ESCAFLOWNE: A CALL TO ARMS
Chapter 3
by Asher Cross
------
CRUSADE II
The battered Crusade II (the only surviving ship of the dragon attack) soon found a clear, flat spot to land.
Soon afterwards, they managed to wrest the motionless Escaflowne from the levistone it had latched onto, and it laid on the ground.
Van climbed out, and saw Koichi walking quickly toward him. He was met by a punch to the jaw from Koichi, whose eyes flared with rage. "How could you? How could you let Hitomi DIE?!" Koichi lunged himself at him, clutching at Van's neck.
Van pushed Koichi off, and the boy seethed with rage, fighting back tears, his voice starting to crack as he spoke. "You didn't try to save her! You could've done something! SHE WAS EVERYTHING TO ME!!"
Van glared at Koichi, his icy eyes also carrying a similar rage. "I couldn't move. The controls were frozen. Believe me...if I could, I would've tried to save her."
Koichi kept glaring at Van, who walked away, thinking about Koichi's words. *'SHE WAS EVERYTHING TO ME!!' He loved Hitomi?...Did Hitomi forget about me?*
------
Allen gathered everybody aboard the bridge, and tried to come up with a plan.
He gave a small chuckle. "I gather the first question is obvious: what do we do now?"
Raylen shrugged. "I suppose our only option is to continue to Ralenia, figure out what is happening with the dragons, and form a solution."
Van stepped forward. "I noticed something during the battle. The dragons seemed to be moving in formations, attacking in patterns, as if the attack was planned..."
"Maybe it was," Fjal added. "Perhaps...the dragons have evolved to a higher level of consciousness..."
"Or they're being controlled..." added Dryden, with a touch of dread in his voice.
Allen sighed. "Well, we'll stay here for the night, and unless we come up with anything better, we continue to Ralenia, as suggested by Lord Raylen."
Everyone nodded, and slowly filed out of the bridge, leaving Allen, Gaddes and Fjal alone.
Gaddes threw his hands up in the air. "What's happening to this place? First Theran's village, then Asturia Castle, then here. We've lost everyone. How are we going to stop this?"
Allen turned to him. "Calm down, Gaddes. We'll find a way to stop this, just as we've done before."
"What if we can't this time? What if our luck has run out? This mission could be our last--"
"So make sure it isn't," Fjal interrupted. "Losing hope is the only thing that guarantees failure. There's always hope...and that's practically all we have right now." Without another word, Fjal walked out of the bridge.
------
In Theran's room, the door chimed. He turned around and said, "Come in."
Prince Chid entered the door, a sympathetic smile crossing his face. "Hello."
Theran nodded. "It's bad, isn't it?"
"Yes. Things are looking bad. We can't seem to combat these dragons, and we lost Hitomi in that last attack."
"She was that strangely-dressed girl, wasn't she?"
Chid simply nodded. He looked down and sighed, his expression changing as if he were removing a heavy mask. "I'm scared. I'm ashamed to be scared."
Theran looked at him. "So am I. You don't have to be ashamed."
"But I'm a prince. I have to be strong for my people."
"I think people expect too much of others sometimes. I'll tell you what: I'll be strong for you, and you be strong for me. Okay?"
"You mean that?" Chid asked, looking up.
"Sure," Theran said, giving Chid a reassuring smile. "We'll be friends forever. Shake on it?" Theran stuck out his hand, which Chid grabbed and shook.
------
CAVE
Hitomi Kanzaki awoke to find herself in a dark, damp cave. Small torches hung on the walls provided some light, and she saw that she was guarded by a dragon. She yelped as she saw it, backing away.
The dragon took notice, and rumbled toward her. Hitomi sat flat against the wall, shaking with fear as the dragon's face stood inches from her own. She could smell its hot breath on her cheek as it snorted.
Then the dragon suddenly gave a loud roar, and slumped to its side violently. Hitomi recovered some of her resolve, and inched toward the dragon. "You're hurt..."
As the dragon's side came into view, Hitomi saw that a bloody wound covered a sizable portion of the dragon's side. Hitomi looked at it. *Poor thing, it's helpless.*
She crawled over to the dragon's head, and softly petted it. The dragon took notice, looking up at Hitomi with its beady eyes, to which Hitomi responded with a reassuring smile.
