Note: This is a deep dive into the story of Symphonia, aimed to be very descriptive. This is meant as practice for my English writing, as it is not my first language. I also just really love Symphonia and I swear I love you too, Lloyd. Depending on how much interest this story gets, I will try to upload more, though it will probably be slow. So if you like it, please leave a review!)
Angelus Opus
Prologue
Normally, Lloyd would not be excited about a school day. He was a hard riser as is, absolutely not a morning person, main reason being the nightmare that had hunted him for years now.
This day was different. For one, it was Colette's birthday, which already made it special. But it would also be the day of prophesy; a beacon of light will appear, originating from the temple. A signal, one of hope, of new life, of Salvation.
To Lloyd, it was none of those. It was one of goodbye and it stung at his heart. Grimacing to himself, he sat on the edge of his bed, staring out the window but really not seeing the sun coming up over the trees. He did not register the birds chirping, the wind gently blowing the flowers, having their sweet scents spread around.
"Lloyd!" The call of a gruff voice coming from downstairs was even unanswered.
Dirk muttered to himself. "The lad sleeping in on a day like this?" His short legs stomped up the wooden stairs, ready to drag his son from under the covers. It was surprising to see the lad awake already, be it vacantly staring into the middle distance.
His hair was even more of a mess than usual, a hint of dark circles under his eyes. His fed-up demeanor completely dissolved, guilt and sorrow taking its place. He knew that look, all too well. Slowly, he approached him, placing a careful hand on Lloyd's knee.
"Snap out of it, lad." He told him softly, yet still a bit assertive. When there was still no reaction, he shook the boy. "Lloyd!"
"Huh?"
Blinking, the vacant look disappeared. There seemed to have been a red glow there for a moment, but surely Dirk had imagined that.
"Oh, mornin' dad."
Pairs of brown eyes crossed each other, the older set looking Lloyd over worryingly. "Are you alright, lad?"
"Huh? Yeah! Oh man, I should get ready, I cant be late for Colette's birthday." He flashed his father a classic, broad smile, as he stood up and grabbed his clothes. Right after he hurried down towards the small bathroom to splash water in his face and fashion his hair.
Dirk let out a sigh and ran his fingers over his beard. Sometimes he really worried for the lad. Daydreaming was a bad habit indeed. Not only did the lad do it at home, he did it at school too. Professor Raine had confided to him that she worried about his son's grades and overal effort.
'That boy, will never achieve anything if he cant get his head out the clouds', the elven woman claimed.
If you'd asked Lloyd himself though, his aspiration was quite clear: he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father. Next to that, he was an inspired fighter, training himself completely to work with two swords. It was admirable, really.
Dirk was not too worried about that aspect. He more worried for the boy himself. Not that he thought his son unstable. No, he was rather strong, all things considered. He'd never kept from him that he had found the boy when he was about three years old. No one knew what happened to his parents.
A pang of guilt shot through the dwarf as he went back downstairs. That was not completely true; he knew what had happened to Lloyd's mother. Well, the bare minimum, but still... He had not the heart to share that truth yet.
It was mostly because Dirk feared his son would storm off, to go do something irrational. It was something Lloyd did often after all: diving into things without really thinking about it. As his caretaker, the dwarf tended to worry, of course. But Noishe did look after him, as well as his friends.
Still, the lad was plagued by something, and he most likely did not even know exactly by what. He had told him once about the occurring nightmare he had. But it was mostly nonsense. Nothing more than flurrying colors, screams that had no words, harsh sounds that could not be placed.
Dirk had the suspicion it was a very suppressed memory. The lad was only three years old at the time. Goddess knows what he'd witnessed. Maybe this was for the best. Mostly, things went well enough, from time to time he just needed to snap his son out of it.
Hurriedly, Lloyd came back out of the bathroom, pulling his braces straight. He found his swords in their usual place, picking them up and placing them where they belonged: at his sides. It was looking like he was making ready to leave.
"Lad, hold on."
"What's up, dad?" His gloved hand was already on the doorknob of the front door, he looked over his shoulder.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Dirk arched a brow at his son.
Lloyd scratched the back of his head, a gesture he usually made when embarrassed or caught off guard. "Well uh... I wasn't able to finish Colette's present."
