Hello! Sorry this one took so long to get out, I had a few bugs in the plot that I had to sort out and Yuan, the little man-whore, kept getting in the way! Luckily I think I got it all figured out and then could proceed with the chapter. That, as always, took ages longer than it should have.
Oh the upside, I'm finally getting around to answering a question I've had asked a few times. I just needed the proper character to explain it. That's the issue with having Lloyd as your POV character, he cannot figure out this stuff on his own. He just doesn't work like that. Anyway, this should be a nice mellow chapter with a little bit of explanation, as I've been mean enough to hold back on that lately!
….
Asgard was one of the largest cities in all of Sylvarant, second only to the sprawling streets of Palmacosta. However, now that Rodyle and Magnius had done their work, Asgard had made its way to the top. As Lloyd surveyed the layers of stone and wood houses that rose around he and the others of the Chosen's entourage, he honestly wondered if this could be considered good. They passed under the stone arch that welcomed visitors to the city, the wind at their backs blowing their heavy travel clothes billowing around them, and caught the first glimpses of the ancient city.
The main street that they walked down was full of the bustle of life, and after the silence of the burned Palmacosta and their travels, Lloyd found himself shocked by the mass of humans around them. He had gotten used to the quiet of the winds, grasses, and the footsteps of his friends, but now his angelic ears were in pain from the shouts of people, the cries of children, the sounds of life. Yet he felt a small welling of happiness too: life went on, even when the worst tragedies struck; people—elves, half-elves, and humans—all pulled through and continued with their lives.
Lloyd, who had been feeling very unreal as of late, was suddenly very grounded again and he felt his spirits lift. He had been at the back of the group with Kratos, walking silently and watching the rest of his friends and the mass of crowds around them for any dangers, but he raced forward now, catching up to Raine, Genis, and Colette.
"This place is huge!" Genis gasped, looking around with wide, electric-blue eyes. "Look how high up those houses are! And there are caves all over the place!" Even as he pointed childishly upward, the tiny figures of people swarmed in and out of the caverns and houses and Lloyd laughed, shouted, and shared in their wonder of the city. Even Raine was exclaiming, though her excitement stemmed more from architecture and history than awe of the moment.
Finally Kratos broke through their excitement, "We had best find an inn and regroup, yes?" He had to raise his voice to be heard over the crowds and Raine's lecturing. When the mercenary was finally able to steer everyone to one of the lesser inns, plans were made. It was a unanimous decision—by all but Kratos—that they wanted to explore the city. Raine was well-prepared to drag everyone sight-seeing at all the old picture-caves around the city, then up to the infamous stone dais, and while Genis was perfectly content with doing so, Lloyd, Colette, and Kratos were all less than thrilled with the idea of further learning experiences.
"Perhaps it would be in our best interests to split up for the afternoon and meet this evening at the dais, yes?" Kratos suggested quietly, somehow still managing catch the attention of the four others in the room, and Noishe.
Raine looked hesitant, "I do not think having Lloyd and Colette roam the streets alone is particularly intelligent, Mr. Aurion." She pursed her lips.
"That would be ridiculous; I will of course accompany them." While this obviously did not appease Raine, she could find no legitimate reason, other than her dislike of Kratos, to deny him the suggestion. The two groups split with Lloyd sending Noishe jogging playfully behind Genis and Raine, just to be safe.
Lloyd was both pleased and concerned with how the groups had turned out. While normally he would have been more than pleased with hanging around for the afternoon with his father and Colette, Colette was already mad at him, and Kratos was growing ever more suspicious. Yet it seemed that even Kratos found himself distracted as the group of three wandered down the road, vendors shouting the wonders of their wares.
Colette skipped ahead of the two men, carefully ignoring Lloyd, while Kratos shadowed her, spending his time making sure no one attempted to hurt her. The Chosen dug through beaded bracelets, charms, and assorted ribbons, her happiness and excitement exasperating Kratos to no end. Lloyd quietly followed to two, wondering mildly if it would work to buy Colette a gift when he tried to apologize to her. He sighed and pushed his bangs out of his face, feeling for a moment like his father.
"Why is apologizing so freaking hard?"
"Damn good question." Lloyd jumped and cursed, freezing in the middle of the busy street and spinning to face and glare at his new conversational partner.
"What the hell are you doing here, Yuan?"
The Seraph laughed coldly and his green eyes glittered as he looked up at Lloyd, "Am I not allowed to wander the world at my leisure?"
