Chapter 7

The luminous full moon casted its silver glow upon a breathtaking seascape, creating a mesmerizing reflection of both the celestial stars and the tranquil sea. A small distance away, the grand Tethe'alla bridge almost seemed to cut through it all, defying nature and its beauty. Sheena looked at the horrid thing with narrowed eyes of disgust.

"That's one thing I'm not going to miss."

"Oh, come on. She's a marvel and a beauty. Nothing compared to you though, Jubblies." Zelos chuckled.

The Chosen stood a few steps behind her, his arms folded behind his head. She kept her expression as she turned to him.

"Stop calling me that. Why did you ask me to come here? You know I have to leave."

"What, can't I say farewell to my favorite beauty?" He kept his sly grin as he looked at her.

"Get serious or so help me I am going to kick you where it hurts and you'll be walking crooked for days."

"Eesh, auch."

The thought alone made Zelos drop his arms along with his smile. He turned towards the sea, looking at the speck of land in the distance known as the Fooji continent. The serious look he had on his face, was one Sheena saw very rarely.

"Just checking in. I mean, I just want to be sure you are ready. After all, you are going to a whole other world all alone."

A small fox-like creature with yellow fur by the name of Corrine, appeared on Sheena's shoulder and growled. "She's not alone; I'm going with her!"

Looking over his shoulder, his eyes met with the man-made summon spirit. "Sorry, little guy. I meant no offense."

Frowning, Sheena crossed her arms. "You are worried about me?"

"Well 'course I am. You are going to a world full of savages, a place that is so behind, just the thought of it makes my skin crawl." Zelos shivered to emphasize his words. "Did those Renegade guys even tell you what to expect?"

"All that matters is that I focus on the task at hand. I am a ninja from Mizuho and am to adapt to any situation to complete my objective."

"To assassinate the Chosen of Sylvarant." Mirroring her stance, Zelos looked her in the eyes. "And you are really up for that?"

"I do what must be done in order to save our world."

"So selfless you are." He dropped his hands again, not able to keep up the serious look for that long. "Not even a little part of you is hoping to regain favor with your own people and be accepted again?"

"T-that has nothing to do with this!" She turned away, veining anger while she actually felt a little called out. Deep in her heart, it was all Sheena really wanted. To be accepted but even more importantly, to be forgiven.

"Alright, I believe you. You go and do what you do best, I'll keep the fort while you are gone." Zelos chuckled, trying to make light of the whole situation.

"I'm sure you'll do fine, oh great Chosen." The ninja scuffed. "Was that it? I need to be going."

"Yeah, dont let little ol' me keep you. Later, Jubblies."

"For the last time, it's Sheena you stupid Chosen!" Turning away completely, Sheena walked away from the shore, towards the flying apparatus that would bring her to the other world.

Zelos waved as it lifted up and launched off, looking at the trail of light it left behind. "Take care, Sheena. Dont you die on me."

The worry lines were clear on his face as he kept looking up at the sky, dotted with stars. Not many knew of the Renegades and their plans; it was only for the King, queen and pope to know (and of course Mizuho was aware). Zelos his connections assured that he would hear everything about that. What no one knew was that the actual reason for knowing this, was his secret cooperation with Cruxis.

A male Chosen usually went ignored by the holy organization, however Zelos wanted to make sure it went differently for him. He wanted them to know who he was and what kind of position he held; that he could be very useful indeed. In every expect, he wanted to be seen, well known, hell even feared if it meant that he would be remembered.

Selfless was the last thing that would come to mind if someone were to describe the Chosen of Tethe'alla. Ego, good looks, charms. Everything to make people look, to take note of him. In that aspect, he was successful. When the Chosen spoke, all would listen. It had been very different in the past.

Zelos his eyes drifted down, setting on his reflection in the sea water. No one knew the real him, the true reason why he was doing all this. 'If only, you would have never been born.' The harsh words of his mother while she bled to death right before his young eyes, echoed in his head. He balled his hand into a fist; they will never leave his mind, no matter how hard he tried.

"Not too long now, little sister. You won't have to hide anymore or feel so sick. You will finally be treated like royalty, if it's the last thing I do. Maybe then, you'll finally stop hating me."

