A new chapter is here and it wasn't a year later! Thank you all for supporting this story and let's keep going until we finally reach the end of this Act.
Now, to the chapter.
Chapter 77: A Promise Kept
Lloyd let out a huge sigh as he stared wistfully at the ocean.
It has been an eventful couple of weeks to say the least. After finishing their business with Alicia and resting for a few days, it was back to the business to making summon spirits pacts.
After some discussion, it was decided to return to Sylvarant to make the pacts with the remaining summon spirits here, outside of Luna, since they've already completed the temple's trials unlike Tethe'alla, so it was a straight shot to the altar. They've done Sylph a week ago and they finished with Efreet a few days ago.
Normally, they would relax in Triet since that was the city closest to the Seal of Fire, but no one from the Tethe'alla group could stand the heat. A place that could reached well over one-hundred degrees on a cool day was unheard in Tethe'alla and to make matter worse, Triet was going through a once in a lifetime heatwave that put the desert city in a drought. Only Sheena had any experience with such heat since she had to cross the desert before and even she couldn't take it.
It was so bad that everyone from Tethe'alla, except Sheena since she had to be the one to make the pact, sat out the fight with Efreet and Sheena nearly had a heatstroke that left her bedridden for an entire day.
So, it was decided for everyone's comfort and health to rest in Izoold and get a fresh start for their return to Tethe'alla to make their pact with Shadow. He wanted to do Luna next while they were in Sylvarant, but a pact was impossible until they found Aska and they've already decided that could wait until later.
"Just two more summon spirits," Lloyd whispered.
"What are you talking about, Lloyd?" the soft voice of Colette asked.
Lloyd nearly jumped. He was so lost in thought that he didn't sense her at all. He really needed to stop doing that.
"I was just thinking about how we only needed to make a pact with Shadow, Luna, and Aska. Once we make pacts with them, we can make the Great Seed germinate," Lloyd replied.
"And Sylvarant and Tethe'alla will be saved," Colette finished.
"I hope that's the case," Lloyd said. "That Yuan's plan works and neither world will ever have to struggle for mana again. That we would have no more sacrifices like Botta. And no more victims like Marble, Alicia, and Clara…."
He couldn't continue after he mentioned Clara.
He wondered where she was now. Was she even still alive? It's been nearly three months since they last saw her and she was being hunted by adventurers. He prayed to anyone, including Martel, that she was still alive. He couldn't live with himself if he broke his promised to Dorr.
"She's still alive, Lloyd. I can feel it," Colette assured as if reading his thoughts. "We can save her now with Professor Raine's healing arts. So, don't be sad."
Lloyd's mood has been down since Rodyle. He tried to hide it from the others, but she could always feel Lloyd's emotions. And, it was sad seeing Lloyd trying to hide his feelings so much. Usually, Lloyd was an open as a book despite trying to act tough.
All this started after Zelos had his talk with Lloyd that second day in Tethe'alla. While she couldn't respond, she heard Zelos tell Lloyd that he couldn't mope because his feelings were projected to the rest of the group.
While that was true, it wasn't good for Lloyd bottle in his hurt either. Especially someone as naturally emotional as Lloyd.
Before he could answer Colette, loud screams caught their attention. "What's that!?" Was it a Desian raid?
"MONSTER!" someone screamed.
"Monster?"Lloyd repeated. What monster would be so bold to attack a city in daylight? The only one he could think of was…. "Clara!"
Colette gasped. She knew that unstable mana felt familiar.
Without another thought, Lloyd ran to the source of the chaos.
It didn't take him long to reach the harbor. There, he saw Clara. She was kneeling on the ground and breathing hard. She was covered in several wounds and her yellow blood stained her torn dress. She looked closed to death.
Surrendering her were the adventures from Hima. They had their weapons out and grinned gleefully at having their prey cornered.
Lloyd glanced around and saw that the rest of the group was there, no doubt drawn by all the noise.
"This time we're not gonna let you get away!" one of the adventures proclaimed as they prepared the killing blow. He brought his sword down.
"STOP!" Lloyd shouted as he jumped between the adventurer and Clara. Without thinking he had drawn his sword and stopped the man's attack.
"What are you doing!?" the adventurer shouted in shock and outrage. He attempted to push his sword down, but found he couldn't even make it budge. Despite being taller than Lloyd, his strength was nothing compared to him.
One of the adventures recognized Lloyd. "Not you again!"
The crowd around them muttered. Wondering why Lloyd was protecting a monster.
