This week has been busy, but it's been well worth it. I am now a published author, not just a Fanfiction writer! If you're interested in reading my book, you can go to Amazon to purchase it. Search for Struggle for Freedom by Naomi Smith. I tried to leave a link to go straight there, but apparently FanFiction doesn't allow it.
You can get the book as an ebook or a paperback. For today and tomorrow, (April 5 and 6) you can download the ebook for free. If you'd like to purchase a paperback copy, I'd be very pleased, but it would be a lot more cost effective to download the ebook in the next couple of days. I know the name is horribly corny, but the story's much better, trust me!
Well, I'm still writing the FFX novelization, so enjoy the next chapter. Next we're going into Operation Mi'ihen! Things are really picking up!
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Tidus awoke feeling quite rested from their travels the previous day, but not looking forward to another day of journeying. My poor feet. I trained for swimming, not this constant walking!
Not wanting to face the next day, Tidus rolled over and planted his face into his pillow. Usually, he was eager to get out of bed and get on with the day, but every new day he'd faced since arriving in Spira had held some trial or another. Here, inside the small room at the inn, Sin wouldn't attack, opposing blitzball teams wouldn't blackmail, and Auron wouldn't spring troubling truths about his father.
Tidus swung his feet out of the covers with a sigh. Hiding wouldn't change anything. He had to get on with this day and face down whatever awaited. Tidus took in his surroundings, scanning the small room. He and Wakka had shared this room, but now the bed against the opposite wall was empty. I must've slept in. I better get out there before someone comes to wake me up.
Dressed and ready to face the day, Tidus pushed out of the room and walked down the hallway toward the reception room. It seemed like all the others were outside already. I really don't think they'd leave without me… I'd better get outside.
Tidus was headed for the door when a shriek from outside caught his attention.
"Someone, help!" a woman's voice screamed. "The chocobos!"
Tidus didn't have time to respond before the door flew open and Auron rushed in.
"That's our cue," he said quickly, signaling Tidus to follow as he ran back out the door. "Let's go.
Tidus shook off his sleep and followed Auron. He still wasn't exactly sure what was happening. The chocobos? The Lucil lady said that there was a big fiend on the loose that ate chocobos. Oh, boy…
Tidus looked down, making sure he had remembered to grab his sword and tie it to his belt. It was there, sure enough, and Tidus let out a sigh of relief. Well, at least I'm prepared.
Outside, Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri and Yuna all held their weapons and were rushing towards the coral. Tidus' eyes widened when he saw the fiend. It was a massive thing with scaly blue skin and hard russet plates over its head. It seemed to nothing but a massive head, held up on short legs with massive arms coming out of the side. In one great claw the beast had a chocobo, the large bird kicking and squealing to no aval. Tidus sucked in a sharp breath, drawing out his sword. Here we go. Watch out, beasty!
The impact of a fire spell from Lulu caused the fiend to drop the chocobo it had been preparing to chow down on. The bird fled as fast as it could, and the fiend turned to face the humans who were annoying it. Kimahri charged at it, thrusting his spear into its forearm. The fiend let out a bellowing roar and swung one arm at Kimahri, who leaped backward, yanking his spear with him. Unwilling to let Kimahri have all the fun, Tidus charged into the fray, slashing his sword at the creature's legs. He from one side to the other, dragging his sword along the fiend's flesh as he dodged its attacks. Auron ran up to the beast and swung his katana, cleaving a gash in its arm. The creature wailed and stumbled backward. For a moment, Tidus thought it would be as easy as that.
But this fight was far from over. The injuries had only served to anger the beast, who swung both its arms forward, throwing the melee attackers back. The beast advanced quickly, not allowing the team to regain their position.
"Look out! There's a cliff behind us!" Wakka called out. Tidus glanced warily over his shoulder at the gorge behind them. This thing's smarter than it looks. We better be careful.
Lulu let out another fire spell, singeing it scaly hide. Then fiend growled and leaped for the mage, who dived out of the way. Auron took this opportunity to lunge at the creature, driving his blade into its back. The fiend bellowed, spinning around and swinging its massive, horny fists at him. Auron just barely managed to dodge.
The fiend left Auron, instead turning on Yuna. She was in the middle of a summoning dance, and Tidus could see she was almost done. By the look in her eyes, he could tell she knew it was coming, but she wasn't moving. The creature still advanced, and Yuna wasn't going the finish the summoning in time. She stopped her dance and the light painting the ground faded, but she still couldn't move in time. All the guardians rushed towards her, but Tidus was closest. He sucked in a breath before leaping forward. This is gonna hurt.
Tidus shoved Yuna out of the way, taking the hit from the massive fiend's fist. The blow dazed him, and he stood there a moment, willing the stars to clear from his vision.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" he heard Yuna cry out. Tidus dropped down to one knee, leaning on his sword for support. His vision had started to clear, but the wind had been knocked out of him, and he struggled to get his breath back. Then a warm glow shimmered around his body, the pain easing away.
"Are you alright?" Yuna asked, standing beside him. She had just cast a healing spell on him.
