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#Post#: 944--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: February 3, 2015, 1:25 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 10
---
It was soon noon. Valm knew it because of the length of the
shadow he was projecting.
Standing on an air duct, he was taking advantage of this
privileged place to contemplate the gathering of his comrades.
They were ninety-five to sixty-three men and thirty-two women -
sixteen years old for the youngest, twenty-five for the oldest.
Valm was twenty-three.
“Look at them, Sloan pointed out, who was the eldest. They're
so harsh! I like it.”
“That's right. But what about breakfast?”
For the second time in the space of a few minutes, Valm's
stomach pointed himself out loudly to him. He had not eaten
anything since the explosion, the night before.
“Could you really swallow something?” Sloan whispered.
Valm remembered that the man had just said good bye to his
little brother, and lowered his eyes.
“Sorry.”
With a curt smile, his friend gave him a tap on his shoulder:
“You really have no shame! Go eat discreetly and come back when
you'll be done.”
On these words, Sloan joined the Guards’ circle in order to
thank them for all of their gestures of solicitude and their
pledges of revenge he had received during the obsequies of his
brother. He kept his head stooped a long moment, but when he
stood up straight, his attitude had completely changed.
“We can't afford to lose more summoners. From now on, there're
only two. What will we do, if we can't protect them?”
Originally, they were five on the island. Six months later, the
Guards had lost Mikka and Kanaela. And this morning, Anli. Now,
there are only Kush and Ifahnal. (Note: Ifahnal is French for
Ifarnal.)
Bevelle was continuing to produce mechanical weapons, and the
city appeared to have reached new heights in terms of technical
prowess. Armoured units and heavy infantry corps were moving
towards Zanarkand, destroying everything on their path. Day
after day, the Guards were receiving news about their
spectacular progression. But the worst fear of the Mages from
Zanarkand, father and daughter, was not the ingenuity of a
worker clan. They were dreading above all people who possessed
the same capacities as them: summoners. They were sending
murderer after murderer to the island. To this day, twenty-eight
Guards had been killed during skirmishes.
“We're going to form two squads,” Sloan announced. “Line up by
ten!”
The order was carried out immediately.
“Lines one to eight: search section, under my command. Kat,
form the units!”
The concerned one, who was standing in the front line, stuck
out her chest.
“Yes, sir!” she answered really loudly.
“Lines nine and ten,” Sloan continued, “you guard the base.
When you meet the ten comrades left on-site, you'll be under
Valm's orders. Your priority: to protect the summoners. Go!”
“Alright...” Valm whispered.
He jumped from his vantage point and came closer to his men.
“We're going to return to the base immediately. Be careful
along the way. Kill the enemy as soon as you see them. Woman or
child, I don't care: no hesitation! We mustn't repeat the errors
of the past.”
“Yes, sir!” the fifteen Guards answered all together.
One day, a young boy had washed up on the island. Thinking he
was a refugee, the men had brought him into their refectory.
There, the child had detonated himself. The summoner Mikka had
met his death in this attack.
Valm and his comrades have had to gather Mikka's remains,
dispersed by the bomb. When Valm remembered the scenery, he felt
the anger building inside him, and could not help himself to
appeal to the divinity of vengeance. He used the violence of
this feeling to dissimulate his relief: Mikka was preferable to
Kush.
Back in the base, he sent a subaltern picking up a portion for
himself. He devoured it while patrolling around gate number
zero. In accordance with what will happen, he may be closing it
off. He commanded the young Gekkoh and Romand to arrange
visiospheres around the gates numbers one to five.
Protected with enormous building stones, the gate number zero
was not afraid of bombs. In order to hide the ensemble, an
assembly of steel tubes was supporting an artificial vegetation.
From a faraway point, the place looked like a forest plot. You
had to pass under the scaffolding to reach the gate. The other
exits opened in many places in the island, at the
ends/extremities of the underground air ducts. From the outside,
they took different shapes in order to blend into the landscape,
but from the inside, all of them had the same structure. The
ventilator, controlled from the control room, carried out the
primary function of the pipe. But with his sharp blades, it
prevented also all intrusion. When a Guard had to pass, a
control panel allowed it to stop the helix thanks to a secret
code modified every day.
Valm passed the gate number zero and entered the stateroom. The
round room was big enough to receive the whole personnel of the
island, with the exception of the Bedohls. The stone statues,
representing the divinities, lined up against the wall. Their
vacant looks converged at the centre of the room, on the altar.
The room hosted both ceremonies like baptisms or marriages and
business meeting. Behind the altar, long stairs led to the inner
gate number zero and the living area. The exits numbers one and
two were located under the steps. Valm started to go up. At the
same time, the gate number one opened, revealing a passage for
Kush. This hall led to the armoury, to the workshop of the
Bedohls workers and to their dormitory. Even lower should be
located the machineries of the base. What could she be doing in
such a mucky place? She had the right to go there, but...
When Valm opened his mouth to call Kush, a hand grabbed the
young woman by the wrist and pulled her violently.
Valm rushed immediately to her, but Kush was already
reappearing from behind the door. With an energising gesture,
she was rubbing her lips up with her right glove. She ceased as
soon as she noticed Valm's presence.
“Is everything okay?” the Guard asked.
She avoided his eyes and did not answer. At that time, Valm saw
the person who had grasped the young woman: Ifahnal.
A young eighteen-year-old summoner – one year younger than Kush
-, his massive figure was not due to fighting or working, but to
bodybuilding. He liked putting it on display with skin-tight
clothes. His face was rather ordinary, those you forget right
away.
He must be conscious of it. His muscle structure, his getup and
the red dye he used to colour his hair represented as many
attempts to rectify this "problem". But these efforts only
brought to him the contempt of the Guards. Even the name he
chose – Ifahnal, divinity of beauty -, sparked off criticisms
and mockeries. The summoner did not inspire respect at all. Valm
often thought that it would have been to the boy's advantage to
show his self as more down-to-earth.
But he was a part of the most important persons inside the
base. Almost a hundred Guards had sworn to protect him at the
risk of their life. What else may he want?
What Valm had just come upon shed a new light on Ifahnal's
behavior: he could not care less about the respect of the
Guards. Only the interest of the young woman was important for
him.
Seemingly, he had not obtained it yet. And Valm would make sure
that it remains like this.
“Is there something wrong?” he asked. “The situation is
serious, and we don't have time for quarrels. If you have a
problem, you must settle it as quickly as possible.”
Ifahnal ignored the question:
“The mechanical Bedohl is ready.”
It was plainly a way to change the subject and avoid conflict,
but Valm could not ignore the news:
“Great.”
Ifahnal smiled:
“He has memorised my voice. Do you want me to call it? Armoured
Bedohl, get out of there!”
The boy seemed as proud as if he himself had created the false
Bedohl. As for Kush, she had placed herself behind Valm, as if
hiding. As if staying as far as possible from Ifahnal.
The Bedohl appeared. It was as tall as Kush. Dressed with
dark-yellow cotton, his head was covered with a hood, and his
face was dissimulated behind glasses and a gas mask. At first
glance, he appeared to not be able to fight and vanquish their
enemies.
“Is that…?”
“It is,” Alb replied.
The old man had climbed the stairs behind his creation.
“It's not perfect yet, but...”
Contrary to what his words were suggesting, Alb was radiating
proud. Of the corner of his eye, Valm saw Ifahnal slipping away,
a smile on his face. The Guard decided to focus on the false
Bedohl. He would have a little discussion with the summoner
later.
“It doesn't seem really robust. Can it fight?”
Valm brandished his sabre, and the Bedohl cringed.
“Do you understand what I'm saying?”
The machine nodded slowly.
“In accordance with the specifications,” Alb précised, who was
sticking out his chest.
“In this case, unsheathe!” Valm ordered.
The creature brought out a whip and twirled it around. The end
of the string was drawing a confused outline. The Bedohl was not
able to do battle. Valm supposed that the little verbal dispute
which occurred this morning had incited him to unveil his work
before its completion.
He does not understand, the Guard thought with bitterness. We
do not want it to obey us for the pleasure to see it give in. We
need an effective weapon.
“All of this is absurd,” he declared.
With one blow of his sabre, he cut off the hand which was
holding the whip. Blood gushed from the maimed member.
Alb grasped the Bedohl by the elbow and pulled it.
“I'm bringing it back to the workshop,” he apologized. “The
final model will use a firearm. Chains and whips are
problematic; you need to deal with the space around you in order
to use them.”
“He'll never reach the required level of precision to aim
correctly. I'd prefer that it use throwing weapons. As for
blood, is it compulsory?”
A scarlet puddle had formed on the ground.
“A ruse, to deceive the enemy. Yourself wondered if it was
alive, right?”
“How many units can you produce?”
“Fifty units in the three next days. Maybe more.”
Valm was pleasantly surprised by the answer.
“We haven't hung around at the workshop,” Alb added with a
provocative tone.
He seemed offended.
“Call them ‘worker Bedohls’. And remove the blood, or change
its colour. Else the enemy won't be the only one deceived. I
don't want ours to think that a comrade is hurt and take
unnecessary risks. From faraway, they must look humans. Closely,
the illusion is superfluous.”
Valm was realizing that the ultimate soldier whom he hoped for
so much was just a dream. For the moment, he would be bound to
content himself with a pseudo Bedohl, with too realistic blood.
“Tell us what is happening outside, Valm,” Kush spoke. “Is the
enemy here?”
“I think that's the case. But Sloan and his men will seek and
destroy it. To do justice to his brother, he'll do his name the
honour.”
Sloan was the god of vengeance.
“Then, are we safe?”
“For the time being, yes. I would prefer that you hide in an
individual refuge. Send word to Ifahnal... No, I'm going to tell
him that myself.”
They climbed the stairs in an embarrassed silence to the inner
gate number zero and the living area.
“Has something happened with Ifahnal?” Valm asked the young
woman.
“Yes, but nothing which could bother you. I will settle the
problem with him. I wonder about how to react after having lost
so many summoners... The best would be to send to us people to
replace them, but do vous think that it will happen?”
A ship must come to resupply them seven days later. But even if
it transported personnel to ensure its safety, Valm did not
think that they would agree to stay on the island. After all,
their line management, already aware of their situation, had not
announced anything.
“Reinforcements? I don't think so. According to the rumour,
more and more people hide their summoner gift.”
“They will go to hell,” she declared lightly.
He understood that she wanted to change the subject.
“Say, Valm, what would happen if someone sent to us a new
female Summoner? Gentle, sensual, with a beautiful bosom..."
"She wouldn't fail to find voluntaries to become her
Aeon Cores.”
“Men are so simple!” Kush answered with a theatrical sigh.
