hello hello hello! i hope you all like the way the story is headed ( if you don't tell me in a review! ^_^). i'm trying to keep it moving as quickly as possible. oh and luckylady1818? i sorta threw in that bit about Paine as a twist on her loyal-to-her friends side. she really wants to see both Rikku and Gippal happy and if it took her being a little OOC, i wanted to try it. sorry if it made anything seem weird!
toodles!~~~sa~~~
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Ch.10: Reunited
Auron watched his son sleep affectionately. He had never seen the boy before that day, really. They were staying at the Agency for a few days to catch up. Gankee had been talking about his life all night and was exhausted. He slept so peacefully under the watch of his father. Father. Auron smiled a little at the title he now held. He was a father with someone there to call him thus. More than ever, he was glad at that moment that he had been given a second chance. Otherwise, he would never had had the chance to meet even one of his sons. Pondering where his other son could be, Auron walked over to the window and stared out at the windy night. Snow whirled around outside the window and he heard a wolf howl again. This seemingly struck a nerve for he closed his eyes with a flinch. 'Maea...' He thought longingly, touching the glass distractedly.
In the morning, Gankee woke up to find Auron alseep in the chair near the window. Smiling, he quietly left the room so as to not wake his father. Father. Gankee smiled at the title he could finally call someone honestly. His father had come back from the Farplane because there was still something he had to do. Gankee knew it was to find his sons and at least live a little while with them. Speaking of 'sons', Gankee pondered who his brother could be. Auron, urgh, his father had said that they were twins, both with the same mismatched eyes. Unfortunetly, his dad had had to leave before either son developed distinguishing features, besides the eyes. Maea, Gankee's mother, had been very scared that Auron would get in trouble with the Maesters if they found out about them having children out of wedlock. Plus, she was an Al Bhed which made it all ten times worse.
That's why she shrugged them off with the rich family in Luca who couldn't have children. Maea met with Auron one last time in Bevelle before Braska's pilgramage and that was the last time either one saw the other. When Braska's crew had reached Macalania Temple, Auron slipped away to find the Kohlso caves, but it was useless. They were too well hidden for protection reasons. Gankee had been glad that he wasn't a curse to his mother, but was given away for the protection of his father. Gankee asked where his brother had been taken, but Auron had no answers. All he figured was that Maea had given both boys to the family in Luca. Both dark haired men were confused as to why Kuron was no where to be seen. Gankee currently stood just outside the Agency, having just paid O'aka and then some for his hospitality.
Taking a deep breath of the frigid air, Gankee rubbed his hands together for warmth. His thoughts turned from his parents and brother to his surrogate sister. Rikku hadn't been around when Auron and himself had jumped ship. Sadly, he didn't want to say goodbye yet. He cared about Rikku and he knew it wasn't in a way more than a brotherly affection. He had figured that out when he saw Gippal with his lil sis and no feelings of jealousy had overtaken him. Smiling, Gankee heard what he thought was the roar of the Celsius some where in the distance. 'They must be landing on Gagazet, judging by the distance of the sound.' Thought the son of Auron a little longingly. He liked life on the Celsius enough to want to be with them on Gagazet right then. Plus, he felt kinda bad that he had deserted them in the middle of the Farplane crisis. But, his family was very important to him and he wanted to find his mother. Then he, his father, and possibly his mother would search for Kuron.
The door opened behind him and Gankee turned to greet his father cheerfully. The usually morose man smiled and waved in response. "Ready to go, dad?" Gankee asked, liking the way "dad" just rolled off his tongue. Auron seemed to like it too because he smiled a little wider and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be, son." He slapped his son on the shoulder before starting on the road to the hole of the lake. Gankee adjusted his glaive and nodded, following his father silently. The cool thing about this father and son set up was since they were both so much alike, neither was big on talking. Content with the silence of the wind and the reassuring presence of the other man walking alongside, each walked along quiet as the snow. When they reached the gaping whole where the temple had once resided, Auron paused for a moment to get his bearings. Gankee walked up next to him and pointed northeast from their location. "According to Maechen, the Kohlso live up in that region. We'll know when we enter their territory." Auron smiled at his son's matter-of-fact nature. "Alright then. Lead the way." Gankee chuckled and gladly took the lead.