"I am now." Tidus pushed back up to his feet, ready for combat again. "Just try to keep back, alright?"
"Yes, sir," Yuna answered quickly.
Tidus left her there, rushing back towards the battle. The others had drawn the fiend away and were pummeling it with blows. Tidus realized now how dangerously close to the cliff they were. If thing can get its act together, then we're goners.
But luckily, the tide seemed to be turning in their favor. The fiend was marred by many severer burns, and its movements were slowing. All it too was one final blow from Auron's great blade to turn the creature into bright lights.
"Whew!" Tidus blew out a wispy sigh. "What a way to wake up!"
"Yeah," Wakka replied with a chuckle. "Good morning, brudda."
"Thanks," Tidus answered dryly. He sucked in another deep breath, taking in the scene outside the inn. The turf was torn up, scorched in places, but the building itself was unharmed. Yuna crouched beside a downed Lulu, healing her, and Kimahri stood still as a statue a few paces away. The door to the inn swung open, and a man rushed out. Reaching the battlefield, he paused for a moment, then addressed Auron.
"An impressive battle," the man commented. "I am in your debt."
"It is the duty of a summoner's party to protect the people of Spira," Auron answered.
"Ah, where are my manners?" the man said. "My name is Rin, the owner of this establishment. If you have an interest in renting some chocobos, then you may do so for free, as a token of my gratitude."
"Yuna, what do you say?" Auron turned to the young summoner.
"Thank you for generosity, Rin," Yuna said with a smile. "We would be glad to accept your offer."
"They are right this way." Rin gestured over to the chocobo pen. "They are likely a bit upset by that fiend attack, but they will settle down quickly, I am sure."
"Ya know," Tidus said, rubbing the back of his head, "I've never actually ridden one of these things before."
Tidus stared up at the big yellow bird before him, which stared right back. The expression in its wide blue eyes reminded Tidus of a little kid looking up at his blitzball hero. The chocobo constantly made peeping noises, ruffling it useless wings as though eager to get going.
"I've never ridden one, either," Yuna replied with a giggle. He chocobo was rubbing its head against her like an overgrown cat, making soft cooing noises. Yuna scratched its head, and the bird closed its eyes, looking as though it might faint with pleasure.
"Braska rented chocobos when we came to this place," Auron explained. He had already mounted his bird and was ready to depart. Tidus had thought the mysterious cloaked warrior would look silly astride a fluffy yellow bird, but it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. The chocobos seemed to reflect the demeanor of their riders, and both Auron and his mount looked solemn and ready to leave. Then again, such a serious look in the big bird's big blue eyes was amusing in and of itself. Tidus glanced nervously back at his chocobo, and the bird cocked its head at him. Tidus got the strange feeling the creature was sorry for him. Lulu pulled herself up onto of her chocobo, then looked down at Yuna.
"I rode chocobos last time I was here," she said. "It's not that hard."
Yuna nodded and stopped rubbing her chocobo's head, moving over to its side. The bird made a disappointed peeping noise but didn't resist as the young summoner settled on its back.
Tidus stared at the group who stood ready to depart. Wakka had mounted his chocobo beside Auron, Lulu, and Yuna, and Kimahri was there, too. His chocobo seemed rather nervous about being ridden by a giant cat, and Tidus couldn't blame it. He glanced back at his own mount. He was the only one left to get on.
"Are you coming?" Auron asked impatiently. Tidus glared at him but didn't answer. Alright, bird. You can't be that tough.
Ignoring Auron's staring, Tidus pulled himself up onto the chocobo's back. There was no saddle, and the fluffy yellow feathers covering the creature tickled his legs. Sucking in a sharp breath, Tidus grabbed the reins and unsteadily guided the chocobo over to the others.
"Alright, I'm ready," he announced, trying not to let his nervousness show.
"Then let's go." Auron spurred on his chocobo, and the group departed.
…
The Mi'ihen Highroad still seemed endless, but progress was much quicker and far less taxing while riding a chocobo. After a wobbly first few minutes, Tidus had gotten comfortable riding the massive bird and now just enjoyed the feel of the wind in his face. Just before noon the group stopped to rest the chocobos and eat a quick lunch, which Tidus relished since he had missed breakfast. Now, about an hour later, the party approached a large gate.
"This is where the Mi'ihen Highroad joins the Mushroom Rock Road," Auron explained. "We'll need to leave our chocobos here. Someone from the travel agency will pick them up later."
The party proceeded to dismount their chocobos and headed for the gate.
In the gateway, a large wagon covered by a tarp blocked the entrance. Tidus let out a sigh and frowned. What's going on here?
Up ahead, the Crusader Gatta was talking to a someone on the other side of the gateway. Wakka said something about an "operation." What are the Crusaders up to?
"Gatta and Luzzu reporting, sir!" Gatta said, saluting to the other man.
"This is the last of them," Luzzu said, gesturing to their covered wagon.
"Good to have you with us," the man answered. "Go on through."
Tidus couldn't help but feel an air of something suspicious. He stood on his tiptoes, trying to catch a glimpse of what was inside the cart before it started off. Something was moving inside the carriage, something alive.
