Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kratos was weird, Law decided. The man was dressed as impractically as any Renan, but his eyes didn’t glow when using artes. The fact he used artes on his even weirder son to heal him after he fell from an impressive height with the most resigned look on his face told Law far too much of the duo. 

The fact Lloyd was currently showing Rinwell how to whittle with a knife and he was currently making a tiny Hootle that had captivated her attention certainly had nothing to do with it. 

The jealous denial sounded thin in his own mind, so he only hoped the group didn’t bring anything up about the spring of youth again. That was more than embarrassing enough the first time Dohalim had uttered those words and Rinwell had driven a Thunder Blade at his face. Law shuddered at the memory.

The movement had caught Kratos’ eye, and Law stilled. The two were side-eyeing each other carefully before abruptly turning their gaze to the fire. 

That was the other thing that was weird about the duo they ran into. They were entirely too carefree, but never let their guard down. It reminded him keenly of the Snake Eyes and always watching his back. He didn’t like how much they were observing his group, and he couldn’t tell Alphen how dangerous they could be.

Then again, Alphen was doing a good job of sulking and glaring by Shionne after he had been thoroughly trounced by the swordsman sitting beside Law. 

Their skills were impressive, and in an enslaved Dahna, it didn’t make sense. They could obviously have hidden like Rinwell’s family or have been resistance fighters like Law’s family, but the idea fell through when Law examined it. 

Both had something resembling spirit cores on their left hands, but encircled in gold. Any attempt to draw a conversation towards it was quickly shut down. By either Kratos or Lloyd dodging the question or Kisara scolding him for inquiring about another slave's scars. Law had quickly shut up and let Kisara handle any further conversations. 

And yet somehow Law found himself beside one of the potential threats, unable to let go of his suspicions. The fact he had a perfect side eye view of Kratos with Lloyd directly in front of him really should have tipped the group off. Everyone tended to forget it was him who identified Kisara trailing them in Menacia, and the skills he hated using from his time with the Snake Eyes. 

Rinwell’s delighted shriek pulled Law’s attention to her. He could see the Hootle replica in her hands while the owlet flew around her head, cooing his delight. Lloyd was bashfully rubbing the back of his head when Rinwell graced him with the sunniest smile he had ever seen. 

Law’s jaw dropped, and he swore he saw red. And not the red that made up the obnoxious colour of Lloyd’s shirt.

“He used to make them for any local kids we came across as we travelled.”

Law’s jaw shut with an audible click as he whirled his head to Kratos. The man hadn’t moved but there was a faint smile on his face. He caught the man’s side eye again, and Law could see the delight there.

“It’s been a long time since he’s been able to do this.” It was the only explanation Kratos offered and the man continued his enraging silence. Law dropped his gaze to his hands and flexed his gauntlets. The question burned on his tongue, but he wasn’t sure if he should ask. 

“His dad taught him.” The answer was offered whether Law had asked or not. He looked up and could see the sadness in Kratos' eyes. 

“His dad?” The question trailed on Law’s tongue, “But I thought you were…” the question was half finished as Law looked at Lloyd carefully showing Rinwell how to whittle her own Hootle figure. The sheer delight in her face was relaxing, and Law could see Dohalim watching carefully nearby. It seemed their resident art curator was deeply interested in Lloyd’s skills. 

“His mother died when he was young. I thought they had both perished together, but he lived, and another man raised him.” The words were steady as Kratos spoke, but there was a hitch in between the words that told Law that the man had never truly gotten over what happened. 

“I’m sorry.” The words were more heartfelt than Law had imagined him saying earlier in the night. But he meant them. 

“It was a long time ago.” Kratos raised a single shoulder as if to say there was nothing to be done about it. 

“Maybe, but the pain still lingers.” Law curled his hands into fists. He was shaking, but he tried to stop. He could feel the weight of Kratos' full attention on him, and the noise of the group seemed to fade around them. Law could still hear their animated chatter, but it was muted in comparison to the cackle of the campfire.

“My mom died when I was younger, and I ran away.” The words tumbled unbidden from Law’s mouth, “And my father died as a result of my actions.” Law clammed his mouth shut at the admission and took a fortifying breath. 

What he wasn’t expecting was Kratos to rest a hand on his head. Law looked up in alarm and could see a softness in the man’s gaze.

“He wouldn’t want you to blame yourself.” The words irritated a wound in Law’s heart, and he scowled. 

“How would you know?!” Law bit the words out, glaring from underneath the man’s hand. 

“No father would want their child to live holding such hatred for themselves.” Kratos’ words were firm and brokered no argument. 

“But I…” Law lowered his gaze back to his shaking hands, “If I hadn’t…” he forced back the tears that threatened to fall. He could feel Kratos' hand on his head again, this time gently ruffling his hair, and Law wished more than anything for his own father to do the same. 

“From what I’ve heard, your father was a resistance leader. Every day he lived was likely one he thought would be his last.” The words were slow and measured, and Law found himself hanging onto them: “If his death helped keep you safe, then it would be enough.” Kratos paused before carefully continuing. “Even if it didn’t, I imagine if he knew you were surrounded by good friends who looked out for you, he would be happy.” Kratos lowered his hand and turned back to the fire. Law stared at the other man before he turned away. He rubbed his hands together, watching the older man sit still as stone. 

“Are you saying that because you’re a father?” Law asked. 

“Yes.” Kratos replied, eyes flickering up to meet the teenagers, “Knowing my child lived and has people to care for him, it would be enough.” 

The silence stretched between them and Law turned Kratos’ words over in his head. The meaning was heavy and he wanted to believe him, but his own guilt gnawed at him. It was abruptly shattered as a figure was shoved in his face. 

Law looked up to see Lloyd smiling at him. A tiny wolf figure sat in his hand and he motioned for Law to take it.

“To match your pauldron!” Lloyd said before dropping the figure in Law’s hands and walking back to Rinwell. The group’s gaze was on him and Law felt himself blushing. He stuttered out a quiet thank you, even if he thought Lloyd might miss it, but the other man gave him a thumbs up over his shoulder. 

Law examined the wolf figure in his hands and couldn’t help but admire the details. For all it had been quick, the figure was beautiful in its simplicity. He looked up to see Lloyd had started working on something else and animatedly speaking with Dohalim. Law had no idea how the man was able to whittle without being entirely focused on his work.

He shook himself and stared into the campfire. Maybe Kratos and Lloyd were weird, but they clearly cared. Even if they clearly weren’t Renan or Dahnan, as Law suspected, he supposed there could be worse company in the world. 

Chapter Text

As their group woke up the next day, Law found himself wondering if the previous night hadn’t been a dream. He quickly discarded the thought as he caught sight of Kratos and Lloyd packing up their bedrolls and bags. Law was mystified for a moment as to why they were still there before he remembered that after he and Kratos had spoken, their group had turned in for the night. 

The group had decided the two travellers could stay with them until at least morning. Lloyd and Kratos had not been particularly forthcoming about their objectives when they had quite literally fallen upon their camp the night before but Law had wondered if anyone would have in their situation. News about the Lords’ defeat had spread throughout Ganath Haros and it seemed the first of the wayward travellers were willing to brave the elements to see the other realms. It didn’t erase the centuries-long caution that was embedded in every Dahnan, but Law had to wonder where they had come from. He didn’t recognize them from Thisylm and they definitely weren’t from Pelegion. The fact that their spirit cores were circled in gold still bothered him.

The thought that Kratos and Lloyd weren’t Dahnan or Renan still lingered in Law’s mind. 

He was left to his musing as a soft murmur rose around their group while they readied for the day. He barely caught snatches of a conversation between the two swordsmen and Alphen. Out of curiosity, Law walked closer to hear what they were saying.

“If you’re trying to go to Cyslodia, you should consider travelling with us,” Alphen said. He already had his pack slung over his shoulder and was waiting for everyone else.

“We wouldn’t want to intrude any more than we already have,” Lloyd said as he held his hands up, a sheepish grin on his face.

“Nonsense!” Dohalim had caught sight of their conversation and inserted himself into it, much to Alphen’s bemusement, “There are zeugles likely spread throughout the caverns. While you’ve already proven to be formidable fighters, we’re navigating uncharted territory up ahead.” Dohalim had a peculiar look in his eye and Law wondered if he wasn’t encouraging them to stay so he could continue to observe Lloyd’s craftsmanship. As Dohalim had mentioned that their new companions were formidable fighters, Alphen seemed to grimace and rubbed the back of his head.

“If you’re sure our presence wouldn’t be a hindrance,” Kratos said, a sidelong glance sent towards Alphen. The older man had a hand resting on his sword pommel and Law wondered what he was expecting to happen as they broke camp. 

“No, not at all. We’d welcome any help you’d be willing to offer.” Alphen was quick to reassure Kratos. The previous night's sulk seemed to have disappeared with the rising of the sun and Kratos hummed under his breath at Alphen’s turnaround. The decision seemingly made, the group of eight and Hootle finished breaking camp and headed into caves beneath the mountain. 

Days later as they were passing through the mountains connecting Ganath Haros and Cyslodia, Law found himself reconsidering his original assessment of Lloyd and Kratos. Somehow the duo had kept pace with Kisara’s rigorous pace. No matter who asked, neither Kratos nor Lloyd had given a concrete reason as to why they were travelling outside of wishing to travel. Their reasons ranged from seeing the other realms of Dahan to concern for what had happened when the lights had flown across Dahna and a hole had opened up in the sky. 

Their reasons weren’t bad or concerning on their own and truth told Law found his own reasoning hadn’t been much different. Perhaps in their ragtag group that was enough of a reason as any.

But it got under Law’s skin as his initial thoughts of them not being Dahnan seemed to be true. Under no circumstances could they have been slaves. They were completely ignorant of any of the subtle cues and culture that Kisara and himself had grown up with. When they discussed the mother in Pelegion who needed to bury her son but had no cultural rituals to follow for burial, it left both of them noticeably saddened. The comment about normally burning their dead and scattering ashes so the Renans couldn’t take that away from them had left a particularly disturbed look on their faces. Law suspected Lloyd’s mother had a proper grave somewhere for them to have such a similar reaction. 

Alphen, with his year's worth of memories of being a slave, had picked up more than enough to realize something was off about the two. Perhaps it was his wariness to stay on good terms after Kratos had offered to spar with him or that he didn’t have the same intimate knowledge of growing up in Dahnan slavery, but Alphen didn’t react to the same things that caused the hair on the back of Law’s neck to stand up straight. Rinwell appeared blissfully ignorant in the way she interacted with them. Bright and open in a way that Shionne and Dohalim had had to earn before she had treated them the same. Lloyd and Kratos weren’t Renan and that was enough for her.

Law wasn’t sure if Shionne and Dohalim had picked up on the fact that something was weird with their new travelling companions. He felt that Shionne was unconcerned with the motives of their new companions, but there was an assessing gleam in Dohalim’s eyes that told Law that maybe the other man didn’t need anyone else to point out the fact Kratos and Lloyd were neither Renan nor Dahnan. Dohalim struck him as immensely curious about their two companions and considering the revelations that still left him reeling about Alphen’s sovereign status, perhaps it wasn’t surprising that the former lord was so cautious.

The worst part was that Law really liked the duo after that fateful campfire night. He had found himself sitting beside one of them more often than not as they travelled closer to Cyslodia. His guilt kept him up at night and frequently one of the men was awake when he found himself unable to sleep.

Law noticed that Kratos would stare into the fire nonstop, but would know the movement of everyone in the camp. From the subtle shifts as people turned in their sleep, to the uncanny ability to coax Law from his bedroll when he stared listlessly at the caverns above them and the dread of being so close to home gripped his heart. The man would draw him into conversations surrounding grief but also taught him stories about the stars that Law wasn’t sure existed in the Dahnan sky. He knew they needed to leave the caverns first before he could even check Dahna’s night sky to see if he could find the constellations Kratos had told him, but Kratos’ voice was soothing and Law enjoyed his stories. Those were the conversations that he hung onto and helped him eventually fall asleep. 

