The Path to Sin (Ikken Isshu + Griselda Banks)

[Griselda Banks]

(( sweatdrop Sorry for the melodramatic/boring title. If you've got any better ideas, I'll be glad to hear them! Oh, and I thought I'd say that we don't have to have that many characters if you don't want ^_^))

The courtyard of the High Temple of Bevelle teemed with people: priests, attempting to keep some semblance of order; townsfolk, come to pray out of devotion or mere curiosity; summoners, either waiting for their turn to meet with Grand Maester Muno or searching the crowd for likely guardians; warriors and mercenaries hoping to become these new summoners' guardians. Conversations, laughter, recitations of holy scripture, snatches of the hymn.... These were the sounds that assaulted the ears of everyone gathered there.

The courtyard had been like this for the past few days, for reports had recently come in that Sin had been sighted again. The vague rumors had solidified into verifiable reports of destruction and death, and now all those who had dreamed of taking on the pilgrimage leapt at the chance to prove themselves. There were many hopefuls this time around, but many would either be rejected by the Grand Maester or would fall away from the path they had chosen. The pilgrimage required a strength of body and will that only few possessed.

Eddora stood with her back against a pillar, frowning at the people around her. Hardly any of these people would actually become rivals, she knew. That much was obvious from their flippant, overconfident gestures or nervous chattering. There were several among the crowd that seemed to have a bit of potential, but only time would tell who would rise to the top. Heaving a gusty sigh, she pushed away from the pillar and made her way through the crowd to the training grounds where, even now, summoners who had been approved were searching for skilled guardians.

Eddora had been approved by the Grand Maester the day before, but she had yet to find someone with even half the skill she knew would be necessary on the pilgrimage. She paused in the entrance to the training grounds, her narrowed eyes sliding over the trainees who demonstrated in a pit of packed earth. Some fought with wooden swords or staffs, the clack-clack echoing through the air. Others wrestled or performed the dance of martial arts, and still others conjured elements out of the air. Eddora strode a little closer, so she could see the trainees better, and spared a glance for the other summoners who watched as well. After that, she paid no more attention to them, crossing her arms and spreading her feet wide, the very image of impatience and criticism.  

[Ikken Isshu]

((No apologies, it's difficult to name a story that hasn't yet begun, and roleplays are the same thing. I have my own apology to offer (again) for taking so long to respond. As I said over PMs, I will almost definitely be online daily until the 13th, and after that, hopefully. It's a long story. (Feel free to lose your patience with me. smile ) I like the quote from Dune you've got in your sig. I just started reading Dune. I'm having trouble getting into it... but I've heard that it's amazing, so I'm pushing through it. I'm gonna steal a bit from the training part at the beginning. razz ))

Calaman was tall for the fourteen years he'd been alive, and his limbs were lean and sinewy, but he was a skinny child nonetheless. His teacher had been pleased with his growth under training. That same teacher had been more than a little amused when new pupils assumed Calaman was weak because of his small stature, and earned themselves black eyes and bruises because of their cockiness.

Calaman kept his eyes on a constant swivel as he traversed the crowded courtyard; not out of any real expectation of danger, but to keep his instincts honed. If he let his guard down, even in a place like Bevelle, he was inviting disaster.

"Your task is to be prepared to defend. You knew that when you accepted my training. Fighting is not something that you can have a 'mood' for. If your summoner is attacked and you are not in the 'mood' to fight, your summoner will die."

True, he didn't have a summoner yet, but that didn't mean he had to let himself slip into a bad habit.

Still, the sight was exhilerating. With so many here, how was he going to choose someone to serve? For that matter, how would he make himself stand out enough to make someone choose him?

As he walked, a glint caught Calaman's eye. He glanced up - priests atop the cathedral, going about some rite or another.

Damn it! The frustrated curse ran through his mind before he even realized he'd walked into someone. As always happened when he needed to move quickly, he felt himself sliding into his warrior mindset. His teacher had always chided him for having that 'mindset': "There should be no 'transition'. You must always be in a warrior's mindset." Time seemed to slow as he watched the woman, facing away from him and falling forward. In one fluid movement, he knelt slightly, swung around her, caught her in one arm, turned just enough to redirect the momentum, and with one hand on her shoulder, moved her back into a standing position.

