Saina walked beside Urick with Mercury in tow behind them. She held the blue chocobos reigns in her hand, having tired him out with the roughhousing earlier. As they walked, she couldn't help glancing at him periodically whilst considering in the back of her head how to prepare the food she'd bought. 

As Urick walked beside Saina, he thought of her last question.[i] "Which should be more feared..... The Gods.... or Man?"[/i] Rolling it around in his head. There was no real religion in Yevon now. Once it was proven to be corrupt and all a lie. But the concept of a god is a all powerful being. One could say Sin was a god for a long time, even though created by man, and defeated by it. 

Of the three questions she asked he knew already his answer, as if it was a lightning bolt. He looked at Saina as she glanced at him. Smiled shyly... "I...have an...answer to your question." the cheeks turning red as he finished his sentence. 

Saina looked at him, blinking in surprise.

"So soon...?" 

Her small lips turned up into a smile. A small one but, for her, it did mean a lot. 

"Well... then which is it?" 

Urick only reddened more when she smiled, though it small it was still a sight to behold. "Uhm..." He smiled sheepishly and looked forward, "Man... Sin...was created by a man... With godlike powers and only defeated...five times in a thousand years. But it was also defeated by man. Which shows the potential of all men and women to be god like if they choose for it to be so." He said, with growing confidence. "Our... potential is limitless...be it for good or evil, to rise above god." 

Saina listened carefully, memorizing every syllable. She closed her eyes and nodded, satisfied with his answer.

"Urick.. Could you help me make a fire outside of the temple?"

He was taken back by her segway into helping with making a fire, but for a moment. He simply nodded with a grunt. He was used to making fires since his travels with Gippal...usually being the one to make the food. Because, unlike Gippal who had a silver spoon, he had to help raise his younger siblings...which included cooking. 

As they continued to walk he slowly pointed his left hand's thumb backwards at Mercury and said, "Chocobo tastes great." He said with an ever so slight smile.

Saina noticed his smile and allowed hers to drift back to him. Though, Mercury wasn't so amused. He nipped Uricks beefy shoulder with an unhappy chocobo noise. At this, Saina was able to chuckle as she set to work taking out the ingredients necessary. 



-------


It was amazing, the idea that someone could make a gourmet-looking meal from a fire but Saina had. Each plate came with even its own garnish. With Urick's help, she took the plates back to the temple where Gippal and Eva waited. Though her expression was neutral, all throughout the preparation process Saina had exchanged certain glances with the larger man that accompanied her.... and kept quiet the thoughts to herself the way he made her heart speed up. 

The food smelt amazing, and he was impressed on how gourmet it looked. When ever he cooked....it was usually a pile of slop.... good slop...but still slop. While helping, he had glanced at Saina as she focused on the task at hand, but some times...he swore he saw her looking at him, but always seemed to by a microsecond off on catching her eyes. His heart began to beat a little faster as he began to wonder if she was really watching him or if it was his imagination. He couldn't explain why she made him feel this way, he always had people looking at him for his size and build...it didn't bother him anymore. But when she looked at him, her icy blue eyes seem to tear through his skin and see his naked soul. Because of this he started to grow slightly stiff..not wanting to make an mistake in her eyes. 

Gippal noticed first of the two arriving, the smell of food in the air made his stomach growl angrily for it. He jumped up, with one hand up high to say hello. "THERE YOU TWO ARE! Yevon I'm starving!"

"Wow." Eva said as she looked at Gippal when his stomach growled. He Jumped up, which caused her to jump a little not knowing why, until she turned to see Urick and Saina walking towards them with some delicious food in their hands. She smiled and stood up, moving towards them to help with the plates. "Here let me help." She said as she reached out and took a plate from each of them.  

She then gave Saina a playful smile and leaned close to her. "You guys DID take your time..." Giggling she then added in a whisper, "Did you kiss him?"  Her eyes flashing with mischievousness.

Saina gave nothing away in her expression. Her flat demeanor continued on despite being asked what she had by Eva. In response, she merely looked the young summoner in the eye and pushed her shoulders back a little.

"Such a question is unbecoming for a Summoner, M'lady."

And nothing more was said on the subject. Though it sounded strangely like advice from an older woman to a younger one. The food was quickly distributed as well as eating utensils before the pale woman spoke up again.

"We should eat this and immediately begin Eva's pilgrimage into the depths of the temple. I fear we may have stayed here long enough."

Focusing now on her plate, Saina began eating. 

Gippal and Urick looked at each other as Eva leaned in and whispered something into Saina's ear. With that look in her eyes to make them both uneasy. When Saina spoke up saying that question was unbecoming for her to say, Gippal mouthed 'What the hell?" to Urick, obviously wondering what Eva had said. 

Saina moved and with Urick's help divi up the food and mentioned they should go directly to the Trails and move on. Frankly Gippal agreed, no telling what would happen if they stayed longer, with their luck so far. 

Saina ate first, and then Gippal. He took a massive amount on his utensil and as soon as it entered his mouth he paused...his eyes bugged out as he frantically wondered what to do with this......vile....food if that was what it was in his mouth. 

Quickly dropping his fork, he murmured, "S'cuse me." Then bolted into the jungle, after he was sure he was far enough away, he spat out the food behind a tree.

Urick on the other hand, had taken a smaller bite than his cousin. Though his face showed no emotion, he became still as a rock. Looking down at his food...he sat there, not chewing. Wondering how something that looked so good, tasted so horrible. 

Eva watched the reaction of the two boys and blinked a few times. She then looked to Saina, who seemed to be enjoying her food. [i]'What was up with them?'[/i] she thought to herself before taking a small bite herself. Her eyes went wide, as she reached up with her free hand to delicately cover her mouth. She glanced back at Saina, and whined just a smidge to herself before swallowing. This caused her to shiver at the disgusting taste. She forced her composure before saying softly. "Saina...my dear..." she smiled sweetly. "Where did you learn to cook?" 

Saina, meanwhile, continued to eat. She was even smiling and seeming to enjoy the taste a little. She looked at Eva as she asked her question. Her lips pursed a little and she tapped a gloved finger to her lips, trying to remember the answer. All that came to mind was shadowy figures in her head, murmuring things about how to cook one thing or another... but there was only one that stuck out to her prominently.

"I learned my techniques from a very talented chef. He took me under his wing and showed me many ways to prepare a meal. It was time well spent."

Saina had already cleared her plate and set it aside. 

"I'll be waiting beside the Cloister of Trials entrance. See you there, M'lady...." She paused to turn her gaze to the brawny man among them. "Urick," And with that, she walked away, heels clicking against the ground with each step.

Gippal slowly made his way back, relieved to see Saina getting up to leave. As she walked away he sat down... waited till she was out of ear shout and sighed, "Oh my Yevon. That stuff was disgusting!" 

Urick said nothing as he turned around and politely as he could spat the food out onto the plate before setting it down. He felt terrible, but that food was completely inedible. He then turned back around and shook his head sadly. 

Eva gently placed her plate down while holding her mouth, refusing to allow it to come back up. Clearing her throat she closed her eyes and said, "We must never let her cook again. I couldn't bare to tell her how bad it was....she seemed to enjoy it so." Standing up she looked to Gippal and said, "Gippal can you throw the rest out? We don't want this lying around in case she see's it...though unlikely, better safe than sorry." 

She ran her hands down the front of her dress and waited for Gippal to throw the food away. Which he did...rather quickly. Staying for a few minutes longer, to give the guise of 'finishing' their food. The three of them made their way to the temple to find both Saina and Maximus.