Leviathan's Daughter GoldenEagle
Author's Note: This one is shorter than the last few installments. I want to thank Padme for asking if I'd do this scene. I had thought earlier about doing it, but had reconcidered because I knew nothing about tarot cards. But, after literally a couple of hours of study on the cards, I felt confident that I could perhaps portray a certain meaning with them, even though, if researching the tarot cards, you can tell my version of a reading is completely out of wack. Anyways, read and review! Enjoy!
Chapter Forty
Cold. That was all Persephone could feel as she woke, heavy blankets piled on top of her. She pushed herself up with effort, her eyes half closed as she looked across the room. She recognized it as Allen's, though no one seemed to be there at the moment. She felt weak, and her left thigh seemed to throb at every movement. She lowered herself back down slowly, gritting her teeth, until she was on her back, staring at the ceiling.
Her hand traveled to her thigh and she could feel the delicate stitches that were obviously Millerna's handy work. Persephone closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. She tried to remember what happened, but could only catch certain clips and scenes from the battle before. Hitomi's crying face, a flash of fire and scales, the king's corpse laying burnt on the ground... And then the giant guymelef, wearing Zaibach's colors. Persephone's eyes snapped open. Zaibach. She trembled under the blankets. They had found her...
*************
"How are you feeling?" Persephone smiled up as Hitomi approached, the kindness in her eyes echoed by her voice.
"Fine. A little weak, a little confused, and a little lonely, but that's not too out of the ordinary." The read haired girl replied, grateful for her first visitor.
Hitomi wondered in nonchalantly and glanced around at Allen's things before sitting on the bed in front of Persephone, laying down a small satchel she had forgotten to leave in her room. She fidgeted for a few moments before opening her mouth to say something, but she was promptly interupted by the girl in front of her.
"What's this?" Persephone asked as she pulled open the satchel. A deck of cards lay in it, kept together by a soft strip of cloth.
Hitomi pulled out the cards and untied them while fingering them cautiously and with a certain amount of respect. "They're my tarot cards." And, without real thought, she asked in a bright voice, "Do you want me to do a reading?"
Persephone looked a little taken back before nodding mutely. A part of her felt guilty as Hitomi readied the cards, the very participation in the act going against her religion. Religion. Strange that the subject continually made itself known in her mind. And yet there was a part of her that somehow drew her to the ritual, like laughter may call to a child.
Hitomi laid down the first card. A girl of flames, dancing and relishing in them. "Princess of Wands." She stated plainly. "The Wands are the main, spiritual element. Wands represent fire and the root of all power and the raw, bare image of life. The Princess of Wands is passionate, throwing herself fully and loyally at anything that she can keep hold of. Most of what she partakes in doesn't last long, and what does she wholly protects. The Princess of Wands is known to hold grudges, and is prone to become bitter, despite her being the very essence of life." Hitomi lay another card down, this time of a woman riding a beast, more flames entrapping them. "The Passion. Another card of extreme and all-out emotion. Yet this one symbolizes more of the taming of an inner self. The taming and yet enjoyment of the animal part inside you." As Hitomi lay the next one down, she frowned slightly. A golden cart, led by two copper horses. "The Chariot. The card of moving forward." Two green eyes looked up at Persephone. "These are your three main personality cards. The first two shows extreme emotion, while the third shows... The Chariot is often a card of certain ups and downs. In the Chariot, when you move forward, often times walls are built. And sometimes the owner makes these walls their own, and they meld as a part of their personality. These walls could often entrap the passion of life."
"Go on." Persephone said, her face expressionless.
Hitomi laid down the next card. "The Two Towers. This is a sign of change. After the Chariot, it shows that these walls that have been built are broken by some force. A strong force, considering the Princess of Wands in the earlier background. Perhaps this force is a friend, an emotion... a man...?" Hitomi looked up at Persephone. The slightest, momentary bit of unidentifiable emotion flitted across her face before it was gone. The younger girl let it pass. She placed down the next card, two people, wrapped in each other's arms. "The Lovers. This card symbolizes a love in your life. Not just a lover, but someone or something you draw in. I don't know what it really means until I pull the next-" Hitomi's voice faltered and stopped as she saw the next card. She laid it down slowly. A cloaked figure, the face unseen, a scythe in hand...
