Author's note: All right, here's the next part, tell me what ya think. ^.~
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, I do own any original characters.
Alone in Blood: VI
Disorientated
He opened his eyes. Sunlight streamed down forming a square on the floor. Dust particles danced in the light. He watched. The room was made of wood. The roof about him slanted upward. He noticed a door at the other end of the room. He watched the sun move across the floor. The blankets were soft and warm. The room was empty except for the bed and wooden chest. The sun moved all the way across his room. It changed colour, turning a golden colour.
The boy sat up. He felt something on his right arm. There was a girl there. She was holding his hand. She was asleep. He looked at her as though he had no idea what she was. Getting up so as not to disturb her, he went and looked out the window. The sun was setting, falling behind the trees. There was a village before him. A small one with huts and cozy little cottages. He saw two children playing in the dirt together. They were wolf people. The boy opened the window, there wasn't much of a breeze. It was nice and refreshing. The air smelled so different. Fresh and crisp, not metallic and fake. The sun dipped out of sight and he watched the pink fade out of the clouds and the stars come out. They filled the sky, he saw the mystic moon rise, glowing like a jewel.
"You woke up." The voice was soft and light. It was the girl. He turned and looked at her. She was small, like a child. Her hair was white, like the clouds and she had eyes like the pink sunset. Her skin was pale and she had freckles. The girl had two round white ears and a slender white tail. "How do you feel?"
"I feel…" He hadn't thought about that before. How did he feel? "I feel fine, I think. Are you…" he had wanted to say 'are you my angel?' but he couldn't.
"My name is Laeh." She smiled at him. "I didn't know your name, so I called you Ginsan. Gin is silver, like your hair. Do you have another name?"
"Ginsan?" his eyes wandered around the room. Things came back to him, like a dream. Fire, pain, alone, nothingness and light. "Are you the one who called me into the light?"
"Yes, that was me. The people here say I have a gift for healing."
"Should I have died? My wounds were so bad, so many…"
"You did have serious wounds, but I heal with a different power than most. I didn't use medicine to heal you."
"That's fine." He seemed disorientated. "Where am I?"
"A hidden village. It's where refugees and survivors of war live."
"Oh…"
"Would you let me check your wounds?" she got up and walked over to him. She lifted up his shirt and moved her hand along his chest. He stared in amazement. There was no sign of the broken ribs, cuts and burns that had covered him. She looked at his once broken arms and legs reveling nothing. "You look fine." She smiled at him again. "Are you hungry? Come downstairs and eat with us."
Dilandau said nothing. He followed her down to a tidy little kitchen. A big wolf man sat at the table. He grinned at them.
"So how's your patient coming Laeh?"
"Take a look for your self." Dilandau stared at the man. He felt out of place. He wore simple pants and a soft tunic, his feet were bare.
"Hungry?" the man got up and ladled hearty soup into a wooden bowl. He put the bowl in front of the boy on the table. Dilandau sat down after Laeh did. She smiled at him, she knew how he felt by the baffled look on his face.
"Go ahead, eat." He tried some of the soup, it was hot but good. He didn't realize until he had eaten three bowls how starving he had been. An old woman entered the house, she had a basket full of wild berries. The woman smiled at him the same way everyone had. She went to the counter and began washing the fruit.
Everyone here is so nice. They are so odd too. An old woman living with a wolf man and a mouse girl? This is the strangest place I've been too. They are so kind. They have no idea who I am, I could be a criminal and they still take me in and treat me. The people here are the results of war, did I cause them to be here? Helping the person who hurt you… I don't understand. Why do they care how I feel?
Dilandau ate and watched the people interacting. Laeh was helping to wash the berries and smiling at the old lady. The lady was smiling too, so was the wolf man. Like a happy family. It seemed so… fake, like a dream or something.
****
Someone was watching. They watched the small wooden house, the people coming and going. The someone watched as a boy with short silver hair walked to the window and watched the sun. He stood there like an innocent child. Someone smiled, the smile was cruel and vicious. A smile that the boy might have worn a short while ago. The someone's eyes widened with the glee of mercilessness. There was anger and hate, a black and tangled heart. Someone waited, watching. Someone knew.
****
Jajuka walked down the hall. He looked at the dark, cold place around him, Zaibach floating fortress it was home to him. He looked forward to seeing lord Dilandau. The dog person turned the corner and saw instead that the throne room was empty. He frowned and proceeded to the sparring rooms. That was where he found the dragon slayers. They were all over the room. Sitting in small groups or leaning against the walls. Not one of them was in uniform.
Jajuka scanned the boys, there was only eleven. Gatti, Migel, Chesta, Dalet, and Refina were missing. Where was Dilandau? The dog man walked into the room. It was like stepping into a garden of darkness. Everyone was downcast and depressed. None of them seemed to notice the return of their mentor and companion. And where was Dilandau?
Jajuka ran down the hall. He turned and stopped the cat girl Naria stood before him. She looked as though she had been crying. His expression softened and as they looked at each other he felt as though she was telling him something. Something horrible.
"No. Where is Lord Dilandau? Why is he not here? Answer me Cat woman!" he gripped her shoulders and shook her. She shook her head and blinked as if clearing away her thoughts.
"It's so terrible. So many people die, and it seems as if no one cares. But they do! You don't always see it, but it happens. Families with out fathers, sons who never come home, children left with out parents…" Naria had been focusing on the wall now looked up at him. "Oh Dilandau! Why? He wasn't thinking… he just…"
"No…" Jajuka backed away. He turned and ran towards Folken's quarters. But it was too late he knew the truth. He was too late to prevent anything.