"Oh, how the gentleness of women sickens me so," bellowed a voice from the darkness.
Hitomi's eyes darted around, looking for the source of the dark voice, and soon found it, as a black figure stepped out from the shadows.
He was handsome in a devilish way, with a thick goatee, and he wore strange black armor, with a curiously-shaped sword at its hilt.
"Yes, this dragon's a rare breed. One of the sharp few, but it's been cursed with that disease called compassion. I should've wiped her out months ago." The man spoke casually, as if the situation were a tea party instead. The man paused to kick the dragon in its side, onto the bloody wound, causing the pain-wracked dragon to howl.
Hitomi said through clenched teeth, "Who are you?"
The man gave an amused smirk. "Oh, please forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Lord Ghydal, former general in the Zaibach Empire, in the Emperor Dornkirk's employ; now aspiring ruler of Gaea. Quite a resume, no?"
Hitomi simply glared at Ghydal incredulously. "What is wrong with you?"
Ghydal began to chortle. "Many would say...a lot." He held out his hand to her. "Come, child, allow me to take you on a tour of the Cave of Dragons. In my opinion, it would be a more exciting thing to do than sit here in the dirt with nothing but a wounded, idiot dragon to keep you company. Wouldn't you say?"
Hitomi hesitated, but finally allowed him to help her up. *Might as well...Rule #1 for Surviving An Encounter With A Maniacal Tyrant: Find out all you can about the situation...* she thought to herself, trying to keep her humor intact.
Ghydal led her all about the vast cave, where hundreds...no, thousands of dragons rested, in immense caves.
As they walked, Ghydal talked. "I was a general in Dornkirk's army, although I was never in many major battles, nor did I meet up with the infamous Escaflowne...I managed to escape with my life, and went into hiding."
"Why did you capture me instead of killing me?"
"Because I believe you're too valuable to kill. Because I know all about you, Ms...Kanzaki."
Hitomi, surprised, stopped and stared at him. Trying to not reveal weakness, she cleared her throat. "Like what kinds of things?"
"Your past, your involvement with the war...and your involvement with that young Fanelian king." Ghydal replied smartly.
Before Hitomi could ask another question, Ghydal led her into a small room in the cave, where a large machine rested.
"What is that?"
"The source of all your troubles--the Energist Key, as I have labeled it. It was the last of Dornkirk's inventions before the war began. He'd scrapped it after completion, thinking it would not be of any worth, that his army was enough to secure his superiority...that his future was clear and bright. Your entrance into the chess game between Zaibach and the nations of Gaea changed all that, did it not?"
He continued. "This device, once activated, releases an energy field that affects all Energists in a certain area. In the case of the dragons, it enables me to use them as pawns. In the case of Guymelefs, it tampers with the energists inside the 'Melef's heart, causing all kinds of malfunctions."
He walked along the cave, continuing to babble, as he momentarily looked away from Hitomi, admiring the cave. Hitomi cautiously approached the Energist Key and studied it, trying to find a way of tampering with it.
She took a deep breath, and randomly began to pull levers and push buttons. Ghydal took notice, and grabbed her. "You idiot little girl! Hasn't your mother ever told you not to touch other people's things? I believe the tour is over. I think I'll escort you to your cell."
Pulling her fiercely by the arm, Hitomi was dragged to her cell, where she sat, defeated.
*Good God, how do I get out of here?* Hitomi thought, as she yawned. *I'm tired. I think I'll rest. I wonder if my friends are worried about me...I wish I could tell them where I was...*
She laid down on the hard rocky ground, and eventually fell asleep.
------
CRUSADE II
A fine blue mist covered the boy's dreamworld. A girl materialized out of that mist...
Hitomi. His love. The highlight of his existence.
"Please help me. I am still alive--but for how long, I don't know. I'm in a place called the Cave of Dragons, where I've discovered the mind and the plan behind the dragon's attack. Hurry, come get me before it's too late--before they kill me. Please!"
She disappeared quick as a flash--
In his room, Koichi woke with a start--
Van, also, sat up in bed, alarmed.
They shouted simultaneously, "Hitomi!"
Koichi jumped out of bed, pulling his clothes on and running out the door, sprinting down the corridors--
Van dressed and jogged through the halls toward the bridge, reaching an intersection in the halls--
Where both Koichi and Van slammed into each other, both boys knocked to the floor.
