"Yuna honey, don't climb in the fountain! You will frighten the fish…would you like to feed them?" Leyona called from her seat on a stone bench in a sing-song voice, trying to coax her young daughter down off the side of the stone fountain in the courtyard of their home. "Here honey, take a pinch of the food and sprinkle it in the water," she said as the tiny girl wobbled back to her mother. She had only been walking for a few months and sometimes took tumbles when her feet started moving too fast for her balance.
Yuna carefully carried the tiny pinch of food back to the fountain and tipped her hand out over the water, squealing as the large red and black fish darted at the food, splashing and flipping part way out of the water in their greed. "Momma! Fissh, Fissh!" Yuna clapped her hands and hopped in excitement, ending up sitting on the ground with a surprised expression. Her face began to redden and she whimpered slightly, preparing to cry.
"Oh, no little one! No tears!" Braska called as he scooped his daughter up in his arms and swung her around, laughing as her whimpers turned into shrieks of joy.
"Birrrty, Birrty! Flyy!" Yuna reached her arms out, pretending she was one of the birds in the garden. Braska lifted her up and blew bubbles on her belly, making the toddler squirm as she giggled. He set her carefully back on her feet and she ran down one of the paths, chasing a butterfly, her moment of tears totally forgotten.
Braska sighed as he took a weary seat next to Leyona, happy to relax after his long day down at his office at the harbor. "What's Tunis making for dinner?" he asked, knowing that whatever it was, it would be delicious. He looked up as the kitchen door opened and Missy bustled down the stairs.
"Here you go, M'Lord and Lady." Missy grinned mischievously as she set a tray with a plate of cookies, a teapot, and two cups on the end of the bench. "Tunis says the crab casserole will be ready in about a half hour, and wants to know if you'd like cheese bread with it." Leyona nodded with a smile, and Missy turned away, just in time to be tackled around the knees by a rambunctious toddler.
"I think it's about time for your dinner little one? And then a bath?" The cook's helper lifted the little girl and looked at her filthy hands and feet as she turned and carried the wiggling child towards the kitchen. "Or maybe you need the bath first!" Missy giggled as she tickled Yuna, and they both turned to wave at Braska and Leyona before disappearing inside.
"It was a long day?" Braska asked softly, handing Leyona a cup of tea.
"Yuna didn't take a nap, and hardly slowed down all day. I don't know how she has so much energy, or how she can get into so much! I had to replant the sweet peas after she chased a butterfly through them, she fell in the fountain twice before lunch, and I think she's cutting another tooth…" Leyona sighed and moaned as Braska began rubbing her shoulders. "I think I'll keep you…"
"Uh, huh…that's what you always say when I rub your shoulders," Braska laughed softly and leaned closer to nuzzle her neck. "Too bad dinners nearly ready…" he whispered as he moved his lips up her neck and began sucking on her earlobe.
"That's not fair," she whimpered, turning to put her lips against his, sliding her arm around his neck to deepen the kiss.
It had been a good day down at the shipping office, Braska thought as he walked slowly towards home, early for once since the sun was just now sinking behind the horizon. One of his ships had docked this afternoon and delivered some badly needed medical supplies from Kilika Temple, and a second docked with its cargo hold full of rice. This was fortunate since the wholesale price of rice had just gone up twenty gil a quarter-ton; they would make a nice profit off this shipment, and it would probably pay off the loan on the new crane in the number three warehouse, he mused. He was early enough that he would probably be able to get some paperwork done before Leyona and Yuna got back from Auron's brother's house. Twice a week she took Yuna over to play with their children; Machel would walk them home when he got off the evening shift at the port.
The sound of angry shouts came from a small park off to Braska's left, a tiny oasis of trees and flowers tucked into a space hardly the size of the manor houses surrounding it. He turned to see a group of about a dozen boys, some of them nearly men, surrounding a smaller child – pushing him and taunting. He had already started to move into the park, intent on stopping the bullying when he realized who the victim was.
One of the larger boys suddenly punched the smaller boy, knocking him to the ground at the base of a large tree. The blue haired boy staggered back to his feet, glaring at the group, one hand pressed to a rapidly bruising eye. "I'll teach you! You'll pay for this!" Seymour shouted at the group, a tear starting down his undamaged cheek.
"Ohhh, yea! I'm so scared…what are you going to do, run home crying to your momma?" A boy dressed in the clothing worn by one of the nastier street gangs taunted. "Half-breed trash! You need to be taught some manners!" He swung at Seymour again, intending to punch him in the stomach, but the smaller boy kicked his attacker in the knee and then dodged and ran, managing to break through the group surrounding him. Unfortunately he ran the wrong way and ended up in the deepest corner of the small park with his back to the tall brick wall of the estate behind the park.
