If he had to be honest then Forcystus would admit to having better days.

What started as a simple incursion to kill the Chosen and bring her Cruxis Crystal to Lord Yggdrassial had now turned into a battle against her protectors and one of his lord's personally chosen Seraphim.

With his personal force now at less than a quarter of their original numbers.

"Well done..." Forcystus complemented Lloyd Irving as he clashed his arm-cannon against the human's swords, one of which gave off a subtle mana flow that the Gnashing Gale recognized, "The Chosen choose her protectors well..."

"Colette is a smart girl. What did you expect?" The Grand Cardinal drove his arm out of the clash and fired a mana blast that the boy barely managed to evade. Against his explicit orders, two of his soldiers ran up to try to kill the boy.

For their trouble, Forcystus grudgingly thought that their being slashed and left to drain onto the ground was appropriate enough.

Elsewhere, he noticed that his men were doing more poorly than he had feared. The Seraphim, the girl whom Forcystus strongly believed to be the Chosen, and the two traitors worked well as a unit against his soldiers while a few of the villagers had gained enough courage to attack as well.

But he couldn't simply stop his duel with the boy. No, he had a feeling that stopping to fight the Seraphim with this strange human would be more problem than it was probably worth.

"Bring out the creature!" He ordered one of his soldiers before he sent out an Exbone drone that fired a wind blade at the human, "I shall deal with you personally, Lloyd Irving."

"Guys..." The human said as "the creature" lumbered towards his friends and slashed to reflect a wind blade into the ground to Forcystus' amazement.

"We can handle this creature Lloyd." The older traitor assured the human as the Seraphim hesitated to attack the large dark green monster that struck him across the chest. Forcystus was actually rather surprised to have seen that happen. As Kratos created a barrier to protect from the beast's mana claw, the grand cardinal noticed his fearful expression.

This was not the first time that he had faced this creature...but then again if Kvar was correct...

"Kratos!" Thankfully, Forcystus was starting to see a silver-lining in this situation because there went the Chosen to save the Seraphim suffering post-trauma. She threw her chakram at the monster's arm and made a decisive hit strong enough to divert attention while the younger traitor used a well timed wind blade to cut through it's side and knock it off balance.

But before she caught her chakram, the girl was tackled by a desian who proceeded to knock away the other chakram while she struggled against him and another before thought dead desian who helped hold her down.

"Colette!" Regardless of the girl's ability to probably fight off two tired desians, Lloyd slashed through Forcystus's probe and ran to assist her. Leaving his back exposed to the Grand Cardinal's now charged attack.

He originally considered shooting the boy in the back, but the Grand Cardinal thought that the boy would either dodge the attack and that it would be in poor taste. The Seraphim would not suffer damage so he was not a viable target. Despite her position, Forcystus recognized the small desian group who were restraining and preparing to kill the girl as competent and chose not to attack.

As for the traitors...the boy's offensive magic had been a hassle but not as much as the older woman who was not only the more seasoned but she was also the healer of their group and standing next to a human child.

With that short thought, the choice was easy for Forcystus.

"Raine!" Lloyd cried after he cut down the desians that were hassling Colette as the Grand Cardinal smirked. The woman foolishly threw herself out to protect a stupid human child. It was rather sad to see a member of his kind sacrifice an arm for one of those pathetic beings.

Especially when he knew that she would do that.

"Sis!" The younger traitor cried out as the woman managed to stay calm despite the blood spraying out of the stump under her left shoulder. Now Forcystus could see a domino effect begin to take place. The younger traitor was the woman's brother and now that his sister was injured then he would rush over to make sure that she was okay.

Leaving the rest of his enemies without dedicated magic support against the rallying remnants of his men and a creature that still had enough steam to be partially useful.

As the boy cut down another soldier, the creature marched over in between him and the Seraphim and slammed it's fist into the ground creating a shockwave that knocked both off of the ground.

"Pity..." The Grand Cardinal admitted as he saw the seraphim struggle to get up under his shook, "To think that the mighty Kratos would be this weak. He is only human, why should I be surprised?"

"Lloyd!" To Forcystus' surprise, the seraphims shook off his post-trauma and stabbed his lightning charged sword through the creature's leg. Resulting in a powerful mana bolt that blew off the creature's leg as Lloyd recovered and attacked the creature with a spinning sword tempest that carved through his chest and the girl threw one of her chakrams into the creature's neck, slashing it's throat and spraying blood out in a magnificent mess.

Realizing that it's purpose had been fulfilled, the Grand Cardinal aimed his cannon at it's chest and fired. The blast was not too powerful, but it would be enough to react with the creature's unstable mana and create an rather colorful explosion.

"Well played..." Forcystus complemented after lowering his arm-cannon and watched the cloud of debris rise over where his foes had been defeated, "You almost had me beaten, but then you had to try and be a hero. Now I not only know where the Chosen is, but I've caused you to stumble all at once."

"This isn't over yet!" The boy flipped out of the debris and as he landed in front of the shocked Grand Cardinal, thrust his blade through Forcystus' chest and was shot back by a forceful burst of mana, "Not while I'm breathing!"

