“What in the bloody Yevon's name do you mean Gippal!?” Gippal looked to her as she continued,
” We are the victims here and you get mad at us!? What do you think of this, mmm? Tell me, what do you think of this!?” She reached to her head with her normal hand and pulled away her hair to reveal a quite the decent sized wound from where the stone hit her. It was a nasty looking wound, and it did make Gippal's hands clench into a fist. Of course he was mad that she was hurt, she was his friend, and he cared a lot about her.
” I get hit by a stone, get injured like this and all Alex did to the one who did this to me was hold him out for a little. I know her strength, if she wanted she could have snapped his neck! Then than guard captain appears and beats the hell out of us, throws us into prison without even tending to our wounds and now you have the guts to shout at us as if we are responsible!? If that's the case, tell me mister I know it all, where the bloody hells were you when that monster took control of me?! Where were you when I was forced to watch as that monster controlled my body to do all those horrible things!?” Nai yelled at him, her throat was hurting and she could taste blood in her mouth.
" Tell me, why didn't you warn us about Thane!? TELL ME!?" Gippals eye's narrowed at the last comments, He wanted to yell, but before he could Alex pipped in.
"He threw rocks at her! And I don't give a damn what they say because I didn't do enough damage to do anything serious other than to make him maybe have a bruise! Okay I lost my temper, twice, but I'm not letting someone I don't know manhandle Nai like that without saying anything! Did they let the obviously tired and beat up girl in a wheelchair keep the said wheelchair and just roll her to the prison? No! And Urick wasn't even involved when I did it and they still wanted to arrest him just for being a couple feet from me! It should have only been me arrested! Not Nai or Urick! I was willing to come along without a fight if they just let me carry her, but nooo. Sure, I shoulder bashed him but I didn't pull out any weapons. I will not tolerate anyone being treated like that by some high and mighty ***** who thinks she's the bees knees! Even if you do!" Alex snapped angrily.
Urick watched as Gippal took a deep breath, wanting to explain everything yet put them in their place at the same time. This wouldn't have been good. Urick then reached out and touched Gippal's shoulder, shaking his head just enough for him to register that he was saying 'Don't answer now.' Gippal let out a grunt as he looked back to Nai. While Maximus only shook his head and covered his face at the children squabbling. He had respected Gippal for not acting like this infront of Lenora, but still in the middle of Kilika, the boy had much to learn to control his anger.
“FINE, I'm going to the ship with Alex.” Nai stated, not waiting for a reply to her questions. For the first time in her life she was angry at Gippal for something serious like this.
” Very well then, I'm leaving this group as soon as we reach Luca! You will have all the peace and quiet in the world!” Nai shouted as Alex began carrying her towards the outside.
"Gippal?" Gippal pulled his head back as he heard his name from the familiar soft voice of Eva's, glancing to his right he noticed her, as well as Saina walking around the corner. It took him a moment to realize that it really was her and she was walking around, which was amazing for her as she couldn't move the last time they where here and only had just calmed down in the last hour or two. She had turned to the others continuing her questions.
"What happened?" "Are you all alright?" When Urick made eye contact with her he nodded once then back to the others as they answered Eva.
Glancing to Eva, Alex took a deep breath. Or a few. Struggling for control.
"Sorry. It's my fault. I lost my temper. Sorry for delaying your duties and causing a predicament. Nai and Urick had nothing to do with it. So sorry again. If you need me I'll be on the ship." Eva nodded, and looked at Nai as she then answered.
“Tche... nothing much, I've got a head wound from a stone someone threw at me. Then when he got intimidated by Alex, he ran to his father to rat on us. Things escalated from there.” Nai replied to the summoner.
” To oblivion with this corrupted place, I'm not returning anytime soon...” She growled in irritation.
" Also I plan to leave once we reach Luca..." Eva nodded, she was sad that Gippal was fighting with his child hood friends, she looked to him to see him staring at his feet, taking deep breaths.
She then bowed deeply to Nai,
I-I'm sorry to hear that... She was surprised when Saina then added her two gil. Pulling her self straight up she looked to Saina as she stopped next to her.
"Then go." She folded her arms as she gave her expressionless face towards Naisha.
"If you cannot maintain your composure after receiving a small bump on the head then I expect you to only be trouble when we run into real danger. Your whining, your complaints, and your dependence on others for your self worth, not to mention physicality, give us nothing. By all means..."Saina waved her hand outward as the harshness of what she was saying settled in, giving the air a tense but crisp aura.
