Voyage to the Isle of Besaid
So Lucine led the way to the docks, walking out of the stadium, down the stairs, and around the corner. She was very eager to get going. Hopefully the trip there wouldn't take too long...
…
"I would, although you would have a pretty wet cat," Silver laughed, smiling at the girl and her comment. "And a very hungry one too."
Serenity smiled back at him. "Oh, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?" Serenity was feeling a bit hungry herself. She hoped that once they got to Besaid they'd throw a bonfire with a ton of food. Looking about the docks, Serenity spotted the boat she came here on. "I think that's it over there."
Silver looked at the boat and checked his money once again. "Ok, I think we are ready to go." he said, rolling the blitzball on the tip of his middle finger. "It touches dock on Kilika or goes straight to Besaid?"
…
Zephyr clipped her gun to her belt, stepped up and bought a pass from the first mate, who stood at the dock. Her money had strange runes on it, familiar to followers of New Yevon, and looked as if it could have been from the time of Sin. She returned to the group with the pass in hand, and smiled. "Hey, I'd help you pull," she offered. "I've got some mean speed and strength enhancing combos in these pockets of mine. You'd be amazed."
…
Almost all of the participants in the large scuffle were unconscious on deck, some letting off groans or other bodily noises one would not wish to put much thought upon.
"I apologize for this." Lhinx said to the captain who had stepped out onto the deck to see what the commotion had been. "You not kick Lhinx off?"
"If I weren't a Ronso Fangs fan I wouldn't be very happy with you right now." The captain said sternly, then smiled. "But you did teach some of them a lesson I suppose. So I'll allow you to stay on board."
"Thank you captain."
"We will be landing very shortly at Besaid." The captain said and was about to leave, but stopped and said one last thing. "I suggest you rest up there. I doubt there's much room out on deck to sleep."
"Thank you again, sir."
The captain left and the Ronso caught sight of the tiny speck of what was Besaid Island.
(Wow, we're pretty close...) Lhinx thought, stepping over many of the sleeping men and going towards the front to watch the island get closer and closer.
"We are now at Besaid Island. We will be heading to Kilika Island soon as the boat from Luca arrives!" The captain said as many sailors and passengers sauntered off the wooden board ramp.
Lhinx found herself trailing behind the majority, avoiding any of the angry looks she would get from those she had to beat up.
(This is gonna come back and bite me in the tail, I just know it.) Lhinx thought as she walked towards the shore off the dock.
…
Lucine also walked up and paid for a ticket. Now they were ready to set sail. Well, almost. Serenity and Silver still had to buy their tickets first. "If you guys need money, I'll lend it to you." She said, playing with her ticket.
Serenity closed her eyes, smiling, as a cool water breeze began to blow. "Oh, that's okay Lucine, I've still got my round-trip ticket." She randomly picks into the pouch that was hanging around her waist and showed what she hoped was a ticket, for she kept her eyes closed as she did it. "You don't have to worry about me!"
…
"One ticket, please," Silver told the woman at the dock, who had a frightened look in her eyes when she saw the Tiger Demon in front of her.
Obviously she'd never seen one of us before...
"Thank you very much" Silver faked a polite voice and took his ticket to ride the ship. He walked back to where Lucine and the others were, the angry gaze still in his eyes. "Why are humans so... scared of everything? First Sin, then Vegnagun and now the new menace that puts Spira in danger is me... the horrifying Tiger Demon."
Serenity opened her eyes as she heard Silver's footsteps coming towards them, thinking that they were ready to board the ship, but saw the anger in his eyes. "Thanks for generalizing the human race," she said to him, both annoyed because people were afraid of him, and because he failed to remember the three humans who stood in front of him weren't.
"And for the record, I think we humans have the right to be afraid of Sin and Vegnagun. That tends to happen when they're threatening to destroy you." Her gaze and voice then softens, and she turns away. "They just don't know you yet." It wasn't like she knew him like a book, but she knew him better than the woman who sold the tickets, at least. Serenity let out a meager, silent sigh and started off toward the boat.
…
Silver suddenly felt embarrassed of what he told and lowered his head. "I'm sorry," Silver apologized. "I think you're right. We Demons came out of fiends... some even from Sin's Spawns. Just...I don't like the way Humans think of us. Trust me, being a Tiger Demon pup makes you hard to get along with other kids."