"Now you've done it you little shit…" the apparent leader of the group laughed, waving his hand to direct the rest of the gang to block any escape. "Let's give him something to remember us by," he sneered, pulling a knife from a boot sheath and flipping it from hand to hand menacingly. Several other boys snickered as they pulled knives of their own.
Braska started running, hoping he could stop the assault in time to prevent further damage to the half-guado boy, and cursing under his breath that he was unarmed except for a boot knife.
"I won't let you bastards hurt me!" Seymour shouted, flinging his arms outwards as he summoned. "Anima!" A horrifying figure erupted from the ground, rising to tower high in the air between Braska and the boys. Its arms were tied in a crossed position on its chest, clawed fingers grasping at nothing as it screamed in mortal pain. A tattered shroud covered its face, leaving revealed only its mouth, open for another scream of agony. Crazed eyes peered through ragged holes. Chains wrapped around its neck and bound it to the ground, pulling it downwards, even as it fought to rise higher into the air. "Anima, kill them! Kill them all," Seymour shouted, pointing at his tormenters.
"No! Reena, NO!" Braska shouted frantically as the aeon readied a pain strike. The aeon seemed to hesitate, and turned slightly towards Braska as he ran past to stand in front of Seymour, throwing several boys out of his way in his haste. "No Seymour, this is not the way!" He put his hands on the boy's shoulders and shook him, trying to break through the boy's anger. "Release her! Don't do this!"
Seymour looked up at Braska with maddened eyes and began to laugh hysterically. "Kill them!" he commanded again as he jerked loose, pointing at the boys who were now cowering on the ground, too frightened to run past the horrifying aeon.
Braska turned to face Anima and gathered all his power, pulling everything he'd learned during his brief time as a summoner back in a flash of memory. "Lady Reena, I dismiss you," he said quietly, reaching with his magic and Summoners talent to contact the fayth within the tormented aeon. There was a moment of startled recognition as he touched her; everything stood still, all was silent for several heartbeats of time, and then the aeon disappeared with a final echoing moan of pain. The terrified street boys quickly climbed to their feet and ran, with frequent looks back.
"Nooooo! You can't do that!" Seymour screamed, throwing himself against Braska, grabbing the back of his tunic with both hands and shaking the much taller man violently. "You can't send her away! She's mine!" Braska turned and wrapped his arms around the boy as Seymour burst into hysterical tears, crying incoherently. "Nooo…" he moaned, and then collapsed in Braska's arms, the sudden weight pulling them both down to kneel on the grass. Braska stayed that way for a while, his arms cradling Seymour against him, rocking slightly and murmuring soothingly to the boy until the sobs quieted.
"Lets go to my house Seymour, it's just down the street," Braska suggested quietly, stroking the blue hair, which was all he could see of Seymour's face at the moment as it was pressed against Braska's chest. The boy nodded soundlessly and took a deep shuddering breath then pulled away, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his temple school uniform, still not looking up. "Here, use my kerchief," Braska suggested, pulling it out of his pocket without comment.
"Why are you doing this," Seymour muttered, "Nobody likes me, so why are you being nice?"
"You look like you need a friend, someone you can talk to, and I'm not really busy right now." Braska offered gently, reaching to push a strand of blue hair out of Seymour's tear stained face. "Besides, if we don't get some ice on that eye pretty quick, you're going to have a 'beaut of a black eye."
"Really? I haven't had a black eye before…" Seymour poked tentatively at his cheek, and winced when he found a tender spot. "Ice sounds good." He stood carefully, with a hand up from Braska, and they began to walk slowly down the street to Braska's house, Seymour staying close beside the older man.
Braska rang the front door chime and the door was opened immediately by Roggis, whose expression turned serious as he took in Braska's slightly disheveled appearance, the grass stains on the knees of his light tan leggings, and the tear stained face of the boy he was guiding inside. "Could you please ask Tunis for an ice bag, and a snack for a growing boy? I think he's missed dinner, and I'll bet he's hungry. We'll be in my office." Braska ordered quietly, ushering Seymour down the hallway to the room he had taken as his office. Tall bookcases lined the walls, all the way up to the high ceiling, the top shelves reachable by a sliding ladder. The only break in the shelves was a narrow window on the west wall, overlooking the pathway to the back courtyard. A heavily carved wooden desk with a matching chair sat in front of the window, stacks of papers cluttering the top, and an oversized tea mug with cheerful flowers painted on it serving as a pencil holder. Two comfortable looking stuffed chairs sat to the right, on either side of a small table with a chess board set up ready to play. A larger library table was on the other side of the room, with several straight chairs tucked under it.