As he let out a chuckle that was a mix of sadness and self-loathing, he turned away from the sea, his long, red locks dancing in this movement. Giving the sky a final look, he walked back towards his home in the great city of Meltokio.

Sheena won't kill the Chosen of Sylvarant, even with all the weight that hung on that task. She won't be able to do it, her heart was too great. Zelos was sure, that once she would see how that world and its people were struggling, she wouldn't be able go through with it. He was actually counting on it.

Let's see just how much we can toppe the people who think they can orchestrate everything without any resistance. It wasn't any world that needed rearranging, it was the whole system, that much was perfectly clear to him. Hopefully, this was the first move towards a better place, for his little sister's sake.

Raised voices, screams. Shifting shapes, colliding colors. All of it nonsensical, all of it chaotic. His nightmare seemed the same as usual. Just when Lloyd came to accept that, something was different. One of the colors finally got a shape. It was green, with one prominent red spot. It was the monster Marble had turned into, swinging big claws straight towards him.

With a gasp, Lloyd shot up, sitting straight up, still wrapped in his sleeping bag. As he tried to catch his breath, he struggled himself out of the thing, feeling like he was being constricted by it. A bark came through the haze of his mind and as he finally blinked fully awake, he saw Noishe coming towards him. The creature used a tooth in his maw, pulling at the zipper of the sleeping bag to get it open.

Relieved to be free and awake, the teen petted him. "Thank you, Noishe."

The creature barked, then whined as he pushed his nose gently against Lloyd's cheek, showing his worry.

"That must have been quite a vivid dream." Mithos his voice remarked, sounding mellow and calculating.

As the teen looked over, he didn't like how the campfire casted shadows on the face that was mostly covered by a helmet. It made the man feel ominous for some reason. Lloyd was the last person to judge a person directly, by looks or otherwise. He'd give everyone a fair chance, as long as they put in the effort. This man... He didn't know why but he just gave him the wrong kind of vibes. Like Raine, he did not like the fact he couldn't look him in the eyes.

"More like a nightmare." The teen said, still stroking his pet as he looked into his beady eyes. "Were you with him just now? You normally don't like strangers."

"Noishe was kindly keeping me company, since I was the only one awake. This nightmare, by the tone of your voice and his actions, it seems like you've had it before."

Geez, this guy is sharp. He'd gathered that much this fast? That was curious, to say the very least. Lloyd looked over to him, still not really able to determine the color of his eyes.

"No offense, but it is not really any of your business. You are a stranger after all."

"Ah, well. That is fair enough." The smile on Mithos face would fool most, as he expertly hid the spite he held behind it. "I would advise you to try to get some more sleep, there is still some time before the sun will start to rise."

"I suppose but... Are you sure you don't want to swap? You've been up all day too, I don't mind taking over to keep watch."

The man shook his head. "That is quite alright, I can handle it. Rest up, you will need the energy for when we enter the ruin."

"Right. If you say so." Not up for argument, Lloyd laid back down, noting that his pet settled up next to him to give him comfort. Giving Noishe one last pet between the ears, he closed his eyes again.

For a little bit, Mithos studied the young man. He had slipped back into his snoring surprisingly fast, indicating that falling asleep was not really the problem. Terrorized by nightmares. He'd wager it was about the past, but he'd been too young to clearly remember all the details. Not that Mithos much cared about any of that. He only wanted to know how he could make use of it, how he could push this teen to the limit and see just how powerful the project set upon him was.

Some hours passed and the sun began to rise behind the mountains in the distance, starting to warm back up the sand of the desert. Raine was the first to wake up, zipping open her sleeping bag before she sat up and stretched.

"Good morning." Mithos greeted her politely.

Her silver eyes fixed on the man across from her and was just met with his concealing helmet. Not to mention that light smile. It was one that looked innocent enough, but for some reason it gave her the chills. She repressed the shiver as she nodded out of politeness.

"Good morning. Did anything happen during your watch?"

"Snakes slithered by, too intimidated by our numbers to try anything. Vultures are ever watching." His head moved up slightly, looking at the sky. Some shapes were indeed circling about, waiting patiently. "A handful of monsters passed by over the night looking for water..."