One of the adventurers stepped forward and sneered at Lloyd. "If you interfere, we'll take you out too!"
The adventurer who was sword locked with Lloyd growled in frustrating as he kept trying to push Lloyd away. "Why the heck are you so strong?"
Lloyd ignored them. "Professor, please!"
Raine pushed through the crowd. "I know."
"Stay away, woman," an adventurer ordered as he attempted to shove Raine aside.
He didn't get far before Regal viciously kicked him in the chest, flooring the man. "Have some respect for a lady."
Presea walked between Lloyd and the other adventures and took out her axe. Without saying a word, the adventures knew if they wanted to harm the monster, they would have to go through her and she wasn't going to be gentle.
With the adventures dealt with, Raine walked towards Clara.
Clara sneered at her and sloppily swiped her claws at the Professor. Raine easily evaded the attack and stared at the young lady with pity. "It's okay, I'm here to help you."
Despite being nearly mindless, Clara stopped attacking. It was like she understood that Raine had the power to save her.
Raine gently put her hand on Clara's head, like she was about to perform a blessing. She could feel Clara's mana and knew that the woman was dying. By some divine luck, they were able to reach her just in time. "Resurrection!"
A bright flash blinded everyone and forced them to look away. When the light finally subsided, the crowd gasped in shock.
The adventures were also left stunned.
"What…." one of them stuttered.
Where the monster once stood now laid a young woman with long blond hair that messily fell down her back. Her wounds were healed thanks to Raine's magic, but her clothing were still badly damaged to the point that she was closed to naked.
Zelos turned towards the crowd. "Don't just stand there. Bring that woman some clothing and blankets."
It took them several seconds to process Zelos' command, but several villagers ran to get fresh clothing while another yelled that they were getting the town's doctor.
The adventurer that Lloyd was holding off lowered his weapon. "That monster….was a woman?"
Lloyd ignored him as he walked over to Clara and gently knelt down. "Are you alright?"
Clara seemed too stun to answer.
"Can you hear me?" Raine asked gently. After being a monster for so long, she feared that she couldn't completely bring the woman back.
Clara finally looked at Raine and found her voice. "Yes…yes." There was a long pause as Clara realized what had happened. The brightest smile that Lloyd had ever seen appeared on her face. "Thank you so much! I've finally returned to my original form!"
Colette put her hands together and was closed to crying. "Thank the goddess! Oh, I'm so glad!"
"Wh…wh…what? Why did the monster turn into a human?" an adventure asked. Still not believing their eyes.
Genis rolled his eyes. "Are you stupid? She was a human to begin with, but she was turned into a monster by the Desians."
"Desians," the adventure muttered. "I've….I've rumors, but I never thought…." The realization of what they nearly did hit him. "We…we nearly killed an innocent woman…."
The other adventures also paled.
Regal stepped forward and a gave harsh glare at each of the adventures. "Be thankful that the Professor spared you from that misery. And I hope this teaches you not to hunt down every beast you see."
The adventurers could only look down in shame.
Regal sighed as he glance at Clara. So…there was a way to save Alicia. If he had known…
"You didn't have a choice," Sheena remarked as she approached Regal. She knew what Regal was thinking. "Raine was only able to save Clara thanks to the Boltzman and the unicorn's horn. Without those, Clara would have been beyond anyone's ability to help."
"Unicorn's horn? So the legends are true," Regal spoke softly.
"Yeah… The unicorn died giving us its horn," Sheena was closed to whispering. "I'm glad its life could save so many others."
Regal sighed again. "Still I wonder…"
Sheena shook her head. "The past can't be changed. No matter how much we wish we could." She touched Corrine's bell that was in her pocket. "Just take heart that Alicia is finally allowed to rest in peace."
"You're right. I'm being selfish again," Regal replied in regret.
Sheena chuckled humorless. "In times like these…I think it's okay to be a little selfish."
Several villagers returned and wrapped Clara in warm towels.
"You poor thing. She must have been an escapee from one of the Ranches," one of them said.
"We told the doctor what happened. He will look you over," another person said. "Don't worry. You're safe now."
Clara began sobbing, not believing that her long nightmare was over. "How can I possibly thank you?"
Lloyd shook his head. "You don't have to do anything." He paused. "We owed it to someone."
Clara looked Lloyd over and then took another glanced at Raine. Her eyes widened in realization. "I have only a vague memory of when I was a monster, but I remember that you saved Palmacosta."
Lloyd looked away. They may have saved Palmacosta, but they couldn't save Dorr nor Kilia. How could he possibly tell her what happened to her family?