"Go. Leave us your memory and a bitter taste in all of our mouths. You have given us no reason to miss you."Saina pushed her hair behind her ears and let out a sigh as she turned away, leaving Eva speechless with eyes wide in almost horror. her cloak flaring behind her as she took a few steps to where Urick and Gippal are. She nodded to both the men, flicking her gaze to Maximus briefly as well. From where she stood, she turned to smile at Eva.
"Shall we collect the other guardian and make our way into the cloister?"Eva's eyes never left Saina after all she said, though she did nod in agreement with them to leave right now. But it was clear the argument wasn't over yet.
Gippal too was shocked that Saina was for breaking them up. Yeah he was mad at the two of them, but he didn't like the idea of Nai out on her own. Despite the harsh words she had retorted back to him about the day before. He didn't nod back to Saina, but only looked at Nai and Alex as Alex flared up again.
"A small bump?! So you just expect anyone who for one gets possessed by some monster after fighting a horde of them and has ancestors know what side effects besides the obvious monster horn and arm, gets speared by your ice spike and almost dies, finds out she's hurt a lot of innocent people, then gets on a ship that gets attacked by a bunch of monsters which she was also fighting while protecting the summoner while you left her side to fight a Kraken that destroyed the ship, got us all shipwrecked, all with barely any rest would just be able to be 'calm' and 'composed' and able to walk it off?! Well sorry not everyone is some emotionless super human!" Alex shouted loudly,
"And! If you're going to blame someone that's me! Nai did not lose her composure until I lost my own! She was fully willing to just let that bastard go by after he threw it but I wasn't! So don't you dare try putting that on her!" Alex snapped,
Not waiting for any response, she turned and started walking after Hector to the ship, carrying Naisha, Gippal took a few steps to finally add his two gil in, to try and explain why this was all happening, but Eva grabbed his hand. Causing him to look back at her. She looked extremely worried, and she was, she was worried Gippal would say something that could destroy his friendship with them. She looked at him with pleading eyes as she slowly leaned back to pull him in the opposite direction. Her voice small as she begged. “Gippal, please....let them go. Hopefully after the temple all of use will have calmed down enough so we can speak to each other, rather than yelling.”
Gippal stood there, with his arm outstretched as Eva pulled on it gently, his mouth open, frozen in a reply as if someone hit the pause on a sphere. He thought of what she said, before looking back to Alex, with Nai in tow, and Hector walking towards the docks.
Maximus then spoke up. “I will have to agree with Lady Eva. You shouldn't have said anything till we were in private and in better control of your emotions.” His voice calm and low. Gippal spun his head with part of his lip snarled as to tell the older man off but he didn't, as he realized what he said was true. He lowered his head in defeat and nodded. Not saying a word as he allowed Eva to pull him towards her more. She then wrapped both of her arms around his left arm, trying to comfort him, while also bringing herself comfort with his presence.
As they all began to walk back towards the temple, Eva looked up at the conflicted face of Gippal, she could see anger, bitterness, sadness, hurt in his eyes. It was obvious Nai's words on where he was during the attack yesterday bit him pretty hard. It made her sad and angry as well, seeing Gippal like this. Sad that such harsh words were sad, and angry that Nai had inflicted them. She understood the girl was hurt, and emotionally crazy right now with all that had happened, but he had almost died....twice! In that attack, Once from the huge machina falling, and the other when the possessed Nai hit him in the face with her fire spell, she was sure would have almost killed him while protecting Alex.
Though she also thought Gippal shouldn't have yelled at them, he also had bailed them out, using his name essentially to do so. He would now be associated with criminals, though it was clear the system was corrupt from what she heard, it was still the system. They walked in silence for a moment before she asked, trying to change the subject
”So.... where is Sifen at?” She asked everyone, not sure who knew.
Gippal only had watched the ground while they walked, wondering if it was a good idea to bring Nai and Alex along. Especially now, that he knew how Nai really felt about yesterday's situation. Eva's question pulled him from it as she glanced at her and looked around after it. “I-I don't know. He said he was going to be fixing Nai's wheelchair, and making an arm for himself. But he didn't say where.” He shrugged, “It sounded though he was going to take a while with both, so I say we just head to the temple and I'm sure he will meet us there when done. “ Gippal sighed, as he realized he had handed the man so much money and forgot to ask where he was going with it. A man who was a known thief... probably not the best choice he made that day, hopefully his gut feeling was right about the guy.
Eva nodded as she looked forward towards the path in the jungle where the temple was located. “OK. Well I say we eat first at the temple then go into the cloister of trials. I realize none of us has really eaten...save Saina and myself. We each had a pear...and I had eaten it so fast I didn't even realize it was gone!” She chuckled trying to lighten the mood with her next comment. “I'm sure I could eat a shoopuf whole!”
