Chapter 7

As Jecht, Braska and Auron walked down the stone steps into the city of Luca, Jecht began to recollect where he had first heard the city's name.

"Luca… didn't those kids in Bevelle mention this place?"

"Luca is known for its great blitzball stadium and invincible home team, the Goers," Braska said. "Want to ditch the pilgrimage for a while and watch a game or two?"

"Now you're talkin'!" Jecht shook his fist in excitement. "Heh… invincible home team, huh? They'd be toast against us Abes."

"You might just get the chance to show them what you're made of," Braska continued. "The Grand Blitzball Tournament is in two weeks, and many teams are recruiting new players. They will let strangers into the pool to play with them in practice matches, and evaluate their skill during the game."

"Sorry, I'm not looking to join a new team," Jecht responded bluntly.

"You could still play and see if you receive an offer."

"Heh! Sounds fun enough. Let's go."

Nearing the blitzball stadium, Braska remembered something else of interest, "Lord Ohalland and his guardians used to play blitzball too, you know."

"They any good?" Jecht asked.

"The Kilika Beasts were at the peak of their success while those three were on the team."

"Hmph. Not bad."

"Lord Ohalland's decision to become a summoner came as a shock to the team," Auron added, "especially when it meant losing not only one, but three of their best players."

"Wait a sec," Jecht said, "wasn't that Indira lady one of his guardians? She used to blitz?"

"Indeed she did," Auron confirmed.

"Huh. Never would've guessed. "

At the stadium, the three of them sat on three free seats, as near to the pool as possible.

"It's the Kilika Beasts against the Luca Goers," Braska observed. "The Beasts still seem to be short of one player."

"I guess that's my cue, then!" Jecht said and swam into the pool.

The blitzball was placed in the middle of the pool to kick off the match, and Jecht jerked his thumb at his companions in the audience.

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"Would you look at this, ladies and gentlemen!" the sportscaster exclaimed. "A mystery man playing for the Beasts makes the Goers look like complete amateurs! Wait… no, I do believe that is Sir Jecht, guardian to Lord Braska from Bevelle! Is he planning to abandon this controversial summoner and join the Kilika Beasts as their new star player?"

The audience cheered at the Beasts' surprise victory.

"Are you?" a Beast asked Jecht in excitement.

"Sorry guys," Jecht laughed. "Not today."

"Aw, bummer!"

"Let us know if you change your mind!" another player shouted after Jecht as he swam back to Braska and Auron.

"That was fantastic, Jecht," Braska praised.

"Hm. Looks like you're not all talk," Auron admitted.

OR

"And the Goers take a narrow victory!" the sportscaster announced. "Even the stupendous moves of the Beasts' reinforcement weren't enough to turn the tide! I hope we'll be seeing him with the team again in two weeks, for this calls for a revenge match, folks!"

The audience cheered at the Goers' expected victory.

"The place is yours if you want it," a Beast said to Jecht.

"Thanks," Jecht laughed, "but no thanks."

"Are you sure?"

"Let us know if you change your mind!" another player shouted after Jecht as he swam back to Braska and Auron.

"I'm thoroughly impressed, Jecht," Braska praised.

"You know your blitz, that's for sure," Auron admitted.

"Want to linger around for a couple of more games?" Braska then asked.

"Sure, why not!" Jecht agreed. "It's been a long time since I watched other people play." He then turned to Auron, "Hey, Auron! Think you could get those games on tape?"

"Oh… alright."

"Thanks."

At that very moment, Braska looked behind himself as he felt two pairs of eyes on his back. Much to his surprise, he saw the high priest Aldric and his daughter Adanna watching the game a few rows away. He turned towards Auron, but didn't want to interrupt his recording, and remained silent about their presence. Next time he turned to look, they were leaving the stadium.

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When the games were finished, the men set off to take a tour in the city of Luca. As they came to the dock, Auron started recording.

"Hey, Auron! Did you get that last match?" Jecht asked.

"Yeah," Auron replied. "But I don't understand why you wanted me to. Didn't you say you have blitzball in your Zanarkand?"

"Not a sportsman, are ya?" Jecht snorted.

"Working on your form?" Braska asked playfully.

"My form don't need no work," Jecht declared. "I'm the great Jecht. It's for my kid."

"Your son plays blitzball?"

