The Song of Eternity

Canto 2 : Gaia

Verse 6

Gathering

            Eiko pulled Deklin's dusty desert cloak tight around her body as they walked through the streets of Treno.  It was unseasonably cold for the time of the year.  "Are you sure you aren't cold?" she asked Deklin, looking at his sleeveless shirt from Parm..

            "I'm okay with it," he replied.  "I got used to it in the desert at night," he explained as they kept walking.  Deklin stopped at a restaurant a couple blocks away from the auction house.  "Want to grab some food?"

            "But we don't have any money," Eiko pointed out.

            "I killed some monsters last night when you were sleeping," he explained.  "Come on," he said as they walked into the restaurant, ordered and took a seat.

            "So you were awake last night?"  Eiko questioned Deklin who nodded.  "You gave me your cloak, went to kill monsters, and returned without waking me?"

            "Yes.  I was taught to be silent during my time in the desert," he explained with a hint of anger in his voice.  He fell silent again when their food, a pair of bowls of hot soup, arrived.

            After eating some of her soup, Eiko talked to Deklin some more.  "So what did you say to Dagger?"

            "Very little.  The guards almost caught me," he explained.  "I told her who I was, did al little magic and she believed me.  She told me to meet her where I found you the next day," he finished and got back to his soup.  "I don't want anyone else to know of my actions on Parm," he said quietly.

            "Fine, I can keep the secret," Eiko nodded understandingly.  "Do you want us to call you Vivi then?"

            Deklin shook his head.  "No.  I lived in this body as Deklin and I would prefer to continue to do so," he explained as his gaze shifted out the window.  "Let's go," he ordered quickly, dropping some gil on the table and rushing out the door, pulling Eiko along.  "Amarant!" he shouted at the crowd moving down the street.

            Amarant and Lani stopped and made their way back out of the crowd to greet Deklin and Eiko.  "Nice to see you among the living," Amarant greeted the pair.
            "And among the free," Eiko added.

            "That's something we really can't get into around here," Lani said angrily, shifting the weight of the pack on her shoulders.

            "What do you have there?"  Eiko asked, indicating the packs on their backs.  They walked over to the side of the street, out of the way of traffic and Amarant and Lani took the packs off.

            "A little present from a friend," Amarant smiled as he let them look into the bag at the weapons.  "A staff for you," he stated as he pulled out a reddish staff out of the bag.  "And for you?"  He directed the question at Deklin.

            "Got a shortsword?"

            "Here," he handed Deklin another reddish weapon. 

            "So, I assume we're here for the same reason," Deklin said as he motioned towards the auction house with his head.  "What's the deal with these things?" he asked about the weapons as they headed towards the auction house.

            "These were made by Deke's father-in-law using an unorthodox method.  Other parties need to be consulted before we can divulge the information," Amarant explained, avoiding the fact that the swords were tempered in human blood.  "They have a special skill built in that will increase your strength, speed, agility… everything."  Amarant turned and headed towards the auction house and tried to open the door, but to no avail, it did not budge.

            "Allow me," Deklin said as he pushed Amarant out of the way.  He took his fingers and traced along the doorframe, leaving a trail of glowing energy behind.  "Stand back," he ordered the others.  They all stood back from the door, waiting to see what Deklin was going to do.  Deklin raised his hands at the door, causing the energy to glow brighter.  Suddenly Deklin snapped his fingers, causing the energy to explode, sending the remains of the door topping inside the auction house. 

            "That was a bit much," Amarant commented as he stepped past the mage into the building.  As his eyes grew accustomed to the dimly lit room, he saw several people flee the room.  "Get in here quick, I think we spooked the people we were supposed to meet," Amarant ordered as the others cautiously made their way into the room.

            They made their way to the center of the room and put down their packs.  "I suppose this is my fault," Deklin joked as he searched for signs of life.

            "Yes it is," Amarant confirmed.  "Now put your weapons on the floor and stand still, this is a base.  We don't want to get hurt or killed," he ordered as he removed his metal claw and dropped it to the ground.  Deklin and the others did likewise.