Kush was the goddess of abundance. With her slender figure, the
woman who had taken her name on was, just like Ifahnal and his
personal aesthetic, often victim of mockeries.
“You're right,” Valm answered. “And thanks to that, you'll
remain mine.”
[/center]
#Post#: 951--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: February 10, 2015, 2:16 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 11
---
In the middle of the night, the Ace was pitching so strongly
that Tidus and Yuna were trying so hard to keep their balance.
The two young people had torn the bed linen to make a rope and
tie up to each other. Standing close to the rudder, Tidus was
trying to look outside, in vain. Secured by Yuna, he ventured on
the upper deck. His face lashed by the rain, he screwed up his
eyes, without succeeding in piercing the darkness. He felt
tightness on the rope coiled around him and turned over. Yuna
wanted him to come back.
“I couldn't see anything!” he explained when he came closer to
her.
He was dripping with seawater.
“We'll have to wait for the storm to subside,” she answered.
“In a few hours, the sun will rise. And then, we'll be able to
find our bearings and...”
She grimaced. Finding the north was one thing, returning to
Besaid was another.
“And maybe we'll see the island,” she finished. “Don't worry.
Moreover, our friends will search for us. From the sky, the
Gullwings will find us in no time at all.”
“You seem rather composed,” Tidus noted.
“I may not look like much, but I've grown up on an island! And
also experienced lots of scary adventures.”
“You're already talking like an old woman,” Tidus declared with
a disparaging tone, while showing an amused face.
“The horror!”
She gave a sulky pout. A few moments later, they caught each
other's eye and they exchanged a smile.
“I think everything will be okay,” Yuna repeated.
“Despite all of our problems?”
Suddenly, the ship plunged between two waves. Tidus felt his
stomach turning, whereas Yuna closed her eyes. The young man
executed a step towards her, but at this moment the hull of the
Ace split open with an almost human whine. Losing his balance,
Tidus hurt his head against the rudder. He smelt gunpowder and
fainted.
When he opened his eyes, the sun had risen. No more breaths of
wind, no more clouds. And no more ship too. From the Ace, only a
plank remained, barely large enough to support the weight of one
person, and on which was resting Tidus.
“Stay where you are, don't move,” a voice whispered.
Yuna was just behind him. In water up to her shoulders, she was
turning her back on him. A monster was facing her. The beast
looked like a turtle, but it was enormous. Its head and the
biggest part of its shell protruded out the surface.
Glassy-eyed, it was releasing a light smell of rot.
“Yuna...”
Yuna turned over, and he discovered her distressed look, her
sunk and ringed eyes.
‘Since when has she been protecting me?’
The monster did not move, and Tidus wondered if Yuna had
managed to calm it.
Then he saw a stick... no, a trident, broken, driven into the
neck of the monster.
He imagined the battle that Yuna had had to fight against the
beast, whereas himself was just baggage in the way.
“I'm sorry,” he whispered.
His partner expressed to him a weak smile, leaned her head and
closed her eyes.
“Yuna?”
The summoner sank slowly into the water. As if following her,
the monster plunged its head under the surface.
Tidus sat up straight on his fragile plank, balancing
carefully. Then he pulled on the rope still coiled around his
waist. Straight after, Yuna reappeared above the waves. As fast
as possible, he pulled the young woman near him, still followed
by the monster, before holding her under her arms and hauling
her beside him. But their refuge was precarious, and the beast
was still there, very close. Tidus noted the vacant look, the
shining fangs and the red tongue hiding behind. In his arms, he
felt Yuna's body, so delicate that he feared to break it. This
sensation remembered him of a happy event, which occurred two
years ago: their first kiss, at Lake Macalania. The young woman
he was holding against him was the same person he had kissed in
the middle of the lake. This memory awoke inside him a powerful
emotion.
“I'll never forgive you!” Tidus shouted.
Who was he speaking to? The monster? Himself? He did not know
at all.
“I'll protect her at all costs!”
He stood up straight with caution and tried to untie the rope
which was connecting them. While Tidus was struggling with the
soaked fabric, the monster came nearer again and managed to put
its chin on the plank. At that rate, the two young people would
topple soon in water. Abandoning the node, Tidus leaped on the
back of the beast. On all fours on the shell, he turned over the
nape of the neck of the monster. He snatched half of the trident
which Yuna had used to put the monster in isolation. He raised
it sky-high and drove it with all his strength into the top of
the head of the monster, where the weapon disappeared
completely. Immediately, the chin of the turtle slid from the
plank and fell in water. The monster ceased to move.
A foul smell, going along with a repugnant liquid, was escaping
right away from the wound.
‘We must escape,’ Tidus thought while seeing the gloomy humour
spreading though the water.
At this moment, a new animal broke the surface: a shark, with a
body covered with reptile scales. He leaped above the couple and
disappeared at the other side of the carcass of the giant
turtle. Tidus heard a high-pitched whistling.
‘It is calling for its fellow creatures.’
As if confirming this intuition, several creatures from the
same species emerged and converged towards the head of the dead
monster, which they started to devour. Standing on the back of
the victim, Tidus was attending the feast, as mesmerised. He
knew that he had to keep Yuna away from this macabre banquet as
quickly as possible, but found it more careful to not approach
the water. Were they constrained to stay here?
‘It’s make or break...’
He recovered the trident from the head of the turtle and went
back to the plank where he had left Yuna, still unconscious. He
coiled the rope around her waist, the one he had not managed to
get rid of. He had to carry the young woman on his back, which
turned out more difficult than planned on their makeshift raft.
Tidus wondered suddenly if it would not have been better to stay
on the half-devoured carcass.
Carefully, he came close to the water's edge and took a deep
breath. Concentrating all his energy in his legs, he leaped once
again. But this time, he was holding Yuna. He had wrongly
estimated the weight difference: instead of reaching the turtle,
he fell in the water.
He immediately felt being pulled down, and it took him a few
seconds to understand what was happening. Then he remembered the
rope which was still connecting him with Yuna: it had coiled
itself around one of the squalls, which was having in tow the
two young people under the water from now on.
The animal in question suddenly cornered a long moment, in
order to return to the carcass of the turtle.
He seized the opportunity to let himself sink. He hoped then
that Yuna would come to the surface. Without paying attention to
its unwitting passengers, the squall started again its lunch.
Tidus skirted it, praying its fellow creatures to not notice
him. He caught Yuna and dragged her away with him in the open
air. Then he coiled the rope around the dorsal fin of the
squall. The first step of his plan was a success. From now on,
he had to climb on the back of the animal. How will the creature
react to this? Tidus did not know enough about this species to
predict it.
He had to struggle to mount the squall. The beast struggled,
but, probably too focused on its lunch, it did not try to attack
its tamer. The young man grabbed onto the dorsal fin which was
splitting the sea surface to keep his posture.
He had to install Yuna. He pulled the rope to take her to him.
Despite all his efforts, he did not manage to wedge her on the
back of the shark. She had to cling herself to the animal.
“Yuna? Are you hearing me, Yuna? I'm going to get the upper
hand over this, don't worry. But I need you to wake up.”
At this moment, another shark suddenly arose from the waves
very close to the young woman and leaped above them after a long
whistling. With a flash of inspiration, the young man raised two
fingers to his mouth and answered it on the same tone. The tone
was so strong that Yuna woke up with a start.
“Tidus? Where are you?”
“I'm here, just beside you.”
She raised her head and saw him.
“What happened?”
“Monsters are turning around us, and I'm trying hard to control
our mount. Don't worry, it's just a matter of time. There's no
way we'll end up as shark snacks!”
With a deep sigh, Yuna acquiesced.
Once replete, the squall moved away from the carcass, swimming
quietly just under the water surface.
“I wonder where it's taking us...”
“I would like it to go over there,” Yuna answered.
She was showing a point on the horizon. Tidus screwed up his
eyes.
“It's... Besaid?”
“I'm not sure. But any island will always be better than the
back of a shark.”
“We're drawing away from it,” Tidus noticed. “And quickly.”
The squall was three times bigger than the young man, and the
weight of its passengers did not appear to slow it.
“Hey!” the young man shouted.
Of course, the animal did not answer.
“Well, I think I don't have a choice.”
Tidus moved the trident in his left hand and jabbed the head of
their mount on what appeared to be one of its cheeks.
“And don't you dare plunge!” he averted it.
If the shark sank too much under the surface, Tidus would have
to goad it under the stomach. The young man loathed to spread
blood through the water one more time. Furthermore, he would
have to go down by the animal's side, which had already reached
a considerable speed. And if they reached too important depths,
pressure would add to the other difficulties.
A long shiver spread along the body of the squall, which ended
up obeying to the order of its tamer and cornered on the right,
in direction of the island.
“Forgive us,” Yuna declared.
Tidus was not feeling guilty at all. Sharks know only one rule:
To devour or to be devoured. It was the same for all beings in
Spira, and the young man was just implementing this essential
rule to survive in a merciless world. He had to be severe
towards every being who threatened him. Spira's inhabitants were
subjected to more than hard living situations.
In this situation, Yuna was, without doubt, a treasure. Who
else would have asked for the animal's forgiveness?
He turned over towards his partner. She was lying flat on her
stomach on the back of the shark, around which she had put her
arms and her legs. He remembered the day when the young woman
had summoned her first Aeon, Valefor.
At that time, he did not know if he dealt with a wild beast or
a monster, but he had understood that if Yuna was able to
control a so powerful being, he could not live a normal story by
her side.
Suddenly, a new thought appeared in his mind and warmed his
heart. He knew about the "normal" side of the summoner, better
than anyone else. A lot of people were familiar with her public
image, these of a young woman, serious and stubborn, inflexible
too.
‘But me, I understand her like nobody else.’
“What are you thinking about?” Yuna asked.
“Why do you ask?"
“You're smiling.”
“Really? No, it must be the fatigue which is contracting the
muscles of my face.”
He turned towards their destination. Now, the island was close
enough to make out the hill which was standing at the centre,
and the greenery which was covering everything. Besaid or not,
they would find food and water. He let out a little laugh.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You secretive little thing!”
She laughed in her turn, softly.
[/center]
#Post#: 958--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: February 19, 2015, 3:19 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 12
---
Sloan and his troops flushed four murderers out.
They slaughtered the first three, but caught the last one to
question him, and took him to the east side of the island.
On the beach, Sloan and about twenty of his subordinates were
surrounding the prisoner, buried in the sand up to his neck.
“Kill me, let's get this over with!” the enemy declared.
Young, he was quavering. All the agents of the Mage reacted the
same way. When the murderer had understood only death was
awaiting him, he refused to answer the questions and persisted
in demanding to kill him.
Sloan knew he would not squeeze anything out of this man. The
Guard could not leave his post without receiving the associated
order. A long wait was promised.