Colette stepped forward. "Please show the people of Palmacosta that you are well as soon as possible."
Clara allowed herself to be gently lifted up. One of the bigger men draped her arm over his wide shoulders. "I will."
"You're going to the doctor before you even think about going to Palmacosta," the man who was holding Clara up said firmly. "I can tell you right now that he isn't going to allow you to leave for a few weeks at least. Look at you, you're starved to the point that I can feel your ribs."
Clara lowered her eyes. "I…I have no money."
"So what?" the man replied, insulted at the idea that he wanted payment. "You can stay at my house until you're better and I'll pay the doctor's bill. My wife also have old cloths that you can have. You're about the same size."
Clara was closed to tears. "Thank you..."
The man smiled. "Think nothing of it. You just think about getting well. You've been through enough for one lifetime."
Someone chuckled. "Good ol' Jason. You're really too nice."
Zelos was taken back by the sheer kindness he was witnessing. Not only were people rallying to help Clara, but going by the dialog, this was a common occurrence. In Tethe'alla, it wasn't uncommon for a person to lay unconscious in the streets and people would walk by like they were a piece of litter.
Sheena wasn't kidding when she said that the people in Sylvarant were generally nicer than Tethe'allans. Then again, they wouldn't lasted so long under the Desians' rule if they were all willing to ignore suffering.
Jason gently led Clara to the clinic and the adventurers went on their way, humbled by their experience. Slowly, the crowd left the scene and the harbor returned to normal.
Lloyd turned to Raine and gave her a grateful smile. "Professor, thank you."
Raine waved her hand. "It was nothing…. This was something I needed to do too." Much like Lloyd, she felt redeemed over her failure to saved Dorr's life. She hoped that him and his daughter could finally rest peacefully.
Colette grabbed Lloyd's hand and squeezed. "See Lloyd. You were able to keep your promise. Clara is alive because of you."
Lloyd blushed and felt a strong sense of happiness rushed through his body. It was the lightest he has felt in weeks. If nothing else, he was able to keep one vow.
Presea silently looked on and felt a pang of bitterness and envy that Alicia was never offered the same chance. That she died like a dog at the hands of her lover. That her dear sister had strained her hands with innocent blood before she was stopped.
She knew that these feelings were petty and Clara herself has lost much. Her family was dead, and one of the victims was just a child. Slain in her sleep by a beast who took her form. And much like herself, Clara's time was gone. How long has she been a monster? Months? Years? Decades? How long was she in pain, unable to control her urge to kill, and barely conscious of herself? It much have been hell.
Clara's world and time were gone….yet she still envied her. Because while her old life didn't exist anymore, she was giving chance to start over. Something that was robbed from Alicia.
As for herself, she knew that she must moved on from her past. That even if Vharley and the Pope were brought to justice, nothing would bring her sister and daddy back. Yet…she wasn't ready to let go.
And Regal. As hard as she tried, she couldn't forgive him. Logically, she knew that she was being a child. That Regal himself was a victim and was set to punish himself for deeds he had no control of.
Yet, she still saw her sister's murderer.
"Are you okay, Presea?" the gentle voice of Genis asked.
"Yes. I was just thinking," Presea answered. Her voice was cold, nearly emotionless.
"I guess seeing Clara brought back memories of your sister," Genis surmised in a low voice. Despite almost two weeks passing, the tragedy of what happened to Alicia was still fresh on everyone's minds. How could it not?
"It makes me wonder what could have been. That if someone like Raine was around, Alicia wouldn't need to have died," Presea replied.
Genis lowered his eyes. "I think the same thing when I think of Marble." He touched his exsphere. "That if I knew what I know now, could I have saved her? But…I think the answer we have to accept is, no. Raine was only able to do this because of an old book and a unicorn. The chances of someone like that being around to save Alicia and Marble…." He didn't have to finish.
Logically, Presea knew the chances of the same conditions that saved Clara happening to anyone else were low. As hard as it was to accept, Clara was a miracle. And miracles were what they were because they were rare.
There was no miracle to save Alicia….and she hated it.
She finally left her thoughts and walked back to the hotel room. She didn't want her gloomy mood to influence Lloyd. He earned his happiness.
Lloyd and most of the group left too, leaving only Colette and Raine behind on the harbor.
Once Lloyd was out of sight, Colette's shoulders slumped and she turned to stare at the sea. Seeing Clara again and her talk with Lloyd earlier reminded her of the suffering that Sylvarant was still enduring. Even with most of the Grand Cardinals dead, two of their Ranches destroyed beyond repair, and one under the control of the Renegades, there was still no peace. And even without the Desians, Sylvarant would die if things stood the way they were.
