Broken Wings
N.W. 69
Familiar
Lloyd flew through the air above Iselia, eyes scanning the plains and forest around the town. Part of him was avoiding Palmacosta, simply because he didn't want to see Emil in the last few hours of the man's life...
But a part of him knew the real reason why he was here.
It wasn't about avoiding Emil. It wasn't about searching for Noishe—though that was his excuse to anyone who asked, and he was sticking to it—and really, with all he'd been through...
One would think he'd have an easier time keeping his promise to Lilia.
Hm, he should probably check in on the kids. Sam, Alex, Bree, Bess. Those where their names, he'd finally gotten them memorized, but...
He sighed, spotted movement out by the house where he'd grown up with Dirk, and dropped into a loose dive.
Not so tight that he'd drop straight down, but no longer a pure glide, either...
Dirk looked up as Lloyd landed nearby, the Angel glancing at the wood the dwarf was hauling in.
"You want some help?" he asked, already moving to pick up a part of the firewood, at least.
Dirk smiled as he started collecting an armful. "Thanks, lad."
"Any time, Dad. You know you can ask me for help whenever."
"Aye, but yeh've got yer own work ta be doin' now. I'm not going ta get in yer way."
Lloyd sighed, took the armful of firewood over to the shed, and put it away on the stack with a familiar ease. Two trips, three...
Dirk grunted to himself as he dropped the final load and looked over the stack, clearly pleased. "Should last me a while... Now then. What're yeh doin' all the way out here? I'da thought yeh'd be in Palmacosta. I know Colette said Emil was failin'..."
Lloyd shook his head. "That's just it, Dad. I... I've visited once since Marta's death... Emil's already gone, really. Sticking around now is just begging to get hurt worse than necessary."
And...damn did that sound cold of him. But...
"Yeh've grown up, lad."
He glanced back at Dirk, somewhat surprised to see pride in his adoptive father's expression. "Dad?"
"Havin' ta watch the people around yeh grow old and leave this world when yeh know yer own time ain't comin' for a long while yet... It's never easy. But it's not impossible ta live with it, either. An' yeh've figured the trick to it out on yer own," Dirk said.
"Enjoy the time you have, make good memories... because when they're gone, it's the memories you've kept of them that are important," Lloyd murmured.
Something inside him settled a bit. Something he hadn't even realized needed to settle.
"Dad... thanks."
"Yeh're welcome. But yeh never answered my question. What're yeh doin' here?"
Lloyd sighed and looked around. "I'm starting to wonder if my excuse is becoming less and less an excuse and more an actual answer. I can't seem to find Noishe anywhere."
A brief expression of confusion crossed Dirk's face, then surprise, then concern. "Now that yeh mention it, I ain't seen him... Not for months, at least. It's not unusual for him ta wander off, but I didn't expect him ta vanish like this."
"You know I haven't seen him in years? Not since before Lilia died," Lloyd admitted. "And... I can't even remember the last time before that. Every time I go looking for him, he seems to be avoiding me or something. Which is... for him."
Dirk nodded. "Yer right. He used ta come an' go as he pleased, but... Well. I'll keep an eye out for him. And you take care of yerself, ya hear? Don't be gettin' in over yer head."
Lloyd sighed a bit, but chose not to speak up.
Why was everyone such a worrywart all of a sudden? Zelos, and Raine, and Genis, and Yuan... Now Dirk, too?
"Lloyd, I'm not trying ta be patronizing. I'm just worried about yeh. I know yer friends are startin' ta leave this world..."
And... he supposed it made sense that Dirk would be worried. All of his human friends were either dead, or dying. Thankfully from old age. If he'd had to see them die before their times, well...
He was having a hard enough time handling Presea and Seles. No, he hadn't been nearly as close to Zelos' sister as he had to Presea, but the spunky half-elf had been a good friend whenever he'd been in Meltokio.
His greatest regret, in hindsight, was not spending more time with her.
But... he had a lot of good memories, anyway.
That would have to be enough. As it would with everyone else.
"I know, Dad. I know."
Even Dirk would be gone, eventually.