Sorry for the wait, got a bit distracted and severe writer's block!
As always, Square Enix refuses to share...even a little. I can't even you know...have half a day of rights or anything. Selfish and mean. Now they won't return my calls.
They had finally exited the cave that they had been walking through for days upon days, Braska was severely shaking, Jecht was nearly on his knees, and Auron was breathing heavily and bracing himself against the wall. Auron slid against the wall and closed his eyes, his arm beginning to ache and that worried him a little...that and he felt like air just didn't want to go into the lungs anymore. Jecht had already slid to the floor and about to either pass out or fall completely asleep, he could see Braska was much the same out of the corner of his eye. What a battle that had been...
They had just finished the second trials. The paths winding in front of them and each looked the same. It was guess-work as they went down the paths on a whim and nothing more. Somehow they were going the right way, they hadn't reached a dead-end yet. They were all on edge, enemies were becoming unpleasant the farther they traveled..enemies like the Dark Flan they encountered. The thing in itself was grotesque and revolting, smoke emitting from its one eye blinding it and the other red one taking its enemies into its limited sight. The feeling of having energy and stamina sapped out of you constantly made them shudder, as if a cold hand reached into their beings and pulled a part of them out little by little. Auron and Jecht's weapon did little to hurt it, only causing it to wiggle back and forth like jello. Braska's magic did a little more but his Aeons were the key. Everyone was glad once that thing was destroyed, except when they encountered another.
Puzzles were solved, most of them required to be taken in the water. The last puzzle however, required Auron and Braska to join Jecht. Auron was reluctant, he disliked wet clothing and the thought of walking in it created a mixture of displeasure, annoyance, and discomfort to settle in his middle and work its way up. Jecht finally convinced him with the promise of spare clothing in his pack so he wouldn't have to be uncomfortable for long. Auron reluctantly agreed and removed his coat and belt and set them aside, leaving himself with his boots, pants, and his breastplate over is thin black tee-shirt. Braska stripped his robes off and folded them neatly next to Auron's coat. He looked different in his civilian clothing. A simple light blue tunic with golden trim, dark gray trousers that tucked into brown boots, the kind hunters might wear.
"Are we ready," Braska asked and received two nod from his guardians before they dived in. They swam and ducked under a rock wall and resurfaced on the other side. They swam along the watery path before fiends appeared. Braska and Auron were somewhat clumsy with fighting in the water, they missed a good amount of the time, the enemies smoothly gliding out of the path of their weapons. Jecht showed off with glee and received a glare from Auron as Jecht weaved in and out of the enemies and took them down without much effort. Jecht grinned at Auron.
"Lots of years bein a blitzball player."
"I'm sure," Auron mumbled and sheathed his sword as they continued. By the time they reached the last puzzle, Braska and Auron had become somewhat more useful in the water, managing to alter their fighting styles so they didn't have to exert themselves and were able to slice into an enemy with a simple motion.
Auron looked at the puzzle that was under the water. He stared at it a long time and wondered what in Spira they were supposed to do. He resurfaced and Braska and Jecht looked at him expectantly, he just shook his head.
"I can't make head or tails of it, it doesn't make any sense to me," he said and Braska nodded. Jecht went down next to give it a try to figure it out. Braska and Auron tread water as they watched Jecht begin playing around with the different pieces. He touched one of them and it gave off a low light, reacting to his touch. Auron and Braska started slightly before they looked at each other and dived under the water and looked at Jecht. They still didn't have to lung capacity or talent to speak under water the way Jecht could so he begin explaining immediately.
"These thins seem to react to our touch. I ain't exactly sure what they do but seems like it'll do somethin." Auron nodded and gave Jecht a look that said, 'what do you want us to do?' Jecht looked at the two holes beside him and then looked at Auron, "Ok Red, you go to the Red hole. Braska you go to the blue one. On the count of three we'll stick our hands in." Braska and Auron nodded and followed his instructions. On the count of three, they each stuck their hands into the hole and a soft glow reacted to their touch before a brighter flash went off. They closed their eyes to shield themselves from the light and when they did, they were treading water above the surface where they had last been. Each one felt slightly disoriented as they looked around confused.
