From:
Date: Mon Dec 18, 2000 10:01am
Subject: Escaflowne: Leavetakings Part 9 - 12
This section has not been edited and the formatting is really...
er... a bit off ^.^;; I apologize ahead of time!
Escaflowne, Leavetakings...
By M.H., mailto:monicaho@m...
*****
Disclaimer: Vision of Escaflowne and its original characters are
property
of Sunrise.
Note: Special special thanks to Lorelei Bassi for her big help in
editing!
Another big story that I need to slice up a bit(RG)
*****
Part 9, "Wings"
Allen and Eries, cheered by the sudden excitement, carried on a
conversation about the prosperity of Asturia and its various economic
policies. But Serena wasn't paying attention to them. She found the
noise and the people isolating, and she withdrew further into herself.
Then something caught her eyes.
A beastman, tall and elegant, was half hidden within a dark
alley
that branched from the main street. Hands folded in front of him, the
beastman had his back leaned against the alley wall, and his eyes were
closed in waiting. Serena wondered whom he was waiting for.
Suddenly those eyes opened, and the beastman smiled at Serena.
"Jajuka?"
"Ja.. Jajuka?"
Serena took a step toward the hidden Beastman, but she felt
Eries's hand tighten on her own as she was led-away down the bazaar
street. Eries was still conversing with Allen on things Serena could
not
understand, and she blinked at them as if watching two strangers of a
foreign tongue. When she looked back at the hidden alley, between busy
bodies that crossed her vision, the elegant Beastman was no longer
there.
Like an obedient child, Serena continued to trail behind her
elders. A passing Dolphin Man caught her curiosity, and the ever so
brief
tingling in her heart was quickly forgotten.
Then without warning everything blurred to chaos as Serena
heard
them: an ear-shattering explosion followed by distant shouting and
frantic
footsteps. The land shook, and before Serena could comprehend what was
going on, she felt Eries's body stumble against hers as they both
fell to
the ground. All Serena could see were blurry colors of motion rushing
besides her, pushing her from side to side like a herd of frightened
animals. Things were falling from the sky, people were screaming in
pain,
a foul stench was in the air, and the dust clouds brought tears to her
eyes.
"Serena! Where are you!" When the explosion went off, Allen
was
also knocked down by the impact. But when he jumped back to his feet,
he
had lost sight of Serena. With no time to spare, Allen threw himself
over
Eries and shielded her from the falling debris with his own body.
While
holding Eries against his chest, Allen could see the blazing fire
spreading from the explosion to rooftops of nearby houses. "Stay down
and
seek shelter!" Allen yelled at the panic stricken crowd running all
around
him. But his voice was drowned out by the screams of people trampled
underneath the mass.
Serena tried to get up, and was knocked down again by the
roaring
chaos. She looked for Allen, looked for Eries, looked for anybody who
would help her, but all around her were strangers with demonic faces.
She
was alone. Like the nightmares that had haunted her every night, she
was
once again, alone.
She screamed.
She held her hands to her eyes and screamed her terror, but
no one
ran into her room to wake her. There was no golden embrace to bring
her
out of that nameless horror, no warmth to hide within. The crimson
inferno
was real. So real that she could taste the blood in her mouth and
feel the
fire in her veins.
She was frightened, so frightened. A pulsing ache was
threatening
to split her head, and she felt like throwing up her heart.
"Dalet! Chesta! Where are you!" Serena braced herself so her
body
would not burst apart. "Migel! Don't leave me alone! Gatti!" She
pleaded
to the madness, begging for it to take the torment away from her. A
sharp
pain on her right cheek, and Serena felt an old scar being ripped
open by
the rapids of her blood. Warmth trickled down her neck, and her mind
shattered as that mesmerizing smell of warm human blood, the smell
that
she had always craved for, brought back all her hatred, and all her
desires.
"Dilandau!" Two claws dug into her arms, and Dilandau looked
up
into two blue orbs of light. "Dilandau! I knew that it was you!" The
Beastman shook the girl like a rag doll, "What are you doing in that
dress? Wake up and fight! Join us and fight for the glory of Zaibach!
"Ja..Jajuka?" Dilandau stared at the figure before her, but
she
couldn't focus her vision. The elegant curves of his face were
beginning
to smear. Jajuka was melting.
"Ahhgh!" Dilandau screamed in horror as lines and colors
smudged
together and dripped off his body like liquid wax.
"Impossible! You neutralized my power?" The monster dug its
claws
deeper into her flesh, and Dilandau screamed again as she was thrown
into
a dark alley that branched from the main street. Slamming her against
the
brick wall, the monster's hands tightened around her neck. "Take a
good
look at me, Dilandau. Have you forgotten who you are?"
"Ugh!" Dilandau's hands tried to pry the grip away from her
throat, but it only closed tighter. She gagged and twitched uselessly
against the suffocation; the blood pulsing against her eyes dimmed her
vision. She could feel the pain on her right cheek. Like a cancer, the
pain slowly spread throughout her body. Dilandau tried to scream, but
no
sound came out from her constricted lungs.
Suddenly, Dilandau wanted to kill. He wanted to destroy this
thing
that was choking the life out of him. He wanted to cut its heart out
and
drink its blood, to blame this thing for all his sufferings. He
wanted to
live, to survive at all costs, even if it means he must forever dwell
in
self-hatred.
With a burst of energy, Dilandau kicked his assailant away
from
him and followed up by smashing its head against the alley wall. As he
tried to catch the breaths he desperately needed, he added a few more
kicks to the purple form curled up on the ground. "I hate Metamorphs!"
Dilandau pound his foot against its throat. "How dare you touch me,
you
filthy, ugly, low-life.."
"Dilandau. . . . stop. ." The Metamorph begged for mercy, but
Dilandau only chuckled.
"When we return to Zaibach, I'll have you skinned alive."
Dilandau
looked down at it with cold, disdained eyes. "Where is my Guymelef?
And my
men?"
"Dilandau, listen to me," the Metamorph slowly stumbled to its
feet. "We lost the war. Lord Dornkirk has disappeared, and Zaibach as
we
knew it no longer exists. ."
"You lie!" Dilandau punched the Metamorph on the face. "Where
did
you hide my Alseides? Where is Migel?" Dilandau called out around him,
"Chesta! Dalet! Gatti!"
"Dilandau! Are you crazy!" The Metamorph wiped the blood from
his
mouth. "They died two years ago! There is nobody left in your legion
but
you!" Then he stood facing Dilandau, "Come and fight with us. The
Zaibach
Army still exists. They think they can wipe us all out, but our forces
have only gotten stronger. Someday we will rebuilt Zaibach. . ."
"Shut up!" Dilandau covered his ears with his hands. "Shut
up! I
don't believe you! I would never believe a deceiver!!" He pushed the
Metamorph aside and ran toward the main street. Everybody was dead?
Zaibach lost the war? Lord Dornkirk?
"Ahhgh!" Dilandau fell to his knees in midst the rubbles. He
was
again alone.
********
Eventually the shower of wrecks ended, and Allen could hear
the
uniformed footsteps of the royal guards approaching the disaster site.
"Are you alright?" Allen looked down at Eries, and checked her for
injuries.
"Allen! You're hurt!" Eries grabbed Allen's blood stained
sleeve.
A wood splinter has embedded itself partially in Allen's right bicep.
"I'll be fine," Allen comforted the distressed princess as he
helped her get up. He looked everywhere, "But where is Serena?" He
looked
back at Eries. As a knight, he is obligated to protect his princess,
but
as a brother. . .
"Serena! Serena where are you?" Allen's heart was torn between
staying by his princess and running into the smoke ridden disaster to
search for Serena. 'What if Serena is. . .' Allen couldn't bear the
thought of any harm coming to the helpless Serena. . .
"Princess! Princess Eries! Allen!" Casey, another member of
the
Knights of Heaven, rushed toward them followed by the captain of the
royal
guards. "Please allow the guards to escort you back to the castle,
Princess. It's too dangerous around here. The bomb might have been
planted
by the Zaibach terrorists."
"But," Eries gave Allen a look of concern. "We must first find
Serena. . ."
"Casey! Take care of the Princess." Allen bowed to Eries, and
before she could call out to him, disappeared into the smoke ridden
mass.
'Serena!' Allen mentally called out to his beloved sister as he ran
through the smoky maze of fire and debris. 'Don't be afraid! I'll be
right
there! I'll find you.'
"Ahhhgh!" A chilling cry pierced through the filthy air. A
cry of
nameless terror, and it resonated from a hidden corner off to Allen's
right.
Allen turned, and his heart sank to his feet. It hurt him so
much
that he could allow such cry of pain from his beloved, and it made his
heart bleed even more because that wasn't Serena. It was a sound he
had
dreaded, a sound he prayed he would never hear again. Allen ran
toward its
source, and found his love and fear arched over the ground in agony.
"Serena!" Allen knelt next to the young boy and gathered him into an
embrace between strong arms. "I'm so sorry, Serena, so sorry. . ."
Overwhelmed with relief and emotions, Allen pressed his lips firmly
to the
boy's forehead, oblivious to the surfacing expression of horror and
disgust underneath. He tightened the boy against his chest, "I will
protect you, no one will hurt you, no one."
"Let me go! You sick bastard!" Immediately after Dilandau got
over
the shock, he began to fight off his aggressor. With all his strength,
Dilandau untangled himself from that suffocating lock of arms and
pushed
himself away, loosing his balance and landing with his back on the
ground.
A hand reached for him but he swatted it away and scrambled back
further
out of its reach. When he pushed himself up to a sitting position, his
body tensed in guard as he recognized the face before him. "Allen?
Allen
Schezar of Asturia?" Dilandau prepared himself for a fight. Had Allen
came
to kill him?
But the look on Allen's face puzzled Dilandau. Soft eyes and
knotted brow, it was a look of hurt and compassion, like a lover
rejected
by love. 'Allen?' Taken by a feeling of nausea, Dilandau wanted to
vomit.
Gently, and slowly, Allen extended his arm to his beloved.
Like a
frightened little kitten, Dilandau was frozen before him; a look so
weak
and so fragile that it almost broke Allen's heart. "Serena. No,
Dilandau,"
Allen began to move toward him. "Don't be afraid. . ."
Allen's voice broke Dilandau's trance. "Get away from me!"
Dilandau screamed, and he began to scramble backward on all fours,
wide-eyed in terror. Sharp pebbled cut into his palm, making him
wince in
pain. Dilandau felt too weak to fight. So instead, he tried to get up
and
run.
"Serena!"
Allen was faster than he was, and before Dilandau could get
to his
feet, he found himself again pressed into Allen's body. "Let me go!
Let me
go!" Dilandau tried to push away, but the arms around him only closed
tighter, preventing all movements. 'He wants to choke me to death,'
Dilandau thought, and panicked. 'Oh Gods, he's going to kill me.' But
the
embrace was so warm, and so secure. Dilandau closed his eyes, not
knowing
whether he was awaiting for hell or heaven. Yet that sweet scent of
Allen's hair, the gentle kisses on his forehead, and the way their
bodies
fit together- it was so familiar, so familiar.
Despite Dilandau's struggles, Allen only held him closer. He
won't
fail to protect her again, never. He compacted the boy's body further
into
himself, hoping to shield it away from all harm. Then Allen felt the
skirmish within his arms stop, and instead, replaced by light
trembles.
"Trust me," Allen whispered gently to his heart. "It doesn't matter
whether you are Dilandau or Serena, I will take care of you." He
looked
down into Dilandau's confused eyes, and gave them a disarming smile.
Dilandau finally relaxed, and rested his head against Allen's
shoulder,
something that Serena always loved to do.
"Come," Allen helped Dilandau to his feet, the latter blinked
at
him in utter passivity. "We'll go home now." Allen smiled at the boy,
and
the boy returned in kind. If not for the change in appearance, the boy
would be no different from the shy and timid Serena whom Allen took
to the
cemetery this morning. Allen ran his fingers through Dilandau's fine
silver hair, and led the boy back on the path to home.
Wide-eyed and dazed, Dilandau mimicked Allen's steps to avoid
the
debris on the ground. He couldn't think, couldn't act. He watched
himself
from a distance, letting habit and recent memories direct his body. He
knew the body belonged to him, to Dilandau Albatou, leader of the
Ryuugekitai, but someone else was inside it. A shy and lost little
girl,
who was so afraid of being left alone. Dilandau thought it was funny,
how
he was following Allen Schezar, his arch-nemesis, and how he could
feel
Allen's protective arm behind his back. Yet everything felt so calm,
so
right. He looked up at Allen, searching for another affirmation, and
was
given a beautiful smile.
Allen looked toward the main street of the bazaar, and saw
that
the royal guards had extinguished the fire. The bomb seemed to have
made
quite some damage to the bazaar, but the royal guards have been
trained to
care of the crisis. Allen knew, because he trained them himself. Then
he
frowned, the Zaibach Terrorists have become much more active lately,
and
this was not the first bomb to go off in Palas. Once he returned
Serena to
the Schezar Mansion he must report to King Aston so they can devise a
plan
to eradicate the underground radicals before more civilians get hurt.
Now, however, was probably not the best time to meet up the
with
royal guards. So instead of going through the bazaar, Allen led
Dilandau
toward a shortcut.
"Allen! Hey, Allen!" Allen turned around and saw Sir Casey
walking
toward them. "Have you seen any more wounded people?" Casey looked
around
him. "I'm just doing a final round of surveillance before I report to
King
Aston."
"Ugh, I think this area is clear." Unsure of the right thing
to
do, Allen stood before Dilandau, blocking Casey's line of sight.
"It was definitely a Zaibach bomb," Casey was unaware of
Allen's
uneasiness. "Which makes this, what, the third bombing in the past six
months? We really need to rethink our strategy to. . ." Casey's voice
trailed off as he stared behind Allen's back. It was a dress. A torn,
shredded dress, but definitely a dress. But somehow it didn't look
quite
right. Casey blushed. Allen has always had an interesting reputation
in
Asturia, but he never thought the mega-playboy would go after
cross-dressers?
Then something hit him. Casey squinted his eyes and studied
the
blank face half-hidden behind Allen. It wasn't so much that it was a
boy
in a dress, but the boy was. . . was. . .
"Dilandau!" Casey jumped back to a fighting stance, and right
hand
reached to draw his sword.
