Treachery Revealed

Kilika Forest. I looked around at the lush greenery and tasted the humid, living air, lost in my fond memories of this place. In many respects, my years as Captain of Kilika Second had been my happiest with the warrior monks. If only Brac had asked me to take command here.

Lord Braska walked up beside me. "Thinking about old times?" he asked.

"You know me well, my lord," I said with a smile.

"What are we standing around here for?" called an impatient voice from a few feet in front of me. "Don't we have a temple to visit?"

The peaceful mood broken, I shot a glare at my fellow guardian.

"We have time, Jecht," said Braska calmly. "The temple isn't far, and the forest is a pleasant place to walk. No reason not to enjoy it."

Jecht swatted an insect off his chest and looked distastefully at the squashed creature on his hand. I still wasn't sure I bought this Zanarkand story, but wherever he was really from, his attitude toward nature made it clear that he was a city-dweller. "Huh! Well, I'm going ahead. You can enjoy being eaten alive by bugs if ya want."

His words were prophetic, as he then immediately blundered into a nest of wasp fiends. The two of us drew our swords to hold them off while Braska stepped back, gathering his strength for a spell. I swatted at the creatures, but it was an exercise in frustration -- they were just a touch too fast for me, so I missed two for every one I hit. Jecht, swifter than I, knocked several down, but then slipped on a patch of mud and landed on the ground with a curse. And still more kept coming.

"Lord Braska, the ice aeon!" I shouted. He nodded and lifted his staff, ready to begin the incantation, but one of the giant insects rushed him and slipped in with a sting. He slumped and fell. I swore as I rushed to him, slicing the fiend in half, and then knelt down by him, rummaging through his pack in search of an antidote to the fiend's poison. I found one and forced it down his throat. He swallowed, then coughed, and started to come around. Looking up, I saw two of the wasps buzzing in front of my face. I threw my body over Braska and braced myself for their attack.

Thwack! Thwack!

I raised my head to see two dead fiends, pierced perfectly through the eyes by arrows, falling to the ground and dissipating into pyreflies. A group of warrior monks stood in the distance. Their leader lowered his bow and grinned at me as his men made short work of the remaining enemies.

"Kal?" I jumped to my feet as a smile spread over my face. "Captain Kal?"

"The one and only," he said. "Good to see you, Sir Auron."

I glanced back at Braska. "I'm fine," he said, sitting up. "Go ahead."

Needing no more encouragement, I went to Kal. "How's the guardian business?" he asked as we clasped arms briefly.

"It suits me," I replied. "Never a dull moment, as you can see. Thanks for your help, by the way."

He waved a hand in the air. "Think nothing of it. Anything to help a summoner on pilgrimage. Say, are you headed to the temple, or have you finished there?"

"We're on our way in."

"So are we. Would you like an escort, Lord Braska?"

By this time, Jecht had helped the summoner to his feet, and both men had joined us. "Certainly," Braska replied. Then he caught my eye with a swift wink, and I understood -- he trusted his guardians to get him through the forest safely, but traveling with the warrior monks would provide a good excuse for me to spend some time with my friend. I nodded my gratitude, and we headed off. The squadron went first, followed by Jecht and Braska. I fell into step with Kal at the rear.

At first, we made small talk -- Kal caught me up on Jan, who was still playing for the Beasts and married with two small children and another on the way; I told some of the more entertaining stories from the pilgrimage. But, inevitably, our discussion turned to the Order. "So, they made you a captain," I said as we reached the base of the temple stairway.

He nodded. "Just a few weeks ago, only days after you left with Lord Braska. They were going to give me Second Bevelle, but after what they did to you, I wanted to get as far away from that place as possible. So they elevated the captain of First Kilika to Second Bevelle, and I got his job."

"Must be nice to be home."

"It really is. I hope I never have to leave it again." He took off his helm and shook out his hair -- it was already most of the way back to blond -- and briefly lifted his face to the tropical sun. I saw that he still bore the scar he'd earned on the Djose shore; if it hadn't faded by now, it probably never would. I wondered briefly what it was like, carrying a visible reminder of that terrible day. Bad enough that I was still headache-prone. At least I wasn't confronted with those every time I looked in a mirror.

