Writings of an Owlmoose

Summary: A chance meeting between two of Spira’s greatest warriors — Nooj the Undying and Sir Auron, the legendary guardian — will change the course of history.

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Death Shall Have No Dominion

Chapter Nine

When Paine woke the next morning, she was alone. Nooj had left at some time during the early hours, and she had neither heard nor felt his departure. As recollections of the night before flooded in on her, she had a moment of uncertainty. Had she done all she could to reassure him? On the whole, she could think of nothing else which would have made things better. She was not ready to burden him with an admission of her love, not so long as his true passion was for the spectral being haunting her dreams. She shuddered at the memory of the nightmare and, pushing the image aside, began to ready herself for a busy day.

-X-

Nooj was disgusted with himself. What in Ixion’s name had he been thinking to whine and mewl like an infant the night before? Paine must think him too despicable to be near. He tortured himself with memories of what he had said and made a firm resolution to stay away from personal contacts when he was overly tired or depressed.

He had bathed and dressed, being careful not to disturb his sleeping lover, and was now on his way to the bluffs and a strategy meeting with Auron. Would Paine be there? With all his being, he hoped not. He was not at all certain he could face her.

There had been no definite time set but, knowing Auron, Nooj guessed the guardian would be up early and eager to get their next moves set. Thus the young Warrior, in an effort to impress his hero, was on his way to the rendezvous just as the sun made its presence known in the eastern sky. He did not take any of the easy ways up, preferring to punish himself for his childish behavior the night before by forcing his body to make the journey on foot, using the cane as a prop and lever.

When, at length, he gained his goal, he was surprised to notice he was not the first one awake and bustling around the headquarters area. The smell of cooking reminded him he had not eaten, so he turned his steps toward a table in the space before the main tent where a breakfast buffet had been set up. To his relief, he recognized no one in the vicinity. Most seemed to be Al Bhed men with a few women of that race busily serving whoever came up. Nooj remembered how clever a chef Gippal had proved himself to be during the desert exercises and wondered if all the Al Bhed had this knack for feeding themselves and others. They were an unexpected group of people, always displaying odd talents, most of them eminently practical. Now, if only he had bothered to learn a little of their language, he could surprise them in turn by addressing them in their own tongue.

With an inward tug at his mental leash, Nooj realized he was permitting his mind to wander undisciplined. He immediately lost his appetite when he thought again about his inexplicable statements to Paine. How could he have been so stupid? He resolved to take care not to let the moment repeat. He was a man, after all; no longer a boy to run crying to a woman’s lap when he was feeling sorry for himself. She should not have listened. If she had any concern for his dignity, she would have shut him up before he said all the things he said. And she should not have let him take her the way he did. If she had any dignity, she would have fought him off. He felt his face flame and his penis shrivel into his groin. What sort of a woman let herself be used like that? And enticed a man to say such pathetic things to her?

He stamped angrily off to the headquarters tent and flung open the flap. He would show all of them. He would sit here like a proper soldier and shame the late arrivals by his very presence.

-X-

As the tent flap opened, Auron looked up from his breakfast to see Nooj pushing his way inside. The young warrior looked first surprised, then oddly disappointed as Auron rose to greet him.

“Good morning,” the guardian said. “I didn’t expect you so soon.” Auron didn’t need much sleep, so it was rare for any of his living companions to wake as early he did. Also, he thought he’d seen Nooj disappear into the darkness with Paine. Anyone fortunate enough to spend the night after a hard battle in the arms of a lover was usually also smart enough to linger there as long as possible. Well, their relationship, whatever it might be, was not truly his affair. “I’m glad you’re here; it will give us an opportunity to talk without interruption. Have you eaten?”

Nooj shook his head. “No sir.”

“Well, then. No good trying to plan on an empty stomach.” Auron broke his bread in half and held the larger piece out to the other man. After a moment’s pause, Nooj took it, then nibbled on the crust. “Have a seat.”