"No, Casey!" Allen moved forward and pushed his palm against
the
shaft of Casey's sword, forcing the blade to return into its
sheath. "It's
not him!"
"Allen, are you crazy? That is a Zaibach fugitive!" Casey
looked
over at Dilandau, who stared expressionless toward them, as if
watching
two strangers.
"Casey! Listen to me, Dilandau is my sister."
"What?" Casey was puzzled. "There are plenty of other women
around, Allen. But that one is a war criminal! He needs to be
prosecuted.
If you help him, you know the consequences!"
Allen moved back and held Dilandau next to him. "Casey, let us
go." He stared into Casey's confused eyes, determined to protect his
loved
one.
Casey stared back at Allen, and sensed the seriousness in his
voice. Then a smile crept up on the corner of his mouth as an idea
came to
mind. He couldn't have planned anything better.
'This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of Allen Schezar.
Now
I can repay him for the humiliation he gave me.' Casey could still
recall
that day vividly in his mind. Marlene, beautiful Princess Marlene, who
rarely stepped outside the Castle gates, was inspecting the annual
military arts competition at the Palas Coliseum. But she wasn't
watching
him. To her, he was just another guard. No matter how bravely he
fought,
she never once even glanced at him. No, because her vision never left
that
arrogant little blonde, that little snobby kid who beat him in the
final
battle.
'Don't blame me, Allen Schezar,' Casey mentally prepared
himself.
'I'm just doing my job.'
"Guards!" Casey called to the soldiers assigned to site clean
up
at the bazaar, and drew his sword. "Allen, I'm going to have bring
both of
you in." Behind him, the guards congregated loosely, dubious of what
was
going on.
"Allen Schezar!" Casey raised his voice so all the guards
could
hear his call. "On behalf of Asturia, I order you to hand over
Dilandau
Albatou, war criminal and a fugitive of Zaibach, also the prime
suspect of
today's bombing incident. If you retaliate, then not only will I have
to
charge you with obstruction of justice, but also treason against
Asturia!"
Casey smiled as Allen drew his sword and placed himself before
Dilandau. His eyes panned to the bloody gash on Allen's right arm.
"Guards! Take them!"
"Dilandau! Run!" Expanding his sword space with broad strokes,
Allen tried to hold back the royal guards so Dilandau could escape.
But
Dilandau stood still, unsure of the chaos around him. Staring
helplessly
at Allen, Dilandau waited for Allen to take him home. But Allen was
being
backed to a corner by the guards. The throbbing pain on Allen's right
arm
was so intense that he had to switch his sword to his left hand,
lessening
his power considerably.
"Let him go!" Allen yelled at Casey as the latter grabbed
Dilandau's wrist and twisted the arm behind his back, making Dilandau
abrade his teeth in pain. Just then a guard tackled Allen from the
back,
pushing him to the ground, as the other guards bound his arms
together.
Ignoring the strain in his arms and the rough handling of the guards,
Allen was only concerned about his sister. "Casey! Don't hurt him!"
"Ha," Casey laughed at the captured knight. "You dare to
command
me when you are at my mercy?" With a turn of the wrist he shoved the
boy
down before him and ground Dilandau's face on to the sharp pebbles
with
his boot.
"I'm going to kill you!" Allen struggled free from the guards
and
charged toward Casey. But before he could succeed, the guards again
tackled him down. Then as Allen looked up from the weight of all the
guards upon him, he suddenly saw Casey being thrown to the ground. To
Allen's horror, Dilandau now straddled over Casey, his blood covered
face
ecstatic with anticipation, and in his right hand, Casey's sword.
"Dilandau! No!" Allen screamed as the blade ripped through
Casey's
throat.
********
Eries paced nervously behind the marble columns of the Grand
Foyer, mindlessly counting the stone tiles beneath her steps.
Frequently
she would look toward the north end of the Foyer, where a 12 feet
bronze
double door remained shut. Two royal guards stood poised on each side
of
the heavy exclusion, hawk-eyed for any slight echo in the vast empty
space
red-carpeted between two rows of marble columns. Eries silently halted
before an arched window, and stared at the breath-taking sunset over
the
glittering sea. But she wasn't captivated by its beauty. Eries
knotted her
brow, 'It's dusk already? They have been in there for eternity!' She
resumed her anxious pace along the narrow walkway against the wall,
eyes
darting between the closed doors and the descending night. Deprived
of the
sun, the walkway behind the columns of the well-lit Foyer was now
sliced
into sections of darkness and light. Eries paid no attention to the
playful shadows dancing beneath her steps.
Should she approach him for help? Would he help her? Help
Allen?
Sure, he had been Allen's friend, ever since they fought side by side
in
the Gaean War. But would he agree to help a man court marshaled as a
conspirator of Zaibach? Eries crushed her handkerchief against her
bosom.
Things were happening too fast, and she was running out of options.
She
believed Allen, and believed that Dilandau was Serena, sweet,
innocent,
Serena. . . But yesterday, after the bombing incident, the royal
guards
brought back a killer. Dilandau Albatou of Zaibach, the war criminal
who
disappeared after the Gaean War, had not only resisted arrest but also
killed a member of the Heavenly Knights in cold blood. Worse, Sir
Allen
Schezar was now charged with the double crime of treason against
Asturia
and conspiracy with Zaibach. Eries looked over to the bronze doors.
But
even if he agrees to help her, would Allen accept her plan?
Millerna had spent all last night arguing on Allen's behalf,
but
their father, King Aston, was determined to make an example out of
Dilandau and Allen. Eries had expected his reaction. He had no
choice. The
underground Zaibach Remnants have chosen Asturia as a terrorism
target,
probably because her open policies made it easy to enter or leave the
country, and they have certainly stirred fear into the population. If
the
Court doesn't take action, to show its people that it has the
situation
under control, widespread panic could lead to a national economic
crisis.
Persecution of Dilandau would buy the Court time, so it can devise a
sound
plan against the terrorists. Needless to say, Millerna stormed out of
the
room in tears.
Now Eries had only one other option: seek diplomatic immunity
for
Allen, from that man behind those nerve-wrenchingly-closed doors,
from the
pharaoh of Kanaphra.
King Seith, the pharaoh of Kanaphra, arrived at Palas early
this
afternoon for a summit with King Aston on strategies against the
Basram
Republic. After Basram used that dooms-day device, that hideous
Energist
bomb in the Gaean War, the allied forces have been head-over-heels on
what
to do with such deadly technology. Now Asturia was joining forces with
Kanaphra to put a check on Basram.
'Asturia and Kanaphra?' Eries marveled at the power of
politics.
14 years ago the two countries were archenemies. But now not only were
they allies, but King Aston has personally accepted the invitation to
King
Seith's wedding. 'In the world of politics, there are neither friends
nor
enemies, just interests.' But Eries was worried. Would the pharaoh of
Kanaphra be willing jeopardize his interests for Allen Schezar?
Standing in the shadow of the marble columns, Eries looked
outside
the arched window. Blackness had completely masked the sky, and Eries
was
getting increasingly agitated with each passing moment of the night.
She
had been waiting in the Grand Foyer ever since King Seith's arrival,
hoping to make a seemingly unintentional run-in with the pharaoh as he
exits through the grand hall after the meeting concludes. This would
be
her only chance, for the pharaoh was leaving for Fanelia early
tomorrow
morning. But the meeting was going on forever, and a proper princess
couldn't possibly approach a man this time at night. Eries shuddered
at
the idea. Not only would it disgrace her, but it would also disgrace
the
Asturian Court.
A friction of dull metal and a creak of abruptly warped space
echoed through the Grand Foyer, and Eries swung around to watch the
guards
slowly pulling open the two heavy bronze doors. The meeting was
finally
over.
She has never met the pharaoh of Kanaphra, the famous Rebel
King.
Ever since Zaibach's colonization of Kanaphra so many years ago, the
members of Kanaphra's royal family had either been held as political
prisoners or wanted as political terrorists. King Seith belonged to
the
latter group. After the old pharaoh's execution by Zaibach, Prince
Seith
became the leader of the Kanaphran Resistance. Known for his tenacity
and
shrewdness, King Seith's allegiance to the allied forces was a turning
point for the Gaean War. No other country had a lifetime experience of
fighting against Zaibach, and intelligence provided by Kanaphra was
invaluable to their victory. After the Gaean War, King Seith was
reinstated as the new pharaoh of Kanaphra. As a king, he proved
himself no
less ambitious and capable as the leader of rebels. It has only been a
year and a half since the war, but not only has Kanaphra reclaimed
all her
sovereign territory, she had also taken the land formerly known as
Zaibach. A Rebel King who dwelled in war, Eries wondered what he was
like. . .
The doors now fully disclosed, and Eries stood in the shadows
as
she watched the king appear on one end of the red carpet, with his
entourage following closely behind. Eries was suddenly uncertain of
her
intentions. The king before her eyes was unlike what she had
expected, and
she became weak with a feeling that she could not name. Dark skinned
with
waist-length raven hair, his deep-set brows and savage green eyes
contradicted his elegant features. Loosely draped by a black cloak,
the
king was almost perfectly engraved in ebony, if it weren't for the
silver
bracelets of amethyst and garnet gracing his sides. Behind him were
six
guards, three on each side, whose steps echoed in unison as they
marched
down the grand hall. Threatening to swallow up the room all together,
the
pharaoh and his entourage proceeded arrogantly as if ready to
annihilate
any obstacles in their way.
Eries was over powered by the suffocating ambience of their
presence, and she heard herself sigh in relief that she was safely
hidden
in the shadows. But now as the king drew near and nearer to her, Eries
could hear her own heart beating against her ears. Should she step
out her
refuge and tempt their deadly milieu? She suddenly realized why her
knees
were trembling: It was fear, the fear of a helpless prey in the
presence
of its merciless predator. Then she shuddered.
As if lightening had struck her body, Eries jolted when King
Seith
suddenly locked vision with her eyes as he passed her. The contact was
only a fraction of a section, but for that infinite second Eries's
body
was brutally subdued to bondage. The two emerald orbs thrust
themselves
into her core and filled her receptive field, rough and bestial. But
before she could cry out, his eyes had already forsaken her, and she
was
left within a void of incredible emptiness. She stared behind him in
disbelief, the after shock still rippling through her nerves.
She had missed her chance. Eries looked around the empty Grand
Foyer. She had missed her chance to save Allen. Yet to acknowledge the
consequence of her inaction, Eries slowly paced back to her chamber
in a
state of senseless stupor. Millerna was waiting for her.
"What did he say?" Millerna's eyes searched Eries's face for a
hint of hope. While Eries was waiting in the Grand Foyer, Millerna had
worked through the members of the Court soliciting support for Allen.
But
although there were many sympathetic ears, none were willing to wager
their own position for some one alleged to conspire with Zaibach.
Millerna
was desperate, distraught, and on the verge of tears. Now all her
hopes
were fixed on Eries. "He has to care, right? Allen was so fond of
him,"
Millerna took Eries's hand in her own. "Please help me, Oneesama."
But Eries looked at her with eyes of sorrow, "Millerna, I. .
I'm
sorry." Eries took her hand from Millerna, and turned her back to
hide her
pain and remorse. "I didn't get a chance to speak to him."
Millerna stared at Eries as if the latter spoke a foreign
language. "What do you mean?"
"The meeting went over-time, so I wasn't able to catch him
before
dusk," Eries didn't know how else to explain her brief encounter with
King
Seith. She gently took Millerna's arms, "Millerna, be strong. I'm
sure the
Court will give Allen a fair trial. It'll be alright. . ."
"No it will NOT be alright!" Millerna cried as she pushed
Eries's
hands from her. "I can't believe you are just like the rest of them!
Do
you think I don't know what Father has in mind?" Tears were beginning
to
swell up in her anguished eyes. Millerna sobbed, "He's going to
sacrifice
Allen to make himself look good before the people. But that's not
right!
After all that Allen has done for Asturia. How could he? How could
we?"
She covered her face with her hands. "I love him!"
Eries gently laid her hand of Millerna's trembling shoulder,
"Perhaps it is his fate. . ."
"How can you say that?!" Millerna stared furiously at Eries.
She
was fed up with the apathetic, self-centered responses she has been
getting all day. She had suppressed her emotions all day, and now she
felt
like she was going to explode.
"You WANT him to die!" Millerna yelled at his sister. She was
so
angry, angry at the Court, angry at herself, and angry that Eries did
nothing to help her. "Allen doesn't love you, so you wanted him to
die!"
She didn't cared what she said, she just wanted to let out all her
emotions before madness strips away her sanity. "All you ever cared
about
was your title, yourself! Those charities and missions, they are all
fakes! You did them only to serve your selfish needs, so you can be
the
Good Princess Eries. But now when your own friend is in trouble, you
immediately abandon him to protect yourself! You're probably happy
that
you can finally get your revenge on Marlene. . ."
Eries slapped Millerna.
"That is not true!" Eries wiped the tears from her face as
Millerna stood in shock. "That is not true. . ." She was crying so
hard
that she couldn't continue with her words. Betrayed both by herself
and
her sister, Eries wanted to die. For all the years she took care of
Millerna, she had never lifted a hand on her. But she never knew that
words could hurt so much.
Millerna still couldn't believe that Eries slapped her. She
raised
a hand against her burning cheek, and she suddenly felt extremely
sorry
for the devastated figure before her. But she can't forgive her, not
yet,
not when Allen's life was still in danger. She turned to walk out of
the
chamber.
"Where are you going?" Eries grabbed her elbow.
"To King Seith!" Millerna shook the hand off and continued
walking.
"Millerna! You are a member of the royal family! Think of the
gossips the Court will. . ."
But Millerna already left the room.
********
Seith was on the 17th draft of the poem that Sasha dared him
to
write when he noticed Anthony, the leader of his six Guardians,
standing
at his chamber door. He nodded his acknowledgement, and Anthony moved
gracefully to stand before his desk. The Guardians of the pharaoh
were the
most honorable and revered position in the military, chosen from the
best
of the best; but Anthony was more than just his Guardian. For the 13
years
he had served Seith in the Kanaphra Resistance Army, he was also his
childhood friend and confidant.
