Title: The Dragon, The Slayer and The Attendant
Author: Shinigami Soldier
Rating: PG-13 to M
Pairings: None yet,but willcome later.The general idea is put in the summary anyway so you should have an idea of what's coming anyway.
Warnings: Possibly some adult themes, Violence though hopefully not too much blood and gore and maybe some OOC characters
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Escaflowne or anything else to do with the series and movie.
Author Notes:
I'm sorry to everyone who has been following this, though in the first chapter I did say that I could be pretty horrible about updating. Anyway, Things have just been…insane at the moment. School's gonna start in a week or two, horse riding has started up again, Mum is going to the Australian Open for 10 days (almost all in a row), we got a new tower and upgrade…phew, just so much.
So I haven't really had the time to write much recently. So umm…yeah XD sorry guys. Anyway thanks for the reviews again and anyone who didn't review and read the story so far, thanks for your interest. Please review at the end :D (If you can).
/blah/ This is mind speak. This is what Van uses. The rest is just normal (speech marks, etc.)
/blah/ This is mind speak as well but I'm using this as how Dilandau communicates with Van. Makes things a bit easier.
Pairings will come later as none are really established as of this moment, but the general idea is put in the summary anyway so you should have an idea of what's coming. Hope anyone who reads this enjoys it.
(x) (O) (x)
"That's not quite true, Prayer. Welcome to the temple," an unfamiliar and scarily cold and silken voice came from behind her. Hitomi turned to see the front of the silver haired man she'd seen leave that room earlier and who had done all that damage to Van. Millerna had been correct. He was quite handsome, but in a cruel way.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Dilandau Albatou, Keeper of the last Draconian, Van Fanel and Protector of this temple. Welcome."
(x) (O) (x)
"T-thank you," The stunned girl finally stammered out, watching the dangerous young man sit down beside her. He didn't seem worried or even put off by her eyes staring at him. Dryden gave a little cough, which jerked Hitomi out of her daze and back to the food that had tasted delicious before and now felt like saw dust in her mouth.
"Do you always treat him like that?" She blurted out, and immediately regretted as she saw Dilandau's back tense and he turned to her, his gaze cool as ice. "Who?" "Van of course!" There was silence at the table and Dryden had put his head in his hands in despair. Eries and Millerna weren't looking much better.
"I don't think that's any of your business, little girl. Keep you're mind on what actually concerns you," He told her condescendingly. She bristled and wanted to call him as many unsavoury names as she could think of at this exact moment…which wasn't too many anyway. "W-why you…you-" "Hitomi. Don't," Eries cut off harshly. She shut her mouth, clenching her teeth and pushed her seat back. "Excuse me," she bit out and left the hall, in a huff.
She stormed into her rooms, shutting the door after her and jumping on her bed, furious with herself and those who were back at the dinner table. "Gah! He makes me so…so mad!"
/What is wrong little seer? Your thoughts are raging/ Van's voice resounded in her head. "Where are you!" Hitomi called. /Not close to you, but I will be soon. If you wish to talk, meet me on the roof in say…ten minutes or so…I'll be there/
(x) (O) (x)
By the time Hitomi actually found the roof she was much later than Van had said she needed to be. She hopped her was still there when she finally found the way. 'This temple is a maze not somewhere to live!' She thought to herself. She had absolutely no idea where she was, how to get to the roof or how to get back to her room.
"Oh drat," she stamped her foot, in temper, her nose wrinkled just slightly. "Are you alright, miss?" A young girl asked, seeing her so aggravated. "Oh! Umm…I was just trying to find the roof!" "It's above you miss," the girl gave Hitomi a strange look, causing her to flush slightly. "No, I mean how to get up there." "Oh! The corridor to your left and then the first set of stairs on your left, will take you there, Miss," the young girl said, with a small smile and left with a curtsey.