"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Van.
"I'm going to rescue Hitomi, that's what!"
Van stood still, shocked. "So am I..."
That stopped Koichi as well. Koichi pointed a finger at Van. "Did you--"
"Get a dream? Yes. Cave of--"
"Dragons...yeah. What's going on?"
They both stood in the hall, trying to comprehend what this meant. Suddenly, Koichi made a run down the corridor, Van chasing him.
"I'm rescuing her!" Van growled.
"Not if you don't catch up with me!" Koichi yelled over his shoulder. "I'll have you know that I was the fastest runner in my school besides Hit--"
He stopped once inside the bridge, to see Allen manning the controls. "What are you doing here?" asked Van, catching up with Koichi.
"I was getting ready to lift-off the Crusade. What about you?"
"We both got a dream about Hitomi. We think she is at the Cave of Dragons," answered Van.
"Are you sure you can trust a dream?" Allen asked skeptically.
Koichi stepped forward, impatient. "How sure would you be if two people had the same exact dream at the exact same time, telling about the exact same place? We are POSITIVE. Just get the Crusade up and running!"
"Very well," Allen replied smartly, as the levistones were activated, the motors began to whir, and the Crusade lifted off.
The noise had stirred some of the soldiers, and Gaddes, Fjal, and Raylen stepped into the bridge. "What's going on, boss?" Gaddes asked, wiping his eyes.
"We're headed to the Cave of Dragons," Allen replied. "Get everyone ready, then help me with the controls."
------
CAVE OF DRAGONS
Hitomi sat up abruptly. *Koichi! Van! That dream...what did it mean?*
She was startled by the injured dragon approaching her. It snorted as its face came close to hers. Hitomi saw deep into its eyes, and saw desperation. She gasped when she saw a single, large tear drop from its eyes to the ground.
"You poor thing..." she muttered. The dragon gestured behind it with its head. It repeated this gesture several times before Hitomi understood. "You...want me to go? But I'll be caught." *Oh come on, Hitomi, it's now or never!*
She got to her feet, and hesitantly walked past the dragon and out of the room. The dragon tilted its head upwards. Hitomi, understanding what it meant, climbed onto the dragon's back. The dragon began to walk out through the cave, Hitomi clinging to the dragon's back for dear life, hoping that Ghydal (or a dragon) wouldn't see her.
They passed several small caves, where many dragons slept, their tails curled up across their body. Hitomi, her eyes squeezed shut in fear, didn't notice one waking dragon, its black eyes glinting in the dim light of the cave as it growled...
------
CRUSADE II
The Asturian skiff slowly approached the Cave of Dragons. On the bridge, the crew worked furiously at their stations.
In the hangar, Van readied Escaflowne. He worked the controls to activate it--
However, the Guymelef would not start.
Van tried the controls a few more times, then gave up, grunting in frustration. He stepped out, to find Merle in the hangar in front of him. "It won't work?"
"No, it won't. I don't know what's wrong with it. Except..."
"What?"
"An energist."
"What are you talking about?" Merle cocked her head in curiosity.
"Hitomi used her will to activate Escaflowne. She was nearby every time I've used it. When she was captured, I couldn't move Escaflowne. Maybe...there's some sort of range on her power."
"...Whatever you say," Merle finally replied, then walked over to him, hugging his waist. "Don't worry, Van-sama. I'm sure she's fine."
Van returned the hug. "I'm not so sure."
------
Hitomi's face lit up when she began to see a glimmer of light around the corner of the cave. She had to repress a cheer when they reached the mouth of the cave.
Squinting, she made out a small dot against the sky. *The Crusade...Van, Koichi! They found me...*
"Whoa!" she exclaimed when the dragon suddenly lurched forward and took off into the sky, flapping its long, unfurling wings. Its wound was obviously paining it, as it began an erratic pattern of flying.
Hitomi looked back, and, to her dismay, saw several dragons taking off from the mouth of the cave and tailing her. The dragons, unhindered by injuries, were quickly closing space between Hitomi and themselves.
------
Allen looked forward to see several dragons approaching the Crusade. He said into the loudspeaker, "Incoming dragons! All hands, prepare for evasive action!" He turned to Gaddes. "Do we have any means of defending ourselves?"