"That is a remarkably powerful exsphere." The Grand Cardinal told the human as he held his wound. While it wasn't lethal, the mana behind the attack caused a sort of pain that Forcystus was not used to, "Would you like to know where it came from?"

"It's the essence of my mother..." Lloyd aimed an enflamed strike that cut across the grand cardinal's chest as he stumbled back in surprise, "Who you bastards killed!"

"Us?" The Grand Cardinal asked as eh decided to take this fight seriously before he was injured further, "We didn't kill your mother, it was-" Just then, Forcystus was grabbed by the before-thought dead creature and crushed in it's powerful grip before he could react.

"Lloyd..." He heard the creature say while he struggled to escape. How was it still alive in the first? "Genis...Run!"

"Marble..."

"I am...sorry for everything..." The monster apologized to the traitor while Forcystus felt a powerful and unstable mana build within her, "You...were like a grandson to me...goodbye...Genis..."

"Marble no!" The creature exploded in spectacular fashion at that moment. Leaving the Grand Cardinal on the brink of his life, still standing in defeat, humiliation and destitute. Before him, the human boy had erected a partial barrier to avoid the blast, but still succumbed to his wounds and fell forward onto his face.

In this, the Grand Cardinal was content.

"Lloyd!" That wretched girl ran to the boy's side and moved him into his lap, "Kratos! Lloyd's hurt!"

"Lord Forcystus!" Thankfully, the grand cardinal was not neglected. He especially appreciated the quickness of his remaining men due to the bleeding stump where the arm operating the sadly sacrificed cannon used to be.

"Lloyd Irving...as long as..." Forcystus breathed before his men grabbed him and allowed him to fall into their grip, "As long as you have that exsphere...you will be hunted..."

"Likewise, as long if you try to hurt Colette."

"We return to the ranch!" Forcystus commanded his men and as they turned in retreat, he decided to give one last warning to these humans, "Make peace with your goddess while you can humans! The next time you see a desian march for you...it will be your final hour..."

And they would remember why he was named the Gnashing Gale.

"Just look what has happened here!"

"Grandmother please..." Colette pleaded with her frantic grandmother as Lloyd stood by with Kratos while Genis sat beside his unconscious sister, "We both knew that this would happen eventually..."

"I..." Lloyd said, looking around at the destruction that had happened here, "I don't know what to say..."

"Child..." The old woman started, "I cannot pass judgement on the circumstances that caused you to act as you did...but I thank you for saving..."

"Colette..." Lloyd finished for Phaidra, "No need, that's what I've wanted to do all along."

"You think that's gonna be enough!" One of older villagers stepped out of the scared and angry crowd, one of the mayor's relatives, "People have died! The mayor was found in a pool of his own blood! The desians have marked you as their enemy!"

"Just like they did me." Colette pointed out to the man.

"It wasn't just Lloyd!" Genis stood up with teams streaming out of his eyes, "It was my fault too..."

"Genis..."

"I talked Lloyd into going to the ranch with me to meet...Marble...They started hurting Marble and Lloyd fought them...to protect someone that all of you have turned your backs on!"

"You little..." The man balled his fists in outrage at Genis' words, "Who are you to judge us? It was either the treaty or have the desians enslaving all of us! Just look at how the alternative turned out!"

"You humans..." Genis mumbled, "You're all the same...what about the attack on Colette from yesterday!"

"Genis has a point." Kratos pointed out neutrally, "From what I observed, neither the Chosen nor the townsfolk here had provoked that attack and I did not see your mayor at the very least throw a complaint at the desian leader."

"You're just a mercenary!" Another younger bandaged villager shouted, "Don't pretend that you know about us-"

"Enough!" Lloyd spoke up, "I get it, you're looking for someone to blame who you can actually get revenge on. Alright, here I am. I killed those desians-"

"Because I told him to."

"Colette!"

"What? No Colette!"

"Colette..." Frank was stunned at what his daughter had just said, "Is that true?"

"I wanted to know..." Colette stated slowly, "All my life, I've been told to stay away from the desians. But as the Chosen, I'm to protect the world from them and yet I've been sheltered away...until they attacked yesterday..."

"Colette...stop..."

"So I asked Lloyd and Genis to go to the ranch...I never wanted any of it to happen but..." Colette went on, ignoring Lloyd's shocked expression and Genis' increasing guilt, "Everything that they did falls squarely on my shoulders. Even if they were doing the right thing, I accept the blame for all that it led to."

"Chosen..."

"Don't worry..." Colette told the older villager who was now seemed ashamed of what he had said earlier, "To atone for all that has happened because of my foolishness...I exile myself from Iselia..."

"Colette!"

"What are you doing?"

"Lloyd...I can't just let you and Genis suffer alone..."

"And neither will I." Lloyd said to his beloved friend, "To atone for my crimes...my foolishness...I will accompany the Chosen and will not return until she does...this journey will be my atonement...for everyone who has died..."