It took them two whole days of walking in the frigid cold before they saw any signs of life at all, other than the fiends. Luckily, the Farplane crisis wasn't effecting the Macalania region yet so the two highly skilled warriors made short work of the fiends. That sign of intelligent life was a wooden staff stuck in a fracture in the ice they were walking on. A blue cloth with odd symbols on it and fish bones attached to it fluttered on the wind. Gankee curiously studied the markings on the cloth, seeing as the staff was no taller than he was. Auron looked around cautiously, suddenly aware that they were being watched. 'These symbols are fascinating, father! They're an ancient dialect stemming from the Ronso language." The knowledge thirsty boy eagerly read the symbols without comprehending more than two. Auron nodded, gruffly stepping in front of his currently occupied son. "Enthralling." He breathed, scanning the area surrounding them with his good eye.
Something was definetely out there. Pulling his sword out and crouching for battle, Auron motioned to the shocked Gankee to do the same. A little surprised, Gankee shook his head and was about to explain something to his father when a stone spear flew into the staff. Yelping, Gankee leapt away from it, noting the ice point. Auron growled and rushed to the spot he supposed the spear had been launched from. "Wait! Dad! Its ok they're-" He was cut off by a loud roar as Auron attacked one of the Kohlso surrounding him. Outraged, the other three Kohlso attacked his father all at once, taking him down with their vicious spears. Crying out, Gankee ran to his father, bowing respectfully to the Kohlso. After reviving Auron, Gankee attempted to communicate with the Kohlso.
The four Kohlso all regarded the two men with matching suspicious expressions. Each one had a pair of piercing light blue eyes, a few ice-blade daggers, and they all wore similar loin clothes that bore the symbol for warrior. Supposing they were frontier guards, Gankee started grunting some words in their language. In any other situation, Auron would've cracked up at the seriousness with which his son grunted, snorted, and stomped at the Kohlso. The apparent leader nodded when Gankee had finished saying something about Maea. All four Kohlso turned and marched off. Gankee turned to his father, a triumphant grin on his face. "They forgive you for attacking their companion. And they know mother!" Auron felt a little shiver shoot up his spine at the mention of his beloved. "Do they want us to follow them?" He asked, pushing aside his boyish excitement harshly. Gankee nodded and jogged to catch up with the slowly gaited Kohlso.
Auron was surprised at how much these creatures looked like the Ronso. He supposed that was to be expected since they were the descendants of long-exiled Ronso. The only major difference was the white fur of the Kohlso and the slightly stouter stature that they possessed. But, as Auron had learned the hard way, they were not less skilled warriors. Gankee was eagerly following the white warriors with an excited look on his face. Auron judged that half of that excitement was the excitement of meeting his mother while the other half was the chance to learn. His son thirsted for knowledge and adventure just as he once did, before meeting Braska. Braska had instilled a firm sense of honor and duty in Auron who became the summoner's guardian to regain some of that lost honor.
Sighing, Auron tried not to think about how badly that journey had ended. Gankee's gasp of awe made him suddenly aware that they were no longer out in the open. Quite the contrary, actually; they stood inside the entrance of an incredibly carved ice cave. Designs were etched onto every surface, images depicting the Kohlso's history beginning with their exile from the mountain. Gankee reached out to touch the carving of the first group of Kohlsos, but a warning grunt from the leader of the warrior pack made him stop. Auron stepped up behind his bewildered son and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The Kohlso kept walking in their slow but steady manner, giving Gankee plenty of time to stare at his surroundings in awe. As the light from the weak northern sun was lost in the depths of the caves, a steady blue light seemed to leak out from the very walls themselves.
Auron was about to ask Gankee about this when his son launched into an explanation quietly. "The Kohlso used a special ice-like stone to reinforce their caves. That stone is something like sphere crystal and gives off this blue light." Gankee's mismatched eyes were so wide with wonderment that Auron couldn't help byt chuckle. The caves were shockingly complex and soon Auron had lost count of how many turns they made. Sometimes they passed a well lit passageway were the disant murmur of voices could be heard. Other times they passed dark corridors that reeked of death. Trying not to guess what could lie within the depths of the darker passages, Auron diverted his attention to the smells of wood smoke and fish.
