Chapter VII – Be'lal and Judas
As Sin slowly disappeared into the sea and out of sight, the air began to calm from the fierce battle. The Maester left shortly after Sara started the Sending. The few survivors of the battle would have a great tale to tell. The battle was over. Operation Mi'ihen had failed.
The next temple was Djose Temple. It was one that was not in a city or town. The building was blocked by boulders. They exploded from the temple. Cid and the others instinctively jumped in front of Sara. The rock never touched them, for they were suspended in the air.
"A summoner is already in there," said Sara. Edgar and Auron pushed open the huge double doors. There was a ring of statues of previous summoners. The giant stairs led to the Cloister of Trials. A tall man in a red robe stepped down.
Cid spoke first. "Be'lal!" His friend, sure enough, was there to accompany the summoner. They clasped hands.
"Great to see you, Cid." The man's red hair was like flames. His black garment would have rendered him invisible if not for the dim light of the torches. A broadsword that seemed too familiar was strapped on his back.
The red robed man spoke to Sara. "Hello there," he greeted warmly. "I am Judas, summoner from Kilika."
"Hi, my name is Sara, summoner from the isle of Besaid."
"Ah, so you too have joined the quest to defeat Sin? I see your guardians are up to the job." Sara nodded as Judas looked at Alexander, Lulu, Edgar, Cid and Auron. "Then I propose a race: a race to defeat Sin."
"I gratefully accept your challenge, Summoner Judas." Be'lal and Judas left the temple.
"Who was that?" questioned Alex.
"It was my best friend, Be'lal. He became guardian when I did."
"Well," interrupted Lulu. "We better go on to the Cloister of Trials."
They went down a platform and entered through double doors.
The Cloister of Trials varied in different temples. The one in Besaid feature plain rocks and puzzles, nothing special. Kilika heavily implied fire, thus giving Ifrit, the aeon of flame. The Djose Temple exemplified lightning showing the aeon would be one of the storm. The puzzles were meant to be confusing, as made by Yevon itself. Only the sharp-minded and clever could pass.
This Cloister of Trials was one large room in the shape of a circle. Six cables connected to the ground, the power cables to start an elevator. There would be six consoles to trigger the activation of the cables. Four were in plain sight, spotted by their red flashing light. One was also found buried into the ground, barely visible. They only discovered it when Cid nearly tripped on the protruding corner. The last one was cleverly hidden. It was only discovered when Cid noticed a flash of light behind a wall. With the help of Auron and Edgar he opened it, big enough for Alex to crawl through and start the machine. A circle on the ground disappeared and disclosed an elevator. The elevator took them to the room outside the Chamber of Fayth. The Fayth was a part of Yevon and the essence of an aeon. If the summoner prayed enough, the faith would allow him or her a part of itself, which makes the aeon. Only summoners were allowed in the Chamber of Fayth.
The guardians waited for Sara. Cid hated waiting because it made him think. Perhaps it was fate that was trying to be shown. Yes, it had to be fate. Yevon had given Cid the power to see the future. After all, the worst thing anyone can do is to go against your destiny.
It was nice to see Be'lal again. That man had always been there for Cid, just as he had been there for him. He had not only learned from the best but taught the best too.
But something was wrong with him. Cid wasn't sure what it was, yet there was difference in the former Be'lal and the one he met no less than an hour ago. His eyes had been full of a cloud of mystery and enigma. It frightened him that Be'lal might do something unexpected. Hope filled Cid's heart as he wanted his friend to follow the Teachings of Yevon to be a good guardian.
He grew tired of waiting for Sara and leaned on a wall. He slowly shut his eyes.
The place smelled like the sewage. Darkness enshrouded four figures, two pairs facing each other. A dim light flickered often, showing a man with the eyes of a rabid wolf with vapors of secrecy. Swords were drawn and met. The air was filled with the music of steel. In another part of the room, two giant beasts battled in a dance to the death. One knocked down the other, which burst into a plume of pyreflies, leaving a man in red open for the kill. His scream tore through the black air like a knife.
Cid awakened from his doze. Those beasts were aeons. But who were the others. He already had seen Sara, leaving three others. And then, Cid knew. It had been Judas.