After what seemed like an eternity to Seshay and Bekayla, who had moaned for part of the journey saying they were bored the boat finally arrived in Luca. Arkinlae, who had never seen Luca before looked around again in curiosity. This was totally different from Besaid, and Kilika hadn't been much to comment on in its present condition. But Luca was something else. There were just loads of buildings clustered together, cafes and some houses and the huge Blitzdome. Arkinlae was startled when she was roused from her wonderment with the sound of the speakers, announcing all the teams arriving playing in this years tournament.
"Well well everyone it's the Besaid Aurochs. I don't think I've ever seen a team this bad. Twenty-three years and they haven't made it past the first round. There's only a few die hard fans here today folks."
Arkinlae felt irritated at what the commentator had said. Though Wakka didn't like her very much and she would return his feelings until he gave her Sesh, Zen and Bekayla a chance, she felt sorry for him. That was just how people treated Al Bhed. If they weren't throwing them in jail or hurling abuse at them for no reason, they were laughing at them, when all they were trying to do was get on with their own lives or help. But they didn't have Tidus on their team in the other twenty-three years. Arkinlae thought. Tidus as she had found out he was called, was one of about a million who didn't think Al Bhed were 'heathen'. Well it was mainly due to the fact he'd been rescued by Rikku when he first came to Spira, but even when Wakka had said Al Bhed were bad Tidus still didn't think anything of it.
If only people forgot their stupid Yevon for once and got to know Al Bhed, they'd see we weren't that different.
"Hey!" when Arkinlae looked round Tidus was standing on top of a stack of boxes with a megaphone at his mouth. He started shouting at the Luca Goers and the crowd gathered round.
"You'd better watch out Luca Goers, because this year the Aurochs are taking the cup!"
After Tidus had made his big finish by falling of the box he'd been standing on and getting some laughs and rolling eyes from the crowd the heard someone shout.
"Maester Mika is here!"
"Come on!" called Yuna, "Let's go and see." With that Yuna and her friends ran off to dock three.
"Come on guys." Arkinlae said to her guardians, "We'll just wait and who knows we might get a good view of the Psyches from there."
"Yeah Psyches!" Seshay cheered.
With that Arkinlae and the others made their way to dock three, just in time to Zen's disappointment to see the Grand Maester coming of the boat.
"Why didn't we walk slower?" he whispered to Arkinlae
"Maybe because dock three is like five steps away from dock two." She replied. With that comment they both laughed. As usual heads turned but for a brief moment.
"Come on let's wait," Arkinlae muttered just as Bekayla had knocked something over, "And let's try to be inconspicuous."
"Ina-copic-your-nose?" Seshay enquired which set up some snorts from the guys and some others around trying to keep straight faces.
"I mean quiet and not easily seen." Arkinlae finished
Immediately after their conversation everyone's heads seemed to be bowed down as Mika stepped of the boat, which made the Yevon guards look curiously at four floating heads. In front of the crowds was a big man with blue hair kneeling directly in front of Mika. Meanwhile as Tidus had done the two girls had climbed and sat down on top of a stack of boxes that were behind the crowds to see if they could spot the Psyches. The boys had stood up on a lower stack.
"Mm," muttered Zen curiously, "Didn't see the blue guy last time we were at Luca." By 'we' he meant him, Sesh and Bekayla. Arkinlae had still been at Home. After that nothing was said as Maester Mika said a speech.
"People of Spira I thank you for your generous welcome."
"Generwows wewcome?" Sesh muttered cutting in sort of confused by Maester Mika's accent, "We see Psyches. No you."
"Rise Maester Seymour." Mika continued as no one had heard Seshay, "And all of you as well. I present to you the son of Maester Jyscal Guado who departed for the Farplane a fortnight past."
"Why talk funny?" Seshay asked randomly which was a sign she was getting bored.
"He just does Sesh." Zen replied getting annoyed
Arkinlae didn't like to see Sesh and Zen fighting so she tried to keep the peace.
"He's a Maester Sesh. It's his job." She told her. That kept Sesh happy for five seconds.
"As some of you know he has been officially ordained a maester of Yevon."
With that the 'blue guy' as Zen had so nicely called him started talking.
"I am Seymour Guado, I am honoured to receive the title of Maester. In life my father Jyscal worked to foster friendship between man and guado. I vow to carry on his legacy and to fulfil my duties as maester to the best of my abilities."
While he'd been talking Seshay had been fiddling with a piece of machina that was used to record things on, but as with other machina it was broken. After many attempts Sesh suddenly gave up she threw it awa and it landed at Seymour feet then crowd all looked round, but Seshay was scanning the other docks and looked as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Then.
