I opened my eyes and looked around me, confused. Where am I? I wondered. This definitely didn't look like the Tokyo suburbs I was used to seeing on my way to my intern job every day. I slowly got to my feet and gazed at the scenery before me. Weird. I was in the middle of a forest, albeit a very beautiful forest, but it wasn't right. Dazed, I tried to recall what had happened. The tsunami. That was it. I remembered the wall of water coming at me, the people on the street screaming in a mindless panic, the force as it hit me and sucked me under, then nothing. Until this...this...wherever I was. I tried moving different body parts around and breathed a sigh of relief. Bruised up a bit, but nothing's broken. Unsteadily, I started walking along what appeared to be a faint trail. Maybe, if I were lucky, I would find a village that might be able to tell me where the heck I was.
I staggered along the trail for what seemed like hours. Muscles I didn't even know I had were beginning a dull, throbbing ache. The tattoo in my head was getting worse, and a couple of times, I felt as though I might pass out. The sun that shone through the trees overhead was getting hotter, and my mouth was feeling parched. I need some water, I thought groggily. I paused to get my bearings and heard a faint trickling sound. Oh please, please be a stream! I pleaded. I branched off the trail in the direction of the noise.
I changed course several times, but at last I broke through to a small clearing. The rays of sunlight glistened off the surface of a small brook. Greedily, I wobbled over to the grassy bank, threw myself down on my stomach and gulped the cold, clear water. As my head roared, a low rumble began that grew louder every second. I froze where I was and then slowly lifted my head. On the other side of the creek, not six feet from where I lay, was the biggest dog...no, wait, wolf...I had ever seen. The beast was massive, ridiculously so. It had to be the size of a small cow. I whimpered softly in my throat and tried to make myself as small and non-threatening as possible. The wolf only growled louder. It bared its massive teeth and crouched, ready to spring. I shrieked and closed my eyes as it lunged, covering my head and bracing for the contact.
There was a loud yelp, but I felt nothing. I dared to open my eyes, just a squint, to see what was going on. To my surprise, I saw two men battling with the beast, using swords. Both men were obvious experts. They took turns slashing at the animal until it finally collapsed to the ground, but instead of simply lying still, it began to break into tiny white lights that flittered away until nothing of the wolf's body was left. I stared at where the animal had been, openmouthed. Suddenly a large hand grasped my shoulder. I gasped and turned to see the slightly shorter of the two men studying me closely. His face appeared battle-hardened, but his gray eyes were kind.
"Are you all right?" he asked, but at his words, my eyes grew larger. He was using an old dialect that I was familiar with, but was practically unused in modern-day Japan. I stared at him, stunned, when I realized he was still waiting for my response.
"Um, yeah, I'm ok. Uh, thanks for helping me. You guys saved my life," I fumbled for the words. The other man's gaze sharpened, but still he said nothing. Instead he motioned to the man in front of me, who walked over to him. The two began what appeared to be an intense conversation. I strained to hear what they were saying, but couldn't, so I contented myself with studying them unnoticed.
Both men were dressed in what appeared to be a cross between a kimono and a trench coat, with slacks underneath tucked into heavy black boots. They each carried a large sword, although the taller man's sword was a good foot longer. Gray Eyes was about 5'11" with short, light brown hair and a blue coat or whatever it was over black pants. He looked a lot younger than the other man, though I suspected they were close to the same age, possibly their mid-thirties.
The larger man was over 6' with black hair that was graying at the forehead and temples and pulled back into a thick braid that fell half-way down his back. He was wearing a red coat over gray pants. As I stared at him, he turned his head and met my gaze. I couldn't quite smother my gasp at his appearance. He wore sunglasses that didn't quite cover a large, angry-looking scar that ran from the top of the right side of his forehead down his face and disappeared by his chin underneath some kind of neck and shoulder shield. His right eye appeared permanently scarred shut and I wondered if there was even an eye there. As we stared at each other for a brief moment, I felt my heart go out to him.
He looks so alone, so distant, I thought, as if the world itself has turned its back on him. I abruptly realized I was being rude and averted my gaze downwards. He seemed satisfied and returned to his conversation, but I couldn't get the image of his one eye gazing at me, burning into my soul. I tried to remember its color. Mahogany? Bronze? No, russet, that was it. A deep, rich russet, with such intensity that it seemed to make up for the loss of the other eye.
