Author's Note: I don't own any of the given characters save for Yuuki Zephyr. She's mine. Touch her and you die. ^_^ Oh yeah... I won Shamsiel and Khameir too. though if you touch either of them, you'll live to regret it soon enough also. ^_^.
Wings of Wisdom
Sequel to the End of Escaflowne
by Rei Himura
Prologue ~ A Realization of Something Too Deep
Weeks had passed. Van was devastated. The image of Hitomi and her black wings kept entering his mind. It kept him awake at night. It haunted him during the meetings. If only... But then again. What could he have done? There was nothing. Kill the Zaibach sorcerors? But what would he achieved from doing it? It would never bring Hitomi back. Never.
"Van-sama. Daijoubu?" asked a soft cat voice. Merle peered around the door and watched as Van sat at the edge of his bed, staring in space. She'd heard about the incident from Allen. Hitomi with wings. Now the two would have been a perfect match. She was expecting her good friend from the Mystic Moon to be prancing somewhere in the castle. She had not heard the five-letter word Allen mentioned. She refused to acknowlegde. "Don't be ridiculous! I know you're kidding and I'm off to find her now. Ja!" she had playfully tossed his seriousness aside. But Allen had grabbed her just then with a vice-like grip. Then she knew... she realized. It was no joke. Kanzaki Hitomi... the girl from the Tsuki no Maboroshi, was no more...
Somewhere else in the land of Ispania, a young platinum-haired girl awoke.
***
Chapter 1: A sorceress named Yuuki.
***
"ZEPHYR!!! Where the hell is Zephyr? Doesn't she know she was supposed to report here half an hour ago? Kuri! Go find her!" bellowed an irritated Shamsiel. He frowned and put his head in his hands thinking of his apprentice. "Oh this is not good. Lack of punctuality... lack of attention... why, this girl is going to drive me insane!"
"Sensei! Gomen nasai! I was caught back a bit-" the girl faltered watching the angry look on the old man's face. She gulped and slinked back. "STAY THERE!" Yuuki froze. Not because of fear, but because of the simple spell her teacher had just cast upon her. This... is not good
"When will you learn Zephyr? If you want to be as good a Sorceror as I am, you have to be prepared to make sacrifices. Do you know how many sacrifices I've made?"
"Yes sensei... you've told me a million times."
"Remember Zephyr. If you want to survive in this world, you'll have to stop playing foolish games and pay more attention to the details of your life. Now go and get the carriage. We are going to Asturia to meet the Princess." Yuuki Zephyr sighed a relief and darted off quickly to the stable to prepare the carriage. Life as an apprentice was never easy. Especially if your teacher and mentor was someone as famous as Shamsiel. A former Zaibach Sorceror, he had fled when Dornkirk had pressured him and many others to sacrifice themselves in order to make the Machine of Fate work better. Coward some called it, but to Shamsiel, it was survival.
Yuuki saddled the brown mare and nimbly climbed onto it. Not many would see her as an apprentice. She was too kinesthetic to be a sorceress. She could never sit still much alone pay attention to what people say to her. She would have been more suited to be a farm girl. Something her parents had long agreed on. Yet when Shamsiel stopped by the small town of Kimeila, he had found a talented sorceress in the girl. The only problem present, was how to prevent her mind from wandering too much.
Shamsiel closed the door to the great castle which served as his home and headed down the marble staircase to enter his awaiting carriage. "Just follow the map I've given you Yuuki and we will reach there in no time."
"But doesn't the journey take more than a week?"
"You forgot child... this is no ordinary carriage." Yuuki smiled and nodded her head. With a simple gesture with the whips, the two brown horses trotted off at a steady pace towards their destination.
***
-=[ somewhere in the forest ]=-
"Yes... I've got the information right here."
"So this is our target ne?"
"Kind of kawaii."
"Ahou!" the tanned elf leader whacked the back of his underling's head. The latter rubbed his head sorrowfully and returned to his position, sharpening his scimitar. Khameir Jaheiran looked at the stack of papers given to him by his newfound employer. A new target. Wanted for no reason. All that was mentioned as to why they would want her was that she was dangerous. He sighed and reached for his mug. The contents were gulped down hurriedly and he wiped the excess off his lips with the back of his hand. Young, handsome and amazingly intelligent, Khameir was the leader of a group of elven bounty hunters know as the Qui X'or group.
He glanced back at the piece of paper and loked at the sketch-o-gram attached to it. It showed of a smiling young girl with hair which reached the small of her back. She wore a simple tunic and a dagger was attached to the belt she wore. Petite yet athletically built. She seemed pretty, if not stunning even in her own simple way.
"Menou Zephyr... nice name too..." a smile crossed his face and kept the file along with its contents into his satchel.