The frown on the dwarf's face deepened as he looked up, wrinkles becoming clearer because of it. "You haven't even started it lad."
The face of the teen went deep red, flush with embarrassment. He kicked his feet as he looked down at them.
"'Sides, that aint what I was gonna say. You haven' ad yah breakfast." Dirk pointed to the small, round table set for two. A double layered sandwich was sitting there waiting. "You never skip out on food."
Again, a worried look went over Lloyd. He let out a sigh as he dropped his hand. Sauntering over, he picked up the sandwich, taking a thoughtful bite. "It's just, this day you know?"
His father gave a nod, stroking his beard again. "Yah gonna miss 'er, aint yah?"
"Of course! We've known each other ever since... we were little. Honestly, I cant image a day not seeing her smile, hearing her cheery voice." Lloyd shook his head as he stared at his breakfast. "Let alone days, weeks, hell, probably for months."
Dirk couldn't help a chuckle. He knew very well how fond his son was of the girl. But he'd never say the big word. He most likely didn't see it as such, dense as he could be.
"I'm sure she feels the same way, lad. So, make sure to see her off right, make her not forget yah."
"I'll make sure!" He'd taking another large bite, so his mouth was full when he said it.
For this time, Dirk let it slide. "Go on, hurry up. Don't be late now."
"I don't wanna have to hold buckets again."
Shoulders slumping a little, Lloyd hurried back to the door and opened it. He called for Noishe, who came right away, barking and wagging his big, fluffy tail. The teen climbed on the back of the creature, finishing up his breakfast hurriedly.
"Gonna need you to run, Noishe."
Honestly, this was how most days went. The teen tended to sleep in a lot, forgetting the time. Also, he did not have that much motivation for going to school. But Dirk suspected his son did not really go there to learn.
Waving after the two speeding off, he let out a sigh. They do grow up so fast. Dirk did consider telling the boy what he knew, he deserved to know the truth. But at the same time, he was afraid to lose his son, as he'd go on a path of vengeance. A kind of road he'd rather not see him take. Lloyd may be skilled in some parts, but Dirk feared his boy wouldn't be able to stand up to Desians.
Hopefully, he would never have to.
Chapter 1
Of course, Lloyd was late. Genis sighed as he looked at the empty seat where his best friend usually sat. Nothing new there. Looking to the front of the class, standing by her desk, he saw the annoyance in his sister's eyes. Her arms were crossed as she tapped her finger against her sleeve.
Oh boy, he's gonna be in real trouble, the boy thought to himself. His blue eyes set on Colette next. She sat up straight, her hands folded together. But she was clearly biting her lip as she was eyeing the empty seat too. There was real worry written on her face. Genis didn't really understand why.
She was looking at the seat for a bit, and then her eyes wondered over to the door, hoping that any moment bright red would burst in. Not many knew, what Lloyd struggled with, mostly because he kept it to himself. She wasn't sure it was because he was ashamed, embarrassed or rather just not talk about it.
Lloyd had trouble sleeping. He was hunted by a nightmare. Colette only knew this through a remark of Dirk. But the dwarf urged her not to address it: let the lad open up on his own. She wasn't that hurt about the fact her friend didn't feel comfortable about it yet, she was just worried that one day it would really dampen his mood. Even though she was yet to see that day.
Finally, the anticipated image appeared. The flurry of red, bursting in, slightly panting as his scarfs still swirled in his movement. "Am I late?"
Raine glared at him. "As usual, Lloyd Irving. You know the drill." Her finger pointed to the corner, buckets already standing ready.
Letting out a sigh, the teen walked over and picked each up in one hand. He saw Colette looked over to him, not hiding her worried expression. He was quick to flash her a bright, white smile. It set her at ease straight away as she showed him a smile too.
Class was continued right after. The subject was the state of their world, and the purpose of the Journey of Regeneration. Seeing what day it was, this was only logical.
Lloyd had heard it often enough, and next to that he could really use some extra Z's. He decided to sneak some in, it wasn't like he was contributing much to class anyway.
For a little bit, class continued, going over what was mostly known as history, the legend of Mithos the hero and the perpose of the Journey of Regeneration.
