CHAPTER 14
"Will the lady guardian be all right?" asked Elohim, trying to break the awkward silence that had settled over the duo once they stepped outside of the Travel Agency. "She will be fine. It was nothing serious, she was just so shocked when she saw those Guado." Replied Landien briskly. "I see. Has the Lady Guardian never seen death?" inquired the younger man, trying his best to keep the words flowing between them.
"You can call her Lydia..." suggested Landien, feeling rather uncomfortable about having his little sister being referred to so formally... so impersonally. "After all, she is your fellow guardian, just like Ilised is." Added summoner, emphasizing Ilised so that his new guardian would refrain from calling him Lord or Sir Guardian.
But with Landien's words came about another uneasy silence.
"No." said the summoner softly, trying to break the quiet that hung between him and Elohim. "No, what?" asked the guardian, confused. "Lydia has never seen death, not like that at least... until then, of course." Replied the summoner, his voice forlorn. "How lucky for her." Remarked Elohim. "I was not privileged to that as a child," he continued, his eyes half-closed in reflection. "What about you?" dared the younger man, hoping to get an honest reply.
"I had just turned five. Sin had attacked the village. And I witnessed the death of our neighbors... all six of them." Replied Landien sadly as he thought of the many people that had perished because of Sin. "Lydia was only two then... almost three. She was asleep for most of it." Continued the summoner, delving deeper into his memory.
"And what of you?" inquired Landien, trying to bury his memories deep into the recesses of his mind. "Seven. I was accompanying my father, Lord Odevaker and Olin on one of the delivery routes... you know, to familiarize myself with my future duties. A band of Al Bhed had attacked us and my own father had killed about six of them. But by the end of it, eighteen more men had died, ten were the remainder of the Al Bhed bandits and eight were of our own armed escorts." Answered Elohim grimly as he pushed away the gruesome images that came to him.
"Let us no longer speak of such horrid things..." said Elohim, trying to lighten the mood. The summoner nodded in agreement but knew not what to say. "What do you make of the recent events?" asked the guardian. "Ummm..." mumbled Landien, having no answer. "Do you even stop and interact with other people?" declared the younger man cheerfully when he realized that his companion had no clue whatsoever about the strange occurrences in the recent weeks.
"It's hard for us... being what we are..." muttered the summoner grudgingly, not wanting to admit his fear of other's rejection or hatred, as he wrung his hands together. "I know what you mean." Said Elohim sympathetically. Both men understood the pain that one felt when being stared at or scrutinized. Neither were stranger to ridicule or harassment.
"I have always wondered..." began Elohim cautiously, unsure whether the words he was about to say were appropriate. "Why do you fight against Sin, Landien?" he finished, uncertain of whether he had hit a nerve. The summoner had remained silent at this, which greatly worried the younger man, yet, made him want to know even more. "For people who have ridiculed you..." dared the guardian, hoping to extract a reaction or answer from the quiet man.
A long, silent pause followed. Only the cruel winds blowing in from the Lake made a sound.
'I have made him angry...' thought Elohim, regretting what he had just done. The younger guardian wanted so much to reach out and some how apologize for crossing the invisible line of courtesy. But before the guardian could gather enough courage to do so, Landien let out a clear and oddly light laughter which was slightly muffled by the wind.
"It's funny," snickered the summoner, his eyes brimming with tears from laughing so hard. Elohim could look on with much confusion. "But I don't know anymore..." exclaimed a jolly and still laughing Landien as thought it were the funniest thing he had ever heard. "What do you mean?" asked the perplexed guardian.
"When I started out, I wanted to prove to all of Spira that the Al Bhed were not their enemies but their allied in the fight against Sin..." began Landien, his trailing off as he shut his eyes in concentration. "But when you asked me... I don't think that's the reason anymore..." said the summoner, his voice hesitant as though hiding something, his eyyes still shut. "I just don't know anymore." Finished Landien, giggling despite himself, as he slowly opened his eyes, which were slightly watery.
"I am a pathetic summoner." Declared Landien dejectedly as he sat himself down on the snow. "You're not." Retorted Elohim encouragingly as he too sat on the snow. His guardian's reply had surprised the summoner. "But I don't even know why I'm doing this!" said Landien desperately as he pulled at his hair in frustration. "But that does not mean that you are weak or incapable." Answered the guardian as he restrained Landien from pulling his hair.
"Thank you." Whispered Landien as he met Elohim's gaze. The summoner's eyes, which were normally calm and collected, were filled with emotions...gratitude, anger, and disappointment, hope, joy... all there. "There's no need." Said the guardian softly with a gentle smile as he released his companion's wrists.
Elohim and Landien did not talk after these almost inaudible words. They just sat there in the snow, side by side in silence for about an hour before they decided to retire for the night.
NOTE:
Timeline: same as the last chapter's
So sorry that this chapter is rather short.... You see I've been just so busy and will be even busier 'coz school is almost here. Frankly at this rate, I'll be lucky to even write two chapters a week 'coz I still have to edit and critique a whole bunch of my friends' fics and original stories. I hate myself so much for not gradually doing them over the summer!!!!!!!!
