Chapter 18- The Frozen Plain
Yuna and her guardians emerged from the sparkling crystal forest of Macalania. Yuna shivered and her breath was visible as she exhaled. Large open plains of blinding white snow ahead lie of them. It was noticeably colder now that they were outside of the shelter of the woods and the fresh sparkling white snow crunched under their feet as they moved forward.
Ahead of them was a small colorful building and a sign overstretching the path reading 'Lake Macalania' reminding everyone who came that the wide open plain ahead was not merely ground but an ancient frozen lake. The building as it turned out belonged to Rin's Travel agency, a successful chain of supply shops that dotted Spira. Being more than fully supplied from their gifts upon leaving the Guado city the party passed onwards by the agency.
In the distance, two tall figures approached. Tidus recognized them as Guado from their long arms and hands and twisted branch like hair. One Guado had mauve colored hair and the other green.
"Lady Yuna." The mauve haired Guado called out to them waving his large hand. The wind blew slightly and stirred white flakes of disturbed snow up into the air as they walked. Yuna watched as they approached, curiously observing the way they walked and the way their long arms hung to their sides heavily.
"Y-Yes?" She said stuttering as she snapped from her curious stare.
"Lord Seymour sent us to escort you to the temple." The green haired Guado informed them as he walked up to her.
Sir Auron shifted closer to her protectively. "There's no need, we're more than capable of getting her there safely." Auron said.
"Sorry," the Guado said narrowing his eyes in slight offense. "It's just one of those silly Guado traditions." He said sarcastically.
Auron looked on in an unaffected stare as the sarcasm rolled off of him with no effect.
"Please…" Yuna said looking between the offended Guado and Sir Auron. "Sir Auron it is alright, please let us go to the temple." She said feeling nervous from the tension between the two.
The wind changed direction and the mauve haired Guado's expression changed as he caught wind of something. He looked slightly afraid and whispered something quietly to the Guado next to him as a fearful eye gazed towards Auron.
Auron looked at the Guado once more and then turned and walked away, expressionless.
"As you wish." He said placing himself towards the rear of the party and away from the Guado.
Tidus quietly observed the strange interaction between Auron and the Guado, and placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully as he did so.
"Are you ready?" Yuna asked Tidus who was deep in thought.
"Oh, uh, yea," Tidus said looking to Yuna quickly and doing his best to form a smile. "Macarena Temple here we come!" Tidus said enthusiastically.
"It's Macalania Temple, ya." Wakka said while shaking his head in laughter as he walked past.
"Whatever." Tidus said while scratching his head in slight embarrassment that he had made the same mistake again.
The party finally reached the entrance to the temple. Two torches bearing blue flames were at the entrance and elegant tapestries heavy with Yevon-script fluttered in the wind over the doorway. This was the Ice Queens domain. Once within the doorway a winding icy path led downwards underneath the ice of the completely frozen lake to the lower entrance of the temple. Now inside and under the ice the two Guado guards quickly took off without a word. Yuna jumped, startled by their sudden movements and stood by in awe as she observed how incredibly fast they could run as they scuttled away from them and down the path.
"Hmph, some escorts huh?" Rikku said while watching them.
"Yea, what's the hurry all of a sudden?" Tidus said curiously.
"They did their jobs, were here." Auron grumbled from the rear of the party, himself being all too happy to see the Guado's leave them.
Inside the temple Seymour was finishing lighting and setting out sticks of incense. With his long fingernails he delicately held a stick and dipped the end into an open candle flame. The incense glowed red and began to smolder as he blew out the flame with a quick puff of his breath. A silky gray stream of smoke wafted upwards and a gentle sweet scent arose from the incense. Seymour held the sticks of incense aloft and waved them gently in front of the statue of the high summoner Braska that towered over him, the man that would soon be his Father-in-law.
At the base of the statue Seymour placed the sticks in a small opening for an offering. Next to this opening there was a heavily decorated container, Seymour opened the top gently and peered inside. Within the container there were several notes in Yevonscript notes of praise and thanks to the late high summoner, it was Seymour's duty as high priest to burn them so that the messages could reach him on the farplane. Seymour took a smoldering ember and placed it into the bowl. The white edges of the notes quickly curled and burst into golden flames licking upwards as they burned.
Footsteps echoed in the chamber, Seymour turned to see the two Guado he had sent re-entering the temple, only Yuna was not with them.
"Giera, Zazi…where… is lady Yuna? I believe I sent you for her." Seymour said glaring at them.
