ToSS Rewrite

Quiz Start: Genis retrieved a few sandwiches from his house and then the three of you moved to the entrance of the village.
"Lloyd!" One of the guards called, "Do something about this thing!"
The twin swordsman blinked. "What?"
"Your pet!" The other guard exclaimed, motioning to the horse-sized white and green dog that was trying to force his way into the entrance, "This...Creature!"
"Noishe! Hey!" Lloyd said, running up to the dog and pressing the creatures broad chest to make him back away from the entrance. Noishe whined in protest but backed away a few steps. "How many times have I told you not to enter the village?"
"Hey, you always shave him bring you to the village!" Genis scolded, "Don't talk to him that way."
"Oh, that reminds me," the second guard said, "Lloyd, the mayor wanted me to ask the two of you a question."
"From the Mayor?" He asked, patting Noishe's head till the great beast calmed down, "What is it?"
"It's about the northwest forest that you go through. You know there's a Human Ranch up there, right? You haven't been playing near the ranch, have you?"
"Of course not!" Lloyd exclaimed, "Right, Genis, Aura?"
"Never," you say.
"Y...Yeah, of course not." Genis said, hesitating for the briefest second.
"Really?" The guard asked. "If so, that's fine, but... that weird animal..."
"How many times do I have to tell you that Noishe is a dog?" Lloyd groaned.
"Ah, sorry. He just doesn't really look like a dog..." He didn't, really. He was huge, not to mention strangely colored. "Anyway, make sure he doesn't go near the ranch, either."
"We can go now, right?" Genis asked. The guards nodded. "Let's go, guys."
"Be careful," the first guard warned as the three of you departed.
"We will, see you tomorrow," Lloyd said over his shoulder. "Time to go, Noishe."
The dog whined at Lloyd, still looking at the village and vaguely looking as though he was going to try to get in again. Instead he turned away and licked Lloyd once before nuzzling your hand.
"He was probably looking for you," Genis said.
"You think so?" Lloyd asked, walking away from the village with the two of you following and Noishe leading the way.
"Say, Lloyd," you say as the village started to fade behind you. "Did Noishe have an owner before you?"
"I don't know. Maybe," he said. "Dirk said he found Noishe when he found me, and Noishe has stayed with me ever since. I was so little when he found me, I don't really remember a lot."
Found? You'd never heard a story of Lloyd being 'found' before... Though it would explain why a human had been raised by a dwarf... Lloyd and Genis didn't make a huge deal of it, and either it didn't bother them to talk about, or they'd forgotten that you didn't know.

You followed your friends to the base of the stony trail that led past a Human Ranch and up to Lloyd's home. Forest covered the mountain for the most part, only parted by the narrow path that Lloyd had beaten with his trips to and from the village. Noishe seemed nervous at the path's base, and after barking at Lloyd once the great beast took off. Your eyes moved slowly up the cliff, a strange feeling settling over you as you stared at it.
The area made you feel especially anxious, and somehow a bit sad. It must have been related to the ranch. They were terrifying places with the Desians, their weapons and their magitechnology, and the idea of the poor people who were enslaved within always made your stomach knot. And yet that cliff, the cliff itself, not just the ranch, made you feel so uneasy... Maybe someone you knew had been taken to the Iselia Ranch? The very height of it made your legs feel a bit weak.
"Alright, this way," Lloyd said, turning towards the beginning of the path that switch-backed up the hillside.
"You aren't going after Noishe?" You ask.
"You must've really been zoned out," he said, not unkindly. "Noishe'll be fine. He does that all the time."
"Ah, right. Lead the way, then."