"Hey! It's you guys!" a cry from Gatta pulled Tidus from his investigation.
"Oh, hey," he answered half-heartedly.
"Show me how to play blitz sometime!" Gatta said cheerily. Tidus replied with a quick nod. Gatta seems no different than usual.
"Wait around," Luzzu joined in. "We'll have Sin beaten in no time!"
"Right!" Tidus gave him a fistpump in salute.
Luzzu and Gatta continued leading their carriage through the gate, leaving the party behind.
"Come, on, let's go," Auron said, striding forward.
"I'm sorry, I can't let you pass," the guard said. "Hey, you're a summoner and her guardians, right? Sorry for the inconvenience."
"Why can't we go through?" Tidus asked, feeling his frustration rising. "It is 'cause of this operation?"
"Yeah, no civilians allowed," the guard answered.
"We're a summoner and her guardians, not civilians," Lulu spoke up. "We need to get to the next temple."
"But you're not Crusaders," the guard answered. "I'm sorry, but if you're not part of the operation, then you can't cross. The road is closed."
"What is this operation, anyways?" Tidus snapped.
"Didn't they tell you?" the guard asked, seeming confused. "We're bringing Sinspawn from all over Spira here. Sinspawn inevitably draw Sin, right?" A grin spread over the guard's face. "We're going to lure it into a trap!"
"You plan to defeat Sin without the Final Summoning?" Yuna asked, speaking up for the first time.
"This mission, Operation Mi'ihen, is a Crusader-Al Bhed joint mission," the guard explained, and Tidus could see Wakka bristle a little at that.
"We Crusaders lure Sin in," the guard continued, "and the Al Bhed strike it down. You see, Al Bhed hate Sin as much as we do. They've salvaged ancient machina. They say they're as powerful as the mighty aeons."
"What?!" Wakka exploded, unable to hold back any longer. "How can you work with those Al Bhed? And using machina? That's against the teachings! How can you Crusaders betray the people of Yevon like that?"
"We're doing our best." The guard's smug grin faded away. "There are many who feel as you do, sir. The Crusaders who are participating in Operation Mi'ihen have all been excommunicated. My own family wouldn't even speak to me now." The guard let out a sigh and hung his head. "We have to beat Sin today. Otherwise, there's nowhere for us to go."
The guard let out another sigh, shaking his head. "Well, you can't pass through here, so I suggest you find somewhere to wait until the operation is complete."
Tidus was frustrated, to say the least. Who gave these guys the right to just close off roads whenever they felt like it?
"Come on, Yuna, we should go," Auron said calmly, turning away from the gate.
"Yes, we'll have to wait," Yuna agreed, and the party left the gate.
The group had only gotten a few paces from the gate when Tidus saw another party headed down the pathway. It was Maester Seymour, the guy from Luca, flanked by two guards, who also appeared to be Guado. Yuna halted, and the summoner's group waited with her until the maester had reached them. Yuna dropped to her knees and made a deep prayer gesture to the maester, who returned it.
"So, we meet again, Lady Yuna," Seymour said, addressing the young summoner directly. Tidus nearly shivered. Something about Seymour's silky, suave tones was unnerving, at least to him.
"Y-yes?" Yuna answered Seymour's address. She seemed very uncomfortable
"You look troubled," Seymour said. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Well…" Yuna glanced back towards the gate but didn't say anything.
"I see." Seymour walked past the group with his guards and approached the gatekeeper.
"Maester Seymour." the guard at the gate saluted. "Let me show you through to the command center."
"Hold." Seymour held up one hand. "I have a request."
"Yes, Your Grace?" the guard replied.
"I need to have summoner Yuna and her guardians let through to the command center," Seymour asked.
The guard's eyes visibly widened. "But… But, Maester Seymour… Maester Seymour, sir…" He held up his hands as he stammered.
"Do not worry," Seymour said, his voice as smooth as ever. "I will take full responsibility."
The gatekeeper was silent for a moment. His mouth was half open as he looked back and forth between the summoner's party and the maester.
"Very well," he said at last, sighing. "They may pass."
Seymour smiled coolly, then turned back to Yuna. "It is done," he said.
"Thank you, Your Grace," Yuna said quickly, bowing repeatedly. Seymour didn't stop her, instead turning and walking away through the gate. Yuna didn't look up, still bowing. Tidus felt more frustration bubble up inside him. How can that Seymour guy act like that?
"Yuna, it's time to go," Lulu said, pulling Yuna out of her trance.
"Oh, right." Yuna stood up abruptly, seeming flustered. Tidus could see how Seymour could get to people, but why did he make Yuna so distraught?
Lulu put a hand on Yuna shoulder, staying close to the young summoner as the party followed Seymour through the gate.
"Who does he think he is?" Tidus muttered under his breath, teeth clenched.
"He's a maester," Wakka replied. "Better get used to it, ya?"
"Hmph." Tidus sighed and let the matter drop. But what about this Operation Mi'ihen? Is it really going to work? I just have a feeling something bad is going to happen.
