27 The Mysteries of Maesters
As we traveled along the Mi'ihen Road, which goes between the Highroad and Mushroom Rock Road, Tidus and I walked side by side.
After several hours, he looked sideways at me. "So, what do you do in the chamber of the fayth?" "I pray with all my heart, until the fayth wakes by Yevon's power, and bestows its aeon on me. Our spirits connect, giving me a link, so I can summon the aeon."
His eyebrows rose. "Wow…that's pretty…deep." I had never thought about it that way, it all seemed so commonplace, but the way he sees the things of my world, it's as if everything is a complete mystery. "It always seemed so unremarkable to me, but I guess you're right…"
Another several hour long silence ensued. "So, why do we walk all this way, when we could just ride those chocos...or whatever those things are called." I smiled. "Chocobos. When a summoner is on a pilgrimage, there are many laws laid out by Yevon. One is that all solid ground must be traveled on foot by the summoner and guardians." "There sure are a lot of rules…I don't like rules." He said, only half joking.
The following four days where filled with silence and small battles. On the fifth day, we were passed by a caravan of carts being pulled by dozens of chocobos each. Each cart carried a huge cage containing Sinspawn which appeared to have been sedated. I watched in utter mystification.
A young woman in traditional acolyte dress ran up to one of the leading Crusaders, heading up the caravan. "You must not do this!" The girl cried. "We'll defeat Sin any way we can!" The Crusader threw back at her angrily. "But, Yevon's teachings say-" He cut her off, marching away. "Enough!"
The girl hung her head. "I-I only meant to..." She didn't finish. I walked up to her and gently asked, "Are you alright? What's going on?" We exchanged prayer gestures, and she asked wonderingly, "Lady Summoner?" I gave her a kind smile. "Yes, I am Yuna."
She bowed again, deeper this time. "It is an honor, my lady. My name is Shelinda. I am a disciple of Yevon." Wakka stepped in. "What was that all about? What are the Crusaders up to?"
Shelinda's face was downcast. "I heard they were to use forbidden machina! I had to stop them." Auron stepped forward menacingly. "Let them use whatever they want." He growled. "They still won't defeat Sin."
I frowned, thinking that Auron's hostility was unfounded. The girl didn't seem intimidated, though, being too focused on her mission. "But, it's not about defeating Sin! The teachings of Yevon must be upheld!" she cried. "Yeah! Right!" Wakka shouted, his extreme devotion to the teachings showing on his face.
"But you don't understand! The Crusaders won't even listen to me." Shelinda hung her head. "And it's all because I'm just a lowly acolyte." I felt sympathetic to her, knowing what it was like to feel lowly. Even though I'm a summoner, I am the youngest ever, and I know a lot of people have their doubts about me.
"Don't say that. I haven't been a summoner for very long myself, and I am young; Still, I can't put myself down every time I fail. People are depending on me. They're depending on both of us!" I hoped my words might encourage her.
Her face brightened. "Yes! Yes, you're right, my lady. Absolutely right! Thank you so much, Lady Yuna! Now, I feel I have the courage to finish my training." She climbed onto her chocobo, waved, and galloped off.
I rested my chin on my fist. "They're using machina and Sinspawn to try to defeat Sin." I stated what we already knew, trying to figure out what was going on. I began walking again, and my guardians followed, Wakka and Lulu talking amongst themselves.
"So, if they use machina, that's supposedly wrong, right?" Tidus grimaced. "We used tons of machina in Zanarkand." "Yes, it is forbidden by the Yevon priesthood, and if it is used, they say Sin will be more likely to come back." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it sounds stupid to me." I didn't know how to answer such a blunt statement, so I didn't.
In the afternoon of the next day, we arrived at the entrance to Mushroom Rock road. The underpass was guarded by a number of stern looking Crusaders. Another huge cart containing a Sinspawn sat outside the gate. One of the Crusaders stood in front of the chocobos pulling it spoke. "This is the last of them." One of the posted guards saluted him. "Good to have you with us. Go on through!"
We tried to follow, but the Crusader stepped in front of us, uncertainly. "I'm sorry m'lady. I can't let you pass." I had to calm myself and quietly think, trying to find a good answer. "I am a Summoner. I must get through to defeat Sin." His face was apologetic, but still stern.
"What?" They didn't tell you? We're bringing in Sinspawn, since they inevitably draw Sin. We're going to lure it into a trap." My jaw dropped. How could these people think that they could possibly trap Sin, the monster that ravaged without mercy? "Please-" I began.
"Lady Yuna." I turned to see the Maester Seymour dismounting a richly decorated chocobo, alongside two other mounted Guado.
Nervousness fluttered in my stomach; there was something very strange about this Maester…I was almost afraid of him. "Y-yes?" I stammered. "You look troubled. Is there anything I can do?"
His voice lacked genuine sympathy, though his words were kind enough. "Well..." I trailed off, looking at the Crusaders blocking the road. "I see." He passed me by, approaching the Crusaders in a rather menacing way.
