Chapter XIV

Calm Lands

I blinked and saw the smouldering remains of yesterday's fire. As I looked around I saw most travellers had already moved away from the fire, either back to their room or outside the travel agency. Pyrefly was running around the lobby, teasing the innkeeper who was trying to get the place cleaned up since the floor was full of snow. I stretched and rose from the ground. Whe I looked outside he window I saw the snow had reduced to a few tiny flakes. With a sigh I called Pyrefly and together we returned to my room. Audax hadn't arrived throughout the night and I was really starting the get worried. Wat if something had honnestly happened to him? Then what was I supposed to do! I couldn't just sit around here waiting forever! And I also couldn't just head towards the temple alone… I had heard from sources it was pretty dangerous with all the ice elemental fiends out there, keeping in mind I only had defensive magic, except for my aeons. But still… I wanted Audax wth me when I enterred the chamber of the Fayth.

A sudden knock came from my door, later in the afternoon and the innkeeper stepped in. "Lady Summoner?" "Yes," I said, rising from my bed. "There is a man waiting for you downstairs." My heart lept and I sprinted out of the room, downstairs into the lobby. "YOU MADE IT!" I cried right before jumping into Audax' arms. He chcukled. "It takes more then some third class magic to bring me down, alright?" I let go of him and Pyrefly also started jumping up at him, barking happily. "What took you so long?" He smiled while petting Pyrefly. "I came here to Macalania, couldn't have been more than half an hour behind, but the snow was so thick I couldn't make it through. I waited for an hour or so then decided to head back to the travel agency in the Thunder Plains. After a good night sleep I returned." I nodded with a smile. "I thought so."

A couple of hours later, after we had eaten a small bite, we head towards the temple. The snow was pretty clear and all fiends faced Audax' Firaga. In short, we reached the temple without too much difficulty. The priests prayed for us as we went inside and up the stairs. "Boy, this has been a while," I sighed while walking up the stairs to the Chamber of the Fayth. "I guess this one is our last… then it's Zanarkand…" I turned to Audax. "It's still a very long way to get there," I told him softly. "A couple of days," he said. "Not too much if we take a Chocobo in the Calm Lands." He didn't look at me, just corssed his arms and watched a torch burning. "Jentl… I just want to say that…" He paused then looked at me and in the fire burning I could see his eyes watering. "Kilika Port won't be the same without you." I didn't want him to see me cry so I quickly turned around and went inside, before my first sobs were heard.

I obtained my next Aeon, my last, in a record of two hours. A beautiful lady dressed in ice and I called her Crystal. When we left the temple the snowing had increased again and I hid in my cloak while Audax laid his arm supportingly around my back. Slowly we walked away, back to the Travel Agency to spend the night there. Although the central heating was fixe, the innkeeper started another little fire in the lobby around which we sat. We were the only ones and I didn't know whether there weren't any other people in the inn or whether nobody wanted to leave his room. "We'll cross the Calm Lands tomorrow. Taking a Chocobo it will only cost us a couple of hours. We don't have to stay at the travel agency. We can go straight ahead." "It's the last place we'll encounter, you sure you don't wanna rest up there." "Possitively." Audax sighed deeply and warmed his hands at the fire. Pyrefly rolled over on his back, dreaming something I could not grasp. Audax lowered his hands and rested his head upon his knees. "I… I'll miss Kilika…"

He raised his head in surprise and saw a tear running down my face. "It was such a nice place to grow up." Hesitantly he laid his arm around my shoulders and I snuggled into his arms. "Jentl… It will be alright, you'll see. You always told me, right? That everything was gonna turn out just fine?" I nodded at hearing my own words. "Sometimes I just need somebody else to tell me," I whispered and wrapped my arms around his waist, making sure he wouldn't let go of me. But he wouldn't, I knew he wouldn't.

We left early that morning, through Macalania's wonderful forrest. I carried a sphere with me, recording the wonderful surroundings. I had already told Audax about it and he promised he'd give my mum the spheres I made as soon as he got back in Kilika. There was a very pleasant atmosphere in the Calm Lands. So peaceful and quiet… Wide green grass and a clear blue sky. Completely different from the Thunder Plains. "It's beautiful out here, isn't it?" I whispered and Audax nodded, while Pyrefly ran around freely, barking and rolling around in the fresh grass. I was startled by a rare, yet familiar sound and turned around. A couple of yards away from us stood a middle-aged man with a bunch of big yellow birds. "Chocobos!" I smiled and Audax turned his head. "Cool." "In my memory, they were much taller," I said. "You were just much shorter," Audax chuckled and walked off. "I'll be right back."

