8: A Matter of Fayth
Auron stood at the edge of the platform, blocking Rikku's path to the glowing disc. "No. We still haven't finished exploring this level."
"Well we haven't explored down that way yet either!" Rikku protested. She tried to edge around Auron's side; he crossed his arms and widened his stance.
"It leads to a completely different segment of the labyrinth," Auron said stubbornly.
"And that's exactly why we should take it!" Rikku tried to squeeze through on his other side; once again, Auron stepped into her path. "All we've found are dead ends up here anyway!"
"We are not leaving this level until we've finished…" Auron trailed off as Rikku finally found an opening in his defense and threw herself past him. "Rikkma? What are you -" He cut off into a strangled cry as she grabbed the collar of his robe and hauled him onto the disc behind her.
"Hah, I got it, so there!" Rikku said, dancing in place. The disc leapt into motion, and she slowed as it approached a dropoff. "Oh… uh, wow, that's a pretty steep -"
Auron managed to regain his footing just in time to look down. "AUGH!"
.x.x.x.
To say things went smoothly afterwards was optimistic at best. Auron, still smarting from Rikku's hijack of his careful plan to map out the maze, bickered constantly with her. Though he did learn to navigate the system, their ride was anything but smooth thanks to their arguments.
Rikku wanted to blame the sniping for her own loss of orientation; really, though, Bevelle's Cloister hadn't changed at all - it was still dizzying, terrifying and needlessly complex. It was mostly a matter of luck that they managed to avoid a painful spill back into the entrance. Strangely enough, it was Jecht's loud whoop in the distance that helped her piece together where they were during another runaround; the sound faded all too quickly.
"Hold up," Rikku told Auron, studying the flashing lights of the disc they stood on. "I think I figured something out." Waiting until she saw a turn that tickled her memory, she hit the directional pad and hung on as the disc swooped down a new avenue.
Auron observed the path they took; his brow furrowed. "I think you're right. We haven't been here before."
The disc slowed to a stop at a crossing, and Rikku dropped to her knees and looked up. The patterns of light they travelled on crisscrossed over their heads like a spider's web, and Rikku shivered, feeling very much the trapped insect. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the harsh sound of their breaths in the darkness.
"We should go further," Auron said after studying their choices. He pointed towards a path sloping downwards. Rikku nearly fell off the disc in surprise.
"Huh? I thought you said you wanted to explore every single corner of this place before we took on a new level!" She stood up and carefully stepped around the flashing pad, trying not to activate it.
Auron grimaced and closed his eyes, unable to watch her balancing act. He was holding up fairly well for someone who had been barely able to stand only half an hour earlier. Some things never changed, and his effort to fill the role of a level-headed Guardian was one of them. If he'd donned the collar his future self wore, she might not have noticed the thin beads of perspiration that shone on his neck.
"We should establish how many levels there are to explore first, then find our way back to Braska and Jecht. If we don't, we might end up trapped here for hours," he explained.
"Ohh… well, okay," Rikku said, edging closer to Auron. Even if she could deal with the height better than he, her stomach still protested at the thought of another rapid descent on their flimsy elevator. He gave her a look when she grabbed onto his arm and clutched it in a death grip, but she returned it with a determined scowl. "Don't make that mean face at me! This place is scarier than you!"
Auron rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the flashing pad. "Are you ready?"
Rikku bobbed her head, and he lifted a boot and stomped. There was a brief, dizzying moment of anticipation as the disc rotated slowly, and then they were falling faster than ever. Auron dropped to one knee to keep his balance. Rikku, still holding onto his arm, lost her own and pitched forward as the disc rounded a sharp turn.
For one frozen moment, the sensation of freefall caught up with her; it was the opposite of her experience on the Farplane. This time she was blanketed in darkness instead of light, and Auron was watching her fall with two eyes instead of one. Then with a jolt, she wasn't falling, simply dangling off disc, her wrist locked in the painful grip of his hand as he tried to hold her up.
"Rikkma!" he grunted, squinting at the pathway as they moved. "Grab my arm, quickly!"
Rikku twisted upwards, reaching for him, and caught a glimpse of the fast-approaching platform at the end of the dim tunnel. Her eyes widened; if she didn't move - and fast - the disc would dump Auron off, and she'd either fall if he let go or be smashed against the hard stone if he didn't. Neither option seemed particularly survivable, so with renewed effort she reached up and clutched at his red cloak, trying to haul herself back onto their disc.