And all of this was because she abandoned her duty as the Chosen. That she was too selfish to die to save this world. She abandoned the very reason that she was born.
"I wonder if it's okay that I came back," she whispered.
Raine still heard her. "What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Colette didn't answer right away. "I mean, I just quit in the middle of the journey, even though the people of Sylvarant were all cheering me on. That believe in me and I…."
"It couldn't be helped. We did what we had to do," Raine cut off. It was too late to have regrets. The moment they stood up to Remiel, they dedicated themselves to fight.
Colette stared back at the open sea. "But when I got my soul back, I was so happy. I completely forgot about Sylvarant and just got all excited. I forgot how much the people of this world are suffering. What kind of Chosen am I?"
Raine walked over to her student and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Even the Chosen smiles when she's happy, and cries when she's sad. You don't have to bear all the burden by yourself. Not anymore. Also, Colette, as long as you continue to care about the people in this world, you are the Chosen of Regeneration." She gave a sad smile. "If anything, we and this world owe you an apologize."
Colette looked at her teacher in confusion.
"We put everything on you. We looked to a child to save the world instead of trying to do anything ourselves." Raine's eyes became downcast. "We let our fate in Martel turn a blind eye to your suffering and told ourselves it was okay because it was the Goddess' will. Even I was willing to sacrifice you."
Colette turned around and grabbed Raine's hand. "Don't blame yourself. You couldn't have known. It was my duty and honor to die to save everyone."
"And it shouldn't have been your duty, at least not by yourself," Raine sighed before she smiled. "But we can't change the past. We can only move forward now. And know Colette, you're not alone anymore."
"Professor Raine…" Colette whispered.
"Tomorrow, let's start our journey again. The journey to save Sylvarant. To save this land," Raine spoke in conviction as she squeezed Colette's hand.
"Yes," Colette said, nearing tears. The Professor was right, she wasn't alone anymore.
Lloyd grumbled as they crawl out of the sewer of Meltokio. He had really hoped they never had to do this again, but they had no choice. The Temple of Darkness lived up to its name by being completely black. It was so dark that he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face.
Thankfully, Sheena's friend from the Elemental Research Laboratory could help them since they did research at the temple, according to Sheena. Which, unfortunately, meant becoming sewer rats again. On the bright side, maybe they could crash at Zelos' house.
"It's hard to believe that we're wanted by the Church," Genis humored as people past by them without even glancing up.
Zelos shrugged. "Most people are too into themselves to care about criminals and as long as you keep me covered, no one knows that I'm the Chosen."
Lloyd suddenly stopped when he saw Kratos of all people standing in the middle of the street. What he hell was he doing here?
"Kratos!" Lloyd exclaimed, getting everyone's attention.
Kratos ignored him and walked right up to Presea. "I've heard that the sacred wood only grows in the area near Ozette. Is that correct?"
Presea was taken aback by the bluntness of the question. "Y…yes."
Kratos' face was stoic, but Lloyd knew the man long enough to see through his mask. He was worried about something. "Then, does that mean the sacred wood no longer exists?"
"The wood I cut is stored in Martel Cathedral back in Meltokio," Presea answered.
Kratos sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "So that really is all that is left. It seems I have no choice." He turned to leave, not even sparing Lloyd a second glance.
"Wait!" Lloyd shouting.
Kratos stopped moving.
"Why is Cruxis worried about sacred wood?" Lloyd demanded.
Kratos side-eyed the young swordsman. "Because it is necessary. What other reason could there be?"
"Necessary for what?" Lloyd continued to interrogate.
"I do not feel the need to tell you that now," Kratos remarked in a bored tone. He suddenly became serious. "By the way, Lloyd. The summon spirit pacts you're currently forming, you must stop."
Lloyd growled, feeling his old hatred for the man returning. "Do you think we'll stop because you said so!? That we would listen to a traitor!?"
Kratos wasn't moved by Lloyd's anger. "It is dangerous to engage in activities in which you cannot predict the outcome. It may result in something that you can't undo."
Raine took note of Kratos' voice. It didn't sound like he was trying to stop them to prevent the worlds from being separated. It was like….something truly dangerous could happen. Did he know something that Yuan didn't?
"But if there is no other way to save both worlds, then we have to do it!" Lloyd insisted. It wasn't like Kratos was offering up any answers.
