Chapter 24 – A Summoner's Right
Meena tilted her head back and looked up at Trommel still reeling from the terrifying experience.
"The stone Trommel…why did they want it?" she questioned him.
Trommel frowned and looked past Meena, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to formulate a response.
"This is somewhat hard to explain my love, and I have been bound from speaking this." Trommel said placing his large hands on Meena's shoulders. "Several years ago the council of Yevon discovered that a set of stones existed in Spira. They were ancient, and could invoke the power of the farplane…each stone was bound to an Aeon, an Aeon without a fayth which could not be corrupted."
"So they wanted the stone so they could use it to defeat Sin?" Meena asked puzzled.
"No my dear, the order of Yevon have been searching throughout Spira, finding and destroying these stones. That one—your sister's …is one of the few surviving ones."
"I don't understand," Meena said shaking her head. "why would they want to destroy them, if they have the power to stop Sin?"
"If Sin were to be stopped and peace reined across Spira—where would that leave the order of Yevon? Would the faithful still flock to the temples without fear of Sin? If Sin were to be stopped Yevon would lose its grip upon Spira. It is an unfortunate truth that the ones we look to for spiritual guidance are the most corrupt." Trommel sighed heavily. "They are going to figure out the stone is not here…and when they do they will go after Seymour. They will not rest until they know it is destroyed."
"All of the women in my family…they were all Summoners. Although I never inherited the gift, my sister had the stone passed down to her because she could summon, I never knew it had the power of an Aeon attached to it."
Trommel was quiet for a moment lost in thought, whispering incoherently to himself eyes darting wildly at nothing and everything.
"Trommel." Meena called to him, touching his shoulder lightly. Trommel's eyes snapped to her quickly and his green framed face contorted with emotion.
Trommel gathered Meena in his arms and clutched her tightly.
"Dear wife, dear sweet wife…I…I will protect you, I swear it." He said with shaking breaths.
"Come Meena, I must send word to Lord Seymour, and prepare all of Guadosalam. I have a feeling we may be expecting a siege."
The gentle morning light warmed the new couple on the balcony high above the city. Draped in heavily embroidered robes the new bride sat huddled in the lap of her new beloved, his long claws raking gently through her layered brown hair as she took in the crisp morning air, resting her head softly on the cool fabric of his chest. A silver breakfast tray gleamed in the sunlight on the table near them, the offering of delicious food on it still untouched.
Seymour tilted his head down and looked at his new bride, the stiff blue tufts of his hair ruffling the dense embroidered fabric around his neck as he did so. Yuna peeked up at him shyly through her bangs, the light illuminating her multicolored eyes. Seymour caught her look and smiled in amusement as he watched Yuna try and hide her awkwardness. The young Maester was still as calm and confident as ever; Yuna however still felt anxious and could not stop herself from her blushing as his new bride.
"It's time," Yuna said shakily as she pulled herself away from Seymour gently, still hiding her blushing face from him as she did so.
"Continuing? So soon?" Seymour questioned her. "I admire your dedication lady Yuna."
Yuna fiddled with her hands while looking down nervously as she talked to him. "Y-yes…thank you." She said meekly sweeping her hair behind her ears and fixing her eyes to her bare feet.
"Yuna…" Seymour said to her with half-lidded eyes. "Look at me…"
Yuna slowly tilted her head up to look at Seymour. Her eyes followed the colorful beads draped around his thick muscular neck up to his strong jaw line and perfect eyes. Her eyes locked with his cool blue sapphires and she was lost.
"Those eyes… so beautiful, don't hide them from me." He said giving her a small smile with narrowed eyes, his coarse black eyelashes framing his silvery blue eyes in thick black lines.
Yuna stared silently back at Seymour until her shyness bubbled over and she turned her head away from him, blushing and embarrassed.
"Thank you, your grace." She said laughing to herself holding her hand to her mouth.
Seymour smiled at her playfully.
"You may call me by my name you know." he said taking her hand and kissing it gently. "You are my wife now."
"In time, your grace…" Yuna said blushing. Letting go of his hand slowly Yuna turned and entered back into their room to get ready for the day ahead.
Seymour smiled smugly with her response, flicked his long white claws as he sat back for a moment and looked up at the sky with a gentle sigh. Evrae, the guardian dragon swirled high above almost lazily in the blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds. For a few moments he let the sunlight warm his skin as he relaxed. The jet black tribal dragons tattooed on Seymour's chest shifted as his Guado chest muscles flexed in the sunlight. As a breeze fluttered by pushing the clouds Seymour felt a presence, Seymour turned his head and closed his eyes in annoyance.
