Dragon Burn
by Amanda Wardropper.
Attention! This chapter is rated 15 years and over, as some scenes are sujestive. Don't blame me if your fragile minds are corrupted, I accept no responsibility over your judgement. OK, you've heard my plea, don't say I didn't warn you....
The peace within.
Chapter 15 - New Fanelia, Market, Waterfalls of Sillas.
Several weeks later.
*She There!* Escaflowne announced.
Van's ribs were healing fine. The claw marks and gashes were slowly becoming less visible. For now, Misstress Hilcha had insisted that they both keep their bandages on. So, Van had a whole roll wrapped around his torso and shoulder. She said it was to make sure that he didn't go breaking them agian. Not in a hurry, he wouldn't.
He carried his pack on his back. He wasn't allowed to duel until they were sure he was fit, so, he decided he'd go out and fish. Fall asleep more like it. The pack held his line and pole, some Piskus fruit, at Hilcha's insistance, and bait. Escaflowne wasn't going, it was intending on napping. The dosy command startled Van as he made his way down the steps. It was Autumn now, the leaves were browning and falling from the trees. A whole Summer lost in trying to find a solution to a thousand year old prophecy. He hated prophecy more than anything, now.
Hitomi looked up from her gaze of the leaves, swirling in the breeze. "Van!" Like himself, Hitomi was suffering broken ribs, and like himself, the rolls of bandage around her chest. The scars were vivid on her face and shoulders, they'd be gone in weeks. She had managed to find a spare shirt, in her bag, after the destruction of her other one. She was wearing that now, along with her denim jeans and trainers.
"Hitomi, hi!" He cantered down the steps and stopped on the one she was sitting on.
She sniggered as she looked him over, "What on earth are you carrying?"
"I'm going fishing! Seen as I can't go dueling." He muttered.
"Fishing?" She scoffed, "Falling asleep more like it!"
"The exact thought!" He replied. "You wanna come and fall asleep too? You look as bored as I am."
She smiled, "I'd like that."
He returned her grin in earnest, "C'mon then, I'm going to the market first." The day was warm, despite the season. It always was, near the equator. They were a ways off it, but close enough to benefit in the climate. But the Winter snow would be coming all too soon.
They walked side by side, not saying a word. It wasn't that they weren't speaking to each other, just a silence that needed no disturbance, all was calm, no interfierance. It didn't take them long to reach the market place. The market was packed in the midday sun. They made their way through the abundance of crowds to the fruit stalls. Van stopped at one in particular and tested a strange, apple looking fruit. "You want one?" He asked.
"What are they?"
"They're Argana nuts. You wanna try one?" Obviously they didn't have this fruit on the Mystic Moon.
She shrugged, "If it doesn't make you break out in green blotches, I guess it can't do me that much harm, sure!"
He grabbed two. Being king was an advantage sometimes. You got free food. He twirled the fruit on a finger, a well practiced art in his injured weeks, and knocked it off an elbow, "Here, catch!"
"Show off!" She caught the fruit in two hands. He grinned at her and took a big bite out of his Argana nut. Following his example she took a smaller one. It was sweet, definately an Earth apple.
They walked onwards, past numerous stalls. "Exactly where are we going?" Hitomi asked.
"To a place I know."
"Yeah, but where is that?"
He shrugged, "A place where the fish should be flocking to." He wasn't going to tell her, she knew.
She finished her 'Earth apple', "So, I remember you saying to me, that you were going to run in an athletic competition. How fast can you run?" She was in a playful mood today, unlike the depressive ones she'd been going through a week ago.
He grinned knowingly as he ate the last of the fruit, "Fast enough."
"Even with a pack on your shoulder?"
He nodded, "I bet I could run faster than you."
"Try it."
"Kay! You asked for it!" He darted off at speed.
"Hey!" She lept into action beside him.
They ran down the steep alley ways of the town. Hitomi negociated turns and the steep fall. Moving swiftly from side to side, dodging obstacles, in no time she came up behind Van. He was finding it harder on account of the pack on his back, but nontheless, gave it his all.
He glanced over at her and smiled slyly, "You do know where you're going, don't you?" Realisation set in her, "You don't even know which way to turn."
"Cheat!"
His smile widened and he shook his head, a little fun never hurt nobody, "Playboy!"
She flicked his ear, "If I ever see that little cow again, she'll not live to see another of those Gaean sunsets!"
"OOOO, touchy arn't we, today?" He kept on baiting her.
"No! .... in the lead!" She darted forward and gained the first place. She stopped at a cross roads and turned back to him sheepishly, "Em ... which way?"
"This!" He kept on a straight line, heading away from the town. She followed his lead.
They had left the town now and were on a country road, between the fields and forest patches. They still ran sure footed amoung the dirt and gravel, both agile and equaly fast.
"Watch out for the pot holes!" He called back to her. "Woahhhh!" His foot stuck in the small ditch he had been trying to warn Hitomi of. He fell face first into the dirt.
Gathering himself up he glanced up at her, running past him.
She waved, "And another one bites the dust." She giggled.
He picked himself up with a determined grin. "I'll show you dust! Mine!"
He ran a pace, dilliberately, slower than her, watching the sway of her hips, as she bolted down the dirt path, and the shirt she wore, flapping in the breeze.
In almost no time they reached sparse forest areas among the fields of farmland.
"Not far now!" Van called, still behind her. He had had enough of holding back on her, letting her think she was in the lead, so he began to gain speed.
The sun shone down on them, breaking in the forests they passed. For an Autumn day, it was warm, with only a few clouds hanging in the sky. The day promised to get better as the two moons hung fairly big infront of a deep blue background.
Finally, he spotted what he was looking for, a patch of dense forest, too thick for anyone to bother attempting to violate it's presence. Only he knew the entrance to this desert oasis.
"This way!" He corrected her as she took a wrong turning, costing her the lead in their race. They ran around the entire forest perimeter until he spotted the familiar gap. "Found it." He said to himself. About time, the pack was getting heavy on his tired shoulders. Although he was fit enough to run and sword fight, the castle's staff wouldn't let him, fearing he might do more damage than good to his healing bones and injuries. He bolted to the left and dived into the thin walkway into the oasis. Hitomi followed, timidly, unsure of where she was, but trusting him. She had already lost the race fair and square so she could afford to take her time.
As Van erupted from the undergrowth he gave a sigh of relief, gazing out at the special oasis. This forest joined onto the main one and ran up to the mountains, few people knew of the waterfall here. Infact, no-one ventured this far out, normally. The sound of running water and birds singing in the Autumn sun, before they migrated, brought a smile to his face. This place was paradise. It had taken them an hour and a half to get here, but it was well worth it just to sit and enjoy the scenery. The graceful bows of wind whistle, near the lake's shore, and the sound of it's leaves russling in the calm breeze, only to snap off and drift away. He heard her coming through the foiliage and gasping at the beauty of this place. The lake was in the center of the glorious oasis and above that was a gaping hole in the forest canopy, where the suns rays infultrated the forest darkness and brightened it, showing all of it's astounding beauty. The waterfall ran high up to the river that flowed down from the mountains. He was slightly dissapointed to see that the rainbow, usually there, was absent today, but the morning glory, a white bird that nested exclusively around these forests, were coming out in small flocks.
