Dragon Burn
By Amanda Wardropper
Hidden Talents
Chapter 10 - New Fanialia gathering, Hitomi's Grandmothers, New Fanialia castle.
It was around eleven in the morning, Earth time, when Van found Hitomi again, helping out in the outdoor kitchens, making berry pies.
"Everything is almost finished, Hitomi, then the gather can begin!" He shouted over to her. She was stood at one of the huge ovens, taking out a tray of berry pies. She took the tray over to the tables and placed it down to cool, then walked back to where he stood, behind the barriers of tables.
"Expecting a big rush?" He asked, looking down at the table he was leaning on.
"The other cooks say so." She answered with a coy grin.
"I'm going to meet Jason and the others in a minute, are you coming, or are you too busy?"
"I'm almost done." She assured, looking over her shoulder to the ovens and cooling pies. She turned back to him and asked, "By the way, what exactly is a gathering here?"
He sighed, "Don't tell me the Mystic Moon dosen't have gatherings! People come from all over Gaea to take part in a country's gather! They come to set up stalls for trade and to take part in the racing and other events. The highlight of a country's gather is always the dancing, it's held all through the night, the music is for all ages, they even have compititions for the more energetic dances." He paused in thought, "Of course, Fanialia's are always the best!"
"You really think allot about your country, don't you?" She said, wryly.
He only smiled and came back at her with, "Say, I hope we are going to be graced with a Mystic Moon song on the dance square tonight."
"What do you mean!"
"I mean you singing or one of your own manuscripts."
"But I can't ... I mean, they're only silly little tunes, nothing big ... And there's so many people here!" She blurted out.
"Oh, come on, Hitomi! I hardly think a little crowd is that daunting to you!"
"But all my stuff is at home! Unless you want me to go back and get it?" She added sarcastically.
"Oh please, Hitomi, I'd like to hear some music from your planet and I'm sure Fanialia would too." He pleaded.
He gave, what she thought, was a Puppy dog look and unwillingly subsided. A part of her really wanted to do this, it had been her dream to have her songs performed infront of an audience, then again, a part of her didn't.
"OK." She sighed, "But on one condition."
He leaned forward on his forearms, "Name it." He whispered.
She put a fist on her hip and pointed to his chest, "The king of Fanialia is coming with me and is going to make a fool of himself aswell." She smiled menacingly.
"Fine, I'm already doing a spot, but I guess I could do a second. You wanna go get your stuff now?"
"You mean you KNOW how!?!" She exclaimed, drawing herself upright.
"Of course," He nodded, "You don't just ignore what a person says when they're in a fever." She looked gobsmacked. "C'mon, I'll take you on Escaflowne."
She smirked, "Obviously, you don't listen hard enough, I don't need Escaflowne, besides, I don't think the neighbourhood would appreciate a forty foot, steel dragon flying over their roof tops." She stopped him before he could protest, "It might be normal here, but where I come from you'd have the army onto you, thinking you're some sort of Godzilla creature."
He frowned in puzzlement then recovered his composure and said, "Well, as long as your back before sunset, when the dance square becomes the centre of
attention." He added, "Knowing Allen, he'll want the first dance with you." He looked down at his boots.
"Don't worry, Van," She lowered her voice, "I'll save the first dance for you." His head jerked back up with a boyish smile to it, "But only one!" The smile faded, but returned when she started laughing.
The kitchens were deserted, except for a couple of women, coming to take the pies to the stalls to sell. "I got a spare moment now." She turned to walk and looked back, "Are you coming?"
"If I can have one of those Berry pies, I will." He picked one up and took a bite out of it to prove his point.
"They're hot." She said, offhandedly, as she started to walk away.
They are like! Van thought.
He caught up to her gasping for cool air and fanning his mouth with his hands.
"I told you so." She paused and stopped walking, "This will do, it's out of the way." She thought a moment longer, "I hope this works."
Van took another bite out of the cooling pie, it was bearable.
"OK, lets give it a shot." She finally said. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on top of each other, on her chest. He polished off the rest of the desert. "You're not going to just stand there, are you? A little help here?"
"Oh! Sorry, Hitomi, great pie!"
She opened one eye and giggled, "C'mon, this is serious!"
"Alright! Alright!" His laughter faded and he walked over to her. He came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, "What do I do?"