For all Kratos claimed another man raised his son, he was surprisingly good at acting like a father. Or at least how Law remembered his father acting. 

Lloyd on the other hand took one look at their accessories and promptly took to examining every piece of equipment he could get his hands on. Whenever they stopped for the day as they travelled underneath the mountain, he started replicating the charms and was able to produce better quality accessories than most of the craftsmen they had encountered over the course of their journey. It had immediately endeared him to everyone in the group, in particular Alphen and Shionne. 

The nights that Lloyd was still awake when Law couldn’t bear to pretend he was sleeping anymore, he quickly found himself with crafting tools in his hands with Lloyd guiding his movements. It seemed to be the only way the man knew how to offer comfort. At least when he wasn’t able to offer a sparring session. Law found himself enjoying the work, even if he couldn’t produce anything remotely similar to Lloyd’s level. 

He grew to appreciate how Lloyd’s enthusiasm and encouragement never dimmed. If Law messed up, he was greeted with soft words and more materials to try again. There was never an admonishment with it. 

It was the greatest contradiction in Law’s mind that he knew they couldn’t be from Dahna or Rena and it scared him because why were they on Dahna? They were the kindest people he had met in a very long time but he couldn’t figure out why they chose to stay with their group. He had a strong suspicion they didn’t need to travel in a group for protection with the way his danger senses kept going off, and yet they never acted in any other way but to support him and their group. The quiet question of how they got to Dahna was never asked. 

Even during battles, they helped. Kratos tended to stay back and help with his magic, while Lloyd was in the midst soaring through the air with enough grace to give Alphen a run for his money. Alphen dove through the sky on borrowed wings, whereas Lloyd was most at home when his feet were off the ground. However limited Lloyd’s movements might have been in the caverns, Law hadn’t thought there could be someone more graceful in the sky than Alphen and was alarmed when he realised Lloyd was. 

Kratos’ use of magic immediately endeared Rinwell to him. She still followed after Lloyd like a puppy whenever he started whittling as opposed to crafting. He could still see the Hootle replica tucked into her belt at all times. Law wasn’t sure what Rinwell thought of them as she gravitated around the two of them at all times. He had started to suspect that she thought they were from another clan of mages that her clan had lost track of. Law didn’t have it in him to discuss his suspicions with anyone else, especially Rinwell if that was true. But if they were, why didn’t they disclose it? They could clearly see Rinwell used Dahnan astral artes as they travelled. 

When they had emerged from the caverns and into the frozen Cyslodia air, Law felt the cold and he huddled into himself. The chill bite of the air was something he had sorely missed while they were in Ganath Haros, but it brought its own set of bad memories. As he watched his breath freeze in the air, he wondered why he had missed the landscape that had caused him so much pain. 

A terrifying loud sneeze from Kisara jolted Law from his thoughts and he looked over to his group. Kisara had rounded on Alphen and was inquiring what they could do against the cold. The other man was sheepishly backing away as Rinwell chattered at his side. Soon the group found their meagre stash of winter gear. Law’s stomach curdled as his hands closed on his old bureau uniform but he quickly shrugged the coat on. They didn’t have the luxury of choice. 

As Kratos and Lloyd pulled their cold weather gear out, he found himself wondering where they had found such thick cloaks. They weren’t like anything he had seen before, either in style or make. The flash of a smile from Lloyd soothed the unease Law felt, but it didn’t dispel the question of where they had gotten their cloaks. 

As they prepared to descend properly into Cyslodia, no one else mentioned Lloyd’s and Kratos' cloaks, too busy pulling their coats close to them. Kisara had unravelled her bedroll and was using it as a makeshift cloak over her armour. Law could barely hear Alphen reassuring her they would find something more appropriate once they entered Cysloden properly. It seemed it had soothed Kisara for the time being, despite her minor grumbling. 

With their group as outfitted as they could be against the bitter weather, Law fell in line with Rinwell as they walked. They didn’t say much, but Law noticed a bounce in Rinwell’s step.

“Excited to be back?” he asked, a tilt to his head.

“Mhm!” Rinwell turned to him with a smile, “It’s good to be home.” She said, There was a smile on her face that made Law’s stomach squirm. 

“Yeah, it is,” Law said. Rinwell squinted at his agreement.

“Isn’t your home Calaglia?” She peered at him, waiting for his response. A cold brush of wind tugged at his collar and he felt chilled to his spine. Calaglia had been a long time ago and he dreaded thinking about what waited for him in the dreadfully hot realm. He shook himself to brush off the thoughts and responded to Rinwell’s question.

“Well yeah, but I spent so long living here that Cyslodia feels like home too. Ya know?” Law tried to smile at Rinwell, but her intent look made him falter. She seemed to shrug her shoulders at whatever she had found.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Rinwell tapped a finger to her chin, “It is weird to see you in that jacket again though.” 

Law knew Rinwell was just trying to talk for something to do but her words caused him to stumble as he stopped breathing. He quickly righted himself as Rinwell had reached out to him. He shook her off and he could feel the half-hearted smile drop from his face.

“I’m fine.” Law’s automatic defense was on his lips before Rinwell could even apologise. She pursed her lips but let the conversation drop and Law was grateful. No one else seemed to have noticed but Law caught Kratos looking back at the two of them. 

Law wanted to feel unnerved by the man’s care, but he found himself too exhausted to be bothered.

As they approached the massive bridge that tied Cyslodia to Ganath Haros, Law wondered how long Law and Kratos were planning on sticking around with their group. As they lowered the bridge and crossed to meet familiar faces, Law wondered if he wouldn’t prefer if they stuck around longer. The thought lingered as Bregon and some of the Silver Swords rushed to greet them, and they quickly caught up. 

As Alphen explained the issue that plagued Pelegion’s residents, Law thought he caught a glance of a grimace on Kratos’ face. He knew that he saw Lloyd’s worried look that he shot his father, but Kratos was completely neutral when Law looked again. The teenager had missed most of the conversation between Alphen and Bregon, but he caught that the Silver Swords had agreed to send aid to Pelegion that their group had been unable to provide. Law felt a sense of relief knowing that the residents of Pelegion would have more help soon. 

Once arrangements had been made, they swiftly made their way to the city. Law thought it may have been his imagination, but as they travelled towards Cysloden, he caught a few of the residents in their group giving his gear a side-eye. He knew if he had any other option besides the bureau jacket, he would be wearing it in a heartbeat. But Cyslodia was not a kind realm to any unprepared adventurer, and he couldn’t risk wearing his regular clothes without added protection. He remembered what frostbite looked like, and he had no intention of dealing with the recovery from that.

Law wasn’t sure if it was his unease over Lloyd and Kratos or his discomfort with wearing his old bureau jacket, but as they entered Cysloden, he felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. He began to notice the residents looking at their group, and he could feel some of the residents' eyes glaring holes into his back. He assumed it was the jacket and figured it might be a stark reminder for the people of what had been. Most memorabilia had been destroyed after they had left, but the teenager hadn’t picked up a new jacket with how quickly they left the first time. 

It seemed even Bregon couldn’t enforce a city-wide rule of everyone starting with a clean slate. Law resolved that he would replace the coat as soon as physically possible, or see if Kisara could help him alter it so it looked less like a Snake Eyes coat. In the meantime, he kept his back straight and refused to crumble, no matter the multitude of glares levelled at him. He had been a part of the Bureau. Whether he had chosen that or not meant little in the eyes of some people he had indirectly or directly hurt. The first person who had done a little more than glaring and had stepped towards their group soon found themselves with an eyeful of red instead of Law. 

The man had approached, a look of fury on his face, and Law looked up just in time to see Lloyd stand beside him. Lloyd started smiling at the man who had tried to get closer to the group with ill intent. With one look at the older man’s face, the approaching man turned on his heel and walked away. Law had been shocked at the act and had only realised in hindsight that Lloyd had kept a lazy hand on the hilt of swords. 

The interruption had barely been noticed by the rest of the group as they continued their trip to Bregon’s hideout. Lloyd had looked to him and offered a softer smile. The older man had rested a hand on Law’s shoulder, and though he desperately wanted to shrug it off, he didn’t. The hand on his shoulder helped to steady him, and loath though he was to admit it, Law knew Lloyd was actively keeping any other potentially angry people away. It didn’t truly match with the bright and friendly man he had come to know in their journey from Pelegion, but the protective streak was something he had witnessed in some of their fights before. 

Law had never thought it would see it outside of battle. 

The rest of their trip to Bregon’s hideout was quick, and as they traversed the narrow alleyway leading to the front door, Lloyd finally stepped back to join his father. It was then that Rinwell had come up to his side and gripped his arm tight enough that Law worried that his arm might bruise. She said nothing as they entered the quaint building, and Bregon had begun making introductions of their expanded group to the few Silver Swords lingering at the hideout. Rinwell stayed glued to his side until the newcomers to their group had been roped into a lively conversation. She raised herself on her tip tops and leaned her chin on Law’s shoulder so she was perched beside his ear. 

“Kratos was watching the whole interaction between you, Lloyd, and that random man. He had the scariest glare I’ve ever seen on his face.” Rinwell leaned in close to him, and her breath ghosted over Law’s ear. He tried not to shiver at the feeling and instead focused on not moving.

“Even worse than Vhorlan?” Law asked quietly. 

“Much worse. What was that guy going to do to you anyway?” Rinwell asked in a furious whisper.

“I don’t know.” He met her eyes, and Rinwell must have seen something of the inner turmoil on his face that she bit her lip and squeezed his arm tighter.

“None of us are going to let the people here hurt you. Everyone from the Snake Eyes was supposed to get a clean start.” Her voice was strained as she spoke, and Law felt himself smile despite the worry that had begun to gnaw at his chest.

“Thanks, Rinwell.” He said. Her brief smile at his words lit her face up, and she finally relaxed her hold on his arm. As she did, she was swept up towards Bregon with a call and began happily chatting with the man about their adventures. Law could feel himself start to slide into the background, and he was grateful for the momentary reprieve. He felt his back hit the stone wall, and he sagged against it. Despite his exhaustion, he kept his eyes on his friends.

Alphen and Shionne were taking time to catch up with the rest of the Silver Swords while Kisara and Dohalim had stuck close to Bregon and Rinwell to discuss what Law assumed were acquiring different cold-weather clothing. Kisara had already packed her bedroll away in her bag and stood as close to the nearby fireplace as she could. Dohalim seemed unperturbed as always, and Rinwell had been born into this frozen wasteland. She seemed the least affected of their group by the cold.

As Law watched his friends, he once again saw Lloyd and Kratos split off to themselves. They seemed to have their heads close by for a whispered conversation, but Law wasn’t able to make out what they were saying with them so far away. He had seen them take as much time as they could to themselves, and Law couldn’t help but feel a wisp of bitterness curl in his chest, especially as he remembered one of the last times their group had been in Bregon’s hideout. He forced the thoughts away as he closed his eyes and turned the rest of the room out. 

Law still didn’t know what to make of the duo, but somehow he found himself grateful that they had stuck around so far. It was a far less hostile thought process than the first night they had joined their camp. The two older men always pulled their weight, and he appreciated how they looked out for their group. He knew that Lloyd had kept him from at least an uncomfortable conversation, but Law wondered if he hadn’t deserved the stranger’s ire. There were days where his time with the Bureau blurred together. He tried to remember every Dahnan he had reported, but after a time he realized the people that he had condemned had started to look all the same.

Even the memories of his friends had started to fade, and the thought worried him. Law shook his shoulders, and he leaned his head against the wall. He opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling before lowering his gaze to the room again. He realised that, as he had been lost in his thoughts, someone had started bringing warm drinks to their group. He gratefully accepted a mug from a Silver Sword member. The woman nodded at him and left to bring drinks to Lloyd and Kratos. As Law watched and started listening to the conversations around him, he noticed that father and son were no longer alone. 

