Sorry again for missing my chapter post last week. There really no excuse except I was feeling too lazy to post. Nonetheless, the next chapter is here and I hope you enjoy. Also, thank you all again for your reviews, hits, and favorites.

Now, to the story.

Chapter 19: Impostors

Lloyd rolled several times in bed as he slowly began to wake up. He had thankfully had a dreamless night and actually felt well rested. The shifting and rough motions of the boat didn't exactly ease him to sleep the other night. It was also nice to sleep without the crack of thunder in the background.

Despite his best attempts, however, he couldn't will himself to go back to sleep. He finally sighed in defeat and pushed himself out of bed. He looked out the window and found to his annoyance that the sun was barely rising. The one day he got to sleep late and he had to ruin it. That was just typical.

He glanced down out of the window and saw Kratos leaving the inn. Where was he going at this time of day? Even though Kratos was always an early riser, he rarely went anywhere without Colette. Especially when everyone was still asleep.

With curiosity getting the better of him, Lloyd rushed to put his clothes on, making sure he didn't disturbed Genis in the process since they were sharing a room again. Because Colette was still partly sick, Raine wanted to keep a close eye on her.

Which worked out fine with Lloyd since that meant he didn't have to wake up to see Kratos glaring at him.

Once his boots were on, he ran to the door with his jacket still half hanging off his shoulders. He made it to the exit and ran down the open street until he caught up with Kratos, who was thankfully walking slowly.

"I didn't expect you to be out this earlier," Kratos said without turning to face him. "You could have slept in today."

"Don't I know it," Lloyd joked. He was only met with silence for his snide remarked. "So, where're you going?"

"I am going to make an appointment with the Governor-General," Kratos said. "Given his status, I doubt he would see walk-ins."

"Oh, I see your point," Lloyd said as he finished buttoning his jacket.

He couldn't think of anything else to say as they walked down the quiet streets. The only people walking the roads were the street cleaners, the mailmen, and the milkmen. It was quite the change from the noise and full streets of yesterday afternoon.

They reached the governor's building without incident and were greeted by several armed guards that blocked the main doorway. They were covered head to toe in thick green and silver armor. Lloyd couldn't even see their faces since their helmets completely hid their faces.

One of them moved forward to greet him, but his spear was ready for any surprises. "Who are you?"

"My name is Kratos Aurora and I wish to set an appointment with the Governor-General," Kratos answered calmly.

"Just you two?" the guard questioned as he looked between them.

Kratos shook his head. "There are three others who are not with us at the moment."

The guard paused for a moment. "The Governor-General won't be free until two o'clock today."

Kratos nodded. "That will be fine."

"You guys much have quite a job protecting the Governor-General," Lloyd commented. He could tell just by looking at them that they were better trained than all the soldiers in Iselia combined.

"We would give our lives to protect the Governor-General," the other guard said with pride. "We fear no Desian force."

"Isn't it tough fighting against a legion of Desians?" Lloyd asked.

"In order to fight against the Desians, we always train," the first guard said. "Every afternoon, we are all required to go out into the field."

"That is a sign of a dedicated warrior," Kratos praised with a nod of approval.

Lloyd paused in thought. "Maybe...maybe I should train some too." He hadn't practiced his sword skills in weeks. Even though he had seen plenty of action lately, he knew he needed to become even stronger.

Kratos glanced at Lloyd from the corner of his eye. "If you are serious, I will train you."

Lloyd looked at Kratos in shock. "You train me?"

"Is my offer that shocking?" Kratos asked neutrally.

Actually, it was. The arrogant mercenary never stuck Lloyd as someone who would take students. He seemed quite happy being master of the universe. He wondered what the catch was?

"Alright," Lloyd said slowly. Arrogant or not, Kratos had mad skills. He could only benefit learning something from the man. Although, he still didn't like making Kratos' ego even bigger.

"If you want to train under me, you cannot do it with half-ass resolve," Kratos warned.

"Half-ass!?" Lloyd shouted.

"Keep the noise down." one of the guards reprimanded. "There are still people sleeping."

Lloyd took several breaths to cool down. "I always give my best in everything I'm devoted to."

"We will see," Kratos said as the turned around and began to walk towards one of the exits in the city.

Lloyd followed shortly behind the older man with stream coming out of his ears. Could this man say anything without it ending in some kind of insult? It was like he went out of his way to tick him off.