Van sat the pack down near the lake shore and began untying the fishing rod from it. Hitomi walked around the parimeter of the sparkling waters, looking in awe at the awsome sight and power of the water cascading down the over hang.
"Van, what sort of fish would live at the bottom of a waterfall?" It didn't happen like that on Earth.
"Hmm? Oh, em ... Barracooda. It's a fish that leaps whole waterfalls about this time to reach it's breeding grounds. That's all I know, apart from the fact that it makes one helluva dish!" He grinned wryly at her. With an effort he tugged the rod free and grabbed the bait from inside the pack. He meandered down to the waters and positioned the rod in some stones, while he attached the bait. "Hitomi?" He asked. She looked his way, "What's it like on Earth?" He paused, reminising, "The last time I saw it, I didn't have much time, 'cos I was fighting a Dragon or in the back yard of your grandmothers."
She came and sat down beside him, drapping her arms over her knees, "Well, it's alot like Gaea, if you think about it. Only, instead of castles and palaces, we have huge skyscrapers, they're buildings that have hundreds of floors. We have houses, much like the ones here and markets and shops too. We don't have beast men or women though. We have pets, like you, and wild creatures. There's only one moon in our skies." She pointed to the smaller of the two moons in the sky, "With the exception of those that have been to Gaea."
"Hundreds of floors ....?" He repeated to himself, "How do they build them?"
"I don't know that much, unfortunatly, I'm not an Einstien in building work or circuitry. But I guess they just build one floor on top of the other." She smiled to herself, "You'd love the night life, though. On a night time, all the streets and towns are filled with thousands of lights to light the way for pedestrians. We also use different coloured lights for festivals and celebrations. We make patterns with them, logos and stuff like that. When you watch from a high hill, the city looks beautiful, all those tiny specks of light, glistening in the darkness like thousands of tiny jewels."
He glanced out at the, ever moving, waters of the lake, imagining the sight for himself. "It sounds like a perfect world."
She sniggered, "Far from it, we have thugery and other crimes like that more than you would have, say, in Fanelia, in a whole year."
"Oh...."
"Ah, it's nothing, as long as you carry your pepper spray with you, wherever you go." Realizing that he wouldn't know what that was, she described it to him in brief words, "If it get's in your eyes, it stings like hell."
After a while, he stood up and cast the line out into the middle of the lake, returning the rod to it's stand in the pebbles and sitting down to wait for a bite. He tore off a blade of grass, near him and stuck it in his mouth to chew on, while he lay back, using his arms as pillows.
They talked for a little while longer before falling silent, content to just listening to the soothing rythum of water, surging down the cliff face.
Hitomi reached over to grab a twig and began pealing away the bark. "Van?" He raised an eye brow in question, as he continued to watch the line, over his chest. "Will you teach me how to fight?"
The blade of grass fell from between his teeth and he looked at her, the frown deepening, "What do you mean, teach you how to fight?"
"How to fight ..." She shrugged, "with a sword."
"What? Why?"
She shrugged again, "I guess I just like hearing your voice, and I like challenges." She put in sharply, blushing slightly.
He glanced back at the line and rod, contemplating. A smile crossed his lips, "You're gonna need a bigger sword than that twig, I hope you know."
Van lunged forward, at her, his sword sweeping the ground at his side as his momentum carried him, increasingly, faster.
Hitomi yelped and skipped to one side, narrowly avoiding the sharp blade. Unfortunatly, she backed straight into a tree. Panting heavily she ran through the possible escape routes, in her mind, that Van had taught her. Her own sword was becoming heavier in her grip, she had to end it now and kill him. A plan began forming in her head, if she could, at the last moment, strike him as he rushed her, it would kill him, she would have to be moving, though, to pull it off. He was almost on her, she had to act now, or be killed. She decided to put the plan into action. At lightning speed, she darted forward, towards the oncoming Van. Her sword held out infront of her, she ducked her head between her arms and prayed it would work, or else he would get her. She felt the blade contact with flesh. She heard the unmistakable cry of pain. When the moment passed, she swiftly turned around to inspect the damage. Van's body turned in mid stride and fell into the patch of leaves. The golden foliage burst out from beneath him, as he hit the floor, and floated away on the breeze. He lay with his hands covering the wound she had dealt.
"Alright!!!!" She cried, jumping around the battle arena, laughing in joy. "I got you! I finally killed you, Van! That's, like, the first time in .... twenty odd battles!" She stopped and looked back to his body, lying limp on the floor, "Van?" She walked cautiously over to his body and knelt down beside him. "Van?"
In a flash she felt a sharp point on her side. Without opening his eyes and grinning smugly, he spoke, "Big mistake! You should never return to a fallen enemy. You only grazed me."
She blushed in frustration, "No fair! I killed you fair and square! You're dead!" She jabbed the point of the wind whistle wood training sword in his side for emphasis.
They had been at it for most of the afternoon. Van had taught her how to weild a sword, using two wooden ones, rather than his real one, which now lay at the side of his pack, still in it's sheath. However, whenever she tried to get the better of him it always seemed to blow up in her face when he whirled around to plant the tip in her side. As the day wore on she had, progressively, got better and more able to keep a battle going for longer. For the first time today, she had gotten the better of him, using only the basics that he'd taught her. She wasn't going to be denied her victory.
His smile grew and he opened his eyes, "Alright! So you got me! Just don't get too carried away. I still have some healing to do! I don't need a sword in my side."
"Awwww bless, do I mean that much to you?" She turned his speech around for the joke. It sounded alot like an Earth saying, 'thorn in my side'.
Without saying a word he put a hand on her shoulder. He wasn't wearing his gauntlets today, they were for when he was meant to be practicing. As he sat up, he pushed her onto the ground with it, pinning her solidly to the grassy floor. She held onto his arms, feeling the muscles in them conract. She gazed longingly into his eyes, the magic that was in them had now died down alot, and, with a bit of time, would probably fade away completely. Right now, though, they were filled with a, long time, witheld lust. "Why, I do believe that the king of Fanelia is getting carried away with himself, you weren't that hard to beat."
Seeming to come out of a trance he blinked down at her. "Oh! Sorry!" He managed to say, through the swallowing. His adams apple rose up and down furiously.
"Oh, come on, Van. I won't break, I promise. I'm not some sort of vase, that you put on a high pedestal, in the fear it might be smashed."
"But ... I might hurt you." They both had alot of healing left to be done, he didn't want to undo it.
"I promise I won't break." Suddenly, they heard a short rustle, in the bushes, and a quiet 'meow'. Van sat up straighter, looking over to where the noise had come from. He smiled, offhandedly. A moment later, after thinking it through, he called out, "Tirone! I know you're there, ya little noser!" He waited for an answer. None came. He stood up and wandered over to the fishing rod, which he'd taken out of the water when they were training.
Hitomi sat up on one elbow and watched him. Bending the pole, he tied the line to the other end, to make a makeshift bow. He twanged the string to make sure it was tight enough. When it reached his standard he picked up his wooden sword, which he had discarded in an instant of passion. He nocked the wooden sword on a finger, held to the bow. Concerntrating, he edged the line of sight to where he thought the white catboy was. When he found it, he let only a moment pass before sending the piece of wood through the air. A second later they heard a catlike squeal before seeing the unmistakable tail of a cat person. Tirone darted out from the bush, to avoid the arrow.
