Hey, y’all!

Now that they’re finally out of Iselia, things are starting to move. This chapter was way too easy to write, compared to the last three or so. So easy, in fact, that I stayed up for hours on a school night, just letting it write itself.

I hope you appreciate my sacrifice.

PS: The second scene takes place a little earlier than the first, though both are on the same day. You’ll see.

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06

Waking up, Lloyd felt disoriented. Still half-asleep, mind full of fog, he vaguely realized that there was something… off. His limbs were like lead, weighing him down and refusing to move. What had he been doing yesterday?

But more than that… this wasn’t his bed.

Slowly opening his eyes, he stared at the plain, wooden ceiling.

This wasn’t his room. This wasn’t his home.

He didn’t have a home anymore.

And just like that, the memories of the previous day came crashing down on him.

The only house he could remember living in had burned beyond repair. He had practically been driven out of the village. His mother was on a world-saving quest, together with his almost-sisters, and in constant danger from the very monsters that had destroyed their home.

Feeling tears well up in his eyes, Lloyd rolled on his side and drew the blanket up, almost disappearing under it completely. What was he going to do? On the next bed over, Genis still slept, curled up like a kitten, his face showing faint tearmarks.

What were they going to do?

Taking a deep breath, Lloyd reminded himself of what Anna had always taught him. Count your blessings and look to the future. Don’t think of what you can’t do. Find what is possible and work for it.

Simplest first. They were alive. As long as you’re alive, there’s still hope, Anna always said. He and Genis were still alive, and though his ribs ached a little from getting thrown around and his legs were sore from trekking to the House of Salvation, they were both in pretty good shape.

They had a map, some apple gels, their weapons and some food. They could fight well enough to protect themselves from most monsters. They were okay.

(As okay as they could be, homeless, lost, emotionally worn and alone.)

They had each other.

So, what did they want to do? Find their families. That was the simple, gut-level response. Genis was still too proud to admit it, but he wanted Raine, he needed to see his sister, to know he still had someone in the world who would accept him unquestioningly. And Lloyd wanted to see Anna.

If they caught up with the Chosen’s entourage, they would all be together again. Their entire dysfunctional family would be whole again. They’d be all right, safe. After all, they’d be with-

Lloyd sat up, blinking, surprised at his own thoughts. They had followed such a natural line, falling easily into place, in a way they hadn’t done before. If he and Genis went with the Chosen’s group, their family would be whole… Somehow, there was a truth there, that hadn’t existed before.

Because, now…

Shaking his head, Lloyd slid off the bed and looked around the small second story of the House of Salvation. It was just a simple, round room, with a several beds set in a circle, with the head boards against the wall. The other beds were empty, though Lloyd vaguely remembered other travelers resting there the night before.

But then, he and Genis had arrived well past sunset, mind-numbingly exhausted, and simply collapsed into the nearest free beds.

Stretching a little, Lloyd tried to remember anything his mother might have told him about Houses of Salvation. When he had been little, he had always badgered Anna into telling him stories about what it had been like for her to travel across Sylvarant before arriving in Iselia. He and Colette had enjoyed it a lot, and sometimes, Raine had added her own experiences. Genis had always been a bit indifferent, but that was right after they arrived, so he would have remembered what it was like…

When he got a little older, Lloyd had realized that Anna might not enjoy talking about the time she had been forced out of her home and lost his father…

Houses of Salvation, if he remembered correctly, were run by the Church of Martel as lodgings for pilgrims. Anna hadn’t told him much, only saying that she hadn’t really used them when she traveled…

Lodging fees varied from House to House… They definitely hadn’t paid the night before.

Frowning a little, Lloyd looked around. His swords and satchel lay at the foot of the bed, along with his boots. He must have automatically taken those off before falling into bed. He’d slept in his clothes though.

After he collected his belongings, Lloyd moved to stand next to Genis’s bed. He loathed to wake his friend, but, judging by the angle of the light in the windows, it was past noon. If they were going to get anywhere that day, they’d need to get moving.

Shaking Genis’s shoulder gently, Lloyd said, “It’s time to get up.”

“Five more minutes,” the half-elf mumbled, nuzzling his pillow.

