:::::::::::
I was worried when I didn’t find Auron or Jecht in the lobby of the
temple, so I went outside to find the two celebrating, which left me
relieved.
“Hey, you two” I greeted as a group of monks went back into the
temple.
”What might you be celebrating?”
Jecht laughed a hearty laugh.
“Auron here just did the overdrive of the century, and sent a huge fiend
off the cliff!”
I smiled.
“That’s great news, congratulations,
Auron.”
“Thank you, Braska.”
“I have even more good news. I got my next
aeon.”
“Awesome, do we get to see it?”
“I’m afraid not. They told me this one didn’t like being summoned
unless it was needed.”
“Oh . . . so is that all we have to do here then?” Jecht asked,
tucking his sword back at his side.
Auron looked at me expectantly, and I nodded.
We began our way down the rest of the snowy path, all feeling optimistic
about what was ahead. The wind blew in our faces harder, and I could have
sworn it got colder . . .
As we were on our way we said our goodbyes back towards the temple, and Jecht
almost fell trying to show off while walking
backwards.
“Macalania Forest . . . not too far away now.” I
muttered.
“Perhaps this pilgrimage thing won’t be such a big fuss after
all.” Jecht, of course.
“I wouldn’t be so sure. We are still very early, and there is still
much do.”
The wind howled in agreement, and subsided as we went below an underpass.
After we came out from under it, I stopped, Auron and Jecht stopping behind
me.
“What, is there a fiend?” Auron asked
nervously.
“After this . . . I’ll be the farthest away from home I have ever
been.”
Auron paused.
“Once I go passed Macalania . . . I will reach my
limit.”
We looked at each other and nodded, then took our new steps. We. It wasn’t
much for Auron, but he said he hadn’t been that far in a few years,
and was about to reach his furthest.
I would have thought that those new steps felt the same . . . but each one
felt different and unsure. I wasn’t sure what the future would
bring.
“Look, we have to keep on going.” Jecht said, noticing we had slowed
down.
“Uh . . . how about we rest at one of those new Travel Agencies?”
he asked, pointing to a small but well kept building, that sat in a crevice
bordering the beginning of Macalania Forest and the end of this winter
wonderland.
I almost laughed. I could somehow tell that Auron only wanted us to rest
at the Travel Agency because he wished to delay his first steps.
I didn’t want to believe he was a coward . . . that told me something
about him that I never really verified. Was he cautious? Did he have a bad
feeling about events passed home? I wondered.
::::::::
The two of us followed Braska this time as he plodded through the weird snow
that left no prints and felt the handle of the door.
Auron touched a save sphere, he seemed a bit tired, and then began scribbling
a few quick records.
A quick flash happened as a black light temporarily glowed around Auron to
verify that the records were true, and then they
disappeared.
“Alright.” Auron said.
The three of us entered the extremely well furnished building and looked
around a bit. It was a very colorful place, ornate rugs, carpentry, even
counter. There was one picture of Ohalland on the wall behind the counter;
they must have been fans of the Kilika Beasts.
And then there were the weapons laid out on the high bluish counter, and
the lazy person behind it half asleep.
Auron yawned and walked up, inspecting the weapons, then raised his eyes
towards the sleeping man.
“Don’t you think you should pay a little more attention to what
you’re doing? Someone could easily barge in here and rob you blind if
they were quiet enough.
“Ahh! Hey! Don’t you know Guadosalam is supposed to be a quiet
place?”
“Aren’t we in Macarena?” I asked.
“Macalania . . . Oh! Heh heh! I got you there! I was just . . . uh .
. . testing you. Well, you want to buy
anything?”
“Hmm.” Braska looked at the assortment.
“I see some nice things here . . . Jecht, here take
these.”
Auron handed me his two swords and Braska his staff.
“Put your sword in, too.”
“In where?” I asked Braska.
“The save sphere, it stores items.”
“. . . If you say so.”
I pushed the door open, surprised at how easily it moved.
After I had inched it open a bit more I looked to the sphere, and then leaned
down. I touched it slightly, and my whole body tingled.
I tried putting the weapons on the clear blue sphere and I jumped as they
sunk in with a loud groaning sound.
Then the sphere broke and fell.
“Ahh! Help!”
The shopkeeper, Braska, and Auron came out, looking at me, and then stared
at the busted sphere.
“. . . I killed it.”
“Don’t worry, that damn thing’s always breaking, I’ll
have it fixed and running in a little while . . . don’t worry too much
about it.” The shopkeeper said.
“Besides, as long as it took in your weapons you shouldn’t have
to worry about it.”
He looked to Braska and rubbed a few flakes of snow from his
eyebrows.
“As for you, everything’s 85 gil.”
“I only have 100 gil notes.”
“Buy ten weapons, then it’ll be even.”
“. . . “
“I have some extra gil coins, I can handle it.” Auron
mentioned.
“Good good . . . “muttered the shopkeeper, but he didn’t sound
pleased.
“I’ll leave the money on the table. Could we get a room?”
Braska asked.
“Sure, buy three weapons and get a room
free.”
“Thanks.”
The three of us went back in while the shopkeeper started cursing at the
sphere, and Braska picked out a very fine looking sword, a bigger katana,
and then a fancy staff, after which Auron left 255 gil.
We walked around the corner and down the hallway into an empty room with
three beds, a couch, and a table.