"The Death. The Lover followed by the Death. Someone close to you is going to bring your life to a painful end." She looked up, only to find that Persephone's face was impassive. As if she knew this much. Hitomi clenched her eyes closed as the visions flew at her. Persephone, a limp form in her arms, her wings of fire outstretched... Red, crimson eyes, overflowing with tears as the owner of that gaze laughed maniacally... A cross, blood, Gaea's dying scream...
"Hitomi?" Persephone's voice was concerned, motherly. "Hitomi, are you all right?"
"Yeah." She stuttered, looking up. "I guess. Here, there are still more cards." She placed down the next card and her brow wrinkled in thought. A fire bird, wings outstretched... "The Aeon. I've never had this card played before, believe it or not. I forget what it means. Something about fire, rebirth... I'm not sure." She shook her head. "It could mean the death and a new beginning. I can't read it. Sorry." She looked up with green eyes and smiled apologetically before continuing. Hitomi seemed puzzled as she continued, laying five cards down in a fast beat. She pointed them out, speaking quickly, excited at the new and odd sight before her. "These four... I've never even drawn these four before..." She pointed to another flaming card, a man with a strange, light crown on his head. "The Prince of Wands, of fire and life." She pointed to the next one, a girl on a beach of a secluded island, waves bursting around her. "The Princess of Cups, of water and compassion." The next one, a man with the wings of a great bird. "The Prince of Swords, of air and war." And then the last one, a girl seeming to dance, vines making up her body and clothing. "The Princess of Disks, of earth and creation." Hitomi paused at the last one, a shining white orb. "And the Star, the card that tells of a good fate, a happy ending. Peace." The teenager looked up with sparkling green eyes. "It's almost like a prophesy, a legend-"
"It is a lie." Persephone muttered, slightly angered by the cards before her. "It almost speaks of the Four, but of the Four, only one remains." She looked up, her eyes dark. "It is a lie. Nothing can take back what has already been taken." She looked away sharply, into the shadows before changing the subject. "Hitomi... What happened? I remember a fight, and a Zaibach guymelef..."
At the sudden turn of conversation, Persephone could see Hitomi grow restless, nervous. She played with her fingers, looking down. "We were carried by a Zaibach soldier out of the battle, but if it hadn't been for a search party sent out by the Crusade, we would have been brought to Zaibach as prisoners." Hitomi shuttered slightly. "There was a small fight, but it was one against three, and we have the pilot here. We've heard that Zaibach is sending someone out here to bargain with us, to try and buy back our prisoner."
A slight bit of agitation filled Persephone at the girl's timidness, at her careful words to conceal some truth. "So it must be someone important. Who and what rank does he have?"
Hitomi bit her lip. "Allen told me not to say anything since the prisoner knows you..." She said, playing with her hands once more.
"And how do you know he knows me?" Persephone asked sharply, standing up off the bed and pacing. Something was putting her at ill ease, and she felt a slight twisting of her stomach.
"He called you by name several times and..." Hitomi's voice faded away.
"Hitomi! Just tell me!"
"He called you 'Sister'." Persephone's blood went cold.
Dillandau...
Hitomi couldn't stop Persephone as she sprinted out of the room, and she sighed, more confused now than ever before. She lowered her head and then opened her eyes. The tarot cards had been scattered by all the movement on the mattress, but two remained, flashing up in a brutal promise.
The Lover and the Death.
Author's note: And you thought it was Folken! Hehe. No, I still have a little bit of fun with Dillandau before he turns into a complete monstor... ANYways, again, thank you soooooo much Padme for asking for the scene. I actually enjoyed writing it and researching the tarot cards, though it was confusing as hell. Hope to hear from you guys! Please review! Oh, one more thing, don't forget the last five cards, since they'll be important later on... Won't tell you how, though!
