Dragons are everywhere as the eclipse is just a short time away.  Van is lead to the shrine, first by the power of the pendant, and then by Goldie.  The trap is sprung, the battle begins and the day becomes night as the eclipse begins.  Will Gaea live or will the fire of Dragons swallow it?

Chapter 31 The Shrine at Thera Utopia

The Crusade stops in the Dragon Forrest near the area Dryden has calculated as the place Thera Utopia once stood.  They way anchor still a long way from their destination; the remaining distance will have to be covered by land.  Four Guymelfs launch from the bay, Gaddis, Amano, and Allen piloting the Astorian fighters and Van in Escaflowne.

They land with a thud on the forest floor.  Around them are dragons, so many dragons. 

Van: "Keep your weapons shielded and they will let us pass."

Van opens the cockpit of Escaflowne standing on its deck.  He removes the pendant holding it out in front of him as he has seen Hitomi do so many times.  He closes his eyes and concentrates, picturing in his mind the shrine he saw in the vision he shared with Hitomi.  All goes dark in his mind, the only thing he sees is the pendant swinging back and forth in perfect time, and then he sees it, there in the swing of the pendant, the shrine.  He opens his eyes to see the pendant point into the forest and to the left.

Van: "This way."

He renters the cockpit, closing it behind him, then leads off, the others with their passengers following.  Goldie is flying close beside him as they make their way deeper into the green forest.  They have traveled quite some distance when Goldie swoops down trying to block their advance.  Suddenly impressions flood Van's mind, emotions from Goldie.  There are troops near by they must be close to the shrine now. 

Van: "We'll have to leave the Guymelfs here and go in by foot. Goldie is warning us of troops near by.  It must be Dilandau."

Dryden: "What their force can't be that big, we would have known if Ziabach had moved a large army here.  Why not go in and take them out with the Guymelfs, we can fight our way thru and do a lot of damage at the same time."

Allen: "We would loose the element of surprise."

Van: "And besides, Dryden, the dragons would attack.  We'd never make it thru in time if at all, there are too many of them."

Goldie darts back and forth, then lunges at Van and captures the tail of his short cape in his small talons.  He starts to pull Van forward; the little creature knows which way to go.

Nathen: "Looks like we follow the dragon."

The sun is shining brightly as a gentle breeze whispers thru the trees along the valley floor as Van slows the pace of the journey to the shrine.  The moons high in the sky above the Emerald Mountain grow closer to the sun, time is growing short, and soon the eclipse will begin.   Goldie darts and then swoops into an opening hidden from view, if not for the little dragon they might have missed the entrance to the shrine altogether.  From the outside it looks like the entrance to a cave, well hidden by the surrounding brush, but inside it's open, the sun shining on the empty alter in the center.  It is a simple stone alter, stone dragon men on either side, swords drawn as if protecting something.  In the center a clawed hand emerges from the stone, now empty, but once the resting place of the Light of Balance.  The outer walls contain small nooks each holding an energist like a royal tomb of kings.  As Nathen and Gaddis light torches scattered along the sides in preparation for the coming darkness, the others take a moment to look around this ancient holy place.  Dryden examines the walls; he is fascinated by the writings under the energists resting there. 

Dryden: "This must be the resting place of the Dragon Mere that guarded the Light of Balance.  The story of the Dragon Prince, if it is fact and not a tale, then the dragon beasts of Gaea were created right here in this very spot."

Millerna: "It's so quiet here, even the dragons have stopped."

Van: "To quiet and since the Sorceress know of this place already we should see a welcoming committee very soon.  This is a trap."

Dilandau walks into the open flanked by two armored Dragon Slayers and many Ziabach soldiers.  His gate is easy, almost lazy.  He claps his hands in mock approval.

Dilandau: "Very perceptive Van, yes we have been waiting for your arrival.  Where is your pet dragon, did the bitch in heat fly off?  No matter she knows this is her Cred, she'll be here soon."

