We started the trek back down to the Calm lands with a little higher hope than when we started. Now with a clearer understanding of how spells and skills work, the overall morale began to climb. The only set back was how long it took to learn how to use said magic, the frustration makes me gag. Upside, we gained a party member. Kyet has knowledge of most of the fiends we faced and killed. Musaki is using that knowledge to build a bestiary. This would come in handy as we progressed through Spira and into Midgard as well as Ivalice. Knowledge seemed to be the key to survival here. I can take on any new challenges if I have the knowledge of how the fight will play out.
For the return trip back to Cid and the crew, I split our group into tactical teams. Musaki was our Scout along with Esqueezeme. Hellfire and Kyet became the Vanguard. I maintained the role of tank so as to keep the fiends back while Musaki and Esqueezeme dealt with the support and Hellfire, with the help of Kyet, took care of damage. The hard part, was how many fiends they had to take down just to learn a new skill. Not to mention just having the corresponding knowledge for that particular skill they just learned.
Let try to explain, Just learning about a skill isn't enough. Take Counter for instance, I literally have to practice the movements of the skill multiple times daily in order to master it. I learned about Counter while fighting the squishy (Flan, my bad). The steps to the skill flooded my brain, now I have to skill, but not the immediate knowledge on how to use it. That's where practice comes in. In the military, we learned the hard way that repetitive use of the action we made, loading and unloading a rifle, gave us muscle memory. So to sum up, I had to repeatedly use the steps to the skill Counter until it was engrained in my very muscles. It's a bitch, but at least we won't be bored.
I sighed, Musaki was right, we suck. We used to be the top of the food chain with the Federation, the best of the best, an undefeated team of badasses that was sent to either fix or fuck up someone's day. Now, we are barely able to survive a single battle with a behemoth or even a Marlboro, the giant tentacle thing with god awful breath. The only consolation I had was the fact that weapons and armor were pretty decent for a country with little to no advanced technology. Small favors and all that. Musaki nudged me. "Captain, we are almost to the camp."
I nodded, letting her know I heard her. Esqueezeme rolled her shoulders and picked up her guns. "Nobody wishes, or prays. If we get jinxed again I'm going to shoot someone." I had to agree with her. Our luck was atrocious at this point. "We are still alive guys, we may have awful luck, but at least we can handle it."
"True, but Hellfire almost died. And I don't want to be next to him when he figures out how to use new magic spells."
With our luck, it just might happen too. He figured out how to engulf his fist in fire then punch, things now explode on impact from one of his punches. So much for the spear.
What if he figures out how engulf the spearhead in fire, oh God now I'm worried.
Miraculously, we made it back to the ship without any unexpected visiting Marlboro. Thank God.
When we left, the ship was nose first in the ground, now it sat on raised scaffolding that was built around it, picking the ship up off the ground. Newind was talking to one of the crew when we arrived. He looked like he was directing the rebuild. He had a blueprint in his hands and his javelin was strapped to his back. He looked up as I approached with Musaki. "Captain, Leftenant, I got her to stop kissing the dirt. I'm waiting for a supply line from The campgrounds. Did you find the ass yet?" I unstrapped my pack and tipped it upside down and the contents began to pile up. Musaki followed suit, dumping out her pack too. After the bags were empty we put the supplies from Dale back in them and reattached them to our belts.
"We returned early, I brought more supplies from the Ronso on Gagazet. The rest of it is in Zanarkand. According to their chief, we need to be stronger to fight the fiends there. So, we brought you more stuff and now, after a day of rest, we go back up the mountain." My men groaned. Hellfire sat down and stared at the dirt. "He's trying to kill us." Kyet chuckled. "Summoners make the journey to Zanarkand on foot until the eternal calm. This is nothing."
Esqueezeme glared at her. "How far was the longest journey?"
"Besaide island, on the other side of Spira to Zanarkand. Lady Yuna walked the whole way." Hellfire groaned. "I give, how does that work, how do you go from one side of a country to the other just by walking?"
"She had courage, had a strong heart, and an equally strong belief in guardians." Kyet walked away to stand near the entrance to our makeshift camp near the ship.
"New orders, Prince, you stay here with Kyet and Newind. We fought that Marlboro, but I have a feeling that isn't the only nasty lurking out here. Keep the crew alive." Hellfire saluted me in answer. "At least I'm not going back up that fucking mountain." I turned to Musaki and Esqueezeme, they were glaring daggers at me. "I'm going to be honest with you two. I don't expect us to come out of this next part whole. Expect it to get messy." Musaki groaned and turned away from me to find her tent. "I hate it when he says that." I watched them walk to the camp and whatever tent Newind had set up for them. I took a moment to look back at the mountain, I had a bad feeling about this. Something up there would be worse than that behemoth. I could feel it in the air. On the wind, a cry of rage and pain. I shivered involuntarily, whatever made that sound felt powerful, and whatever it fought, had to be stronger. I watched my own men glance around nervously at that eerie sound. I looked up at the darkening sky, nothing would ever be the same again. "If only you were here, Trillian." I headed in to the camp, avoiding my men and what remained of the ship's crew. I didn't have the strength to eliminate their fears and concerns at the moment. How could I make them feel better if I myself finally felt an emotion I was uncomfortable with? I finally understood fear, fear for my men, for myself, and I hate it. I made it to the larger tent of the grouping, Newind probably put it up for me. A cot was in the corner behind a screen. I shucked out of my gear and set my sword on the table. A tub was behind another screen on a different wall. Heated water called to me. I moaned at the bliss of the heated water as it wrapped around my large frame in the tub and leaned my head against the rim. My aching muscles finally began to loosen and the hot water lulled me into a relaxing sleep.
[I held my sword with one hand, it's blade was broken, part of it stuck out of a massive wound in the beast's side. I could feel the rage it felt for me coming off of it in waves. Musaki was on the ground, Her body crumpled in a bloody heap. Esqueezeme was slumped against the cliff wall, I could barely feel their hearts beating. My vision went red. And I ran towards the beast, raising my broken blade for the strike. The beast roared its challenge.]
I sat up in the now cool water of the bath. My body ached and was covered in sweat. I glanced around me, It was dark outside my tent. A breeze fluttered the opening. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Whipping around to find it's source. A ghostly white shadow of a bird floated before me. It's eyes were golden, and white flames danced along it's feathers. I knew it was gentle yet I could feel the pure white hot fury coming off the bird like a radiant sun. I couldn't speak, it was so beautiful in it's fury, I could only stare in awe as it spread it's great wings, and vanished like smoke. I heard a mournful cry, like it was singing to me. All my worries melted away with the song, I was at peace. I would climb that mountain and I would take down that beast, whether I lived or not, it would die.