Author's Note: This one is shorter than the last few installments. I want to thank Padme for asking if I'd do this scene. I had thought earlier about doing it, but had reconcidered because I knew nothing about tarot cards. But, after literally a couple of hours of study on the cards, I felt confident that I could perhaps portray a certain meaning with them, even though, if researching the tarot cards, you can tell my version of a reading is completely out of wack. Anyways, read and review! Enjoy!
Chapter Forty
Cold. That was all Persephone could feel as she woke, heavy blankets piled on top of her. She pushed herself up with effort, her eyes half closed as she looked across the room. She recognized it as Allen's, though no one seemed to be there at the moment. She felt weak, and her left thigh seemed to throb at every movement. She lowered herself back down slowly, gritting her teeth, until she was on her back, staring at the ceiling.
Her hand traveled to her thigh and she could feel the delicate stitches that were obviously Millerna's handy work. Persephone closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. She tried to remember what happened, but could only catch certain clips and scenes from the battle before. Hitomi's crying face, a flash of fire and scales, the king's corpse laying burnt on the ground... And then the giant guymelef, wearing Zaibach's colors. Persephone's eyes snapped open. Zaibach. She trembled under the blankets. They had found her...
*************
"How are you feeling?" Persephone smiled up as Hitomi approached, the kindness in her eyes echoed by her voice.
"Fine. A little weak, a little confused, and a little lonely, but that's not too out of the ordinary." The read haired girl replied, grateful for her first visitor.
Hitomi wondered in nonchalantly and glanced around at Allen's things before sitting on the bed in front of Persephone, laying down a small satchel she had forgotten to leave in her room. She fidgeted for a few moments before opening her mouth to say something, but she was promptly interupted by the girl in front of her.
"What's this?" Persephone asked as she pulled open the satchel. A deck of cards lay in it, kept together by a soft strip of cloth.
Hitomi pulled out the cards and untied them while fingering them cautiously and with a certain amount of respect. "They're my tarot cards." And, without real thought, she asked in a bright voice, "Do you want me to do a reading?"
Persephone looked a little taken back before nodding mutely. A part of her felt guilty as Hitomi readied the cards, the very participation in the act going against her religion. Religion. Strange that the subject continually made itself known in her mind. And yet there was a part of her that somehow drew her to the ritual, like laughter may call to a child.
Hitomi laid down the first card. A girl of flames, dancing and relishing in them. "Princess of Wands." She stated plainly. "The Wands are the main, spiritual element. Wands represent fire and the root of all power and the raw, bare image of life. The Princess of Wands is passionate, throwing herself fully and loyally at anything that she can keep hold of. Most of what she partakes in doesn't last long, and what does she wholly protects. The Princess of Wands is known to hold grudges, and is prone to become bitter, despite her being the very essence of life." Hitomi lay another card down, this time of a woman riding a beast, more flames entrapping them. "The Passion. Another card of extreme and all-out emotion. Yet this one symbolizes more of the taming of an inner self. The taming and yet enjoyment of the animal part inside you." As Hitomi lay the next one down, she frowned slightly. A golden cart, led by two copper horses. "The Chariot. The card of moving forward." Two green eyes looked up at Persephone. "These are your three main personality cards. The first two shows extreme emotion, while the third shows... The Chariot is often a card of certain ups and downs. In the Chariot, when you move forward, often times walls are built. And sometimes the owner makes these walls their own, and they meld as a part of their personality. These walls could often entrap the passion of life."
"Go on." Persephone said, her face expressionless.
Hitomi laid down the next card. "The Two Towers. This is a sign of change. After the Chariot, it shows that these walls that have been built are broken by some force. A strong force, considering the Princess of Wands in the earlier background. Perhaps this force is a friend, an emotion... a man...?" Hitomi looked up at Persephone. The slightest, momentary bit of unidentifiable emotion flitted across her face before it was gone. The younger girl let it pass. She placed down the next card, two people, wrapped in each other's arms. "The Lovers. This card symbolizes a love in your life. Not just a lover, but someone or something you draw in. I don't know what it really means until I pull the next-" Hitomi's voice faltered and stopped as she saw the next card. She laid it down slowly. A cloaked figure, the face unseen, a scythe in hand...