Since they had settled on the island, they had led their battle
in a passive way. For Sloan, who had dedicated his sabre to the
goddess of war and had taken on the name of the god of
vengeance, this situation was frustrating. Until now, he had
suffered in silence while waiting for his brother to bind to his
first Aeon Core.
But Anli was dead, and Sloan hated his younger: smooth talker
but indecisive, as strong as he loved him. When he had learnt
that Anli possessed the gift, he felt so proud...
‘Now that he is not here anymore, who should I protect?’
The summoner at the head of Bevelle had declared the Mage of
Zanarkand, his daughter and their supporters heretics, but it
had not excommunicated them. Why? According to the rumours,
Bevelle needed the charisma of the two Mages to win the war, and
wanted to use them until the end. They had to lead Zanarkand to
abandon the technological weapons, which would make the victory
easier for Bevelle. Sloan thought the reasoning was twisted. We
could not spare those who were renouncing the gods. They had to
be eliminated as quickly as possible. That was the goal of the
elite unit stationed on this island. But the Mages had
understood the plan of their enemy, and were sending to it
brainwashed murderers.
‘Is my government manipulating me, doing the same to it?’ Sloan
thought suddenly.
Even the children knew that the gods were imaginary. Yet,
anyone could picture them. This common illusion tightened the
links, to the extent that the men were ready to give their life
for it.
‘Yes, this is brainwashing.’
“Do we begin the questioning?” Kat spoke.
“He won't answer us,” Sloan replied before reconsidering. “Did
you meet the Sorceress?” he asked. “People say that she's of an
incomparable beauty. Is that right?”
The prisoner remained silent. His eyes lost in the distance, he
gave a faint smile.
“You're nothing to her, you know that? She's just making use of
you and your comrades before leaving you. Nobody will come to
save you!”
For an instant, the prisoner raised his eyes to Heaven.
‘Will reinforcements come from the sky?’
Sloan was not seeing anything but he knew that flying devices
had joined the ranks of the combatants. This kind of weapon was
going to turn the tide, he was sure of that.
“Kill me,” the man repeated.
“I see. The tide is rising; your head will soon remain under
the waves. You won't be the first one to try to breathe under
water, but nobody managed to do it. Do you think you'll succeed
where the others failed?”
“You're a monster...”
“One of your comrades has killed my little brother. Of course,
you didn't do it yourself, but you could have. The problem, you
see, it's that you've come here to kill him. So you won't get
off so lightly. You'll die... but slowly. You'll leave this
world while cursing it, and feeling pain. After that, do me a
pleasure: turn into a monster and come back to me. The next
time, I'll tear you into pieces then I'll throw them in fire.”
Sloan had not finished talking yet the man burst out laughing.
A soldier moved forward to silence him, but the captive had
suddenly become silent again. He was staring at the sky.
Everybody did the same. An unknown noise was approaching. A
light whistling replied from the sand. This was the prisoner.
A ship appeared to be flying over the opposite coast of the
island. Then he appeared at the top of the mountain, just above
the Luchera statue.
This was the first time Sloan was seeing an aircraft. He
discovered a triangular airship, very noisy and slow.
Arriving above the beach, the machine turned itself on and
started its descent.
Sloan and his comrades all moved away in haste in order to
shelter under the vegetation. When the officer took a look
behind him, he saw that a part of the shell, under the aircraft,
had opened: a battalion was already shinning down a set of thick
ropes.
His weapon in his hand, Sloan turned around and rushed towards
the beach.
On the back on each enemy, he was making out a bag made of
strings, containing a ball: a bomb like the one Valm had
described.
Fifteen to twenty infantrymen were rappelling down. The first
one put a foot on the beach and, without taking a break, fired
intensively on the buried captive. Sloan saw the head of the
murderer tipping over.
The prisoner had behaved bravely, like a great soldier. If they
had fought in the same camp, they would have got along well.
“And yet...”
He did not finish his sentence. His men were looking at him
waiting for an order.
“The last time I checked, a life was of better worth than
that,” he said with a bitter laugh.
He immediately became serious:
“Return to the base, make a report to Valm, then place yourself
under his orders. Kat will ensure the command of the group until
there.”
Then Sloan pointed his sabre in the direction of the enemy with
a wild howl.
“After my death, let Valm take over the name of Sloan!”
‘He has always been more worthy of this name than me.’
Nobody returned to the base. The aircraft had spread enemies
everywhere in the island. Exhausted, the young woman knew that
she would meet her death very soon, but did not fear it. She has
been waiting for this moment since the demise of the one who had
counted so much to her.
“Kanaela...”
Despite her gift of summoner, she was killed six months earlier
without having completed anything. And now that she was no more,
what were the chances for Kat to have the honour to become an
Aeon Core?
Kush would choose Valm, and the Guard would produce an
impressive creature. Who would Ifahnal have his heart set on? He
was apparently in love with Kush, but the young woman rejected
his advances. Anyway, Kat doubted that a summoner could become
an Aeon Core. It would be a huge waste.
In that case, there was still a place to take. Yet, even if
Ifahnal chose Kat, the young woman doubted that they could reach
a genuine soul bond. She had heard say that summoner and Aeon
Core must have powerful mutual feelings in order for the
ceremony to be fruitful.
With Kanaela, everything would have been easy. But with
Ifahnal...
Offering his life to the promised one was one thing. To
sacrifice itself for a stranger only for a pride desire was much
more difficult. How she was regretting Kanaela's death!
A set of close explosions pulled her from her thoughts.
‘They are launching an attack!’ She thought.
If the massive aircraft was full of soldiers, the Guards had no
chance of survival. Kat stood up straight; she would never be an
Aeon Core, but she could still be the armed arm of vengeance.
‘O Sloan, give me the strength to lay low our enemies!’
To give herself courage, she remembered her happy days, when
Kanaela was by her side. She snaked in and out of the trees,
until she reached a hilltop. From there, she could see the
entrance of the base.
Beside the dented gate number 3, Kat recognized the cadavers of
Gekkoh and Romand. Her comrades were not dead in vain; they had
dragged several enemies into the Farplane. A familiar sword
jutted out from the body of one of them, a beautiful young man.
Kat held back a cry and hurried to the gate number 0.
She discovered a gaping breach, and a smell of blood assailed
her immediately. At the same time, an object struck her back.
She turned round. The forest appeared to be wilderness, but a
ball was rolling slowly towards her foot. She heard a "click",
and then the ball started to dilate.
This was the last picture that Kat saw, just before being
thrust out by the scorching blast of air.
‘Will I flower in the world beyond?’
*
Valm was searching for Kush.
A few hours earlier, the stateroom was like a countryside
hospital. But since the enemy had broken through their defence,
it was more like a battlefield. The smell of death was
unbearable.
The souls were fluttering above the mass grave on which they
were spreading a pasty glow.
An explosion resounded outside, and a voice shouted the name of
Kat. Just after, another one announced the death of the young
woman. Nobody had the time to take care of the wounded persons.
Although the Guards were an elite unit, their equipment was
outdated. They could not stand up to Zanarkand's troops and to
their constant technological progress.
“Despite everything...”
‘The time has come. We are more united than ever.’
He was going to become an Aeon Core. It was the only way to
turn the situation around.
The stairs which led to the living quarters were partially
collapsed and scorched.
‘Another bomb,’ Valm supposed.
He stepped over the cadavers of the men he was responsible for,
and sent a prayer to Guard, the god of the Farplane, to take
care of them. When he reached the stairs, he turned around in
order to behold the room. Ashamed of the relief he felt when he
was certain that Kush's body was not amongst the cadavers, he
started to climb the stairs again.
Three enemies burst into the living room. At the same moment,
the gate number 1 delivered passage to the troubling – or
comical - procession of the mechanical Bedohls wearing their
too-big suits and their gas mask. They went into the room
slowly, while swirling their chains. The enemy opened fire.
Alb had demanded three more days to complete his project. After
three years of research, Valm was wondering what three days
could have changed. The old man appeared suddenly behind his
creations. He appeared to be on his last legs.
“Valm! I'm leaving the workshop, sorry...”
The Guard acquiesced brusquely.
“Come back here!” Alb ordered the Bedohls, while handing a
signal.
“No,” Valm said. “They must fight.”
“They would only get under your feet.”
A new explosion announced the arrival of other enemies. Alb and
his Bedohls headed towards the emergency exit, and Valm started
to climb again. Just before crossing the inner gate, he turned
around one last time. The living room was presenting a macabre
scene where they were merging the flowers of the altar, the
blood and the cadavers, in the funeral light of the drifting
souls.
“You're running away, coward!”
A young man, a sabre in his hand, rushed towards Valm.
He surely wanted to conserve his ammunition, which was going to
make the battle more balanced. Valm went down to meet him.
“Bring it on, son of a heretic!” the Guard spat out.
He received the enemy with a large arc of his sabre and felt
the weapon cutting into the side of his target as far as the
navel. He made sure with a glimpse of the inflicted damage, then
turned around and walked away towards the gate number 0. The
ripped open man toppled into the void. Valm hurried. It should
not take a lot of time before the soul of his victim turn into a
monster, he thought, just before hearing a death throes cry
resonating at the floor below.
Some mechanical Bedohls were lying on the ground, covered with
blood. Val thought of the workers who must remain in the
workshop. He had never regarded the Bedohls as humans, but now
he had pity on them.
What happened next made him understand. He saw the mechanical
Bedohls gathering around their injured comrades and helping them
to stand up straight.
‘They are humans,’ he understood suddenly.
Alb had never managed to create artificial combatants. He had
made use of the Bedohls to insure his own escape.
With a tightened jaw, Valm went downstairs slowly.[/center]
#Post#: 959--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: February 19, 2015, 3:19 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]“Alb!” he yelled.
The old man had disappeared. Several false mechanical Bedohls –
disguised persons, not to lure the enemy, but their allies –
raised their eyes in direction of the Guard.
“Say to Alb that he can run away wherever he wants: I'll find
him and I'll make him pay for his treason!”
To align in front of the enemy mechanical soldiers which would
go fight in place of humans, here is the utopia which had
supported him until now... Despite the fact he was a soldier, he
had dreamt of a world where he would not have to fight. None
should ever discover this secret desire.
Their hands moved apart as an apologize gesture, the Bedohls
answered with their own disgusting language.
“Be quiet!” Valm intimidated them, exasperated on how they were
informally talking to him.
The memory of Kush, going back up from the workshop through the
gate number 1, imposed on his mind. What could she do over
there?
“They're in the living quarters, Valm!”
Suddenly back to the present, he raised his eyes. One of his
men had popped his head, covered with blood, around the inner
gate number 0.
“The summoners, hurry...” he continued, before falling to the
ground.