But now as Anthony looked at the pile of crumpled papers
before
him, he had to bite his lips to hold back a chuckle. A vein popped in
Seith's forehead as he raised an eyebrow in annoyance, and Anthony
quickly
snapped out of his mischief. "Sir," Anthony stood poised before his
king.
"Princess Millerna of Asturia has arrived."
A naughty smile was subtle on Seith's lips, "She's late."
Then he
looked around the room, looking for something.
"It's on the windowsill, Sir," Anthony was eyeing a small
wooden
box.
Seith gave him a dirty look, and snapped, "Bring her up."
When Millerna stood alone at the door of King Seith's
chamber, she
wasn't sure if the man sitting with one leg on the windowsill could
be the
infamous Rebel King of Kanaphra. She knew about the Resistance, and
she
had heard both Dryden and Allen mention him several times, especially
during the Gaean War; but for some reason she had always thought he
would
be. . . more terrorist looking. Against the moonlight, his silhouette
was
almost porcelain, marked by two cold emerald eyes that stabbed
through the
sky.
"Ano. . ." Millerna tried to get his attention.
Head abruptly turned around, and Seith moved from the window
toward the Asturian princess. "Pleased to make your acquaintance,
Princess
Millerna," he kissed the back of her hand.
"King Seith," Millerna curtsied.
"Dryden has told me much about you," he watched Millerna
blush as
she entered the chamber. "Poor old chap, he's still out there proving
himself while his fiance is alone with another man in the middle of
the
night." Seith shook his head.
"I never asked him to prove anything to me!" Millerna defended
herself. "I. . ." She was reminded of how much she had missed him
since
the war. She looked up at Seith, "How is he?"
"Miserable, but still the same old restless idealist," Seith
replied, inconspicuously watching Millerna's sudden shyness. "Making
money, spending money, and driving his father crazy, that sort of
thing."
Seith held out a small wooden box before Millerna. "For you, from
him. We
had a chance meeting at Daedalus several days ago, and he asked me to
give
you this."
Millerna received the small box, and carefully removed the
cover.
Inside was a simple silver ring, graced by an unfinished turquoise
stone:
honest, natural, yet exquisite and unique.
"Protection from harm," Seith told her.
"Pardon me?"
"Turquoise are believed to have the property to protect their
wearers from harm. Dryden is a damn Romantic, don't you know by now?"
Every taunting syllable was a dagger to Millerna's heart.
Millerna looked at the present in her hand, and she felt
guilty.
Despite her ambivalence, Dryden still loved and respected her. For
her he
had traveled throughout Gaea to help those suffering in the aftermath
of
war. But what has she done for him?
"Now, I don't believe you came to see me this time at night
just
to talk about Dryden," Seith watched Millerna's cheek turn from blush
to
pale, then back to blush again. "So how may I be of service to the
Princess?" Seith stood back and crossed his arms before him. He was
going
to enjoy watching her struggle with her words for one man while
holding
the ring of another.
"I.. I've come to. . ." Millerna looked up at Seith, looked
down
at the ring, looked out the window, and looked up a Seith again.
Surely he
must have heard already! Allen's arrest has been the biggest news in
recent Asturian history! But he was going to make her say it. Millerna
took a deep breath and exhaled. "I've come to ask you to help Allen
Schezar."
Instantaneously Seith broke into a fit of laughter.
Lips parted in shock and disgust, Millerna stared wide-eyed at
Seith. Her face was flushed with anger. Never had she been subjected
to
such rudeness!
"No wonder Dryden is crazy about you!" Seith exclaimed. "You
are
definitely that one thing he cannot have! Of course I'll help Allen!"
Seith's laughter died down as he saw the confused look on Millerna's
beautiful face. He gave her a playful smile. "We wouldn't want
Dryden's
arch-nemesis at love to exit the game too early, would we? Plus they
are
both best men at my wedding, that is something I wouldn't want to
miss for
the world!"
"And you call them your friends?" Millerna felt a strong
dislike
for the King of Kanaphra.
Catlike, Seith leaned to Millerna's ear and whispered, "The
best
way to get rid of your enemies, is to make them your friends." For a
second he thought of running his tongue through the softness of her
ear,
and then perhaps sinking his teeth into her tender flesh. But he took
her
hand, and pulled her toward the door. "Come! Let us go and visit
Allen."
"But Allen is confined to seclusion, even I am not allowed to
visit him!" Millerna was dragged along behind Seith down the hallway.
Seith suddenly stopped and turned around to face her. Unable
to
halt her steps, Millerna crashed completely into him. "Who said we are
going to ask for permission?" He took a step back, and pulled the
hood of
his black cloak over his head. Millerna blinked as the space before
him
suddenly warped into transparency. Then darkness parted and Seith was
once
again before her eyes. "A modification of old Zaibach technology,"
Seith
told her. "Now are you coming or not?"
********
Millerna couldn't believe that he made her sneak into the
dungeon
of her own castle. Even more pathetic, she had to stand as a lookout
for
the warden's night patrol so she can alarm them. Allen was held in the
last cell of an otherwise empty hall, one of the many maze-like
hallways
in the dungeon. It took some time for them to find him, but his
seclusion
was an advantage for their meeting. However, Millerna was surprised to
find the only guard of the dungeon passed out on the steps of the
entryway, reeking with the smell of alcohol. They didn't even need the
Stealth Manteaux. Seith just picked his way through the locks, and
eureka,
there sat Allen Schezar. Now Millerna was standing by herself in the
main
entryway, cold, angry, and forced to listen to the loud snores of the
drunken guard. Lips pouting, she wondered how she could let her father
know of this corruption without giving herself away. She wondered what
Allen and Seith were talking about, maybe Seith will talk some sense
into
Allen.
"You mean to tell me," Seith was oblivious to Allen's look of
vexation, "That Hitomi end up ditching you for the King of Fanelia,
then
screwed you both over and went back to the Illusionary Moon?" He
threw his
head back with a laugh. "Man, I need to meet this woman!"
Allen considered asking his friend to leave his cell, but he
was
thankful for his visit. He had been worried sick about Dilandau's
conditions, and Seith had just assured him, that judging from the
loudness
of Dilandau's curses in another hallway, the boy was alive and well.
Now
if Seith would just agree to help him by taking Dilandau back to
Kanaphra,
he would be able to face his charges with serenity. Allen had turned
down
Millerna's desperate plea for him to accept Seith's protection.
Dilandau
was his sister, and he would be responsible for Dilandau's crimes. "I
want
you to protect Dilandau for me after I'm gone, Seith."
"No way." Sitting across from Allen, Seith folded his arms
across
his chest. "No deal. I cannot allow an innocent man to stand trial for
crimes he did not commit. Furthermore, this blind love of yours is
just as
absurd. You cannot use your death to compensate Dilandau's crimes.
That is
not justice."
"Then what is justice?" Allen returned Seith's glare with
equal
strength. "That two years ago what he did was right but two years
later
what he did was wrong? If I am innocent, then Dilandau is just as
innocent
as I am. You cannot hold him responsible for his Fate."
"Fate cannot excuse you from your actions." Seith wanted to
pound
that deranged reasoning out of Allen's stubborn head. But Allen only
stared at him in silent determination.
"Alright, alright, have it your way." Seith threw his hands
in the
air. "I'll take him to Kanaphra. 'Sasha, here is your wedding present:
Dilandau.' She's going to kill me."
"I'm sorry I will not be able to make it to the wedding,"
Allen
suddenly remembered his forgotten duty. "Please give Sasha my best
regards."
"Yeah, yeah," Seith grumbled. "I'm the one who needs to be
regarded. I still can't figure out what's been bothering her. All of a
sudden she loves me, all of a sudden she is afraid of me. Who would
have
believed that we were born of the same parents?"
Allen gave him a sympathetic look, remembering that it was
traditional for the Kanaphran pharaoh to marry his sister. Besides
that,
he didn't know what to say.
"But this marriage is important to me," Seith continued. "It
will
reinstate the ordinance that I am the rightful ruler of Kanaphra."
Then
Seith stood up, followed by Allen. "Very well, Allen, tomorrow night
at
this time my men will be here to take Dilandau, while my ship waits
in the
border of Chezario. Once we rendezvous, I will keep my words." He
held out
his hand. "Good luck, Allen Schezar."
The two friends bid farewell, and Seith left Allen's cell.
Millerna was still waiting in the entryway. "What did he say?"
"Which one do you prefer?" Seith casually glanced at her as
they
ascended the steps leading from the dungeon. "Having him rot to death
beneath the ground you walk on, or have him live but never see him
again?"
A smile crept up a corner of his mouth. By this time tomorrow, he will
have Allen Schezar. "Tomorrow night my men will disguise as Zaibach
Remnants and attack the dungeon to take Allen to Kanaphra. The minute
he
leaves Asturia, he will become an international fugitive, and you will
never see him again. But the choice is yours."
Millerna walked on as if she didn't hear a word he said.
********
Before a semi-circle of polished bay windows, Seith sat alone
inside the Captain's Cabin on his floating ship, Montu. Outside the
room,
soldiers tiptoed whenever they needed to pass by the door. No one had
dared to disturb him for hours, ever since his messenger returned from
Fanelia. Kanaphra's soldiers knew to never test the temper of their
pharaoh. King Seith had sent a messenger to Fanelia, to inform
Princess
Sasha that he was being detained in Asturia, and that he would arrive
in
Fanelia early next morning to take her back to Kanaphra. But the
messenger
came back with the news that Princess Sasha had taken ill, and had
left
for Kanaphra two days ago under the escort of King Van.
Enraging their king even more was the report that King Van was
following Princess Sasha's advice to take a shortcut to Kanaphra: They
have planned to follow the path of the River Mother Kayle that led
directly into Exodus, the capital of Kanaphra. Such a route implied
that
they would cut straight through the Dragon Wastelands, the reason why
no
ship has ever dared to attempt that same shortcut.
"Does she want to drive me insane!" The messenger had fled the
cabin with his head tucked between his arms, praying the pharaoh
wouldn't
sent it flying to Osiris with his scimitar. Even Anthony knew better
to
leave the pharaoh alone to deal with his own fury. Now while King
Seith
waited in the cabin for the coming of the eventide, the rest of the
ship
was busy attending to battle preparations. When they enter the Dragon
Wastelands to rescue their Princess, they would be ready.
When he sees Sasha, he was going to break her neck. 'If she is
still alive,' Seith thought angrily to himself. Beyond the windows he
could see the sun slowly falling from the Chezarion sky. Everything
had
gone according to plan. He had made his leave this morning, and
planted
himself within the border of Chezario, waiting to execute his plan
tonight. But Sasha just had to screw everything up for him.
And what the hell was King Van thinking? Seith couldn't
believe
any king, in their right minds, would follow the capricious whims of a
hysterical woman. Seith now regretted leaving Sasha alone with just a
lady-in-waiting. Would Van be able to protect her? When Dryden had
told
him the tale of his rendezvous with the Ispano Clan, he had
congratulated
his friend on once again successfully breaking his father's heart by
spending fifty million to save an exiled boy king. But when Allen
finally
introduced them to each other before the Gaean War, he had to agree
with
Dryden: King Van was certainly an interesting character. A king who
doesn't consider himself king. Seith had to admit that he, too, liked
the
honest personality of the half-Ryujin. Seith shook his head. He
himself
knew how undeniable Sasha could be, and he wondered what trick Sasha
used
this time to manipulate the poor king into taking a trip with her.
But by
selecting that route, was she trying to kill him? Or herself?
Seith thought back to the first time he met Sasha since their
childhood separation in Asturia. After King Aston had turned the
exiled
royal family to Zaibach, only he and his father were able to escape
during
their transport back to Zaibach. He was ten, and she seven, but he
still
could remember the sad look on her face and the soft kiss on his
cheek as
she bid him to run. For years afterwards he had thought them dead
from the
torture of Zaibach sorcerers. But during a sabotage mission inside the
Zaibach laboratories, the late-teened prince of Kanaphra was
accidentally
caught in the pre-detonated explosion he had planted himself. When he
woke
up on a hard bunked bed, he found himself starring into his own
emerald
eyes.
The instant Seith saw her, he recognized her. The same hair,
the
same features, they were unmistakably of the same blood. "Sasha!" He
tried
to push himself up, but his entire body was screaming in pain.
"Shh," Sasha pushed him back down. "Don't move, or else the
wounds
would re-open."
She hid him in some laboratory storage closet in the heart of
Zaibach, and for the next month, slowly nursed him back to health. He
learned that she had become an assistant to the sorcerers, and that
their
mother had been beaten to death two years after their imprisonment. He
also learned that the timid little girl who always hid behind his
back in
childhood had grown up to be a fighter capable of ensuring her own
survival.
When time came for him to return to the Resistance, Sasha led
him
down the underground ducts that would take him out to the border of
Zaibach. They crawled through cold, soiled pipes as hungry rats tried
to
make them into a feast, and they plunged through muddy waters in
search
for the right exits. Then they finally reached the main tunnel that
would
lead to the outskirts of Zaibach, and that was as far as Sasha could
take
him. He never invited her to come with him, and she never asked. She
handed him the waxed pouch with the remaining candles, and lightly
kissed
him on the cheek. Then she turned around and walked back into the
darkness.
That was when he knew he wanted her.
With a leap he tackled her onto the moist and filthy ground,
and
wrestled her hands above her head to be pinned with one palm. The
falling
candle behind him hit the floor, and left them in complete darkness.
She
struggled and tested her strength against him, but she never cried
out in
defeat. He slid his hand down her burning flesh to separate the damp
fabric that clung to her body. He wanted to carve his name on her
skin, to
mark her, to hurt her for shattering his self-control and rendering
him so
helpless. "Please, Sasha," he begged for her embrace. "I need you."
Then
he felt her relax underneath his pressure, breathing heavily in silent
compliance.
"Stay alive, Sasha," he whispered into her ear as she wrapped
her
arms around him. "One day I will make you Queen."
A light series of knocks broke Seith from his concentration.
He
was suddenly back in the Captain's Cabin on Montu, looking over the
bleeding Chezarion sky. The knocks resumed again, then Anthony
silently
slipped through the slightly parted door.
"Sir," Anthony lit the Energist lamp on the table. "Kor is
awaiting your instructions."
"Sent him in," Seith nodded.