"Just concerntrate." They both shut their eyes, tight. Take us to my grandmother's house, was the silent command in Hitomi's minds eye.
She could feel the cool breeze, but dared not open her eyes to see if it had worked.
"Hitomi? ... Hitomi, where are we?" She heard him ask, she opened her eyes to look around. He'd stepped back and was looking, frantically, around.
"We're here ... my grandmother's."
The back door opened and a figure stepped out, holding a pan, ready to attack the intruder. "Who's there?"
"Grandmother?" Hitomi whispered.
The figure lowered the pan, "Hitomi, is that you?" She nodded and ran towards the door. "What are you doing here? I thought you were ..." She noticed Van standing in the middle of the garden, looking around, this was all so new to him. He looked like a duck out of water.
Hitomi turned her head to him, "Grandmother, this is Van Fanel." His attention was drawn back to the door.
"Oh, so this is Van!"
He smiled politely and bowed from the waist, "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Hitomi had to stiffle a giggle.
"Well come in and I'll put some tea on!"
"We're not staying long, grandmother, I just need to pick up some things."
Her grandmother led the way in, she leaned over to Hitomi and said, "I hope you weren't planning on giving him a tour around town, not with a sword hanging off his hip."
"Believe me grandmother, there would have been stranger things, that would make a sword look like an everyday accessory." She thought of Escaflowne flying above the sky scrappers here, or even a guymeluf plowing it's way through the streets. She raised a hand to her mouth to cut off the laugh that threatened to burst out.
Van followed a couple of paces behind, looking around in awe. So many new things to take in and ponder on.
Hitomi started up the stairs to her music "slash" bedroom.
"So, Van. Hitomi has told me allot about you."
"She has? Hey! How come I can understand you, and you, me?" He exclaimed.
"Good question, even I don't know. Maybe it's got something to do with the
pendant."
"Yeah, maybe."
Hitomi called down to him, from the landing. "Van, could you gimme a hand up here, please?"
"Alright, I'm coming!" He nodded to her grandmother before heading for the stairs.
"Hmmm, strange kid. Then again, he is from Gaea." Hitomi's grandmother said to herself, as she watched him bound up the stairs, two at a time.
"Hitomi, which one are you in?" He asked. He was faced with five doors on the landing. One opened.
"This one." Came Hitomi's voice, from within.
He walked in and give a low whistle, "Now thats what I call a drum kit." He blushed, as if he had said something wrong.
"You have drums?" She asked in surprise.
"Oh yeah. Only ours are made of wood," He stroked the polished surface of the drum kit with his hand, "yours are made out of metal."
She nodded and reached for the guitar, in the far corner of the small room.
Shelves were covered with notations and books of all kinds. The corners of the room were occupied by the two instruments and piles of manuscript paper,
untouched.
"This is an electric guitar." She held it out for him to see. "I got batteries for it here, somewhere." She put the instrument down and began shuffling through piles of script on the shelves.
He flicked through them as she handed him some, "You write your own music, then?"
"Yes. Ah! Here they are!" She swiped the batteries off the shelf and jammed them into the guitar, "They should be fully charged."
"Would you play one for me?"
"What?" She looked up from checking the instrument.
"A song, would you play one for me?"
"What, now? Well ... I ..."
"If you can't play infront of me, how are you going to manage at a gather?"
"This is why I didn't want to, I've never played any of my own music to anyone before."
"Nows your chance."
She regarded him for a moment and finally hung the guitar strap around her shoulder and neck.
"I'm gonna regret this," She muttered, "Take a seat." She gestured towards the drum kit. He sat down, while she sorted through the manuscript.
"This'll do." She sat down on the bed and turned the guitar on. She adjusted the switches and buttons before striking some cords to check the tuning.
She began with the first five chords, before adding the melody.
The harmony and the melody, together, formed a haunting chill inside the little room. Each note hung in the air , before dying when the next note was struck.
After a long introduction, the words began, fitting into place with every breath and hanging in the air, telling a ballad.
""He is the Seeker,
The bringer of Death, and shalt so name himself.""
Van listened in silent awe as she ran through each verse word and note perfect.
""The weilder of the Sword of Truth,
and only seeks that which is true.
To his mind, He kills in hate,
But to his heart, He forgives those with love,
And thus the blade shall turn white.""