Nooj was not ungrateful to have the opportunity to sit. The stump of his left leg was aching from the pressures of the climb up to this place. Somewhere in the depths of his mind, he was aware of the absurdity of his behavior this morning and the illogic of his thoughts, even though he felt himself powerless to correct them. As he settled his cane against the edge of the table, he looked closely at the guardian, who had returned to eating his own food. Had Paine told her uncle about his weakness? Would Auron now tell him, very kindly, to go away and play with the other ordinary members of the army? At once he corrected himself. That was not possible; Paine was likely still asleep, and she’d had no opportunity to talk to Auron.

“Thank you, sir. For the bread. I forgot to get breakfast.” He took another bite and reached for the mug of tea the older man pushed across to him.

“You have to remember to take care of yourself when you are responsible for an army,” Auron said mildly, casting a speculative eye on his junior.

Nooj encircled the bread and tea with his forearms and, assuming a air of alertness, waited for his leader to begin the session. “Yes, sir.”

“So.” Auron finished his tea, then set the mug aside. “What is our first priority?”

“More people, sir,” Nooj replied instantly. “The Crusaders we have are all fine Warriors, as are these Al Bhed, but if we are to take Bevelle — and that must be our ultimate goal — we will need greater numbers.”

“I agree,” said Auron. “Word will spread amongst the Crusaders, I am sure, and I suspect most if not all will join us. Yevon was never particularly popular in their ranks, not even in my day.”

Nooj leaned against the table, sipping at his drink. “True. But even if we attract every Crusader in Spira, it won’t be enough. We need the Al Bhed, sir. Not just for numbers, but for the war machina. I don’t think we can breach Bevelle’s defenses otherwise.”

Auron considered this statement and decided, reluctantly, that there was sense to it. He had hoped to involve machina as little as possible, but they were bringing a new world. If they were to ally with the Al Bhed, machina would be a part of Spira’s future. “Quite likely you are right. I am concerned, though, about relying too heavily on the Al Bhed and their machina, at least at first. To succeed, we will need the support of the common people of Spira. If I know Yevon, they’ll try to spin this as an Al Bhed plot. We need to show that for a lie by winning at least a few battles without machina.”

“I suppose you are correct about that, sir.” Nooj looked away thoughtfully. “I had thought to dispatch Gippal to his people as an emissary, but perhaps we should send most of them away for now. They can form the core of a fighting force and carry their people back with them, meeting us at Bevelle when the time is right.”

“That should work nicely.” Auron tapped the table with his free hand. “Do you have other ideas for gaining more fighters?”

Nooj nodded. “One other. Back before all this started, when my team and I first discussed turning on Yevon, Baralai suggested that many Yevonite loyalists might join us if they knew the truth. Accordingly, I propose sending him to Bevelle, where he can work for us from the inside, spreading information and recruiting.”

Auron lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “Alone? You really think he can take on such a risky task?”

“I do, sir,” Nooj said with a confident air. “Baralai is much stronger than he seems, in every respect, and he has connections within Yevon that will serve him well. There is no one I would trust with the job more.”

“Hm.” Auron reached for the tea and poured himself another cup, then raised the pot to Nooj, who pushed his mug forward. “It would be useful, to have someone planting the seeds of rebellion internally. I would still worry about forcing him into such danger, however.”

“I agree.” Nooj took a drink from his refreshed cup. “We should only send him if he’s willing. But I believe that he will be.”

“All right. Good work.” Auron saw Nooj lean into his chair, shoulders settling back with relaxed confidence at the words of praise, and he held back a smile. The boy would grow into his new leadership role in no time. “Now. We have settled what will happen once we reach Bevelle, but first we need to get there. Shall we discuss our next steps?”

