Bad Dreams
By angelwings1
Chapter 9
The muffle shriek had stabbed right to his heart. He had instinctively known it had been hers and a terrible coldness he hadn't felt since his family's death had enveloped him. The only goal he could suddenly envision was getting to her as fast as possible. His feet raced unconsciously towards her room, the two women following close behind him. There were no words passed between them, only driven energy.
A second scream exploded as his eyes landed on her door. Her room was immediately flooded with the hall light and two figures, lying bare to its light, fighting on the stone floor. A male figure undistinguishable because of his black outfit and metal mask was straddling the poor seer. Hitomi's sleeve was torn completely off, exposing the star on her upper arm. His glove hand was ruthlessly covering her face and her green eyes were full of fright and tears.
Van's fear boiled into violent anger and he roared an animalistic challenge as he charged the intruder. The man in black hastily leapt up from the seer, allowing the frightened girl to crawl to the nearest corner. Before the king could reach him, the intruder made to escape from the balcony.
"Merle, call the guards!" Van thundered as the faceless man swan dived off the high platform. "Capture him before he leaves the castle's courtyard."
The cat-girl was already out in the hall, yelling for arms during his command. Millerina hurried to the seer who was huddled shaking in the corner. Hitomi was beginning to hyperventilate and the princess quickly began instructing her how to slow down her breathing.
Van slammed his palm against the balcony rail when he saw no sign of the man in black. He had completely vanished without a simple clue as to how. The king silently vowed a hundred tortures to the man if he was ever found.
Seeing his soldiers dispersing through the yard, the king whirled to the painful scene of the seer trembling in Millernia's arms. In three long strides, Vas was across the room and kneeling at her side. Her wide eyes were glazed over and her mouth was sucking hard on the air to keep up with her frantic breathing. His hand slowly reached out for her bare shoulder, terrified she might bolt.
"Hitomi?" he whispered as his fingers caressed her arm. Suddenly, she was out of Millernia's arms and in his, burying her face in his neck. He unconsciously hugged her tighter. "What happened, Hitomi?"
"He was waiting for me," she gasped between shudders, "He was in my room, waiting. I thought he came to capture me, but—"
Her arms pulled tighter over her chest, "b-but I don't know. He tried to-to—"
"Sh," he whispered in her ear, rubbing his hand up and down her back in a desperate hope to calm her down "I'm here. I won't let him hurt."
She nodded in his neck, crying out every tear she had left. When she had fought him, the man had changed ideas and forced her to the floor. As his strong body had straddled her petit frame, she had panicked. She had bit down on his hand and screamed as loud as she could, praying Van would hear her. If he hadn't had come when he did, then her world would have collapsed.
"Hitomi?" the princess gently inquired. "What's that on your arm?"
The seer froze in his embrace, realizing she had been discovered for the second time. Her eyes slid close and she pressed her face deeper into the crook of the king's shoulder. She wasn't in the mood to begin that story. Van sighed for the seer, feeling her weariness seep into his chest. "Hitomi isn't my cousin or my fiancé, Milly. She's a Mystic who has been staying at the castle for the last two months."
"A Mystic?" the princess breathed, staring openly at the woman he was cradling. "But why is she here, Van? Mystic are said to never leave their home."
He leveled his mahogany eyes with the brilliant blue of his childhood friend, "I'm very ill, Milly. I have been for months now."
The princess jerked back, "What? Why didn't you send for me, Van? You know I'm a doctor."
Her face was slack in disbelief. Guilt swelled in his chest at the hurt sparkling in her vivid blue eyes.
"It's not the normal illness you treat, Millernia," he insisted, "I have been suffering nightmares. They got so bad I hadn't slept in over a week. Everything magical was tried and when nothing worked, I called upon the only people who could physically perform miracles."
She gasped in shock. "You trusted a cursed race, Van? There are reasons why people have never bothered to face the Mystics!"
"Quite, Millerina!" he snapped angrily. In the middle of the princess' proclamation, Hitomi had stiffened in his arms and gone completely still. The seer knew about the open fear of her people, but it didn't make it easier to hear. He could easily imagine how much it hurt to snatch an earful.
"Hitomi is a friend of mine," he stated firmly, giving the noble woman a very pointed look. "She has saved me from nightmares and has put herself in a danger for this kingdom. Cursed or not, I will not shun her away."