Monsters, small and weak ones, roamed the path, but cleared the way as the three of you passed.
"I come through here so often they know to leave me alone," Lloyd said with a cocky grin.
"I was wondering how you walked to school so safely," Genis said absently, his eyes glued on the ranch as you drew nearer and nearer to it. You found yourself drifting towards the side of the path furthest from the ranch, the anxiety you'd felt at the cliff base intensifying and growing into something more like genuine fear.
"You alright?" Lloyd asked.
"That Ranch makes me really nervous," you say. "How can it just be here like this?"
"There's not a lot anyone can do about it," Genis said. "No one in the village likes it either, but we can't make them leave. We'd only make everything worse if we tried to do anything about it. The peace treaty keeps us safe."
"Besides, the Desians barely leave the place." Lloyd said. "They never come all the way out to this pathway."
"Really?" You ask.
"I barely ever see them outside the ranch itself," he said confidently. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."
"What did you guys think of Kratos today?" The little elf asked suddenly as another cat monster fled from your path. He looked at Lloyd as he said it, but his eyes kept flickering away to the Ranch every few seconds.
"I think he's full of himself," Lloyd said. "I mean, he's a pretty good swordsman and all, but..."
"He used magic, too," you say. "That's pretty impressive. Usually people only have one or the other."
"Yeah..."
"And he showed up right in the nick of time, too," Genis said. "If it wasn't for him, we would've been in real trouble."
Lloyd made a face, "Yeah, I guess that's true too..." He looked at you, "Hey, wait a minute, you use a sword and magic, too."
"Healing magic," you say, "It's different than offensive spells, you know? I can't really explain it, but they aren't the same thing at all."
"But you threw a fireball at that huge guy during the fight."
"Well, yea, but that's the only offensive spell I--"
"This is my stop," Genis said suddenly. You were so busy talking you hadn't noticed the Ranch coming up on your left, the land it rested on separated from the pathway by a fissure in the ground. The Ranch itself stood nearly a hundred yards away from the fissure, scraggly bushes bursting up from the ground at random all the way up to it.
Genis stood on the only connection, a stone bridge wide enough for three people to cross side-by-side.
"Wait, what?" Lloyd exclaimed. "You're going to the Ranch? Going there violates the non-aggression treaty, doesn't it?"
"The Desians already attacked the temple, and they tried to kidnap Aura!" The little elf argued.
"Well, yeah, I guess that's true, but..." Lloyd trailed off.
"It's dangerous either way, isn't it?" You ask. "Hey... You said you were seeing a friend, didn't you?" He nodded. "That means you've come here before today."
Genis' face flushed. "I... I know I'm not supposed to... But there's someone here I just have to tell about the oracle."
You glance at Lloyd and fold your arms. "Well, they did attack the temple, so right now the non-aggression treaty is void, isn't it?"
"Nobody in the village wants to hear that," Lloyd said, shaking his head.
"Aura's right, though. They broke the treaty today. I swear they've never seen me whenever I've come by!" Genis insisted earnestly. "I won't be long."
"All right, all right," Lloyd said. "But I'm worried about you going alone, so I'm going with you." He started to step forward but stopped. "Oh, but..." He looked at you.
"I'll come to," you say, sounding more confident than you felt. The Ranch made you feel deeply uneasy in more ways than you could clearly identify. The Desians had tried to kidnap you, that place was just, simply, an evil place, and there was something else... Something strange that wasn't quite fear, but it was definitely disapproving in some way.
"Are you sure?" Genis asked.
"I can't just letting you two go somewhere so dangerous by yourselves," you say. That much, at least, was genuine.