Alphen had moved on to speak with the duo, and Law had begun to step forward to join them. He didn’t catch the content of the conversation, but he heard Alphen call Rena and Dahna the Twin Worlds. As his friend had said Twin Worlds, Lloyd had been sipping his drink and seemed surprised at the phrase. The sharp inhale and subsequent choking were missed by no one in the room.

Kratos didn’t immediately jump to his son’s aide, instead staring blank-faced at the Alphen. Law could only assume they hadn’t heard that particular reference before but wondered why it would leave them both so shocked. Or if it had been something else that had caused Lloyd to choke. Once Lloyd had finished coughing, he had waved it off as drinking too fast.

Alphen seemed concerned but was unperturbed. He seemingly picked up where he left off, immediately discussing the nature of Lenegis as they had come to know it from Dohalim and Shionne. Perhaps it had been the impending unknown of Lenegis attacking that had startled the pair. Law knew he was making excuses for them without even being consciously aware of it, but he couldn’t fathom why Dahna and Rena being called the Twin Worlds would startle them so much.

Had they encountered the term elsewhere? 

Law set his musings aside as he had come to stand beside Alphen. As he did, he caught Dohalim’s eye from across the room. The assessing gleam had returned to the other man’s eyes, and that told Law he had noticed something odd about Lloyd and Kratos’ reactions as well. The rest of the room seemed to have accepted Lloyd’s explanation at face value and had continued their individual conversations. When Law had turned back to Kratos, he could tell that the other man saw him exchange a glance with Dohalim, and the calculating look in his eyes had almost scared Law. 

Law resolved to put it out of his mind as he let the conversation wash over him and dearly hoped they would get a chance to sleep soon.

Chapter Text

Law’s hopes of an early night were dashed as members of the Silver Swords instead needled their group for stories of their adventures. They were eager for tales of the other realms and how the Lords there had been defeated. They had heard rumblings from Elde Menacia, but nothing had left Niez yet. Nothing from Ganath Haros had reached anyone until they had come stumbling from the mountains to lower the bridge and reconnect Ganath Haros to Cyslodia, but they had expected that to be the case. Knowing Baephon had yet to reach out to other Dahan groups reminded Law all too much of the Dark Wing’s dark musings when they first encountered them. 

The teenager dreaded to think what would have happened had they not investigated the mountains and found the meager force Vholran’s forces had put together.

While Law himself was ready to crash for the night and had once again retreated to rest against the wall, the rest of his group seemed content to catch up with the Silver Swords. Rinwell in particular had an excited buzz about her as she bounced around the room. She also gravitated to Bregon and preened under his praise as she detailed their exploits. Law let his head rest against the wall and he wondered what his own homecoming would look like, and his stomach soured. No one commented on his silence as the rest of the group was absorbed in their conversations.

He closed his eyes to tune out the rest of the room and it wasn’t until the soft rasp of clothes against stone caught his attention did he realize that someone had come to lean against the wall with him. Law opened his eyes to see Lloyd had managed to leave the conversations behind and had an apple in his hand. The older man caught his eye and tilted the fruit towards him. The teenager blinked at the silent ask but slowly nodded his head. Lloyd pulled a paring knife from his belt and swiftly started cutting slices of the apple. The older man handed every other slice to Law, who realized he had been ravenous with every bite.

The apple was swiftly devoured between the two of them and the teenager felt his stomach settle. There still had been no words shared between the two of them, but Lloyd seemed to understand the silent thanks and had reached over to ruffle Law’s hair. He stared at the older man in disbelief while the swordsman gave him the cheekiest grin the teenager had seen yet on the older man.

It wasn’t much longer before the Silver Sword members had finally filtered out of the building, calling well wishes as they left. It had left them alone with Bregon and he had ushered them to a couple of shared rooms to sleep in, much to Law’s delight. While Bregon no longer had to hide, the actual hideouts were still scaled back and used minimally. Space was limited but very few of the Silver Sword members stayed overnight anymore. They had been able to return to their own homes instead of being sequestered away for fear of the Snake Eyes or Renans. Bregon had reassured their group that they would be able to rest peacefully before heading out the next morning. 

Their group had been split up and Law found himself rooming with both Alphen and Dohalim. He didn’t mind and had grown accustomed to their presence being within reach while he slept. It had been weird when they had been in Pelegion that they all had their own separate spaces. 

Law hadn’t wanted to admit it then, but it had been lonely to not have anyone nearby. There had never been a time before in his life where he hadn’t had to share his sleeping space and the immense room had been barren in ways he hadn’t thought possible. Even when the teenager had been in the Snake Eyes, hearing others fall asleep had been a comfort that would always draw him to sleep. 

He hadn’t admitted it to anyone, but he had refused to sleep in the bed after their first night and had often snuck down to the barracks. He had a sneaking suspicion that Alphen and Kisara had noticed, but they had said nothing. The thought had often crossed his mind that maybe they too had missed the sound of people around them as they fell asleep. Perhaps they had been seeking out their own share of comfort in a castle too big for anyone to live in comfortably. 

Law found the same peace missing as he finally settled in the bed provided to them. He could hear as both Alpehn and Dohalim dropped off to sleep, but the same siren’s call for sleep evaded him. It irked him as he had been exhausted earlier. Now thoughts of his time in the Snake Eyes and the friends he had lost swirled in his head. He wondered where the remnants of the Snake Eyes had gone and if they had had a better reception throughout the city after the disbandment of the group. Law desperately hoped they had been able to find some new sense of normal and hadn’t been ostracized or picked out like he had been earlier that day. 

The thoughts plagued him while sleep continued to evade him. He wasn’t someone who tossed and turned, but he didn’t want to stay in the shared accommodations when he wanted nothing more than to pace in the small space. Having the space to move when he couldn’t sleep had been the one boon Law missed from Pelegion. He had been able to move silently throughout the castle with no one the wiser.

Eventually, he lost track of time before finally deciding he had stared at the ceiling long enough. Sleep would not come, despite how desperately he tried to quell his thoughts. He was completely quiet as he pulled the blanket off. Shoes had been easy to step in without making a sound and Law was grateful for them as he could tell the building was still colder than he would prefer inside. He briefly debated grabbing his coat, before he decided to leave it behind. He wouldn’t go far and he could suffer through the chilly building instead of wearing the coat.

He tried to firmly shake the thoughts circling his head away as he quietly closed the door and sighed. Law had no wish to wake anyone else in the small headquarters and he silently padded downstairs. The night’s cold air still permeated the hideout and he shivered at the chill touch on his skin. It was one of many things Law assumed the Cyslodian Dahan’s had yet to resolve. Insulation had been hard to come by on a good day and he assumed that a building rarely used wouldn’t be high on priority to properly insulate. 

As he come to the bottom of the stairs he was surprised to see Kratos at the large table in the middle of the room. Perhaps it had been a coincidence that it was Kratos and not Lloyd who was still up downstairs, but there was no way to tell. Law knew the rest of his friends would take every opportunity to sleep through the night and he had assumed Kratos and Lloyd would be the same. It seemed even away from the campfire and night watch, Kratos slept sparingly. At times Law could have sworn the man didn’t sleep at all.  

As the teenager approached he found it odd that he found the man downstairs by the fire, still staring into it when Law had gently padded down the stairs. Kratos acted as if he didn’t notice the young man treading closer. There was no other light in the room below as the lamps had been dimmed when everyone had turned in for bed. Law had hoped no one else would be awake so he could enjoy the quiet and dark alone but a part of him wasn’t surprised that Kratos was awake. There was a small selfish part of Law that was grateful the other man was awake so he wouldn’t be alone.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Kratos asked. The older man had barely turned his gaze towards Law before motioning him to sit at the table. He knew when he been had motioned closer and that there were already two mugs on the table that Law probably should have been warier. He found himself too tired to really care and sat unceremoniously at the table. Kratos made no indication he noticed the teenager’s sprawling over the table except to offer a mug of tea once he was settled.

“Yeah.” He wrapped one hand around an offered mug of tea, letting the warmth seep into his hand, “I’m guessing you couldn’t either?” He looked at Kratos’ face as he asked the question and thought he might have seen a quirk of his lips as the man tried to not smile.

“Something like that,” Kratos said.

“What’s keeping you up?” He asked and sipped at the tea in his mug. The flavour of peppermint hit his tongue and he was pleasantly surprised. It had been months since the last time someone had splurged for the fragrant tea.

“I don’t particularly sleep well anymore,” Kratos replied. His own hands were curled around his mug and Law could see the steam rise from the drink, “What about yourself? What is keeping you awake tonight?” 

The question shouldn’t have frozen the breath in his lungs, but it did. Kratos didn’t press while the young man curled into himself in silence. 

Law thought about why people in Cysloden were side-eyeing him and were approaching him with murder in his eyes. He wanted to ignore how the back of his throat was scratchy from tears being held back since they entered the city and his gut was screaming at him that Kratos should know what had happened in Cysloden. He had already known his father had passed away, shouldn’t he have heard something else? Word of the Lords being defeated should have spread by now with the month they had stayed in Pelegion. 

The logical side of his brain told him not everyone could know the exact details of what happened within Cyslodia unless they lived here. The regions were still quite isolated, even after the Lord’s defeat. It warred with the other side of him that said Kratos appeared too well travelled to not know. Too prepared for a cold environment he would have had no logical reason to have ever encountered before. 

The side that won out was the one who appreciated that Kratos listened. It reminded him of how Alphen would sit with him and listen to him non-stop when he first joined their group. He hadn’t stopped talking with Alphen, but ever since they had been in Pelegion, Law felt bad reaching out to the man who was his brother in all but blood. The nagging at the back of his head that said Alphen was trying to support Shionne meant that the other man needed his full attention to help her, and not listen to the things Law still hadn’t gotten over.

It was the fact that despite their short travel time together, Kratos had never once offered judgement to any of Law’s concerns that soothed his doubts and he began to talk.

“This city has a lot of bad memories for me.” He said. Kratos made no indication that he had taken too long to reply and merely waited as the teenager struggled for the words.

“This was where my dad died. This…” Law took a breath and lowered his eyes to his mug of tea, “This hideout specifically.” He could feel his hands shake as he thought of his dad and the guilt that stayed nestled deep in his chest.

“It must be hard to be back here. Being confronted with uncomfortable memories is never easy.” The man’s posture could have been carved from stone, but there was sympathy on his face.

“Speaking from experience again?” Law asked, a wry smile splitting his face.

“Yes,” Kratos replied. Silence fell between the two of them again so they slowly sipped at their tea before Kratos hummed under his breath.

“Why did that man approach you earlier with so much anger on his face?” Kratos asked. Law looked up to meet Kratos' eyes and saw the furrowed concern on the man’s brow.

“I…” He stuttered to start and gripped his mug so tightly that the tea sloshed inside of it. Kratos reached a hand out to steady his mug and Law nearly released it so he wouldn’t break the ceramic.

“I was a part of the Bureau of Civil Observation under Ganabelt. The previous Lord of this region.” The whispered confession pulled something at his heart, “The other slaves called us Snake Eyes and were basically spying on our fellow Dahnans. Any reports we made were used to send people to the work camps.”

“So, that man was affected by your reports?” Kratos asked as he gently took the mug from the teenager’s hands. Law clenched his hands into fists.

“I don’t know.” He shook his head, “Maybe he was, maybe someone he knew was sent to the Lights.” 

“I see,” Kratos said. “That’s a terrible thing to have gone through for someone so young.”

“It keeps me up at night, but I’m starting to forget the faces of people I’ve hurt. I’m forgetting the faces of my friends who died.” He dropped his head into his hands and closed his eyes. The silence stretched between them, and for a moment it seemed Kratos had no words to offer him.

“I’m sorry, Law.” The older man finally said. There was an odd tone to his words that caused Law to snap his head up. The man had lowered his gaze to the two mugs he had now held, a faraway look in his eyes. 

“It’s not your fault, Kratos,” he said, attempting to draw the man back from whatever dreary thought had dragged him away. 

