Chapter version: 1.0 [beta-read by Blue Funk]

Chapter 4

The smell of incense started to fill the room as Hitomi knelt on the velvet cushion in front of the home altar. She had been occupying her grandmother's house for a few months already, but this was the first time she had opened it and tried to pray.

The official reason she lived here now was that it was closer to her college campus and she could use it to study in peace, away from her annoying teenage brother and his loud friends. The house was empty anyway, like many of the older traditional homes in this part of town. There simply weren't enough people willing to move in.

Even if it wasn't so, her mother probably wouldn't bring herself to sell it. Hitomi understood why. The house of her grandparents held so many memories, she felt like the spirit of the family rested there. It felt wrong somehow that anybody else would make it their home.

The idea to move in there had been Hitomi's, but she had only told her parents after she alone had secretly made the house ready for it. She had inconspicuously stolen the keys and cleaned the place bit by bit, rearranging the furniture around to suit more to her needs.

She felt no small sense of accomplishment as she had shown the sparkly clean and aired out rooms to her parents. They had, in fact, noticed the missing keys and joked about their suspicions of her sneaking out here with her secret boyfriend. She could not exactly tell if they were relieved or disappointed that it had not been the case. When she asked her parents for permission to partly move in there, it felt nostalgic… almost sad, really. Even if it was just in another part of the same town, she was leaving the proverbial nest. But given her hard work on this project, they had no choice but to accept.

Later, when they had been alone, her mother had scolded her for not telling her about her plans or letting her help out, but Hitomi knew that part of her good feeling about this was doing this all on her own. The place grew on her all the more. She loved the tatami flooring and the traditional paper doors opening to reveal the wooden terrace and the small, presently rather unkempt, but still beautiful and calm garden.

Like many older houses, this one still had a spectacular Buddhist altar hidden in one of the closets of the house. The very one she was sitting in front of. When you moved the paper doors out of the way, you found something like an ornate cabinet decorated with detailed carvings. Inside of it, there were several tablets and other objects, which had all once been magic to little Hitomi's eyes. A few framed, black and white photos had been placed inside as well. The newest one stood out as it was in color, depicting a traditionally dressed woman.

Grandma Yuri.

She remembered her, sitting just where Hitomi was now, praying for the souls of her late husband and ancestors and talking to them. Hitomi felt ashamed of herself when she realized that no one was here to do the same for her. Not too often, at least. The Kanzakis had their own place of remembrance in the house, but it was far less fancy and important looking. Spirituality simply did not play a role such as it did once and Hitomi was sure it was not just her family's case. The prayer was not widely practiced in homes anymore.

This seemed like a good moment to do so, though. It was often in hard and decisive times that even the less religious people remembered their praying sites. For some reason, it felt like such a time for Hitomi, even though she was not entirely sure why. Could be her instinct kicking in again. She felt like something had to change, and soon. Maybe it was her impending graduation or Yukari's marriage. But something was coming… and for some reason, an inner turmoil had settled in her heart. Which was another reason to bring her in front of the altar.

If it had been a few years ago, she would have just reached for her tarot cards instead, but those were safely locked away in her desk drawer back home. As she had moved in her grandma's house, she decided to leave them there. It only seemed fit for them to remain in that room. It was a room of a naïve, teenage girl, with an odd interest in the arcane arts. She even got some decorations for the theme. The cards just belonged there, in her childhood's haven. She couldn't stay there forever.

And maybe it was better that way. Better that they were out of her reach. After the dream, she had stopped reading fortunes, no matter how her much classmates pestered her about it. But tonight, tonight she might have given in to the temptation...

Hitomi sounded the metal bowl serving as a bell, clearing her mind. She did not know any mantras and she could not personally remember the people in the photos. She still directed them all a small prayer. But it was the woman with kind green eyes she wished she could talk to, not for the first time in her life.

And once, she dreamt she had, even if just for a while. She had overcome the veil between life and death then, just one in the row of other fantastic events. Was there even a drop of reality to it? Did she and Yuri share more than the similar features? She may never know. Her grandma was no longer there and only silence would be her answer. Perhaps she even deserved it for keeping silent herself. She never told anyone about her dream of Gaea, not even her own mother or Yukari.

Grandma, I'm sorry I didn't talk to you sooner, Hitomi started her mental monologue. I'm doing fine. I finished my exams and I'm going on a trip around the country with my friends starting tomorrow. Mamoru is energetic as ever. Mom and dad are not too happy with me living here, but I really like it, she paused.

You led a good life in this place, didn't you? I know you can't answer me right now, but you are the only one who ever could, I think… Sometimes, I wonder why you gave me that pendant and the tarot cards, grandma… isn't it a strange gift, to a child? Why you told me all about wishes... Have you ever… had an experience which you could not tell was real? What did you do about it? Were you happy with the simple life you led? Maybe I should be, too. Or should I seek something more? I stopped reading fortunes, but now I just feel like I'm unable to make a decision. Moving on or staying put. I don't even know which is which. And whatever I do, I feel like I'm throwing another future away. Where do I go from now on?

