What are these...?

Dreams and visions.

What is the difference?

The difference is belief.

Which is this?

This is what you want it to be.


* * *

The Vision of Escaflowne:
Through Calm Waters


By Dan Riley

Part 1:
The Gateway Opens

* * *

Was it just a dream?

I can't be sure.

I never used to believe in this stuff, and yet...

It was so real.


* * *

Krolan D'vor stalked restlessly through the starlit forest. His shining yellow eyes saw
perfectly in the dimness which suited him as well as daylight.

The shaman had told him that something was going to happen. Something
important, and soon.

When he had gone to the old wise woman with descriptions of the vague dreams
which had troubled his sleep for over a week, he had feared her ridicule. However,
she had taken him very seriously. Perhaps even too seriously. Krolan was sure that
the shaman believed more firmly in the portents of his dreams than he himself did.

"A gateway will soon be opened, and the portents of your dream be made flesh.
Beware the dawn of the Mystic Moon and the unseen giants which come again. Fate
is coming to a turning point, and I think that which way the pendulum swings
depends in part on you, young one."
That was what she had said to him.

He caressed the hilt of his longtooth knife, and frowned slightly. Dreams? Feh. What
use had he for such nonsense?

The dark-furred pantherman slid silently through the forest. The trees seemed to
part around him like somber sentinels of the night. The calls of night birds, rustling
of nocturnal animals, and quiet buzz of insects filled the air. The sweet fragrance of
the forest surrounded him.

Krolan had always enjoyed the forest more at night.

* * *

"Sir! We have detected a Fate anomaly somewhere in Gaea."

"Well, what is it?"

"We can't be sure, sir. The slight distortion we noticed three days ago has just
spiked. It's like nothing we've ever detected before."

"Can you pinpoint its location?"

"We're trying sir, but its signal is erratic and difficult to locate. It will take another
fourteen hours to get a ten-mile radius lock."

"Let's just hope it lasts that long."

* * *

The sun broke over the horizon of the Eternya Forest with a dazzling display of light
on the emerald-green canopy of the vast woods. The joyous cry of morning birds
met the first rays of the sun in salutation.

Krolan D'vor growled angrily at the rising orb, rubbing at his bleary eyes. He had
gotten hardly any sleep at all the night before; every time he dozed off, he was
startled awake a moment later by a sudden start of vague dread. He was starting to
believe in the hocus pocus of the old wise woman.

Growling, he stood up, tossing his blanket aside with an angry motion. He stalked
out of his tent.

The village was already mostly awake around him. The rest of his people had risen
before the sun, as he himself usually did.

Curse those dreams!

"Hey, Krolan! Where are you going this fine morning? And so late!"

Krolan growled at his jeering neighbor. "Nowhere that concerns you, Gareka. Now
perhaps if you kept your mouth closed, do you suppose you would catch less flies?"

Gareka grimaced and quieted, turning back to the arrows he was fletching, and
Krolan grinned as he loped past the boundaries of the village, and into the Forest.

I feel a need for the hunt.

He caressed the hilt of his knife in anticipation.

* * *

Malark watched the lazy ripples on the surface of the pool with interest.

Something of much import draws near. Wait and see, wait and see...

His long, bony fingers grasped the three carved stones, and he tossed them into the
pool with a jerk of his thin arm. They slipped into the water quietly, their small
splashes disturbing the ripples and beginning a new pattern.

Malark watched the new set of tiny waves intently, and smiled.

The sign of the Illusory Moon... It has been a while since that particular heavenly
body has so effected the destiny of Gaea.


* * *

Krolan grunted as he lifted the heavy body of the duhrm up onto his shoulders. A
good catch. The duhrm were strong, fast, and crafty, and their sharp claws
presented quite a danger to any who chose to hunt them. They were Krolan's
specialty.

Settling the body more comfortably onto his shoulder, the pantherman set out to
return to his village. The Festival of the Moon was that night, and the duhrm would
be a welcome addition to the foods to be served.

