Chasing Eternal Calm - A FFX Roleplay [Aorigami & RyuHll]

[RyuHll]

Kato glanced back towards the entrance as he felt another presence enter. Well, that wasn't going to be good. But he didn't bother Sera with it. Soren and he could deal with it once she was in the Chamber of the Fayth. There was no reason to worry their Summoner with it. So they simply followed her forward into a larger circular room with a door blocking their path. Two paths of light blue traced to it from two orbs of the same color. Soren looked between them and went to one, taking it from its spot in the wall and placing it into the door. Kato did the same, once he realized what Soren was doing. With the door now open, a path was opened into another circular area with a pedastal, holding another orb. Under it, a symbol was etched, part of that symbol lighting up from the door opening.

"After you," Kato said softly, stepping aside to let Sera through. Once the group moved further in, Soren continued to direct them in what to do. They opened the next pathway forward by distributing the orbs correctly and created a platform across the electrical hole that greated them. Placing another orb into spot, another piece of the Yevon symbol glowed to life. Using another mechanism, the puzzle was reset, though the glowing symbol remained. In nearly no time at all, the entirety of the symbol was complete, creating a small platform.

Stepping on to that platform, the three were lifted into the second level of the temple. The last part of the puzzles were fairly easy. Soren conducted everyone into pushing the pedastals in, causing the electricity to charge through the metal construction above them. With all the electricity flowing through, it opened the path into the last level, where the Cloister waited.

As the group arrived there, Kato looked up the steps to teh door that would take Sera to the Chamber of the Fayth. "I believe this is as far as we can go," he said softly, feeling an odd sense from being so close to the Fayth. He wasn't quite sure what it was. It was painful, but not the same pain he felt around Sin. He couldn't really explain it.

Soren looked up at Sera. "I can go with you, if you need me," he said, not sure what the problem would be with a Guardian entering the Chamber with the Summoner.

[Aorigami]

Along the way, Eilie witnessed the paths opened up easily in front of her. Clearly, Lady Sera and her guardians had succeeded the Trials. On reaching the corridor that led up to the Chamber of the Fayth, she moved aside and pressed her back against the stone wall, her ears alerted by the conversation between the summoner and her guardians.

"Well, traditionally only the summoner is allowed in the Chamber of the Fayth." Sera bent over towards Soren so their eyes would be on the same level as she told the guardian. "But I guess it should be no problem if you're around. Do you want to go with me, Soren?"

Regardless of the boy's answer, Sera would eventually walk up the stairs and enter the Chamber of the Fayth. As soon as the sound of the Chamber's doors closing echoed in the corridor, Eilie would step up and revealed herself in front of Kato with her sword ready in her hand. "We meet again, blind guardian," she said, pointing her blade at the Al-Bhed. "Now if you would leave this holy place in peace, preferably before Lady Sera comes out... I'll consider not cutting you up into little pieces."

[RyuHll]

Kato sighed as Soren and Sera both disappeared behind the doors to the Chamber of Fayth. "And so you come. At least they won't have to witness this," he said as he turned back to face her. He had been waiting for her to show herself. He had just been hoping the two would be gone by the time she did. Unlike her, he didn't reach for his blade. He just stood there, watching her blankly through the cloth that covered his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you the same request. This holy place is for the Summoners and her Guardians. Not even Crusaders are allowed to trespass, from my understanding." He smiled a bit. "Of course, until recently, I didn't know that rule either. So, if you'd kindly leave, I'll forget this ever happened. However..." His smile dropped as his voice became more serious. "If you're here from the Maester's command, I'll cut you down where you stand before you have the chance to harm Lady Sera. Nothing personal, but it is my duty and all.

[Aorigami]

Eilie let out a soft sigh. "I see. So that's what you've chosen," she said. "So be it."

Without further ado, Eilie dashed forward and swung her sword down at the guardian. If her first blow was blocked or avoided, she would follow up with a kick before retreating back, letting the pain on her back subside before charging again for the second time.

"You talk awfully big for someone in your position," she would say intermittenly throughout the attack. "Tell me, what rights do you have to call yourself a guardian after what you've done in Mushroom Rocks Bay?"

[RyuHll]

Kato blocked, his arm moving in the way of her hand to stop the swing without touching the blade. He further blocked the kick with his free arm, jumping back to create room. He still hadn't drawn his blade. But he hesitated at her mentioning Mushroom Rocks Bay. "If I recall...I attacked the Maester, not my Guardian," he replied. "And who are you to talk? You attacked the Summoner and her Guardians as well. Don't speak to me as if you care about Lady Sera. Your loyalty is to Maesters, not the Summoner." He focused momentarily, bringing up some magic he had been taking practice with more recently. "And now you sully this holy place you would normally fight to protect. I doubt Yevon would like violence in his sacred temples." He smiled mockingly, still not making any move to strike her.

[Aorigami]

Eilie ran in a zigzagged pattern before leaping forward. When she slashed her sword down, an eruption of energy was released as well, enabling her to deliver a blow that could damage the stone floor beneath them. "You're a dangerous monster," she told her opponent bluntly, seemingly unfazed by his taunting. "How dare you raise your weapon against your summoner. You're a disgrace to every guardians that ever served a summoner on their pilgrimage!"

At her last sentence, Eilie's voice quiver for a slight bit. A flash of memory passed by in her mind, from the time before she joined in the Crusaders. She shook it away immediately and returned her focus back on the fight, readying her stance and her grip on the sword. "I'll stop at nothing to halt you," she resumed. "I'll be the one protecting Lady Sera from now on."