Seymour hesitantly followed Braska into the room and took a seat in one of the chairs while Braska went to his desk and retrieved a blank piece of note paper and a pen. He sat for a moment and then wrote quickly before sliding the note into an envelope and closing it with a quick dribble of sealing wax, carefully pressing his merchant's seal into it before it could set. He looked up quickly as the door opened, Toyma and Missy coming in loaded with a tray of dishes and an ice bag.
"Ms. Tunis says this is just to hold you until dinner, young sir," the kitchen assistant said with a smile as she cleared the chess board off the table and set down the tray. Delicious smells rose from the plate full of cheese pie, and a buttered roll nestled next to a small bowl of crunchy topping. "You let me know if there's anything else you need, otherwise I'll be back in a few minutes with some desert."
Toyma put her fingers under Seymour's chin and tipped his face up so the light hit it. "Doesn't look too bad, it's going to be pretty colorful by tomorrow though," she said to Braska's relief. He had thought it superficial as well, but it didn't hurt to have a second opinion. Toyma smiled at the boy, then handed him an ice bag. "Hold this on your cheek for a few minutes, it will help the swelling go down faster." She had six younger brothers, and according to her, it was a wonder she had any left alive, since they were always getting into fights and ending up with broken noses and split lips.
Braska walked to the door with the girls and stopped Missy with a hand on her arm. "Missy? Could you see if someone is free to take this note up to Auron for me? This time of day he should be in the guard office."
She considered for a moment then nodded, "Tami isn't busy right now, and she can run it up real quick." Braska patted her arm in thanks then stepped back inside; closing the door behind him he turned and leaned against the door for a moment, watching as the boy sniffed the food on his plate uncertainly.
Seymour shifted the ice bag slightly on his cheek, and picked his fork up to eat. He ate silently, but with enthusiasm, for several minutes until finally he was scraping the last of the fluffy cheese and egg concoction off the plate. "Not quite what you get at the temple is it?" Braska said with a small smile. Seymour looked up sharply and then nodded, a sullen expression sliding onto his face.
"Why did you stop me?" Seymour turned to give Braska a hard look. "Those boys were going to hurt me, they deserved to be hurt back." He continued to stare at Braska, until finally turning his eyes to the side when the man didn't look away. "They were going to hurt me…," he glowered.
"Yes, they were…but calling Anima and killing them wasn't the right thing to do. I couldn't let you use her that way – it's very upsetting to her when you call her in anger."
Seymour turned his face back to Braska in surprise. "How do you know that!" he lashed out angrily. "She's my mother - she's supposed to protect me!"
Braska nodded slowly, still keeping his eyes locked on Seymour's. "I know because she told me when I visited Baaj Island. She told me everything."
Seymour sank back into his chair, his mouth open in shock. "She told you? You talked to her? How! How could you have talked to her?" His shocked look turned suspicious as he continued, "What do you want from me? I won't give you the aeon. Maester Mica wanted me to give him my aeon and I wouldn't do it."
"I used to know your mother, she was a friend of my sister's, and I always admired her. She was so beautiful, and gentle…when I was a little younger than you she helped me out of a bad situation. It's only fair that I help her son now." Braska sighed and rubbed his hands together as he thought. "If you like, I will see if the Maesters will allow me to teach you to defend yourself, so you won't have to worry about bullies."
"I don't need you to teach me anything – I have Anima. She will protect me," the boy insisted, his face darkening with anger. "She's mine! I can summon her whenever I want to!"
"You may have the ability to call her, but you don't have the right to misuse her powers." Braska sighed as he watched Seymour's expression change to one of defiance. "The boy who hit you, he had the ability to hurt you…but did he have the right?"
"No! He didn't!" Seymour shouted, rising from his chair with his arms stiff at his sides, fists clenched.
"If you strike at someone weaker than you, knowing there was another way out of the situation, is this right?"
"He hit me first! He deserved to be punished!" Seymour insisted.
"Did he deserve to be murdered? Did all the others deserve to be murdered? If I hadn't stopped you, it would have been murder. Do you really think your mother intended you to use her aeon to commit murder?" Seymour's eyes widened as he listened to Braska's calm words, and he slowly sat back down, beginning to sniffle again as his anger passed.
Braska walked slowly over to the chair the boy sat hunched over in, bending down on one knee to bring Seymour's face level with his own. "You didn't hurt anyone, this time…but someday you might. You need to find another way to handle these situations before someone is hurt. If you let me, I will help you."