Raine cleared her throat as she stood up fully. "Actually, I meant of anything tried to attack us."

"Nothing like that."

Good, that was a relief. What was he trying to prove by telling her all that? That he was very observant? It was useful, sure. But one would expect this much from a sword for hire.

She went over to Colette to wake the girl up gently. Blinking a couple of times, the young Chosen looked up and smiled.

"Ah good morning, Professor."

"Morning dear. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah." Colette set up, realizing she was still wrapped up much like a caterpillar preparing for its cocoon stage. She slipped herself out of the sleeping bag, only half opening the zipper. "Morning Mithos. Did your watch go well? Thanks again for doing that."

Chipper as always, she regarded the mysterious man with a kind smile. He nodded to her.

"All was quiet. No need to thank me, Chosen one."

Raine moved on to her little brother, waking him up next. It took her a few attempts to get him out of his deep snoring. For such a young kid, it was pretty impressive. Helping him out of his sleeping bag, Raine tried to fix his messy hair.

"Sis, stop it." Genis said annoyed.

Chuckling, Colette looked over. "Morning, Genis."

"Oh, morning Colette," he greeted her a little sheepish. He said to same to his sister and the sword for hire.

"It's full of knots, how do you manage to do it?" His sister looked his hair over with a sigh.

He pushed her away when she got out a hairbrush. "I can do it myself, I'm not a child."

"You are twelve, by definition, you very much are one."

"Raaaine. Go wake up Lloyd if you want to bother someone so badly."

The teen in question was still fast asleep, laying sprawled out on his back, practically drooling in the process.

"Let him sleep for a little bit longer, he could use it. We need to get some kindle for the campfire anyway." Said fire had gone out just an hour prior because it had nothing left to burn. Mithos his invisible eyes set on Genis. "Why dont you join me?"

"Huh, me?"

"Excellent idea. Colette and I will start setting up breakfast."

"Uhm, okay. I guess so." Not quite able to hide his discomfort, Genis walked over to the sword for hire.

"Wait. Before you go, I have a question."

"Then ask it, Chosen one."

"Why did you say Lloyd needs some extra sleep. Did...did something happen? Did he have a nightmare?" Colette asked it softly, but they all could still hear her.

For a moment, Mithos his eyes seemed to shine behind the visor. "It is not my place to speak about it. Let us go, Genis."

"Yessir." The boy had to hurry to keep up with the man's strides. The two soon disappeared over the top of the big sand dune.

With a worried look, Colette watched her best friend sleep. Raine had a slight frown on her face while she retrieved some cooking supplies for breakfast. She figured making some tea and coffee was as good a start as any.

The girl was quick to join in helping her out readying some sandwiches for the group. "I didn't expect you to let Genis go with Mithos on his own."

"Because I do not trust him? Maybe so, but I do not believe he would wish any harm on us. And I suppose that is good enough for now."

"Yeah, you're right. But I still think you should give him a chance."

"Colette, you know I have a hard time trusting anyone. Especially when one goes around dressed like that, no matter what the reason is. Let's not focus on that. Why do you think Lloyd had a nightmare?"

Caught by her own words, the girl looked down at the sand. She felt guilty and stupid for just saying it in front of everyone like that.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

Raine placed her hand on top of the girl's, which she was straining together. "You are clearly worried about it. You know you can tell me anything."

Blue eyes crossed with silver as the two looked at each other. Colette bit her lip. "It's not my place to say. He doesn't even talk about it with me, I just heard about it from Dirk."

"I see." Her strict look towards the teenage boy softened a bit. "That does explain a few things."

"Please don't talk about it. Dirk asked me not to do so, unless Lloyd starts to speak of it on his own."

"Of course, Colette. As you wish. My lips are sealed." Funny, Raine thought to herself. The boy that wore his heart right on his sleeve, was still keeping something to himself. That was a bit of a surprise.

Meanwhile, Mithos and Genis strolled down the sand dune. The young boy looked around, trying to spot any trees. But all he saw were cacti and he didn't think they would effectively fuel a fire.

