Tales of Symphonia Story, Sylvarant Chronicles (1)

QUIZ START: You finish your coffee and set down your cup, when you remember,
"Oh...!"
"What is it?" asked Kratos, looking to you,
"I just remembered, I heard the Desians talking." slight worry crept into his expression as he set down his cup. "Don't worry...I was hiding." and you proceed to tell him what you heard.

You were about to tell him they said 'Lord Yuan' when something nagged at you; you had a feeling you shouldn't say Yuan's real name.
"W-well. Um, lets see..." you stutter awkwardly, acting like you couldn't remember what they said. Kratos waited patiently while you 'thought' "Well, I heard them say 'Lord Botta' and 'Lord...' um..."
"...?"
"I-I couldn't hear that name very well...Sorry." the Mercenary looked over your expression slowly, seeing if you were really telling him the truth.
"...Alright... Did you hear anything else?" you nod gratefully, *Phew...glad he believed that.* and continue telling him what you heard.

Soon you finish telling Kratos what you had heard the Desians talking about. But he seemed slightly more...worried when you told him they were after you and Colette. And his fist clenched tightly after you told him what they said about you.
"So... They are after not just Colette, but you as well?" Kratos asked. There was a slight edge in his voice; his hand was still clenched in a tight fist. The Mercenary was looking intently at the fire, trying to hide his anger. You could tell by the glow of the fire, his knuckles were turning white. You look from Kratos' face, to his clenched fist, then back to his face, then back. Slowly and timidly, you inch one of your hands out to his; and lightly rest your fingertips on the back of his hand. You could feel the intricate charms carved into the mineral that made his keycrest, keeping him safe from the 'parasitism' of the Exsphere attached to it. As well as the cold, smooth, round surface of the Exsphere that was mounted in the middle.

You let your fingertips continue resting on his hand, he didn't seem to notice. Kratos' fist was still clenched tightly, and his knuckles were even paler white. He hadn't felt your timid, light touch. Slowly, you lower your hand, and cover the back of his hand with yours.
"...Hm?" Kratos looked down at his hand... and yours. His fist unclenched slowly, and color began to return to his knuckles. Kratos looked up at you; the firelight was playing in his soft eyes. It made him look sort of mysterious. You smile sheepishly, his expression softened a touch. You look back down at his hand, and he let you pick it up. You look at his palm, there was a line of blood on his glove.
"Kratos..." you murmur worriedly,
"..." he didn't say a response You put your other hand over his,
"...First Aid." a dull green light flashed from under your hand. When you pull your hand away... there wasn't even a bloodstain on his hand anymore. Kratos raised his hand, and rested it on your cheek. You keep one hand on the back of his, draping your other hand over his wrist. Timidly, you look up at him, and your silver eyes meet his soft auburn ones,
"...Thank you, Aura." he told you softly. A line of light pink blushing crossed over your cheeks.
"..." The Mercenary leaned down slowly; you lean up slightly as well. After a second his lips pressed firmly against yours; your eyes flutter shut. *At least I'm not blacking out again...* you think. But your thoughts slowly faded to black, as all of your senses got hazy. One kiss slipped into another, the line of blushing on your cheeks got darker. Your hand slipped from his, and rested on his shoulder. Subconsciously, the Mercenary began to move his thumb softly back and forth across your cheek, drawing a soft sigh from your lips. Your hand moved from his shoulder to the back of his neck, where you loosely threaded your fingers in the shorter hair near his neck. In response, his other hand rested on your waist. With every second the kiss lingered on, his hand slid slightly farther around the back of your waist. He deepened the kiss slowly, as though he was savoring the moment. Feeling his unexpectedly soft lips against yours, mixed with his unusual, yet comforting, scent made your hazy sense black out until you were fully dazed. All you were both thinking, and cared about, was Kratos, the man currently kissing you. You didn't want to part any more, from his lips, or from his arms; you felt safe, and happy. The fire slowly burned lower, and no one woke.

After a little while, he pulled away. He pulled away slowly, allowing his warm lips to linger against yours for as long as he could. Before your lip contact was, reluctantly, broken. You both caught your breath silently; this was when you were almost mad about the human need to breathe.
"..." you open your eyes hazily, blushing still clinging to your cheeks. You blush darker, looking at his hand out of the corner of your eye. The Mercenary softly ran his thumb back and forth across your cheek, feeling your soft skin. You let your eyes close, his touch was soothing. He smiled softly, watching you in your blissful haze. The unusual tenderness that he showed towards you, it felt familiar somehow... After a second, you eyes open slowly, you gaze into his soft eyes again. Kratos pressed his palm against your cheek, then raised his free hand, and parted the bangs that hid your forehead with one finger; he leaned forward and pressed his lips softly against your forehead, closing his eyes as he did so. You blush slightly darker, eyes half closed. After he pulled away, his hand started to slip from your cheek, but you put your hand on his, asking him not to pull away. Kratos' expression softened again,
"You want to stay like this...?" he asked softly. You close your eyes, and nod once. The Mercenary smiled softly, and wrapped his other arm fully your waist, pulling you close. You rest your head beneath his, closing your eyes, resting your hands on his chest. You look to the fire, it was almost out now. The Mercenary held you a little tighter, resting his head on yours. You sigh, letting your body relax in his arms.
"Mm...." you murmur quietly, nuzzling the base of his neck. The Mercenary chuckled softly, but it sounded more like a soft rumbling noise because of where you were,
"...Good night Aura." he whispered softly. Your eyes slip closed, and you relax a little more,
"...Yeah...good night..." you agree softly. Soon you drift off into the land of dreams. The fire burned itself out shortly after you both fell asleep.

