Part 11

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I do not have very much to pack. My sword is my own, and I have my

clothes on my back. The tokkuri was a gag gift, but it will come in

useful despite the fact that it was a joke. The only time I'd drunk

sake I'd had barely three thimblefuls of the stuff and all I could

recollect afterwards was stumbling to the ground outside the tavern,

throwing up violently and unpleasantly, and then waking with a

rotten headache the next day. Wen thought it was funny and

commemorated the episode by buying me a jug full of the liquor,

which he'd proceeded to drink on my behalf.

Loud footsteps approached my cell then the door banged open. "Auron!

You won't believe the nonsense I just heard!"

I look up at him and he takes in my attitude, the monk's robe folded

neatly on my bed and his words falter. "They say you've refused

her...you can't be serious!

"For Yevon's sake, Auron. How hard can it be? Marriage isn't that

bad a deal." I don't reply, and he comes over and puts a hand on my

shoulder. "So she's no raving beauty, it's not going to matter with

the lights out."

"If you think I'd marry under such circumstances you don't know me

well enough, Kinoc."

"But they'll crucify you!"

"As you can no doubt see, I'm not planning on hanging around for the

execution."

"You're leaving too? Where will you go?"

"Zanarkand."

"What! But that's insane! You're not some fool to go wasting your

life on a fool's pilgrimage..."

"I have already asked and answered, it is too late to undo."

"Who is the summoner?"

"Lord Braska."

"Braska? The heretic? Do you know he's an Al Bhed lover?"

Kinoc sits on my bed, settling in to tell me the story. Kinoc always

had a way with words, persuasive, charming and erudite. I listen

with interest as he continues. "He married an Al Bhed woman then

went around flaunting the relationship without shame. He was

supposed to be brought before the clergy but never stayed in one

place long enough to be apprehended.

"Then he was taken in at Luca, after seeing his wife and child off

on an Al Bhed ship. While he was being questioned some fool came in

and said the ship his wife and daugher was on was lost at sea. And

Braska walked out, just like that. Never mind he was in the custody

of the warrior monks, no one who tried to stop him could lay a hand

on him. He went running down to the dock and someone there handed

him the baby from the marriage, saved by the grace of Yevon no

doubt, and Braska held the tiny squalling thing and began to say the

same thing, over and over again."

Wen pauses for effect. "'I will defeat Sin. I must defeat Sin.' And

after that no one could get through to him. They took him to Maester

Mika and told him he was going to face and defeat Sin, and Mika

would be a fool to try to stop him....

"He called the Grand Maester a fool to his very face! If the man

hadn't been demented by his loss he'd have been executed for that

alone. Maester Mika took pity on him and dropped the charges of

heresy, but I can tell you right now it was only because Mika knew

he'd go off on pilgrimage, the man would have been too dangerous to

let run around loose otherwise. And you're going with him?"

Kinoc's story is enlightening, but it does not deter me. "Yes. He

must finish his training, but I will be going with him when he is

ready."

I fasten my tokkuri to my belt and I am ready to leave the temple.

Kinoc follows me out to the courtyard. I know he would like to argue

further, to remind me of the plans he'd concocted for us, to become

the youngest Maesters in Yevon's long history. He was always the

ambitious one. But he also always knew when to quit, when arguing is

a wasted effort. "At least you'll come to say goodbye I hope, before

you leave."

"Yes. I promise to see you again before I go."

"Alright then. And if you need anything...Auron, you know you only

have to ask."

"I...thank you. You have always been a good friend."

He nods and that is it, I am free of all obligation except that to

my summoner. I feel lighter than I can ever recall in my life, and

make my way through Bevelle, surprised at the relief I feel at my

change in circumstance.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

The boy is full of himself, cocksure and smartmouthed, just like his

father. He runs forward and slashes at the fiend but his sword

glances off its hardened shell, unable to pierce its armour.

I shift my grip bringing my other hand up to the hilt of my sword,

then focus my energy, visualising the thin edge of my blade, a

sharpness that can cut through anything and everything. I am not so

fast nor agile but it is of no consequence. My sword slashes an arc

that cuts the very air instead of moving through it. The fiend can

neither evade nor defend itself and explodes into a thousand lights

that drift away.

"See? Sir Auron is the best guardian that ever lived."