I'm not fast enough! Rikku realized, and squeezed her eyes shut as they connected with the platform.
Instead of feeling pain, she was airborne; rather than falling, however, it felt like she was thrown through the air. Then she crashed into something. Surprisingly, the stone wasn't as painful as she expected. It wasn't actually all that hard. And it was warm. And it groaned underneath her. Cracking open an eye, she found herself face to face with Auron.
His eyes were shut, and his hand was still locked around her wrist so tightly that she was sure it would have a black and blue handprint on it the next day. Not that she minded, considering that it was the hand that saved her from a painful death. More distracting, however, was his other arm, which was wrapped around her waist.
She tried not to be impressed that Auron had literally thrown her out of danger with one hand; after all, this was the man who spent his days wielding a sword almost as big as she was as though it was a mere toothpick. Then again, Rikku had fallen into the habit of indulging in Barkeep's homemade chocobo-chips in recent years, and she was fairly certain she weighed more than Auron's sword.
Her gaze dropped back to the hand at her waist; this was closer she had ever gotten to Auron before, and it felt strangely intimate despite their obvious discomfort. Granted, he was holding her more like someone might haul a sack of potatoes around than a lover, but it didn't change the fact that his arm was around her waist.
"T-thanks," she mumbled, her face growing warm. Then to her great disappointment, Auron released his hold and pushed her away.
"Hnn," he grunted in reply, sitting up with a wince. "Are you all right?"
Rikku rubbed at her sore wrist, trying to slow the pounding of her heart. "Yeah." She let out a shaky breath, sitting back and avoiding his gaze. "What a rush! That was almost as bad as when Brother pilots the airship!"
"Airship?" Auron glanced at her sharply.
Rikku's flush deepened and she cast about for a distraction. "Oh look! A Bevelle sphere!" She pointed at the glowing orb that was set into a recess above Auron's head.
Auron didn't turn and his eyes narrowed. "I'm not stupid. You have nowhere to run, Rikkma. If that's even your real name."
"I never said you were stupid," Rikku countered, scooting away from Auron. Not that it meant she could go very far; the platform the disc had dumped them onto was relatively small.
"Then why do you continue to lie?" he replied. His stern expression softened as he watched her fidget. "I just saved your life. The least you can do is tell me who you really are."
Would that change things? Rikku wondered. Auron wasn't blind; with everything they'd been through by now, surely he would have recognized her when she washed up on the shore of the Moonflow in front of Tidus years ago. Which left the question of why he didn't say anything when they first met. True, she had only been fifteen years old at the time, but five years couldn't change a person that much, could they? So it shouldn't really matter if she told him her name or not, she reasoned. She looked at Auron, who was still studying her with fierce intensity.
But a name has power.
The silence stretched thin between them, and Auron's patience ran out. He stood up and turned around to inspect the glowing sphere. Rikku didn't miss the disgusted look on his face, though, and clasped her hands together tightly. Even now, even as a stranger and a Yevonite at that, she wanted more than anything to have his respect if nothing else.
"Rikku," she said quietly.
Auron stopped and looked at her. "And the airship? Are they more than just thousand-year-old legends too?"
Rikku bit her lip. "If you don't like it when I lie, then don't ask me that," she replied, rolling to her feet. "I can't tell you."
He studied her for a moment longer before turning back to the sphere with a grunt. "Fair enough. Thank you, Rikku."
Auron didn't seem to be too knowledgeable about Cid's family, and Rikku let out a soft sigh of relief. Still, she wasn't quite optimistic enough to assume that Braska was similarly uninformed. "You won't tell the others, will you?" she asked, approaching his side.
"You've proven trustworthy so far," Auron admitted. "But why hide your name? Are you a wanted criminal among the Al Bhed?" He kept his tone neutral, but once again Rikku sensed that he was asking more on Braska's behalf than hers.
"It's not what you think," Rikku said. "It'd just be better for everybody if they didn't know." She reached to take the sphere.
"No!" Auron caught her outstretched hand and Rikku froze and swallowed.
