The Day I Died.
Chapter 12. Sins of the fathers.
Seymour was utterly confused. Why Serian wanted to go to Guadosalam? There´s nothing for him... Oh, wait.
There was. The Guados. Seymour almost let out a half-amused snort, but he soon gained control of his temperance. He had almost forgotten his own ancestors, as they had never felt like his own family.
Not once did they act like a family for him.
Seymour scratched his jaw with his delicate fingers, as he dived even deeper into himself, into the dark depths of his memories, trying to reminisce.
He had no family. He was like a lovesick dog wandering at the feet of people who were strange to him, never really part of the herd, never really accepted. And strange those people were...but for them, Seymour was only something that Nature had floppily created using clay and human blood, and realizing Her errors, she simply threw that clay figure, that half-human, half-Guado aside...Made of clay?
Even Serian had thought so.
He was only a shape that was trying so desperately to be something, but in the end, he was nothing. Only a simple clay figure resembling...human. He was only waiting them to accept him, as he was, which, of course never happened.
Well, the death of his Father changed everything.
Now that I was a Maester, now I was respected, yes. If I hadn´t taken my Father´s life, like he had took my Mother´s so long ago, I would still be nothing but...a mere shadow of something greater. But yet, my Mother sacrificed Her life for my happiness. I was supposed to defeat Sin. Still, did I defeat it? No...
Immense self-loathing.
...But She did. Should I be grateful for her for that? But Sin is gone now...Why I am here? What am I supposed to do now...? Seymour furrowed his brows slightly, as he started to understand his own place in this grim, cold world.
...I have nothing to live for, if my plans will not succeed...is there truly nothing else left for me in this world than a simple throne and bowing servants? There has to be something greater than that. If only...there was someone to help me...guide me. Could She understand?...Understand? She?
Very soon Seymour´s face darkened. This familiar bitterness rose inside of him again, and he was more than comfortable like this. After experiencing the "glory" of being the only half-Guado in the world, he had accustomed to this grim companion of his. If no one had ever understood him in the past, what makes this time so special?
One small, sad and tired laughter escaped from his throat, and all he could do, was to stand-alone in the empty corridor and continue to dwell in his self-pity.
His melancholic reminiscing was however irritatingly interrupted, as a familiar figure came to a halt just before him.
Seymour lifted his gaze, and saw something he would have liked to avoid.
Lady Laetitia, Serian´s wife, was standing right in front of him, staring right into his eyes.
Seymour took one, cautious step backwards, as he remembered what kind of an obsession that woman had, and frankly, Seymour was quite keen on keeping his head attached to the rest of his body.
"Do not worry, son of Jyscal. I did not seek you out just to end your life, Maester."
She spoke to him with tired irony and lowered voice, and Seymour just lifted his brows. "O-Oh? That is quite relieving to hear, my Lady." He nodded with false courtesy, and Laetitia furrowed her brows in restrained urge to smack that half-Guado right across that vein-filled face of his. For Seymour´s fortune, Laetitia had the most remarkable self-control.
"If that pleases you, half-Guado. I trust that Lady Yuna gave you a small satin pouch, did she not?" Laetitia questioned harshly, lacking all the politeness in her words what Seymour had always enjoyed in Yuna´s soft voice. Although he had always detested the term "half-Guado", he never let it show. This moment was no different.
"Why?" Came his soft reply.
"I know she did. If she knew what was ahead of her, she would give it to you. Now, hand it over to me." She calmly answered, and waited him to give the pouch back to her. "Fine. But you must tell me what you meant about Yuna. I demand it." His tone was now cool and commanding.
Laetitia smiled. "You should have already known, Maester Seymour. To put it quite simply, she will suffer the same fate what my son went trough. Trust me, when I say that you won´t be able to enjoy her genuine company for long. After her duties in Guadosalam are over, she will be executed. And it is a sight I rather would not witness...Seymour." She answered with blank, unfeeling voice, and Seymour was quite disturbed by her answer. He was prepared to this, however. Seymour knew, that someone would be sacrificed in order for him to gain hold of power once more, but why...he felt so bad about it?
"Lady Laetitia...Yuna´s home is located in Besaid, the last time I recalled...most probably, her friends are there too. Can you...Can you meet them and explain the events? Even though they despise and detest me and my likes, they should know.