After a moment, Kal continued. "You have many other friends and allies in these barracks. Commander Gibson leads the garrison, and Rickard is my Lead Sword. Actually, about half of Gray Squad followed me here in one role or another."

"Good for Rickard," I said. "You'd have a hard time doing better. But they can't all be officers; isn't Kilika something of a step backwards from Gray Squadron? And Gibson should certainly be closer to the center of power than this."

Kal shrugged. "Maybe. But things are turning ugly in Bevelle. Anyone still loyal to you has found it much easier to leave."

I stopped short, then turned and looked at him, my eyebrows drawing together. "How do you mean?"

Kal glanced at me, and I was surprised to see a rush of anger pass over his face. "A lot of people were upset by the way Maester Brac treated you. The whole affair raised all kinds of questions about the fairness of promotion by arranged marriage and backroom alliances, questions that the Maesters really didn't want to answer. So they started shipping the troublemakers out, quietly, mostly here and to Besaid, far from anywhere influential. Frankly, I was shocked when they offered me a posting in Bevelle, but maybe Kinoc wanted me where he could keep an eye on me."

We started walking again. "I know it seemed unfair at the time," I said, "and I'm truly moved by your loyalty, but maybe it's worked out for the best. Kinoc really is a master strategist; in some ways I even think he's better suited for the job."

This time, it was Kal who halted in his tracks, staring at me incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"Of course. Maybe we're not as close as we once were, but he is still my friend."

He stared for what felt like a full minute, then shook his head and resumed climbing the steps. After some time had passed, he spoke again. "You're much more forgiving than I would be, is all I can say."

I laid a hand on his arm, firmly, turning him towards me. What in Yevon's name did he have against Kinoc all of a sudden? They'd always been friendly, though I was closer to each of them than they were to one another. "Kal, what the hell are you talking about?"

His eyes went wide and bright. "You mean you don't know?"

"Know what? It was unlike Kal to be this cryptic, and I found myself getting frustrated with him. "Tell me."

Kal pursed his lips, then looked around us. We had just reached the temple courtyard. "No," he said under his breath. "Not here, not now. Too many people around. Come to my quarters after you've finished in the temple; we can talk then."

"That could be a day from now. I don't know whether I can wait that long."

He fixed on me with a grim look. "Believe me, you won't feel that way once you know."

I opened my mouth to protest again, but the seriousness of his eyes stopped me. "All right. I'll find you."

"Any time, day or night," he said earnestly. "Send someone to fetch me if I'm not in my quarters. I'll leave orders that I am to be found when you ask for me." I nodded, then left him to join Braska and Jecht.

Braska immediately picked up on my mood. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"That's a very good question, my lord," I replied, "and I'm not really certain of the answer." I sketched out the conversation I had just finished. "Kal promised me the whole story before we leave; maybe I'll know what to think then."

Several hours later, we emerged from the Chamber of the Fayth, Braska leaning heavily on my arm. Our wait was comparatively short, but I had still been impatient. It was quite a switch from the usual; normally, Jecht was the antsy one, pacing and muttering while I attempted to hide my annoyance at his restlessness. After a few hours, he had finally snapped at me -- "Would you settle down? You're drivin' me crazy over here!" Then we had each caught the other's eye and burst out laughing at the role reversal. I was calmer after that.

It was still afternoon, but Braska was clearly too drained to make the return journey to Kilika Port today. And I had an appointment to keep.

"Jecht, can you arrange lodging for us here, then tend to Braska?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure," he said. "You gonna be long?"

"I haven't the faintest idea."

Braska raised his head to me. "Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"Yes, my lord, I will be fine." I wasn't at all certain about that, but I didn't want to burden Braska with this, whatever it was. And, though I had started to trust and even grudgingly respect Jecht over the past month, I wasn't ready to share anything truly personal with him.

Braska didn't look convinced either, but he let it go. "All right. Come find us afterwards, and we can talk about it if you wish."

Jecht took my place as Braska's support, and I left them, following the well-remembered path to the barracks. I soon found Kal's door and knocked. He was there eating a late lunch, and he let me in.

"You hungry?" he asked, passing me a bowl of soup.

I took a bite and had to restrain myself from spitting it out. "Were Bevelle's chefs transferred here, too?" I asked.