"How did you get that wood in the first place? Doesnt seem like anything here would suffice."

"Around these parts, not really. Closer to the oasis, there was a bit more variety and I was able to break off some dead branches of trees there."

"Okay, so what can we use now?" Genis looked up at the man.

Wearing his slight smile, he gestured around. "Use your sharp eyes and your intellect, Genis. I am sure you have both, judging from what I have gathered from your sister."

An odd remark, which the boy let slide for the moment. He looked around, narrowing his eyes as dust and sand was blown around by a gentle wind. Which, incidentally, also carried along tumbleweed.

Pointing to that, Genis asked if that's what they needed. Mithos nodded in confirmation. "I knew you'd also have some survival skills in you. After all, most of us half elves need to rely on that."

Eyes growing wide, the boy looked at him with surprise. "W-what? N-no, I'm a full elf."

"Funny, your sister said something very similar. I completely understand, as a half elf myself, I'd never let any human know. They'd gladly stab me in the back if I were to do so. Your fear is valid."

The poison in his voice. Mithos was speaking from some kind of experience, that much was clear. Looking away, Genis shook his head.

"It's not like that."

"Lloyd is your best friend from what I understand, no? And even he doesn't seem to know."

Biting his lip, Genis felt very guilty about that fact. Why did he not dare to tell his very best friend? He knew that no matter what, Lloyd was the type of guy to accept him. Even if he were some kind of monster. But half elves were even worse than that. What he had seen at the ranch, in Iselia and even when he was young and traveling with his sister, he could remember this view on their kind. All thanks to the actions of the Desians.

The looks in the people's eyes. That kind of look was one he did not want to see back in the people that were close to him. He much rather lie; it was just easier.

A hand rested on his shoulder. Mithos looked down at him, his mouth a thin line. "We are in the same boat, so I get it. What you cannot share with him, you can share with me. We have the same kind of cursed blood running through our veins after all. Much like you, I only had my sister. She taught me everything I know in order to survive."

Not sure what to say, the boy just nodded awkwardly to these words. He did not want to say no to the man, it felt like he was just lonely. At least, that was the feeling he got. Maybe he just needed someone to talk to and let's be honest, his sister was not a great option.

They went on to grab some tumbleweeds, luckily it wasn't too windy. As they walked back towards their campsite, Genis just had to ask.

"What happened to your sister? You talked about her like she is no longer around."

"She died. Killed by a filthy humans, in fact. For no good reason."

The poison in the man's voice, unsettled Genis. More than it should be, realistically. There was something deeply rooted there. That's what it felt like. He didn't know why, but the feeling was there none the less.

"I'm sorry..." What could he really say to something like that?

"Do not trust them, my fellow kinsmen. They tend to destroy and betray, even when you think you have made a tight connection with one. You will get stabbed in the back, so be careful."

Mithos was speaking from experience. He did his very best not to sound hurt, but it was clear he was none the less. Genis did feel sorry for him, but also fearful at the same time. This was a fighter with a lot of experience and knowledge under his belt. Yet, they had just met the other night, and the man was hiding his face on top of that. Like his sister, he felt suspicious of that.

The rest of their walk was done in silence, as they went back over the sand dune to meet back up with the rest of the group. Their timing was perfect, as Lloyd was waking up on his own right at that moment.

The teen rubbed his eyes as he yawned and then stretched. His hair was even more of a mess then Genis' was. After that, he looked around, seeing all the faces around him.

"Oh, you're all awake already." Lloyd let out a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Goodmorning, Lloyd. You've woken up just in time for breakfast. Mithos, if you please can start the fire so I can heat up some water for coffee and tea."

"Of course, Raine."

As the sword for fire went on to do what he was asked, Colette looked over to Lloyd. He got out of the sleeping bag and gave her a wide smile.

"Hey Colette, morning."

"Goodmorning. Did you sleep okay?"

"I'm rested up, so don't worry about that. Honestly, I'm raring to go!"

"There he goes again." Genis sighed. "Hopefully you can uphold that enthusiasm."

"Watch it, before I make your hair such a mess, the professor will take days combing all the knots out."

