Chapter Thirteen: Butterflies
Pietro passed under the bowed branches of a pair of trees, heavily laden with the lush foliage sprouting from their limbs. The familiar feeling of warmth and bliss permeated the man's skin the moment he entered the sylvan land. The moisture in the air caused his newly acquired clothing to cling to his flesh, yet he continued to walk along the cleared path.
The forest hadn't changed in the short time since he last marched through its leafy domain. The chattering of small woodland animals could be heard in the distance as they foraged for nuts and berries among the ancient plant life, along with the calls of birds as they flew through the canopy of the trees. Small flowers bloomed in the early afternoon sun as drops of water fell from the high branches to land on their delicate petals. A few of rain-like beads trickled onto Pietro's forehead, cooling him off slightly.
The man strolled down the trail he had come to recognize, ducking to avoid the low branches and stepping over the roots breaking through the earth. He passed the small lagoon he stopped at before, denying his urge to stop and drink deep the clear waters of the pool. Within ten minutes, he had arrived at the crossroads of the preserved land.
He could journey to the temple of Macalania if he took the eastern path, but that would cause him to face a plethora of Yevon officials. "What use would it be for me to travel all that way, if there is no chance of finding resistance there," Pietro thought to himself.
To his south lay the road through the desolated and barren Thunder Plains with Guadosalam being the first goal he would reach in that direction. The Guados populated that underground city, and they would most likely not entertain the idea of rebellion against the Maesters, seeing as their leader was Seymour. "Better not take that chance, either," deliberated Pietro. "Plus they did not appreciate my presence the last time I was there."
The final path that lay before him wound its way in the northwestern direction. The Calm Lands rested at the end of the road, and with them the most likely shot at support. A small Al Bhed outpost was stationed in the center of the grassland. If Pietro could reach the waystation, he would be able to ask for their backing and get in contact with Rin.
"There's also that small enclave hidden in the lower tier of the mountains. Some of the remaining Crusaders may still reside there and volunteer to join," Pietro said to himself. "And then I can speak to the Ronso tribe and garner their cooperation."
The man had no real choice in which direction he was to take, so he headed up the western path. With each step, he drew closer to his destination and the fruition of his mission. He walked with his head held high as he passed through the wooded land, taking in the beauty of the glowing trunks.
Small butterflies of all different colors fluttered about the pulsating towers of nature. Pietro gazed as the red insects chased after tiny blues in an effort to revel in the energy radiating from the flora alone. The former crusader stopped to see two reds fly after a blue, only to be assaulted by another ten in a matter of seconds. Pietro looked past the territorial protection the red exhibited and found a deeper connection to his own life.
The man thought of the reds as the Maesters of Yevon, desperate to retain power over the people of Spira. They were few and thought that all should obey them without question. Those that did question would be hunted down and killed if they could arrange it like they did with the Crusaders during Opertion Mi'ihen. Pietro had it in his mind that if one person should fall, two more would take his place, just like the tiny blue butterflies. "Pretz must have had a similar thing in mind when he sent me on this journey." Pietro smiled at the image of a horde of men and women amassing to overthrow the Maesters.
Pietro came out of his inner thinking and looked to the shining tree and noticed a difference. The small blues, dancing around it on their gossamer wings now surrounded the trunk. The reds had abandoned it in an effort to avoid conflict with the overwhelming numbers of azure insects. "If they can do it, then Pretz and I can as well," Pietro whispered into the air.
To be continued…
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A/N: Yeah, it is finally over. Woohoo! As much as I hate to admit it, the whole "deeper connection to life" took a heckuva long time to write. I probably spent close to thirty minutes on that alone, but it seems to work. Anyhoo, be prepared to see a few characters appear in the next chapter. They shouldn't be that difficult to guess, but it should make you somewhat happy. Gotta go watch LotR: Fellowship of the Ring, so until the next time, farewell. ^_^ *goes off chanting "Hobbits and Elves, Hobbits and Elves"* (August 11, 2002)