“And neither is it yours that people have not let go of their anger over a situation that you ultimately had very little control over.” Kratos seemed to shake his momentary mood off and handed Law back his mug. The teenager felt his hands unclench as he accepted the tea again. It had grown cold, but he still sipped at it.

“I suppose not.” He tentatively agreed, chewing his bottom lip. “I think if my dad was here, he’d talk about breaking the walls down in people’s hearts. They get so caught up in what happened they forget what it means to forgive.” Law’s voice petered out, and he hunched in on himself.

“Your father sounds like he was a wise man.” There was a smile in Kratos’ voice as he spoke.

“Yeah. He was.” Law felt the guilt burrow deeper at the admission, “I wish he was here. Maybe he would know what to say to help me get over what happened.”

“It’s normal to not be completely over things that occurred a scant few months ago.” Kratos offered his wisdom and Law’s inner voice promptly shut up.

“It is?” He asked as he stared wide-eyed at Kratos. He hadn’t considered that before and he appreciated the older man pointing it out so bluntly.

“Well, I suppose so long as you don’t take a couple of centuries to come to terms with something that is bothering you.” There was an odd laughter to Kratos’ voice that Law wasn’t quite able to determine. 

“I suppose so,” Law said, before he paused and tapped his chin in thought.  “Hey, does it count if you were asleep for 300 years?” The sudden enthusiasm felt strange after their solemn conversation but Law was curious about what Kratos would say. He needed something to distract him from the thoughts of his dad.

Kratos paused to stare at Law for a moment before he answered, “I suppose not. I don’t believe your dreams can resolve trauma.”

“That makes sense. Thanks, Kratos.” The teenager smiled softly and drained the rest of his tea. He missed the perplexed look on Kratos’ face at his line of questioning though.

“You’re welcome,” He replied, caution barely noticeable in his voice.

“I should probably get back to bed,” Law said. He stared at his mug without moving.

“Do you mind if I ask you one more question before you go?” Kratos started tapping his fingers against his mug. Law sat up straighter as the older man started fidgeting.

“Sure,” He replied, curious to see what question burned behind Krato’s eyes.

“Why speak of these fears with me, instead of with one of your friends?” Kratos asked. His fingers stilled on his mug and he waited for a response. Law felt as if his brain had stopped working at Kratos’ question.

“Well, it's…” He started before his words faded. His fingers started drumming on the table without his notice, as he worked out the words he wanted to say, “I used to speak to Alphen a lot about this, and I’ve spoken to Rinwell a couple of times.” Law swallowed and met Kratos’ eyes heistantly, “Alphen’s been really preoccupied lately, especially with Shionne.”

“So preoccupied he wouldn’t take the time to speak to you?” Kratos asked and Law went to defend his actions but slowly closed his mouth.

The teenager knew this was Kratos gently prodding him to speak with Alphen again, especially as the man would drop everything to care for his friends. He didn’t disagree with what Kratos was saying, but he still felt nervous about it. Law wanted to be the one encouraging Alphen’s budding relationship with Shionne, not the reason it stalled and halted. 

“I do not think Alphen is the kind of man who would wish to see a friend struggle.” Kratos said as the silence started to stretch between them, “I especially do not think he would mind a distraction from thinking about Shionne.” Kratos must have picked up on Law’s unsaid concern as he continued, “He still has plenty of hurdles to overcome there and a different concern will not take away from his relationship, non-existent or not.” 

A startled burst of laughter escaped Law’s lips, despite the fact he tried hard to not laugh at that particular train of thought. Kratos had smiled faintly at him and motioned for him to pass his mug back. Still trying to control his outburst, Law slid his mug back into Kratos’ hand.

“You should head to bed, and try to get some sleep.” The older man made no motion to stand but with his heart feeling lighter than before Law nodded his agreement.

“You’re not planning on staying up too late right?” he asked as he stood. Kratos only smiled at him.

“Have a good night Law,” Kratos said, a hint of amusement in his words.

“You too, Kratos.” Confusion blossomed in his mind at Kratos dodging his question but he dismissed it as he padded up the stairs and passed Lloyd on the way down. The older man ruffled his hair and wished him a good sleep before defly passing him on the stairs. Law stared after his friend and thought it odd how he made no noises as he walked to join his father at the table. 

A brief pang of jealousy thrummed in Law’s chest at the sight of father and son, but he rubbed the spot and turned away. If he hadn’t, he might have noticed the concerned look Lloyd and Kratos had exchanged as they watched him go up the stairs. He collapsed into his bed and promptly fell asleep, soothed by the advice Kratos had given. 

As Kratos held the cup of tea that had long cooled, he sighed to himself as he heard Law fall asleep. He shook his head, bemused, and looked at his son. Lloyd returned the look with a raised eyebrow at how sentimental he caught Kratos looking.

“He reminds me of you,” Kratos said. The deadpan look Lloyd gave him had Kratos chuckling, “I seem to remember you having the same knack for falling asleep the moment your head hit a pillow.” The mirth on Kratos' face soon spread to Lloyd’s.

“Gee I wonder where I got that from.” Lloyd’s sarcasm fell short as Kratos’ smile dropped from his face.

“I cannot confirm nor deny which parent you inherited that from.” Kratos’ lips twitched as he tried to keep a straight face, “I can confirm which parent you got your inability to sleep from.” His dry tone seemed to sober his son’s expression and he made a fist on the table. 

“It’s fine.” Lloyd shrugged one shoulder, releasing the tension, and uncurled his fist to drum his fingers on the table. “Just means I can study the stars. Even in another world.” he smiled before he let the expression fall. For all he was tired in his soul, he did not truly feel tired. 

A silence stretched between the two before Kratos sighed. 

“This world is strange.” He mused. His son looked at him with a raised eyebrow, silently agreeing. 

“I had thought Mithos was cruel in how Aselia had been set up, but this?” Lloyd shook his head, a sadness radiating from him, “I wonder how many orphans there are.” 

“Too many,” Kratos replied. He watched his son’s shoulders sag at the thought and he shook his head.

“There are many things here that are heartbreaking.” Kratos paused, carefully considering his son's sloped shoulders, “How long do we stay?” 

Lloyd opened his mouth to immediately respond before he paused.

“Even once the disturbance that brought you here is resolved, how do we make sure that we can leave?” Kratos pressed as a flash of heartbreak appeared on his son’s face.

“Kidnapping them isn’t an option?” Lloyd asked. His father refused to answer except with a single raised eyebrow.

“Colette would love Law and Rinwell.” Lloyd attempted to defend. Kratos merely stared at the younger man until he sighed. 

“You know that wouldn’t work. The energy sources alone that fuel life on the planets are drastically different. We barely know the influence of astral energy on mana or vice versa.” Kratos admonished, “They also have people here who care for them deeply. We cannot take them from that.”

“Maybe just Law?” Lloyd tried, a hint of puppy dog eyes coming through his face. His father’s face was immovable and he sighed, “I know, I know. I just…” Lloyd trailed off and shook himself. 

“I know,” Kratos said. The silence blanketed the pair in the early morning light that filtered through the windows. Neither needed to speak more, for all their concerns plagued them. 

Mutually they decided to head back to their room in the Inn and at least pretend they were getting sleep. Both knew that true sleep would evade them, the Cruxis Crystals embedded in their hands seeing to that. But their current travelling companions didn’t know and if both men had anything to say about that, they would never know. Despite Lloyd’s claims, they hadn’t planned on staying long enough to get attached. 

Stopping his son from caring about people was like trying to stop waves that crashed onto beaches. Kratos knew that despite their best attentions, they would likely be sticking around the group longer than he was comfortable with. As he prepared for a long night of pretending to sleep, he wondered when he had stopped being able to tell Lloyd no. 

Chapter Text

The next morning’s sun shone brightly through the frosted windowpane of Law’s room and he found himself waking with the sun right in his face. He groaned at the invading light and rolled over onto his stomach. The huff of laughter that echoed in the room told Law he wasn’t the only person awake, but he didn’t care to move just yet.

He realised it was wishful thinking as the solid thud of a pillow hit his back.

Law raised his head to peer bleary at Alphen, who looked far too awake for the time of the morning it was. Law was not impressed at the twitching smile on the man’s face. He caught sight of Dohalim’s cape exiting their room, and the sharp slap of the door closing caused Law to groan again. He reached around and grabbed the pillow Alphen had thrown and buried his face in it.

“Law.” Alphen’s tone slowly lost the tease, and he could hear the other man’s steps as he walked closer. The abrupt snap of his blanket being yanked off of him and exposing him to the cold air of their room had him bolting upright. He stared at Alphen in pure betrayal. His brother, in all but blood, stared back at him with a raised brow.

“I could have asked Rinwell to come wake you.” He said. At Alphen’s statement, Law shuddered and swung his feet to the floor.

“I’m up, I’m up! No need to involve Rinwell!” His voice was pitched higher than normal at the memory of Rinwell’s wake-up calls. Law had no desire to incur the wrath of Hootle again. The full-body chuckle of Alphen’s did little to brighten his mood, and the teenager glared at him. His glare caused his friend to break out into full blown laughter.

“If you boys are done playing, breakfast should be ready downstairs soon.” Shionne’s voice sailed into their room from the other side of the door, exasperation already clear in her voice. Law wondered how long she had been awake and trying to corral their group.

“We’ll be down soon!” He shouted through the door while the silver-haired man attempted to control his laughter. He could hear Shionne’s sigh through the door as she left them.

“Sorry, Law.” Alphen’s laughter finally subsided, but there was a smile firmly on his face. Law felt his eyes roll at his friends' amusement over teasing him.

“Yeah, yeah.” He said, before brightening, “Hey, do you think there’s going to be bacon for breakfast?” He bounced to his feet at the thought and slipped his shoes on before the cold of the floor could be absorbed. His bureau coat had crumpled to the group, and he grabbed the garment with a grimace on his face.

“Maybe. It’ll depend on what was already stocked here, I imagine.” Alphen replied while he carefully eyed Law’s disgust at his coat, “We can see if there’s another coat here for you if you want? Or maybe we can buy another one at the marketplace?” Alphen offered, concern clear on his face. Law felt his jaw clench, and he bit his tongue at the thought of trading out his coat.

"Nah, it’s okay, Alphen. I’m sure Kisara would appreciate it if we were more careful with our funds.” The teenager shrugged to coat on, staunchly ignoring the tremble to his hands. Practicalically would have to win out here.

“If you’re sure.” Alphen’s face fell into its customary frown, before he tilted his head, “You know, we could ask Kisara or Shionne if they could alter it so it looked less like the Snake Eyes’ jacket?” There was a thread of hope in Alphen’s voice and Law refused to meet his face as he zipped the coat up. He shook his shoulders out and could feel the fabric stretch too tight across his shoulders. He paused and shifted again, noting the coat felt much tighter than the last time they were in Cysloden. He hadn’t noticed yesterday when the coat was all that protected him from the cold as they hurried to the city.

“I think I might be outgrowing this coat actually,” Law felt a thrill of joy at the admission and warily raised his head to meet Alphen’s. “I think I might have to replace it after all.” There was a wry smile on his friend’s face and he felt his own smile grow to match it.

“That sounds like a plan,” Alphen said. A sense of peace settled on Law’s shoulders at the idea he would be able to leave the coat behind soon.

The peace was abruptly disturbed at the sudden crash of their door being thrown wide open to the sight of Rinwell glowering at them with her hands on her hips. Law exchanged a fearful glance with Alphen as Rinwell puffed herself up.

“Kisara said to come get you! We don’t have time for you to sleep in today, Law!” Rinwell stomped into their room and crossed her arms while glaring at him.

“I’m awake already!!” He squawked. Rinwell’s glower did not lessen and she huffed at him.

“Then hurry up and go downstairs! We’re waiting for you!” She walked around behind him and started pushing him out of the bedroom.

