As An Apology
“I can’t believe Nooj sent us here,” Gippal whispered, peeking down through the grate that led to the small gathering room in the Djose temple. “I know he wants to find out what the Maesters want with the whole Crimson Squad thing, but sneaking around in a Temple? What if we get caught? What if we miss our orders? What if--?”
“What if you don’t be quiet, and we end up getting caught?” Baralai snapped in a whisper.
Gippal had never seen Baralai be so snappy as he was this evening. It seemed like being in a dangerous situation really changed Baralai in some basic way. He was unnaturally quiet and seemed to know how to do things like navigating air ducts - things that Gippal never thought a guy like Baralai would know. Vaguely, Gippal wondered if Baralai had always been the soft spoken priestling that he was now, even as he followed him through the passageway leading to a nice place to overhear conversation in the main room.
Priests came from all walks of life, Gippal had heard. He wondered where Baralai had walked before this.
As he watched Baralai gently coax the wooden vent doors open, Gippal listened. He heard no voices engaged in conversation, and looking through the vent revealed no one standing in the room below. Gippal took the opportunity to whisper, “Hey, how do you know how--?”
“Be quiet!” Baralai mouthed, putting his hand over Gippal’s still-open mouth.
Right, Gippal thought, they were trying to sneak around. He had never been one for being secretive. He was loud, brash, and enjoyed his occasional excessive displays of bravado. He wasn’t good at this sneaking around kind of thing, and it seemed like Baralai was starting to notice that.
After peeking in a few more empty rooms, it was becoming very evident that the temple was completely and utterly empty. Gippal couldn’t help but make his assessment of the situation. “Well, this was a total waste of time.”
“Not so,” Baralai replied in barely a whisper. “You know more about Djose now than most other people.” He jumped down out of the vent onto the dirt outside the temple.
Gippal followed him, somewhat glad to be out of those narrow ducts. “Yeah, like I’ll ever use that knowledge.”
Before he could make another remark, Gippal found himself pulled down to the ground, with Baralai’s hand pulled over his mouth before he could yelp.
They were a short way from the temple, just off the side of the road, hidden behind a small mound of stone and grass and flowers. The voices of Maester Kinoc and his entourage floated over the mound to their ears.
“Bikanel,” Kinoc was saying. “Ready the ships. We’ll test their survival skills and weed out the weaklings.”
“Yes sir,” a young-sounding acolyte said, his voice squeaking in a pubescent testosterone lapse. “The ships are in the bay. I will go deliver your message.”
To Gippal’s horror, the footsteps of the departing acolyte came in his and Baralai’s direction. He looked at Baralai, who was pulling his bandana up over his hair. Gippal was about to smack him for worrying about his hair at a time like this, but then Baralai grabbed Gippal around his hips and pushed him down into the dirt. “Squirm and speak Al Bhed,” he whispered into Gippal’s ear.
Gippal had no idea what was going on, so he did as Baralai said. He squirmed and asked Baralai what he was doing, “Fryd yna oui tuehk?”
Baralai didn’t respond. Instead, he put his hands up Gippal’s shirt and then down the front of Gippal’s pants. Gippal really squirmed as Baralai’s fingers touched his penis and began to pull down his pants. Gippal registered that Baralai was practically shouting, “Filthy Al Bhed, sneaking around the temple! I’ll show you a lesson-“
Gippal felt panic rise into his chest. What was Baralai doing? Was he really going to rape him, like he’d heard in all those stories about the Yevon clergy when they caught Al Bhed? Sweet, soft spoken Baralai wouldn’t do that - but Gippal had seen another side to him already, and that side had frightened him enough. What else was there to this man? Gippal had only known him a few days, and he cursed himself for trusting a Yevonite. He started fighting, trying to turn to face Baralai, but the other man was bigger and stronger than he was.
Suddenly, there was a gasp - the acolyte. Gippal had completely forgotten about him with all of this going on.
“Ridding the area of vermin,” said Baralai.
Gippal thought he saw the acolyte smiling. “Carry on,” the boy - probably younger than Gippal - said, then walked on down the road.
Baralai continued his actions, and Gippal renewed his fight. He wanted to believe in Baralai, but this was too much. He had lost his pants now, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still battle Baralai; Gippal reached up and grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to flip him. This didn’t work - they both ended up tumbling down the small hill leading to the river below. Gippal’s pants that were down around his ankles at the beginning, finally fell completely off as their tumble slowed to a stop.
Gippal scrambled to his feet, reaching for his knives - but they were still attached to his pants. He crouched, ready to attack if Baralai came at him again - and then run away and go back to Home. He knew it was a mistake to get involved with Spirans.
But Baralai was laughing.
“What are you laughing at?!” Gippal demanded, going over to his pants and quickly retrieving one of his knives. “You’re just as sick as the rest of them!”
“No - no, Gippal, put your pants on, relax.” Baralai was obviously trying to hold back a laugh. “I can’t believe that worked.”
“What?” Gippal was pulling on his pants. He was very confused, and therefore very wary of Baralai. “Your attempt to rape-“
“No, my attempt to escape notice of Kinoc.” Baralai sat down on the grass, drawing his knees up to his chest. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
This was the Baralai that Gippal thought he knew. The concerned look, the wispy voice - who was this man, and where had he come from? “No,” Gippal answered, buckling his belt and sheathing his knife. “Just my pride. Why did you do that?”
Baralai shrugged. “How else to explain an Al Bhed and a Yevonite hiding in the bushes?”
“We could have fought them-“
“No,” Baralai replied. “Maesters are extraordinarily powerful, and one was just a short distance away. We would have been killed.”
“So you used me.”
Baralai looked up. “Of course I did. You’re valuable in many ways.” To Gippal’s disbelieving stare, Baralai continued, “You have to use whatever you have available to survive. Someday, hopefully, you can use me.”
Gippal shook his head. “But did you have to use me like that?”
Baralai tried to smile. “I meant it with love?” he suggested.
Gippal had to laugh as he sat down next to Baralai on the ground. “Well, if that’s the case, can I at least get a kiss next time?”
“You can get one right now.”
“Can I?” Gippal responded, putting his arm teasingly around Baralai’s shoulders. “You sure you want to kiss this filthy Al Bhed mouth?”
Baralai laughed simply and, to Gippal’s complete shock, actually kissed him.