Instead of his usual cold stare, Lloyd saw Kratos' face softened. For a brief moment, he looked like the man he once called his master and friend. "Be patient, Lloyd." With that, Kratos left.
"What…what does that mean?" Lloyd asked once he found his voice. Was Kratos trying to manipulate him again?
Zelos rubbed his chin. He wondered if he should report this little encounter to Yuan. Maybe he knew something of Kratos' warnings.
"Who cares what he thinks," Genis huffed. "That guy works for Cruxis. Of course he would try to stop us."
"And yet, he didn't try to use physical force," Raine mused. "He does have a point. We don't know what will happen once we finish all the pacts. Not even Yuan knows what will happened."
"But this is the only lead we have," Lloyd said with heat. "Besides, why should we trust him? He misled us the entire time we've known him."
Sheena also growled. "Yeah, forget about him. We've come too far to stop now. Especially on the say-so of that jerk."
"Yeah. We're not stopping because Kratos told us to," Lloyd said with finality as he walked to the lab. Seeing Kratos always put him in a foul mood.
They reached the lab with no more fanfare and was greeted by one of the researchers. "Sheena! And everyone."
Sheena stepped forward. No point of trying to have pleasantries. "We have a bit of a favor to ask you all. You see, Shadow's dungeon…" It took her several minutes to explained what happened at the Temple of Darkness.
The researcher nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. In that case, the blue candle should be of use to you."
"Blue candle?" Lloyd repeated.
"It's a holy candlestick that negates the power of darkness," Raine explained to Lloyd before turning towards the scientist. "You have that here?"
"Yes. Relying on ancient documents, we succeeded in creating it here in our lab," the researcher spoke with a hint of pride.
Lloyd smiled, finally some good news. "Then, could we borrow one?"
"Of course, we'd be…" the researcher started.
"Hey!" someone shouted. They turned to see another of the researchers glaring at them. His eyes were filled with grief and anger. "It's these guys' fault that Kate was arrested! We can't help them!"
"But they're Sheena's friends," the first researcher argued.
Lloyd felt his heart stop. "Kate? What about Kate?"
The first researcher sighed and gave the group a look of sorrow. "Kate is going to be executed for harboring criminals and helping them escape."
Everyone was stuck silence for several seconds.
"Because of us! Dammit!" Lloyd cussed. He knew that they could have gotten Kate in trouble. But…what choice did they have?
Colette turned towards Lloyd and gave him a pleading look. "Please, let's save Kate!"
"Lloyd. I…I want to save her, as well," Presea said, shocking the young boy.
After what Kate did to her, he was surprised that Presea wanted to help her. Maybe…she was finally taking the steps she needed to forgive her past.
"Yeah, but how?" Lloyd asked. They were already wanted so their resources were limited.
Regal stepped forward. "How about participating in the matches being held at the Coliseum?"
Lloyd looked at the older man in confusion. What did the Coliseum have to do with any of this?
Zelos had the same thought. "The Coliseum? What for?"
"It was originally constructed to watch fights between prisoners and wild beasts. There is a passage inside the prison which allows prisoners to be taken into the Coliseum," Regal explained.
Zelos' eyes widened in remembrance. "Oh, that's right. You were in there before…."
"Then, let's hurry up and rescue her," the second researcher interrupted.
Colette put her hands together. "They used to make prisoners fight beasts?"
"A very long time ago, that was how prisoners were executed. The practice was eventually abolish since many began to see this method of execution as cruel for both man and beast," Regal replied. "Not to mention dangerous since the beasts developed a taste for human flesh and began to eat the prisoner guards."
Lloyd, Colette, and Genis paled at the thought.
"Yeah. They stopped after one of the head guards ended up as lunch during a botched execution," Zelos remarked with a bit of humor. "Not to mention the beast got into the stands and attacked the audience. It was all a huge mess."
Raine rosed her nose. "That's what happens when beasts are use in such an inhuman way."
Zelos chuckled. "Can't argue with that."
"But still…" Colette started.
The second researcher got impatient. "As 'fascinating' as this all is, what about Kate?"
"Okay. Everyone, let's hurry to the arena," Lloyd ordered, getting everyone's minds back on track.
Regal led the way as he took everyone to the Coliseum. It was on the second level of Meltokio to the right and Lloyd was surprised that they missed it the first time they came to the city since it was so big.
The building was a huge circler dome that reminded Lloyd of the Renegade's desert base. Except instead of being made of steel, the entire structure was stone that harkened back to an ancient time. Although, Lloyd could see the patches of modern stonework woven into the structure and designed to blend seamlessly with the older stones.