The praying girl took a long breath in and sighed when her senses didn't catch anything supernatural. She smiled sadly. Maybe she should just not fight the river flow for now. It would surely take her somewhere.

I guess I need to figure that one out alone, don't I? she smiled sadly. I'm sorry for making this all about myself. Thank you grandma, for everything. Stay well. And say hi to granddad for me.

Hitomi rang the bell a second time, bowed with her hands clasped in front of her face, and stood up resolutely from her kneeling position. There was not much time to spare; she needed to finish packing.

She resolutely opened the sliding door on the other side of the room which led to another closet. This one was packed with things, the shelves reaching all the way up to the ceiling. Only a few of them were being used by Hitomi, others were still full of old stuff. Now, where did she put it? The foldable raincoat she was supposed to take on her trip tomorrow? It had to be here somewhere… she dug around her piles of clothes without success.

The bottom area where the beddings were normally stored used to be her favorite hiding place as a child. If it had been empty, it would be still big enough for her to stand in, even today. She pulled out the futon she was going to sleep on later and climbed on the rest of the pile, peeking up on the top shelf.

Only the many boxes left by her grandmother came into view. Probably some of her belongings that her family wanted to keep. She had never paid them much attention until now. Their mystery pulling her in, Hitomi reached for them, even though she knew there was something else she was supposed to be doing right now.

Curiously, like when she was a kid, she opened the neat, colorful paper boxes one after another. Some held the fancier furisodes of her grandmother and other articles of clothing. In others, she found pieces of memorabilia: postcards, praying sheets, and photos which hadn't made it into albums. She recognized the case with the umbilical cord of her mother and put it aside with a mildly disgusted smile. Finally, she grabbed a long, slim box, originally from some flat summer sandals. She opened it and gasped, almost dropping it from her now shaking hands. The box held nothing but a paper windmill. It lay in its small paper casket like a dead flower, buried among other memories. But Hitomi knew it was not just any pinwheel. And it proved… it further proved…

The dream Hitomi had had as a high school freshman was so fantastical, one could easily disregard it as a hallucination. A fever dream.

But it had held some connection to reality.

According to that dream, the pendant she had received from her grandmother with a set of tarot cards, the one she even now wore around her neck… The tarot cards had been bought in Yokohama, but the pendant was supposed to have come from that other planet. It had been made in the mythical Atlantis, here on Earth, but found its way into a lone wanderer's hands. And her grandmother, who had traveled to the other planet, received it from him as a parting gift. After centuries, the pendant had returned to Earth with a young maiden from Kamakura by the name of Yuri Hoshino.

She remembered her grandmother as she had seen her in her vision. Clad in a deep-blue yukata, eyes so much like her own… and in her hand, a pinwheel which spun fast in the freezing winds of the arctic continent. With careful fingers, Hitomi pulled it out of its resting place, her heart beating audibly in her chest.

Wait… she remembered now. In that dream, young Yuri had gifted the object to Leon Schezar. If it was here, in the closet, it meant it hadn't been real. Her grandmother had never been on that planet. Neither had she. Her heart sunk a little. Strange, she had thought she had reconciled with that conclusion a long time ago.

But then, how did Hitomi know about the pinwheel's existence? Had she seen it at some point as a child and her overactive fantasy produced all the rest? Something inside her stubbornly resisted the idea… Just on a whim, she blew on the pinwheel softly to make it spin in front of her eyes. Except, instead of slowing down after a few seconds, it gained speed. Spinning much too fast for it to be of her own doing anymore. Tumultuous winds started to blow the scene away, finally taking the windmill apart, its fragile blades torn and whisked away, the wooden stick slipping out from her numb hand. All that was left was Hitomi. And darkness.

Alone. She let out a scream. She didn't want to be alone. Somebody… anyone! Something cracked and let the light in. Alien light. Pictures. And sounds. All assaulting her at once.

Hundreds of voices whispering. Extended hands that could not touch. Thick smoke in the dark. Heavy footsteps of giants. Seconds counted by a pendant swing. Sword cutting through thin air. Blood drop hitting a crystal. Falling feathers. Dragon's roar that neatly bled into sirens and the screech of another—huge and mechanical—beast.

Hitomi's eyes snapped open in the dim light.

Just a nightmare.

It took a moment to recognize her surroundings. The shadows thrown by the energist lamp had grown darker and longer, trembling in the night air. Hitomi felt its flow on the moist portion of her skin, an uncomfortable reminder of her equally unpleasant dream. She sat up and rubbed her sore neck. All the frills did, in fact, little to make the cot into a real bed. More importantly, an anxious feeling had settled in her gut. It looked like the short and light sleep had brought just another disturbance to her worried soul.

Her eyes quickly scanned Merle's sleeping form. The catgirl still slept curled on one side, just like she remembered. She did not seem to be roused by Hitomi's movements. And she was going to have to fidget more, Hitomi thought. Her bladder would not be ignored any longer.

She recalled Gaddes' warning not to leave the ship, but she really didn't feel like using the "hell hole" that she remembered was situated in some dark remote corner of the Crusade. They used it on long flights, and she suspected it just led to a container or simply released its foul contents out right in mid-air. She felt her stomach turn thinking of the thing and felt stupid for not taking care of her problem while the sun was still up. Yet she would definitely rather risk leaving the ship and getting down to business somewhere in the shrubbery.

