CHAPTER 10
"Are you sure, Landi?" clarified Ilised as Landien began to stand up from the bed. The summoner's body was sore from having been in it for too long. He had been asleep since he collapsed just outside the Cloister of Trials, which had been a day ago. And since then, neither Lydia nor Ilised had slept in fear that their beloved Landien might slip away from them.
"Yes, I think I've rested enough, don't you?" replied the newly awakened summoner. "But I think you should sleep now." He suggested upon seeing his friend's red, dilated eyes from lack of sleep. "But Lyds is still sleeping, who will watch you?" retorted the older man as he pointed to the young lady's sleeping form in the corner of the room on one of the daybeds, clearly unconvinced of his friend's recovery. "Come now, you have to get some sleep." Insisted Landien as he pushed his guardian toward the door.
"Are you sure?" repeated Ilised, trying to push his way back in. "Yes." Asserted Landien as he gave his friend one last push. The older man, weak from fatigue decided to give up and return to his room to get some sleep.
'What should I do now?' wondered the Summoner as he picked up his slumbering little sister and tucked her into his bed. It was already dark outside. Landien figured it must be the middle of the night because of the eerie silence in the atmosphere; furthermore, when he looked out the window, only patrolling Crusaders wandered the lonely streets of Bevelle.
'I should get some air.' Decided Landien as he stepped out of his room into the dim hall. 'If only it were like this all the time...' he mused as he walked through the shadow-filled corridor. Ever since he was a child, Landien had always preferred the dark. It made him 'blend' more easily into the environment. Sometimes, people would pass him by and mistake him for a normal, non-Al Bhed child because of the bad lighting. At times, he wised that it would always be dark so that no one could see that he was different.
'Dammit...' swore Landien silently as he felt a sharp pain in his chest and the memories of yesterday's events flooded his brain.
---
"Please, grant me the gift of your favor, sacred Fayth of Bevelle. And bestow upon this humble servant of Yevon the power of the mighty Aeon of this temple." Implored the Landien in a confident and resolute tone. "Hear my voice, know my petition, feel my sincerity and grant me my request." He prayed aloud. The summoner chanted this repeatedly for over an hour before the familiar drop in temperature.
Before his eyes the Fayth then materialized itself. It took the shape of a child, levitating two feet from the ground, its features hidden by a purple hood. "Do you really want to continue your pilgrimage Summoner?" inquired the Fayth in a little boy's voice. "Yes." Replied Landien, slightly disturbed by the question. "If I were to refuse your request, what would you do then?" asked the Fayth.
This greatly alarmed Landien. He could not think of an answer because of the panic he felt. "You need not answer so hastily..." informed the Fayth as it floated down to the floor. This calmed the summoner, making him think better. But despite his composure, it still took him about an hour to think of his final answer.
"Well, what say you Summoner from the isles of Hadura?" questioned Fayth. "I would still continue my pilgrimage." Replied Landien determinedly. "Very well then." Said the Fayth as it entered the summoner, setting Landien's insides on fire.
As the familiar numbing sensation overcame Landien, he knew that he had been granted the gift of the Aeon. 'Thank you...' thought the summoner gratefully as he waited for the Aeon to address itself. 'The Aeon's name is Bahamut.' Came the voice of the Fayth inside his head. This surprised the summoner for this was the very first time this had ever happened to him and because Lady Dhira had never spoken of such a thing happening.
'You will not be the one...' warned the same childish voice. This sent a piercing, extremely painful feeling through the summoner's body. But Landien did not scream.
-----
"Where do you think you're going, Lord Summoner?" came Elohim's disembodied voice from the shadows in front of him, disrupting Landien's thoughts. "You should be resting..." implied the younger man. This made him frown, 'Not you too...' thought the summoner dejectedly. "Unless, you don't need to." Finished Elohim in a mischievous voice. The black-haired man nodded at this, his frown turning into a small smile.
"Would like to walk with me?" invited Elohim as he began to move toward one of the doors that led into the garden-atrium of the house. "It would be my pleasure." Replied Landien as he caught up with the taller man.