"It would make my life a hell of a lot easier," Lloyd glowered back. "Get out of here before somebody sees you!"
"I doubt the entire time-space continuum will end simply because I am seen. It has yet to be undone by your hand, and you have done far more than I have."
"Don't you dare say Palmacosta was my fault!" At least he knew that Yuan believed him. Or that was the way it sounded at the very least.
"If you had already managed to stop Kvar, it wouldn't have happened, and I believe your whole purpose in returning was to stop him, so in many ways it was your fault." The cool, uninterested tone in which Yuan explained these things made Lloyd's hands clench with fury. The calm happiness of earlier was gone—shattered—and replaced now with cold fury.
"Shut the hell up!" he snapped back. "What do you want anyway? I know you're not just here to talk."
Yuan sighed dramatically, "No, you are correct, this is not merely a social call, but it is nothing so sinister as you seem to think. I simply felt it was necessary to check on you, especially after what came about in Palmacosta two weeks ago."
Lloyd's hands clenched and he glared down at Yuan—though to be fair, they were more or less the same height. Lloyd felt himself thrown off by this, he was used to being able to see over Yuan's head if he just shifted slightly, but his vision was full of blue hair, pale features, and green eyes that held thousands of years of secrets. He didn't think he liked this. "Everything's going fine, alright? Colette hates me, but I'll deal with it. I don't need your help here, I need your help making sure Kvar doesn't try to pull anything and get Mithos on his side!"
"…you seem to be taking it in good faith that I believe your story."
"That's 'because you do, don't you?" Lloyd crossed his arms impatiently. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't believe me. You would've gotten your Renegades to come pick me up, or you would just have left me."
"So much confidence in what you think," Yuan chuckled without humor. "Yes, indeed much of your story adds up. Kvar's actions are not easily explained away without your additions, though he seems to have convinced Yggdrasill otherwise." When Lloyd tried to interrupt, Yuan cut him off. "No, Yggdrasill was not pleased with Palmacosta's fate."
"I was gonna ask how Kvar got away with it," Lloyd grumbled and crossed his arms. He and his angelic companion weaved their way through the crowds. "And how he wrote off Magnius' death."
"Magnius is…dead?" Yuan's green eyes flickered with curiosity. "We were not informed of any such thing."
Lloyd froze mid-step and turned to look up at Yuan, "You didn't know? Rodyle literally stabbed him in the back after they razed Palmacosta! Ki—Myrrh was running the Ranch when we destroyed it."
A dozen emotions made their way through Yuan's eyes, but he finally settled on a cold indifference. "Your destruction of the Ranch is most likely the reason that Cruxis has remained ignorant of—"
"Bullshit Yuan, Kvar's duping your system." Lloyd picked up his pace again, angry. "Have you heard anything from your spies in the Desians?"
"…whispers. There's always been bribery and secrets in the Desians, Grand Cardinals like Rodyle hiding their secret projects by offering positions in their new world order and such, but Kvar seems to be recruiting massively among not only his own men but he has gotten at least Rodyle and the late Magnius as well. Palmacosta was merely to prove that he does have the power he claims he has."
"…what about Pronyma and Forcystus?" Lloyd kicked a pebble out of his way as the two turned a corner onto a less crowded side street.
"Kvar would be a fool," Yuan leaned back against the wall, "if he attempted to bring Pronyma onto his side. Her loyalties have always lain with Yggdrasill, but if what you say of Myrrh is true, this cannot be said of her servants as well. If Kvar is smart, something of which I have no doubt, then her assassination will be his next step. She is more Yggdrasill's spy than anything else…" He paused here, looking distant, "I have not actually heard a word from her for some time, and she would have known if the Palmacosta ranch was destroyed…"
"So we can basically put her on the list of the dead. Fantastic." Lloyd ran a gloved hand through his hair and stared up at the blue sky, "Gods, I didn't like her but…"
"The worlds are better off without her, but if this ignites Yggdrasill's anger, there could be hell to pay. Then again, this is the perfect time to act. The Chosen's Journey is all that will be concerning the Lord of Heaven at the moment. Kvar has plenty of time to cover his tracks."
"So…Kvar's starting up his own little band of Desian worshipers, sneaking around Mithos' back, destroying cities, assassinating people…am I forgetting anything? I am. What about Forcystus? He was in Iselia with Kvar; do you think he's changed sides?"