Maybe she should have woken Merle and asked her to go along… but imagining the grumbling she would probably be subjected to, she decided not to. She pulled out the light jacket she had packed for the trip and took extra care closing the cabin door as silently as possible. It took her a while to find the way out of the ship, but luckily for her, the loading bridge had been left open, guarded only by a snoring duo. She did not inspect them closer, just walked out as quickly and silently as possible.

Hitomi sauntered a bit to the side of the camp, trying to find a recluse enough place and be done with her problem as soon as possible. She found it between the leviship platform and the guymelef hangar, the shrubbery providing enough privacy for her current needs. When she was done, she wiped her hands on the dewy grass and dried them with her quickly waning supply of paper handkerchiefs. She had to wince at the prospect of hygiene she was going to have here, at least until she got to Millerna's palace.

Aside from that, the night scenery was as beautiful as she remembered. The gigantic double moons hung in the star-filled sky, speaking to her strangely. It was so surreal that one of them held her home, the people she loved, and her whole life. So what was she doing here? On this planet which was invisible to the people of Earth, the space agencies and their telescopes? She sighed, turning her attention back to the ground. She should be heading back.

However… Her gaze was pulled to the hangar, feeling a strange urge to go and see Escaflowne. If it had been a few years prior, she would have even thought it was the guymelef itself which called to her. She did not believe that now, but still. The machine seemed to be the key to many things; Zaibach wanted it, same as it had wanted her once. And maybe she would even find a certain someone there, since he never seemed to stray too far away from it. Someone who she felt could provide some answers, because, well, she knew who brought her to this planet the first time around. And the feeling that he was in danger still nagged at her. If anything, it was only reinforced by that dream that had plagued her earlier.

Hitomi approached the structure and saw the dark outlines of a handful of Alliance soldiers, looking into the night. She also spotted Escaflowne at the far end of the row of seated giants. The white armor was hard to miss with its unusual shapes. There was someone perched on its leg, working. Not the one she had expected, though. But the guards just ignored him, so she decided he wasn't dangerous.

The young man had dirty-blonde hair, tied up partly in a tiny ponytail. He wore the Alliance uniform, but in a very casual way: the coat unbuttoned, the sleeves and pant legs rolled up, with heavy lace-up boots on his feet. A pair of protective goggles were pushed up high on his forehead, lifting part of his fringe and revealing a strangely shaped scar… no, it was a symbol. She was strangely reminded of the men she saw in Freid and the jewels they wore embedded between their eyebrows. She was so consumed with scrutinizing the stranger that she failed to notice the guards moving… and discovering her, without much effort.

They pointed lances at her immediately, grouping around her.

"What do we have here?" one of them drawled, observing her from head-to-toe. His dialect was different from Asturians or Fanelians.

"I… think it's a girl, chief! Don't get fooled by her hair," another provided seriously.

The rest of them, including 'the chief,' rolled their eyes.

"Aren't you cold, little girl? That's one hell of a strange outfit, for a lady. Are you one of Lamirna's?"

She was too terrified by the lances they still pointed at her to answer.

The mechanic she had observed earlier appeared behind them and met Hitomi's eyes. "She's a new waitress; Lamirna got her from the East. She probably doesn't even understand you with your crappy Daedali."

"A waitress?"

Hitomi nodded slowly, her eyes not leaving the guy's. They seemed curious and quite playful, adding to his boyish appearance.

"Are you lost, little one? I'll walk you back to the Linen Tavern, what do you say?" the blonde offered.

Once again, she nodded dumbly. Between these lechers and the guy whom Van trusted enough to work on Escaflowne, the choice was clear.

"We'll be seeing you around, then. Can't wait to get served!" The men let out gruff laughs but she felt relief that they made no move to interfere.

Her savior wiggled past the circle around her and dragged her with him towards Escaflowne.

"Let me just gather my things and we'll be on our way, alright?"

"Thanks for your help," she said, only loud enough for the man to hear as they walked.

"Before I say 'you're welcome,' why don't you tell me what you are doing here? Hope I didn't just become an accomplice to a Zaibach spy… or an assassin."

She did not know what to say, so she tried to turn the question around. "That's what I wanted to ask. This is the guymelef of the king of Fanelia."

Cyrien's eyebrows shot up at the poor evasive maneuver. He chuckled lowly.

"You don't say, miss! I must have forgotten. I just do random maintenance for other people's guymelefs. And the nice guards let me."

"Very funny. The king seriously lets you repair Escaflowne? I find that hard to believe."

"Well, it took a lot of coaxing on my part; I had to use nearly all my charms," the man winked. "But I know a thing or two about this beauty," he patted the plating almost affectionately, "and that's what mattered in the end. I'm Cyrien. A former monk of Tonatis, currently serving under the King of Fanelia."

Tonatis? That told her nothing.

"I'm K…" she hesitated on whether to tell him her full name like she had intended… "Kanna. From Fanelia," she chose, deciding it was the most fitting choice considering what she had said until then. And for what she had planned next.