* * *

Terahn gripped the leather of the hilt tightly, absently wiping a bit of perspiration
away from his brow. He held the practice sword at a low forward angle from his
body, just as he had been taught. His opponent feinted in, towards his right.

Terahn spun to his right, evading the true second attack - a vicious strike at his left
arm, meant to disarm him. Continuing the spin, the young man ended with a cut
that left the wooden edge of his practice sword resting gently against his opponent's
neck.

The two stood frozen for a second, the scent of dust filling the crude arena. Yellow
dirt, stirred from the movements of the fight, drifted on the air.

The grizzled old veteran smiled, eyeing the wooden blade against his throat. "Aye,
that's th' way to do it, milord."

Terahn pulled his blade away, sheathing it in a quick smooth motion. "You're getting
slow, Gar. Pretty soon I'll have to find a new sparring partner." He smiled at his old
friend and teacher.

Gar shook his head. "Ye've got a mighty talent with the sword, lad. Young as ye are,
there's few swordsmen in the realm I'd bet on against ye in a fair fight."

Terahn grinned. "Thanks Gar. I'm thirsty; why don't you come inside and have a
drink with me?" The young boy turned away and started into the fort.

Without warning, Terahn's feet were taken out from under him, and he found himself
on his back, the breath exploding from his lungs in a rush, and the point of a wooden
practice sword hovering an inch above his chest.

"But not every fight ye fight in will be a fair one." Gar winked from his position over
the boy.

Terahn groaned. "Gar... come on, help me up."

The old soldier extended his hand to the boy, who stood up.

"I hope ye see my point, lad." Gar said as they walked amiably through the stone
arches and into the fortress.

"Of course I do. Sorry for letting my guard down."

"'Tis no fault of yours. Every young lad falls for that one."

"Just goes to show, age and craftiness will always defeat youth and skill! Isn't that
right, Gar?"

Gar and Terahn turned at the voice calling from the arena's gate. A tall, blonde-
haired man stood there, stripping off his leather Guymelef suit.

"Father!" Terahn called out, hurrying to meet him. Gar followed behind.

"Good to see ye, milord Falkon. The battle went well?" The grizzled old soldier
stopped about a costa away, watching the father and son embrace warmly.

"Yes, it went well. The Gnorns have been pushed back all the way to the mountains.
For now, at least. So Terahn, how was practice?"

The boy frowned slightly. "Gar caught me off guard. If it had been a real fight, I'd be
dead."

The grizzled soldier smiled warmly. "Well now, lad, ye didn't do all that bad. If it had
been a true battle, ye most likely would not have stopped th' blade before nicking
my pretty gullet."

Falkon laughed softly. "He caught you, did he Gar? Are you getting old, or is my son
a swordsman?"

Gar laughed at that. "Well, old I am, but th' soldiers can attest to my remaining skill
with a blade. Your son is indeed a swordsman."

"That is good." The tall lord turned to look at his son. "Let's all go inside and have
something to eat. The battle has left me hungry."

Terahn nodded, and the three went inside.

* * *

Soft, trilling music filled the air of the pantherman village, carried on the soft evening
breeze. The Festival of the Moon was a time of strange opposites for the village.
Although the Illusory Moon was an object to be feared - as the legends told that it
would eventually cause the destruction of all Gaea - it was supposed to be the
celebration of a time in the distant past when a traveler from the Illusory Moon had
saved Gaea. The shamans always tried to get the people to soberly reflect upon the
twist of Fate that allowed their own lives to exist, but the people simply took the
opportunity to enjoy themselves.

Krolan took a bite out of his chunk of the duhrm he had caught, savoring the meat
as he chewed and swallowed. He had always enjoyed the Festival of the Moon, and
the celebration was pushing to the back of his mind the vague anxiety that had been
plaguing him. Even his troubling dreams were forgotten in the glow of the bonfires.

The children scampered about playing, many of them waving about straw dolls that
represented the woman from the Illusory Moon. Others had sticks for swords, and
pretended to be the giant metal monsters that the Moon-girl vanquished.