The beautiful garden was dark as well, only the light of the stars in the sky and a waxing moon illuminated the plant-filled space as it filtered through the clear glass dome that cover the atrium. The two men walked side- by-side in complete silence; their feet not making a sound on the stone walkway in between the flora. This silence lasted for a while; each man to his own thoughts.
The sound of Landien's robes brushing against a rough stone pew as he sat on it broke the quiet. Elohim, slightly startled by the noise, joined the summoner.
"Lord Summoner," began Elohim, but before he could continue the slightly older summoner had raised his hand to the valet's lips. "No... just call me Landien." He requested softly. "Landien," addressed the younger man hesitantly. "Olin and I," a pause followed for Elohim was not sure if he should be the one to say this. "Would like to become your guardians..." he finished, bowing his head humbly, not sure as how to act.
Landien stood up. This startled the younger man, not knowing what it what meant. 'I hate this... not knowing anything...' complained Elohim silently. "I have known both Lydia and Ilised all my life," said the summoner, his back turned to the sitting valet. "I trust them completely." He continued his voice growing softer, more hesitant. "And I do not know either you or Olin..." he whispered, hoping not to hurt the other man's feelings.
These words stung Elohim. "You do not trust us?" questioned the valet, slightly angry, the weight of these words made him slump dejectedly, his eyes locked on the stone walkway. "No! It's not that..." retorted Landien, turning quickly to face Elohim. "It's just that I do not know either one of you that well," he explained. This made the younger man brighten-up, wanting to hear the rest. "And surely you do not know me that well." Continued the summoner.
"And I don't think I'm worthy of your generous offer." Reasoned Landien dolefully. "But if you were to get to know us, would you trust us then?" asked Elohim meekly, unsure of his actions. The summoner did not reply. "I could tell you all there is to know about us." Elaborated the younger man, looking to Landien hopefully.
NOTES:
Timeline (Yuna – Landien):
Guadosalam (It took them a while to get here because of having to fight with Rikku. They are staying the night at Guadosalam before they would head out to Macalania.) – Bevelle (Nighttime. Landien and Elohim are talking)
"Are you sure, Landi?" clarified Ilised as Landien began to stand up from the bed. The summoner's body was sore from having been in it for too long. He had been asleep since he collapsed just outside the Cloister of Trials, which had been a day ago. And since then, neither Lydia nor Ilised had slept in fear that their beloved Landien might slip away from them.
"Yes, I think I've rested enough, don't you?" replied the newly awakened summoner. "But I think you should sleep now." He suggested upon seeing his friend's red, dilated eyes from lack of sleep. "But Lyds is still sleeping, who will watch you?" retorted the older man as he pointed to the young lady's sleeping form in the corner of the room on one of the daybeds, clearly unconvinced of his friend's recovery. "Come now, you have to get some sleep." Insisted Landien as he pushed his guardian toward the door.
"Are you sure?" repeated Ilised, trying to push his way back in. "Yes." Asserted Landien as he gave his friend one last push. The older man, weak from fatigue decided to give up and return to his room to get some sleep.
'What should I do now?' wondered the Summoner as he picked up his slumbering little sister and tucked her into his bed. It was already dark outside. Landien figured it must be the middle of the night because of the eerie silence in the atmosphere; furthermore, when he looked out the window, only patrolling Crusaders wandered the lonely streets of Bevelle.
'I should get some air.' Decided Landien as he stepped out of his room into the dim hall. 'If only it were like this all the time...' he mused as he walked through the shadow-filled corridor. Ever since he was a child, Landien had always preferred the dark. It made him 'blend' more easily into the environment. Sometimes, people would pass him by and mistake him for a normal, non-Al Bhed child because of the bad lighting. At times, he wised that it would always be dark so that no one could see that he was different.
'Dammit...' swore Landien silently as he felt a sharp pain in his chest and the memories of yesterday's events flooded his brain.
---
"Please, grant me the gift of your favor, sacred Fayth of Bevelle. And bestow upon this humble servant of Yevon the power of the mighty Aeon of this temple." Implored the Landien in a confident and resolute tone. "Hear my voice, know my petition, feel my sincerity and grant me my request." He prayed aloud. The summoner chanted this repeatedly for over an hour before the familiar drop in temperature.
