Worth the Wager

Disclaimer: None of the characters of Escaflowne belong to me. No profit is made from this other than reviews and some sense of personal gratification.

Note:

This is the penultimate chapter.

We finally check in on what Folken's been up to. And rest assured, he has been busy surviving. It has been difficult but the journey would have been cheap and boring if it had been easy. I'll admit that I'm crap at describing surroundings and architecture and stuff like that so I just hope that this makes sense as you read it and that you can somehow visualize the surroundings.

As for the fall of Dornkirk and Zaibach, I figured that the impact of the Fate Alteration experiment would have some sort of chain reaction that could potentially bring down everyone who had been involved in it. In less scientific terms, I feel like the old man and his cronies would get a huge dose of karma for all the creepy experiments they conducted, especially on Celena and Dilandau. Folken's revenge would be nothing to what those two would have felt so in a way, in this story, he helps them get it.

And my favorite character makes an appearance here too, although he is a bit out of sorts. As for how Folken convinces his brother to take him along, let's just say that Van is so happy to find his brother alive and well that nothing much bothers him for the moment. And it helps that his former enemy is in such a sad state so as to move even the hardest heart to pity.

I never miss an opportunity of saving Dilandau as well as Folken because he deserves a future too. Though I doubt he would feel as guilty and remorseful as Folken. And if there's any redemption to be earned there, a very different path would be required. But that's another story.

This one is coming to a close and I hope that it has been a worthwhile journey for you.

Enjoy.

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Had the circumstances been less serious and had he been of a more cheerful disposition, Folken Fanel would have laughed. But he still did have some sense of humor so he was able to appreciate the uniqueness of his predicament.

After several hours of being unconscious, he had finally awakened to find himself relatively unscathed by the destruction that had befallen his surroundings. He coughed and disturbed the layer of dust and small debris that had settled on him but he was otherwise not seriously injured. And as he regained his bearings he noticed that his movements were restricted and it was only then that he saw what had prevented him from this fate. His metal arm had somehow been wedged between two large chunks of steel in a way that prevented him both from being crushed and from being trapped without any air. His arm's position allowed for a small enough gap between the debris to allow a sliver of light and some much needed air to breathe. Had his arm been made of flesh and bone, it would not have been able to bear such weight and he would have undoubtedly suffered unspeakable pain. But in his current position, he felt only a mild discomfort. So it struck him as extremely interesting that the appendage Zaibach had given him, one that he had grown to hate and then reluctantly accept, had saved his life.

Folken repositioned himself accordingly and found that when he put his shoulder against one of the pieces of debris resting on his metal arm, he could push it off with ease and clear some space for himself without causing an avalanche. So he freed his arm and managed to crawl out into a larger area, relatively free of destruction. He managed to stand up a bit but not to his full height. He didn't know how long he had remained under the rubble but he remembered clearly enough that before everything had come crashing down, he had seen Jajuka and Celena escape. He sighed with relief at the memory. At least, he knew that he had succeeded in his mission. And having survived what he felt certain was the annihilation of Zaibach, all that remained was for him to find a way out. As challenging as that would be, he somehow felt that it would not be worse than what he had managed to avoid during the explosion.

But he was wary of dwelling too much on his unexpected good fortune. At this point there was no need to tempt fate. Folken surveyed his surroundings carefully. There were still some intact passageways that he could use but only with the greatest care. A push in the wrong direction could only lead to more chaos. He had come this far and survived this much. He wasn't going to let himself be defeated by gravity and enormous chunks of metal and cement. There was something very unappealing about such an end. It seemed almost wasteful. Somehow, being devoured by a dragon would have seemed preferable but he banished these thoughts immediately.

With the greatest caution, he navigated the labyrinthine passages of the destroyed fortress, slowly but surely making his way out. Many of the exits had been blocked but the devastation had also created other openings. He also tried to follow the small slivers of light that broke through the piles of rubble, knowing that they would eventually lead him to freedom.

Through all this, Folken could not help but feel that some inexplicable force was protecting him. He knew that he could have very easily met a tragic end there and yet he had survived. An overwhelming gratitude filled him and he was more determined than ever to leave this place, and all its haunted memories, behind.

Folken remembered the atonement ritual. With Celena Schezar on her way to safety, he knew that he had duly accomplished the third task. And though he still didn't know the particulars about the final one, something told him that it was already done. After all, he was sure that it involved someone else and knowing that Princess Eries had left for Fanelia to find out, he felt almost certain that she had taken care of it herself. He only hoped that she had not come to any harm by helping him. He would never forgive himself if that happened. But he also reminded himself that Eries Aston was an indomitable force. He smiled as he remembered her standing on the wall of the palace, gazing at the horizon, fearlessly facing the future.

The strongest, bravest, wisest, kindest person he knew.

"This is your doing," he thought, "I have no doubt of it."

He would not disappoint her. He owed her everything and would willingly, happily offer it all to her when they met again. For towards her he felt more than just gratitude, more than just admiration, the certainty of it growing more and more as he gradually set aside all the doubts and fears that had been holding him back from admitting this truth, even just to himself. And he was more determined than ever to leave all this unpleasantness behind him so that he could find his way back to her.

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As he continued to make his way through the wreckage, Folken would occasionally catch glimpses of other victims who had not been as lucky as he. Though he no longer felt any loyalty to these people, he still mourned them, in his own way, and took no pleasure in their deaths. And though he had not seen it for himself, Folken knew that Emperor Dornkirk must have perished in this dreadful place.

He had once intended to take his revenge on that man, to make him pay for all the pain and suffering he had caused. But Folken realized now that had he gone through with that plan, he too would have paid the ultimate price. It chilled him, realizing that it had been a path he had almost taken, blinded by rage and grief, and he was even more keenly aware of how narrowly he had escaped a terrible fate.