Moments later, a Metamorph walked in the room and knelt behind
him. "The operation is ready to begin, Your Majesty. I have chosen
three
men from my unit. We will infiltrate the Asturian dungeon and escort
Dilandau and Allen here."
"The bomb was an interesting touch, Kor." Never turned around,
Seith's voice was cold and neutral. "But I had instructed you to
revive
Dilandau Albatou by using the appearance of a Beastman, not by killing
innocent civilians."
Kor bowed his head to the floor, "I beg for your forgiveness,
Your
Majesty. I have been monitoring the Schezar Mansion for months, but
there
was no way to get near Dilandau. The bomb was the only chance to
separate
Sir Allen from him."
Seith continued to look out the window, making the Metamorph
tremble in silent anticipation.
"Very well. They will be waiting for you. Go and bring them to
me."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Kor backed himself to the door, and
Anthony
closed it behind him.
With his back against the door, Anthony watched the figure
sitting
before the purple sky. He would never question his king. But as his
Guardian and friend, Anthony felt obligated to caution him about the
Metamorph. They had received intelligence alleging that Kor was
actually a
double spy working for Zaibach. And what is the purpose of
undertaking the
operation when Allen had already expressed his refusal to leave? The
original plan was to recruit Allen for Kanaphra. Despite the changes,
they
had already succeeded at removing Allen Schezar from the Asturian
Court.
Without Allen, Austria wouldn't stand a chance against an invasion
from
Basram or Daedalus. They had planted their seeds of revenge against
King
Aston. But now why is King Seith wasting valuable time while Princess
Sasha may be in grave danger? 'Sasha,' Anthony winced. Every thought
of
her sent a pain to his heart.
"If you have something to say," Seith's voice floated above
him.
"Say it."
"Sir, permission to scout the Dragon Wastelands for Princess
Sasha."
"Permission denied." Seith replied, and Anthony stared behind
him
in shock. "I want you to do something else for me."
Anthony instantly stood erect awaiting orders.
"What do you think about Kor?" Seith wasn't in a hurry to
disclose
his plan.
"I don't think he can be trusted, Sir. Metamorphs have always
sworn their loyalty to Zaibach, and our reports on Kor indicate
suspicious
behavior. It is possible that he and his men will return Dilandau to
Zaibach terrorists."
Seith swung his braid behind him, and stood up facing Anthony.
"That is why you will follow them to the dungeon. Before they free
Dilandau and Allen, kill them. Let Allen think that a Zaibach
Metamorph
had killed your men, then he will have no choice but to help you bring
Dilandau here."
For a few seconds, Anthony only stood and stared at Seith,
then he
bowed and marched out of the room.
Seith walked to the glass window and watched the night lights
flicker in the city below. Whether Kanaphra gets Allen or not, with a
dead
Zaibach Metamorph on the dungeon floor, it would require a miracle for
Allen to restore his position in the Asturian Court. And without Allen
Schezar, the Asturian army would be defenseless against foreign
invasions.
Now Seith was just plain curious. Would Millerna expose their
plan
to her father? Does Millerna love Allen enough to free him from
death, or
does she love him so much that she would rather see him imprisoned for
life than to never see him again? Either way, Seith knew that Allen
would
let nothing stop him from bringing his sister to Chezario. Seith
couldn't
wait for Anthony to make his report tonight. How many of his own
countrymen would Allen kill?
******
Van stood in the control chamber of Fanelia's one and only
floating craft, and he couldn't remember how exactly he got sucked
into
taking Sasha to Kanaphra. Below his vision the Kayle River writhed
through
the barren land, slithering toward the horizon like a silver snake.
Nauseated from the glare, Van was further irritated by the rising
humidity. It was only morning, and the heat was already unbearable.
The
tiny aircraft had only two rooms, including the control chamber, so
Van
was basically confined to that small space for the whole trip. He
frowned
as girlish giggles between the Princess and her lady-in-waiting
carried
over from the backroom. How can people talk so much? Van's heart
skipped a
beat as he was suddenly reminded of Merle. He wondered where she was
right
now.
Kanaphra was known for its abundance of Energists beneath its
soil, and as Van looked to the two sides of the river, he understood
why.
He had never seen so many fossilized dragon skeletons in his life. The
charred land underneath was layered with imprints of death. Van could
almost make out the last struggles of a dying dragon as it breathed
out
its last breath of fire. The burial ground was extend as far as he
could
see, with white bones everywhere protruding from the cracked soil.
Then he saw one, a flying dragon. It shot across his vision
like a
black jet of ink. His hand went for his sword. The dragon was nothing
like
Escaflowne. Covered with black, oily scales, it soared through the
air not
with grace and beauty, but malice and efficiency. Van sensed another's
presence and turned to see Sasha standing next to him.
"There's nothing to worry about," her gaze was fixed on the
skyline. "As long as we stay on course above River Mother Kayle, they
can't see us. We are hidden by the glare of the water." Then her eyes
twinkled in mischief as she elbowed Van. "Unless, of course, you want
to
hunt one! In that case we can use Jase in the backroom as bait!"
Before Van could consider using Sasha as bait, a sudden
disturbance in the current knocked them to the ground. "Shut up and
hang
on, Jase!" Sasha yelled to the distraught girl screaming in the
backroom.
"What?" Van made a dive for the control wheel, and
reestablished
balance in the ship.
"That's weird," Sasha exclaimed as she watched the number of
flying dragons increased in the sky. "They usually wouldn't congregate
like this unless they were threatened by an invasion of their space."
Then
she pointed toward a black ship barely visible to the right. "Look!
That's
what they are going after!
"We have to go and help them!" Van steered the ship off
course,
making Sasha crash into the wall on her left.
"Are you crazy! You'll kill us all!" Sasha climbed to her
feet and
tried to grab the controller. But a shrieking sound caught her ears,
and
she looked over to hear the sound resonating from the larger black
ship.
"Smart move! They are using the sound of an adult raptor to repel the
winged-dragons."
"What's going on?" Van glanced a puzzle look at Sasha as he
tried
to maintain the ship balance in chaotic currents.
"Adult raptors are natural predators of the winged-dragons,"
Sasha
pointed at the large ship, now fully visible. "Look, the dragons only
dare
to circle around them. They are too afraid to attack. . . Hey!" Sasha
squinted at the familiar image. "That's Seith's Montu!"
"Shit!" Sasha's nails dug into Van's arm, making him wince in
pain. "Now we are the vulnerable ones. Quick! Turn back before the
dragons
sense our presence!"
But it was too late. As if on cue, a black dragon swooped down
before them, tearing a gash in the side of the ship before it
disappeared,
ready to lunge another attack. Sasha and Van were thrown in opposite
directions as the ship spun through the air.
"Van!" Sasha hung on to whatever solid she could grab as her
vision turned into a radial blur of motion. "Land! Land the ship or
else
we will crash!" She wasn't even sure if Van was still in the control
room
or what direction was up. Then she heard a loud explosion as the space
around her suddenly compressed into utter darkness.
********
"Sasha! Sasha!" All of a sudden Sasha was hearing her name,
but
her head hurt so much that she couldn't even open her eyes. She tried
to
go back to sleep, but the disturbing noise was calling her
again. "Sasha!"
She found herself looking into her own green eyes. She was
lying
in a soft bed, and Seith was looking over her with worried eyes. But
the
look quickly turned to anger, and she found his fingers digging into
her
shoulders as he started shaking the life out of her.
"I'm going to kill you!"
"Seith!" "Sir!" Allen and Anthony struggled to hold Seith
back as
he reached for her throat.
The commotion was suddenly interrupted by a frantic soldier
who
rushed into the room. The soldier was stunned to see his pharaoh
tangled
between the arms of Anthony and Sir Allen in a most undignified
manner.
"Ahm," he knelt to the floor as Seith tried to regain his
composure. "Your
Majesty, the siren repeller seem to be loosing its effect on the
dragons.
They are getting closer and closer to the ship."
"What is the estimated time of us exiting the Wastelands?"
Seith
walked toward the window as another black dragon tested the space
around
the ship. A shot was fired from the upper gun deck, and the dragon
shrieked back in pain.
"Two more hours, Your Majesty."
Seith frowned. The dragons were intelligent animals, they
would
break the facade in less than two hours. He had hoped to avoid a
frontal
assault with the dragons, for there were just too many of them. But
now
that seemed inevitable. "Prepare the Guymelefs."
As the soldier left to carry out his order, Seith turned to
Allen.
"Allen, this is not your fight. I have prepared another ship for you
and
Dilandau. While we distract the dragons, my men will take you to
safety."
"When I chose to join you on this ship, it became my fight."
Allen
calmly stated.
Seith took a long hard look at Allen. Then he shifted his
glance
and started walking toward Sasha. As he brushed by Allen, he put his
hand
on the latter's shoulder. "You might want to go check out how King
Van's
doing. I'm sure he'll appreciate a familiar face."
Allen nodded, and proceeded to exit the room.
Now alone with Sasha, Seith sat on the bed next to his
semi-conscious sister, and bent down to plant deep kisses along her
neckline. "You were right about Serena Schezar," he whispered before
chewing on her earlobe. "Who would have thought. . ."
"Where is Dilandau?" Sasha shifted against the weight on top
of
her. The pain was still humming throughout her body, and the pressure
above her was making her nauseated. But even so, she had missed the
feeling of his skin.
"Locked in the guestroom," Seith slid his hands behind her
back.
"He has already wounded five men. Even Allen couldn't control him." He
started to tug at Sasha's clothes, but the latter stilled his hands.
"And that was Allen Schezar?" Sasha pushed his hands away.
Seith propped himself up on his arms, and arched over Sasha.
"Don't get any ideas, Sasha. I'm a very jealous man."
"Go to hell." Sasha stretched beneath the hungry eyes and
smiled,
"Bring out my armor. I will fight the dragons beside you."
"No, sleep," Seith put his hand over her eyes. "I will take
you
home." Then he slowly rose and headed toward the chamber door.
"Hey, Seith," Sasha's sleepy voice stopped him as he reached
for
the handle. "Do you love me because I am me, or do you love me
because I
will give you children identical to you?" She asked through closed
lids.
"Does it make any difference?" Seith shrugged as he left the
room.
********
A loud explosion shook the ship as Sasha rolled out of bed.
Head
still ringing from the trauma, she stumbled toward the window as the
grounds moved beneath her. On the deck below Seith stood in loosely
draped
in a black cloak as he addressed the assembled Guymelefs. The battle
was
about to begin.
"Our objective is not to fight! But to stall." Seith
instructed
his soldiers. "In less than an hour we will exit the Dragon
Wastelands.
Stay close to the ship and do not pursue."
Ominously waiting, black dragons zigzagged the space around
them.
Occasionally one would scoop down near the ship and leave behind it a
trail of fire.
"Allen," Seith turned toward the handsome man to his
right. "You
will lead the ground troops on the ship." Allen nodded.
"King Van," Seith turned to the raven-haired boy to his left.
"Please take charge of the flying Guymelefs." Van nodded.
"Now all of you, move out!"
As everybody took his or her positions, Sasha frowned as she
watched Van walk toward the edge of the deck. Suddenly two pure white
wings shot out behind his back, and he began to gracefully rise into
the
air. The symbol of his kingship in his hand, the Ryugjin led the
flying
Guymelefs into a battle formation. Without warning, the dragons dived
toward them and the fight immediately began.
Watching Van's iridescent wings dance between the black
dragons
brought a sharp pain to Sasha's chest. He was beautiful. Like the
archangel of light, Van elegantly flew through the space around him,
effortlessly dodging fire beams and driving the monsters into
desperate
retreat. The dragons were helpless against Van, for he was glorious
as day
while they must hide within the night. A flick of the sword and one
dragon
fell from the sky as blood spurted out from its eye. "To fly," Sasha
whispered. The pain was beginning to spread to her shoulder blades.
She
would do anything to fly in those untainted wings.
Turned with her back against the wall, Sasha slowly slid down
to
the floor. Hugging her knees to her chest, Sasha's raven hair cloaked
her
white linen gown. She was trembling. She had been a coward. A coward
who
was afraid to take her own life. 'I should have died with Folken,'
Sash
sank her face into her hands. 'What will Seith do when he finds out
that
I've lied to him. . .'
"Sir! You're hurt!" Anthony's voice caught her attention, and
she
quickly looked out the window. Down on the dock, Seith's left arm was
covered in blood.
Sasha immediately ran out of the room.
********
They were almost there. Seith could see the change of land
appearance underneath them. Less and less were there charred forests
and
bone debris. The number of dragons has also died down, too. With the
exception of a few still viciously attaching the ship, most dragons
have
retreated from battle. The critical period was over, and Seith was
ready
to reformat his military arrangements.
A hiss of air, and Seith immediately held up his shield
against
another beam of fire. Then again, maybe he should wait a while before
calling in the troops. Seith looked to see Allen fighting skillfully
against a dragon who had landed on the top deck. Carefully avoiding
the
metal scales while searching for weaknesses, Allen exhibited his
awesome
dexterity at both defensive and offensive fighting. 'No wonder King
Aston
was afraid of Allen Schezar. No army could stand against him.' He
smiled.
'But now he will fight for me.'
Then Seith looked up at dragons screaming above. They were
almost
fearful of Van, scattering into different direction as Van flew
unchallenged through the air. Seith paused to study their swordplay.
Van's
technique was similar to Allen's: vicious yet disciplined, while
Sasha's
unconventional fighting style was ruthless to a point of anything-
goes.
But he couldn't see Sasha. "Sasha!" He looked around, but
fire and
smoke were everywhere, blocking his vision. He ran through the battle
worn
upper deck, dodging random fires and falling objects. Then he spotted
her
on the lower deck. Knocked to the ground by the dragon's wings, Sasha
was
barely avoiding the thumping claws of the dragon above her. Half of
her
side was soaked in blood, and she was being backed up near the edge
of the
dock.
As Seith jumped over the railing to get to the lower deck, he
caught a last glimpse of Sasha before she was knocked off the edge by
the
dragon's tail. Their eyes met right before she was thrown to the air,
and
Seith's heart stopped at the sadness in her eyes. Blood raging, Seith
shot
toward the edge, but Sasha has completely disappeared from
sight. "Sasha!"
Without hesitation he plunged into the air after her.
