• This section is for roleplays only.
    ALL interest checks/recruiting threads must go in the Recruit Here section.

    Please remember to credit artists when using works not your own.

Fandom FFX: Summoner's Pilgrimage [Closed]

Characters
Here

Lucyfer

Said you'd die for me, well -- there's the ground
Supporter
Roleplay Availability
Roleplay Type(s)
My Interest Check
Bevelle was a large, wondrous city of white-and-red upon the waters. The island city was a wonder to behold for both Kyra and Ari, who had only just departed their boat. The siblings stood, side-by-side, looking around the port which was almost as busy as the port of Luca. That was not so unusual to the pair, having grown up in Luca. It was more the feel of it, the way people were dressed, the lack of boxes, and….

“Machina?”

Kyra averted her gaze from a family of pilgrims to see where Ari was looking, and took note of a warrior in Yevon’s robes, holding a gun of all things. That sight startled her a moment, for that was indeed machina that Kyra was certain Yevon forbade.

“Lady Summoner?”

The red-head was apparently going to be pulled in many directions in this new city, as she half-turned to look back at the captain of the ship. He gave her a tired smile, as Ari adjusted himself to be more at her back.

The captain saw the wary look that Ari gave the monk, but Kyra did not.

“We will be prepared to leave again for Besaid Island when you are ready, my lady,” he offered.

“Thank you, Captain Yesha,” Kyra smiled to him, glad to know there needn’t be a delay. Glad to know she had a ship to begin her journey with, even if being upon the waters was worrisome. It was the domain of Sin.

Yet still, she was grateful for those who would risk the journey, and she stepped back, dropping into a slight bow as she moved her hands up, and drew them down again, forming the circle with them and bending over it in respect to the Captain, before Ari poked her shoulder. “More people.”

She let out a breathless huff, but smiled nonetheless as she turned once more, black skirt twirling with her. The smile became a look of surprise as she immediately recognized who it was. “Maester Bikkel!” And she moved through the motions of the prayer once more.

Behind her, Ari and the Captain shared a brief, amused look, before the Captain tilted his head towards Ari and walked off, leaving the young man to keep his position at Kyra’s back, and look intimidating with his height, and his own black duster. And his ball – but no one really thought the crystal blitzball looked that intimidating until after they’d been hit by it. He kept it under one arm.

He wished, for a moment, that he’d considered wearing a shirt that day, but it was too hot for that kind of nonsense. So it was black duster and silver slacks that he donned to meet a maester.

‘Fantastic.’

Not that his sister was all that proper herself, her purple top cut off before it reached the skirt. Though, he supposed, no one could really tell a summoner was decent or indecent, and in Luca they’d gotten away with much in terms of fashion.

“Lady Summoner,” Bikkel mimicked the action of the prayer himself, a gentle smile on his lips. Kyra straightened slowly, “It is an honor to finally meet you, Lady Kyra, though unfortunate it had to be this way.”

Her eyes lowered a moment, and Ari reached out to touch her shoulder as she spoke, “Yes, but there could be no other way.”

Bikkel kept that gentle look on his face, blue eyes seeming to hold the weight of the words as if he’d said them himself, “I know,” he agreed, not inclined to be one of those to put a stop to her. He offered his hand, “Come, let us at least show you proper hospitability in Bevelle,” he said, and she took his hand, coming to walk at his side as he and his guards led the way. “We know you have traveled far from Luca. How is it now?”

“Better,” Ari intruded, stepping to walk along his sister’s other side, “The Blitzball dome is ready again for blitzball, and we’re going to host a tournament again soon to help lift everyone’s spirits.” Ari boasted.

Bikkel looked surprised, but not disappointed, “Truly, already?” He asked, only to laugh pleasantly at the news, a sound Ari somehow wasn’t expecting from a man old enough to be his father. It relaxed him, somehow, “Then I shall have to be there when the first game is. Will you be playing?”

“Um—”

“We hope,” Kyra said, “I am sure that one game would not destroy our progress, entirely. Right?”

Ari moved a hand behind his head, digging nails into the back of his scalp. “Ye—no, probably not.” His hair was freshly dyed, no trace of black in it, but he doubted then he’d be able to convince them to pause for him to fix his hair.

A blitzball game, sure.

Dying his roots? Out of the question.

Unlike Bikkel, he didn’t think he pulled off black that well.

“Then I shall look forward to seeing you play, Ari. You would not be the first Guardian blitzball player. Or summoner. I am sure you are familiar with High Summoner Ohalland?”

“Yeah! He was part of the Kilika Beasts,” Ari said. “We still pray to him, even in Luca, for good luck in our games.”

They walked, easily distracted by the conversation, though Kyra kept some eye to the sights of Bevelle. It had so many tall buildings…she wasn’t expecting it. She didn’t know how it was possible, truthfully.

“Your guardian, Dorean, hails from Kilika,” Bikkel said. “Although I do not think he is much of a blitzer,” he added lightly.

“Well that lowers his credentials right there,” Ari joked, “What does he have to offer?”

Bikkel took the joke lightly, “I believe he has a sword, and some knowledge of how to use it. Does that sound sufficient?” His own smile pulled a bit, but he kept the amusement subdued.

“I guess,” Ari allowed, “but I’m going to have to personally vet him.”

“Of course,” Bikkel couldn’t help but start to chuckle there, “I am certain he will be able to meet your standards though, Ari.”

“We’ll see.” Ari was playing, more than anything, but he did hope this guardian was as good as they were led to believe any trained by the Temples would be. “Was he trained in Kilika?”

“Actually, he was trained in Besaid, where I understand you will be going after this. That is fortuitous, he will be able to serve as a decent guide for two locations,” Kilika and Besaid both, which was likely to be some relief to the summoner and her guardian.

