AN: Short chapter, long overdue, just to get things moving again.
11: Movement in Green
Wardani grabbed hold of a thick vine, spear momentarily placed on his back. His boot he planted against the trunk of a tree, mere inches away, to use as a point of leverage. Hauling himself up, he shoved off of the tree, setting his other foot firmly down atop a second, arched tree. He waited a moment to ensure his footing was solid, adjusting the positioning of his boots, and slowly- tentatively- released his hold on the vine. Then he paused, eyes darting side-to-side analytically, as if lingering to see if a stray wind might upset his balance – or more likely if a fiend was going to come by for a bite.
When no rogue breeze buffeted him, and not one killer bee came flitting out of the brush, Wardani gingerly lowered himself to sit on the arch. Keeping his shield in hand, and having reclaimed Krig from his baldric, he studied the greenery surrounding him. This deep into the jungle, no sounds from the sea or the port reached him. None of the Crusaders were nearby, not even on the road. He was totally secluded, and it brought about an aura of peace in the air around him.
For a time he had wandered the roads, scouting – as he had said – to find the quickest way around the inopportune ochu blocking the primary stretch. It had been slow going, and the fiends appeared to be fairly active. He had some suspicion it was to do with Sin's recent passage, but it was not uncommon for fiend populations to simply spike. No one understood how exactly it worked – if there was any manner of control the lost soul possessed over what it became or when and where it returned. As far as the battlemage's care extended, if they reared their heads he would sever them. No excess worry needed.
Every lungful of air felt lacking, like too-tempered wine. Thin and without substance, unsatisfying even. He knew what it was, he was craving a good long smoke, but he hated to use his store too swiftly. The more often he lit his pipe the quicker it would dwindle, and the sooner he would need to buy more. There was also no telling how many chances he would have to restock. The long stretches of the Highroad had only the occasional traveling merchant, and they were unreliable. That would entail a dependency on the Travel Agencies for his tobacco.
He furrowed his brow.
Yes, Lulu had been right to fret over potential dangers in Luca, but now here he was flying off into an internal debate over his tobacco stores because of a passing thought! He wondered if he was just anxious in general and that it was simply spreading to other matters. Acknowledging his irritation with a sigh, Wardani tried to turn his mind elsewhere by focusing on his surroundings. A soft rustling from overhead drew his attention, and he looked up to see a monkey passing between the branches of two conjoined trees. It looked to be collecting something to eat, and in the act it dropped a small fruit. The bulbous yellow lump plummeted, hitting the tree he was sat on and rolling off into the brush below.
His peace was interrupted when she plonked herself onto the branch without heed, gloved fingers curling against the smooth bark. Black braided tresses fell over her shoulder as she leaned forward into her hands, and she regarded him with a winning smile, eye glistening with energy. "Having fun, are we?"
A disheartened sigh was her only answer.
"Oi! Don't be like that!" She promptly smacked his arm, immediately returning her hand to the branch. "Just askin' a simple question, yeah? Look like someone who needs to talk, you do."
"That's the entire opposite, actually," Wardani grunted, loathe to even say that much. "Your reading skills need work."
She shrugged, hardly bothered by his gruffness. "Do what I can with what I've got. So!" She learned toward him, still grinning brightly enough to beat the sun. "What's your trouble?"
"Currently?" He arched a brow, turning to face her. "Y-"
"'You,'" she sighed, rolling her eye as she beat him to the punch. With a mournful shake of her head, she made to elbow him in the ribs. "See? You're so beat up that you've gotten all predictable on me!"
Wardani grumbled something as to his plights, and she was certain that amidst the volley of curses were several profanes against Yevon.
"This is the last jungle after Besaid, yeah?" He finally relented, having decided it would be best to just get her off his back. "Just taking it in whilst I've the chance."
She threw her head back as she laughed, earning a scathing glare for her trouble. Once recovered, she softly taunted, "You're homesick! Oh, that's beautiful, that is!"
"Reach to your heart's content," he grumbled bitterly in return, "I'm not helping you up."
"You've already gone and given me quite the assist as is, man!" She proclaimed, even more lively now than she had been previously. Her jocose chuckle came from deep inside her throat, a dark and menacing sound from his point of view.
"Keeping ribbing me like that and soon I'll have none," Wardani sighed. He knew that he was effectively conceding to her, but it was a far preferable alternative to further fanning her flames. "Just get on with it, and let me have my moment."