Smiling at the particularly energetic antics of a small group of children, Krolan closed
his eyes for a moment and rested in the warm peace of the evening.

He opened his eyes with a start.

The village was quiet, and the Illusory Moon was almost finished with its journey
through the night sky. The bonfires which had burned brightly earlier were reduced
to glowing red coals


. I must have fallen asleep...

It hadn't felt like he'd been asleep long. And there was an odd feeling of tension in
the air. He stood up, wavering indecisively between heading to his bed and checking
the village to make sure everyone was alright. He was half-afraid that the rest would
be gone, or dead, and half-afraid that they'd ridicule him for worrying foolishly.

Despite that, he settled on checking. Uneasiness filled him, and he recalled his
dreams and apprehensions of the past weeks.

As he walked towards the village center, looking about cautiously for signs either of
the other villagers or of some sort of danger, a dark shadow passed overhead,
encompassing all of the village.

Looking up, he just caught the shape of something silhouetted against the Illusory
Moon as it flew swiftly through the air. The odd shape reminded him of tales he had
heard of dragons as a young boy.

Shivering in the odd chill that had suddenly descended over the area, Krolan hurried
towards the small mound of darkness that was the shaman's hut.

He brushed aside the hanging strings of beads which filled the doorway, and waited
for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

From the recesses of the hut, a dark shape watched him with eyes of blazing red. It
was definitely not the old wise woman.

"The gateway opens... prepare thyself. The testing will soon occur, and after that the
destruction. Then the final question will be answered."

Krolan shivered and took a step backwards. Something about that voice... called to
the deeper instincts of fear ingrained deep into his bones and blood.

"Prepare thyself..."

The dark shape reached towards him, and Krolan screamed.


"Ho, Krolan! What's the matter?" Krolan opened his eyes to Gareka peering down at
him in concern.

Confused, the pantherman glanced around him. The bonfires still blazed, the music
still filled the air, and the people of the village still celebrated. It had been just
another strange dream.

"Hey, I asked you if you're alright."

Krolan shook the other mans hand off his shoulder. "I'm fine. Sorry about that, I had
a bad dream."

Gareka grinned. "Nightmares still make you scream, eh?"

Krolan growled. "Go away Gareka. I'm grateful for your concern, but I'm fine."

The other pantherman shrugged. "Alright. Have it your way. See you later, Krolan."

Krolan nodded, shifting his shoulders and feeling his spine crack. The log he had
fallen asleep on had been a particularly uncomfortable one.

The peace of the evening was broken by the odd vision. Krolan glanced around a bit
anxiously, the festivities taking on more the feel of the calm before the storm.

"Krolan D'vor."

He turned at the sound of his name. The shaman stood beckoning at the entrance to
her hut. As soon as Krolan noticed her standing there, the old wise woman turned
and entered her dwelling.

Frowning, Krolan got up and went after her.

The beads clinked aside with a slight noise as he entered. His spine tingled with a bit
of apprehension as he remembered his most recent dream. The entrance room of the
hut was where the old woman met visitors; where she gave her advice and cast her
spells. There were two other rooms, both with doorways hung with beads leading to
them, but Krolan had never been inside either of them.

The shaman sat watching him from her cushion in the back of the room. Her furred
legs were crossed, and her old feline face regarded him calmly.

"Welcome, Krolan D'vor. Please, sit."

The pantherman complied, seating himself on one of the cushions. He watched the
shaman's face, waiting for her to continue.

"You have had another vision," she went on after a moment. "My most recent
foretelling," she waved her hand at the small jumble of carved bones in the corner of
the room that she used for her divining, "has indicated that the event you have been
waiting for is about to happen. This very night." She waited to gauge his reaction.

Krolan frowned slightly, digesting this new information. He was ready to believe
whatever hocus pocus the old woman threw at him at that point. "You're sure it's
tonight?"

"Yes. The Illusory Moon is aligned with the Red Star; the time foretold is coming.
Soon, the gateway will open, and another traveler will be brought to Gaea." The
shaman lowered her face, looking directly into Krolan's eyes. "You have a part to
play in the fork in the road of Destiny that is approaching."

