Boo!

Thanks to all my reviewers. You can have a free Forcystus. Treat him nice.

I've decided to make Forcy's arm under the cannon whole in this. If anyone can point me to a specific section of the game that says otherwise I'd like to know, but I feel it works better if he has two arms.

Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: Exactly what I said in the first three chapters. I make no money from this etc. etc. Do I really still need to bother with this?

Chapter four: Aurion blood.

"Here. Catch." Lloyd caught the wooden sword thrown to him, and had to grab for a second when Forcystus threw another. He looked at the hilt, and was surprised to see that Forcystus had actually returned his original swords to him. What was this Desian playing at? "Well? Don't I even get a thank you?" He inquired, not looking up from where he was pressing buttons on the cannon on his arm. With a few small beeping noises, it detached, and Forcystus leant it against a wall. Lloyd was slightly disappointed to see a whole arm underneath. "What? Did you want me to be horribly disfigured or something?" He asked with a laugh. "Sorry to disappoint you. And I still hear no thank you."

"Thankyou Lord Forcystus," Lloyd murmured automatically. Forcystus smiled slightly.

"Much better," he replied, grabbing a sword of his own – also wooden. Either he didn't trust Lloyd, or he was playing it safe. "Just so you know, Lloyd, you are going to cause absolutely no damage to me with those." He eyed Lloyd's Exsphere. "No even with a Demon Fang. So… Don't worry." His tone was slightly patronising, and Lloyd glared at him.

We'll see about that, Desian! He thought, mentally accepting the challenge. He noted that Forcystus' sword arm was the one that he usually had the cannon on – his left – which would more than likely make that arm stronger than it would normally be. After all, it supported all that weight.

"Good. Analysing your opponent," Forcystus complimented, stepping into the centre of the room and taking up a fighting stance. "However, in most fights, an enemy will not let you stand there and look at them, will they?"

"Why are you telling me this?" Lloyd asked, carefully moving opposite Forcystus, swords at the ready. As far as he was concerned, his primary aim was to inflict as much damage as possible on the Desian.

"Why, you will never learn otherwise!" Forcystus responded, looking amused. "Most times you will have to rely on your own experience, or use one of these." He tossed something to Lloyd, and he dropped one of his swords to catch it. It was a small magnifying glass, with the lens part covered. Confused, Lloyd held it up, and the covering moved away of its own accord to show Forcystus, who had his trademark slight sly smile on his face still. There were two glowing lines around him, one green and one blue, and at the very top of the glass' vision was a little wind symbol. The words 'Iselia Ranch' had written themselves along the bottom.

"Wh… What is this thing?" He asked, still starting through it, amazed. Forcystus walked over, and Lloyd lowered it, still keeping a hold on it.

"A Magic Lens," Forcystus replied. "Keep it. Once you use it, it will show you everything about the creature… Or person… You use it on, just by looking through it at the target. That one is tuned in to me, now. And only you can use it." He took the Lens from Lloyd's weak grip and held it up. The covering was down once more. "They're cheap to make. See? It shows me nothing now it's been registered to my life signs. They lock on to a person's mana signature." Lloyd snatched it back jealously, glaring at the Desian, who laughed. "Pick your sword up! It's about time we did some actual fighting," Forcystus replied. "The green light you can see around me is a measure of how much mana I have left in my body – my life-force. If that disappears, it means I've no mana left, and I'm as good as dead. The blue bar is a little more complicated. It's almost a measure of magical energy, but humans and monsters have it, too. Basically, it measures your battle strength. So, if you can't see a blue light, it means I can't do much more than attack you, I've no energy left for magic." Lloyd held the lens up again, the blue bar was almost level with the green one. "I've used a little magic today, so it should be not quite equal to the green light, correct?" Lloyd nodded and put the lens down on the nearest table, shooting Forcystus a glare in case he tried to take it. The Cardinal laughed. "Alright. Show me how you fight," he offered, taking up a defensive stance. Lloyd growled and charged at him, swinging his swords, dismayed to find that Forcystus blocked every single one of his thrusts and swings. He hadn't been lying when he'd said he could use a sword. "Good! Good," Forcystus congratulated him as he attacked more fiercely, determined to at least land a hit in. "Use your Exsphere! Don't hold back, Lloyd. Imagine I'm… Kvar." Lloyd paused, panting hard.