"I won't give you my aeon…" Seymour sobbed. "The Maesters want me to give her up, but I won't! She's all I have left."
"I don't want your aeon, son. It isn't possible to give away an aeon anyway, no matter what the Maesters may have told you." Braska reached out and pulled Seymour against him, holding him gently while he cried, until he finally fell asleep. Braska moved him carefully back into the chair, covering him with a light blanket, then stood watching him sleep.
A soft tap sounded on the door, and Braska quietly moved to open it. "Auron, thanks for coming." Auron looked into the room and saw the boy, curled up in the chair asleep, and nodded. Braska motioned for Auron to follow him into the kitchen. "Missy, could you please go sit with the boy for a while? He's asleep right now, and I don't want him to wake up alone." The girl nodded respectfully and left, taking a plate of cookies and a glass of milk with her.
"I heard about the aeon appearing – there's a rumor that a huge fiend appeared and attacked some kids. Its probably all over town by now, and everyone is talking about it. I had a feeling it was Anima as soon as I heard the description, but nobody knew where the boy had gone; he's been missing since before lunch." Auron nodded to Tunis and accepted the mug of tea she offered him gratefully, pulling off his sword and sliding around the kitchen table to take a seat opposite Braska. "What happened?"
"A group of kids from one of the street gangs had him cornered in the little park up the street. I was going over to stop it when one of them pulled a knife. Seymour called Anima and was going to have her strike at them, so I stopped her." Braska paused to sip his tea, and Auron leaned forward over the table.
"Why don't I think that's the entire story?" Auron stated, lifting one eyebrow at his friend's overly brief explanation. "Just how did you stop her when Maester Mica wasn't able to?"
Braska looked up in surprise. "I dismissed her, like you do any aeon. I thought that was how she was controlled when Seymour called her before?"
Auron shook his head. "No, Maester Mica was able to talk Seymour into dismissing her, after his own attempts failed." Auron kept looking at Braska, chewing on his lip as he considered the possible reactions to Braska's unexpected success.
"It was odd though, it was more as if she recognized me and decided to leave," Braska admitted finally. "I would appreciate if you didn't tell the Maesters that however, I don't want them to know I was able to communicate with Lady Reena." He sipped more tea then set the cup down with a thump on the table. "If they don't already know, that is...they are still watching me pretty closely, waiting for me to step out of line. No-one's done anything openly, but I think they're pretty upset about me supporting the Crusaders, especially since they finished building the pier and my ships are delivering directly to the Mushroom Rock Road headquarters."
Tunis turned her head, listening to the conversation. She seemed to be thinking hard, a small frown on her normally cheerful face.
Auron nodded, knowing he was right. "They're going to want to talk to you I think, no way around that. You'd better decide what you want to tell them."
"Lord Braska? I think the Maesters have been doing more than just watching us…" Tunis paused, not entirely sure she wasn't over reacting. "Something a bit disturbing happened yesterday, when Tami and I went to the market. Two men were following us, and they weren't being very careful about it, like they didn't care if we saw them or not. They followed us into the butcher's shop, and one of them tried to grab Tami, but the butcher's youngest boy is sweet on her and he made them leave the shop. They hung around outside, so Butcher Myric had a couple of his son's walk home with us." She hesitated then added, "I think the other girls have been having problems too. Erika told me about someone following her, and she said she recognized him – she's seen him eating at the café over on Second Ring Street, sitting with a bunch of men in Temple uniforms.
"The café on Second Ring Street…that's where Maester Jenic's men hang out when they're off duty." Auron said flatly. "I will see what I can find out, but I suggest you have everyone be extra cautious from now on. Nobody goes out alone, and keep your eyes open."
"Leyona and Yuna are at your brother's house. They will be coming home in just a little while…" Braska said suddenly, his eyes widening as he thought about them walking home through the darkened streets, accompanied only by Auron's older brother, who was not much of a fighter. "I think we should go meet them, I don't have a good feeling about this."
Auron nodded slowly, standing up and strapping his sword sheath back into place. "Get a weapon. I hope we're just over reacting, but if not, you'll need one."
"You'll watch the boy, Tunis?" Braska asked over his shoulder as he started out of the kitchen, only waiting for her worried nod before heading for his room to get his bo and put on some darker clothes, ones designed for fighting.
"I don't like this," Braska said quietly as they strode down the deserted street towards Machel and Berta's house. "It's too quiet. There should still be people out at this time of night."
"The rumor of the fiend frightened them," Auron answered, watching the shadow's between buildings carefully as they moved closer to their destination. "It's going to make it easier to see trouble coming at least."
