IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL READERS OF THIS SERIES ON FF.NET:
This is the final chapter of anything I will post on FF.net, for personal qualms I have with the site. I'd love to thank all the people who've sent me marvelous feedback--love you all!
HOWEVER, if you still wish to read this series, you can
1) check regularly at my anime site, Asher's Hangar, at http://www.geocities.com/asher_cross/,
or
2) if you don't like waiting so long for the first option, I'm thinking about forming a 'mailing list' to mail to fans once I get subsequent chapters done. Just email me at ashercross@tankpolice.com, with the subject line 'Call to Arms ML add me' and, when I get a new chapter finished, I'll email it to you ASAP. If you want to get previous chapters, make the subject line 'Call to Arms Chapter ##' with the chapter number replacing the number signs. If you no longer want to get chapters (which I would regret--I'd like to think I can hold this series aloft enough for everyone to enjoy it to the end), make the subject line 'Call to Arms ML remove me', and I will do so.
Thank you, and I hope you wish to continue reading what I consider my best fic!
ESCAFLOWNE: A CALL TO ARMS
Chapter 6
by Asher Cross
-----
WALLVOZ
RALENIA
2 DAYS LATER
The four travelers--Hitomi Kanzaki--the clairvoyant girl from the Mystic Moon, Koichi Samamoto--Hitomi's boyfriend from the Mystic Moon, Merle--the cat-girl servant of the possibly late Van Fanel, and Theran--a little boy whose entire village was killed in a dragon attack, rode their reptilian steeds across the vast grasslands and forests of Ralenia, the large sacks carrying the makeshift guns invented by their late companion Johes weighing them down.
Merle was fast asleep on her steed, Koichi trying to keep her in the vicinity of the group, while Hitomi and Theran rode ahead.
Koichi caught up with Hitomi, and rode alongside her. "So, where to? Or do we even have a direction?" Hitomi asked.
Koichi flipped out a piece of parchment, and unfolded it. It was a map. "I found this at Johes'. From what I can tell, we're less than a mile from a village called Wallvoz. Maybe we can find people there to distribute the weapons and form sort of a black market for the resistance...that is, if we can form one."
Merle, now half-awake and who had overheard, rode up to them, and stated, "I've been to Wallvoz once. It was nice, but I don't think we can find much help there. The people there are just farmers and merchants, and not very brave."
"Maybe we can go back and try to convince them after we've been to a few more towns. Doesn't give them the pressure of having to be the first." Koichi said absently. "But we'd better go there now anyway, if just to rest."
Hitomi gave him a smile. "Wow, Koichi. I never took you for much of a strategist."
"Neither did I, but we have to now, don't we?" Koichi gave her a small smile back. "You know,--"
Suddenly, a loud rumbling noise, and a crash startled them. They looked ahead.
They had reached Wallvoz.
It was under attack.
Five Guymelefs, each of assorted make, lumbered through the town, their bulky, metallic arms swinging into the crumbling stone of buildings, sending rubble down onto the populace.
Koichi took a deep breath, and motioned to move forward. Hitomi stopped him. "What are you doing? How do you plan to destroy Guymelefs with nothing but a few peashooters?"
"It's better than doing nothing!" and Koichi started to charge again.
Just then, another Guymelef appeared from the opposite end of the town, headed toward the other Guymelefs. This one was navy in color, with a sort of blocky physique, carrying a gigantic mace-like weapon in its bulky right fist.
Koichi stopped, and watched as the new Guymelef charged into the town, and swung its mace weapon at the head of the nearest Guymelef. The spiked ball cut at the head, the helmet of the machine caving in, crushing the pilot's head as well.
The other four Melefs surrounded the new attacker, and simultaneously charged toward the middle.
The enemy Guymelef suddenly leaped straight into the air, the four Ghydal Guymelefs crashing into each other. One of them fell to the ground dead, another Guymelef's sword accidentally impaling its chest.
Before the other three could gather their wits, the enemy Melef finally bean to come back down...Over the heads of the Ghydal Melefs, his mace lowering in a fierce blow.
The ball cut through the arms of two Guymelefs standing shoulder-to-shoulder, the inoperative machines falling to the ground. The third began to run away.
The attacking Melef raised his arm, and threw the mace in the direction of the fleeing machine, the weapon twirling in the air with unexpected grace.
As the mace reached the Guymelef, the ball made furious contact with the back of the mecha's head, embedding its razor-sharp spikes in the metallic skull (and the fleshy skull of the pilot), sending the dead machine to the ground in a sickening crash. The Guymelef stood stock still, as the excitement wore down.
