is what answered me; seconds later that door was yanked open, and I had to literally jump out of the way to avoid being bawled over by Lloyd as he sped out of his inn room.
Recollecting myself, I straightened my profile from where I leaned against the wall, and glanced over to where my mentor stood, watching where the duo-swordsman had last disappeared with an unreadable expression.
" Taka?" The elf jerked his head in surprise, as if he had just awoken from a coma-induced sleep, and turned his head in my direction. I continued to watch the man in slight concern. " Is something wrong? You haven't been acting like yourself." Even during our discussion about Azra, the elf had remained incredibly cool and well, emotionless.
" No, No." He repeated his answer, raking a hand through his hair. " I'm just a little on edge after certain events. It's nothing to concern yourself over." Re-composing his normal guise, the elf straightened his own posture before walking over to where I stood. He stopped when he was mere feet away from me, and reached behind him to grab something.
I watched on in curious silence, as my temporary guardian seemed to fumble with something attached to his back before bringing it out in front of him.
" Here." In his hand was a small, ordinary brown bag. But I immediately could tell what was inside of the pouch was what I needed to concern myself with.
" I brought this to you for a specific reason," Taka began in a grave manner, watching me as I carefully took the small bag from him and held it gingerly in my hand, eyeing it suspiciously as if it would explode at any given second.
" If what Selena and I have predicted is true, you're going to need that little bag very soon."
" But.. What's inside?" I asked, carefully stowing the bag into one of my empty pouchs.
The brunette elf opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated on giving the direct answer. " Let's just say.. It's your savior." He sighed, mentally berating himself for not being clear when I cast him a odd look. " Just promise me, promise us, that'll you'll take those herbs when the time comes. And–" He lifted a hand to cut me off when I opened my mouth to ask. "–believe me, you'll know when."
I closed my mouth, and watched my guardian in confusion as he crossed the lobby floor to exit the building. What on earth could he be talking about? Now I was even more confused and lost then when I first came here, and on the verge of tears as well. When was anything going to make sense to me? And when was I ever going to find my way home?
I just wanted to go home, dammnit! Was it too much to ask?!
*~*
" We can finally head out to release the seal," I heard Kratos speak as I joined Taka, who was leaning against the wall of the inn a little ways away from the Chosen's group.
From my position, I could see Lloyd grinning with his barely contained excitement. " Cool! Let's go check out the seal!"
" We'll see if that enthusiasm lasts.." Genis sighed in a here-we-go-again-tone.
Raine glanced over at Taka and I. " And what will you two be doing? I know you have to return to the village, Taka..." Aah, she was asking what I was going to do. I wasn't officially apart of Colette's group, and I didn't know enough fighting to come with them. I would only hinder their progress.
" Hmm, I guess I hang out around the area." I replied with a frown, as if unsure of my own answer. " I can't stay in town, incase the desians come back. I'll come with you to the ruins and wait there. I can keep an eye out for any assassins, especially Ryu. I wouldn't put it past him to be waiting to ambush you when you come out."
" Out of the question." Kratos voice rang out harshly, causing me to raise an eyebrow at the man. Why the heck not? It kept me out of his hair, and the group's way, so what was the problem. " If indeed this Ryu is around, it's to dangerous to loiter around. The best option is for you to travel ahead to the nearest port town, and wait for us there."
I fought to keep my expression neutral. " But if he is, I'm more then capable of fending him off." Okay, I was lying right there. I was raised in a town of peace and safety. All of this fighting was new to me, and I had no idea what Ryu was really capable of.
The mercenary seemed in synch with my line of thought. " No. For all we know, this person could kill you before you even have a chance to defend yourself. Head through Ossa Trail, and keep low for our return."
I felt an eyebrow twitch, and scrubbed my face in attempt to keep cool. This man was really wearing my patience thin, right now.
" Fine, fine." I sighed out finally, wearing an expression of tired defeat. " If you think that's the best option for me right now, I'm not going to argue."
Seemingly satisfied with my answer, the swordsman turned heel and started for the desert outside of the city walls, calling for the others to hurry as he went. Raine and Genis, along with Noishe, immediately followed after the mercenary. While Lloyd and Colette lingered behind for a moment.