Mouth half open, the princess darted her eyes to the seer, barely able to see more than a sad frown behind the king's chin. Millernia's heart constricted at the sight. Hitomi looked more like a small child than the young woman she was. Ever since she had met the seer, the princess had been overwhelmed with the beautiful mystery haunting the brunette. Darkness had never crossed her thoughts for the seer until she had seen the black designs covering her arm.
"I'm sorry, Hitomi," she mumbled feebly. "I've never met a Mystic before. I just… I don't know."
"It doesn't matter," the seer replied dryly. "My goal wasn't to make friends. All I had intended to do was to save Van."
The nobles winced at the cold reply. Millerina quickly leaned forward, reaching for one of the seer's hands. "I'm very sorry, Hitomi. Please, I—"
Though the princess' gloved hand was warm, it gave little comfort. Hitomi wanted to shove the hand away, to yell at the princess. She wanted to tell her that blood didn't make her a devil, but there was no energy to fuel her voice. A deep recess of her mind spoke of the ancient darkness of her people, exclaiming the princess' fear valid and understood. Tears ran down her cheek, but they were old tears, ones that reflected the weariness of her people. The day she could shed the shame of her ancestors was far from her reach.
Her eyes slid close and she silently relished the feel of the man holding her. In the valley, her people found happiness in the each other, but now she wouldn't even know that rare treasure. It seemed more painfully apparent as he held.
Slowly she pulled out of the king's arms and pushed the princess' hand aside. She couldn't allow her depression to continue. If she did, she would surrender to its heartache and never do what she came to do. She had to be strong.
Her shoulders jumped with her small contained laughter. How ironic could life get? She had preached to Van to share his burden, when she was forced to shoulder hers alone.
"Hitomi!" a feline cry pierced the air as the cat woman wrapped around the seer. "Are you alright? That man didn't hurt you, did he?"
The seer smiled down at the cat's wide eyes and felt a soft glow appear in her heart at the sight of her dearest friend's worry. "I'm only a little shaken. My dress unfortunately is ruined. I'm sorry, Merle."
"Like I care about some dress," the cat growled, angry the seer would fret over something so trivial. "I remind you that I was known for destroying quite a few dresses. Stupid, uncomfortable things."
"Did the guards find the man, Merle?" Van inquired anxiously.
The cat shook her head. Her pink locks appeared deceptively a vibrant red in the shadows of the room. "Their combing the wall and yard now, but the man seems to have escaped."
"It's possible he's hidden in the castle. I'll have them check to make sure," he mumbled inwardly. "I'll also have to put them on high alert until the proceedings are over."
"When will that b-be over?" Hitomi stuttered as her vision doubled. She became vividly aware that her brain was floating into the air.
Van frowned when he saw her glazed look, "At least a week. Three days if we're lucky."
She nodded, ignoring their watchful stares. Her eyes squeezed shut as an invisible spike drilled into her forehead. Millerina quickly grabbed her shoulders when she wavered. "What's wrong?"
Hitomi clutched her head, "H-Hurts."
Her fingers slid over her eyes and something warm slid down her palm. Squinting pass the throb in her temples, the seer recognized with sickening dread the red blotches painting her pale skin. She didn't registered she had fallen forward until the faint call of her name reached her ears. 'Nosebleed…'
She never remembered the rest.
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She was a mysterious beauty. White hair like a summer cloud flowed in a massive waterfall down her back, inches passed her waist. Her skin was only a few shades darker, almost blending into her hair as a single color. The unknown woman was wearing a type of kimono she had never seen before. It was strangely familiar to her, but she couldn't begin to guess why. Her sad eyes locked on her and pink lips slowly opened and closed. An echoing song poured out from her mouth.
Win dain a lotica
En vai tu ri
Si
lo ta
Fin dein a loluca
En dragu a sei lain
Vi fa-ru les
shutai am
En riga-lint
Hitomi couldn't force her limbs to move. The words were ancient to her ears, though she had never heard them before. It was hard to sense, but the seer was certain there was a sort of magic within the song. Whatever purpose the magic held, Hitomi decided it was a message—no, a calling. Someone was calling her.
"Who are you?" she yelled.
Win chent a lotica
En vai tu ri
Si
lo ta
Fin dein a loluca
Si katigura neuver
Floreria for
chesti
Si entina
"What do you want?" For the first time, her jade eyes fell on the woman's pointed ears. "What are you?"
La la la la la la la la
la...
Fontina blu cent
De cravi esca letisimo
La la la la la
la la la la...