“Hm. I don’t hear much good about Besaid.”

Kyra put an elbow into Ari’s side, but he didn’t take it back. “What? Their team is the worst in the league. The Ronsos do better!”

“Should they not?”

Ari practically jumped out of his skin as he realized they were heading up stairs, and had just passed by the Ronso maester.

“S-s-sorry I meant—ya’ll are tough, and I respect that,” he turned around, and quickly performed his own prayer-offering to avert any potential crisis, as Bikkel and Kyra paused a few steps higher up to watch him.

The ronso just smirked.

“It is all right, Goer,” he reached up and ruffled that perfectly styled white hair, causing Ari to look up, startled, “you humans are not bad, either. Fast.” Ari flushed several shades of red as the ronso turned away, and kept on, somehow not tripping on the long robe.

It was a miracle of maester Bikkel, too. And Kyra, Ari thought, though he supposed these sorts were used to it.

Eventually, with a bit more small talk about Besaid and Kilika, as well as the maester admitting to being born and raised in Bevelle, they entered the Temple of Yevon, which was apparently different from the temple of Bevelle’s Fayth, the powerful dragon they had witnessed in Luca when Sin attacked.

They were led to a side room, where a table was laid out with food. “It should not be long before the guardian arrives,” maester Bikkel offered, “Is there anything that either of you need, in the meantime?”

Ari shared a look with Kyra, then spoke up, “No, this all looks good. Thanks—thank you.”

“We appreciate all that you have prepared for us, truly.” Kyra added.

“Then I hope you will pardon me, I do have a few things to check in on. I will be back before you leave,” he offered, before he would leave the room, performing the prayer once more and departing.

Ari let out an immediate sigh of relief, before he approached the table. Kyra didn’t bother to even ask him ‘what’ as she, also, approached, and then took a seat on one of the cushions laid out besides the low table, and picked some of the fruit to start on.

“I can’t believe we’re really here,” Ari murmured. It was more that he didn’t want to believe it. That he didn’t want any of this to be happening. He knew he couldn’t turn back time, though. They had to see this through. “And when do you think I’m going to get to play a game, huh?”

“We do have to venture from Besaid, to Kilika, and through Luca again…perhaps the timing will be right?” Kyra offered.

Ari just huffed, but took a seat on one of the pillows, looking disgruntled with it. He still grabbed a piece of meat, a leg of some fowl, and bit into it. It was possible, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up for something like that. For anything. He had to keep his hopes focused on some other summoner succeeding, and Kyra never needing to go challenge Sin. He put the blitzball he’d been carrying into his lap as he started to actually eat.
 
Last edited:
It'd been advised to arrive early. A day before the meeting, in fact. Dorean knew the reasons behind it, and he definitely didn't expect the preparation prior to be so chaotic, but once he had set sail for Bevelle, he knew there was no turning back. This was it. All the training he'd done up until this point would be validated the moment he stepped foot in the city. Though, there was no denying the slivers of anxiety prickling at the back of his mind. He was going a long way for this journey, and if the Summoner did not approve of their Guardian, well... his training would be for nothing.

Dorean didn't think that'd be the case though. He was a strong candidate, and if he needed to prove himself, he would certainly be happy to do so if it meant he could be on the journey to destroy Sin.

When he arrived in Bevelle, he'd met with the Maester Bikkel, who approached the docks with a friendly smile on his face. Dorean had been told many things about this man, generally all positive, and so it was easy to return that smile with one of his own as he stepped off the boat and onto the dock.

"Dorean," greeted the Maester, walking up with his hands in motion to do the standard prayer. "I do hope your journey was well."

"Indeed," Dorean nodded, returning the prayer gesture. "It was swift, and I am eager to be on solid ground for a little while."

The Maester nodded, slowly escorting Dorean from the docks and into the streets, the city bustling around them as they walked. "I wish not to make this a rushed visit, but we did ask for you to come a day early in order to ensure the proper preparations were in place. There is much you must do before you meet the Summoner."

"As I was told."

There was much to be said in Besaid about his duties as a Guardian, so he was well warned and ready for the task. The Temple was the first stop before he was to go to the inn where he was staying, and so he went. It wasn't far from the docks, which he was grateful for, as he was, quite honestly, really tired from the journey. He had stamina, but there was something to be said about enduring waters for an extended period of time, and it truly was a long ride from Besaid to Bevelle. Still, he knew he had duties to fulfill, so when they arrived at the Temple, he endured further until the tasks were done. Purification, prayer, that sort of thing, in order to prepare him for his meeting with the Summoner. He'd probably have to do it again in the morning, though, so he kept that in mind as he eventually left and headed for the inn, finding his room and curtly plopping himself onto the bed quite eagerly.

As he thought, the following morning was filled with more duties similar to that of the night before with some added errands he needed to run around the city. Dorean had to rise early for worship prior to these tasks, with the hope that the Summoner would arrive sooner rather than later. Despite all that he was prepared for, there certainly was a lazy streak he was holding onto, only because he knew that once he left Bevelle, there'd be no time for such luxuries. The journey forth didn't allow for things like that.

The morning passed with relative quickness, and thanks to a training session, he returned to the inn to clean up and gather up all of his belongings before heading to the Temple of Yevon. As far as he knew, he was on time. When he arrived, he bowed and provided the prayer gesture to the various monks scattered amongst the Temple. One of them informed him of the room he was to go to, while another lead the way so he couldn't get lost or be mistaken for a wanderer. When they approached the appropriate side door, the monk knocked, then pushed the door open so they could step inside and out of the way.

Dorean walked into the room, eyes falling to the duo seated separately around the table. Standing a bit straighter, he gestured the prayer, then bowed, keeping the eye contact direct as dark blue eyes scanned the new faces of the people in the room.