The worst part was, that Kratos was right in his cockiness. Although Lloyd could tell that he had gotten stronger since he had left Iselia, Kratos could still beat him blindfolded and with both his feet tied. The guy was just inhumanly strong for no reason and it was a tough pill to shallow. He could learn a lot from Kratos, even if he was a jerk.

They kept walking until they were way out of the city and in an open field. Lloyd briefly wondered if it was wise to move so far away from the city's limits since they were in monster-infested territory.

"Take out your swords," Kratos cold voice ordered.

Without hesitation, Lloyd removed his two swords and got into a battle stance. "How is this?"

Lloyd felt very opened as Kratos examined him like he was some kind of painting. Kratos' face was completely blank, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Lloyd had to keep himself from shifting under the dispassionate glaze.

"You're wide open," Kratos finally said.

"What!?" Lloyd exclaimed in shock. He thought his stance was perfect.

"Fighting with two swords deviates from the way in which swords were originally intended to be used," Kratos explained. "The difficult increases your vulnerabilities."

If Lloyd didn't know any better, Kratos sounded like he was talking from very personal experience. There was also something else in his voice that he couldn't identify.

"That's weird," Lloyd muttered.

Kratos once again gave him a strange look. "Lloyd, what convince you to take up a second sword?"

"Well, if one sword has the power of one-hundred, then two swords will make two-hundred, right?" Lloyd answered.

Kratos blinked several times as he stared at Lloyd. "Are you telling me that's why you carry two swords?"

"Yeah," Lloyd answered slowly.

That was the only logic that made sense to him. He just felt stronger and more balanced when he used two blades. But he thought simply saying he felt better wouldn't fly with someone as hardass as Kratos.

Lloyd looked up and saw Kratos giving him a look that he had never seen on his face before. "Why...why are you look at me with pity?"

He didn't even know that Kratos could pity anyone, let alone him. It wasn't a feeling he particular liked, especially coming from him.

"I'm sorry," Kratos muttered.

For Kratos, it was hard to believe that Lloyd could pick up his family's fighting style without any prior knowledge and no understanding of it at all. It really showed just how far behind Lloyd was in his swordsmanship. This never would have happened if his father had anything to do with Lloyd. Regardless, one couldn't change the past.

"First off, we need to correct your stance," Kratos said, getting his head together. "Shift your right foot forward and bend you knees more."

Lloyd did what he was told. "This feels awkward."

"That is because you have been doing it wrong for so long," Kratos said. "We need to recondition your body so you will do it the right way without thinking."

"How could I've been wrong all this time?" Lloyd wondered out loud. "This is how the guards in Iselia fight."

"The guards in Iselia are mediocre soldiers at best," Kratos said harshly. "They may be able to stand against the average Desian from a raid, but they would be murdered against anything stronger than them."

Lloyd frowned deeply. He knew the guards in Iselia were not the best, but hearing Kratos' words stung. Did that mean all his training was for nothing?

Kratos observed Lloyd's expression. "They did the best with what they knew and so did you. Your skills were adequate for the opponents you were facing at the time."

Lloyd looked up at Kratos. His voice was softer and gentler than usual. It didn't have the biting critical tone that he usually had when judging Lloyd's sword skills.

"Lloyd, I truly want to help you get better and grow your skills," Kratos continued. "You have a lot of natural talent and I know you can greatly improve, which is why I am so hard on you."

"It's just...you're so freaking better at everything," Lloyd spat bitterly.

"Of course I am. I have years more experience than you and have been through countless death matches," Kratos said. "If I was not good, I would have been killed years ago."

"So, you got stronger by constantly putting your life in danger?" Lloyd asked.

"That is part of it," Kratos admitted. "That is not the only way to get stronger, but it is the quickest. Just look at how much stronger you have become since starting this journey. Would you have reached the same level of strength as quickly if you had stood in Iselia?"

Lloyd knew the answer was a strong no. Even as 'weak' as Kratos kept telling him, Lloyd was still able to beat the most ferocious monsters in the forest even before he turned fifteen. Not to mention how he was able to handle the Desians at the Ranch. There was simply no need to get stronger.

"On this journey, you must become stronger or you will die. It is as simple as that," Kratos said in a harsh tone. "And since you have something to defend, your death would also forfeit the life of the one you wish to protect."

"I understand," Lloyd said with new resolved.

Kratos' speech also showed him how childish he was being. Here he was being mad at Kratos for showing him off that he had forgotten the reason why he picked up his swords in the first place. This wasn't about him and his pride; it was about protecting his friends, especially Colette who was risking her life to save the world.