‘Kush!’
The living quarters were similar to a labyrinth of corridors
which led to bedrooms. This was the most protected place of the
base. How could the enemy have accessed it?
‘Alb...’
According to Valm, only Alb could have led them as far as
there. Blinded by rage, he headed towards Kush's bedroom.
A long-haired enemy, probably a woman, was progressing towards
the end of the quarters while leaning on the wall. She appeared
to be injured. Valm slipped behind her, put the point of his
sabre on the neck of the enemy and pressed: he felt his spinal
cord yielding to his sword. Then he trampled the cadaver and
kicked her in the ribs.
A very cruel act, he was completely aware of it. The battles
were applying their influence on him. The wrath and the
resentment of the slain were spreading along their souls.
“Protect me, Luchera!” Valm exclaimed while setting forth in
the corridor at the double.
At the height of the battle, only one who retained his
composure could hope to survive. And he had to remind himself
when he would meet Kush. He had to be Valm, the Guard she was
admiring and loving.
The quarters of the summoners were located in the core of the
labyrinth. Ten doors opened onto their corridor. Kush's one had
the number three. Arrived in front of the bedroom of the young
woman, he froze. Since he had walked into Kush and Ifahnal back
there, the situation had deteriorated.
“May I talk to vous?” she had asked.
“Later. My men are fighting.”
“Really?”
“Stop right now, this is not the time!”
Valm gritted his teeth and hit his head against the door. Any
fortress could fall if his commander had his mind filled with a
woman. No need for a traitor for that.
“Give me a chance to redeem myself...”
He hit the panel board of the door, three times, according to
the agreed pace. The dial lighted up. On the other side of the
partition, a bell must ring out. But nobody reacted to it. The
enemy had not reached this place yet, however the smell of death
was already present. A metallic combination of gunpowder and
blood, with the sweet touch left by the souls.
‘Kush...’
He hit the board again, only one time. The door did not move.
Nobody replied.
Valm passed by the doors numbers 4 and 5, and stopped before
the number 6. Ifahnal's bedroom. He knocked on the door and
waited. And then a ball rolled towards his feet.
‘A bomb.’
His first reflex was to send it back with a kick, but he feared
that the impact would activate it. He jumped backwards and ran
for his life. After the door number 10, the corridor formed an
elbow to the right. Valm had barely the time to turn and to pin
against the wall. The racket of the explosion did not suffice to
drown out the surprise scream of Ifahnal. He had opened the door
one second before the detonation. Valm swore and left his
hideout.
The enemy was standing on the other end of the corridor, close
to the door number 1, and was progressing towards him. His sabre
in his hand, Valm rushed towards the enemy. When he passed by
the door number 6, he shouted: "Close it!"
He was facing three combatants, which were moving in single
file. The corridor, narrow, was slowing down the progression of
the invaders. The head man, a brown-haired teenager, fired a
shot. Valm immediately dove in order to avoid the bullet, rolled
and stood up straight. His run-up led the point of his sabre
against the throat of its opponent. He sliced it without
hesitation. The two comrades of the dead one were even younger,
and not really determined. Valm, covered with sweat and blood,
read fear in their eyes. The second in the line froze, and his
comrade bumped into him. Both of them lost their balance. Valm
squatted, took the weapon of the dead, and fired. The bullet got
through its target, and also hit the last enemy. The two
combatants fell down. One where he was standing this instant,
the other several steps further.
“I can't manage to close the door, it's broken!”
In a panic, Ifanahl hurtled into the corridor. The scenery he
discovered made him grimace.
“Evacuate!”
The summoner did not move.
“Where is Kush?” Valm asked. “She doesn't reply when I knock on
her door.”
Ifahnal stole a glance at his own bedroom then, awkwardly,
stroked his chin before inviting the Guard to follow him.
The room was square and not lovely, its walls had been let
bare. The occupant of the room appeared to be less preoccupied
by the decor than by his look.
“She is in the back. But be careful... To be honest, I need to
talk to you, before...”
Valm saw the four-poster bed hidden with a screen and hurried
to it.
“Kush!”
He moved the screen aside with a kick and discovered the young
woman, half-naked and asleep.
“Valm, wait...” Ifanahl spoke. “I only know this method...
There exist other ones, but I have not been taught to use them.”
The Guard turned round and sent his fist into the face of the
summoner, who fell down on the ground. Then he caught hold of
Kush's shoulders in order to shake her. She opened partway her
eyes and smiled frailly.
“What happened to you?” Valm asked.
She did not answer. He tried to have her sit down and noticed
her glassy look.
“What the... Kush?”
“Valm!” Ifanahl shouted.
The concerned one turned over and discovered that the enemy had
got into the bedroom. An enemy he thought to have been
eliminated.
The attacker brandished his sabre above his head. Valm was
unarmed, and if he parried the blow, there was a good chance
that the sword hit Kush. He took his decision and bent his
knees. He had the intention of bumping into his assailant. But
he did not have the time to do it: he saw the head of the man
toppling in a blood geyser and rolling on the ground. The body
hit Valm before falling down. In the frame of the door, a
"mechanical" Bedohl rewound the rope he had just used,
apparently proud of itself.
Ifanahl stood up straight and spoke to the Bedohl. He was
talking to it in the disgusting language of the creature. Then,
both of them skirted Valm in shock to get closer to Kush. They
stood up the summoner and had her sit down on the bed. She
appeared to be still spaced out. When the Bedohl slapped her,
Valm wanted to go for the throat of the impudent one. But
Ifanahl grasped the waist of the Guard and held him back with
all his strength. After a second slap, Kush opened her eyes. The
Bedohl took off its glasses and mask, revealing a hirsute head,
vaguely familiar.
He was a part of those who always supported the palanquin of
the young woman. He said something, and, to Valm's utter
astonishment, Kush answered him. But she did not do anything to
cover her bare body, and did not have a single glance for her
paramour.
‘I am the only one to not understand what is happening.’
He felt his strength leaving him. But a dark feeling,
possessing his own train of thought, was starting to bubble up
inside his heart.
'O Sloan, who should I kill first?'
He tried to convince himself that the battle was ruining his
mind, without great success. Finally, Kush turned towards him.
He read astonishment, then confusion on her face. She hastily
wrapped her chest and smiled perfunctorily.[/center]
#Post#: 969--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: February 26, 2015, 10:25 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 13
---
The island was still far away, and even Tidus was not sure if
they could reach the coastline. Their shark had run out of
strength. It was floating on its back, stomach facing the sun.
Tidus and Yuna were holding a pectoral fin and were talking to
each other above the monster. The pyreflies which were escaping
from the corpse were skimming Tidus before being carried away by
the wind.
“The scavengers should be here soon to devour it,” Yuna
presaged while chattering. “We must move away.”
The air was sweet, but the two of them had already spent too
much time in the water. They were frozen and exhausted.
Tidus acquiesced and firmed his grip on the fin. He pulled up
his knees to his chest and pressed his sole again the side of
the shark.
“Let's go.”
After a deep breath, he pressed on his legs and let go. He
jumped backwards, and then started to swim towards the island.
When he turned over Yuna, he saw her talking to the cadaver of
the shark. Tidus whistled and waved to the young woman so that
she joined him. She nodded and said farewell to their mount. He
watched her coming closer slowly, swimming the breaststroke, and
then they headed towards the island.
The water was still deep.
He was gazing at the progression of Yuna, who was moving on her
back as of now. She was keeping a regular pace: she breathed out
on two phases, then at the third one she stretched her arm
backwards and breathed in deeply. He hoped that she could keep
up like this much longer. If he had to come to her assistance,
he wanted to keep his energy until the last minute.
“Keep going, Yuna!”
He talked to her when she breathed in, in order to not distract
her.
“Thank you!”
She smiled at him, lost the pace of her breathing and swallowed
water.
She started to cough and spit out the water, and Tidus
stretched his hand out to her. She was more tired than he had
thought.
“Sorry, I shouldn't have disrupted you.”
She was now standing plumb, but was struggling to keep afloat.
He placed himself behind her, passed his forearm under her chin
and started to swim while supporting her.
“I'm sorry...”
“Don't worry. It’s easier like this, right?”
“Yes, but I'm feeling guilty.”
“I told you not to worry, really!”
“Do I remove this?” she suggested while showing her large
dress. “I have a swimsuit under it.”
The item of clothing, which was floating around her, hindered
her movements sometimes. It was starting to get in his way too.
“Sure.”
“Don't watch!” she said with a singing tone.
“All right.”
He averted his eyes. During a few moments, he felt her
wriggling under his arm.
“Okay, I'm done!”
When he lowered his eyes, he discovered the back of Yuna’s
neck, her dress rolled into a ball on her chest and her pale
legs outstretched on the water’s surface.
They remained silent a moment. Then:
“Those monstrous sharks,” the young woman began, “there are
none around Besaid. We must have moved far away from our
island.”
“Or maybe the storm dragged them away from their territory,”
Tidus objected.
“And they would have lost their way near Besaid?”
“Yes, I think so. I wonder if we were that far away when we
sank. It was dark, and then, with the morning mist, we might
have not noticed the island.”
“Do you think it's Besaid we're seeing right now?”
“Yes, but you know it better than me, so if you say I'm wrong,
I trust you.”
He pivoted so that Yuna could see the island.
“The shape is familiar, but something is wrong.”
“What?”
“The water is very cold. It's strange.”
“Yes, I've also noticed,” the young man conceded.
And this detail was worrying her. On the shallows which were
surrounding Besaid, the water warmed up fast. But in the present
case, her feet were freezing.
“You know...” Yuna began with a hesitant tone.
“Yes?” Tidus encouraged her.
“We're not getting closer to the island.”
She was right. They had swum in a straight line towards their
destination, but Tidus had the impression of following a very
different way.
I do not have a good feeling about this...
Was the current making them drift? If the movement of the tides
was added to the equation, the danger was even more apparent. He
stared desperately in the direction of the island. His right
arm, with which he was swimming, was shivering with fatigue.
He felt Yuna raising the one he had passed under her chin and
pulling out her head.
“Thank you for your help, I was able to rest. You'll move
easier alone, right? I'll manage.”
She had caught her breath.
“Okay. I'll go ahead of you?”
“Yes. It's better this way.”
She left her dress rolled into a ball and smiled at Tidus. But
she was appallingly pale, and her lips had blued.
“Let's go!”
He turned over in the direction of the island, which had moved
away again.
“Yes, let's go!” Yuna repeated behind him.
He assented and started again to swim, slowly.
He was wondering if, from now on, he could see the bottom. He
plunged his head into the water to check. But as far as he was
regarding, he was only meeting the darkness of the depths.
Exactly like the day before, when he had returned to the world.