They stopped in their tracks and looked at each other hesitantly, smelling the anger on their Lord.
"They are just behind us, Lord Seymour, we came ahead of them once we were inside the entrance." Zazi said with a slight bow, nervous of the wrath of Seymour.
"I believe I told you to bring them all the way here…" Seymour said narrowing his eyes.
"Lord Seymour we…" Giera lowered his voice and whispered to him. "They have an unsent among them, his stench of the farplane was overwhelming." He explained.
"I know," Seymour said with a careless tone.
"He really should be sent Maester Seymour, he doesn't belong here." Zazi urged him.
"Then pretend you didn't see him." Seymour said with a smirk. Zazi and Giera exchanged incredulous looks with each other surprised to hear a Maester say such a thing.
"Besides, I doubt he'll be turning into a fiend anytime soon," Seymour turned his back to them. "he's been dead for at least ten years." He said as he stirred the ashes in Braska's offering. A small flame leapt up and then the ashes smoldered as the fire continued burning.
Seymour turned his head slightly as the two Guado started to exit. Seymour raised his hand extending his index finger upwards. Suddenly there was a bright white flash as a bolt of lightning shot down and nearly hit the two. Giera fell down in a panic and clamored on the floor while Zazi jumped backwards frightened.
"Consider that a warning," Seymour said coldly. "should you show me such insolence again…I won't miss. I may have forgiven my Father Jyscal but don't think for once I have forgotten the pain inflicted onto me by my own people."
Giera jumped to his feet and grabbed Zazi, they were both frightened, Seymour's words rung in their heads. They looked down guiltily and crept quietly away.
Seymour narrowed his eyes coldly. "Do not think I'll ever forget those who wronged their own prince." He whispered to himself.
The heavy ornate doors of the grand entrance opened and a mass of footsteps echoed into the temple. Seymour turned to see Yuna and her guardians entering, their figures contrasting warmly against the cool colors of the interior. He had been expecting them fervently and his lips curled into a smile as he spied Yuna in the crowd.
"Lady Yuna, it is a pleasure." He said as he walked towards them with careful footsteps, eager to draw nearer to his new bride-to-be. He bowed to her as he stood in front of her looking down on her. Yuna flushed immediately and did a quick and nervous bow in return.
"Y-Your grace." She said anxiously, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the floor as she held her hands nervously.
"Please," He said with a soft chuckle. "my bride has no need to address her future husband with titles. Come, I've been waiting for you, the cloister awaits." He said extending his long clawed hand out to her gently. Yuna shyly extended her small dainty hand to him, her silver bracelets jingled airily as she placed her hand in his. She emitted a small sigh as she felt her hand touch his and peered down to see just how small her hand was in his.
Seymour looked up from his gaze to Yuna to the rest of her guardians, his blue eyes dashing back and forth to each of them.
"You need not come," he said holding up his free hand to them. "wait here, and I shall go with Lady Yuna to the awaiting fayth."
Tidus emitted a small grunt in frustration and stared at Seymour out of the corner of his eye. Seymour's long blue hair spikes appeared to him as devils horns as he took Yuna away to the cloister. Tidus crossed his arms and bit his lip as he frowned.
"What's bothering you?" Rikku said elbowing him. Tidus looked down to see her looking at him playfully with her swirled green eyes.
"Eh, nothing." Tidus said shaking his head.
"Jealous?" Rikku asked him, poking him in the side. Rikku had seen the way Tidus looked at Seymour as he took Yuna.
"…eh what? No!" Tidus said holding his hands out in front of him. Rikku gave him an unconvinced look.
"I just don't trust that Seymour guy, he seems like bad news to me." Tidus said placing his hands on his hips.
"Hey brother, that's Maester Seymour ya?" Wakka chided in and reminded him. "Although I know what you're getting at, back at Operation Mi'hen it didn't bother him at all that they were using machina."
"But Maester Seymour did say he couldn't stop them, and what's wrong with machina?" Rikku turned to Wakka, challenging him again.
"A Maester should be bothered by them usin' machina, that's all!" Wakka growled.
"Enough!" Lulu said stepping in. "Keep your comments to yourself, Maester Seymour is the high priest of this temple, it's not wise or respectful at the least to be talking about him like that, especially here."
Wakka held his head downwards guiltily and Tidus folded his arms with a scowl.
"She is right." Auron's gravelly voice came from behind her. In a shadowed corner he leaned against the wall of the temple casually. "Go find somewhere and be quiet until Yuna returns."