Braska sighed, "Yes, but they can see us easier as well." He stopped suddenly as he heard the sounds of running footsteps coming towards them. "There! Let's go!"
The two men kicked into action, moving quickly to meet whoever was running. Leyona dashed around the corner of a shop, carrying Yuna, and nearly ran Braska over. "Thank Yevon! You've got to help Machel, three men are chasing us!" Auron glanced quickly at them, assuring himself that they were unharmed then ran on towards the sounds of struggle.
"Are you alright?" Braska asked sharply, holding her arm to steady her. Leyona nodded, gasping for breath as she shifted the frightened toddler to her other hip. "Stay here – yell if you see anyone else coming from this direction." He kissed her quickly and ran to join Auron, turning the corner to find him facing off with three large men dressed in scruffy clothes and carrying large knives. They seemed to be hesitating, probably because of the large sword Auron was wielding so expertly. Machel sat on the ground behind Auron, grasping his side, blood running through his fingers.
"Take care of Machel, I'll handle this," Auron ordered, sliding his sword into the arm of one of the attackers as he lunged forward.
Braska knelt beside Machel and pulled his hand off the wound, wincing as he saw how deep the knife had cut.
"Just get me to the healers, I'll be alright," Machel wheezed, gripping his bleeding side once again.
"You need help now. Hold on and I'll see what I can do." He gathered his magic and concentrated, then cast a healing spell. Green power flowed from his hands, gathering on the wound. Machel took a deep breath and sighed as the pain stopped, and then Braska helped him stand shakily. "Leyona's around the corner – go stay with her while we take care of this."
Machel nodded agreement and then growled as he saw one of the attackers trying to sneak behind Auron.
Braska stepped forward and whipped his bo around, cracking the thug in the side of the head, staggering him but not knocking him out. "So, you want to do it the hard way do you?" He reversed the strike and caught the man with an upward strike to the chin, snapping his teeth together and making him grunt. He still didn't go down, so Braska struck again, planting the end of the bo in his solar plexus – doubling him over and putting him on his knees on the street, easy target for a strike to the back of his head. The man slumped to the ground with a groan and Braska stepped over him to join Auron.
Auron had taken care of another one of the attackers meanwhile; a cut to the arm, another in the thigh, and the hilt of his sword to the side of the head, so only one was left standing. The final man hesitated; he was now alone and faced by two skilled fighters, one of which was the Captain of the Temple Guard.
"I don't suppose you'd like to tell me who hired you?" Auron asked coldly, not expecting an answer, then struck, lunging towards the man – who ducked sideways, directly into the strike Braska had aimed at him, bringing him to his knees gasping for breath, his knife falling from his hand as he clutched his groin. Auron set the tip of his sword to the man's neck as Braska casually kicked the knife out of reach.
"I'm waiting…who hired you?" Auron repeated, moving the sharp edge of the sword closer against the man's neck, drawing a thin line of blood. "Or should I say who assigned you this little…task?" The man started shaking, clearly unprepared for the results of the assignment.
Braska stepped around the corner of the street to reassure Leyona and Machel, then returned and began searching the man Auron had wounded. "Temple meal tokens," he stated with disgust, clenching a couple in his hand. "He's got a pass for the maintenance levels too." Braska tore strips off the man's shirt and wrapped his wounds, then tied him with the laces from his own boots, before moving on to the one he had knocked out.
"So, you were hired by someone in the temple?" Auron asked coldly. "Did you know who you were attacking?" The man shook his head slightly, his eyes focused on Auron's sword. "Do you know who I am?" he asked again, gratified when the man nodded slightly. "The man you hurt is my brother…and the woman and child are Lord Braska's wife and daughter, my god-daughter." The thugs eyes widened and he whimpered, his face so pale it nearly glowed. "Now, do you want to tell me who hired you?" The man shook his head slightly as Braska stood, stepping closer to Auron with a paper in his hand.
"I don't think he needs to," Braska said in Al Bhed, holding the paper up so Auron could read it in the light cast by a nearby street light. "His friend was nice enough to keep their orders."
"Maester Kendale…I must say that surprises me. I had honestly expected it to be one of the others," Auron murmured back, looking up as he saw several members of the city guard coming up the street at a run. Evidently someone had heard the fight and called them; better late than never Auron thought, at least they could take the prisoners. "Let's not tell them who we suspect is responsible for this?"
Braska nodded agreement, and leaned on his bo. "Nothing says it's just the one we're dealing with either; I can think of several who might want to get at me. Maybe they're lining up for their chance at us?" he continued with a wry smile, then frowned as Leyona and Machel joined them.