-X-

When Nooj left the command tent after his conference with Auron, his head was buzzing with ideas as to how to shape the Crusaders into an even more effective instrument for defeating the Maesters. He and the guardian had analyzed the possibilities, and the older man had sketched a compelling picture of what victory would look like and how it could be won. What was more, Auron still expressed total confidence in him and seemed to take it as a given that he would assume the command of the Crusaders for the duration of the struggle. Nooj had made it clear that the Crusaders were not to have a leader imposed upon them outside the chain of command. He agreed to offer himself to the corps and abide by their decision. The one thing which had meant more than all the others was the fact that Auron had asked him for his opinion. The legendary leader and the great warrior monk had actually asked him — a broken former Crusader — for his thoughts on how to conduct a military operation. And what was more, he had listened! Nooj had been accustomed to the routine courtesies paid junior officers by those charged with training them but this? Auron had not only listened, he had included some of the ideas in the planning. It just might be that the guardian was serious in considering them partners, equals, in this enterprise. The younger man was inspired by the very notion and resolved to do his best to prove himself or die in the trying. He was unaware of the irony of his thought.

There were so many other matters to be dealt with, all of them important and exciting. He must choose a contingent of Crusaders to stay with the small core of engineers and the half-dozen or so war machina to hold the Mushroom Rock Road enclave. Less mature and battle hardened troops would do there since they would almost certainly not face an attack but would serve only to prevent any roaming villains from making trouble.

He must also make some time to bid farewell to Gippal and Baralai as they set off on their vitally important assignments. Auron wanted to march toward Djose early in the morning, so there was no time to be wasted. With a twisted grin, Nooj wished he had learned to ride a chocobo. It would be so much faster than hobbling along like the cripple he was.

During the planning session in the tent, more people had gathered around the headquarters area. Lulu was just putting her breakfast plate back on the table and turning to leave. Nooj remembered he had wanted to talk to her again and wondered if he had the time for that now. Then he saw Paine coming in his direction. That decided it. He was not ready to face her yet; he could think of nothing to say that would not set off a landslide of misunderstanding. He needed more time to think about their relationship, to find a way to regain her respect and repair the breach he had opened with his ill-considered confessions.

Deliberately avoiding Paine’s gaze, Nooj turned his back to her and set out to intercept the black mage.

“Lulu, are you busy?” He hailed her as she glided toward the edge of the heights. “I wanted to …”

“No, I’m free for a while and I’ve been looking for you. I saw a little of the battle at the end of the day yesterday. You did a splendid job. I didn’t expect you to be able to fight like that. Has the knife always been your weapon?” She laid a hand on his sleeve and looked up at him with admiring eyes which reminded him so much of Paine’s that his heart turned over.

“No, I was a swordsman before.” His gesture indicated his crippled left side. “My Al Bhed friend taught me to use the machina rifle but it’s too clumsy for close fighting. I hope you were safe through the day.”

Lulu laughed lightly. “I’ve learned to stay behind the lines like a proper mage. We do our best work when our minds are serene and we can concentrate on our spells. Oh, before I forget — while I was walking up here to breakfast this morning, I met a man, an Al Bhed named Aquelev. He told me he knows you well.” She patted his arm. “Did you know he thinks you can walk on water and command the sun to stop?”

Nooj blushed. He had not expected the conversation to take this turn. “He was one of my doctors after the Sin incident.” He was always reluctant to talk about those days.

“Ah, he mentioned something about that. He says he’s joining us. He and I may team up for a joint healing/attacking technique. I’ve wanted to get to know some of the Al Bhed better. And here’s my chance.” She, noting his confusion, mercifully changed the subject to another matter. “I see you and Auron have had a conference this morning. He’s placing quite a lot of trust in you. Make sure you don’t fail him. He’s not a man to give his confidence lightly.” A slight crease appeared between her brows.

Nooj hastened to assure her. “I am fully aware of the great honor he has paid me and I will not betray it.”

“Oh, don’t be so stuffy. I never thought you would. Auron is the best judge of character I’ve ever known. If he chose you, you’re worth it.” She rose up on her tiptoes and lightly touched his cheek before strolling away. “I’ll see you later.”

-X-

Paine stood at the edge of the clearing, unable to move. She had come up to the command center to find Nooj and some food. Both goals had been accomplished, but her breakfast congealed into a hard mass in her stomach as she saw Nooj notice her presence and then turn away. Her reaction to seeing him walk up to Lulu instead, and to the mage’s flirtatious gaze, and to his apparent adoration of her attentions, was visceral, a punch to the gut that robbed her of breath. Finally, she forced herself to turn away from the spectacle, her empty plate trembling in her hands as she clenched it.

