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ESCAFLOWNE: A CALL TO ARMS
Chapter 5
Asher Cross
------
VYUM, RALENIA
2 MONTHS AFTER CRUSADE'S DESTRUCTION
"HITOMI!"
Koichi's eyes opened wide, and the first thing he noticed was the pain in his
back and shoulders. He winced as he shifted in the bed that held him.
He looked up at the wooden ceiling above him, and around at his surroundings. He
was in a small room, and in the morning, judging from the light.
He tried to remember what had happened before...the Crusade was plummeting to
the ground. He, along with Merle, Hitomi, and Theran, were in a corridor, trying
to figure out a way to escape.
A wall panel was torn away by the severe wind, and he, Merle, and Theran were
sucked out of the ship.
The three had grabbed onto the panel, and held onto it, hoping for it to break
their fall somewhat. It was an act of desperation, but it was the only chance
they had.
*Had it worked? Are Merle and Theran alive? And what about the others on the
Crusade?*
A figure ran in. *Merle!* She seemed much less the worse for wear than he did.
The cat-girl gasped, and ran to him. She ran back to the doorway and shouted,
"Koichi's awake!"
Koichi tried to sit up, but the pain in his back made it difficult. Merle pushed
him back down. "I don't think so. You were hurt pretty badly in the fall."
"So I noticed," Koichi groaned, the pain now throbbing. "What about the kid? Is
he OK?"
"Don't worry, he's fine. Both of us woke up a week after the crash. We weren't
hurt as badly as you were."
"So, how long have I been out?"
"Two months."
Koichi's eyes widened. "Two months? How badly was I hurt?"
"Well, you were still holding on to the panel when you hit the ground. Both
shoulders popped out of their sockets, and you busted your left leg pretty
badly."
"Where are we? And how is it that you guys weren't hit so bad?"
"To answer your first question, we're in this little town in Ralenia called
Vyum--some cranky old guy found us, this is his house; As for the second
question, well...cats always land on their feet." Merle gave him a mischievous
smirk.
"I'm just glad we're alive."
"Aye, it was a miracle at that," a gruff voice, with the slightest hint of an
Irish accent, said behind them.
They turned around to find a middle-aged man, with straggly hair, hobble toward
them. "Welcome back to the land of the living, my boy. I'm Johes, the owner of
the house. I daresay you're the only visitors I've had in quite a long while."
"How did you find us?" Koichi asked him.
"I was taking my morning walk through the outer skirts of the forest, and I saw
you poor children and the panel of metal lying in the open field just outside
the forest. Lucky for you I was the first to find you. Ghydal would've probably
slit your throats, likely after he woke you--he would be that sadistic."
"Wait, wait, Ghydal?" Koichi asked, in disbelief. "How do you know about him?"
"Why, just after I found you, he used his dragons to practically cripple the
capital cities of each country. Before long, he gained complete control of
Gaea." A modicum of sorrow coated the last few words.
Koichi looked at Merle, whose lip began to quiver. "Th-that creep ravaged
Fanelia, and now Fanelia Castle's his fortress...we were almost completely
rebuilt..." A tear rolled down her left cheek.
Johes continued, but only after taking a deep, sad breath. "We don't see the
dragons anymore, but any act of rebellion will bring the whole lot of them down
on us."
A few tense moments passed before Koichi spoke. "Where's Theran?"
Merle nodded her head to the doorway. "He's resting."
"Could I see him?"
"Not yet. You need to rest a little more, lad," Johes said. "Relax, the boy will
be fine. Just rest, and you should be fit enough to walk soon."
Koichi sighed, and leaned back, his head cushioned softly in the folds of the
surprisingly comfortable pillow; he was asleep in seconds.
------
A small voice woke Koichi. He gave a small smile when he saw that it was Theran,
looking up at him with his adorable little eyes.
"Hi, kid," Koichi said, smiling back. "Relax, I'm alive."
"Where's everyone else? Chid, Lord Raylen?"
Koichi sighed, biting his lip, and hesitantly said, "I can't say, munchkin. I
really can't." He reached a hand out to ruffle his hair; it missed as Theran
leaned forward to wrap his arms around Koichi's neck, holding almost as if
Koichi would disappear if he let go.
Koichi moved the hand to the back of Theran's head, holding it, as the boy
sobbed into his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm here kid, I'm not leaving..." he
muttered into Theran's ear, as Theran's sobs grew more violent, his small
shoulders heaving with each cry.
Merle rushed in, saying, "What's all the noise?"
Koichi raised a finger to shush her. Merle nodded, and slowly walked up to them,
hugging Theran from behind. "Hey, cheer up. It makes us sad to see you cry."
Theran, sniffing, said to her, "I'm not going to see them again, am I?"
