Author's note: alright, I've got new chapters coming out of my ears…I just came up with a good idea for a new chapter, so I had to write it down while I could. Anyways, heeeere's chapter 7!
Chapter 7: Decisions, Decisions
Auron had finished his dinner, and he was walking to Braska's house, taking the long way around in order to avoid going by Sonja's house. The sun was starting to set, setting off yellowish highlights on the clouds in the horizon. Evening breezes were winding through the huts, rustling grass and ruffling Auron's dark green jerkin. He was happy to notice that the Field was empty, which meant that the pesky girls wouldn't bother him.
He continued to plod along, slowly dragging his feet, sort of without direction. He meandered through the huts, his thoughts wandering to other places other than Westra. He wondered what the world outside of this town was like. The Summoner had said something about this village being on an uncharted island, but a lot of people seemed to know where it was…but then, most of the people that knew of Westra had either lived there or had family connections. Auron began to wonder if maybe this island was uncharted for a reason. If Yevon supposedly reached to all corners of Spira, then why had he never even heard of him?
A sound of footfalls behind Auron broke his reverie, and he spun around. His bronze eyes settled on Sonja, who stood a few feet away, with her blonde hair pulled back in a pony-tail and her bluish cloak billowing in the wind. Her green eyes had a look of worry in them that Auron had never seen before. It frightened him.
"What do you want?" His ego, however, was still burned from their tiff earlier that day. "I already…"
"Auron…" Sonja intervened. "I'm not here to apologize."
"Than what…" Auron shook his head in frustration and started to walk away.
"Wait!" She ran up behind him and grabbed his arm. "That Summ…Sum-ner from…The guy that's decided to be Braska's Master…" Auron whirled on her.
"Spit it out!" She took a step back at his tone, then looked around uncertainly. "Well? Are you going to tell me or not?"
"Umm…Well, I…uh…" She stammered. "Were you going to see Braska?"
"Yes, but I don't want you to come with me, so either tell me here or don't tell me at all."
"Fine! If you don't want to know that someone's gonna kill you, then that's just FINE with me!" She turned away from him, more angry at herself than Auron, and it was his turn to grab her arm.
"What are you talking about?" Auron didn't know what to think. Who would want to kill him? Probably Sonja…
"That Sum-ner, Simon!" Sonja began to wonder why she had even tried to help him in the first place. Auron stood there for a second, undecided on what to do. He stared at Sonja, but was looking through her, trying to comprehend what she was saying. He made a decision, even if it was against his better judgment.
"Come on." He yanked her arm and walked at an extremely fast pace, pulling her with him.
"Ow!" She protested, but she couldn't free herself from his grip. "Auron…!" He let go of her when the stopped in front of Braska's hut, and he knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Came a muffled feminine reply.
"It's Auron, Madam Jade." He replied in a polite voice that surprised Sonja.
"And Sonja!" She quipped, hoping to avert whatever Auron was thinking. An older woman came to the door, her dark hair laced with wisps of gray and her dark brown eyes keen.
"Ah, it's good to see you Auron, and you Sonja." She smiled kindly at them, and stepped to the side to let them inside. "Braska's in his room." She walked into the kitchen to dry some dishes that had just been cleaned.
"Thank you." Auron replied, and he walked to the far end of the cabin to a ladder that led into a loft. The 'room' was really just a place for a pile of hay that had a quilt on it. There was also a small table with a pillow for a seat on the other side of it, and Braska was hunched over something on that table, and didn't turn around when Auron and Sonja noisily clambered up the ladder. A candle was burning on the table, and looked as though it had been that way for awhile. "Braska?" The dark-haired boy still didn't respond. Auron had to bend over to keep from hitting his head on the roof as he walked over to his friend's side. "Hey!" He shook Braska's shoulder. He had fallen asleep reading a parchment full of strange markings and a new drool spot.
"Huh, what?" Braska jerked into an upright position. "Auron! …and Sonja!" Braska would've stood up if the small space would've allowed it, but he settled for turning around to face them. "What are you two doing here…no, let me rephrase that, what is she doing here?" He pointed to Sonja.
"I…" She started to speak, but Auron silenced her.
"We need to talk." He said simply, a look of warning in his expression. Braska was taken aback, but he nodded.
"Okay, let's go…" He turned and blew out the candle and they proceeded to climb down the ladder and exit the house.
"So what's this all about anyway?" Braska shivered a little as cool wind blew, and he rubbed down his goosebumps.
"Ask Sonja." Auron jabbed his thumb at the despondent girl.
"Hey, you okay?" Braska asked worriedly when Sonja didn't say anything. They had walked from Braska's house and were now out on the abandoned Field. The stars were covered by clouds, and it smelled like rain. The tall grass were like whips as the wind blew them around.
"The summ-ner, your Master…" She was acting strange, and neither of the boys knew why. "He…I think he's planning to kill you." She looked up at Braska with big eyes to show her earnest, but Braska was unbelieving.
"What?" He was incredulous. "Why would you even think something like that, Sonja?"
"Because I heard him talking to some old lady, that weird seer-woman!" Auron was the one to be taken off guard this time. "She said something about you two bringing about the next…Calm…or something weird like that…and, well, he seemed happy about that, but then she said that you would get rid of Sin forever…I think…and then she left…"
"So far, Sonja, nothing of what you said makes me think that he wants to kill us."
"But then! After she said that you would get rid of Sin forever, he said that he would have to stop you 'heathens' from destroying Yevon…yeah, that's what it was."
"Did the old woman hear this?" Auron inquired.
"Well, no, she'd walked away and I was the only one…"
"Who heard it, right? Look, it's your word against his, and I don't think that a man like that…He's weird, there's no doubt about that…but I don't think that he would kill us." Auron stated.
"You mean…you don't believe me?" Sonja looked down, the tears starting to well up in her eyes again.
"Auron, she wouldn't make something like this up." Braska said, which caused a hopeful Sonja to look up.
"Oh, yes she would!" Auron said fervently. "You don't know what she's like! She's not all innocent like some people think she is…"
"Auron! Just because you're mad at her doesn't mean you don't have to believe her. What reason would she have to lie to us? Especially about something like this?"
"I don't know, but why would someone like Simon want to kill us?" Auron glanced from Sonja, and then back to Braska, his anger fuming out of his every pore. "It doesn't make any sense!"
"Simon doesn't make any sense!" Braska was starting to lose his temper as well, a rare occasion. "He's a self-centered idiot who can't see past his own nose!" Both Auron and Sonja were shocked. Braska almost never talked like that about his elders. "He bases his opinions based on a questionable religion, which doesn't even give the reason for the opinion. He also has a tendency to lose it sometimes, so I wouldn't put something like killing 'heathens' past him." Braska looked at them, uncertain of what to do next.
"But…I thought…" Auron was muddled beyond belief. He knew that Simon was bad, but he didn't think that he was that bad. "I…"
"We'll have to take this to Jeran." Braska moved immediately away from the boulder they had been talking by and headed back to the village, with Auron and Sonja following closely behind. Rain started to fall at a slight drizzle, and the clouds seemed to become darker. Unbeknownst to the trio and to the entire village, a huge being was making its way through the ocean, heading straight for Westra.
Author's note: Well, it's another cliffhanger, but it's not so bad this time…I think…I'm sorry if this one was a little boring, but I'll make up for it in the next chapter. That's a promise!