"So, how can I help you, Miss Kanna?"

"I need to see… King Van. Can you bring me to his tent?"

The man whistled. "Many girls would like that, but few would be so straightforward."

Hitomi frowned. "You seem to misunderstand. We are old friends and I need to talk to him."

"Su—re," Cyrien drawled. "Listen, miss, the king doesn't have many friends. And definitely not strangely… and sparsely… dressed female ones. Aren't you cold, by the way?"

Damn the jean shorts. And damn Gaea with their medieval thoughts of women covering themselves. Hitomi just knew she was going to have a hard time here, but like last time, she wasn't going to let that interfere with her closet too much. But perhaps some of the alternatives in her duffel would make people here see her as more of a human being. She should look into that. She should have already, in fact; her legs were freezing.

"Do not take this the wrong way, but I don't care about your opinion all that much. Just help me find the king's tent, please."

"Even if what you're saying is true, I would not recommend that. If he's still awake, he would be grumpy this time of the day, even more so than usual. Besides, he doesn't like pushy girls. Or dealing with girls in general, on second thought."

She rolled her eyes. "Just bring me to his tent and leave the rest to me."

The man sighed. "Please, listen to me. It's not like you aren't pretty. I actually kinda like you, so I don't want you to be humiliated. I saw the king so drunk once, his head was dropping to the table. But even in that state, when one o' the local girls tried to slip her hand down his shirt… I honestly thought she was gonna lose it. I've met priests less… uptight, in these matters."

"Now you are making things up. He does not drink." Van, drinking in some dubious tavern? Forget it.

"Everyone drinks here. It's one of the few things that can keep you going. And the king just willingly gives up on the others," the former monk said thoughtfully.

Hitomi didn't know how to respond to that. Instead, she asked: "What about you, Cyrien? Any luck with the 'local girls'?"

He shrugged. "Well, what can I say…? Even as a former man of faith, it's my duty to help the poor souls. I offer spiritual services."

"Spiritual services, you say. And what services do they offer you in return?"

"Even those of low morals can become good friends," he chided. "And if a friend does not show them the light, who will…? But I don't think it's appropriate to discuss my relations with women of such business with a lady… plus, a lady I just met."

She felt blush upon her cheeks. Damn that man. How did he manage to get her into this small teasing game? And to embarrass her? His innocent looking, almost childish face was misleading, she realized. "You don't have to answer, you know…"

He chuckled. "Let me just say that as a brother sworn, technically, I should not take a wife. But that also technically that means there is no marriage to save myself for. I am not oblivious to womanly charms, you know?"

"Still, you would deny a 'not unpretty' girl a favor? One you kinda like?" Hitomi looked up at him innocently. She was not going to lose this.

Cyrien smiled broadly. "Oh, you totally got me there, miss. Are you sure you are not a cunning spy?"

"Well, are you going to help or should I try alone?!"

"Fine, fine…" he raised his arms in defeat. "Wouldn't want you to wander around like this all by yourself. It's not quite safe. And if you were indeed the king's friend, he would have my head if something happened to you. I am done anyway. Nice and shiny again." The blonde climbed down the guymelef and crouched down to a messy leather file full of drawings, notes, and plans, trying to straighten them.

"Did you… draw these?" Hitomi asked. She had noticed the pile earlier. They looked like technical drawings. Of Escaflowne? And unlike the pile itself, they were anything but messy. She was starting to understand the connection between Van and this guy. "Is that Escaflowne?"

"Yeah, they're mine. Not just of Escaflowne, though. I have a mild obsession with… how things work, you see?"

"So, are you a guymelef mechanic?"

"I wouldn't say that. I call myself… an appreciator, maybe."

"Are you a friend of the king's? How did you two meet?"

"Ah, it's quite a boring story." As he stood up, she noticed he had a few freckles scattered around the root of his nose. Which must have been one of the reasons he looked so young. But his age was hard to guess. "I got recruited … rather forcefully into Basram army. However, I am not quite cut out for discipline. And not at all cut out for a war. But, if there is something that interests me, it's those…" he motioned his hand in a broad swipe, gesturing to the seated guymelefs. "Aren't they amazing? I served on a leviship, which was a dream come true itself. But I always snuck out to admire and sketch some of these babes in the hangar."

Hitomi couldn't really understand the fascination with things meant for killing, but she had to admit guymelefs were pretty impressive. She had heard once that it took decades to build one. On Gaea, they were probably on the top of the technology tree, along with said leviships.

"Do you pilot one?"

"I do have a melef now, but only thanks to the king. It was a dead Fanelian general's, but I was able to repair it. Otherwise, I would be scrubbing the ship floors or marching on the battlefield as a pikeman."

Hitomi didn't know the exact difference between the guymelef and melef, but remembering the battles she had witnessed in the past, she imagined melef was just the smaller, less complicated version of what Van or Allen were piloting. Anyway, the whole story was quite surprising to hear. She didn't really see Van practicing small acts of philanthropy before.

"How did that happen?"