“Hey! Hey! I can walk on my own!” He shouted as he was unceremoniously pushed out the door. He chanced a look at Alphen, but saw the older man was wisely staying out of Rinwell’s warpath.

"Well, hurry up then!” She snapped and shoved him towards the stairs.

“Sheesh, what are you? As strong as an ox?” Law said as he winced as the mage’s hands dug into his shoulder blades. Rinwell’s rough handling was pressing at the tender muscles, and Law was genuinely worried he would bruise. He didn’t see the mage’s shocked face at his question, but he certainly heard her outrage.

“You can’t say that to a lady!” She shouted, her face rapidly turning red in anger.

"Well, don’t shove me hard enough to bruise me!” Law replied tartly.

“Wake up on time then!” Rinwell shouted back.

“I was!” Law turned on his heel to glare back at her. The two of them stared at each other until Alphen’s sigh sounded from behind them both.

“Why don’t we head downstairs to get some breakfast, before we wake the neighbours up.” Alphen tried to be upbeat, but Law could hear the underlying exasperation in his voice. Rinwell’s lips pursed, and she looked like she wanted to argue before she shook her head.

“Sorry, Alphen.” She turned to him with a half-sheepish smile. Law huffed out a breath and looked at the older man.

"Yeah, me too, Alphen. Sorry.” Law rubbed the back of his head as shame bloomed in his chest. Alphen sighed at them both before he shook his head.

“Apologies accepted. Let’s get some food.” He said.

“Did someone say food?” Lloyd’s head popped out from the nearby bedroom, and he looked half asleep. Rinwell and Law both jumped and yelled at the sudden sight. The older man seemed bemused once he realised he had scared them.

"Ah, sorry about that.” Lloyd grinned as he rubbed the back of his head and dove back into his room. The three of them exchanged a glance briefly as they heard the older man puttering around his shared room with Kratos before the door reopened and both men stepped out. Kratos had a weary look on his face, but it was overshadowed by the bright grin on Lloyd’s face.

“Breakfast time!” The twin swordsman cheered and dashed down the stairs. Law shrugged and dashed after him. He could hear Rinwell sigh behind him as she too followed at a more sedated pace. Law could only imagine that Alphen and Kratos had shared the same long-suffering look. He liked to think it was similar to the side eye Kisara gave him and Lloyd when their feet hit the ground floor. Dohalim seemed to have dodged Kisara’s ire as he sat sitting from a mug at the large table in the room.

“It seems this morning has gotten off to a lively start,” Dohalim said as Lloyd darted over to Kisara’s side, offering his assistance. Her side-eye faded away as the twin swordsman joyfully helped with bringing dishes to the table. Law could faintly hear him tell Kisara how much he loved her cooking. 

“That’s one way to put it,” Kratos said as he came to the side of the table.

“Indeed,” Dohalim replied. 

“We should decide what our next steps are, considering we have a bit of breathing room,” Alphen said, pulling a chair out to sit.

“We need to get to Niez, right? The wharf should have a boat that will let us get to whatever fell.”  Law asked, reaching for a plate.

“That is the hope,” Dohalim said as he grabbed a plate of food from Kisara. Between her and Lloyd, the food had quickly made its way to the table, and there was bacon, much to Law’s delight. The assortment of food faded into the background as he zeroed in on his preferred breakfast food. He could hear Rinwell roll her eyes as he stuffed bacon in his mouth. Shionne had made her appearance from the kitchen, along with a large bowl of porridge. No one commented on her portion size as she sat.

“I think the actual question is what Kratos and Lloyd are planning to do now,” Kisara said as she finally sat, her plate pulled close. Both men seemed to freeze at the question before they forced themselves to relax.

“I imagine we’ll take in the sights of Cysloden before we make our way to Viscent,” Kratos said. Lloyd bobbed his head in agreement, mouth full. Their admission made something run cold in Law’s veins, and he speedily swallowed his mouthful.

“Why don’t you travel with us?” He offered as the group fell quiet. He cleared his throat and shuffled in his seat. “I mean, we’re heading towards Viscent anyway, and you’ve travelled this far with us.” Law felt as the entire group's attention focused on him, and he couldn’t help but feel like he made a mistake in their eyes. His skin felt like it was crawling under the scrutiny, but he didn’t take back his words.

“Law, you can’t just ask that if they have other plans.” Kisara scolded, disappointment clear on her face. Dohalim had a considering look on his face while Rinwell shook her head. Alphen looked concerned, and Shionne was absorbed in her food.

“The added manpower would be appreciated if you two aren’t opposed to it,” Alphen said to the two men. Kratos and Lloyd exchanged a look at that, and something passed between them faster than Law could follow. 

“Travelling with friends is always better!” Lloyd said a cheerful smile on his face. Law got the distinct impression he had missed something in their previous exchange as Kratos sighed.

“Is that what we are?” Dohalim questioned. Lloyd looked at him, and something weary appeared in the man’s eyes.

“Aren’t we after travelling together?” Lloyd parried Dohalim’s question much to the other man’s surprise.

“I suppose if that’s how one makes friends.” He mused. His silence meant that no one else spoke up for a few moments as they ate their food.

“So it’s settled then? We’ll head to Elde Mennacia together.” Alphen asked. A quiet murmur of agreement passed within the group, and Law slowly tuned everyone else out, and he grabbed a second helping of breakfast. He knew it would be some time before they had access to a proper kitchen, and there was quite the spread before them. 

“Before we go anywhere, we should get proper cold weather attire for everyone.” Kisara spoke up, tapping her fingertips against the table, “I would like to have more mobility than using my bedroll gave me so I can keep fighting.”

“Of course. I think Law also needs a new coat.” Alphen spoke up. His hand had slowly been inching towards some of the dried peppers they had leftover from Calaglia. No one else interfered with his reach as he grabbed the shaker and spread some on his food.

“Oh, is something wrong with it?” Kisara asked, her eyes sweeping over the coat’s length. Law felt a tiny shiver fall down his spine at her sharp glaze.

“It’s a little too tight. It’ll impact my movement when fighting.” He said. Kisara hummed under her breath but didn’t ask any further questions.

“We can ask Bregon if he has any spare gear that we can use.” Rinwell piped up. Her plate was pushed aside as she waited for everyone else to finish. Hootle was out on her shoulder, and she seemed keen on keeping the owlet from overeating anything from the table.

“That would be very appreciated. Do you know where we’ll be able to find him?” She asked, with a curious tilt of her head, “I know we had discussed requesting supplies, but we never finished the conversation.”

“He’ll likely show up here at some point.” Rinwell said with a smile on her face, “It may not have been a well-used hideout before, but I think it was a favourite of his.”

“It still is,” a voice said from the top of the stairs. The group for a while turned to stare as Bregon walked down the stairs.

“Bregon! I didn’t know you stayed here last night!” Rinwell jumped to her feet to greet her friend. Bregon laughed as she barreled to his side and smiled at her warmly.

“Knowing your group, I thought it best to stay close by. Now I know we discussed some of what your group needed to travel last night, but what else was missing?” He asked as he pulled a chair out. Law wasn’t sure who, but someone had passed a plate towards Bregon, and the man seemed bemused as breakfast food was sent his way.

Kisara launched into an explanation of what they might need to travel to Viscint, Law slowly tuned out the conversation around him as he focused on eating his food. There was a comfort in letting the conversation wash over him. He knew Alphen would have his back about a new coat and was content to let them discuss. 

“Well, there is one thing I’d ask of you while I acquire the gear you need.” Bregon’s voice broke into Law’s concentration, and he found himself pulled back into the conversation.

“How can we help? It seems the least we can do.” Alphen asked, his face pinched with concern and eager to help.

“While I appreciate you saying that, the truth is you’ve helped us more than we could ever repay.” Bregon slowly shook his head, “I feel bad asking, but I have a feeling only your group can tackle this.”

“What happened, Bregon?” Rinwell’s voice was concerned, and she had her hands clasped in front of her.

“It seems there’s a giant zeugle that keeps getting closer to the city. I don’t have the details, but I was hoping that while I get your gear, you can check on the kid who did see it. He can tell you more about it and where it was last seen.” Bregon said. There was a collective moment where the group fell silent before Alphen nodded his head.

“Of course. We’ll find him right away.” Alphen agreed, much to Bregon’s palpable relief. 

A shiver ran down Law’s spine at the idea of lingering in Cysloden any longer than they needed to. He didn’t hear anything else the group discussed until Alphen touched his shoulder, motioning it was time to go. Law shook himself and stood with the rest of the group, ready to tackle their next challenge.

Chapter Text

Law thought he had been ready to explore Cysloden. After a good night’s sleep and speaking with Kratos into the quiet hours of the night, he thought he would be okay to endure those looks he received, and truthfully, Law felt fine. There was a lingering feeling of eyes on the back of his head, but no one approached. Most people seemed to ignore their group unless they recognized them as the Blazing Sword’s group.

There had been more than a few overheard comments about the Blazing Sword missing his helmet that had a faint blush on Alphen’s face. Law was perfectly behaved and only nudged Alphen a few times in jest to see his face burn brighter. It was not lost on Law that Shionne rolled her eyes every time it happened. After a particularly sour look from Shionne at the repeated comments, Law slowly backed off and fell in line with Dohalim. The other man merely raised an eyebrow at Law’s actions but said nothing. Law thought he might have imagined it, but Dohalim appeared amused at the turn of events.

As their group transversed the city, they soon entered the plaza where Bregon mentioned they would find their informant. As they approached, Law caught sight of the boy and felt a rush of joy. He started jogging ahead of the group, a wide smile on his face.

“Patvo!” He called. The other boy looked in his direction, and a wide smile spread across his face.

“Law!” Patvo cheered and waved. Law continued his jog until he was right in front of his friend, and they threw their arms around each other. Law enjoyed the brief hug while it lasted and stepped back. 

“You’re -?!” Law started to say before Patvo nodded his head.

“Yeah,” Patvo said, his smile growing wider. Law was glad his friend had been fine since he last saw him. The two of them had shared in the subtlety of their conversations and could convey much with little vocalization. 

“Heh heh.” Law let the laughter escape him in relief. Patvo joined his laughter and Law could see the corner of his eyes crinkle. They had both doing well and that was the important part. Within a moment, Patvo’s demeanour changed and he crossed his arms.

“Hmm.” Patvo’s shoulders slumped and Law felt his heart stutter. That had never been a good sign before and he was sure it was a bad sign now.

“Could it be…” He asked. They had come to see Patvo to find out about the zeugle. His friend sighed deeply, confirming Law’s suspicion that the zeugle had been terrible to see in person and was definitely in a place no one should have ventured in. Patvo straighted up from his slouch, a sharp look in his eyes.

“I’m skeptical.” He said. Law groaned at what his friend alluded to. Patvo knew he could fight and was not afraid to ask for his help, but did he have to say how worried he was? There had been one time they had been near the Frozen Valley where they had almost fallen down the cliffs, but they had been fine. Law understood the concern his friend had at him going alone, but he wouldn’t be alone. Hadn’t been alone in awhile, but he wasn’t sure how he would convey that to his friend now, especially that his friends would always have his back.

“Yeah..?” Law tried to reassure Patvo that he would be happy to help, but this would be dangerous and most definitely a group effort to start. He shouldn’t follow them. His friend huffed before a wry smile crossed his face.

“Yeah.” Patvo replied. Law slumped in relief, knowing Patvo had agreed to stay and not follow after him. He slammed his fists together and grinned.

“You got it.” He said. The wry smile on Patvo’s face softened  before he nodded and Law stepped back to his group. They were collectively staring at him with disbelief.

“Hey Law…what just happened?” Rinwell asked. Law could see the confusion on her face mirrored on the rest of the groups and he smiled sheepishly.

“That was Patvo, he’s like a little brother to me. He’s the kid Bregon mentioned encountering that Zeugle. He said it was out near the Frozen Valley.” Law replied, a bounce in his step. He may not have been able to spend nearly as much time with Patvo as he’d have liked, but it was a joy to see his friend again. 