The three of you quietly approached the ranch, hiding behind shrubs near it's gate for a moment before darting over to the left side. The wall there was a series of thick, closely spaced cables, rather than solid metal, like the wall around the gate.
"Marble!" Genis whispered to an older woman who was waiting in the yard beyond. She turned back, smiled at the little elf, and then approached all of you.
"Genis!" He passed her the sandwiches he'd brought and she nodded her gratitude. She looked at you and Lloyd. "Are these your friends?"
"I'm Lloyd," the boy said.
"My name is Aura."
"I'm pleased to meet you both," she said, tucking into the food. She looked so thin under her tatty clothing, made worse by the fact that she was so old.
"Marble, did you see it?" Genis asked excitedly. "There was an Oracle!"
"Yes I did. I saw the Tower of Salvation." She sighed wistfully, sounding both hopeful and sad, "Now, the Chosen's journey of regeneration can finally begin. I hope it's successful this time..."
"The last Chosen failed, right?" Lloyd asked.
"Yes." She finished that sandwich and started on the other, eating slower now. "I heard that the Chosen was killed by Desians during the journey."
"I wonder if Colette will be alright?" Genis mumbled
"She'll have Raine and Kratos with her," you say. "They'll keep her safe."
"Let us pray to martel," Marble said. "May she guide the Chosen on a safe journey."
Lloyd took an interest in Marble's hand as she finished Genis' smuggled food. "Hey, grams--"
"Her name's Marble." Genis interrupted.
"Marble." He corrected, "Isn't that an exsphere?"
"Oh, is that what this is called," she said, sounding unconcerned. She didn't know what an exsphere was? "They placed it on me shortly after I came here."
"Can I see your hand?" You ask. She held her hand closer to the cable-wall, allowing you a closer look. A dark hemisphere of stone was pressed into the back of Marble's hand, set deep into the skin. Thin veins bulged around the exsphere's edge, looking almost painful. "Yes, this is an exsphere, but...I don't think there's a keycrest on it."
"What does that mean? You sound worried," Genis said nervously.
"Attaching an exsphere directly on to your skin supposedly makes you sick." says Lloyd. *Worse than sick...* the thought flashed through your mind.
"But unless you put it right on the skin, it's useless," you say, ignoring the thought.
"Right," Lloyd complimented. "So you carve a spell into of a special ore, and that acts as the mount. That's the keycrest"
"But Marble's exsphere doen't have a keycrest," you voice, looking back down at her hand. "Strange..."
"Will she be alright? Please Lloyd help her!" Genis pleaded.
"It's not as easy as you think Genis," you say looking at him "Key-crests are difficult to make, the spell put on them is complicated, and that's even after you find the ore."
"Exactly. They're Dwarven technology," Lloyd said.
"Lloyd. Your dads a dwarf!" Genis argued, turning to the boy. "Please."
Lloyd glanced between Marble and Genis' face and then sighed. "...Fine, fine. I'll ask him."
"Alright, that's why I like you Lloyd." Genis exclaimed happily.
Marble shook her head, smiling in a grandmotherly way. "Please, don't trouble yourself."

"Hey old hag!" A voice barked, "What the hell you doin' over there!?"
"Oh no," Marble gasped. "It's the Desians... Hide, quickly."
"But--" Lloyd began.
"Lloyd, think of the village," you say, trying not to sound too harsh.
"...Ok, I'm sorry." Lloyd led the way to a small knot of bushes further along the wall's side, and you three had barley hid behind them when voices started speaking again.
"What are you doing over here?!" It was the same as the first voice. "Who said you could slack off?! Get back to work!"
"...I'm sorry," Marble said, a surprising streak of bitterness coming through her tone.
"What's with that look, huh?" A second voice demanded.
"Looks like someone's got an attitude problem." A third snapped dangerously.
"No, of course not." Marble sounded worried now, and the sound of it made you bite your lip. "I..."
"Shaddup!" The first voice cut her off. "You two, take her to the back. We're going to give her a little lesson on respect!"
"Yeah!" They said in unison.
"I can't see her anymore..." Lloyd said after a moment, "She's in the back."
"What can we do?" Genis asked.
"We can't just leave her," you say.
"Let's find higher ground," Lloyd said. "Then we can see what's going on in there."

There was nothing but empty cliff near you now, but on the Ranch's other side was a wall of rocks. A few short ledges stair-stepped their way above the Ranch's walls, and you three quickly make your way up them. Yours and Lloyd's exspheres made the jumps fairly easy, but you had to stop and help Genis up. The highest ledge let you look down into the Ranch's yard.
The three guards had Marble pushed up against a wall and were taking turns whipping her. The other slaves stood around watching, perhaps worried about Marble but unwilling (and unable) to do anything to help her.
"We have to save her!" You curse.
"I got it. Genis, you and Aura attack the Desians from here with magic." Lloyd said. "Then I'll act as a decoy."
"I will, too," you said. "They're armed and trained--if anything went wrong, two-on-one would be dangerous."
"Alright." Lloyd nodded, "Then Genis hides among the bushes and heads back to the village, while you and me run down the cliff. We'll run away from the village, and Aura can stay with me until things calm down."
"That sounds good to me," you say.
"Agreed. But you should both heal yourselves before you do this. Here have some cookies." You weren't sure how cookies would actually help you in any way, but the gesture was sweet, at least.
The two of you stood together, Genis using his kendam to concentrate while you closed your eyes, your hand unconsciously drifting to the center of your collarbones.
Genis cast his spell and you waited another beat to cast your own, trying to make it obvious that two people had attacked. Six orbs of fire sailed into the ranch, striking the Desians attacking Marbl. Their uniforms seemed mostly resistant to the flames, making them do less damage than you'd hope, but one was knocked unconscious.
"What the hell!" Yelled one of them. You followed Lloyd's lead, leaping along the top of the Ranch's outer fence and making your way for the entrance.
"There they go!"