"Oh. You're here already. Apologies for any tardiness I may have shown," he said. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Taking a few more steps inward, he approached the table though he still maintained some level of distance out of respect. "It's nice to finally put faces to the names I've been hearing for the past while. I'm Dorean, the Guardian assigned to your cause. Pleasure."
 
A pair of steps were heard outside the door, and Ari tensed up a bit, even as the door opened and an individual walked in. Ari canted his head as the stranger entered, assessing his style and demeanor immediately. He didn’t rise from his seat on the cushion, although Kyra did. He stayed where he was, and let out a groan when the formalities were shown again. His head fell to rest on the blitzball in his lap.

Kyra ignored him for the moment, smiling and mimicking the prayer gesture, “We are honored to have you with us, Sir Dorean.”

“Hey, why don’t I get ‘Sir’?” Ari asked immediately, but he knew why. He didn’t want sir or to be called it everywhere he went, something that Bikkel seemed to have grasped, along with plenty of others. He hadn’t undergone the formal training. He may, perhaps, be deserving of the title for being a Guardian, but he wasn’t trained for it.

He was just there.

“I’m Ari, by the way. She’s Kyra,” just in case he hadn’t figured out which name went to who. Doubtful, but he wouldn’t force Dorean to potentially embarrass himself. “Come join us, eat some food, tell us why you’ve decided to devote your life to this task.”

Unlike Ari, Dorean had chosen to go into this, to go with any Summoner. Not just Kyra. Kyra was nothing to Dorean but the mission. Impersonal. Perhaps that was good, perhaps that was bad. Ari hadn’t decided yet.

Kyra gestured as well, “Yes – while we have food, before we leave. There is a ship that will be ready to take us to Besaid,” she lowered herself once more. “We were told you did much of your training there, but that you came from Kilika, by maester Bikkel.”

She did not know if he knew maester Bikkel well or not, but the man had seemed unconcerned with offering those details about him.

“He also said you have a sword.” Ari added, as if he needed to see that immediately, as proof of his capabilities.
 
Right off the bat, Dorean dipped his head feebly, letting out a bit of a timid chuckle. Introductions were always so awkward, and he really hated how formal he had to be, but... well. Better to make a good impression, he guessed? "The pleasure is mine, Lady Kyra." At Ari's complaint, he nodded in the fellow's direction. "Sir Ari."

There was a certain kind of tension sitting on his shoulders as the monks witnessed their formalities. Perhaps it was important to them to see such things, because they were humming in satisfaction before stepping out and closing the double doors behind them with a soft click.

That was when Dorean slumped a little into a more relaxed posture.

"Phew. They're gone. I hate the formal speech stuff, so if you don't mind, I'm gonna just take it easy from here on out." He stepped up to the table at the offering of food, his gentleness now being replaced with something a little more forward and child-like. Settling onto a cushion, he pulled a sword scabbard off his back and set it off to the side, all while he crossed his legs and eventually leaned his elbow against his knee.

Nodding to the both of them, he listened to their inquiries and comments before chipping in. "Yeah, I was born and raised in Kilika for most of my childhood. Sin destroyed the hell out of it, though, and since we didn't have much for ships, I was forced to move to Besaid since it's the closest island." Reaching across the table, he grabbed hold of a meaty drumstick, putting it on a plate. "You could say I have some beef with Sin, so I took up Guardian training in Besaid. Becoming a Guardian seemed like the best way to deal with it; not to mention, I was hoping to help anyone else from suffering the way I had to."

He contemplated eating the meat for a second or two, but decided against it in favour of taking Ari up on his inquiry. Smirking somewhat playfully, he reached down and grabbed the scabbard, lifting it and removing some of the wrappings on it. "Indeed, I do. This, and a few daggers." Holding the sword out to Ari, he used it as a sort of gesture, his head tilted slightly. "You wanna see it?"

With that, he withdrew it from the scabbard, letting the blade hiss as it shot through the air while he lifted it upwards to avoid the point from touching anything. "It was gifted to me by one of my teachers back on Besaid. Nothing special, but it's pretty sturdy." Sheathing it, he returned his gaze on Ari and Kyra while putting the wrappings back on. "Obviously as a Summoner, you probably have lots of magic at your disposal. What about you, Blitzer? Can you do some fancy tricks with that ball of yours?"
 
As soon as the demeanor changed in Dorean, Ari immediately felt a bit more relaxed. He smiled a bit easier as the man seemed more lax and informal, but didn’t quite express his relief as Dorean went about addressing their questions, filling them in on what had happened. As expected, Sin had gotten to him, too.

Sin had gone to Kilika and destroyed his home, forcing him to leave it.

It was the thread that connected so many lives.

Ari did light up a bit as the sword was offered, “Yeah!” He said immediately to wanting to see it. “Bikkel didn’t even mention the daggers!” He looked over the sword, as if appraising it, before nodding his approval, “Yeah, I guess that’ll work.” A gift from a teacher, even. No doubt it would work for a while, though swords weren’t uncommon weapons.

If it broke, they could always get a new one.

Dorean went on to make his assumptions and Ari cocked a smirk, “I’m a Goers, so yeah, I can do a few tricks, but,” he tossed his ball up into the air and caught it one finger. As soon as it started to spin, lightning crackled around it, the light reflecting off the crystal and casting shadows in a frantic way. “I’m the mage.”

“We both are,” Kyra sounded a touch exasperated, but also, amused, “Someone had to heal him when he kept getting beaten by the fiends on the way to Djose.”

The crackling lightning ceased and he let the ball fall back into his lap, “Yeah, I know. And I still need to teach you this, one day.” As if he would have many days in which to teach her black magic. As if that skill mattered, anymore, compared to summoning.