At the sound of Dilandau's voice in the din of the shrine, both Allen and Amano turn to face him.

Allen: "Dilandau."

Amano starts forward he is very close to loosing it, but Allen grabs him holding his advance, it won't do for him to do something stupid now.

Amano: "Where is Yukari, give her back now, if you've hurt her I'll kill you."

Dilandau: "Ah how nice, the boy from the Mystic Moon playing big bad knight with your little sword.  You want her do you? What makes you think she would want to go back to you once she has had use of a real man."

Allen: "No, Amano."

It is too late, Amano looses control, charging the smiling Dilandau, nothing matters but cutting the man down where he stands.  As Amano draws close, sword ready, in the correct position to kill, one of the slayers steps in his path, blocking his attack and answering with a counter move.  The clash rings out in the shrine as a kind of signal for the battle to begin.  Allen charges Dilandau, both are ready, eager for the fight.  The second Dragon Slayer charges Van, but Gaddis steps in with an attack move instead.  The slayer screams in frustration a high-pitched female scream taking Gaddis momentarily off balance, but not long enough to make a mistake. 

Gaddis: "I know that voice, so you want to be a slayer, fine I don't hold back even for a girl."

The Ziabach soldiers attack anyone not already fighting with their superiors.  Allen and Dilandau are exchanging blows, thrusting and block, both starting to sweat from their exertions.  Although both are very skilled, Allen is still the better fighter.

Dilandau: "Why hold back are you concerned for our little sister, she will be your downfall, I don't hold those stupid sentiments for you brother."

Allen: "Then why call me brother, you are part of Celena, I won't kill you, your family.  I will find out what they did and get her back again."

The fighting continues as Dilandau quickly checks on the progress of his fighters.  Van has taken care of several of the Ziabach soldiers, they were all incompentes anyway, expendable.  That stupid Empress Terrial is out on the ground a small wound in her arm, 'Why did I even let her come, hoping she would get killed and out of the way, that's why.'   If Gaddis doesn't end her, Dilandau will afterwards.  One more thing to check, he turns laughing as he sees how fiercely his other Slayer is fighting.  Yukari is something to watch as she fights, he knew his little bonus from the Sorcerers would pay off.  She won't stop till the stupid boy from the Mystic Moon is dead or she is, and with full armor on the boy won't know who he fights till it is too late.  Either way Dilandau wins.

Dilandau: "It seems our new sister is getting the better of your student, Allen."

Allen: "What?  Your crazy as ever."

Dilandau: "Am I, look for yourself, brother."

Just then Amano gets in a forward cut, the blade slicing thru his opponent's helmet and finding the flesh beneath it.  Amano charges for the killing blow as the slayer falls to the ground.  He is about to arch his sword down when the slayer removes her helmet, red hair cascading over her shoulders.  She turns to look at him, a bloodied hand held to her face.  Amano stops short of the strike, stunned.

Yukari: "My face, look what you've done."

She pulls her hand away, holding it out to him, then bringing it back to her face she licks some of the warm red liquid off, smiling sweetly at him for a moment before charging, blade held high.  There is madness in her once bright, happy eyes; his Yukari is gone, replaced by this mad woman coming at him.  Her blow lands hard against his blade, the full strength of her rage ringing out as the metal clashes.  Both swords go flying, but the fight is far from over. 

Yukari: "Come now my love, we don't need them to finish this, do we?"

She waves her arm in the direction her sword lying, out of reach on the stone floor.  Amano glances to it for a moment, but that is all the time Yukari needs, she launches herself in a controlled kick.  Amano acts on instinct as he uses his arm to block the blow and spins to sweep his leg across her calf, sending her sprawling backwards.  She hits rolling and coming back up into a challenge stance, ready to attack again.  Arms and legs have replaced the forgotten swords, but the battle is just as dangerous as it was with them.  Dilandau laughs again.