" Will you be alright, by yourself?" The blond chosen voiced her concerns. Since Slyverant's mana supply was ever dwindling, the monster sightings have increased. Traveling alone in such conditions could be dangerous.
" Don't worry, I'll move fast." I answered her silent question, smiling at the girl reassuringly. " And I have Azra with me." I patted the dragon, who currently roosted on my left shoulder, on the head. " So I won't be completely alone."
" Even so, you don't have to listen to him." Lloyd murmured, referring to the fact that the mercenary had no power over me, if I chose to follow.
" Maybe so, but he is right." I grudgingly admitted. " I've been lucky so far, not having to engage him in battle. He could take me out without breaking a sweat. Or, he could be weak enough for me hold my own. Who knows? But I should move before he finds me."
Raine's voice rang out just then, ushering for her young students to hurry and catch up. Colette obliged at once and hurried off into the blazing desert, but Lloyd had yet to move. Staring at me in friendly concern.
I smiled at the boy, and gripped his shoulders, pushing him after his companions. " Go. I'll meet up with everyone later. I promise."
That last sentence seemed to appease the duo swordsman, if only a little. And so, after a last glance at me, the teen picked up his pace and ran after his departing companions. I watched them leave, until their images were swallowed by the blowing sand.
" Well, first things first..." I muttered, turning my back towards the city entrance. " I need to stock up on arrows and remedies. Sound good, Taka?" Silence answered back. " Taka?"
But when I turned, he had already disappeared from his post. ' Most left when I wasn't looking.' I blew noisily through my nose. ' Heh. Good-byes were never his strong-suit.'
*~*
" Man, I'm beat!"
Yet again, the warlock couldn't help be sigh in annoyance at his best friend's complaint. " See? What did I tell you? You're already worn out."
And again, as always, Lloyd seemed to ignore the elf's reprimanding. " I am sick of this desert."
While it's human companions went on debating the issue, the protozoan picked up the un-welcomed presence, even if the humans did not. The pressure was overwhelming, and it was starting to make the dog-creature nervous. Noishe backed up a few paces before letting out a low, worried whine.
" What's wrong, Noishe?" The teen frowned, worried over his pet's odd behavior. He only acted this way if..
Whatever made the protozoan nervous, made it's presence known to the others. Kratos immeditaly hunched his body defensively, making sure he placed himself right in front of his charge. " Be on you're guard! There are enemies about!" The auburn-haired man warned, using his thumb to prop his double-edged sword.
*~*
Meanwhile, unaware of my companions crisis, I found myself traveling through Triet Desert as well, but in the opposite direction of the ruins. At first I felt like following after the group, just to spite the mercenary. But I knew that was childish of me, and not to mention a waste of my energy. So now I was currently half-way to Ossa Trail.
' Man, the sun has no mercy at all...' Even with the offered protection of the cloak I wore, I could still easily feel the heat of the sun beat down on my back as I crossed the sandy grounds. Azra didn't seem to have a problem with it, as she easily kept herself airborne as she followed after me.
" Phew.." Coming to a halt, I wiped the sweat away from my face with the back of my hand.
' Are you alright, Mistress?' Azra easily felt her master's fatigue, raidiating off the young human in waves. And it worried the young dragon.
" I'll be fine.." I breathed, slipping out the folded up made from under my cloak. " See the grass springing up? From the looks of that, and the map, we shouldn't be more then twenty minutes or so away from Ossa Trail. We can take a break then." Twenty minutes wasn't that far off to me, so I knew I could hold up until then.
Folding up the map properly once more, I withdrew it into my cloak and carefully stuffed it in one of the cloth's inner pockets. That, is when I felt it.
' Mistress?' Curious as to why it's young human master had stopped, or in their language, frozen suddenly, the young fledgling rousted on my shoulder, peering around the contours of my clothing to see my face.
I knew Azra was trying to get my attention out of concern, but it didn't matter. Every fiber of my being demanded concentration, all the focus I could get to detect the source of this uneasy feeling.