"…Forcystus is young," Yuan seemed hesitant in his words. "He preferred to remain above the general bickering of the Grand Cardinals. He lacked the ambition the others had, and was outmatched in loyalty by Pronyma, but he spent less of his time obsessing over pet projects and power-struggles. He would be a powerful ally if Kvar were serious about his takeover of Derris-Kharlan, yet I do not see a reason for him to give into Kvar's offers."
Lloyd found himself scoffing, "You make it sound like there are incorruptible Desians. That's practically an oxygen-moron."
Yuan raised an eyebrow, then sighed. "I believe the phrase you were thinking of is oxymoron, and while you scoff, the world is not made of black and white people, Aurion, there are shades of gray."
Lloyd flinched at the name, "I told you, Yuan, call me Lloyd.And don't you think I know that? I dealt with Mithos, hell I thought he was a friend for ages, but that doesn't change the fact that the Desians are corrupt, the fact that you can sneak Renegades in is proof of that."
Yuan shifted his weight from the wall and turned, the action made melodramatic by his useless and impractical cape, "…in my old age, I must have been blinded," he hissed as he stormed down the alley. "The letter spoke of you as such an optimist, I don't see it."
Lloyd felt as if he had been slapped in the face and stared after Yuan until the half-elf had disappeared around the corner. "Y-Yuan, wait! What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means, Irving," Yuan's voice did not change in pitch or tone, but Lloyd knew he was angry, and the use of his other surname did not help matters, "what it sounds like."
"I'm sorry you caught me at a shitty time!" He wanted to shout, but instead dropped his words to an angry hiss to meet Yuan's. "I'm having issues getting through this, okay?"
Yuan snorted, "Why do you expect me to care?"
"Cause we're friends." He used this excuse with Yuan constantly, every time Lloyd tried to talk to him, Yuan would scoff and ask why the hell he should care. Lloyd's reply was always that they were friends. The answer was by now automatic and Lloyd had said it before he had thought it through fully.
Yuan turned to look at him, he seemed almost angry, and his hands clenched and the pale fingers that showed under his gloves turned white. "We need to get one thing very straight, boy. We are not friends, nor do I think we ever will be. We work together because circumstances dictate that we be on the same side."
For the second time in minutes, Lloyd felt as if Yuan had struck him, but he didn't allow himself to look away from Yuan's deep green eyes. "…Gods, I forgot what a bitch you are." Yuan looked taken aback, apparently surprised that Lloyd wasn't taking him seriously. "'Course we're friends! I don't know what I'd do without you! It doesn't seem like it now, but trust me, saving the world brings people together." Lloyd grinned widely and rubbed the back of his head.
"…how the hell did you end up so much like your damn father, brat?" Despite his words, Yuan seemed to be deflating, no longer quite so angry.
"Unlucky I guess." Lloyd laughed to throw off the rest of the tension.
"Hmm…" While Yuan didn't so much as smile, Lloyd hoped he saw a little amusement behind his façade. "And just like your father, you lack the ability to properly hide your mana."
"Weak subject change," Lloyd sighed dramatically, caught up with Yuan, and the two continued their meandering, now back on the crowded street.
As per usual, Yuan blatantly ignored him in favor of his own thoughts, "A child could see what you are."
"That would explain how Colette could, and she only just got the mana reading part of her angelness…"
Yuan raised an eyebrow, looking disgusted, "You have already blown your cover?"
"Well I saved it, but…sorta? Wait, if it's so obvious, then why can't Dad, Raine, and Genis figure it out?" It seemed an obvious enough question, and while it was true that Colette was good at seeing small details, it was also true that she had only had her ability to read mana signatures for only hours before she had figured out what was going on. Kratos, Raine, and Genis had all been doing the same for years, so why hadn't he already been called out?
"Stupidity?" Yuan offered sarcastically. "No, it is likely that their experience has blinded them. The half-elves have seen your mana a thousand times; they will no longer be bothering to check for oddities. As for Kratos, he is either in denial, not wanting to believe he has ruined your life by passing on his genes, far too late for that I might add, or is also not looking. He would have checked on the first day you met, at the Temple, and you were at least intelligent enough to keep your mana carefully checked during that time, even when my men captured you in Triet, you could still have passed as human, but you've gotten sloppy. No, your friends have blinded themselves with their trust in you."