“Is that what happened there?” Kisara asked before she shook her head, “Either way, if we know where we need to go, shouldn’t we check in with Bregon before we leave?” Kisara was handling the cold better than she had the previous day, but Law could still see she was uncomfortable. She must have been hoping to get warmer gear before they left the city.

“I agree. Let’s head back.” Alphen spoke up and the rest of the group turned around to head back to Bregon’s hideout. Law paused before he followed them, throwing a quick glance behind him to see Patvo watching his group. Patvo motioned with his chin that Law should follow his group, and Law felt something sink in his gut. Patvo caught the look on his face and he only smiled softly at Law before motioning him to follow again.

This time Law listened and went to catch up with his group. He turned from Patvo to see Kratos had been waiting for him. Law stopped in surprise before hurrying to fall in step with Kratos. He hadn’t expected any of the group to wait while he said goodbye to Patvo again.

“That was quite the conversation you had.” Kratos said as they walked through Cysloden’s cobblestone streets.

“Yeah. Patvo is a good friend.” Law said. He still had a bounce in his step and he was thrilled that he had run into his friend. Kratos merely hummed under his breath as they caught up with the rest of the group. The older man seemed content to let silence stretch between them and Law was grateful he wasn’t being asked about why he and Patvo were able to communicate as they did. He didn’t think he could string a sentence together that it had been borne out of necessity while they operated under the Snake Eyes so that they could have a semblance of normalcy in the otherwise desolate situation they had found themselves in. If there had been one thing that Law was grateful for, it was Patvo’s friendship during the gureling days of operating with the Snake Eyes.

Law saw Rinwell sneaking peaks at him from up ahead and he wondered what the furrow in her brow was about this time. The concern seemed to only be on her face and he pushed the thought out of his mind as they entered the alley where Bregon’s hideout was. There were no Silver Swords that guarded the outside of the building anymore and he felt himself grateful that there was some sense of peace within the city. As they entered, Bregon was waiting by the massive table in the centre of the room that had gear piled on top of it and he blinked in surprise at their entrance.

“You’re back sooner than I expected. Did you find the boy alright?” Bregon asked, a worried cast to his expression.

“We did, and we had our own translator with us.” Alphen said as he approached the other man. Bregon’s eyebrows shot upwards in surprise and confusion.

“Our resident bonehead and Patvo seemed to know each other from before.” Rinwell spoke up and she huffed to herself. Law could easily recognize the irritation in the line of her shoulders, but was confused at what had caused her ire this time.

"Ahh, I see.” Bregon said. His eyebrows stayed firmly upward before he seemed to shake himself, “I was only able to find a small amount of extra gear for everyone. I hope it’s enough that you can tackle the zeugle.” He said.

The group wasted no time in inspecting the smattering of extra thick coats and camping gear spread out on the table. Bregon had pulled Kisara aside and handed her a thin bundle of clothing. Kisara seemed surprised but paid rapt attention to the explanation Bregon provided. Law approached the table with apprehension and hoped that there was a spare coat. He wanted his Bureau coat gone and maybe burned for good measure. 

“Here, Law.” Alphen’s voice pulled him from his musings. His brother in all but blood held a coat out, a bright grin on his face. Law felt an instantaneous relief at the sight of the coat and happily shucked his Bureau coat off. He shivered at the brief chill in the room before he had his new coat on. It was an upgrade to his scaled back Bureau coat and had a hood with a fur lining. Law sank into the warmth of the coat and sighed in relief. He caught sight of Alphen’s face and how he was trying to not laugh at him. Law debated about resisting the urge of rolling his eyes before he decided to hell with it and rolled them anyway. Alphen’s chuckles was his reward for his sass.

“If you’re just about done, boys.” Shionne said as stepped towards them. Her arms were crossed, but she had a thick cloak spread over her shoulders now. Law rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“Sorry, Shionne.” Alphen mimicked Law, and Shionne’s face seemed to soften at the look on his face. Law definitely resisted rolling his eyes as the two of them stared at each other. He stepped away from them and went to check on the rest of the gear spread out of the table. It didn’t appear there was much left on the table between Rinwell and Dohalim having crammed a good chunk into their bags or from the gear having been hastily thrown over their existing clothes.

“We should be good to camp out in the snow much more comfortably now. We only had a small amount of gear the first time we were here.” Rinwell said. She was busy tying up the last straps of her pack and fussing over the state of her bedroll.

“I’ll take your word for it, Rinwell. You are the expert here.” Dohalim said. His own pack had been slung over his shoulder, and a cloak similar to Shionne’s now sat over his shoulders. Rinwell blushed at the complement from Dohalim and seemed to stand straighter as she let the flaps of her pack fall in place.

“Yeah. Yeah, I am. Thanks Dohalim.” Rinwell said, a brightness to her voice. She caught sight of Law approaching and motioned him closer.

“Let’s see what we can add to your pack, Law.” She said. Law hefted his back up closer, and soon it was bursting to the seams with the spare equipment. As they finished their packing, the group assembled and looked at each other.

“Already to go?” Alphen asked.

“Let’s rumble!” Law grinned, eager for a fight against the zeugle they would be encountering.

“No time like the present then.” Dohalim chimed in, and they clamoured out of Bregon’s hideout and into the frozen landscape. As they left, Law felt a chill run down his spine, despite his much warmer gear. A sense of dread settled somewhere in the pit of his stomach, and he stared upwards at the sky as it started to snow. 

Even though the snow fell in gentle circles and was arguably beautiful, Law cursed it. It made it hard to walk as they left the city, it was cold, and he realised in hindsight that he really hadn’t missed being in Cysolida all that much. Only a promise to his friend and the group’s agreement kept them in the frozen wasteland, hunting down a Zeugle that could threaten the city.

Law ignored the little voice in his head that said he was using it as an excuse to avoid any conversation about going back home to Calaglia, where the fires would never let him feel the bite of Cysolida’s cold. Law ignored the little voice firmly by reminding himself they needed to get to Niez before they could consider heading back to Calaglia. Home could wait. 

The group trekked through the frozen landscape with minimal conversation. They had started out early for the day, and by the time they reached the Frozen Valley, the sun was high in the sky. It was as the sun had started it’s descent that they reached the spot where the Zeugle had been. They stopped briefly to rest, eat something quick, and  warm themselves with a campfire. Law was stuck in his own head while the group chattered amongst themselves, but he fired off a few quick quips with Rinwell. She had puffered her cheeks and fired back her own teases, relaxing the tense atmosphere that had been between them since Patvo. It eased some of the dread that was in Law’s stomach. Once the group was prepared, they promptly descended to where the wings of the Zeugle could be seen. 

The creature was huge and dwarfed the sides of the cliff that surrounded it. One of the biggest Zeugles that they had come across. Law vaguely remembered someone once saying there were giant Zeugles that were supposed to be that much harder to defeat, but with the first strike of the beast, he quickly forgot all words and focused solely on working in tandem with the group to bring the monster down. 

Perhaps it was the dread of going home that lurked in the back of his mind or the fact he was too focused on the zeugle that caused him to miss the incoming claw, but a shout sounded beside him, and he felt Lloyd push him out of the way. Law looked behind him and stopped breathing at the sight of zeugle having impaled Lloyd by his shoulder to the frozen cliff face. The zeugle roared in Lloyd’s face, and Law was frozen at the sight of teeth inches from his friend's face.

Thankfully Kratos was not frozen as he leaped forward and sliced the zeugles arm in half. Alphen’s shout in his ear pushed Law into moving, and he focused on bringing the zeugle down before it could hurt one of his other friends. A cold rage bubbled underneath his skin, and his strikes hit harder and harder until the Zeugle cracked underneath his fists. The sound was satisfying, and he could hear the sound of Shionne’s bullet impacting the zeugles skull. The fight was over after that, and they regrouped once the Zeugle stopped twitching. 

Law could still feel the rage burn through him, and he didn’t realise that his group was watching him carefully as he ran to Lloyd and Kratos. He didn’t know that he had roared as loud as the zeugle, and it was his deep-chested roar that had startled the creature so badly that he had had the perfect shot. All he knew was that someone had been hurt defending him. And it reminded him of the last time someone had been hurt by his actions.

Kratos had already managed to get the zeugles claw out of Lloyd’s shoulder and was working fast to close the hole left behind. Law could hear the rapid incantations muttered under the man’s breath. Lloyd had his head leaning back on the cliff face and grimaced as his flesh knit itself back together under his father’s careful hands. Law could hear Shionne approach from behind him, carefully inspecting the scene. When she realised that Kratos had Lloyd’s injuries well in hand, she turned to offer a healing arte to him.

Law hadn’t realised it until that moment, but blood was slashed across his face and his knuckles were ragged with cuts. His normal hand protection had broken under the assault he had levied at the zeugle. Shionne’s first aid ran its course on any injuries he had been unaware of and he thanked her profusely. The kindness in her eyes had never changed, but it was much more open than it used to be. She looked like she would have reached over to offer him comfort, but aborted the movement and walked briskly back to the group. Someone would need to start dismantling the zeugle so that it could be salvaged for parts. Law had no doubt Alphen was already in the midst of it, knowing Shionne would care for their members first.

He didn’t join his brother in all but blood, instead carefully watching Lloyd be healed. When the other man was finally standing, admittedly with the assistance of Kratos, he looked to Law with a lopsided smile on his face.

“You didn’t get hurt, did you?” the words were softly spoken by Lloyd and Law felt the fury that had been tightly round in his gut explode.

“ME? I’m not the one who was impaled! What were you thinking? You almost died! You shouldn’t have pushed me out of the way!” Words exploded out of Law’s mouth, rapid-fire, and if asked later he wouldn’t remember what he said, but they burned on his tongue and felt heavy in the air. 

The rest of the group paused to stare as they realized Law was furious that Lloyd had gotten hurt on his behalf. The older man looked mildly surprised before he reached out to ruffle Law’s hair. It had stopped the rant that still lay on his tongue in seconds and Law felt his jaw snap close. The smile on his friend’s face was too kind, too hopeful, and too many things that Law didn’t want to face.

“I’m glad you’re okay. Dad’s the second best healer I know so I’ll be okay too.” Lloyd smiled wider at Law before he winced as Kratos adjusted his grip. Law stared in stunned disbelief before he turned and stomped his way to the zeugle corpse to help pull any potential crafting materials. Why did he…?

When Alphen attempted to speak to him, he brushed him off and focused only on the task. Law was ashamed of his outburst and it impacted his every movement. No one else dared to approach him while he was so focused. He could hear the whispered conversations that floated around him, half started questions that pettered off as they worked.

After the zegule had been completely cleared of any additional parts, Law had stepped back and silently bemoaned the state of his new coat. It would clean, especially under Kisara’s care, but he still regretted that it been banged up in the first place. Law shook himself and walked to where Alphen had been taking stock of the salvaged zeugle parts. The older man turned to him with surprise and Law felt his stomach drop. His friend shouldn’t be so surprised to see him and he felt regret that he was the cause of Alpehn looking so shocked.

“Alphen, I’m…” Law’s voice failed him, but Alphen shook his head and rested a hand on his shoulder. He met the grey of Alphen’s eyes and the older man smiled wider.

“It’s okay. We are camping out tonight. I don’t think you heard that earlier.” Alpehn said. Law merely nodded before whispering a quiet thanks. The older man seemed to take no ill will from his quietness and together they bound the zeugle parts so it was easier to carry to the closest campsite.

It was only once they were at the nearby campsite that Law realized he would have an entire night to wait before they would trek back to Cysloden in the morning. Law felt numb at this realisation as it meant there would be no walls to keep him from the group, and no streets to wander when he couldn’t sleep. Something about talking with either Kratos or Lloyd didn’t feel right after his earlier outburst. 