Made sense. Even the best constructed building would eventually rot without maintenance. Especially a structure that was still highly used as this one given the large crowd that gathered.
"Marvelous!" Raine exclaimed. "The Coliseum's structure is remarkably similar to ancient buildings found in Sylvarant. And the stonework is almost the same as the stonewalls that surrounds the city."
"Well, they say the Coliseum was built not long after Meltokio was completed. So this place is about as old as the city itself, give or take a few decades," Zelos said.
Raine had taking out her notebook and was frantically writing. "This is all so fascinating. Where can I find more information on the Coliseum?"
"I believe Sybak has the original blueprints," Zelos informed, finding Raine's reaction amusing. "As well as documents on the construction."
Raine's eyes lit up. "Great! We must visit Sybak as soon as possible!"
Genis sighed. "You just had to indulge her."
"Before all that, let's save Kate," Lloyd said with some impatience. Strangely, it seemed everyone was losing track of why they were there except him. How did that happened? Wasn't he the one with the attention span of a goldfish?
"The registration desk is this way," Zelos said as he led the party one of the side entrances. Compared to the main entrance, the crowd was much smaller, but it still took thirty minutes before they were next in line.
"Who is going to enter?" the receptionist asked.
"I'll go," Lloyd volunteered without hesitation. He was, after all, the strongest frontline fighter next to Regal and Presea. He would have no problem fighting by himself.
"Lloyd, let me go," Presea suddenly spoke up as she walked towards Lloyd.
"Presea, is it really okay?" Lloyd asked carefully.
"You don't have…" Genis started.
Presea shook her head. "No, I have to do this."
Lloyd stared at Presea for several seconds. He could tell that she was trying. It didn't seem right to deny her. "Okay then." He turned back to the receptionist. "I want to enter Presea."
The receptionist stared at them and her eyes widen in recognization. "Isn't your group wanted?"
"Don't worry about little details about that," Lloyd said with a tight smile. He unconsciously touched his swords, worried that the receptionist would turn them in.
Raine walked up to the desk. "The registration fee is 5,000 Gald, correct?"
The receptionist hesitated for several seconds. "Yes, that's correct, but you're the wanted…"
Raine put over ten thousand gald on the desk, stunning the young lady. "Use the change how you like."
The receptionist stared at the money in shock before she smiled. "Yes, of course. I must have mistaken you for someone else. I will register the young girl now. Her fight will be within the next hour."
Lloyd raised an eyebrow.
"So this is how money is used," Presea spoke in awe.
"N…no it's not…not really," Genis stuttered.
Zelos laughed. "The Professor only been in Tethe'alla for little over a month and already understands this world so well. You truly were born here."
Raine sighed. "Money works the same in both worlds."
Regal walked over to the young girl. "In the holding area where you will be waiting, there should be a door to the left that leads right to the prison area. I'm not sure how well the door is guarded, but the security in the prison itself is usually light. I suggest you wait to after your fight to enter the prison to take suspicious off of you."
"Got it," Presea said with a small nod.
Presea was taking to the waiting area while the rest of the group found seats in the Coliseum. Despite being wanted, Zelos was still able to get them great seats by cozying up to one of the ladies.
"Is everyone in this city so ho-hum about criminals?" Sheena asked in disbelief as she took her seat. Sure, it worked in their favor, but still….the crimes the Pope charged them with wasn't light.
Zelos gave a small shrug. "Because of the Church's waning influence, no one really listens to the Pope around here. Also doesn't help that very few people in Meltokio likes the guy. That old bag of bones is always dead last on every popularity poll. Probably why the windbag wants to be king so badly. With that kind of power, people would have no choice but to listen to him." He smiled. "And the Church is too cheap to give us proper rewards. If that cheapskate was willing to open his bank account, he would have children telling on us."
"We still need to be on guard," Regal warned as he glanced around. "Anyone here could turn us in."
Zelos waved him off. "Relax. We have a better chance being arrested in the sticks than here. Wanted or not, I'm still more popular than the Pope could ever dream."
The group watched several battles which ranged from strong men subduing wild animals, sword fights between train warriors, battle royals with ten or more people, and juggling acts to help entertain the crowd between fights.
Colette particularly loved the in-between entertainment shows since she has never been a big fan of fighting.
Lloyd was much the opposite as he enjoyed watching how train fighters handled battling large numbers of people at once, mentally picking up anything he could use.