Eventually, following the girl's instructions she found the top of the temple. She looked around, and her eyes laid on a large white dragon. She squealed in fright and fell on her behind, in fright. Its head jerked towards her, the eyes boring into her own. "Don'thurtme!" She said quietly. The dragon snorted, and an amused, or what she thought was an amused look, came upon its face.
/I wouldn't eat you…you're too scrawny anyway/ Van said teasingly. Her eyes widened. "I-is that you Van…? You're a dragon!" /A Draconian to be exact/ he corrected. "I don't believe you. I bet you're just hiding behind the dragon Van," She scoffed. The dragon flickered it's tail in an annoyed fashion. /You don't believe me. Why? Have I lied to you at any other point?/ his ears laid back. "I haven't even known you a whole day, yet. Now come out and stop playing games!"
/Fine/
She watched as the dragon's white scales turned a dark tan colour and as the wins retracted. The dragon let out a snort as his scales moulded into skin, he became smaller, hair changed colour and grew longer and clothes appeared as if they'd come from inside his skin. At the end, there was Van, breathing harshly, air tearing in and out of his chest.
/Is that enough proof for you, Prayer?/ He asked, his tone seeming sarcastic. His expression was annoyed and his eyes rippled red in anger. "B-but, it was sworn that there were none left…how can you be on?" /How would I know…I was born like this and have been ever since…/ he turned away, crossing his arms. She smiled.
Van was sulking…and he looked cute too.
'Bad Hitomi!' She mentally slapped herself. /Thank you, Prayer/ He said cheekily turning to grin at her. "VAN! Don't be mean," She gasped. He just shrugged and sat down where he was and leaned back on his palms staring up the stars above. She watched him for a moment or two before joining him, but instead of watching the sky, she watched him, curiously.
"What do you see when you look at the stars? I see hope, peace…serenity," Hitomi asked, smiling encouragingly. /I see my family, my past and what has become of me. What else is there? I am to stay this way forever./ "Why do you say that?" /Don't you know the legends? Most of them are true. Dracionians are immortal. We live forever. We grow much the same as humans, until we turn ten and the aging starts to slow down and by the time you're fifteen you only age a year every decade or so…until we look to be in our mid-twenties of human age and…stop. To never grow older./
"But wouldn't it be grand to live forever? I see cities built, new people come forward and lead the world to new places, experience things and having the time to see it all and appreciate it? I think it would be wonderful," she said wistfully. He snorted. /It is not all that wonderful. The novelty of it all wears off after your first three or four centuries and then it sinks in…that you are never going to die. Never see the people you love that pasted away…never rest eternally and get away from the strain of this world. It is not all that wonderful. You see cities fall, people murdered; slaughtered even…to never find love for the fear that that person will die and leave you again./
He sounded so…tired and unhappy, his eyes were wistful at the thought of death. Had it really been so horrible for him? It was hard to believe he was decades old. Not just a year or two older than her. "What about your family, Van? Don't you see them sometimes?" /No. They're all dead. My mother and father were killed when I was young. I was looked after by my brother, Folken until he disappeared one day, leaving me with my best friend's family. There is no one else…I am the last, unless my brother is still alive out there somewhere…but I doubt that. I would have heard of him or from him…or something/
It never occurred to Hitomi that she was being insensitive and asking uncomfortable questions. "So…you're bonded to Dilandau?" she asked. He nodded his affirmation to her question, slowly. "Why didn't you stop it, when you had the chance? Surely you didn't do it of your own will!" The girl exclaimed, in disbelief. /No. I did…but that was a long time ago, when we were children, and I didn't know any better. And he wasn't always like this…it happened over the years. Human's are not meant to live for centuries on end. He went mad…though even when we were kids, he always was a little violent. But not towards me/ He trailed off. "So, what happened then?"