Wave of warmth washed over them suddenly and Gankee noted how the ice of the passageway they were walking in currently was melting. Soon, they were walking on bare stone and the light around them changed from cold blue to warm orangey yellow. The sounds of mingled voices and singing reached their ears and the Kohlso sped up a bit. They entered a cavern that was much wider than the main entrance they had walked into. Gankee stared at the sheer number of Kohlso he saw milling about. Most were adults, working on this or that task while the minority of children played in the aisles between little cloth teepees. Each seperate dwelling place was decorated with that family's special symbol making each unique and interesting to look at. Also, each home had a smoke hole at the top where little trickles of gray smoke poured out regularly.
At the center of the apparent village, there was a huge fire pit that was currently being stacked with wood. There was going to be a feast, judging by the amount of work going into that pit. Gankee stopped walking to soak it all in. So much information here that no human knew; so many new facts to learn. Auron touched his son's arm to get him back to reality. "I think we should still follow our friends there." He whispered gruffly, indicating the retreating backs of their companions. When they caught up, it was just the leader of the group standing there, waiting. Gankee inquired as to the whereabouts of the others in broken Kohlso. The leader grinned toothily and chuckled. "I speak your language, man-boy." Gankee jumped making both the Kohlso and Auron chuckle warmly.
"Oh, well, uh, I mean..." Gankee was utterly baffled as to why the Kohlso knew the common tongue. The wise looking beast seemed to read his thoughts keenly. "Maea taught us all how to speak Common Speech and Al Bhed, in case we ever met any Yevonites or more Al Bhed." Auron nodded, silent at the mention of Maea. Gankee stammered, his eyes glowing furiously. "Why didn't you speak either language earlier then?" He said, still pretty overwhelmed. The warrior Kohlso shrugged. "You seemed to like speaking our language better." Gankee looked like he was about to pass out in response to that statement. Auron patted his son comfortingly on the back before venturing forward to address the warrior. "You spoke of Maea before. Is she here?" The warrior nodded, answering Auron's two questions easily. "Yes, we know Maea. She has lived with us for over ten moons now. She is one of us." Auron blinked his good eye at the defensiveness with which the Kohlso ended his statement.
While the two older people spoke, Gankee noticed how a crowd of curious Kohlso was gathering. Waving and smiling at the multitude of white, furry faces, Gankee tried not to run up to each and ask a million questions. Meanwhile, Auron tried to ask where Maea was and if they could go see her. Before the warrior could answer, the crowd around them parted while a hush fell on the cave as a whole. Gankee felt as if someone very important was coming and so, smoothed out his shorts and ran a hand through his wind blown hair. An elderly looking Kohlso limped towards him, her piercing blue eyes fixed on Gankee critically. She wore some beautiful assortment of clothes wrapped like a summoner's robe. The robes themselves were varying shades of blue and white. Her wispy looking head-fur was braided with fish bones and blue beads, decorating her as a leader some sort. All the Kohlso bowed their heads to her as she made her way to the center of the crowd.
Even the proud warrior Kohlso shut up and bowed low. Auron turned to see what was going on and stepped over to Gankee's side. "Do you suppose that is their Elder?" He whispered to his knowedgable son. To Auron's surprise, Gankee shrugged. "I have no clue. But that's my guess." The elderly Kohlso stopped directly in front of Gankee and stared at his mis matched eyes in that same critical way. "Maea's son." She said in proud Common Speech, her Kohlso accent heavy and thick. Gankee nodded, not looking away from the ice blue eyes. Then the female Kohlso stepped over to Auron and examined his red robe first before his face. She paused before speaking again, her facial expression changing from critical to slightly hostile in a split second. " Maea's lover." Auron nodded to this, ignoring the fact that it sounded more like an insult than a title.
Glancing at both men in turn, the Kohlso stepped back and cleared her throat. "I am Elder Lorelei, leader and chieftan of the Kohlso people. I welcome you, Maea's son and Maea's lover, to the Cavern of Kohlso. All, let us rejoice in this happy hour." All the Kohlso gave a mighty cheer and there was a rush of the cat-like people towards the two humans. Everyone seemed to want to shake their hands and just look at them. They were almost as curious as Gankee; almost. After a while, an amused looking Lorelei led them away from the crowd, telling all her people to prepare for the feast. The happy looking white beasts went about their work happily. Lorelei led them to another cave on the other side of the cavern where it was quite silent. She had her own personal cavern that was much smaller than the other, but still very nice. A few teepees populated this one, but there was no fire pit. Gankee guessed these were the homes of Lorelei's advisors or servants. The largest teepee of all stood where the fire pit would've been, if there had been one.