Still full of that bizarre adrenaline, he knelt without even looking at her face or registering much about her appearance beyond that she was female, and far too well-dressed to be a mere commoner. Still being carried by his momentum, the short sword at his side slapped heavily against his thigh, causing him to grit his teeth as it settled. He would probably have a bruise there. At least it wasn't in a place that would restrict movement or cause a muscle to freeze when he needed to move.

"I am terribly sorry, Lady," he said breathlessly, mentally cursing himself for dropping his concentration, even for that one stupid, stupid instant. "I was distracted. You have my sincerest apologies."

Still cursing himself, he wondered how she would react. The garments she wore were similar to what he'd been told to expect of a summoner. Perhaps she was, in fact, a summoner? He allowed himself a small smile as he resolved himself: If she decided to curse him for his stupidity as he had cursed himself, he would accept the reprimand and be on his way. If she accepted the apology gracefully... Well, perhaps he had just found his summoner.

((I've an idea for a 'rival' summoner and guardian, but I'll wait for now. Partly because I want to introduce them at one of the cloisters, and I don't remember any of the details on the cloisters.))  

[Griselda Banks]

((That's okay (about the delay in response). I'm just paranoid that my new rp partners will get bored with me or something xd I, too, hope you'll be able to get on regularly. Internet is so fun.... blaugh Persevere with Dune; it gets better as it goes along. There are some parts that you're not really meant to understand all that well, and I've learned to treat it sort of like a Japanese story, where you basically just have to accept things as they come and not demand to know all the reasons or answers. Dune is really original, and I like it a lot. I'm actually reading it now too; I have about fifty pages left of the book, I think. It's a very quotable book, I must say ^_^ I don't know if you like these kinds of things or not, but I really love all the abstract/philosophical parts in it (there's a lot more later, after Paul gets uber-cool). Oh, and I smiled at your "in the mood to fight" reference XD Yeah, we can wait for the rival summoner(s). Were you thinking of one temple in particular? I can help you with the appearances of temples if you need it.))

Broken out of her silent contemplation of the training grounds, Eddora suddenly pitched forward. Before she could even attempt to regain her balance or break her fall, a strong arm caught her and brought her upright again. She rocked back on her heels, slightly out of breath from the abrupt changes in direction, then blinked and noticed the young man - no, boy - kneeling before her.

"How dare-" she began to snarl, left foot beginning to slide back into a fighting stance, her arms beginning to rise almost of their own accord. But then she forced her limbs to stop, listening in astonishment to the boy's apology. She wasn't sure what precise detail of the apology surprised her. Perhaps it was his smooth, respectful voice (a contrast to the usual hurried apology she received from harried summoners and priests these days). Maybe she was simply surprised that such a young boy could move so fast, so assuredly. Whatever it was, for the first time in a long while, she found herself speechless.

More to hide this than anything else, Eddora tightened the sash that held her white silk summoner's robes in place, and tucked two wayward strands of her black hair behind her ears. Then, feeling embarrassed and irritable because of it, she nudged the boy's knees with the toe of her sandal. "Get up, boy," she said roughly. She glanced around, but none of the other summoners seemed to have noticed anything was amiss; the sounds of mock battle from the training grounds had blocked out anything either of them had said.

Eddora crossed her arms across her chest as the boy got to his feet, and she looked him over, still feeling a little embarrassed that she had leapt to the defensive so quickly. "Well, words don't mean much," she said, her voice a bit sharper than she'd intended it to be. "Actions speak louder than words." She thought a moment, then snapped her fingers when an idea occurred to her. "I know! You can treat me to sake! And I know just the place."

It occurred to her as she grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him back through the courtyards to the exit of Bevelle Temple that it probably wouldn't do for such an underage individual to drink much of the potent sake from her favorite bar, but then she shrugged that thought aside. All the more for her, right?