He wondered if the ocean was going to engulf him afresh.
Was his destiny to dissolve in the darkness with his new
memories of Yuna?
No way!
He was sinking. He swam towards the surface and got his head
above water. The island seemed always far.
“Yuna...”
He was exhausted.
“Say, Yuna...”
Tidus turned over. He was alone in the middle of the water.
“No...”
He took a deep breath to plunge, but stopped himself and
whistled quietly. His throat and his lungs were burning him. His
stomach was heavy like lead.
"Okay, let's go!"
In order to save Spira’s population from Sin's rage, Yuna had
faced death, a smile on her face. Was it the same smile she had
worn while they were swimming?
She has not changed.
It was the same for the distance between the island and them.
Tidus felt overcome by distress.
I cannot do anything from now on...
He stared a last time at the so desired land. He wasn’t any
closer than before, but he must have been seeing it from a
different angle, because in the middle of the greenery, he
discovered an orange mark. It was the colour of the metallic
towers with which Besaid was dotted.
“Yuna!” he yelled.
He gathered his last ounce of strength and plunged into
darkness.
Yuna, Yuna, Yuna...
He was ashamed. Two years earlier, he had come into this world,
blown away by Sin and pushed by Auron, because Spira demanded a
metamorphosis, and he was expected to be the catalyst. Was it
the case again this time?
Spira is demanding me. No, it is Yuna who needs me. She wanted
to change, but she did not manage to do it. That is why I am
here.
He had plunged quite far under the surface, but did not see her
yet. He raised his head: the white dress was drifting gently on
the waves. He turned round and round and scrutinized the
darkness. Unlike water in Blitzball spheres, seawater was
scorching his eyes.
He was hesitating over coming to the surface. He beat his foot
and felt all his muscles tensing: they were screaming their
exhaustion.
He had already experienced this sensation during a match, at
Zanarkand. His body was going to freeze, he knew it.
In the middle of the match, he had slipped before the crowd of
spectators. He had been a member of the team for a few months
only.
No...
It did not happen. Only his experiences in Spira were real. The
Zanarkand he remembered was just a dream.
His chest was in pain. Was he drowning? Was he recalling a past
accident?
Impossible to say.
Dad...
The day he felt himself drowning for the first time, he had
called for his father, who had just put him into water so that
he would learn how to swim. Tidus had swallowed water a lot of
times before managing to wade into Zanarkand's waters. His
memories were becoming more and more muddled, but he was seeing
his father again, who was swimming like a fish, grabbing hold of
him and getting him out of water.
I am in pain, Dad. Help...
His eyes closed, Tidus was scrutinizing the darkness in order
to find his father.
He is not here any more.
He was mindful of being in the narrow space which separated
dreams from reality. If he let go, he could avoid suffering.
I am in pain...
His body was burning him, his legs especially. The pain was
real. His knees pulled up against his chest, in foetal position,
he concentrated on this sensation. He was seeing himself
drifting in the darkness.
Who is there? Who is coming closer to me?
He recognized a familiar impression, like the one he had felt
when he had arrived in Spira the first time, mixed with Sin.
He did not know any more if his eyelids were opened or closed,
but he was catching sight of a white shape.
Yuna?
It was really her, locked in a shadow: a black and shiny shape,
different from the darkness which was engulfing everything. It
had the shape of a man, five times bigger than Yuna. The giant
was holding the young woman in its arms and was coming closer to
Tidus.
Who is there?
He screwed up his eyes. He was suffering. It was the reality.
The giant he was observing was his father. He was swimming like
a fish. In his right arm, he was holding Yuna. And in his left
one...
Thank you, Dad!
[/center]
#Post#: 975--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: February 28, 2015, 4:09 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 14
---
Valm dreamt of producing an aeon and becoming immortal.
He would live with Kush, and when the young woman would go into
the Farplane to flower there, Valm would fall in with another
summoner and would fight forever.
He had often wondered what Aeon Cores dreamt about, and how
their creature saw the world. He would never know it. He was
going to die like an ordinary man.
Gunshots had resounded behind him. A Bedohl in yellow, with a
clumsy walk, had appeared suddenly. Smoke was still escaping
from the barrel of the rifle he was tightening under his left
arm. Valm did not know how many bullets he had fired. In the
bedroom, everyone, except for the newcomer, was in a stupor.
Then the hirsute Bedohl insulted his comrade vehemently. Kush
stood up straight, screeched and fell again onto the bed. She
could not stand, Ifahnal had to support her.
Valm was going to faint. Kush was screaming, but Valm did not
want to answer her. She was getting on his nerves. As for the
high-pitched bawls of the Bedohls, they were wearing him out.
The owner of the rifle was vociferating, his right arm raised...
with no hand at the end. His stump was wrapped with a dressing
soaked with blood.
He has come to take revenge on me.
Valm's life against the hand of the Bedohl. In the eyes of the
Guard, the deal appeared to be hardly stable. Somehow like this
story of hell and flowers.
“How do you feel?” Ifahnal asked.
Valm would have wanted to tell him how his question was stupid,
but he could not speak anymore.
“Are you in pain?”
Valm was not suffering. His death was imminent.
He directed his regard towards Kush, paralysed by stupefaction.
Ifahnal was holding her in his arms. It was certainly one of the
worst viewings that the Guard could bring along with him in his
death, at the risk of turning himself into a terrifying monster.
“Ifahnal...”
Just a whisper, but it was enough. Without releasing Kush's
shoulders, the summoner leaned over to him.
“Send me in the world beyond. I don't want to go into hell or
become an affrayed creature."
“Valm,” Kush spoke, “I... I am sorry.”
“Summoner Ifahnal, who bears the name of the god of beauty...
perform the rite.”
“Valm...”
Kush burst into tears. He continued to ignore her. From now on,
this was the only way to punish her.
“Valm,” Ifahnal answered with a grimace, “you're mistaken.”
Valm would have liked to listen to the rest, but the night was
falling in his world. He closed his eyes.
He had to get rid of his regrets; else he would turn into a
monster. Hell was awaiting him. He had heard say of that in some
cases, if the deceased was too angry, Sending rites could fail.
He had to put himself in a favourable state of mind.
“Hurry, Ifahnal...”
“No!” Kush shouted.
Valm did not understand her reaction.
Why does she refuse me the ceremony? Does she want me to return
as a monster? To go to hell?
This is her who is punishing me...
He had taken on the name of the god of order, but he had let
himself get sucked into the chaos of passion. That was the
source of all his errors. His place was indeed in hell.
‘I wonder what kinds of tortures are awaiting me over there…’
Valm thought – whose real name was Bria.
(Note: Bria is the French name for Briah.)[/center]
#Post#: 976--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: March 7, 2015, 3:47 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 15
---
Yuna woke up on a beach, Tidus beside her. Lying on her back,
she was contemplating the sky. The light was strong, the sun at
its zenith. They had not fainted for a long time. A slight noise
made her head spin: Tidus' mouth was open and a little crab was
trying to enter it. She got rid of it then stood up slowly.
Thereafter, she caught hold of the young man under her shoulders
and started to drag him to a shady place. She was moving
backwards step by step, while encouraging herself in an
undertone.
The heels of the young man were digging two little furrows in
the sand.
Yuna was watching in turns these marks which extended as far as
the sea, the beach behind her and, beyond, the trees and their
shade. Without being discouraged, she kept hauling him.
Her back was in pain and the sun was burning her skin.
If only I had still my clothes!
She remembered vaguely having removed them...
Tidus moved:
“Ouch...”
Yuna stopped immediately.
“Are you hurt somewhere?”
“Yes, under my shoulders. It's you who's hurting me.”
She let go of him:
“Is that so? In that case, you'll manage everything by
yourself!”
“I'm not complaining. If I'm in pain, then I'm alive. Can you
keep hauling me?”
“My waist is killing me.”
“What a granny...”
She let herself fall onto the sand, close to him.
“May I, young man? I'm too old for this kind of stuff...”
The phrase "a gift of Yevon" crossed her mind, but she remained
silent. She used it less often from now on, but it was difficult
to get out of a habit learned during her childhood.
“Your shoulders must be suffering," Tidus noticed with
compassion.
She nodded to confirm it.
If he was like she remembered, he was going to go on with an
optimistic declaration.
“But a tanned skin is very pretty!”
She laughed.
“Indeed, and Rikku is a relevant example for this. But me, I'm
burning, and that's all. Without cream or sphere, I run the risk
to end up grilled!”
“Let's get ourselves in the shade then.”
“That's what I was doing, but an uncooperative person stopped
me.”
Tidus burst out laughing. Yuna ran her hand over her red
shoulder.
“That's great. "If I'm in pain, then I'm alive", isn't it?”
“I know a better way to make sure of that...”
He leaned over Yuna, who moved back.
“Hold on, young man!”
“Really? We're in the clear, don't you think that's a cause for
celebration?”
He came close to her once again, his lips deformed in an
exaggerated pout. Yuna giggled and pushed him away with a
finger.
“Someone may be observing us! Look at this orange tower, it's
like in Besaid.”
Tidus ceased to mess around and scrutinized the surroundings.
He was showing the beginning of a path which sank into the
interior.
“That's right, we can expect the Aurochs to show up
momentarily.”
“Yet, we're somewhere else. The landscape is the same, but some
details are missing."
There were neither wood pontoons, nor stakes where the ships
moored, nor rets stacked on the sand.
“The storm! Tidus exclaimed. It might have blown away
everything.”
“I don't think so. The bleach would be crawling with people.
They must be searching for us everywhere.”
Before leaving the village, she had advised Wakka of her
intention of getting on the Ace. Now, he must have been dead
worried. She shook her head:
“It's like Besaid, but it's a different island. I really wonder
where we are...”
“There's only one way to find it out. Let's go!”
[/center]
#Post#: 991--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: May 26, 2015, 12:08 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 16
---
They took the path towards the inland and quickly reached a
fork. If they were in Besaid, the right path would lead them to
the ruins. But they struggled with a river they could have only
crossed by swimming. The two young ones considered having spent
enough time in water today and decided to turn around. They
climbed a steep slope, and then they took the direction of the
waterfalls' path. Thirsty, they were dreaming of the freshwater
falling from the cliff.
“It really does looks like Besaid...” Tidus noticed.
“That's right. Yet, something is strange. I can see remnants of
human occupation, but they evoke a people different from ours.”
She stopped to examine a stone statue on the verge. It reached
their knees and represented a man. But because of time and
elements, the details had faded and the back had disappeared.
“He has a beard and a staff. It's an old man,” Yuna said.
“A High Summoner?” Tidus suggested.