>From a distance Van saw the dark princess suddenly air-born
outside of the ship. "Sasha!" He dove toward her, but a shadow
suddenly
covered him as he was forced to block a sharp claw coming directly
above
him. Like a rag doll carelessly tossed out of the window, Sasha
dropped
head down at full gravity, the path of her fall trailed by wailing
strings
of blood. Then he saw Seith dove after her. He screamed as he sliced
his
sword through the cumbersome dragon above him, and charged to save the
king and princess.
Then he halted in mid-air as two white wings sprout out behind
Seith. The pharaoh broke Sasha's fall and took her into his arms. Van
stared at the shower of feathers in disbelieve. He was not the last
of the
Ryujinbito? Magnificent and white, Seith's wings were just as pure as
the
ones behind his back. With great strength they surged against the
wind and
carried the king and the princess upward into the blue sky.
But Van's vision cleared to horror as he watched Seith call
out to
Sasha. The two angels quickly landed on the lower deck, and Van
immediately ran toward the princess in Seith's embrace.
"Let them out Sasha! What are you doing?"
Seith was holding Sasha by the arms. Her long black hair
clung to
her face by the moisture of blood, and she was taking ragged gasps of
air
as if pain was hitting her in waves. Then she screamed as crimson
showers
sprayed from her back. She pushed Seith away, and fell to the floor
twitching in pain.
The scene before him froze Van in terror. Contorting in her
own
pool of blood, the muscles under the skin of Sasha's back was bulging
and
shifting like boiling bubbles.
"No!" Sasha pounded her fists into the ground, as if trying to
repress the bursting changes back into her body. Cuts opened on her
back
as her life poured itself through her skin, slowly bathing her
completely
in blood.
The metallic smell filling the air made Van want to gag.
Then with one last scream, Sasha threw her head back in agony
as
black wings purged themselves from her ripped body. Soiled with
blood, the
onyx feathers flexed and spread above the distorted figure with wills
of
their own. Mindless of the fixated horror from surrounding eyes, the
raven
wings showed off their span while pearls of blood silently rolled off
the
slick surface.
With a look of disgust, Seith took a few step away from her.
Instead, remembering painful memories of the long forgiven
past,
Van reached out for Sasha.
"No!" Sasha flinched away from him as if burned by his touch.
"Don't look at me! Please don't look at me!" She cried into her hands,
trying to hide from her shame. "They wouldn't change back. They have
been
contaminated by the Fate Redirector, and now they won't change back."
Her
shoulder trembled in helplessness as tears bled from her eyes.
Slowly the crying died down. Then on one hand Sasha pushed
herself
up to sit on her knees while the other cover her bosom with the
remains of
her blood stained clothes. She looked up to face Seith in
despair. "I'm so
sorry," Sasha closed her eyes, pained by Seith's cold expression. She
knelt before Seith and his pure white wings. "I lied to you about my
wings. I wanted to tell you the truth, I really did, but I had no
where
else to go," She bit her lips to stifle a sob. "I will taint the
bloodline
of the royal family, I cannot be your queen."
A warm blanked suddenly draped over her body, and Sasha's
bright
eyes opened hoping to expect Seith's forgiveness. Instead, it was
Anthony's gentle face before her. Suddenly very, very cold, Sasha
looked
toward Seith.
Seith stood stoic and unmoved, looking down at her with
unfathomable eyes.
She chuckled, as her body begin to feel empty of life. It
wasn't
weakness, nor was it pain, but she just felt like she needed to
sleep. She
turned to give her most beautiful smile to Anthony. "You know, Folken
once
told me that there is this place called Heaven. Will you please hold
me
while I try to go find him there?"
Anthony fought to smile back as he tightened his arms around
her.
Sasha could feel the numbness slowly taking her away to her purgatory.
"Bury me in Zaibach," she whispered to Anthony and closed her eyes.
End of Part 9
**********
I'm done! I'm done! I'm done!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Escaflowne: Leavetakings Chapter 10.
By Cain C. Hargrieves (Zeldai@a...)
Warm. The light was so warm. It was as if it could embrace
her.
Smiling, she burried her face deeper into it, feeling her fur tingle
as
the warmth traveled throughout all her body. For a moment, she could
almost make believe that the warm light was Van.
*He's come looking for me,* she thought. *He does care...
Van...
Van sama...*
Stretching out her arms, she took the warmth into her hands,
hoping. She could almost see him now, his striking, dark hair, kind
eyes.
She could hear him whisper her name. *I'm here, Van sama. I'm here.
I...*
Sharp pain traveled up her arm, and she cried out. Lurging
forward, she gasped, bright lights racing rapidly to the edges of her
eyes. For a moment she remained as she was, dissoriented. A ratling
was
humming through her bones, and she shook her head to clear her
thoughts.
The motion made her dizzy. But the pain still coming from her arm
made her
bare her teeth at the darkness, searching for the cause. Her feline
glare
fell upon two bright, rose colored eyes.
"You're hugging up the space," their owner said, left foot
still
held a few feet from the floor after he had prodded at her with the
tip of
his scruffed, dirty boots.
Blinking, Merle edged back. A young man was sitting across
from
her, pale rose colored eyes glittering faintly in the lamplight.
Lamplight
coming from a canister tied crudely to the sides of a rattling cage.
Looking around her, Merle saw that she had been lying on a few
scattered
bits of straw. Outside, the night crept on, the stars glimmering
coldly
from the silent heavens. A sense of dread began to take hold of Merle.
*I was in Oak's office last night...* she repeated over and
over
to herself, her heart beginning to pound sharply, causing her fur to
prickle as shivers ran though her. Raising one hand, she ran it over
the
back of her head. She could feel a dull pain coming from the nape of
her
neck, the spot sore and tender under her fingertips. Her eyes widened
as
realization washed through her. *He must have knocked me
unconscious...
dragged me here... I must have been sold...*
"Move over," the voice came again. Merle turned her head to
look
at the man across from her again, eyes narrowing in suspicion,
masking the
fear she felt. He looked less shocking now. She could see that he had
long, golden hair. For one moment, he reminded her of Allen, but she
quickly chased the thought away. He was younger, his hair a bit paler
than
the Astorian knight. Growling softly under her breath, she did as she
was
told.
The man murmured out a flat thank you and stretched out as
best as
he could in the cramped quarters of the cage. Merle watched him for a
while, tail swishing uneasily as the silence grew heavier. She wanted
him
to say something, anything, that would explain the horrible mess she
seemed to be in, maybe explain it away... His eyes were open, staring
up
at the ceiling of the cage as the wagon rumbled on. *He's not really
going
to just lie there in silence, is he...?* Shifting slightly, she
decided to
change the situation herself.
"W-where is this wagon taking us...?" she asked. The man
across
from her didn't even blink. Annoyed, Merle propped herself up on one
elbow. "Hey, are you deaf?"
"I don't know," he said.
Closing his eyes, he shifted his back a bit, grunting quietly
through clenched teeth. Merle sighed and settled into a cross-legged
position. To anyone watching her, she would have appeared as little
more
than a tall mound of fur.
Her ears twitched, a shiver going through her body. *Great. I
don't know if I'm sold or not... or sold to whom... and I haven't
eaten
yet, either...* she thought forlornly. *I'm trapped here...* Shutting
her
eyes tightly, she fought against the tears she could feel forming
under
her lashes. *Some adventure this's turned out to be.*
Bitting down a sob, she drew her right hand quickly over her
eyes,
wiping away any trace of incoming tears. The motion, carried out
mechanically and carelessly, drew her attention to the ring on her
hand.
It glittered coldly in the semi-darkness of the cage, looking out at
her
in mute mockery. She glared at it. *Stupid ring. You haven't been any
good. You were supposed to give me an adventure.*
Cursing beneath her breath, she slammed the hand with the ring
into the sides of the cage, drawing a slim satisfaction from the
sound of
the ring's stone striking the thick metal bars of the cage. She had
drawn
back her hand to repeat the motion when a hand on her wrist stopped
her.
She glared at the rose eyed man, trying to pull her hand away. When
she
saw the look on his face, though, she stopped, curiousity replacing
her
annoyance.
He stared at the ring in her hand as if he could no longer see
anything else. His lips parted briefly, forming a word she could not
catch. After what seemed like the longest time, he finally drew his
gaze
away. Raising his face, he looked straight into Merle's eyes. The
look in
his eyes made her a little nervous, but at the same time intensely
curious. Maybe this would be the beginning of her adventure at last.
The man closed his eyes, then released her arm. Leaning back
against the far bars of the cage, he looked at her quietly, as if
deciding
whether he should speak or not.
"Where did you get that ring?" he asked at length.
Merle's tail swished from side to side, her uneasiness growing
alongside her interest. She was all to answer readily where she had
gotten
the ring, but thenthought that maybe she should play it safer. Who
knew
what that strange man wanted with or knew about the ring?
"I got it a market," she answered, watching the man's
reaction's
closely. Her nose twitched slightly, trying to pick up any scent from
him,
fear, interest, perhaps. She could discern nothing from his scent. He
remained as he was, rose colored eyes glittering with an apparent
inner
fire.
"My Father had a ring," he said quietly, "just like that one.
He
said once that it would allow him to see the future and the past. The
ring
killed him, cat-girl. I would advise that you get rid of that thing as
soon as possible."
Merle's eyes widened. Raising her hand, she looked at the ring
again, a slight tremor running through her. She could feel her fur
begin
to prickle, cold fingers racing up and down her spine. It was not a
pleasant feeling. She looked up at the man helplessly, a soft 'mreowr'
escaping her lips.
"B-but... I can't take it off... See?"
To prove her point, she pulled as hard as she could at the
ring,
but just as before it refused to budge an inch. Leaning forward, the
man
took her hand between his own. Merle was surprised at the gentleness
of
his touch, but flinched when he too tried to pry the ring off her
finger
with no success. He sighed.
"It's no use. It's chosen you. Just like Father..."
Merle whimpered. She was really scared now. Her tail swished
uneasilly, coiling itself around her left wrist. Looking at her, the
man's
expression softened, liquid pink eyes muting with compassion. Reaching
out, he drew her close to him, stroking her head as he had seen his
Mother
do the stray cats which had passed their doorstep daily. The cat-girl
sobbed a little, momentarily stiffening in his embrace before she
gave way
to her fear and burried her face into his chest.
Lying there, Merle tried not to think about what he had said.
She
could hear the steady beat of his heart beneath his shirt, and she
took
some comfort from the sound. It was warm in his arms. They were
relaxed
around her, slim and long like Van's. Closing her eyes against the
dark
thoughts that lurked at the corners of her mind, she pressed deeper
against the warmth of his body. She meowed softly in protest as she
felt
him pull her gently away.
Turning, he took two bars into his hands. Merle watched,
awed, as
he parted them as easily as if they were warm wax. He stretched them
out
far enough for a person to squeeze through, then drew back, panting
slightly. He smiled at her, the smile softening the urgency in his
eyes.
"Go," he said. "This wagon is headed for the Palas market
where
we'll be sold as slaves. You're too nice for that."
His eyes clouded for a moment, and he looked at her quietly,
the
night wind, whipped into a frenzy by the speed of the wagon, played
through his hair, a few tendrils caressing his cheeks. Merle thought
she
saw a spasm of pain pass through his eyes, but it was gone as quickly
as
it had appeared. He motioned for her to hurry. "You're a lithe enough
thing, you'll have no problem landing on all fours if you jump from
here,"
he said quietly, his voice colored by his half-joke.
Crouching beside the bars, she looked down at the road rushing
past them. The jump would hurt, no doubt about that, even if she would
certainly land on all fours. Trying not to gulp, she looked back at
the
man.
"But what about you...? You shouldn't be a slave, either..."
He smiled faintly, bitterly. "The ring killed my Father, and
my
Mother suicided shortly after. I have no brothers or sisters, and no
other
family I would like to go to. I'll be better off wherever this wagon
takes
me. Don't worry about me. Go."
"But..."
Placing a hand behind her back, he edged her closer to the
bent
bars. "I said go. I'll be fine."
Meowing softly, Merle gave one last look to the rushing road.
Then, before he could react, leapt to hug the rose eyed man, arms
wrapping
tightly around his back. She felt the surprise travel through his body
before he returned the hug tightly. She leaped back from the embrace
nimbly,landing close to the cage's opening. She swung herself down the
bars, using her tail as a make-shift rope. She flashed a milky-white
smile
up at the man and crouched to leap. She almost leaped before she
shrank
back, looking towards the man again.
"Almost forgot," she said. "I'm Merle. Pleased to meet you."
The man smiled, reaching up to comb back his long
hair. "Borealis.
Allen Borealis."
Merle blinked once. Then twice. Finally, she began to laugh,
the
sound chasing away all of her earlier fears. With one decisive push,
she
leapt off from the cage, the ground rushing up to meet her almost
instantly. In the brief expanse between making contact with the
ground and
hanging suspended in mid-air, she looked back at Allen as the wagon
took
him away. He looked at her with a mixture of worry and amusement. She
saw
him smile, raise one hand in farewell, and then she made contact with
the
hard ground.
She rolled away with a grunt, quickly springing uno all
fours. She
almost lost her balance, but managed to steady herself quickly.
Raising
her head, she saw the wagon rumble on, its driver apparently unaware
that
she had escaped. Rising, she waved one last time to Allen. As she
lowered
her hand, the ring on her finger flashed again.
*I have to get rid of this thing. It killed Allen's father...
I
could be going the same way.*
Sighing, Merle lowered her hand. She looked around her at the
unfamiliar surroundings. She sniffed the air, hoping to find some
scent
she could guide herself by. It was a few moments before she picked up
the
heady scent of cooking meat. Licking her teeth, she jogged towards the
direction it came from. She was too hungry at the moment to allow her
fears to take over. She knew full well, though, that once satiated
she had
to find a way to get rid of the ring. Maybe even find a way to track
down
Allen in Palas and save him from becoming a slave. But for now...
*For now, I eat.*
End of Part 10
Chapter 11-Fate
By Gilbert (Oso) Lin
Hitomi was tired, and scared.
Never before has she run so fast. Beads of sweat poured down
her
face from her face from not only exhaustion, but from fear. Hitomi
looked
back. Her shadowy assailant was behind her, but he was not pursuing
her.
Instead, he pointed a small, metal item towards her. It was a gun.