He couldn’t really compete with the sheer strength of what she could call forth. He’d met Ixion already and was familiar enough with it to know he didn’t want to tangle with that thing. “Have you seen an aeon before?” He asked, realizing he didn’t know if that was a thing Dorean had seen yet.
 
Dorean playfully winked. "I didn't exactly mention the daggers, so I'd 'prreciate it if we kept that between the three of us."

As a Guardian, they had to claim one weapon upon arriving in Bevelle. Anything more than that and they could potentially be taken, depending on the nature of them or the size. Since they were small and meant to be used for close-combat, Dorean figured it was best to keep them close to his person, privately, and out of sight, in case that happened. Plus, they were treasured to him, having been brought over from Kilika after the disaster of the destruction had settled.

Too precious to lose.

"You guess?" Dorean mused as he tucked his sword away, responding to Ari with a bit of a head shake and a click of his tongue. "Just you wait. Seeing it in action will prove itself to you, I guarantee it."

Excitedly, now, he watched as the blitzball spun wildly at the tip of Ari's finger, ignited with lightning sparks. Dark blue eyes widened as he beheld the sight, much like a child trying something delicious for the first time. The confirmation of mage-like power was clear to him, and naturally, as he'd stated, he knew of Kyra's likely ability to cast magic. It was the basic job description of a Summoner, after all. "That's pretty neat. Thanks for showing me!"

Shaking his head now, Dorean settled properly so he could reach over and grab the drumstick. "Nah. The day I was supposed to go witness that, I got ridiculously sick. Like top tier level sick. It never happens, and of course, my luck would have it that I'd miss the day I'd be able to view an aeon." Turning his gaze onto Kyra more pointedly, he smiled. "Can you summon one?"
 
Ari and Kyra both agreed to the request to keep the daggers secret, although Ari arched an eyebrow at that. That was new. He still wasn’t sure what to make of this guardian with hidden weapons he didn’t, apparently, own up to in front of a maester. Rebellious. He could appreciate that.

Somewhat.

So long as it didn’t get them all killed.

“Awww,” he still sympathized with him not being able to see an aeon, though. “I’ve seen two,” he said, but would let Kyra answer to speak of one he’d seen.

“Yes. I learned much at Djose temple even before choosing this path, so it seemed natural that I should obtain my first aeon there,” she answered, “I connected with the faith of Ixion at Djose, and now will begin the traditional path,” going to Besaid, now that she already had one. She knew most were meant to begin their journey at Besaid, but that wasn’t the path for her.

She had to obtain a summon first, prove she could, before she would ever call upon guardians. Before she would ever have her brother endanger her life.

“We witnessed a dragon aeon at Luca, when Sin first returned. I’ve come to know that one is here in Bevelle, but I think I may need more practice before I even attempt it,” the trial of connecting with a Fayth was…interesting. It certainly required magical potential, but so much more than that.

She understood why not everyone could do it, and why the room where the Summoner went was blocked off to guardians.

The summons were meant to be obtained in an order, because of how difficult they were to connect with.

“Bevelle is the last one, right?” Ari asked, wanting to clarify, “There’s Besaid, Kilika, Luca, Macalania, Bevelle…I’m missing one.”

Kyra wore a patient smile as she added, “Baaj Temple,” she reminded, “We would go there after Kilika.”

“Right, I keep forgetting about that one.” Ari shook his head, “They don’t even have a Blitz team.”
 
"Two?!" Dorean gasped, eager to hear the tales of how this was possible.

Naturally, it made sense that a Summoner would have witnessed more than one aeon, though it wasn't entirely heard of for that to have happened before they received their training. Given the nature of the sibling's circumstances, and with Sin, it only made sense that they'd have seen one beforehand. The calamity did come in many forms, including that of aeons.

"I hadn't been lucky enough to witness Sin descending on Kilika, but I can only imagine it was probably the same dragon that terrorized Luca," he said, somewhat regretfully. Though, he perked up a little at the mention of the other locations. "Yeah, there's the last one in Bevelle. Getting all of them means we'll be in for the long haul -- not that this was going to be quick and easy anyway. Training would've been a piece of cake if that were the case." Likely, as well, the Summoner might not even need Guardians, but, well... that was not the story of their world.

Softening as the recollection of their journey passed through Kyra's mouth, Dorean thought of his homeland. From what he'd heard, they didn't really get around to reconstructing the villages, though people did try. It was so fiend ridden, though, that there virtually was no point in trying to conduct relief efforts. He'd be able to see the destruction for the first time in over a decade and that, honestly, stirred a bit of nervousness in his belly.

Like hell was he going to show that on his face, though.

"Well, hopefully this meeting has helped you guys get an understanding of who you're traveling with." Dorean returned to reality with a wide grin, thumbing towards himself enthusiastically. "It's gonna be a long journey, so we may as well get along, right?"
 
“I wouldn’t call it luck,” Ari said, tone turning somber. He could hardly find much joy in recollecting the destruction that Sin wreaked right before his eyes, or all the people he’d lost to it. The dragon, perhaps, had been a highlight, protecting them from sinspawn, but he wished he’d never seen any of it.

He wished it had never happened.

And he knew he couldn’t stop it forever. Just for a bit of time…but that bit of time meant everything. For some people, it could be their whole lives. He and Kyra had lived so much of their lives in peace before Sin attacked.

“But yeah, it has. I still want to see you in a fight, but I guess if we’re lucky, that might take a bit, huh?” There weren’t many fiends around Bevelle. “I guess we can at least let you tag along until Besaid.”