“Come on, pull yourself together,” Lloyd instructed. “I’m going downstairs to see about getting us some food.” And about payment for staying the night, he added to himself.

Descending into the main hall, Lloyd quickly glanced over the Spiritua statue and the elaborate tapestries. Growing up with Anna, he wasn’t exactly devout… A priest and a priestess stood before the alter, their heads bowed in reverent prayer.

He waited patiently, and soon enough, both the followers of Martel concluded their devotion.

“Good day, young traveler,” the priest greeted him warmly. “You appear well-rested.”

“We are glad that you have recovered. Yesterday, when you and your companion arrived, we were quite distressed by your state,” the priestess continued.

Lloyd smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah, thanks a lot. We owe you for the lodgings, right?”

“100 gald a night,” the woman replied automatically. She continued, “If you do not have the amount, we will not begrudge you. We servants of the Goddess Martel are honored to be able to assist those in need.”

“Indeed,” the priest agreed. “This is a time of jubilation and renewed devotion for all, as the Chosen’s Journey of Regeneration has begun.”

If nothing else, Dirk had pounded the Dwarven Vows into Lloyd’s head quite thoroughly (and sometimes quite literally), so the teen did not even consider taking advantage of their hospitality. Instead he replied, “No, that’s alright. We have enough… I think. Is that 100 for each or both?”

“Both,” the priestess said, smiling gently. “And food is included.”

“That’s good,” Lloyd murmured, digging through his satchel to find the payment. Handing it to the woman, he frowned a little. “You know the journey’s started?”

“The Chosen herself passed through this House yesterday,” the priest confirmed. “She and her entourage pressed onward, as it was still early in the day and they wished to reach Triet, but she stopped to offer a prayer for the people of Sylvarant.”

“Triet, huh?” Lloyd repeated, turning his attention to the priestess as she motioned him to a side room. Following her in, he found a small but neat kitchen and table, meant as a cafeteria for travelers resting at the House.

Nodding gratefully to the woman as she promised to make some sandwiches for him and his friend, Lloyd slid into one of the chairs and quickly pulled out the map Dirk had given them. So Colette and everyone were heading to Triet, the desert city. What did that mean for him and Genis?

Just as the priestess set a large plate full of sandwiches on the table, Genis stumbled into the room, looking sad and rumpled. He regarded the food without much interest. Lloyd understood his feelings.

“We should eat, even if we’re not hungry,” Lloyd said reluctantly. “Need to keep up our strength. It’s part of the lodging cost anyway.”

“You, not hungry? Now that’s not something you see everyday,” Genis joked half-heartedly, offering his friend a weak, pale smile. Lloyd rolled his eyes, and their spirits rose just a little.

As the two vagabonds nibbled at their brunch, Lloyd related what he’d learned to Genis.

“Should we?” the half-elf asked quietly after a few moments of silent thought. “I mean, what if we get in the way? We… couldn’t do anything in Iselia. All the others… they’re so much stronger than us, and Colette’s the Chosen… I mean, against monsters, we’re okay, but we can barely face down to two Desians, even working together… and Kratos said, it’s just going to get a lot tougher…”

Lloyd scowled. “It’s because of those Exspheres they use,” he bit out. “Desians are pathetic, but the Exspheres make them stronger. Dirk told me about it. Exspheres, mounted on a Key Crest draw out a person’s full potential, increasing their speed, strength, magic and healing.”

“Kratos had a Key Crest too, right? On his left hand,” Genis noted thoughtfully. “I wonder why…”

“Maybe he stole it off a Desian,” Lloyd suggested absently, no paying attention to his own words. “But Mom doesn’t have one, or the Professor…”

“Then… If we took one from the Desians, could we use it too?” Genis asked.

“Don’t see why not, if it’s got a Key Crest…” Lloyd trailed off, realizing just what his friend had said. Considering it for a moment, Lloyd shook his head. “We can’t now. It’s not like we can just find a pair of Desians to beat up and rob. If we got near the Ranch, we’ll get killed for sure. And Desians always travel in packs, the vultures.”

“That’s true…” Genis murmured. “But without Exspheres, we… are just going to burden Colette and the others.”

