Hello again! Sorry about the long wait, I've heard nothing from my beta for a while... So I thought I'd put up the unbeta'd version since it's been a while

As ever, reviews are appreciated and make me happy, reviewers get a virtual cookie. Maybe if I start getting into high numbers I'll offer a free oneshot for, say, 25th review... Suggestions welcome :)

Disclaimer: Not mine. Really, what sort of stupid person would think I was claiming it was?

Chapter three: Judgement

"Please… Stop, please…" Lloyd begged, both hands in front of his face to try and ward off his attackers. The Desians looked at each other and laughed, one of them raising a whip. Lloyd whimpered and tried desperately to hide.

"Cease! That is enough." Forcystus' voice cut across his thoughts, and no pain came. Lloyd looked up, confused. Forcystus was stood there, looking highly irritated, and the guards had backed off respectfully. "Lloyd. Can you stand?" He asked. Lloyd hesitantly tried, scrabbling for some sort of support on the metal walls and finding none.

"Lord Forcystus wants you to stand, so stand, vermin," one guard barked.

"Y-yes, yes sir," Lloyd stammered, pushing himself up to his knees. "I… I'm sorry, L-lord Forcystus… I c-can't…" One guard started towards him angrily, but Forcystus stopped him.

"Stand down," he told them. "You are dismissed." He sighed. "…You've done a good job." The guards bowed and left, and Forcystus walked over to Lloyd, who flinched away from him. "Oh, come now. You can't be so broken already," he murmured gently. Lloyd looked up, confused. "You're a strong young boy," Forcystus replied. "One beating can't have taken all your spirit away, surely?" Lloyd frowned, pulling away when Forcystus tried to take his arm to help him up. Forcystus smiled. "That's the spirit," he replied. "Now, get up, come on." Lloyd just stared at him.

"…I don't get you," he decided eventually. Forcystus shrugged. "You have me beaten, then tell me not to be broken by it? That's not logical at all." Forcystus laughed.

"Perhaps not," he replied with a smile. "Forgive me for saying so, but I have an appearance to keep up. You use that Ring of yours on me, then I have to have you beaten. By rights, I should have had you beaten each time you didn't use my title, but I'm in a good mood today." Lloyd glared.

"What, because you burned the village and killed people?" He growled. Forcystus sighed.

"No, Lloyd," he replied. "I did not mean for the village to be burned, and the killing was a waste."

"Because you could have knocked them out and carried them back to the Ranch to work them to death?" Lloyd spat. Forcystus frowned.

"Are you trying to ruin my mood? Would you particularly like to be beaten again?" He asked. Lloyd glared at him.

"You're no different," he muttered. Forcystus raised an eyebrow.

"Testing me?" He asked. Lloyd started to say something, but he cut him off with a shake of his head. "Weren't you listening, Lloyd? I didn't want the village burned." Lloyd remembered the Desian's words to the first one they'd killed.

"Are you sure about this? Lord Forcystus said…"

"I thought it a stupid and pointless waste of life. Why else would I have a non-aggression treaty with them? Geez…" He shook his head. "You're special, Lloyd. I am supposed to be protecting you… Guess I don't seem to be doing a good job to you, but really I am. Yes, you broke the rules. But you're alive. No other Desian Cardinal would have kept you alive. You would have been dead and your Exsphere removed like that." He clicked his fingers to emphasise his point. Lloyd shuddered.

"But, you said that…" He murmured. Forcystus shook his head.

"They wouldn't have listened. But I owe Lord Aurion a debt," Forcystus replied. "That's all. So get up. Come on. Be strong and defiant like you were before. I dare you." Forcystus smiled, and Lloyd gritted his teeth and pulled himself to his feet, using Forcystus to claw his way up to a standing position. He looked the Cardinal in the eye.

"You have not won me over," he told him defiantly. "You're a Desian. You're evil. Nothing is going to change that. Maybe you're a bit different… But it's probably lies anyway. I hate you and I certainly don't trust you."

"Good," Forcystus replied. "Now, come on. I'll find you something to eat."

Lloyd was surprised to find that the Ranch food was good. Forcystus was keeping a close eye on him while he ate, but otherwise nothing bad was done to him. Forcystus had even healed his wounds for him, which had surprised him. He'd muttered irritably under his breath about violent types while he'd done it, too. The first conclusion that Lloyd had come to from that was that First Aid was now his favourite magic.