Genis also took note when he saw a lone mage fight against ten people by themselves. The grace and skill they used to evade attacks while also charging powerful spells was a sight to behold.
As of yet, he hasn't learned how to chant and move at the same time even with novice spells. This left him opened too many times and has nearly gotten him killed. Raine had the same issue, which was how Rodyle nearly killed her. Even Kratos, as god-like as he was in battle, couldn't move freely when casting magic. He wanted to talk to this mage and learned how they did it.
Or maybe he could asked Yuan. From the little he saw of the man, he knew that he could used a weapon while also casting advance magic. Although, given that Yuan was well….Yuan, he doubt he would get anything out of the man.
After a little over an hour, Presea was next. Instead of carrying her usual axe, she instead held an axe made of wood. She probably didn't trust in her ability not to kill someone using her normal weapon.
"Coming all the way from the small village of Ozette, we have cute Presea!" the announcer shouted.
There were a lot of cheers, but also some mutterings.
"Why did they allow a child here?" Lloyd heard someone asked from behind him. "Doesn't this place have an age limit."
"Maybe her parents are desperate for cash," someone else whispered. "I've read Ozette was devastated weeks ago. I've even heard that most within the village was killed outside of like twenty people."
Lloyd winced. He knew very few could have survived Cruxis' attack, but to hear the actual number of survivors…..
"Poor thing," the first person said with sympathy. "I can see why she would be force to find work in a place like this. It isn't like the Church is going to help."
The second person snorted. "Yeah, the Pope is more than happy to let a place like Ozette rot. I bet he's more mournful about losing the sacred wood that grows there than the lost of life."
"To think that man will become our new king soon," the first person spat. They suddenly gave a small cry like they were hit.
"Don't talk like that. The king is a strong man who's been through worse than some illness. He'll get better," the second person scolded. "There is no way the Goddess Martel will allow a man like the Pope to become our king."
Lloyd took in all this information. It seems Zelos was right about the Pope not being very popular around here.
Presea stood ready as her opponents were announced. They were a group of two armored warriors, one with a spear and the other with a sword, and one mage. It was the mage from earlier that Genis was admiring.
"They honestly want us to fight a child?" one of the warriors asked.
"Surly, this must be a joke. We aren't harming a child for someone's entertainment," the second warrior protest.
"Don't worry about me. I'm more than capable at fighting," Presea assured.
The mage sighed. "Listen kid, I'm sure you have some skills. The way you carry that axe tells me that much, but this isn't a place for children. If it's money you need, I'll happy give you my prize money after I'm off." There was a small pause. "I've heard what happened to Ozette and understand that times are rough for you, but this isn't the way. While we may go easy on you, there are some nut jobs here who would happily beat up a child."
Presea remained stone face, although she was touched by the mage's words. "Your concern is appreciated, but I'm fine. Right now….it isn't about the money."
"Well….we can't force you to quit," the first warrior said in resignation. "Just don't be upset if we get too rough with you."
The bell was rung and the match started.
The fight was surprisingly intense with Presea defending early with the two warriors flanking her and the mage keeping her at bay with several mid-level spells and she also buffed her teammates with Sharpen and Permaguard.
This surprised both Genis and Raine since it was extremely rare for anyone to be verse in both offense and defensive arts. Especially at a level where they didn't seem to favor one over the other.
Once Presea got used to their fighting style, however, she quickly took out the two warriors with well place attacks to their limbs. She was extremely careful not to break bone, but the damage was great enough to disabled them. The mage made no move to heal her comrades, despite seemingly being able to cast Heal.
With the two warriors disabled, the fight came between Presea and the mage. Despite Presea having the advantage, the mage still managed to avoid Presea's attacks while trying to destroy her weapon with fire spells.
Presea kept this from happening by purposely taking the hits on her body, burning her skin. She knew if she lost her weapon, she had no chance at winning.
"She's good," Genis complimented. While he wanted to cheer on Presea, he couldn't help mentally rooting for the mage.
Presea's attack knocked off the mage's headgear and everyone could see her red hair spill out. They also got a good look at her pointy ears.
"A half-elf?" Genis exclaimed.
Raine shook her head. "No, her magic is too great and control for her to be a half-elf. She's a pure-blooded elf."
Lloyd blinked. "What's an elf doing here?"
The fight went on for several more minutes before Presea knocked the knocked the mage's staff away and pinned her to the ground.
"Concede," Presea said. "I don't wish to hurt you."
The mage stared at her before she sighed. "It seems I underestimated you. Very well….I give up."