"…Kvar?" He asked, shifting his grip on his swords.

"The Desian who caused the death of your mother. He created that Exsphere," Forcystus replied. "He laughed as he watched her killed!" Lloyd growled.

"You… Desian!" He yelled. "You were there, weren't you? You helped kill her! You!!" He ran forwards. "Demon Fang!"

"Guardian!" Forcystus yelled, the green force field stopping the attack in its tracks. Lloyd stopped, stunned, as Forcystus lowered his sword and the energy field faded. "…Good," he decided, walking past Lloyd. "And no, I wasn't there, as I have already told you, what, three times now?" he picked up the lens and tossed it to Lloyd, who caught it. "Look through it." Hesitantly, Lloyd did so. Although the green light was unchanged, the blue light had edged its way down a little. "Using guardian takes up energy," Forcystus informed him. "As will any spell, or any sort of ability that draws on my Exsphere." He held up his right hand, and Lloyd could see an Exsphere there, set in a Key Crest as his was. "So, if I do anything that requires me to use this… Anything that would not normally be possible for someone built like us to do… It takes up energy. And of course, when you have no energy you cannot fight effectively. Remember that."

"You can… Restore this energy, right?" Lloyd asked, watching Forcystus walk back over to where he'd been before. Forcystus nodded.

"Of course," he replied. "Simply fighting will give you back the will to fight, the need. Unless, of course, you use up that energy instantly trying to break through an enemy's defences. Put the lens down." Lloyd hesitantly did as he was told. "Now, show me the range of your abilities. Surely Demon Fang can't be all you know." Lloyd twitched, irritated.

"Well, I…" He murmured, picking up his second sword. Forcystus smiled slightly one more, that sly smile.

"You only know Demon Fang? My," he remarked. Lloyd's grip tightened on his swords.

"Are you insulting me, Desian?" He spat. "I'm stronger than I look!"

"Prove it, then," Forcystus offered, spreading his arms, sword still in hand. "Land one blow on me. If you can, I will concede that perhaps you are stronger than you look." Lloyd growled and launched at him once more, but this time, instead of guarding his attacks, Forcystus fought back. Lloyd was on the floor within a few seconds, groaning. "Quite the proof," he remarked, regarding Lloyd as he struggled back into a kneeling position. Forcystus pointed the wooden sword at him, and he looked up the blade at the Desian.

"You…" He managed. Forcystus laughed.

"Get up," he suggested, walking backwards. "We've only just started!"

"But… You…" Lloyd protested.

"What, I floored you? Oh, what a shame," Forcystus replied. "That's nothing. I could have set you to a day's Ranch work. Then you would have been begging for it to end with reason. Have some backbone." Lloyd growled.

"You… You filthy…" He spat. Forcystus shrugged.

"What, that it? That's all you ever say!" He returned. "Be original, Lloyd, and call me something other than filthy for a change. It gets so tiresome." Lloyd gripped his swords tightly.

"I will get you just once," he promised. "I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face!"

"Come and do so, then!" Forcystus taunted, pointing his sword at Lloyd. "I dare you!" Lloyd flung himself at the Desian, attacking in a frenzy, and Forcystus laughed as he blocked his attacks. "That's more like it!" He encouraged, blocking an angry Demon Fang. "Now, then!" He jumped backwards. "Magic!" Lloyd didn't even stop, he just ran at Forcystus. "Wind Blade!" Forcystus called, an easy spell like that needing minimal casting time. Lloyd cried out as he was caught unawares and flung back, once more finding himself on the floor. Forcystus chuckled as he struggled back up. "Most, if not all, of your foes will have something that supplements their basic attacking techniques. Even monsters have more than one thing at their disposal. When you get a bit better, I'll have my men catch some monsters from the forest for you to practise on." Lloyd glared at him, panting heavily.

"…That hurt," he muttered sulkily. Forcystus laughed.