((Dude, your post was so long compared to mine...-_-))  

[Ikken Isshu]

((I think they were roughly the same... My paragraphs were shorter on average. However, I have to say, even this early, it's refreshing to roleplay with someone who is (apparently) as a**l about grammer as I am. (I start getting irritable when people write in grammar so bad you can barely understand what they are trying to say... >.<;; )

Anyway, I'll do a little background research, but for now, I'll just stick to the one character. But on the note of multiple characters, I think I've changed my mind on who to use for the rivals... I've got a trio of characters that turns up a lot in my writing, and I think I'll just use them--gratuitously modified, of course. The original characters were a man with dragon wings, a wolf-man, and a being made of sentient shadows... But I was thinking more along the lines of their names and personalities anyway. xd

And on the subject of Dune: Yeah, I've noticed that Dune is really quotable. I like the Harkonnen dude. He's so gross. Such a scumbag. I love it.))

A little taken aback and more than a little stunned by the sudden change in circumstance, Calaman was forced to reevaluate his course of action. After all, she had neither accepted his apology nor thrown it back in his face: she had demanded that he prove his sincerity.

More or less.

So what did that mean?

Well, he decided as she dragged him into a bar, at least she didn't seem to be an empty-headed milksop like many of the young women he'd known. And she didn't... quite... seem to be a domineering hag. At least, he was reasonably sure she wasn't a hag, but he wasn't sure if...

Well. He dug into the pouch at his waist, wondering how much this 'apology' was going to cost him, but determined to see it through. He pulled out a handful of gil, and when she finally stopped long enough for him to catch his breath, he gave her a polite, if bewildered, "As you wish, Lady." He turned toward the bar, to see that the tender was standing ready. He tried to tell himself that didn't mean anything, but couldn't help suspecting that she was a frequenter.

By Yevon, I hope she isn't a drunk, he thought sourly as he ordered a cup of sake. The bartender nodded to show that he'd heard, but for a moment, didn't move.

Obviously, the tender knew the sake was for the woman - and was waiting for Calaman himself to order something.

"I don't drink," he said a little stiffly, affronted by the very suggestion - even if it was an unspoken one. With a knowing smile, the tender shuffled off to fetch the drink.

On another impulse, Calaman turned back to the summoner and knelt, though this time it was more dignified, since this time, it was not in apology.

"Lady," he said loudly, to be heard over the din of the bar, "I am called Calaman." He didn't ask her name. Now that he was reasonably sure she was a summoner, bits and pieces of social protocol kept filtering through his mind. One of the things he remembered was that if a summoner wished herself to remain nameless, then nameless she would remain, as far as a lowly sellsword was concerned.

"Your sake?" the tender said. Startled and frustrated at his own odd behavior, Calaman straightened, pushed the cup a little toward the summoner, and looked inquiringly at the tender.

"Twelve gil," the tender said obligingly. Calaman dropped fifteen on the bartop and turned back to the summoner, wondering what in Spira could possibly come next.

((I just remembered that the world is called Spira. xd Poor me.))

((EDIT: It also occurs to me that the sake probably would have cost significantly more... Feh. I've gotten used to Robert Jordan books, where a single gold mark will buy you a warm bed for the night, a hot meal, and a place for your horse. Stupid monetary conversions.))  

[Ikken Isshu]

((Owned! I am so introducing my new characters. I got bored and read up on the world... and I remembered how awesome Zanarkand is!))

The wind whistled eerily through the desolate landscape surrounding the city. Standing atop a hill of rubble, on a large chunk of stone that wobbled precariously, the tall, handsome summoner was disconcertingly steady as he gazed at the ruins of Zanarkand. Even from here, he could see the pyreflies dancing above the city. "That is it," he said softly. "Look closely. The next time we come..."

...It will be the last. Luseik didn't say the words, but they wrenched at his insides. Oh, he knew his duties, even if his guardians didn't. That didn't make them any less painful. Or frightening. Still, a summoner who could not face his - or her - fears was no summoner at all. He glanced down at Satiyen.

"What do you think?" he asked, pointing at the city with his chin.

"City that never sleeps," Satiyen muttered in a thick, guttural voice, pushing silver hair out of his yellow eyes. "Feh."

A man, really little more than a boy, stood off to one side, hugging himself and shooting nervous glances at anything that moved. "Can we go now?" he murmured. "I don't... I don't like this place. I don't want to come here unless we have to. Luseik," he said, a trace of whining creeping into his voice.

"All right, Keskes," Luseik said with a touch of laughter. "I apologize. But... I wanted to see it at least once before we began. It's so..." Horrifying. "...beautiful."