De quantian
La finde reve
Win dain a lotica
En vai tu ri
Si
lo ta
Fin dein a loluca
En dragu a sei lain
Vi fa-ru les
shutai am
En riga-lint
The song ended and a new sparkle entered the woman's blue eyes. "Help him, please."
"I don't understand," Hitomi answered, trying to fight against the spell against her limbs to run to the woman. "Help who?"
"Please help so his sorrow will be no more," she whispered, her voice carrying unnaturally to the seer's ears.
"Sorrow?" Hitomi's heart began to beat rapidly, thundering through the air like war drums. "Are you talking about Van? Am I supposed to be helping Van?"
"Choose the path of Gaea's destruction."
All the air raced out of her lungs. "W-What?"
"Choose the path of Gaea's destruction," she repeated emotionless, "So all suffering will cease to be. Help him, please."
Her eyes snapped open, darting everywhere in a panic.
"Good you're awake," Allen said warmly as he lightly dabbed her forehead. Hitomi bluntly ignored the knight as the unforgettable vision repeated through her mind. She hastily rose in her seat, forcing the man to pull back. "Calm down. You probably shouldn't move. Millernia will be back in a second."
"How long have I been out?" Hitomi asked, fearful of an answer.
Allen dunked the rag into a bowl of water. "All night. You gave us all a fright, even if you are a Mystic."
Hitomi instantly glanced down at her clothes and realized she had been put in her favorite sleeveless nightdress with buttons down the length of the front. She sighed heavily and shifted to her side, away from the man. "If you don't mind I would like to be left alone."
"I'm sorry, milady, but I was sworn to watch over you as Millernia went to grab some more herbs from the garden." Hitomi sighed heavily at the sound of his warm voice. Allen wasn't her favorite person in the world, though he was obvious man of honor and integrity. She was, however, glad that he didn't appear to be disgusted with her heritage.
"Thank you," she whispered, curling up into a small ball under the warm blanket. She felt the mattress shift slightly towards her, almost like he was leaning closer.
"It is my honor as a knight and a man to guard you," he replied softly, "I've heard of what you have done for Lord Fanelia and the treaty. It is very noble of you."
Her eyes fluttered open and she slowly turned to stare at the knight. Did he just?
The glint in his eyes was remarkably different from days ago. It appeared to be close to gentle adoration than the lustful glint he had sported days ago in the shadow of the crusade. Part of her shivered, unsure what to think of his new attraction to her, but another part of her blushed. She had never gained the love of man, even when she had been in the Valley.
With a heavy heart, she turned her back to the knight. If he did care for her, then it would be her sad duty to reject him. The seer angrily shook her head. This was hardly the time for men after she had seen such an earthmoving vision.
The door creaked open and Millerina rushed into the room, carrying a large basket brimming with leaves and stems. Merle strolled in behind her with a large bowl. Both of the ladies brightened at the sight of the seer awake.
"Hitomi!" the cat-woman squealed, going to her side. "You're finally up, sleepyhead."
Hitomi laughed lightly, "Yea. You brought me a present, Merle?"
She nodded, "These were to help with the stress."
The seer frowned and looked to her appointed doctor, "Stress."
At some time when the women had entered, Allen had jumped off the bed and was standing against the wall. Millerina had taken in spots in moment, shuffling through her basket. "The nosebleed was the result of severe stress on your body."
Hitomi sighed wearily. "I should have figured as much."
"You need to rest for a few days, Hitomi. You blacking out shouldn't be taken lightly, especially after your convulsions."
The seer's shoulders dropped. "They told you?"
"Well, after you went unconscious, blood rushing out of your nose in gallons, don't you think they would tell me?" Millerina scowled.
Hitomi nodded. "I can't miss the meetings. My entire purpose here is to be there incase something happens."
Millerina shook her head, her blonde locks whipping around her face. "You're hurting yourself doing it. The visions are probably the main cause, but it could also be the pressure of hiding from the delegates, doing well during the meeting, etc. This is becoming too much for you."
Automatically, the seer flipped back the blanket and stepped onto the cold stone floor. Standing shakily, she replied, "I will not shy away from my responsibilities."
Millerina stood and crossed her arms. "Your first responsibility is to yourself."
"You can't stop me, Millernia," Hitomi stated hotly, "Van has to attend those meetings, and he can't do it without me."
"Well, I'm going to," Van stated firmly as he walked inside. The young king usually perfectly pressed clothes were surprisingly disheveled. His eyes were red as if he had failed to sleep the night. Hitomi fearfully wondered if nightmares had kept him up. The princess slowly stepped out of his way, allowing him a moment with the seer. Merle glanced uncertainly between the two.