[RyuHll]

Her sword stopped down before it could fully hit Kato, the energy bending around and missing him as well, though the rest would strike the ground around him. He allowed her to move away, but that moment of hesitation undid her. He was already on her by the time she was back in her stance. "How can you if you can't even protect yourself?" he asked softly, grabbing her blade near the hilt, where it was dullest. His free hand flung out, striking her side, where her broken ribs were. The pain would be excruciating, even for a hardened warrior. And, with her loosened grip, he'd yank the sword from her hands, flipping it up and letting the hilt land in his uninjured hand. The one he'd grabbed the sword in had a cut, though it wasn't as deep as it would have been from being cut directly from any other part of the blade.

His voice was quiet as he spoke. "You're right. I am a monster. I had a thought of what I was before that Operation began, but I still had hope that I was wrong," he whispered. "I'm a disgrace for turning my blade against my Summoner. Lady Sera deserves someone stronger and better than I. She will be the one to defeat Sin. Not in the traditional sense either. She will defeat Sin permanently." Seymour already knew from his slip of the tongue. There wasn't any danger in admitting it now, even if she did work for the Maesters. "I believe in her to do that much. Sadly, I doubt I'll be there to see the end of the journey." He held her blade gently, the tip being touched to the side of her neck. "You're...a good person, despite your faulty allegience. You would make a better Guardian than a blind monster. But I cannot leave yet. Lady Sera still needs me."

[Aorigami]

The ruckus from the Cloister of Trials eventually reached the Chamber, especially after Eilie released her last blow. It brought Sera to open her eyes in the middle of her prayer, her blood running cold from the thought that Kato might had been attacked. She turned to face her other guardian. "Soren, could you perhaps go out and see if everything is okay with Kato?" she asked.

Once the Kilikan boy ran off, the summoner would turn back around and resumed her prayer, but stopped short when a translucent image of a middle-aged man appeared before her above the statue of the fayth. "Well, hello, there," greeted the fayth. "My name is Ixion and I'm the fayth of this temple."

Sera, though amazed as she was, forced herself back to focus and quickly gestured the sign of prayer. It felt like a while since she last encountered a fayth. "Lord Ixion, my name is Summoner Sera and I'm here to request your aid in saving Spira."

"I have heard a lot about you," replied Ixion. "The fayth all over Spira are talking about you. A lot of us are quite excited in the progress of your unique pilgrimage."

Sera couldn't help but blush at Ixion's comment. To be complimented by a fayth is one of the greatest accomplishment besides defeating Sin for any summoners. Before she could reply his remark, though, Ixion resumed, "But I have to admit that your journey had taken an even more intriguing turn. I sense that you have a slight change of heart. Your reason for continuing the pilgrimage has altered. Is that true?"

Gulping nervously, Sera saw no other choice but nodding. Regardless of her answer, the fayth could read her mind anyway. "Yes. I want to find a way to defeat Sin... and help Kato," she answered quietly.

Meanwhile, Eilie fell down on the floor with a painful thump. The pain from her broken ribs were strenuous, but she still struggled to at least keep her head up to look back at Kato. "My allegiance has nothing to do with all this. I'll still protect Lady Sera from you even if the Maesters hadn't ordered it," she snapped back.

[RyuHll]

Kato smiled down at her in response to that. "So you admit that the Maesters ordered you to protect Lady Sera?" he asked. The Guado weren't the only ones who could use mind games. "And we've made enemies of the Maesters. Your allegience has a lot to do with this. Would you fight the Maesters if it came down to it? If that's where our path led?" His gaze didn't falter, the blade hovering less than an inch from her throat. "I don't wish to fight them, but we might have to fight other Crusaders to get past where we stand." He paused a moment as he thought over something. "I will make a deal with you. You are strong. Capable of being a Guardian." At this point, Soren made his way out of the Chamber, though he remained quiet, merely peeking out of the door. "I agree to you coming with us. I can't argue with another sword to guard Lady Sera. And I know you'll protect her even if I should fall or be separated from her. So here's my proposal. She still needs me. Even if I'm dangerous, my strength is something you can't argue with. She needs me until her journey is finished. Once she retrieves the final Aeon from Macalania, she's free to move on to Zanarkand and finish her journey. Don't cause trouble for me or fight me until she retrieves that Aeon...and I will allow you to join without conflict and shall willingly leave once she has that Aeon. Granted, Lady Sera agrees to you joining us." He smiled sadly as he finished that. If the small plan he'd been forming went well...she wouldn't have to worry about Yevonites after Macalania anyway. "I am, afterall, a danger to her. I don't want to remain close to her more than I need to."

[Aorigami]

In the Chamber of the Fayth, Sera was growing rather anxious. "Is that... alright?" she asked the fayth awkwardly. She herself wasn't sure if a summoner was allowed to have such reason to continue the pilgrimage. She must had been the most selfish summoner that ever prayed in this Chamber.

"It depends on you, child," replied Ixion, chuckling. "Nevertheless, I shall lend my power to you. It would probably be interesting to directly witness your journey than from some hearsay." The fayth then proceeded to bind himself with Sera's soul, a process which drained the summoner's energy and rendering her unable to move her limbs for the following minutes. When she recovered shortly after, Sera followed Soren's steps out of the Chamber and finally discovered what was happening.

"The Maesters will never hinder a summoner on pilgrimage," said Eilie as she struggled to rise on her knees, and eventually her feet. The fact that Kato was pointing her own sword at her seemed to mean little to the Crusader; for a long time already, she had forgotten how it feels to fear death. "I shall fight the Crusaders only because a lot of them now are nothing but a bunch of worthless morons that follow the orders without thinking. And I will only respect your deal unless you show even one more sign of endangering Lady Sera."