He set aside the remains of his own drumstick. He hadn’t eaten as much of it, distracted as he was by conversation. He still picked out some of the desserts to get some bites out of those before they opted to leave.

Kyra had at least managed to continue eating through the conversation. Perks of staying mostly quiet.

Still, she did speak, then. “I think you will get along well. If you had remained so…formal, I’m not sure how long Ari would have lasted,” she chuckled, “but is there anything you need to know about us? You are committing your life to our journey. If there is any way we can make that more comfortable, please, don’t hesitate to let us know.”
 
It really wasn't luck, and Dorean knew immediately after he said it that his wording was poor. They were all victims here, regarding what Sin had done to them. More or less, he just missed out on a - honestly good - opportunity to see an aeon. The rush to get out of the village was too intense to see it, anyway. He imagined that the other two in the room really wished they didn't witness such a thing.

He could only sympathize with their reasoning and nod somewhat reluctantly as the mood momentarily turned somber.

Any opportunity to improve the mood, he'd take, and luckily, Ari was able to provide something that had Dorean's spirits lifting a little bit. Sitting straighter, he bit into the drumstick once more, enjoying the taste as he contemplated what to respond with. "Well, good," he said, once the food was swallowed. "Beside will be the perfect place to showcase my skill. Sucks there's no arenas or anything in Bevelle to do that sooner, but what can you do?"

Chuckling now as he turned onto Kyra, he shook his head. "I only do that formal stuff for the monks. They seem to be big fans of all that. Tradition and whatnot, you know?" He put the drumstick down, mostly polished, and wiped his hands on a napkin. Sitting back now, he resumed with his grinning, although it was quite a bit more lazy in comparison to before. "If we're gonna be traveling together, not only do we need to get along, but at the very least, we need to be able to get comfortable enough to trust one another with our lives, right?"

Which, luckily, Kyra was getting to, and he tilted his head in thought for a moment or two. "I mean, if you're both in it to get rid of Sin for good, then I'm set. I'm also sure I'll learn more about you as we go along, too." Leaning his elbows on his thighs, his grin split into something more coy. "Unless there's something you're just dying to tell me right now. If so, lemme know."
 
Though Kyra had never seen the allure of trapping fiends, those anguished souls, in arenas, she understood the use of it for improving a person’s abilities to fight. In this world, it was necessary, and doing it in a safe environment was needed. There were arenas scattered about, though she heard a much larger one was being constructed in the Calm Lands.

An erroneously named place, in her mind, even if it brought the Calm.

It was the graveyard of summoners.

Kyra and Ari could at least both nod about the monks and tradition. While Kyra was certainly the more formal of the two, even she could get a touch exasperated when it felt…insincere. “I can agree to that,” Kyra noted, though of course, she did not know how hard that would be for her, since she was already considering her life forfeit. Perhaps the harder part would be remembering to live for her Guardians and let them help so she could reach the end point.

She’d gotten in the way of one too many strikes for her brother, after all.

Ari did laugh a bit at the last comment, but shook his head, “Nah, I think the tedium of travel will eventually get all our secrets out, not that we have many. We’re both…pretty prepared to go after Sin and prevent what happened in Luca, from happening again. From happening anywhere else.”

He folded his arms over his blitzball, “I don’t know if you ever visited Luca, but it’s…something to see it destroyed. Think like Bevelle. You don’t imagine places that seem so sturdy to fall.” And then they did, reminding everyone of why they had to follow Yevon’s teachings, and why they had to defeat Sin.

‘Has Bevelle ever been…?’ Kyra didn’t ask it, but her brow furrowed in momentary thought. She had never heard of Sin attacking Bevelle before, now that she thought of it.

She shook it off, “Is there anything you need to do in Bevelle before we leave?” She inquired. They had no business here other than finding the Guardian, and they had done that. They were finishing up eating, though there would always be plenty of food on the ship.
 
Secrets weren't necessarily Dorean's thing, either.

He was a pretty open fellow, for the most part - daggers aside. It was easier to maintain trust if one was to just be flat out honest about what they were feeling, in a way that was constructive instead of demeaning. Why bother hiding or beating around the bush? It'd just hurt people in the end. Surely, these two would get more than enough of that side of him as they traveled along, considering how long they'd be together for.

Just, hopefully, they'd be able to get along for most of it...

Dorean shook his head. "I've never been to Luca. I've heard it's nice, though." He considered asking if the city itself had been rebuilt, but he wasn't exactly keen on bringing up any terrible memories that came with the destruction of their hometown. They'd all see it for themselves once they got there, and that would probably be more than enough for the two of them to witness. He'd probably feel the same, going to Kilika. So, he kept that particular question to himself.

"I don't want the rest of the world to experience what we had to, so if there's anything I can do to help stop that, then I'm in, too." And this, he said with conviction.

Rising to his feet now, Dorean lightly brushed his pants down, then bent over to grab at his sword. He fastened the strap over his chest, clasping it together with the buckle. He smiled at Kyra, putting his hands on his hips. "Figured we'd probably be eager to get going, so I did all my errand-running this morning before coming here. So, if you're ready to head out, then let's make that happen before the docks get too crowded."

Turning on the balls of his feet, he made for the door. He gripped the handle, preparing to open it, but before he did, he stopped and turned to look back at the other two. "Once we leave Bevelle, that'll be it. You sure you're ready?"
 
“You’ll love it,” Ari said, after Dorean had risen to his feet, harking back to the comment about Luca, “If we have any time to spare, which, I mean, she already has Ixion, so we might – you should catch a Blitzball game.” Before the possibility of him never seeing it occurred.

It wasn’t lost on Ari that there was no journey to fight Sin, where all Guardians returned. It was known that the Summoner wouldn’t return, but Ari was always baffled by the fact that not all the guardians did, either. He didn’t know how dangerous it was, but it seemed like they always made it to Zanarkand, and then, something happened.