"Did we do it," Auron asked and looked at the holes, they remained unchanged.
"I guess so, we musta done somethin," Jecht said unsure himself but trying to make it seem like they had figured it out.
"Perhaps something will await us on land," Braska said and they agreed to return. They swam through the water, fighting enemies and taking breaks every once in a while. This was more swimming than either Braska or Auron had done in their entire life time and it was exhausting to them. Both were strong but the water around them was something entirely new and Auron began questioning how the blitz players with stood it, much less threw a ball when so much water resistance was created. His sword became tiring to swing, no longer cutting through the water easily and he gave Jecht credit for being able to do so. They reached land and Braska and Auron sprawled out on the cave floor panting slightly as Jecht sat on a rock and watched them.
"Ain't easy is it?"
"No, how do you do it," Braska asked regaining his breath enough to talk as Jecht laughed loudly.
"Lots of years of practice. Swimming is the easy part, getting enough strength and skill to throw a ball underwater and stuff like that is harder. It happens little by little."
"Even with all that water resistance," Auron asked looking at Jecht finally getting his breath back to speak.
"Even with all that, though the longer it travels of course its gonna slow down." They sat talking about blitzball, of all things, while they regained their energy. They were all exhausted from the days work, especially the work in the water. Auron and Braska slid their coat and robe back on and they began walking in hopes that something had done something, neither wanted to go back in the water. Braska was better after a while but Auron still felt like his body was made of lead. Water was not his type of environment his sword had become heavier in the water and felt nearly ten times worse on land. His body shook slightly with every step he made but he was able to keep his breathing under control. This cave was a test of strength and it had showed them their weaknesses as well, a learning experience. Jecht wasn't the smartest of the bunch, but he had worked his brain hard for the puzzles, trying to come up with a solution to keep them moving. Auron was strictly a land person, the water weighed him down especially with his weapon of choice. His katana may swing unrestrained in the air, but in water it was dragged along and he had to force it down to keep it moving. Braska had not faced his own weakness yet, but surely it was soon to come. Something was unsettling him, nagging deep inside him that the worst of the trials was yet to come. He looked at his guardians and decided they should rest. They set up camp and relaxed, eating here and there. The days events exhausting them. Auron alerted them that the air was cooler here, that it either meant they were getting close to an exit or were about to be plunged underground. They hoped it was the former.
They roused a little later in the morning and got a slow start. Their water supply was running low and they only hoped there would be some close by. Auron led them out of the cave, Braska followed close behind and Jecht bringing up the rear. They were only walking for a while before Auron's ear picked up a low growl. He called a halt and his ears strained for the direction of the growl. There was silence before he heard it again, almost a moment too late. He heard the roar a second before he heard the rock smash. He threw himself at Braska and sent them both crashing to the ground, the breath knocking clean out of their lungs as he heard the large crash behind him. Auron's instincts slammed back into him and he grabbed his sword and rolled off Braska, springing to his feet. He looked at Jecht was already on his feet and the two of them went to work, giving Braska time to make his way out of disorientation.
Braska opened his eyes slowly, the initial shock of Auron's body crashing into his wearing off and the sounds of fighting coming to his foggy mind. He shook his head and stood up as he saw his two guardians being blasted by what looked like small tiny and precise beams. He watched as his vision cleared and worry gripped him, what was he doing here sitting?! He jumped up and began casting multiple spells on them and began feeling dizzy. He saw Auron and Jecht both glance over relief washing over their dirt and blood covered faces before they jumped back into attacks. Braska dared to cast a few more spells, his inner energy depleting and he suddenly felt as if he were on a rocking boat. The world spun around him as he watched his guardians fight, trying to protect him until he could full rejoin the fight. His fingers pried into a pouch he carried on his waist and closed over a bottle of Ether as he downed it, feeling his energy replenished and he tried to ration it out. Little by little his head cleared and he could concentrate, he spared a few more moments before he rejoined the fight.