"Mine too!" Genis shouted before he looked back to a mumbling and sweat-drenched Raine, "I'm sorry sis...but I can't stay here...not with everything I've done."

"Chosen...my little Colette..." Phiadra said with tears, almost wanting to run over and hug her grand-daughter, "I am shamed to do this...but I accept the conditions of your exile...effective...immediately..."

"What kind of Chosen are you!"

"Enough!"

"No!" The villager in question pointed to where his son lied with a missing leg, "Don't you know what you caused you little bitch!"

"What was that!" Lloyd roared as he drew his swords to the crowd's panic, "Come here and say that in front of us!"

"Let's go Lloyd..." Colette turned away and grabbed Lloyd's hand as he shook at how some in the crowd had turned on Colette so quickly, "Lloyd..."

"Alright..." He squeezed her hand lightly and turned away from the booing crowd. "Look after Raine...no one will blame you for what happened."

"This is...this is all my fault..." Genis said on his knees beside his sister, "I'm so sorry...both of you...I didn't mean for any of this to happen..."

"Of course you didn't. No one ever means for mistakes to made." Kratos stated while he himself was lost in thought, "We will need a place to rest for the night."

"We'll be at Dirk's, Genis..." Lloyd said to his now quiet friend, "If you still don't want to come after all of this...we'll understand."

"What about Raine?"

"Our home wasn't damaged, we'll look after her and Genis there." Frank assured her daughter, "It isn't right for you young ones to shoulder all of the blame for this...no parent should have to exile their child for their own cowardice..."

"Making a hard decision for the sake of preservation is not the act of a coward." Kratos said to the sad father, "Let's go." With that, the three of them left the ruin village of Iselia without looking back...

"So that's the gist of it." Dirk set down his empty mug while sitting in the living room with his son, Colette and a standing Kratos, "Can't say that it's the best thing that could've happened, but at least the two of you are alright."

"I'm sore all over...you call that alright?"

"If it's so bad maybe I can make you chop wood to shut ya up?" Dirk asked gruffly, making Colette while Lloyd's face lost a shade of color, "Thought so lad. You're welcome to stay for as long as you need to. This isn't part of the village so you can come here whenever you want, the door will be open."

"Thank you Dirk." Colette said before she looked down at her untouched hot chocolate. Next to her, Lloyd gently rubbed her shoulder to comfort the girl.

"Dirk...could I have a word with you?"

"What for?" Dirk asked the before-silent Kratos, "Alright, I don't really know ya all that well so why not...keep on your best behavior boy!"

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd asked as Kratos and Dirk went outside and left him alone with Colette, "He acts like I try to break everything when he's gone."

"I don't think that was what he was talking about..." Colette pointed out while blushing, "He was probably teasing you though..."

"Yeah..." Lloyd agreed as he saw her small smile turn sad, "Do you regret it?"

"No. Nothing really changes now..."

"I'm really sorry about where all of this led..." Lloyd apologized for what may have been the tenth time since they left Iselia, "Raine...the village...Marble...I didn't think through my actions and I'm..."

"Why should you be sorry? You were only doing what was right. Besides, the desians already broke the treaty and already attacked the village."

"But...why do I still feel like it was all my fault..." Maybe it was knowledge that he had a share of blame or sheer guilt, right then, Lloyd felt like he had caused all of the damage in that village, "Whether it was or it wasn't...I still feel responsible for everything that happened..."

"Then we'll seek atonement together..." Colette assured Lloyd, "The Goddess knows that you're a good person Lloyd. I'm sure she'll forgive you if you show your work for atonement."

"Right..." From the voice of his angel came that sting. The sting that told him about why all of this was happening that those people in that village were going to let her die for a lie... "Hey Colette...can I talk to you later?"

"What for?" Colette inquired, "Why can't we...talk now?"

"Now?" Lloyd asked taken off guard, "Well...this isn't something that I've thought out...It's about...well..." Lloyd drew out one of his swords and watched Colette's eyes reflect the blue aura that the sword gave off.

"Oh...Raine and Genis were really curious about that..." Colette said while admiring Lloyd's blade, "It's mana...but it's...different..."

"That's part of what I wanted to talk to you about." Lloyd replied and took her hand in his after placing the sword on the table, "But what I'll have to say...you won't like it."

Author's Notes:

Now we see our first major divergence in the story with another one on the way. The Healer's lost an arm thanks to the Desians and Lloyd may be about to tell Colette the truth about her "journey."

Some will probably wonder why I had the first part focus on Forcystus and I can see why. Mainly, I wanted the battle to progress from his point of view and to look into how a tactical enemy might react and function while battling the good guys since their thoughts and standards won't be the same as the heroes.

As for why Kratos wasn't as effective as some would hope, keep his backstory in mind and how recently a certain incident happened.

Here's a question for people who played the game. How come the point that desians apparently attacked the village before the Marble incident is hardly brought up? I know that they were Renegades, but the heroes and the Iselians don't know that. How come no one else became a bit more panicked or pissed about an apparent breach in the treaty?