Finally, Gray Eyes walked over to where I was standing. He bowed deeply to me, and, flattered, I returned the gesture. "I want to apologize for my rudeness, my lady," he stated. "I failed to introduce my companion and myself. I am Tiorak, and this is Auron. We were surprised to find you here, since no one travels this area much. It is far too dangerous with so much fiend activity." Fiend? I opened my mouth to ask what a fiend was when Auron interrupted.
"Tiorak, I believe it would be much wiser to discuss this on the road, not chattering here like idiots," he growled. I gaped at him in surprise, but Tiorak merely shrugged and nodded. He motioned for me to follow him. I fell into step beside him with Auron at the rear. I waited until we were far enough ahead that the black-haired man wouldn't hear me, and then turned to Tiorak.
"What's a fiend?"
His gray eyes turned to me in shock. "You don't know what fiends are?" I shook my head. "You aren't from here, are you?" he asked, eyeing me shrewdly.
"Um, I don't think so. At least, none of this looks familiar."
He studied me for a moment longer, then turned his attention back to the slowly widening trail. For a while I wondered if he had forgotten my question. Abruptly he turned to me and answered, "Fiends are the spirits of those who are killed by Sin, but were never sent to the Farplane." At my blank expression, he sighed, then patiently explained. "The Farplane is a place of rest in the arms of Yevon. You do know about Yevon, don't you?" When I smiled sheepishly, he groaned. "You are a strange girl, I must admit, but I didn't think there was anyone who hadn't heard about Yevon, even if they didn't practice its teachings."
It was becoming clearer to me that I had stepped into a totally different world. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find my way home...if there even was a way home.
"Um, I hate to bother you, but what were those little lights that came out of the wolf's body, and where'd the wolf go?"
"Those are pyreflies. They're said to hold the breath of life, although all that's known for sure is that when anything living dies, their body dissipates into pyreflies. Beautiful, aren't they?" I shivered unconsciously. Yeah, in a weird sort of way. What kinda place is this, anyhow?
"We're nearly home," Tiorak's voice startled me out of my reverie. "You can see Bevelle from this hill ahead of us." Curious, I broke into a trot. Tiorak ran effortlessly beside me and as we topped the hill, I felt as though my breath had been stolen from me. It was a scene both ancient, yet strangely futuristic. There were houses everywhere, blended with large buildings and what almost looked like a football field. I could even see a temple-looking building. The place looked huge, and I knew that we still had to be a good half-an-hour away. I finally began to understand how drastically my life had just changed.
"We should take her to the temple." I jumped at Auron's statement. I had almost forgotten he was there. Almost. "They will know what to do with her," he continued. My neck bristled with his casual air. Know what to do with me? As if I'm some kind of dilemma that needs figured out! Who does he think he is anyhow? I thought indignantly. I started to make a smart remark, but the warning glare he gave me shut me up quick. I turned to Tiorak but to my surprise he nodded in agreement. He nearly smiled when he saw the look on my face.
"Don't worry, they won't hurt you," he said kindly. "We simply need to decide where you will stay and who will look after you until we can discuss returning you to your homeland."
"I can take care of myself just fine," I retorted somewhat hotly.
"I don't doubt that," Tiorak responded hastily, "I only meant that we have customs and beliefs that you obviously aren't familiar with. We don't want to risk you getting yourself in trouble. It would make things easier for you if we could find someone to take you under their wing, at least until we can return you to your home."
"Ohh. Okay," I conceded, feeling slightly foolish. We fell silent as we entered the city.
As we walked along the main road to the temple, I began to feel somewhat self-conscious. People weren't exactly staring -- I supposed that would be rude to them -- but they were definitely noticing me. I started walking a little faster, hoping to get away from their questioning eyes. Tiorak chuckled and lengthened his stride to match pace with me. We finally reached the temple and were escorted inside. I gaped around in awe at the beauty. The lighting seemed unnatural, as if the stars themselves were illuminating the room. Statues of people were everywhere and boys and girls in white robes scurried around filling incense burners and vases.
I was engrossed in my surroundings when Auron gave me a sharp jab in the ribs. Angrily, I turned to glare at him when I noticed an old man in white approaching us from across the room. Auron and Tiorak bowed at the waist and made an unusual sign with their hands. I bowed somewhat belatedly, but the old man didn't seem to notice.
"Sensei," Tiorak began, "we found this young woman in Daido Forest." Quickly he related the story to the man who stood patiently listening. When the gray-eyed man was finished, he stood quietly waiting. I couldn't help but feel that my life was about to be decided for me and held my breath. Finally, the old man looked straight at me. I met his gaze respectfully. He watched me for a moment, then turned to Tiorak.