"Maester Seymour. Let me show you to the command center." The Crusader bowed. "Hold. I have a request." The Maester spoke. "Yes, Your Grace?" The crusader said, unsure. "I want to have Summoner Yuna and her guardians let through to the command center." "But, Maester Seymour, sir-" "Do not worry. I will take full responsibility." Maester Seymour interrupted the Crusader. He bowed to the Maester and swept his hand to the entrance.
"Very well." He said, defeated. "They may pass." "It is done." Maester Seymour said, looking at me again. I bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Grace." He nodded and then remounted and trotted off with his two companions. My guardians and I followed, though we were a good deal slower than their chocobos.
I had a growing fear in my chest; I knew that if they lured Sin here, everyone would be killed. "Who does he think he is?" Tidus leaned over to me a quietly whispered in disgust. I tried not to agree with him. "He's a Maester. They do whatever they want." The conversation ended there, though we exchanged looks, and I could see that he was put off by the Maester's prideful air, and also by his unwanted attention to me at the docks in Luca.
We walked for several hours, reaching the cliff on the coast, where we could see the cold, grey waters where no doubt, Sin lurked. Terrorized chills ran down my spine, but there was no way I could evade it. I just prayed that Yevon would protect everyone.
Around a bend in the road, Maester Seymour waited for us, and I jumped when I saw him. "Excuse me, Lady Yuna; I did not intend to frighten you." He nodded his head in acknowledge to my presence, but turned his attention to Auron.
"Ah, Sir Auron. It is an honor. I would be most interested in hearing what you've been doing these past ten years." Maester Seymour's voice was almost mocking, but I knew I must be misinterpreting it.
"I've got nothing to say about it." Auron said, is words tainted with acid as he walked away to sulk. Maester Seymour was certainly put off, but he took it well. "I...see." He looked from Auron to me. "Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian." I didn't know what to say, so I just bowed quickly. "Your Grace!"
He waved his hand dismissively. "Please, there's no need for formalities." Wakka stepped forward. "Excuse me... Maester Seymour? Why is your Lordship...presently...present here...sir?" Maester Seymour gave a small smile, clearly amused. "Please, speak as you normally would." Wakka's eyes widened a bit and he sucked in air before speaking.
"Isn't this operation against the teachings of Yevon? Aren't you gonna stop them?" Maester Seymour looked up at the cloudy sky. "It's true... I should. However... Both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed truly wish peace for Spira. This Operation Mi'ihen was born from that wish they share. Although it may be sacrilege to Yevon, their intentions are pure. And I, Seymour Guado - the person, not the Maester of Yevon... As a denizen of Spira, I wish them well in their endeavor."
Wakka still wasn't satisfied. "But, using machina... That's bad…" Seymour's expression showed that he thought the answer was extremely obvious. "Pretend you don't see them." Shock sent its waves though our group. Wakka stammered a bit before getting any words out. "Beg your pardon, but that's not something a Maester should say!" Seymour smirked. "Then, pretend I didn't say it."
My eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Y-You're kidding!" Wakka could barely speak in his astonishment. Maester Seymour just turned his chocobo and walked away, though he stayed at least twenty feet away from our party, making further conversation on the subject impossible. After exchanging bewildered glances, we continued on.
We eventually reached a vast cove where several hundred Crusaders ran around preparing a huge machina weapon with the help of a couple more hundred Al Bhed, which I could recognize by their strange outfits. A Crusader saw the Maester and called over a loud speaker which blared across the entire expanse, "All hail Maester Seymour!" the Crusader then handed the speaker to Maester Seymour.
"Brave Crusaders of Spira, protectors of all Spira. Believe in the path you have chose, let faith be your strength. I, Seymour Guado, Maester of Yevon, will bear witness to your deeds today." There was a loud shout of "SIR!" as every Crusader there saluted the Maester.
While Maester Seymour and his companions went off and surveyed the work being done, Wakka looked around at the various weapons lying about.
"Curse these...!" He vehemently kicked one of the small cannons sitting on the sand.
The move was not well thought out, and he grabbed his foot in pain, jumping around with a furious expression on his face. Tidus leaned over to me. "He really hates them, huh." "Chappu…he left the sword Wakka gave him in Besaid. He fought with an Al Bhed machina weapon instead." I explained. "I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!" Wakka bellowed. "It won't work anyway." He growled.
I was beginning to really hate this day. "Don't say that. It might be a hopeless campaign, and it might mean defying Yevon... But the Crusaders and the Al Bhed - they're doing their best to defeat Sin. They want to rid Spira of Sin forever. And that's just what we want, too, isn't it? Isn't it?" I only hoped I was right.
"Humph! All right, all right! But I still think machina are bad news! They're forbidden for a reason!" Wakka crossed his arms and walked on, brooding. His statement made me wonder once again, for what reason were machina forbidden. Soon, we were stopped by a chocobo knight. "Lady Summoner! There you are! Maester Seymour wishes for you to join him at the command center. It is just down this road." I nodded. "Okay. We'll go." She escorted us there.