“I call window!” I immediately ran over to a window and plopped
down on the bed next to it, surprised at how tired I had been.
Auron eyed the weapons with a puzzled expression, sitting down on a seat
as ornate as the rugs in the lobby.
“Braska, these weapons that you bought aren’t the strongest ones,
what’s up?”
Braska only smiled a wild smile.
“I’ve come up with a killer strategy. I bought myself a Thunder
Staff, I gave you a Fira Blade, and Jecht here a Liquid
Steel.”
“Ohh . . . that will actually come in a lot of use, now that you say
such things, Braska”
“Precisely, and not only that, but we get to teach Jecht a few
things.”
“Wha . . .?”
“You’ll find out . . . “They both said, laughing creepily
and giving me the willies.
“Der . . . so, you guys have other friends, don’t
you?”
“Forget us, Jecht, you’re the one with the outrageous story. How
are your kids in . . . “Auron started chuckling.
“Zanarkand.”
“My kid . . . crap I forgot all about him. That whiny runt . . . I’ll
bet he’s crying his eyes out for me! Heheheheheheh! But his momma .
. . he’s such a momma’s boy. Why—“
“You know what I think?” Braska interrupted
me.
“What?”
“You talk so down about your kid, but I think you really love
him.”
“What gave you that idea!?” How had he discovered my
secret?
“Because, you keep talking down about him, but even for someone who
would dislike a person you sure do talk about him a whole lot . . . as a
matter of fact he seems to come up every time you think about
Zanarkand.”
“. . . Th-that’s crazy talk! He has his momma to love him! Loving
isn’t a guy thing.”
“Sure . . . “Auron muttered.
“By the way Braska, speaking of families how was Meilinna
doing?”
Braska looked down.
“Well . . . she was still hurt when we were alone. I healed all of that.
All you need is a bit of love and some wine
and—“
“Stop right there, you sick, sick monkey.” I
commanded.
“Hey, you have a child, you should know how to
romance.”
“Don’t offend Auron, he’s never been that close with a woman
. . . “I began.
Auron looked down.
“Don’t feel bad . . . “Braska muttered.
“Auron, you aren’t someone who would—“
It was then that I realized it.
“Auron! You aren’t looking sad because you feel left out! You’re
looking sad because . . . !”
Braska covered his mouth.
“Auron! You should be ashamed of yourself! You’re supposed to be
an unmarried monk! That means you should have been abstinent! How could you
defile yourself!?”
Auron blushed.
“I met her when I was just a young monk! She was so cute and all over
me and . . . “
“Spare ME the details.” I cut in.
“Oh please. Braska, Jecht, all the monks aren’t as holy as you
think. We may all be unmarried, but you’d be surprised at how much they
get around. We are all defiled.”
Braska laughed.
“So this is the true face of the highest holy men of Bevelle? A bunch
of wily man-whores?”
“I’ll bet. Maybe that says something about Bevelle . . . “I
suggested.
Auron looked away. “Let us not go there, someone might overhear
us.”
We were all quiet, and decided to get some rest soon after.
We didn’t rest long.
:::::::::
“FIIIEEEENDS!” It was the man at the counter, and he didn’t
sound happy. Auron was up in a flash and motioned for his katana. I tossed
him the Fira Blade and immediately it began burning, save the hilt. I pulled
out the Thunder Staff and it began crackling with electricity. Finally, I
tossed Jecht the Liquid Steel and bubbles began
floating.
“Let’s go!” I warned as we flew into action.
After we hastily turned a corner, two huge Lashamatsu greeted
us.
“I thought those only lived in Djose!” Auron yelled
desperately.
“Forget it! Waste ‘em!” Jecht warned us. The two huge
yellow-spotted reptiles were making their way to the counter and eyeing the
man behind it hungrily.
“Let’s see how you like a mouthful of sword!” Jecht ran by
and slashed both of them in a row with the end of his Liquid steel, and the
monsters were instantly drenched. They let out a huge bellow, but kept
ticking.
“Speed it up!” I warned as the two began a charge. I cast haste
on Auron, who immediately dove for another with inhuman speed, and then slashed
across the middle, cutting it almost in half.
The second was bounding towards Jecht who was running back the other way
for a charge, and I got it across the face with my staff twice, and then
rammed the edge into its spine. The hard scales made it seem dauntless, but
I knew I had had an effect.
“Triple raid!” Jecht called. The three of us dove towards the center
were the beasts looked angrier than ever, and slashed across the middle.
There was a blinding flash as all three elements hit and the monsters dissipated
into a mass of pyreflies.
“Yeah! Faster than ever!” Jecht announced slashing the air, and
then flipping his sword up to catch it by the hilt.
“I’m sure we all feel that way.” Auron mumbled while checking
to see if the man at the counter was all right.
“Are you okay?”
The man nodded and shakily handed us gil. He looked as if he had seen a
ghost.
“Yevon forgive me, I doubled the prices. Please accept
this!”
“It’s alright, it’s alright, just stay alert. You are a weapons
salesman after all.”
The man nodded and clutched his heart.
“You all be careful.”
We thanked him, and were on our way. I had grossly underestimated the amount
of battles that would ensue.
AN: This is more of a transition chapter, explaining its shorter length.
The dialogue won’t be exact, I warn you, but mostly to convey different
emotions so it won’t feel like you’re going through the game again.
Also a few events might be slightly off but this is also to make the story
interesting.