Day of the Dragon
Chapter 1 The Hero Returned
Everything was black, all was quiet. Van's immediate thought was of Hitomi. It seemed like only minutes ago that he saw her leave Gaia, returning to the Mystic Moon. But to tell the truth, it was! Only minutes after Hitomi left, Van saw a brilliant flash of light come from a moon that appeared where the Mystic Moon once was. He felt the sensation of joy, the horror of fear, and then nothing. Now waking up, Van found himself in an unfamiliar place. Trees surrounded him from every side and sounds of every kind were echoing in his head. All was as dark as night, and his mind pulsed in pain.
After a while of near-insanity, Van gave a cry, similar to a battle cry. His voice drove the sounds away, and all was quiet. Swiftly he ran through the thicket, wondering where he could be. It was not for another that he finally made it out of that dreadful place. What lay before him was a vast field of lush green grass, with the wind blowing through the blades. At the distance was a city. It had grand walls and a palace at the dead center. Seeing a settlement, Van ran for it.
As soon as he reached the city he entered the populated streets. Children played while their mothers watched and talked. Men were working hard in the fields and guards were patrolling upon the walls. Van strolled further into the city, still oblivious as to where he had arrived. Then he ended up in the center of the city. But it was not the grand palace that caught Van's eye at first. It was the tall statue standing before the palace.
"Escaflowne?" muttered Van.
The statue was exactly like Escaflowne in both height and detail. But as far as Van knew, Escaflowne had vanished as Lord Vulken's fortress collapsed. He wondered greatly why a statue of Escaflowne would be in a place unknown to him. Not too many witnessed Escaflowne's power at Hitorushima, only its citizens, the Black Dragon Clan, and the Abaharaki.
"A great spectacle, isn't it?" said a voice from behind him.
Van turned around and saw an old sage, dressed in purple and a cane in hand. His beard reached down to his waist and his eyes held within them much experience. The man looked at Van and saw the confusion in his eyes.
"This statue is a memorial to the hero that saved us all from Ajuk and his madness for power." began the old man. "This man from the heavens came here at first to save our princess, but ended up saving all of Senbena."
"Tell me sage, where is this place?" asked Van.
"Why, you are in the city of Fenkeep." replied the sage.
"Please, tell me more about how this man saved your world." said Van.
And so the sage invited Van to his home and he told Van everything. He told Van about how a Dark Paladin named Darithal had become a giant, powerful warrior to smite the world's greatest evil, and how he vanished from sight and is now the hero of Senbena. Van was surprised at this new discovery. Escaflowne had once been in the appearance of a normal man, like Van. Processing all this thought into his mind, Van had to sit down and his mind traveled.
"I had a feeling you had something to do with Darithal." said the sage. "For I also know what he was destined to become."
"How is that?" asked Van.
"Well, I was in the battle when Darithal fought that great monster." said the sage. "In fact, I was just about to be killed by that thing, but Darithal intervened. If he did not come when he did, I might not have been here to tell you this."
"So tell me, what do you know of me?" asked Van.
"For one thing, I see the spirit of a dragon in your eyes." responded the sage. "Before Darithal ascended, I heard a voice speak to him. It said that he was destined to seek the blood of the last Dragon Clan king. It must have been speaking of you."
"It must have." said Van.
"But sadly, I wish he were here now." sighed the sage.
"Why is that?" asked Van.
"Lately, the world has been under siege by these dragons." began the sage. "They have been rampaging through Senbena and no one can stop them. They also appear as though made of armor, armor much like Darithal's after he tranformed."
Van stood up with a start.
"Are you saying they may have been Dragon Armor?" questioned Van. "Where I come from, Esca- I mean Darithal, is a giant suit of armor called Dragon Armor."
"The voice mentioned that Darithal would be used as a weapon." said the sage. "I guess being an armor was what it meant."
Then Van had a thought. If Escaflowne had originated from here, then he must have come here after vanishing from Gaia. But where to look?
"Is there any place that represents Darithal in a manner not common to you all?" asked Van.
"There is the Dragon's Lair that lies to the north of here." said the sage. "But it is sacred and no ordinary man may enter. You must be able to slay a dragon, for at the entrance to Darithal's spiritual tome, a dragon sleeps. The people of Senbena believe that when a person dies, we must build a tome for them, even if their body does not lie within it. So we built a tome for Darithal."
"Very well." said Van. "Then I shall fight to the death to reach that tome."
"But it is forbidden!" exclaimed the sage.
"I have a hunch that I can summon Darithal from that tome." said Van. "Oh, and I didn't catch your name."
"It is Yukav." said the sage.
"Farewell Yukav." said Van.
And then he exited the house and left the city. To the north he looked and saw a cluster of mountains. Somewhere, beyond that mountain range, Escaflowne slept, Van was sure of it.