When we arrived, I was appalled to see dozens of children running about outside the center, playing with toy swords, obviously expecting to watch a great showdown between the Crusaders and Al Bhed and Sin, and that the humans would come out victorious. My fear was that they would watch much death, and probably die themselves. My eyes stung, and I clenched my fists.
A crusader from Besaid, Luzzu was standing on an outcropping, waiting for us. "Wait, Lucil. I must speak with them first." The chocobo knight, Lucil, shook her head, "But, the Maester-" "No!" Luzzu cut her off. "I absolutely must speak with them now." Lucil relented, and went away, presumably back to her post. "Sir Luzzu." I gave him my best attempt at a smile, though I was disappointed in him for participating in this action, which I knew would bring about almost certain death.
Wakka got in Luzzu's face, waving his arms and letting out an animal sound of fury. "Why are you doing this? Using machina?! Don't you know?!" He raged. Luzzu ignored his questions. Once Wakka had finished, he turned his back on Luzzu and crossed his arms over his chest. Tidus just looked on helplessly, while Kimahri and Auron remained aloof.
"Wakka. I might not get another chance to say this." It seemed for a moment as though the whole world quieted, I held my breath, not knowing what was to come. "It's about your brother." Wakka slowly turned his face still a twisted mask. Lulu's head hung, genuine sadness showing on her face. Wakka looked sick. I could understand why.
When Chappu died, his body was found mangled on the beach, unsent. His soul would forever wander Spira, homeless, alone, and angry; after he was killed as a fiend. "I'm the one who convinced him…to enlist." Wakka's face took a moment before it turned from angry to just pure, complete sorrow. He looked at Lulu, who was gazing at him, her sadness matching his, if not more. Wakka slowly approached Luzzu, who stood, waiting for the inevitable.
After a moment's hesitation, Wakka drew back and threw a vicious punch to Luzzu's jaw, sending him flying to the ground. He was about to continue attacking him, but Tidus grabbed Wakka, trapping his arms and pulling him away from Luzzu. "Wakka! That's enough, Wakka!" he grunted, struggling to hold the larger man. After a few seconds, Wakka calmed, allowing Tidus to release him.
Wakka looked down at Luzzu, who was pushing himself to stand. "When we used to play blitz together, Chappu, he used to say…He'd say that…when we won the Cup, ya…he'd…propose to Lulu." Wakka revealed a secret I had never heard before. I covered my mouth, knowing what a raw and painful subject this was for Lulu. She turned away, her bangs falling into her eyes.
"And one day…" Wakka continued, "he goes off and becomes a crusader. Just like that." Now standing, Luzzu replied, his words not directed at Wakka, but at Lulu. "He also said to me…that being with your girl is good…but keeping Sin far away from her is better." I saw Lulu's shoulders shake.
"All Crusaders assemble on the beach!" Someone shouted. Luzzu looked apologetically between Lulu and Wakka. "That's my cue." He began to walk away, but Lulu called out after him. "Luzzu, wait." Her voice was tinged with fury. He turned back to her squinting, obviously knowing what was coming. She gave him a hard slap across his cheek, leaving a white mark where she had struck him. "I'm sorry, Lulu." Was all he could say. Then, he turned and began to walk again.
"Luzzu…don't die out there." Wakka said, his tone showing that he had forgiven Luzzu, to some extent. Luzzu looked back over his shoulder, but didn't answer. Then, he left. We took a few moments to collect ourselves, Wakka and Lulu wiping tears, and all of us regaining our composure before we went to see the Maester.
When we went into the command center, Auron was warmly greeted by another Maester, Maester Kinoc, who had been waiting. Auron was obviously not happy at all to see this man. However, when Maester Kinoc pulled him to the side to talk, he didn't resist; though soon he stomped off away from Maester Kinoc, much like he had done to Maester Seymour.
My stomach was churning with fear, and Maester Kinoc didn't make it any better when he said, "This plan won't work, you know that. We'll just let them dream a little longer." I got sick. I leant over and hurled what little I had eaten that morning into the middle of the center. I was too angry to be embarrassed, and I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Everyone pretended that they hadn't seen it, simply because they didn't know how to react.
My guardians had various reactions to Maester Kinoc's statement, and Tidus and I glared in unison at the Maester as Tidus comfortingly put his hand on my back. I welcomed the human touch; something to keep me grounded. "Lord Kinoc..." Maester Seymour began to reprimand his fellow Maester, but there was a shout called out over the loud speakers. "Sin is coming!"
I watched the scene on the beach below us unfold as the Sinspawn broke free from their cages, energized by the presence of Sin. I saw it rising out of the sea, and I felt myself going light headed. I leaned on Tidus for support, though I soon regained my strength and was able to stand on my own. Tidus looked at me and then ran off, leaving me with my other guardians.
TidusxYuna Always
