Chapter 6

(A few minutes prior)

Rikku sat, dazed, and looked up at the man before her. She had timed the jump perfectly but had been caught and dumped unceremoniously on her behind which she rubbed while scowling at the tall stranger. "Owwie. Yunie why didn't you do anything?"

To be honest, Yuna couldn't. She was too busy staring at the man who had emerged from the cave to even utter a word. The man was a full head taller than she was and was easily the most attractive man she had ever seen. In a single moment, Tidus was a mere memory and Yuna could feel her pulse racing. He had blonde hair that would just cover his ears had he not pulled it back and eyes greener than any emerald she had seen. He wore a white sleeveless shirt that showed his well-defined arms with black cotton pants and leather boots. Somehow, despite being so deep into nature, his clothing remained pristine.

Yuna looked from the man, who appeared complacent to stand there and allow them their chatter as he gazed back silently, to Rikku. "He came out unarmed Rikku." With a sigh she shook her head and looked back at the man who had yet to take his eyes from her. "I'm terribly sorry mister; my cousin here is a bit eccentric."

"Hey!"

The man smiled and bowed his head. "The apologies should come from me miss. I must have startled the two of you. It is not often one finds humans out in these parts and I admit I would be almost as surprised as you had I not known of your coming."

Getting up and dusting off her shorts, Rikku peered at the man. "You're pretty quick!"

Before she could say more, the man met her eyes and turned towards her, causing her to stumble back and fall, again, on her rear. "I believe you have something of mine dear girl." Though he spoke with a calm, friendly demeanor it was obvious he wasn't playing around. "You are quick yourself but your fingers aren't quite as deft as they could be."

Rikku's face turned cherry red as Yuna spun to stare at her, mouth agape. "Rikku! What are you thinking? Give it back!"

With a sulk, Rikku produced the strange gem she had pilfered during her tumble; a black jewel that resembled a diamond in many ways. "I wasn't gonna keep it…"

Taking the gem from the young thief, the man smiled before turning back to Yuna. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Sarion Sage. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you both, despite our first moments."

With a curtsy of her own, Yuna smiled. "I'm Yuna and this is my cousin Rikku." Her smile faltered. 'Wait, he said he knew we were coming?' The shock had worn off and she found herself nervous again. "How did you know we were coming?"

Sarion laughed and pointed in the direction they had come from. "You did not exactly make a silent journey."

Blushing, both girls looked at the ground before Yuna snapped her head up to look back. "Paine…"

The moon had taken the sun's place in the sky making the already dark woods far more foreboding. The only sound was Paine's racing heart as she worked her way through the brush and slowly approached the makeshift camp. Seeing that Yuna and Rikku had fallen asleep and the man sitting with them had disappeared, Paine found her mind racing. 'Where did he go? I wasn't hallucinating was I? I mean, that thing hit me pretty hard.' She stopped and placed a finger to her chin in thought. 'For that matter, what happened? I was so worried about Yuna and Rikku I didn't even consider how I am still alive. That creature had me beat but when I awoke, it was simply gone. Weird place.'

As she stepped out from the tree line and neared the camp she felt a hand grab her shoulder. Without hesitating she brought her sword up in an arc to try and separate the appendage that touched her but found nothing but air as the figure released her shoulder and sidestepped the attack. "Who's there?" she hissed through clenched teeth.

In a fraction of a breath she found strong arms encircling her, keeping her arms tight to her sides as someone grabbed her from behind. Before she could curse at them, a gentle voice spoke. "Calm down dear lady. I certainly did not help you earlier to simply fight you now. You are Paine correct?"

Paine, still frustrated at being grabbed snapped back. "If you don't let me go right now I'll put you through some!"

With a laugh, the man released her and stepped back. As she spun her eyes widened; he was certainly a handsome man but there was something else she noticed, power. The man had an aura around him so strong she could nearly see it. As she opened her mouth to speak however, he raised a hand in a silencing motion. "I apologize for startling you." He bowed deeply. "I simply wished to speak with you without forcing the young ladies by the fire to awaken."

Looking the man over, Paine felt some of her unease subside. He was obviously not lying and more importantly, he wasn't him. Resting a gloved hand on her hip Paine motioned her head towards the sleeping girls. "How did you come across Yuna and Rikku?"

Sarion sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Well the little one, Rikku, decided to jump on me from above the cave entrance there. I had just returned from aiding you against the golem so almost didn't see the flash of yellow and red until she was on me." He raised both hands defensively. "I assure you, the only thing hurt was her pride when I tossed her off."

