Draconian Chronicles:
Part Four Secrets Revealed
Van kept his gaze straight ahead, flying with amazing speed over the land. He held himself completely responsible for Hitomi's kidnapping. If he hadn't consented to her practicing with her wings, they wouldn't have had their guard down when the guymelefs attacked.
Merle hung on to Van's shirt and stayed quiet as he continued his risky flying through the air. After a while she couldn't help it anymore. "Van! Stop this!" She yelled.
Van turned to her. "I can't! It's my fault she's been captured! It doesn't help that she's been associated with me, but now if it's discovered that she's a Draconian, they'd kill her for sure."
"But it's not your fault! You did the best you could!" Merle argued. "And flying like this isn't going to help Hitomi! You'll only succeed in getting yourself killed!"
"I can't leave her there! I have to get there before…before…"
Merle placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. She's stronger than she looks. We'll get there in time. Nothing will happen to your true love."
Van gasped and Merle smiled. Then Van nodded. "You're right." He slowed down. "Let's go get her."
Merle nodded and looked ahead. There she saw a speck in the distance only her cat eyes could see. "Van! There it is! The Ziaboch floating fortress!"
Van nodded. "Alright. Let's go in low and fast. As soon as we get there, try to find her scent. We'll get her out of there."
Merle agreed, but then something came to her mind. "What about Folken?"
Van thought for a moment. "I can't think about that now. When the time comes, I will handle my brother then."
Hitomi opened her eyes and felt cold. She saw he dress was damp from the stone floor of the dungeon. She sat up and looked around. There was a small window in the cell, in which the light from the full Mystic Moon shone through. She got up and went to the window. Out of it she could see only clouds and sky.
I must be in the Ziaboch headquarters. She thought.
She heard the gate open and a figure stepped in. It was a small, scrawny creature with red eyes. It approached her, but she back away as far as she could. "The master requests your presence. Immediately."
She crossed her arms. "I do not associate with kidnappers."
It snickered. "I'm afraid you have no choice. He is most insistent on this." It backed away and two large guards come in. They grabbed Hitomi's arms roughly and dragged her out of the cell. "Let go of me!" She shrieked.
The shadow covered its ears. "I didn't think the Angel of Light could be so loud."
They took Hitomi out of the cell and went to another location. Her fate already sealed.
Van landed Escaflowne on the ground and jumped off. Merle jumped off too. He concentrated and felt pain rip through his back as his wings came forth. He turned to Merle and she jumped into his arms. He turned towards the fortress in the sky and took to the air.
He reached the floating castle in no time and he let Merle down. He pulled his wings back in and looked around. "Hitomi's here somewhere. Try and find her that way." He pointed to the left. "I'll go this way." Pointing to the right. "If you run into any trouble, make a run for it. Meet back here, and I'll come back here with Hitomi."
She nodded, but looked at him with sad eyes. "Be careful."
He smiled. "Don't worry. I will." He took off to find his love. Merle watched his form disappeared, before she ran off on all fours in search for Hitomi.
Hitomi was taken to a large room, with a strange contraption in the center. There was someone already there before her. The guards brought her in, and stood at attention, still not letting her go.
"Strap her into the device." The figure said.
The soldiers nodded and dragged Hitomi to the contraption in the middle. Her hands were bound together and hung above her head. Her long hair easily touched the ground.
"That's enough. You can leave us alone." The dark man said.
The guards nodded and left towards the exit, closing the door behind them.
"So, this is the Angel of Light, hmm?" I didn't know she would be so beautiful." The figure said.
"Sorry. I'm already thinking about someone." Hitomi replied.
The figure stepped out of the shadow and revealed Folken. "Yes, I know. Little brother does have good taste." He replied.
Hitomi gasped. "Your Van's brother."
"That is correct." He said coming closer.
"Why-Why am I here? What do you want from me?!" She demanded.
"I know what you are and what you have inside you. An immense power and I want it!"
Hitomi tried to cover her shock. Did he know what she truly was? Or was it a bluff? Folken took out a black stone from his pocket and held it in front of him. He stared at it and seemed to be concentrating. It began to glow and Hitomi felt pain in her back.
She screamed out in pain as the stone forcefully call out her wings. They exploded out of her back with a snap, leaving her crying in pain.
Folken smiled. "It is you."
Van was running through the halls, looking for Hitomi. Suddenly his back felt it had been ripped apart, but when he looked, his wings were still hidden. What was that? Was that me? No. That was Hitomi. She's in trouble.
Van then realized something. Before, when he was small, when his mother cried, he cried. He could feel her pain and that made him sad. Now that Hitomi was draconian, he could feel her pain too. They were connected like they had never been before.
Van reached out and found the source of the sense. He needed to get there right away. Van took one step and felt something else. Brother. Folken had something to do with this and Van was going to find out why. He unsheathed his sword and followed his sense.
Hang on Hitomi. I'm coming. Wait for me.
Hitomi was barely conscious, when the pain slowly went away. She opened her eyes and saw she was still living the same nightmare. She saw Folken standing in front of her, still holding the black stone. "Please…let me go." She whispered.
"I'm sorry, but I won't do that, until you cough up your half of the stone!" He said. "Let me entertain you with a little story." He stepped back and began to pace back and forth. "When the draconians were friends to the magicians, they combined their power into the Rhinestone of Life. It was a gift to the Draconian leaders to be used as a healing device. After the curse was placed on the stone, it was prophesized that only the Angel of Light would be able to touch it. I had no idea it was you. That stone holds immense power. You now hold it in you. At least half of it. Until I can extract it from your body, I will not release you."
Hitomi weakly raised her head. "I don't know how to get it out, and even if I did, I'm not going to let you have it!"
"I'm rather intrigued that you would resist. After both halves are combined once more, you can return to your true form. Become normal once again."
Hitomi shook her head. "I won't fall for that. If it's safe in me, then that's where it's going to stay. Even if I have to live as a draconian for the rest of my life!"
Folken shrugged. "I guess I'll have to do it the hard way." He held up the black stone and held it close to Hitomi's face. The closer it got, the more pain Hitomi felt. "This is the Rhinestone of Death. It can pull that stone right out of you."
The stone began to glow and Hitomi felt her insides being ripped apart. She resisted as much as she could, but knew she wouldn't last long.
Suddenly Hitomi heard Van's voice. Hang on Hitomi. I'm coming. Wait for me.
Hitomi smiled inside. Through all the pain she felt, hearing Van's voice brought her comfort. The pain grew intense and Hitomi felt she was being pureed. She gritted her teeth in defiance. "I won't let you have it!"
"You can't hold onto it forever." Folken replied.
Hitomi knew he was right. How long would she last? Her only chance was Van.
Hurry Van. I don't know how much longer I can last.
Van was still following his sense, when he heard Hitomi's voice. Hurry Van. I don't know how much longer I can last. Van felt intense pain that he knew was what Hitomi was feeling. "Whatever he's doing to you Hitomi. He's going to have to answer to me. Brother or no brother."