"Hey! What was that for?" He asked in a rage.
"For spying on us!" Van replied, simply.
"I wasn't. I was just ..... just ...."
Van cocked his head, "I'll give you five seconds to high-tail it outta here!"
"But!" Tirone protested.
"Five ..."
"But..."
"Four ..... three .... two ....."
"Oh, alright! Geez! I'm as good as gone." He added sarcastically, "Your Heiness!"
Van smiled, "One ....." He bent down and picked up the small tub, which held the live bait for the fishes. Arching an eyebrow he opened the lid, putting the bow down.
"Em Van? You do know that I ...." Tirone hated bugs and worms, especially live ones. Van simply nodded.
"Are you going to go and keep this a little secret between the three of us? Or do I have to let these worms persuade you?"
In a complete change of attitude, Tirone answered, "Of coarse I'll keep it a secret. I mean you're my best bud! Did I ever tell you that, Van?"
"You're rambling, Tirone."
"Oh yeah! So I am...... Well be seeing ya!" He turned swiftly on his feet and bounded off at a speed, thought impossible for him. He had good reason to, where bugs and worms were concerned.
Van grinned triumphantly. Hitomi just blinked as she stared after the white shape of the catboy, dissapearing over a hillock and into the undergrowth.
After making sure that the catboy had actually left, Van tightened the seal on the bait and stuffed it back in the pack. He turned back to her and smiled lazily. Walking towards her, he asked, "So ... where were we up to?" She returned his grin, but it falted when he stopped, over her, and knelt down. In a fluid movement he swept her up in his arms.
"Van, what are you doing!?!" She frantically tried to struggle against him.
"Seeing how long it is before you break." He carried her to a grassy overhang, leading straight into the water.
"Oh, no, Van! No!" She drolled as he stood at the edge.
His grin widened, "I hear cold water is good for injuries." She squealed as he launched her into the air. With a resounding splash, she crashed into the icy waters. The spray hit him full on, but he only flinched. She came back up for air.
"I hate you, Van Fanel. Those were my best jeans!"
"They'll dry." He cocked his head to one side and smirked.
"That's it! I'll wipe that smile off your face!" She swam back to the lake edge and grabbed his ankle with a slippery hand. She yanked with all her might. The foot left it's stable earth and sailed through the air. Following behind, his whole body lost it's balance and began it's descent into the cold waters.
The after math and waves lapped the edge of the lake. She knew where he had went down, but he wasn't coming back up. "Van?" She waited, but no answer came, "Van, if this is one of your jokes ....!" She was cut off when a hand covered her mouth and dragged her backwards. She whirled round, splashing him. "Hey!" He dived back under before she could do anymore.
She frantically looked around her, determined not to fall for his trick again. He surfaced near the waterfall. Surprisingly, the water wasn't as icy as she had thought. It was bearable.
She dived under and swam closer, until she could see his legs, tredding water, while on the surface he searched for her. She grinned as she grabbed one and pulled him under. She swam, casually, away as he regained his senses.
No idea where they had ended up, in an under water chase, they surfaced to find that they were just under the smaller waterfall, which broke off from the main one higher up. It was on a ledge, a small step above the deep abyss beneath. They gropped for it and footing.
They stood, waist deep in water, gasping for breath and dripping wet. Their shirts clung to them like a second skin. Van ran a hand back through his hair, combing the forelock, that hung over his eyes, back and grinned at her, still catching his breath.
"Van." She whispered, "I didn't tell you this, while we were healing, but I'm so glad that the dark magic in you has diminished."
He frowned, "What dark magic?"
"Well .... before we joined with Rangerath ... when you were about to .... infront of that dragon ..." He knew what she was talking about, when he had tried to commit suicide, via a forest dragon. " and you killed it ...using nothing but .... some kind of magic." She paused, seemingly to relive the memory, "I was so scared, when you looked at me ... the dark magic was in you, I could see it. I thought that it might kill you .... or, by the way you looked at me ... kill me."
Realization set in. When he had been angry at being forbade to kill himself, he had, involuntarily, turned that anger on her, in the form of the dragons gift. Dark magic. He waded closer to her and drew her into his embrace, "I'm so sorry, Hitomi. .... I would never .... not on purpose."
"I know." She confided on his shoulder, "I knew that it wasn't you, but the Knight of Dragons that was staring back at me then."
"I would rather die, Hitomi, than hurt you. You know that."
"I know." She gazed up at him. "Van, I don't want anyone else, but you. Never." Without realising what he was doing, he kissed her. He backed away a little, but returned to her warm breath when she ran a hand through his hair, clenching it, drawing his head back to her. It made every fibre in his being ache for her again.
The constant pounding of water on their bodies was but a speck of reality at the back of their minds. Only two things existed in their immediate vicinity. Each other.
He wrapped an arm around the small of her back and stroked it, as he ran his other hand down the front of her shirt, deftly undoing the buttons as he went. She relenquished her grip on him and let the shirt drape down and off her hands. He slung it away, to the back of the waterfall. She pulled away from his lips. "Van, where are you slinging the clothes?" She giggled at his tingling caresses.
"Cave. At the back of the waterfall." He answered against her skin, as he trailed his kisses down her front. He gestured briefly before returning his hand to her back.
He stopped abruptly and looked up. "Oh no." He shut his eyes tight and whinced at the pain. The sound of his shirt being torn to sheds and echoing through his ear drums only confirmed the fact that his wings had been released. He released her, "Hey! What are you laughing at?" She was in tears as she laughed. "Hey, I can't help it! Why does it never happen to you?"
"Because ...." She managed to say, between bouts of unbridled laughter, "It's funnier ... when it's a lad!" He just scowled and folded his arms. "Oh come on, Van! See the funny side of it!"
"It's not funny!"
She calmed her laughter down, for his benefit, and walked through the water, to him. "Yes it is!" She called, as she pounced on him. He was knocked over and fell on the shallower ledge next to the one they had been standing on. She landed at his side and curled up beside him.
"Arrrrgh!!!! Hitomi! You know I hate my wings rubbed the wrong way!" He cried as she ran a hand up against his feathers.
"Oh, I forgot." She said, innocently.
"With the feathers! With them, for Gods sake!" He begged, as she deliberately continued.The small waterfall, seemed to, ceased to exist, with the wings diverting the falling water.
To a Draconian, this was like getting kicked in the groin, it really hurt. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away. Panting for breath and trying to get over the pain he pleaded, "No ..... no more .... please." He smiled through the pain. "How would you like it if I did that to you?" She grinned, his faulted, "Wrong question!" He lowered his head and sighed.
She lifted his chin up, so their eyes met. A mischevious grin spread across her face.
"What?" He asked, a little self concious now.
She shook her head, "Nothing."
A half smile formed on his lips, "There is, I can tell." He ran a hand up her back.
"Well .... it is kindda cold in this water. Can we go into that cave you talked about?"
The gathering darkness engulfed them into the void. Their cries and screams echoed against the overhangs, the trees and the stone. Echoed and sent ripples, undetected, through the glasslike water. Bodies, arched at improbable angles, and sweat, cold as Winter's first, bitter snow. Emotions as strong as the suns first rays on life, pain, pleasure, thundered across the desert oasis, resounding back and forth, wild and furious, uncontrolled. Stallions with no masters, wild as nature intended them to be. The power of the stars and wild euphoria drove them on.