After barely a minute of fighting, the battle was over. Hitomi and the others had barely the time to blink.
Koichi stared, mouth wide open, at the Guymelef, until he was snapped out of his trance by the sight of Hitomi riding full speed toward the Guymelef.
"Hitomi, don't!!" Koichi yelled, and sped after her, Merle and Theran trying to keep up behind him.
Trying to race to the Guymelef that had saved the town, Hitomi suddenly felt a strange, giddy sort of feeling wash over her. *Only one person I know fights like that...it has to be! Please, let it be HIM!!* Hitomi thought in her head.
She reached the town, and sped through the streets, dodging passersby, trying to get to the Guymelef. Rounding a corner, it was in sight, gargantuan before her. Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation and hope, and she finally mustered the composure to shout at the top of her lungs...
"VAN!!"
She waited for what seemed like an eternity, before the Guymelef opened, and the pilot stepped out. He was small and lanky, with a mess of black hair. He looked down at her, and she could see his face. It was, indeed, Van Fanel, the young king of Fanelia.
He leaped down to the ground, and slowly walked toward her, almost in awe, his jaw slightly open. *Hitomi?! How could she be here? Is this a dream? If so, do I have to wake up?*
Hitomi, in similar happiness, hurriedly jumped off her steed and ran toward the boy, holding him close and resting her head on his shoulder, listening to his quickening heartbeat. *It's him...I found him...* Hitomi began to lean into him as he held her as well.
"What?!?!"
Hitomi gasped. *Koichi!* She quickly stepped away from Van, smoothing out her clothes and clearing her throat, as she saw that Koichi, Merle, and Theran had caught up with them and sat on their mounts next to Hitomi. Merle quickly got to the ground and greeted her best friend with a proper glomp. As Van struggled to get the cat-girl off his back, Hitomi said to Koichi, "Koichi, it's Van, remember? From the Crusade?"
Koichi looked at him with a sort of sneer. "I remember all too well."
Hitomi snorted at him, and turned back to Van. "What about Escaflowne? Is it still here?"
"Yes. I'll tell you about it later, but right now, we'd best find a place to hide. Ghydal will find out about this place, and begin to hunt us. We'll head for the forest, and plan our next move."
Koichi dismounted, and approached Van. "Wait a minute. Number 1,who elected you leader? Number 2, who even invited you to join us?" Koichi sounded none too happy, even shades of anger were revealed in his voice.
Van turned to him with a sneer, and walked up close to him, their faces inches away. "Number 1, I have the most combat experience out of all of you, and Number 2, I invited myself! If we're going to win, we have to work together, despite our confrontations."
Koichi stopped. Van looked to the rest of them. "Let's make for the forest, quickly now. We'll spend the night there, and then we'll move on."
Hitomi sighed, and got on her mount, along with Koichi and Merle. Theran sat on his smaller mount, strangely quiet and sad.
Van climbed into his Guymelef, and motions to follow him. The five children headed toward the forest.
------
In the thick canopy of the forest, the group found a suitable spot to hide the huge Guymelef a few miles away from Wallvoz, and decided to rest there for the night. The sun had long ago dropped below the horizon, and they all gathered around the small fire they had built. In the middle of the forest was a small lake, and the group had set up camp only a few yards from it.
Theran spoke first, his tiny voice barely audible. "How did you live through the crash?"
Van sighed, then began. "I was in Escaflowne when we hit the ground. I must've been knocked out, banged my head against the faceplate. I came to the next morning. I saw several Guymelefs sifting through the wreckage. Almost immediately, I got out of Escaflowne--it wouldn't work, because you were not there. Plus, I didn't want to make myself noticed yet. To make a long story short, I hijacked one of their Guymelefs, killed the others, and dragged Escaflowne to a safe place, in the hopes that Hitomi was still alive and she could make it operate. I've been fighting Ghydal ever since--defending towns like you saw, making hit-and-run attacks on his troops, and so on."
"One question," said Koichi, a finger raised in inquiry. "Do you know why Ghydal uses Guymelefs now, instead of just using his dragons to keep the populace under control?"
"No idea. Sorry."
"Let's just be glad he's not using them," commented Merle.
Koichi spoke up, after the deadly silence that followed Merle's comment. "Van, I have to talk to you for a minute, in private. Could you guys leave for a bit?" he said, nodding to Hitomi, Merle, and Theran.