Krolan sighed. "Why me?"

"I don't know." The shaman shook her head. "But that was definite in my foretelling.
Now, there is something you must do."

"What's that?"

"You must go to the Forest Monolith and wait there for the gateway to open."

"Just go there and wait?"

"Yes. From then on, things will happen as they must."

Krolan glanced back at the hanging beads that obscured the exit from the hut.
"Should I leave now?"

The shaman nodded. "Yes. Hurry."

The pantherman stood. "Alright." With that, he left. As he approached the edge of
the village, Gareka came up to him.

The other pantherman waved to Krolan as he approached. "Hey. I saw you go into
the shaman's hut. Anything important going on?" He fell into step alongside Krolan,
gazing at one of the bonfires as they walked.

Krolan sighed. "Nothing that concerns you. Why don't you go back to celebrating?
I've got something to do."

Gareka nodded, looking at Krolan. "Alright. See you later, then."

"Yes, later." The pantherman continued on his way to the edge of the village as
Gareka stopped.

"Oh, by the way Krolan!"

He turned. "What is it?"

"You could work on your interaction." With that, Gareka turned and walked back into
the village center.

Shaking his head, Krolan went out into the forest.

* * *

"Sir, we've got a lock on it! The disturbance is centering around that huge stone
pillar in the middle of Eternya Forest."

"Well, about time. We're lucky the disturbance lasted this long. Send a team to
investigate."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

The Forest Monolith stood tall in front of him, rising above the lush green canopy of
Eternya Forest. The cool breeze which ruffled through the leaves stirred Krolan's fur
as he stood gazing at the giant column of rock.

Well, I'm here. Guess now's the waiting part.

The pantherman settled down on a small rock.

He didn't have long to wait.

A brilliant flare of blue energy split the night air, dazzling him and forcing him to
shade his eyes. With a soft sizzling sound, a glowing doorway opened low on the face
of the Forest Monolith.

Through squinted eyes, Krolan saw that the doorway was a mirror-like surface which
reflected its surroundings perfectly - including himself.

As he watched, a shape fell forward out of the portal, falling a short distance to land
limp on the ground. As she had passed through the surface, it had rippled like water.

Krolan hurried forward to the limp shape as the door closed on itself with another
bright flare of blue. The soft toll of a bell met his ears as he knelt on the ground and
turned the form over onto its back.

It was a slim human girl. An unconscious human girl. Her shoulder-length blue hair
framed her face in the semidarkness. Krolan checked her pulse to make sure she
was alive, then glanced around.

Looks like I'll have to carry her back to the village. If she's what all this fuss has
been about, I can't help thinking she's a bit less than I expected.


Just as he stood up with the girl slung over his back, he heard a loud crash echo
through the forest, and rocked back, slightly out of balance, as the ground shook. A
large depression had just appeared in the ground a few costa away.

"What in the hell...?"

Another depression appeared, a few costa behind the first, again shaking the earth.
Then a third.

Guess I thought too soon...

A ripple in the air above one of the depressions parted into nothingness, revealing a
huge red metal shoulder and arm. The arm alone was larger than Krolan himself. The
arm did not end in a hand, or anything resembling one. Instead, it simply widened
into an oblong shape, terminating with three dark holes.

The arm raised to point at Krolan, and a voice from the area of the ripple called out
of nowhere.

::Put the girl down and step away.:: The voice had a strange hollow sound to it, as
though the speaker were talking through something. ::Resist and we will kill you.::

Kill me, hmm...?

Krolan glanced down at the girl in his arms. Her face was uneasy, and she trembled
slightly.

"Invisible giants..." she moaned softly.

Krolan turned his gaze back to the huge metal arm. "Invisible giants, eh?"

* * *

Malark smiled softly at the pool in front of him, his long bony fingers folded in his
lap.

"The gateway has opened."

End Through Calm Waters Chapter 1.