Lloyd… had been thinking about that too. “We need to do something. We need to go somewhere, and we can’t just let everyone return to Iselia and find out that we’re gone. They’d worry about us and they’d have to look for us too. And… they deserve to know what happened.”

So, they needed to meet the others, but they couldn’t travel with them. That was the problem, so what was the solution?

“Maybe… we don’t have to travel with them,” he began, trying to find some way to convey his half-formed ideas. “I mean, we’re going to get in the way if we travel with them from Seal to Seal, but… maybe we can… meet them at the end, or something…”

Genis looked up in surprise, but he caught on quickly, following Lloyd’s train of thought with the ease of long practice. “We know where they’re going and… If we make our own way there, we won’t be burdening them, and if we’re careful and avoid trouble…”

“We can meet them at the Tower of Salvation,” Lloyd concluded.

For a long moment, the two locked gazes, almost in a mental debate. Then, in perfect sync, they nodded. It was decided.

“Yosh!” Lloyd exclaimed, moving the plate of sandwiches to one side and spreading the map in its place. “So, we’re here,” he said, pointing at a small mark next to a pale brown trail. “Triet, where Colette and everyone went, is here,” he indicated a large circle in the middle of a large yellowish area.

“We should avoid it, to make sure we don’t run into them,” Genis chimed in. “They wouldn’t agree to let us travel alone, even if we got in their way.”

“Yeah, Kratos would probably lock us in some hotel and tell the manager not to let us out until they got back to pick us up,” Lloyd huffed. Genis chuckled. That… sounded oddly fitting to the gruff mercenary who had been so adamant on not letting them come along, and it would probably be the type of compromise he’d strike with Raine and Ms. Anna.

Lloyd shot him a grin and reached for a sandwich.

“Well, the Tower of Salvation is about here,” he said, poking at an area almost exactly in the middle of the map, next to a large patch of grey on one side and a strip of blue on the other. Taking a bite of his sandwich, he chewed thoughtfully.

Swallowing, he said slowly, “The best way would probably across the bridge, to Hima. From there, it wouldn’t be far. Problem is… how to get to the bridge. The only way across the mountains is Ossa Trail… and for that, we’d need to pass right by Triet.”

Both of them fell into silence for a moment, studying the map.

The priestess cleared her throat quietly, moving to stand next to them. She bowed her head almost bashfully as the two boys turned to her. “I couldn’t help overhearing…” she murmured. “If you’re looking for a way across the mountains, there’s a caravan that sometimes passes through, I’ve heard…”

“A caravan?” Lloyd repeated.

“Yes, a very strange group, they are. A family. Nova, the father is… a scientist of some kind. They travel all across Sylvarant in their wagon, even across the mountains. They passed by only two days or so ago… Most likely, they are still in the area.”

Genis brightened, asking excitedly, “Do you think they would give us a ride?”

“I imagine so,” the priestess murmured. “Friendly, kind people they are, though odd. Good, brave people.”

Lloyd smirked, finishing off his sandwich. “Alright, then!” he declared. “Let’s find this Nova’s caravan and get this show on the road!”

-

Raine had been up since hours before dawn, reviewing all her books and scouring Triet for anything of historical significance. Sadly, there was little of anything old in the town itself. In fact, even the buildings were recently made. The sand and the temperature escalations quickly wore away at structures, so the houses had to be rebuilt every few years…

What a horrible place, where history was so easily lost.

But that wasn’t important. What mattered was that, as soon as everyone was ready, they would set off for the famous Triet Ruins, rumored to be the last known sighting of Efreet, Summon Spirit of Fire.

And also the Fire Seal.

It was so obvious, really. Raine was rather embarrassed that Kratos had been the first to realize that this was where they needed to go, the place hinted at by the enigmatic angel of judgment Remiel. Raine herself hadn’t been there when Colette received the Oracle, but she had grilled Genis about it thoroughly two nights ago.

Genis… she hoped he was alright.

What was she thinking? Of course he was alright. He was her genius brother, with more common sense and maturity than any two of her other students combined. If she should worry about anyone, it should be Lloyd or Colette! Not Genis…

Staring out across Triet from her hotel room window, Raine took a deep breath and tried to reason with her unruly emotions.