Paine scoffed. "She deserves whatever she gets. What about Yuna, you didn't hurt her did you?"

Sarion smiled, the edge in her voice showing the care she held for the other woman. "No, we never came into physical contact. She and I spoke briefly and I offered them protection while they slept; they seemed quite tired."

The forest was silent apart from the gentle murmur of the stream beside them as the water caressed the rocks. Paine found herself staring into the water, almost amused by the scene. 'The water simply embraces the stone but over time the water breaks the stone down and reduces it to nothing at all. Such is the same with all romance.' She was interrupted from her bitter thoughts by a rather loud pop! from the fire and looked up to see Sarion watching her quietly. "What?"

Raising his hands in mock defense, Sarion offered another smile. "I was just thinking you should get some rest. You've had a long day from what I hear and picking a fight with a golem is generally tiresome."

Glancing over at Yuna and Rikku, Paine shot Sarion a curious glance. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?" He cocked his head to the side, studying the woman before him.

Gritting her teeth in annoyance Paine flung her arm out to point at the direction she had come from. "What do you mean 'what?' How did you stop the golem? The last thing I remember was it bearing down on me and then a flash of light."

Nodding, Sarion stepped closer to Paine causing her to shift uncomfortably. He was still a full pace away from her but his presence made her uneasy; he was too calm and polite for someone having so much of an aura to them. "I heard you fighting, so I ran for you as quickly as I could." As he looked down, Paine could swear she saw a mixture of anger and disappointment on his face. "I am sorry I was not faster."

Interrupting him, Paine uncharacteristically spoke in a gentle tone. "You saved my life; that you did so at all is incredible and owes no apologies."

Looking up with a smile that made her breath catch, Sarion continued. "I was able to deflect the blow it aimed to finish you with at least." He rubbed his ribs thoughtfully. "I had forgotten how strong golems are." Shaking his head he went on. "After that, I handled the beast and patched you up as best I could without exposing you further."

She wanted to ask him questions about the fight. How had he defeated the golem? How did he take such a strike and continue fighting at all? One question did manage to burn a way through her lips however. "How did you come across Yuna and Rikku after all of that? You said Rikku jumped on you but they had been running for their lives."

Sarion nodded. "Had I followed them above ground, I'd not have caught them for some time. However I used the tunnels," he pointed at the cave behind him. "below ground to catch up. I had to be sure I didn't save one just to sacrifice two. Fortunately, nothing more came."

Approaching the campsite, Paine looked down at her sleeping comrades. "Thank you, Sarion. I owe you my life and more for saving me and looking after these two." She looked back at him, narrowing her eyes. "I do, however, expect a better explanation when the sun is up."

With a smile, Sarion dismissively waved a hand at her. "If you desire such trivialities I will indulge you. However, now is a time for sleep; I will wake you at sunup. Get some rest Miss Paine."

Covering her face with a hand, Paine groaned. "Paine. Just Paine. Do not call me 'Miss Paine' it make me sound old." She began walking towards the others but stopped and looked back over her shoulder. "Your name."

Sarion smiled, "My name is Sarion. We will speak more tomorrow after you have rested." He turned away without giving her a chance to respond and walked back to the tree line, away from the camp. Paine sighed and placed herself between Rikku and Yuna and quickly succumbed to sleep.

Looking back at the group, Sarion felt an unfamiliar warmth in his chest. "These three are definitely interesting. I just hope I can get them away from this place and somewhere safer before the season end."

A long howl cut through the night as if to emphasize what he had said. The woods were a dangerous place at night and many unsuspecting travelers had found it their final resting place. Hearing a branch snap nearby, Sarion stood and drew the blade he wore on the back of his belt. Holding the sword before him, he touched the flat of the blade to his forehead and mumbled a whispered prayer. "Blade be true this day."[1]

Author's Note

Special thanks to two unnamed readers who have given me wonderful private reviews (I will not post names of people who don't public review). Know that you guys motivate me immensely to write!

To: curseofthe5: I am glad you like the plot so far! It should resemble "A New Start" since it's basically a re-write of it, but obviously I intend to go farther than last time lol. I really am happy you and my private reviewers like the flashbacks/dreams. I find them to be integral to adding depth. Especially due to not having played the game in so many years, it allows me to manipulate events.

Anyhow! Keep reading/reviewing and I will keep writing! I have two other stories begging to be fanfic'd but I intend to stay loyal to this one as long as I have loyal readers! Critiques are always welcome!

[1] "Blade be true this day" is a quote used often by Richard Cypher, from, guess where? Sword of Truth! Sorry. I love his writing and intend to occasionally borrow lines.