Konnichiwa!
Kay, this chapter took me ages to finish, when I first started writing this, it was left off half-way through this chapter in favor of writing other things, namely UR. Sooo glad that's over, have I mentioned that lately? No? I am. As fun as it was, it got a little too crackish for me.
Ahem, anyway, lots of interaction here, a bit of humor, oh, and an asshole-…I-I mean angel… Stupid Remiel, I really hate that guy. He's so fun to write! Enjoy!
…
Lloyd felt as if he was being watched. When he turned to see if it was his friends or father doing so, he saw that all seemed to be focused on other things. Kratos looking around like a good mercenary; Genis and Colette having a hushed conversation about… whatever it was, Lloyd figured it would be rude to eavesdrop, that was until he heard his name, of course.
"…been acting so weird today."
"Maybe he slept funny…"
"Colette, that's no reason to totally change your habits!"
"Oh, I guess…"
Lloyd swallowed; apparently he wasn't doing such a great job of acting like…himself. Or, more accurately, acting like his old self. He thought frantically, trying to find some way of reassuring his friends that he was…him. This was getting to be more of a hassle than he'd first thought it would. He was probably having no trouble with Kratos who, though at the moment he did not like Lloyd much, could not know that he was acting out of the ordinary.
Everything was so confusing…
"So, Colette, you've been in the Temple, right?" he kept his voice light and his words simple, "Where's this ring-thingy?"
"Oh," Colette seemed happy to hear some of Lloyd's normalcy. "Somewhere deeper in; actually, I've never been in this far…"
"It's really dark in here for it to be all Church-y. Isn't your Goddess all about light and… that stuff?"
"Yeah, but most of the Temple is for the trials. So it's going to be scary and dark."
"If you say so, I'm just here as your escort."
Genis gaped, "Lloyd, since when do you know the word 'escort'?"
Lloyd swore mentally, he had, for want of a better term, screwed up majorly and he swallowed. "Oh, come on Genis, I can't hang out with you and the Professor for five years and not know some things!"
"Mmhmm…" Genis seemed unimpressed by his friend's excuse, and Lloyd could not blame him; it had been weak…
Lloyd jumped to change the subject; unfortunately, he had absolutely nothing to say… He floundered for a moment before catching the sound of Kratos' footsteps.
Bingo!
"So, Kratos, where are you from?" Lloyd injected his voice with heavily layered brightness and curiosity. He was unsure how easy it was for him to be seen through, but it was worth a shot.
"…" Kratos glanced up at him, his red eyes sweeping over Lloyd and meeting his. As red met red, Lloyd noticed Kratos's eyes widen ever so slightly in recognition: Kratos knew that he was Lloyd, not that he would say anything. "…I do not come from anywhere, in the sense that you are referring to."
"So you just travel a lot? You don't settle down or anything?" Lloyd wanted the limelight away from himself quite badly.
"More or less; it is how I retain my livelihood."
"Oh, so does that mean you don't have a family, Mister Kratos?" Colette piped up, instantly willing to join in the game.
"…" Kratos eyes subtly flickered to Lloyd before back to the blond Chosen, "No."
Genis, though he was less willing to stray to the new topic than Colette, was, too, curious about the mysterious mercenary. "So what? That's all you do; fight, do escorts, you're just a sell-sword?" They way he said it, his childish tone filled with scorn, made it sound like a very low-life job.
Kratos obviously caught the contempt, as he turned a dangerous glare on Genis. Lloyd mentally cringed in sympathy, Genis was lucky he didn't burst into flame simply from Kratos looking at him, but when the full-force of the "death-glare…" Even Lloyd wanted to melt, and he could at least expect it. Genis paled, and the little half-elf seemed on the verge of passing out when Lloyd stepped in to save his friend.
"Well, you're pretty good at fighting; you must get a lot of jobs." Kratos seemed caught off-guard by the benevolent statement and turned to look at Lloyd, the surprise well-masked. "Right?"
"I…suppose…" He spent a moment studying Lloyd. Lloyd simply grinned back, his father's eyes swept over him. "And what of yourself…Lloyd, correct? Your father knows that you are here?"
"Well…he knew I'd be a bit late to dinner because today is the Regeneration and everything, but I guess he doesn't know I'm here exactly…" Lloyd rubbed the back of his head with one gloved hand. "But he won't mind…"
"He hardly sounds like much of a responsible parent…"
"I like my dad, thanks!" Lloyd felt his eye twitch in irritation, his father was such an ass! But Kratos was turning the tables on their conversation as effortlessly as Lloyd had begun it. Colette and Genis, appearing content to watch the swordsmen's verbal battle, only encouraged the change with silence.