Merle, her lip quivering as she asked herself the same question in her mind,
didn't answer it. "Uh, Koichi...Johes wants you to come down. He needs to talk
to you."
Koichi nodded, released Theran, and sat up. He placed his feet on the floor, and
shifted his weight onto them, slowly standing. He exhaled, feeling confident.
Then he took a step, and his right foot buckled as it hit the floor, sending him
on one knee. Merle lunged forward and caught him before he fell face-down to the
ground.
Koichi felt strange, she was too close to him. "Don't worry, I can do it," he
muttered, shaking his head, and shakily returning to his feet.
Eventually, with Merle helping a bit, he made his way down the stairs and to
Johes' kitchen. They found Johes walking toward them with a bowl of...something
resembling a gray mush with not-too-appetizing brown lumps scattered around it.
Koichi gulped loudly. "What...is that?"
"Some call it things I'd best not repeat, I call it breakfast. Eat. You'll need
your strength back. It's basically a compilation of the basic vitamins and
minerals--my definition of health food."
Koichi made his way to a chair, and sat down at the dinner table. Johes sat down
the bowl of mush, which wouldn't have surprised Koichi if it started to move.
He grabbed the spoon, and took out a large scoop. He looked at it
apprehensively, as the excess mush sloshed off the spoon and gathered in a
disgusting pile in the bowl below it.
He slowly moved the spoon towards his mouth until it entered, then he closed his
mouth around the spoon, and quickly swallowed it, getting a small taste before
the rancid protein food slid down his throat.
*My God this is disgusting!* thought Koichi, as he began to shudder, furiously
swallowing, trying to get the vile taste out of his mouth.
"Hurry up and finish it, boy, I have much to show you," he said hurriedly.
With a few huge gulps, Koichi finally survived breakfast, and he was given a
cane by Johes, which the boy used to hobble around, following the old man as
they walked into a shack beside his rather comfortable home.
As he entered, his eyes widened at what he saw. Rows upon rows of small
projectile weapons, resembling the musketball pistols from the 1500s. In the
corner, a small worktable covered in shaven wood.
"Oh my God..." Koichi whispered.
"I invented them. They're rather small devices, but potent, very potent." he
picked one up. "You see, this weapon carries a small metal ball and contains a
very powerful powder. Once this small finger-lever is pulled, This hammer will
hit the small flint there, and a spark will form. That spark triggers the
powder, and this small round opening will eject the metal ball at an extremely
high speed, and will do great damage--maybe lethal--to any living target."
Koichi just stared in awe at this backward genius. *This guy invented guns?*
"Uh, what are you using them for, though?"
Johes leaned forward and said with a whisper, "I'm starting a revolution." He
leaned back and surveyed the room. "Ghydal won't know what hit him. Yes, he has
his dragons, and his soldiers and Guymelefs, but he doesn't have the power to
kill from over a kilometer away," he declared confidently, shaking the pistol in
his hand.
Before Koichi could say something else, they heard people gathering around
outside in the streets. Once they were outside, Koichi almost let go of his cane
when he saw what was happening...
Several villagers were dragging in an unconscious girl, her face dirt-stained,
her tear-streaked face stained with blood...
Her school uniform in tatters...
"Hitomi!" he shouted, and began to hobble toward them as fast as he could. Once
he reached them, he tried to push people out of the way, but lost his balance
and fell to the ground.
Merle and Theran, running out from the house, ran to them and pushed the people
back. Koichi, unable to get up, crawling toward Hitomi, and grabbing her limp
hand. *Hitomi...thank God you're alive...* he thought, before fading into
unconsciousness...
------
FANELIA CASTLE
FANELIA
Everyone gathered in the arena of the courtyard, bustling with anticipation at
the long-awaited gladiator fight.
Everyone took their seats in the coliseum, their eyes transfixed on the arena,
where the brutal fight would take place.
The crowd sat silent as the doors opened in the arena, and the combatants were
pushed out into the arena.
There were 3 men, all fit and armed only with a short spear. One in particular,
with long, flowing blonde hair, stood upright, looking up at the crowd as he was
booed.
His eyes moved to the main balcony, where his 'master' and his entourage
watched. The eyes squinted under the mess of blonde hair that hid his face, a
look of anger creasing his features.
Up in the balcony, the new king of Gaea, Lord Ghydal, rose, throwing a smile at
the crowd, which immediately broke into cheers.
"What a glorious day for battle! These three men are the fittest slaves in my
employ. Now, for your entertainment, these slaves will fight each other to the
death, with the last man standing victorious." He leaned down to the fighters
down below. "Let the fighting begin!"
The blonde man turned and threw his spear high into the air, in the direction of
Ghydal. The man's wiry yet strong arm sent the spear flying toward the balcony.
The startled Ghydal watched as the spear sailed toward him. *This man is
skilled,* he thought to himself.