"Look!" Sesh suddenly shouted and standing up and pointing over to dock four, "Psyches." The rest of the Al Bhed stood up to see and then resumes their chants of 'Psyches, Psyches Psyches!' as they had on the boat. The crowd and the maesters stared.
"Ku Psyches!" (Go Psyches!) shouted Bekayla
"Yeah, go show those guys we Al Bhed aren't a bunch of sissies!" called Arkinlae.
Then which turned out not to be a good idea Seshay started jumping up and down.
"Sesh no!" Arkinlae shouted that not a good idea."
"Cdub!" (Stop!)agreed Zen.
But even when Seshay stopped the boxes fell and landed in an untidy heap on the floor. Seshay had fallen with them, but luckily for Arkinlae she jumped and landed just behind Yuna in the crowd. Most people had scattered when the boxes had fallen. The two Maesters looked appalled by that display and some guards went to escort the three Al Bhed away. Seymour it seemed had now turned his attention to Yuna. He stared at her and she stared back until she blinked, he however carried on until Arkinlae noticing winked at him. That broke his gaze. She hadn't smiled it was just to distract him. Then he started looking back and forth between the two of them, which no one including Arkinlae and Yuna appeared to notice.
"Intimidating isn't it?" Arkinlae muttered to Yuna, "I hate it because it's usually my appearance or me being Al Bhed that does it. When people do it towards me it means 'dirt.' Now if you'll excuse me." She walked forward with her arms folded to Seymour.
"Hey Seymour was it?" She asked in a no nonsense manner, "Could you ask your or who's ever guards they were to release my guardians."
At first Seymour looked as if he couldn't care less then he noticed her eyes.
"Your guardians?" He almost stammered in surprise
"You heard me or are you deaf as well as sound like a girl?" she retorted. She wouldn't normally speak like she did, but maesters or priests she found hardly ever paid attention to Al Bhed unless the spoke insultingly, besides she didn't really feel Seymour was the nice type, whether you liked maesters or not. There were astonished gasps from the crowd including Yuna's party. Seymour however didn't mind. It amused him to see a small sixteen-year-old Al Bhed or anyone for that matter talk to him like that and to show it he smirked.
"But you're Al Bhed." He replied, "I didn't know Al Bhed were allowed to become summoners." He said the last comment on purpose to get a reaction
"Three, two, one." Arkinlae muttered and after she said there were more whisperings
"Yeah I'm an Al Bhed with black hair big whoop." She said addressing the crowd, "Anyway." she continued back to Seymour, "As far as I know anyone can become a summoner, and I am anyone. So," she replied after a brief pause, "Are you going to let them go?"
"Mm let me think," said Seymour sarcastically, "No."
It was the answer Arkinlae had been expecting. She had no faith in any of the maesters and now especially not Seymour. Instead of crumpling up and looking sad she gave him a sarcastic smile to which Seymour raised his eyebrows, picked up Sesh's broken machina and went off to get the others herself. When she asked the guards to release the others who hadn't been standing too far away. They refused of course.
"What'cha gonna do about it prettyface?" one said.
Arkinlae though knew exactly what she was going to do. She winked at Zen and then she jumped up in the air kicked one of the guards while Zen elbowed his in the stomach seeing as he was to busy watching Arkinlae. Soon all of them were free and they ran to the square.
The Psyches were at the square in all their glory with other teams there too. It was the last opportunity to see the teams before the matches. Zen got out his guitar, which was strapped to his back and started playing a tune that Seshay knew. It was a tune she'd been practicing a dance to, to cheer on the Psyches. Seshay grabbed Arkinlae's hand and the two of them started dancing. Bekayla got the sphere camera out and filmed both the girls and Zen who was overreacting a bit with the guitar. Sliding on his knees, waving his sandy coloured hair in a ponytail from side to side, which made the girls laugh. Soon Tidus and the others came along following the Maesters. The crowds round the Psyches and the Psyches themselves were watching the dance and looked flattered by it. Arkinlae was also thoroughly enjoying herself. She loved times like this where she and Sesh would just dance or sing and forget all their troubles.
Tidus also got in the crowds watching and clapped along to the beat. The Maesters also watched for a brief second, but with no interest it appeared and then walked off. When the girls had finished the crowds started to disappear. The four of them sat down on a bench.
You forget everything when you dance, well don't forget this as you sit here Sin could be destroying another town and that will mean more souls for the Farplane dead. Heh you don't like that do you? After blitz festivities we'll hurry on.