What had she done wrong? Once again she went over everything she’d said and done yesterday and could find nothing that might have offended him. He had come to her seeking reassurance, and she had given it in every way she could. And they had connected on some deep, important level last night; Paine had been so sure of it. But maybe not, not if he could deny her by disappearing before dawn, then running to another woman.

Without real thought or purpose, she wandered away from the command group. Part of her wanted to seek out Baralai or her uncle, reach out for comfort, but that would mean explaining what had happened, and she didn’t want to go into details with either of them. Instead, she melted into the larger mass of soldiers, looking for some menial task to distract her mind.

-X-

Gippal had just picked up his mug of tea when he felt another body drop down on the bench beside him.

“How’d it go yesterday? I was up here and missed most of the fun.” Tidus spoke around a mouthful of bread.

“Like hell you did! I saw you mowing down monks like a harvester.”

“Yeah, but they were easy. I wanted to get some more Sinspawn on my kill list. D’you get hurt?”

Gippal shook his head scornfully. “Nah. They were no problem; just open a cage and blow off a head.”

“You think you could show me how to use one of those machina weapons? We, er, liberated a few yesterday, and I think it might be a good thing to know how to use them if I have to. You know what I mean?”

“I’ll be glad to. Auron wants to learn, too. Maybe I should set up a class and charge for lessons.” He grinned to make sure Tidus understood it was a joke. “Hey, when you finish eating, we’ll go to a place I know and I’ll let you practice with my pistol. OK?”

“Sure. I don’t think I have any duties right away. Push that meat this way, will you?”

They munched in companionable silence for a while until Gippal spotted Nooj leaving the command tent.

“Look there.” He nudged Tidus. “They’ve been at it already. That’s one reason I don’t want to be a general; you never get any time for yourself. Uh-oh, there may be trouble. Paine’s heading in his direction and he’s making a dead set for Lulu.”

Tidus put down his knife and peered at the pantomime taking place. “I thought he and Paine… is he trying to get all the women?”

Gippal laughed and slapped the table. “That’s our Nooj. They all want to mother him and he’s ready to let them for a while, just ’til they get in reach, then they’re lost. Whoa! Paine’s going the other way. I can’t tell if she saw him or not.”

Tidus turned back to his meal. “That’s a reason for being a general. You get your pick of the women. Do you think being that tall helps? Not that I care. I’ve got mine picked out.”

“Yeah, I kind of noticed.” At the other’s glare, Gippal threw up his hands. “I’m not saying anything. Not a thing. Hey, here comes Auron. He’s coming this way.”

Scanning the crowd, Auron found Gippal and approached the table he shared with Tidus. He had taken note of the easy friendship developing between the pair, which held a certain logic — Tidus, born and raised in a machina city, in many ways had more in common with the Al Bhed than with the children of Yevon. A part of him was sorry to see the two boys separated so soon.

“Morning, old man,” Tidus said with a grin.

“Tidus,” he replied. “You should head down to the beach; Yuna is there, looking for you.” As it happened, this was true; he had run into Lulu shortly after exiting the tent, and she’d delivered this message. But he would have devised some errand for Tidus to run in any case. He was not at all certain that he could be even adequate with the machina weapon and preferred to make his first attempt at using one without witnesses.

“Oh, thanks.” Tidus jumped up as he took one last bite of breakfast. “See ya, Gippal.”

Gippal raised a hand in farewell with a grin. “Later, man.” Then he turned his attention to Auron and stood. “So, you’re here for that lesson?” Auron nodded, and the two men strolled off together. “Okay, good. You have a gun?”

“I do not.” Auron glanced at the pistol holstered at Gippal’s waist. “Shall I borrow yours?”

Gippal shook his head. “Nope. Would you learn a new maneuver with someone else’s sword? This is the same. You need one of your own so you can get to know its quirks. Anyway, I thought this might come up, so I already swiped a spare that oughta suit you. I set up a shooting range not far away when we first camped here with the Crimson Squad. I’ll give it to you when we get there.”