Not that any were alive to share the story. The spirits in Guadosalam didn’t talk, either.

Ari rose, only after Kyra had, tucking his ball under his arm once again. He was sad to leave behind the food, but they had to go.

Kyra shook her head, “We will be in Bevelle again. If there is something we missed, we can take a look,” assuming, of course, they felt there was time for that. Kyra imagined that the feeling of having any time at all would soon pass, with the more they saw of what Sin was capable of.

They would see Kilika, after all. They would see Luca again.

There might even be more done by Sin on their trip.

“Maester Bikkel did want to see us off, so we should tell one of the monks,” Kyra added. She wasn’t sure where they would find maester Bikkel, but she doubted it would be right outside.
 
Once they stepped foot out of Bevelle, it was game on.

Dorean was well aware of the fact that historically, more often than not, the Guardians of a Summoner did not return home. When he decided to become a Guardian, he knew he was basically writing his own will and testament. Truthfully, after Kilika was destroyed and he lost all his friends and what he had left of his family, for a long time, there wasn't much to live for. Now, he knew his purpose his life. He was to accompany a Summoner to Sin's doorstep and eradicate it from the world before any further destruction could befall it.

If he was lucky enough, he'd return home alive, but somehow, he doubted that was true.

One thing was for sure, though: at least he wouldn't be the only one, as morbid as that thought was...

"I recall the Maester saying something like that yesterday," Dorean nodded his agreement. Pushing the door open now, he stepped passed the threshold and made for one of the monks. Gesturing the prayer, he straightened his back and presented himself formally once more, his voice dropping slightly. "We are prepared to make way."

The monk nodded. "But of course. I shall send for the Maester right away." Turning, he motioned to another monk, who left the room swiftly, yet gracefully, as a monk would. The former monk then returned to Dorean. "Please meet with him at the temple entrance."

"Many thanks." Smiling at Kyra and Ari now, Dorean nodded his head in the direction of the temple entrance. "I'll lead the way."
 
Kyra also dropped into the prayer as the monk approached, though Ari retained his posture. Mostly. He leaned a bit more to the side of his ball, really, stance adjusting. No monks with guns in the temple, at least.

Following Dorean to the temple entrance wasn’t hard, but they followed. They were not left to wait long, as soon enough the dark-haired maester returned, not unhappy, but seeming perhaps a bit confused. Somber. “Lady Kyra, Sir Dorean, Ari,” he greeted them all, “Are you certain you are all prepared to leave so soon?”

Kyra smiled, “Yes,” she said, hands moving to clasp in front of her, “Sir Dorean says he has finished up his errands for the day, and we have eaten…we will be back in Bevelle as part of the journey.”

Bikkel smiled, but sighed as he shook his head, “We all appreciate your dedication to haste, of course, but I hope you will all still find some time to enjoy the small pleasures. Let me take you all back to the docks,” he offered, gesturing outwards, and Kyra nodded. There was no need to deny him, they were likely to see him again when they returned to Bevelle.

They’d probably be talked into staying at least a night there.

“How was your stay in Bevelle, Sir Dorean?” Bikkel asked, “I apologize that I could not be a more attentive host.”
 
Dorean was going to have to get used to the formalities. No one back in Besaid referred to him in such a way, but anyone along the way to Bevelle who knew he was a Guardian spoke to him as if he were some greatly titled... lord or something. So strange. Still, he nodded at the Maester, immediately noticing the somber sort of air around the older man. Everyone had the common knowledge of a Summoner going away to basically sacrifice themselves, so it was only natural to have a response such as this to the facts. He didn't expect the Maester of all people to look so disappointed, though...

Letting Kyra answer, he merely nodded his confirmation to her statement. "Sorry we have to take off so soon."

As the Maester turned to him, though, he blinked and offered a polite smile. "There is no need for apologies, Maester. My stay was quite warm and welcome. The people of Bevelle are surprisingly more friendly than I expected. I always thought city folk were sort of stand off-ish, but everyone was so kind and hospitable." He folded his arms. "I look forward to returning to Bevelle soon."

With that, the Maester took them down to the docks. It wasn't a far walk, and the entire way, they were greeted with friendly smiles and waves. Laughing children, happy families. Dorean enjoyed the sights of it, quietly hoping Sin wouldn't descend on this city. No one else deserved to suffer how he had. Subconsciously, as he thought this, he fiddled with the ring in his pocket, sending prayer to his mother as they walked onto the hard wood of the docks.

"Thank you again for everything, Maester." Turning onto the Maester, Dorean bowed to him, gesturing the prayer. Then, he stood tall, looking to Kyra and Ari with a wide grin. "Let us be off."
 
As they walked, Dorean was cordial and polite, letting the maester know that all had been well. Ari didn’t think he was lying, but he wondered. Perhaps it was just his own view of how formal everyone was here, but he wondered if they were really all that nice. ‘Fooooood.’ He reminded himself, and smiled a little at the thought.

He guessed they were pretty all right, even if they were terribly formal.

“We will greet you with just as much warmth, on your return,” Bikkel promised, “I hope I might persuade you all to stay a bit longer, then,” he added as they reached the ship, and he stepped back, offering the prayer to them once more, “Safe journey, my lady, guardians.”

Kyra imitated the gesture, “Thank you.”

It was on that note, that the maester left them, though Ari noted he went to another boat in the docks rather than away entirely. He strained to see, or hear more, but was quickly distracted by Dorean urging them onwards.

So it was back on the boat they went, and Kyra gestured for them to follow her a moment, only to the captain’s cabin, where the white-haired man was. He’d only just returned, having heard of their approach, and he greeted them with a warm smile, “So this is your new guardian, eh?”