The forbiden love.
Just before dawn.
"Van?" She whispered. She could feel his warmth on her back and his arms wrapped around her. As she got her bearings she could make out that it was still dark outside, the sound of rushing water rang in her ears. As constant as it was, she never registered it at all, through the night. She shivered, the cold had finally got to her. That's probably why he managed to recover her shirt. It felt stuffy in the small cave, despite the temperature. Her hair felt stiff and frigid, from the drying sweat. Her limbs throbbed with a dull pain and her chest, where her broken ribs had been, ached. She was curled up, beneath one of his wings, which rested on her shoulder. It wasn't working, to keep her warm. She shifted her weight onto her back, pins and needles shot up her shoulder, until feeling was restored. "Van?" The lazy git was fast asleep, even with a whole waterfall thundering through his head. She prodded his shoulder, "Come on! Wake up, Lover Boy!" No answer. She heaved a sigh. "Alright, you asked for it! I'll just have to .... em let me see ... how about stroke your wings..." She grinned menacingly.
Wearily, his eyes slowly opened, "What?" He groggely asked.
"Oh! So it is alive!"
He groaned, "Don't start. My heads spinning."
"Probably the fact that you've had a waterfall in your head for well over ..." She glanced outside, "Half the night."
"Maybe." A little of his normal attitude returned. "I'm sure we got something with water and lakes." He removed his arm from around her and began hoisting himself up. When he had finished propping himself up on an elbow he stared at her, a lazy smile on his face.
"Morning." She said. Her expression turned serious, "Van, shouldn't we be getting back to the castle now? They might be worried about you."
He dismissed it with a wave of his free hand, "Knowing Tirone, nobody knows but Jason by now. They'll come up with an excuse for me. We got the whole morning, before they start charging me for there help." He put in slyly.
She shifted to her other side and ran a hand down his chest. The scars weren't fully healed and were still visible, as was the bruises. "You promised me, that you would show me a Gaean sunrise, aswell as a sunset. I've seen the sunset ... what about the sunrise?" She glanced up at him.
"For you, Hitomi, I'd turn day into night." He looked outside, past the waterfall. "We got an hour before dawn."
"Great!" She stretched and yawned against him, "That means I can get ready and get warm." She rubbed her hands together before beginning to get up. She wandered over to Van's pack and sword, where he'd stashed the rest of their clothes. She snatched up his trousers and slung them at him, "So can you!" She pulled on her own.
When they were dressed, Van began pawing through the pack. "What are you looking for?" She asked, from the ledge she was sitting on, fixing the cuffs to her shirt.
"My spare shirt." He dug deeper and pulled out a huge bundle of white material. "Here it is!" He unraveled it and straightened it. It turned out to be a shirt. "Catch!" He threw something yellow at her, that was wraped up in the shirt he now wore. She caught it and pulled a face. Piskus fruit.
"Ugh!"
He broke into his, "Ahh, it's not that bad. You wanna try tonekan weed in a herbal tea." He pulled a face, "Now that is sour!"
"I think this is sour enough for me." She said, as she plunked a straw into it.
When she had finished she asked, "Alright! I've taken my medicine, now can we go out!?!"
He fixed the leather baldric of his sword around his waist and slung the pack on his back. "Here, I don't want you getting ill on me again!" He threw his leather jacket at her, which had been stuffed, along with other things, in the pack. She didn't bother putting her arms through, just fastened it at the neck.
The two walked out from behind the waterfall. He held her close with an arm around her shoudlers. She leaned into him. It was a complete change from the first night they had spent together.
Pulling away from her, he leapt onto a rocky overhang and held a hand out to her.
Scaling the cliff face was easier than either had thought and pretty soon they were standing on the edge, looking out to a lavender horizon, as the leading edge of the sun rose up on the mountain ranges around Fanelia. They were stood, hand in hand, on the verge of an overhang, watching the sky turn from blue, to violet, to lavender, to red. She drew herself deeper into the leather jacket and leaned onto his shoulder. "It's beautiful." She whispered.
In a sudden burst of colour, the sky was lit by thousands of rays of light, spreading across the fields and casting elongated shadows. She glanced up at him, he was grinning, the sparks of the sun and the night before, flickering and dancing in his eyes.
"Fanelia, and the whole of Gaea, will see a new dawn again." He began. He looked into her eyes, "And it's all thanks to you, Hitomi."
She returned her gaze to the spectical infront of her and shook her head, "It wasn't me, Van. It was destiny."
"I hate prophecies."
"I hate destiny, the only thing good about it was letting me be with you .... for however long." They stood quiet for a while, thinking over that fact. Soon, she would have to go back to Earth and the pain would start over again, ten fold.
The gathering dawn spread around the surrounding countryside and forests. In the distance, they could make out the high turrets and walls of New Fanelia's castle, the stone work vaguely lit by the firey sun.
"Hitomi ... I don't want you to .... I want you to ..." He sighed, helplessly. Who was he to tell her what she could and couldn't do? If you loved something, you would let it have it's freedom. "I love you.... Never doubt that." It was all he could say.
"I know, I won't .... I love you too." She closed her arms around his waist and held on tightly. "I'll never forget."
He smiled offhandedly as he rubbed her back. The sun was almost up, the clouds surrounding it were lit with an orangey hue. "I don't ever want to let this moment pass."
*But it has to!* They stood up straight at the voice they both heard. *Where are you? They wouldn't let me go to you!* It was Escaflowne. *I was worried.*
"We're fine, Escaflowne." Van said to his dragon. "Who wouldn't let you find us?" He asked, whoever it was, did a good job, he just wanted to humour the white beast.
*White catboy and The One.*
They frowned at each other. "The One? Who is that, Escaflowne?" Hitomi asked.
*The One!* The dragon answered, as though they were both dumb.
"We know that, but who is that?" Van said.
*The One.* Van sighed in agitation, this dragon only knew two names. Van and Hitomi. Everyone else, he spoke of their brief descriptions, like catboy, would be Tirone. The One was just another description, of which they didn't have the foggiest.
*Can I come for you now?* The dragon asked timidly. *I felt great emotions eminating from you both. I was worried.*
Van blushed. "Great! Not only have I got a whole castle watching over me, but now I've got a dragon constantly hanging over me!" He grumbled.
*I am sorry. I will not come if you don't want me to.* It whimpered.
Hitomi slapped Van's shoulder. He recoiled with a yelp. "Van! Can't you see that you're hurting Escaflowne's feelings? Have you no sympathy?"
"What do you mean?" He asked, holding his shoulder.
"Think about it! The poor thing has just come here, to be your blood partner, for life, he's doing his best to please you and make you proud of him, and you just don't want to know. He's here to help, not be a burden."
He grunted, "Oh great! I'm in love with an empath!" He apologized when she threatened him with another slap. "Alright! Geeeez! OK Escaflowne, you can come for us." He relented.
*Where are you? I need a picture.*
"OH for crying out ...!"
*That'll do, thank you Hiromi.*
He stared blankly at her. "It's OK Escaflowne. OH, and it's Hitomi, not Hiromi."
The white Dragon burst into the air infront of them with a triumphant bellow.
by Amanda Wardropper.