/Well…/
(x) Flashback (x)
A young boy with silver hair knelt next to an older man who was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. "Dad?" the boy said, fear lacing his voice. The body of his father, didn't move, already dead though the boy was too young to really comprehend it. "Don't leave me alone…please…" He whimpered. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked to the other boy, standing behind him, his face showing his grief and pain at the loss of his only parent.
"V-van…you'll never leave me, will you?" His voice was pleading. "Of course not Dilly. I'm your best friend. We'll always be friends," the black-haired boy said, quietly, as was his nature. "Promise me!" Dilandau said, his voice full of anger. "Show me, you'll never leave me." His face showed that he didn't believe what Van had said, about never leaving.
"Well, my mother told me that one day I'd find someone I'd never want to leave behind and when I did, to cut a cut across my palm and their's and wait for a few drops of both our blood to fall on the ground in between us and then put the cuts together and say 'Forever' or…something corny like that. She says after that, that who ever I did it with would never leave me, and vice versa. Sounds neat, eh?" He said, his eyes flashing with childish excitement.
Dilandau took the knife from his belt and promptly made a cut across his palm and reached for Van's and did the same thing. They had the blood drop on the dirt ground and Van could have sworn he heard a strange rumble emit from the ground. He then put his hand to Dilandau's and they both uttered a word.
All was still for but a moment until Van fell to his knees in pain and wrenched their palms away. His mouth was open to cry out, but no noise was coming out. "Van? Are you ok?" Dilandau asked, worried for his friend. "…" Van tried to talk and couldn't. His mouth moved in the words, but his voice…didn't work. Eventually, getting the idea that it wouldn't work, he shook his head and mouthed the words, 'I want to go home…'
Dilandau eventually got the idea and they both ran to Van's house. "Mrs Fanel! Mrs Fanel! Something's wrong with Van! He won't talk!" He cried from the front door. Van's mother came from the basement, with an amused smile. "Of course he can talk. Maybe he doesn't want to, is all," She suggested. Van shook his head, and tried to tell his mother that wasn't true.
Varie watched her son, suddenly worried as he tried to tell her something. She could see the lips moving, but no sound came forward. "Van, think about what you're trying to say, think about me hearing it…" She waited a few minutes before a flood of words entered her head.
/Mum! Something happened! I can't talk and I don't know why, and it hurt and I'm still bleeding and I don't understand what's happening to me!/ She could hear her son's voice in her head. She sighed…so he had bonded…to Dilandau. And there was nothing she or any one else could do about it. They would have to live with the consequences.
Eventually, over time Van got used to not being able to speak and started to get speaking in minds down to a fine art until he could talk to one person at a time, or many. Dilandau got the hang of speaking in the mind to Van, as it wasn't possible for anyone else to hear him, he didn't have to refine it.
(x) Flash (x)
The boys were significantly older and Van had grown use of his wings and used them often, or just had them resting outside his body, comfortably. It felt strange having them inside; like he was compressing his spine or squishing his insides. It wasn't painful or even uncomfortable…just a strange feeling that he didn't really like.
His mother had told him that one day he'd be able to become a dragon, as the old aged name for them Draconian had suggested. Though it would be painful, until he got used to it. He didn't think so. Van thought it would be great fun. To be able to fly around, as high as he liked without people pointing at him saying 'Look, there's a flying boy!' or something of that nature. It was highly disturbing.
He and Dilandau had raced off, away from the house, since Varie was trying to make them do chores until they'd gotten deep in the forest. There wasn't much except plant and wildlife this deep in. Most people didn't venture this far, which was how Van's family and remained hidden from the world wanting to bond or claim the Draconians.
"So Van, have you thought about trying that Dragon thing again?" Dilandau asked, as he sat on a log watching his black-haired friend pace between two trees. /Not really…why?/ was his answer. "Just thinking… it'd be really cool, huh?" He said, with a big grin on his face. Van faced him, with a slightly smaller grin. /Yeah…it would be pretty awesome…should I give it another go?/ he seemed uncertain. Dilandau nodded.