I care for her...I would not like to see her get hurt." Seymour said quietly.
Laetitia lifted her blue eyes to meet his. "So...you are able to care for somebody? That´s really touching, really. But I´m afraid that that alone won´t save your friend...but if you wish me to act as an intermediary to convey your apologies to her friends, so be it." She briskly said, checked the pouch´s contents, and disappeared behind the corner. Once again, Seymour was alone.
The carriages jogged slightly from the rocky road, as it got nearer to it´s destination.
Yuna looked through the window and saw only thick forest.
"We must be near Guadosalam, already..." She whispered, and prayed that Serian did not decide to throw her life away like a used and old toy after her work was done in that city.
"...Indeed we are." Uncaring, almost cold voice replied, and Yuna almost shuddered by it´s callous echo in the cabin, and she turned to look at Serian, who had observed her the whole journey through. Frankly, she had no idea why Serian insisted to be seated in the same carriage as she was.
"If you detest the likes of me so much, why did you decide to join my company?" Yuna asked quietly, and Serian smiled a small, amused smile.
"So that I won´t forget where the likes of you belongs. So that I will continue to remember how much superior I am, of course. You would be wise and not to forget your place, half-breed. " Serian answered calmly, and Yuna simply stared at him.
"And what that place of mine would be, your grace?" She asked dryly,
And Serian was silent for a long time, before he answered.
"That place would be in Farplane, woman. Death is the ultimate punishment for the sins of blood -traitors."
"O-Oh. I see. So, you are going to kill me too?" She asked tiredly, and Serian once again locked his burning gaze to hers.
"To kill you? Maybe. I haven´t decided yet-- maybe I´ll have some use of you." He said with unconcern, and Yuna felt like staring right into her executioner´s eyes.
""...have some use"? What do you mean?" She asked with wide eyes.
"Oh, aren´t you the unknowing type, yes? Just think about it-- one of the world´s famous summoner´s help at our disposal...And mine, as well." He quickly answered, and a small, mocking smile crept to his face.
"You wouldn´t dare!" Yuna hissed, but Serian only smiled.
"You must have already guessed it by now...the signs are quite obvious, after all. Seymour and I are related by blood. Although he is rather distant lineage to me, I am still ashamed to acknowledge him as part of my family heritage." He stated, and literally hissed the name of the former Maester. But his cold, lilac eyes held deeper flames of emotion than just pure hatred for the half-Guado. It was something more, something sinister and dark like never properly healed emotional scars.
"So, it is only fitting, that I should share my cousin´s bride in mybed, as I have already shared his power over this country...such a sweet way to avenge my son´s unjust death, is it not?" And Serian Honoré simply...smiled.
"Seymour cares for you. I know that now. You must be the only person he cares about...and that makes my revenge so very complete." He whispered quietly, as to avoid breaking the lurid silence between them.
"I do not know what happened to your son, but avenging his death like this cannot be done! Using such vile ways to destroy Maester Seymour´s hopes makes you worse than him...my Lord." Yuna spat, and stared at the man with such disgust and hatred which aroused many buried emotions within him.
"I am ten times what he is! By God, he will suffer...he is nothing but a murderer and he deserves to be punished!" He replied with venom, but Yuna soon interrupted him.
"With all due respect, my Lord, you are a murderer as well. "She answered gravely, and Serian only stared at the boldness of that woman.
He was confused. Serian was not sure whether to smack her unconscious or kiss her.
Thinking about the latter made him scared. That woman looked like his wife. She sounded like her wife. The thought made him so scared, to seriously consider of the option of disinfect his tainted lips with a sharp knife, bottle of kerosene and with the aid of ever-helpful matchsticks.
Instead of doing this, he once again smiled. Not a joyous smile, no.
But a cracked, broken smile. A smile of a man who had lost everything.
"So...I´m a murderer too? I´m only doing what is right! I´m saving the people of Spira! Don´t you see?" He forgot to stop smiling, and his smile formed into a frightening grimace.
"I...have heard this somewhere before." Yuna whispered in horror and eyes wide open.
Seymour hurried to the carriage.