Attention! This chapter is rated 15 years and over, as some scenes are sujestive. Don't blame me if your fragile minds are corrupted, I accept no responsibility over your judgement. OK, you've heard my plea, don't say I didn't warn you....
The peace within.
Chapter 15 - New Fanelia, Market, Waterfalls of Sillas.
Several weeks later.
*She There!* Escaflowne announced.
Van's ribs were healing fine. The claw marks and gashes were slowly becoming less visible. For now, Misstress Hilcha had insisted that they both keep their bandages on. So, Van had a whole roll wrapped around his torso and shoulder. She said it was to make sure that he didn't go breaking them agian. Not in a hurry, he wouldn't.
He carried his pack on his back. He wasn't allowed to duel until they were sure he was fit, so, he decided he'd go out and fish. Fall asleep more like it. The pack held his line and pole, some Piskus fruit, at Hilcha's insistance, and bait. Escaflowne wasn't going, it was intending on napping. The dosy command startled Van as he made his way down the steps. It was Autumn now, the leaves were browning and falling from the trees. A whole Summer lost in trying to find a solution to a thousand year old prophecy. He hated prophecy more than anything, now.
Hitomi looked up from her gaze of the leaves, swirling in the breeze. "Van!" Like himself, Hitomi was suffering broken ribs, and like himself, the rolls of bandage around her chest. The scars were vivid on her face and shoulders, they'd be gone in weeks. She had managed to find a spare shirt, in her bag, after the destruction of her other one. She was wearing that now, along with her denim jeans and trainers.
"Hitomi, hi!" He cantered down the steps and stopped on the one she was sitting on.
She sniggered as she looked him over, "What on earth are you carrying?"
"I'm going fishing! Seen as I can't go dueling." He muttered.
"Fishing?" She scoffed, "Falling asleep more like it!"
"The exact thought!" He replied. "You wanna come and fall asleep too? You look as bored as I am."
She smiled, "I'd like that."
He returned her grin in earnest, "C'mon then, I'm going to the market first." The day was warm, despite the season. It always was, near the equator. They were a ways off it, but close enough to benefit in the climate. But the Winter snow would be coming all too soon.
They walked side by side, not saying a word. It wasn't that they weren't speaking to each other, just a silence that needed no disturbance, all was calm, no interfierance. It didn't take them long to reach the market place. The market was packed in the midday sun. They made their way through the abundance of crowds to the fruit stalls. Van stopped at one in particular and tested a strange, apple looking fruit. "You want one?" He asked.
"What are they?"
"They're Argana nuts. You wanna try one?" Obviously they didn't have this fruit on the Mystic Moon.
She shrugged, "If it doesn't make you break out in green blotches, I guess it can't do me that much harm, sure!"
He grabbed two. Being king was an advantage sometimes. You got free food. He twirled the fruit on a finger, a well practiced art in his injured weeks, and knocked it off an elbow, "Here, catch!"
"Show off!" She caught the fruit in two hands. He grinned at her and took a big bite out of his Argana nut. Following his example she took a smaller one. It was sweet, definately an Earth apple.
They walked onwards, past numerous stalls. "Exactly where are we going?" Hitomi asked.
"To a place I know."
"Yeah, but where is that?"
He shrugged, "A place where the fish should be flocking to." He wasn't going to tell her, she knew.
She finished her 'Earth apple', "So, I remember you saying to me, that you were going to run in an athletic competition. How fast can you run?" She was in a playful mood today, unlike the depressive ones she'd been going through a week ago.
He grinned knowingly as he ate the last of the fruit, "Fast enough."
"Even with a pack on your shoulder?"
He nodded, "I bet I could run faster than you."
"Try it."
"Kay! You asked for it!" He darted off at speed.
"Hey!" She lept into action beside him.
They ran down the steep alley ways of the town. Hitomi negociated turns and the steep fall. Moving swiftly from side to side, dodging obstacles, in no time she came up behind Van. He was finding it harder on account of the pack on his back, but nontheless, gave it his all.
He glanced over at her and smiled slyly, "You do know where you're going, don't you?" Realisation set in her, "You don't even know which way to turn."
"Cheat!"
His smile widened and he shook his head, a little fun never hurt nobody, "Playboy!"
She flicked his ear, "If I ever see that little cow again, she'll not live to see another of those Gaean sunsets!"
"OOOO, touchy arn't we, today?" He kept on baiting her.
"No! .... in the lead!" She darted forward and gained the first place. She stopped at a cross roads and turned back to him sheepishly, "Em ... which way?"
"This!" He kept on a straight line, heading away from the town. She followed his lead.
They had left the town now and were on a country road, between the fields and forest patches. They still ran sure footed amoung the dirt and gravel, both agile and equaly fast.
"Watch out for the pot holes!" He called back to her. "Woahhhh!" His foot stuck in the small ditch he had been trying to warn Hitomi of. He fell face first into the dirt.
Gathering himself up he glanced up at her, running past him.
She waved, "And another one bites the dust." She giggled.
He picked himself up with a determined grin. "I'll show you dust! Mine!"
He ran a pace, dilliberately, slower than her, watching the sway of her hips, as she bolted down the dirt path, and the shirt she wore, flapping in the breeze.
In almost no time they reached sparse forest areas among the fields of farmland.
"Not far now!" Van called, still behind her. He had had enough of holding back on her, letting her think she was in the lead, so he began to gain speed.
The sun shone down on them, breaking in the forests they passed. For an Autumn day, it was warm, with only a few clouds hanging in the sky. The day promised to get better as the two moons hung fairly big infront of a deep blue background.
Finally, he spotted what he was looking for, a patch of dense forest, too thick for anyone to bother attempting to violate it's presence. Only he knew the entrance to this desert oasis.
"This way!" He corrected her as she took a wrong turning, costing her the lead in their race. They ran around the entire forest perimeter until he spotted the familiar gap. "Found it." He said to himself. About time, the pack was getting heavy on his tired shoulders. Although he was fit enough to run and sword fight, the castle's staff wouldn't let him, fearing he might do more damage than good to his healing bones and injuries. He bolted to the left and dived into the thin walkway into the oasis. Hitomi followed, timidly, unsure of where she was, but trusting him. She had already lost the race fair and square so she could afford to take her time.
As Van erupted from the undergrowth he gave a sigh of relief, gazing out at the special oasis. This forest joined onto the main one and ran up to the mountains, few people knew of the waterfall here. Infact, no-one ventured this far out, normally. The sound of running water and birds singing in the Autumn sun, before they migrated, brought a smile to his face. This place was paradise. It had taken them an hour and a half to get here, but it was well worth it just to sit and enjoy the scenery. The graceful bows of wind whistle, near the lake's shore, and the sound of it's leaves russling in the calm breeze, only to snap off and drift away. He heard her coming through the foiliage and gasping at the beauty of this place. The lake was in the center of the glorious oasis and above that was a gaping hole in the forest canopy, where the suns rays infultrated the forest darkness and brightened it, showing all of it's astounding beauty. The waterfall ran high up to the river that flowed down from the mountains. He was slightly dissapointed to see that the rainbow, usually there, was absent today, but the morning glory, a white bird that nested exclusively around these forests, were coming out in small flocks.
