Categories > Games > Final Fantasy X > Memories of a Guardian
Djose Temple. I wish I were a poet, a singer, someone who could make magic with words. There is nothing I can write to capture the power of this marvellous place. You walk along a lonely stretch of road with the sea sighing next to you, and then it looms before you: huge sheer rocks pulsing with power, hissing and sputtering with living voices. Abruptly they break apart with a thunderclap and rise into the sky, spinning and swirling. Massive crags hang mid-air as effortlessly as a ship cradled upon the waves, spitting white and blue bolts of lightning between their edges.
Beneath this wondrous shell the temple glitters, its enamelled walls and windows hidden from view by gray rock save when a Summoner prays in the Chamber of the Fayth. By good fortune we arrived when someone else was there. Lady Ginnem did not seem to mind the competition, and bade me stand and watch. Like the winter monsoons, I could have stood there all day and night spectating, had duties not called us to continue.
A white-haired nun who has spent her life in temple came out to greet us, and a quiet fuss was made over my lady's return. The temple residents seem fond yet curiously shy of her. We were fed a light meal of ritual sweetbreads and fruits, and given a bright clear drink that burned going down. Then we were escorted to the entrance of the Cloisters. This one was far more intricate and dangerous than Besaid's simple maze, and I found myself wishing for a brawny fighter once or twice to push and pull some of the stone pedestals we had to maneuver into position. Between Ginnem and myself we managed it at last.
I think that the antechamber to Djose's Chamber of the Fayth is the most blissful place in the world. It crackled with electricity like the rocks outside, but I found that steady thrum soothing, hypnotic; in fact I had to take care not to fall asleep while I was on vigil. I lost myself in the power of that place. I have always felt like a stranger in Besaid -- not here. No wonder I find myself trusting Lady Ginnem: she is a child of thunder, as am I.
It is a peculiar irony that she served in Djose for so many years, but has seldom ventured farther than the door of the Cloister. She has helped rearrange the puzzles and replenish the spheres from time to time, of course, but she had never seen the upper level. Ginnem let me work out all the puzzles on my own, even though I took a few strong jolts from my mistakes.
In the evening there was a celebration feast after Lady Ginnem summoned the Aeon before the temple doors. /Ixion/. An altogether terrifying creature, all ribs and metal and bone. He cannot stand still for even a moment; every twitch, every snort throws off sparks that are only a tiny fraction of the power boiling within his taut frame. I could feel it. The priests of Djose gave him a respectfully wide berth, although they have seen him many times.
I look forward to seeing this Aeon in battle, although I suspect I will never be able to take the same pride in my own spells again. Next to Ixion, my bolts and pyrotechnics are mere gnats' stings.
We will spend a little time in the temple archives tomorrow morning. Ginnem has scoured them thoroughly for years, but there may be some scrap of lore that can help me in my own discipline. Tomorrow afternoon, a supply ship is returning from the Crusaders' new training camp to Bevelle. They have agreed to give us passage free of charge.
I am torn. On the one hand, skipping the Moonflow, Guadosalam, the Thunder Plains and Macalania will speed the pilgrimage. On the other hand, I wonder whether we are quite prepared for the Calm Lands. Ginnem says she has perfect faith in my abilities; I wish I could be so certain! At any rate, the Aeon of Bevelle Temple is immensely powerful. Once we have Bahamut as ally, my lady assures me, we will be capable of mastering any fiend that crosses our path. There will be plenty of time for honing skills between Bevelle and Mt. Gagazet.
I'm glad Chappu and Wakka cannot see what the electricity here is doing to my hair.
IMAGE: http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i181/auronlu/originalPhotomanips/djose.jpg
Beneath this wondrous shell the temple glitters, its enamelled walls and windows hidden from view by gray rock save when a Summoner prays in the Chamber of the Fayth. By good fortune we arrived when someone else was there. Lady Ginnem did not seem to mind the competition, and bade me stand and watch. Like the winter monsoons, I could have stood there all day and night spectating, had duties not called us to continue.
A white-haired nun who has spent her life in temple came out to greet us, and a quiet fuss was made over my lady's return. The temple residents seem fond yet curiously shy of her. We were fed a light meal of ritual sweetbreads and fruits, and given a bright clear drink that burned going down. Then we were escorted to the entrance of the Cloisters. This one was far more intricate and dangerous than Besaid's simple maze, and I found myself wishing for a brawny fighter once or twice to push and pull some of the stone pedestals we had to maneuver into position. Between Ginnem and myself we managed it at last.
I think that the antechamber to Djose's Chamber of the Fayth is the most blissful place in the world. It crackled with electricity like the rocks outside, but I found that steady thrum soothing, hypnotic; in fact I had to take care not to fall asleep while I was on vigil. I lost myself in the power of that place. I have always felt like a stranger in Besaid -- not here. No wonder I find myself trusting Lady Ginnem: she is a child of thunder, as am I.
It is a peculiar irony that she served in Djose for so many years, but has seldom ventured farther than the door of the Cloister. She has helped rearrange the puzzles and replenish the spheres from time to time, of course, but she had never seen the upper level. Ginnem let me work out all the puzzles on my own, even though I took a few strong jolts from my mistakes.
In the evening there was a celebration feast after Lady Ginnem summoned the Aeon before the temple doors. /Ixion/. An altogether terrifying creature, all ribs and metal and bone. He cannot stand still for even a moment; every twitch, every snort throws off sparks that are only a tiny fraction of the power boiling within his taut frame. I could feel it. The priests of Djose gave him a respectfully wide berth, although they have seen him many times.
I look forward to seeing this Aeon in battle, although I suspect I will never be able to take the same pride in my own spells again. Next to Ixion, my bolts and pyrotechnics are mere gnats' stings.
We will spend a little time in the temple archives tomorrow morning. Ginnem has scoured them thoroughly for years, but there may be some scrap of lore that can help me in my own discipline. Tomorrow afternoon, a supply ship is returning from the Crusaders' new training camp to Bevelle. They have agreed to give us passage free of charge.
I am torn. On the one hand, skipping the Moonflow, Guadosalam, the Thunder Plains and Macalania will speed the pilgrimage. On the other hand, I wonder whether we are quite prepared for the Calm Lands. Ginnem says she has perfect faith in my abilities; I wish I could be so certain! At any rate, the Aeon of Bevelle Temple is immensely powerful. Once we have Bahamut as ally, my lady assures me, we will be capable of mastering any fiend that crosses our path. There will be plenty of time for honing skills between Bevelle and Mt. Gagazet.
I'm glad Chappu and Wakka cannot see what the electricity here is doing to my hair.
IMAGE: http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i181/auronlu/originalPhotomanips/djose.jpg
Sign up to rate and review this story