The song told of a man, named as the Seeker as his birth right. Of how he
overcame great magic to be with his love, and how she had to sacrifice all that she held dear, and start a war which could only end in death.
The final note faded away, along with the Seekers suicide at his dead lovers body, on the battle field.
Van walked over and sat beside her, "That was beautiful," He whispered, "Hitomi, if you were to ..."
"No," She cut him off, "that's a special song, I don't sing it for anyone else." She looked away from him. He caught her chin on his finger and drew her back to face him.
"You don't have to, if any of your other songs are as good as that one." He gave her a winning smile.
"I hate you, Van Fanel." She said with a sly grin.
She stood up and gathered her manuscripts and guitar. She sighed, heavily, "I hope your musicians are good enough to play these."
"Hitomi! I'm hurt," He placed a hand on his chest as he stood up abruptly, " are you saying that I can't play the drums good enough for you!?!" She whirled round to face him, a surprised look on her face. He grinned at her reaction and held his arms out infront of him, pleading to her, "Oh come on!! I'm a sixteen turns old, what do you expect me to do in my spare time!?!"
"I guess ... I didn't realized how much Gaea is like Earth."
"What do you mean by that?"
"All boys are the same." She smiled mischeviously, "They're all, either, football mad or music mad."
"Oh? And what am I?"
Her smile widened, "Both!"
He powted, but soon broke into a one sided grin, "C'mon, if we go now, we'll be in time for the start."
They raced downstairs. Hitomi gave her grandmother a kiss goodbye and joined him outside to call forth the pillar of light.
It was early afternoon when they arrived back in Fanailia. They hid the guitar and music on the outdoor stage, "I'll get the men to start practicing their parts." Van said.
They caught sight of Tirone, Jason, Allen and his crew and decided to go join them.
"Hitomi! Hitomi!" Merle cried, she skidded to a halt infront of her. "What are you doing, I've been looking all over for you. Come on, we need to get a move on!"
"Merle, what's the matter?"
"Nothing, just hurry, we haven't got much time." She dragged Hitomi off to one side, "I've had the weavers, weave us up something special." She cast a shy glance to Tirone, the white catboy, who was looking in the opposite direction.
Hitomi giggled, "You like him, don't you?"
Merlle swirved round to her, "I so don't!"
"You so do!" They both smiled
"What are they whispering about?" Van asked Jason.
"I don't have the slightest, but you better go get changed." He looked at his friend.
"You too, you reek!" They both laughed as they bid Allen and crew farewell and walked off to the castle.
Hitomi and Merle had done the same.
"So when is the racing starting?" Gaddes asked.
"Soon." Van replied. They were standing near to the stalls and the race course. "Which one are you backing?" Van asked.
"Thunder Song, you?"
"Emerald Beauty. I hear shes getting good stakes on the stalls."
"I'm too young to bet. By one turn." Tirone growled.
"Aww don't worry old friend, you'll get your chance." Jason scoffed.
Celena Schezar had arrived earlier that day and asked, "I heard Hitomi was around? Where is she and Merle?"
Van turned to her, "I don't know, they said they wouldn't be long, women, chaaa!"
Jason pulled her to one side, "What are you doing here?"
"Jason, I'm here with my brother."
"I know but why did you come, you know I'm here."
"Why, I'm here to see you," She patted his cheek and whispered, "Dragonslayer."
Jason growled at her, "I told you, I'm not in Zaibech."
"Jason, I pitty you, you can't deny your roots."
"You would say that, you weren't born into Zaibech, you were kidnapped into it."
"Jason, don't hold a grudge for me, I knew your mother, she was a kind and
generous women."
"Yeah, until she slit your throat. Look, just forget it, I want to enjoy my first
summer here and you better not spoil it." He cautioned, "I'm no longer who you knew me as, I'm Jason Dende, knight Arkayl, not Jason Dende, the Dragonslayer."
"OK, but either way you look at it, your Jason Dende, son of Anima and Carn Dende. Two of the best generals in the Zaibech army."
"I thought you wanted to leave all of that behind."
She shrugged, "I did, but whether you like it or not, I'm still Dilandu."
Jason glowered at her, turned and marched away, he wanted to forget his roots and past, that's why he'd came to Fanailia.