“Yes – this is Sir Dorean. Oh, but, he isn’t much for formalities, like Ari,” Kyra quickly corrected.

The captain chuckled, “I’m Captain Yesha,” he introduced, “We’ll be setting off in the next few minutes then to get you all safely to Besaid, but you’ll have to find another to get you to Kilika.”
 
As dictated by his training, Dorean naturally scanned the ship as they got onto it. It was important to keep his eyes peeled always in case something could engager them, or more importantly, the Summoner with them. There wasn't anything, though, so he was able to release some of the tension, though it didn't escape him entirely, because honestly, he was nervous for this journey. Confident, but nervous. The fact that there was absolutely no turning back, even if he wanted to, was lingering in the back of his mind.

Kilika deserved justice. Luca deserved justice. The desire to stand strong for these places, plus the entirety of the world of Spira, was prevalent. Dorean would see this through, no matter what he felt.

That was what he was telling himself, anyway.

The trio approached the captain, and Dorean pleasantly smiled. "Thanks, Lady Kyra. It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Yesha." Reaching out, he lightly tapped the structure sitting on the threshold of the helm, feeling the make of it under his palm. "You and this ship look like you've seen your fair share of air. Well experienced. I trust that you'll take good care of us to Besaid, then?"

"Cap'n," came a crewman, with dark-skin. Clearly Al Bhed in nature. "We're all ready to ship off, sir."
 
Yesha smiled and nodded, “Aye, we have, but the chocobos are well used to it, and so is my crew. We’ve made it through plenty. We’ll get you all to Besaid,” he said, before turning his attention to the member of the crew who had come in.

“Then let’s pull anchor and get out of here,” the captain directed, and when the crewman left, he again addressed the summoner and her guardians, “your spaces below are the same. We don’t have a spare room for you, Dorean, but there should be space to pull a cot in and get situated.”

Ari poked Dorean’s shoulder, “You’re sharing with me, buddy,” Ari said, though he supposed he could have shared with Kyra, they were both likely to drive each other insane if they did that. At least it was right by Kyra’s room, so if anything happened, one of them would likely hear it.

Not that he expected anything to happen on the boat. They weren’t taking anymore passengers on, after all. In theory, it should go smoothly.

So long as they didn’t run into Sin.

“C’mon, I’ll show you, get your cot set up at least,” Ari offered, even if it wasn’t going to be hard. He might want to at least put down his sword or something.

Kyra would at least follow them down, and check on her things. Her staff had been left in her room, along with what few belongings she’d brought along with her; she wanted to make sure nothing would turn up missing.
 
Chocobos? There were Chocobos on this ship? That was 1000% more exciting to Dorean, who perked up substantially at the mentioning of them. He'd have to see for himself where these Chocobos were so he could hang out with them and maybe give them some feed. The trip wouldn't take too terribly long, only a few days, so there would be plenty of time for that in between any chores he could help around with on deck. Just because he was a passenger didn't mean he wasn't going to try and be as useful as possible. He'd probably die of boredom, otherwise.

"Aye, Cap'n," said the crew member, who dashed off almost as quickly as he had come.

Dorean watched this with that same eager look, the excitement eventually calming down as the crew bustled about on the lower deck. Putting his hands on his hips, he took in the sights of this dedicated work before returning to the captain. "Thanks for getting us all set up. Hopefully it'll be smooth sailing all the way to Besaid!"

His attentions were turned onto Ari as he felt the light tapping on his shoulder, and Dorean simply nodded at the offer for them to share a bunk space. It wouldn't exactly be decent for him to be shacked up with a girl, considering he barely knew her, though he imagined there'd be plenty of times where they wouldn't have places to stay and would have to camp out. May as well try to remain as decent as possible while he still could be that way.

"Cool." Smiling at Kyra then, he nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way down to the bunks. "Ladies first."

The bunks were smaller than Dorean expected, but he also wasn't entirely surprised. It's not as if this was a first class ship that had a seemingly unlimited number of rooms to ensure ultimate comfort, but he would absolutely take it over sleeping on gravel or something. That wouldn't be the first time he's done it, but still. Folding his arms, he inspected the room Ari had been placed in originally, contemplating where he could hang the cot. There wasn't a whole lot of space, so they'd probably have to improvise.

"So she's sleeping over there?" Dorean confirmed, pointing to the room next door.
 
Kyra did lead them downstairs, and slipped into her own room, although she left the door open. She was not planning to stay down there for long; she never did, even though she’d brought a book to read, and told herself she would finish, before….

But that book was left where it was, on her pillow, as Kyra went over all of her items. Her gil, her staff, her clothing, the few ethers she had along with her. It was all still there, thankfully. She hadn’t really expected anyone to steal from her, but one could never be too careful. People were desperate.


Within the other room, Ari had opened the door and gestured inwards with a flourishing hand. He nearly bowed for the fun of it, but didn’t, “Yup, she is, though she’ll probably be on deck most of the time,” Ari answered, before he would set foot in the room, “Where are you thinking of setting up? I can probably move some things around if we need to.”

Not that he had much, either. He did drop his blitzball onto his current cot. There were drawers that contained the rest of his things, so, really – not much at all to actually move to open it up. “I really just use it for sleep, too,” he admitted.

Wasn’t really good to practice spells below deck, he’d found, and Kyra sometimes needed someone casting spells at her to actually practice with defending against them.
 
Dorean blinked.

Was Kyra a stargazer like he was? Or perhaps she liked to look at the water as they floated along the waves. Or, maybe, it was a more practical desire, like training, or something of that nature. Either way, he made a mental note to check that particular activity out. Perhaps it'd be another way to get to know the Summoner he was to dedicate his life to.