I look back to see Wakka loudly proclaiming my supposed exploits. It

is strange, disconcerting to be so highly regarded. I know it is

unwarranted, but it occurs to me that we were all probably brought

back into Yevon's fold in the wake of our 'success', reclaimed from

our heresies in death, to maintain the beautiful illusion that Yevon

created. There is no point trying to enlighten him to the truth, he

will either see or not see, in time. When we reach Zanarkand will be

soon enough for all of them to learn exactly what lies at the heart

of Yevon.

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The fiend whirls like a dervish, crackling and hissing through the

air as it launches itself directly towards Jecht. He is agile,

jumping out of the way at the last moment, and bringing his sword up

to slash horizontally across its eyes. It is a mistake, and a bad

one.

A lava-like stream of ichor erupts from the fiend's ruined eyeball,

coating his sword, running down the hilt and over his hand and arm.

He lets out a strangled yell as he drops to his knees. I run forward

and slash at the disabled fiend, hoping to destroy it, but although

my blade cuts a gouge through its underbelly it still hovers in the

air, ballooning out to massive proportions as it is enraged by the

insult to its flesh.

Braska turns towards Jecht, raising his staff and beginning a prayer

of healing. The second fiend glows a deeper, darker red as it

prepares to charge towards him, and I know that he is defenceless

and unable to evade its attack, so I do the only thing I can,

placing myself between him and the fiend. I bring my sword up from

left to right and deliver a glancing blow with the flat of the

blade, diverting its course and only receive a long grazing burn of

heat across my upper arm in return. It stings and burns like

hellfire but unlike Jecht I manage to retain my grip on my sword.

Jecht retrieves his sword and stands again, but the first fiend

chooses to attack him once more. This time I am too slow to

intervene, although I try, and Jecht, woozy from the last attack is

not so quick to evade. This time the fiend delivers a forceful blow

to his chest and he drops like a stone under the onslaught, landing

flat on his back. Braska, aware of the damage that I'd suffered

turned to me indecisively, but I waved him off.

"See to Jecht."

He nods, and turns once more, and this time my determination lends

me strength. I again attack the weakest fiend and this time my blow

sends it reeling to earth. One down, one to go.

I turn and run back to my place beside Braska, watching for the

other fiend's counter-move. This time it perceives me as the

greatest threat and attacks accordingly. I do not make the same

mistake Jecht did, waiting until it is almost upon me to jump

sideways, turning as it passes me and bringing my sword around to

slash through the rear of the creature's body. It shrieks, a high

pitched hissing of gas escaping from its wound but it is already

past me and all I feel is a wash of heated air as it turns and faces

us once more.

I don't give it time to strike again, rushing it and when it

launches itself skywards I alter the angle of my sword stroke,

bringing it up almost vertically at full reach. Despite its evasive

manouvre I manage to do moderate damage. One more hit should be

enough. Jecht is standing, although he is swaying slightly on his

feet and looking quite chagrined at the course of this battle.

Braska raises his staff again, but this time in the fiend's

direction. I feel a blast of cold air shoot forward from his hands

and cold blue crystals begin to form in the air around the fiend. It

is enough. The fiend breaks apart and pyreflies emerge, faint blurs

of colour that twist and drift slowly out of existence.

I let my sword drop point first to the ground and lean against it,

the threat over for now. Jecht however throws his own sword onto the

ground in disgust.

"Damn, I hate this! And I'm beginning to really hate fire."

He collapses to sit cross-legged in the centre of the road, and

occasionally shivers in reaction. Braska rests his palm on his

shoulder. "You were just unfortunate. Things will get better, I

promise."

He turns to me then, and on seeing the state I am in shows some

alarm as he hastens to stand in front of me. I drop my head to gaze

at the ground as his hand brushes over my shoulder. My attitude that

causes him to take a half step backward before beginning the prayer

of healing. I know that he sees my shame and regret, but he does not

guess the cause. I can say nothing, and my silence only makes this

distance grow between us.

Jecht watches us with uncomprehending eyes, his mind still on the

battle. "You're a pretty handy guy to have around," he says to me. I

look at him, surprised at the undisguised praise in his tone. I

hadn't expected it from him. "I don't suppose you could...give me

another lesson?"

At that I'm even more surprised. I nod without speaking.

"Alright! I'll kick some fiend's butt yet."

Braska laughs at his strange choice of words. He smiles warmly at

Jecht. "Auron is the best swordsman in Spira. And the best guardian.

But you already knew that."

"You're the expert, Braska." He picks his sword up out of the dust,

examining the blade and slashing experimentally at the air. "Well,

we ready?"

Braska nods and we continue on our way along the highroad.

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End of Part 11