"Beautiful," Satiyen barked. "What is beautiful about this dead, haunted city? We know what is needed. Lord Kusefora, we must go now. We cannot waste time while people die." His speech was slow and somewhat stiff, but for a Ronso, he spoke impeccably.

"Yes," Luseik sighed, clambering down from the pile of rubble, "you're right, Satiyen. Keskes, it's time to go."

It had probably cost them a lot of time to come here. Traditionally, the pilgrimage started on Besaid Island - on the other side of the world. But Luseik had... felt... something. Had known something without knowing it. And he had needed to see this place, just once, before embarking.

Now, though, he had. And he could put it off no longer. The time had come.

"To Besaid," he said, and began the long, slow march.

((Wasn't exactly what I was going for, but it's cool. It didn't occur to me until halfway through that the guy who was originally a wolf-man should be a Ronso. xd ))  

[Griselda Banks]

((Yes, it's very refreshing to roleplay with someone who is capable with the English language. I find it appalling how much the our language has deteriorated, especially in online circles. I like your rival trio; they seem interesting. I've got my own ideas for rival characters, but I think I'll introduce them later, maybe on Besaid or something. What about a summoner-guardian duo that we each control a character for? My ideas for summoner-guardian groups are a husband and wife, or two brothers. If you want, you could commandeer one of the characters in one of those groups, or not if you'd rather.

And you read Robert Jordan too?! eek We must like the same kind of fantasy! (Or did you say that before, and I've just forgotten? redface ) I've read the first three Wheel of Time books, and his writing is very good - if rather hopeless sometimes whee

And as for the money...who knows how much one gil is worth in terms of other currencies. And who cares, really.))

Overall, Eddora was a happy woman as her fingers curled around the bowl-like cup, her other hand closing about the full bottle the tender set down beside it. Ignoring the tender's gaze, she looked at the boy and tilted her head to an empty table. "This way."

Knowing he would follow, Eddora marched sharply over to the table and sat down in the chair that had its back against the wall, providing her with a clear view of the door. The cushioned chairs were comfortable - soft enough that one could sit in them for hours without growing uncomfortable, but not so soft that one was in danger of sinking down half a foot into it. That was one of the main reasons Eddora liked this place so much. Yes, she sighed to herself. This place is perfect to spend hour after hour in.

While Calaman was still sitting down, Eddora swiftly poured herself some sake and drained the cup in one gulp. Then she refilled the cup and sat back, surveying the boy before her. She ran her tongue around her mouth, savoring the tang of the alcohol and feeling it ooze its warm way into her stomach. How ironic that fermented rice could taste so wonderful. She smiled inwardly, but on the outside all she did was reach for her cup and take a sip. Over the rim of the cup, she watched the boy with sharp dark eyes not yet dulled by alcohol.

"So your name's Calaman, eh?" she said finally. "I'm Eddora, pleased to meet you, whatever." She waved a nonchalant hand and finished off her second cup, pouring a third and setting it down. "As you've obviously guessed, I'm a summoner. And as you've also noticed (unless you're blind, of course), I have no guardian as of yet. Can't exactly start the pilgrimage without one, can I?"

Abruptly, she changed tack. "So what's your area of expertise, other than catching people you so rudely bump into?" After running her eyes up and down his youthful face again, she added, "And how old are you?" She gulped down the rest of the cup and refilled it yet again, briefly noting that more than half of the bottle was now gone.

((I've long wondered what sake tastes like, so I totally had to make that up based on my experience with grape wine. Also, I've noticed from anime that sake is usually served in a bottle, which is then poured into a bowl-like dish. I felt like I needed to explain the bottle sweatdrop ))  

[Ikken Isshu]

((I luvs Robert Jordan. I own the first six books, and I just started the sixth. I don't have any money to buy the next one! gonk Hope I don't finish soon. I love the plot twists at the end of each book. Oh, sure, there's little plot twists throughout, but every bood has a great plot twist at the very end. I loved the first one: OMG Rand is teh Dragonz! razz

The summoner ideas sound fine; you remember I said I like having multiple characters. Since I've already got a trio, it would be polite to let you have your own group, but if you like, I certainly wouldn't mind another character (or seven).