"It would be uncomfortable for you to have her in your home, would it not?" Tiorak shifted restlessly but nodded.
"Normally, I'd be happy to have her, but with just getting married and all..." he trailed off as a red flush spread up his neck. The old man chuckled which seemed to embarrass Tiorak even more, but mercifully continued.
"I am afraid she cannot stay here at the temple." At this, both men looked at him sharply.
"Why not?" Tiorak asked bluntly. "Couldn't you take her as an acolyte or temple worker or something?"
The old man looked at me and for some reason I felt like bursting into tears. His eyes grew soft and kind. "Her path lies elsewhere. This is no place for her." His gaze grew more intense and I wondered crazily if he was looking into my soul.
"Then what are you going to do with her?" Auron asked roughly. The old man smiled.
"Not me, Sir Auron. You." At this, both of our mouths dropped. "What!" Auron demanded angrily. "I have better things to do than baby-sit some teenage girl!"
"I'm not a teenager," I yelled. "I'm 23, and I don't need a babysitter!" We stood there glaring at each other until the old man threw up his hands.
"Enough!" he thundered. I turned to him, shocked that such a powerful voice had come from a man so small. I was even more surprised at the change in Auron's demeanor. He immediately stepped back from where we had been eyeballing each other and bowed to the man.
"My apologies, Sensei. I forgot myself." The old man nodded and Auron straightened up. He still looked angry and I swallowed hard.
"Please, sir..." I started, but the old man held up his hand.
"That is my final decision. Perhaps the two of you can learn from each other."
"I doubt it," I grumbled under my breath. The old man bowed to us, then turned and left. Auron spun around and stormed out of the temple. Bewildered, I looked at Tiorak, who signaled me to follow the red clothed warrior. I hesitated and then walked heavy-hearted toward the door.
"He's not that bad," Tiorak's voice stopped me. "He's just been through a lot and doesn't trust people easily. Give him time." He ventured a grin. I gratefully smiled back and walked away.
Outside the temple, I looked around to see where Auron had gone. I caught a glimpse of red across the large courtyard and ran after it. Catching up to him, I had to trot to keep pace with his long strides. He ignored me as we walked past shops and markets, until we finally reached a cluster of military-looking houses on the edge of town. He turned into a narrow alley that ran alongside a tall wall, then stopped abruptly at a small gateway. Unfortunately, I hadn't been watching where I was going and ran into him. He growled and turned to glare at me, then walked through the gate.
"So this is your place, huh?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. He gave me a look that clearly said he wasn't in the mood for chitchat. I looked around the bamboo-walled yard as we walked along the path to a small house. I see he enjoys his privacy. This is going to be some picnic with me "barging in." He unlocked the door and strode into the house. I glanced around the room curiously. It appeared to be a living room with a small kitchen off to the left as we walked in. Two doors were on the other side of the room with a hallway leading to the back of the house to the left of them. The place was small and utilitarian. No pictures, no personal relics; the house looked just like the man who lived in it.
"I'm going to take a shower," Auron said. "You can go look around if you like, but stay close. I can't afford having you getting into something you know nothing about and causing trouble." I decided to ignore his comment and glanced toward the kitchen. Everything looks modern. I bet there's even a fridge in there. Good. I'm starving. Auron tossed his coat on the couch and walked to the door on the right, closing it firmly behind him. I headed to the small kitchen and found a refrigerator fully stocked. At least he doesn't skimp on the food, I thought gratefully as I crunched on a juicy apple. Finishing it, I tossed the core in the trash in the corner and decided to go outside. I heard the water turn on as I left the house. I wonder if he sings in the shower. I chuckled to myself at the mental picture that brought, then rolled my eyes. Yeah, right. That guy's so stiff, I'd be surprised if he even undresses. I shivered. That was definitely something I did not want to imagine.
I started walking down the alley towards the main road and promptly forgot Auron's warning. There was so much to see, so many strange new sights and smells. I headed down the road in the direction we had come. I loved exploring, which explained my internship in Tokyo. I had learned so much from my short time there as a graphic artist. Tears stung my eyes as I wondered about the friends I had made there and if I would ever see them again. Buck up, girl. It's not gonna do you any good thinking about that. Enjoy this experience while you can, and worry about the rest later. My eyes began to sparkle as I entered the marketplace. People were yelling back and forth, children were weaving in and out of the shops, and everyone seemed to be having a generally good time.