Following Ari into the room, he glanced around further, making stock of how it was organized. There really was only room for one full-sized cot. Ideally, for them both to fit there, he'd likely have to either hang up the hammock higher, or lay on the floor. He held his chin thoughtfully, considering his options. "I'm sturdy enough to sleep on the floor, if need be. I don't imagine it'd be really all that much roomier if we moved furniture around, although we could always give it a shot."

Stepping up, he got right to work, moving a few of the smaller pieces of furniture around so that there was a small space where the hammock could hang. It took careful reorganizing, but with Ari's help, they were able to get everything done in no time. He unrolled the hammock and got up on a box, using it so he could hang the hammock properly at a decent height so his back wouldn't be sitting on the floor. Wiping his brow, he observed his work with a sigh, then turned onto Ari with an accomplished smile.

"Seems like we make a good team!" Dorean beamed. Unclasping the sword wrapping now, he set the weapon against the wall and settled himself down on the floor with another sigh. He relaxed his back against the wall, letting the tension ebb away for now as he looked up at Ari. "We'll be here for a couple days at least, so I'm glad we could get that thing up. I've slept on worse, but the floor isn't exactly ideal, you know?"
 
Ari got right to work on helping Dorean set up the room, moving things about as he could and adjusting it so that the hammock was hanging up, rather than positioned lower to the ground. He was half-tempted to volunteer to use it, given he was the taller of them, but he wouldn’t do that. He liked having an actual mattress, not a hammock, and with his luck he’d get tangled up in it.

He did hear Kyra leave the area, noting it when her door shut, and he heard her steps, but he didn’t pause the work to bid her goodbye, or go follow her.

He could feel that they were truly away from the docks by the gentle rocking of the boat beneath them. He was sure they were fine on the water, for now.

“Yeah,” Ari agreed, nodding as the room seemed to be as organized as it would get, “Just don’t go falling on me. Or stepping on me when you wake up,” there was a small space between the side of the hammock and his bed, if Dorean used that side to get out.

It was a small thing, of course, but they had done it without much fuss. “So, uh…I know you didn’t plan to always be a Guardian, and it probably doesn’t matter now,” like his Blitzball career probably didn’t really matter, “but I gotta know – what were your dreams, before this?”

That was, in a way, what mattered. It was what kept Ari grounded, along with what his sister had chosen.

He wanted other people to watch blitzball without fear. To dream of it, as he once had.

He wanted to know what Dream Dorean was giving up. He wanted to know that Dorean had once been normal, too.
 
Too busy was Dorean to hear much of the shifting outside the room, so he didn't quite notice when Kyra had chosen to leave her room. Sometimes, when he got focused on a task, he could get right into it to the point of hyperfixation, so that was totally what he was doing right now. All the way until they were completely done with the set up, to which he couldn't help but snort in light amusement at Ari's comment. "Don't worry. I won't step on you, though I can't make any promises on that if I've had any ale."

A tease, of course. All fun and games, nothing serious, as he attempted to keep up the mood.

Gazing across the room at Ari, Dorean blinked in mild surprise. He didn't quite expect such a shift in conversation, but he quietly accepted it knowing that Ari seemed to be the type of guy who took a lot of this very seriously. After all, if he and Kyra were truly siblings, then the fact that he'd be losing his sister as a result of this journey meant devastating things for him.

Naturally, he'd want to talk about something a little more... close to home, so to speak.

"My dreams, huh?" Dorean hummed, his head tipping back so he could gloss over the ceiling. Subconsciously, he tugged the ring out of his pocket and lightly began to fiddle with it in the palm of his right hand.

A subtle reminder of his life before all of this Sin madness.

Just what was it that he'd wanted to do as a kid? He certainly didn't want to become a Guardian, though it was close to what he had imagined as a hobby, if he could even call it that. His little adventures and whatnot through the bushes of Kilika island. Fondly, he smiled. "When I was really young, I totally wanted to become a warrior. Not because I wanted the glory or anything, but because I had grown up hearing that my dad was some great warrior, too. I wanted to be just like him." Chuckling, he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "As I got older, though, I figured I'd be a really successful merchant that travelled all over Spira, sell rare items and making mad gil."

He paused, looking to the Blitzball in Ari's possession. "I take it you took up your dreams as a Blitzer before all this?"
 
Ari did find a smile at the ale comment, but it didn’t take away from his need to know a bit more about Dorean, and his history. To be certain he had once been someone who had another life. Who had dreams. Who could fall back on that…and might also have something to live for, assuming he could make it back. Ari hardly knew how either of them might ‘adjust’ to life after this, though.

Thankfully, Dorean did have something. His father had been a warrior, and he had wanted to imitate that. Ari noticed the ring he pulled out, too. No doubt, something precious from someone dear. Ari managed not to reach up to the key around his neck, but it was fully visible. He hadn’t taken it off. He never did.

“Looks like we have that in common.”

Fathers who had seemed larger than life.

“My dad, Grava, was a blitzer on the Luca Goers,” he said, to explain what he meant, “and, yeah, I wanted to be like him. I even got on the team!” He did light up saying that, before sighing, and letting his back fall against the wall, “Not that it matters anymore, but I still remember watching the games without a care in the world, and then…yeah.”

Then it was all gone, in an instant.

“There’s no going back to normal after that. Took me a bit to realize that.” There was still a place for Blitzball. People couldn’t live with the pain, and no distractions. “But I do want people to have what I had.”

Even if he’d never have it again.

He wouldn’t call Dorean on the ring. Not right then. But he wouldn’t forget, either. “And I will want some of that ale, too. If I’m gonna get stepped on, I may as well be in an alcohol-induced sleep.”
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top