"Blast," she grumbled, her merriment replaced suddenly by a deeply set chagrin. "You just had to go and ruin it, didn't you?"
Wardani clicked his tongue. "Now you know my pain."
A shrill bird's caw in the distance brought him back to the present with a start. He reflexively tightened his grip on Krig, and twisted his neck to have a look around. Still no more fiends were yet to show. After a moment's consideration, Wardani determined he had been away for long enough. As he was hoping, by the time he reached the jungle's edge again they would be prepared to start on their way to the temple. He was not sure exactly how long it had been since his foray into the thick began, though his reckoning was around that of an hour or so.
Pushing off the tree, he landed solidly on his feet and fell into a steady gait back toward the road. It was slow going for a time, with the undergrowth forcing him to carefully consider his every step. No telling where a cave, or a sneaky fiend, might be concealed beneath all the plant life. For mobility's sake, he secured the spear to his back and drew his sword. With the confined quarters the heavy wilds presented, it would serve better in a sudden attack.
Minutes later he stepped out onto the road, already feeling far more exposed for it. He was on one of the farther stretches, still a short ways away from the pathway out of the jungle. After checking that his bearings were indeed correct, he started off and once more took up his spear, the bottom of the weapon resonating with a dull metallic clunk against the stone every other step. He relaxed his stride, rolling his neck around to loosen the muscles. There was almost certainly still time, he had risen fairly early, never one to sleep for too long. Amongst other reasons, it just felt like a waste of his time. Hours on end where nothing was being done, and it only served to aggravate him whenever he felt the need.
Rounding a bend in the road, he found himself once more approaching Luzzu and Gatta, ever vigilant for any threats in the area – and still standing guard against the dozing ochu. Shaking his head the moment he saw them, Wardani quickly straightened up and put on a wide smile. He raised his spear in salutation as he passed and said, "Oh, morning again to you, boys! Good to see you're still hard at the job. Protecting the people, saving the world, doing Yevon's work. Warms my heart, it does. Keep doing me proud!"
"Good to see you're still in one piece as well, Wardani," Luzzu dipped his head in return, not at all bothered by the guardian's barely concealed derision.
"Bless your kindliness," he continued onward, never slowing even for a moment. He raised his voice as he moved further down the road. "I'd love to stay and talk, but I'm afraid that very important guardian business needs tending to!" He craned his neck to look back at them, seeing only a quick wave from Luzzu in response. Face contorting in annoyance, he grumbled under his breath, "Least you could do is bloody humor me, man!"
While he expected the others to be prepared, he hardly thought he would be finding a few already assembled just at the edge of the port. Yuna, Kimahri, and Lulu were gathered within the shade of the jungle, out of the dominion of the steadily rising sun as it began to exert its influence over the day. Yuna lifted her head as he neared, eyes momentarily enlarged as if surprised. He fought not to frown over this, keeping his face a blank slate. The girl had looked deep in thought, which sat strangely with him. He was not about to pry, but it had looked rather serious. In his experience, that typically spelled one sort of trouble or another. He prepared himself for whatever it might be, even if she was not willing to share just yet.
"Ahoy there!" Wardani kept his voice neutral, not wanting to raise Yuna's suspicions. As far as she was to be concerned, her ruminating had gone unawares.
"Having fun without us?" Yuna asked, a playfully accusatory lilt to her query.
"Not sure I'd call it that, but I would say we're in for an interesting little trek today." With a dip of his head, he enigmatically added, "You'll see, shortly."
Yuna giggled, deciding to humor his reticence. "How mysterious."
Wardani peered off toward the port, scanning for any signs of their wayward guardian. "So, Wakka still volunteering his services, then?"
"Awaiting the oddity," Lulu opted to explain, her meaning easily coming off as cryptic to anyone not familiar with recent events.
Wardani laughed into his fist, disguising it as a cough and garnering a smile from their charge. "Really, now? Didn't think he'd be the one to hold us up." Rather than joking, he honestly was somewhat shocked. Given their destination, he had assumed the blitzer would be the most eager to hurry onward to the temple. Instead, he went so far as allowing Tidus to sleep in and delay their journey. That was, in and of itself, an oddity.
One corner of Lulu's mouth curved in an inconspicuous smirk. "Indeed, we were all so certain you would be to blame."