"When I heard we were going to carry Escaflowne for a while, I was beside myself with excitement. King Van might be a bit famous now, but this girl is what's truly legendary. For centuries. It is mentioned in some of the oldest history books."

"You like history books?"

"Not particularly, but I write them. I mean, rewrite and illustrate them. Or used to. As an orphan, I was accepted into an order of fighting monks in Basram. We went down in history, but as decades passed, history forgot us. We haven't been fighting for a long time, but we were still good to make some prettier copies of famous books for rich folks' bragging needs. That, and grow cabbage. Until the progressive republicans came and thought we still had some riches from our old fighting days. The Republic banned the order, took its lands, and scattered the brotherhood."

Cyrien paused then, his eyes downcast.

"That must have been tough," she said softly.

"Well, suddenly, I was out on the streets. I didn't have anything, but was lucky enough to survive. I was painting portraits of whoever had some coins to spare in Heliopoli. Then the war came. And after a while, nobody was too young, too weak, or too untrained to be a soldier. So I just became that. After some time, I was serving on one of Basram's leviships..."

She vaguely remembered Basram as one of the more militarily advanced countries from the time they had sent their machinery to defend Palas. That had been right before she left for Earth.

"So, when this legendary guymelef I read about in the chronicles came on board, I just had to see it with my own eyes. They wrote songs about it and the heroic Fanelian kings. Fanelia used to be pretty important, you know. Asturia or Zaibach were nothing at the time. But that was covered by dust and sand, as well. Anyway, I had to at least see it... so did its rightful owner at some point, though."

"Let me guess, he drew a sword on you," Hitomi mumbled, mostly to herself.

"Oh, I might owe you an apology, you really do seem to know him. I thought I was so dead. But he did take note of my drawings — why, of course, I had to sketch it… he asked stuff… I answered. And he seemed impressed by my knowledge. So that's how it came to be. He actually proceeded to ask my higher-ups to release me from their service, so he could take me into his. A disposable footman such as me, that was no trouble at all."

"I see…" She wondered if this guy was just a new servant of Van's, or if he actually managed to make a friend. That would have been the more unexpected option, but this Cyrien seemed to have a laid-back nature that could help to overcome the status gap. She just did not know if it was enough to get past Van's antisocial attitude. Hitomi knew very well how hard that could be.

"You still have not told me who you are," her companion startled her… "Because I don't think you are one of Lamirna's."

"And what do you think?"

"That's a tough one," he scratched his chin. "I know a lot of Gaean countries, but your strange looks, the excuse for pants…"

"Excuse you!"

"…I wonder if it has anything to do with the light pillar I saw today?" he laughed.

She could not believe her ears. Why had he been playing with her until now, then?!

"Seems like you enjoy games," she grumbled. "Did Van tell you?"

"Oh, whoa there. No, he would not. But then, I'm not on first name terms with him," he winked. Hitomi got cranky. This guy seemed too much of a smartass for his own good. She could not decide if she liked talking to him or not. True, she was the first one to lie about her identity, but… she did it for her safety, he could at least understand that…

"Let's see if my assumption is correct. Here we are, my lady. His Majesty seems to be awake," he said in a subdued voice. Yeah, she could see the light through the canvas herself. "I suggest you let me go in first."

She shrugged, getting cold and impatient. "Whatever."

"Please stay close."

Well, that's what she intended to do. The camp didn't feel safe at all.

"Your Majesty, it's Cyrien. May I come in?"

"What is it?"

Hitomi frowned. She could hear everything through the flap, so what was the fuss about anyway? Don't forget to kiss his royal behind, she sighed inwardly.

"Nothing much. I'm done with Escaflowne. But there is a woman requesting your company. I warned her against that, but she would not budge."

"Fetch me those," she heard Van say. There was a moment of silence as the other man probably handed something to him. "Wait. What kind of woman?"

"A strangely dressed one, with short hair. Says her name's Kanna or something. Are you alright, my lord? There was no damage to the mechanism. I fixed the crack with the liquid metal. It's not yspanium, but I thought the new formula worked better, in fact."

"Yeah. Yeah…" she heard the king sigh, "I can tell. Good job."

"What about the girl?"

"Tell her to wait. I will fix myself up and walk her back to wherever she came from."

Not before I'm done talking to you, thought Hitomi and stepped inside the tent without invitation. It was spacious but furnished only by a bed, table and chairs set, some variation of a valet stand and a chest. An energist lamp hanging on the center pillar revealed Van sitting half-sprawled on a chair, his long linen shirt undone and rumpled on the bottom, the picture finished by a half-drunk bottle of wine and half-eaten tray of food on the roughly made wooden table next to him. On the other side of the tent, there was some sort of a wooden basin just big enough for a man to sit in. She realized it was for bathing and all of a sudden felt relieved she didn't come earlier. Her unannounced entry could have turned out way more embarrassing.

It was enough that he was in his… nightclothes, or so she gathered. She understood now why the shirt seemed so overly long. It looked like he put his fitted black pants back on moments before she entered. His feet were bare and his hair also seemed half-wet and disheveled now that she got a better look at himbut in her defense, that posed no big difference from the usual. Especially in the poor light.