"Yeah," Jecht replied lazily, "and he wants to beat his old man bad. Once, I told him to give it up. He didn't speak to me for a week."

After a pause, he continued, "Wonder what he's doing now. I hope he got bigger and put on some muscle."

Auron walked closer to the suddenly preoccupied Jecht, still holding up the recording sphere.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" Jecht snapped. "Stop shooting!"

Auron switched off the sphere.

"So… your son is following in his father's footsteps," Braska mused, then sighed and switched to a quieter tone. "Oh, how I hope the same won't be true for Yuna."

"Come again?" Jecht said.

"No… I shouldn't say that. It's her life. It's her decision."

"Hey. Who you talkin' to?" Jecht yelled.

"Oh, my apologies," Braska laughed. "Chiefly myself, I suppose."

" Riiiight. So, where to next?"

"That boat over there leaves for Kilika in an hour," Braska informed, pointing at a boat nearby. "The second last temple is located there. After that, we're taking another boat to the Isle of Besaid."

Hearing these words, Auron suddenly seemed to sink deep into thought, and turned away with an absent look on his face.

"We still gotta wait an hour?" Jecht complained.

"I'm afraid so," Braska said apologetically. "Shall we go and have dinner in the café?"

"…Actually, my lord," Auron cut in, "there's something I've been meaning to ask you for some time now."

"Ah, so you're finally ready?" Braska said.

"Jecht, could you give us a minute?" Auron requested.

"Sure thing. I'll be at the café," Jecht said and went on his way.

"So… shoot away, my friend," Braska urged.

"…To tell the truth," Auron began with a slight laugh, "I had forgotten about the whole thing. But now that I remember… I'm sorry, but I feel obliged to ask."

"…Go on."

Auron took a deep breath.

"…Only hours before we left Bevelle… I overheard the priest and his daughter talking. They… they said you were seen entering the Cloister of Trials the previous night, not emerging until the sunrise. My lord… is this true?"

Braska looked Auron hard in the eye, completely silent for a moment.

"…Yes," he finally replied.

Auron's face drained of colour.

"Yes, that is correct," Braska repeated.

"But…! I don't understand!" Auron exclaimed. "You said you had received your first aeon years ago! You… you told me you were a summoner! You were even able to regain your status in the temple by becoming a summoner! I… I cannot believe that you only visited the Fayth a day before leaving on your pilgrimage!"

"Auron…" Braska began calmly.

"And it's not even about the status!" Auron continued in utter shock and astonishment. "What if Sin had turned up at the coast of Bevelle a day before it did? Without your aeon, how would you have defended your hometown, or protected your daughter? You have never learned magic and are certainly no swordsman!"

"Auron, listen…" Braska tried again.

" Even though the temple turned its back against you," Auron cut him off, "many people in Bevelle trusted you, and admired you! And all along, you had nothing to protect them with!"

Auron stopped to pant in his upsurge of emotion.

"Auron…" Braska said quietly. "You didn't let me finish. I…"

"Hey!"

At that very moment, they heard running steps from the town's direction, and turned to see a distressed Jecht sprinting towards them.

"I've no idea who those two are but I reckon they mean trouble!"

Following in his wake came the high priest of Bevelle, his daughter, and a pair of soldiers.

"Sir…" Auron spluttered in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Aldric smirked.

"I've come to arrest Summoner Braska."

Jecht and Auron gasped in disbelief, but Braska remained his usual composed self.

"Why?" the summoner asked plainly.

"For having maliciously deceived the Yevon clergy for three years," Aldric replied, "posing as a summoner."

"What?" Jecht exclaimed.

"I have not posed as a summoner," Braska stated coolly. "I became a summoner three years ago."

Auron looked hard at him.

"Is that right?" the high priest inquired scornfully. "Then how do you explain the fact that you were seen entering the Cloister of Trials a day before you left Bevelle on your pilgrimage?"

"...I am not denying that I did," Braska responded.

"And why would you have entered the Trials for any other reason than to pray in the Chamber of the Fayth for your first aeon?" Aldric pressed on.

As Braska didn't respond within the next two seconds, the priest gestured at the soldiers, "Seize him."

"Wait, hold on!" Auron cried, blocking the soldiers' way. "Adanna, why are you with them?"

The girl remained silent.