"That was the idea, Lloyd," he replied. "It's magic! That was a basic wind spell. Have a look through your lens again; you'll see that it took hardly any energy to cast." Lloyd scrabbled on the table for the lens and eventually found it, holding it up. As Forcystus had said, there was barely any difference from the last time he had looked. He put the lens back.

"So you know… Stronger magics?" He asked. Forcystus nodded.

"Wind magic, more specifically," he replied. "I have quite a large repertoire. Although probably not as large as your half-elven friend will have by the time he finishes studying…"

"Genis?" Lloyd asked. "Genis is an elf, not filth like you." Forcystus smiled slightly.

"So, every half-elf is filth?" He asked. Lloyd paused.

"…No," he replied eventually. "But all you Desians are. Filthy. In fact, even if Genis were a half-elf – which he isn't – I wouldn't care. He's my friend. His race doesn't matter to me." Forcystus nodded slowly.

"…Good," he replied. "Now, come here, and I will show you my stronger magic, if you like." Lloyd grabbed his Lens and made his way over to Forcystus, sitting down on the floor once he was close, exhausted. Forcystus looked at him. "…You'd better be glad you weren't brought here to be worked," he remarked. "Anyway. The next level of magic is the intermediate level. There are two wind spells in this level, air blade and air thrust. I know both. If you specialise in a particular element, it is easier to learn both types, whereas those who cover every element tend only to learn one intermediate level magic." He gathered mana around him, producing an unearthly green glow around his body. "Air blade!" Magic shot from his hand towards the opposite side of the room, where it hit with a rather large crash. Lloyd rubbed the hair out of his eyes irritably – it had been blown around by the wind created. "And… Air thrust…" Forcystus murmured, gathering more mana around him. "Air thrust!" A sphere of air appeared in the centre of the room, with almost solid blades of air whipping around inside it. Lloyd winced. He did not want to be caught up in that. Forcystus lowered his hand with a satisfied look. "There," he remarked. "Impressed?" Lloyd shook his head.

"Nah," he replied meanly. "I bet Genis could do better." Forcystus laughed.

"Is that so?" He asked. "Next is the advanced level magic. There's only one pure wind spell, and that's Cyclone. It can get a bit… Out of control, so you may want to come a little closer." Lloyd obediently moved closer to the Desian, who had the mana circle around his feet once more. He had a focused look on his face; this magic clearly took a lot more effort than the other spells he'd been using. "Gentle winds…" He murmured, closing his eyes. "Gather before me; lend me the strength of the winds of the worlds. Cyclone!" A vortex of green, whirling wind sprang up in the centre of the room, wind blade whipping back and forth within it. Forcystus opened his eyes with a satisfied look. "That more like it?" He asked. Lloyd looked up at him and stood up.

"I dunno… I mean… It's just wind…" He started, then his grip on his right-hand sword tightened and he brought it round. Much to his shock, Forcystus caught it.

"Haha! Very clever," he remarked. "However, I was expecting you to do something of the sort. Sit back down. We're not done yet." Lloyd, irritated, yanked the sword out of his grasp and slumped back down to the floor. "Now. The Summon Spirit of Wind is Sylph, who resides at the top of the Balacruf Mausoleum," Forcystus told him.

"You can summon?" Lloyd asked, jumping to conclusions. Forcystus shook his head.

"No. background information is always useful," he replied. "There are three Sylph, Sephie, Yutie and Fairess. When you use wind magic, you are calling upon their mana and bending it to your own will. One does not have to be a summoner to use a summon… As it were."

"You just have to be a bit of elf," Lloyd murmured. Forcystus watched him, waiting. "But then, that mercenary… Kratos… He could use magic. He was human… I think."

Kratos? Hmm… Quick thinking time, Forcystus thought. I can't tell Lloyd about Aionis… Nor the true nature of Cruxis… Lord Aurion would kill me. "Humans can't tell race," he murmured. "Chances are, he has a little elf in his blood, but it is so dilute he may as well be human." Lloyd looked up at him.

"How come half-elves can tell race?" He asked. Forcystus laughed.

"Anyone with enough elven blood in them can… Well, I suppose you would say smell the mana on a person. Elven blood gives off a different… Smell… To human blood, so both elves and half-elves are very easy to spot." He shook his head. "But, I'm not done yet with magic!" Lloyd looked back at the floor, thinking.