Colette looked back, checking in on her friend. It didn't come as much as a surprise to see him nodding off.
He really did sleep bad. Worry filled Colette again, for more than one reason.
Her eyes darted forward quick to not draw attention, but Raine was sharp as always. Her piercing blue eyes flicked to the teen in the back as she urged a student to continue on. From the chalkboard, she took an eraser.
"Lloyd Irving, wake up!"
The teen felt something soft hit him square in the face, causing him to stagger awake. Yet, he kept hold of the buckets, even not spilling any of the water.
Raine had approached her student, giving him a typical, stern look. "How do you manage to sleep standing?"
"Oh, professor. I-is class over?"
The hopeful infliction made her sigh and shake her head. Still, she looked him straight in the eyes.
"We are having a talk after."
This garnered a clear gulp from the teen. Raine turned around and started to walk back to the front of the class.
"Let's cont-" A bright light outside interrupted her.
It was clear to see as she was just passing the window. A beam had shot up from the direction of the north side coast.
Raine's eyes went wide. So, it is time. Despite having been well prepared, she could not help the pit in her stomach.
Hearing the gasps and shocked reactions of her students, the professor composed herself quickly.
"Settle down everyone." She said, turning to her class. "It seems the time of the Oracle has come. You all stay here and study on your own, I will go check on the temple."
Raine moved quick, walking to the door right after saying this.
"Professor, I'll come with you." Colette stood up, having every intention of following the woman that was like a mother to her.
Sky blue eyes crossed with pale ones. Raine's strict look softened ever so slightly. She spotted the worry behind the fake smile Colette tended to wear to mask her true feelings.
"No, Colette. Stay here with everyone else. The priests will come for you when everything is ready."
Not allowing any debate, the professor shot her an authorial look and left right after that.
"Alright then." Colette said this more to herself in conceit, sitting back down.
Lloyd set down the buckets, flexing his hands for a moment to get rid of feeling of their weight pressing in on them. He intended to walk over to Colette, but a couple of girls stood in his way.
"You really like to attract trouble, huh Lloyd?" one of them remarked.
"I really don't get you. You travel through a dangerous forest each day to come to class, yet you don't pay any attention. You don't make any sense." The other followed up.
"Gee, thanks." Choosing not to address it, he stepped past them, only to be met with his younger best friend.
"Today is really the day."
"Yeah…"
They both set their eyes on the blond girl dressed in all white. She didn't seem to notice as her gaze was going outside, staring at the beam of light.
One could only imagine what she was thinking. Though she tried to hide it, Lloyd spotted her hands wringing together.
He stepped towards her quickly. "Colette…"
Shaking out of her temporary daze, she blinked, her eyes going up to meet Lloyd's. She showed him her classic smile. The one he, too, knew was just a front.
"Hey Lloyd. That was surprising, huh? "
Not hiding his worry, he looked her over. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Cue the fake giggle. Yet she tilted her head as she looked at him. "How about you, Lloyd?"
He was hardly the focus here! Opening his mouth, staggered gasps and calls made him turn around.
An older man, in classic priest attire entered the classroom. Or at least he was trying. Leaning against the doorpost, his other hand was pressing against his stomach.
A smell hit Lloyd's nostrils and he had no trouble recognizing it; blood. The priest stumbled, and the teen ran up, catching him before the man hit the wood floor.
Colette was with them quick. "Pastor! What happened?" Her voice was shaking with shock and worry.
"D-Desians. They attacked the Temple." The priest was struggling to speak. Eyes looking weak, he set them on Colette. "I regret not having been able to protect the Cho-sen."
The light in the man's eyes faded before they fell shut and he fell lump against Lloyd's arms.
"Pastor, hold on!" Colette called out in a high pitch.
For some reason, Lloyd was able to tell… "It's no use. He's gone."
Letting out a cry, the girl covered her mouth as she shook her head. Tears stung her eyes, yet she could not look away from the awful scene.
It was true that the priests were sworn to protect her. This was because of her. She had to prevent more casualties!