Kal laughed. "It has gotten distinctly worse, hasn't it."

"Even the field rations we've been eating are better than this." I handed the dish back. "Thanks, but I'll eat when I get back to Lord Braska." Summoners and guardians were always well fed, even at the temples with the very worst chefs. One of the perks of the job, I supposed.

"Okay, I'm stalling," Kal said abruptly. "You're here because I have something to tell you. Yevon knows I don't want to, but someone has to, and not many other people can. So here goes. You, my friend, have been betrayed, far worse than you know." He took a deep breath. "Have you ever wondered how it was that your father found out about the marriage offer, and how he came up with his plan to make you accept it?"

"Many times. He told me, offhand, that he'd heard about it from tavern gossip while in Bevelle on business, but I never got more details. As you might imagine, we aren't exactly on speaking terms. I have never understood why he wrote that letter. It seemed a desperate plan, doomed to failure."

"Yes, it was. Intentionally so."

I looked at Kal, uncomprehending. "Intentionally? ...but why would my father attempt a plan he knew wouldn't work? He'd nothing to gain by ruining my career; my success was even more important to him than it was to me."

"Oh, it wasn't your father who intended the plan to fail. It was the man who gave him the idea to try it in the first place."

A physical tremor of shock passed through me. "Are you trying to say that my father had an accomplice in this whole affair? For the love of the fayth, Kal, tell me who!"

His chest rose as he inhaled again, and he let the air out with a quiet sigh. Then he reached out and took my arms, gripping them tightly. "Kinoc."

My mind refused to accept the name that my ears had just heard. I searched Kal's face, frantically looking for some sign that he had been joking, or that I had misunderstood him somehow, but none came. His expression was sober, his eyes gut-wrenchingly sad.

"No," I whispered. "No, it can't be. Kinoc... he's ambitious, yes, but he would never... No! I cannot believe this to be true!"

Kal stared me down. "You have to, Auron. I swear in the name of Yevon that it is. Kinoc bribed a business associate of your father's to invite him to Bevelle. He arranged for your father and the merchant to be in the right tavern at the right time to 'overhear' him discussing the offer with some of his cronies. And he talked with your father and convinced him that the forgery might force your hand and get you to accept the Maester's proposal. Kinoc orchestrated it all. He used your father, he used the Maester, and he used you."

"How do you know all this?" I felt as if a shoopuf were standing on my chest.

He chuckled bitterly. "Would you believe that the arrogant bastard actually told me himself? We were out drinking, we both had a few too many, and he let the story slip out. Seems he thought I'd be impressed by his clever plan and how well it succeeded. Well, I showed him what I really thought, with a black eye and a couple of broken ribs. I got the offer for Second Bevelle the next day. I'm still not sure whether it was a bribe, or a threat, or some of each. Either way, I had to get out of there."

My head swam. My lungs were working, but I couldn't get enough air into them, and I started to see black spots before my eyes. I could not, would not believe this. It was preposterous. And yet, it would explain some things...

"Auron, are you about to faint?" Alarm was plain in Kal's voice. "C'mon, sit." He steered me over to his bed, where I slowly sunk down and dropped my head between my legs. He sat next to me and rubbed the center of my back with a strong hand.

Before long, the moment passed and I could breathe again. My shock was fading, and it was quickly being replaced by a rage so deep and all-consuming that it frightened the small part of my mind that could still think rationally. I jumped up, adrenaline coursing through my veins. Whirling around, my hands in tight fists, I looked to Kal. "I will kill him for this!" I roared.

Then Kal was standing again, his hands closing calmly but firmly over my wrists. He held me still as I shook and shouted with impotent fury, cursing Kinoc and Dix and even Yevon himself. This passed as well, and when I had worn myself out, I fell silent.

Kal stepped away, concern plain on his face. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "No. I appreciate your telling me. But I think I need to be alone for awhile."

"I understand. Yevon be with you, my friend."

The grassy hill next to Kilika Temple had always been one of my favorite parts of the complex. Many hours I had spent relaxing here -- reading, writing letters, watching Kal and others kick around a blitzball -- and it had also been my preferred place to train alone, going through the exercises with or without my sword. As dusk fell, I simply stood and contemplated the forest and the sea. I was trying to find peace in the warm evening and in the sound of distant crashing waves, but it wasn't working. My head throbbed, and all the fresh air in the world wouldn't clear it.