It was made out of the same fabric as the Elder's robes, decorated with the Kohlso symbol for Elder. Lorelei led them inside the warm teepee and served them some strong berry tea that warmed them right up. They sat there in silence with the slightly unsettling gaze of Lorelei analyzing their every feature. After what seemed like forever, the flap behind Lorelei opened and a woman stepped through. An Al Bhed woman. Gankee stood up, wanting to run to his mother and hug her. Lorelei stood as well, barring his path so he just stood there and stared. She looked small and frail, like Rikku, dressed in a short orange and red sleeveless shirt. Her skirt was also red and orange and fell to the ground, tied around her waist. Also, around her waist there were three or four strings of multicolored beads and fish bones. Her golden hair was braided into one long braid that was also adorned with beads and bones at the end. Her wrists were decorated with metallic bracelets and beads, too.
Maea stood there and looked at her long lost son for a long moment before bursting into tears and running to him. "Gankee! I'm so sorry!" Was all she could utter before burying her face in her son's shoulder. Gankee hugged her tightly, feeling the need to protect her strongly. Now he knew where his need to protect Rikku came from; his inert feeling for his Al Bhed mother. Gazing up at her dark haired son's face, those green eyes filled with tears again. She pushed a stray strand of his hair out of his eyes with a shaky hand. "You look so much like him." She uttered, shaking with her painful sobs. Auron stood fluidly and stepped out of the shadows of the teepee. Maea gasped, stepping away from Gankee at the sight of Auron. Her eyes scanned him fully and she hesitated a little. "Auron? Is that really you?" She breathed, obviously shocked. Gankee smiled and nodded, seeing how speechless his father was at the sight of his long lost lover.
Auron stepped towards her, stopping right in front of her. They both just stood there, unspoken words spanning the years to bring them back together. Silently, Maea threw her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Gankee smiled more widely and Lorelei moved to stand next to the boy. "I am happy for them." She said gruffly. Gankee nodded. "Me too. Its good to see my parents together."
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AN: SO? whaddya think of Gankee's mommy? she'll be developed a little more in the next couple of chappies i promise. please R&R! ~~~sa~~~
toodles!~~~sa~~~
~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~
Ch.10: Reunited
Auron watched his son sleep affectionately. He had never seen the boy before that day, really. They were staying at the Agency for a few days to catch up. Gankee had been talking about his life all night and was exhausted. He slept so peacefully under the watch of his father. Father. Auron smiled a little at the title he now held. He was a father with someone there to call him thus. More than ever, he was glad at that moment that he had been given a second chance. Otherwise, he would never had had the chance to meet even one of his sons. Pondering where his other son could be, Auron walked over to the window and stared out at the windy night. Snow whirled around outside the window and he heard a wolf howl again. This seemingly struck a nerve for he closed his eyes with a flinch. 'Maea...' He thought longingly, touching the glass distractedly.
In the morning, Gankee woke up to find Auron alseep in the chair near the window. Smiling, he quietly left the room so as to not wake his father. Father. Gankee smiled at the title he could finally call someone honestly. His father had come back from the Farplane because there was still something he had to do. Gankee knew it was to find his sons and at least live a little while with them. Speaking of 'sons', Gankee pondered who his brother could be. Auron, urgh, his father had said that they were twins, both with the same mismatched eyes. Unfortunetly, his dad had had to leave before either son developed distinguishing features, besides the eyes. Maea, Gankee's mother, had been very scared that Auron would get in trouble with the Maesters if they found out about them having children out of wedlock. Plus, she was an Al Bhed which made it all ten times worse.
That's why she shrugged them off with the rich family in Luca who couldn't have children. Maea met with Auron one last time in Bevelle before Braska's pilgramage and that was the last time either one saw the other. When Braska's crew had reached Macalania Temple, Auron slipped away to find the Kohlso caves, but it was useless. They were too well hidden for protection reasons. Gankee had been glad that he wasn't a curse to his mother, but was given away for the protection of his father. Gankee asked where his brother had been taken, but Auron had no answers. All he figured was that Maea had given both boys to the family in Luca. Both dark haired men were confused as to why Kuron was no where to be seen. Gankee currently stood just outside the Agency, having just paid O'aka and then some for his hospitality.