And I've never ordered/tasted sake either, much to my own chagrin, so I have nothing to complain about in your description. smile ))

Calaman briefly lowered his gaze to the table in a seated imitation of his earlier kneeling. "I am simply a mercenary guardian, Lady. I fight with a short sword and a touch of magic." He felt obligated to tell the truth about his age, though he wondered if she would turn him down simply because of it. Until now, due to his height and apparent maturity, she had probably pegged him at eighteen years, or just under. "I'm fourteen years old," he said bracingly. "I may not be the best swordsman, but I haven't had a chance to earn my fair share of scars on the battlefield, Lady." He forced himself to stop, forced himself to drop the defensive attitude. She hadn't even said anything yet, and already he was defending himself. And if he went to far as to request to be her guardian... She might not mind, but if word got back to Althemen, Calaman's teacher, that Calaman had made such a brash request of a summoner, well... At the least, he'd box Calaman's ears for him. At the most, Calaman would be training until a proper mercenary age.

By that time, Sin would already be gone.

So he held his tongue and waited, trying not to bristle.  

[Ikken Isshu]

((BUMPING back to the top. Just making sure you didn't lose it. smile ))  

[Griselda Banks]

((I have all of the books, but haven't read all of them yet XP And I love the endings too! I think my favorite so far was in the second book. *grabs book to quote exactly* "'You must choose, Rand,' Moiraine said. 'The world will be broken whether you break it or not. Tarmon Gai'don will come, and that alone will tear the world apart. Will you still try to hide from what you are, and leave the world to face the Last Battle undefended? Choose.' They were all watching him, all waiting. Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain. He made his decision."

What I meant was, I'm going to have a group myself too, but I'm also open to playing one of them with you as well. Would you want to do that?))

Eddora nodded at his words, absently sipping at her sake. She was beginning to hear that pleasant buzzing that meant the alcohol was doing its work, and she relaxed more into her chair. But when he said his age, she immediately stiffened again, setting her sake aside. For several moments, she stared silently into his eyes, searching for some trace of humor, almost pleading with him to say that he was joking.

But there was only nervous sincerity in his face.

Finally, Eddora covered her face with one hand, blocking out his face with thumb and forefinger pressed against her eyelids. She let out the breath she had been holding in one long, slow huff. "Fourteen?" she asked, though she knew she had heard correctly the first time. Her hand slid down her face in an attempt to compose it, and Calaman came back into view. She stopped with her hand pressed grimly over her mouth, then sat back, defeated by the silent battle raging inside her head.

Heaving a gusty sigh, she snapped, "Fine," and poured the last of the bottle into her cup, draining it quickly. She mashed her next words together, saying them so fast they almost seemed to be the same word: "Duetotheexpedientssetforthbytradition, itisincumbentuponmyselfthatIchoosesuchaoneasisfittingmystatusassummoner, andwhoiswillingandcapableofprotectingmypersonuntilsuchatimeasImayexorcizetheblightonourland - namelySin - andforthisreasonIaskyounowtofillthepositionthatheretoforehasbeenlackingonmypilgrimage. Do you accept?" Huffing out yet another sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked away while waiting for his answer.  

[Ikken Isshu]

((Oh, wow, you just reminded me of that quote, "Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain." I loved that quote, and I just realized that I haven't heard (read?) it in a long time. I don't remember when they stopped saying it... Sad sad ))

Calaman felt a sudden urge to get up and stalk around the perimeter of the bar and ensure the security of the place, but wasn't sure exactly why. Probably to quell the warmth bubbling up in his stomach.

A warrior in a pleasant mood, Althemen had said many a time, is a warrior who isn't paying enough attention to his duties.

After a moment, though, that feeling subsided, to be replaced by curiosity--Lady Eddora didn't seem all that eager to accept a fourteen-year-old as a guardian. So, he phrased his acceptance accordingly.

"Contingent upon your wishes and approval, Lady," he said, making it clear that he would accept only if she wished it, "I accept your offer and the duties carried with it."

Calaman realized, belatedly, that being her guardian gave him certain priveleges regarding his conduct around her. For one, it wasn't quite as important that he prostrate himself every time he addressed her. After all, if an enemy saw that a summoner's guardian was kneeling every time he addressed her, it would become a prime opportunity for attack. Calaman was deadly from any position, but that didn't mean he was equally deadly standing as he was kneeling. She did seem a little eccentric, but then, Calaman, with his obsession with duty and honor and, of course, guardianship, probably seemed more than a little eccentric.