Urick and Maximus chuckled, catching what Eva was trying to do, and help her to achieve her goal. Though Gippal only gave a small smile before being lost in his thoughts again, and with that, a frown back onto Eva's face.
"I'm ready for a nap, better be close." Alex grumbled, as she followed Hector to the ship. He didn't say much as he felt the venom still in the air after that argument. Not really the best time to start making jokes.
He quickly said, “It's not. It's just at the end of the docks.” He quickened his pace as the tall woman's large steps were quickly coming up behind him. As they walked he decided to try and help by saying, “Ya know... Even though you guys seemed to have gotten the rotten end of the stick, I'm sure Gippal tried to make sure he did everything he could to set things as best as he could. But you have to realize the system is corrupt, that only means it's that much more harder for true 'justice' to happen with in it. You're lucky to just get a red band a few hours in. Normally those with a red band get it after a few months in prison. So he did something right.” He chuckled nervously with a smile to try and make her see what Gippal had managed.
“One thing you guys should know is that the legal system isn't perfect. There is a lot of corruption in it, and threatening the system only gets you burned in the end. It's a sad truth but it's a political scene now, and Gippal played it to get you guys out. He was probably angry how you two were acting while he was doing it. Doesn't seem like you two have traveled as much as he has, or I for that matter. The world isn't black and white. Just mostly gray.” He stopped in front of a large private class,
He waved his hands to the airship, “Here she is, the Defiant!” He said with a large smile, “Fastest airship in spira! Fresh from the personal hands of Gippal... from the machine faction... she's a beauty isn't she!?” He turned to the guard and took the sword from his hands and waved his hand to the ramp that lead to the door, for the two woman to go first.
Once on he lead them to their rooms, The first thing they would notice was the extra wide corridors, despite it being a private airship, which normally meant smaller ones. He then guided them down the hall near the back, passed many doors and ended at the last two. The last two being much larger than the others before. Tall enough for Alex to walk in with out ducking her head. He then opened the door by hitting the keypad.
As the door hissed open, they could see a large room with a large bunk with five on top of the mattress. It also had a desk, and book shelf all designed for a larger person. “If you haven't guessed it, this is your room.” He said looking at Alex, and pointed with his thumb next door, “And that door that's actually wider than the others is yours.” He said to Naisha. After a moment, he would then say, “You can take your nap, or you follow me for a grand tour, but I'm sure...Gippal wanted to do that.” He said with a nervous chuckle. He then walked over to the other room, opening it and revealing a spacious room for easy access for someone in a wheel chair, a large book shelf, with a lever on it the side of it. A low bunk for easy access, and again with five presents on it.
{A few minutes back,}
A tall figure with a black hood and clothes stood in the shadows, despite the heat of the day. His entire face was covered in darkness, save for one piercing blue right eye that watched the guardian's arguing among-st themselves. His long black hair was messy and escaped from the bottom of his hood on his chest, damp from the humid air. His breathing was slow, and very calm as his eyes focused on the two smallest girls group. One with Raven black hair and the other with almost pink hair. those were important to him...the others he didn't care about a bit. He didn't know why he wasn't allowed to just go in...but
Father had specific orders for some reason... to wait.
But, he did say he could do what ever he wanted to the others save for the small white haired one. He was reserved for
Father for some reason. He shifted from his position farther into the shadows, and the sound of loose chain's on his clothes rang. Not something totally out of place in a town built over water and with all the boats around. His bandaged hand reached up to the building next to him as he leaned agianst it while the group spit up and went their separate ways. He could have taken them all on no sweat... but this would have been easier now to strike.
DO IT! he said to himself in a almost crazed voice, his left red eye flashing from under his hood.
Bathe in their blood! He said excitedly in a hushed tone so no one nearby could hear him... that wouldn't be good for someone to over hear him saying that.
His head twitched slightly as he said in a more calm and lower tone voice. "Shut up. Not now." to himself. His eye turned to follow the large redhead holding the other woman, while following the man with green hair. Thinking silently, as he lost sight of her behind some more buildings he turned and made his way away. He had business to take care of. As he moved into the light now, a gas mask with three separate filters, two smaller on either side of a much larger one in the middle could be seen under his hood, with three tubes exiting the right filter and into his clothes behind his right shoulder. His eyes covered by dark cowl of his hood still. The chains on his clothes rattled with each step, but couldn't be seen under his black cloak that clung to him, hiding everything but his legs. He chuckled softly as he glanced back to the two girls he watched before rounding a corner and out of site.