Gaddes shook his head in dismay. "No Guymelefs, as if they would do any good. Not unless Escaflowne's up and working again."
Allen turned to the entrance as Van and Merle entered. "Van, any progress with Escaflowne?"
Van replied, "None at all. If my guess is right, Escaflowne will only work if Hitomi is near." A pause, then, "I'll explain later. Just get Hitomi back." Van ran out of the bridge and back to the hangar.
------
The Crusade II was not far away as Hitomi, astride her defecting dragon, made all speed toward the floating skiff.
Hitomi gave her pendant a squeeze for luck, and looked back at their pursuers, who were almost upon them.
Then, her dragon gave a shuddering heave, and slumped a little bit, hastily losing speed. Hitomi shook it. "Come on!"
The dragons reached them, and Hitomi flung her arms out, trying to hit the dragons. Her dragon, with one last ounce of strength, took a sharp dive, lowering away from the dragons.
Hitomi looked down, to see the dragon's eyelids were lowering.
Hitomi sighed, then with the pendant in her palm, gently touched the dragon's forehead. To her surprise, a warm, pink glow emanated from the pendant, and the dragon's eyes slowly fluttered open, and it gave a low purr.
Hitomi smiled. "Now...let's get out of here!"
The dragon pulled up, and continued toward the Crusade with renewed vigor.
------
Allen peered through the telescope, trying to zoom in on the erratically-moving dragon, and saw that it had a person riding atop it. "Hitomi! Gaddes, made full speed toward that lead dragon!"
"Aye, sir!" Gaddes yelled.
Koichi, standing beside the window of the bridge, turned to Allen. "Hitomi?"
"Apparently seems to be riding a dragon."
Koichi leaned back and sighed, his shoulders heaving in relief.
"Don't relax just yet, she's still a while away from the Crusade."
------
Hitomi urged the dragon on, as the Crusade became closer and closer.
However, so were the pursuing dragons, as they were finding new strength, and Hitomi's dragon seemed to be losing it, the wound beginning to draw blood again.
The dragon tried every possible maneuver to shake off the other dragons, but
they would not be defeated, and the ailing dragon began to wail with pain, as the wound opened fully, crimson drops of blood flinging out into the open air.
"You can do it, just a little farther!" She shouted, as the Crusade loomed before them.
------
Van, in Escaflowne, waited impatiently for the Guymelef to start. Suddenly, a low whine filled the hangar, and Escaflowne stood.
"Thank God!" Van exclaimed, and Escaflowne, in dragon mode, flew out of the hangar.
------
However, the enemy dragons had caught up with Hitomi, and a swift claw bit into her dragon's side, the shriek of pain deafening Hitomi. The dragon writhed, twisting in the air, shaking Hitomi off its back.
Hitomi screamed as she fell, nothing holding her from the approaching ground, which was so far away...
She shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable...
She hit the hard surface seconds later. Which seemed too soon, at the altitude she fell from...
She opened her eyes to found she had not hit the ground, but instead, the pearly-white hull of Escaflowne.
"Van!!" She screamed, Van grabbing her hand and pulling her up toward him. She held tight onto him from behind as he flew toward the Crusade.
Sighing, she smiled as she rested her head on his back, her hands folded around his waist.
Little did she know that she was close enough to the Crusade for Koichi, watching them from the bridge, to see her...
------
Allen cocked his head toward Fjal. "Are they aboard?"
Fjal turned to him and nodded.
"Good. Gaddes, full 180. We are leaving."
"What about the dragons?"
"Don't you see them? They're retreating. We're open to leave."
Fjal muttered, "Something seems wrong, Sir Allen...They have the perfect opportunity to attack. We're defenseless, now that Escaflowne is in the hangar."
"We haven't the time to worry about that. Let's take this opportunity while it is still open to us."
"We are turned, sir," Gaddes reported.
"Excellent. Full speed ahead."
------
In the Cave of Dragons, the sinister commander of the dragons watched the Crusade as it cruised away, safe from danger.
Ghydal was furious.
*Furious because the girl got away, their only defense, that...Escaflowne, is operational once again, and I lost a good dragon.
How could it have resisted the Energist Key's signals? It must've been that...witch! That ethereal child had to have turned it.
