Chapter V: A Scar-Faced Slasher
Braska stared perplexedly at the four keepers standing before him, not wanting to believe what just happened. He was still convinced that he was dreaming all along. He should be dead by now after being ambushed by carnivorous Dingoes.
"Are you alright?" The black-haired spellcaster asked as she knelt down before him. Her red eyes reflected her solemn yet kindhearted personality and they were somewhat burning calmly like a steady candlelight flame.
Still, Braska didn't say anything. He was still in a state of shock.
"That was really close! Those Dingoes were vicious! You couldn't have survived it without us!" The young girl with blonde hair cried in her light voice. She had deep green eyes and looked no older than seventeen years old. Braska guessed that she was about Yuna's age.
Wakka, the one with the standing crimson hair and the tallest among them finally spoke out. "You're bleeding a lot, ya?" Those Dingoes really hurt you bad." He said as he placed his eyes on Braska's bleeding leg. He then took hold of Braska's arms and helped him get to his feet but Braska still collapsed to his knees with every attempt.
"Were you lost?" Auron, the man with the scarred left eyes was the one last who spoke. He lifted his broad sword and rested it firmly on his shoulder. Similar to his spell-casting companion, he had very serious and down-to-earth persona and a very straightforward way of getting things done.
It took Braska several moments to get used to their presence before answering them. "I was journeying to Bevelle to sell this Vitalixir but-"
"What's Vitalixir?" Rikku interrupted in her childlike voice before Braska could finish. She bent down and looked excitedly at Braska, her green eyes showing her vibrancy.
"Well?" Rikku's cheerful voice suddenly brought Braska back to his senses. "Can I see this Vitalixir of yours? Pleeeaaassse?"
"Rikku!" Lulu scolded her juvenile companion. "You don't interrupt people when they're speaking. You should apologize."
"But---But I just wanna know what Vitalixir is! I-"
Braska stood up and gave Rikku a small pat on the head, just what he would do to his daughter. Rikku and Lulu abruptly stopped arguing.
"No, it's alright. She doesn't need to apologize." He said to Lulu. He then took out from his under his robes a small diamond-shaped vial containing a strange-looking liquid in a color of faded sky blue and handed it to Rikku.
"Wow! This is so pretty!" Rikku cried out as she took the vial with both hands and stared at it as if it was some ancient relic. "What does this um, Vitalixir do? Mister… Hey! You haven't even told us your name yet!"
"Rikku! Show some manners! It's a complete stranger you're talking to here, ya?" Wakka took his turn in telling Rikku off.
Auron let out a gruff sound and stretched out his right gloved hand towards Braska. "We still haven't introduced ourselves properly. My name's Auron and I am reasonably the protector of this bastion. These three..." He said, looking at his cohorts, "...are my godson's servant namely Wakka, Lulu and Rikku." They all smiled at Braska appreciatively and Rikku added her introduction with a wave of her hand. Auron then returned his gaze to Braska.
"And you are?"
"My name's Braska." He answered as he shook Auron's hand. "It was nice meeting you. And I didn't know you have a godson…?"
Braska wasn't able to finish what he was saying. A loud distant sound of thunder came. Rikku looked up and saw the once starry night sky now being overtaken by misty gray clouds. She felt something small and wet hit her cheek.
"It's gonna rain!" Rikku cried, still looking at the night sky now sending down droplets of rainwater.
"Quick! We better go inside!" Lulu advised them as they all ran to the bastion's enormous doorsteps. "We'll talk there."
"But what if Ti- I mean, what if Sir Auron's godson finds out that we're letting a stranger-"
Wakka quietly covered Rikku's mouth with his hand. "We'll talk about that later, Rikku. Besides, it's not all the time we have guests, ya?" He added encouragingly to her.
Rikku meekly nodded and pocketed Braska's sky-blue Vitalixir. She then ran ahead of them to the immense doorstep with her hands covering her head from the rain. Braska, Auron, Wakka and Lulu eventually followed, their clothes slightly dripping from the rain.
Auron and Wakka pushed the gigantic doors open which gave off a loud creak. The dying moonlight was able to shine through.
Still, the whole bastion's façade was rather...dark. Even with the light of the moon gleaming through the windows, Braska was hardly able to make out the damp black fireplace sitting at the far corner...