"You said you lived with your father…in Iselia?" His stupid father was asking stupid loaded questions!
Lloyd sighed; he was almost tempted just to keep walking…or to answer all of his questions with every single detail just to watch his face. "Nah, outside of Iselia. It's just Dad, Noshy—Noishe is my dog—and me. Dad's a craftsman; he does all sorts of forging and stuff."
He watched in well hidden amusement as surprise and confusion flashed across his father's austere features. "Forging is a…strange profession…"
"He's a dwarf, not that weird." Lloyd kept his voice light and cheerful as he walked ahead of the party.
"I…see." Kratos was slowly putting the pieces together in his head. "So you are…adopted?"
"Dad found me. Long story, don't wanna get into it." Blunt? Perhaps, but he had every reason to not wish to get into that conversation with a complete stranger in the middle of a monster-infested Temple.
Kratos, though he was obviously curious, restrained himself and allowed the conversation to drop.
By this time they were very deep into the temple, the winding halls and seemingly endless corridors twisted their way deeper and deeper into the hillside. It was freezing inside the Temple and slightly claustrophobic as the halls seemed to shrink as they moved deeper in. Suddenly Lloyd, who was at the front of the group having taken point with Colette and Genis sandwiched between he and Kratos, who had taken the back, nearly tumbled down the stairs. His sudden stop caused Colette and Genis to run into his back, but he heard Kratos stop in time so as to not slam into the small half-elf.
"Lloyd?" he questioned quietly from the back, "what is it?"
"Stairs."
There was a collective sigh as the rest of the small party realized that there was no impending doom looming ahead.
"Well, move ahead, I doubt they will bite." Kratos' words were cool and demeaning, but Lloyd ignored them and began down the stairs, careful of any cracks in the stone in case the ancient slabs decided to give out under his feet. The old stonework was suspended over what looked like a bottomless pit below. There were several platforms, one of which he was leading them toward, that were suspended in a similar manner down into the dark.
It was cool, freezing actually, and as Lloyd carefully took one step at a time, he saw his breath form misty, ghostly shapes against the dark.
"Careful guys…" he warned, "Don't trip…" As he said it, he heard a soft 'oh' from Colette. Genis sucked in a gasp and Kratos swore, but, even as he tried to dodge around Genis and reach the falling Chosen, he found the path to be too narrow for him to get though.
Lloyd spun and his hand flashed out, catching hold of the back of Colette's dress, her torso dangled impossibly over the dark void, but her feet were planted on the ground, white boots scuffed with the dirt from the tunnels. Colette's blue eyes were wide with fear and, as she realized that she wasn't going to fall, she began to shake. "L-Lloyd…?"
"I gotcha, don't worry." Lloyd grinned as he righted Colette. Genis and Kratos breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good catch Lloyd…" Genis didn't even bother to insult him.
"…indeed…"
"Heh, thanks, come on Colette, stay up here so you don't fall, kay?"
"Okay…thanks Lloyd!" When Lloyd looked down and met the Chosen's eyes, her cheeks began to redden. This, of course, caused the same to happen to Lloyd.
He looked away, at the same moment Genis cleared his throat, "Would you to save it for later…like, when we're not around?"
"Shut up, Genis!" Lloyd only turned more red, it was embarrassing, especially in front of his Dad…
Lloyd was careful to keep a hand on Colette's shoulder, but not be too close, lest he be teased by Genis…or give Colette the wrong idea.
After several minutes of decent, the ground leveled out and changed. From rough stone steps to almost-clear green glass, through the glass Lloyd could see more paths of stone beneath them, and, far in front of them, another set of steps leading lower.
"Whoa…" muttered Genis, "Who'd have thought all this was under here…?"
At that moment, from across the glassy platform, a cry echoed through the room. The small group turned, Kratos now joining them on flat ground, and stared wide-eyed as a large stone Golem lumbered toward them. It was obviously heavy and it shocked Lloyd that it didn't break the glass. It screamed again and charged at them.
"Be on your guard…" hissed Kratos softly, "Golems have no eyes, but they can sense you."