"My point exactly! How bleeding uncanny." Wardani feigned shock, his eyes going wide as plates. The visage faded into a simple grin, and he shrugged. "Fayth know he needs Lord Ohalland's blessing more than anyone, he'd better hurry his ass down here."
"You shouldn't be so mean," Yuna chided, keeping her voice so soft that it hardly came off as an order.
Despite not sounding even remotely commanding, Wardani tipped his head to her in submission. "Aye, ma'am." He leaned into his spear, looking back down the dock. There was still not even a glimpse of the guardian. "I suppose he really is waiting on the muppet."
"He wishes for the entire team to pray for victory," Lulu reminded. "Especially his new ace player."
"Yeah, don't remind me," Wardani snorted, a rasping chuckle in the back of his throat. "If he starts complaining about the humidity, I'll toss 'im into the bushes and see how he likes it."
Yuna cleared her throat, drawing the eyes of her present guardians.
Lulu tipped her head thoughtfully to one side, regarding her with unobtrusive curiosity. "Something on your mind?"
"Certainly looks to be." Wardani commented. He raised his head toward Kimahri. "What's your take on it?" The Ronso's only answer came as a disinterested stare that drifted off toward the trees. Unfazed, the battlemage murmured, "It was worth a go."
Yuna looked at each of them in turn, her hands clasped tightly 'round her staff. She took a breath to calm her nerves, already hesitant about voicing what was troubling her. "I..." She trailed off straightaway on her first attempt, quailing under their combined scrutiny. Swallowing as much trepidation as she could manage, Yuna squared her shoulders and shakily declared, "I would like for Tidus to be my guardian."
As she expected, neither of them appeared overly fond of the idea.
Wardani, not saying anything at first, glanced sidelong into the trees. This was precisely what he and Lulu had been fearing might come to pass, and neither had found it in their hearts 'til then to really try and keep them apart. Any attempt had been meager at best, scarcely working at all toward driving a wedge between the two.
He turned back to her, brow furrowed as he tried to read her for any signs of why. His immediate concern was obvious, similar – but not quite the same – as one of his primary fears regarding Tidus himself. Was it possible that in only a few days she had already become infatuated with the boy, he wondered. There had not been many young men around Yuna's age on Besaid, and even had there been, her duties as an apprentice summoner consumed most of her time. Then along comes a strange boy roughly as old as herself, whose very first concern upon hearing the she might be in danger was to rush to the aid of a complete stranger?
To top the entire mess, the boy was utterly lost. Having little to no knowledge of the world around them, and constantly requiring assistance. Someone she could help. It settled uncomfortably in Wardani's gut, and he felt his muscles tensing reflexively at the mere prospect. All of this was shaping up to be one horrible predicament if they could not find it in themselves to shut it down! If that were the case, then how might he go about dealing with it? As with the previous time he asked himself, he had no answer.
However, it was also a possibility she had simply grown fond of him the way she had most of her guardians. She very obviously trusted the boy, and placed far more faith in his fighting prowess than her guardians did. While his inclination was to assume the worst, he had to leave some room for his faith in her to out.
"Yuna..." Lulu briefly closed her eyes, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before proceeding. "Are you certain?" She asked before anything else, wanting to know if her charge was absolutely sure about this.
Yuna gave them a firm nod. "Yes." Short, succinct, and confident. She was more than certain, of that much they themselves were now convinced. Even if they doubted she had truly considered her own motivations. Yuna was a brilliant girl, but humans were frail creatures. Flawed and predictable at the best of times.
"That might not be the most cogent decision to make, Yuna," Wardani sighed, his words slow and cumbersome as they left his lips. He uprooted from his spot, wandering a few feet closer to her with lazy steps.
"Why wouldn't it be?" She inquired in return, a note of defiance in her eyes.
It made Wardani's heart sink.
Lulu swooped in to support the battlemage. "We have only been in his company for a few days, Yuna," she reminded, ensuring that not even a trace of disapproval marred her voice. Neither she nor Wardani wished to play the enemy in this situation, yet they could not abandon their obligation to protect her. "Yet you ask us to trust him so easily?"