"Step aside, Auron," Aldric commanded.

The soldiers shoved Auron out of their way, but Jecht was next to protest.

"Now wait a sec! Braska here is on a journey to beat Sin and save us all! What does it matter when he became a summoner? You can't go throwing him in jail now!"

The priest sneered, "Now I'm getting lectured by his drunken guardian from Zanarkand…"

The soldiers laughed.

"Besides," Adanna said, "it is said that only the souls of the truthful will acquire the power to vanquish Sin."

"Okay, so that rules you out," Jecht shot back.

"I've had enough of this nonsense," Aldric said dryly. "Seize them all!"

And so the three of them found themselves squaring off against the high priest, his daughter, and the two soldiers. The soldiers fell easily, but Aldric and Adanna were considerably tougher. As it turned out, both of them knew some very powerful spells, and the three men had to go all out matching them with physical attacks. In the end, they were able to turn the tide to their favour, but suddenly became aware that the boat behind them was already starting to leave.

"Hey, we're gonna miss that boat!" Jecht exclaimed.

The three of them hurried to leap on the already moving boat to Kilika.

"You can only run so far, you fools!" the furious Aldric shouted after them.

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I only had a vague idea of what was going on, but not for a moment did I doubt Braska's words when he told the priest he had not lied to anyone. There was something about the guy that just made you believe in him – no matter how many puffed-up pastors in rainbow dresses were telling you the contrary.

Heck, I bet even the priest knew he was just foolin' himself.

"So… now someone is trying to kill and capture us," Braska sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, sir," Auron began, then realizing what he was saying, "or… is it?"

"Auron, you heard what I said to the priest," Braska replied. "I became a summoner three years ago, when Shayna passed away. I have not deceived the temple in any way."

"Then… why? Why did you enter the Trials that night?"

Braska opened his mouth to answer, but then changed his mind and turned away.

"Lord Braska, you have to tell me," Auron demanded. "I'm your guardian!"

Braska turned back to face him.

"Right you are, Auron. I have to tell you sooner or later. Until then… I'm going to have to ask you to trust me."

"But, sir…"

With that, Braska walked off.

"Lord Braska…"

"Let it go, Auron," Jecht cut in, "he ain't gonna just change his mind and tell you."

"…What is he hiding? And why?" Auron mumbled.

"Oh, so you do believe him?"

"Of course I believe him!" Auron exclaimed, sounding almost offended. "I've known Lord Braska for years. I could scarcely believe he had lied to me to begin with."

"Can't say I've known him even close to that long… but I trust him too," Jecht said.

"And I guess it's now our job as guardians to get him safely to Zanarkand," Auron declared, "no matter who goes against us."

"Right!"

A little later on, Jecht went to talk to the preoccupied Braska.

"…I'm sorry, Jecht," Braska apologized as soon as he felt his guardian's presence, "I never meant for our journey to turn out like it has."

"Come on, chin up, man," Jecht said carefreely. "So some buffoons think you're a fraud. Big deal."

Braska turned to face him with a surprised expression.

"Hey, we know better," Jecht laughed.

Braska nodded.

"…Thank you, Jecht."

A moment of silence passed, and Jecht walked beside Braska to the edge of the boat.

"…I wonder if I've offended Auron," Braska then said.

"Nah," Jecht said. "I bet he's wondering the same thing about you."

"…The accusations may have been false, but he wasn't in the wrong in doubting me," Braska said. "Indeed… he showed remarkable sense of justice and fortitude of heart."

"So uh… you guys go way back, then?" Jecht asked after another pause.

"Auron and I met twelve years ago, at the Bevelle Temple," Braska replied. "I was training to be a priest, and he was training to be a warrior monk. We would often run into each other, poke fun at our instructors, dream of traveling out of Bevelle one day… We also shared a love for the Al Bhed, who had shown kindness to both of us in the past."

"Bet your instructors didn't approve of that," Jecht snorted.

"No, they did not," Braska laughed. "But that didn't stop us from finishing our training and becoming respected men in the clergy."

Jecht gave an amused laughter.

"Yes, those days are now long gone," Braska said. "But I can't say I miss them. All those strict regulations… doing everything by the book."

"Yech!"

Braska laughed.

"I figured you would understand."

"So… what happened then?" Jecht asked.