"Perhaps this is a bold statement, Lady," he said then, solemnly, "but you will not regret your choice."  

[Griselda Banks]

((Yeah, I love that quote too XD))

"Yes, yes," Eddora said impatiently, waving her hand. "Oh, and one thing - I expect you to treat me with complete respect around others, but when we're alone I'd much prefer it if you'd just call me Ed. 'Lady Eddora' sounds too...refined, if you know what I mean.

"Well!" she said briskly, getting to her feet. "Time waits for no man, nor does Sin. Last I checked, there is a ship headed for Besaid in...oh, ten minutes' time or so. We'd best hurry." She began to turn away from the table, but then the emotion that had been building up inside her burst its barriers, breaking out with a roar in her ears. Letting out an angry shout, she grabbed the bottle of sake and threw it across the room, where it shattered against the far wall and fell onto an empty table in a rain of earthenware. The bartender jumped and stared at her, but she ignored him.

Grabbing Calaman's arm again, Eddora snapped, "Come on," and stomped out of the bar. She stormed down the street at top speed, fuming inwardly. Her thoughts were all in a muddle, falling over each other in a wild chaos that she could hardly understand herself. Stupid...why did that boy...@#$% sake...why, why, why?! Fourteen, the fool...you idiot.... Then her thoughts cleared into one solid sentence: The night pales in the face of death, bringing the morning of new hope. At this thought, she let out a derisive snort and walked even faster.  

[Ikken Isshu]

((I think I'm going to intro another character here. I leave it up to you to decide what to do with him. razz ))

"Of course, Lady," Calaman agreed, and made to follow her, a little startled by her decision to wait until now to leave for the ship. That startlement was eclipsed by the bewildered surprise he felt when she chucked the bottle across the bar. He immediately narrowed his eyes, tensing, preparing to move between the Lady and the rest of the bar, feeling almost certain that a textbook tavern brawl was going to erupt as a result... But nothing - much - happened. The bar fell into a surprised silence. Looking bemused and relieved, the bartender signalled a barmaid to clean up the mess, and that was that. The noise returned, and the Lady began to drag him toward the exit. Desperately, he tried to put his thoughts in order, tried to make himself a guardian instead of a bewildered boy, because the most crowded places were the easiest places from which a summoner could receive a poisoned needle or a knife between the ribs. Finally he shook his head violently and quickened his pace to walk beside and slightly behind her, giving the crowd - which promptly parted for them - a hard stare, hand on his weapon. From this position, as long as he kept his eyes on a swivel, he could fairly easily keep a watch on both his summoner and anyone who might try to approach her.

That opportunity didn't waste much time in presenting itself. The ship had been visible for a while now, and the wood beneath his feet told Calaman that they were on the wharf, and therefore, nearly to the ship.

His instincts reacted before his mind did. Althemen would have been proud. He was standing between his summoner and the tall, theatrically-dressed man before he actually realized the man was approaching the Lady. The man had long, raven black hair tied back in a ponytail, and piercing yellow eyes. He was dressed in navy blue garments, elegant, yet almost laughably inadequate as armor. And from the way the man carried himself, he fancied himself a warrior. Or, Calaman thought as he noticed the trademark yellow cap, a mage. In addition, the man's flesh was too pale for him to be anything but a noble.

"And just who are you?" the man said in a deep, cultured voice, looking down his nose at Calaman. Calaman disliked him already.

"I am a - " he paused for the barest of instants - "the guardian of the Lady..." He stopped himself just before divulging her name. A summoner's name was her own to give or hide, as she chose. "Who are you, to so boldly approach her?"

"Eddora?" The man sounded affronted as he stared at the Lady, seemingly ignoring Calaman. His air of familiarity made Calaman bristle. Apparently, though, the Lady had already made the choice to give this man her name. That, Calaman thought darkly, or this man has more interest in the Lady than is healthy... for his sake. "You allow this..." he checked his tongue, and just in time, "...boy to style himself your guardian?" He shook his head. "Never mind that, my dear." Calaman choked. Had he interposed himself between a summoner and her lover? If he had... "The ship is about to leave," the man continued. "Come. We must get aboard quickly."