They nodded, and ran off to talk elsewhere, leaving Koichi and Van to sit absently in front of the fire.
"So, what did you want to talk about? Try to convince me to back off so you can have Hitomi all to yourself?" Van said sourly. Koichi paused in his reply, and Van used that opportunity to continue. "It's obvious that you don't like me, Koichi. You're afraid, afraid that I'll take Hitomi away from you...jealous too."
Koichi exploded, pacing as he ranted. "Don't you dare make me out to be the bad guy here, Fanel! *You* were the one who took her away from me! If you hadn't wished for her to come back here, she might've lived the rest of her life happy, instead of running from huge war machines at every stop! I didn't ask for this, and I'll bet Hitomi didn't either. And now...now we may never get home."
Van stood, his patience finally broken as well. "Let me tell you something: I was heartbroken after Hitomi left. Near the end of the war, we FINALLY realized that we were in love. And she left without even a kiss...one kiss!! And then she finally comes back after a whole year, but I have to contend with both an evil dictator who's taken over my world, AND a weak boyfriend who came along for the ride, who STOLE her from me when we had to be apart! That, Koichi Samamoto, is why I DO NOT LIKE YOU!!"
The two boys stared at each other, their faces twisted in jealous anger, for a long minute before they turned away. Koichi sighed in frustration. "Looks like I have two enemies to fight: Ghydal...and you." He stormed away, leaving Van to stare at the fire as if his gaze would make the fire burn brighter.
------
GHYDAL CASTLE (formerly FANELIA CASTLE)
FORMER KINGDOM OF FANELIA
It was a damp, pitch-black nighttime in the slave cages in Ghydal Castle. One had to sleep in dry, itchy beds of hay, shivering because of the cold coming from the ominous walls, trying to fend off the smell of urine and sweat from your nose.
Allen Schezar knew this firsthand.
Trying to find some semblance of sleep, he shifted in the hay, itching his bare back and shoulders, wherever the irritating hay found him.
A shuffling noise startled him. He looked toward the entrance, where a silhouette snuck into the cages, the dim light from the entrances exposing his presence.
Allen sat stock still near the bars, poised to strike as the figure approached, strangely toward him.
Suddenly he was there--right outside the bars! Allen struck, grabbing the collar of the man with both hands, and slamming his forehead against the bars, then turning him around, pinning the man's head in his arm, attempting to strangle him.
The man gave choked cries, reaching back to try and find Allen's head behind him. "Ga--ga--Ah-All-Allen--"
Allen's grip loosened at the mention of his name. He'd managed to hide his identity from all of his captors--and he recognized the voice.
Allen turned him around, and, squinting, managed to make out the face of the man--Lord Raylen, his former comrade in arms, a fellow warrior from the Crusade!
The man he'd seen right next to Lord Ghydal during his fight in the arena, laughing at his crude jokes and making sure he was /as comfortable as possible/.
Allen spat in Raylen's face and slammed his face in the bars again. Head spinning, Raylen slurred, "Wait, Allen, I came to help you and tell you--"
"I've had enough of your 'help', traitor!" Allen growled.
Before Allen could hurt him again, Raylen quickly replied, "What happened to the honorable, sophisticated Allen Schezar, eh?"
Allen stopped. "What do you mean?" he asked, shaking him.
"The Allen I knew would never act rashly until he knew the facts. Now let me talk."
Allen let go of Raylen, and rested his head on the bars, calming down, while Raylen coughed, rubbing his neck. "He found me at the wreckage of Crusade, like you. He didn't recognize you because of your hair and the injuries the crash inflicted, but he knew me, and threatened to destroy my entire kingdom and kill my people unless I became his right hand. During that time, I've been collecting information and intelligence I get from being on the inside, and forming a plan to dethrone him and return Gaea to its rightful kingdoms.
Raylen continued. "I saw you at the arena, and recognized you finally. It was then I realized I finally found a friend on the inside also. Together, we can get this revolt started. What do you say? Do we become brothers-in-arms once more?" Raylen extended his hand through the bars.
Allen thought for a bit, and finally took it, shaking with enthusiasm. "Of course...brother."
------
Meanwhile...
In the throne room of Ghydal Castle, Lord Ghydal, now gaining weight from the two months of luxury, sat in his throne, talking with a man leaning against a wall in the corner of the room, the shadows hiding his face.
"Please, give me your report, General."
The man had a slightly feminine voice. "Our...uh, re-education...of the town of Wallvoz was...unsuccessful."