Jecht rolled under Auron's blade and brought his sword up, slicing through the great beast's arm as Auron hacked into its face. The beast roared and both threw themselves to the ground to avoid its massive claws before they jumped up as if they were playing jump rope to avoid its tail. The beast turned its gaze on Auron, a gash down the right side of its face and a repulsive black liquid oozing out of the wound. Auron ducked under and ran under its body and managed to slip between its legs and into freedom as its claws grazed the dirt where he had been standing. Its tail knocked him in the stomach and reflexively, his arms closed around the tail and he hung on for dear life as he caught a glimpse of Jecht weaving in and out of attacks. Jecht flipped and somersaulted on the ground, panting before he leaped forward and slashed through the beast's arm. Auron fell onto his back as the tail through him off and he lay dazed for a moment before he rolled out of the way as the tail smashed into the ground, sending rocks flying. Auron heard Braska call aeon in the distance and moved out of the way as Bahamut was summoned. Auron met Jecht as they panted heavily and watched Bahamut charge Mega Flare and let loose. The large beast roared in anger before it collapsed on the ground and pyreflies spiraled upward. Braska fell to his knees and panted, shaking and pale. Auron slumped against the wall, air refusing to enter his lungs as he gasped for it, his body shaking uncontrollably. Jecht tried to keep himself upright as his breakfast was forcing its way into his mouth as he shook. They hadn't been prepared, they had let their guard down and they almost paid for it. Now they were vulnerable and anyone could kill them at any moment. If Auron wasn't so tired and on the verge of passing out, he would be angry with himself. Braska was shaken and worried, doubt ran through his mind if they would even make it to Zanarkand at this point, his weakness starting to show. He doubted they would make it the night at this point. Jecht had fallen to the ground and closed his eyes, his ragged panting slowing as exhaustion took over him. Braska took in the sight of his two guardians, filthy and exhausted. How would he ever managed to keep them alive at this point? He would have to some how but his own exhaustion was keeping his mind from functioning. Auron looked at his companions through half opened eyes, his lungs now accepting small amounts of air. Would they make it to Zanarkand, maybe they should turn back now. He'd rather do that, thoughts of Braska dying again ran through his mind and he pushed them out. They had to make it, somehow.
A strange portal stood in front of her. Her eyes narrowed before a brilliant smile came over her expression as she watched the pyreflies soar upward. She had been watching the entire fight and was rather pleased. Her eyes took in the sight of the two guardians, exhaustion and filthy but still alive. A small summoner's party but not the smallest she had ever seen. She looked at each of them, taking in their features and making her own opinions about them. She dismissed Jecht off as being unintelligent, an oaf, but a good companion and caring. Auron was the strong one, the one that held them all together, the brains, but doubt filling his heart and mind, uncertainty. Braska was kind, a leader, and obviously in need of his guardians for everything, relying on the raven haired one far too much.
The portal closed and she ran a hand through her silver hair and pushed it behind her ear. They had defeated the Sanctuary Keeper but only just. She smiled as she walked away and sat on her bed, crossing her left leg over her right and began thinking. She pondered over the summoner and his guardians and wondered if they would make it to Zanarkand, she had no doubt they would. She had seen it in their eyes, well two of them. One set of eyes was somewhat unfocused, distracted, doubtful. The face of the doubtful young guardian flickered in her mind. Poor dear, such thoughts do little good for a pilgrimage. Why does he keep pushing forward, she thought. She stood up and wandered around the room for a little while as she thought. It would be a few days before she would hear word of this summoner. Their battle had been embarrassing in skill, but they still defeated the beast. She thought to the past summoners, their battles had been more lively and full of excitement. This one lacked in all but suspense to see if either of those foolish guardians would survive. Her smile grew bigger as she compared the past summoners and their guardians to the ones on their way now. Definitely a rabble. She looked off into the distance, at the ruins that surrounded her. The summoner would be welcome, if he survived the journey. She vanished into a spiral of pyreflies for the moment, she would reappear when the summoner made his appearance in her holy city but she would be watching them.