He stood still as the spear continued its journey, and soon it was only a foot
from his neck--
When the spearhead suddenly broke off the stick, and the spear rattled to the
ground.
Everyone looked amazed at Ghydal, whose quickly-drawn sword shined in his hand.
He shot a glare at the blonde man, then sat back down and relished the fight.
The slave defended himself as best he could against the two other men,
considering he had no spear.
Meanwhile, Ghydal watched, but his attention was diverted by the calling of his
name. He turned around in his seat to find Lord Raylen the source of the voice.
A week after the Crusade's crash and Ghydal had taken control of Gaea, he sent a
search party to the crash site. Of the 33 crew members, there were 3 survivors,
and 10 missing bodies...One of the three survivors was Raylen, who agreed to
serve him, if he'd be lenient on his country. He wasn't of course, but Raylen
knew better at this point to defy him. "What is it, Raylen?"
"Sir..." Raylen muttered, "Our Guymelef patrols around Ralenia say they saw a
group of people helping an unconscious girl to the town of Vyum. A girl with
peculiar clothes...not unlike the clothes of the girl Hitomi..."
Ghydal smiled with amusement. "Ah, the girl...send a squad. Crush the whole
town. Leave not a speck of dust...except the girl, I want her alive."
Raylen paused. He obviously didn't enjoy the prospect of his people being
slaughtered. "What are you waiting for, Raylen?"
"Nothing, sir. Right away." Raylen took one last glance at the arena fight, and
the blonde-haired man who was winning. *Oh, Allen...what're we going to do? I
can't keep this facade up any longer...you and I are going to have to talk...*
------
Hitomi Kanzaki awoke in a bed, aching from head to toe. Her vision was blurry,
but she could still see a boy standing next to her. "Hmm...Van..."
"No, it's not Van. Don't worry, you're safe." Now she recognized the voice.
Koichi...
She blinked a few times, and her vision cleared. Her face lit up, and she sat
up, pulling Koichi into a tight embrace, which he returned. She muttered,
"Koichi, you're alive!"
"Yes, I am, and so are Merle and Theran. We're all alive. It's so good to see
you again." Koichi said, a tear of joy running down his cheek.
"What's happened?" Hitomi said, breaking the embrace.
"We managed to survive the crash, Hitomi. This guy from the village has taken us
in, and no one knows we're here for now, I hope. But...Ghydal has taken over
Gaea, and he's using Fanelia as his capital."
"Oh no...What about the others?"
Koichi shook his head. "We're not sure. If you survived, there had to have been
others, though..."
Hitomi nodded, and smiled reassuringly. "Too bad I don't have my tarot cards
with me."
Koichi returned the smile. "Thank you."
"For what?"
A pause. "Surviving."
Suddenly, a low rumbling stole them from their conversation, and they looked out
the window of the bedroom. Their eyes widened...
Five armor-clad soldiers, riding large beasts of burden, strutted into the city,
villagers being trampled or forced to scurry out of the streets.
They were headed for Johes' house.
Koichi turned to Hitomi and helped her up. "We have to hurry and get out of
here." Koichi reached for his cane, and tried to support Hitomi as they hurried
out of the room. But with his bad leg, it was Hitomi who ended up supporting
him.
They searched the house -- no Merle, no Theran, no Johes. With a little effort,
they made it to the front door. They opened it, and stepped out--
To see the five soldiers standing in front of them, holding Johes, Theran and
Merle.
The head soldier on foot grinned evilly. "Well, well. Look who showed up. Get
them!"
Koichi pulled Hitomi along as they ran, Koichi limping along vainly as two
soldiers gave chase. Their armor was rather bulky, so their speed was impaired.
They heard behind them the voice of the head soldier bellowing, "The girl must
be alive, but kill the boy."
"Where are we going?" asked Hitomi.
"The shed -- we'll find weapons there," Koichi replied, not looking back.
Suddenly one of the soldiers caught up and grabbed Hitomi, knocking her to the
ground. Koichi kept up his sprint to the shed, biting his lip against the pain
in his leg.
He reached the door and opened it. Koichi jumped in, and closed the door.
Limping around the shack, he found two of the pistols Johes had made, and took
them off the rack. Once on each hand, he quickly got used to the weight.
The two pursuing soldiers and reached the door. With his thumbs, Koichi pulled
back the hammers and aiming the weapons at the door. His hands trembling, his
breath came in ragged pants.
The doors opened, and the two soldiers came in. Koichi lifted the weapon in his
right hand, aimed it at one of the soldiers, and squeezed his eyes shut as he
pulled the trigger...
A horribly loud bang filled the air, and the unexpected kickback pushed Koichi
backwards to the ground.
He howled in pain as he hit the ground, but quickly looked forward to his
target.
The soldier was on the ground, a crimson pool forming at his head. The other
soldier was still in shock, but quickly recovered, charging toward Koichi...