"Will the lady guardian be all right?" asked Elohim, trying to break the awkward silence that had settled over the duo once they stepped outside of the Travel Agency. "She will be fine. It was nothing serious, she was just so shocked when she saw those Guado." Replied Landien briskly. "I see. Has the Lady Guardian never seen death?" inquired the younger man, trying his best to keep the words flowing between them.
"You can call her Lydia..." suggested Landien, feeling rather uncomfortable about having his little sister being referred to so formally... so impersonally. "After all, she is your fellow guardian, just like Ilised is." Added summoner, emphasizing Ilised so that his new guardian would refrain from calling him Lord or Sir Guardian.
But with Landien's words came about another uneasy silence.
"No." said the summoner softly, trying to break the quiet that hung between him and Elohim. "No, what?" asked the guardian, confused. "Lydia has never seen death, not like that at least... until then, of course." Replied the summoner, his voice forlorn. "How lucky for her." Remarked Elohim. "I was not privileged to that as a child," he continued, his eyes half-closed in reflection. "What about you?" dared the younger man, hoping to get an honest reply.
"I had just turned five. Sin had attacked the village. And I witnessed the death of our neighbors... all six of them." Replied Landien sadly as he thought of the many people that had perished because of Sin. "Lydia was only two then... almost three. She was asleep for most of it." Continued the summoner, delving deeper into his memory.
"And what of you?" inquired Landien, trying to bury his memories deep into the recesses of his mind. "Seven. I was accompanying my father, Lord Odevaker and Olin on one of the delivery routes... you know, to familiarize myself with my future duties. A band of Al Bhed had attacked us and my own father had killed about six of them. But by the end of it, eighteen more men had died, ten were the remainder of the Al Bhed bandits and eight were of our own armed escorts." Answered Elohim grimly as he pushed away the gruesome images that came to him.
"Let us no longer speak of such horrid things..." said Elohim, trying to lighten the mood. The summoner nodded in agreement but knew not what to say. "What do you make of the recent events?" asked the guardian. "Ummm..." mumbled Landien, having no answer. "Do you even stop and interact with other people?" declared the younger man cheerfully when he realized that his companion had no clue whatsoever about the strange occurrences in the recent weeks.
"It's hard for us... being what we are..." muttered the summoner grudgingly, not wanting to admit his fear of other's rejection or hatred, as he wrung his hands together. "I know what you mean." Said Elohim sympathetically. Both men understood the pain that one felt when being stared at or scrutinized. Neither were stranger to ridicule or harassment.
"I have always wondered..." began Elohim cautiously, unsure whether the words he was about to say were appropriate. "Why do you fight against Sin, Landien?" he finished, uncertain of whether he had hit a nerve. The summoner had remained silent at this, which greatly worried the younger man, yet, made him want to know even more. "For people who have ridiculed you..." dared the guardian, hoping to extract a reaction or answer from the quiet man.
A long, silent pause followed. Only the cruel winds blowing in from the Lake made a sound.
'I have made him angry...' thought Elohim, regretting what he had just done. The younger guardian wanted so much to reach out and some how apologize for crossing the invisible line of courtesy. But before the guardian could gather enough courage to do so, Landien let out a clear and oddly light laughter which was slightly muffled by the wind.
"It's funny," snickered the summoner, his eyes brimming with tears from laughing so hard. Elohim could look on with much confusion. "But I don't know anymore..." exclaimed a jolly and still laughing Landien as thought it were the funniest thing he had ever heard. "What do you mean?" asked the perplexed guardian.
"When I started out, I wanted to prove to all of Spira that the Al Bhed were not their enemies but their allied in the fight against Sin..." began Landien, his trailing off as he shut his eyes in concentration. "But when you asked me... I don't think that's the reason anymore..." said the summoner, his voice hesitant as though hiding something, his eyyes still shut. "I just don't know anymore." Finished Landien, giggling despite himself, as he slowly opened his eyes, which were slightly watery.
"I am a pathetic summoner." Declared Landien dejectedly as he sat himself down on the snow. "You're not." Retorted Elohim encouragingly as he too sat on the snow. His guardian's reply had surprised the summoner. "But I don't even know why I'm doing this!" said Landien desperately as he pulled at his hair in frustration. "But that does not mean that you are weak or incapable." Answered the guardian as he restrained Landien from pulling his hair.
"Thank you." Whispered Landien as he met Elohim's gaze. The summoner's eyes, which were normally calm and collected, were filled with emotions...gratitude, anger, and disappointment, hope, joy... all there. "There's no need." Said the guardian softly with a gentle smile as he released his companion's wrists.
Elohim and Landien did not talk after these almost inaudible words. They just sat there in the snow, side by side in silence for about an hour before they decided to retire for the night.
NOTE:
Timeline: same as the last chapter's
So sorry that this chapter is rather short.... You see I've been just so busy and will be even busier 'coz school is almost here. Frankly at this rate, I'll be lucky to even write two chapters a week 'coz I still have to edit and critique a whole bunch of my friends' fics and original stories. I hate myself so much for not gradually doing them over the summer!!!!!!!!