She really had the most inappropriate ideas sometimes. It was too late for a casual visit, why had she not realized this before? Van's vicinity was no longer a safe ground like it used to be. What had she been thinking?! How did she forget the cold man that greeted her earlier today so quickly? Did she expect him to magically change and be charming and pleasant? Or at least simple and honest like the boy she used to know? But what was done was done. And this could get only as awkward as she would let it.

"Ahh, miss, didn't I tell you to wait?" Cyrien moaned, clearing the tableware away. You don't want to bait the dragon, do you? she translated from his expression.

Without paying him much heed, she turned her attention to the king. "Just a scratch? What happened?"

"Nothing that would concern you." He straightened a bit in the seat, shrugging his rough shirt more into its proper place. "What are you doing here, Hitomi? Does Allen know you wander around the camp at night?"

"I asked first. And I think it may concern me a little," said Hitomi, wondering where she was pulling the overbearing stubbornness out from. Her suspicion was that it simply appeared to mask her unease.

Van leaned back and closed his eyes in a surprisingly theatrical expression. "Cyro."

"Guess I can go now," the man chuckled, his eyes jumping between the two under his quirked eyebrows. He bowed comically with the loaded tray still in his hands. "I'll let myself out."

Hitomi didn't like that implication, but hoped at least talking would be easier without the company. She and the king used to have short moments of casual understanding, despite his short temper. Of course, this was a different situation, and maybe they had even become different people. She still hoped they could build on those moments, not on the feuds that remained between them.

The other man left, but the awkwardness didn't. She still had to try.

"I know it's not an ideal time. But we are leaving tomorrow morning, and we need to talk."

He shrugged and motioned to the other chair, "Talk, then."

She chose to remain standing. "Why don't you tell me what happened first?"

"Nothing extraordinary, Escaflowne got a scratch in a bad moment, so I got one myself."

"This… this is still happening?! And you… fight all the time, or so I hear… How can you risk so much, Van?"

"Risk what else than the usual, exactly? And no, this happens occasionally, when I am forced to raise the synchronization a bit. Cyro fixes it up the best he can and it heals. Just slower than I'm used to."

"But if Escaflowne got some serious damage…"

"It won't! I told you, I have it under control," Van said resolutely. "And sit down already, if you are still going to talk. I don't feel like standing."

He cares about manners? In a rude, arrogant way of course, but still…

She sat down on the second chair, intertwining her hands on her knees in front of her. "What was it that made you do it today? Raise the synchronization?" She didn't even know such a thing was possible. And she had been the one to introduce him to the trick. She didn't mean to, just tried to help. It ended up with him almost dying.

Twice in a damn row.

Hearing about this again is really reassuring, she winced inwardly.

"I got into a bit of trouble." Like I did. Echoed through her right away. She could not deny the strange bond between her and Escaflowne. The crystallized heart of the dragon and her pendant. Her and this world. She had to ask. Had to know why she was here.

"Do you… think that it could have anything to do with why I ended up here?" She dared to look at him, not failing to notice the way his lips tightened as she said it.

"No. If you think I would summon you or whatever… because of something so minor, no less…" His tone remained neutral, but she felt it was somewhat forced.

I'd like to see what's so minor. She knew they were basically strangers now and it would be awkward having him strip before her, but knowing him, he probably underestimated the seriousness of his injury. She didn't know how to ask him to show it to her, though. "Are you sure you are alright?"

"Yes, I just patched it up. If I managed to hide it from Merle, it can't be serious, don't you think?"

"Still. You are hurt. Somebody should look at it…" she paused, "I know; why don't you come with us to Asturia? Princess Millerna can check you up."

"I can't make casual trips to Asturia, the battle is still going on!" She almost heard the wood protest as he white-knuckled the armrest. It looked like she was starting to grind his gears, as usual. And she returned that sentiment.

"Don't tell me you are going to fight tomorrow in your condition!" she grabbed the edge of the table and glowered at him in disbelief.

"What condition? Trust me, I've had worse."

"Can't you take a day off?" She never exactly liked the shrill quality that her voice acquired as she grew agitated. And by his expression, neither did he.

"This is a decisive battle. We need that victory, that village and that land to advance. Tomorrow, it could be all over."

"Then how come Allen…"

"Allen has his own missions in this war, which do not necessarily include spilling his blood on the battlefield. But I understand; he probably has his orders."

"And you? Who orders you to put yourself to danger?"

"That's enough," his tone lowered in warning. "Why are you here, anyway?"

Hitomi threw her hands in the air in a frustrated gesture. "That's what I'm trying to find out! I hoped you would be a bit helpful, to be honest."

"No… I mean, why you came to my tent. Is that why?"

"Oh." She felt embarrassed all of a sudden, but shook herself off in a breath. "I… had a dream, sort of."

That seemed to have caught his interest. Of course, her powers always did. "What kind of a dream?"

If you expected one of my prophetic visions, you'll be disappointed, she thought. "I'm not sure it was to mean anything specific. Just left me with a bad feeling. I thought I should see you. I… felt you may be in danger."