Taking a deep breath of the frigid air, Gankee rubbed his hands together for warmth. His thoughts turned from his parents and brother to his surrogate sister. Rikku hadn't been around when Auron and himself had jumped ship. Sadly, he didn't want to say goodbye yet. He cared about Rikku and he knew it wasn't in a way more than a brotherly affection. He had figured that out when he saw Gippal with his lil sis and no feelings of jealousy had overtaken him. Smiling, Gankee heard what he thought was the roar of the Celsius some where in the distance. 'They must be landing on Gagazet, judging by the distance of the sound.' Thought the son of Auron a little longingly. He liked life on the Celsius enough to want to be with them on Gagazet right then. Plus, he felt kinda bad that he had deserted them in the middle of the Farplane crisis. But, his family was very important to him and he wanted to find his mother. Then he, his father, and possibly his mother would search for Kuron.
The door opened behind him and Gankee turned to greet his father cheerfully. The usually morose man smiled and waved in response. "Ready to go, dad?" Gankee asked, liking the way "dad" just rolled off his tongue. Auron seemed to like it too because he smiled a little wider and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be, son." He slapped his son on the shoulder before starting on the road to the hole of the lake. Gankee adjusted his glaive and nodded, following his father silently. The cool thing about this father and son set up was since they were both so much alike, neither was big on talking. Content with the silence of the wind and the reassuring presence of the other man walking alongside, each walked along quiet as the snow. When they reached the gaping whole where the temple had once resided, Auron paused for a moment to get his bearings. Gankee walked up next to him and pointed northeast from their location. "According to Maechen, the Kohlso live up in that region. We'll know when we enter their territory." Auron smiled at his son's matter-of-fact nature. "Alright then. Lead the way." Gankee chuckled and gladly took the lead.
It took them two whole days of walking in the frigid cold before they saw any signs of life at all, other than the fiends. Luckily, the Farplane crisis wasn't effecting the Macalania region yet so the two highly skilled warriors made short work of the fiends. That sign of intelligent life was a wooden staff stuck in a fracture in the ice they were walking on. A blue cloth with odd symbols on it and fish bones attached to it fluttered on the wind. Gankee curiously studied the markings on the cloth, seeing as the staff was no taller than he was. Auron looked around cautiously, suddenly aware that they were being watched. 'These symbols are fascinating, father! They're an ancient dialect stemming from the Ronso language." The knowledge thirsty boy eagerly read the symbols without comprehending more than two. Auron nodded, gruffly stepping in front of his currently occupied son. "Enthralling." He breathed, scanning the area surrounding them with his good eye.
Something was definetely out there. Pulling his sword out and crouching for battle, Auron motioned to the shocked Gankee to do the same. A little surprised, Gankee shook his head and was about to explain something to his father when a stone spear flew into the staff. Yelping, Gankee leapt away from it, noting the ice point. Auron growled and rushed to the spot he supposed the spear had been launched from. "Wait! Dad! Its ok they're-" He was cut off by a loud roar as Auron attacked one of the Kohlso surrounding him. Outraged, the other three Kohlso attacked his father all at once, taking him down with their vicious spears. Crying out, Gankee ran to his father, bowing respectfully to the Kohlso. After reviving Auron, Gankee attempted to communicate with the Kohlso.
The four Kohlso all regarded the two men with matching suspicious expressions. Each one had a pair of piercing light blue eyes, a few ice-blade daggers, and they all wore similar loin clothes that bore the symbol for warrior. Supposing they were frontier guards, Gankee started grunting some words in their language. In any other situation, Auron would've cracked up at the seriousness with which his son grunted, snorted, and stomped at the Kohlso. The apparent leader nodded when Gankee had finished saying something about Maea. All four Kohlso turned and marched off. Gankee turned to his father, a triumphant grin on his face. "They forgive you for attacking their companion. And they know mother!" Auron felt a little shiver shoot up his spine at the mention of his beloved. "Do they want us to follow them?" He asked, pushing aside his boyish excitement harshly. Gankee nodded and jogged to catch up with the slowly gaited Kohlso.
