Chapter 8

Revelations

Dilandau led Kat to a cave where he had once hidden while working for Zaibach.

"Where the hell is this supposed to be" Kat said "I thought we were going to that city…erm…Fanelia"

"Too bad you thought wrong" he growled as he unearthed a sword from behind a rock. Kat stared at the sword as he brandished it at her.

"You are going to do exactly as I say or I'm going to kill you! And don't bother running; you won't stand a chance out there alone. This area is rife with Land Dragons." He ignored the furious look that Kat was giving him and turned back into the cave to find the small amount of armor that was also buried here somewhere.

Kat was seething. He had tricked her. She looked around for something, a weapon anything, she picked up a hand sized rock and walked to the entrance of the cave, she could see him in the dim light and aimed carefully before throwing it at him as hard as she could. Kat heard a thud, then a groan of pain. He stood up holding his shoulder and walked towards her, holding the sword. Kat stood stock still and folded her arms, eyes fixed on Dilandau; if looks could kill Dilandau would be dead and buried.

"You shouldn't have done that" he said dangerously

"WHY? If the deranged guy with the sword isn't the most dangerous thing out here, then I'd rather take my chances with you than some nightmarish creature that I'll meet out there." She yelled at him furiously. Dilandau wasn't quite sure how to reply, he wasn't used to defenseless girls yelling back when threatened with a sword.

"I'll kill you"

"GO ON THEN, I rather be dead, then out on this god forsaken planet" She turned her back on him. Dilandau scratched his head as he debated what to do. He didn't want to kill her – well he did, but he needed her. He walked up to her and placed the sword blade on her shoulder, she tensed slightly.

'Please don't kill me, please don't kill me'

Dilandau hit out with his other fist, it connected with her head and she fell to the floor unconscious.

"Women" he growled as he dragged her into the cave.

Allen, Eries, Celena and Merle were making final preparations before leaving for Fanelia, when a messenger came galloping towards them, he barely stopped in time.

"Allen Shazar, I bring a message from King Dryden Fassa of Austauria"

"Go on" said Allen

"Queen Millerna has been kidnapped, and he requests your help in finding her"

"Millerna has been kidnapped? By who?"

"We do not know, she just disappeared" Allen looked at Merle

"Merle please inform Van of this, we will go to Austauria to see Dryden"

"Right!" she said and galloped off toward Fanelia., while Allen, Celena and Eries followed the messenger back to Austauria.

Hitomi and Van turned as there was a knock on the door.

"Yes" said Van. Yuki came in.

"Your highness" he paused "Erm…he… Lord Folkon is awake" Van and Hitomi jumped up and both ran to the room where Folkon had been placed. Van paused at the door before opening it slowly. There was his brother, his dead brother sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Folkon?" Van whispered, the man's head jerked up.

"That name sounds so familiar."

"It is your name" said Hitomi, stepping out from behind Van

"You…Its you? The girl from the track, where is the other one? The one that had the pendant," He looked around the lavishly furnished room. "Where am I?"

Kat slowly opened her eyes; he head was throbbing like she was having the mother of all migraines. She saw the ground moving beneath her as everything slid into focus. Kat tried to move some hair out of her face and found her hands bound behind her back. The moving suddenly stopped and she was practically dropped to the floor. She looked up and saw Dilandau. He was no longer in rags, but armor.

"Good you're awake. You can walk now" Kat just looked at him. "Go on then get up"

Kats brain was still trying to figure out what had happened when Dilandau lost his temper again and yanked her to her feet.

"WALK!" he yelled.

"What if I don't" she replied. He turned and looked at her. "If you were going to kill me you would have already, and you're not going to leave me here. Or you wouldn't have carried me all this way" The landscape had changed dramatically; they were no longer in forest, but a barren wasteland, with little but rocks and shrubs in every direction. Dilandau growled and dropped his sword and placed both hands round Kats neck and squeezed slightly.

"Go on do it" Kat snarled at him, he squeezed a bit more and Kat was struggling to breathe before he let go. She coughed but a satisfactory smirk was now spread across her face.

'He won't kill me'

Dilandau was seething with anger; he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk of her face by wrapping his hands round her neck and squeezing till all the life had gone from her body. But he needed her, he needed her alive…for now.

He turned away from her and focused on a nearby rock, trying to control himself.

"You are going to walk, and you are going walk NOW!" He growled, Kat then made a funny squeaky noise behind him that sounded like 'eeep' Dilandau turned round as Kat rushed past him, running as fast as she could with her hands bound behind her. He looked up and saw a Land Dragon moving quickly towards them.

"Dammit" he yelled and ran after Kat, he was gaining on her when she stumbled and fell, hitting the ground hard.

The Dragon was upon them more quickly than Dilandau had anticipated; it roared as Dilandau picked up his sword and prepared for the inevitable battle.

Between then Van and Hitomi had told Folkon most of what had happened to him, everything from his mother to Zaibach then his own death. Folkon didn't remember a thing.

"I have few memories of where I was or had been before I found myself at the track and I saw that other girl, Kat and something told me that she was important." Van took a deep breath and Hitomi knew this had been a long and trying day for him; first her return, then his brother seemingly coming back from the dead.

Yuki appeared at the doorway.

"King Fanel. The search party has returned."

"Well where is she"

"There were some tracks, they where then joined by another set – much larger, most likely a man. Then as the ground got harder and her tracks was lost."

"So you didn't find her?"

"No your highness, however it is believed that they were heading toward the wasteland" Van looked at Hitomi

"We have to keep looking" she pleaded. Van was organizing another search party when Merle returned with the news of Millerna's kidnap and Dryden's request for help.

"We'll set off first thing in the morning. There have been rumours of a new power rising for some time, but they were just rumors. But now…" Van trailed off as Ayame walked towards them.

"King Fanel, I was wondering whether you had made your decision, for I must inform my father of your decision as soon as possible." With everything that had happened Van had completely forgotten about it.

Due to unforeseen circumstances arising" Ayame shot a rather nasty look at Hitomi "I must visit Austauria at once and will inform you of my decision on my return"

"Yes, Thank you King Fanel" Ayame replied in an oddly strained voice before making a hasty exit. Hitomi stared after her as she left.

"Who was that?" she asked Van

"Oh err Ayame; she wanted something like permission to move an army across part of Faneilan territory. We should all get some sleep, everybody up early tomorrow." Van paused "Yuki. Ready the airship as well as Aetherius and Celeritas."

"Yes your highness"

"Mine and Merle's Guymeluf's" said Van seeing the blank look on Hitomi's face. "After all, Escaflowne…it's still dormant." Everyone went to their separate rooms; Van walked Hitomi to hers, kissed her goodnight and said

"See you in the morning"

Good night Van" she replied going into her room and letting herself fall onto the bed with a large grin on her face.

"Oh Van…." She muttered before drifting off into a peaceful sleep; filled with dreams of angels.