"Did the dream involve Escaflowne or anything?" Van bent slightly towards her, incredulous.

"No… not really."

He still had his reddish eyes fixed on hers. She really forgot how unnerving he could get. "Then why do you think it's me who's in danger?"

Why, indeed… she staggered for a second, but caught herself successfully.

"That's tough math, Van. Allen is leaving with us tomorrow. You are going to a battle with an injury. Is there anyone else here I should be concerned about?"

"As far as I remember, you had concerns for just about anybody."

"Maybe, but most of the time, it was you who needed saving." He straightened back in an offended way; his frown deepening even more, if that was even possible. Oops. Too soon. That wasn't a wise thing to tell him even when they had been familiar with each other, not to mention someone who had become almost a stranger.

"You think I'm some weakling? Or a fool rushing to get myself killed?" His tone, while a lot less emotional than what she would have heard years ago, still confirmed she struck a nerve.

"No, but you are going too far, as usual!"

"You don't know that. It's been many colors and many battles since you left. Do you think I am the same as I was? That I can't take care of myself? As you can see yourself, I survived until now. I do not need your… saving." His distaste seemed to culminate in that word.

Male pride, she thought. One of the most fragile things in universe. But she hurried to make amends, intending to keep their relationship at least on a neutral and civil level.

"I know. Allen told me about Fanelia and all… I know you managed to do a lot more than just survive. But… think about it… why do you think I am here? And what about your injury? How exactly did you get it?"

"I told you, it will be healed by the morning. I do not have the demon blood for nothing…"

"What will be healed by the morning?" Merle marched into the tent like a goddess of fury, her stance wide and her tail swishing from side to side. "Lord Van, what's wrong?"

"Merle?!" Hitomi exclaimed for the lack of a better reaction. She peripherally saw Van running his hand through his hair with a groan.

"I will get to you later, stupid girl. By the way, Allen is looking for you everywhere." Suddenly, Hitomi felt like mimicking the king's gesture.

"Go lie back, Lord Van. I'm going to take a look at your injury… please," she added, but only after a moment. It did little to make it sound less authoritative.

"Forget it. I took care of it," he scoffed.

"Cleaned, disinfected and dressed it? Or just drank wine?"

"Merle!" the king warned her through his teeth, his tone low.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I am just worried..."

"If there was something to be worried about, I would have told you." Hitomi's eyes followed that exchange curiously.

"You went to the meeting like that! Without treating it. And you kept it from me," the catgirl numbered her accusations.

"So what?!" Van barked intimidatingly, and while his voice sounded way more impressive now, Hitomi felt like he wasn't fooling anyone present. This was the exact same immature arrogance he demonstrated regularly during her last visit.

Merle didn't seem too fazed, either. "Of course, you know best, Your Majesty. But you know… I think I won't go to Asturia unless you let me see your wound. I'm gonna have to stay in this camp with you to make sure you're alright."

"Do you know what happens to this camp and everyone in it if we lose the battle?" he said as if to scare her.

"That doesn't change anything. You heard my terms."

"Fine… Fine! You will be the death of me…!" he hissed under his breath.

"I think you will manage that just well enough yourself, Lord Van!"

Hitomi watched them curiously while they seemed to have forgotten about her altogether. There was more familiarity in the way the two acted toward each other than the last time. The teenage catgirl dared much, telling her king off like that. She still used the formalities in her speech, something Hitomi never bothered with when it came to Van, who had been rude to her from day one. But Merle also went way farther crossing him. Plus, she is here with him. Even in this dangerous place. Could it be… well, Merle is not a child anymore. Could there be more…?

Meanwhile, the catgirl in question basically pushed her king to the edge of the bed, where he sat down. She spread out a pouch of supplies on the top of the linens and knelt on the ground next to him. Then, she cast his shirt aside and inspected the hastily dressed wound. The bandage wasn't soaked. Hitomi thought briefly that she should probably look away, but she was curious herself.

"The bleeding has stopped. Looks like you won't be needing stitches this time," Merle murmured and proceeded to rummage through the trunk next to the bed. Van's shirt was down again.

When the catgirl came back, Hitomi could not see much besides her back anymore, but she wasn't confident enough to come closer. The sharp smell of alcohol reached her nose. "I'm sorry," she heard Merle say, but she wasn't sure if it was supposed to be for the sting she was currently causing him or for doubting his words in the first place. "I'll wrap it back up now."

The catgirl worked quickly and efficiently, with trained skill. She really is taking care of him, Hitomi thought. But she was not quite a servant. She could not put a name to their relationship. At one point, Van murmured something to the catgirl, freezing her in midst of a movement. She couldn't shake the feeling it was about her, because Merle looked at her at once, her eyes narrowing. It seemed like it was her turn, now.

The fiery-haired feline stood up and came to her, hands on her hips, her glare menacing. Hitomi felt like cowering.

"Now to you. I hoped you have learned something, but you are apparently even dumber than the last time. Going off on your own? At night? In this camp?"

"She was not all alone, Cyro brought her here," Van said lowly as he proceeded to stretch his legs carefully on the bed. Merle ignored that, her eyes still firmly planted on Hitomi, demanding an answer.