Hitomi blinked in disbelief, "You can't, Van."
The king shook his head gently, eyes hard and determined. "I won't let you kill yourself for me."
"It's not just for you, Van. This is for Fanelia, for Austuria, for Bosrom. These people need this treaty." Hitomi insisted loudly, throwing out her hands. She wavered on her feet and he quickly caught her elbows to steady her. Her eyes closed as she took in a ragged breath. "If you go in there and have an episode everything could be ruined."
"You have to rest," he whispered fiercely, "You can barely stand as it is."
She shook her head, "If you keep postponing meetings, they'll suspect something."
"Then I'll do it," Millernia interrupted, "I'll say something about urgent news arrived from Austuria and needs my immediate attention."
Merle's ears twitched, "For a whole day? That's not believable."
The princess shrugged. "What else can we do?"
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'I don't care what the Austurian Princess said,' Dilandau growled in his head as he stormed down the guest corridors, 'A messenger from her father shouldn't take the entire day.'
Something was going on, and the captain guessed it had something to do with the seer. It was imperative he pushed the treaty through the negotiations as fast as possible. If the meetings didn't progress than the seer would figure out what was coming.
'You must remember your priority.'
The captain jerked to a halt when he rounded a corner and spotted the woman he was previously thinking on. She was scurrying out of a pair of doors, dressed in a heavy cotton blue robe. When she turned in his direction, her eyes grew wide. Dilandau's smile twisted higher and he strolled forward, "Good evening, Lady Hitomi. I didn't think to see you at this hour."
The young woman scowled. "Did you think I would be surprisingly absent today, Captain Dilandau?"
His lips twitched with suppressed laughter. "Well, I suspected you would be misplaced last night. This castle is amazingly huge and easy to swallow a person from sight."
"So you did send someone to capture me," she snapped.
He shook his head with a cold chuckle. "No, I sent no one. I might have held some responsibility to whatever trouble you faced last night, but it was not under my command."
She stepped boldly forward, shrinking the space between them into mere inches like he had done in the garden. Her eyes stared straight into his red depths as she growled, "Who was it? What do they want with me?"
His eyes danced merrily. "Your skills would prove most profitable. You shouldn't have revealed so much at the match yesterday."
"A couple of lucky guesses doesn't earn the attention I got last night," she hissed.
"But foreseeing a weapon breaking does," he countered. "How foolish are you? Anyone with half a mind realized there was something special about you when you spoke up."
"I never said the lance would break," she cried weakly.
"It was enough to rise question about you," he smirked. "I merely pointed them in the right direction."
Hitomi paled. "You told them I was a Mystic?"
He almost wanted to lie and tell he had told the man everything about her, but instead he decided to give her honest truth. He wanted to see her reaction.
"I never said you were a Mystic," he admitted frostily, "I might have slipped however that you had an unfailing gift for winning gambles."
I was wanted for gambling?" Hitomi choked. "That's the most ridiculous reason to kidnap a believed noble."
Dilandau shrugged as he walked pass her. "Even so, it was enough for a gambler. Men who gamble are illogical. Why else do you think they earn so much debt?"
"You bastard,"
she hissed to his back as he strode away. "You intend to make my
life Hell on earth."
"Only until you agree to join my
lord," he stated coldly over his shoulder. Her shoulder tensed
as there was a flash of fire in her memory.
"I know you plan on burning down the castle," she snapped loudly. His foot stopped in midair. She swallowed as he panned around to glare darkly at her. Hitomi quickly pulled her face into tight glare to match his as he stalked forward. His blood red eyes came surprisingly darker, sending an involuntary chill down her spine.
"You would be wise to forget such things," he whispered so cold she could feel frost settling on her heart.
Determined not to wilt under hit threat, Hitomi growled into his tight face, "Leave Fanelia alone."
"I don't listen to witches," he hissed.
"I won't let you ruin this peaceful country!" she stated firmly.
His face leveled with hers. "Watch me."
88888888
It was another day of torture. Between Millernia's irritating watch over her and Van repeated need to ensure she was well, Hitomi was ready to storm out of Fanelia without a second glance. The only reason she stayed was the constant vision overtaking her focus. She couldn't get the unknown woman's song out of her head. She didn't know it till late afternoon when Merle had noticed, but she had been lip singing the song for more than half the day. It was one thing for it to be a constant muttering in her head, but it was making it impossible for her to concentrate on her simple journal. It was making her time of rest unlivable.