"Enough of that now. Here you go. Eat up, I assume you want coffee?" Raine handed the teen one of the prepared sandwiches.

Grabbing the food, Lloyd took a bite and nodded to her question. When the professor looked at Colette, the girl requested coffee as well.

"Mmn, this is a good sandwich. Did you make this?"

"Oh yes, together with Raine. We figured we needed to make some that would give all of us good nutrition and energy."

Colette felt a little hurt, as it was clear he still would not say anything about what he was struggling with. Maybe there were too many people around? That was mostly the reason she did not push the matter any further for the moment. She knew Dirk had said to let him speak of it himself, but she was just worried about her friend.

The group eat their breakfast, enjoying their coffee or tea. After that, they cleaned up the campsite together.

"Wow, it's like we've never been here. Good job everyone!" Colette applauded happily.

"Let us be on our way; the ruins are waiting." Mithos suggested, serious as ever.

"I am very curious on what kind of discoveries we might find."

"Sis, this isn't meant for research." Genis tried to remind her.

"I will take the lead. Chosen one, please go behind me. Lloyd, I want you to be at the end, so that way you can watch our backs."

"Yeah, you got it." The teen nodded eagerly. "I cant wait to see this place."

"I hope you keep up that interest as we go on."

"Professor, you almost said the same thing as Genis. Is my focus really that bad?"

Lloyd looked over at Colette, who tilted her head slightly in thought. "Hm, not if it's something you are really interested in. Like fighting, you never get tired of that!"

"Are you up for it?" Mithos was looking at him, that much was clear even with the concealing helmet.

"You can count on me!"

"Let's get going then."

With that, the mercenary turned and lead the way. The rest followed in order as instructed. The walk wasn't long; just about a half hour before they reached their destination.

The first things that greeted them, were stone pillars. They were weathered, worn down by the harsh desert environment. Some were broken off, while others were slanted to an angle. Large stones were scattered throughout, making one wonder how they ended up there in the first place.

Right in the middle of the site, was a stone structure. Once upon a time, it may have been a building of sorts, judging by the broken-down walls that were still around. Raine gasped and ran up the two steps to take a closer look. Literally: she went down on her knees and caressed the stone like it was something very precious.

"Professor, what are you doing?" Colette asked curious. The girl also noticed the etchings in the stone, bearing her families crest.

"It's just as I thought! This is polycarbonate, developed during the Ancient War to defend against magic! Oh, feel the smooth surface! It's wondrous."

Mithos turned towards Genis, they all stood on the structure, except for Lloyd since there was not that much room.

The boy sighed, shaking his head in shame. "I've been trying so hard to hide it, too."

"So, the professor is really into the old stuff? Like an archeological maniac?"

A bit surprised that Lloyd could say it so smoothly, Genis looked over this his friend. "I guess that's a good way to describe it."

The studious woman moved on to the pedestal that was standing next to the smoothed stone surface, likely not hearing anything her companions were saying.

"Hmm? This depression, the writing reads "oracle stone." She turned to Colette. "Colette, place your hand here. That should reveal the entrance."

"Why do you think that's the case, sis?" Her younger brother was curious to know.

"This stone is enchanted with magic designed to identify the Chosen. There's no question about it."

Mithos nodded to her words, gesturing to the stone slab. "That symbol is the family crest."

"Oh wow, you know of that?" Colette gasped surprised.

"It is a well-known symbol. It's even depicted in churches. All are praying for you to succeed, Chosen one."

"Right..." A little intimidated, the girl placed her right hand on the pedestal. The design seemed to be made to fit her hand exactly, which was very curious.

The slab with the crest slit open, revealing a stone staircase which led down into the darkness. She clapped her hands together in surprise.

"It opened. Wow! I guess I'm really the Chosen after all."

Genis looked at her for that. The gem on her and the appearance of the angel weren't enough confirmation? "Yes, I think we all know that already."

"Okay! Now it's getting exciting! Let's hurry up and go inside, so we can get out of this heat."

"I am afraid the heat will only get more intense." Mithos remarked, turning towards Lloyd.

"What makes you say that?"

"Have you not been paying attention?" With a sigh, Raine looked at the teen too. "This place is rumored to be the lair of Efreet."