The monster reached them and swung its fist down against the glass, the shock wave sending Lloyd, Genis, and Colette tumbling back, but Kratos stayed—seemingly effortlessly—on his feet. He leapt forward and slashed at its arm. Metal clanged against stone and a few small sparks flew. Lloyd jumped to his feet and raced from the other side, taking advantage of Kratos's distraction, and lodged his sword between the body of the Golem and the rock that made up his upper thigh.
The Golem howled and turned to lash out at Lloyd, Lloyd jumped back in time to just miss its arm, crashing down toward him. Lloyd swore loudly and stumbled back. Kratos took advantage of the Golem's furious distraction and shoved his sword through the monster's middle. The Golem let out one last monstrous bellow and folded into itself. The stone merged into itself and solidified into an intricately carved stone block.
"W-what just…?" Genis gasped. He had not even bothered to move more than just stand, but at least he had managed to stand protectively in front of Colette, the blond Chosen peering over his shoulder.
"T-that thing was huge…" gasped Lloyd softly, though, in reality, it hadn't been much more than an adrenaline rush for him.
"Humph, you are inexperienced…" Kratos only muttered it, but Lloyd heard it. He gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath too quietly for even Kratos to hear.
"So…what do we do with this?" asked Genis, motioning toward the huge block.
"Not a damn clue…" Lloyd was not going to wow his friends and father by explaining and further blowing his cover, instead, he would let Colette demonstrate. This she did, as the blond Chosen approached the block to get a better view of the gently glowing swirls that decorated the sides of the stone, Colette leaned—at least for her—too far over, and began to fall. It was a short tumble, and Colette reached out to steady herself on the block, only to find it slide easily from beside her and disappear down one of the holes that dotted the green glass platform. Unfortunately, she only caught a few seconds of its movement as, a moment later, she landed painfully on her stomach with a small grunt.
"Oww…" She stood, blinking dazedly and rubbing what Lloyd was sure would be a large bump on her head by the time they left the Temple.
"Chosen, are you alright?" It was obvious that Lloyd's father was realizing that Colette's clumsiness was a reoccurring phenomenon. And that, with Colette, the trips, falls, scrapes, and tumbles were generally…lucky. In fact, Lloyd couldn't recall a time when one of her trips hadn't saved them.
"Wait…" Genis was the only one who seemed more concerned with the stone block than Colette, "Look what happened when the block fell! Down below, there are a bunch of holes, but when Colette pushed the block down, it created a path across! I bet that means that these battles are part of the Goddess's trial, and we're getting close to the Sorcerer's Ring!"
Between Kratos, Colette, and Genis, they quickly worked out the pattern that Lloyd remembered from their last visit to the Temple of Martel. It was not long before another Golem appeared, bringing with it another battle, this one far faster than the last as they had learned the creature's weak spot, and another block was formed. This joined the other below and, before long, they had created a successful pathway to where they hoped the Sorcerer's Ring was.
It was Kratos's turn to lead the way down another set of narrow stone steps to the lower floor, Lloyd going the whole way with a protective hand on Colette's shoulder. After he stepped off the stairs and onto solid ground, Lloyd felt himself release the breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding, wandering around on the nearly clear floor above them had put him on edge, worrying over what would happen if the floor gave out during one of their battles with the extremely heavy Golems. Now that he could not see through the floor, he felt much safer.
Kratos strolled smoothly ahead, Genis behind him, looking around him with fascinated, glittering eyes, while Colette hung further back, keeping Lloyd company.
"…I'm sure the Sorcerer's Ring is close, Lloyd." She sounded upbeat, but Lloyd wondered just how tired she was; Colette, though she had learned to defend herself from a young age, was not used to much hard exercise or continuous battle. Neither, for that matter, was Genis. Despite his bright, wide eyes, Lloyd could tell that the young half-elf was growing tired as well.
"I bet you're right, I mean, how much bigger can the Temple be? It's built into a hill, you can only fit so much inside!" He grinned back at her.
More steps, many, many more steps, several shaking, Golem-block bridges, and another near-fall from Colette later, the small group of four made it to the deepest level of the Martel Temple. From their platform, they had ascended a long set of stone stairs, these more claustrophobic that those that they had descended earlier as they had led them straight into a stone wall, though a winding passage, until they had arrived in a tiny chamber, lit by the glowing apparatus that held the Sorcerer's Ring.
"Whoa…" Genis' silver-blue eyes were lit with red and Lloyd could almost believe that Genis, like his sister, was in some sort of Ruin Mode. "So this is the Sorcerer's Ring… This is so cool!"