Pulling out from the covers, Hitomi slowly walked across the room, ignoring the many eyes on her, and reached for a long cotton cloak. "I need to go to the temple."
There was a sudden shift in mood at her whispered demand. Van hurried to grab her coat and stop it from dropping onto her shoulders. Her shadowed eyes stared down at his hand, unable to meet his face as stated, "It's very late, Hitomi. The sun has long been asleep and the temple is closed for the evening."
Hitomi gently pulled the coat out of his stiff fingers. After a few silent moments of careful search, she picked up the lost candle that had rolled underneath her table during the fight last night. Shoving it back into its silver candlestick, the seer lit her small friend. Once the orange glow warmed her face, she turned to the king, eyes still lowered.
"I have to go meditate," she replied evenly, forcing the tears to stay at bay long enough to get through the short conversation. "I only ask for a few guards to watch over me as I attend."
Van didn't know what to say at first. He could sense the intense desperation she had to escape their eyes, but he was afraid for her to visit the temple at such an abnormal hour. He had the power to refuse her and force her to stay inside the protection of her room behind the wall of guards he intended to build.
"I'll have several guards be present, but I will see you to the temple," he decided after his inward debate.
Hitomi fidgeted anxiously under his gaze, "I might be there for several hours."
"I don't mind," he stated gently. The surprising admission caused the other two women in the room to glance towards one another.
Hitomi's heart fluttered, "You should rest."
He shook his head and her eyes fell on the dark locks she loved so dearly. They barely were aware of how close they had grown. It saved them the responsibility of listening to the warnings in their heads. Van smiled softly down at the seer, "I wouldn't sleep if I knew you were outside the protection of the castle, anyway."
Merle giggled excitedly at the sight of the seer's blush. Hitomi coughed lightly and hurried over to her table. Lying innocently in the center of scattered notes, a black bundle waited. The wrapped sheet had been prepared days before the Millernia had arrived and had only been removed that morning. It was meant as a last resort.
Her hand stalled over the dark bundle as debated a final time about attending the temple. Her jaw tightened unconsciously and she hastily grabbed the top knot. Perhaps if she sought for her discipline she could manage without it, but she was exhausted. As her fingers clutched the rough cotton, she highly doubted her ability to survive another night. Her guilty conscience was quick to remind her, an elder wouldn't have sought the temple's seclusion, but she hurried to remind her inner voice her novice strength held no comparison to an elder. That was pure fact. She wouldn't allow failure because of bruised pride. Tugging the hood down over her face, Hitomi stepped out of the room with the black bag.
Half a dozen guards took positions around the pair as they crossed the yard. With luck, they had escaped the eyes of the castle, slipping silent into the darkness like shadows. Millernia, Allen, and Merle had returned dejectedly to their rooms. They were eager to help the seer, but there was little to be done other than give strict orders to keep from putting an unnecessary stress on her body. Once reaching her room, Merle had stood at her window watching the small crowd head to the dark building. There was no moon that night and their forms lacked substance in her eyes, but the candles they carried revealed their position. The handful of bouncing orange dots made them appear like a funeral procession to the cat. She wondered, with a heavy heart, if the sad emotion reflected the present state of the seer as clear as a mirror.
Reaching the temple, Hitomi had left the security of the guards' circle and walked up the fifty white steps leading up to the grand arch. Stopping at the foot of the steps, Van followed her with his wine colored eyes, knowing she wouldn't appreciate his presence inside. Hitomi gave little thought as she entered the shadowy entrance. Her heart thumped against her ribs, but she didn't slow or hasten her steps. Her green eyes kept straight ahead, refusing to lean on her fears and glance at her surroundings. The soldiers had already checked for intruders so there was no reason to fear what she could not see beyond the weak light of her candle. Her sandals slapped lightly against the slick stone of the floor and she was comforted at the sound. Passing the fifty pews bent like bowed disciples praying, Hitomi's light crept slowly closer to the empty floor at the foot of the dragon altar. The great marble edifice seemed to glare down at her as shadows and light flickers over its white body. Perhaps Escaflowne was angry for being disturbed.
"Please excuse me for my intrusion, Escaflowne. I offer you this small gift in exchange for my disturbance." The seer bowed respectfully to the statue. Placing a small collection of herbs and blossoms onto the stone feet, Hitomi whispered a short prayer spoken in the Temple of Fortune during offering.