But then again...I will have my revenge, and soon.*
His maniacal cackles echoed through the Cave of Dragons, as he awaited his chance to strike...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Chapter 3
by Asher Cross
------
CRUSADE II
The battered Crusade II (the only surviving ship of the dragon attack) soon found a clear, flat spot to land.
Soon afterwards, they managed to wrest the motionless Escaflowne from the levistone it had latched onto, and it laid on the ground.
Van climbed out, and saw Koichi walking quickly toward him. He was met by a punch to the jaw from Koichi, whose eyes flared with rage. "How could you? How could you let Hitomi DIE?!" Koichi lunged himself at him, clutching at Van's neck.
Van pushed Koichi off, and the boy seethed with rage, fighting back tears, his voice starting to crack as he spoke. "You didn't try to save her! You could've done something! SHE WAS EVERYTHING TO ME!!"
Van glared at Koichi, his icy eyes also carrying a similar rage. "I couldn't move. The controls were frozen. Believe me...if I could, I would've tried to save her."
Koichi kept glaring at Van, who walked away, thinking about Koichi's words. *'SHE WAS EVERYTHING TO ME!!' He loved Hitomi?...Did Hitomi forget about me?*
------
Allen gathered everybody aboard the bridge, and tried to come up with a plan.
He gave a small chuckle. "I gather the first question is obvious: what do we do now?"
Raylen shrugged. "I suppose our only option is to continue to Ralenia, figure out what is happening with the dragons, and form a solution."
Van stepped forward. "I noticed something during the battle. The dragons seemed to be moving in formations, attacking in patterns, as if the attack was planned..."
"Maybe it was," Fjal added. "Perhaps...the dragons have evolved to a higher level of consciousness..."
"Or they're being controlled..." added Dryden, with a touch of dread in his voice.
Allen sighed. "Well, we'll stay here for the night, and unless we come up with anything better, we continue to Ralenia, as suggested by Lord Raylen."
Everyone nodded, and slowly filed out of the bridge, leaving Allen, Gaddes and Fjal alone.
Gaddes threw his hands up in the air. "What's happening to this place? First Theran's village, then Asturia Castle, then here. We've lost everyone. How are we going to stop this?"
Allen turned to him. "Calm down, Gaddes. We'll find a way to stop this, just as we've done before."
"What if we can't this time? What if our luck has run out? This mission could be our last--"
"So make sure it isn't," Fjal interrupted. "Losing hope is the only thing that guarantees failure. There's always hope...and that's practically all we have right now." Without another word, Fjal walked out of the bridge.
------
In Theran's room, the door chimed. He turned around and said, "Come in."
Prince Chid entered the door, a sympathetic smile crossing his face. "Hello."
Theran nodded. "It's bad, isn't it?"
"Yes. Things are looking bad. We can't seem to combat these dragons, and we lost Hitomi in that last attack."
"She was that strangely-dressed girl, wasn't she?"
Chid simply nodded. He looked down and sighed, his expression changing as if he were removing a heavy mask. "I'm scared. I'm ashamed to be scared."
Theran looked at him. "So am I. You don't have to be ashamed."
"But I'm a prince. I have to be strong for my people."
"I think people expect too much of others sometimes. I'll tell you what: I'll be strong for you, and you be strong for me. Okay?"
"You mean that?" Chid asked, looking up.
"Sure," Theran said, giving Chid a reassuring smile. "We'll be friends forever. Shake on it?" Theran stuck out his hand, which Chid grabbed and shook.
------
CAVE
Hitomi Kanzaki awoke to find herself in a dark, damp cave. Small torches hung on the walls provided some light, and she saw that she was guarded by a dragon. She yelped as she saw it, backing away.
The dragon took notice, and rumbled toward her. Hitomi sat flat against the wall, shaking with fear as the dragon's face stood inches from her own. She could smell its hot breath on her cheek as it snorted.
Then the dragon suddenly gave a loud roar, and slumped to its side violently. Hitomi recovered some of her resolve, and inched toward the dragon. "You're hurt..."
As the dragon's side came into view, Hitomi saw that a bloody wound covered a sizable portion of the dragon's side. Hitomi looked at it. *Poor thing, it's helpless.*
She crawled over to the dragon's head, and softly petted it. The dragon took notice, looking up at Hitomi with its beady eyes, to which Hitomi responded with a reassuring smile.
"Oh, how the gentleness of women sickens me so," bellowed a voice from the darkness.