"Yes, I've heard the Priests talk about it, it holds some of the Goddess's power and will help us get to the upper chamber where I can receive the Oracle…" Colette reached out a hesitant hand out and pulled the Ring from its place. The light dimmed as she removed the power source, and Genis squeaked with surprise at the sudden darkness.
"…we should go," stated Kratos in a dull monotone. "With luck, our movements won't have attracted more monsters." His soft footsteps began in the direction that they had come. Lloyd heard Colette and Genis's footsteps follow his father's, but Lloyd hung back for a moment, just listening.
There were no signs of monsters too close from what he could tell, and after the echo of the chambers below and the loud noises of battle, Lloyd's ears had grown tired. In the small chamber, with his friends' footsteps and heartbeats growing fainter by the second, all that made sound with the sound of the stone whispering as it moved upon itself, speaking of ages past and ages to come—or so an old Dwarvish proverb claimed—and the soft drip, drip of water droplets as they descended from the small stalactites above.
He took a deep breath, and the cold, slightly musty air of the chamber swirled into his lungs.
Suddenly, a thump, thump, thump—a heart beating—interrupted his silence, and Lloyd's eyes flashed open, already used to the dim light of the cavern, he saw his father, watching him with cold eyes.
"Why didn't you come?" he growled softly, "You are not only holding up the expedition, but putting yourself in danger. Do not let your guard down!"
Lloyd felt part of himself grow angry and insulted at his father's words: how dare he say that Lloyd was letting his guard down! Lloyd was hearing as much as the man in front of him was! But he suppressed it, looking away awkwardly and rubbing the back of his head. "S-sorry Kratos, it's just really peaceful here, that's all, and I'm kinda tired from running all over the place… I'm coming." Lloyd hated to swallow his pride, and doubted he could do it again if his father pushed him much farther. Lloyd started off again, Kratos falling in behind him.
Retracing their steps through the Temple, now with their prized Ring, was just as dull and tedious as their first voyage through, and, in Lloyd's opinion, it seemed to take longer than the way in. Finally, however, they reached the split where they had entered the Temple. It was very tempting for Lloyd to want to race toward the large doors where he saw sunlight filtering though, but he resisted, and took another dark tunnel deep into the Temple again.
"So…we have the Ring, how do we get rid of this stupid thing?" Lloyd motioned to the barrier separating them for the warp pad not five feet away.
"W-well…" Colette looked at the little Ring in her hand, the band made of almost red-looking gold while the small red gem set in it glittered almost wickedly. "I've never actually used it before, but the scriptures said that it was one of a set of two, given to Spiritua, the first Chosen, when she went on her Journey…"
"Well, maybe if you just touch the Ring to it, it'll go away…" Genis suggested. "At least it's worth a shot, right?"
But when Colette, nodding and smiling, pressed the Ring up against the barrier, there was a sizzling noise and, as if there was suddenly many watts of electricity coursing through her, Colette's hair stood on end. Then she was shoved back several feet, landing gracelessly on her backside, the Ring flying from her hands and clattering musically on the floor at Lloyd's feet.
Genis and even Kratos turned their attention to Colette, but Lloyd stooped to grab the Ring and, sliding it on his finger, he gently willed it to release its power. There was a small tingling sensation, and a burst of fire spun out of the gem and collided with the force field. For a moment, it was as if the two mana types struggled against one another, but after only a few moments, the barrier fell and Lloyd turned smiling sheepishly, to his friends. "Well…I didn't think that would work…" He ran his fingers through his hair, "I guess it likes me!"
Genis' eyes were wide and surprised as he looked at his friend, his dim-witted, moronic, and—for want of a better word—goofy friend had just solved their puzzle, not to mention making a complex magical item work for him. "I-impressive Lloyd…"
"…indeed…" Kratos didn't sound all that pleased, or impressed.
"Yeah! I guess you're the one meant to use it, I don't think it likes me too much…" Colette blushed, "You can hang onto it, kay?"
"Mmkay, thanks Colette!"
Lloyd could tell that Kratos did not care or approve of these arrangements, but Kratos could also tell that it was none of his business or concern who got to play with the Sorcerer's Ring. The mercenary just sighed and moved ahead, placing a commanding hand on Colette's shoulder as he steered the blond Chosen toward the warp pad and the Oracle above them.
Lloyd had never liked warping; even as a human, when his senses had been far more dulled than they were at the moment, he had felt almost sick as his body stretched and disintegrated only to be reformed some ways away. But, as an angel, Lloyd could literally feel the tiny bits of him fluttering though space and rejoining, he could hear every movement and the squelch of atoms being reformed by mana as he felt himself be put back together. It made him feel sick.