Once she with done, she squinted at the ceiling, looking for the skylight. Locating the opening, the seer turned her back to the stone dragon and measured seven steps forward. Her pale fingers disappeared into her makeshift bag and after a few minutes, pulled out a short stick of charcoal. The black bundle and candle was left on the floor in her spot as she knelt a few feet away. The tip of the writing tool swept over the pale marble in a perfect straight line. Sitting back on her knees, the seer measured the length with her eyes and then proceeded to add a second line from the tip of the first. She swiveled on the ball of her knees and was forced to stretch out the extent of her arm to draw the straight line to its desired point. Again, she checked her work before proceeding further. When the final line was drawn connecting the unattached tip of the first and crossing the second and third, a five pointed star surrounded the seer.
Satisfied with her work, Hitomi removed candles and saucers from her bundle. Including the already lit candle, the seer set one burning at each point on the star. Next, she pulled the final contents out of her black wrap. The scorched emperor card was laid on the north point—the closest point to the Mystic Valley. Swiveling back to the dragon, she intertwined her fingers and prayed.
88888
Van stopped his pacing to glance up the steps. There hadn't been a sound for over three hours. The repeated shifting of feet told him his guards were growing restless, but he ignored their hints. He would give her till dawn, any later and someone would see her.
88888
Her fingernails began to dig deep enough into her knuckles to redden the skin. Sweat was slipping down the column of her throat and she desperately trying to ignore the tingle. Being away from the valley had weakened her discipline. Long hours at the temple were normal days for a seer. In Fanelia, she had barely broken two hours.
'Please…I need your guidance.'
Another hour crawled by and soon her legs were numb. Hitomi bit down on her lower lip and carefully shifted on her knees. Painful needles ran up her limbs, reaching as high up as her lower back. Instantaneously, shooting pain ran straight through both her temple as if a rod had been slid through her brain. Hitomi jerked still and her pendant flashed white. Feeling the warmth against her chest, her eyes flew open to the skylight.
88888
His head flipped to stars the moment he sensed the buzzing in the air. The warmth swelled and began to strum like a heartbeat. It took his guards a few extra minutes to notice it. The king studied the black vastness, the hair on the back of his neck lifting.
"Escaflowne?" he whispered as a space in the sky lightened to a night blue and rippled like water. A round of gasps followed a pillar of cerulean light shooting down the sky. Van whirled on the temple as he realized the light had landed directly on top of the building. "Hitomi!"
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In actuality, the pillar shot through the skylight and landed directly in front of the praying seer. Smiling in relief, Hitomi placed her shaking hands in her lap and watched the outline of a figure appear in the blue column. Curves and wrinkled face signaled a female gender and soon the white kimono confirmed it. The woman was in her late sixties, but otherwise appeared to be the seer's double right down to the distinct green in their eyes. Besides the lines in her face, the only difference was the extended length in the older woman's hair. Her hair could brush her shoulder blades. It wasn't long before the light began to gradual fade, and though it disappeared from sight entirely, the woman remained.
"Hello, Grandma," Hitomi croaked.
The new woman offered a tentative grin, "Hitomi."
Tears brought on by fatigue slipped down the seer's cheeks as she carefully stood, "I didn't think I would reach you at such an hour."
The older woman shook her head, "There is little sleep found these days."
Hitomi scowled, "What do you mean?"
"The valley has changed since you left," the woman proclaimed, cradled her forehead. There was little that could upset her grandmother, and when the seer saw the first glimmer of water filling the older woman's green eyes, a vice grip wrapped around Hitomi's heart.
"What's wrong, grandma?"
The elder dropped her hand with a tired, heaviness and looked down at her daughter's child. "A few weeks after you left, soldiers stormed in. We don't know where they came from, but the wore black armor with the emblem of an eye on their chest plates."
"The mark of Zaibach," Hitomi breathed.
Her grandmother frowned, "You know of them."
"They are a country seeking to join an alliance with Fanelia and several other countries."
"Fanelia? The place you left for months ago."
"Yes, but that doesn't matter," Hitomi stepped forward unconsciously. "What happened, grandma?"
Her grandmother glanced away. The coldness of winter tightened on the seer's chest as she heard the deadpanned admission, "They ransacked the villages."
"R-ransacked?" Hitomi stumbled for words as fear began to mount. "How are mom and dad? Mamoru? Are Yukari and Amano okay?"
"Bruised and shaken, but nothing serious," her grandmother replied wryly. "Other families were not so lucky. The soldiers came and dragged people from the homes. Didn't matter if you were old or young.
