Stress Relief

The wind streamed through his hair, pushing it back against his head. The wind pressed against his skin, cooling it and trying to prevent the sweat from creeping up upon it. It gave him strength and force at his back, propelling him forward and allowing him to keep running as he took swift, strong sides across the grassy plain, no target in sight.

However, he was no match for the creature to his right. For a small while, the creature acted as though he was trying to keep up; however, soon the creature could take it no longer, and used a powerful spurt of speed to overtake the man, streaking ahead in a green and white blur. The man, however, seemed not to notice. He merely kept running at his same pace, pushing himself forward, and pushing all that troubled him behind.

After a while, it began to burn his lungs; he would feel his body begging for him to stop, yet he wasn’t going to. Not yet. He couldn’t; the more he ran, the better he felt. Even if it caused him unimaginable pain, he wouldn’t stop. He hadn’t felt like running in such a way – nor had he the chance – for a long time. He wouldn’t pass it up.

Finally, however, he collapsed, slowing to a stop before falling upon the grass and staring up at the sky. One red gloved hand reached up, brushing a strand of chocolate brown hair from matching eyes. His breathing was deep and shaky, sweat coating his skin as he laid there like one of the dead, his eyes boring into the deep blue sky.

That is, if it hadn’t been interrupted. Lloyd blinked a few times, staring up at Noishe as the dog let out a whine. A smile broke out over his face and he reached up to pet his companion, only to have his hand nuzzled away. This caused the man to scowl.

“That isn’t nice, Noishe. What’s your deal?”

Noishe let out a yip and bounced off, indicating that he wanted to play some more. Lloyd sighed and shook his head, spreading out his arms on the grass.

“Sorry Noishe; maybe in a few minutes. I’m too tired right now to move . . .”

Noishe let out a frustrated growl and moved back to his friend, pushing at Lloyd’s side with his nose. Lloyd cracked open one eye – for he had shut them in an attempt to rest – and used it to glare at Noishe, pushing the dog away.

“I said no; we ran forever! I’ll run and play with you some more when it’s time to go back to the campsite. Come to think of it, I’m not sure if we’re even supposed to be out this far. Hope no one freaks. The last time I did something wrong the Professor beat me over my head with her staff . . . And Kratos’ “teachings” aren’t too friendly either . . .”

Noishe didn’t seem to care, however, and promptly nipped Lloyd’s scalp. Lloyd growled something incomprehensible and instantly sprang to his feet, chasing the creature around the grass. Noishe turned sharply and tackled Lloyd, sending them both to the ground in a rolling mass of green, white, and red. Eventually, Lloyd let Noishe pin him, laughing as the dog licked his face a few times.

“There, happy?” he breathed, ruffling the top of the dog’s head. Noishe barked and climbed off, pacing a bit himself. “You never get tired . . . And I’m starting to think you’ve been watching Kratos too much . . .”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Lloyd jumped, startled at the sudden voice, and sat up to turn and face Kratos, who was watching him with a blank expression. Lloyd frowned slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Uh . . . I don’t know . . .”

“You seemed to know when you were speaking to Noishe.”

“Well, I don’t now!” Lloyd stated flatly. He and Kratos stared at each other for a few moments before Lloyd shifted uncomfortably, asking, “So, uh . . . What’s up? Need me for something?”

“In your current condition, I’m not sure you’d be of much help if I did,” Kratos replied. Lloyd glared at him for a moment, but the older man seemed not to notice. “However, that is not the case. I merely followed you to make sure you would not run into any trouble.”

“Oh.” Lloyd pondered this for a moment and then grumbled, “I can take care of myself . . .”

“Yes, I am aware of that,” Kratos answered, walking over to his son and sitting down beside him. Lloyd blinked a few times and then sighed, laying back down in the grass.

“Sorry for being so snappish. I didn’t mean it.”

“Thank you. I apologize as well if I came across as being mean,” Kratos replied. They sat (in Lloyd’s case, laid) there for a few more moments in silence before Kratos began, “Lloyd . . .”

“Hm?” Lloyd looked up at his father, eyes displaying mild curiosity. Kratos turned to look at him as well, the wind blowing his auburn hair and his matching eyes actually showing a bit of the emotion that his sons’ held.

“. . . Why were you running?”

Lloyd pushed himself into a sitting position, pondering it for a moment. “I don’t really know,” He confessed. “It just feels good.”

“Were you running away? Or to?”

“What?”

“I mean,” Kratos clarified patiently, “were you trying to get away from something, or were you trying to get somewhere?”

“. . . I still don’t understand,” Lloyd admitted, grinning sheepishly. Kratos shook his head, closing his eyes. “I mean, it was just us at the campsite, and there’s not really . . . Oh! Are you using one of those metalphors the Professor was talking about?”

“Metaphor, Lloyd,” Kratos corrected wearily. Lloyd grinned.

“Oh, yeah! Well, I was close. That counts for something, right?”