"Yuna.. yeah, this kid's got potential, but have you witnessed him fight?" Wardani asked, his tone, and the look blooming in the deeps of his eyes, speaking of his own combat experience. "He's a dilettante, at best! What the kid knows is blitzball, I'm not about to argue that. If he'd a few more years under his belt then maybe I'd not be so worried, yeah? As it is, I'd scarce vouchsafe him the honor of defending you presently."
Yuna was not one to be easily conquered, and she remained her ground even as her guardians attempted to assail her footing. "Then you could teach him."
Wardani let out a single cynical laugh. "Go through the extra trouble just so he can tag along? Would that really be worth the risk?"
"But you could?" Her question was much more a prod, knowing full well what the answer would be.
Wardani released a beleaguered sigh. "Aye, I could.. doesn't mean I should."
"And if something were to happen to him for his inexperience?" Lulu inquired, a darker note to her words than before.
Wardani gestured at the sorceress, eager not to be tasked with the boy's upkeep all over again.
Yuna's eyes hardened, though now she looked directly at neither of them, staring off toward the ocean. "I won't let that happen."
Lulu chuckled amiably. "I suppose your self-possession is commendable."
Wardani stepped back up to the plate, taking a literal pace forward to gain the girl's attention first. "Aside from all that – assuming that it works out in the end, yeah? – he's not exactly in a state fit to inspire the most confidence."
"What do you mean?" Yuna asked, frowning apprehensively.
"Most notably?" Wardani grinned, but it was marred by a look of disenchantment that made it come off as very insincere. "How about that little bit where he says he's from bloody Zanarkand?"
Yuna entire countenance fell to shambles. Glancing once at Lulu before settling her eyes again on Wardani, she asked, "You do not believe him?"
Now it was Wardani's turn to be surprised, and he furrowed his brow. Did she really need to ask him that, of all things? He had assumed the answer to be fairly obvious, leading to a blunt assertion on his part. "Of course not!"
"Hey there!" Wakka's voice calling out halted anything else that might have been said. He and Tidus, followed by the rest of the Aurochs, were making their way down the dock toward them. "What you all talking 'bout, huh?"
An answer was not received immediately. Yuna hung her head, focusing intently on the ground. In contrast, Wardani and Lulu trained their darkened eyes on Tidus. Their combined inspection made him shiver. Something was up, and it did not sit right with him. He unconsciously hung back a foot or so behind Wakka, using the elder blitzer as a kind of barrier. Not that he would serve as very good protection should either guardian – especially Lulu – decide to strike without warning.
"Your timing is fortuitous," Lulu ambiguously informed, not allowing even a shred of her feelings to show through in her tone or on her face. She was perfectly collected, and that only served to make Tidus further concerned for his well being.
"I suppose it'd do to get this out of the way," Wardani unenthusiastically admitted.
"Uh.. what are you guys talking about?" Tidus observed them each in turn, wary for any sudden moves.
Yuna wanted to respond. She wanted to tell him herself, as she had been the one to instigate this entire discussion. Yet, as she went to speak, she found that the words had abandoned her. Her mouth dried as if to challenge Bikanel's wastes, and no sound made its way across her tongue, much less from her throat. Felled by trepidation's envenomed sword, Yuna kept her attention elsewhere and thoughts to herself. Silently, she cursed her sudden uneasiness.
Lulu came to her charge's rescue, swooping in like a midnight raven. Moving between Yuna and Tidus to gain the boy's attention, she stared him down without malice. Though she could not call herself happy with the development, she experienced no real execration toward him. "Yuna is saying she wants you with us."
Tidus was properly staggered, eyes shooting wide open as they swung to land on the now-sheepish summoner. "Wait.. uhm, what?"
Wardani's upper lip curled in a snarl, visibly disgusted. "That's about verbatim why we-"
"Wardani." Yuna's remonstration was subtle but definite. She backed it up with a quick glance, which more than served its purpose for the target. The towering man bowed his head low, pique still a mask that deformed his features.
Wakka appeared to be having a hard time of things, as well. However.. it was not quite for the same reasons as his compeers. Rubbing the back of his neck, the blitzer chuckled weakly as his brow furrowed musingly. "Yuna? This is no time for jokes, ya?"
"She means no jest, Wakka," Lulu clarified, mildly annoyed by what she believed to be deflection. He was trying to invalidate the situation rather than meet it head on.
Wardani shook his head. "Believe us."