"I… I was just concerned… I had a nightmare. I didn't want to wake you."

"So much worry about good ol' Merle all of a sudden… I wouldn't want to know, right?" she added much more quietly.

What…? Hitomi felt herself coloring in anger.

"Sorry for intruding, Van." Allen entered the tent in his usual smooth way. "I heard the voices. Hitomi, don't wander off like that. I almost lost my mind. Is everything alright?"

"I'm sorry. I… just thought Van might be in danger," she explained, embarrassed.

"Van can take care of himself. Way better than you can in this place."

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Allen… you too, Merle… I didn't realize how risky it was. I promise I won't do something like that again," she kept her gaze down.

"I hope you'll remember that. This isn't the first time… What is wrong, anyway? Are you injured, Van?" Hitomi realized Allen dropped the official titles now that they were alone.

The king sighed, sounding tired. "For the last time, no. Now, shouldn't you all be on a ship somewhere?"

Allen's eyes scanned the three of them for a while. "Alright then. Let's go, girls."

"I'll stay," Merle announced. "Lord Van needs me."

"She is going," the king growled dismissively from the bed, without even looking at them. His arms were stubbornly crossed in front of his chest in his half-sitting, half-lying position.

The knight shrugged, "Well, suit yourselves."

"You said you would go if I let you make sure I'm fine, didn't you?" To be quite honest, Hitomi was amazed that Van chose to discuss this with the girl instead of straight out ordering her to go. Or yelling at her.

"Technically, I said I wouldn't go if you didn't…," Merle whined.

"Yeah, sorry, that works both ways," Van dismissed. "See you in Asturia."

They shared a look, but not even the catgirl could compete with the stubbornness of the man lying on the bed. "Fine. Let's go."

Allen walked them back to the ship, thankfully without incident. Hitomi was also glad he didn't scold her more. She knew she was being foolish, knew that even before the venture. She couldn't say if she was feeling better about the whole thing, but she gave up. There was no way she could help Van or the Allied army without her powers, anyway. And absolutely no chance she would change his mind.

She asked one more question, though, lying down in the darkness of the cabin.

"Why did you give up so easily, Merle? He is still doing these irresponsible things. Aren't you worried?"

"It's not like I can change anything, even if I stayed," the girl mumbled sleepily. "Or save him if he really got a serious injury. I can't help him right now. The only thing I can give Lord Van is trust."

Trust is not always going to save him, Hitomi thought but couldn't bring herself to say it. "I see," she sighed instead, closing her eyes.


Hello everybody! Rin here with the newest (and longest) chapter of Vis Arcana yet. I know it has taken quite long this time, but I have some good news to share as well. If you felt like the quality of the grammar & spelling this chapter was better than the previous ones, you would be right! It is thanks to the hard work by my beta-reader named Lera (or Blue Funk on FFN)! Thank you so much again for your ideas, skills and time! Blue Funk has kindly gone through the first three chapters as well, so I have swapped them for the new and improved versions.

I wanted to thank my loyal and new reviewers and readers, too. You have given me some really kind and heartwarming words last chapter, and I appreciate every one of them. As always, a few more ideas and doodles can be found on the visarcana tumblr. Please do not hesitate to throw your thoughts at me, anywhere, in any way you prefer. I love to read them.

Chapter notes:

The first scene is partly a real memory, partly the dream Hitomi had. I'll leave to your imagination where exactly the memory ends and the dream starts.

We have the first Gaean OC in the game! Cyrien is a character I created mostly to give Van a close male friend to hang out with. Poor guy needs at least that to have some sense of normalcy in his relationships. Cyro here is supposed to be a bit of a genius, but also quite a bit of a weirdo. He simply has his quirks, especially when social skills are involved. I could not make Allen and Van into besties at this point, and I also believe it would be difficult for the two of them even in, you know, the canon timeline after the end of the series. Here, I'm giving them even more reasons to... not get past their rivalry so quickly.

I must say it is not easy creating characters for this series, because you already have all kinds of types in there (especially the boys). Maybe that's why it's sometimes titled a 'male harem', even though most of those people are not romantically involved with Hitomi at all? There will still be a few more OCs later, but I really had to give them hard thought after I realized that I was just creating another Dryden or Gaddes. That, and I am not too great at creating OCs anyway, so I'll try to limit them to a minimum.

Basram (where Cyrien comes from) is the only one of the Alliance countries which is a republic. Besides that, there is about two more piece of information available regarding this country. So yeah, I'm taking some liberties.

The Van – Hitomi scene was a hard one to write. I know people who had been reading since the beginnings were probably looking forward to it, but I felt like it may not fulfill their expectations with all that awkwardness and arguing. But this is where we stand now. Wonder what you thought of it?

I also did not make Van into this untouchable mysterious dark cold guy, because he is still a kid and I simply don't believe he could have changed that much in the few years that have passed. Meaning, he will be a real brat at times and you may want to whack him on his head on several instances. And then hug him, maybe. Consider yourselves warned.

Next chapter, let's take a look what has been going on in Asturia. Palas ahoy!

~ Rin