“Lloyd,” Kratos looked at him seriously, for a fleeting moment unsure of how the man sitting beside him could really be his son. “If you want to survive, you are going to have to take your studies more seriously. They are just as important as your combat techniques.”

“I know, I know, but it’s just so boring,” Lloyd replied in an exasperated voice. He turned away from Kratos, watching as Noishe played in the grass. “I don’t see a point to it, most of the time.”

Kratos followed his son’s line of vision, also watching the protozoan amuse himself. “The point is that you will be well educated. Isn’t that enough?”

“. . . Eh. I guess . . .”

Kratos let out a small, inaudible sigh, knowing that Lloyd was only saying that to please him. He wasn’t going to push it, however; he knew that Lloyd got easily irritated with arrogant attitudes, and he wanted a good relationship with his son, especially if things didn’t go as well as they hoped. However, he had faith in Lloyd. He also knew that Lloyd would have the Eternal Sword on his side. If anyone can do it, Lloyd can.

“. . . It was away.”

“Hm?” Kratos turned his attention back to Lloyd, who was staring at the grass while twirling a bit between his fingers, studying it seriously.

“I was running away. Away from . . . Everything, I guess. I’ve always been like that. Whenever things get hard, I just go for a run, and I just run until I’m so tired that I can’t even really move anymore, and that my lungs hurt and I just wanna collapse. And then I play with Noishe some, and talk to him, and after a while, I head back.” Lloyd turned to Kratos, a smile on his face. “It makes me feel better. And . . . With everything that’s been happening lately, I guess I just felt overwhelmed. So, I just wanted to run.”

“. . . I see.” Kratos murmured. “Stress relief.”

Lloyd laughed. “Yeah, I guess that’s what it is. What do you do to relieve your stress?”

Kratos looked at him, seeming surprised, but answered nonetheless. “I ignore it. I push it out of my mind, or concentrate on what I can do in order to solve whatever is troubling me.”

Lloyd frowned. “That doesn’t seem healthy.”

“There is no other way for me to resolve it.”

“Man, you’re stubborn,” Lloyd stated loudly, sounding a tad frustrated. Kratos raised his eyebrows.

“Aren’t you the pot calling the kettle black?”

Lloyd turned to look at him, frowning in thought. “. . . I’m . . . A pot . . .? And where does a kettle come into this?”

Kratos sighed once more. “Never mind . . .”

“Look, I just think that you should find a better way to solve it,” Lloyd told him. “There’s always another way out there. If you just try you’ll find a way that won’t hurt you as much as bottling it all up does. If you keep it all inside, it’ll just get worse instead of better. Ignoring problems never solves them.”

Kratos stared openly at his son, who stared just as steadily back. Truthfully, he was once again surprised that he was being taught a lesson by his son; then again, Kratos knew he really had no reason to wonder. It wasn’t as if Lloyd was just any other person. The idealist, Kratos mused to himself, I almost forgot . . .

“Uh, Kratos?” Kratos brought his attention back to Lloyd, who was now looking at him quizzically. “Something wrong?”

“No,” Kratos answered, looking away. “Not at all.”

“Okay. You were just looking at me weird.”

“. . . Heh.” Kratos ran his hand through his hair, a “nervous habit” of his whenever he felt uncomfortable. While Lloyd was looking away, Kratos smiled at his son; though he didn’t feel right saying it right then . . . He was proud.

“So . . . Want to head back?” Lloyd asked suddenly, standing up. “I think Noishe’s getting restless, and I kind of am too. I want to run again.” A bright smile finished this comment, and Kratos couldn’t resist a chuckle.

“Restless, are we? Careful; that enthusiasm might not last the entire run back.”

“Ha! You wish,” Lloyd retorted, sticking out his tongue. After a brief pause he challenged, “Want to race?”

Kratos stared at him for a moment before chuckling yet again. “Lloyd, you aren’t serious, are you?”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot,” Lloyd teased, “you’re over four thousand years old. You won’t be able to keep up. Sorry, Dad, guess I was just being mean.”

Kratos frowned at him. “I’m afraid I may have to teach you a lesson for your insolence, Lloyd. You can’t disrespect your elders.”

Lloyd smirked playfully. “Well, Dad, you’ll just have to catch me first. C’mon, Noishe!”

Lloyd took off at a sprint, the feeling of euphoria overtaking him once more as he felt the wind sweeping his body, the swinging feeling in his body with each stride. Noishe bolted ahead of him, letting out a happy cry, bounding across the grass as if he was a bird sweeping low over each blade.

Yet this time, it wasn’t just Lloyd and Noishe. For once, Lloyd didn’t run alone as his lifelong companion ran in front of him.

Lloyd took a look to his right, briefly meeting his father’s eyes as Kratos ran strongly by his side. Lloyd smiled at Kratos, and – for a fleeting second – Kratos returned it. Though they had spent years apart, in that single moment – that single relieving, free moment – they connected, together beating any burdens that still weighed them down to the ground.