The next day, once everyone had awoke, you set off through the forest again; though this time you were trying to find your way back to the road.
"Where are we?" asked Genis after an hour of wandering.
"Um..." said Lloyd, looking around. You guys get a sweat drop.
"Don't worry, I'll find out." your sparkling, silver wings appear on your back, and you glide up through the trees. Dodging easily around thick branches, you soon come out of the canopy, hovering above the treetops. You look around slowly, it was like an ocean of green all around you. One way you saw the green ending, while the other way you could see that the green abruptly ended where a huge wall of red stone jutted from the ground. *...so the road is probably that way.* you think, looking to the direction where the trees ended.
"Do you see anything?" called Sheena.
"I think the forest ends that way." you call back, floating lower in the trees, "It's gotta be that way. If you go too far the other way you'll run into a mountain."
"Perhaps its best if you guide us from up there." Raine suggested. "So then it would be less likely that we would get lost."
"Good idea." you agree.

You fly slowly above the trees, the wind flowing easily through your silky brown hair. You dodged easily around a few branches that jutted out in yoru way. With your wings you didn't fear the height.... it was really weird... You contemplated the idea that maybe you weren't so much scared of Height, than really scared of Falling from high places. The others follow you on the ground.

~**Kratos
"Where are we?" asked Genis, after you all had wandered aimlessly through the forest for about an hour.
"Um..." Lloyd mumbled, looking around. A drop slunk down the sides of everyone's head, even yours. *...He can't possibly be-- N-no. No...I can't accept that now... Not yet.* you decide.
"Don't worry, I'll find out." Aura assured. Her beautiful silver wings appeared on her back, a few sparkles falling to the ground. She floated off the ground, and flew upward. You watched her maneuver easily around thick branches, and fly above the forest. She floated there for a short while, looking around from where she flew.
"Do you see anything?" called Sheena.
"I thing the forest ends that way." Aura called back, floating lower in the treetops "Its gotta be that way If you go to far the other way you'll run into a mountain."
"Perhaps its best if you guide us from up there." Raine suggested, "So then it would be less likely we would get lost."
"Good idea." Aura agreed.

As she flew above the treetops, you all followed her. You looked up at her, watching her as she flew. If you weren't careful, you could go into a daze just watching her, your subconscious telling you to walk...but not telling you were to go. You had done that once...and it resulted in you walking into a tree.
"........." you continued to watch her. Her long brown hair blew out easily behind her in the wind that blew above the trees. From where you all were walking on the ground, you could feel a gentle breeze that managed to wind its way through the trees in the forest. If it wouldn't have blown your cover in its entirety, you would have gone and joined Aura above the trees...but...That wouldn't be a good idea.

~**
After about fifteen minutes Lloyd called,
"Aura! Are we almost there?"
"Yeah." you call back "It shouldn't be much farther."
"Hey Aura, you getting tired? If we aren't that far away, you can come down!" Sheena asked,
"The Desians followed you into the forest yesterday. For all we know, they are still here. Landing is a wise decision." Kratos agreed.
"Ok. Look out below!" you swoop down to near the forest floor, and land neatly on both feet. Pulling your wings back in as well
"9.5," Sheena joked, putting an arm around your shoulders "Lacking creativity!"
"Oh, gee. Thanks!" you tell her with a light laugh.

"This forest is beautiful." you comment after a while. Sunlight was filtered through the trees, splashing light and pale mixes of green on the pathway,
"Yeah. I guess." Lloyd agreed,
"Aside from all the monsters, that is." Kratos commented. You laugh nervously, and rub the back of your head
"Yeah, I guess you do have a point there." you tell him. Noishe whined a little you pat his forehead in a friendly gesture "Don't worry." you say "We're gonna be fine."
"Yeah, Noishe. Come on!" Genis agreed, "Show some backbone!" Noishe whined a little and shook his head, like he was saying 'I don't wanna!' Kratos chuckled a little, and patted the dogs head,
"Perhaps some animals just weren't born to fight." You noticed something sparkle on his middle finger.
It looked like a ring.
But the Sorcerers Ring...was on his other hand.