Auron was surprised at how much these creatures looked like the Ronso. He supposed that was to be expected since they were the descendants of long-exiled Ronso. The only major difference was the white fur of the Kohlso and the slightly stouter stature that they possessed. But, as Auron had learned the hard way, they were not less skilled warriors. Gankee was eagerly following the white warriors with an excited look on his face. Auron judged that half of that excitement was the excitement of meeting his mother while the other half was the chance to learn. His son thirsted for knowledge and adventure just as he once did, before meeting Braska. Braska had instilled a firm sense of honor and duty in Auron who became the summoner's guardian to regain some of that lost honor.
Sighing, Auron tried not to think about how badly that journey had ended. Gankee's gasp of awe made him suddenly aware that they were no longer out in the open. Quite the contrary, actually; they stood inside the entrance of an incredibly carved ice cave. Designs were etched onto every surface, images depicting the Kohlso's history beginning with their exile from the mountain. Gankee reached out to touch the carving of the first group of Kohlsos, but a warning grunt from the leader of the warrior pack made him stop. Auron stepped up behind his bewildered son and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The Kohlso kept walking in their slow but steady manner, giving Gankee plenty of time to stare at his surroundings in awe. As the light from the weak northern sun was lost in the depths of the caves, a steady blue light seemed to leak out from the very walls themselves.
Auron was about to ask Gankee about this when his son launched into an explanation quietly. "The Kohlso used a special ice-like stone to reinforce their caves. That stone is something like sphere crystal and gives off this blue light." Gankee's mismatched eyes were so wide with wonderment that Auron couldn't help byt chuckle. The caves were shockingly complex and soon Auron had lost count of how many turns they made. Sometimes they passed a well lit passageway were the disant murmur of voices could be heard. Other times they passed dark corridors that reeked of death. Trying not to guess what could lie within the depths of the darker passages, Auron diverted his attention to the smells of wood smoke and fish.
Wave of warmth washed over them suddenly and Gankee noted how the ice of the passageway they were walking in currently was melting. Soon, they were walking on bare stone and the light around them changed from cold blue to warm orangey yellow. The sounds of mingled voices and singing reached their ears and the Kohlso sped up a bit. They entered a cavern that was much wider than the main entrance they had walked into. Gankee stared at the sheer number of Kohlso he saw milling about. Most were adults, working on this or that task while the minority of children played in the aisles between little cloth teepees. Each seperate dwelling place was decorated with that family's special symbol making each unique and interesting to look at. Also, each home had a smoke hole at the top where little trickles of gray smoke poured out regularly.
At the center of the apparent village, there was a huge fire pit that was currently being stacked with wood. There was going to be a feast, judging by the amount of work going into that pit. Gankee stopped walking to soak it all in. So much information here that no human knew; so many new facts to learn. Auron touched his son's arm to get him back to reality. "I think we should still follow our friends there." He whispered gruffly, indicating the retreating backs of their companions. When they caught up, it was just the leader of the group standing there, waiting. Gankee inquired as to the whereabouts of the others in broken Kohlso. The leader grinned toothily and chuckled. "I speak your language, man-boy." Gankee jumped making both the Kohlso and Auron chuckle warmly.
"Oh, well, uh, I mean..." Gankee was utterly baffled as to why the Kohlso knew the common tongue. The wise looking beast seemed to read his thoughts keenly. "Maea taught us all how to speak Common Speech and Al Bhed, in case we ever met any Yevonites or more Al Bhed." Auron nodded, silent at the mention of Maea. Gankee stammered, his eyes glowing furiously. "Why didn't you speak either language earlier then?" He said, still pretty overwhelmed. The warrior Kohlso shrugged. "You seemed to like speaking our language better." Gankee looked like he was about to pass out in response to that statement. Auron patted his son comfortingly on the back before venturing forward to address the warrior. "You spoke of Maea before. Is she here?" The warrior nodded, answering Auron's two questions easily. "Yes, we know Maea. She has lived with us for over ten moons now. She is one of us." Auron blinked his good eye at the defensiveness with which the Kohlso ended his statement.