He sensed that he was approaching the exit and tried not to let his eagerness get the better of him. But as he carefully turned a corner, a sound made him stop in his tracks. It was a low moan, coming from somewhere behind him and Folken was immediately on his guard. He had no weapon on hand but his metal arm was still intact and there were enough small piece of rubble around that he could improvise with. He got into a defensive stance and prepared himself.

The sound grew louder and after a few more minutes, a gaunt figure emerged through clouds of dust, moving slowly and feebly across the floor. Folken stared incredulously as he recognized Dilandau Albatou.

The pale young man hobbled towards Folken, making no sound other than the low groan, and clearly using his limited energy to take every agonizing step forward. He wore only a white undershirt and black pants, and seemed almost wraith-like without his red armor. The young man was in a severely weakened state but he was still alive. Instinctively, Folken reached out and managed to grab hold of the soldier before the latter fell to his knees. He clutched at Folken's arms for support but his grip was weak so Folken helped him up as best as he could.

Dilandau's eyes stared blankly ahead of him, the fire that usually blazed in them seemed almost extinguished. Folken was not even sure if the young man recognized him and though he spoke to him gently, he received no response. Astonished as he was at how Dilandau had gained a form of his own and survived the explosion, Folken did not care to dwell on any rational explanations for the time being. Seeing Dilandau's miserable state, he was moved with pity for the formerly fierce young soldier. The years spent in each other's company still counted for something. And with what Folken had learned about Dilandau's past, he felt greater compassion for the latter. In a peculiar way, they had both been strangers in Zaibach, two people plucked from their homes and thrown into a harsh new world they had to survive in no matter what it took. And they had been through much together, inspiring a reluctant but robust enough sense of fellow-feeling.

So although Folken had never felt any particular fondness for Dilandau, he still found value in the young man's life and he decided that would not abandon him to his fate. After all, Dilandau had been the victim of a vicious experiment and it was a wonder that he had endured all those years of torment. He did not deserve to die here, in the site of all his suffering.

"You and I were never really friends," Folken said kindly to his oblivious companion, "but I'm not leaving you behind."

They had been meant to survive the horrors of Zaibach and its fall. And somehow, there was a place in the future for them both.

Dilandau turned to stare at him curiously and merely inclined his head in response. Cautiously, Folken helped him to his feet and put the younger man's arm on his shoulder for support. When he was more confident that Dilandau could walk again, they started moving forward. And though they made progress at a plodding pace, they both eventually made it out of the ruined fortress.

The air was thick with smoke and dust but as Folken waved all this away, he raised his hand to shield his face from the glare of sunlight. The area around the fortress was deserted and the remaining vehicles of transportation had been destroyed. Folken surveyed the damage and was struggling to form a plan of escape when a large shadow suddenly blocked the sunlight. As he raised his head to get a better look, Folken smiled, immediately recognizing the unmistakable shape of a dragon.

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"There he is!" Hitomi cried out excitedly.

Van steered Escaflowne towards the part of the wreckage the girl had pointed out to him. They had been circling the area for days, tirelessly searching for any sign of his brother in the ruins of the Zaibach capital with Hitomi using the power of her pendant to try and locate him. It had been a trying time but neither of them had given up hope and at last, their efforts were bearing fruit.

From the ground, Folken waved, trying to catch their attention while Dilandau merely stared at the sky with an innocence in his expression he had never exhibited before. The young man inclined his head in curiosity and said nothing. There was something vaguely familiar to him about this dragon in the sky but he could not determine what it was.

"Where have I seen you before?" he wondered idly but did not exert himself too much.

His memories were all in a haze in his head and it hurt too much to try and remember anything. He only had his instincts to depend on, and these had led him away from the falling rocks and metal and then had helped him find this tall stranger with whom he felt safe though he still did not know why. It was too painful to try and understand what was happening and he was so tired, so very tired. All he knew and all that mattered to him at that moment was that he was alive and he was not alone.

Though he was still exhausted from his ordeal, seeing Escaflowne gave Folken a surge of energy. He had not expected to be rescued so easily and especially not by his brother. He knew now that they had managed to work things out between them and the joy that filled him at this realization was overwhelming. And this was compounded with the knowledge that it would not be long before he could see a certain princess once again.

He glanced at Dilandau and was briefly concerned that there might be some trouble. To his surprise, the young man only stared at the sky with a mild interest and nothing more. It was jarring to see such a benign expression on his face. But Folken decided that all of that would be dealt with later, once they managed to get out of that wretched place. And he resolved to convince his brother somehow, to take Dilandau with them. He was not yet sure of the arguments he would use to this end but in some way, he felt that this obstacle would not be impossible to overcome. Not after all that they had just been through.

In that moment, Folken knew what he had to do. After saying a few kind words to his companion, reassuring the young man that he would not leave him behind, Folken opened his shirt and with a deep breath, he spread his wings.

From their position in the sky, Van and Hitomi watched with awe as a familiar figure emerged, flying through the ashes and smoke. A strong gust of wind blew through his wings, scattering the dark layers of dust, until the feathers shone bright and pure once more.

"It's good to see you again, brother," Van said with a smile, his eyes moist with tears of joy.

"It's good to see you too, Van," Folken replied, returning the sentiment earnestly. Part of him still could not believe the relief and affection in his brother's eyes. All was forgiven at last.

"We're here to take you back," Hitomi declared emotionally. She knew that their purpose had been obvious enough but she was just too thrilled to think of anything else to say. "Everyone is looking forward to seeing you again."

"Thank you," Folken said before adding eagerly, "There is one person in particular I would very much like to return to."

"Then you must not keep her waiting," Hitomi said with a knowing smile.