Dilandau: "Weaponless fighting I will have to learn this strange manner of battle.  It intrigues me."

Over at the other side of the shrine Van is countering the attacks of the Ziabach soldiers, he has taken out several opponents already, the floor of the shrine is stained crimson from the battle.  He turns to see his friend's fighting fiercely.  One slayer is down, now forgotten by Gaddis as her helps Dryden and Nathen.  He can see Allen fighting Dilandau; he is holding back, Van knows he fears hurting Celena, if she still lives within Dilandau's mind.  And Amano, he is fighting strangely with the other slayer.  No this one isn't just a slayer, it's Yukari, she must have been subjected to a fate alteration after her abduction.  The moves they are using are strange, but it looks to Van as if they could still kill each other, even without weapons.  Van is about to charge two more soldiers as they come at him, when he hears it.  The wind rips thru the shrine as the trumpeting roar of the approaching Green Dragon echoes off the walls.  It lands in front of him and with a slash of its claws rips thru the two soldiers as if they were paper.

The light in the shrine is fading, as the moons high in the sky start to block the sun. The eclipse is beginning.  The Ziabach soldiers run in fear, both from the Green Dragon and because of the eclipse.  In a darkened corner of the shrine near a secret entrance, stands a tall dark figure, a small smile on his evil face; he is anticipating the columniation of his dreams of power and conquest.  Lord Lawrence, one of the three Dark Lords. 

Van watches as the Green Dragon turns on him, but it hesitates, as if an inner fight is taking place.  At that moment Goldie dives at Van.  He lifts his arms instinctively to shoo the little dragon away.  At that moment the Green Dragon reaches out and wraps her clawed hand around the pendant resting on Van's chest.  She pulls snapping the chain from around his neck.  The dragon now holds Van's only hope of saving Hitomi.  A strangled cry escapes Van's lips.

Van: "No!"

The dragon's eyes lock with Van's and the world goes dark for an instant, but in that time, Van can clearly see his fate and hers if he were to be wearing the pendant while striking down the dragon.  He blinks, shaking his head to clear it as a soft voice calls to him, 'I will try to right the wrongs, but we both know what must be.  Be swift and true, I accept my fate.'  Closing her green human eyes the dragon squeezes the pendant, then opens its hand as the pendant begins to glow.  The air starts to crackle as if charged with power and two bright pillars of light descend washing the shrine in white intensity.  Van can see them as they land engulfing the fighters on the far side of the shrine.  Allen, Dilandau, Amano, and Yukari.  Van hears Dilandau's scream of frustration as the light sweeps upward gone into the darkened sky leaving only Allen and Amano standing in its wake.

Amano: "What the…Where are they?"

With the abrupt end of the fighting a deadly quiet befalls the area, the sky above is darkening rapidly as the eclipse reaches its apex.  The Green Dragon looks directly at Van again, a sad look in her human eyes.  He hears the pendant hit the floor as the dragon releases it from her grasp.  She rears up letting out an ear-shattering roar as flame shoots from her clawed hand upwards into the day that is night.  Her unprotected chest is completely exposed to Van.  He raises his sword, and then hesitates 'I can't do this Hitomi.'  Suddenly his mind is filled with Hitomi's scream. 'Now!'  Van's blade arches downward, flying true finding its mark, sinking deep within the Green Dragon's chest.  As Van pulls down and out her life's blood spills and the Green Dragon crashes to the shrine floor dead. 

When comes the triple eclipse the dragon must extinguish its shadow

           At the center of cred or the world shall be swallowed by flame.

The dragon has extinguished its shadow as written in the Prophecy; all that remains is to deliver the new Light of Balance to its resting place.  It is a time of sorrow and joy, a time of endings and new beginnings, but for whom?  What has happened to Dilandau and Yukari?  Some answers come in the form of Hitomi's grandmother; can this gentle woman help Van?   Chapter 32 The Light of Balance