"How much danger are we in – will they try this again?" Leyona asked softly, cuddling Yuna as the toddler put her head on her mother's chest and started sucking her fingers sleepily.
Braska shook his head, unable to answer that question, and put his arm around Leyona. "Let's just get this settled so we can go home. I'm sure Machel would like to lay down, he lost a good amount of blood before I could heal him, it's past Yuna's bedtime, and we still have the problem of the boy to take care of," Braska suggested wearily, and sighed as Leyona gave him a puzzled look. "It's a long story, I'll explain when we get home." It was going to be a long night.
"So, I understand now…," Leyona said as Braska opened the door of his office, revealing a curious scene. Missy was sitting at the library table with the boy, chin resting on her hands while she listened with fascination as Seymour read to her from one of Braska's history books, gesturing as he added details to the story he was reading. He was actually smiling as he spoke with the girl, but his expression turned grim when he noticed Braska and Leyona standing in the doorway.
Braska walked over to the table and tipped his head to see which book they had chosen. "Ahh, Farnit's 'The Early History of the Crusaders'. If you are interested in that period, I think you would enjoy Menotil's version better. Farnit was a scholar who became a military historian, Menotil was a Crusader who became a scholar when he was wounded in battle; the difference in viewpoint in very interesting."
Seymour looked at Braska with astonishment, his eyes brightening. "You've read this book?"
"Of course, I've read all of these and quite a few in the Temple Archives as well," Braska admitted, waving his hand at the loaded shelves around them. "You aren't the only one who enjoys history." He motioned to Leyona and she entered, joining them at the table. "Leyona, this young man is Seymour. Seymour, I'd like you to meet my wife Lady Leyona."
"Welcome to our home, Seymour," Leyona said graciously, smiling at the boy. "I'm glad you came."
Seymour looked at her in surprise; he'd never had anyone actually welcome him anywhere, and the kind treatment he'd received here in Lord Braska's home had been astonishing to him. "Thank you, Lady Leyona. I have enjoyed my visit."
The chimes of the doorbell resounded down the hallway, and they heard Roggis's footsteps as he went to answer it. "Sir Auron is here, sir," Roggis announced as he ushered the swordsman into the library.
"Did you get everything taken care of?" Braska asked as Auron stood quietly in the doorway, studying Seymour.
"Yes, but Kinoc showed up at the City Guard station to bail those men out – I don't know how he found out about the attack, but he seemed pretty surprised to see me there." Auron sighed as he looked back at Braska, "I'm afraid I'll have to take Seymour back with me to the temple tonight. Kinoc made a snide comment about my not reporting the boy's whereabouts to the Maesters, so I'll have to do some explaining when we get back." Auron turned to face Seymour again. "I already know what happened this afternoon Seymour, but could you please tell me why you ran away from the temple this morning? I only have a garbled version of the events, and I'd like your side of the story if I'm to defend you to the Maesters."
Seymour's eyebrows rose as he heard that. the Captain of the Temple Guards was offering to defend him? How could he believe that…and yet, he was apparently a close friend of Lord Braska, a man who had shown him nothing but kindness. He decided to take a chance and tell his side truthfully. "I was in History class, and Proctor Nilum was talking about the history of the Summoners, but he wasn't getting it right. I have read a number of books from the archives and they all said that Summoners originally came from Zanarkand, but he was saying they came from Bevelle. I tried to tell him what I'd read, but he said I was stupid, and insolent and then he slapped me with his pointer." He stopped his story to pull his sleeve up and show them a bright red whip mark across his forearm. "Then the other children started teasing me about being stupid, so I got up and ran out. I didn't really mean to leave the temple complex, but by the time I realized I had, I didn't know where I was. I wandered most of the afternoon trying to find something that looked familiar, but I got tired so I sat down in the park where Lord Braska found me."
"Why didn't you ask for directions?" Leyona asked quietly.
"Everyone was pointing at me, and laughing. I didn't want to talk to any of them," Seymour admitted reluctantly. "Everyone always makes fun of me, so why should I talk to them?"
"Oh you poor boy," Missy gasped, leaning across the table to hug him to her ample chest. "I like you, and I would never make fun of you – that's just mean!"
"Mummmnf, mummm," Seymour choked out, trying to pull his face out of her cleavage. "MUMMMMF!"
"Missy? Let him go please?" Braska requested, trying to stifle his laugh as she did, revealing a rumpled and thoroughly embarrassed boy. Seymour sat back in his chair, his face crimson as he tried to straighten his clothes and pull his hair out of his eyes. "She's right though, nobody here would ever make fun of you." He reached out to squeeze Seymour's shoulder reassuringly.