To be continued...
Chapter 1 The Hero Returned
Everything was black, all was quiet. Van's immediate thought was of Hitomi. It seemed like only minutes ago that he saw her leave Gaia, returning to the Mystic Moon. But to tell the truth, it was! Only minutes after Hitomi left, Van saw a brilliant flash of light come from a moon that appeared where the Mystic Moon once was. He felt the sensation of joy, the horror of fear, and then nothing. Now waking up, Van found himself in an unfamiliar place. Trees surrounded him from every side and sounds of every kind were echoing in his head. All was as dark as night, and his mind pulsed in pain.
After a while of near-insanity, Van gave a cry, similar to a battle cry. His voice drove the sounds away, and all was quiet. Swiftly he ran through the thicket, wondering where he could be. It was not for another that he finally made it out of that dreadful place. What lay before him was a vast field of lush green grass, with the wind blowing through the blades. At the distance was a city. It had grand walls and a palace at the dead center. Seeing a settlement, Van ran for it.
As soon as he reached the city he entered the populated streets. Children played while their mothers watched and talked. Men were working hard in the fields and guards were patrolling upon the walls. Van strolled further into the city, still oblivious as to where he had arrived. Then he ended up in the center of the city. But it was not the grand palace that caught Van's eye at first. It was the tall statue standing before the palace.
"Escaflowne?" muttered Van.
The statue was exactly like Escaflowne in both height and detail. But as far as Van knew, Escaflowne had vanished as Lord Vulken's fortress collapsed. He wondered greatly why a statue of Escaflowne would be in a place unknown to him. Not too many witnessed Escaflowne's power at Hitorushima, only its citizens, the Black Dragon Clan, and the Abaharaki.
"A great spectacle, isn't it?" said a voice from behind him.
Van turned around and saw an old sage, dressed in purple and a cane in hand. His beard reached down to his waist and his eyes held within them much experience. The man looked at Van and saw the confusion in his eyes.
"This statue is a memorial to the hero that saved us all from Ajuk and his madness for power." began the old man. "This man from the heavens came here at first to save our princess, but ended up saving all of Senbena."
"Tell me sage, where is this place?" asked Van.
"Why, you are in the city of Fenkeep." replied the sage.
"Please, tell me more about how this man saved your world." said Van.
And so the sage invited Van to his home and he told Van everything. He told Van about how a Dark Paladin named Darithal had become a giant, powerful warrior to smite the world's greatest evil, and how he vanished from sight and is now the hero of Senbena. Van was surprised at this new discovery. Escaflowne had once been in the appearance of a normal man, like Van. Processing all this thought into his mind, Van had to sit down and his mind traveled.
"I had a feeling you had something to do with Darithal." said the sage. "For I also know what he was destined to become."
"How is that?" asked Van.
"Well, I was in the battle when Darithal fought that great monster." said the sage. "In fact, I was just about to be killed by that thing, but Darithal intervened. If he did not come when he did, I might not have been here to tell you this."
"So tell me, what do you know of me?" asked Van.
"For one thing, I see the spirit of a dragon in your eyes." responded the sage. "Before Darithal ascended, I heard a voice speak to him. It said that he was destined to seek the blood of the last Dragon Clan king. It must have been speaking of you."
"It must have." said Van.
"But sadly, I wish he were here now." sighed the sage.
"Why is that?" asked Van.
"Lately, the world has been under siege by these dragons." began the sage. "They have been rampaging through Senbena and no one can stop them. They also appear as though made of armor, armor much like Darithal's after he tranformed."
Van stood up with a start.
"Are you saying they may have been Dragon Armor?" questioned Van. "Where I come from, Esca- I mean Darithal, is a giant suit of armor called Dragon Armor."
"The voice mentioned that Darithal would be used as a weapon." said the sage. "I guess being an armor was what it meant."
Then Van had a thought. If Escaflowne had originated from here, then he must have come here after vanishing from Gaia. But where to look?
"Is there any place that represents Darithal in a manner not common to you all?" asked Van.
"There is the Dragon's Lair that lies to the north of here." said the sage. "But it is sacred and no ordinary man may enter. You must be able to slay a dragon, for at the entrance to Darithal's spiritual tome, a dragon sleeps. The people of Senbena believe that when a person dies, we must build a tome for them, even if their body does not lie within it. So we built a tome for Darithal."
"Very well." said Van. "Then I shall fight to the death to reach that tome."
"But it is forbidden!" exclaimed the sage.
"I have a hunch that I can summon Darithal from that tome." said Van. "Oh, and I didn't catch your name."
"It is Yukav." said the sage.
"Farewell Yukav." said Van.
And then he exited the house and left the city. To the north he looked and saw a cluster of mountains. Somewhere, beyond that mountain range, Escaflowne slept, Van was sure of it.
To be continued...