***
The kingdom of Asturia was bustling with activity. With trade and the coming festivities. The attitude of the ruler of Asturia did not match that of her loyal subjects. She was depressed.
"Millerna-hime. Shamsiel-kun has arrived with his apprentice." Allen informed her from his kneeling position. Millerna nodded her head and got up from her throne. Her long blonde locks swayed silently behind her like a shimmering cape of white. The simple lavender gown she wore accentuated her pretty features even more. But even with all these helping to flatter her physically, they did not help to make her shine internally.
"Aah... Millerna-hime! So good to see you again. Why... you look better each time I see you." greeted the aged wizard. The princess merely gave him a kind smile and ushered him to the dining room. She did not notice the silent figure who followed them tonelessly until Shamsiel suddenly turned back to address his apprentice. "Zephyr , help that young lad carry our belonging to the room. Once you're done, be sure to return to the dining room." Yuuki nodded her head and with a smile, vanished from the room. Strangely though, something about the girl reminded Millerna of something. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Turning back to the princess, Shamsiel cleared his throat.
"Ne Millerna-hime... should we take a look at the blue prints now? My apprentice will return shortly." Millerna nodded her head.
***
"Arigato!" thanked the yound apprentice. The attendant smiled and then disappeared down the corridor. Yuuki's eyebrow raised at the luxuriously decorated room. So this is what a palace looks like from the inside... sugoi... She moved around in the room, peering at the various antiquities placed here and there. A small box in the corner caught her attention. She moved nearer to investigate. What she discovered was a stack of cards with various designs drawn onto it. She picked one up.
"The Tower." her forehead creased. The card seemed familiar. Didn't she have something like it at home? Another set of footsteps accompanied by a deep masculine voice attracted her attention and she hurriedly placed the card back on top of the stack.
"G-gomen nasai." she stuttered when she faced a blonde knight with sparkling blue eyes. Somewhere in the back of her head, it reminded Yuuki of the ocean. Allen watched the girl. He was on his way to dining room when he suddenly noticed the door to the particular room. The particular room which Hitomi had stayed in when she, Van and Merle had arrived in Asturia.
"Iie... sumimasen. My fault to come in without knocking first.' why did she look so familiar? Yuuki's face reddened under his intense scrutiny and then recalled Shamsiel's instructions to meet her back in the dining room. "Ano... it's okay! I guess you got lost too! Well, ja! Mata ato de!" she replid cheerfully and then darted around him and out of the room. Allen blinked and then turned. One thing for sure though, she was very weird.
***
Wings of Wisdom
Sequel to the End of Escaflowne
by Rei Himura
Prologue ~ A Realization of Something Too Deep
Weeks had passed. Van was devastated. The image of Hitomi and her black wings kept entering his mind. It kept him awake at night. It haunted him during the meetings. If only... But then again. What could he have done? There was nothing. Kill the Zaibach sorcerors? But what would he achieved from doing it? It would never bring Hitomi back. Never.
"Van-sama. Daijoubu?" asked a soft cat voice. Merle peered around the door and watched as Van sat at the edge of his bed, staring in space. She'd heard about the incident from Allen. Hitomi with wings. Now the two would have been a perfect match. She was expecting her good friend from the Mystic Moon to be prancing somewhere in the castle. She had not heard the five-letter word Allen mentioned. She refused to acknowlegde. "Don't be ridiculous! I know you're kidding and I'm off to find her now. Ja!" she had playfully tossed his seriousness aside. But Allen had grabbed her just then with a vice-like grip. Then she knew... she realized. It was no joke. Kanzaki Hitomi... the girl from the Tsuki no Maboroshi, was no more...
Somewhere else in the land of Ispania, a young platinum-haired girl awoke.
***
Chapter 1: A sorceress named Yuuki.
***
"ZEPHYR!!! Where the hell is Zephyr? Doesn't she know she was supposed to report here half an hour ago? Kuri! Go find her!" bellowed an irritated Shamsiel. He frowned and put his head in his hands thinking of his apprentice. "Oh this is not good. Lack of punctuality... lack of attention... why, this girl is going to drive me insane!"
"Sensei! Gomen nasai! I was caught back a bit-" the girl faltered watching the angry look on the old man's face. She gulped and slinked back. "STAY THERE!" Yuuki froze. Not because of fear, but because of the simple spell her teacher had just cast upon her. This... is not good
"When will you learn Zephyr? If you want to be as good a Sorceror as I am, you have to be prepared to make sacrifices. Do you know how many sacrifices I've made?"
"Yes sensei... you've told me a million times."