Before his eyes the Fayth then materialized itself. It took the shape of a child, levitating two feet from the ground, its features hidden by a purple hood. "Do you really want to continue your pilgrimage Summoner?" inquired the Fayth in a little boy's voice. "Yes." Replied Landien, slightly disturbed by the question. "If I were to refuse your request, what would you do then?" asked the Fayth.
This greatly alarmed Landien. He could not think of an answer because of the panic he felt. "You need not answer so hastily..." informed the Fayth as it floated down to the floor. This calmed the summoner, making him think better. But despite his composure, it still took him about an hour to think of his final answer.
"Well, what say you Summoner from the isles of Hadura?" questioned Fayth. "I would still continue my pilgrimage." Replied Landien determinedly. "Very well then." Said the Fayth as it entered the summoner, setting Landien's insides on fire.
As the familiar numbing sensation overcame Landien, he knew that he had been granted the gift of the Aeon. 'Thank you...' thought the summoner gratefully as he waited for the Aeon to address itself. 'The Aeon's name is Bahamut.' Came the voice of the Fayth inside his head. This surprised the summoner for this was the very first time this had ever happened to him and because Lady Dhira had never spoken of such a thing happening.
'You will not be the one...' warned the same childish voice. This sent a piercing, extremely painful feeling through the summoner's body. But Landien did not scream.
-----
"Where do you think you're going, Lord Summoner?" came Elohim's disembodied voice from the shadows in front of him, disrupting Landien's thoughts. "You should be resting..." implied the younger man. This made him frown, 'Not you too...' thought the summoner dejectedly. "Unless, you don't need to." Finished Elohim in a mischievous voice. The black-haired man nodded at this, his frown turning into a small smile.
"Would like to walk with me?" invited Elohim as he began to move toward one of the doors that led into the garden-atrium of the house. "It would be my pleasure." Replied Landien as he caught up with the taller man.
The beautiful garden was dark as well, only the light of the stars in the sky and a waxing moon illuminated the plant-filled space as it filtered through the clear glass dome that cover the atrium. The two men walked side- by-side in complete silence; their feet not making a sound on the stone walkway in between the flora. This silence lasted for a while; each man to his own thoughts.
The sound of Landien's robes brushing against a rough stone pew as he sat on it broke the quiet. Elohim, slightly startled by the noise, joined the summoner.
"Lord Summoner," began Elohim, but before he could continue the slightly older summoner had raised his hand to the valet's lips. "No... just call me Landien." He requested softly. "Landien," addressed the younger man hesitantly. "Olin and I," a pause followed for Elohim was not sure if he should be the one to say this. "Would like to become your guardians..." he finished, bowing his head humbly, not sure as how to act.
Landien stood up. This startled the younger man, not knowing what it what meant. 'I hate this... not knowing anything...' complained Elohim silently. "I have known both Lydia and Ilised all my life," said the summoner, his back turned to the sitting valet. "I trust them completely." He continued his voice growing softer, more hesitant. "And I do not know either you or Olin..." he whispered, hoping not to hurt the other man's feelings.
These words stung Elohim. "You do not trust us?" questioned the valet, slightly angry, the weight of these words made him slump dejectedly, his eyes locked on the stone walkway. "No! It's not that..." retorted Landien, turning quickly to face Elohim. "It's just that I do not know either one of you that well," he explained. This made the younger man brighten-up, wanting to hear the rest. "And surely you do not know me that well." Continued the summoner.
"And I don't think I'm worthy of your generous offer." Reasoned Landien dolefully. "But if you were to get to know us, would you trust us then?" asked Elohim meekly, unsure of his actions. The summoner did not reply. "I could tell you all there is to know about us." Elaborated the younger man, looking to Landien hopefully.
NOTES:
Timeline (Yuna – Landien):
Guadosalam (It took them a while to get here because of having to fight with Rikku. They are staying the night at Guadosalam before they would head out to Macalania.) – Bevelle (Nighttime. Landien and Elohim are talking)