"Illuminate" Lulu announced in an imposing voice.
The torches hanging along the walls were majestically brought to life burning intense red flames. The whole place was magically brightened up. Rikku and Wakka didn't give the slightest look of amazement and walked past it as if they saw something like this everyday, which they did.
Braska looked impressed as the torches of flames brightened the whole area. He looked sideways towards Lulu, who was now conjuring a small hand-held flame hovering above her palm.
"I'll go make some tea!" Rikku piped as she skipped out the room.
"I'll help!" Wakka added as he followed suit.
On their way to the kitchen, Rikku acted as if they were throwing a big party for she wouldn't stop hopping around. "Isn't this wonderful, Wakka? We have a guest! Not just an ordinary guest, but someone selling medicine too!" She said as she again took out the vial containing Vitalixir. "I wonder if Uncle Braska will let me have this?" She added, looking at the sky-blue colored liquid more intently.
Wakka replied by giving Rikku a reproachful look. "Isn't calling him 'Uncle Braska' a bit too far? I mean, you don't even know the guy, ya? And then you start calling him 'Uncle'?"
"Stranger or not, he still deserves our very best! We better get our best tea yet! The one Ti- I mean, our master likes!"
"But what if OUR master finds out!?" Wakka warned her in a fierce whisper. "He'll be cutting our heads off if he finds Braska sitting in his lounge!"
Yet Rikku didn't look the slightest bit of worry.
Auron moved and rearranged the chairs into a circular formation and placed the hefty one closest to the fireplace especially for Braska. He hauled a small wooden table made of high quality genteel wood and placed it at the center of the chairs. Lulu lit up the fireplace with simple Fire spell and it was now brought to life burning brilliantly, casting warmth to everyone in the room.
"I'm just going to check on Wakka and Rikku in the kitchen." Lulu said as she turned to leave. "I better make sure they don't burn anything."
Braska wandered around the bastion. It looked as though it belonged to a very rich and very prosperous man. There were no paintings or other pieces of art displayed but he saw a fine set of swords hanging on a wall beside the fireplace.
"Those swords belong to my godson." Auron said, catching Braska's attention.
Braska looked at the swords once more in wonder. "Pardon me, Sir Auron but may I ask why your godson owns these...swords? I mean, I never meant to pry into personal matters but..."
Auron just let out a gruff laugh that somehow interrupted Braska. "Please, Braska. Enough with the formalities." He then walked towards Braska's side. "You should know that my godson is a swordsman, just like his father."
"And who is this father of your godson?" Braska asked.
"His father?" Auron said before going on. "His name is Jecht and he was my best friend. I've known him ever since my godson, or rather, his son was only five years of age. If I can remember well, that was twelve years ago."
Braska thought for a while about the age of Auron's godson. If he was five years old twelve years ago then he would probably be...
"So now he's seventeen. Am I correct?" Braska asked.
"Yes, my friend." Auron replied. "His father was the master of this bastion but he left without warning just a few years ago. We just found out a few days later that he was ambushed and killed by a herd of Behemoths on a journey north. That is how his son was left with me. Since then, I raised him single-handedly as if he was my own in remembrance of Jecht but..." Auron let out a breath before he finished. "...he never returned the same to me..."
Auron lowered his head and looked away. Braska felt a little sorry for his friend and he felt slightly guilty for bringing up the topic about his godson. He then approached Auron and put a hand on his shoulder.
"My sympathies, Auron..."
"It's alright, Braska." Auron heavily replied. "It has been after all quite a while since I imparted my story to someone."
The two remained quiet for they didn't know how long. The rain continued to pour heavily, surrounding the bastion under a heavy cloudburst. It looked as though Braska will have to stay with Auron and his company for a while...
"I just have one more question, Auron."
"Which is?"
"What is your godson's name? I'm afraid you never mentioned him during our talks."
Auron opened his mouth to answer. "My godson? Well, his name is Tidu'"
"We're back with the tea!"
Wakka and Rikku closely followed by Lulu came storming in holding a large plate of cookies and a tray of hot tea. They placed them on the small table and took their places by the fire. "Sorry we took long enough! Hurry up and dig in before the tea gets cold.