"Remember Zephyr. If you want to survive in this world, you'll have to stop playing foolish games and pay more attention to the details of your life. Now go and get the carriage. We are going to Asturia to meet the Princess." Yuuki Zephyr sighed a relief and darted off quickly to the stable to prepare the carriage. Life as an apprentice was never easy. Especially if your teacher and mentor was someone as famous as Shamsiel. A former Zaibach Sorceror, he had fled when Dornkirk had pressured him and many others to sacrifice themselves in order to make the Machine of Fate work better. Coward some called it, but to Shamsiel, it was survival.
Yuuki saddled the brown mare and nimbly climbed onto it. Not many would see her as an apprentice. She was too kinesthetic to be a sorceress. She could never sit still much alone pay attention to what people say to her. She would have been more suited to be a farm girl. Something her parents had long agreed on. Yet when Shamsiel stopped by the small town of Kimeila, he had found a talented sorceress in the girl. The only problem present, was how to prevent her mind from wandering too much.
Shamsiel closed the door to the great castle which served as his home and headed down the marble staircase to enter his awaiting carriage. "Just follow the map I've given you Yuuki and we will reach there in no time."
"But doesn't the journey take more than a week?"
"You forgot child... this is no ordinary carriage." Yuuki smiled and nodded her head. With a simple gesture with the whips, the two brown horses trotted off at a steady pace towards their destination.
***
-=[ somewhere in the forest ]=-
"Yes... I've got the information right here."
"So this is our target ne?"
"Kind of kawaii."
"Ahou!" the tanned elf leader whacked the back of his underling's head. The latter rubbed his head sorrowfully and returned to his position, sharpening his scimitar. Khameir Jaheiran looked at the stack of papers given to him by his newfound employer. A new target. Wanted for no reason. All that was mentioned as to why they would want her was that she was dangerous. He sighed and reached for his mug. The contents were gulped down hurriedly and he wiped the excess off his lips with the back of his hand. Young, handsome and amazingly intelligent, Khameir was the leader of a group of elven bounty hunters know as the Qui X'or group.
He glanced back at the piece of paper and loked at the sketch-o-gram attached to it. It showed of a smiling young girl with hair which reached the small of her back. She wore a simple tunic and a dagger was attached to the belt she wore. Petite yet athletically built. She seemed pretty, if not stunning even in her own simple way.
"Menou Zephyr... nice name too..." a smile crossed his face and kept the file along with its contents into his satchel.
***
The kingdom of Asturia was bustling with activity. With trade and the coming festivities. The attitude of the ruler of Asturia did not match that of her loyal subjects. She was depressed.
"Millerna-hime. Shamsiel-kun has arrived with his apprentice." Allen informed her from his kneeling position. Millerna nodded her head and got up from her throne. Her long blonde locks swayed silently behind her like a shimmering cape of white. The simple lavender gown she wore accentuated her pretty features even more. But even with all these helping to flatter her physically, they did not help to make her shine internally.
"Aah... Millerna-hime! So good to see you again. Why... you look better each time I see you." greeted the aged wizard. The princess merely gave him a kind smile and ushered him to the dining room. She did not notice the silent figure who followed them tonelessly until Shamsiel suddenly turned back to address his apprentice. "Zephyr , help that young lad carry our belonging to the room. Once you're done, be sure to return to the dining room." Yuuki nodded her head and with a smile, vanished from the room. Strangely though, something about the girl reminded Millerna of something. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Turning back to the princess, Shamsiel cleared his throat.
"Ne Millerna-hime... should we take a look at the blue prints now? My apprentice will return shortly." Millerna nodded her head.
***
"Arigato!" thanked the yound apprentice. The attendant smiled and then disappeared down the corridor. Yuuki's eyebrow raised at the luxuriously decorated room. So this is what a palace looks like from the inside... sugoi... She moved around in the room, peering at the various antiquities placed here and there. A small box in the corner caught her attention. She moved nearer to investigate. What she discovered was a stack of cards with various designs drawn onto it. She picked one up.
"The Tower." her forehead creased. The card seemed familiar. Didn't she have something like it at home? Another set of footsteps accompanied by a deep masculine voice attracted her attention and she hurriedly placed the card back on top of the stack.
"G-gomen nasai." she stuttered when she faced a blonde knight with sparkling blue eyes. Somewhere in the back of her head, it reminded Yuuki of the ocean. Allen watched the girl. He was on his way to dining room when he suddenly noticed the door to the particular room. The particular room which Hitomi had stayed in when she, Van and Merle had arrived in Asturia.
"Iie... sumimasen. My fault to come in without knocking first.' why did she look so familiar? Yuuki's face reddened under his intense scrutiny and then recalled Shamsiel's instructions to meet her back in the dining room. "Ano... it's okay! I guess you got lost too! Well, ja! Mata ato de!" she replid cheerfully and then darted around him and out of the room. Allen blinked and then turned. One thing for sure though, she was very weird.
***