"Aw, but I'm sure you were a cute Tiger Demon pup!" Lucine said cheerfully as they all boarded the boat. It was very large from front to back, and all a dark gray metal (quite depressing, actually). It had a large room below deck, and a small lookout tower above. "Well, all we do now is sit and wait."
…
(Wakko maybe...no..... why can't I remember his name? I've heard it a thousand times!) Lhinx thought in frustration as she strolled into the town. (....Wak-u...no...)
The Ronso looked about and noted the temple up ahead.
(Wow, it's nice looking.... Elder Kimahri told me Lady Yuna started her journey here...praying to the Fayth and in return receiving the help of powerful aeons...)
Lhinx walked up to the building, lingering at the first column.
(Elder Kimahri stood from afar as Lady Yuna summoned the aeon Valefor for the first time...He said how proud he was...but at the same time so very sad...)
Lhinx walked to the entrance, passing through and seeing very few people within the walls of the once illustrious building.
(The fate of the summoner...sacrificing their own life just to give temporary peace to a world that deluded itself with false teachings... How could they live such a life...)
Lhinx snorted a bit and grinned slightly.
(I guess it makes sense though...the only reason things are not like that anymore is because of that man from Zanarkand. He was the only one who dared to question the teachings that was not Al Bhed, other then Sir Auron...Elder Kimahri said how hard it was for Lady Yuna to go against the teachings and how Yevon betrayed her and then turned around and expected her to fix everything... She did though and Spira is now free of Sin and Vegnagun thanks to her and her friends....)
"Elder how can you trust me to find such important people?" Lhinx asked aloud.
"You are searching for Lady Yuna and her companions?" An elderly man asked Lhinx. Lhinx nodded.
"Hmm...Well you may want to ask her daughter or son." The man replied.
"Where can I find them?" Lhinx asked.
"I have no idea." The man replied.
"Thank you." Lhinx said, a bit annoyed. The conversation was of no help.
…
"At least the boat ride back will be much more fun than the boat ride here, now that I've got people with me," Serenity commented when they were all on the boat. She plopped onto a crate on one side of the boat and put an elbow on the ledge, resting the side of her head in her hand. She begun to go into her daydream mode again, thinking about Tiger Demons, and unless the others proposed to do something other than sit and wait, then she'd be in the mode for quite a while.
…
Since there was nothing to do, really, Lucine took to wondering around the boat. She went back and forth, inspecting everything. Then she went down the steps to the lower level, which wasn't very exciting. Just a couple of old men playing cards. So she wondered up to the main level and started talking to the captain about the type of machinery used on the boat. Being Al Bhed, she knew a thing or two about machines. Her father was an expert when it came to building machines, and had passed that information down to her.
…
Silver blushed when Lucine called him 'cute' and laughed behind his fangs. Once aboard he threw his ball high in the air and jumped, kicking it real hard. The blitzball flew and slammed against one of the boat's bigger poles, returning to Silver before he could land. "Ahhh!!!" the ball hit him on the stomach, making him fly a few meters, almost falling off the ship. "Yeouch..."
…
"Lady Yuna took the boat to Luca from here last I heard." A woman said to Lhinx. Both stood outside a hut, the woman holding a brightly colored cloth. The woman continued. "She and her husband were both determined to stop whatever they had heard about."
"Was it the ocean?" Lhinx asked.
"Yes, I believe someone said it had to do with the ocean. That's all I know. Maybe you should ask someone who comes off the boat from Luca. They may have heard something."
Lhinx nodded. "Thank you." She said.
(I guess I should watch the docks.)
"We're usually pretty busy around pre-blitzball season." A sailor said to Lhinx. Now she was at the beach, speaking with many of those wandering around. "Lots of youngsters always lookin' for Wakka, Tidus or any of the Aurochs to let them enlist. They come from all around, but usually go to Kilika or Luca."
"But what about towns further away?" Lhinx asked.
"Oh, well lately a lot of boats have been disappearing. Mostly ones coming from Bikanel dock and north from there. The Al Bhed are keeping watch around there in air ships, so anything suspicious usually doesn't escape 'em."
