The Legendary Guardian [Lightning]

[auron]

Even among the large number of uniquely dressed people, some armed and some not, the tall man in red, wielding a massive sword held calm and still over his shoulder, stood out by a great margin. Unlike the others, he appeared calm, collected, and seemed to have an aura of power and respect about him. He stood with both eyes closed, a vicious scar visible over his right and both partly concealed by circular glasses. He didn't quite know why he was here; perhaps to get a feel of what was going on in the world.

He was Auron, the legendary guardian of Braska, and of his daughter Yuna. The people of Spira knew and respected his name. To the people of Spira, he was one of their greatest heroes; who fought against Sin and lived to tell of the tale. The sound of an arriving ship to the docs of Luca drew Auron's attention. The weather was beautiful today, with a light wind kicking bits of seawater into the air, filling it with the smell and cool breeze of a seaside town. Luca had taken some damage when it arrived in whatever strange world it now resided in (Or perhaps where others had filled in?), but the city was still a sight to behold. The ship docked now, releasing its passengers to enter the moderately sized city to join the other residents or go about their way. And Auron watched, his calm, one-eyed gaze sweeping over the departing crowd, some of whom greeted him on recognition and others that looked at him oddly.

[Lightning Farron]

But you don't know what now to do,
'cause the chase is all you know -
and she stopped running months ago...

So, she didn't know where she was this time. But this was hardly new, at least lately, when she'd ended up in the vaguest sorts of places by buying the first ticket she saw. The ferry she'd taken had only given her a four-letter word, and she dug for her ticket in her maroon side-bag once more to check it over.

'Luca'.

The sail/paddle-operated ship creaked loudly as it coasted to a stop, exactly on target beside a long dock choked up with boxes. A large painted number down at the end, where it connected to pavement that seemed to lead along the sea towards the city, read '5' in big, blocky script followed by a series of letter that must have spelled out either Dock or Luca.

The people that poured out before her seemed to know exactly where they were going, and gave a solitary stalwart figure standing on the dock one of two responses - familiarity or confusion. He seemed to be doing nothing but watching, not looking for anyone in particular at all, the way his eyes just kind of wandered over the surrounding crowd. Or so she figured. His head moved, but the sunglasses he wore blocked his eyes from view.

Where to begin?

Him, maybe. Judging by the sheer amount of positive response, he must be a well-known figure around here, she figured - so, unfazed by the tremendous sword he had propped on his shoulder (a real swordsman knew the places to fight, and a clogged dock was not one of them) she descended the wooden plank connecting the dock and ship, being the last of the passengers to disembark, and marched right up to him.

"Can you tell me if this city is hospitable to travelers?" she asked, cutting straight to the point. "Or will I be run out of town for some vague half-explained reason?"

The workers on the ferry pulled the makeshift ramp up after them as they cast back out again, clearly on a tight schedule with the way they ran things back at the other end of the ferry service.

And all you see, is where else you could be.

[auron]

Auron raised an eyebrow at the question presented by the young woman with pink hair who had approached him. "Unless you came to cause trouble, you shouldn't have to worry about being chased out of town," He replied, observing the woman calmly. Her demeanor indicated her to be either a soldier or a trained fighter, and her expression indicated little tolerance for those of incompetence or ignorance.

"This city is called Luca. It's mostly what you'd call a tourist trap during Blitzball tournaments. I'm sure you can find something to do here," Auron said, noting that she also did not look to be from Spira. He doubted she would have been able to read the various signs around, judging from the large number of other languages he had seen inscribed on the swords or in the books of travelers recently. Most of them had been foreign enough to be unreadable. "And who might you be?" He asked, his tone inquisitive. Drifting, probably; trying to get back home like a lot of the other travelers. Or perhaps looking for work as a mercenary?

[Lightning Farron]

"Unless you came to cause trouble, you shouldn't have to worry about being chased out of town."

Lightning nodded as she crossed her arms, thinking to herself how it was mostly vice-versa - that trouble seemed to find her, no matter what she did. But she'd play nice and not intervene in anything that didn't involve her; it seemed this city, unlike the last, had a mutual fondness for people with weapons. Starting or joining a fight here would be nigh unavoidable, but she would try.

"This city is called Luca. It's mostly what you'd call a tourist trap during Blitzball tournaments. I'm sure you can find something to do here."

He spoke like a gruff tourist guide, and Lightning found herself raising an eyebrow at him, the question on the tip of her tongue; and even if he did look intimidating, she was curious what he was doing here anyway if not waiting for someone. "Is being a walking brochure your day job?"

Though he sort of beat her to it when he asked, "And who might you be?"

So Lightning squared her shoulders and gave him the vaguest answer she could muster. "A traveling mercenary. Lightning to you. And you'd be?"

[auron]

"You didn't look like you were from a place that uses our literary language," Auron replied. Merely trying to be helpful, was all. He was certain now she wasn't from Spira; almost everyone could recognize him instantly if they were. "Auron. Guardian of High Summoner Yuna. I think your term for it is 'bodyguard', but that term is inaccurate."

He didn't move much as he spoke, unlike the other member of the conversation. He had no need to do such; he offered no sign of hostility,though something in his calm demeanor seemed to invite conversation, even if he didn't speak much himself. "I don't believe you will have a hard time finding an employer here. There have been many travelers coming through recently who could make use of a mercenary for protection."

[Lightning Farron]

"You didn't look like you were from a place that uses our literary language."

Eh, she'd give him that. From what she saw she didn't cut a figure of a normal citizen of Luca, anyways. Nor did her attire blend in well really anywhere else. But whatever, she'd fix that if it needed fixing later - though she was not dropping the cape.

"Auron. Guardian of High Summoner Yuna. I think your term for it is 'bodyguard', but that term is inaccurate."

"I know what a Guardian is," Lightning cut in. "You know Yuna? I helped her out at Besaid Temple just a little while ago." Funny. It was a small world after all, apparently. He did cut the Guardian figure, though, all righteous and tough and intimidating. But friendly enough to talk to.

"I don't believe you will have a hard time finding an employer here. There have been many travelers coming through recently who could make use of a mercenary for protection."

"Hmm." She could make use of that. A paycheck and a chance to travel some more - seeing the sights of the new lay of the land was proving to be very interesting, and she would be loath to leave if she ever had to return to Cocoon. If she remembered, it was far to the north anyway. "Thanks."

"Say, since Yuna doesn't need any Guardians anymore, what do you do for a living anyway?"

[auron]

Auron raised an eyebrow. Blunt woman, wasn't she? Well, she was to the point, anyways. A welcome change to the rambling travelers who came through in droves, all ready to tell every thought spilling from their heads. It got a little irritating at times. This question, however, put Auron in a bit of a tight place. Up until the day before, he had been dead. How, exactly, did one explain such a situation. He was silent for a few minutes, pondering how best to word his statement.

Finally, he replied. "I've been dead. Until the day before yesterday, I didn't have any need for a job. At the moment, I'm waiting for Lady Yuna. I have a feeling she will come here, and I'm usually not wrong," Auron said, giving a nod.

[Lightning Farron]

To her credit, Lightning didn't skip a beat. A mantra she seemed to hold truer than any creed now was Stranger things have happened, as things she wouldn't be able to comprehend without the background of the fal'Cie's deception seemed to be happening all over the place lately. Zack had said something quite similar to that, having mysteriously "come back to life" for no foreseeable reason.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Lightning answered, placing her hands on her hips for sake of movement rather than standing still. "Yuna seems like the type to travel."

Wondering if she would be able to actually get a job guarding a traveling party, she found herself tapping her fingers impatiently.