"Hm."

When they reach the landing the whole team is various shades of dead, with Keepa and Botta literally lying facedown on the stone floor, panting heavily.

Wakka and Azym look to be in best shape amongst them, and from Wakka's smug look he probably won.

"Congratulations. Now shall we climb the rest of the stairs?"

"Please... just... five... minutes..." says Keepa, gasping.

"You guys chose to race, deal with the consequences," says Azym, who is mostly just winded.

They all groan and whine but start to pick themselves up.

"Mad people," says Zei, shaking his head.

"It was fun."

"I'm sure there are people who would agree with you."

"It was fun."

"You are all insane."

"Yeah, yeah. Hyup."

The temple itself is an imposing stone structure with arches and pillars, looking the kind of old that a stone building does when it's several centuries old but has been taken good enough care of. But the most striking features of the temple are the flames: a multitude of torches decorate it, lit even in the middle of the day, plus a myriad green glass spheres of many sizes with magic fire inside them, flickering with unfelt winds. Some people are milling about, talking to each other or sitting on stone benches or kneeling in front of a flame in what looks like prayer.

Kilika Temple

And they can also hear, very faintly, that same song from Besaid temple, that same song the dead sang while Zei Sent them, and like in Besaid it is a single voice rather than a chorus, a deep bass repeating the non-words without stop.

"This hill used to be a volcano," explains Lulu, folding her arms. "When Ifrit became fayth, he empowered himself with the surrounding magic. The volcano no longer erupts, and summoners can partake in Ifrit's gift of fire."

...is she talking to him? He thought Zei'd told them he'd recovered his memories, so why is she doing exposition? Well, he'll ask Zei later.

"It's beautiful."

"Mm."

"Anywho," says Wakka. "Let's go, ya? We don't have all day."

Into the temple! The main entrance is a set of stairs going underground into a large hall decorated with statues, pillars, runes, and, of course, flames.

Atrium

Across the hall from the entrance is another set of steps up to a closed door, framed by four statues and yet more flames, a fire-themed version of the equivalent room in Besaid temple. A priest walks up to the group when he spots them, and Zei takes the lead.

"Milord summoner? I am father Pell," he says. "The chamber of the fayth is presently occupied, but it should be available to you soon."

"Thank you," Zei says, nodding. "We can wait a while."

Most of the blitzballers spread around and kneel before statues and flames to start playing, but the guardians and Zei huddle together in a corner, sitting on their heels, too.

"The summoner wasn't in Kilika for the Sending, so they must have been here a while. Hopefully they'll be done soon."

"We can eat while we wait." They all spread their rations, dried fruit and nuts and bread, and have their late lunch.

They eat quietly for a bit but eventually Azym breaks the silence to ask, "So, how does this work, exactly? Zei mentioned trials, but..."

"The Cloister of Trials bars the way to the Chamber of the Fayth. A summoner and their guardians must go overcome it together, and it is meant to test our virtue and the strength of our bonds. The trials are not always the same; they are personalised to the people who go in."