Auron, Lulu and Braska eventually followed and sat on the vacant chairs. Lulu poured all of them tea and Braska took his cup gratefully. Rikku offered all of them sugar which Braska kindly accepted but irately rejected by Auron, Wakka and Lulu especially.
"So, Uncle Braska!" Rikku said as she scooped some sugar into her cup. "What were you planning to do when you get to Bevelle?"
"I was going to sell medicine."
"You mean this um...Vitalixir here?" Rikku asked as she took out the diamond-shaped vial again. "What does this do anyway? I've been wondering. I think it looks pretty!"
Braska began telling them about his typical life as a fulltime White Mage and a part-time Alchemist. Auron, Wakka and Lulu tried to listen intently to him while tolerating Rikku's bothersome interruptions. He told them everything about his life.
"Wow! So you're a White Mage too!" Rikku brightly said. "Can you show me a Regen spell sometime? I haven't seen one before! I wanna be able to do White Magic! Just like you!"
Braska laughed heartily as eagerness started to spread on Rikku's face. "I'm sorry Rikku, but I don't have enough magic right now. I used it all up when I was attacked by those Dingos earlier."
"Oh poop!" Rikku chirped as she pouted on her seat.
"Well, it's still your fault, Rikku." Wakka said as he poured himself another cup. "You should've listened to Sir Auron when he asked you to restock our supply of Ether."
Lulu took a cookie and ate half of it. "So anyway, please continue, Braska. And please don't mind Rikku's childish behavior." Lulu put in with much indignation as she watched Rikku take a handful of cookies from the plate. She leaned towards Braska's ear and whispered "She's only fifteen so please just bear with her."
Braska now continued with his story with Auron leaning forward forgetting his own cup of tea. Auron was astounded to find that he was in good terms with Braska. They saved him only a few moments ago and now they talked as if they were long lost friends who haven't seen each other in years.
All four of them enjoyed Braska's company for some very good reasons...
Braska treaded likely with his story. Living life with his only daughter wasn't as harsh but it wasn't as gratifying either. He told them about his simple and mundane life as a struggling White Mage producing potions and ethers. He also told them that his life would be meaningless and not worth living if it weren't for his only daughter.
"I see you live alone with your daughter." Lulu said as she refilled her tea cup. "That must've been very hard for you."
"I even promised her that I'll take her to Bevelle once I trade Vitalixir for a decent amount of gil and it comes out that I can't promise her anything after all. I'm such a useless father." Braska despondently finished, lowering his half-sipped cup of tea. He heaved a heavy sigh then raised his cup back to his lips.
"Hey, cheer up, ya?" Wakka said as he gave Braska a comforting pat on the back. "I even think you're one heck of a father! You know, having to risk being murdered by Dingoes just for a better life for his daughter."
"Wakka's right, Uncle Braska!" Rikku happily added. "I'm betting that your daughter's lucky to have a father like you!"
"What's your daughter's name, if I may ask?" Auron said, taking a bite out of a cookie.
Braska finished his tea before answering. "My daughter? Her name's Yuna. I named her after the Heavenly White Mage Yunaleska."
"Yunaleska!?" Rikku screeched shrilly, almost spilling tea all over herself. Auron quickly placed his hand over Rikku's mouth to stop her from reacting sadistically. Rikku looked almost too shocked and immediately became silent as if she lost her tongue. Auron looked at her forebodingly telling her to keep quiet.
"Keep your voice down." Auron whispered to a scared Rikku as his hand over her mouth hardened. "Tidus might hear you."
But he did.
"I thought I ordered not to mention that name..."
A cold voice emerged. Lulu hurriedly muttered an incantation under her breath followed by a swift wave of her hand, making the flaming torches fade. In a moment quicker than a second, the room was abruptly thrown into semi-darkness with nothing visible in their surroundings but shadows and silhouettes.
Followed by the sudden invasion of darkness was the dramatic unsheathing sound of a sword. Lulu and Wakka suddenly got to their senses and watched the area warily. Auron had to hold Rikku tight with both hands to stop her from whimpering.
"Rikku! Be quiet!" Auron whispered as he held her tighter.
They heard footsteps coming from the door hidden in the darkness... A man came walking out of the dark. He had a fairly muscular body and a pair of cold blue eyes. Yet his face was still hidden in semi-darkness.