She
tried to pour more speed, to urge her legs to move faster, but in the
back
of her mind, she knew that she couldn't out-race a bullet.
*Van!* Hitomi thought to herself.
Hitomi heard a very loud CRACK, followed by a sharp pain in
her
leg. She began to fall in slow motion. Then there was a flash of the
purest white emanating from a source she couldn't see, engulfing her
sight.
But the ground continued to rush to Hitomi. Quickly she
closed
her eyes, just before the she hit the cold, brown soil. She felt
herself
tumbling down a moderately steep hill. Down, and down she went, and
every
role and tumble that she took welcomed her with rough pokes and cuts
to
her body. Her body ached for relief from the pain, and then she felt
herself stop moving.
Around her was the rich smell of roast meat. Hitomi opened
her
eyes, and immediately wished she didn't. Three men were standing
before
her, and using a blue moon's soft light, she could make out two of
them in
detail.
Both were in their late 20's and wore light brown garments,
which
matched their tanned skin. One man was tall and had hair that was
black
and unkempt, while the other was short and had brown hair that was
neatly
combed. Both men were surprised at her appearance. The two visible
men
quickly recovered from their initial shock, and Hitomi witnessed the
smaller man handing a red bracelet to the third person.
Both men then drew swords.
The third man between the two others was secluded in shadows,
and
Hitomi had trouble noticing his features. He wore solid black. He
wore a
midnight hat, cloak, pants, and cape. In his left hand, he carried an
iron-shod staff. The only noticeable feature about the third person
was a
small mark, which looked like a tattoo of some sort, on his neck.
Hitomi
could not make out the tattoo, but it was there, and it almost seemed
to
pulsate with its own light. Beyond the men were a small campfire,
some
blankets, and two moderate sized sacks filled with silver coins.
The man with the staff put the bracelet on, and it quickly
became
hidden from Hitomi's view. He then pointed to her, and then motioned
with
his finger toward his neck. He brought his index finger from one
side of
his neck to the other, as if his finger was a knife cutting his
throat.
The men with the swords, grinned in agreement, began to move towards
the
fallen Hitomi. Immediately realizing the danger that she was in,
Hitomi
tried to stand and run again but the pain in her wounded leg
prevented her
from even getting up.
"NO!"
Hitomi bolted back into consciousness suddenly, drips of sweat
pouring down her face from fright. Clad only in her nightgown, she
was
very cold. The blankets that kept her warm were thrown away from her
bed.
The electric clock beside her bed read 5:16 AM.
"The dream."
************
The bright lights welcomed Terra Stinchfield as she walked
out of
the bathroom. Wearing a moderate skirt and blouse, she was ideally
dressed for her friend's birthday party. Cake has already been
served,
and several of the invited guests were already leaving. She was
about to
reenter the social group in front of the TV, when she noticed another
girl, about the same age as her, sitting quietly outside in the
balcony of
the two story house. She was clad in a short skirt and blouse that is
common as the uniform for Japanese schoolgirls.
Terra Stinchfield quickly went through what she knew about
Hitomi
Kanzaki. Hitomi was an exchange student from Japan, who was visiting
the
San Diego for one school semester. Hitomi was staying at Terra's
home,
where she became a virtual member of her family. She only spoke
halting
English, but there was rarely a communication barrier between Terra
and
Hitomi. Terra was 1/4 Japanese, although she looked like a full
Caucasian. Her half-Japanese mother taught her the Japanese language
when
she was very young. Consequently, Terra spoke Japanese as well as she
spoke English. But even with her halting English, she still managed
to
make many friends in her neighborhood, and was usually the center of
attention.
Hitomi was also a great athlete. When they first met, Terra
asked
Hitomi about what sports she liked. Hitomi said she had a place on
the
track team in Japan. Terra was proud of her own athletic skills, as
she
was a track star in her high school, but Terra had to admit that
Hitomi
was fast. They did an informal race between each other, and the two
females tied.
But what Terra especially found interesting was Hitomi's set
of
Tarot cards. Fortune telling always intrigued Terra, although when
she
tried to read a fortune, she found out that she was not very good
using
the Tarot herself. Naturally, on the day that she found out that she
had
Tarot cards, she asked for a reading, but Hitomi's face turned white
and
refused to give one.
Terra's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden realization
that
Hitomi was not only outside, but also alone, with only the stars to
give
her company. This was strange, as Hitomi was usually surrounded by
her
friends, and was many times the center of attention. Terra
immediately
decided to go outside and talk to Terra.
Terra opened the screen door that separated the house and the
patio, stepped through it, and closed it. Still gazing at the stars,
Hitomi spoke in her native tongue.
"Hello Terra."
Clearly surprised, Terra replied, "How did you know it was
me?"
"Just luck I guess."
A long, vast silence occurred, in which neither person was
willing
to speak. After a few seconds, Hitomi broke the silence.
"Terra, do you believe that our lives are predetermined by
fate?"
"Huh?"
"If you could accurately predict a negative future, is it
possible
to change it?"
After a pause to collect her thoughts, Terra answered "I
believe
that fate only has a small part in the future. Each person's dreams,
thoughts, and actions are the things that determine the future. Why
do
you ask?"
"That day that you asked me to do you a reading. I never
told you
why I stopped, did I?"
Terra, with a perplexed look on her face replied "No. You
just
said that they are serve to remind you of past memories."
Hiromi sighed. "I don't do any readings anymore because I am
scared of the readings I do."
"Huh?"
Hitomi brought a light smile to her own face, and turned to
face
Terra. "I don't even know why I am telling you this. I have not
talked
about this subject even with my best friend in Japan."
Just then, Hitomi noticed Terra's earrings. "Eh?" Hitomi
pointed
at the earrings. "Those are beautiful. Can I hold them?"
"What, these?" Terra's hand went and removed the earrings
from
her ear, and handed them to Hitomi. "My mother gave them to me when
I was
12, as a graduation present from grade school. I only wear them for
special occasions."
Hitomi gazed at the earrings, suddenly bliss about the
environment
around her. Terra's earrings were stunning. The rings themselves was
made of silver, and seemed to sparkle in the night. What caught
Hitomi's
attention, however, was the small stone that hung from each ring.
They
were a translucent blue color, and each shaped like miniaturized
versions
of a pendent stone that Hitomi wore so long ago.
Terra, not noticing Hitomi's loss of attention,
continued. "In
fact, they are supposed to be very valuable. My mom told me a few
stories
about them. They are reputably very old, given from mother to
daughter
for a very long time. There was supposed to be other pieces of
jewelry
that were in this set, but over the years... Hey, are you listening
to
me?"
"Eh?" Hitomi spoke as she suddenly came back into
consciousness.
"Sorry Terra. I guess I was too fascinated by your earrings. Here."
Terra accepted her earrings from Hitomi, put them on, and
smiled.
"Never mind. Come on. Everyone is gathered around the TV.
Hitomi responded with a nod, accompanied by a large
smile. "Un!"
************
Hitomi watched Terra go inside the house, but stopped at the
screen door, and looked back at the stars. She wondered why she told
Terra that she feared her "ability," even if she didn't tell
everything.
She felt glad that she finally told someone, and it was true that
Terra
was a good friend. Terra...
Hitomi recalled the first time she entered Terra's house. The
large garage from which she entered from did not only hold the
standard
cars and laundry machines, but also a small chemistry lab off in one
corner, complete with numerous beakers, test tubes, and boxed
chemicals.
Terra's mother, who picked up Hitomi on her way home from the hospital
where she works, was quick to introduce her to Terra, who was waiting
for
them just beyond the door leading into the Garage. Terra brought out
a
cheerful smile, and offered to show her around the house. Their first
stop was the living room. It looked normal, with two couches
surrounding
a TV in a corner. Another corner of the room was a large punching
bag,
which hung from the ceiling, and near the fireplace were numerous
trophies, several of them over six feet tall. Hitomi walked over
towards
the trophies. Reading the inscription of the largest one, it said:
1st place: National Champion, 1993
USKF Tournament, Las Vegas, Nevada
Hitomi was inquired about the medal. Terra with a smile on
her
face, said that she was a black belt in two martial arts, and winning
that
tournament was one of the proudest days of her life.
Hitomi then saw a lone picture on the fireplace mantle. It
was
simple picture of a younger Terra, about 12 years old, along with
another
girl about the same age. Both were joyfully poising for the camera,
and
dressed in colorful T-shirts. The other Caucasian girl had a bubbly
expression on her face, and featured 2 small ponytails. It was clear
from
her expression that she was enjoying herself. Hitomi asked about the
significance of the picture, and was greeted with a frown. Terra
replied,
"That is a picture of a friend from a long time ago."
Hitomi decided it was better not to pursue the issue. After
all,
she didn't want to hurt anyone for the next several months,
especially not
her new friend and host.
She was a good friend indeed. In fact, without her help, she
would probably have been lost in this New World called America. Terra
helped Hitomi immeasurably during her transition into San Diego.
Although
she has been here only for a few weeks, Terra's warm and welcoming
guidance allowed her to make many friends, and perhaps best of all,
she
was not forced to speak her underdeveloped English to her hosts.
Terra did have her problems however. Hitomi noticed that
Terra
had an unusually short temper. She would go from a very cheerful,
content
person, to a dangerous fighter in the span of a few moments. Several
times she would see Terra come home from her job at a restaurant with
a
stern look on her face. She would go straight toward the punching
bag in
the living room, and would punch and kick it as if she wanted to kill
and
mangle it for over an hour before she even took off her work uniform.
Hitomi suspected that her parents bought it for her after she spotted
a
hole in Terra's room the size of a fist.
Just then, Terra yelled, "Hey Hitomi! Are you coming
inside? Or
do I have to drag you in here? The Late Show is almost on!"
Hitomi replied in her flawed English. "Coming!" Hitomi
quickly
entered the screen door to join her friend.
**************
Terra was very angry. The one TV show that she absolutely
loved
to watch was the Late Show at 11:00 PM. In fact, she has watched
every
single show since she first saw it, three years ago.
*But no. There just happened to be a blackout tonight, just
before the anniversary show special. Damn!* Terra picked up a palm-
sized
rock and threw it as hard as she could. It eventually returned to
earth
with a loud crack.
Terra and Hitomi were walking home. They lived on a well-lit
street, only three blocks from the party. Normally, the streetlights
gave
plenty of light along the residential neighborhood, but with the
blackout,
only the stars above the clear sky gave any light. Although it was
late
at night, the air was amazingly warm, and neither of the females
required
a sweater.
Terra looked at Hitomi, and noticed that she was clearly
worried.
Terra knew that there was something special about this young woman
from
Japan, but she didn't know what it was. It didn't matter now,
however.
She was still too angry at fate to care. She needed to hit something.
*Damn! Damn! Damn!* DAMN!
The verbal outcry startled Hitomi. "I knew you were a
fanatic for
the show, but I think you are eh?"
Terra saw it too. A blue Toyota pulled up on the curb right
next
to the two females, and stopped. It was not parked very neatly. In
fact,
the front right wheel went over the curb. The door opened, and a
Caucasian male stepped out of the car. Terra suddenly felt nauseated
as
the smell of liquor filled her noses. The teen wore a huge black Nike
jacket that almost seemed too small for him, and light blue jeans
that was
cut off at the ankles. After getting out of the car, the well-muscled
teen began walking around the front of it. With every step that he
took,
the smell of liquor became larger, more nauseating. He stepped into
the
headlights, and adrenaline shot up Terra's limbs when she recognized
the
face.
As he reaches the sidewalk, he almost trips on the curb. He
manages to regain his balance before he toppled over, and blocked the
sidewalk path in front of the two girls. "Hey Terra, why don't both
of
you come on into my car? I'm tired of hanging around my house when
there's no one at home. It will be fun." The teenage male's speech
was
slightly slurred.
Terra was not in the slightest amused. *Great,* she thought,
*not
only do I have to miss my favorite show, I have to deal with this
looser.
*In a stern voice, Terra replied, "Why don't you leave me alone
John? I'm
not in the mood to baby-sit, you slacker. When I told you our
relationship was not working out, I meant it. Get out of our way,
take
your car, and leave us be. Come on Hitomi." Terra began to walk
toward
the big man, with Hitomi just a step behind.
But the huge teen refused to move. Terra, seeing John's
stubbornness, decided it was best not to harass the large person
anymore,
and attempted to walk around him.
John however, had other ideas. "I said, you should get in
the car
with me." He promptly grabbed Terra, and shoved her in the direction
of
the car with little effort. Hitomi, seeing the strength of the man,
became intimidated and stopped dead in her tracks.
Terra was not intimidated however, and her fury grew. "John,
I'm
giving you fair warning. Get this through your stupid, drunk brain.
I'm
not going with you. Our relationship is over. Don't make me do
something
that you will regret."
Terra attempted to walk pass John again, but the big man
threw out
his large arms, intending for another shove. This time, Terra was
ready.
Shifting her body position, she grabbed her John's massive wrists.
In one
swift motion, the big man was lofted into the air, and met the ground
hard.
"Humph." Terra clapped her hands together and began to walk
away
from the fallen drunkard.
John was not done yet though. He got up, and grabbed Terra's
arms, and using his massive body and strength, he picked her up, and
pinned her between his arms, body, and the car. The smell of his
breath
was enough to make Terra gag. John, noticing his commanding position,
stated, "You will getting in the car Oomph!"
John collapsed in agony, holding his groin where Terra had
brought
up her knee.
"I gave you fair warning. Now you suffer the consequences."
Terra then turned to Hitomi. "Come on. Let's get home."
They only walked a few more paces ahead when the pair heard a
shout from the wounded man. "Bitch! You hurt me! You hurt me in the
most agonizing way! You will pay for wounding my manhood, with
interest!"
"What are you talking about?" Terra replied. She turned
around,
and froze in terror. John had unzipped his Nike jacket, and pulled
out a
small revolver.
Terra looked at her surroundings, and was dismayed that there
was
nowhere to hide. She also knew begging to a drunk would be a waste of
time. That left just one option.
"Hitomi! Run!" Terra and Hitomi took off. *This can't be
happening,* Terra thought as they were running. Terra was not able
to add
more to that thought. There was a loud CRACK as the gun went off, and
Terra noticed that her friend running in front of her fell.
"Hitomi!"