I heard Pyrefly barking loudly, turned and saw he was grumbling at an orange blue-striped Killer Bee. It pointed his sharp sting at him and Pyrefly showed him his teeth. "Hey! Leave him alone!" I yelled and interfered in the fight, waving my staff from side to side as to scare him off. "Shoot!" The Bee buzzed loudly, floating from one side to another, carefully observing my staff movements. Then he extended his sting, and without any warning rushed forward, piercing me in my arm. I cried in pain and smacked the Bee in the head, after which he flew off in a hurry.

Blood and a strange green liquid oozed down my arm and dripped into the grass. "Awie…" I mumbled while a flashing pain struck me everytime I moved an inch. I knew these symptoms, as well as I knew I was poisoned by its venom. Pyrefly yelped and tried to lick my arm clean but I quickly jerked away my arm, almost fading in pain. "Aw! Don't touch it Pyrefly!" I cried. "What did you do now?"

I blinked in confusion when Audax kneeled down next to me. "Killer Bee," I muttered and he carefully took my aching arm in his hands. "Carefull…" I begged. He nodded and examined the wound. "Easy now," he whispered and held his hand above the wound. "Esuna." The bright light consumed my arm and after a soft droning pain, I felt at ease again. "I didn't know you could cast white magic," I said when he cured the wound with a cure-spell. "Only Cure and Esuna," he told me as he helped me up. "You never know when you need them." "Where would I be without you, Audax?" I said gratefully. "Still in Kilika, I guess," he shrugged. I giggled and smacked him in the chest. "That was a rethorical question, silly." "I am entirely against the 'retorical question concept'. When you ask a suestion, people answer. It's that simple."

"Oh man, this has been a while… a long while…" The Chocobo waited patiently for me to mount but I had no clue on how to get on it! When I was little, my dad had just placed me on its back. "Here, I'll give you a hand," Audax said. He kneeled down and held his hands for me to put one foot in them. "I don't need a hand, I need a ladder," I whined. He chuckled as I trusted out on his hands and jumped onto the Chocobo's back. I wiggled for a while, then grabbed the rein and relaxed. A couple of feet away, Audax easily mounted his Chocobo. I clapped my hands, careful not to scare the yellow bird. He made a little bow and ordered the Chocobo to walk at a steady pace. I followed.

"How come your so good with Chocobos?" I asked him and he shrugged. "Guess I'm a natural," he smiled sheepishly. I raised an eyebrow and he laughed. "Alright," he admitted. "I've lived a couple of years in Luca. That's where I practised Blitzball, and once in a while went to ride a chocobo." "Oh you filthy…" "What? Filthy what?" he asked with fake angry tone. I chuckled and petted the Chocobo. Pyrefly was running next to us, eyeing the animals suspiciously.

"Hey, Audax, wanna race?" I then asked with a smile. "You're really going to try everything to get through Mt. Gagazet in one day, huh?" he said with a sigh. I smiled sweetly and he shook his head chuckling. "Fine, but don't you cry when I win. "You've got to promise me the same thing Audax," I said and reached out my hand. "Shake it." With a deep sigh he grabbed my hand. "As I said…" He and his chocobo strode off. "Don't make a cry when I win!" "You git!" I screamed and we hurried after him.

Pyrefly did his very best to keep up but fell way behind in a matter of seconds. "If you win it's an empty win!" I yelled at him when we were running next to each other. "All is fair in love and war!" he merely replied, gave a little tug at the rein and ran ahead. I let go a frustrated sigh and followed him. "Yevon, I hate you!" I grumbled. He whooped loudly and I rolled my eyes, as we ran past the cliff towards the opening leading to the foot of Mt. Gagazet. I gave up on trying to catch up and let the Chocobo walk on easily.

Audax was laughing when I finally arrived at the wooden bridge. "Even Pyrefly arrived here before you," he chuckled and helped me get off. "So?" I said a little mad and he gave me a friendly pat on the back. "Still I'm glad you finally decided to take it easy. With all your hurrying and all." When we walked up the bridge I hesitated for a moment. Looking up I could clearly see the peak of Mt. Gagazet. Behind that great mountain lied my terminus. Zanarkand.

Audax rested his hand on my shoulder. "It'll be rough trying to get over Gagazet. It's best if we… just keep moving." I looked at him. "I'm glad you're here with me, Audax." He said nothing, only nodded, and together we followed the trail leading to my end.