"Please…" She began to quake with growing fear. It doesn't matter how I feel about Auron… I can't let him ruin my chance to get back! "You can blackmail me, or tell me to get lost after this if you don't want me around anymore. You can even turn me in to the temple guards. Just whatever you do, please, please, please don't tell Braska my real name!"
Something flickered across Auron's face before his stern mask fell back into place, and his grip on her hand tightened. "We don't know what will happen if you remove that sphere," he said gruffly.
"Sphere?" She trailed off in confusion. Then she looked at the recess. "Oh!" Rikku pulled her hand away from the sphere and out of his grasp and tried not to die of mortification. Like, duh! Get your head on straight, Rikku! He's talking about the sphere! "Well, what else are we gonna do with it?" she asked, giving him a cheeky glare which she hoped covered the scope of her embarrassment.
"We need to return to the others and speak with them about this first," Auron replied, turning back to the transformed pillar and pushing it onto the walkway. Rikku took the opportunity to snatch the sphere despite his warning. When he turned around and saw what she had done, a more familiar look of annoyance crossed his face. She happily ignored it in favor of holding the Bevelle sphere above her head.
"Nothing bad happened, see?" she chirped. "Now we can go back to the others. We'll have this puzzle solved in no time, promise!"
"Unbelievable," she heard Auron mutter under his breath, offering her his arm. "Hold on more tightly this time," he instructed when he found her staring in shock. "And you have my word."
Rikku looked up from Auron's outstretched arm and into his face. "What word?"
"I won't inform Lord Braska of your deception. You have your reasons. As long as they don't endanger the Pilgrimage, you may keep them to yourself."
As she took his arm, Rikku was sure the smile spreading over her face was bright enough to light up the entire cavern.
.x.x.x.
No time translated into almost two hours for Braska's small party; with some gentle prodding, Auron managed to unlock the secret of the spheres. They faced a slight hitch in their progress when he came across the destruction sphere.
When it crystallized out of nothingness before their eyes, even Rikku couldn't deny the aura of evil radiating from the small pink globe. She knew the sphere held only a tiny portion of the desperation and hate that drove the awesome power of Anima. The Cloister itself might have been a miracle of machina construction, but the spheres found within were more bound to the summoned magic of the aeons than any machine. It confirmed her suspicion that Seymour already possessed his mother's powers.
Rikku took it from the socket reluctantly; it felt too cold in her hands, though it burned brightly against the darkness. It was filled with the almost tangible hate of the only permanent aeon capable of surpassing even Bahamut. Justifying to Braska the existence of such an evil tool within the temple would be uncomfortable at best.
Rikku was feeling particularly uncharitable; having been on the receiving end of Anima's attacks courtesy of a Maester, she didn't bother with explanations. Instead she wordlessly handed the sphere to Auron and let him deal with it.
Auron took the discovery in stride; the shock of seeing machina in a temple either prepared him for each new revelation, or at least numbed his response to them. The worry line creased between his eyebrows was beginning to look permanently engrained, though. He spent a short moment staring at it in dismay, then grunted. "We need to solve this puzzle before Braska and Jecht rejoin us," he said, gripping the sphere with a look of distaste.
"Well, we've been at this for long enough," Rikku told him. "Try sticking it in that socket over there. None of the Bevelle spheres worked, so this might."
"Such an artifact in a place of holiness," Auron muttered to himself, but he did as she asked. Thankfully, the evil sphere shattered as it unlocked the final, hard-won path to the Chamber of the Fayth.
Auron stared at the exit for so long that Rikku grew worried.
"Hey, are you -"
Turning, he stomped past her, returning to the glowing pad. "Let's get the others," he ground out, upset by what he'd seen. "The sooner we leave this Trial, the better."
.x.x.x.
"You've returned!" Braska's relief was tempered by the surprise that Rikku and Auron's arrival was sedate, rather than an unceremonious fall from above.
"Took ya long enough," Jecht grumbled. He was sprawled across the ground on his side, picking at his ear with a finger.
"Gross," Rikku said with a wince.
"Braska." Auron nodded at the other man. "I apologize for our delay. We successfully cleared a path to the Chamber of the Fayth."
"Is that so," Braska said, his eyes lighting thoughtfully. "I was beginning to worry you two had come to blows, but I see I was mistaken. I am glad you were both able to find some common ground during the Trial."
Auron grimaced at Braska's amused tone. "Adversity is an effective motivator."