While the two older people spoke, Gankee noticed how a crowd of curious Kohlso was gathering. Waving and smiling at the multitude of white, furry faces, Gankee tried not to run up to each and ask a million questions. Meanwhile, Auron tried to ask where Maea was and if they could go see her. Before the warrior could answer, the crowd around them parted while a hush fell on the cave as a whole. Gankee felt as if someone very important was coming and so, smoothed out his shorts and ran a hand through his wind blown hair. An elderly looking Kohlso limped towards him, her piercing blue eyes fixed on Gankee critically. She wore some beautiful assortment of clothes wrapped like a summoner's robe. The robes themselves were varying shades of blue and white. Her wispy looking head-fur was braided with fish bones and blue beads, decorating her as a leader some sort. All the Kohlso bowed their heads to her as she made her way to the center of the crowd.
Even the proud warrior Kohlso shut up and bowed low. Auron turned to see what was going on and stepped over to Gankee's side. "Do you suppose that is their Elder?" He whispered to his knowedgable son. To Auron's surprise, Gankee shrugged. "I have no clue. But that's my guess." The elderly Kohlso stopped directly in front of Gankee and stared at his mis matched eyes in that same critical way. "Maea's son." She said in proud Common Speech, her Kohlso accent heavy and thick. Gankee nodded, not looking away from the ice blue eyes. Then the female Kohlso stepped over to Auron and examined his red robe first before his face. She paused before speaking again, her facial expression changing from critical to slightly hostile in a split second. " Maea's lover." Auron nodded to this, ignoring the fact that it sounded more like an insult than a title.
Glancing at both men in turn, the Kohlso stepped back and cleared her throat. "I am Elder Lorelei, leader and chieftan of the Kohlso people. I welcome you, Maea's son and Maea's lover, to the Cavern of Kohlso. All, let us rejoice in this happy hour." All the Kohlso gave a mighty cheer and there was a rush of the cat-like people towards the two humans. Everyone seemed to want to shake their hands and just look at them. They were almost as curious as Gankee; almost. After a while, an amused looking Lorelei led them away from the crowd, telling all her people to prepare for the feast. The happy looking white beasts went about their work happily. Lorelei led them to another cave on the other side of the cavern where it was quite silent. She had her own personal cavern that was much smaller than the other, but still very nice. A few teepees populated this one, but there was no fire pit. Gankee guessed these were the homes of Lorelei's advisors or servants. The largest teepee of all stood where the fire pit would've been, if there had been one.
It was made out of the same fabric as the Elder's robes, decorated with the Kohlso symbol for Elder. Lorelei led them inside the warm teepee and served them some strong berry tea that warmed them right up. They sat there in silence with the slightly unsettling gaze of Lorelei analyzing their every feature. After what seemed like forever, the flap behind Lorelei opened and a woman stepped through. An Al Bhed woman. Gankee stood up, wanting to run to his mother and hug her. Lorelei stood as well, barring his path so he just stood there and stared. She looked small and frail, like Rikku, dressed in a short orange and red sleeveless shirt. Her skirt was also red and orange and fell to the ground, tied around her waist. Also, around her waist there were three or four strings of multicolored beads and fish bones. Her golden hair was braided into one long braid that was also adorned with beads and bones at the end. Her wrists were decorated with metallic bracelets and beads, too.
Maea stood there and looked at her long lost son for a long moment before bursting into tears and running to him. "Gankee! I'm so sorry!" Was all she could utter before burying her face in her son's shoulder. Gankee hugged her tightly, feeling the need to protect her strongly. Now he knew where his need to protect Rikku came from; his inert feeling for his Al Bhed mother. Gazing up at her dark haired son's face, those green eyes filled with tears again. She pushed a stray strand of his hair out of his eyes with a shaky hand. "You look so much like him." She uttered, shaking with her painful sobs. Auron stood fluidly and stepped out of the shadows of the teepee. Maea gasped, stepping away from Gankee at the sight of Auron. Her eyes scanned him fully and she hesitated a little. "Auron? Is that really you?" She breathed, obviously shocked. Gankee smiled and nodded, seeing how speechless his father was at the sight of his long lost lover.
Auron stepped towards her, stopping right in front of her. They both just stood there, unspoken words spanning the years to bring them back together. Silently, Maea threw her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Gankee smiled more widely and Lorelei moved to stand next to the boy. "I am happy for them." She said gruffly. Gankee nodded. "Me too. Its good to see my parents together."
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AN: SO? whaddya think of Gankee's mommy? she'll be developed a little more in the next couple of chappies i promise. please R&R! ~~~sa~~~