"…wow. Not only did I not get most of that, but I think I should be insulted too. Ouch." Lloyd opened his mouth to continue to mock his friend, but a question came from behind that successfully shut him up.
"…Yuan? What are you doing here?"
Lloyd and Yuan turned to face a very angry Kratos and a smiling, if not confused, Colette.
"Kratos, old man, how good to see you again." Yuan took Kratos' appearance in stride, turning and smiling in a way that Lloyd could only call rather sinister. "Lloyd and I were just speaking of you."
Kratos' eyes flashed to Lloyd, then back to Yuan, "How do you know Lloyd?"
"Just met him a minute ago," Lloyd chimed in, "He asked if I knew you, and when I said yes he told me you were friends. You have weird friends, D—Kratos."
Kratos glared between the two of them, but Colette beamed at Yuan and raced forward, taking his hand between hers and shaking it politely. "It is so nice to meat you Mr. Yuan!" she cried happily, "Any friend of Kratos' is a friend of ours! I'm Colette!"
"In…deed you are Chosen," Yuan was so obviously put-off by Colette's friendliness that Lloyd had to chuckle from behind.
"I repeat, what the hell are you doing here, Yuan?" Kratos growled.
"I was feeling nostalgic," Yuan shrugged, "and I had a few things that I wanted to talk to you about."
"Such as?" Kratos was entirely standoffish, obviously displeased with his old friend.
"Palmacosta seems a topic as good as any."
Kratos stiffened, "…Lloyd, Chosen, stay here. I'll be back in a moment." He stormed off and Yuan followed looking exasperated.
After a moment, Lloyd turned to Colette, "We're gonna follow them, right?"
"Lloyd…" Colette looked at him with hurt blue eyes, "I don't think we should. If Mr. Kratos wanted to talk to his friend alone, then we shouldn't go listen in. Besides, you shouldn't try to find out other people's secrets if you're going to keep your own…" It was still about his lying to her—of course it was, what else would it be about? Lloyd knew he should be sorry, and was, but he also wanted to know what his father and Yuan were talking about.
"Colette…Colette you know I'm sorry!" Lloyd, under the honest and concerned gaze of one of his best and oldest friends, found himself at a loss for words. "It's just that there's a lot going on right now! And I don't want my problems distracting you right now! You have a Journey and a world to save and that's a lot of stuffy to worry about without me getting in the way!"
"…but I just want to help you Lloyd…" Her words were no more than a whisper in the crowds and Lloyd, even with his hearing, had to strain to catch it. "It's no trouble…really."
"Colette, I am on this Journey for your sake, everything I've done is to keep you and Raine and Genis and Kratos safe."
"If that's true, then why can't you trust me?"
"Because—…" He trailed off; no lie coming to his lips, no ingenious and brilliant way out of this presented itself. Moreover, Colette could see it; she could see how short he was falling, and she was disappointed. However, before either of them could open their mouths, Kratos returned—alone.
"Come, we are going to the dais, now." Kratos put a hand on Colette's shoulder and began to steer her off the crowded street.
"Where'd Yuan go?" Lloyd hurried after them as he spoke.
"Yuan had to return to Triet," Kratos didn't turn to look back at Lloyd. "You should not be speaking to strangers—especially not Yuan Kafei."
Lloyd shrugged, then realized that Kratos couldn't see him. "He said he knew you! We were just talking, not like it was the end of the world or anything!"
"Yuan is dangerous. What did he say he wanted?"
"To talk. He said he was in town and looking for you, I figured if he was your friend he couldn't be all bad." Lloyd was beginning to feel annoyed at Kratos' tone of voice, as if he was some overgrown child who couldn't take care of himself. "I can take care of myself!"
"That, Lloyd Irving, is debatable."
Kratos pushed them expertly through crowds of shoppers and tourists alike, or, rather, he pushed Colette and Lloyd had to scramble and shove through people to keep up. Over bridges and past more shops, down alleyways and at one point through a wide, open square where Lloyd could finally breathe they moved. The Mercenary seemed insistent on getting them as far from Yuan as physically possible.
As they emerged from another alley and back onto the main walkway, Kratos lead them to a steep staircase and began to climb. Colette, as was her usual tendency, stumbled and nearly fell only a few steps up, and Lloyd lunged to catch her, but Kratos was faster and grasped her wrist and slid an arm around her waist.
"Be careful, Chosen." He didn't quite scold her, but the layers of exasperation and disapproval in his voice spoke for him.