They could not tell if Wakka was truly surprised by this, or simply staggered by having his defenses blown apart. He looked confounded either way, and began to pace slowly around their charge. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea," he murmured solemnly. Then, a glance at the boy in question. "Uh.. no offense." He took his blitzball, which had been under the crook of his arm, and held in both hands, turning it absentmindedly.
Tidus shook his head, more worried about Lulu and Wardani than a potential insult.
Wakka stopped behind Yuna. "He may be a blitzball whiz kid, but up against fiends? He's a newbie."
Lulu's eyes jumped to Tidus, making the boy flinch, and then darted right back to Yuna. They seemed to soften, and she approached the girl with measured steps. "We are only thinking of your safety, Yuna."
Tidus sighed. Truth be told, a part of him enjoyed entertaining the notion of being one of Yuna's guardians. It would be an excuse to be in her company. While that appealed to him on.. a number of levels.. he shook those off. Mostly. It hurt his pride to hear the others saying he should not join their ranks, but it made sense. He knew it was nothing personal – at least as far as Lulu and Wakka were concerned – they were just doing their duty, as Lulu said. Placing his hands on the back of his head, Tidus gathered his courage and decided to speak up.
"M-" He had been about to say 'maybe', but immediately reconsidered. Stammering to try and cover up his blunder, he said, "They're right, Yuna. I, uh.. don't think I'm exactly guardian material."
Everyone but Kimahri turned to him immediately, most wearing some sort of surprise on their faces. Lulu was fairly inscrutable as always, and did not keep her eye on him for long. Within seconds she was focused on the summoner again. Wardani.. Tidus could not get a read on him. Not for the same reason as Lulu, he just was not sure what the expression on the man's mien meant. If it was admiration, irritation, or plain old contentment. It was a strange muddle, perhaps of several different emotion. Regardless, the battlemage kept his silence.
Wakka was far more animated in his response.
The elder blitzer hooked his arm around Tidus' neck, pulling him in close as he laughed. "Don't get me wrong, ya? He's a good kid, I just don't know if he's guardian material. Yet, huh?" Another laugh, clearly aimed at lightening the mood and easing the group's rejection on both teens involved. It missed its mark by an inch.
Yuna hung her head, swallowing her disappointment. She had expected this, but it made it no less easier in the end. There had been some small shred of hope that dared to linger on at the back of her thoughts, but even it was dashed in the end. Still.. she was pertinacious, and not given to accepting totally defeat so easily. Slowly raising her head, she said in a voice softer than cotton, "Perhaps not a guardian, then... I just want him nearby."
A pen could drop, the saying goes...
The guardians immediately froze into statues, the girl's words echoing again and again in their heads. Their implication, followed by an impending sense of failure and creeping dread. They were used to fiends, but not this. This.. was something they had not expected to deal with, never prepared themselves to face. There was no amount of training, no preparation that could have steeled them to resist something of this nature. Each of them was torn in their own way, and were unsure of how to proceed.
Tidus, having the least to consider of them all, rebounded first. "W-What? What, uh.. what do you mean?" He had a feeling of what she was saying, but that was a part of his mind he knew was given to a particular bias. He trie to fight it off, telling himself it had to be something else.
Yuna turned to him, hands tightening around her rod as she looked for the right words. "It's just that, well..."
Wardani interjected, taking a step toward the two. "I can see that my silence isn't making things any better, so I'll just-"
Lulu stepped in front of him, an arm held out chest high. She looked him in the eye, as if daring him to keep going. Wardani stared back for a few short seconds, pondering if it would be worth it. Apparently it was not, because he reluctantly turned around and took four steps back down the road, his back now to the party. With.. that.. matter defused, Lulu rounded slowly on Yuna and Tidus. "We're all going to the temple, anyway. Can this wait until later?"
Yuna took the hint, and gave a shallow bow of acquiescence. As soon as she righted, she was turning to Tidus with another bow, this one longer in fitting with its more apologetic nature. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"
Tidus chuckled nervously, fighting the urge to glance over at Lulu. He doubted that would help his calm much. "There's nothing to be sorry about," he assured her. As tense as things were feeling, he was doing his utmost best not to say anything that could make it worse. One wrong word, or one stray move, and he could be right back in the frying pan.
Kimahri strode silently past them, moving toward Wardani.
A soft laugh came from Yuna. "I.. suppose that's his way of agreeing. Let's get going, then." She nodded to her companions, and followed the Ronso.