Ghydal sat up, alarmed. "Unsuccessful? Don't tell me it's--"
"The stolen Guymelef, sir, likely a survivor of the crash of the Asturian skiff Crusade. He killed the troops."
"Shame to you. As my leading general, it's your job to see that these kinds of things do not happen and we have no FAILURE. Will I someday be forced to ...re-educate you as well?"
Ghydal smiled in satisfaction as the man gulped, nervous. "My lord, these attacks are becoming more and more irritating. I suggest you give me a legion of our finest troops from all of Gaea, and create a task force, using only the best weapons and Guymelefs, to hunt down this fly and destroy it."
"Using too many flyswatters can sometimes be enough of a hassle to let the fly get away. But I will grant you this request. However, in the remote chance that this certain fly manages to evade the swatters too many times, you and your men--however many will remain--will be killed immediately. Is that clear?" Ghydal asked.
"...Yes, sir."
"Now leave, and the next time you return, have some good news for me...Dilandau."
The grey-haired alter ego of Allen's sister Celena looked behind his shoulder, and replied, "Count on it."
------
Koichi Samamoto, still enraged after the argument with Van over the issue of Hitomi's affections, he reached the lake, and suddenly stopped. He blinked very slowly in reaction to what he glimpsed.
Hitomi, unclothed, was taking a bath. Koichi tried to look away, telling himself that he was too decent for peeping, but somehow couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
Koichi turned to leave, when suddenly, someone shouted from behind, "Having fun?"
Surprised, he accidentally slipped, and fell backwards--into the lake.
Koichi came back up, gasping for air, looking around--to find Hitomi gone.
Just then, he heard tittering from the place he was hiding in. He looked over to see Hitomi, now in her underwear, and Merle laughing at his soaked, humiliated form.
Koichi raised a fist in a silent threat, while the two girls walked away, laughing heartily, Koichi left to mope in the insanely cold water.
------
WALLVOZ
The next morning...
Dilandau walked amongst the town, reveling in the havoc his elite task force was wreaking, searching for the location of the Guymelef and its pilot.
One of his officers, Farrest, his second-in-command, motioned him over. The insanely built, intimidating man was holding one old villager fiercely by the shoulder. "This one'll talk, sir!" he bellowed.
Dilandau walked over to him, and grabbed the tortured man's neck. "Speak now! How many are there, where are they, and why should I let you and your puny friends live?"
"Th-there are 5 of them...4 teens, one little boy. They went into the forest," the old man moaned, tears streaming down his face.
"Thank you. You may live, for now. But harbor the enemy once more, and you'll be seeing our dragons soon." Dilandau sneered, and threw the man to the ground.
"All troops, gather round! We'll scout the forest at midnight. Standard spread-search formation."
Farrest added, "First one to find them gets a hearty wench in their bed when we return!" The troops shared laughs, while Dilandau threw his head back in laughter.
------
Midnight...
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Van Fanel's eyes opened wide. He knew that thump.
He shook everyone awake, and quickly explained that Guymelefs had found them, and they had to leave.
"Where are we going?" Hitomi had asked.
"To get Escaflowne," Van replied.
They rounded up the animals (which Van later told them that they were called Colcavs), put the sacks of weapons on them, and rode through the forest, while Van entered the Guymelef and prepared for battle.
From what he could tell, only one was approaching. He heard the thumping footsteps of the Guymelef get closer and closer, and when they finally arrived, Van stood the Guymelef up, swinging the mace at the Guymelef.
The enemy Melef raised its sword, the chain connecting the ball to the handle of the mace twirled around it, locking their weapons together.
They stood there for a few seconds, locked together. The enemy Guymelef shouted, "This is General Dilandau of the Guymelef armies of our Lord Ghydal! Surrender at once and avoid immediate death!"
Van's eyes widened. *Dilandau! Allen's sister is working with the enemy? Oh my god!* He was unsure if he could fight someone he knew well, had come to know and befriend during the year after Zaibach had fallen. He decided that, for the first time in a long while, he would retreat.
Suddenly, Van let go of the mace, and Dilandau, who was pulling with all his might to release his sword from the mace's grip, was met with a spike nearly stabbing his head as the mace swung up toward his head.
However, Van began to run, and by the time Dilandau had untangled the mace and sword, Van's Melef was gone, along with the four Colcav-riding children.
Dilandau, thirsty for blood, screamed at the top of his lungs, his cry of agony echoing through the forest. *I will find you...and when I do, your death will be slow and agonizing, and you will beg for me to end your life...*
TO BE CONTINUED...