Hitomi's eyes darted around, looking for the source of the dark voice, and soon found it, as a black figure stepped out from the shadows.
He was handsome in a devilish way, with a thick goatee, and he wore strange black armor, with a curiously-shaped sword at its hilt.
"Yes, this dragon's a rare breed. One of the sharp few, but it's been cursed with that disease called compassion. I should've wiped her out months ago." The man spoke casually, as if the situation were a tea party instead. The man paused to kick the dragon in its side, onto the bloody wound, causing the pain-wracked dragon to howl.
Hitomi said through clenched teeth, "Who are you?"
The man gave an amused smirk. "Oh, please forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Lord Ghydal, former general in the Zaibach Empire, in the Emperor Dornkirk's employ; now aspiring ruler of Gaea. Quite a resume, no?"
Hitomi simply glared at Ghydal incredulously. "What is wrong with you?"
Ghydal began to chortle. "Many would say...a lot." He held out his hand to her. "Come, child, allow me to take you on a tour of the Cave of Dragons. In my opinion, it would be a more exciting thing to do than sit here in the dirt with nothing but a wounded, idiot dragon to keep you company. Wouldn't you say?"
Hitomi hesitated, but finally allowed him to help her up. *Might as well...Rule #1 for Surviving An Encounter With A Maniacal Tyrant: Find out all you can about the situation...* she thought to herself, trying to keep her humor intact.
Ghydal led her all about the vast cave, where hundreds...no, thousands of dragons rested, in immense caves.
As they walked, Ghydal talked. "I was a general in Dornkirk's army, although I was never in many major battles, nor did I meet up with the infamous Escaflowne...I managed to escape with my life, and went into hiding."
"Why did you capture me instead of killing me?"
"Because I believe you're too valuable to kill. Because I know all about you, Ms...Kanzaki."
Hitomi, surprised, stopped and stared at him. Trying to not reveal weakness, she cleared her throat. "Like what kinds of things?"
"Your past, your involvement with the war...and your involvement with that young Fanelian king." Ghydal replied smartly.
Before Hitomi could ask another question, Ghydal led her into a small room in the cave, where a large machine rested.
"What is that?"
"The source of all your troubles--the Energist Key, as I have labeled it. It was the last of Dornkirk's inventions before the war began. He'd scrapped it after completion, thinking it would not be of any worth, that his army was enough to secure his superiority...that his future was clear and bright. Your entrance into the chess game between Zaibach and the nations of Gaea changed all that, did it not?"
He continued. "This device, once activated, releases an energy field that affects all Energists in a certain area. In the case of the dragons, it enables me to use them as pawns. In the case of Guymelefs, it tampers with the energists inside the 'Melef's heart, causing all kinds of malfunctions."
He walked along the cave, continuing to babble, as he momentarily looked away from Hitomi, admiring the cave. Hitomi cautiously approached the Energist Key and studied it, trying to find a way of tampering with it.
She took a deep breath, and randomly began to pull levers and push buttons. Ghydal took notice, and grabbed her. "You idiot little girl! Hasn't your mother ever told you not to touch other people's things? I believe the tour is over. I think I'll escort you to your cell."
Pulling her fiercely by the arm, Hitomi was dragged to her cell, where she sat, defeated.
*Good God, how do I get out of here?* Hitomi thought, as she yawned. *I'm tired. I think I'll rest. I wonder if my friends are worried about me...I wish I could tell them where I was...*
She laid down on the hard rocky ground, and eventually fell asleep.
------
CRUSADE II
A fine blue mist covered the boy's dreamworld. A girl materialized out of that mist...
Hitomi. His love. The highlight of his existence.
"Please help me. I am still alive--but for how long, I don't know. I'm in a place called the Cave of Dragons, where I've discovered the mind and the plan behind the dragon's attack. Hurry, come get me before it's too late--before they kill me. Please!"
She disappeared quick as a flash--
In his room, Koichi woke with a start--
Van, also, sat up in bed, alarmed.
They shouted simultaneously, "Hitomi!"
Koichi jumped out of bed, pulling his clothes on and running out the door, sprinting down the corridors--
Van dressed and jogged through the halls toward the bridge, reaching an intersection in the halls--
Where both Koichi and Van slammed into each other, both boys knocked to the floor.
"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Van.