Lloyd once again got into position with fire in his eyes. "Then teach me so I can defend those I hold dear."

Kratos had to keep himself from smiling as he looked over Lloyd. It would seemed his words had touched a part of Lloyd's heart. The part that was a natural defender. Despite the promised he made to Lloyd, there was no denying that he had the spirit of a warrior.

Kratos then took out his own sword and shield. "Then, let us begin."

He ran forward and delivered a powerful strike that Lloyd just barely blocked. He attempted to counter by swinging his other sword up to cut into Kratos' side.

"Open!" Kratos shouted as he rammed his shield into Lloyd's face, causing him to scream in pain. Lloyd held back his tears as he got back into stance.

It went on like that the entire morning. Lloyd would attempt an attack and Kratos would punish him for every opening, misstep, or reckless swing. Lloyd thought for sure that Kratos had broken his hand at some point since it had swelled to the size of a grapefruit.

The only good thing about the training session was that Kratos was discipline enough to hit him with the flat side of his blade. Otherwise, Lloyd knew that he would have been cut up like a romp roast by now.

Kratos also seemed to have endless endurance and never got tired. By the end of the practice, Lloyd was panting, bruised, and sweating, while Kratos looked exactly the same as when they had started. Lloyd wasn't sure before, but he knew now. This man wasn't human.

"That's enough for today," Kratos said as he watched Lloyd kneel on the ground. grasping for air. "We will do this everyday at the same time."

"Same...same time?" Lloyd mourned. It was only by some freak twist of nature that he was even up now.

"We will practice for two to three hours. Depending on the day actives, we may break early," Kratos continued.

Lloyd had to keep himself from groaning. It figures Kratos would turn into a drill sergeant.

Kratos gave him a harsh glare. "What happened to all that fire you had earlier? Has it all already burnt out?"

Lloyd quickly returned his glare.

"I thought as much," Kratos said as he lifted his hand. "First Aid!"

Lloyd felt his wounds close and the bruises lessen, although Kratos stopped short of healing him completely. This was obviously his way of reminding Lloyd of the butt kicking he was just handed. Like he needed a physical reminder.

"Let's head back into the city," Kratos finally said.

By the time they reached the inn, it was late in the morning and the group was already gathered from breakfast. They all looked up when they saw Kratos and Lloyd entered the kitchen.

"So, that's where you've been, Lloyd," Genis said as he took a bite of his eggs. "I thought it was strange you were up before noon."

Lloyd sat down heavily at the table. "I'll too tire to even care."

"I saved you a plate," Colette said as she put a plate full of eggs and toasts in front of him.

Lloyd gave her a grateful smile.

"Where were you two all morning?" Raine asked as she poured more coffee.

"I went to set an appointment with the Governor-General. He will see us at two," Kratos answered as he drank some orange juice.

"It took that long to do that?" Raine questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I spent the rest of the morning training Lloyd," Kratos answered neutrally.

Genis looked at Lloyd in surprise. "Your trained with Kratos and you're still alive?"

"Just barely," Lloyd said as he eagerly ate his toast.

"Wow, did you learn a lot?" Colette asked.

"Don't leave yourself open," Lloyd said, rubbing his nose as the ghost of pain returned.

"Do you think we have time to go to the school today?" Genis asked.

"We may after we meet with the Governor-General," Raine said. "I believe the church service starts around seven today."

Colette nodded. "Yes, we mustn't be late for that."

"Have you decided to go, Lloyd?" Genis asked.

Lloyd rubbed his stomach as he finished his breakfast. He quickly snapped to attention when he heard the question. "Well...I don't think I will. It's just not my thing."

Colette gave him a disappointing look. "I understand."

"Oh come on, Lloyd. This is a special service in honor of Colette," Genis said.

"Such a service could be educational to you," Raine added.

"He made up his mind and you all should respect his wishes," Kratos said in an even tone.

Lloyd gave Kratos a grateful look.

"But..." Genis started.

"It's really okay, Genis," Colette said with a smile. "I don't want to force Lloyd to go if he doesn't want to. The Goddess Martel would want all her children to come to her willingly."

Genis sighed. "I guess."

When it got close to two, the group left the inn and headed towards the main square. The streets were now as crowded as yesterday, making it hard to move. Even with the crowds, however, they reached the governor's building with minutes to spare.