“He is alright,” Raine told herself, slowly, calmly, in her best teacher voice. “You are simply anxious because this is the first time you have been separated from him. There is no reason for concern.”

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice a quiet knocking or the sound of her door opening.

“It is natural to worry, I believe,” a deep, even voice interrupted her mantra.

Turning sharply, Raine found herself face to face with the ever mysterious Kratos Aurion. Meeting her gaze calmly, he moved to stand next to her and looked out the window. Dawn in the desert was unique, Raine noted, pale, gentle rose and mauve. The dawn light seemed to drive the shadows out of the usually dark mercenary, bringing a red shine to his hair and a more natural tone to his face. The shadows of his sever expression seemed to soften…

Some truly intuitive corner of Raine’s mind told her firmly to stop right there. Was this what they called female intuition? Logically, she had no conclusions, no concrete evidence, but…

That didn’t stop her intuition from marking him very definitely “taken”.

Turning back to the view, she replied, “It is illogical.”

“The heart rarely bows to logic,” he noted. “It is natural to worry. It is proof of your feelings. You are, after all, an older sister.”

“You sound like you are familiar with my kind,” she smoothly prodded. Fascinating…

“I… traveled with an older sister before,” Kratos responded slowly, the shadows almost reclaiming his appearance again. But the dawn light softened his expression into quiet melancholy, almost fond remembrance.

“Oh? Are we similar?” Raine asked, her curiosity pushing her on, begging her to take advantage of this opportunity to pick apart a great mystery – the mind of Kratos Aurion.

“Here and there,” he murmured. “She was a healer also… a little too fond of Photon though. She had raised her brother alone, since they were both very young. He knew no family except her…”

He seemed ready to slip off into his own thoughts. Raine commented thoughtfully, “Like me then…” Yes. She would have liked to meet her. It would be… nice to talk to someone who understood what it was like, to be suddenly responsible for a child, when you were still just a child yourself, to be suddenly forced to become an adult, to throw away childhood, innocence, fun, friendship, all alone, with no one to rely on. “An elf?” she asked, pulling herself away from the memories.

Kratos’s reply made her cursed blood run cold for a moment. “Half-elf, like you,” he said absently, lost in his own memories. And just as easily, he continued, “Though, that is the limit of your likeness, I believe.”

It was nothing to him, it seemed. Raine breathed again, and somehow, it seemed just a little easier. Swallowing, she distracted herself by turning back to him. “Oh?” she asked. “And what was she like?”

“Kind, patient,” Kratos said, “always hiding her pain behind a smile.”

Raine could almost understand that, why that other “older sister” had done that. To protect her little brother from worry, fear, concern, Raine had smiled falsely more than once. Though, her own favored methods were different, cool calculation, distance, and detachment. Smiling through pain, that was more like Colette…

“She was… very similar to the Chosen. In personality, and in appearance also…” Kratos voiced her thoughts, speaking slowly, almost as if unaware of his own words.

If she had to guess, judging by the way he was speaking, Raine was almost certain, that other “older sister” had been close to him, perhaps even a dear friend. And she was most likely dead.

It must be hard for him, the teacher suddenly realized, being surrounded by reminders.

“She was not as clumsy though,” Kratos commented, his expression shifting into almost amusement, “or as… effervescent.”

Raine smiled at that. He certain had the right understanding of Colette’s energetic personality. And she just had to appreciate anyone who could use the word “effervescent” in casual conversation.

(Though she had to wonder, just how casual this was anymore. The memories he was sharing with her, even as vague as they were, had deep meaning. In some way, they felt almost as sacred as an ancient king’s tomb… no, more than that, because here, there was someone still living, breathing.)

Maybe it was time to lighten the mood a bit.

It had been a long time since Raine had felt the need to “lighten the mood” and her social skills were a bit rusty. She just hoped she wouldn’t mess this up.

“And just what do you mean, ‘kind, patient’? Are you implying I am callous and easily incensed?” she asked, letting a little humor seep into her voice.

For a moment, he seemed surprised, almost unsure, but maybe she was imagining that. Then, Kratos looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, his lips curving into almost a smirk.