Set to leave, there was a problem with her plan. Lloyd was blocking her way. He had placed the priest down fully with all respect and rose to his feet. His eyes were unexpectedly bright as he looked straight at her.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"T-the temple." A weak response, Colette shook her head so hard her long hair danced wildly. "They're in danger, because of me."
His intense stare softened. He took a moment to take a deep breath. "You are not going alone."
"B-but…"
"I'm coming too, my sis is still there!" Genis piped up.
"It's too dangerous." Colette said it softly, but audible enough to hear.
It was Lloyd's turn to shake his head. "All the more reason to come with you. Either you let us join, or we'll follow you on our own."
Such a stubborn young man. Yet, she appreciated it. "Okay. Thank you. Let's hurry."
Genis and Lloyd nodded to her, the three quickly setting off towards the Temple.
"Was it just me, or were there way more monsters?" Genis remarked, catching his breath.
They'd been following the road north along the coast, leading towards the temple, which was set on a hill, up against a low mountain range.
"It's actually part of the trial." Colette said, also taking a break after the several fights they just had. Honestly, Lloyd did most of the work, as he practiced every day, which was clearly bearing its fruit.
Said teen raised a dark brown eyebrow. He hardly seemed fatigued, once again proving he could really hold his own. "What trial?"
"It's a test, to see if the Chosen is really up for the task."
"Colette, you're the Chosen."
"Oh, hehe. Right." The girl still had trouble accepting the title, even when it got thrown at her more times than she could count. Her eyes looked over the temple, regarding the domed roof and the beam of light shooting up from it. "It's really, really bright."
Lloyd let out a sigh. "Maybe also try acting a little more Chosen-like?"
"Yeah, yeah, okay!"
Clinging of steel, made the three of them look up the natural stairway leading towards the entrance. Exchanging worried looks, they nodded to each other, hands ready to grab their weapons as they hurried up the hill.
A handful of men, wearing very signature Desian gear, just walked up to an elderly woman, closing her in.
"Where is the Chosen?" The one man standing out because of his clothing and unique look demanded to know.
"Grandmother!" Colette called out.
The Desians turned around at that. Their helmets hit their eyes, but it was not hard to tell they were looking her over. "Lord Botta, there she is."
The black-haired man only turned half way, nodding as he looked over the young people. His eyes were harsh, sharp like the ends of his ears. Funny enough, his black beard seemed just as pointy.
"Very good. Kill her."
It was very direct and the men moved, their swords at the ready as they stepped towards the children.
"Run, Colette!" Phaidra called out to her.
Instead, Lloyd pulled his dual swords. There were two things his father kept telling him over and over again, next to his dwarven vows. One: don't let anyone see your Exsphere. The bandage covering the gem was only sort of doing that job. Two: don't ever get involved with Desians.
Neither of these two rules were ever really explained by Dirk. Honestly, Lloyd really liked the look of the gem, incased in its golden crest set on the back of his left hand. He didn't understand why he needed to hide it. Then again, he was the only one who seemed to be wearing one. As for the Desians, that did make sense, as they were dangerous for sure. They didn't need any excuse to just take you to one of their ranches and have you suffer their whips.
Thinking of that, and the fact these men killed defenseless priests, the teen narrowed his eyes. "Damn Desians. I won't let you get away with this!"
One of the men chuckled. "Then you will die at the hands of the Desians you so hate."
The fight commenced. Lloyd blocked the first attack from the front Desian. Genis concentrated on charging his fireball spell, while Colette threw her chakram at the other bad guy, holding him back so he could be hit with said spell.
Continuing the momentum, Lloyd made a flurry of attacks. It brought the first man down, as the second one patted down the burns he had received. He had no time to defend against Lloyd's assault.
This boy... how was he so easily bringing down his trained men? Botta narrowed his eyes. He gestured to a burly build man, armed with a hammer and ball and chain.
"Vidarr, finish this."
"With pleasure." His deep, gruff voice answered, already swinging around the ball with sharp ends.
Lloyd looked up at this big guy. "You gotta be kidding me."
Vidarr laughed, making a big swing. Driving the two boys back with that, it left the Chosen open. He stomped towards her, readying his hammer to bring down on her without mercy.
"Don't you hurt her!" Calling out, Lloyd jumped in without a second thought. He crossed his swords to catch the attack, but it really ran through to his very core. His legs shook, struggling to stay up.