"Sorry, Kratos…" Colette looked away, down at her feet, and carefully picked her way up the stairs, careful not to stumble again.
Asgard's stone dais was magnificent, even by Lloyd's standards. As they reached the top, Lloyd realized just how late in the day it was, as he stared across the horizon, he could see the streaks of red and pink across the otherwise blue sky as then sun set. It was cold, the wind had nothing to hamper it up here and the wind almost hinted at winter.
"Lloyd! Colette!" Genis ran up to them, his blue eyes shone. "You made it, I was almost worried Raine was gonna snap out of her Ruin Mode and find you!"
"Sorry we're late Genis, we met up with an old friend of Kratos'."
"Kratos has friends?" Genis looked a little more shocked that he should have.
Colette giggled, "Mr. Yuan was really nice!"
As nice as a guy who is trying to have you killed can be… Lloyd thought sarcastically, but for once remembered to keep him mouth shut.
"What'd you and the Professor do, Genis?" Colette asked.
Lloyd meandered away from his friends as he heard Genis break into an explanation of where he and his sister had been all day. As utterly fascinating as the picture caves were, Lloyd had a lot on his mind, not to mention a date with a bomb. He slipped around the corner of the dais and Noishe trotted to his side and nipped at his gloved hand in greeting.
"Hey Noshy…" Lloyd sighed and attempted a weak smile down at his dog. "Did you have fun with Raine and Genis?" Noishe made a face and Lloyd found himself laughing despite himself, "I know that feeling. So, guess who I saw? Yuan. He's such a bitch, isn't he?" Noishe's head bobbed. "But I think he believes me now, which is something… Still, he's plotting something…"
Another corner turned and there they were; Linar and Harley were both kneeling next to an awkward, bulky machine, twisting at something. "Come one, come on this has got to work…the experiment worked at my lab…"
"Harley, this is a bad idea," Linar hissed down to his friend as he peered over the dais toward Lloyd's friends. Neither man noticed Lloyd. "The dais is an ancient relic and—"
"And this old rock is more important than your sister?" Harley growled.
"Of course not! But there's got to be a better way than blowing it up!"
"Well, when you come up with something, do tell. Until then, I'm going to make sure Aisha isn't sacrificed tomorrow!" Harley pushed several more buttons as he said this.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Raine'll skin you. Just saying." Lloyd laughed, leaned against the side of the dais—it easily reached his shoulder—and smiled at the two delinquents. "So what exactly is it you're doing?"
Harley jumped to his feet and Linar wrung his hands, "W-we aren't doing anything! You should get out of here, if you're found the Mayor won't be happy."
"Shut up, Linar!" hissed Harley, then he turned to Lloyd, "The damn rock was cracked open by this idiot, and something was let out! Now it's demanding sacrifices and Aisha's next, so we're getting rid of it! The Breaker will kill this evil rock and then we won't have to worry about it anymore!"
"What!" Raine's voice echoed across the peak. "You are not going to do a thing to this relic!" The Professor jogged across the dais, fury sparking in her eyes. "You are obviously ignorant of the importance of this artifact!" She leapt down and as she moved her coat caught on the handle that perched on top of the top of the small red box and as she pulled it free, the handle tugged, turning it on.
Linar, Harley, Lloyd, and Noishe all wailed, and Lloyd dived toward the bomb.
"Stupid woman!" Harley howled, "We've gotta get out of here before she goes off!"
"Don't bother," Lloyd grumbled, portraying a calm that his pounding heart defied. He tugged tentatively on a few wires, then plucked out a red one, then twisted a few other buttons off and dug out a handful of wires and pulled them from their sockets. Tick, tick, tick, tic—the countdown ceased and Harley and Linar both stared.
"You stopped the unstoppable Breaker!" Harley gasped.
"It wasn't that hard to stop. And you're an idiot if you make something that you can't control."
Lloyd and Raine were both ready to lecture the two delinquents, but they were saved by the graceless arrival of the Mayor of Asgard. "Who are you people?" he growled, "This place is off limits to the public. Out! Out!"
Raine and Lloyd met with the others at the base of the stairs where Kratos, Colette, and Genis were waiting. Kratos looked irritated, "Where were you?" he growled.
"Saving a monument," Lloyd shrugged, "All in a day's work, right?"
Kratos sighed, "Back to the inn."
….
R&R
~Yoshi