I just started displaying my works on fanficion, and I'm a little nervous about showing everyone my stories, but I promise to try my best to make my stories worthwhile. Anyway, my first story is a twist of Escaflowne. I really loved the anime series, but I've changed a couple of things just to suit my imagination. The main thing is that Hitome will be completely different. She'll look different and have a different background, but I'll still keep some of her character traits. So hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 1
The gnarly grip of death refused to loosen around her throat. She gulped ravenously the icy water sent from the heavens, but the pelting rain could not cleanse the stench of death. Her gown clung to her body, jerking with the shivers that convulsed through her body. Strangely, she could still spy two pearly white moons through the tumultuous thunderclouds, competing for the domain of the sky. A single streak of light trespassed the ominous clouds and glittered around her. Yet even the light was swallowed by the darkness of the endless abyss in front of her.
A streak of lightening split the ground beneath her feet, but she did not flinch. The cliff shuddered with the rolling thunder, threatening to shatter into a million pieces. She wasn't waiting for fate to time her death; for once she wanted to be in control. Spreading her arms, she dived into the black void beyond the cliff, waiting for the bony fingers of death to lead her to her dead parents.
Death wasn't painful.
The angel lifted her up in a flutter of glowing white wings. She recognized him to be the same angel that stole the breath of her parents. Perhaps the moons were their destination for they were ascending beyond the reach of all forms birds and men.
Angels are beautiful, she noted drowsily. She stared into a pair of eyes reflecting the bluest color of the skies. They returned her gaze softly.
Their unspoken connection was broken by a shrill voice at the door. "Lemme see, lemme see, what's she like? Is she like they described?"
A curious pair of eyes popped in front of the angels. Cat ears twitched with curiosity upon a human face. "Wow, she's pretty," the cat girl reached out as if to poke the raven-haired girl lying frigid on the bed.
"Achoo!"
"AHHHH!" the cat girl retreated with revolt. "She sneezed on me, she sneezed on me," she glared at the exhausted girl repulsively.
"Quiet Merle," the angel commanded, "leave so we can talk."
"Let me stay, I wanna hear the story too," Merle begged, eyeing the angel imploringly.
"Only if I do not hear a single sound from you."
Merle shook her head fervently, her hands sealed tightly over her lips.
Too surprised to speak, the girl surveyed the scene meekly. Could this be heaven? If this was heaven, why did every limb in her body throb with a pain of a million needles? But the fair-headed man with penetrating blue eyes resembled very much like an angel. His long blond hair fell-over his delicate bone structure, a benign smile rested upon his lips.
"We cannot afford to wait to hear your story. I apologize for the rude manner in which I intruded upon your recovery. But what happened to your kingdom was atrocious, and the similar attacks on other kingdoms are equally outrageous. You are the sole survivor of these raids and we need to hear your recount," the man explained. He waited patiently for her to reply.
"W-who are you? W-where…" she choked.
"I did not think my identity matters, but if it offers you any comfort, my name is Allen Schezar, a Knight of Asturia," he replied kindly.
"Austuria, it sounds familiar," the girl pondered.
"You and your family have visited our fair country."
"M-my family…." The images of the murders flashed through her memory, but she could not hold on to them. "They're…" the girl attempted to explain, but the words were caught in her throat.
"Yes, we know they are deceased," Allen prompted gently, "but if you could tell us what happened…."
The girl squeezed her eyes shut, trying to bring back the flittering memories. "I don't remember anything, I'm sorry."
Allen nodded thoughtfully, "That's to be expected. Do you know who you are?" The girl shook her head weakly.
"Hitome Kanzaki," Allen simply stated.
The girl stared at him blankly, something stirred in her memory.
"That's you silly," Merle couldn't help but burst. Allen shot her an amused look. "Sorry," she quickly added.
"Maybe I should tell you what we know. The third most powerful kingdom in all of Gaea, Illiad, belonged to Lord Kanzaki, your father." When recognition did not register in Hitome's face, he continued. "Two nights ago it was ravaged, burned to the ground, every living soul savagely murdered. Some, we suspect, were taken as slaves. There is talk of a man known as Dilandu, who leads his army in a floating castle called Zaibach. He may have initiated the attack of nearing a dozen kingdoms to date. We do not believe he is expanding his domain, but rather, he is destroying every piece of land that he does not own. We do not know his true reasons behind these attacks; greed may be the underlying factor, as it is in all wars. Unfortunately, very soon, they will make an advance for Austuria, which remains the most powerful kingdom in this time. Once they have gathered a sizeable army, they will no doubt test the strength of our kingdom. This is an attack we must prepare for, and your experience may be crucial to our survival."
But Hitome could do nothing but stare at him quizzically. Her mind was a black hole, sucking every detail of her past into a void of no return. Allen studied her face for a few more moments. He found her breathtakingly stunning, but sorrow has touched every feature of her fragile face and left its fingerprints. He reached out his thumb to wipe away a trace of tear lingering at the corner of her emerald eyes. Her heart-shaped lips were turned down at the corners in an eternal sigh. He wondered what she saw that forced her to lock away every single memory.
There was a knock at the door. A young soldier poked his head in cautiously. "Lord Schezar?"
"Yes?" Allen's attention was still focused on the pale girl sunk into the folds of the bed.
"There is a man here to see you. He would not tell us his name, but he says its urgent," the soldier reported.
"How did he get past the guards?"
"Um…" the soldier hesitated before sputtering, "they seem to have lost consciousness."
A look of intrigue swept across his face. "Hmm…" he stood up to leave, "Merle, let the lady rest, and I'll attend to this gentleman."
Merle hopped up with excitement, "Yessir." She tugged at Allen's sleeve as she begged, "Can I meet him too? Can I? Please?"
Merle's restless pleadings faded down the hallway, and once again Hitome was left to brood in her confusion and isolation.