The leap from the Ranch's wall to the ground left your stomach turning in knots and your knees wobbly, but you doggedly followed Lloyd as he made for the bridge to freedom.
From the bushes you suddenly heard Genis' voice. "Ow..."
The Desians who had given chase paused, looking at the bushes where Genis' voice had come from. "What was that?"
You and Lloyd glanced at each other for a moment before running back.
"Hey!" You yell, drawing your sword, "Over here!"
"Come after us, I dare you!" Lloyd followed.
"Why you..." They quickly forgot about the bushes and charged at you. One snapped his whip at you, but you dodged it easily, slashing him across the chest and finishing him in one blow. That had been so easy you almost couldn't believe it, but perhaps he hadn't been expecting you to have an exsphere. Lloyd dealt with his opponent just as easily.
More footsteps pounded in the distance as reinforcements arrived. You and Lloyd tensed, knowing that if you stayed, sooner or later, you'd be overwhelmed. The only option was to run, and do so before any more of them saw your faces.
"What now?" you ask. Genis must have made for the path, and with the way you were positioned running for it would only give the Desians time to close in.
"The cliff!" Lloyd said, turning away.
"The cliff?" You gasp. "I--I can't!"
Lloyd grabbed your hand, "There's no time! Come on!" He pulled you after him as Desians streamed out of the gate. The world spun and faded into blobs of color as the cliff rushed at you. Somewhere to your side Lloyd yelled "Jump!"
Your feet left the ground. white surrounded you as air whistled past. You couldn't tell if your heart was skyrocketing or if it had stopped altogether. Your hands and feet went numb as your throat closed up, your stomach swaying between frozen in fear and being on the verge of throwing up.
Flakes of snow passed in front of your eyes, and for a flash you were falling towards a dark, snow-covered street. Someone screamed indistinctly somewhere nearby.
"Aura!" Lloyd's voice barked. The ground! You tried to channel mana into your legs but it instinctively went into your exsphere instead. Strength coursed through you and for a moment you felt a little less worried.
The two of you landed on a ledge, large enough for a brief landing, and used the pent energy in your legs to leap to another, lower cliff. You leapt again and again until you landed safely at the path's base, near where Noishe had abandoned you.

You collapsed to your hands and knees, body shaking uncontrollably.
"H-h-how did we do that?" You whisper.
"Are you okay? I'm so sorry," Genis said, dashing down the pathway.
"Take it easy, just breathe," Lloyd said gently. "That was a crazy jump, if it weren't for our exspheres..."
"I just...heights." You pant, "I can't... I hate heights..." Your stomach felt all-in-favor of vomiting, but you held it in with multiple deep breaths.
"They saw your faces," Genis said, his voice heavy with guilt. "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault!"
"It's alright, we killed the only ones who saw our faces. As long as we hurry and get out of here, they'll never know," Lloyd said. He put on an easygoing grin, trying to lighten the mood. "Just do my homework for me, huh?"
"And make those cookies again sometime." You add, the quivering in your voice hardly noticeable. You tried for a smile, but you wondered if it actually looked as happy or carefree as you had been hoping for.
Genis grinned at both of you, "Of course!"
"I...I'm going to go home." You say. You glance at the twin-swordsman, "I'm sorry, Lloyd. That jump really took a lot out of me..." Your exsphere felt strange, somehow, like it wasn't as 'passive' as it had been before the jump. Your mana felt strange as it flowed through you, though you couldn't exactly place what was different about it. Your legs didn't hurt as badly as they should after a jump like that.
"It's alright, I understand," Lloyd said, shaking his head to wave away your apology.
"I'll walk you home, Aura." The little elf volunteered. "It's the least I could do."
"Thanks, Genis."