"Some would consider it to be very rude to disturb a newly wedded couple." He said opening his eyes slowly and looking up at the figure of Baralai standing before him. Baralai had managed to appear on the Maester's balcony without as much as a single noise.
The heavy white ropes on Baralai's Yevonite wardrobe dangled as he bowed apologetically to Seymour.
"My sincere apologies Maester Seymour, but I have some urgent news about Maester Kinoc."
Seymour smiled slightly and leaned forward. "Oh, I'm always interested in hearing what my good friend Kinoc is up to." He said delicately placing his clawed hands together thoughtfully.
"Kinoc has plans on having you detained here in Bevelle, for what I'm not sure but it must be something big. He has also halted all trade with Guadosalam." Baralai said with concern.
"Detained you say? What a daring move for him…Interesting…" Seymour said while deep in thought. "Continuing Lady Yuna's pilgrimage from here will be… a delicate situation." He said while inspecting his Guado claws.
Seymour stood up, the gathers in his bluish-grey robe dropping to the floor in a cascade of embroidered fabric as they stretched out.
"Go and gather Lady Yuna's guardians, tell them to meet us in the pavilion." He said.
"Yes your grace." Baralai said bowing to the Maester with respect. In a flash, Baralai had jumped three balconies and was far down on the street below.
Seymour's watchful eye followed Baralai's figure as it disappeared into the city below, he then turned to join his bride inside the room.
In the corridors of the Maester's pavilion Seymour and Yuna walked side by side. Seymour's dark purple ornamented robes dragged over the grainy carved stones and the sound of their footsteps echoed as they walked. All was quiet as the two figures moved through the pavilion, only the subtle bubbling of decorative fountains could be heard faintly in the background. Yuna gripped her summoner's staff gently and carefully, her pale fingers contrasting against the deep blue of the handle as she rested it on her shoulder. Seymour carried his staff more like a walking stick, the clang of it hitting the ground echoing softly against the surrounding decorative rock pillars as they moved, while the silver charms and crimson tassels hanging from the top jingled as they swayed back and forth.
A bright flash of metal caught Seymour's eye as he spied an armored Bevelle guard on the move between the orange columns of the covered walkway beside them. Yuna began to speak but Seymour immediately put his long purple robed arm out in front of her, silencing her with a quiet motion.
Seymour turned and looked down the walkway behind them and saw the way was barred by armed guards.
"Maester Seymour," a voice came from behind the soldiers. The guards moved aside to reveal Maester Kinoc. Maester Kinoc smiled at the two as he approached, his portly frame draped in yellow Maester's robes, and his bald head topped with an ornate cap.
"Ah, Lady Yuna, a pleasure." He smiled with a slight nod as he looked at Yuna.
Yuna gave him an uneasy smile and bowed respectfully.
"Maester Kinoc, I did not think we would be seeing you again so soon." Seymour said in a slightly jeering tone.
"Ahh Seymour, or should I call you Zaon? You're the new Zaon and Yunalesca-that's what people are saying about you two you know." Kinoc said laughing playfully
"Hm." Seymour said with a polite smile.
"I know you plan to head out to continue Lady Yuna's pilgrimage, but I'm afraid Maester Seymour will have to remain here in Bevelle for some questioning." Kinoc said clasping his hands together sinisterly.
Seymour stared at Kinoc as an odd unsettling silence built up between the two powerful figures, only the call of distant gulls could be heard.
"But your grace…has my husband done something?" Yuna said breaking the silence in a skeptical protest.
"You shouldn't concern yourself about such things-" Kinoc started as if to dismiss Yuna.
"-With all due respect, Maester Kinoc." Yuna said cutting off Kinoc. "He is my husband, he is very much my concern."
Seymour raised his eyebrows in surprise of Yuna's zealous defense of him, he turned his head gently and looked down at her observing her serious expression.
"Forgive me Lady Yuna," Kinoc said with an amused expression, his eyes almost disappearing as the fat on his face clenched.
"Your husband is being held on suspect that he murdered Maester Jyscal." Kinoc said coldly.