' There!' It was like pin-pointing a light source in the black-pitched abyss that called itself the darkness. I could feel it moving, quite fast, and right towards me. Alarmed, I broke out of my trance forcefully, and was awarded with a killer-headache, throbbing so hard like it was threatening to break free of my skull.
Swearing under my breath (I seemed to be doing that a lot lately), I clutched my head tightly in one head as I stumbled back, thrown off balance by the sudden pain. But I knew whatever was giving me the chills, was going to arrive on-site of my current location, and I had to move. Now.
Successfully managing to pry my eyes open, I searched with watering orbs for a decent place to hide, making Azra squeak in surprise from her perch every time I moved in a certain direction abruptly.
That's when I found the small cropping of rocks protruding out of the sandy grounds like stalagmite in a cave. There was barely enough space in-between them for me to squeeze in, but what choice did I have? It could hide me from view, provided I didn't breathe too loudly.
And so with that, I snatched Azra from her perch on my shoulder as I moved, once again, making her squawk in alarm as I made a mad dash for the group of rocks. And not a moment too soon. I literally felt my breath catch itself in my throat as the sound of wings flapping in the air reached my ears, just as I managed to skid my way behind the rocks that shielded me. I heard my own heart beat echo in my ears as I crawled my way into the small opening of the boulders just as whatever was airborne, landed on the ground with solid thumps.
A great bout of sand flew up from the ground in the form of a smokescreen, obscuring whoever had arrived from my field of vision, for the moment.
*~*~
"..This is going to be a nuisance." Kratos muttered under his breath, more to himself then to the others. As always, the mercenary's instincts had paid off. No sooner had the man issued the warning, a group of two to three harmful sphere creatures flew out of their hiding places. Fire Elemental's. Nothing too dangerous, but a big annoyance if they weren't immediately dispatched of.
And it didn't help the fact that the Chosen's friends practically knew nothing of battle maneuvers, especially defense tactics. Kratos couldn't help but notice how easily his annoyance rose from healing his companions numerous times during the short battle, particularly Lloyd and his elven friend.
To his misfortune, Lloyd seemed to catch this, and stopped his poking of what remained of the smouldering Fire Elemental monsters to look over at the mercenary. " What is?"
The sound of the duo-swordsman's voice as he asked the question, seemed to knock Kratos out of whatever daze he had been in. " Ah, nothing." Seemingly embarrassed to be caught in such a situation, the older man cleared his throat in attempt to change the subject. " Anyway, it would be a good idea for you to learn techniques for you to protect yourself."
Colette tilted her head to the side, as she often did while she grew up as a way to express her confusion. " Do you mean like self-defense training?"
Kratos found himself sighing as he attempted to reign in what little patience was left. " Something like that. They're techniques to raise your defense during battle." He did a quick survey of the group, pleased he had their undivided attention. " I'll show you how it's done. Once you grasp the theory, the rest should be easy."
*~*~*~*
I soon found my body starting to ache in protest at the way it was currently positioned. My lower half was propped up against the rocks, while my upper half was forced to lay against the hot sand that donned the ground.
The sound of the sand shifting beside me brought my attention away from my current musings; I looked down to my right as Azra re-joined me in our special hiding haven.
' So? How is it?' I hissed at my draco companion through our mental link. No way I could risk talking, not even at a whisper. The strangers were to damn close.
' Not good, mistress.' If Azra had ears, I'm sure they would've drooped. The regret and sadness in her tone led me to think so, along with how the little dragon hunched her small body. ' It's that man. That awful man that tried to hurt you from the other day. Him and his friends have the area completely surrounded.'
I quirked an eyebrow. The man who tried to hurt me? The only person I could come up with, was either Yuan, or Ryu the assassin, along with a handful of Renegades.
Frustrated at the sudden turn of events, I left my breath hiss out slowly and allowed my body to slump down even further. I couldn't stay here forever. The pain that was continually building up in my body from staying in such a position wasn't going to allow that option.
So the question now was– how on earth, was I going to get out of this one?
Author's Note:
Well, that end's chapter eight, part one! Ooh, looks like I left Bev in a nasty position, didn't I? *chuckles nervously*
The next part of the chapter will definitely include the Seal of Fire, so look forward to it! Please R&R!