"So, elves are related to mana, because they can cast spells, and they can sense the flow of mana in people?" He murmured. Forcystus raised an eyebrow. He was cleverer than he'd been giving him credit for.

"Magic, Lloyd. If you're so desperately interested I'll tell you later," he replied. "Shut up and watch." Lloyd looked back up at him, confused. "There are some magical techniques which bridge the boundaries of elements. Spiral Flare is a wind magic which uses fire, and Atlas is a water magic which uses wind. I can cast both."

"Go on, then," Lloyd muttered, clearly bored. Forcystus frowned.

"If you're not interested I can just make you get up and knock you to the floor again," he snapped. "Learning is important."

"Why? I'm a human who broke the rules! Why do you care?" Lloyd snapped. "Why don't you free some human and teach them, instead! I'd appreciate it more then! There are people of my blood suffering in this Ranch, whilst I get it easy! And you're helping me!" Forcystus sighed.

"Get up, then," he murmured. Lloyd gave him a strange look, suspicious. "Go on, get up. I'll teach you something." Lloyd slowly got to his feet, sliding his Magic Lens into one pocket. "The humans in this Ranch are already dead, Lloyd," Forcystus told him. "Even if I wanted to – which I don't – there would be no point in setting them free. Once an Exsphere has fused with the skin, that's it. You've had it. Whether you're human, half-elf or elf, although they grow best in humans." Lloyd's grip on the swords tightened. Forcystus seemed to have a talent for making him angry. "So, to be blunt. I am teaching you because you may as well learn. I can't kill you. I've had orders from up above. Why would I want to bother freeing one of the walking dead? Answer me that."

"Give them a break, though!" Lloyd yelled. "It can be helped, surely it can be helped! Giving someone with an uninhibited Exsphere a proper Key Crest will repress it, stop it completely even! It could save them!" Forcystus sighed.

"And I would waste money and time on inferior beings just why?" He pointed out.

"WE ARE NOT INFERIOR!" Lloyd shouted, charging at Forcystus once more. The Desian swiftly blocked him. "We are human! You're half-human, doesn't that make you half inferior by your own logic, Desian? Answer me that!" He yelled, hacking at him. Forcystus swung out at him swiftly, knocking him back.

"I am a half-elf, and you are not going to call me half-human or inferior again, ever," he growled. "Do you understand?"

"It's you that doesn't! It's you that's blind! You… Desian! I hate you all! TIGER BLADE!" Forcystus only just blocked as Lloyd launched himself into the air and hacked down.

"Fierce Demon Fang!" He snapped, and Lloyd was flung across the room and into the wall, where he lay, groaning. "You stupid, stupid human!" He yelled. "I try to give you an opportunity, and what do you do? You throw it away and insult me!"

"You… Insulted me…" Lloyd panted, trying to get up. Forcystus looked at him through narrowed eyes.

"You are walking on thin ground," he told Lloyd in a low, dangerous voice. "And my patience is limited. You're lucky I don't have you beaten again." Lloyd recoiled slightly despite himself as Forcystus walked forwards. "You have no idea, Lloyd. You cannot call someone anything until you know what they have been through, what it means to them. I called you human well enough. I had some sort of… Respect for you. Your damned stubbornness! Those of blood behave alike, it seems!" He threw his sword to the floor. "'Keep you safe', they said. I could have locked you in that cell, kept you alive and forgotten about you. Most other Desians would have done. But I have tried to keep you at least amused, I have been trying to train you, in case you didn't realise!" Slowly, Lloyd reached for the discarded sword, making sure Forcystus wasn't looking. "Live with one insult. It won't kill you. Insulting me back just might." He turned, and Lloyd stood up.

"…Not… If I have anything… To say about it…" He muttered, and he hit the surprised Forcystus square across the chest, making him stagger backwards.

"You…" Forcystus growled. "You will regret this." He pushed Lloyd to one side and stormed out of the room, the door locking behind him.

Ok… Maybe I pushed him a little too far…Lloyd decided, swallowing nervously. What had he let himself in for now?

A/N sorry for the sporadic updating, I had a driving test to prepare for. Which I passed!

Please R&R