            "So they have the presence of mind to drop their weapons, but still were dumb enough to break down the door," a voice came from above them in the darkness shrouded balcony.  "Who are you and why are you here?"

            "We were trapped in another dimension for the past six years.  I don't really look the same, but I'm Eiko Carol," Eiko explained to the darkness.

            "Lani Shinji," Lani said, getting annoyed with the questions.

            "Amarant Coral," Amarant said, holding back a chuckle.

            "Vivi, Deklin, whatever you want.  It's all the same to me," Deklin said, his eyes glowing bright in the darkness.

            "You are all supposed to be dead, how can we trust you?"

            "Enough of this.  Time is short," Amarant ordered.  "Stop fooling around Nathan.  You and Mikoto know it's us.  Deklin, lights," he commanded, causing Deklin to create a large glowing fireball, illuminating the room.  Mikoto and Nathan looked down on them from the balcony with angry looks.

            "Kill that light, mage," Nathan ordered.  "Someone board up the door and get the lights on!" he shouted as he left the balcony and Deklin let his light fade away.  Several people came from the back of the auction house and began to nail pieces of wood across the shattered doorframe.  Nathan emerged from the stairwell with Mikoto close behind.  "Nice entrance, trying to get us killed?" he scolded Deklin.

            "Take it easy, before I have to give you an attitude adjustment," Deklin said nonchalantly as he scooped his sword off the ground.

            "Boys, boys, can we take it down a notch here," Mikoto said, stepping between Nathan and Deklin.  "Same side here, remember that," she reminded her husband, pushing him away.

            "That was rude Deklin," Eiko scolded Deklin, pushing him a step back as well.

            "The weapons you four have, explain them now," Nathan ordered as he looked at the staff Eiko was holding.

            "We have these four," Amarant motioned at the weapons they were holding.  "And another eight in these packs.  They were made by Fiona's father, using a special technique," he explained, not getting into the specifics.

            "I've only seen one weapon like that.  They cannot be made, he disappeared," Nathan said.

            "There was enough blood left in Danguarro for Toma to make them," Amarant explained.

            "Wait a minute!  This red color is from blood?"  Eiko shouted as she dropped her staff.

            "Yes, the blood of Travis, left over from his time in Danguerro.  Now pick it up and use it, the blood was used to cool the metal, it isn't still there," Amarant explained.  "Each of the weapons has an X skill, the thing that let Travis increase his power.  It should help us in what we have to do in the next couple days."

            "You're free to join us in our attacks.  Come here, let me show you the maps," Nathan explained as he walked over to a wall and motioned them at a huge map of Gaia.  "We are noticeably building up our forces everywhere, preparing to act during the execution.  You can see where are forces are massing by the thumbtacks' locations."

            "Good…" Amarant and Deklin said quietly.

            "So you are going to let him die?"  Eiko looked at Nathan, wondering how he could be so cold to his brother.

            "It is a trap.  They expect us to try to save him.  I have someone helping him regain his senses now.  But we will not attack the city.  The WEAPONs have all withdrawn to the city.  He is the only one who can save himself now," Nathan said before looking away.

            "He has no memory of whatever power you and the others believe he possess," Lani explained.  "We should have family vote on this," she pleaded.

            "What family?  I am his only blood relative.  The only other family he has is Toma."

            "And myself, Fiona's sister!"  Lani exclaimed before Amarant placed his hands on her shoulders.

            "Toma agrees with this plan as well.  He would rather Travis die than learn about what happened to Fiona and Alek," Amarant countered.

            "We have no choice.  We had an army and we lost to the WEAPONs with him on our side.  Right now we do not have the means to attack the city.  Once we retake the other cities, we can raise an army and try to make them pay.  Once Kuja heals, he has said he will aid us.  Until then, we are on our own," he finished. 

            "Honey, you forgot to tell them Kuja was here," Mikoto informed her husband who was looking at the blank stares of Eiko and the others.