Chapter 15 - Cavern of the Stolen Fayth

As Tara and Gian began to make their way down into the gorge, Gian began to explain.

"This is the scar I mentioned before. I'm not really sure how it happened, but it's said that the battle between High Summoner Gandalf's Final Aeon and Sin was so intense, that... well, this happened."

"Must've been one heck of a battle!" the summoner exclaimed.

"Also, the rumors are that a cave down here contains a fayth that was stolen from a temple... a temple that doesn't exist anymore."

"Why... and who would steal a fayth?" Tara questioned. "I don't get it!"

"Well, if you were part of a group that didn't want to see summoners 'sacrifice' themselves, you might steal a fayth in order to keep them from completing their pilgrimage, right?"

The pair made their way to the dark and desolate cave at the end of the gorge. Tara looked over at Gian.

"No, this doesn't look even the slightest bit creepy," she dryly remarked.

"I know. I don't really want to go in there either. But if there's an aeon, you need it, right?"

Tara took Gian's hand, and the pair made their way into the cavern.

Eerie noises and flashes of light greeted the pair as they slowly made their way through. Tara saw something of interest off to the center of the cavern.

"What could this be?" she asked.

"Hard to say," the guardian replied. "It looks like it might be a teleport pad of some kind, but it probably hasn't worked in years." He pressed a couple of directional buttons on the pad, and nothing happened. "Oh well," he sighed. "Let's move on."

The pair were encountered by more undead creatures, similar to what they saw in Bevelle's Via Purifico. They eventually made their way towards the final cavern where they saw another teleport pad.

"There doesn't seem to be anything here," Tara noted.

Gian pressed a button on the pad and the device stirred to life. The corners of the device began to flash in succession, indicating directions.

"I wonder where this thing will send us to?" the guardian mused aloud.

"I'm not sure I really want to find out!"

Both took a deep breath and stood upon the pad. Gian reached down to press the button on the left. They dematerialized and reappeared in a sealed cavern where the saw nothing but a treasure chest. He opened it to find several pounds of gil coins.

"Hey, alright!" the guardian exclaimed. "We weren't hurting for gil before, but this is good. This works!"

"Hmmm," observed Tara. "I hope that thing will send us back the way we came."

They stepped on the pad, and moments later found themselves back in the cavern they were in previously. Gian looked at Tara.

"Care to try door number two?"

They stood upon the pad, and Tara reached down to press the button on the right. They were once again whisked off into another sealed cavern.

"There doesn't seem to be anything in here," Gian observed.

"Wait! There's a chest, way back there in the corner," Tara exclaimed. Opening the chest, Tara pulled out a single gold coin. "It appears to be a coin. But it's too dark in here. I can't really see what it is." The pair stepped onto the pad and once again found themselves in the main cavern.

Tara handed the coin to Gian, who examined it. The coin had a familiar constellation pattern, with an inscription at the bottom.

Perseus

"Tara, I think this one's for you. Take a look at it." He handed the coin back to her. The summoner's eyes widened as she read the inscription at the bottom.

"Could this be?" she exclaimed.

Gian took the coin and placed it into the center of Tara's medallion. It began to glow and the coin fused itself into the medallion. It was now whole.

"I think we might be a step closer to discovering what these medallions might represent," the guardian remarked. "Although mine is still incomplete."

"Two directions down," the summoner observed. "Two more to go."

"I'm just going to take a guess here and say that one of them might lead back to that pad at the cavern entrance," Gian noted. "It's this last direction that has me a little nervous."

Tara and Gian stepped onto the pad. As Tara reached down to press the forward button, a large undead ghoul appeared. They hurried off the pad and settled into fighting position.

"Whatever's back there," the guardian wondered aloud, "Could this be its protector?"

Gian slashed at the ghoul, serving only to enrage it. It reached forward with a large claw, slashing back at the guardian."

"Gian!" Tara screamed. "Watch out!" She hurled a Thundaga spell at the ghoul, halting its momentum.

Tara began to perform the summoning ritual. Moments later, three female aeons emerged inside the cavern. A tall slender aeon dressed in red, a short and stout aeon dressed in blue, and a tiny aeon dressed in yellow. The trio surrounded the ghoul and began to contain it within an energy beam. From the eyes of each aeon emerged a second beam of terrifying power. The ghoul was bombarded by beam after beam, howling in pain, enraged. The three aeons disappeared.

The ghoul responded by casting a spell at Tara, freezing her in place.

"Gian! Help!" Tara screamed. "This thing is draining me!"

The guardian sheathed his sword, and pressed his hands together in a prayer-like manner. He felt energy gathering from within. He waved his hands outward toward the ghoul. The ghoul was pelted by several beams of blinding white light, the power of which broke the spell over Tara. Gian then drew his sword and ran it straight through the ghoul. The ghoul shook, convulsed, and exploded into pyreflies.

Tara fell to her knees with exhaustion. Gian gently laid her down upon the cavern floor. She looked up at him. He placed a hand on her forehead, and the other hand on her tummy. He began to concentrate.

"Curaja."

A blinding green flash enveloped the entire cavern. The wave washed over summon and guardian, and moments later, both were back at full strength."

"You seem to have some new things in your bag of tricks," the summoner weakly spoke.

Gian looked down at Tara, brushing a lock of black hair from her face. "You're right. I'm not really sure how it happened. It seems I have another level of cure and heal spells, plus another spell. 'Holy,' the ultimate white magic."

Smiling, she sat up and wrapped her arms around him. "Are you okay?" Gian asked as he wrapped his arms around her in return.

"I will be. Let's just sit here a few more minutes, okay?"

A short time later, the pair rose to their feet and made their way back toward the teleport pad. Gian reached down to press the forward button. They were whisked into yet another cavern where they heard the familiar singing.

Tara knelt down to pray. As she prayed, a masked warrior appeared, dressed in something similar to Crusaders garb. The fayth's booming voice echoed throughout the cavern.

"I am the blade of vengeance. None dare speak my name. Yojimbo. If you desire my services, you must pay my..." The fayth stopped to stare intently at the medallions worn by Tara and Gian.

"Price?" Gian asked.

"Centaurus... Perseus..." the fayth continued, "you are the ones we have been waiting for. You need not pay me. I will join you, and my sword shall protect you on your journey."

The fayth became translucent and floated into Tara's body, disappearing in a flash of light. Tara sat for a moment before returning to her feet.

"Two more references to these medallions, and yet we still don't know what they're for" Tara mused aloud.

Gian took Tara's hand and began to lead her back toward the teleport pad. "I think that when we're meant to know, we will know."

The pair stepped onto the pad, and Gian reached down to press the back button. They found themselves in the cavern they had came from. Gian again reached down to press the back button. Moments later, they were at the first cavern, with the exit right in front of them.

Hand in hand, they walked back out into the sunlight. They made their way back up the gorge, where they took the path that headed to their next destination.

Gian took a last look at the tremendous expanse of the Calm Lands. I'll never take sunlight for granted again.

Gian looked over at Tara. "Have you ever seen a member of the Ronso tribe?"

Tara shook her head. "I've heard of them though."

"You're about to," the guardian remarked. "Mount Gagazet is the home of the Ronso. It's their sacred mountain. And that's where we're going next."