“As you wish.” Auron could not argue with Gippal’s logic. Still, he felt a little queasy at the thought of claiming a machina weapon as his own.

It took several minutes for the two to reach the training ground. When they arrived, Gippal set down his pack and rummaged through it, eventually pulling out a heavy pistol. “This should be good,” he said. “Nooj uses one like this when he doesn’t want to carry a rifle. You’re big and strong like he is, so I figure you’d use a similar sort of weapon, but I also thought you’d rather start with something less conspicuous than the behemoth he usually lugs around.” He held out the gun, waiting for his pupil to take it.

Auron hesitated. He had spent a decade in Zanarkand, surrounded by machina, even using it as a part of his daily existence. But it had taken him years to get used to the idea, and there was something far more difficult about facing a forbidden weapon. Perhaps the younger Crusaders and warrior monks had embraced new ways, but he had served in another era, in a time when adapting to such changes would have been unthinkable. Willingly picking up this gun would mean making the final break with Yevon, with his life, with the man he used to be.

That decided it. Allowing himself no more time to think, he reached forward and took the pistol by its handle, the weight of the cool metal a surprise in his hand.

Gippal watched, his eye thoughtful, as the older man fumbled with the weapon, trying to figure out how to grip it properly. “You’ll do better with both hands,” he said after a moment. Auron glanced to his teacher with a slight nod, then pulled his left arm out of the coat where it normally rested and laid his other hand on the gun, both hands settling almost immediately into a more comfortable position.

“Okay, let’s get started.” Gippal led his student to the firing range, and soon the two of them were engrossed in the lesson.

-X-

Nooj saw Squab in the middle of a rowdy crowd of Crusaders. Ferata was not with him. Of course, there was no reason for the two to be always together. Squab was the archetype of the fighting man while Ferata had become more devoted to his healing studies as time passed. Seeing his former leader hesitating on the edge of the group, Squab quickly made his way to the man’s side.

“What’s going to happen now, Major? The men are wanting to know.”

“Can you call the Crusaders together? I’d rather talk to you all at once since you all need to know. Get Lucil to help you.”

Squab snapped into a salute. “Yessir! At once, sir!” He was off at a trot, beckoning and calling, directing the soldiers he passed into the central area.

Before long, the space in front of Nooj was packed with men and women in Crusader uniforms. Lucil led a sizable contingent with her as she came up to offer her services.

He returned her salute. “Stay here near me. I want as many senior officers as possible near the front. Will you locate those you can and send them this way?”

“At once, sir.” Lucil’s second salute was as impeccable as the first.

When the assembly was complete with Squab and Lucil at the fore of a group of seasoned officers, some of whom were familiar to Nooj, he stepped forward and raised his voice.

“Crusaders! You have fought well and triumphed over the enemy, both fiends and warrior monks. You have every reason to take pride in your skill and ferocity. Now, I must ask you: Are you decided in your course? Will you stay and continue the battle against the forces of Yevon, knowing you will be called traitor, heretic and worse by those who do not understand your choice? If there are any who have changed their minds, you may go now unchallenged and unharmed. We wish you no ill, but only those who are determined to be loyal to the cause of freedom may stay here from this moment on. Crusaders! Let those who have other loyalties go in safety.” He paused and watched carefully. There was a shuffling of feet and an stirring in the mass in front of him but no one made a move to leave.

“Crusaders! I repeat one more time. Any person who cannot give his heart and his life to the cause of the defeat of the Maesters must leave us now. You will go with our respect but you must go.” Again he paused; again there were no departures. “Then I must assume you are all with me and all are resolved to bring down the vile rule of the hypocrites and the liars.”

This comment was met with a resounding cheer and a general raising of swords and guns into the air. When quiet returned, Nooj continued.