"You look like a man who wants to hit somethin'," said Jecht from behind me. "Or is it someone?"

I swiveled around. "The latter," I admitted.

"Me?"

I was startled into a chuckle. "No. Not this time."

"Huh. Well, that other guy ain't here, and I am, so take your best shot. Call it payback for all those other times you really did want to knock my block off."

Shaking my head, I backed away. My anger was too raw, too close to the surface, and I feared controlling it would be impossible. "That's not a good idea."

"Aw, c'mon!" He cracked his knuckles and then dropped into an easy fighting stance, grinning. "Think I ain't tough enough to take ya? Or maybe you're afraid to lose."

Given my foul mood, the taunt combined with his cheery cockiness was all the invitation I needed. "You asked for it," I said, and without further warning I rushed him.

Jecht and I had sparred a few times, but we'd never fought bare-handed. My first blow he dodged, the second he blocked, but the third was an uppercut that connected with his jaw. Some part of me knew to hold back my full strength -- Jecht's bravado aside, I would demolish him in a contest of straight physical force, and we both knew it -- but his head still snapped up and back with the impact. He shook it off, though, and punched me in return, slamming a fist into my chest. It knocked the wind out of me for a moment, but I quickly recovered. With a growl, I jumped forward and pushed him to the ground, pinning him with my weight, bashing his face yet again. Somehow, he managed to roll us over, and I ended up on the bottom, banging my head against the ground so that I saw stars. He drew back an arm to hit me, but I pushed him off and leapt up in a single motion. He hit the ground again, tumbling and then landing on his feet, and my mind spared a moment to admire his athleticism. We rushed one another again and started grappling. Finally I got him down again and made ready to punch him one more time.

"Wait!" he gasped. "I give!"

I let go, panting, and dropped down to the grass, checking the sore spot on my breastbone where Jecht had connected. I suspected there would be a bruise, even through my leather armor. Somehow, though, I felt better than I had fifteen minutes ago. I was physically calmer, at least, even if my mind was still unquiet.

Then I checked out my fellow guardian. He sported a split lip and would probably have a black eye in the morning, but he was grinning. "Did it help?" he asked, his breathing already easier.

"You know," I said, with a sideways glance at him, "I think it did. Thank you." I rubbed the back of my head ruefully. No bump, at least not yet. "You're pretty good at that."

He snorted softly. "Years of bar brawls. It's no warrior monk training, but it does me fine." Then he glanced sideways at me. "Wanna talk about it?"

I didn't even realize I'd made the decision before my story came pouring out. All of it, from the day I'd left Relle to go to Bevelle for the first time to learning the truth about Kinoc earlier this afternoon. I must have spoken for an hour. Jecht didn't interrupt, not even once.

"Damn," he said once I had finished. "You've been keepin' all that stuffed inside? No wonder you're so stiff!"

"Hm. Possibly." I hadn't really considered it before, but now that Jecht mentioned it, I wondered if I had been wound more tightly in recent months. Maybe that's why I was so easily irritated by him, so quick to take offense at his oddities.

"Hey, why didn't you talk to Braska?"

I plucked a blade of grass and pulled it taught between my hands. "He knows much of this. But his wife died around the time everything came to a head, so I spared him the worst of it. My problems seemed so inconsequential in comparison."

"Yeah, maybe. But he's been real worried about you, y'know. I bet he'd rather know what's goin' on."

"Perhaps." The blade tore in two, and I let the pieces go. They fluttered away on the evening breeze.

"Well, better get back. Braska'll be wondering where we are, and dinner's soon." He smirked as he stood up. "And after we beat Sin, I'll go with ya to Bevelle, and help you give that Kinoc jackass a piece of your mind."

I couldn't help but laugh. I looked up at Jecht. He was a strange man, often exasperating, still capable of annoying me beyond all reason. But I was slowly beginning to realize that, in many ways, he was becoming a real friend. "Maybe I'll take you up on that someday," I said. "Anyway, I'll be along shortly."

"Okay, see ya in a few." He left me alone, and for the first time all day I was truly able to relax, body and soul, as I breathed in the gentle night air.