The silver armour stood before her, the reflections of the weeping branches shaded to its surface. Its kneeling frame showed so much obedience and etiquette.
Hitomi hadn't seen the majestic guymelef since her last return to Gaea – 7 years ago.
Nobody understood why she was so hesitant on leaving, even though she would surely return to her love, to the life so distant she knew like the back of her hand. Perhaps it would have even been a long time. But how was she forget that night they were together? She couldn't share the good news that followed. Not after Van's expression of worry and concern. And because he insisted she left. She only wished he understood…
Left to a cruel world, how was she to have survived, all alone? With the demands of explanations, she was under so much pressure – too much for a young teen. But she was so much more than that. A young teen; pregnant, and with the dread of what the opinions would bring…
She was alone then, but was she alone now? A gruelling question she couldn't face. Instinctively, walking away was her only escape.
* * *
The engines roared below their feet. The humming vibration rang through their bodies as the ship lifted from the ground. Hitomi glanced through the tall windows, watching the other ships that carried a small number of scouts and combat prepared soldiers. The smaller structures followed behind their transport.
The room she stood in was quiet. She looked over her shoulder. Ty slept soundly on a poor excuse for a bed, covered in blankets and the one quilt he stripped from the royal suite. Hitomi realized where the quilt had disappeared to while she slept.
She brought her attention back to the window that rose to the tip of the roof and sank almost to the very surface of the hard floor. The green trees and elevated landscape slowly shrunk, and wisped past the window as the engine power gradually became stronger.
A cautious knock upon the open door awoke the silence. Hitomi jumped slightly at the interruption that came to a surprise.
Verona cleared her throat. Hitomi smiled hesitantly, and faced the window.
What now? She thought.
Verona took a stand beside her. The trees below the windows whizzed by with each second, appearing as nothing but a cluster of smudged, green pastels. The awkward silence was killing both of them.
"I'm sorry."
Hitomi lifted her head from the scenery below and looked into the mysterious eyes that reached almost to the top of her head.
"My behaviour around you was terrible. I'm sorry." Her deep, dark eyes showed a hope towards forgiveness.
"That's alright. I'm sure it was for a sensible cause, anyway," she whispered.
Verona sighed, and leaned against the frame of the window. Her amber hair lit against the reflection of the outdoors. "Not really. More-so pathetic." Another aggravated sigh escaped from her words. "Being General, I believed it was my duty to be the strong one; the brave one, showing no fear or sadness. All of Fanelia was in distress because of the King's abduction. I truly felt what they did, but I knew sulking would do little good. I acted tough and made the rules, but I was cold-hearted and down-right cruel." She bowed her head. "I apologize deeply for this behaviour. You, of all people, deserve the greatest known respect from me."
Hitomi was amazed at how much different she seemed. Without the solemn, stubborn face, Verona was truly beautiful, in ever perspective.
"Being the good person you are, Verona, it's no wonder you're the highest ranking General."
Verona grinned, not wanting to reveal her embarrassment.
Ty shifted under the covers. His quiet movement caught their attention. There was silence between them as they watched the small body showered with blankets and sulky pillows.
"Do you ever wonder if he's…like Lord Van?"
"What do you mean?"
Verona paused. "Have you ever thought that perhaps he's a…Draconian?"
Hitomi was quiet.
It is possible, isn't it?
"I…never took the time to even imagine that possibility."
"Consider it," Verona said, not speaking in a whisper any longer. "He may be in more danger then we think."
She left the room silently.
Hitomi took another glance at her child. She took a seat next to his softly sleeping figure and tenderly cleared the strands of hair from his face. Leaning over him, she kissed the top of his forehead.
There were so many things she needed to clear from her mind; all in topic of Ty. There was a secret she didn't know. Many secrets. And he was in danger. What was it that put his life in jeopardy? She had to know before the time came, so it wouldn't be too late. No matter what, she wouldn't lose him.
She closed her eyes in hope of rest, and succeeded for a long period of time.
New footsteps patterned beyond the walls. A person entered the doorway as she opened her eyes.
"Hitomi, we're going to need you in the cockpit," Merle whispered, noticing the restless body under the covers.
Hitomi picked herself up from the floor and accompanied her long time friend. Merle remained silent, studying Hitomi's face every once in awhile. She understood that every moment, abandoned or comforted, was breaking down on her. She realized the effects, but not the definite experience.
She wish she knew the shallow, lifeless fog blocking Hitomi's way to the light; the true hope. But she could only imagine what it was like, because it was more than just an immature companionship that bonded her and Van together. They had a love that entwined their shared souls into an endless, enchanting bliss.
Hitomi kept her head low, viewing the narrow jewel; the special pendant that glowed faintly around the curves of her fingertips as she held it.
Every point in her body ached.
Her evergreen eyes gleamed over the shimmering surface of the pendant. She moved it around along her fingertips, and a new reflection took toll. Every segment of his face appeared in her mind. The ache struck her tremendously, and she wanted to break down and cry, to free the pain that gripped her way of surviving.