Auron cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Alright, we'd better get going. Seymour, I'll see what I can do to patch this up with the Proctors, but I'm sure Maester Mica is going to speak with you about that business in the park," Auron motioned towards the door, and Seymour quickly rose to his feet. "Nothing I can do about that," he added. Seymour nodded reluctantly, and followed the adults to the front door.
"Goodbye Auron, thanks for your help," Leyona said, placing a light kiss on his cheek. He just smiled and patted her shoulder reassuringly.
Braska exchanged a long look with his friend then made the hand sign from their childhood games, the one meaning danger-beware of ambush.
"I will, my friend," Auron answered the unspoken warning as he clasped arms with Braska. "I'll send word when I have more information." He turned to look down at Seymour. "Ready? I'll walk you back to the temple, so you won't have any problems."
Braska and Leyona were sitting in the kitchen with the staff, enjoying their second cups of caff after a delicious breakfast, as they did nearly every morning. Roggis frowned slightly when the door chimed, then rose to answer it, returning immediately with a sealed note and handing it to Braska.
"Maester Mica has invited me to his office for a meeting – and the way it's phrased, it's not really a request," Braska said finally, folding the note closed and setting it on the table. He picked up his caff and quickly drained the cup before standing and leaning over to kiss Leyona. "I need to change into something more appropriate," he said indicating his casual attire; it was suitable for working in his home office, but not for meeting with one of the most powerful people in Spira.
"May I suggest the robes you wore to the Merchants Council last week?" Roggis said carefully as he followed Braska down the hall towards the staircase. "I think it would not hurt for you to remind them that you are no longer under their command, that you hold status of your own and are answering the summons as a courtesy."
Braska paused on his way up the stairs, considering the suggestion. He nodded agreement, "See if you can find my Guild medallion as well, I think I left it in my desk drawer." Roggis nodded and left in the direction of the library.
"This way sir, the Grand Maester is expecting you," the acolyte guarding Maester Mica's office beckoned Braska forward as he reached the top of the staircase and entered the outer waiting area. It had taken him a little longer than he had expected to reach the Temple office complex, so he was very nearly late for the meeting. He walked calmly forward however, displaying no sign of nervousness or concern for his tardiness. "Lord Braska has arrived, your worship," the young man said, pressing a button on the intercom unit sitting on his desk. Braska heard a muffled acknowledgement, and the acolyte rose to usher him into Mica's office.
Maester Mica's eyes widened slightly as he took in Braska's changed appearance, and his expression said he was not happy to be seeing the young man again. "Lord Braska," Grand Maester Mica said coldly, not rising from his chair, his hands resting on a single folder in front of him on the ornate desk. "Good of you to come."
"Your Worship," Braska returned in greeting, giving the old man a formal Yevon bow. "I must say it was a bit of a surprise to receive your note this morning. I had understood I was not welcome in the temple any longer."
Mica frowned as his gaze slid down Braska, noting the Merchant's Guild emblem, the tasteful gold trim on the edge of the formal silk brocade robe, the cuffs of the satiny under tunic peeking out of the wide bell shaped sleeves, and polished leather half boots of the latest style on his feet; a far cry from the temple robes and plain utilitarian boots he'd worn the last time they met. "Would you care to give me your version of yesterday's events, Lord Braska?" Mica waited, but Braska merely looked at him, a slight smile on his face until the old man gestured impatiently at the chairs. "Oh sit, sit! Tell me what happened!"
Braska nodded politely as he seated himself in a comfortable chair in front of the desk. "It was an interesting evening, but several things happened after all, so I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more specific. What did you want to know about, your Worship?" Braska knew he was walking a risky path baiting the Maester, but he wanted to gain some information if possible. He wanted to know how much the Maester already knew – it would answer the question as to how close a watch was being kept on him and his family.
Maester Mica frowned at the young man facing him and sat back in his chair. Braska's face was set in a pleasant expression, totally unreadable, although his eyes were sharp and watchful. Mica sighed; he had a lot to do and didn't have the time for the verbal sparring Braska seemed determined on. "Fine, suppose you tell me how you ended up with the guado child yesterday."