"Why you little... Do not get in our way!"
The hammer was swung underhanded, launching the teen as a result. Colette called out to him in worry as Lloyd hit the ground a couple of steps away. She did not even regard her own position as she was so worried for her friend.
"Time to die." Vidarr showed a twisted grin, this time choosing for his ball and chain.
"Ugh." Lloyd struggled back to his feet, gritting his teeth. He had a tight grip on his swords, as something brew inside of him. He lifted both weapons for a large swing. A bright blue glow formed, and with the downswing, it was shot straight at the big guy.
The burst of energy hit Vidarr dead on, staggering him in a mix of surprise and pain. As he looked over, the next thing he saw as a blur of red and a pair of sharp, silver lines, stabbing straight into his chest. His breath choked in his throat, only able to cough instead. He fell to his knees.
"H-how...?" It was all the burly man managed before slumping and dropping to his side.
Botta stared at this wide eyed. How could Vidarr be dead? How was he brought down by a mere kid? It was impossible. Just who was he?
The light above then became brighter, two remaining Desians looked up. "Lord Botta. The oracle has arrived. How do we proceed?"
His mouth was a thin line for a moment. He eyed the teen, but then looked up. "We cannot be involved with Angels. Retreat for now."
"Sir!" The three turned to run.
"Grandmother, are you alright?" Colette looked over to the elderly woman.
She nodded to her. "I am, thanks to the help of you three."
"Genis?"
"I-I'm okay."
"Lloyd?" She walked towards him, holding out her hand.
He didn't move. Still in the same position as he had landed the killing blow, his eyes were dead set on his swords. They were covered with red liquid; covered in blood.
Colette waved her hand in front of his face, calling his name again. His eyes finally flicked up to meet hers, she swore she saw a faint red glow which quickly faded away. He blinked as he took her hand and was helped back on his feet.
"Are you okay?" Worry was clear in her voice.
"I'm not hurt. What about you?" he looked her over.
"I'm fine, thanks to you." She gave him a smile.
"Uh, just what was that?" Genis asked the question on everyone's mind.
Looking down, Lloyd noticed the bandage covering his Exsphere was gone. The gem had a bit of a red, lingering glow, which faded, the familiar blue hue taking place. He touched it, flinching back by the shooting pain that gave him. It was short, but that normally wouldn't hurt.
"I'm... not sure. Dad always said an Exsphere brings out your inner power, or something like that." But this felt almost abnormal.
"Colette." Phaidra piped up then.
The girl turned. "Right, I know. I need to go in and offer my prayer."
"Not alone." Lloyd amplified yet again.
"Yeah, sis is still in there. Right?" Genis looked at Phaidra.
The woman nodded. "You should hurry. Normally I'd be uneasy with just sending in children, but..." She eyed Lloyd. The power was impressive, she could not deny that. And he protected her grandchild effectively.
"We'll be careful. Come on, let's go."
"You're getting too excited again." Genis remarked with a sigh as their friend marched on ahead.
He exchanged a look with Colette, she just showed him a small smile and followed. He did so too.
The inside of the temple was not as grand as one would expect. It even felt a little small. As it was their first time in here, the boys took a look around.
"Is this really it?" Lloyd asked, disappointment clear in his voice.
"There's a level below us, but we need to go up." Colette turned, walking up the short stairs straight ahead. A warp pad was set there, a rare remanence of magi-technology. "Huh, that's strange."
"What is?" Genis inquired, stepping up next to her.
"There is normally a barrier, protecting this so not just anyone can go up."
"Maybe sis broke it?"
"More likely, someone else who doesn't belong." Lloyd's hands rested on the handles of his swords, ready to draw them if need be. "I'm going first."
Seeing he'd not be open for argument, Colette nodded, letting him step on the warp. She was quick to follow after, and Genis went on last.
The domed room did not seem to have any people around. The only thing in it was a big, round, raised platform. A small red object was floating above it, shining brightly.
"What is that?" Lloyd asked curiously.
"It's called a Cruxis Crystal. They say I was born with that in my hand. It actually signals the Chosen. Its kept here for safety until the Cho- Uhm, until I'd be ready."