There was an explosion of light that emanated from around
Terra,
and she felt very light-headed. The light lasted only for a fraction
of a
second, but it was enough to disorient Terra. Before she knew what
had
happened, she ran straight into a tree, head first. The last thing
Terra
saw was the sudden creation of tree bark in front of her face after
the
explosion of light. Then there was only darkness.
************
"Ouch!" was the first thing that came out of Terra's mouth
after
she woke up with a large lump on her head. She rubbed it, and found
it to
be very tender. She tried to stand up, and although a bit wobbly, she
managed to stand straight without any help.
She found herself staring into the tree she had bumped into.
The
tree in front of her had an indentation where her head had bumped
into it.
Behind her was a forest of very large trees. It was also very chilly.
"Where am I?" Terra spoke to herself.
"NO!"
Terra quickly recognized the voice as Hitomi's. Now fully
awake
and aware, she looked in the direction of the cry. Looking below the
small hill she was perched on, she saw what appeared to be a thief's
camp
from an old movie in the middle of the clearing, complete with several
blankets, a campfire with meat cooking over it, and two sacks full of
weird coins. Hitomi was in the clearing, near the camp, wounded.
Two of
the three men, who were dressed very strangely, were converging on
Hitomi's position. Two of the men were carrying long, curved swords,
similar to ones she saw in an Encyclopedia, and were approaching her
menacingly.
"I have to help her! But what can I use as a weapon? I can't
fight those men with swords without something." She spotted an unused
sword by the camp, but she quickly dismissed using, because she had no
idea how to use it. Scanning, she quickly found her answer. The
third
man was holding a staff, something she knew how to use.
Before she knew what she realized what she was doing, Terra
charged.
****************
*This is a dream. This is a dream. This is a dream,* but in
her
heart, Hitomi knew that this time, it was not the dream. She
couldn't do
anything. *Just like so many other visions, they all came true,* she
thought, *except here, I am going to die.*
As the two swordsmen closed in, she heard a loud shout. A
lone
figure, clad in a moderate skirt and blouse, apparently worn for
parties,
charged down the hill, aiming for the man in black. The leader of the
group apparently surprised by a back assault, attempted to get in a
defensive stance, but the female closed the gap too quickly, and
using her
significant momentum, punched the black man in the jaw, knocking the
leader down. She quickly grabbed the staff, and readied herself
against
the two others.
The two swordsmen after shaking off their shock and surprise
grinned. Hitomi quickly realized who it was and was amazed that she
was
here as well. "Terra! Be careful!"
The first to attack was the short man. He charged, apparently
thinking that he could quickly bring down this young upstart who was
ten
years younger than he was. It was a painful mistake, as Terra quickly
sidestepped his sword thrust and promptly swung her staff at the
attacker's exposed right ankle. The weapon connected, and the sound
of
bones being broken could be heard. The attacker winced in pain, and
Terra
was not about to loose her advantage. Terra immediately swung her
staff
the other way, aiming for the body, but the man was expecting this,
and
parried the blow just in time. Terra quickly pulled the staff back
and
began a thrust toward the man's chest. A risky move, but it was one
that
worked. The thrust hit the man squarely in the stomach, and the man
collapsed painfully, the wind being knocked out of him.
Upon seeing the swordsman fall, the comrade in arms approached
cautiously. He attacked Terra, fully aware of her potential. Terra
continuously blocked blow for blow, but the man kept up the offensive,
using the speed of his movements to keep ahead of her. It soon became
clear to Hitomi that Terra was loosing, for she was loosing ground and
could never get on the offensive.
*I need to do something!* She tried again to stand, but it
was no
use. Her bleeding leg could not hold her. She was also slowly
loosing
her concentration, her consciousness. Franticly searching the
ground, she
found a small rock.
"Go away!" she shouted, and threw the rock. It wasn't much,
and
bounced harmlessly against the man's leg. It didn't do any damage,
but it
took his attention from the battle for a fraction of a second. It
was a
fraction too much. Terra, after parrying yet another blow, brought
her
staff sideways, smacking the man's sword arm. Wincing in the sudden
pain
and surprise, the man dropped his sword. Terra shifted her position,
and
attacked the leg, sweeping the man off his legs.
Terra quickly looked around for the man in black, but he
disappeared, the trail he left behind led into the forest. The other
swordsman was still on the ground, still catching his breath and
unable to
stand. She turned back to her fallen opponent, and put her leg on his
throat, and began to squeeze.
"Take your friend and leave us alone, now. If you come back,
I
promise that it will hurt even more."
The swordsman was in no position to argue, with his sword arm
disabled and his companion unable to move without assistance. Terra
let
him go, and it was not until after the men were well on their way
into the
forest that she turned her concern to Hitomi. Upon seeing her in the
soft, blue light, Terra felt the blood rush from her face.
Hitomi was lying on the floor, unmoving; her leg surrounded
by a
pool of blood.
To be continued...
Page 12
Gilbert Lin
And to think that she felt so smug a moment ago. Terra cursed
herself for not paying more attention to Hitomi.
Terra was holding Hitomi's wounded body, wondering if she was
dead
or alive. Quickly she checked her pulse, and was relived when she
found
out she still had one.
"What to do? What to do?" she spoke to herself. Terra was
panicking, and she knew it. She felt deja vu all over again. There
was a
sickening feeling in the middle of her stomach now, gnawing at her
feelings and emotions. It was the feeling of utter helplessness.
Hitomi
was dying right before her eyes.
Terra was frightened. She closed her anguished eyes.
Challenging
fate and the world itself, she shouted. "No! This won't happen
again! I
won't allow it to happen twice!" Shouting calmed her down, and then
she
remembered her mother's voice and guidance on what to do to stop
bleeding.
Carefully, she reached deep into her memories. Then, without any
sound,
searched the camp, and found the several items that would hopefully
save
Hitomi's life: a blanket, cloth, and water.
******************
Hitomi never felt this relaxed ever. It was as if the
softest,
whitest, most fluffy blanket wrapped around her around her body. She
felt
completely weightless. The only thing around her was the whiteness,
but
the light was very comfortable. She closed her eyes.
And found herself floating above a battlefield. Around her,
thousands of people swarmed, each trying there hardest to eliminate
each
other. Guymelfs were liberally sprinkled around the area, the
nearest one
was using it's great height and strength to kill tens at a time with
each
swing of it's foot, and each pass with it's sword killed hundreds
more.
Other guymelfs in the distance were battling each other, their clash
of
metal banging against each other. She looked around, loathing the
carnage
below her, wishing it would stop. She then spotted a guymelf that
she was
very familiar with. It was Escaflowne. "Van!" she cried out,
ecstatic to
see him even if it was just a dream. She began to fly her spirit form
towards the Ispano White when she heard another, unfamiliar sound
like a
tea kettle whistle. She scanned around, and saw a bomb, dropped by a
flying machine, fall too the ground. It detonated, and the resulting
explosion from the energist bomb engulfed her view of the battlefield.
She felt no physical pain, but the spiritual pain was tremendous when
she
heard all of the voices below her cry out in pain. But the one voice
most
painful was that of Van. His cry of agony, audible above the roar of
flame, broke Hitomi, and she knew she was ready to die.
****************
Van had locked himself in his room. Too many events were
happening around him demanding his attention and he needed to get away
from it all to sort them all out. There was Seith. It is apparent
that
he is another descendent of Atlantis, but for some reason he was
going out
of his way to avoid Van.
Then there is the problem of Allen. After the battle, Van had
talked to his friend, and learned that he is now a fugitive of the
country
that he had swore to protect. This worried Van, as now he no longer
had a
home, and save for the possessions he brought with him, he no longer
had
any property. Van offered to take him into Fanelia, but he refused,
saying that Seith had already offered him a position in his army.
However, Van could not get over the thought that Allen has accepted
Seith
as a dear friend to be trusted. He came back to the flying ship just
in
time to see Sasha's black wings. He also saw Seith's cold eyes at
that
time. He saw the unforgiving, discriminatory look on his face. He
knew
right then that he could be trusted as a comrade, but he could never
be a
close friend.
Then there was Allen's sister. "No," he corrected
himself, "not
his sister." Van was not sure what to call Dilandau. The news of
Serena's transformation back to Van's arch enemy once again alarmed
him.
Upon hearing that news, Van avoided Dilandau's locked room extremely
carefully. While the scar Van had given to Dilandau vanished on his
transformation to Serena, according to Allen, it still exists on
Dilandau.
"No doubt he still despises me for scaring that face of his years
ago."
But there was a deeper reason for his avoidance of Dilandau.
It
was a reason he also barely acknowledged. Simply put, he hated him.
Nightmares of the war still haunt him, and they all involved the one
boyish man no older than he was who was obsessed with killing him. He
would kill innocents, friends, and his personal friends all for his
own
enjoyment.
Van closed his eyes, and unwillingly remembered his most
recent,
and most disturbing, dream. Hitomi was laying on the floor, her cute
sailor skirt stained by her own blood, and several ghastly wounds on
her
arms and legs. Standing above her, a boyish Dilandau was enjoying
himself, and wielded his bloodied sword blade with expert accuracy,
creating several numerous wounds intended to inflict immense pain,
not to
kill. He was demanding something from Hitomi, but all he heard was
Hitomi's constant scream, and all he saw was Hitomi's look of pain,
sadness, anguish, and defiance. He tried to attack Dilandau
physically,
but he seemed to pass straight through them, like a ghost. He was
helpless. All he could do was look into Hitomi's eyes of suffering in
anguish.
Thinking of Dilandau also reminded him about the horrors of
war,
the pillaging, the plundering, the loss of innocent life, and the
blood on
his hands. "And now there might be another one." Recently, tensions
have
been slowly rising between Basram and Asturia over what to do with the
energist-bomb. On this thought, Van sighed. "Not another war," he
said
to himself. "There should not be any more fighting."
He made a mental note to himself to go and do diplomatic
visits
advocating against war to the other countries. He was sure he could
calm
the furious blood rising between the two nations. After becoming a
hero
of the Gaean War, the name Van Fanelia caried much political weight,
even
if Fanelia itself did not have a large army. While he was doing
that, he
could also search for a particular cat-girl who was causing him a lot
of
anguish.
The simple fact is, Van needed Merle. He needed a smile right
now. She was a breath of fresh air, and his private source of near
limitless laughs and smiles.
Van stepped toward the window of the cabin, inhaled deeply,
and
gave out another sigh. "Merle, where are you?" He received no
answer.
"Being a king is too stressful," he said to himself, and moved
away from his view of the mystic moon.
******************
Terra was pushing hard, using all of her strength, and prayed
that
she was doing the correct thing. The bullet that pierced Hitomi's
skin
seemed to have grazed the side of the leg, thankfully not lodging
itself
in but making a ghastly wound that bled horridly. Terra had elevated
Hitomi's legs with miscellaneous items from the camp, and was putting
pressure on the wound using the cloth. In an attempt to keep Hitomi
warm,
a blanket was thrown over her. Terra hoped to stop the bleeding
using her
pressure. It was working, but Hitomi had already lost a lot of blood.
Terra wondered whether Hitomi would ever speak again.
****************
Van drew to a sudden stop in the hallway of the flying machine
Montu. His mind, once wondering about his childhood playmate, came
into
focus immediately, and as the pendent he wore for nearly one year felt
overly warm. Van also felt slightly lightheaded, to the point of
nearly
losing his balance. Balancing himself by placing one of his hands
against
the wall, he used his other hand to pull out the possession that to
him
was more precious than the Ispano white he rode into battle a year
ago.
He gripped it, and knew it had happened. Hitomi had returned to Gaea.
But there was more to this feeling, and he knew it. He
suddenly
felt desperation, as his own blood left his face. Hitomi was dying.
He
did not know how he could tell, only that he did. He had to find
her, to
help her! His mind began to figure out numerous ways to locate her,
to
speed towards her, and rescue her from her pain. He could find no
solution to his dilemma, however. Then he thought of someone, a close
friend, who would help him locate the girl from the mystic moon.
Immediately, he headed to his quarters, and simultaneously prayed for
someone, anyone, to help Hitomi.
******************
"I know what you are thinking, Hitomi," The columns of flame
passed, and a full view of grass surrounded her vision. "But it is
not
your time to die."
Hitomi turned around, and saw a young, vibrant woman, sitting
on
the grass, looking like a slightly older version of Hitomi. She was
wearing an old Kimono, something that would have been in fashion in
Japan
about 50 years ago.
"Grandmother? But! But!"
"Sit down, child." She patted on the soft grass with her
hand,
inviting her to come. Hitomi hesitatingly walked to her side, and
did as
she was told. "Don't ask questions, granddaughter, and just listen.
That
battle you were witness will be the beginning of Armageddon for
Gaea. The
new weapons and devices that will be used in that war will devastate
the
land. Nothing can or will live in the aftermath of that war, and all
of
the work that you, your friends, and the people of Atlantis have done
in
the past would have been for nothing. This must not be allowed to
happen.
Someone must stop this future from happening."
"But what can I do grandmother?" Hitomi asked. "One person
can
make little difference in the world."
"My granddaughter, one person can always make a huge
difference."
******************
Terra was sitting by the campfire, feeling relieved and
distressed
all at the same time. She was relieved because Hitomi's blood finally
slowed down to a trickle, and stopped all together about two hours
ago.
However, now that her mind was over that crisis, her mind wondered
over to
a new, and different problem. She had no idea where they were. In
fact,
she wondered whether or not she was still in San Diego.
"People wielding swords?" she said to herself. "No one wields
swords like that anywhere in the U.S. Why use swords when guns are so
much better?" Her surroundings all looked unfamiliar. Though the
blue
light was shadowed by a thin layer of clouds above her, there was
still
enough light leaking through to discern her surroundings. The forest
she
ran from lay across from her, staring at her with blackness. On an
opposite end of an invisible boundary that marked the end of the
forest,
was flat land covered with patted down dirt and small grass. Even the
camp was strange. It did not have sleeping bags, and no vehicle was
in
sight other than the wagon that was clearly the property of those men
that
so closely came to murdering Hitomi. The food they left behind held
a lot
of beef jerky and several dried nuts that she did not recognize.
If not in San Diego, where? Had she been struck by the
bullet and
shot fatally, and now she was in heaven? Or was she dreaming?
A female noise beside her awakened her from her thoughts.