Braska nodded his head politely then looked down as he clasped his hands before beginning, light glinting off of the thick gold rings he wore on both hands. "I was walking home from my office down in the port sector, it was a little earlier than I normally return home, as I'm sure you know," Braska looked up as he said that, and was rewarded with a slight flicker of Mica's eyes. That had struck home; so, at least one of the watcher's was Mica's. "I was passing the park, just down the street from my home, when I heard a commotion. I looked over and saw a group of boys assaulting a smaller child. At the time, I didn't know it was Seymour, but of course I started over to break it up. Before I reached them, Seymour managed to break free, and ran towards the back of the park. I followed as quickly as I could, but they trapped him against a wall. I saw several knives, and was hurrying towards them when the boy summoned his aeon."
Mica leaned forward, clasping his hands on top of the folder once more. "And what did you do then, Lord Braska?"
Braska looked at him in feigned surprise for a long moment before continuing. "I dismissed it of course, before someone could be injured."
Mica pursed his lips as he heard that, and looked as if he had tasted something sour. "I understand you called it 'Lady Reena' when you did so. Can you explain that?" Mica continued. He wanted to know how Braska, a 'failed summoner' by temple standards, had been able to dismiss the aeon when the Grand Maester had been unable to.
"That is the only name I knew to call it – I knew her at one time you see, and I hoped she would respond to that. The child was in hysterics, and was beyond reasoning with. It was the only thing I could think to do," Braska answered quite honestly, seeing no reason to shade the truth, since it was something Mica already knew. "It was quite some time after that before I was able to calm the boy down enough to bring him to my home. I sent word to the temple as soon as I was able."
"You sent word to Sir Auron, you mean," Mica replied coldly.
Braska brushed away the implied censure for his choice of contacts. "Of course I did – he's the only person I knew for sure I could get a note to. Auron is punctual in his routine, and is not difficult to find, as well as having a high enough status to notify the correct people concerning the boy's actions." He snorted softly, "Would it have been better if I sent a note to the front gate? They wouldn't have treated it with any urgency, and it would have been hours before you knew that Seymour was safe." He chose to disregard the fact that Mica had apparently known where Seymour was as soon as Braska had found him…and the person following him had reported in. "I confess I did enjoy the time I spent with the boy, and would not mind spending more time with him, as my schedule permits of course. He is quite the student of history, very well read and quite bright for his age." Braska looked calmly at Maester Mica, keeping to his pretense of being only slightly interested. "I was dismayed to find out that he has absolutely no idea how to defend himself from attack. Possibly if he were taught self defense skills, or a magical defense, he will not feel forced to call his aeon when threatened?"
"I don't think it will be possible for you to see the boy – he is quite busy with his studies," Maester Mica stated coldly.
"A pity, but no matter." Braska shrugged, and looked over towards an ornate clock on a bookcase against one wall of the office, as if checking the time. "So, was there anything else you would like to know? I do have another appointment with the Harbor Master this morning, and I would hate to miss my meeting."
Mica scowled at the impudent young man, but Braska had made his point – he was no longer a part of the temple, and since he had been told to stay out of temple politics he could not be faulted for his apparent disinterest. "That will be all Lord Braska. Thank you for coming…," the old man said reluctantly. He wasn't happy with the way the interview had gone, but he could not give Braska orders any longer, so there was no point in keeping him. Mica knew about Braska's shipping contracts, but again, there was nothing the Temple could officially do about them, since they had been legally obtained. Braska's shipping firm was one of the few who would deal with the Al Bhed, or carry their cargo, and while many of the Crusader's needs were being carried on Braska's ships, Mica had seen no signs that Braska was openly playing the political game.
Braska rose and bowed formallybefore hestarted towards the door, but paused as if he had thought of something else, and turned to ask a final question. "Oh by the way, did you know that several thugs tried to kill my wife and child last night?" His eyes met Mica's coldly and stayed locked to the Maesters as he dropped all pretense of disinterest. "I was in time to save them from injury, but Auron's brother was not so lucky and was badly injured. I have heard of other women being harassed as well; it is a shame when innocent women and children aren't safe to walk the streets. I am concerned about the rising crime rate in the city and I am going to discuss it at the Merchant's Guild meeting tonight," he warned, his voice going absolutely icy. "I am certain they will take steps to find the troublemakers, as will I if necessary. " Braska kept his eyes locked to Mica's, letting him see that he knew the attack had been ordered, and reminding Maester Mica thathe had not always been a merchant andwas quite able to personally remove a problem of this sort. "I will do all in my power to rectify this situation if it continues." Mica nodded slightly, understanding the warning.Braska bowed again before stepping out the door.
AUTHORS NOTE: A change has been made to Chapter 11, and the Authors Note replaced with a bit of story. Please reread that section and REVIEW Please? I'd like to know how I'm doing with this story! Thanks for those of you who have already reviewed - I appreciate it!