"They were looking for someone, but even they didn't know who I think. They went for the temples first and trashed all the rooms. When they didn't find who they were looking for they demanded every villager outside. Whoever refused were beaten, child or not."
"How do you know they were looking for someone?"
"They were looking for a person with tattoos on their right arm."
Hitomi bit her lip, "What kind of tattoos?"
"I don't know," she whispered. "Anyone with tattoos was rounded up. Many of us fought back, but they easily outnumbered us. In the end, everyone was released back to their families, but the soldiers haven't left the valley."
The seer's eyes widened, "Grandma, if they see the light, they'll come for you!"
"That doesn't matter right now," the elder snapped lightly, "Right now, I'm here in Fanelia and they can't reach me. When I return I'll choose a new location and by the time they reach the spot I'll have slipped back into my house. Hitomi, I think they were looking for you."
"For me?" Hitomi mumbled. "Why?"
"One of the children told the soldiers you had left with other soldiers. By then every building had been searched and people were being brutally interrogated. Over twenty people died under torture."
It was becoming difficult to breath. Hitomi took a hard swallow, "Tw-wenty?"
Her grandmother hastily stepped closer and grabbed the younger woman's limp shoulders. "Hitomi, why is Zaibach looking for you?"
The seer shrugged feebly, "I don't know. They asked me to join, and when I refused that threatened me, but they never hurt me. I had no idea what was happening back home."
The elder leaned back, "Then why did you call me?"
"Well, I—"
"I thought maybe you had a vision of what was happening and were desperate to make sure if everything was alright," her grandmother's eyes narrowed, the crinkles in the corners becoming apparent. Hitomi lifted her eyes with dread to her idol. When she had been little her grandmother had been her mentor in the temple. She hadn't been her direct teacher in her training, but she had been the one to advise her in her doubts and concern. She had been her spiritual leader, teaching her the way of her people from early childhood and challenging her way of thinking the day she started her lessons.
"I need your council," Hitomi whispered, tears beginning to itch in her eyes.
"Hitomi?"
Her bangs slid over her face as her shoulders began to shake, "I don't know what to do, grandma."
Tilting her grandchild's chin upwards, the elder was shocked to see tears streaming down pale cheeks. "What's going on, Hitomi?"
Shuddering by the force of her sobs, the seer began to replay her time in Fanelia. "The King suffers from nightmares. Bad ones. I offered to teach him to face his nightmares, but they wanted more. Even after I warned them of the dangers, I was asked to steal his dreams. He didn't feel the effects for two weeks, but lately he has been victim to waking dreams."
Her eyes gradually returned to the fall and she heaved a deep exhale, "I was ready to stop. I know it was wrong to chance stealing his dreams, but he was desperate."
Her grandmother sighed wearily, "You know how dangerous it is to steal dreams."
Hitomi nodded frantically, "I know. I know, but grandmother he was slowly dying. I took a chance I know, but it wasn't just his life in jeopardy. It was his entire kingdom. He was the last royal of his family tree."
"Countries follow the royal line. They find relatives to take over," her grandmother insisted. "That's the way the world works."
"There's more," Hitomi interrupted, giving her grandmother a pointed look. "I've been having dreams of the country being attacked. More than once I've seen fire eat away at the castle and black soldiers storming in."
Her grandmother turned away, her eyes distant. "Zaibach will attack."
Hitomi nodded, "That's what I thought."
Jade eyes darted to jade eyes. "There's more, isn't there?"
The seer ducked under her gaze. "I used the Forbidden Spell."
"Hitomi!" she gasped. Her fingers dug painfully into the granddaughter's shoulders. "What were you thinking?"
"There was going to be a meeting about a treaty," the seer rushed to explain. "The waking dreams would have been a problem and it was vital the representatives didn't know about it."
"That's no reason to put you in such dangers!"
"I don't care anymore," Hitomi mumbled.
Her grandmother went rigid. "What did you say?"
"I can't leave him," Hitomi stated firmly, her eyes bright and wet. Her grandmother swept her hands up and cradled the young girl's cheek. She stared deeply into the child's eyes, looking beyond the shell of her body and into the deep pit of her soul. Swirling deep beneath the surface of doubt and fear, she found a swelling emotion she wished she hadn't.
Her eyelids fell close in defeat, "You know you can't save the world, Hitomi. You should have never left the valley."
The seer ripped away from her mentor in disbelief. Out of all the valley dwellers she believed it would have been her grandmother who would have supported her decision. "Then why were we graced with gifts from God? Why do we train for years?"