A sign on the store closest to me read "Geraint's Weapon Shop." Hmm...I wonder if they've got any of those cool swords like Auron and Tiorak have. I ducked inside and looked around. Instantly a small man came rushing up eagerly.
"Hello, my lady, how may I assist you? Perhaps you're a dark mage. In that case, I have cactuar at a very reasonable price. Or if you prefer, I've various potions: Phoenix Down, Hi-Potion, and of course the ever-popular Haste."
I stared at him blankly. "Um, no, that's ok. I was just, uh, looking."
"Of course, of course, my lady," he replied genially. "Just let me know if you require assistance with anything." I nodded and to my relief he left me. I glanced around the shop. Everything I saw was strange. Rows and rows of bottles, a whole shelf full of weird-looking volleyballs, but only a few swords. None of them looked anything like Auron's and Tiorak's. I decided to try some of the other stores I'd seen.
I browsed through the stores for what must have been hours, trying some of the strange beauty samples the salesladies shoved at me, looking at different kinds of armor, and having the time of my life. It wasn't until I stepped out of one of the potions shops that I noticed how late it was getting. The sun was disappearing behind the horizon and the air was getting chilly. Just one more shop, I promised myself. I walked across the stone-paved street to a promising weapons store. As I entered, I caught my breath. There were literally hundreds of swords lining the walls. I strolled over to a beautiful but lethal-looking sword. It was double-edged with ice-blue filigree along the middle of the blade. The light from the dying sun flashed in its steel, giving it a flaming look.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" A male voice startled me out of my reverie. I turned and saw a tall, dark man dressed similar to Tiorak and Auron. He was smiling and pleasant enough, but there was a coldness in his eyes that put me on my guard. I eyed him warily and his smile broadened.
"Where are my manners? I'm Lobax. You must be that girl I saw with Tiorak and that dishonorable Auron." When I nodded, he leaned forward and his voice deepened. "Let me give you a word of advice about that monk. He's a loser, just a washed-up used-to-be. Ask him sometime about Nihari and see what he says." His smile became less pleasant, and more like the wolf's I had faced earlier. "Trust me, he's nothing but trouble. Do you know how he got that scar?" I shook my head, speechless. "He was...Why, hello, Auron." My eyes widened as I turned to see Auron standing directly behind me.
"What are you doing, Lobax?" he growled. His face was a mask, totally unreadable, but rage was radiating from his body. He had changed from his heavy armor into pants and a sleeveless shirt, and I could see the muscles in his arms bunch as if he might swing at Lobax.
"Why, just being amicable to your new charge," Lobax said poisonously. "I figured you wouldn't know how to be pleasant, so I thought I'd step in."
The man behind the counter trotted over anxiously. "Sirs," he began, but both warriors sent him a look that stopped him cold. He gazed at me pleadingly like he expected me to intervene before the two tore his shop apart. I shrugged. I guess it couldn't hurt to say something.
"Auron, it's getting dark. Can we please go now?" I begged, trying to sound as helpless as possible. He raised an eyebrow at me that clearly said he wasn't buying my act, then glanced at the terrified shopkeeper. Without a word, he spun on his heels and stormed out. Once again I found myself jogging after him, trying to keep up. We walked in silence the entire way back to Auron's house. By the time we got there the sun had set, and the city was beginning to glow with the same ethereal light I had seen in the temple. It would have been beautiful had I not been able to feel Auron's wrath emanating from him. We entered the house without speaking; then all hell broke loose.
"What, in the name of Yevon, gives you the right to disobey my direct orders!" he thundered. I cringed inside at the tone of his voice. I have definitely ticked him off! I started to answer, but he cut me short. "NO! You will listen to me! I will NOT have my commands taken lightly!" I stood there stoically as he continued to ream me. "From now on, understand one thing; I give the orders. You answer to me. If you EVERdefy me again, you will find yourself on the streets. Do you understand!" I nodded dumbly, stunned. He strode past me to the bedroom and reappeared moments later with a couple of blankets and a pillow. "You can sleep here on the couch. I will expect you to be up at sunrise, so get some rest," he said roughly, then shut off the lights and walked back into the bedroom.
"Thank you," I almost whispered, but the door closed on my reply.
I spread one of the blankets on the couch, lay down and covered myself with the other. My head spun with everything that had happened. I felt confused, bewildered, like the world had continued to turn without me. The stress of the day finally got to me and I started to cry, softly, so the man in the other room wouldn't hear me. Why is this happening to me? And why, of all the people in Spira I could stay with, am I here with Auron? My mind continued to reel until I eventually fell into a troubled sleep.