Kratos stepped forward to greet the guards. "I have an appointment with the Governor-General."

The guard nodded. "Kratos Aurora, right? Yes, you're right on time."

He stepped aside and another guard escorted the group into the building. Lloyd was taken in on how big the building was. It was even bigger than the Grand Church with high ceilings and fancy brickwork that decorated the walls.

They kept walking until they reached two large wooden doors and the guard carefully opened them. Inside the room, there were several people. One sat at a large desk that took up most of the room. Another man stood on the far left and looked at them with interest. He had short greenish blue hair with matching eyes. He wore fancy looking yellow and white shirt with pure white pants.

The last person was a little girl whose head just barely came over the desk. She had two long blond pigtails that came over her head and bent forward. She was wearing a cute looking blue dress with white lancing at the front.

Lloyd recognized the one at the desk as Governor-General Dorr. It was kind of unnerving to have those piecing golden eyes staring at him. He didn't know what it was, but he somehow felt different from yesterday.

"Greetings, travelers!" Dorr said in a kind, gentle voice. He gave them all a warm smile. "May the blessing of Martel be upon those who journey."

Colette bowed. "May the blessing of Martel be upon you as well."

"May I ask where you have come from?" Dorr asked. "Are you on a pilgrimage for Martel?"

"We came from Iselia," Lloyd said. He paused for a moment as he glanced at Colette. "We're on the journey for World Regeneration."

Dorr's eyes suddenly narrowed and the warm aura around him suddenly disappeared. Kratos felt himself go on guard by the sudden change in the Governor-General's demeanor.

"World Regeneration?" Dorr repeated with an edge to his voice.

"Colette here is the Chosen of Mana," Genis explained, not noticing the warning signs. "The Tower of Salvation appeared, right?"

Dorr turned to look at Colette with a keen eye. "Are you saying that you are the Chosen?" His voice had an almost mocking tone.

"Ah, um, yes. It seems that way, anyway," Colette said with a nervous giggle.

"Governor-General Dorr," the man on the far left said as he stepped over towards Dorr. His voice was filled with both surprise and what sounded like anger.

Lloyd suddenly had a bad feeling.

Kratos reached over and fingered the handle of his sword.

Dorr looked at each of them before his eyes completely narrowed. "I know, Neil. The Chosen was just here just over a day ago."

"Huh, that's impossible!" Genis exclaimed. "We just got here last afternoon."

"That's because you're not the Chosen's group!" Dorr yelled as he stood up. His eyes seemed to blaze with anger. "How dare you defile that name! Do you know the punishment for using the Chosen name in vain!?"

"There has obviously been a misunderstanding," Raine said calmly, although she knew Dorr was beyond the point of reason.

"These despicable criminals must be arrested and turned over to the Church at once!" Dorr yelled as he reached over on his desk and rang a bell. Within seconds, several guards barged into the room and surrounded them.

"Whoa!" Lloyd exclaimed in shock.

Kratos removed his sword without a second thought.

"You can't fight them!" Raine yelled.

"My duty is to protect the Chosen," Kratos said, ready to make the first move.

"Take them to the prison and informed the pastor of what has happened here!" Dorr ordered.

The guards stepped up to them. "Come along peacefully and no one will be harm."

"Like hell!" Lloyd yelled as he removed his own swords.

"Please stop!" Colette exclaimed as she moved forward. She, like clockwork, lost her balance and trip on the carpet. Just as she landed, her two wings came out, surprising everyone.

"Wow, father, did you see!?" the little girl exclaimed in awe. She began to clap happily. "She has wings! She's like an angel!"

All the color drained out of Dorr's face as he realized his mistake.

"W…wait, everyone, lower your weapons!" Neil ordered, his eyes were as big as saucers. "This person before us is without a doubt the Chosen of Mana!"

All the guards lowered their weapons and back down.

"Cho...Chosen forgive us," one of them muttered humbly.

"Please forgive us," another guard pleaded with a bow.

Neil turned to look at Colette as she slowly stood up. "There is no mistaking the angel wings that are on your back." He bowed humbly before her. "Please forgive our insolence, Chosen One."

Colette blushed brightly over all the attention. "Ah, um, please, it's okay. Everyone tells me I'm not very Chosen-like at all."

"But this means…" Dorr muttered. He was getting even paler, if such a thing was possible. "The Chosen we gave the Book of Regeneration to was an impostor!?"