This is the final chapter of anything I will post on FF.net, for personal qualms I have with the site. I'd love to thank all the people who've sent me marvelous feedback--love you all!
HOWEVER, if you still wish to read this series, you can
1) check regularly at my anime site, Asher's Hangar, at http://www.geocities.com/asher_cross/,
or
2) if you don't like waiting so long for the first option, I'm thinking about forming a 'mailing list' to mail to fans once I get subsequent chapters done. Just email me at ashercross@tankpolice.com, with the subject line 'Call to Arms ML add me' and, when I get a new chapter finished, I'll email it to you ASAP. If you want to get previous chapters, make the subject line 'Call to Arms Chapter ##' with the chapter number replacing the number signs. If you no longer want to get chapters (which I would regret--I'd like to think I can hold this series aloft enough for everyone to enjoy it to the end), make the subject line 'Call to Arms ML remove me', and I will do so.
Thank you, and I hope you wish to continue reading what I consider my best fic!
ESCAFLOWNE: A CALL TO ARMS
Chapter 6
by Asher Cross
-----
WALLVOZ
RALENIA
2 DAYS LATER
The four travelers--Hitomi Kanzaki--the clairvoyant girl from the Mystic Moon, Koichi Samamoto--Hitomi's boyfriend from the Mystic Moon, Merle--the cat-girl servant of the possibly late Van Fanel, and Theran--a little boy whose entire village was killed in a dragon attack, rode their reptilian steeds across the vast grasslands and forests of Ralenia, the large sacks carrying the makeshift guns invented by their late companion Johes weighing them down.
Merle was fast asleep on her steed, Koichi trying to keep her in the vicinity of the group, while Hitomi and Theran rode ahead.
Koichi caught up with Hitomi, and rode alongside her. "So, where to? Or do we even have a direction?" Hitomi asked.
Koichi flipped out a piece of parchment, and unfolded it. It was a map. "I found this at Johes'. From what I can tell, we're less than a mile from a village called Wallvoz. Maybe we can find people there to distribute the weapons and form sort of a black market for the resistance...that is, if we can form one."
Merle, now half-awake and who had overheard, rode up to them, and stated, "I've been to Wallvoz once. It was nice, but I don't think we can find much help there. The people there are just farmers and merchants, and not very brave."
"Maybe we can go back and try to convince them after we've been to a few more towns. Doesn't give them the pressure of having to be the first." Koichi said absently. "But we'd better go there now anyway, if just to rest."
Hitomi gave him a smile. "Wow, Koichi. I never took you for much of a strategist."
"Neither did I, but we have to now, don't we?" Koichi gave her a small smile back. "You know,--"
Suddenly, a loud rumbling noise, and a crash startled them. They looked ahead.
They had reached Wallvoz.
It was under attack.
Five Guymelefs, each of assorted make, lumbered through the town, their bulky, metallic arms swinging into the crumbling stone of buildings, sending rubble down onto the populace.
Koichi took a deep breath, and motioned to move forward. Hitomi stopped him. "What are you doing? How do you plan to destroy Guymelefs with nothing but a few peashooters?"
"It's better than doing nothing!" and Koichi started to charge again.
Just then, another Guymelef appeared from the opposite end of the town, headed toward the other Guymelefs. This one was navy in color, with a sort of blocky physique, carrying a gigantic mace-like weapon in its bulky right fist.
Koichi stopped, and watched as the new Guymelef charged into the town, and swung its mace weapon at the head of the nearest Guymelef. The spiked ball cut at the head, the helmet of the machine caving in, crushing the pilot's head as well.
The other four Melefs surrounded the new attacker, and simultaneously charged toward the middle.
The enemy Guymelef suddenly leaped straight into the air, the four Ghydal Guymelefs crashing into each other. One of them fell to the ground dead, another Guymelef's sword accidentally impaling its chest.
Before the other three could gather their wits, the enemy Melef finally bean to come back down...Over the heads of the Ghydal Melefs, his mace lowering in a fierce blow.
The ball cut through the arms of two Guymelefs standing shoulder-to-shoulder, the inoperative machines falling to the ground. The third began to run away.
The attacking Melef raised his arm, and threw the mace in the direction of the fleeing machine, the weapon twirling in the air with unexpected grace.
As the mace reached the Guymelef, the ball made furious contact with the back of the mecha's head, embedding its razor-sharp spikes in the metallic skull (and the fleshy skull of the pilot), sending the dead machine to the ground in a sickening crash. The Guymelef stood stock still, as the excitement wore down.