They just sat there talking for a bit until Sesh said she was hungry. The others concurred apart from Arkinlae. The others went to buy some food Arkinlae though still sat there on the bench pondering over her thoughts.
"Is death really that bad?" she muttered, "Why do we fear it?" she didn't know why she was really asking this but that thought made her question death, "I mean does anyone apart from your family or friends care? Of course people care for celebrities, but just a normal summoner like me could they care less? People try to honour summoner's deaths, but somehow I don't know if they do care as long as they're safe from Sin. What would it be like if we were all dead?"
Someone suddenly shook her from her questions. It was Seymour who was apparently 'taking a stroll' he walked and sat on a bench near to Arkinlae who was now asking herself about the summoning and the sending.
"You know for an Al Bhed you sure ask a lot of questions concerning Yevon." Seymour said casually not bothering to look at her. Arkinlae jumped. She had not properly registered he was there.
"I only ask questions that concern me." She replied coldly, "I am a summoner you know it's hard for me not to ask such questions."
"Most don't I always thought it was unbecoming of a summoner. Anyway no need to be so uncivil." He commented.
"You maesters only listen if you're insulted."
"That we may." He said rather civilly and dejectedly
Arkinlae then realised that she was doing what they did to her and she wasn't the kind of person to do that, she was sort of felt she was getting her own back, but the way Seymour said his last comment made her feel sorry for him. She took her head away from the floor where it had originally been looking and she looked at him. He did likewise, but Arkinlae felt she had to look away again due to the fact her was staring at her. He remained looking earnestly at her. Arkinlae felt uncomfortable he had intent, almost malicious stare, but something of sadness mixed in. He looked as if he was trying to read her.
"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked. She had meant it to sound as if she was irritated but instead it sounded as if she was nervous which she was. She stared him back in the face as he was with her.
"I just came for a walk." He replied as calmly as he had the first time. That annoyed Arkinlae. She made a perplexed frown at him.
"Why are you so calm?" she asked annoyed
"Why are you so nervous?" he replied with no change to his voice
"Sorry," she replied, "I didn't mean to sound annoyed it's just-." She trailed off. There was a few minutes pause in which Arkinlae started humming. It was Seymour who started the conversation again.
"You feel intimidated, because I'm a maester." he said jovially feeling he'd finally working it out.
"How do you do that?" Arkinlae asked irritably but all feeling of feud had gone from her voice, "Fayth, Yevon leads you to so many questions."
"So, what is about summoning that troubles you?" he asked, almost kindly Arkinlae felt.
Just then Zen and the others returned. Before he was spotted Seymour abruptly got up and went back in the direction of the Blitzdome, but not before he heard the next conversation.
"Hey Kinny, we brought you something." Zen said holding out some chips.
"Fryd'c fnuhk Kinny? (What's wrong Kinny?) Bekayla asked noticing the way she was looking at her feet.
"Nothing," she replied, "I was just thinking about the summoning in Besaid that's all."
"Again!" Seshay said exasperated, "Kinny why oui so worried?"
"I'm a summoner and I can't even summon!" she stood up shouted looking at the sky, not at anyone, just to let off steam. When she sat back down she sighed.
"Whoo I feel much better now." She finished brightly. Seymour at that moment had now decided to walk away
That's interesting and rather amusing. He thought, a summoner that can't summon. I'll have to use someone else for my plan. He then went back up to the stand were Mika would be.
"Hey when we've finished these." She continued through a mouthful of chips, "We should go and find some good seats to cheer on the Psyches." After the chips they went along to the entrance of the Blitzdome to get their tickets. The match had already started but they were still allowed to go in. Before they did though the heard some people unmistakeably Al Bhed talking in the corridor down by the locker rooms.
"Is everything set for the Aurochs summoners capture?" one asked in Al Bhed. Arkinlae and the others listened curiously.
"Yes we've got her on board. Now the Aurochs will have to forfeit the match if they ever want to see her again."
"I'm warning you!" Arkinlae shouted in Al Bhed, "If you do anything to Yuna you'll have us to deal with!" The Al Bhed saw her and pushed past and ran to dock four "Come on guys, we have to go and help her." Arkinlae declared
"Don't she have guardians?" Seshay asked
"Yeah Kin, although we should help it's not our call, she has guardians that will find her."
"They'll be watching the match, they might not even know, come on guys we're going." And with that Arkinlae ran off to dock four with Bekayla and Seshay following.
"That's our Kinny." Zen sighed. And with that he to also ran off to help rescue Yuna…
There hope it wasn't to long. I've tried to put another cliffhanger in there. As I said tried. I hope this chapter was good. Anyway please review.