"Mmm… This is nice…" He murmured. Forcystus smiled faintly.

"I'm glad you appreciate it," he replied, sitting down next to him. "How many meals a day do you think the other humans at this Ranch get?" Lloyd looked at him, confused.

"I dunno… two?" he replied. Forcystus shook his head.

"Meals are given out strictly as rewards," he replied. "Although there is a limit to the amount of time a human can go without a meal. We don't want them dying early." Lloyd gaped at him.

"That's… That's horrific!" He exclaimed, wondering where the encouraging Forcystus had suddenly disappeared to. Not that he trusted him…

"That's life," he replied. "It helps encourage them to work and not cause trouble."

"But… They'll be starving, then they'll do worse! How can you put them through that?" Lloyd demanded. "You've got no idea what that must be like! It must be horrible!" Forcystus shook his head slowly.

"Quick to judge, aren't you?" He asked. "This is what I thought. You presume all Desians to have had easy lives, that we do these things to humans because we find it… Fun?" Lloyd looked at him, confused. "A lot of half-elves join because they have been persecuted against by humans." He drummed his fingers on the table. "A good 30 of Desians have at some point or another suffered similar treatment to that which we put you humans through." Lloyd looked at him.

"Have you?" He asked. Forcystus laughed bitterly.

"Forward, aren't you?" he remarked. "I'm a Grand Cardinal, Lloyd. I shouldn't tell you that sort of thing. And I note that you have already forgotten my title." Lloyd decided that the answer to that question was a yes, and resolved to get more out of him. If he was going to be held prisoner he was going to cause trouble. Lots of it. Forcystus wouldn't be able to stand him soon if he could help it.

The next week passed without much incident from Lloyd. He let Forcystus lock him in a cell and tell him in no uncertain terms that if he tried to escape the laser would fry him, orders or no orders. Lloyd stayed in the cell. He ate all his meals, despite feelings of guilt at what the other humans in the Ranch were getting – or rather, weren't getting. He followed all the orders he was given, and he used all the titles he was told to. Overall, he was causing Forcystus a lot of confusion.

"…I don't get it," he murmured. "He was so defiant, and now… This? What is he trying to do, lull me into a false sense of security?" Roy shrugged.

"Probably, Sir. You have to watch yourself with that one," he warned. Forcystus sighed and ran one hand through his hair.

"How difficult can one human be?" He murmured. "Lloyd Aurion… Huh. He is most definitely his father's son." He stood up. "He deserves some exercise. I'll let him train with me today." Roy raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure that's wise, Sir?" He asked. Forcystus made an irritated noise.

"I'm not keeping him in that cell his whole life. He needs some freedom," he replied. "He isn't really a prisoner. It's just a technical term for the rest of the Desians here, you know?" Forcystus sighed and ran one hand through his hair. "Typical of Cruxis to cause us problems. They could have just said 'leave the boy alone', but no, it had to be, 'look after the boy'. Look after a human? In a Ranch? He may be of Cruxis, but we are Desians! What was Lord Aurion thinking?" Forcystus scuffed one foot on the floor. "Anyway. Keep an eye on the surveillance for me. If the Chosen is really stupid, she might even come back for him." Roy nodded.

"Will do, Sir," he replied, bringing up the surveillance screen as told as Forcystus walked out to go and find Lloyd.

"Lloyd!" The boy looked up at the sound of the Grand Cardinal's voice, but didn't bother to get up. The prison cell door was locked, anyhow.

"Yeah?" He asked nonchalantly. Forcystus frowned. So, obedient Lloyd was gone. He just wondered whether that boded well… Or badly.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He prompted, walking right up to the bars. Lloyd met his gaze.

"Dunno. I wasn't fed this morning," he replied, looking hurt. Forcystus sighed.

"Well, you'll likely be fed less if you don't start being respectful," he informed him. He wasn't fed? What are those idiots playing at? He's done absolutely nothing wrong!

"You don't deserve respect, Desian," he spat. Forcystus grabbed the bars of the cell threateningly.

"At least I don't call you by number!" He spat harshly, making Lloyd recoil slightly. "Don't think you don't have one, oh, no," he continued, rattling the bars. "Rule number 31! All inferior beings held at the Ranch will have a designation number, human L025!" Lloyd flinched at the tone in his voice, starting to regret his behaviour. "Why do I even bother trying with you? I was going to let you train with me, but clearly you don't want nor appreciate the opportunities we give you!"