After barely a minute of fighting, the battle was over. Hitomi and the others had barely the time to blink.
Koichi stared, mouth wide open, at the Guymelef, until he was snapped out of his trance by the sight of Hitomi riding full speed toward the Guymelef.
"Hitomi, don't!!" Koichi yelled, and sped after her, Merle and Theran trying to keep up behind him.
Trying to race to the Guymelef that had saved the town, Hitomi suddenly felt a strange, giddy sort of feeling wash over her. *Only one person I know fights like that...it has to be! Please, let it be HIM!!* Hitomi thought in her head.
She reached the town, and sped through the streets, dodging passersby, trying to get to the Guymelef. Rounding a corner, it was in sight, gargantuan before her. Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation and hope, and she finally mustered the composure to shout at the top of her lungs...
"VAN!!"
She waited for what seemed like an eternity, before the Guymelef opened, and the pilot stepped out. He was small and lanky, with a mess of black hair. He looked down at her, and she could see his face. It was, indeed, Van Fanel, the young king of Fanelia.
He leaped down to the ground, and slowly walked toward her, almost in awe, his jaw slightly open. *Hitomi?! How could she be here? Is this a dream? If so, do I have to wake up?*
Hitomi, in similar happiness, hurriedly jumped off her steed and ran toward the boy, holding him close and resting her head on his shoulder, listening to his quickening heartbeat. *It's him...I found him...* Hitomi began to lean into him as he held her as well.
"What?!?!"
Hitomi gasped. *Koichi!* She quickly stepped away from Van, smoothing out her clothes and clearing her throat, as she saw that Koichi, Merle, and Theran had caught up with them and sat on their mounts next to Hitomi. Merle quickly got to the ground and greeted her best friend with a proper glomp. As Van struggled to get the cat-girl off his back, Hitomi said to Koichi, "Koichi, it's Van, remember? From the Crusade?"
Koichi looked at him with a sort of sneer. "I remember all too well."
Hitomi snorted at him, and turned back to Van. "What about Escaflowne? Is it still here?"
"Yes. I'll tell you about it later, but right now, we'd best find a place to hide. Ghydal will find out about this place, and begin to hunt us. We'll head for the forest, and plan our next move."
Koichi dismounted, and approached Van. "Wait a minute. Number 1,who elected you leader? Number 2, who even invited you to join us?" Koichi sounded none too happy, even shades of anger were revealed in his voice.
Van turned to him with a sneer, and walked up close to him, their faces inches away. "Number 1, I have the most combat experience out of all of you, and Number 2, I invited myself! If we're going to win, we have to work together, despite our confrontations."
Koichi stopped. Van looked to the rest of them. "Let's make for the forest, quickly now. We'll spend the night there, and then we'll move on."
Hitomi sighed, and got on her mount, along with Koichi and Merle. Theran sat on his smaller mount, strangely quiet and sad.
Van climbed into his Guymelef, and motions to follow him. The five children headed toward the forest.
------
In the thick canopy of the forest, the group found a suitable spot to hide the huge Guymelef a few miles away from Wallvoz, and decided to rest there for the night. The sun had long ago dropped below the horizon, and they all gathered around the small fire they had built. In the middle of the forest was a small lake, and the group had set up camp only a few yards from it.
Theran spoke first, his tiny voice barely audible. "How did you live through the crash?"
Van sighed, then began. "I was in Escaflowne when we hit the ground. I must've been knocked out, banged my head against the faceplate. I came to the next morning. I saw several Guymelefs sifting through the wreckage. Almost immediately, I got out of Escaflowne--it wouldn't work, because you were not there. Plus, I didn't want to make myself noticed yet. To make a long story short, I hijacked one of their Guymelefs, killed the others, and dragged Escaflowne to a safe place, in the hopes that Hitomi was still alive and she could make it operate. I've been fighting Ghydal ever since--defending towns like you saw, making hit-and-run attacks on his troops, and so on."
"One question," said Koichi, a finger raised in inquiry. "Do you know why Ghydal uses Guymelefs now, instead of just using his dragons to keep the populace under control?"
"No idea. Sorry."
"Let's just be glad he's not using them," commented Merle.
Koichi spoke up, after the deadly silence that followed Merle's comment. "Van, I have to talk to you for a minute, in private. Could you guys leave for a bit?" he said, nodding to Hitomi, Merle, and Theran.
They nodded, and ran off to talk elsewhere, leaving Koichi and Van to sit absently in front of the fire.