By Amanda Wardropper
Hidden Talents
Chapter 10 - New Fanialia gathering, Hitomi's Grandmothers, New Fanialia castle.
It was around eleven in the morning, Earth time, when Van found Hitomi again, helping out in the outdoor kitchens, making berry pies.
"Everything is almost finished, Hitomi, then the gather can begin!" He shouted over to her. She was stood at one of the huge ovens, taking out a tray of berry pies. She took the tray over to the tables and placed it down to cool, then walked back to where he stood, behind the barriers of tables.
"Expecting a big rush?" He asked, looking down at the table he was leaning on.
"The other cooks say so." She answered with a coy grin.
"I'm going to meet Jason and the others in a minute, are you coming, or are you too busy?"
"I'm almost done." She assured, looking over her shoulder to the ovens and cooling pies. She turned back to him and asked, "By the way, what exactly is a gathering here?"
He sighed, "Don't tell me the Mystic Moon dosen't have gatherings! People come from all over Gaea to take part in a country's gather! They come to set up stalls for trade and to take part in the racing and other events. The highlight of a country's gather is always the dancing, it's held all through the night, the music is for all ages, they even have compititions for the more energetic dances." He paused in thought, "Of course, Fanialia's are always the best!"
"You really think allot about your country, don't you?" She said, wryly.
He only smiled and came back at her with, "Say, I hope we are going to be graced with a Mystic Moon song on the dance square tonight."
"What do you mean!"
"I mean you singing or one of your own manuscripts."
"But I can't ... I mean, they're only silly little tunes, nothing big ... And there's so many people here!" She blurted out.
"Oh, come on, Hitomi! I hardly think a little crowd is that daunting to you!"
"But all my stuff is at home! Unless you want me to go back and get it?" She added sarcastically.
"Oh please, Hitomi, I'd like to hear some music from your planet and I'm sure Fanialia would too." He pleaded.
He gave, what she thought, was a Puppy dog look and unwillingly subsided. A part of her really wanted to do this, it had been her dream to have her songs performed infront of an audience, then again, a part of her didn't.
"OK." She sighed, "But on one condition."
He leaned forward on his forearms, "Name it." He whispered.
She put a fist on her hip and pointed to his chest, "The king of Fanialia is coming with me and is going to make a fool of himself aswell." She smiled menacingly.
"Fine, I'm already doing a spot, but I guess I could do a second. You wanna go get your stuff now?"
"You mean you KNOW how!?!" She exclaimed, drawing herself upright.
"Of course," He nodded, "You don't just ignore what a person says when they're in a fever." She looked gobsmacked. "C'mon, I'll take you on Escaflowne."
She smirked, "Obviously, you don't listen hard enough, I don't need Escaflowne, besides, I don't think the neighbourhood would appreciate a forty foot, steel dragon flying over their roof tops." She stopped him before he could protest, "It might be normal here, but where I come from you'd have the army onto you, thinking you're some sort of Godzilla creature."
He frowned in puzzlement then recovered his composure and said, "Well, as long as your back before sunset, when the dance square becomes the centre of
attention." He added, "Knowing Allen, he'll want the first dance with you." He looked down at his boots.
"Don't worry, Van," She lowered her voice, "I'll save the first dance for you." His head jerked back up with a boyish smile to it, "But only one!" The smile faded, but returned when she started laughing.
The kitchens were deserted, except for a couple of women, coming to take the pies to the stalls to sell. "I got a spare moment now." She turned to walk and looked back, "Are you coming?"
"If I can have one of those Berry pies, I will." He picked one up and took a bite out of it to prove his point.
"They're hot." She said, offhandedly, as she started to walk away.
They are like! Van thought.
He caught up to her gasping for cool air and fanning his mouth with his hands.
"I told you so." She paused and stopped walking, "This will do, it's out of the way." She thought a moment longer, "I hope this works."
Van took another bite out of the cooling pie, it was bearable.
"OK, lets give it a shot." She finally said. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on top of each other, on her chest. He polished off the rest of the desert. "You're not going to just stand there, are you? A little help here?"
"Oh! Sorry, Hitomi, great pie!"
She opened one eye and giggled, "C'mon, this is serious!"
"Alright! Alright!" His laughter faded and he walked over to her. He came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, "What do I do?"