Gasping, Koichi lifted his left hand and the weapon it held, and squeezed the
trigger. The recoil threw his arm back violently, and the soldier grabbed at his
neck, where the projectile had hit him. Koichi's stomach twitched, and he looked
away until he heard the THUD of the soldier hitting the ground.
Koichi helped himself up with the wall, then dropped the guns to the ground.
He looked over to the rest of the weapons. *Don't worry, Hitomi, I'm coming...*
------
The head soldier paced in front of his four prisoners: Hitomi, Merle, Theran,
and Johes.
He stopped in front of Hitomi, and turned back to his comrades, chuckling. "I
know Ghydal wants her back alive, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun
with her first..." He reached forward a hand to stroke her cheek, which Hitomi
promptly leaned forward and bit.
The soldier yelped and pulled back. "Well, she's feisty...I like feisty," he
purred.
Johes shouted, "Step away from that little girl, you bastard!"
The head soldier paced toward him, his face a mask of irritation, unsheathed his
sword, and thrust it through Johes' heart.
Hitomi, Theran, and Merle had to stifle their screams, for fear of meeting the
same fate.
The head soldier left the sword in Johes' breast as the old man fell to the
ground, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, staining the ground. He
turned to Hitomi, grinning. "Now, where were we?"
"I know where you'll be soon if you don't let her go."
He turned to the source of the voice, which was a few feet away to his right.
"Ah, the boy finally arrives. Where were you...and what are those ugly things in
your hands?" he asked, gesturing to the guns.
"Try me and find out." Koichi said, his jaw set.
"Please don't feign bravado in front of me, child. It's insulting. Inside,
you're trembling."
It was true, this usually mild-mannered boy was scared out of his wits, but
Koichi wasn't ready yet to show it.
Meanwhile, Hitomi was watching as they talked. The head soldier, who stood right
in front of her, seemed completely concentrated on Koichi, as well as the other
soldiers. *He'll get killed...* Gathering her wits, she suddenly slammed into
the head soldier, who fell to the ground, taking Hitomi with him.
One of the soldiers started toward them, and Koichi panicked, aiming his left
gun and firing, killing the soldier. Merle and Theran got up and ran for the
other soldier, tackling him.
The head soldier grabbed Hitomi and pushed her down, getting ready to hit her.
Koichi ran for her, raising the gun and shooting.
He only hit his helmet, which flew off his head and to the ground. He continued
his run, jumping the soldier and knocking him down.
The soldier gave one strong punch, and Koichi was on the ground, unable to move.
The soldier straddled him, pinning him to the ground, and his hand was to
Koichi's neck, choking him.
Koichi's eyes rolled to the back of his head, his vision getting blurry as his
air began to run out...
Suddenly, the soldier's grip loosened, and the man's expression was one of
shock. Koichi peered down to see the sharp point of a sword impaling the space
between the soldier's chest armor.
Koichi crawled out from under the soldier, and sat up, to see the wounded Johes,
the sword that impaled him now in the soldier, his other hand pressing down on a
serious chest wound.
Koichi said quietly, "Johes, no..."
Swallowing several times, Johes managed to groan out, "Carry on my
mission...make Gaea free..." Johes' eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground,
his last words spoken.
Koichi stared at the man for a long time. Hitomi crawled over to him and laid a
hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Koichi..."
Koichi looked over at the dead soldiers and the soldier that Merle and Theran
had knocked unconscious. "I...I killed," he muttered, in incredulity.
"You had to do it," Hitomi reassured. "We have to free Gaea. As far as we know,
we're stuck here for good. I don't want to live in a world like this."
"Where are we going to get people to help us?" Koichi asked.
"There are towns oppressed like this all over Gaea. And another thought just
occurred to me..."
"What is that, Hitomi?" Koichi looked back at her, their eyes meeting.
"I know it seems too good to be true, but...if we survived the crash, there had
to be others from the Crusade that lived...maybe Allen or Gaddes...or Van..."
her voice cracked as she thought of him.
"We don't have anything else to do, do we?" Koichi added.
"We have to do this."
Merle and Theran walked over to them. "If we do this, where are we going to
start?"
"I suppose we could wander until we find a town, find people who will help,
maybe know what happened to everyone from the Crusade, if anybody else lived..."
Hitomi suggested.
"And Johes provided us with the perfect weapons to fight Ghydal." Koichi said.
"We could use the soldiers' transportation to carry them," he added, gesturing
to the beasts of burden the enemy had used to get to them.
The four sat silent, together, until Koichi tried to stand, but his poor leg
gave out on him, the pain even more severe from all the running he did. He held
up a hand to stop Hitomi. "I'm fine, just got up too fast." Koichi tried it more
slowly, and eventually got to his feet.
Hitomi sighed. "Well, let's go."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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