Van stood, calmly, thinking of dragons wings, and what it felt like flying when he felt pain overlap his body and things behind to change. His wings extending, his skin changing…along with everything else. His mother had been quite right. It hurt…a lot. And then it was over and a random name rang in his head.
'Escaflowne…'
He looked around, quite delighted with his new vantage point on the world. Everything was a duller colour, it seemed like he was almost colour blind. He looked over at the man standing a way's over. He could see the mouth moving but wasn't able to understand what he was saying.
/Van! What's going on? Why won't you talk to me?/ came into his head, and he knew it was from the human in front of him. /Escaflowne/ he said. /Pardon?/My name is Escaflowne. I can not understand you when you just open and close your mouth/Va-…Escaflowne. That's talking. That's what humans do? Or do I need to teach you?/
So they spent the day with Dilandau sitting in front of the large curled up dragon, teaching him to understand human speak.
(x) Flash (x)
It was decades later, once again. Van's family dead or missing they'd left the peaceful forest to try and find somewhere else they were comfortable to stay. Without people starring at them, their appearance or something else equally strange. They were both stressed from travel and had checked into an inn for the night.
"God, I wish those stupid people would stop starring at us!" Dilandau raged as he made tracks in the wood floor, in front of the bed Van was lying on, silently. "You know, it wouldn't be so bad if you'd hid those wings of yours, Van." /I don't like hiding them. It doesn't feel right. This is more natural/
Finally, Dilandau snapped and took a hold of one the large white feathered wings, roughly and pulled Van up. Van sucked in a harsh breath, his face screwed up in pain. /You will hide them!/ Dilandau screamed in Van's mind, as he jerked the wing painfully. Van's head rang, and he could feel his wing ready to give out under the mistreatment.
/Stop Dilandau! It hurts!/ he cried. "HIDE THEM!" Dilandau near screamed.
(x) End Flashback (x)
/So I pulled them back in…things were never the same between us after that. He never got better either. He got more abusive as time went by, started blaming me for everything…even when I'd done nothing but do what he said. I couldn't rebel hurt him, or run away. There was something inside me that stopped me. I think it was the blood pact, though I've never been really sure…/ he finished.
"Van…" Hitomi whispered. "I-I'm sorry." /Don't be. You had nothing to do with it…it's my fault I'm stuck with him for the rest of eternity…don't worry about it/ he said finally. He pushed himself up and walked back into the depths of the temple, leaving her alone to mull over what she'd just learnt.
"Poor Van…"
TBC
So, now at the end of chapter three and I've unravelled a few things…actually I wanted to right at the start, but this made a much more satisfying chapter…though I'm not really sure whether I actually like it or not, but hey! I hope you guys do, and I'm sorry I took so long to update. I did warn you though…I'm not usually very good about updating XD sorry!
Anyway, most likely all of you will be happy to hear I've decided to scrap the NCS between Van and Dilandau and anything remotely sexually related…so now its just abusive and so on. I decided it might make people a little happier about reading it…since it's not really an attractive pairing. Anyway reviews now.
Majka – Uhh…yeah that all sounds about right XD Yeah I quite like dragons too :D thank you! And I'll do my best to keep up, quickly…and I hope I don't disappoint you :D
Random – Hey no worries, everyone makes mistakes, it's fine…and I expected some stuff over that anyway. Yup, pretty much all true there. And yeah, Hitomi always makes things better :D (eventually) Hehe, thanks, I quite like him shirtless (wish they'd done it more in the series, but the movie was good). Thanks very much!
Kat-Tastrophe – Yup! I had to put Escaflowne in there somewhere…it just wouldn't be complete without him! So yeah, it works I reckon…but you guys are the ones who read it, so you tell me :D. Hmm… I foresee not too well XD
Thanks for the awesome feed back guys, keep going. I wanna hear what you guys think, so I keep the story good :D Cya!
M.E.