"W-What?" Yuna inhaled sharply with shock. Kinoc's words echoed in Yuna's ears. "Lord Jyscal,-you think he killed his own Father!?" she said in disbelief.
Seymour emitted a sneer of a laugh at the accusations. "Hmph… It would've been my intention…" he said darkly.
As Yuna overheard his dark statement her eyes widened and she turned and stared upwards at him slowly. Seymour's dark words echoed in her mind.
'It would've been my intention…'
Yuna felt her heart drop and looked away silently in shock, she shivered and gripped the blue handle of her staff and pulled it towards her body. Seymour paid no mind to Yuna's shocked reaction of his coarse words.
"Really Kinoc? This is so petty, even for you." Seymour said curling his lips with contempt.
"Even so, you must stay here…we have to detain you." Kinoc gestured to his guards. As they approached Seymour slammed his staff down and the air around him hummed with energy. He looked down slightly and scoffed then looked up at Kinoc and smiled with deadly icy blue eyes.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Seymour said pointing his staff at Kinoc.
"Is that a threat Seymour? Because I can tell you it's a poor one." Kinoc said looking quite amused.
"Hmph, hardly. This is more of a friendly word of caution." Seymour said darkly, raising his clawed hand upwards.
"Your grace! Please stop…" Yuna cried out in hushed terror. "You are a Maester of Yevon!" she tried to reason with him.
"Indeed lady Yuna," Seymour said with a very warm seeming smile towards his shocked bride "I am a Maester of Yevon, and I do not answer to him... If you are going to invoke the law on my behalf let me remind you it is a crime to impede a Summoner in any way from making pilgrimage. I am indebted to Lady Yuna two fold; I must protect her as her husband and as her guardian, as you said….like Zaon and Yunalesca. "
Seymour draped his clawed hand onto his wife and steered her to walk away from the accosting Maester.
"Let us go Lady Yuna." Seymour said while guiding her.
Kinoc stared and scowled at Seymour, flitted his fingers restlessly and then looked up thoughtfully.
"Lady Yuna!" Kinoc yelled out as they walked away. Yuna froze at the Maester's beckon. "He is an accomplished Summoner isn't he? Let me ask you, have you seen him summon the Aeon Anima?"
Seymour stopped and narrowed his eyes at Kinoc's question.
"Quite a powerful Aeon isn't it?" Kinoc said from behind them. "It should be… as it is Seymour's final aeon…" Kinoc said with a wide grin almost tasting the sweet malice in his own words.
Seymour's uncaring expression turned to that of anger as Kinoc smugly looked at Seymour.
"I…do not understand." Yuna said looking back and forth between Kinoc and Seymour. "Your grace…" she looked up at Seymour with a sad expression then looked back to Kinoc. "Maester Kinoc, are you saying…?" Yuna stuttered in confusion as she tried to make sense of the situation.
"Maester Seymour…he has the final aeon, but did not use it-would not use it." Kinoc said gesturing accusingly towards Seymour.
"Lord Seymour… is this true?" Yuna said gripping her staff in distress.
Seymour looked down at her with calm eyes in an expression that could not be read, then turned his eyes to Kinoc. There was a dense silence between everyone. Yuna looked to Seymour quietly with one hand to her mouth in shock, her light pink sleeve swaying in the gentle breeze.
"In time, Spira will have its rest and you will watch in awe as I become its savior." Seymour spoke with a calm, yet dark voice.
Seymour broke the long silence with a laugh. "Maester Kinoc," he said shaking his head. "Your thirst for power will ultimately engage your demise…" he said in a chilling tone.
Maester Kinoc's jeering smile soon turned into a scowl, his eyes darted to the guards in his command around him. The guards held their weapons nervously awaiting their orders.
"Now now, don't do anything hasty." Seymour stepped towards Kinoc. "You've no more authority than me," Seymour looked over to one of the guards and looked down on him menacingly as he smiled and narrowed his blue eyes. "If anyone dares to raise your weapon at a Maester I will have you thrown into the Via Purifico!" his normal gentle tone rising up to suppressed rage in the last few words.
Seymour looked back to Kinoc who seemed to be burning from the inside out with rage.
"I thank you for your hospitality Kinoc, but Lady Yuna and I must continue, she has a pilgrimage to continue after all." He said with a cold smile.
"Come Lady Yuna." Seymour said continuing onward, the guards nervously moving from his path and letting him through leaving a bewildered and shocked Yuna a few steps behind him.