Chapter 18

A hush descended upon the House of Salvation. It;'s walls had been plagued with the hustle and bustle of the visitors within. Many of them had walked, weary and old, from the ruins of the desian ranch, seeking sanctuary and peace. Having usually only three rooms for guests, the church had been converted into a sleeping room, as had the stable and living room. Every spare sheet or blanket had been lain upon the floor, with the most elderly and infirm granted the luxury of a bed. Those that could sleep, did so soundly. On the other hand, children cried for their parents and parents for their families. Many of them were lost, moved from ranch to ranch or their own families moved on from the seaside city they had left behind. The sky was starless and inky black before silence finally came, and with it a sigh of relief from the clergy who ran the House.

Wide awake, it was the Chosen who noticed a familiar face from across the room. Sleeping fitfully, still dressed in strange purple attire and somehow sporting an entire section of the room to herself, the ninja of Mizuho lay. It took a long time before Colette decided to act, confident that no harm could come to her in such a crowded room. Carefully stepping through the rows of sleeping patrons, she made her way across the crowded church floor, and, finding herself an arms length from the ninja, took a deep breath and reached out to shake the trembling shoulder.

It stilled, the muscles clearly becoming rigid beneath the sweat drenched fabric.

"H-hello." Colette stuttered, admonishing herself for not having enough confidence to speak up. "R-remember me?"

Slowly, as if approaching a startled hare, Colette reached out again – but before she could make contact she felt a hand on her wrist in a vice grip. She gasped in surprise, the sound amplified in the lull of the room.

Expecting more, Colette cringed her eyes closed, covering her face with her remaining arm. No blow came, and besides the sound of panicked breathing and her own thumping heart, nothing in the room changed.

"Tch! You're just a kid." And then her wrist was released and Colette opened her eyes.

The sight before her was nothing like the vibrant girl who had tried to attack her on the trail. This girl's eyes, full of fire before, were dull and bloodshot. Thick black rings surrounded them, and her skin was sickly pale.

"Are you ok?" the Chosen ventured, absent-mindedly wringing her hands.

"I tried to kill you, and you want to know if I am alright?"

"Well – you look upset."

"Still; you're just a kid – don't you understand what you are doing?"

A strange smile graced the soft features of the Chosen, and Sheena understood there and then what Colette had been trying to hide. It was clear that Colette was not, and never had been, just a kid, and she understood exactly what she was doing, right down to the last minute.

"Chosen, huh. You're chosen alright." Sheena sighed, rubbing her sore eyes

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. I can't get to sleep and we're here waiting for someone, so just find me if you want to talk about why you are so sad. I promise it won't be as bad as it seems. Honest."

Feeling a lump in her throat, Sheena wished that were true.

By the time Noishe had risen from his nap, and by the time Lloyd had stirred awake again, dusk was only an hour or so away.

"We may as well rest for the night and set out again in the morning. We'll need to find Shelter, and something for you to eat."

Being outside in the fresh air seemed to have invigorated his charge, who pulled himself up onto his feet. "Food sounds good. And then we can talk." He still looked tired, stretched, but there was more life to his movements.

"We'll head into the woodland, there's more shelter there and Noishe is bound to find something for us to eat." At the sound of his name, the dog howled and wagged his tail, making a fool of himself as he leapt from paw to paw like a pup. Kratos shook his head at the childish antics, choosing for once not to scold. "Once we're ready, we'll leave."

The caravan was warm and inviting, the people friendly and sympathetic to the strange boy who had wandered in with a strange, vacant look on his face and an exsphere on his hand without a keycrest. They fed and watered him, and when he could no longer keep his eyes open they put him to sleep, covering him with a warm blanket and talking in hushed tones. Where had he come from? Where was he going? They hadn't been able to extract an answer from him.

"He just needs some tender lovin' care." Mamma whispered, turning down the lamps and ushering the children from the bunk. "We've got plenty to spare. He'll be okay, little lamb."

It was warm by the fire. They had found a sheltered spot not too far into the woods. It had recently been a camp, there were still hot embers on the fire but it looked as if the occupants had moved on. It hadn't taken Noishe long to appear with dinner. Two fat rabbits dangled from his muzzle, their eyes lifelessly staring across the clearing.

"Thank you friend." Kratos said as he skinned and gutted the prize, making short work of the impromptu dinner. Unsurprisingly, Lloyd was resting. His eyes almost fully closed and his chest rising and falling in deep, even breaths. Although answers had been promised, Kratos was reluctant to pry them from him.

"Why did they put you in my cell?"

The question startled the former angel of Cruxis, believing his current travelling companion to be asleep.

It took a moment for Kratos to answer, conflicted in what he should say. What should he say? That it was some sick joke by Mithos? That he was ultimately betrayed, again by the one he placed his trust in? That now his world was in turmoil, because for the first time in over a decade he felt alive again, like he had when he was free. Free – what a strange thought.

"To prove a point."

"A point? Really? What point?"

"I... wasn't useful any more. I'd served my purpose."

"So you're a desian?" The word was spat, like something dirty and evil. It sent a shudder through Kratos' spine, so much hate from such a word.

"No. I'm not. But I won't lie and say I had nothing to do with them, but it's complicated. Why were you in that cell in the first place? I want an answer this time."

"Fine. I'm in there because I wouldn't behave willingly. They need me for something, I'm not sure what."

"And the boy – the one who looks like he could be your twin. Who is he?"

Silence, causing Kratos to look up from his task to see a thoughtful expression on the boy's face.

"I don't know how he came about... I just remember him being there. He was one of them, the soldiers. They grew him, like a flower. Only he wasn't like the rest, he could think for himself. The others couldn't. I think he was the first they made, their mistake."

"Grown? Growing an army? An army of... you?!"

Looking rather sheepish, Lloyd nodded. "It only worked when they used me, at first. They don't know why and I don't either. I don't know much more, just that they were like dolls – but alive. But the one who I helped escape, he was different – they didn't realise he could think for himself."

"I see. A possibly infinite army, grown as needed. All whilst I was unaware and being sent around like some dog." He could feel the unfamililar feeling of white hot rage gathering beneath his temple. The rabbit, thankfully already dead, crunched in his iron grip so that the bones splintered.

"He was meant to come back and help me out." Lloyd added miserably. "Guess he forgot."

"I'm... sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

The rabbit fell from his grip, lifeless and defeated – exactly how Kratos felt at that moment.

"You won't understand, and now is not the time to explain, but I'm sorry. I can't take it back, but I'll make it up to you. I promise."

AN: Ok... so I'm feeling a bit sheepish. I hope that chapter explained a few things and erm... sorry :P I will be going over the first few chapters and sorting some things out to make it a bit more consistent.

… see you in a few years? (JOKE)