"So, what did you want to talk about? Try to convince me to back off so you can have Hitomi all to yourself?" Van said sourly. Koichi paused in his reply, and Van used that opportunity to continue. "It's obvious that you don't like me, Koichi. You're afraid, afraid that I'll take Hitomi away from you...jealous too."
Koichi exploded, pacing as he ranted. "Don't you dare make me out to be the bad guy here, Fanel! *You* were the one who took her away from me! If you hadn't wished for her to come back here, she might've lived the rest of her life happy, instead of running from huge war machines at every stop! I didn't ask for this, and I'll bet Hitomi didn't either. And now...now we may never get home."
Van stood, his patience finally broken as well. "Let me tell you something: I was heartbroken after Hitomi left. Near the end of the war, we FINALLY realized that we were in love. And she left without even a kiss...one kiss!! And then she finally comes back after a whole year, but I have to contend with both an evil dictator who's taken over my world, AND a weak boyfriend who came along for the ride, who STOLE her from me when we had to be apart! That, Koichi Samamoto, is why I DO NOT LIKE YOU!!"
The two boys stared at each other, their faces twisted in jealous anger, for a long minute before they turned away. Koichi sighed in frustration. "Looks like I have two enemies to fight: Ghydal...and you." He stormed away, leaving Van to stare at the fire as if his gaze would make the fire burn brighter.
------
GHYDAL CASTLE (formerly FANELIA CASTLE)
FORMER KINGDOM OF FANELIA
It was a damp, pitch-black nighttime in the slave cages in Ghydal Castle. One had to sleep in dry, itchy beds of hay, shivering because of the cold coming from the ominous walls, trying to fend off the smell of urine and sweat from your nose.
Allen Schezar knew this firsthand.
Trying to find some semblance of sleep, he shifted in the hay, itching his bare back and shoulders, wherever the irritating hay found him.
A shuffling noise startled him. He looked toward the entrance, where a silhouette snuck into the cages, the dim light from the entrances exposing his presence.
Allen sat stock still near the bars, poised to strike as the figure approached, strangely toward him.
Suddenly he was there--right outside the bars! Allen struck, grabbing the collar of the man with both hands, and slamming his forehead against the bars, then turning him around, pinning the man's head in his arm, attempting to strangle him.
The man gave choked cries, reaching back to try and find Allen's head behind him. "Ga--ga--Ah-All-Allen--"
Allen's grip loosened at the mention of his name. He'd managed to hide his identity from all of his captors--and he recognized the voice.
Allen turned him around, and, squinting, managed to make out the face of the man--Lord Raylen, his former comrade in arms, a fellow warrior from the Crusade!
The man he'd seen right next to Lord Ghydal during his fight in the arena, laughing at his crude jokes and making sure he was /as comfortable as possible/.
Allen spat in Raylen's face and slammed his face in the bars again. Head spinning, Raylen slurred, "Wait, Allen, I came to help you and tell you--"
"I've had enough of your 'help', traitor!" Allen growled.
Before Allen could hurt him again, Raylen quickly replied, "What happened to the honorable, sophisticated Allen Schezar, eh?"
Allen stopped. "What do you mean?" he asked, shaking him.
"The Allen I knew would never act rashly until he knew the facts. Now let me talk."
Allen let go of Raylen, and rested his head on the bars, calming down, while Raylen coughed, rubbing his neck. "He found me at the wreckage of Crusade, like you. He didn't recognize you because of your hair and the injuries the crash inflicted, but he knew me, and threatened to destroy my entire kingdom and kill my people unless I became his right hand. During that time, I've been collecting information and intelligence I get from being on the inside, and forming a plan to dethrone him and return Gaea to its rightful kingdoms.
Raylen continued. "I saw you at the arena, and recognized you finally. It was then I realized I finally found a friend on the inside also. Together, we can get this revolt started. What do you say? Do we become brothers-in-arms once more?" Raylen extended his hand through the bars.
Allen thought for a bit, and finally took it, shaking with enthusiasm. "Of course...brother."
------
Meanwhile...
In the throne room of Ghydal Castle, Lord Ghydal, now gaining weight from the two months of luxury, sat in his throne, talking with a man leaning against a wall in the corner of the room, the shadows hiding his face.
"Please, give me your report, General."
The man had a slightly feminine voice. "Our...uh, re-education...of the town of Wallvoz was...unsuccessful."