Lloyd and Kratos had sectioned themselves off to a corner of the campsite after setting up their tents for the night, seemingly to let Lloyd rest. Law could hear the sound of their quiet conversation, but couldn’t make out the words. Rinwell seemed glued to Dohalim’s side and Shionne was close by as they discussed the intricacies of healing artes. Alphen and Kisara were tackling dinner and Law had no intention of getting closer as Kisara vehemently vetoed any spice suggestions, much to Alphen’s apparent grief.

An overwhelming feeling of regret for his actions filled Law as he watched his friends interact after the fight and wondered what he would do without them. Earlier he had reassured Patvo that his friends would always have his back, and they proved time and time again that they would. Law had always hoped it wouldn’t be so literally as what happened with Lloyd and he could feel something tug at his chest at the thought of losing anyone else in his life. He pushed the thought away as Kisara handed him a bowl of stew, but he refused to meet her eyes. She lingered for a moment before she moved on. He didn’t dare think about the displeased look that was likely on her face, but he was grateful she didn’t press the issue. 

Dinner passed as a quiet affair for their group and Law wanted nothing more than to sleep. The conversation passed over his head, but nothing caught his attention. When someone called his name, he raised his head to see the worried furrow back in Rinwell’s eyes and he tried to shake himself into a least smiling at her. His smile must’ve have fallen flat because the young mage looked more concerned than before. No one said anything about his lack of interaction, but the conversation picked up again and allowed him fall into the background. He was grateful that the group as a whole wasn’t intent on forcing him to talk at the moment.

Rinwell eventually came to his side and motioned that she would take his bowl. Law handed it to her gratefully. He quietly excused himself and headed to where his bedroll had been laid out underneath one of the nearby tents. He wanted nothing more than to sleep so he didn’t have to face the results of his feelings. 

For all Law had been determined to crash into bedroll the moment he had finished food, he soon found himself cornered by Alphen. Despite their brief conversation earlier, the young teenager was not prepared to talk about his actions earlier and for all he didn’t want to he kept comparing Alphen to Kratos’ gentle coaxing or Lloyd’s peaceful approach to teaching crafting. He wished his friend could respect that he didn’t want to talk. Especially when the other man had all the grace of a rampaging bull when he was determined to pursue something. 

If he had mentioned it when Alphen had gotten particularly pushy in his words, Law had felt immediate shame. The other man had looked at him and apologised for pushing too hard before leaving Law to curl into his bedroll. 

No one else in the group dared approach him after Alphen had been rebuffed. Not even Rinwell had tried to make a snarky remark towards him and Law was grateful for the small peace. He curled into his bedroll and was grateful for the blanket of stars he could see above. The young teenager closed his eyes and drifted off into an uneasy sleep. 

Chapter Text

Law woke abruptly and wasn’t as grateful for the previous peace when he realized it was the middle of the night. He rubbed his hands against his eyes, trying to remember when he had fallen asleep. The fire was still going merrily beside the campsite, and he could spot the outline of Dohalim crawling into his bedroll while Kratos sat upright, huddled against the warmth of the fire. Clearly a shift in the night watch. 

Lloyd was curled into a bedroll beside Kratos. When Law looked up and caught the older man’s eyes, he merely tilted his head to ask if Law wanted company. He closed his eyes and pretended to not see.

Only a few minutes passed before he realized he couldn’t sleep, and he crawled out of his bedroll. He sat opposite Kratos on the fire, feeling the burn of shame spread like wildfire through his body. He didn’t dare meet Kratos' eyes, but he certainly could hear the other man’s voice.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Kratos asked, and Law realized there was no judgement in his voice.

“No.” Despite the lack of judgement in Kratos’ voice, he found his own words still short. He winced at the raised eyebrow the older man gave him, but he said nothing else. Sleep evaded him, but that didn’t mean he was in a better mood than when he had fallen asleep earlier.

“The stars are beautiful tonight.” Kratos responded instead. He seemed unphased by the teenager’s moodiness. Law looked upwards and saw the bright lights that decorated the night sky. He couldn’t deny that they were breath-taking, but a stray thought from when they had been traveling from Ganath Haros came to him at the sight. He barely paused to consider the wisdom of the words before Law decided to speak.

“You know,” He started but paused to lick his lips. “I’ve never seen the constellations you told me about.” The sentence felt accusatory on his tongue, but the young teenager refused to claw back the words.

“Oh?” Kratos asked. The older man shifted his body so he could stare at Law directly, and he could feel the assessment of the older man. 

“I don’t think they exist.” He admitted. Kratos’ face stayed stone-faced as he met the teenager’s eyes. The fire crackled and caught Law’s attention for a brief moment, and when he looked back to Kratos, the man had slouched forward, his hands folded.

“I assure you they exist.” He said, hands steady as they hung between his knees. Law opened his mouth to refute what Kratos said, but the man held a hand up. Law slowly closed his mouth and waited while Kratos seemed to come to a decision.

“May I tell you a story?” He asked, the question odd to the teenager’s ears.

“S-sure? But I don’t see how that relates to the stars.” Law assented, albeit confused. Kratos merely smiled at him, the firelight stark against the sharpness of his face. The teenager shivered, and for a moment the older man seemed much, much older than he appeared.

“Long ago there was a group of four friends,” Kratos began, and Law felt himself pulled into the story, despite his confusion. 

“In many ways, these friends grew to become a family, but before that, the story starts with a young man. There had been a war that had been raging for generations by the time this young man had been born, and he joined the knights for his country. As his company was training outside of the city, a skirmish broke out, and he was swept up into it.” Kratos paused before he shook his head morosely. 

“Soon the young man finished his fight and wandered the battlefield. He came across an enemy soldier, pinned beneath debris. The young man couldn’t find it in himself to kill someone when he couldn’t fight back, so he freed the soldier. The act of mercy, unfortunately, sealed his fate.” Kratos trailed off and raised an eyebrow at Law. The teenager had noticed, but he had leaned so far forward in his seat that he was at risk of falling. Law felt the blush on the back of his neck and straightened up. 

“Why did it seal his fate? What happened to them?” He asked. Kratos looked at him from the side before flicking his eyes back towards the fire.

“His act of mercy was seen by a commanding officer. That officer did not believe mercy should be given to their enemy and had the young knight removed from the army. He was banished and not allowed back in his home.” There was a sullen silence that befell Kratos’ words, and Law felt a lump in his throat.

“The young man, now kicked out of his home, took to wandering the smaller towns where he could. It was tough because of the war, but he made due. As he wandered, he took to camping out, much like we are now. On one such night, he set up camp, and someone stumbled on his bedroll and woke him from his slumber. The two fought against each other until the unintentional allisant called light to his hands, and the young man saw it was the same solider he had given mercy to.”

"Wait, wait, wait. Called light to his hands? Was he a mage?” Law interrupted. Kratos took a few moments to respond as he slowly blinked at the fire.

“Something like that.” Kratos replied, a blasè note to his voice.

"Okay, so he used a spell to call light to his hands? What happened next?” Law asked, still confused by the story but becoming deeply invested in the story of the war. It reminded him of the scant stories Alphen had shared of his war when the group could convince him to speak. Maybe Kratos’ story was from the same time?

“From there, the two of them set aside their differences and camped out together. When morning came, the two decided that despite their differences they would travel together, at least for awhile. But the mage had to promise not to use his magic in front of other people. It would draw attention that neither of them wanted. The mages were still discriminated against then.” Kratos shrugged while he used a stick to poke absentmindedly at the fire, seemingly lost in thought and not truly tending the flame. Law waited with baited breath while the older man pondered over his words, knowing it wasn’t the time to interrupt. There was always a flow to Kratos’ stories, and despite the waiting, Law found himself eager for the next tidbit.

“Eventually they grew to rely on each other, helping townsfolk keep bandits away and finding some peace in between fights. It wasn’t until they were traveling through a great forest that they would find their fortunes change. You see, they stumbled across a young woman who was hell bent on protecting her little brother. She nearly took the mage’s head off when the ex-knight and him came across them. After a little bit of peacemaking, expertly applied by the woman’s younger brother, they were able to come to an agreement.”

“Why were they traveling alone? That seems really dangerous.” Law stated. He nearly bit his tongue at his interruption, but Kratos nodded his agreement before he continued.

“It was. Extremely dangerous. They had no choice. The young woman and her brother were also mages, but they had no place to call home. They had been traveling for awhile, and it was when they encountered the ex-knight and mage that they found a home. Even if that home was on the road, they were happy. Or as happy as they could be during wartime." Kratos trailed off to peer at Law’s face. At some point the bad mood that hung over Law had dissipated with Kratos’ story, and he blushed at the sudden attention.

“They became a family, huh.” Law said softly to himself.

“Indeed.” Kratos said, a sly smirk on his face, “Stories say they went on to save their world, but I think that might be a story for another night.” The older man used his stick to push another log into the fire, and it cackled merrily in response. Law didn’t remember when it had started to die down and found it odd that Kratos’ normal tendency to nitpick the fire had faded in the fact of his story.

"Wait, but what happens next? There’s way more to the story, right?” Law clenched his hands into fists and nearly bounced in his seat.

“There is, but you should sleep. You have had a trying day, and we have a long trek back to Csyloden tomorrow.” Kratos replied and merely raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, yeah.” Law huffed and shook his head. “I should at least keep you company for the night watch.” He settled himself in to wait until morning, lifting the hood of his coat and burying his face in it.

“I am fine on my own for night watch; I don't...”

“Sleep very well anymore. Yeah, I remember.” Law interrupted the older man and rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t want you to get lonely, though. Night watch can be hard.” Law was sincere in his words, and he thought he saw Kratos flinch at his last comment.

“I’ll be fine, Law. Go to bed.” The firmness in Kratos’ voice had Law meeting his eyes and paling at the abrupt sternness there.

“You know what? Great idea. I’m just going to bed now.” Law dove for where he had left his bedroll and dutifully tucked into his tent. He swore he heard a faint chortle but dismissed the thought as his mind played tricks on him. Kratos didn’t laugh like that, and no one else was awake. He curled into his bedroll and closed his eyes. He firmly believed that he wouldn’t be able to sleep again, but was willing to try. As he lay curled up with his nose pressed in his bedroll, he thought he heard the faint sound of singing coming from the campfire. 

He didn’t remember when he fell asleep.

When he woke to light streaming through his tent, Law was surprised. The light was still weak, and he wondered where the night had gone. He pushed himself out of his bedroll and poked his head out of his tent.

The dawn greeted him, and he could see Kratos had moved spots since Law had gone to bed. The fire was dim, and the coals blackened from the long night. Kisara would be pleased as they offered a more consistent heat to cook with. No one else was awake that Law could see, so he dove back into his tent and packed his bag up. He swiftly tore down his tent, and as he was attaching it to his bag, movement caught his eye.

As Law looked to his side, he came face to face with Loyd and froze in place. He wasn’t sure how he would even begin addressing the group after his outburst the night before, especially with how he yelled at Lloyd. He didn’t remember the words that had spilled from him, but it felt like an angry bruise had been poked at. Lloyd seemed to realize he didn’t have the words and smiled at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“I’m okay, Law. Really,” Lloyd said, a smile playing in his eyes, “Dad’s pretty good at healing me up.” The accompanying snort from across the camp caught their attention, and Law swiveled his head to see Kratos emerging from around the corner bend with a pair of rabbits in his hands. His unamused face had both Lloyd and Law hiding their laughter before they stood up to help with an impromptu breakfast.

Law definitely wasn’t used to rabbit for breakfast, but somehow Kratos made it work with their supplies. As they cooked, the rest of their group rose to the smell of food, and Kisara swiftly made her way to the cooking pit. Law and Lloyd found themselves booted from their posts to the sight of the rest of their group wiping their tired eyes from the night. Law caught Rinwell looking at him with confusion, but no one approached as Lloyd and Law finished packing up their bags. 

As everyone slowly woke and the smell of Dohalim’s coffee simmering permeated the camp, Law felt himself start to relax. There was something that was almost homey about the morning atmosphere, and he let himself sink into it. He still wasn’t ready to talk with everyone just yet, but he appreciated the warmth of the morning. As Lloyd jostled him with plates of food in hand, Law felt himself smile, and he resolved that he would speak with his friends.