Van sat the pack down near the lake shore and began untying the fishing rod from it. Hitomi walked around the parimeter of the sparkling waters, looking in awe at the awsome sight and power of the water cascading down the over hang.
"Van, what sort of fish would live at the bottom of a waterfall?" It didn't happen like that on Earth.
"Hmm? Oh, em ... Barracooda. It's a fish that leaps whole waterfalls about this time to reach it's breeding grounds. That's all I know, apart from the fact that it makes one helluva dish!" He grinned wryly at her. With an effort he tugged the rod free and grabbed the bait from inside the pack. He meandered down to the waters and positioned the rod in some stones, while he attached the bait. "Hitomi?" He asked. She looked his way, "What's it like on Earth?" He paused, reminising, "The last time I saw it, I didn't have much time, 'cos I was fighting a Dragon or in the back yard of your grandmothers."
She came and sat down beside him, drapping her arms over her knees, "Well, it's alot like Gaea, if you think about it. Only, instead of castles and palaces, we have huge skyscrapers, they're buildings that have hundreds of floors. We have houses, much like the ones here and markets and shops too. We don't have beast men or women though. We have pets, like you, and wild creatures. There's only one moon in our skies." She pointed to the smaller of the two moons in the sky, "With the exception of those that have been to Gaea."
"Hundreds of floors ....?" He repeated to himself, "How do they build them?"
"I don't know that much, unfortunatly, I'm not an Einstien in building work or circuitry. But I guess they just build one floor on top of the other." She smiled to herself, "You'd love the night life, though. On a night time, all the streets and towns are filled with thousands of lights to light the way for pedestrians. We also use different coloured lights for festivals and celebrations. We make patterns with them, logos and stuff like that. When you watch from a high hill, the city looks beautiful, all those tiny specks of light, glistening in the darkness like thousands of tiny jewels."
He glanced out at the, ever moving, waters of the lake, imagining the sight for himself. "It sounds like a perfect world."
She sniggered, "Far from it, we have thugery and other crimes like that more than you would have, say, in Fanelia, in a whole year."
"Oh...."
"Ah, it's nothing, as long as you carry your pepper spray with you, wherever you go." Realizing that he wouldn't know what that was, she described it to him in brief words, "If it get's in your eyes, it stings like hell."
After a while, he stood up and cast the line out into the middle of the lake, returning the rod to it's stand in the pebbles and sitting down to wait for a bite. He tore off a blade of grass, near him and stuck it in his mouth to chew on, while he lay back, using his arms as pillows.
They talked for a little while longer before falling silent, content to just listening to the soothing rythum of water, surging down the cliff face.
Hitomi reached over to grab a twig and began pealing away the bark. "Van?" He raised an eye brow in question, as he continued to watch the line, over his chest. "Will you teach me how to fight?"
The blade of grass fell from between his teeth and he looked at her, the frown deepening, "What do you mean, teach you how to fight?"
"How to fight ..." She shrugged, "with a sword."
"What? Why?"
She shrugged again, "I guess I just like hearing your voice, and I like challenges." She put in sharply, blushing slightly.
He glanced back at the line and rod, contemplating. A smile crossed his lips, "You're gonna need a bigger sword than that twig, I hope you know."
Van lunged forward, at her, his sword sweeping the ground at his side as his momentum carried him, increasingly, faster.
Hitomi yelped and skipped to one side, narrowly avoiding the sharp blade. Unfortunatly, she backed straight into a tree. Panting heavily she ran through the possible escape routes, in her mind, that Van had taught her. Her own sword was becoming heavier in her grip, she had to end it now and kill him. A plan began forming in her head, if she could, at the last moment, strike him as he rushed her, it would kill him, she would have to be moving, though, to pull it off. He was almost on her, she had to act now, or be killed. She decided to put the plan into action. At lightning speed, she darted forward, towards the oncoming Van. Her sword held out infront of her, she ducked her head between her arms and prayed it would work, or else he would get her. She felt the blade contact with flesh. She heard the unmistakable cry of pain. When the moment passed, she swiftly turned around to inspect the damage. Van's body turned in mid stride and fell into the patch of leaves. The golden foliage burst out from beneath him, as he hit the floor, and floated away on the breeze. He lay with his hands covering the wound she had dealt.
"Alright!!!!" She cried, jumping around the battle arena, laughing in joy. "I got you! I finally killed you, Van! That's, like, the first time in .... twenty odd battles!" She stopped and looked back to his body, lying limp on the floor, "Van?" She walked cautiously over to his body and knelt down beside him. "Van?"
In a flash she felt a sharp point on her side. Without opening his eyes and grinning smugly, he spoke, "Big mistake! You should never return to a fallen enemy. You only grazed me."
She blushed in frustration, "No fair! I killed you fair and square! You're dead!" She jabbed the point of the wind whistle wood training sword in his side for emphasis.
They had been at it for most of the afternoon. Van had taught her how to weild a sword, using two wooden ones, rather than his real one, which now lay at the side of his pack, still in it's sheath. However, whenever she tried to get the better of him it always seemed to blow up in her face when he whirled around to plant the tip in her side. As the day wore on she had, progressively, got better and more able to keep a battle going for longer. For the first time today, she had gotten the better of him, using only the basics that he'd taught her. She wasn't going to be denied her victory.
His smile grew and he opened his eyes, "Alright! So you got me! Just don't get too carried away. I still have some healing to do! I don't need a sword in my side."
"Awwww bless, do I mean that much to you?" She turned his speech around for the joke. It sounded alot like an Earth saying, 'thorn in my side'.
Without saying a word he put a hand on her shoulder. He wasn't wearing his gauntlets today, they were for when he was meant to be practicing. As he sat up, he pushed her onto the ground with it, pinning her solidly to the grassy floor. She held onto his arms, feeling the muscles in them conract. She gazed longingly into his eyes, the magic that was in them had now died down alot, and, with a bit of time, would probably fade away completely. Right now, though, they were filled with a, long time, witheld lust. "Why, I do believe that the king of Fanelia is getting carried away with himself, you weren't that hard to beat."
Seeming to come out of a trance he blinked down at her. "Oh! Sorry!" He managed to say, through the swallowing. His adams apple rose up and down furiously.
"Oh, come on, Van. I won't break, I promise. I'm not some sort of vase, that you put on a high pedestal, in the fear it might be smashed."
"But ... I might hurt you." They both had alot of healing left to be done, he didn't want to undo it.
"I promise I won't break." Suddenly, they heard a short rustle, in the bushes, and a quiet 'meow'. Van sat up straighter, looking over to where the noise had come from. He smiled, offhandedly. A moment later, after thinking it through, he called out, "Tirone! I know you're there, ya little noser!" He waited for an answer. None came. He stood up and wandered over to the fishing rod, which he'd taken out of the water when they were training.
Hitomi sat up on one elbow and watched him. Bending the pole, he tied the line to the other end, to make a makeshift bow. He twanged the string to make sure it was tight enough. When it reached his standard he picked up his wooden sword, which he had discarded in an instant of passion. He nocked the wooden sword on a finger, held to the bow. Concerntrating, he edged the line of sight to where he thought the white catboy was. When he found it, he let only a moment pass before sending the piece of wood through the air. A second later they heard a catlike squeal before seeing the unmistakable tail of a cat person. Tirone darted out from the bush, to avoid the arrow.