So, this really was it? Lloyd's mouth turned to a thin line.
"Wow, look at that light!"
Genis his call, made them look up. From the dome, a bright ball came down, taking on a different form as it did so. A human shape, but there was one very distinct difference: a pair of feathered wings on his back, flapping gently as they seemed to carry him effortlessly. He had blond hair just reaching past his jawline and was wearing a green attire very much like the priests, only more extravagant.
"Is that an Angel?" The young elf asked fascinated. These kinds of beings were mostly described in legends. Having the chance to truly meet one, was very rare. And his sister was missing this! Boy, is she going to be mad.
Lloyd didn't say a word, as he stared at this appearance. Deep in his core, he had a sense of familiarity. Not the clothes, or the face of this being. No, his eyes were set on the wings. He didn't understand why, but the strong feeling was undeniable. It really didn't make any sense.
"Look, it's the Tower of Salvation. Now the world will be saved!" Genis his excited cry, snapped the teen out of it.
Following the looks of his two friends looking outside the window, even though it was quite a distance away, the Tower was clear to see. It had materialized out of nowhere as it reached up, up, up, way passed the clouds.
"Head to the seal of fire, in the distant south. Offer you prayers to the alter. Then you will receive your first blessing." The angel started to rise, making ready to leave.
"Oh wait, please wait." Colette called out unexpected, causing him to pause. "Are you really my father?"
"First, head to the seal of fire, my beloved daughter Colette."
She gasped. "F-father!"
"We shall meet again at the next seal, my daughter." After he had said this, the Angel became a bright light and disappeared. A couple of feathers dwindled down, but they dissipated soon after.
"Wow..." Genis was struggling to find words, having witnessed such a rare occurrence. He was really lucky.
Only now, did Lloyd spot the necklace that had appeared around Colette's neck. Its golden form was surely unique and set right in the middle of it, was a bright red stone; no doubt the Cruxis Crystal.
"Colette?" How much did he miss? Why did he drift off like that on such an important event? Damnit!
"Ah, I'm fine. Just a little shocked. My father really is an Angel. I'm going on ahead, to find Raine."
Before either could say anything, the girl stepped on the warp and was gone. "So, Colette really is the child of an Angel, and not related to Frank at all."
Lloyd tilted his head, looking at his friend. "Even if you're not related by blood, family is still family. At least, that's what I think."
"Oh, you're right. Sorry..." Genis completely understood where this came from; it was no secret to anybody that Lloyd was Dirk's adoptive son. It was pretty obvious, really.
"Don't worry about it." The teen shook his head. "Come on, let's go."
"Yeah, okay."
Coming back to the main hall, they saw Colette had already found the Professor. Her blue eyes were looking the blond girl over, clearly checking if she was really alright. Chipper, she was reciting what had just happened, her hand briefly touching the Crystal set on her neck.
It was clear on Raine's face she hated the fact that she had missed out on such a rare event. The glare the two boys were met with was a terrifying one.
"I told you two to stay put in class."
"Uh-oh." This was trouble, Lloyd knew.
Raine walked up to her little brother first. "Raine... I'm sorry."
It did not save Genis from the punishment he was going to receive. An old-fashioned spanking. Honestly, it was embarrassing in front of the others. As he fell to the ground to recover, Raine's eyes fixed on the brown-haired teen.
"Are you ready, Lloyd? You're next."
"Huh? N-no, wait!"
Before he was able to react, her white boot connected with his chest. The blow pushed him back, ending him up against the wall. Oof, the professor hit surprisingly hard!
"Now that you've learned your lesson, I suggest the three of you go home."
"What about you, sis?"
"It is rare for normal citizens to get permission for exploring this temple. I will be a while yet."
At least she was aware of that. Genis was smart enough to keep the remark to himself. "Alright. Let's go."
"Auch." Mumbling it to himself, Lloyd rubbed the spot on his chest and his back. Still, he followed after his friends.
As they were about to leave, an almost manic laugh could be heard, combined with the word 'marvelous.' Genis was the only one not looking over his shoulder.
"Just what was that?"
"It sounded like professor Raine."
"It just better that you don't know." The elven boy sighed.