"Arriving in Kilika Port in two minutes!" the captain announced before Braska could two of them turned to look ahead to see Kilika Island drawing near.

"I'll tell you another time," Braska promised.

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The three of them disembarked at the Kilika Port, Jecht seeing the village for the first time.

"You never told me this was such a puny village!"

"Sorry to disappoint you," Braska laughed.

"We should hurry and finish our business here," Auron reminded. "The priest and his men will be right behind us."

"Right. Let's go."

As they talked with the townspeople, it soon became evident that some of them were already aware of the events in Luca. When they then continued on to the jungle, it didn't really come as a surprise that the soldiers stopped them.

"Halt! The three of you are not welcome in the sacred Kilika Temple!"

"Is that so?" Jecht snorted. "We're going anyway."

"Not through us, you're not!"

The three of them quickly took the soldiers down, but as they continued on, more of them soon appeared. By the time they reached the temple, they had already defeated what felt like half a legion.

"Sheesh! Gimme a break!" Jecht muttered.

"Word travels as fast as ever among Yevonites," Auron sighed.

"Come on, let's go get this over with," Jecht said frustratedly.

They entered the temple and made their way into the Cloister of Trials, once again to arrive at the Chamber of the Fayth. Braska nodded at his guardians and entered.

"I'm worried," Auron sighed.

"Yeah," Jecht said, "who woulda thought people'd be going out of their way to keep us from saving Spira?"

Auron shook his head, "Not me. Not after nineteen years of pain and suffering."

"What's it cost them to just let us journey?" Jecht grunted.

"Only their pride…" Auron mumbled. "They will be rid of Braska in any event."

"Eh? Come again?"

"…Nothing."

By and by, Braska staggered his way out of the chamber, and the three of them started to head back.

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As they walked the stairs down to the Great Hall, it was almost too quiet.

"I don't like the feel of this," Auron said, looking around himself. "Let's get out of here."

Much to their surprise, they found the yard just as quiet as the inside of the temple. Not letting his guard drop, Auron kept on looking around nervously. Suddenly, they saw two figures coming into sight from the stone steps, but to their relief soon recognized them as a familiar summoner party.

"Lord Gordan, it is good to see you recovered," Braska said in delight.

Only then did the men notice that the two of them seemed uneasy and almost angry. Then, out of the blue, Eidel drew her weapon, and Gordan quickly followed her example.

"Not you too…!" Jecht cried.

"But why?" Braska asked.

"…It was you all along, wasn't it?" Eidel said gravely. "Whenever we were attacked, you were never far… not once."

"Why would we try to kill you?" Jecht yelled. "There's no competition among summoners!"

Eidel snorted, brandishing her sword at Braska.

"I know he's not really a summoner."

"Know, or heard a baseless rumour?" Auron asked sternly.

"…I do not wish to fight you," Braska said calmly. "You two have been through enough as it is."

"…Indeed," Gordan said bitterly. "It's time we put an end to it."

Eidel and Gordan were both extremely skilled fighters, and the battle proved to be very even. In the end, it was only their numbers that finally gave Jecht, Braska and Auron the advantage, and allowed them to best their young opponents.

"This is the only time I've ever hurt you, I promise," Braska assured Eidel and Gordan as they panted on their knees, exhausted by the battle.

Eidel nodded.

"I… I believe you."

After a pause, she continued, "I'm sorry. I guess I just needed someone to blame for all this."

"And deep down," Gordan said, "neither of us really believed those rumours."

"…You're right," Eidel said to Jecht, "there should be no competition between summoners. I confess I tried to compete with you. I wanted to be the best guardian out there, to be the first to reach Zanarkand and bring the Calm after nineteen years."

She added laughing," Basically, I wanted to beat you."

Braska extended his hand to Eidel to help her to her feet.

"Your pilgrimage isn't over, you know."

"…Yeah," the young guardian nodded, taking his hand. "We've still ways to go."

"Then let us not keep you any longer."

"…Thank you, Lord Braska, Sir Auron, Sir Jecht," Gordan said warmly.

With that, the two of them set off towards the temple. Braska, Jecht and Auron gazed after them.

"Those kids… they've never seen a Calm in their lifetime, have they?" Jecht said quietly.

"No, they're too young," Auron said.

Braska gave a sad smile.

"…Perhaps there is a race to be won after all."