"And the winner is Presea!" the announcer shouted.
The crowd went wild and cheered. Lloyd heard many shout that this was the best match of the day.
"Wow, Presea was great!" Colette cheered as she clapped happily.
"It was a hard won match," Regal said as Presea helped the mage to her feet.
"You're good," Presea complimented.
The mage smiled. "Not good enough to win."
"You held back too much. You could have done more than this, I can feel it," Presea said.
The mage shrugged. "What can I say. Even though I felt the power within you, I still took it easy." She grinned. "If we do fight again, I won't make that mistake again." She quickly casted Heal on her teammates, who grumbled about how tough Presea was.
They all began to walk back to the holding area.
"Why would a skill mage like you even be here? Especially an elf," Presea asked.
The mage glanced at her. "Why would anyone want to be here other than attention? Money. This place pays well. Couple of fights here and there, and I'm set for the month."
"It's just unusual to hear an elf talk about money," Presea said as they walked back into the holding area and the next fighters stepped out. She also made sure to grab her normal axe.
"Well, unlike my folks in Heimdall, I need money to survive," the mage replied with a hint of humor. "I live here, after all."
"You chose to stay in Meltokio?" Presea asked in shocked.
"Heimdall is too strict and boring. Living there is like staring at the river and watching life past you by. I wanted to see the world, but the world is expensive. So, here I am."
"Interesting," Presea said.
The mage put her hand on her hips. "Now that you know my life story, what about you? You say you weren't her for the money."
Presea hesitated, but felt that she could trust her. "I'm here to save someone who's about to be executed for unjust reasons."
The mage raise an eyebrow. "You mean that half-elf that helped a bunch of criminals?"
Presea said nothing.
"I see. So you entered the Coliseum so you can take the backdoor into the prison. Surprise you know about that. It isn't exactly public information," the mage said.
Presea gave the mage a hard stare. She hoped she didn't make a mistake. "Are you going to tell on me?"
The mage chuckled. "Hell no. Why would I help the Pope? That fat bastard has been executing half-elves for petty reasons for decades. If someone like you is here to break one out, then they probably didn't do anything to warrant death."
There was a slight pause. "Thank you."
"Although, how do you plan to sneak your half-elf friend out of here?" the mage asked.
Presea had no answer.
"Figures. People never think of an exit plan when planning a prison break," the mage joked. "Listen, go and take that door to the prison area. I'll keep all the important people busy. I can buy you about ten minutes."
"You don't have to," Presea replied.
The mage turned away from her. "I don't. But since this will piss the Pope off, I'm happy to play my part." She walked away.
"Wait!" Presea exclaimed, catching the mage's attention. "At least…give me your name."
The mage smiled. "It's Leilah." She winked. "Don't forget it." She then walked off.
Presea chose not to waste this chance and walked over to the worn wooden door that Regal said should led to the prison.
The passageway was dark, damped, and filled with mold, showing that no one had used it in a long time. Presea had to cover her nose to keep the musk from overwhelming her.
It didn't take her long to reach the prison area and just as Regal said, the place wasn't guarded at all. It was like they assumed everyone would sit quietly and awaited their fate.
After searching for a few minutes while also making sure the other prisoners didn't see her, she found Kate in one of the cells on the far end. She looked no worse for wear, showing that she wasn't mistreated.
"Why are you here?" Kate asked in surprise.
"I've come to rescue you. Let's go," Presea stated in her usual blunt manner as she raised her axe and took out the prison's door with one swing. Not as subtile as Lloyd or Sheena who could pick locks, but it worked.
Kate shook her head even while her cell was being busted opened. "Thank you, but it's alright." She lowered her head in shame. "I experimented on you."
Presea paused. "No, that is not alright. You are here because of unjust reasons."
As much as she hated what Kate did to her, Kate was also a victim. Like most half-elves and herself, she was treated as tool and then thrown away when she wasn't needed anymore. In many ways, they were the same.
Kate looked at Presea, the shame never leaving her eyes. "Alright."
Presea quickly led her out of the prison since she knew more than a few of the prisoners heard her break Kate out. Thankfully, no one seemed willing to shout in alarm.
And with that, the Clara side-story is done! Hard to believe that this has been ongoing for over a decade. I'm so happy to get this done since Clara has been through a lot and it's the main reason I wanted this chapter out fairly early. Also sorry for the awkward way the chapter ended. I honestly wanted it to go longer, but this is already over 7,000 words.
Now, we're moving into the endgame of Act II. Exciting times ahead. Until then, please take care.