"I'm going to rescue Hitomi, that's what!"
Van stood still, shocked. "So am I..."
That stopped Koichi as well. Koichi pointed a finger at Van. "Did you--"
"Get a dream? Yes. Cave of--"
"Dragons...yeah. What's going on?"
They both stood in the hall, trying to comprehend what this meant. Suddenly, Koichi made a run down the corridor, Van chasing him.
"I'm rescuing her!" Van growled.
"Not if you don't catch up with me!" Koichi yelled over his shoulder. "I'll have you know that I was the fastest runner in my school besides Hit--"
He stopped once inside the bridge, to see Allen manning the controls. "What are you doing here?" asked Van, catching up with Koichi.
"I was getting ready to lift-off the Crusade. What about you?"
"We both got a dream about Hitomi. We think she is at the Cave of Dragons," answered Van.
"Are you sure you can trust a dream?" Allen asked skeptically.
Koichi stepped forward, impatient. "How sure would you be if two people had the same exact dream at the exact same time, telling about the exact same place? We are POSITIVE. Just get the Crusade up and running!"
"Very well," Allen replied smartly, as the levistones were activated, the motors began to whir, and the Crusade lifted off.
The noise had stirred some of the soldiers, and Gaddes, Fjal, and Raylen stepped into the bridge. "What's going on, boss?" Gaddes asked, wiping his eyes.
"We're headed to the Cave of Dragons," Allen replied. "Get everyone ready, then help me with the controls."
------
CAVE OF DRAGONS
Hitomi sat up abruptly. *Koichi! Van! That dream...what did it mean?*
She was startled by the injured dragon approaching her. It snorted as its face came close to hers. Hitomi saw deep into its eyes, and saw desperation. She gasped when she saw a single, large tear drop from its eyes to the ground.
"You poor thing..." she muttered. The dragon gestured behind it with its head. It repeated this gesture several times before Hitomi understood. "You...want me to go? But I'll be caught." *Oh come on, Hitomi, it's now or never!*
She got to her feet, and hesitantly walked past the dragon and out of the room. The dragon tilted its head upwards. Hitomi, understanding what it meant, climbed onto the dragon's back. The dragon began to walk out through the cave, Hitomi clinging to the dragon's back for dear life, hoping that Ghydal (or a dragon) wouldn't see her.
They passed several small caves, where many dragons slept, their tails curled up across their body. Hitomi, her eyes squeezed shut in fear, didn't notice one waking dragon, its black eyes glinting in the dim light of the cave as it growled...
------
CRUSADE II
The Asturian skiff slowly approached the Cave of Dragons. On the bridge, the crew worked furiously at their stations.
In the hangar, Van readied Escaflowne. He worked the controls to activate it--
However, the Guymelef would not start.
Van tried the controls a few more times, then gave up, grunting in frustration. He stepped out, to find Merle in the hangar in front of him. "It won't work?"
"No, it won't. I don't know what's wrong with it. Except..."
"What?"
"An energist."
"What are you talking about?" Merle cocked her head in curiosity.
"Hitomi used her will to activate Escaflowne. She was nearby every time I've used it. When she was captured, I couldn't move Escaflowne. Maybe...there's some sort of range on her power."
"...Whatever you say," Merle finally replied, then walked over to him, hugging his waist. "Don't worry, Van-sama. I'm sure she's fine."
Van returned the hug. "I'm not so sure."
------
Hitomi's face lit up when she began to see a glimmer of light around the corner of the cave. She had to repress a cheer when they reached the mouth of the cave.
Squinting, she made out a small dot against the sky. *The Crusade...Van, Koichi! They found me...*
"Whoa!" she exclaimed when the dragon suddenly lurched forward and took off into the sky, flapping its long, unfurling wings. Its wound was obviously paining it, as it began an erratic pattern of flying.
Hitomi looked back, and, to her dismay, saw several dragons taking off from the mouth of the cave and tailing her. The dragons, unhindered by injuries, were quickly closing space between Hitomi and themselves.
------
Allen looked forward to see several dragons approaching the Crusade. He said into the loudspeaker, "Incoming dragons! All hands, prepare for evasive action!" He turned to Gaddes. "Do we have any means of defending ourselves?"
Gaddes shook his head in dismay. "No Guymelefs, as if they would do any good. Not unless Escaflowne's up and working again."