The story Kratos has shared hit a little harder than Law thought, and he wanted to treasure his friends like family. Despite the distance from Calaglia and what happened with his father, his group of friends had become his family, and he didn’t want to forsake that. Law could only hope that he could make enough amends with them. 

After the group finished their breakfast and packed up to head back to Cysloden, Law felt himself grow nervous. He knew that he needed to speak with his friends and address his outburst, but the shame of his actions lingered in the back of his head. He wanted to make amends with at least Alphen and became determined to speak with him. He didn’t get the chance until long after they had started the trek back. 

Facing Alphen as they walked back to Cysloden was another matter that Law wasn’t sure how to approach. The man had a dour look on his face as he trekked, and Law had hesitated almost too many times to match his step. He finally plucked the courage and stepped beside him. The man looked surprised but welcomed him all the same.

It was something Law would always appreciate about Alphen. The innate kindness that he strived so hard to reach out and used daily was the same reason he would always reach out to people who looked like they needed help. It was the same reason he had been the first to agree to hunt the stray zeugle. 

Even when Law fumbled his words in trying to explain why he had reacted the way he had, Alphen listened. And if Law had perhaps said more than he had wanted about his fears of returning to Calaglia and seeing the understanding clear any confusion in Alphen’s eyes, well, he was grateful all the same. 

The thought of returning home didn’t bother him as much as it might have before, and Law let himself breathe in deeply for the first time since they had entered Cyslodia. He thought that things might just be okay, and he let the thought carry him into the city.

When they finally arrived in the city, the sun was starting to set again, and they made haste to Bregon’s hideout to report in. No one was on the streets, and lights were blinking merrily. in people’s homes. It made him miss Patvo fiercely, but Law didn’t catch sight of his friend at all as they hurried through the streets. He hoped he was somewhere warm as night fell. 

When they turned the corner to Bregon’s hideout, they realized no one was waiting outside the door as they had come to except. When they knocked on the heavy door, no one answered, and to their surprise, it was open. As they slowly opened the door, they realized no one was there. Despite the lack of activity, Rinwell assured them it would be fine if they stayed there for the night. They took her word and settled in for the night.

Law felt he should have known better than to relax. 

He shouldn’t have been so relaxed at all when Kisara had decided to corner him later that night when, long after the rest of the group had gone to bed for the night and he was one of the last still downstairs. Her crossed arms and stern look were terrifying, and Law looked for a way to wiggle out of the impending conversation. When he found no escape, he gulped at her narrowed eyes. He wasn’t exactly sure what he had done to draw her ire since the trek back to Csyloden had been smooth, but he quickly found himself sitting with a warm cup of tea cradled in his hands and a cackling fire to his side. Kisara sat across from him, worry hung in every line of her face. The irony of having been in this same position but with Kratos, only two nights earlier was not lost on Law.

“Are you okay?” Kisara asked, a tight grip on her own tea mug. Law opened his mouth to brush her concern away before he closed it. He hunched in on himself and over his mug.

“I’m tired.” He admitted, as he curled his hands around his mug. His thoughts finally settled from the day before, but his anxiety still ate at him, “Going back home is…even just being back here... it’s where my dad…” Law trailed off and stared into the mug. If he looked hard enough, maybe he could see a pattern in the tea leaves like the older people in Cyslodia had always talked about. 

“It’s hard. I understand that.” Kisara said, a watery smile tugged tight on her face, “You know, I dread going back to Menecia.” The mug shook in her hands, and Kisara let her hands fall to the side of it. Law looked up to see the sadness in her eyes.

“Because of Migal?” He asked. Kisara slowly met his eyes and nodded. Law remembered how torn up she had been, her screams an echo of his own from their last visit to the frozen city. 

“It’s strange how the death of a single person can so drastically change your perception of a place, isn’t it?” Kisara asked. Contrary to what Rinwell liked to tease him about, Law knew a rhetorical question when it presented itself. The huff of dry laughter under his breath was not missed by Kisara, who smiled wanly. She reached over the table and looped her hand through his. Law squeezed her hand, and they fell into silence.

It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence by any means, and the two finished their tea. Law felt himself feeling lighter for their shared silence and mourning. At the sight of a few shadows lifted from Kisara’s eyes, he assumed she also felt lighter. 

“We should get some sleep.” She said as she gave his hand a final squeeze before standing. 

“Yeah.” Law agreed and took her mug from her, “I can put these away.” He offered. The faint nod from Kisara told him it was appreciated, and they parted. Law to the kitchen and Kisara to her room for the night. 

Law placed the mugs into the kitchen sink and decided to wash them. He didn’t feel right leaving them for someone else in the morning. The mugs placed in a drying rack, he quietly left the kitchen to the sight of Lloyd stepping out the front door of the inn. Law paused for only a moment before he followed him. 

In hindsight, Law realized it was probably a bad idea to follow his friend, but the worry gnawed at his gut. Kratos could have been a healer on par with Shionne, and Law would still worry that Lloyd hadn’t fully healed from the hit he took in Law’s place. 

When the cold outside air hit his face, Law wanted to regret his decision. He almost did regret it when he realized that Lloyd was nowhere in sight. He definitely regretted it as he realized it was snowing heavily. 

Law searched the nearby rooftop with eyes, and he peeked down nearby alleys but couldn’t find Lloyd. He cupped his hands to his face and breathed on them to warm his freezing fingers, and he jumped in place at the sound of a scuffed boot. Lloyd was suddenly behind him with the most bemused look Law had ever seen on the older man. 

“You really should wear a coat if you’re coming out in this weather,” Lloyd said and promptly dumped his cloak overtop Law’s head. Law debated only for a moment to protest the treatment before he wrapped the cloak around himself. It was made of material he wasn’t familiar with, and he looked at Lloyd questioningly. The brittle smile on the man’s face alarmed Law.

“It’s from my own travels a long time ago.” Lloyd stated. The melancholy behind the words was lost to Law because he had no idea why a single piece of clothing could make Lloyd so sad. 

“Wait, how long ago?” Law asked, confused. Cyslodia would be the only place such a warm cloak would be needed, and it was made abundantly clear earlier that neither Lloyd nor Kratos had ever entered the realm. Lloyd merely shrugged and headed back towards the hideout. 

“Hey wait!” Law chased after Lloyd and grabbed the man’s arm, “Please don’t tell me you’re like Alphen and are old as dirt.” The crossness in Law’s voice might have been a touch uncalled for. It was late, and while no longer cold, Law had his own suspicions for too long to let such a comment go. Lloyd’s crack of a smile soothed Law but left more questions than anything.

“I’m not that old. Promise.” The laughter in Lloyd’s voice would have offended Law if he hadn’t known the truth behind Alphen.

“Then where did you get a cloak that could be used in Cysloda without ever being here before?” The confusion radiated off of Law while Lloyd had looked him over with a calculated eye. If Law had ever doubted that Lloyd was Kratos’ son, the look alone would have dispelled that belief. The other man looked uncannily like his father in that moment. 

“It’s a…” Loyd paused to purse his lips. “It’s a long story that I’m not able to speak about.” Lloyd held up his hands at the start of Law’s protest, a disapproving turn in his mouth, “It’s not only my story, and I don’t have permission to talk about it.” 

“Oh.” Law let Lloyd go and stared at him, “Can you tell me one day?” He asked. Lloyd’s smile was soft and reminded Law of how he looked when the other man asked if he was okay after Lloyd was the one to be stabbed by the zeugle. Too full of too many things that Law didn’t know how to address.

“I would love to.” Lloyd said while reaching a hand out to ruffle Law’s hair, “Man, Colette would love you.” The quiet admission almost went over Law’s head before he stared at Lloyd in surprise. 

“Who’s Colette?” Law asked.

“My wife,” Lloyd replied immediately. A moment passed between the two. The other man opened his mouth with a distinct “oh no” look on his face when he realized what he said and beat a hasty retreat towards the inn.

“You’re married!!” The exclamation burst from Law caused Lloyd to visibly wince. Law knew the look, even if Lloyd was turned around from him. What he hadn’t expected was a window on the second story to open and Rinwell to poke her head out.

“Law, stop yelling and go to bed already!” Her tart response echoed with the slam of her window, and Law could only imagine the way her nose was turned up at her perception of his antics. Lloyd was fearfully paused in the inn doorway, trying to look up towards where the slam of a window came. The teenager took the opportunity to barrel into the man and cause him to squawk in protest.

“You’re married?” He asked as he righted them inside the hideout, and the door closed with a sharp clack behind them. Lloyd opened his mouth and closed it sharply. He raised a hand to rub the back of his head and offered a sheepish grin. Law promptly hit him in the shoulder. Lloyd had a funny look on his face from the punch but looked amused.

“If you’re married, then why did you go and push me out of the way of the zeugle yesterday?!” Law made sure that his harsh tone was kept quiet, but he was furious with Lloyd. From the look on the other man’s face, he seemed to vehemently disagree with Law’s assumption.

“I’ve done crazy things and taken worse hits in my life. I know I can survive some gnarly hits that most people can’t. That strike would have killed you. I took the hit to my shoulder, but that hit would have crushed your head and spine.” The cold facts slapped Law in the face, and he looked away. The implication that Lloyd had taken a shallower hit to prevent Law from dying was very clear. Law wasn’t sure how to process that. The other man sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He looked at Law with such sadness that Law took a step back.

“Listen, your life is important. You can’t just throw it away by being distracted in battle.” Lloyd said passionately, a determined look on his face, “You matter to your group, and they would be devastated to lose you. I took a calculated risk, and yeah, I got hurt again, so dad had to heal me. But we’re both alive.” Lloyd’s lips were turned down in a distinctly displeased state, almost as if he wished for words that would help more. 

“But you can’t go throwing your life away just to save someone else either!” Law sputtered. Lloyd startled and looked at Law with narrowed eyes. “I’ve had people die trying to protect me and die because of my stupid decisions. I don’t want to see you be one of them!” Law stood in front of Lloyd and grabbed the front of his jacket to bring him down to eye level.

“If you’re going to sprout advice about living, then you should take your own advice.” Law gripped his hands tighter in Lloyd’s jacket, willing him to understand with the force of his glare. What he hadn’t expected was Lloyd’s laughter and for the man to reach around and pull him into a hug. Law’s chin hit Lloyd’s shoulder, and he froze at the gesture. 

“I promise I won’t die. I give you my word.” Lloyd told him, the older man’s voice reverberating against his ear, “I’m sorry for worrying you.” Law felt more than heard the words, as wrapped as he was between Lloyd’s arms and the fabric of the borrowed cloak. He returned the hug, maybe tighter than he meant to, but the older man didn’t seem to mind. Law didn’t say a word and buried his face into the older man’s chest and tried to stem the tears in his eyes. 

He didn’t succeed because he was sixteen and so very tired from everything he had been through, but Lloyd didn’t ask him to move or say anything. He stood and waited for the teenager to cry until he was done. Law barely registered that Lloyd rubbed soothing circles on his back. 

All he knew was that he had been left alone because of people dying before, and it hurt. His mother had died from illness, and his father was dead because of his actions. He never wanted someone to die because of him again, and he had been terrified that Lloyd had. Even though he had reassurance his friend was alive and nearby, the thought tore at Law, and he burrowed further into Lloyd, who offered no judgement. 

He didn’t know how long they stood, and he cried, but it felt like a long time. When he finally was able to stand without crying, he looked at his friend, embarrassment high on his cheeks. Lloyd merely smiled and ruffled his hair. Law had to roll his eyes at that and try to push him off. A playful shoving match erupted between the two until they were both sitting on the ground, quietly laughing in the empty lobby. 

It wasn’t until Kratos had emerged from his room, arms crossed to look at the two of them, that they finally scurried back to their rooms. Law still had the borrowed cloak but figured he could return it in the morning to Lloyd. He curled up in his bed for the night and slept.