Tidus became aware of Braska without delay and his cold blue eyes hardened. Instinctively he tightened his hold around Caladbolg and walked closer towards the stranger who was now sitting in his bastion.
"Who are you?" Tidus asked Braska in a cold-hearted voice as he slowly revealed Caladbolg and pointed it towards Braska's chest. The sword remained unmoved as it never shifted position.
Braska suddenly became mute. He felt he couldn't move his entire body as he was face to face with Tidus, Auron's godson and the master of this bastion. Sweat slid down his face, Caladbolg's lethal tip still pointed at him, motionless.
"Tidus! Wait!" Rikku screamed as she freed herself from Auron's grip. "Uncle Braska was lost! He just needs a place to stay! He never meant any harm! He-"
Tidus tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword, Caladbolg, and swiftly swung it to Rikku's neck, only stopping less than an inch from beheading her.
"Hold your tongue Rikku, or lose it."
Rikku somehow managed to stop herself from screaming and let out a faint whimper. She was never this close to death before. She weakly nodded her head and collapsed back to her chair.
Tidus then returned his merciless stare to Braska and without warning, he raised his sword and gashed Braska across his chest. Braska was thrown backwards as another attack came to him on his mid-section. He then let out a cry of pain as he felt Caladbolg thrust itself on the wall beside him, almost piercing through his ribs.
Rikku let out a fearful scream and then ran to Lulu and clung onto her. Wakka immediately got up from his chair and stood in front of Lulu and Rikku, covering them. On the other hand, Auron didn't become defensive. Instead he grabbed the handle of his Masamune, unsheathed it and approached his godson with his sword in ready position.
"That's enough!" Auron demanded as he rushed in between Braska and Tidus. "He's already wounded. Don't make him worse than he already is."
Tidus simply hardened his stare towards his godfather and raised his Caladbolg against Auron's Masamune. "Stay out of this, Auron. I still have to teach this idiot a lesson of not entering my bastion again. I've had enough of trespassers."
Lulu tightened her embrace around Rikku as another clashing sound made by the two swords echoed throughout the room. Rikku sobbed harder as she buried her face in Lulu's shoulder, unable to watch.
"Please, Tidus." Auron said in an impassive voice. "Don't make me raise my sword against you now that you're my godson." He then lowered his Masamune and sheathed it. "Let him stay, Tidus."
"What!?" Tidus replied in a surprised yet cool tone. He tightened his hold around Caladbolg and looked as if he would attack Auron any moment.
"I said let him stay." Auron explained. "Even if you're my best friend's son, Jecht still left you and this bastion under my care. I am your godfather so do as I tell you and please don't make me resort to violence."
"I AM TO DECIDE WHETHER TO LET HIM STAY OR NOT!"
In a swift moment, Tidus once again drew out his Caladbolg and went to finish Braska once for all. This time, both Lulu and Rikku screamed in terror and clung onto each other tightly. There was a mysterious silence as thunder roared throughout the vicinity of the bastion followed by Lulu and Rikku's screams...and a clashing metallic sound...
Braska opened his eyes, unable to believe that he was still alive. He saw Auron standing before him with his Masamune raised, shielding him from Caladbolg's sharp edges. The two swords pushed against each other, their users struggling to overpower the other.
"There'll be no need for that, Tidus." Auron said as he continued to defend against Tidus' attack.
Tidus glared at his godfather and finally ended their clash with a sly twist of his wrist. The two of them eventually sheathed their swords, their eyes still locked onto each other.
"Fine. Let it be then. I'll let him stay, but don't let him expect a warm welcome." He slowly approached Braska then grabbed him by his tunic and dragged him out of the room.
"Young master! Where are you taking him!?" Wakka cried.
"A place where he can sleep." Tidus expressionlessly answered as he exited to another room, still hauling Braska ruthlessly.
Rikku watched as Tidus and Braska walked out of view and out the room. She looked down into her pocket and took out the diamond-shaped vial that contained a sky blue-colored liquid. "Vitalixir... I wonder what's gonna happen to Uncle Braska's daughter?" She stared at the vial for a few more moments then held it close to her heart. "I'll keep this."