Well, there was nothing for it. Calaman took a quick and short step to the side, but not so far that the stranger could approach Eddora without going through Calaman, and gave his summoner an inquiring look.

((And there he is. He's Aer d'Mors, a relatively skilled, black mage with his heart in the right place, but a few ill-conceived notions of superiority, due to his noble birth and upbringing. He fancies himself Eddora's guardian, even though she hasn't formally accepted his offer. I'll leave it up to you to determine whether, in the past, she has outright refused that offer. He's too persistent to let the issue drop, in any case. Fun fun. smile ))  

[Griselda Banks]

((fufufu.... This should be fun mrgreen I've realized that my posts are getting smaller and smaller sweatdrop Sorry about that!))

Ed's angry mental soliloquy came to an abrupt halt when Calaman cut right in front of her. She came up short, on the verge of clouting him for nearly tripping her up, but then she checked her tongue. She was barely able to repress a groan when she saw the man approaching them. Dressed in dark blue and carrying himself with all the dignity of a Grand Maester, he cast the rest of the world in the shadow of his disdain. Even if his black hair, long nose, and yellow eyes had been different, Ed would have had no trouble in recognizing him: Aer d'Mors.

Heaving a sigh, Ed ran a hand through her black hair and waited for the inevitable. She noted, as Aer briefly bandied words with Calaman, that neither of them seemed to like the other. This brought a brief smile to her lips, but the smile soon vanished as Aer addressed her instead.

Ed waited in cold silence for Aer to finish, but as he reached out a hand as though to lead her on board, she snapped venomously, "One more inch and I'll knock your head off your shoulders." She noted in satisfaction that he paused, and turned to Calaman with an air of forced indifference. "Cal," she said, wondering briefly if he minded the nickname (and deciding she didn't care even if he didn't), "this puffed-up popinjay is Aer d'Mors. Aer, meet Sir Calaman, my only guardian." She wondered if Aer would take the hint, but from past experience, she supposed she was asking too much.  

[Ikken Isshu]

Aer's eyes were too fixedly trained on Calaman, else he would have realized how disrespectful he sounded when he said, "For now, perhaps." Then he looked back to Eddora. "I'm sure you will see reason eventually," he sighed wistfully, "but there will be plenty of time for that. Come, we must board the ship!" he said as a horn blew, the sound carrying across most of the wharf. The ship was almost ready to set sail.

Calaman didn't take his eyes off the black mage. "Lady," he said, just loud enough to be heard over the crowd around them, "The choice of action is yours, of course, but the ship is preparing to set sail."

Aer set his jaw, prepared to follow no matter what she decided. Besides, he had already paid the fare for himself and Eddora. He hadn't anticipated the urchin, but surely no one would venture to call himself a guardian without first saving up a fair amount of gil. And if he couldn't pay his way, small loss.

((No worries. Although I'm wondering if I might be playing Aer a little out of character. I did say his heart was 'in the right place', and that doesn't seem to be adding up here...))  

[Griselda Banks]

(( blaugh He's fun anyway.))

"Well, of course we're getting on the boat, idiots!" Ed cried, pushing past the both of them to leap up onto the deck. She didn't wait for them to follow - she knew Calaman would, and she hoped Aer wouldn't - as she made her way to the prow. The other passengers on board noticed her summoner's robes and hastily did the prayer gesture. Repressing a sigh, Ed came to a stop and returned the gesture, knowing this was expected - no, required - of her.

The passengers retreated to a respectful distance, and Ed was left in peace at the prow. She rested her elbows on the railing and heaved a sigh as she watched the water passing by the ship, gaining speed as the ship maneuvered out of the harbor, heading for open sea. Wasn't she like that water rushing past? She was lost in the current of her fate, rushing ever on to the end of the world, where she would fall off the edge...in Zanarkand.

Looking at the water made her feel sick, in her heart as well as her stomach, so Ed turned around and slid down sit with her back against the railing. This was the boring part of the pilgrimage, before anything had actually started, and they were just getting to the starting line to begin the race. Sometimes she wished she had grown up in Besaid, so she wouldn't have to go anywhere to begin her pilgrimage.