Turning
her head, she noticed Hitomi's eyes open slowly, and her excitement
grew.
Although Terra had fully intended to give a warm welcome to
the
person whose life she had personally saved. The words that spilled
out
were quite different.
"You fool!" She yelled in Japanese. "Don't you dare attempt
to
die on me again! Otherwise, I'll have to save your life again, and
then
I'll kill you myself!" She gave a crooked smile to Hitomi.
"What happened?" Hitomi asked. She began to rise, but as she
reached a sitting up position, she immediately felt dizzy, and crashed
back on the blanket below her.
"Whoa!" She said in English. Quickly, she switched back to
Japanese. "Don't try that. You are still really weak from blood
loss.
You won't be getting up anytime soon."
Although still dizzy, Hitomi had no intention of sleeping. At
least, not yet. "San Kyu," she said in English.
In English, Terra replied, "Hey! No problem. You can't be the
daughter of a doctor without learning some tricks. Actually, I am
glad
that you came through all right." She looked around her. "Now all we
need to do is figure out where on Earth we are."
Looking around, sudden realization dawned on Hitomi's face.
Her
friend would not believe it at first, but she needed to know. "I
don't
know exactly where we are," Hitomi stated in Japanese, "but I know
that we
are not on Earth anymore."
The statement came at her with the power of one-million
electric
volts. "Come again, Hitomi? I think the loss of blood has got to
your
brain. Where else except Earth can we be?"
Hitomi managed a slight smile, meekly raised her arm at the
sky,
and pointed out the moon, now uncovered by the clouds. Terra's jaws
dropped to the floor, staring in disbelief at the moon in the sky.
No,
not the moon, Terra corrected herself. It was Earth.
"Welcome to Gaea."
********************
Manus was exhausted. He had been searching the entire city
looking for some clues about Merle, and had turned up nothing. It was
getting very late, as the sun set several hours ago. Very few people
were
in the streets. A few drunkards clumsily finding their way home, some
homeless people seeking shelter that night, and the occasional pair of
Fanelian soldiers patrolling the streets. He himself was returning
to the
inn, after another day of unrewarded searching.
While walking under the bright light of the Mystic Moon, he
pulled
out his copy of Merle's picture. Staring at it woke him up a little.
Seeing her face renewed his hope. Before, her daughter didn't have a
face
nor a name. Just a position. Now, that position had those qualities,
even if he was not completely sure. He placed his hand to his heart,
and
felt it's quiet thumping. He would search and find Merle, for
somehow,
his heart, his soul was guiding him towards her, and he has always
trusted
his soul.
Finally, he arrived at the inn. A few minutes ago, the only
thing
he wanted to do was crash into his room at the inn, but instead of
going
up the stairs to his room, he veered off to the other side of the
room,
where the bar was. Still standing, he ordered a beer from the
bartender.
While he was waiting for the bear, he looked around the room.
There were not that many people in the room. In fact, there were only
three. One of them was dressed in complete black He had seen him
earlier
that night, exiting from a small, personal, and very fast looking
flying
ship. There was almost no part of the man that was not black. Even
his
head was mostly hidden by a large black hat, and his skin was as
close to
black as well. The only part of him that was not black was a red
bracelet, barely visible under his clothes. The other two men looked
like
woodsmen. They were all sitting at the same table, speaking at
inaudible
tones to each other, so that no other human could hear them outside
of the
table. Inaudible for a human maybe, but not for a catman. As a
catman,
Manus had incredible hearing. He smiled. While knowledgeable humans,
such as scholars and politicians knew and exploited the heightened
senses
of catmen, those people were very few. Apparently, these people
didn't
know about his powerful senses or just didn't care. Without anything
else
to do, he sat down, and began evesdropping.
"How many were you able to get?" The man in black had a voice
that was rich and commanding. From his tone of voice, he quickly
decided
that he was in command.
"Four," one of the two men replied. "There were some kids
playing
quite a ways inside the forest. So I decided to play the friendly
guy and
ask them where they lived. The dumb kids told me. Turns out that
they
were playing far away from their homes. I smiled and left them alone
for
a few minutes, and came back with the rest of my gang. The gang and I
caught them all. They all had spunk. They should all sell really
well.
They are all on their way to the market."
*Sell?* Manus thought. *They sell children? They must be
slave
traders!*
The black clothed man nodded, and turned his head to the other
slave trader. He winced suddenly at the action and rubbed his
chin. "How
many did you catch this month Oak?"
"Plenty. Slaves are not in such high demand yet though, so I
decided to let go of just two of my inventory. One of them was this
cat
girl. Cute little girl. Anyway, I was simply strolling along.
Hell, I
wasn't intending to do any other poaching this month. But I saw this
cat
girl running along. 'Hell,' I said, 'Why not?' So I sneak up behind
her,
and really nail her head with the flat of my sword. After she awoke,
she
said a lot. She told her name was Merle, and that she had some sort
of
relationship with the king of Fanelia. Naturally, I didn't really
believe
her. After I sent her to the Palas market, I checked up on her story.
Turns out that she was telling the truth. I am now bouncing my head
off
because I should have ransomed her off to the King!"
The three men all gave a good laugh, and Manus frowned. He
quickly decided on his course of action. He paid the bill and a tip
to
the bartender, and exited the inn, back into the soft, blue light.
After
a few minutes, he found one of the Fanelian soldiers patrolling the
streets, and told them about the slave traders in the inn. The guards
thanked him, and rushed back to their headquarters to get
reinforcements.
Manus sighed, and returned to the inn. He noticed that the man in
black
had left already, but Oak and the other slave trader were still
drinking
casually, with laughs booming out of them. Manus returned to his
room,
crashed on the bed, and began staring at the ceiling. The last thing
he
remembered before he fell asleep was being rewarded for his actions
by the
numerous oaths and cries of the two slave traders as they were caught
by
the Fanelian soldiers. Tomorrow he would set out for Palas to find
his
daughter.
**************
The air crackled and popped over the campfire, where the two
stranded visitors from Earth lay. Terra was cooking some sort of
bird for
herself that was left next to the campfire. After her initial shock
from
seeing the Earth from another planet, Terra became silent, trying to
sort
this radical new information, While doing so, she finished cooking the
fish that was left on the spit, and gave it to Hitomi. Hitomi was
already
almost done devouring the fish left on the campfire spit. Although
much
of the color has not returned to her face, Hitomi was looking much
better.
"Let me get this straight." Terra stated after Hitomi was done
eating the hot fish left by the former occupants of the camp. "We
are not
on Earth. Instead, we are on some other planet you have been to
before,
which is named Gaea by its occupants."
Hitomi solemnly nodded.
"Hitomi, I think you had better start from the beginning."
Hitomi sighed. She knew this was coming. Finding a lack of a
better item, she wiped her hands and face on her blanket to rid
herself of
the fish oils that stuck onto her hands and face. Then, she slowly
moved
to a more comfortable position, and started her story.
"It started with a crush I had with a boy and a vision..."
Terra interupted her, and put one finger to her mouth, telling
Hitomi to be silent. Quickly, she mouthed "Something is coming."
"Stay here, I'll be back after I get some water." she said out
loud.
Hitomi watched as Terra quietly but swiftly grabed her staff,
moved to the edge of the camp, and dissaper into the woods. A few
moments
later, Hitomi heard a strifled scream, and an oath from Terra.
Suddenly,
a creature was forcefully expeled from the forest, and stumbled to
the
floor. Terra quickly followed the creature, and positioned her staff
to
strike with it. The creature looked immencely humanlike, but it also
resembled like a cat. She was incredibly soiled and smelled horribly.
"What the blazes are you?" Terra spoke in English.
Amaizingly, the cat-creature spoke Japanese. "Please, I only
want
some food." said the creature.
Hitomi, already alert, quickly realized the cat-creature's
voice.
"Merle? Is that you?"
The catgirl, was completely stunned. "Hitomi?"
******************
"Calm, how can I stay calm?" the king of Fanelia yelled.
Hitomi
is out there, wounded, and I am stuck on this flying boat till until
it
touches back down!"
Allen Schezar was clearly worried also, but he was able to
think
through Van's supprising news rationally. "Well, you said yourself
that
you felt that she was out of immidiate danger, right?"
Van had to agree. He didn't need to be worried as much
anymore.
Someone had already helped her out of danger. But it was small
confort
because he had no idea where she was. He had come to Allen for
help. But
he had no idea how to find the girl from the mystic moon. He couldn't
reach his love, and knowing that just made him more depressed.
Van began pacing around the room. It was a habit that started
when he became king of his kingdom, because he just had to do
something
other than sit when he felt like bashing the brains out of political
lackies. He paced from the open door on one side of the room to the
other
side, where a window beautifully displayed groups of clouds lazily
passing
by.
"What about the pendent?" Allen asked.
Van, intrigued by the idea, pulled out the one physical
treasure
that mattered as much as Escaflowne. The gem, once worn by Hitomi,
seemed
to sparkle with her essence, and for the first time, he felt hope.
Taking the neclace off of his neck, he grasped the string.
Allen
had placed a map on the table. Moving toward it, Van let the pendulum
loosely swing and began his scrying, just like Hitomi had taught him
to
do. He wondered why he hadn't thought of using the mystic Atlantian
pendent before. Concentrating on the pendent, he visualized Hitomi
like
he remembered. Quiet, happy, beautiful. A second later, he knew
where he
had to travel, and Van was extatic, but he frowned nevertheless. He
would
have no help with his search where he was going.
"Hitomi is at the border of Austria and Daedalus," he said
simply.
********************
Outside of the Allen's room in the hallway, a duitiful but
sneaky
young Pharoh was quietly listening in on Van and Allen's conversation.
Satisfied with the information he had just recieved, he began to
continue
his path down the hall.
"Interesting," he said to himself.
********************
Merle was buisilly chewing down one of the best fish she had
ever
tasted. Then again, it probably only tasted good because she was
starving, but she didn't care. Sitting nearby a sleeping Hitomi, she
was
staring into the light of the fire, while keeping her distence from
Hitomi's intriguing friend. Although Terra was nice and polite, the
way
she roughed her up during their first encounter and the very large
frown
on her face as she had to cook another piece of fish told her to be
on her
guard.
Merle was jealous of Hitomi. But right now she was feeling
sorry
for her as well. Although a rival for Van's affections, she couldn't
help
but feel sorrow as she stared at Hitomi's crudely bandaged leg.
"So, what are you going to do now Merle?" Terra asked. Merle
noted a bit of frustration in her voice.
"Well, I don't have any idea of where we are either. I
figure I
will follow a stream I stumbled across a ways back until I find
civilization. After that," Merle paused, and averted her eyes to the
grass. "I'm going to Palas to repay a debt I owe someone."
"Well, since we don't know where we are either, I guess
Hitomi and
I will follow your lead. We need to get Hitomi to a doctor soon,
before
that wound of hers becomes infected. We can leave in the morning.
Looking at the sack of coins near the campfire, she guessed she must
have
a small fortune ready to spend. She will use those coins to pay the
doctor.
Terra returned her attention to her food. Seeing that it was
done
cooking, she stopped rotating the skewered fish above the fire,
ignoring
the pain as the burning hot fish oil dripped down on her hands.
"We will leave in the morning." Terra said simply. With that
said, she took a large bite out of the fish.
********************
Seith was pleased. Disturbed from the discovery of Sasha's
black
wings a few hours ago, yes, but still pleased. Anthony was waiting in
front of him, giving him full military attention. Although he was his
closest friend, the main focus of his mind at that moment was
buisness.
*Personal matters,* he said to himself, *will have to come later."
"I'm sorry to have to drag you away from the oporating room
door,
my friend, but I have need of your services. I have found a way to
tie up
our last loose end in our plan."
Anthony's soldier expression did not leave his face. Seith
was
pleased that Anthony understood that right now, it was time for
buisness.
"We no longer depend on finding Merle to silence King Van
politically. Hitomi, the girl from the Mystic moon is on Gaia."
Anthony's expression registered supprise with those words, but
face quickly vanished. Seith decided to forgive Anthony for the
slight
show of weakness.
"I want you to take a flying Guymelf and return to Kanaphra to
take command the flying ship Mystic, and head for the border between
Daedus and Austria. If we can find Hitomi before the king of Fanellia
does, we can return Hitomi to Van and using Allen we can convince Van
to
be at least neutral in matters concerning Austria or better yet, cause
hostility between the two countries. In one move we can prevent the
one
one vocal force that can stop the conflict between Basram and
Austria, and
those two powers will destroy each other. Finding the cat-girl is
important, so grab her if you spot her, but Hitomi should be easier to
locate, since she will be completly out of place. Any questions?"
Anthony did have one question. "One question, your majesty.
What
should we do if Van finds the girl first?"
Seith thought it over. "Let them be. We can't risk exposing
our
plot. However, I think the flying ship Montu will be heading back to
Kanaphra a bit slower than expected, due to engine problems.
Dismissed."
Anthony gave a quick bow to his pharoh and was about to exit
the
door, when he heard a softer, more gentle voice coming from behind
him.
"Anthony, how is Sasha?"
Anthony slowly turned around, and gazed right into Seith's
painful
eyes. What he read in those eyes was some discrimination, pain, but
most
of all sorrow. "No word yet from the doctor. She is still in her
coma."
"I see." was all Seith replied. Seith moved to a chair, and
sat
down, staring at the floor. Anthony, although disturbed by the king's
concern, exited the cabin to execute his commands.
Seith continued to sit in his chair. Burrying his face in his
arms, he felt rage go through him, but for some odd reason he found
tears
flowing down his face and into the crevices of his hands.
Determined, he began to talk to himself. "You are right
Sasha. I
can't marry you with your black wings, but I refuse to let you die
now. I
won't let you take the easy way out. I'll find a way to bring you
back to
this world, and I will fix your wings."
Rising from his chair, he went to a small bookshelf in the
cabin.
Going to the second row, he looked at numerous books dating back
several
years. They were Zabiachian bound books, and contained much of the
reasearch the Zabiachian scientists and magicians did concerning the
artifacts of Atlantis. Finding a particular book, he located the
passage
describing an artifact that was supposidly used by the Atlantians to
heal
injuries. Turning the page, he found a colored drawing of the
artifact.
It was a hand drawn picture of a red bracelet.
To be continued...