“There is one point I had almost forgotten,” he commented, avoiding her loaded questions. “Her cooking…” (and Raine could see this one coming, she knew what her food was like, even if she was defensive about it, but she just couldn’t believe it, listening with fascination to see if he would really go through with it) “…was almost as bad as yours.”

He said it with such a straight face, completely deadpanned, but the… the casualness was there, the almost comfortable sort of interaction… Raine had never really had time for “friends”.

“Ah, I see,” she drew out sweetly. “About the same level as Anna’s then.”

“Yes,” Kratos agreed. “Their Cabbage Rolls were both too salty.”

Raine smiled, feeling a strange sort of fulfillment as they exchanged parting words. She needed to study this more, this feeling of connection, this experience of interaction.

It was only as Kratos quietly slipped out into the hallway that she realized that yes, Anna’s Cabbage Rolls were always too salty, and no, the older woman hadn’t cooked them yesterday.

Raine smirked, all teeth.

Fascinating.

-

Colette woke just before dawn.

Sitting up slowly, she looked around the still-dark hotel room. On the other side, Ms. Anna still slept, all tangled up in her blanket.

They had gotten three rooms the night before. Mr. Kratos had quickly claimed the one facing the stairs and insisted that Colette share the one next to his with another of their party. Raine had taken the room on the other side of Colette’s, citing the need to reorganize her notes and do some extra research. And so, the Chosen and Ms. Anna had ended up together.

It was… like those slumber parties she, Lloyd and Genis used to have at the Irving home.

From her bed, Colette could see the sky lighten as dawn broke the night. (How many more dawns would she be able to see?)

Shivering a little, Colette slid out of bed and dressed quietly. She took extra care not to run into anything and move without noise. Ms. Anna was actually a very light sleeper. When she stepped out into the hallway, she was surprised to see Mr. Kratos exit the Professor’s room. “Good morning,” she greeted him.

“Good morning, Chosen,” he replied calmly. “The professor is also awake. She will be joining us shortly. Do you have any preference concerning breakfast?”

Colette blinked a little in surprise. “Breakfast? Are you going to make it?” The mercenary nodded. She thought about it for a moment before declaring, “Pancakes!”

“Very well,” Mr. Kratos acknowledged as they moved down the stairs and into the kitchen area provided for the guests.

Colette settled at the table as he set to work, knowing from experience that it would probably just be worse if she tried to help. She wasn’t a bad cook, per se, but her and dishes just weren’t a good combination.

Before long, the professor made her way downstairs, taking a seat across from the Chosen. The elven woman regarded the mercenary with obvious interest for a moment before pulling out a book and a map and spreading both across the table.

Without turning away from his work, Mr. Kratos asked, “Have you determined our destination?”

The professor hummed affirmatively, then continued, “I’m almost absolutely certain that Remiel spoke of the Triet Ruins. They are southwest of here. It is a historical location, renowned as the resting place of Efreet. The site was originally a city that was destroyed by the spirit’s hellfire and sank underneath the sands…”

As the healer rambled on, Anna finally stumbled downstairs, still half-asleep. “Something smells heavenly,” she murmured, moving to peer over Kratos’s shoulder. “You make the best… Can I have a star-shaped one?” Kratos did respond, but Anna didn’t seem at all bothered by that. She leaned against him for a moment, humming lightly, before dragging herself over to the table and collapsing into a chair next to Colette.

Across the table, Professor Sage grinned wolfishly.

“I’m surprised he let you into the kitchen,” she told the older woman casually. “Lloyd must have cooked the night when Kratos stayed with you.”

Anna yawned a little before answering. “Yah… well, he and Lloyd cooked together. They make a mean Meat Stew… And ‘sides, as long as I don’t touch anything…”

“It’s a good thing Lloyd doesn’t take after you,” Raine noted, her smile widening.

“Uh-huh. I’m so lucky… he can fight and cook and sing… angels really do exist…”

Raine started to say something else, her eyes gleaming with unholy light, but before she could word her next question, a plate settled firmly on the table between them, slinking ominously. Kratos looked down at them from between his bangs.

“It’s ready,” he said flatly, gesturing at the stack of pancakes on the plate.

One was shaped like a star.

-

I have nothing to say.

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