"Hah! We could hear you guys shoutin' at each other all the way up here," Jecht replied, grunting as he stood up. "I was sure you two were gonna off each other before you got back."
Braska shushed Jecht. "If you've found a way through this puzzle, how are we to best reach our goal?" He eyed the glowing disc warily. "I do not believe more than two of us can mount that thing safely at the same time."
"You're with me," Auron said immediately to the Summoner, leaving Rikku gaping.
"Wait a minute!" She stared at Jecht in dismay. "I'm not going anywhere with that walking disaster!"
"Aww, clam down. This'll be fun!" Jecht said with a grin, throwing an arm around Rikku and trapping her. "Like a joyride, right?"
Rikku whimpered. Auron was already guiding Braska onto the disc, his face especially stoic in the face of her accusatory glare. "Join us as soon as you have the chance," he instructed Rikku. "And resist any urge you may have to lose Jecht."
" 'ey! I heard that!" Jecht scowled and released Rikku, frowning as the disc carried the two men away. Then he turned back with a shrug. "Whatever. Bet it's gonna take 'em a while to get through this."
"Probably," Rikku agreed. "Our ride isn't coming back until they're through using it. So what'cha wanna do while we're waiting for them?"
Jecht scratched his head. "I dunno. You any good at belchin' contests?"
Rikku sank to the ground and dropped her face into her hands. "Ugh," she groaned.
.x.x.x.
Oh thank machina, Rikku thought as she and Jecht rode their disc up towards the highest - and last - level of the Cloister of Trials.
"That was even better than surfin'!" Jecht exclaimed as he stepped off. "Are all them Trials this much fun?"
Feeling wobblier than her companion, Rikku landed on her knees and hugged the solid, non-moving stone beneath her. "Thank Ixion they aren't." Pushing herself up, she carefully extracted the Bevelle sphere she had managed to grab on the way out of the maze from her belt pouch.
"You need to learn to live a little," Jecht complained. "Admit it, it was a fun ride!"
"Maybe for you," Rikku groaned, lurching towards the wall. "You didn't spend two hours with Grumpy trying to solve this thing! If I never see another electric path again, it'll be too soon."
Jecht only laughed at her. "Like you minded all that alone time with the Stiff! I bet you couldn't keep your hands off each other."
Rikku turned around and stuck her tongue out at Jecht. "You're such a pervert! Did it ever occur to you that a guy and a girl could be friends without needing to jump all over each other?"
"Lemmie think about it…" Jecht said, stroking his chin as his eyes narrowed. Then he grinned at Rikku. "Nope! 'Sides, a guy like Auron couldn't make normal friends if his life depended on it. So are you two an item already or what?"
Rikku nearly screamed in frustration as she slammed the sphere into the recess hidden in the wall. "Auron doesn't even like me that way, you… you… big tattooed freak!" Not that I would mind if he did…
"… clueless…" she heard Jecht muttering under his breath. He watched with interest as the swirling patterns on the floor filled with light from the sphere and a glowing path formed in mid-air. "Neat trick," he commented, looking back to the source of the glow. "You sure this is safe?" He tested the newly formed path with his foot.
Rikku smirked and sprinted past him, twirling around on the suspended bridge in delight. "Pretty sure!" she laughed.
"Rikkma! What are you doing?" Braska's shocked voice brought her out of her dance and she windmilled before regaining her balance. "Where did that come from?" he asked, prodding at the path with his staff.
Auron was behind him, not bothering to eye the path, choosing instead to bestow that honor on Rikku herself. "I thought I told you not to waste any more time in the labyrinth."
"Well you were wrong and I was right, so there!" Rikku pouted, planting her hands on her hips. "Trust me, I have a nose for treasure!" She turned and skipped down the pathway.
Auron began to protest, but Braska held up a hand and stopped him. "She is correct. We are low on funds right now, and a little treasure hunting certainly wouldn't hurt." He followed Rikku down the precarious walk, Auron and Jecht close behind him.
When they finally caught up, Rikku knelt in front of the treasure chest in the center of the large platform. She let out a small squeak of triumph as she swung it open. Then she let out louder, though short-lived scream.
"What's up?" Jecht asked, peering over her shoulder. Frowning, he reached down and grabbed the treasure, pulling it out. "It's just an ugly lookin' sword. Seems like something Auron would get excited about," he mussed, hefting it into the air and turning it around in the dim light.