She closed her eyes and awaited the tears, revising in her head the words used to comfort her son.
Soon. She thought. Soon.
* * *
"Hitomi? Are you okay?"
Hitomi nodded right away as Verona became concerned towards her blotchy face.
"Glad you made it up here, Hitomi," Allen greeted. He leaned against a rigid sideboard near the large window of the ship. Two other soldiers accompanied Allen and Verona in the cockpit. A towering, dark haired man was steering the ship, keeping pace with the wheel. The other man was holding a device and viewing out through all sides of the windows. Hitomi guessed he was lookout. "We thought we would ask you up here, to take a look at where we are," Allen added. He brought Hitomi to the huge window.
She looked below, and instead of watching sky scraping trees wiz by, all that passed behind was a large mass of sandy dunes. She raised an eyebrow in disinterest.
"It's a desert, Allen," she said flatly.
He laughed. "Obviously! But we're in Freid, you see."
"…And?"
"We're lost."
Hitomi gawked at him in disbelief.
"We're lost in the desert! What am I supposed to do?!"
"We just need to find the ruins of Fortona Temple, and I believe you know where that is?"
"Sort of."
A harsh wind blew across the ship. Tiny pebbles of sand beat up against the windowpane and exterior of the ship. The wrecking noise echoed throughout the transport.
"Sir, the weather's picking up! I can't make out a clear view ahead," the man staring through the window exclaimed to Allen.
The soldier at the wheel hesitated.
"Keep steering!" Verona ordered. "Don't you even think of letting go of that wheel!"
The ship knocked about. Hitomi and Merle stumbled.
"Are you alright?" Allen asked as he helped them to their feet.
Hitomi nodded, and gawked out the window. The sky was a thick bog of blowing sand, waving in every direction. Nothing could be seen.
Verona cursed under her breath. "The weather was fine a minute ago! What is this?!"
The ship tossed around. Everyone could feel the awkward vibration under their feet. Merle grasped Hitomi's arm. A noise so loud as a giant crash blasted around the ship.
"The ships breaking apart!" the man at the wheel hollered as loud as he could.
Hitomi's sight flashed black. She looked up in shock.
What?
A faint black streak appeared through the sandy cloud beyond the windows. Hitomi took hold of the wall and scrambled to the glass pane. She squinted hard through the fog.
A long, sleek black feather drifted gently through the sandy cloud; too gentle for the windy atmosphere surrounding it.
"…It's them."
"Hitomi?" Verona screamed over the noise.
"What is she saying?" Allen asked, now at Verona's side. Even with their ear-to-ear distance, they were still shouting.
Hitomi faced them.
"It's them! The Draconian's are doing this!"
The winds pounded against the wall of the ship. The glass on the windshield cracked under the pressure. The nose of the transport tilted upwards towards the sky.
Merle shook her head in disbelief. "The ship is going to crash!"
"We have to escape now!" the tall man yelled.
"No!" Verona screamed. "We're not going to let them win this time! We'll face it through this storm, and make it out alive!"
Ty stumbled through the entrance.
"Ty!" Hitomi yelled. She ran to him with her arms outstretched. She held him close. "Don't let go of me!"
He nodded, and followed her steps to the others.
"What do we do?" Merle asked in a frightened tone.
Hitomi pulled out the pendant from under her shirt. The red glow it let off brightened the room. She took in a deep breath.
"I haven't done this for a long time, but I think I can manage to try." She closed her eyes and concentrated, holding the pendant at a level distance from her face.
"Dousing," Allen recalled to himself.
"What?" Verona asked, mishearing under the turbulence.
"Watch."
Without the cracking of the glass and tearing of the ship's materials, the cockpit was silence.
For a moment, her mind remained of nothing but a blur, not remembering the simple task. Then she recalled the images, even the feelings.
But there was no image. Just the utter pain that stabbed through every point in her body.
The pendant swung.
Once.
Twice.
On the third swing, a large crater appeared.
Straight ahead.
Hitomi opened her eyes. She lifted her hand and pointed out the window. "It's there."
"Where?" the others asked in unison, staring awkwardly through the shattering window.
"Fortona."
At that instant, the windows cleared. The turbulence ended. The glass was unharmed, without even a simple scrape or dent.
"Amazing," Verona whispered.
Everyone glanced out the window. The ship was levelled with the smoky white clouds. Just peeking through the mist was a large crater; camouflaged with the texture of dirt. The sky was brighter above the surface, and the clouds surrounding and filling the mountain were almost transparent.
"The trailing ships are still in tact with our lead," the lookout reported. Allen nodded in response, not taking his eye off the scenery ahead.
"It's a marvellous picture," Verona awed.
Hitomi shook. "You don't know Fortona, then."
Ty's grip on Hitomi's shirt tightened, and he gasped.
A huge light appeared from the hole of the crater, and showered towards their ship. The wave extended its reach and devoured the entire convoy.
All the screams were emitted fart too late.
Everything shrouded into the blackness.
***
Ooooo! It's almost done!!! I'll try and get the next chapter up soon!! Pleaz review!