"Hey! What was that for?" He asked in a rage.
"For spying on us!" Van replied, simply.
"I wasn't. I was just ..... just ...."
Van cocked his head, "I'll give you five seconds to high-tail it outta here!"
"But!" Tirone protested.
"Five ..."
"But..."
"Four ..... three .... two ....."
"Oh, alright! Geez! I'm as good as gone." He added sarcastically, "Your Heiness!"
Van smiled, "One ....." He bent down and picked up the small tub, which held the live bait for the fishes. Arching an eyebrow he opened the lid, putting the bow down.
"Em Van? You do know that I ...." Tirone hated bugs and worms, especially live ones. Van simply nodded.
"Are you going to go and keep this a little secret between the three of us? Or do I have to let these worms persuade you?"
In a complete change of attitude, Tirone answered, "Of coarse I'll keep it a secret. I mean you're my best bud! Did I ever tell you that, Van?"
"You're rambling, Tirone."
"Oh yeah! So I am...... Well be seeing ya!" He turned swiftly on his feet and bounded off at a speed, thought impossible for him. He had good reason to, where bugs and worms were concerned.
Van grinned triumphantly. Hitomi just blinked as she stared after the white shape of the catboy, dissapearing over a hillock and into the undergrowth.
After making sure that the catboy had actually left, Van tightened the seal on the bait and stuffed it back in the pack. He turned back to her and smiled lazily. Walking towards her, he asked, "So ... where were we up to?" She returned his grin, but it falted when he stopped, over her, and knelt down. In a fluid movement he swept her up in his arms.
"Van, what are you doing!?!" She frantically tried to struggle against him.
"Seeing how long it is before you break." He carried her to a grassy overhang, leading straight into the water.
"Oh, no, Van! No!" She drolled as he stood at the edge.
His grin widened, "I hear cold water is good for injuries." She squealed as he launched her into the air. With a resounding splash, she crashed into the icy waters. The spray hit him full on, but he only flinched. She came back up for air.
"I hate you, Van Fanel. Those were my best jeans!"
"They'll dry." He cocked his head to one side and smirked.
"That's it! I'll wipe that smile off your face!" She swam back to the lake edge and grabbed his ankle with a slippery hand. She yanked with all her might. The foot left it's stable earth and sailed through the air. Following behind, his whole body lost it's balance and began it's descent into the cold waters.
The after math and waves lapped the edge of the lake. She knew where he had went down, but he wasn't coming back up. "Van?" She waited, but no answer came, "Van, if this is one of your jokes ....!" She was cut off when a hand covered her mouth and dragged her backwards. She whirled round, splashing him. "Hey!" He dived back under before she could do anymore.
She frantically looked around her, determined not to fall for his trick again. He surfaced near the waterfall. Surprisingly, the water wasn't as icy as she had thought. It was bearable.
She dived under and swam closer, until she could see his legs, tredding water, while on the surface he searched for her. She grinned as she grabbed one and pulled him under. She swam, casually, away as he regained his senses.
No idea where they had ended up, in an under water chase, they surfaced to find that they were just under the smaller waterfall, which broke off from the main one higher up. It was on a ledge, a small step above the deep abyss beneath. They gropped for it and footing.
They stood, waist deep in water, gasping for breath and dripping wet. Their shirts clung to them like a second skin. Van ran a hand back through his hair, combing the forelock, that hung over his eyes, back and grinned at her, still catching his breath.
"Van." She whispered, "I didn't tell you this, while we were healing, but I'm so glad that the dark magic in you has diminished."
He frowned, "What dark magic?"
"Well .... before we joined with Rangerath ... when you were about to .... infront of that dragon ..." He knew what she was talking about, when he had tried to commit suicide, via a forest dragon. " and you killed it ...using nothing but .... some kind of magic." She paused, seemingly to relive the memory, "I was so scared, when you looked at me ... the dark magic was in you, I could see it. I thought that it might kill you .... or, by the way you looked at me ... kill me."
Realization set in. When he had been angry at being forbade to kill himself, he had, involuntarily, turned that anger on her, in the form of the dragons gift. Dark magic. He waded closer to her and drew her into his embrace, "I'm so sorry, Hitomi. .... I would never .... not on purpose."
"I know." She confided on his shoulder, "I knew that it wasn't you, but the Knight of Dragons that was staring back at me then."
"I would rather die, Hitomi, than hurt you. You know that."
"I know." She gazed up at him. "Van, I don't want anyone else, but you. Never." Without realising what he was doing, he kissed her. He backed away a little, but returned to her warm breath when she ran a hand through his hair, clenching it, drawing his head back to her. It made every fibre in his being ache for her again.
The constant pounding of water on their bodies was but a speck of reality at the back of their minds. Only two things existed in their immediate vicinity. Each other.
He wrapped an arm around the small of her back and stroked it, as he ran his other hand down the front of her shirt, deftly undoing the buttons as he went. She relenquished her grip on him and let the shirt drape down and off her hands. He slung it away, to the back of the waterfall. She pulled away from his lips. "Van, where are you slinging the clothes?" She giggled at his tingling caresses.
"Cave. At the back of the waterfall." He answered against her skin, as he trailed his kisses down her front. He gestured briefly before returning his hand to her back.
He stopped abruptly and looked up. "Oh no." He shut his eyes tight and whinced at the pain. The sound of his shirt being torn to sheds and echoing through his ear drums only confirmed the fact that his wings had been released. He released her, "Hey! What are you laughing at?" She was in tears as she laughed. "Hey, I can't help it! Why does it never happen to you?"
"Because ...." She managed to say, between bouts of unbridled laughter, "It's funnier ... when it's a lad!" He just scowled and folded his arms. "Oh come on, Van! See the funny side of it!"
"It's not funny!"
She calmed her laughter down, for his benefit, and walked through the water, to him. "Yes it is!" She called, as she pounced on him. He was knocked over and fell on the shallower ledge next to the one they had been standing on. She landed at his side and curled up beside him.
"Arrrrgh!!!! Hitomi! You know I hate my wings rubbed the wrong way!" He cried as she ran a hand up against his feathers.
"Oh, I forgot." She said, innocently.
"With the feathers! With them, for Gods sake!" He begged, as she deliberately continued.The small waterfall, seemed to, ceased to exist, with the wings diverting the falling water.
To a Draconian, this was like getting kicked in the groin, it really hurt. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away. Panting for breath and trying to get over the pain he pleaded, "No ..... no more .... please." He smiled through the pain. "How would you like it if I did that to you?" She grinned, his faulted, "Wrong question!" He lowered his head and sighed.
She lifted his chin up, so their eyes met. A mischevious grin spread across her face.
"What?" He asked, a little self concious now.
She shook her head, "Nothing."
A half smile formed on his lips, "There is, I can tell." He ran a hand up her back.
"Well .... it is kindda cold in this water. Can we go into that cave you talked about?"
The gathering darkness engulfed them into the void. Their cries and screams echoed against the overhangs, the trees and the stone. Echoed and sent ripples, undetected, through the glasslike water. Bodies, arched at improbable angles, and sweat, cold as Winter's first, bitter snow. Emotions as strong as the suns first rays on life, pain, pleasure, thundered across the desert oasis, resounding back and forth, wild and furious, uncontrolled. Stallions with no masters, wild as nature intended them to be. The power of the stars and wild euphoria drove them on.