"Just concerntrate." They both shut their eyes, tight. Take us to my grandmother's house, was the silent command in Hitomi's minds eye.
She could feel the cool breeze, but dared not open her eyes to see if it had worked.
"Hitomi? ... Hitomi, where are we?" She heard him ask, she opened her eyes to look around. He'd stepped back and was looking, frantically, around.
"We're here ... my grandmother's."
The back door opened and a figure stepped out, holding a pan, ready to attack the intruder. "Who's there?"
"Grandmother?" Hitomi whispered.
The figure lowered the pan, "Hitomi, is that you?" She nodded and ran towards the door. "What are you doing here? I thought you were ..." She noticed Van standing in the middle of the garden, looking around, this was all so new to him. He looked like a duck out of water.
Hitomi turned her head to him, "Grandmother, this is Van Fanel." His attention was drawn back to the door.
"Oh, so this is Van!"
He smiled politely and bowed from the waist, "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Hitomi had to stiffle a giggle.
"Well come in and I'll put some tea on!"
"We're not staying long, grandmother, I just need to pick up some things."
Her grandmother led the way in, she leaned over to Hitomi and said, "I hope you weren't planning on giving him a tour around town, not with a sword hanging off his hip."
"Believe me grandmother, there would have been stranger things, that would make a sword look like an everyday accessory." She thought of Escaflowne flying above the sky scrappers here, or even a guymeluf plowing it's way through the streets. She raised a hand to her mouth to cut off the laugh that threatened to burst out.
Van followed a couple of paces behind, looking around in awe. So many new things to take in and ponder on.
Hitomi started up the stairs to her music "slash" bedroom.
"So, Van. Hitomi has told me allot about you."
"She has? Hey! How come I can understand you, and you, me?" He exclaimed.
"Good question, even I don't know. Maybe it's got something to do with the
pendant."
"Yeah, maybe."
Hitomi called down to him, from the landing. "Van, could you gimme a hand up here, please?"
"Alright, I'm coming!" He nodded to her grandmother before heading for the stairs.
"Hmmm, strange kid. Then again, he is from Gaea." Hitomi's grandmother said to herself, as she watched him bound up the stairs, two at a time.
"Hitomi, which one are you in?" He asked. He was faced with five doors on the landing. One opened.
"This one." Came Hitomi's voice, from within.
He walked in and give a low whistle, "Now thats what I call a drum kit." He blushed, as if he had said something wrong.
"You have drums?" She asked in surprise.
"Oh yeah. Only ours are made of wood," He stroked the polished surface of the drum kit with his hand, "yours are made out of metal."
She nodded and reached for the guitar, in the far corner of the small room.
Shelves were covered with notations and books of all kinds. The corners of the room were occupied by the two instruments and piles of manuscript paper,
untouched.
"This is an electric guitar." She held it out for him to see. "I got batteries for it here, somewhere." She put the instrument down and began shuffling through piles of script on the shelves.
He flicked through them as she handed him some, "You write your own music, then?"
"Yes. Ah! Here they are!" She swiped the batteries off the shelf and jammed them into the guitar, "They should be fully charged."
"Would you play one for me?"
"What?" She looked up from checking the instrument.
"A song, would you play one for me?"
"What, now? Well ... I ..."
"If you can't play infront of me, how are you going to manage at a gather?"
"This is why I didn't want to, I've never played any of my own music to anyone before."
"Nows your chance."
She regarded him for a moment and finally hung the guitar strap around her shoulder and neck.
"I'm gonna regret this," She muttered, "Take a seat." She gestured towards the drum kit. He sat down, while she sorted through the manuscript.
"This'll do." She sat down on the bed and turned the guitar on. She adjusted the switches and buttons before striking some cords to check the tuning.
She began with the first five chords, before adding the melody.
The harmony and the melody, together, formed a haunting chill inside the little room. Each note hung in the air , before dying when the next note was struck.
After a long introduction, the words began, fitting into place with every breath and hanging in the air, telling a ballad.
""He is the Seeker,
The bringer of Death, and shalt so name himself.""
Van listened in silent awe as she ran through each verse word and note perfect.
""The weilder of the Sword of Truth,
and only seeks that which is true.
To his mind, He kills in hate,
But to his heart, He forgives those with love,
And thus the blade shall turn white.""