Serian had already left, and Seymour wanted to be relatively close to Yuna.
Seymour didn´t really know what he felt right now, was it compassion for her? Or was the fear of losing his only friend so strong that drives him to Guadosalam?
Because the soil of Guadosalam was the least of the grounds, where he ever wanted to step his foot on. His past was there...Tromell was there. With him, so was the memory of Jyscal, his father.
Seymour had no idea why Serian decided to visit Guadosalam, of all places, but he soon understood as he saw hundreds of soldiers marching to the same way Serian had left. Without saying anything, he climbed to the nearest carriage, and ordered the driver head for Guadosalam.
For his surprise, the driver did what he was asked to do, although the Inquisitors hated half-breeds with the utmost intensity. It was obvious, that the driver was demanded to wait for the former Maester.
At the same time, in the distant isle of Besaid...
Lulu had been quite worried about Yuna. She was almost like sister to her anyway, and Yuna had grown up with them, so Lulu had always immediately known if there was something amiss with her.
And the disappearance of Tidus did not make Yuna happier, anyway.
Nobody else had noticed, how Yuna had grew even more silent and introverted after his "death", and she hardly talked to anyone after Sin´s destruction.
Maybe it was simply her way to deal at her loss? Lulu wasn´t so sure about it, but what could she do? Yuna was somewhere far away in Kilika...speaking of Kilika; Lulu should pay a visit to her soon. Lulu miraculously smiled at this thought, and decided to go tell others about her plan.
Wakka and Rikku were at the beach. Wakka was desperately trying to teach Rikku a little bit of Blitzball, but the results were not really triumphant. Kimahri had gone back to Mount Gagazet, although Seymour had slain the rest of the Ronsos already. Except the Blitzball team. Oh, and that weapon salesman. And also that older Ronso and the child Ronso. But other than that, the entire Ronso race! Yep.
Well, life for our furry friend had gone a little bit lonely, but Lulu was sure that it fitted Kimahri quite well...
Lulu was walking to Wakka and Rikku, as she saw something white in the horizon.
As she looked more intensely, she realized that it was the sail of a boat, what was incidentally heading for Besaid´s dock.
Wakka and Rikku also came to see what has happened, and they walked closer to the pier, hoping to see the person who was coming to greet them.
There was no one else than a woman clothed in fine fabrics and pricey jewellery.
"Yuna...? No...you´re not." Was all what Wakka said, and the three of them just stared at this woman, who was almost an older version of Yuna.
"I´m glad that you have realized the difference. Are you Lady Yuna´s friends?" The woman asked politely, and Lulu nodded.
"That´s good. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Laetitia Honoré. Although I am fully aware of my and Lady Yuna´s similar appearance, I really can´t explain the reason for it to you, as I´m just as confused as you are...But she wanted me to meet you." Laetitia said calmly, and Rikku interrupted her.
"Is Yunie...all right?" The young Al-Bhed asked in worry, and Laetitia glanced at her.
"Very soon...I´m afraid she won´t be." She answered sadly.
"This is ridiculous! We all know that she is in Kilika, building her new home.
I don´t know why you came here Lady, but I assure you, that our Yuna is fit and healthy." Wakka stated in annoyance, and Laetitia calmly observed at the man.
"She was of days ago. But as you are quite informed, the Inquisitors have risen to the power, and they detest everything what is not pure human blood. And your friend does not possess this quality...they have taken her to Bevelle, where she now resides, against her own will, I´m afraid."
The whole party gasped from shock, and Laetitia continued.
"She wanted me to show something to you. If she would not survive...she wanted you to understand..." she said.
"Understand what?" Wakka asked in eagerness, and Laetitia glanced at him in mild annoyance.
"That there was something she knew about, and she also knew that it would be extremely difficult for you to understand her reasons...but she wants truly her friends to be with her in these dark times." She continued solemnly.
"Of course we will be with Yunie, always!" Rikku claimed eagerly.
After a long pause, Laetitia continued.
"Seymour Guado, the former Maester of Yevon, is back from the dead." she only said.
"O-Oh." Rikku gasped.
"Whaaat?" Wakka almost yelled.
"Really?" Lulu simply asked.