The young woman shook her head, as she was not convinced. They
stood before the statue for a few moments, but did not discover
anything about it. They set off and felt soon the atmosphere
culling off. The rumble of the water finally reached them. They
rushed forward at the double, while betting on the one who would
get there first.
The waterfall's path reached a cliff, in a place where a river
was throwing itself into the void. The air was always fresh
here, even in the middle of the hottest day. Of course, the
description matched Besaid's one. But this unknown island did
not disappoint them.
Under the thin rain, Yuna raised her face and opened her mouth.
Tidus imitated her.
“It feels so good!” the young woman rejoiced.
The fresh water was dissipating the burning sensation on her
entire body.
“I feel like a new person,” her partner went further.
“Yes...”
“You think...” Tidus started, hesitant. “You think we've
drowned?”
“So we would be...”
“Dead.”
“I don't know, I never died,” Yuna answered.
Tidus burst out laughing. Yet, the young girl had not wanted to
mess around. A lot of factors allowed living beings to remain
after their death.
She was thinking about "Unsents" like Auron; the legendary
guardian who, two years earlier, had guided them during their
journey. Seymour and the Great Maester Mika had chosen this path
too. Someone greatly attached to this world could continue to
lead a life almost unchanged, and nobody would ever notice
otherwise.
Fayth, indispensable for every summoning, spent eternity
between life and death. Aeons, deceased who appear in the
hereafter, much like a good half of monsters; and even Sin,
could be considered as "incarnate spirits". Death had not
stopped.
When the young girl finished her explanation, Tidus appeared to
shiver:
“I prefer not to think about all of this. Let's say we're
really alive, and let's move on to something else!”
“It's you who broached the subject, but fine. What do you want
to talk about?”
“For example, what about what you remember? Do you remember the
shark, and our swimming?”
“Yes. I've seen the island, far away, and I've hoped it was
Besaid. Then, I've swallowed water, twice. I've spitted and I've
wanted to vomit. I've been in pain for a moment, and then...
nothing else.”
Tidus was looking at her, visibly tense. She smiled at him:
“I've woken up on the beach. I don't know what happened between
these two moments.”
He lowered his eyes and she wondered what he was thinking. When
he raised his head, his face was serious.
“I want to tell you something important: don't ever give up.
Don't sacrifice yourself for my sake. Living without you, I
don't want that.”
“I have something to tell you too.”
Her hands on her hips, she stared at him:
“It wasn't easy. It never was. But you saved me so many times
in the past and I don't want to call you for help anymore. I
lived without you, and I don't want this to happen again. Well,
I don't know what I'll do if it happens once again, but I'm sure
of something: I refuse to request help from someone who disdains
mine.”
“What are you talking about?”
“In the water, you were exhausted. And in the end, both of us
drowned.”
“I'm sorry.”
“It will take some time for me to forgive you.”
She shook her head so hard that her wet hairs fluttered around
her. Then she left in the direction of the village - assuming
they were in Besaid. Tidus followed in her steps whilst
whispering new apologies.
Yuna told him what was weighing on her, now she was feeling
better.
“And you, what do you remember?” she asked him.
“I had the impression that my father had come to save us. He
was huge!”
He spread his arms to illustrate his words.
“Maybe was it a hallucination,” he continued. “Anyway, we were
very lucky.”
For sure they were very fortunate. She decided to be grateful,
without trying to know more about this. Two years earlier, she
would have decided in a gift of Yevon.
“But this sensation, the fact that it's impossible for us to
say if it's real or imaginary...” Tidus continued. “I had the
impression I was taken back two years, when Sin took me here.”
She did not answer. After a few quiet moments, he started to
talk more loudly:
“What if it was the same thing right now? As if we were in
Besaid, but from an otherworld?”
“I don't know...”
“It's an otherworld, I'm sure it is!” he repeated.
Why not? After all, he had already witnessed a similar
situation, and it had taken him some time to understand it.
“In this case, can we go back home?”
The question seemed natural for her, but surprise was written
on Tidus' face. They were not in the same state of mind
apparently.
“I'm cold, let's move!” she declared joyfully, before setting
off.
If they were in Besaid the village should not be too far. They
just had to go through the ruins' path and come back down on the
other side.
She did not know if Tidus was right, but his theory had the
advantage to clarify a muddled situation.
They were walking in silence. Yuna would have wanted to comment
on the characteristics of the landscape, but Tidus was staying
several steps behind, as if he was upset. He had had to be
delighted to be with her in this world. Not forever, of course,
but until they find a way to return home. They could explore the
island, exchange caresses and kisses. He did not think about
those who were worried about them. He was not preoccupied with
this.
‘I thought he knew me better than that... I am always concerned
about others.’
“Look Yuna, it's amazing!” he suddenly exclaimed, lively.
She turned around, but he was showing a spot above her head.
She turned around once again and discovered a sparkling orange
tower.
“It's so bright... it looks like a brand new one!”
They were standing on the ruins' path. Yet, the construction in
front of them could have been painted the day before.
With a cry of surprise, Tidus rushed towards the foot of the
structure.
“That's from where Kimahri jumped!”
He was right. It was indeed the same place. But yet...
“Oh Yuna, it's working!”
He beckoned to her, and she complied. Closely, we could indeed
hear a slight whirring.
“I wonder what it's used for...” she whispered.
He shrugged to show his ignorance.
“What about the village?” he said suddenly.
He left at the double in the direction of it and she hurried
behind him.
Tidus was shuffling, waiting for Yuna.
In Besaid, the pass where he had stopped overhung the village.
A stele designed to protect travellers was supposed to be rising
at the edge of the path.
Yuna caught up with her partner and lowered her eyes. The
village was not there, but everything else here matched her
memories.
“Come over here!” he said.
He was examining a stone statue that rose in place of the
stele. It was depicting a young man, life-size, sitting on a
pedestal. Even if its details had faded through time, the figure
was still recognizable. The man who was represented had rather
thin wrists and ankles and...
“A chest!” Tidus noticed.
“It's a girl.”
“Her hands have disappeared, but I think she's praying, like
this...”
He turned talk into action. He guessed right. Yuna approached
the statue in order to examine it closely.
“She has wings,” Tidus said, now standing behind the statue.
“And look, there's an inscription on the base.”
Yuna came beside him.
“Let's see... Luchera,” the young man continued. Maybe the name
of the model who posed for this work?”
“Probably. I wonder who she was.”
“If people have erected a statue, she must have been famous,”
Tidus noticed. “On the island, and elsewhere. But I don't know
anything about Spira's history, so...”
Yuna was more educated than him about this point, but the name
"Luchera" did not ring a bell.
“Look!”
He was pointing at the place where the village should have
been.
"It must be what Luchera is looking at. And she's praying. That
means there's something down there.”
From where they were standing, they could only see a forest.
*
As Yuna guessed, they did not find anything special where the
village should have been standing. Hair grass and dense trees
constituted a forest typical of the southern islands, rustling
with familiar insects.
“It's the same island, yet different... I think you're right,
Tidus.”
“We must return to your world,” Tidus answered with a serious
voice.
“Why?”
“For a thousand years, machines have been forbidden by Yevon's
teachings, right? However, we heard the tower working. The
village doesn't exist, but the same goes for the shrine. What if
Yevon's teachings had not reached it? Not at that time, at
least.”
She nodded slowly.
“War was raging before the precepts, right?”
“Yes.”
“Rikku told me about Shuyin and Lenne. I wonder if we're in
their time. So we’re a thousand years back in time.”
“Hmm...”
“I don't ever want to find myself in the middle of fights. I
heard say that summoners were sent to the front.”
“Ah...”
Since he had started to set out his theory, she was only
answering with monosyllables. She was not able to think. His
words were frightening her, because he was most probably right.”
“Don't worry. There must be a way to return home.”
“Are you sure about that?”
If there was a way to return, she wanted to know it. Maybe
would it manage to appease her anxiety?
“If we can pass in one direction, we can do the same in
another. Like Sin. It picked me up from Zanarkand and has taken
me in your world, same goes for Auron. That must be why I saw my
father before our arrival. He wanted me to understand that we
could do the same thing in the other direction.”
Yuna thought his logic was a bit fragile, but she was grateful
towards him because he was trying to do his best to reassure
her.
“Thanks, that's kind of you...”
He appeared to be relieved when he saw her accepting his
reasoning.
“So let's go!” he said.
“Where?
“Well, we're going to explore the island to find a way to
return home.”
One of the vaguest objectives... but she could not find
anything better. Hence she followed in his footsteps.
*
They were climbing back up the pass when Yuna let out a cry of
exclamation.
“What's wrong?”
“This path, what is it? Where does it lead, since the village
doesn't exist? Lots of people must have passed through to shape
it!”
“I hadn't thought of that... It could just have been some
rambler? The place is kind of pretty.”
“You think so?”
“I don't know, it was just an idea.”
He may be right once again...
“Oh!” Tidus exclaimed.
He hurried into the hair grass.
“Come over here!”
He had found another statue representing an old man, which had
preserved more details than the previous one – this area was
certainly safer against the elements.
“He has a staff,” Tidus noticed.
“And a bag on his back.”
“He reminds me of O'aka!” he said while laughing.
She imitated him. O'aka XXIII was a merchant they had met
during their journey in Spira. People could see him in a lot of
places and he devoted himself to keep his business running.
“Maybe it's his island?” Tidus continued. After all, he was the
twenty-third... look at his staff!”
“It's not the same as the one on the other statue,” Yuna
noticed.
“Yes, this part, there...”
He was pointing at a little horizontal bar, near the hand of
the wrinkly. On one side a beak was engraved, and on the other a
big cat tail.
“This beak...” Tidus began.
He followed the drawing with his finger before pointing at the
direction indicated by the bar. Yuna only saw a clump of trees
with big trunks – certainly centenarian. Tidus rushed towards
them in order to examine them.
“Everything seems right, but I wonder what the meaning of these
symbols is.”
Yuna looked around her. The copse in question was no different
from the other ones. She cast her eyes over the statue again,
and tried to remember the one they had found earlier.
“Stay here, I'm going to make sure of something, I'll be back!”
She rushed forwards on the path, in the direction of the
waterfalls.
“Where are you going?”
“To find O'aka!”
They passed the statue of Luchera and took the road for the
ruins again.
The first statue designing the old man looked like the one they
had found near the forest.
“They took the same model and slightly modified his posing,”
Yuna concluded.
“But isn't it O'aka?”
“No. And we may never know who it is. But look, there, the
beak...”
It appeared that it was indicating the direction of the second
statue, near the forest.
“Let's go back and see!” she shouted.
And she left in all haste, abandoning a taken-aback Tidus.
“I didn't know you were so impatient, he said when he caught up
with her.
“I've spent too much time waiting.”
“I only came back yesterday… You could be gentler with me.”