The song told of a man, named as the Seeker as his birth right. Of how he
overcame great magic to be with his love, and how she had to sacrifice all that she held dear, and start a war which could only end in death.
The final note faded away, along with the Seekers suicide at his dead lovers body, on the battle field.
Van walked over and sat beside her, "That was beautiful," He whispered, "Hitomi, if you were to ..."
"No," She cut him off, "that's a special song, I don't sing it for anyone else." She looked away from him. He caught her chin on his finger and drew her back to face him.
"You don't have to, if any of your other songs are as good as that one." He gave her a winning smile.
"I hate you, Van Fanel." She said with a sly grin.
She stood up and gathered her manuscripts and guitar. She sighed, heavily, "I hope your musicians are good enough to play these."
"Hitomi! I'm hurt," He placed a hand on his chest as he stood up abruptly, " are you saying that I can't play the drums good enough for you!?!" She whirled round to face him, a surprised look on her face. He grinned at her reaction and held his arms out infront of him, pleading to her, "Oh come on!! I'm a sixteen turns old, what do you expect me to do in my spare time!?!"
"I guess ... I didn't realized how much Gaea is like Earth."
"What do you mean by that?"
"All boys are the same." She smiled mischeviously, "They're all, either, football mad or music mad."
"Oh? And what am I?"
Her smile widened, "Both!"
He powted, but soon broke into a one sided grin, "C'mon, if we go now, we'll be in time for the start."
They raced downstairs. Hitomi gave her grandmother a kiss goodbye and joined him outside to call forth the pillar of light.
It was early afternoon when they arrived back in Fanailia. They hid the guitar and music on the outdoor stage, "I'll get the men to start practicing their parts." Van said.
They caught sight of Tirone, Jason, Allen and his crew and decided to go join them.
"Hitomi! Hitomi!" Merle cried, she skidded to a halt infront of her. "What are you doing, I've been looking all over for you. Come on, we need to get a move on!"
"Merle, what's the matter?"
"Nothing, just hurry, we haven't got much time." She dragged Hitomi off to one side, "I've had the weavers, weave us up something special." She cast a shy glance to Tirone, the white catboy, who was looking in the opposite direction.
Hitomi giggled, "You like him, don't you?"
Merlle swirved round to her, "I so don't!"
"You so do!" They both smiled
"What are they whispering about?" Van asked Jason.
"I don't have the slightest, but you better go get changed." He looked at his friend.
"You too, you reek!" They both laughed as they bid Allen and crew farewell and walked off to the castle.
Hitomi and Merle had done the same.
"So when is the racing starting?" Gaddes asked.
"Soon." Van replied. They were standing near to the stalls and the race course. "Which one are you backing?" Van asked.
"Thunder Song, you?"
"Emerald Beauty. I hear shes getting good stakes on the stalls."
"I'm too young to bet. By one turn." Tirone growled.
"Aww don't worry old friend, you'll get your chance." Jason scoffed.
Celena Schezar had arrived earlier that day and asked, "I heard Hitomi was around? Where is she and Merle?"
Van turned to her, "I don't know, they said they wouldn't be long, women, chaaa!"
Jason pulled her to one side, "What are you doing here?"
"Jason, I'm here with my brother."
"I know but why did you come, you know I'm here."
"Why, I'm here to see you," She patted his cheek and whispered, "Dragonslayer."
Jason growled at her, "I told you, I'm not in Zaibech."
"Jason, I pitty you, you can't deny your roots."
"You would say that, you weren't born into Zaibech, you were kidnapped into it."
"Jason, don't hold a grudge for me, I knew your mother, she was a kind and
generous women."
"Yeah, until she slit your throat. Look, just forget it, I want to enjoy my first
summer here and you better not spoil it." He cautioned, "I'm no longer who you knew me as, I'm Jason Dende, knight Arkayl, not Jason Dende, the Dragonslayer."
"OK, but either way you look at it, your Jason Dende, son of Anima and Carn Dende. Two of the best generals in the Zaibech army."
"I thought you wanted to leave all of that behind."
She shrugged, "I did, but whether you like it or not, I'm still Dilandu."
Jason glowered at her, turned and marched away, he wanted to forget his roots and past, that's why he'd came to Fanailia.