Laetitia nodded. "That dirty son of a Shoopuff...I should have known! Of course he´s trying to destroy everything, even beyond the grave, ya?" Wakka grimly said, and Rikku nodded in agreement.
"No. It goes deeper than that. Far more deeper...you see, I don´t think Seymour is going to destroy anything for a while. All of his powers, even his aeon is vanished...now he is nothing more than a simple mortal." Laetitia explained, and the party was even more confused.
"Then...why did he come back? What does he want?" Wakka asked, and the wife of the Lord simply shook her head.
"I doubt that he even wanted to come back...there is nothing for him in here anymore.
He has nothing...he is hated and alone. He has always been. What possibly would fascinate him so, to come back in to this cold shadow of a world?" Laetitia spoke quietly, and finally Lulu decided to speak.
"Listening your words gives me the impression, that you too, are not really fond of your life, am I right?" She asked solemnly, and Laetitia smiled tiredly.
"Indeed you are...Let´s go somewhere out of sun´s burning light, I´d like to sit down. The trip was quite tiresome, after all."
They all gathered in Lulu´s cottage, out of the sun´s brightness, and sipped freshly squeezed juice of Babu- fruit.
After a moment of complete silence, Laetitia decided to talk once more. She looked straight in Lulu´s crimson eyes, and shared her life´s story with them.
"The reason why my husband seeks revenge through the death of everyone else who are not classified as human beings is simple...our six-year old son, Sion, was executed by the grace of Lord Jyscal and by the mercy of Commodus Honoré...my husband´s own father."She said quietly.
"What?" Lulu asked in shock, and everyone else in the cottage had also their eyesight firmly fixed at this sad, petite woman.
"Lord Jyscal did not approve my son´s lineage...so, it was only necessary for him to dispose of the bad seed, if he wanted to maintain his position as a Maester of Yevon.
...And that bad seed...was my only son. Commodus Honoré´s grandson." One silent, lonely tear rolled down her cheek, but she ignored her display of weakness.
"But why...anyone would do that?" Rikku asked quietly, and a suffocating silence fell in the small room. "I do not have the heart to tell you from word to word what those people, those Guados, decided to utter to me and to my husband to justify their decision.
I will show it to you, instead." She pulled out the same pouch of spheres, and took one black sphere in to her hand.
In an instant, the three of them were pulled inside of the sphere.
It was a beautiful summer day. The sun was shining brightly, although the dark clouds in the distance implied a heavy rain to come soon.
But the atmosphere was not so serene as the sun was. In the verges of an open square, was a heated whispering warming that already hot summer air, as the audience was arguing about something important, but the sounds silenced immediately, as the Maesters of Yevon entered in their own private area, witnessing something what had not been done in centuries. In the main seats of the audience sat Maester Jyscal Guado, grand Maester Mika and unknown man, who had dark hair of a raven.
His face had somewhat dimmed by the impact of lived years in the forms of wrinkles in the corners of his eyes and deep lines in his forehead, but regardless of his age, his lilac eyes hold deep determination and remorseless. His noble face was stony, and a small twitching irritated the corner of his mouth.
A grave silence, ominous in it´s imminent outcome, had now spread throughout the stony amphitheatre. The theatre was not large in any means, it had only one use; to serve as a hall where judgement was condemned, and where it was to put in action, literally. The theatre was not for the eyes of the ordinary mob, but for the leaders and clergy of Yevon and the other leaders and representatives of the people.
The doors to the theatre´s stage was opened, and a tall, dark-haired man walked slowly to the centre of the stone floor, and a small, and visibly frightened boy was clutching to the man´s left sleeve in desperate attempt to be closer to his father.
The boy´s lilac eyes were frightened in fear as he was ripped out of his bed in the mid of the night, and the only familiar person he saw in this hall was his father and of course...his grandfather. What was his name? The boy tried to remember. He had seen his grandfather only once, in his fifth birthday, as his father showed him to that man. Oh yes. He remembered now.
He remembered how that man glanced him with his penetrating eyes, turned around then, and laughed. Once.
This was not so uncommon; he had already experienced this before. But Father always said that he shouldn´t care about those kind of people, so he didn´t.