"Train? With you?" Lloyd repeated. "…Why?" Forcystus sighed, letting go of the cell bars.

"Because you've been kept in there for a week, that's why," he replied. "It's not fair not to let you out at all. Besides, you need the exercise."

"But… I fight with swords… L-lord Forcystus," Lloyd continued, confused. Forcystus smiled slightly. Finally, he was being good again, so he wouldn't have to punish him. Lloyd really did love treading on eggshells.

"So do I. At least, I used to," he informed Lloyd, keying in the door release code. The cell opened without a sound, and Lloyd stood, confused. "Come on. I'll forgive you this once," he told Lloyd, who nodded and quickly ran to his side. "I might even let you have your own swords," he continued as they walked, Lloyd recoiling every time they passed the security lights. He hated the ones that moved. He had had to jump out of the way of them on more than one occasion as the guards had led him around. Forcystus, however, just made the 'tch' noise he was so fond of making and clicked his fingers. The lights deactivated.

"H-how do you do that? Lord Forcystus." Lloyd asked, astonished, but still hastily adding the title on the end.

"Magic," Forcystus replied with a slight smile. "Actually, mana. Most of the systems in the Ranch are controlled by mana switches. That's why we don't have too many of them. I'm sure I can hook your Sorcerer's Ring up to one of the machines so you can have some degree of control, too." Lloyd's face lit up. Could he really turn off the security fields? "But you'd have to be careful. Use up too much of your body's mana, and you die. And the full-corridor lights are permanent; you'll be pleased to know. The only way you'll get through those is if you're chipped." Lloyd's face fell.

"Well…" He started, but Forcystus shook his head.

"No, Lloyd, I am not giving you a chip. You're a prisoner. I can't have you running about all over the place. And don't say that cell keeps you in, I get the feeling you're the sort of kid who'd be out in a second if he thought it was worth it. You got out once. I'm not stupid." Lloyd's face fell further. It had been worth a try. Forcystus looked at his glum expression and laughed. "What? You thought I'd fall for that? Not a chance," he replied. "I don't mind hooking your ring up, though. Just promise me you'll be careful. I can't have you dying on me, now." Lloyd nodded instantly. Any opportunity to be able to shut down security was one he was taking. "I'll do that now, if you like," Forcystus continued. "I haven't anything else to be doing." Lloyd nodded instantly. Forcystus looked at him, a slight smile on his lips. "You're quiet, Lloyd. Did I scare you?"

"No," Lloyd muttered stubbornly. "…Lord Forcystus." Forcystus laughed softly.

"I see," he replied. "This way." Lloyd followed him, looking less enthusiastic now. Somehow, he'd let the Desian get the better of him. That had not been part of the plan at all. How did he do it? "Here," Forcystus told Lloyd once they reached a strange-looking machine with what looked like a well of mana on the top of it. "Put the gem of the Ring in that indent, there." Lloyd nodded and did so, yelping and pulling it away seconds later when the ring flashed. Forcystus frowned. "That's strange… I didn't touch anything," he remarked. Lloyd pointed the ring at the nearest wall and used its power, and was highly surprised when mana flowed out from it. He also felt a little more tired than he had been a second ago. "Ah, wonderful," Forcystus remarked. "It's done something at least. You'll be able to open the doors, although I doubt that will stop the lights, which was really my intention… Ah, well. You can't have everything, I guess."

Guess the guards can still have fun seeing how quickly I dodge the lights, then, Lloyd thought mournfully, looking at his ring. "Will I… Be able to get it back to normal? Lord Forcystus." Forcystus nodded.

"Considering the automatic reaction of the ring to the well, I would think if you put it back in it should switch back. And of course, it's a Sorcerer's ring. After a while, it will revert back to normal anyway. Tell me if that happens, I'll bring you back here." Lloyd nodded. Forcystus sighed and walked back down the corridor slightly. "Well, come on, then. I didn't bring you out here just to play with your little toy. You've got work to do." Lloyd muttered under his breath about irritating Desians, and ran to catch up as Forcystus walked away down the corridor. The security lights came back on with a clap of Forcystus' hands, and that served as a very encouraging reason for Lloyd to keep up.

How does he know about the Sorcerer's Ring, anyway?

A/N: Aha, Lloyd wonders...

R&R please, reviews make me happy It's nice to know you've added a story to an alert list, but sometimes you want to know why, y'know?