“Now I must place another matter before you. You are all Warriors, trained in a rigorous discipline, subject to a precise chain of command. Now that you have chosen to fight on the side of the right, that chain is broken. You must make another choice. This time you have the right and duty to choose your leader, the one who will command you during this war. I have asked the senior officers among us to stand here with me. Will you choose one to lead you?” He stepped a pace back so that he was aligned with the others Lucil and Squab had assembled.

Almost before he had finished speaking and as soon as the sense of his words had penetrated the consciousness of his hearers, the chant began: “Nooj! Nooj! Nooj!” No other name was heard and the rhythmic cry grew louder and louder.

At last he raised his hand. “If you so wish, I will serve you. I will be your commander of title and will have at my side other seasoned professionals to advise and watch. I thank you for your endorsement and will not fail you. Now, I want to explain to you what we must do next.”

Gathering them with his eyes, he continued, “We will proceed along a variation of the pilgrimage trail, recruiting warriors to our numbers as we go. We need the people of our world behind us for we are not conquerors but liberators. We are fighting to free the people of Spira and part of our battle is to bring them the truth. We will be moving along the less traveled roads so there will be fewer rest stops and conveniences. You are each charged with the duty of converting to our cause whoever you can find in addition to your responsibilities as Warriors of the Good. To that end, I shall name honorable and proven leaders to guide you.

“Luzzu! You will have one of the most critical positions. A small corps of Crusaders will remain here to hold this post together with some Al Bhed and their war machina. You will command them and make sure this route stays open and safe for travelers. You will also attempt to persuade any fighting men and women who pass by here to join our army.”

Luzzu saluted. “How many troops am I to have, sir?” His usual phlegmatic attitude cracked just enough to show his gratification at the honor.

“Pick twenty. With the Al Bhed and their weapons, that should be enough.”

The man immediately began casting a glance over the assembled crowd, selecting those he wanted for his team. Behind him, the other experienced officers, deducing what was likely to come, mentally compiled lists of their own. The re-organization of the Crusaders would proceed along established lines and they only waited to be told their parts in the job. They had a commander and nothing would change more than was necessary so they were satisfied.

Nooj continued to assign responsibility to the various senior officers, directing Squab, Lucil and Beclem to apportion the remaining soldiers as seemed best to them and to name their immediate subordinates as they would. When he was certain all understood their duties and that order would be re-imposed before they set out on the morrow for Djose, he moved away to attend to some other tasks of his own. There was still much to do before all was ready and the day was well advanced.

-X-

“Nice!” Gippal grinned at Auron as two shots in a row hit the target near the center.

The guardian glanced at his instructor. “You think so?”

“Absolutely. But try standing with your feet further apart, that’ll help with the kick.”

Auron was about to acknowledge the suggestion when he was interrupted by the sound of shuffling steps coming up from behind, punctuated by a rhythmic thump that he had already learned to recognize. Both turned around to see Nooj approaching.

“Fine shooting, sir,” he said.

“Thanks.” Auron dropped the gun and only then realized just how tired his shoulders were. Once he had been able to drill with his sword for hours without stopping, but this standing still, arms raised in a fixed position, was taxing in an entirely different way. And his forearms ached from absorbing the recoil after every shot. He’d had no idea that fighting with firearms would be so physically exhausting. “Did you meet with the Crusaders as we discussed?”

The young officer nodded. “I shared our plans, then asked them to chose a leader. They have selected me, and so I will fulfill that duty.”

It was both the expected answer and the one Auron wanted to hear. “Good.”

Nooj took another step forward. “Sir, if you’re finished here, there is something I would discuss with Gippal alone, if I may.” He fixed Auron with a meaningful look, and the guardian immediately understood Nooj’s purpose in coming here.

“Well?” Auron turned to Gippal. “Do I pass?”

“You sure do,” said Gippal. “You could use practice, of course, but I think you’ll do just fine.”

Auron placed the pistol in its holster, then belted the leather strap to his leg, making sure to cover the weapon discreetly with his coat. “Thanks for your help.”

“Anytime, sir,” said Gippal with a smart salute. Auron chuckled, then turned away, leaving Nooj to begin the first in what would likely be a series of difficult conversations.

—

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