But after the doors had closed, he could hear them still scream at each other. The older man had said something about "pure blood" and somebody being "a mistake". The
boy was not sure what those words meant, he was such a small child anyway, but his Father did understand...but he never knew what his Father answered to him.
The wind continued to mess up the boy´s uniquely white hair, so he smoothed the small spikes of his hair in it´s proper place with his long fingers.
The boy thought in his mind that he was special, in some way. He sensed that many people did not like the shape and length of his arms and fingers, nor did they like his flamboyant, snow-white hair. Although he was rather small boy, he always picked up little tones of "he does not belong here", "he is different" or "he is not one of us".
But, as long as he had his Mother and Father, everything was all right...
Commodus Honoré decided to speak first. "You have been accused of mixing two ancient bloodlines. And the results of this treachery are for everyone to see today! The evidence is too strong for you to be innocent for such an atrocious crime. What is your answer to this accusation, soldier?" His voice was cold, colder than ice, and his eyes hold the flames of hatred, anger and repulsion.
"My lord...all I did was...to fall in love with someone! I did nothing wrong! My son is everything to me. And I do not agree on your view that mixed blood is cursed or it should be clean. Because it´s not! My lord...I am innocent. I did nothing wrong." Serian´s voice was weak from fear, weak from desperation and weak from tiredness.
"Is that´s so? Maybe your head will be cleared if this abomination is erased from the memory of Spira...yes, that is the only option for the likes of him." Commodus´ voice now rose, and a sharp shard of fanatical tone of his voice now dominated.
"Your bastard son will be purified! You should thank me for it..." His shrill voice competed with Serian´s, as he desperately tried to object the Maesters decision.
"Don´t do this to me! You can´t! Father! I´m your son!" Serian screamed in hysteria, but the voice of his condemner was fanatical, ruthless and merciless.
"My son is dead! I don´t have a son!" Commodus barked, and Jyscal turned his questioning eyes to him.
"What is that man talking about you being his father? He is surely lying, yes?" The half-Guado asked, and Commodus turned his furious gaze to him.
"Of course he is lying. I have never seen that man before! His words are only babbling of a crazed man, that´s all." He said this with stony face, and not even a twitch of his mouth revealed his lies. But Serian heard very well his father´s words. Very well indeed.
He fell silent, simply just staring at this man, who had conceived him years, decades, before. He was pale as death, and his hands were shaking, as he pulled his son closer to his embrace. He soothed his son´s hair with his trembling hand, gave him a kiss to his forehead, and just wished he could die with his son. But he couldn´t. He still had his wife.
"Don´t worry, Sion, my dearest. It will be all over soon, I promise you. I will see you really, really soon..." He partly sobbed, partly giggled these words, and a simple look to his son´s face assured that Sion didn´t know what was soon to happen to him.
"Commodus, I believe your words. This is truly deplorable, but it must be done. The blood of a low-cast Guado and a low-rank human, should not, must not, mix.
After this is over, you will overtake the seat of Maester Deprien, as you wished. As my...act of gratitude. Lord Deprien has not administered his duties properly, anyway.
As for the matters at hand..." Lord Jyscal paused for a moment.
"The Maesters and upper clergy has clearly stated their opinion for this indictment, and we have decided your punishment as follows: your son will be executed for the act of treason. The conviction will be fulfilled immediately."
Serian´s voice died in his throat, before he got a chance to object once more.
The soldiers of Yevon dragged him away, but he had more than enough time to hear one single voice of gunshot echoing in the stone walls.
A/N: Ohh. Depressing. And it is just getting darker. Much darker. This is what you´re going to get, when the writer is in stage of depression. Nah...not really. This is what I had planned from the beginning...
Tell me what parts you liked, which you didn´t. I need more constructive criticism. : )
And a small, unimportant notice to kiddies;
The next chapter may have to be rated as R. Maybe. Perhaps. And, if it is, pray that you are old enough to read it. ; ) Otherwise, you´ll get a trauma for the rest of your young life.
Ahh. My next ficcy is going to be happier. And life loving. And cheerier.
I promise! ; )
P.S. If you are an absolute Seymour fan, watch anime movie called Vampire Hunter D. It is starring Alex Fernandez (the voice actor for Seymour in FF X) as one of the voice actors. Yay!
Until I shall write more, fare-thee-well!