(Azym does not ask what the problem is with playing all day and leaving machines to do heavy work. Clearly it's meant to be self-evident somehow.)

"Yevon teaches that once we atone for our sins, then we will be forever rid of Sin," he continues, shaking his head and regaining his calm. "So that's what we try, day in day out, to live better accordin' to Yevon's teachings so that one day we may be free."

Bullllllllshit.

"I see."

"The ruins are a reminder," Wakka continues, gesturing at one of them off to the side. "Of what we let ourselves do, when we had no checks on it. So we never forget."

Azym really has no idea how to engage with this whole... ideology. And it's, you know, not wrong that Zanarkand was a utopia where no one needed to work for a living and everyone could just do whatever they wanted, but...

Well. If he's honest with himself, he was personally deeply unhappy there, but he's not sure that's the same as it being bad. Other people weren't unhappy.

And he feels a sudden sharp stab of realisation that he'll never return. Either his Zanarkand was destroyed a thousand years ago, or his memories were made up by a neurotoxin, but in none of those cases will he... see his friends again. His team again. He's never going to stop at the bakery between his place and the beach again, never going to teach little Zanarkandite kids how to play blitzball again, never going to take Inochi or Yama or Hitomi or Sayu to dinner again. He'll never see his room and his boat again, never go back, go back home...

He stops, his legs almost giving out from under him as he staggers to a nearby tree to hold his weight. He's hyperventilating but he can't focus, can't think, can't pay attention to the voices of the other three trying to talk to him as the enormity of his loss hits him like, like, like over thirty thousand tonnes of water from a destroyed blitzball stadium. He doesn't notice when a fiend appears out of the woods and the other three have to protect him while he has a little moment.

Azym did not use to think of himself as a person who has moments. He'd rather not have moments, he'd rather not—there's no point, he should just keep going and not think about everyone he's lost, who's dead or never existed—

"Hey! Snap out of it!" Wakka says, shaking Azym by the shoulders.

He blinks, the ringing in his ears fading to nothingness as he looks back up and sees the characteristic evaporation of fiends happening over there where Luzzu and Gatta are watching for more enemies. He blinks more, looking at Wakka like he doesn't quite understand what's being said to him.

Determining that there aren't any more fiends nearby, Luzzu turns around and walks over to Azym. "Are you feeling alright, friend?"

"Yeah," Azym hears himself say. "Yeah, I'm. I'm fine. I just." What did he just. "I think the toxin is still messing with my head," which he doesn't really but it's the explanation they'll accept.

"We're almost there, then we can get you a bed in the Crusaders' lodge."

"Or maybe one of the priests could have something for him," he suggests. "They might have more experience with that."

Azym nods and tries to return more fully to his body. He does not need to think about how his whole life has been suddenly yanked out from under him right now. He can do that later. Or never, maybe never is better, it's not like he can do anything about it.

"I'm fine," he repeats, straightening up and clearing his throat. "I can walk."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that. Let's keep going."

They keep going. A few more fiends show up to stop them—apparently their prior scarcity had in fact been because of Gatta and Luzzu's efforts—but none of them are particularly troublesome. Azym stays out of the encounters as he's not really trained in combat and with his sword stuck inside his bag, no scabbard, and no clothes, he'd probably be more likely to accidentally castrate himself than actually contribute to the fights.

Eventually they get to the village, and the Crusaders excuse themselves to go to their barracks while Wakka slows down to show Azym around.

It's not a very big place. There's a central plaza of sorts around which the village is arranged, and the houses aren't professionally built, more like spruced up cabins and huts than anything. But it's very homey and welcoming for all of that, and it's easy to remember where the few public places are. Most importantly, the temple.

"So, this is Besaid Village," Wakka concludes. "Luzzu had the right idea, ya might want ta go into the temple and talk to one of the priests there, maybe they'll be able to help."

"So here's where you discharge your duty towards me?" asks Azym archly.

"You tryina make me feel bad?" he says, with an easy grin. "You'll be fine. The Crusader barracks and the temple will have a bed and food if ya need, but I should be lookin' into some last minute things for the trip."

"Well, thank you very much for your hospitality, Wakka. I'll see you around."

After he goes off, Azym decides that the temple is in fact probably his best bet for next place to go. He's not actually feeling tired per se, but he is hungry, and the temple is meant to help with the more metaphysical issues he's having. Two fish with one spear and all that.

It's the largest building in the village by far, visible from everywhere even though it's off to a corner. The patio outside it is raised above the ground by a little, flat white stone on top of rock and dirt. But the more interesting bit is inside. Seeing this place, he understands that the ruins where he met the Al Bhed share a theme with it. A circular room with a very high ceiling, Azym suspects that the feeling of vertigo the room induces is on purpose.

On elevated steps following the curve of the walls to both sides are numerous statues of people wearing the same attire with the same face-covering paper seal. They're clearly meant to be different people, but the uniform must be meaningful. Across the room from the entrance there are stairs leading high up to a set of double doors, and to either side of the steps are two hallways leading to doors that are substantially less imposing.

Also, four statues stand out, two to either side of the hallways. They're much taller than the numerous other ones, and wearing different clothes besides. They also don't have the face-covering seal, so they can be readily recognised as representing different people.

And finally, two more statues, larger than all of the other ones, attached at the waist to the tops of the walls, one to the left and one to the right, as if the people they represent were emerging from the stone and trying to reach for each other. A man and a woman, and the detail on their faces makes it obvious they're lovers, with the intensity of the look they share.

(In the background, a soft song can be heard, in a woman's voice. Azym can't identify its source, though.)

The temple has various people in it, most of them knelt in front of one or another statue, heads bowed in prayer, candles lit by the feet of the silent stone figures. It's quiet enough inside that Azym is sure his steps would echo were he wearing any shoes as he walks further in and examines all of the figures from afar. Looking up at the man and woman up above as he walks under them, he almost trips and falls from the dizzying sense of smallness, but he recovers his balance and finally stops in front of one of the four distinguished figures there to read the inscription.

"Lord Braska," comes the aged voice of a priest walking over to Azym. That's indeed what the inscription by the statue's feet says. "He was made High Summoner ten years ago, but it was only recently that we finally got his statue."

Azym looks at the priest and bows, the good luck sign that's apparently become religious.

"Something tells me you're lost," the priest says.

"Is it the nudity?" asks Azym. "I bet it's the nudity."