"Hitomi," she began evenly, "I know you want to help this man and his country, but you are still a novice seer. You're doubts and fears are affecting everything you do."
"I'm trying to help."
"I know," her grandmother interrupted gently, "But its making things worse. You need to be careful."
Hitomi tried to defend herself. "But I—"
"You cannot change fate, Hitomi," she persisted louder, "This is the will of God. This country is meant to crumple."
Hitomi stared mutely at her grandmother. Every ounce of her life had followed her grandmother's advice. She had held a kindness and a wisdom the other elders had lacked. She had always thought of her as a person who advice was like valuable jewels, scarce and rich. But as she looked into her stern face, all she could do was respond in one way.
"No!" Hitomi yelled, flinging back.
Her grandmother watched her sadly, obviously prepared for her reaction. "I know this is hard especially when you lo—"
"No!" the seer repeated desperately, "There has to be something that can be done."
"Hitomi! If you continue on this path you ultimately bring about Fanelia's destruction regardless of what you do."
"There is no such thing as predetermined fate!" Hitomi cried, whipping out her arms, "You taught me that life is determined by what we do! I can stop this!"
"No, I taught that there are dozen of fates," her grandmother snapped, gripping her granddaughter's shoulder. "But your doubt and fear is pulling the worst fate into place. You can't hope to help if you don't trust in the people around you."
Hitomi flinched, unaccustomed to her harsh tone. She silently bowed her head in shame, "I'm sorry, grandma."
The elderly woman sighed in despair at the sight of new tears streaming down the child's face. Her wrinkled fingers gentle cradled the girl's face. When the teary eyes looked up, she smiled softly, "No, I'm sorry you have to suffer this."
Hitomi sniffed loudly, "What should I do, grandma? There is so much happening. The Forbidden Spell, Zaibach, the treaty—"
"Trust in them," she replied firmly, her face shinning with sadness and love. "More so trust in yourself."
Hitomi broke instantly in her arms, burying her face deep in the older woman's kimono. Her tears had barely wet the elder's clothes when the blue light abruptly separated the pair. Hitomi gasped in despair as her grandmother's hands slipped from shoulders. "Grandma!"
She smiled down at the young seer as she began to float up towards the skylight. "I've always believed you to be stronger than most, Hitomi. Believe in them."
The seer desperately reached out for her mentor, "Grandma!"
In a few seconds, the light flashed a brilliant white and left Hitomi alone in the weak glow of her candles. Hitomi's chest heaved and an ocean of tears rolled over her face. Even with her grandmother's visit, she felt as lost as she had for the last hours. Her knees buckle in minutes. Shoving her wet face into her hands, she cried out her pain to the shadows, unaware a figure stood against the moon shinning in the doorway.
Gradually, the dark figure walked further into the room, heading straight for the broken woman. "Hitomi?"
The seer stiffened when she heard him. She didn't even bother to look up as he entered the ring of light. There was nothing to say or any where to hide.
"Hitomi?" His knee dropped and his hand slowly swept up her cheek. "Please, what's wrong?"
She shook her head away, unable to vocalize a signal syllable. She didn't want him to know her troubles. He had enough problems to deal with and didn't need her added stress. If he suffered anymore because of her foolishness than she would never forgive herself.
Her eyes refused to meet his until he gentle shook her face. When her eyes met his red wine ones, she jerked in shock at the glow she saw. She blushed fiercely as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Please, Hitomi."
She whimpered softly and shook her head, "I can't."
His warm breath wafted over her face as he exhaled deeply, "It hurts me to see you so distress and not know how to help."
"That is kind of you," she whispered, "But I can't let you bear my problems."
"Why not?" he questioned fiercely. His eyes snapped with anger. "You have burdened yourself with everyone else's problems. Why won't you let me help you?"
She hesitated, "Van, I—"
"Trust in me," he whispered frantically, whipping away her tears with his thumbs.
Her eyes widened slightly and he couldn't stop himself from brushing his lips over her forehead. He closed his eyes and relished the feel of her. He wanted to do so much more than just the innocent kiss, but he didn't dare scare her away. If he lost her, he didn't know what would happen. "Trust in me like I trust in you."
Hitomi lost herself in his arms as he wrapped her in a tight hug. His cheek brushed hers and soon her tears covered his tan skin. She let out a tired breath and clutched the back of his shirt. Her mind was quickly shutting down as he brushed a second kiss on her temple. "I trust you."
