Escaflowne: Return of the Draconians

by Paraskeve

© 2011

Prologue

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Anthony smiled as he overlooked his handiwork. Years of careful planning and preparation had finally paid off, taking him one step closer to his ultimate goal. He stood in the dimly lit living room, the porch light shining through the drawn curtains. There was not a noise in the house besides Anthony's contented sigh. He ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes, soaking in the victory. After a moment he sat down on the couch opposite the fireplace for a much-needed rest.

Strewn across the floor was a mountain of feathers, as if someone had placed a slit pillow in front of a fan. The feathers stuck to the wood floor where blood slowly crept. The living room had become a grisly scene, the family lying motionless where they fell. The walls were abused, the wall hangings out of place. One of the big chairs was flipped onto its back, where the mother was struck. Her child was across the room with her husband, covered in feathers.

A car drove by, illuminating the blood-spattered walls with its headlights. That little bit of light caused the golden feathers to sparkle, creating the illusion of a thousand gold coins in the room. The noise brought Anthony back to reality, and he stood up, brushing himself off. The young man stepped over the mother as he left the room, pulling one of his blades out of the doorjamb on his way out the front door. He walked down the sidewalk and admired the beautiful night sky.

"Just two more," he said to himself triumphantly as he walked down the street. Only two more heirs to the throne remained, the last two Draconians of royal blood. He would rule the resurrected Atlantis, and unleash its power on the Earth. Unable to wipe the sheepish smile off his face, Anthony got into his car and left the neighborhood.

He drove recklessly fast down the empty highway and turned off into the industrial part of town. Factories and warehouses lined the streets with no sign of life anywhere. Seeing no one, Anthony parked the sleek car in the abandoned warehouse at the end of the street. Cobwebs and dust covered the supports and discarded tools. Broken windows let in the cool night air, and served as an entryway for dozens of birds who had crafted their nests in the rafters. The black car became nearly invisible once inside the worn down structure, but there was someone waiting for his arrival. As soon as Anthony stepped out of the car with his heavy black boots, another young man appeared from the shadows with his hands in his pockets just a few yards away.

"It's done," Anthony told him.

"I know," Jonas replied with a smile. "You stink of their blood." Anthony laughed and slammed the car door. "So what's next?"

"We find the last two. They are here somewhere, I can sense them."

"In town?"

"No, on Earth. They are not on Gaea, I already finished them off there long before I met you," Anthony explained with a hint of pride.

"That's assuming, of course, that none of them have learned how to travel to Gaea?"

"Here, take these," he said as he tossed Jonas the car keys and headed for the exit, hiding a smirk. "Get rid of it."

Flustered, Jonas shoved the keys into his pocket and called after him, "where should I meet you next?"

Anthony turned on his heels on the cracked concrete driveway and was silent for a moment. "I'll be in touch." With that, Anthony vanished into the sky in a brilliant pillar of light, leaving Jonas standing alone in the dark.

Jonas stood in silence, thinking. Why hadn't Anthony trusted him with the rest of the plan? He had stuck with him this far, through more than two dozen assassinations of Draconian royalty all over the world – their own kind. With only two left, the rise of Atlantis was on the horizon. He wouldn't abandon him, not this late in the game.

Then why did Jonas know nothing of the plan beyond tonight?

Jonas got in the car and pulled out of the warehouse, bound for the nearby lake to dispose of the vehicle. He got onto the highway and rolled the windows down, taking in the cool air as he looked back on the night's accomplishments.

Suddenly, something startled the birds sleeping in the trees a quarter mile down the road: an explosion followed by a crash. Jonas' car was burning and barreling down the road, hitting the guard rail and finally coming to a stop wrapped around a lamp pole.

Police, firemen, and paramedics all responded to the scene when another driver called in the emergency. By the time the fire was put out, they could not identify the man inside. They also could not explain the golden feathers at the scene of the crash.