The blank stare he had told the whole story already. "Sis, he doesnt pay attention in class. Just accept that already."

"I will not! You will study and learn, young man. In fact, I will have you do homework every time we will take a break."

"Professor, please dont torture me!" Lloyd whined.

Colette could not help but chuckle. "Dont worry, Lloyd. I will help you. And I'm sure Genis will too."

"I suppose I do owe you that much."

"Thanks, you guys." The teen flashed them his classic, wide smile.

Movement. Mithos noticed it first, as the presence could not be hidden from him. He had his hand on the hilt of his sword but saw that this lifeform was not coming for the Chosen one. No, it was going straight for Lloyd. This may be a good time to test the boy's reflexes, so he decided not to do a thing.

It had moved in, in a matter of seconds. An elemental, going for a charged attack, which was unusual as these kinds of lifeforms would normally stick to magical spells.

"Lloyd, watch out!" It was too fast; all Colette could do was call out the second the orblike creature went directly for the teen's unguarded back.

A bright beacon of light blinded all of them. For Mithos it was just for a second, as he was used to this kind of light. However, this light was not by his make, nor any of his underlings. At the center of this was Lloyd Irving himself.

'Impossible,' the Cruxis leader thought to himself as he slowly blinked once. 'This light... it's the auto defense mechanism mode. Usually that only works for a Chosen when they have already lost their soul.'

How was this happening? The boy wasn't wearing a Cruxis Cristal. Kvar had mentioned he was trying to make one with a different approach, but it had always failed. Was this it? Was something new created? Mithos interest was piqued, together with his desire to find out more. To push the project as much as possible in order to see what it was capable of.

While all this was going through the man's head, Colette called out in worry. She, Genis and Raine had no clue what was going on, but to them it looked like Lloyd was trapped in this light.

Wanting to help right away, the blond girl stepped forward. Mithos was fast to take hold of her wrist.

"Chosen one, do not get too close. It's dangerous."

"What?" Panicked, she looked at him.

"Do you know what this is? It sounds like you do." Raine was sharp as always, her eyes going between the sword for hire and Lloyd.

"No, I..."

"Please help us understand so we can help him. He's our friend!" Genis was genuinely worried, feeling the raw amount of mana coming off this thing.

Letting out a sigh, Mithos shook his head. "It's a high-power defensive barrier, caused by his Exsphere." It was surprisingly close to the truth, but to be fair, he could not really make any good excuse for this.

"Let go of me, please. Lloyd would never hurt me, we need to help him!" Colette pleaded.

"Lloyd, can you hear us?!" Genis called out.

They could only see the contours of him, the bright light drowned out all the details. There was no reaction. At that, Colette pulled herself loose with surprising strength and stepped closer. It felt as though a wall suddenly appeared, stealing her breath with its force as she ran into it.

"Are you okay, Colette?"

"Yes, professor..." She was unable to hide her emotions, which were a mix of worry and sadness.

"Together now. Lets all try to get through."

Nodding to her little brother's words, Raine stepped next to them. Genis then looked to Mithos. "Are you helping or not?"

"He hardly knows me."

"We need to give each other support, cause that's what a team is."

Blinking to the Chosen's word, he nodded slowly and joined her side. If anything bad happened, he could at least get her out of the line of fire fast.

Together, they stepped in. A harsh force tried to push them back, but it wasn't enough to hold back all four of them. Stumbling over her own feet, Colette then collided with the teen, having to grab on to him in the process.

The light began to fade, the collum getting thinner until it ultimately disappeared in a matter of seconds. Tangled, the two teens tumbled on to the sand together. Well, Lloyd hit the sand, Colette landed on top of him.

Blinking, he looked at the girl confused. "How did you...?"

"Lloyd, are you okay?" The worry was written in her face as she looked at him, their noses just barely not touching each other.

"I'm fine. What's going on?" Getting more and more confused, he spotted the others. "Weren't you all on the ruin just a second ago?"

"Don't you remember what just happened?" Genis asked.

"What do you mean?" Lloyd sat up, Colette kneeling down next to him. "We were talking about homework. And I guess you called for me to watch out." He looked at the blond girl.