“I would like to, but you spend your days complaining!”
“Fine, I didn't say anything…”
[/center]
#Post#: 1007--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: May 29, 2015, 4:17 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 17
They held a meeting in the shade of the trees standing in the
waterfall's path. Their priority was the meticulous exploration
of the island. Assuming that they would meet inhabitants, they
should show them they did not have the intention of doing
something bad. The two young people also agreed to stay on watch
and detect every hostile person, in order to take flight. If
they were parted from each other, they would meet on the beach
where they had washed up.
“I think that's all...” Tidus concluded.
“Those statues are intriguing me,” Yuna added. “If we find
another one, I want to examine it.”
Tidus acquiesced, and she resumed:
“There certainly must be someone living on this island. I hope
the populace is not hostile.”
“Same here. But even if they're hostile, they'll definitely
become milder when they'll see you.”
“Why?”
He pointed out Yuna's body. The young woman was only wearing a
black bikini.
“I think I'll never get used to seeing you wearing that.
It's... arousing. I hope you won't be mad with me being so
frank.”
“Why do you sound so proud?”
He blushed.
“To hide my embarrassment...” he confessed with a little laugh.
They started to explore the island in every nook and cranny,
without neglecting one path, even if it has just been traced by
animals. They found other statues representing some old men, and
all of them had a common trait:
“The staff always indicates dead end paths: A cliff that
overhangs the sea, a scree, a copse of trees too dense to go
through..”. Tidus summed up.
“That's right. I wonder if...”
“It doesn't make sense. Why not show us the path to follow,
rather than the obstacles to avoid? It would be more practical,
really...”
“But on such an island, people don't need signs. Therefore the
statues must be there for the foreigners.”
“Like us, for example? But if we follow the indications, it
leads us to a cliff. What are we supposed to understand? That
it's dangerous? It's a waste of time. Without taking into
account the fact that we could fall at night and break our
necks. What a deceitful old man!”
“Those statues would be there to waste visitors' time, or lead
them to fall from the cliff?” the young woman summarized.
“I would like to have a weapon,” Tidus declared.
“Clothes in my case. By dint of passing through the shrubs, I
scratched myself everywhere.”
“I'm afraid that those who could offer you their wardrobe would
prefer to throw us in the sea.”
“I think it's unlikely. I'm willing to think that those who
live there are friendly, and that the statues warn us of danger.
Maybe are they there to prevent kids from getting lost or
hurting themselves while they're playing?”
It was making more sense for her.
“Well it's clear now,” she continued. “In your opinion, where
can we find most people?”
“We've only found trees where the village should have been,” he
reminded her.
“Maybe should we forget the Besaid we currently know?”
“Okay, but at your home, inhabitants settled there for a good
reason, I guess.”
“The shrine has been built first, then the workers settled in
around it.”
“Why building it in this place?”
“To prevent Sin from destroying it.”
“But we've found no building on this island. Sin must probably
not exist in this time. If we've been taken back a thousand
years...”
She pouted.
“I don't know if we can be certain about this date.”
Tidus folded his arms and raised his eyes to Heaven.
“I'd like to return to the place where the village should have
been standing,” he said. “Is it okay for you?”
“Why?”
“This dear Luchera is intriguing me. Why is she up there,
turned to this specific place? I have the impression that she's
more important than the old man.”
“All right, let's go.”
They were taking, for the second time, a path which led
nowhere, when they noticed that another path broke away from it.
Without conferring, they held hands and hurried to it.
Yuna quickly discovered a piece of fabric fastened highly in a
tree. A little farther down the path they found a second one,
then a third one, and these hare and hounds led them deep into
the forest.
These fabrics had not been fastened at the same time. Some of
them were washed-out and ripped, whereas others, newer, were
green like the leaves.
“Over there!” Tidus shouted joyfully, every time he found a new
piece of fabric.
He was running from one to another without caring about the
branches which were smacking him. Yuna, in her case, wanted to
find clothes more than ever. The scratches on her body were not
painful, but irritating.
“You're lagging behind, Yuna!”
“I'm coming, I'm coming... she answered without enthusiasm.
Tidus stopped himself and turned around.
“Show a bit more enthusiasm: We're going to find someone soon,
and the solution to all our problems!”
‘He cannot be so naive!’ she thought.
Whosoever hid so carefully deep into the forest did not welcome
intruders with open arms.
“You know, Yuna, Auron told me one day that you were difficult
to read. However, your face reflects all of your emotions.”
She pressed her hands against her cheeks.
“Absolutely not!”
“I'm sorry,” he continued. “I've only be complaining since my
return. I'm too impatient.”
He opened and closed his mouth several times before resuming
with difficulty:
“From your point of view, I've disappeared for two years.
That's not insignificant... But yet, you've welcomed me as if we
had been separated the day before. I must thank you.”
As soon as I'm silent or tired, he thinks I'm mad with him and
he becomes angry or apologises. I would like him to stop talking
about this...
He must have read what she was thinking about on her face,
because he continued:
“I'll be done soon, but I wanted to tell you that I intended to
regain your confidence. And to do so, I must stop behaving like
a spoiled child. I must pull myself together; become a good man,
like Auron. Back then I thought he was a pain in the neck, but
now I know I want to be like him. And if I manage to do so,
you...”
She acquiesced, but she wanted to laugh. He could have put into
practice this resolution without saying such a thing, but he had
done it to be sure that she knows what efforts he was going to
produce.
What a child!
He was thirsty for recognition and safety, and she could not
ignore his lack of maturity. This is why they had quarrelled
several times while they had just met again.
Two years...
For two years, time had stopped for Tidus. Seventeen and
nineteen years old. Twenty and twenty-two. Twenty-five and
twenty-seven... For the moment their age difference was a
problem, but if they stayed together for a long time it would
fade away. He irritated her sometimes; despite everything she
had not changed her mind: she wanted to age by his side. This
was her will since their first meeting.
“What are you thinking about?” Tidus asked.
“Why?”
“You're smiling.”
“That's a secret...”
“Yuna!” he answered with a begging tone.
It was funny and moving.
“Ouch!”
He rubbed himself on the back of his head before turning
around. A balloon, similar to a blitzball, was rolling slowly at
his foot.
“I wonder who its owner is...” the young man was taken back
whilst looking around him.
He took a step forward to pick up the object, and Yuna felt
tears stinging her eyes. Her legs were shivering. She squatted
and folded her arms around her shoulders. She was suddenly
overwhelmed by an unbearable sadness.
A powerful roar sounded through the air, and the young woman
was thrown backwards. An object fell beside her. No, not an
object... it was Tidus. His face was showing an expression of
surprise. But only his head was visible, his body had
disappeared.
Yuna lost consciousness.
*
Think of him. His name is Tidus, right?
An unknown voice was murmuring in Yuna's ears.
"Yes," she answered. "And you, who are you?"
I am... In this world, I may consider myself as a divinity.
"A god?"
The voice carried on after a silence:
Do not worry about me. You must only think about him.
"Okay."
It was an unfortunate accident.
"Excuse me?"
You do not know what happened, right? Tell me more about him,
please. How did you meet?
"It was the day I became a summoner. It was the first time I was
establishing a link with Valefor. When Tidus appeared, I knew
immediately that he was different from the other men. No... I
think he is a very normal man."
Tell me more. How much do you love him? Think about it.
"Okay."
Are you crying?
"I remember the day when I realised I could not tell him my
feelings."
Think about happy moments, if there was any.
"Very well."
I will now use some of my magic, but it will not be easy.
"I understand."
I cannot erase your memories, only seal them. However, something
may release them. Do you understand?
"Yes."
Great. Let us resume: you met him the day you became a summoner,
then what?
Every moment spent with Tidus spread out in front of Yuna, and
all of these memories flew past her like grains of sand, and
into a tight fist.
"Whose is this hand?" the young girl asked.
Her question did not find an answer. The owner of the fist was
hidden in the darkness. However, Yuna's mind was certain:
This is yours.
She grabbed it and put it against her cheek.[/center]
#Post#: 1057--------------------------------------------------
Re: ~Eternal Cost~: French to English Translation
By: CrystalOfLies Date: July 11, 2015, 9:05 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 18
“Yuna? Yuna!”
Someone was shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw
Tidus, leaning over her. She did not recognize the ceiling above
him.
“You scared me,” he sighed. “You weren't responding at all; I
thought you were dead!”
“Dead?” Me or you?” she asked.
A searing pain immediately manifested itself inside her head,
and she held it in her hands.
“You all right? You must have hit your head strongly,” the
young man declared.
She was not able to remember why she had asked this strange
question about their possible death. She appeared to have a
feeling about something atrocious related to Tidus, and about a
will to save him...
“I have more than anything the impression that I cried a lot,”
she answered.
He lay beside her.
“Me either, I don't remember what happened, but I'm hurting all
over.”
“We've found rags in the trees, and we've thought they would
lead us to a village.”
“I remember now. We've wanted to explore the forest Luchera
seemed to protect, and we... uh? I can't remember.”
She searched inside her memories, but only found a vast
sadness.
“I ran after something,” Tidus said.
Yuna stood up straight very carefully, in order to not awaken
her headache.
“We must stop thinking about this,” she declared.
“Easier said than done. It's coming to my mind continuously.”
“It's because we're stuck inside this little dark room. Let's
go out!”
She took the time to look around her: the walls and the floor
were made of stone. A filthy smell was making her nauseous, but
she did not know if it was coming from the room or the air
itself. She got back on her feet slowly, and noticed she was
dressed. She examined her new green dress, ornamented with
geometrical patterns on the sleeves and the hem.
They went out and found themselves in a hallway with a tortuous
floor. They saw other places, similar to the one they had just
left. The place was dilapidated, and they found no clue about
its function. As they were exploring, the smell, still strong,
was making Yuna retch more and more vehemently.
They had no idea about the path to follow or what they were
about to find there. Yet, they had to run this risk.
“But what smells so bad?” she ended up asking. “I have
difficulty in breathing.”
“This is a very ancient smell. Don't be offended, but I smelt
something similar the first time I entered the temple.”
“In Besaid? But this is my home!”
“That's why I asked you to not be offended. You always smell
good, and I got used to the smell of the temple.”
She understood quickly that he was right.
“It's like the cloister of trials,” she noticed. “In Besaid, it
leads to the chamber of the fayth, at the end of the temple.”
“But of course, that's right!” Tidus exclaimed.
Yuna, in her case, found every conclusion premature. Finding
similarities with a place she was familiar with was appeasing
her, but there were some differences too. The mysterious
corridor was much bigger than the one in Besaid. They turned on
a corner, and the impression of familiarity vanished
immediately: this corner should not have existed.
“It's too big, no?” Tidus asked.
