The Desian's Human Ranch

Genis Sage; The Elven Brother

As they enter the pathway, the sounds of heavy metal blocks being pushed and loud screeches of pain can be heard from behind the tall large metal fence guarded with barbed wire and alert guards, similar to the guards at the temple.

A loud whipping noise occurs. "Hey! Stop slacking off, swine!" One of the guards yell while violently slapping a prisoner dressed in old rags pushing heavy large blocks

Genis and Lloyd quickly run to the side of the fence and try to hide themselves from the two Desians.

"Marble." Genis calls out as a short woman dressed in brown rags with long gray hair appears from behind the fence.

"Genis!" The old woman says with a hint of relief. "Is that your friend?" She turns to Lloyd.

"Yeah, I'm Lloyd."

"I'm pleased to meet you."

"Marble, did you see it? There was an oracle!" Genis explains excitedly.

"Yes I did. I saw the Tower of Salvation. Now, the Chosen's journey of regeneration can finally begin.. I hope it is successful this time."

"The last Chosen failed, right?" Lloyd asks curiously.

"Yes, I heard the Chosen was killed by Desians during the journey."

"I wonder if Colette will be alright?" Genis wonders worriedly to the old woman.

"Let us pray to Martel. May she guide the Chosen on a safe journey." Marble closes her eyes and hangs her head hopefully.

"Hey, grams- -" Lloyd begins.

"Her name's Marble!" Genis interrupts and groans.

"Marble, Isn't that an Exsphere?"

"Oh, is that what this is called? They placed it on me shortly after I came here."

"Yeah, that's definitely an Exsphere. But there's no Key Crest on it. An Exsphere without a Key Crest is dangerous."

Genis faces Lloyd. "What's a Key Crest? And how is it dangerous?"

"Attaching an Exsphere directly to your skin supposedly makes you very sick. But ironically, it's useless unless you attach it directly onto the skin. So in order to prevent it from making you sick, you carve a spell into a special ore and use that as a mount for the Exsphere. That's the Key Crest."

"You're very knowledgeable." Marble compliments the swordsman, impressed.

"But it looks like Marble's Exsphere doesn't have a mount at all." Genis points to the blue gem planted in the woman's hand.

"Nope, doesn't look like it. If the charm was the only thing needed, I could carve one myself but there's nothing I can do without the inhibitor ore that acts as the mount." Lloyd hangs his head in disappointment.

"There has to be something you can do, Lloyd!"

"It's not as easy as you think. Key Crests are dwarven technology."

Your dad's a dwarf! Please ask him for help, Lloyd!"

"Fine, fine, I'll ask him."

"Alright! That's why I like you, Lloyd!"

"Please don't trouble yourself." Marble insists to Lloyd.

Suddenly, the angry voice of one of the desians from earlier can be heard. "Hey, old hag! What the hell you doin' over there?"

"Oh, no! The Desians!" Marble turns back. "Run away, you two! Hurry!" The old woman quickly demands.

"B-but, okay. I'm sorry!" Lloyd pleads holding one hand to the fence separating him and the old woman.

"Don't worry, just go!"

"I'm sorry, Marble!" Genis yells to the old woman while running away, worried.

"What are you doing over here?!" The furious desian slashes his leather whip against the wall angrily, creating a terrifying noise. "Who said you could slack off?! Get back to work!"

"I'm sorry." Marble coughs out nervously.

"What's with that look, huh?" A different desian dressed in metal armor points out with rage in his eyes. "Looks like someone's got an attitude problem!"

"No, of course not. I- -" The old woman hesitates.

"Shut up! You two, take her to the back! We're gonna give her a little lesson on respect!" The previous desian shouts and stomps his foot into the dirt.

The desian roughly grabs Marble by the arm, pulling her, and escorts her to behind dark metal walls.

"Oh, this doesn't look good. They're taking her to the back." Lloyd says to Genis from behind the bush they've been hiding in.

"But what can we do?" Genis yells sorrowfully.

"Let's find higher ground where we can see what's going on in there."

They examine the area from outside the fencing and eventually find a small hill on the edge of the mountain.

"It looks like we can go up from here." Lloyd says looking up at the edge.

He climbs up and looks over the metal fencing to see Marble crouching in the corner as three desians slash her aggressively with their leather whips repeatedly as other prisoners begin to crowd around.

"She's- -" Genis stutters crouching down trying to hold his breath.

"We've gotta save her!" Lloyd says, determined.

"But how?!" The slashing sounds continue to become gradually louder.

"You attack the Desians from here with magic."

"What?! Aren't we gonna get in trouble?!"

"We don't have a choice! Afterwards, hide among the bushes and make your way back to the village. I'll act as the decoy."

"But that's so dangerous!"

"Don't worry, I'll head down the cliff so they don't see my face. Then I'll run in the opposite direction of the village."

"Okay." Genis looks determined as he holds his kendama weapon in the air and casts a fire spell, burning into the three desians keeping them from their previous attacks.

"What the?!" The desian yells falling back as the prisoners and guards turn around to see Lloyd leaping across the metal fence, shielding his face.

"There he is! Stop him!" Another desian yells pointing to the graceful swordsman. "Open the main gate!"

Other prisoners motion to Marble to hide with them. "Genis, Lloyd, thank you." She says, closing her eyes gratefully.

Lloyd leaps from off the fence and speeds away as Genis attempts to sneak past the desians and escape before he suddenly trips, causing a loud sound from behind the bushes.

"What was that?!" One of the desians yell, stopping to turn around towards the bushes.

"Uh-oh!" Lloyd says before stopping to turn around, pulling out his swords to the two guards.

"You little brat!" The guard yells to the teenager before pulling out his leather whip, attempting to slash at the swordsman.

"Sonic Thrust!" Lloyd shouts as he lunges at the desian and stabs through his metal armor.

The other guard from behind then slashes at Lloyd's back, causing him to jump back.

"Demon Fang!" Lloyd yells and creates an invisible slash to both guards.

As the desian is about to kick at Lloyd, he jumps back and then stabs through the guard, causing red blood to spread everywhere.

As soon as Lloyd finishes off the other desian, a group of four more come from out the gate and begin to chase him down before suddenly Lloyd turns and then jumps down the steep mountain slope, almost floating.

Genis then runs down the dirt path following him, and watches amazed as he flies above the trees and lands onto the grass without a single scratch.

Genis runs down to the standing Lloyd. "Lloyd, they saw your face! I'm sorry! It's all my fault!" Genis pleads loudly.

"Don't worry about it." Lloyd responds reassuringly.

"But- -"

"I took out the ones that saw my face, and the rest of them are still back up on the cliff. As long as we hurry up and get out of here, they'll never know."

"O-okay."

"Just do my homework for me, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Alright then, I'm gonna head home. You should head back to the village.

"Lloyd, thanks for helping Marble."

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?"

Genis smiles and then runs home as a neon blue haired man with a large golden gun for a hand walks from out the main gate of the ranch.

"Analyze the data from the gate surveillance system!" The gun handed leader demands as several desians run back behind the metal fences. "How did a mere human make that kind of jump?"