When Lloyd opened his eyes, however, he managed to forget the pain in his stomach with the distraction of the bright light of the Oracle shining down on them. This room, unlike the rest of the Temple which was, obviously, dark and rather scary, this room was decorated with worn but bright colors and every wall was made of arching windows that opened to the sunny sky above them.
"Chosen," Kratos said quietly, "call the Oracle."
Colette stepped forward, and suddenly she did not look like an awkward, clumsy sixteen-year-old, but the Chosen One, ready to accept the fate of the World on her shoulders. Little did she know what that truly meant. It meant sacrificing herself and an entire other world of people to save the world she loved. Lloyd knew that Colette would not think twice about self-sacrifice in favor of saving those she held dear, but she would not tolerate the loss of other innocent lives.
"Goddess Martel," she called out, her voice full of the authority that the Chosen should have, "accept my prayer, your Chosen has come to fulfill her duty and accept the Oracle." Her hands clasped in front on her, but instead of her head being bowed, her bright blue eyes faced toward the ceiling and the opening that Remiel would descend through.
As called, it was the Guardian Angel himself that entered the room, his blond hair slicked back under his priestly hat. His green and white robes were decorated with rich gold, but that was not what caught the eye, no, it was Remiel's wings. They were huge, wide and pristinely white, not a feather was out of place, and Genis and Colette gaped in awe as they stared up at him. Lloyd felt no want to watch the heartless man above him play with his friends' emotions, but were he to look away, he would be found out by, at the very least, his father.
Speaking of his father, Lloyd glanced out of the corner of his eye at the mercenary; his father was tense, almost angry as he watched the other angel. His hand hovered over his sword's hilt and his jaw was set in such a way that led Lloyd to believe that he was clenching his teeth.
Remiel began to speak: "Colette, the seventh Chosen, the Chosen of Regeneration, do you swear to take this Journey to restore the mana to your world and revive the Goddess Martel?" Behind the dramatic, commanding voice of the Angel, there was a soft, bitter scathing that sent shivers up Lloyd's spine. Even as Remiel held Colette and Genis in awe, he mocked them and their beliefs.
"I do so solemnly swear." Colette looked up at the angel with almost no fear as she accepted her deadly task.
"Then I bestow upon you your Cruxis Crystal, the sign of your position, and upon this world, We of Cruxis grant you the Tower of Salvation."
The angel pointed a majestic finger out of the far window to where an enormous Tower now stood: the Tower of Salvation. Lloyd hated that Tower, he hated it with a burning passion, for he had lost so many friends there, been betrayed so many times, it was a heartache to even look at it from thousands of miles away.
The Tower of Salvation reached up toward the Heavens and Mithos's kingdom. A perfectly erected monument to the Angels, it was made of pure white stone and carved with twisting symbols of a language so old that it was forgotten even to the Elves. It glittered majestically in the afternoon sunlight. The others' eyes widened, even Kratos's did slightly, but as Lloyd stared at it, his thoughts settled on only one thing: Mithos's icy blue eyes as he watched Lloyd and his friends struggle weakly against them. He dreaded the idea that it would happen again, but it would, if everything went according to plan…
Remiel called them all to attention once again, "Now Chosen One, set off to the south, to the fiery haven of the Gods and begin your Journey to become an Angel." With these words meant in parting, Remiel's cold eyes lifted from Colette and toward the sky from which he had come and began to fly upwards away from them.
"W-wait!" Suddenly, Colette's blue eyes are slightly panicked, "My Lord, is it true that you are my father!"
At this question, Remiel returned his emotionless gaze to Colette, "Go toward the Seal and save the World, my beloved daughter." With these final words, the Angel was gone.
Lloyd felt sick, how dare that bastard lie to an innocent girl like Colette! How dare he use her! He felt his fists clench as he stared at the space where the Angel had disappeared.
"Wow Colette!" Genis's words broke through his fury, "You're really the daughter of an Angel! And you're going on a Journey to save the whole World! This is the coolest thing ever!"
Lloyd gritted his teeth, but…something had to be said; Colette and Genis turned both their sets of blue eyes on him and he forced his jaw to loosen and a light-hearted grin to lighten his features, "Yeah Colette! I know you'll do great!"
….
Promise, lots of drama next chapter, lots and lots and lots. In the meantime R&R.
~Yoshi