"No," Rikku said, her eyes wide as she watched Jecht ram the sword's tip into the ground with a loud thunk. "I think it's more suited for you."
The sword in question was oddly beautiful, even if a bit unwieldy; the blackened blade was ornamented with a few swirling patterns and dangling chains; it was even larger than Auron's own heavy sword. Jecht managed to lift it with ease, though he lacked Auron's finesse when handling the massive blade.
What struck Rikku speechless was the fact that she knew it was meant to be Jecht's sword. It was a smaller version of the sword he had wielded in their final battle against him; the triangular tip and patterns were all too familiar. There was something else about it that was also unmistakable; though the true nature of the blade was still locked away inside of its depths, Rikku could feel the power thrumming through the metal from the moment she opened the chest. It was a Celestial Weapon, she was sure of it.
"What luck!" Braska said with a note of relief. "A magic blade, even. Truly, this is a fortunate find. And it looks like I have managed to win this argument after all," he added with a hint of smugness as Jecht scowled at him.
"I ain't usin' no sword," Jecht protested, trying to hand the blade off to Auron.
"That looks more like a bat than a sword to me," Auron countered, refusing to take it. "Keep it, Jecht." The beginnings of a smirk twisted at his lips. "A sword as clumsy as that one deserves to be wielded by a fitting patron."
Jecht scowled, lifting the sword and slashing through the air a few times. "Laugh it up, asshole," he muttered sourly. Then he paused and gave Auron a cocky grin. "But hey. Mine's bigger than yours!"
Rikku dropped her head and groaned. "Oh boy, here we go," she muttered.
Braska chuckled under his breath and helped her to her feet as the two men faced off.
"Size isn't important," Auron replied, drawing his own sword and spinning it around deftly. "You have to know how to wield it properly first."
"You callin' me stupid?" Jecht huffed. Auron's telling silence was enough of an answer.
"Anytime, pal," Jecht grunted, leaning on his sword menacingly. "You and me. I'll show you how good this sword is first-hand."
"Is that a challenge?" Auron replied in a bored tone.
"Rikkma, are you feeling well? You look quite flushed."
Braska's worried question broke her attention away from Auron and Jecht's posturing, and Rikku coughed. "Sorry! Just choking on that smell in the air," she explained. Sniffing dramatically, she wrinkled her nose and made an exaggerated wave in front of her face. "Phew, stinks like a couple of bloated male egos. Do you think they're going to pull out a ruler and start measuring the length of their blades next?"
Braska laughed, and Rikku pitched her voice to carry across the room. "If you boys are going to go at it with your great big swords, I definitely want a front row seat!" She gave Auron and Jecht a flirtatious wink; the former put his sword away immediately, while the latter stared at her.
"Who're you callin' a pervert now, woman?" Jecht said after a moment, slinging the large sword over his shoulder in a clumsy imitation of Auron.
"What can I say? It's just too easy sometimes." Rikku smirked. "Besides, I think you're rubbing off on me."
"Yevon help us all," Auron muttered under his breath as he stomped back towards the Chamber of the Fayth.
"Jecht. Rikkma. It's time to go," Braska interrupted, his humor falling away.
Rikku swallowed and nodded, trailing behind the men slowly. Her spirits sank with each step closer to the shrine; soon, they would reach Bahamut's chamber, and her short-lived adventure with Braska and his Guardians would be coming to an end. A tiny smile flickered across her face; the door Bahamut had opened had spilled her into an adventure that was nothing like she had expected. She found herself falling into the old routines of a Pilgrimage more easily than she liked to admit. It was in large part thanks to the three men she was accompanying.
Braska, kind and gentle, inspired friendship and loyalty in almost everyone he met. Jecht's rough-and-tumble exterior hid a good heart, even if it wasn't apparent at first glance. And Auron? He might have been lacking the wisdom that age and death brought with it, but in many ways he was still the same driven, dedicated man that she remembered so fondly. And she was finally starting to earn his trust; though Auron had given it freely when they first met on Yuna's Pilgrimage, it was more precious to her now that she had to fight tooth and nail for every grudging centimeter he granted her.