Raine stepped closer, placing the back of her hand against the teen's forehead. Then she leaned down and looked him in the eyes. "You seem to be back to normal."

"Did he have a blackout or something?" Her younger brother asked.

It was Mithos who answered: "Excessive use of an Exsphere can have that kind of effect. It can demand a lot of energy. He's lucky he didn't pass out."

"Would someone please explain what's going on?" Lloyd stood up out of frustration. He didn't feel any different, so what were they on about?

Standing up as well, the Chosen took hold of his hand gently. Specifically, the one with the Exsphere imbedded on it. During 'the episode', she had noticed the gem had a discerning red glow. Now, it was back to its pleasant blue heugh.

Gently, Colette explained to him what had just gone down. The teen was startled, looking at the orb himself but noting nothing different about it.

"I didn't even know I could do something like that..."

"I could teach all of you a technique, that would protect you from enemy attacks. It will be lower level, of course. But it will be sufficient to reduce some damage." Mithos offered matter-of-factly.

Raine had been handed her own Exsphere just the other night by the mercenary. For a moment she placed a hand over the ornament, which she had set just underneath her right clavicle.

"I think that would be wise. We don't want another outburst like that."

Mithos would, as a matter fact, like to see more. But only from the Angelus project. It was a fascinating development. Even in this state, it had this kind of raw power. The will to protect, or even to live. As for the others, he just needed to make sure they stayed safe.

So, the man showed all of them his technique; Guardian for fighters and for magic users, it was called Force field. After this, he suggested they should move on, as the first seal was waiting for them.

After Lloyd assured his friends he was fine, they one by one descended down the stairs of the ruins into the darkness.

It was not often that Yuan took a normal stroll. He'd usually just soar past it all high above, or teleport to his destination in a flash. But the Seraphim needed some time to order his thoughts. To think up a plan. The scenic route back to base may even give him some ideas.

As he strolled on and the grass gradually transferred to sand, a strong draw of power made him stop dead in his tracks.

Far to the right, a bright beacon of light reached up into the clouds. It did not last very long; maybe two to three minutes, until it faltered and faded. All went back to normal, as if nothing ever happened.

Dread set in the pit of Yuan's stomach, as he made his wings appear and hurried the rest of his way back to base.

A small group of Desians were doing some training not too far from the base led by Botta. As soon as the man spotted the light and then the small spot flying fast in their direction after, he quickly commanded his men to go back inside.

Yuan landed next to him not long after. He had that serious expression on his face, the one that his right-hand man would dub as 'We have a real problem here.'

"I assume you saw that light as well, sir."

"I felt it before I even saw it."

It had to have been very strong then. Botta didn't question it, he knew the Seraphim had senses that surpassed many other life forms. "Was it Mithos?"

"If it was, I would have rushed over there, not here." Despite everything, that was still the boy he promised to watch over and keep safe.

"Then who was it?"

"The one and only son of Kratos Aurion."

A moment of silence set in, as the black-haired man stared at his leader in disbelieve. He was not one to make jokes, so it had to be the absolute truth. He blinked the dryness and grains of sand out of his widened eyes.

Yuan went on to explain his findings, calling Kratos a fool in the back of head for most likely the one hundredth time that day. Why did he never check? Why did he just assume all of them dead? Idiot!

"The direction that came from, it was the at the first seal, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Botta." The Seraphim nodded with a very serious expression on his face. "Which means the boy is just within an arm's reach away from Mithos."

"With the kind of power we just saw..."

"A loose cannon, very dangerous in the wrong hands. At the very top of that list will be Yggdrasill. He's just showcased he is ready to push whoever is wearing the Angelus project. The poor boy will his personal test subject, destined to end up as his puppet."

Sighing, Yuan crossed his arms and shook his head. Serious problems indeed. His right-hand man stood at attention.

"Sir, I am always ready to help out in whatever way I can. Allow me to do so."

Nodding to his words, the blue-haired man allowed a small smile. "I know. Let's go inside and divulge new plans."

With that, the two men stepped out of the dessert before the heat would become too harsh. Yuan wouldn't be bothered, but it was for Botta's sake, of course.