"The Death. The Lover followed by the Death. Someone close to you is going to bring your life to a painful end." She looked up, only to find that Persephone's face was impassive. As if she knew this much. Hitomi clenched her eyes closed as the visions flew at her. Persephone, a limp form in her arms, her wings of fire outstretched... Red, crimson eyes, overflowing with tears as the owner of that gaze laughed maniacally... A cross, blood, Gaea's dying scream...
"Hitomi?" Persephone's voice was concerned, motherly. "Hitomi, are you all right?"
"Yeah." She stuttered, looking up. "I guess. Here, there are still more cards." She placed down the next card and her brow wrinkled in thought. A fire bird, wings outstretched... "The Aeon. I've never had this card played before, believe it or not. I forget what it means. Something about fire, rebirth... I'm not sure." She shook her head. "It could mean the death and a new beginning. I can't read it. Sorry." She looked up with green eyes and smiled apologetically before continuing. Hitomi seemed puzzled as she continued, laying five cards down in a fast beat. She pointed them out, speaking quickly, excited at the new and odd sight before her. "These four... I've never even drawn these four before..." She pointed to another flaming card, a man with a strange, light crown on his head. "The Prince of Wands, of fire and life." She pointed to the next one, a girl on a beach of a secluded island, waves bursting around her. "The Princess of Cups, of water and compassion." The next one, a man with the wings of a great bird. "The Prince of Swords, of air and war." And then the last one, a girl seeming to dance, vines making up her body and clothing. "The Princess of Disks, of earth and creation." Hitomi paused at the last one, a shining white orb. "And the Star, the card that tells of a good fate, a happy ending. Peace." The teenager looked up with sparkling green eyes. "It's almost like a prophesy, a legend-"
"It is a lie." Persephone muttered, slightly angered by the cards before her. "It almost speaks of the Four, but of the Four, only one remains." She looked up, her eyes dark. "It is a lie. Nothing can take back what has already been taken." She looked away sharply, into the shadows before changing the subject. "Hitomi... What happened? I remember a fight, and a Zaibach guymelef..."
At the sudden turn of conversation, Persephone could see Hitomi grow restless, nervous. She played with her fingers, looking down. "We were carried by a Zaibach soldier out of the battle, but if it hadn't been for a search party sent out by the Crusade, we would have been brought to Zaibach as prisoners." Hitomi shuttered slightly. "There was a small fight, but it was one against three, and we have the pilot here. We've heard that Zaibach is sending someone out here to bargain with us, to try and buy back our prisoner."
A slight bit of agitation filled Persephone at the girl's timidness, at her careful words to conceal some truth. "So it must be someone important. Who and what rank does he have?"
Hitomi bit her lip. "Allen told me not to say anything since the prisoner knows you..." She said, playing with her hands once more.
"And how do you know he knows me?" Persephone asked sharply, standing up off the bed and pacing. Something was putting her at ill ease, and she felt a slight twisting of her stomach.
"He called you by name several times and..." Hitomi's voice faded away.
"Hitomi! Just tell me!"
"He called you 'Sister'." Persephone's blood went cold.
Dillandau...
Hitomi couldn't stop Persephone as she sprinted out of the room, and she sighed, more confused now than ever before. She lowered her head and then opened her eyes. The tarot cards had been scattered by all the movement on the mattress, but two remained, flashing up in a brutal promise.
The Lover and the Death.
Author's note: And you thought it was Folken! Hehe. No, I still have a little bit of fun with Dillandau before he turns into a complete monstor... ANYways, again, thank you soooooo much Padme for asking for the scene. I actually enjoyed writing it and researching the tarot cards, though it was confusing as hell. Hope to hear from you guys! Please review! Oh, one more thing, don't forget the last five cards, since they'll be important later on... Won't tell you how, though!