A New Beginning - Chapter 11

Van charged through the trees in Escaflowne, cutting down whatever was necessary, everything that got in his way. For all he knew, Hitomi may be dead--he can't let her die. There was no time to waste, a country is still waiting for him on the mountaintops of the Fanelian border…flying in air would be faster, but that would make it harder to spot her, considering a few hundred feet above the ground would make her hard even for the ravenous birds to spot. He can't go too fast either--if he misses her, there could be a chance he can crush her with Escaflowne. For some reason, his mind can't detect where Hitomi is. Weird thing is, even if she is dead, he would still be able to detect where her body is…he could detect her anywhere, he could feel her through their relationships, and they could communicate just by looking at each other, no words. That was the intimacy they shared—he could tell what mood she is in, her physical and emotional pain, her surroundings' every sound and sight, just by envisioning her through deep concentration. Does seem to work now. It worked even when she was as far away as the Mystic Moon; yet now it's not working. It's too confusing.

Perhaps he had been too enveloped into finding Hitomi that he didn't notice that he wasn't alone. With the speed it was going at and Van just standing still, it took no time for it to catch up to him. Out of nowhere, a dragon's tail whipped low on the grounds, and tripped the metal-clad king. Escaflowne landed hard on the ground, as Van shook violently with the crash, swearing to himself. When the dragon whirled around and tried to attack again, he grabbed his sword with speed he was sure the dragon wouldn't expect, and tried to stab the dragon in the eye. He heard a clang…immediately he noticed some difference in this dragon than the others. It's skin color was pure emerald, unlike the black of the others. Even it's eyes had clear-colored scales protecting it--it was unable to be penetrated. It seemed to have a sense of familiarity to its eyes. That sparkle…Van used to love seeing that sparkle. Yet Van could not pinpoint exactly where he had seen those eyes before.

He was too busy observing that eye that he didn't even notice the dragon strike again. Over and over he fell from the tripping of the tail, and it seemed he fell harder than most dragon's strength could manage. He noticed the dents on the floor of the dirt where Escaflowne fell before, and the rocks that he fell on just turning to sand. Soon he quickly and willingly gave in to unconsciousness, body bleeding from Escaflowne's damage, finding himself unable to defeat the dragon, plus the fact that he doesn't want to harm the dragon for some odd reason. He laid still from injuries, ready to give into death, when the dragon carried off the body of Escaflowne and the master inside it. His consciousness had slipped from him.

*****

Merle heard a loud crash ringing through the forest, and felt that echo of metal shake the ground. It spread among the branches, from the smallest leaf to the ancient tree trunks. It startled her at first; she did not expect such a loud noise through the usual peaceful forest. It had been three weeks since she had been away from Fanelia; she had kept her count on the days, eager to return to Master Van. Somehow she had a feeling something was going on Jiyuni wasn't telling her…

Jiyuni hadn't been coming back to check on her for almost a week now. It gets confusing…so many unanswered questions…what the hell is he doing anyway? She shifted her head to lie on the bark of the tree. First he barbecues me, and plays doctor for me. Now he ties me up, and tells me his secret that depended on his life? A confused look came upon her puny face. If he's afraid of everyone finding out, why does he tell me? He…he plans on killing me? But if he does, why the hell did he heal me? And if he healed me, why would he believe me with his secret? If he was going to let me go anyway… Her eyes go wide, and she jumps her head up from the tree she was lying on. …wait a minute! He's NOT gonna let me go! Silently, she cursed to her stupidity of never realizing that before. He heals me because he wants to tell me his big secret, watch me fear him, and THEN kill me…sadistic bastard. She glared into a sun-shone spot on the ground outside of the shield. Two bunnies were hopping together, occasionally one sniffing the other. Her natural feral instinct tells her to go after it…she claws and growls catlike at the shield. The bunnies can't seem to see her, nor hear her—she can't get out, no matter what she does. Eventually, she gives up when the bunnies disappear into some bushes nearby. Sighing, she leans back down on the bark of the tree and pick up the food that mysteriously appears on the ground 3 times a day. Still…why is he so nice to me then?

*****

"He's not in the castle of Fanelia?" demanded a very enraged Circe.

"I believe not, mistress." Jiyuni's head was bowed low in a poise of respect to report a message, as usual.

"You believe not? You BELIEVE not? Who has enough time for what you believe and not believe? I want him gone, and you follow my orders!"

"Yes mistress."

She rubbed her temples, and then a smile touched her crimson lips. "Go back to the castle and wait for him there. He will be there. I'll make him go back. In the meantime, find out why he's not in the castle. It is unusual for him to leave the castle…find out and report immediately."

Umm…alright… "Yes mistress."

Jiyuni got up, saluted with the proper gesture, and left the chamber. The chamber could scare the hell out of anyone--the perfect place to go trick-or-treating, one would say. Dark, eerie, gloomy…yet crystals hung at the ceiling of the roof of the cave, and Circe's seat looks as if it is made of pure diamond or quartz of some kind. A normal man would think construction of the cave would cost a fortune, but when you have magic on your hands, decoration is not a worry. Circe's beauty matched the cave's--if you take a glance at her, she may have been able to make suitors kill themselves just for her pleasure, but within her heart lies only one man, a far memory into time. It is so distant, yet she cherishes it deeply in her heart.

She smiled and she closed her eyes. She opened her palm as a brush appeared, and bit her finger hard enough to make it bleed. She placed a few drops of blood on a spot on the flat surface next to her, and quickly dipped the brush into the blood. With a wave of a hand, a cup of water appeared beside her. Using the blood as an ink, she wrote the name of Millerna's father, king of Asturia, on the water, and waited for the blood to merge with water…by the time it was done, the whole pot of water turned red, even though it was only a few drops she gave. She stared into the water as the face of the king appeared on the red liquid, and smirked to herself. Then she closed her head and started laughing. One would think she belongs in a mental hospital.

No one but her would know that the cackle was in fact but a cry in pain, a wail to gods of the heaven asking why. A cackle that came from immense suffering and so much crying that no more tears even come when you summon them. Only a laugh at the irony of it all…how she looks at couples of Romeos and Juliets, the stupid fools they were, to sacrifice their lives for each other…and how she used to be one of those people. How long had she been here? How long had these thoughts been here? I may have lasted over a thousand, but our destiny has been lasting for eternity, my love. The laughs turned into sobs, but still no tears. This was how it was like to deal with her inner pain every day, every single second that she lives through.

It will be over soon…as soon as the ceremony is over, she told herself.

My love, we shall meet again.