It was unexpectedly difficult to wish each of the men a silent goodbye; they barely knew each other, but she still felt a pang of regret about leaving her newfound friends so soon after meeting them.
The Hymn of the Fayth swelled to an almost painful volume as Rikku scaled the steps, and a shiver passed down her spine. It was easy to forget about Sin when surrounded by laughs and cheer; the haunting melody brought it back all too clearly.
"I don't belong here," she whispered under her breath. Clenching her fists, she sprinted the rest of the way up the steps.
Braska was already at the forefront of the antechamber, bowing respectfully before the heavy stone door which shut off the altar. His face was drawn in concentration; only two things could lift the stone seals which protected the statues of the Fayth: the prayers of a petitioning Summoner or brute strength. Braska straightened, and the door to the chamber slid upwards. Rikku knew it would be her only chance to get inside; she was faster than Auron and Braska, and Jecht wouldn't know any better to stop her. The muscles in her legs tensed as she prepared to sprint -
The Hymn of the Fayth was loud, now, drowning out all other sounds in the room, though the others didn't seem to notice it. Braska moved towards the open door. Jecht slumped to the floor, his mouth forming words as he asked something. Auron crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, and answered him. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion.
Move. MOVE! Rikku strained to push herself forward, but her body was frozen. The air was heavy with a stifling presence that reverberated through the room; the essence of Bahamut, almost tangible and so oppressive that she couldn't bring herself to move, even breathe. Why couldn't anyone else feel it?
Her eyes strayed back towards Braska and widened; he could feel it, she realized with a shock. Braska swayed slightly, the only sign that gave him away, before stepping forward into the dark passage. The door began to close behind him, and Rikku struggled and pushed with every bit of energy she had. She managed to take a shaking step forward as a moan of dismay erupted from her throat.
Auron was looking at her now, his brows drawn together in concern, and Jecht was clambering to his feet. Rikku ignored them, caught up in the descent of the heavy stone seal. No! she wanted to scream. You can't leave me here! I DON'T BELONG HERE!
The door shut with a click, and the heaviness evaporated as suddenly as it had come, sending Rikku onto her hands and knees as it left. She wheezed, sucking air into her lungs, and blinked away the sting of her tears. The first few formed in part because of the physical pain generated by her struggle against Bahamut's power. More leaked out as she realized that returning to her own time wasn't going to be as simple as demanding an audience with the Fayth.
There were hands on her arms, Rikku noticed dully; they lifted her to her feet and dragged her to the stairs, where she was turned and seated carefully. She blinked, looking up, and noticed Jecht was staring at her; his lips were moving. With a start she realized he was talking to her. Shaking her head to clear it, she concentrated on him and sound slowly returned to her surroundings.
"… the hell is wrong with you?" he was asking, waving a hand in front of her face.
"This has happened once before." Auron's voice now, low and concerned; Rikku turned her head and saw that he was standing by her side with a frown on his face. "There was a similar episode in the palace, when we first met."
"Eh?" Jecht said, leaning back on his heels. "You think she's sick?"
Rikku dropped her head onto her knees and groaned. "I'm not sick," she mumbled dejectedly.
"I thought you said these attacks weren't normal," Auron told her, his tone accusing.
Rikku didn't bother to lift her head. "They're not. I never got them before. I don't know why it's happening, honest," she said, weary.
I have a good idea, though. It was Bahamut. She was certain of that. The Fayth didn't want to see her, let alone help her return. She shuddered again, coldness washing over her as the knowledge sunk in. For the first time the possibility dawned that maybe, just maybe, there wasn't going to be a chance to return to her Spira. "I'm stuck," she whispered with a small, panicked giggle. "I'm really stuck here."
"You say somethin'?" Jecht asked her.
Rikku shook her head on her knees, still afraid to look up. "Leave me alone, Jecht," she mumbled. He snorted and moved away, but she heard a soft rustle of cloth; Auron leaned in.
"Rikku, are you all right?" he asked her.
Rikku let out a miserable sniff. She wanted to stand up and beat on the stone door of the Chamber; she wanted to scream that nothing was all right at the top of her lungs, not the least of which was his presence. Auron was right next to her asking how she felt when by all rights he should be dead.
"I'm fine," she replied out loud, tightening her grip around her knees. "Just fine."
edited 7/16: rewrote the chapter; corrected an error in the shape of Jecht's sword