Ghydal sat up, alarmed. "Unsuccessful? Don't tell me it's--"
"The stolen Guymelef, sir, likely a survivor of the crash of the Asturian skiff Crusade. He killed the troops."
"Shame to you. As my leading general, it's your job to see that these kinds of things do not happen and we have no FAILURE. Will I someday be forced to ...re-educate you as well?"
Ghydal smiled in satisfaction as the man gulped, nervous. "My lord, these attacks are becoming more and more irritating. I suggest you give me a legion of our finest troops from all of Gaea, and create a task force, using only the best weapons and Guymelefs, to hunt down this fly and destroy it."
"Using too many flyswatters can sometimes be enough of a hassle to let the fly get away. But I will grant you this request. However, in the remote chance that this certain fly manages to evade the swatters too many times, you and your men--however many will remain--will be killed immediately. Is that clear?" Ghydal asked.
"...Yes, sir."
"Now leave, and the next time you return, have some good news for me...Dilandau."
The grey-haired alter ego of Allen's sister Celena looked behind his shoulder, and replied, "Count on it."
------
Koichi Samamoto, still enraged after the argument with Van over the issue of Hitomi's affections, he reached the lake, and suddenly stopped. He blinked very slowly in reaction to what he glimpsed.
Hitomi, unclothed, was taking a bath. Koichi tried to look away, telling himself that he was too decent for peeping, but somehow couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
Koichi turned to leave, when suddenly, someone shouted from behind, "Having fun?"
Surprised, he accidentally slipped, and fell backwards--into the lake.
Koichi came back up, gasping for air, looking around--to find Hitomi gone.
Just then, he heard tittering from the place he was hiding in. He looked over to see Hitomi, now in her underwear, and Merle laughing at his soaked, humiliated form.
Koichi raised a fist in a silent threat, while the two girls walked away, laughing heartily, Koichi left to mope in the insanely cold water.
------
WALLVOZ
The next morning...
Dilandau walked amongst the town, reveling in the havoc his elite task force was wreaking, searching for the location of the Guymelef and its pilot.
One of his officers, Farrest, his second-in-command, motioned him over. The insanely built, intimidating man was holding one old villager fiercely by the shoulder. "This one'll talk, sir!" he bellowed.
Dilandau walked over to him, and grabbed the tortured man's neck. "Speak now! How many are there, where are they, and why should I let you and your puny friends live?"
"Th-there are 5 of them...4 teens, one little boy. They went into the forest," the old man moaned, tears streaming down his face.
"Thank you. You may live, for now. But harbor the enemy once more, and you'll be seeing our dragons soon." Dilandau sneered, and threw the man to the ground.
"All troops, gather round! We'll scout the forest at midnight. Standard spread-search formation."
Farrest added, "First one to find them gets a hearty wench in their bed when we return!" The troops shared laughs, while Dilandau threw his head back in laughter.
------
Midnight...
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Van Fanel's eyes opened wide. He knew that thump.
He shook everyone awake, and quickly explained that Guymelefs had found them, and they had to leave.
"Where are we going?" Hitomi had asked.
"To get Escaflowne," Van replied.
They rounded up the animals (which Van later told them that they were called Colcavs), put the sacks of weapons on them, and rode through the forest, while Van entered the Guymelef and prepared for battle.
From what he could tell, only one was approaching. He heard the thumping footsteps of the Guymelef get closer and closer, and when they finally arrived, Van stood the Guymelef up, swinging the mace at the Guymelef.
The enemy Melef raised its sword, the chain connecting the ball to the handle of the mace twirled around it, locking their weapons together.
They stood there for a few seconds, locked together. The enemy Guymelef shouted, "This is General Dilandau of the Guymelef armies of our Lord Ghydal! Surrender at once and avoid immediate death!"
Van's eyes widened. *Dilandau! Allen's sister is working with the enemy? Oh my god!* He was unsure if he could fight someone he knew well, had come to know and befriend during the year after Zaibach had fallen. He decided that, for the first time in a long while, he would retreat.
Suddenly, Van let go of the mace, and Dilandau, who was pulling with all his might to release his sword from the mace's grip, was met with a spike nearly stabbing his head as the mace swung up toward his head.
However, Van began to run, and by the time Dilandau had untangled the mace and sword, Van's Melef was gone, along with the four Colcav-riding children.
Dilandau, thirsty for blood, screamed at the top of his lungs, his cry of agony echoing through the forest. *I will find you...and when I do, your death will be slow and agonizing, and you will beg for me to end your life...*
TO BE CONTINUED...