"Wait a minute, you said something about the Chosen coming here already?" Lloyd asked in confusion as he put his swords away.

Neil leaned heavily on the desk. "We...we gave our most precious treasure, the Book of Regeneration, to a group that claimed to be the Chosen's group. That book is a record of Spiritua's journey."

"Many priests lost their lives to ensure that book's safety because it is the only document containing a detailed record of the World Regeneration," Dorr continued as he fell heavily back into his chair and rubbed his forehead. "It is a precious heirloom passed down through the generations of Governor-Generals of Palmacosta."

Raine looked between the two men dispassionately. "And you say you handed over this invaluable book to a random person claiming to be 'the Chosen'?" She shook her head. "Unbelievable."

Kratos closed his eyes in thought. It all made sense now. That group they ran into the other day had an aura of guilt around them. Not to mention they said that they were giving Palma Potion even though there was a shortage. The person who gave it to them obviously thought that they were someone important. There was also that strange conversation he overheard as they were leaving.

Lloyd seemed to have reached the same conclusion. "Of course, it must have been those guys that were giving us trouble yesterday!"

"How could you allow this to happen?" Raine asked, barely controlling her own anger.

Neil looked shamefully at the floor. "We had received information that the Chosen's group was headed this way, so we naturally thought that they were them."

"Are you stupid or something!?" Genis snapped. "Now what are we supposed to do!?"

"I am terribly sorry," Neil said in deep shame.

"I can't believe this! Do you use your eyes at all or are they just there for decoration?" Genis continued to rant. "You humans are..."

Raine finally had enough of Genis' childish ranting and gave him a had slap on the head that echoed across the room. Everyone flinched when they saw the act.

Kratos shook his head, knowing that the boy did deserve it. As annoying at the current situation was, it was an accident. Besides, not too many people would have the gall to impersonate the Chosen. The sentence for such deceit was death with no exceptions. So, he could understand why Dorr took the fake Chosen group at their word. It also didn't help that very few people knew what the Chosen looked like. The Church insisted in keeping her identity a secret for safety reasons.

"Genis, that's enough," Raine scolded firmly.

Lloyd turned his eyes away from the violent scene. "You don't happen to remember the contents of that whatever-it's-called book, do you?"

Kratos inwardly sighed. How could Lloyd have already forgotten the name of the book?

Dorr shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It is written in the language of the angels, so only the priests of the Church can read it."

Lloyd sighed. "Looks like we have no choice but to give up since we don't even know where the imposers went."

"They went to Hakonesia Peak," Kratos spoke up.

"How do you know that?" Genis asked.

"I overheard those people talking about it as they were leaving," Kratos explained. "They're planning on selling the Book of Regeneration there."

"Who would buy such a holy artifact of the Church of Martel?" Raine asked, barely containing her disgust.

"It has to be Koton," Dorr muttered.

Lloyd looked at Dorr in confusion. "Koton?"

"He is an old man who lives at Hakonesia Peak," Dorr stated. "He's a terrible, greedy man who buys valuable artifacts from all over the world and put them into his collection. He actually came here a couple times wanting to buy the book from us."

Raine shook her head. "That's terrible. No great artifact of history is supposed to be in someone's private collection."

Kratos had to agree. He only met Koton a couple times, but that was more than enough for one lifetime.

"Then, we have to hurry and get to Hakonesia Peak before they sell it!" Genis exclaimed.

"Such a gesture is pointless," Kratos said. "They nearly have a two day head start on us and we would never be able to catch them in time."

Raine sighed. "I'm afraid Kratos is right."

"Maybe Koton will understand the misunderstanding and let us have the book back," Colette suggested in her usual hopeful manner.

"You don't know Koton," Neil laughed humorlessly. "That man deals with thieves and murderers. Stolen property means nothing to him."

"It won't hurt to ask," Lloyd said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"That's true," Raine said with a slight nod.

"Please accept our forgiveness again, Chosen," Dorr said as he bowed. "We have all been foolishness and stupid."

"It's nothing for you to be ashamed of," Colette said. "We all make mistakes."

"We better get going," Raine sighed. "There is nothing more that can be done here."

They all began to file out of the room.

"Bye, bye, Miss Angel!" Kilia yelled as she waved at Colette.

Colette returned the wave as they stepped out.

Well, things are finally moving along in Lloyd and Kratos' relationship. Although, I still did not move the plot much. This was still a fun chapter to write, however.

Well, until next time.