The forbiden love.
Just before dawn.
"Van?" She whispered. She could feel his warmth on her back and his arms wrapped around her. As she got her bearings she could make out that it was still dark outside, the sound of rushing water rang in her ears. As constant as it was, she never registered it at all, through the night. She shivered, the cold had finally got to her. That's probably why he managed to recover her shirt. It felt stuffy in the small cave, despite the temperature. Her hair felt stiff and frigid, from the drying sweat. Her limbs throbbed with a dull pain and her chest, where her broken ribs had been, ached. She was curled up, beneath one of his wings, which rested on her shoulder. It wasn't working, to keep her warm. She shifted her weight onto her back, pins and needles shot up her shoulder, until feeling was restored. "Van?" The lazy git was fast asleep, even with a whole waterfall thundering through his head. She prodded his shoulder, "Come on! Wake up, Lover Boy!" No answer. She heaved a sigh. "Alright, you asked for it! I'll just have to .... em let me see ... how about stroke your wings..." She grinned menacingly.
Wearily, his eyes slowly opened, "What?" He groggely asked.
"Oh! So it is alive!"
He groaned, "Don't start. My heads spinning."
"Probably the fact that you've had a waterfall in your head for well over ..." She glanced outside, "Half the night."
"Maybe." A little of his normal attitude returned. "I'm sure we got something with water and lakes." He removed his arm from around her and began hoisting himself up. When he had finished propping himself up on an elbow he stared at her, a lazy smile on his face.
"Morning." She said. Her expression turned serious, "Van, shouldn't we be getting back to the castle now? They might be worried about you."
He dismissed it with a wave of his free hand, "Knowing Tirone, nobody knows but Jason by now. They'll come up with an excuse for me. We got the whole morning, before they start charging me for there help." He put in slyly.
She shifted to her other side and ran a hand down his chest. The scars weren't fully healed and were still visible, as was the bruises. "You promised me, that you would show me a Gaean sunrise, aswell as a sunset. I've seen the sunset ... what about the sunrise?" She glanced up at him.
"For you, Hitomi, I'd turn day into night." He looked outside, past the waterfall. "We got an hour before dawn."
"Great!" She stretched and yawned against him, "That means I can get ready and get warm." She rubbed her hands together before beginning to get up. She wandered over to Van's pack and sword, where he'd stashed the rest of their clothes. She snatched up his trousers and slung them at him, "So can you!" She pulled on her own.
When they were dressed, Van began pawing through the pack. "What are you looking for?" She asked, from the ledge she was sitting on, fixing the cuffs to her shirt.
"My spare shirt." He dug deeper and pulled out a huge bundle of white material. "Here it is!" He unraveled it and straightened it. It turned out to be a shirt. "Catch!" He threw something yellow at her, that was wraped up in the shirt he now wore. She caught it and pulled a face. Piskus fruit.
"Ugh!"
He broke into his, "Ahh, it's not that bad. You wanna try tonekan weed in a herbal tea." He pulled a face, "Now that is sour!"
"I think this is sour enough for me." She said, as she plunked a straw into it.
When she had finished she asked, "Alright! I've taken my medicine, now can we go out!?!"
He fixed the leather baldric of his sword around his waist and slung the pack on his back. "Here, I don't want you getting ill on me again!" He threw his leather jacket at her, which had been stuffed, along with other things, in the pack. She didn't bother putting her arms through, just fastened it at the neck.
The two walked out from behind the waterfall. He held her close with an arm around her shoudlers. She leaned into him. It was a complete change from the first night they had spent together.
Pulling away from her, he leapt onto a rocky overhang and held a hand out to her.
Scaling the cliff face was easier than either had thought and pretty soon they were standing on the edge, looking out to a lavender horizon, as the leading edge of the sun rose up on the mountain ranges around Fanelia. They were stood, hand in hand, on the verge of an overhang, watching the sky turn from blue, to violet, to lavender, to red. She drew herself deeper into the leather jacket and leaned onto his shoulder. "It's beautiful." She whispered.
In a sudden burst of colour, the sky was lit by thousands of rays of light, spreading across the fields and casting elongated shadows. She glanced up at him, he was grinning, the sparks of the sun and the night before, flickering and dancing in his eyes.
"Fanelia, and the whole of Gaea, will see a new dawn again." He began. He looked into her eyes, "And it's all thanks to you, Hitomi."
She returned her gaze to the spectical infront of her and shook her head, "It wasn't me, Van. It was destiny."
"I hate prophecies."
"I hate destiny, the only thing good about it was letting me be with you .... for however long." They stood quiet for a while, thinking over that fact. Soon, she would have to go back to Earth and the pain would start over again, ten fold.
The gathering dawn spread around the surrounding countryside and forests. In the distance, they could make out the high turrets and walls of New Fanelia's castle, the stone work vaguely lit by the firey sun.
"Hitomi ... I don't want you to .... I want you to ..." He sighed, helplessly. Who was he to tell her what she could and couldn't do? If you loved something, you would let it have it's freedom. "I love you.... Never doubt that." It was all he could say.
"I know, I won't .... I love you too." She closed her arms around his waist and held on tightly. "I'll never forget."
He smiled offhandedly as he rubbed her back. The sun was almost up, the clouds surrounding it were lit with an orangey hue. "I don't ever want to let this moment pass."
*But it has to!* They stood up straight at the voice they both heard. *Where are you? They wouldn't let me go to you!* It was Escaflowne. *I was worried.*
"We're fine, Escaflowne." Van said to his dragon. "Who wouldn't let you find us?" He asked, whoever it was, did a good job, he just wanted to humour the white beast.
*White catboy and The One.*
They frowned at each other. "The One? Who is that, Escaflowne?" Hitomi asked.
*The One!* The dragon answered, as though they were both dumb.
"We know that, but who is that?" Van said.
*The One.* Van sighed in agitation, this dragon only knew two names. Van and Hitomi. Everyone else, he spoke of their brief descriptions, like catboy, would be Tirone. The One was just another description, of which they didn't have the foggiest.
*Can I come for you now?* The dragon asked timidly. *I felt great emotions eminating from you both. I was worried.*
Van blushed. "Great! Not only have I got a whole castle watching over me, but now I've got a dragon constantly hanging over me!" He grumbled.
*I am sorry. I will not come if you don't want me to.* It whimpered.
Hitomi slapped Van's shoulder. He recoiled with a yelp. "Van! Can't you see that you're hurting Escaflowne's feelings? Have you no sympathy?"
"What do you mean?" He asked, holding his shoulder.
"Think about it! The poor thing has just come here, to be your blood partner, for life, he's doing his best to please you and make you proud of him, and you just don't want to know. He's here to help, not be a burden."
He grunted, "Oh great! I'm in love with an empath!" He apologized when she threatened him with another slap. "Alright! Geeeez! OK Escaflowne, you can come for us." He relented.
*Where are you? I need a picture.*
"OH for crying out ...!"
*That'll do, thank you Hiromi.*
He stared blankly at her. "It's OK Escaflowne. OH, and it's Hitomi, not Hiromi."
The white Dragon burst into the air infront of them with a triumphant bellow.