"Usually?"
"Well, don't tell anyone, but I'm not a big fan of the Al Bhed myself. It wouldn't surprise me too much if they had somethin' planned."
"I see. Thank you..." Lhinx said and walked off.
(Okay, I definitely wanna search Luca or ask some of the people coming from there about Lady Yuna. I can take a boat to there and start searching myself. Now where's that boat?)
Lhinx looked out to the ocean, noting a good strong, yet gentle breeze coming toward them.
…
Silver stood up, a little dizzy from the rough landing. "Stupid ball..." He looked around and didn't see it, the black blitzball, a gift from his father. It was a really special ball, several times heavier and harder than a normal one, perfect for him to train. Silver looked all around and then at the sea, catching a glimpse of his ball sailing on the wrong way. "Wait!" He took off his scarf, jumping off the boat and swimming towards his ball. "Come back you!"
…
Calix sat idly on the wood based shores of Besaid, waiting for the next ferry ship to arrive at the shallow and primitive town that he lived in. the cool sea breeze cut through his hair, and constantly burned his tanned skin.
Beside his almost lifeless resting body sat his staff, his only real possession, besides the chipped rock laced around his neck with chain. He had few other things that he would actually claim to be his, and these would be his magical skills, the clothes on his back, and any relations he had with lost animals. The wind slowly picked up as time went on and the end of his coat began whipping in the wind, making a snapping sound as the wind forced it to full extension. His hair was doing the same thing, rather the fact of making the snapping sounds, but it still wound its way behind his shades and causing great annoyance to him as it whisped passed his eyes over and over again.
While removing his shades to clear the trapped strands of hair from its grasp he thought. Where the hell is that damned ship, I must clear the Al Bhed name, so no more of out kind need to live behind material objects. We should be able to have a life just like any other...
…
Lucine was at the front of the ship, looking out towards the sea. Not too far away she saw the little island of Besaid. "Hey, look! We're almost there!" She turned around to tell the rest of the group, but as she did, she heard a loud, splash! She ran to the end of the boat and looked over the edge. There was Silver, swimming after his black blitzball that had fallen in the water. "Hey, Silver! You crazy Tiger! Get back here before you drown or something!"
…
(There's the boat!) Lhinx watched the vessel intently as it came within view of those on the beach.
…
Calix looked up as he heard the steady drone of the ferry engine. As his eyesight caught with the horizon, the unsettling glare of the sun off water found its way under his shades, where he shot out his arm to block off the glare. Watching intently like a small child, Calix became anxious, but kept his mind. Standing slowly his leaned on his staff, so it would be easier for him to bring himself into a standing position. When will that damned boat ever come get here? He asked himself furiously as the large floating metal vessel that slowly crept its way into the docks of Besaid.
…
Lhinx awaited the arrival of the boat, hoping she could find some more clues for her quest.
"...Yeah that Ronso is dangerous." Lhinx immediately turned to hear two men talking on the other side of the beach.
"Are you serious, a Ronso attacked the passengers?!" It was the other man.
"Well, we was just havin' some fun and out of no where the Ronso joined in the little scuffle and almost all of use were knocked out."
(Uh oh...) Lhinx thought.
…
Serenity noticed that the group dispersed to do their own things, and felt like she was going to be in her own little world for a long time again. But of course, she was snapped out of it again by the sound of splashing water, and Lucine's voice yelling that they were near Besaid. Serenity quickly got up and ran towards the other side of the boat, ending up beside Lucine. She looked over the edge, too, and saw Besaid. "Oh hey, you're right!" Serenity exclaimed, but noticed Lucine was looking off at the other direction.
Serenity blinked and leaned over the edge some more, dangerously close to falling right over, and saw what she was looking at. Silver had jumped into the water and swam back towards the way they came, chasing after his blitzball. Her eyes widened, surprised that he would do such a thing when the water splashed up against their side of the boat. The water loosened Serenity's grip on the ledge, and her eyes widened even more as she screamed, falling overboard into the water.
…
Lhinx noted the ship and instantly her eyes widened as she witnessed a girl fly overboard with a scream.
(Oh no!) Lhinx thought. (Wait, there's another overboard as well...)