Allen turned to the entrance as Van and Merle entered. "Van, any progress with Escaflowne?"
Van replied, "None at all. If my guess is right, Escaflowne will only work if Hitomi is near." A pause, then, "I'll explain later. Just get Hitomi back." Van ran out of the bridge and back to the hangar.
------
The Crusade II was not far away as Hitomi, astride her defecting dragon, made all speed toward the floating skiff.
Hitomi gave her pendant a squeeze for luck, and looked back at their pursuers, who were almost upon them.
Then, her dragon gave a shuddering heave, and slumped a little bit, hastily losing speed. Hitomi shook it. "Come on!"
The dragons reached them, and Hitomi flung her arms out, trying to hit the dragons. Her dragon, with one last ounce of strength, took a sharp dive, lowering away from the dragons.
Hitomi looked down, to see the dragon's eyelids were lowering.
Hitomi sighed, then with the pendant in her palm, gently touched the dragon's forehead. To her surprise, a warm, pink glow emanated from the pendant, and the dragon's eyes slowly fluttered open, and it gave a low purr.
Hitomi smiled. "Now...let's get out of here!"
The dragon pulled up, and continued toward the Crusade with renewed vigor.
------
Allen peered through the telescope, trying to zoom in on the erratically-moving dragon, and saw that it had a person riding atop it. "Hitomi! Gaddes, made full speed toward that lead dragon!"
"Aye, sir!" Gaddes yelled.
Koichi, standing beside the window of the bridge, turned to Allen. "Hitomi?"
"Apparently seems to be riding a dragon."
Koichi leaned back and sighed, his shoulders heaving in relief.
"Don't relax just yet, she's still a while away from the Crusade."
------
Hitomi urged the dragon on, as the Crusade became closer and closer.
However, so were the pursuing dragons, as they were finding new strength, and Hitomi's dragon seemed to be losing it, the wound beginning to draw blood again.
The dragon tried every possible maneuver to shake off the other dragons, but
they would not be defeated, and the ailing dragon began to wail with pain, as the wound opened fully, crimson drops of blood flinging out into the open air.
"You can do it, just a little farther!" She shouted, as the Crusade loomed before them.
------
Van, in Escaflowne, waited impatiently for the Guymelef to start. Suddenly, a low whine filled the hangar, and Escaflowne stood.
"Thank God!" Van exclaimed, and Escaflowne, in dragon mode, flew out of the hangar.
------
However, the enemy dragons had caught up with Hitomi, and a swift claw bit into her dragon's side, the shriek of pain deafening Hitomi. The dragon writhed, twisting in the air, shaking Hitomi off its back.
Hitomi screamed as she fell, nothing holding her from the approaching ground, which was so far away...
She shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable...
She hit the hard surface seconds later. Which seemed too soon, at the altitude she fell from...
She opened her eyes to found she had not hit the ground, but instead, the pearly-white hull of Escaflowne.
"Van!!" She screamed, Van grabbing her hand and pulling her up toward him. She held tight onto him from behind as he flew toward the Crusade.
Sighing, she smiled as she rested her head on his back, her hands folded around his waist.
Little did she know that she was close enough to the Crusade for Koichi, watching them from the bridge, to see her...
------
Allen cocked his head toward Fjal. "Are they aboard?"
Fjal turned to him and nodded.
"Good. Gaddes, full 180. We are leaving."
"What about the dragons?"
"Don't you see them? They're retreating. We're open to leave."
Fjal muttered, "Something seems wrong, Sir Allen...They have the perfect opportunity to attack. We're defenseless, now that Escaflowne is in the hangar."
"We haven't the time to worry about that. Let's take this opportunity while it is still open to us."
"We are turned, sir," Gaddes reported.
"Excellent. Full speed ahead."
------
In the Cave of Dragons, the sinister commander of the dragons watched the Crusade as it cruised away, safe from danger.
Ghydal was furious.
*Furious because the girl got away, their only defense, that...Escaflowne, is operational once again, and I lost a good dragon.
How could it have resisted the Energist Key's signals? It must've been that...witch! That ethereal child had to have turned it.
But then again...I will have my revenge, and soon.*
His maniacal cackles echoed through the Cave of Dragons, as he awaited his chance to strike...
TO BE CONTINUED...