“Yes. But if the hallway and the rooms from now on were
underground...”
Would the place correspond to the temple in her mind? She was
not sure about that.
“It's bugging me!” she exclaimed.
“What's wrong?”
“I don't understand anything! How are we supposed to return
home if I don't understand anything?”
“You're asking too much, Yuna.”
She felt anger building inside her, but he took her hand
straight away and resumed:
“I have a hunch that everything will be fine from now on.”
“Why?”
“Because people living here rescued us. They wouldn't have done
it if they had bad intentions.”
Still hand in hand, the young people pushed the door on which
revealed the hallway. It opened onto the top step of long stairs
which went down towards a huge circular room.
“Just like the temple in Besaid,” Yuna whispered.
“But they're not High Summoners,” Tidus answered while pointing
out at the stone statues lined up along the wall.
‘These people are all dead,’ Yuna thought without knowing the
reason. She was feeling Tidus’ hand holding hers strongly.
“Look, the statue of Luchera,” the young man whispered. “She's
so sad.”
“That's right. But why do you think that she's sad?”
“Because of all people who died here. The past of this place
contain so much pain...”
“How can we be sure about this?” she insisted.
“Someone wishes we understood him. Certainly the one who helped
us.”
“He may expect us to do something.”
“But what?”
“Let's look for it!”
“You're right. You'll find it, I'm sure about it.”
She gave him a severe look, but a smile stretched her lips when
she answered him:
“You sure are confident.”
“In you? Always!”
----------------------------------------------*-----------------
---------------------------------
Their unease vanished as they were exploring. They started to
examine the statues which were enlivening the circular room.
Each of them was perched on a base which bore an inscription –
probably the name of the represented person.
Tidus quickly noticed the old man they had already met on the
island. Supplied with a hat, a beard and a big bag, he was
wearing a staff in his hand. The beak and the big cat tail were
present too.
“That's not O'aka,” he declared while laughing.
He pointed out at the name engraved on the base:
“Anli, god of travellers. May you guide us on earth and on sea.
And look at this one!”
He sidestepped to reveal another silhouette. Half naked but
covered with an impressive armour, Luchera was holding a light
sword in her hand.
“Luchera, goddess of war. Give us bravery and wisdom in the
middle of the battle. Protect us with your outspread wings."
“Thus, this frail little girl watched over the place.”
Tidus hurried Yuna to examine the statues of the other
divinities.
"Kush, goddess of abundance, give us our meal and the family to
share it."
"Guard, protector of the Farplane, grant us calm and
explosion."
"Valm, god of order, give us stability.”
"Kanaela, goddess of the moon, protect us against darkness."
"Sloan, god of vengeance, appease our resentment."
"Meiyoh, god of the sun, steep us in your light."
“It's like tales and legends. Or when we say: Victory smile
upon us’.”
“Yes.”
Never would have Yuna thought that people had worshipped gods
in the past. The only prayers she was aware of were reserved for
High Summoners of Yevon or for the fayth who lay dormant in the
holy of holies. Sometime, she had turned to the old man who had
provided guidance to Yevon during its learning.
“Maybe people worshipped divinities like these ones before the
diffusion of the teachings.”
“And Yevon would have supported that?” Tidus asked.
Then, while imitating the voice of the Great Maester Mika, he
exclaimed:
“I forbid you to pronounce those names!”
It seems that Tidus was the only one able to imitate him in
this way, Yuna thought. He had a gift for that.
“Look at that!”
The young man was showing a large plate on which were written
columns of text.
“It's the list of the Guards of the summoners,” Tidus declared.
Yuna felt her pulse beating faster.
“"Summoners" is written on this plate?” she asked.
“Come look for yourself.”
She came closer and the young man resumed loudly:
"Valm, Sloan..."
“Aren't they god names?” Yuna asked.
“Yes, but I'm just reading what is written here.”
The young woman pouted.
“And this story about summoners,” she resumed, “what does it
mean?”
“Summoners and their Guards – their guardians? - must have
lived on this island and worshipped these gods.”
“But summoning is a technique of Yevon.”
“Maybe that's where you're mistaken,” Tidus answered with a
pensive air.
He appeared to feel uncomfortable.
“Remember, this technique appeared way before the teachings and
the foundation of the Church,” he continued. “You told me about
of the story related to the war between Bevelle and Zanarkand.
Summoners lived at that time, since Yevon sacrificed them...”
“Another point I hadn't thought of. In my mind, Yevon had
created fayths, but I was wrong. I feel like a fool. If I had
pondered for a few moments, I would have understood that.”
“It's because you've been raised with these faiths. After the
war, the Church has certainly extended its power all over Spira.
Nobody could be at variance with them anymore.”
She thought of the Al Bhed, which didn't follow the teachings,
and of the bad treatment they had had to endure.
“This place sends shivers down my spine,” Tidus declared. “Let
get out of here, okay?”
Yuna acquiesced, and her partner headed for what should be the
big door of the temple in Besaid. The young girl was about to
follow in his footsteps when she surveyed the tiling.
Summoners have treaded upon this floor...
And summoners mean fayths.
“Come, Yuna.”
“Wait, I would like to check something, but we must retrace our
steps.”
“What's on your mind?”
“I wonder if the fayth is still here.”
“That's possible. In this case, you could use summoning...”
“Yes.”
“Splendid! But wait, if the war is still raging, you run the
risk of being involved with it.”
“No, I don't think so. I won't let it happen.”
“So... Where is the fayth? Do you have an idea?”
“If he's close and willing to provide me a summoning, I should
be able to feel his presence. But right now, I can't.”
“He must be in a farther place,” Tidus concluded.
But Yuna was thinking of another possibility: he may not be
prone to meet her. Few people knew that when it came to
summoning, the initiative was not the job of summoners, but
fayths.
“You're right, yet,” she answered. “he's not here. His chamber
must be located at the end of the hallway, quite near the room
where we've woken up.”
“Let's go!” Tidus said.
He set foot on stairs which connected the circular room to the
corridor.
“No, wait!”
“Why?”
“Before that, I want to know more about this place. We're not
in the world of Yevon, and...”
Yuna seemed to look for words. Tidus waited.
“Summoner and fayth must establish an intimate link,” she
continued. “Many ways exist to do so, even according to the
teachings, and the method may be different, depending on the
fayth...”
Tidus put his forefinger on Yuna's lips:
“I understand. You're scared?”
She nodded slowly.
“Then let's forget that. I don't like this story about intimate
links. What if the fayth was a man?”
He forced himself to laugh but without any real feeling.
Her eyes aiming at the top of the stairs, Yuna sighed. Never
would have she thought that she would fear a summoning. She had
not practiced for two years. During this period of time, she had
changed. She knew that if she failed the aeon could devour her
mind. She did not want to run this risk anymore. Fear was
tormenting her. But did she have the choice? She was just
starting to foresee a way to go back to her world.
Tidus opened a door located under the stairs, on the left. The
number 1, barely visible, was written. In Besaid, it led to the
cells of the monks.
They were making out an inclined plane which sank into the
dark. They could smell a strong metallic scent.
They crossed the threshold and perceived a slight vibration.
Yuna remembered the mechanic tower they had heard work on the
path of the ruins.
They arrived in a room even more vast than the one they had
just left. The place was overflowing with unknown machines,
positioned around a long table and a single chair. Furniture was
crumbling under a piling up of tools. Everything was covered
with a thick coat of dust, except for a narrow strip on the
floor.
“These machines were used to build other ones,” Tidus
whispered.
“It's a workshop,” Yuna acquiesced.
Shinra had told her about those "workshops" or "factories".
According to the boy, the ancient world must have been
overflowing with places like this one, judging from the number
of machines it had bequeathed to them.
“What a smell!” Tidus grimaced. “Let's take a quick look and
let's go out of this place. Look, there's a door at the end.”
He rushed for it and opened it without hesitation:
“I've found... beds!” he announced. “Bunk beds. The room is
huge. A hundred people could sleep there. But there such a
stench prevailing in this room!”
He closed the lead with a pout of disgust and met Yuna. After a
brief overview of the room, he pointed out another way out:
“This way!”
---------------------------------------------
*--------------------------------------------------
“Come here, Yuna.”
A simple glance in this room had been enough for Tidus to
understand its function: it was an armoury. He did not know what
was supposed to happen in the future, but he could not let
escape such an opportunity.
Three walls were hidden by shelfs which were displaying all
kinds of swords. They entered and discovered points of arrows,
top of weapon mallets and blades of axes. Yuna assumed that the
handles, much as the other parts made of wood, had
disintegrated.
“Everything is rusty, but we can still use some of these
weapons,” Tidus noticed.
He was holding a rapier in his left hand and let his right one
hanging around the shelfs, as if he was looking for a specific
object.
“You should choose a weapon,” he recommended to her. The young
woman was not delighted at all by this, but a weapon may indeed
be useful.
“Ah, that's it!” Tidus exclaimed.
He was brandishing a little cobblestone.
“This's a whetstone,” he explained. “We must get rid of this
rust.”
“You've done it before?”
“Never. But it must be like with kitchen knives, right?”
“Probably.”
They spend half an hour gathering and preparing their arsenal.
Tidus had chosen a double-edged rapier equipped with a
bell-shaped guard, and Yuna a dagger. It was a light weapon,
with a magnificently polished handle. The young woman wrapped it
in a long strip coming from the hem of her dress.
“There you go!” Tidus exclaimed joyfully, while brandishing his
rapier.
But he was already frowning.
“Something's wrong?”
“I got carried away. In my opinion, I've sharpened it too much.
I didn't know rust could penetrate the blade. I thought it was
superficial.”
“I see...” Yuna answered, who was ignorant of this too.
She was anxious, because she was used to buying or receiving
weapons, but that was not the case for assembly.
“I hope we won't meet anybody,” she added.
Me neither.”
------------------------------------------
*-----------------------------------------------------
They left the armoury and, for lack of rooms to visit, went
back up to the circular room.
“Over here, now!” Tidus declared lightly before opening the
door located under the stairs, on the right.
Yuna read the number two on it.
The lead was jammed: the young man had to pull with all his
strength to make it move.
“So, what's in there?” he continued.
Yuna was recognizing him well right now. When he was anxious,
he adopted a playful tone.
“A refectory, I would bet my life on it,” he continued. “There
are long metallic tables and chairs. And at the end, it seems to
be a kitchen. You want us to explore it?”
Yuna shook her head. She understood that her partner wanted to
postpone their meeting with the fayth, and she appreciated it.
But they had waited long enough. She turned towards the top of
the stairs:
“Let's go.”
Tidus got in her way:
“Don't you want to breathe fresh air before that?”
Obstinate, she shook her head even more.
[/center]
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