Van opened his eyes, as something rough rubbed against his cheek. Merle sat
next to him, licking his cheek, as her tail twitched madly, betraying her
excitement.
He yawned and sat up, putting a hand to his temple, as his head banged like
a drum, in the response to his movement.
"Lord Van!" Merle squealed, but her happiness dimmed as Van's headache made
him wince. "Here. Drink this." She pressed a cup into his hand, but the
stench of it made him push it away.
"Lord Van! Drink it!" she shoved the cup at him, glaring so fiercely, Van
drank the vile brew with minimum wincing, not wanting to risk her wrath.
"Wh-what was that?" He held up a hand as she opened her mouth. "No, don't
tell me. I don't want to know." He wiped his mouth, and the headache
subsided to a bearable pain. "Now, what is so important that you wake me
up, when I'm supposed to be resting?!"
Merle ducked her head. "Lord Vordon called a council meeting."
Van groaned and pushed off his blankets. "Very well." /Just like Vordon to
spoil my rest./ He pulled on a black shirt with billowy sleeves, his gray
gloves, and shoved his feet into his boots.
Surprisingly, he could move without his head hurting, and even think
intelligently. /That brew works fast. Too bad it tastes worse than Merle's
cooking!/
!_!_!_!_!_!
Millerna winced as she peeled Kendai's blood-soaked shirt away from his wound. The sight of his mangled skin, interlaced with streaks of cruel- looking silver took her breath away. "Dear gods." She frowned as she recognized the spattered silver. /A Crima Claw!/ Gingerly, she probed Kendai's body for more injuries. "What?! How can that."
_!_!_!_!_!_
Van strode into the council room, in such a black mood, he didn't even acknowledge the councilors greetings.He threw himself into his seat, glowering from under lowered lashes. The councilors stared at him, obviously waiting for him to say something. Van slammed his fist on the table. "What?!" Lord Vordon rose to his feet. "We are here to discuss the young Lord Kendai." Van frowned. "What is there to discuss?" Vordon gestured to Allen, who was sitting next to Van, showing the effects of the battle. He had several bandages wrapped around his numerous injuries, and a crutch propped next to him. Allen shifted himself to rise, but Van waved an impatient hand at him. "Stop dancing, stay sat, and tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Allen blinked slightly at Van's outburst but didn't seem disturbed. "As you know, Kendai appeared on the battlefield, in a Guymelef. I asked Lord Karo to see if he could place the Guymelef." Allen gestured to Lord Karo, who stood. "This is the reason we called the council. The Guymelef is the ancient Aresis, made by clan Ispano, sister to Escaflowne." Van sat down, shocked. "S-sister to Escaflowne?" Karo nodded. "She was given to the race of Rei, the ancient Amazons. All knowledge of her vanished for almost fifteen hundred years. Suddenly, she appears again, in the midst of battle." Allen shook his head. "What puzzles me, is that Aresis may only bear women. Just as Escaflowne was created for the King, Aresis was created for the Queen. Kendai should not have been able to use the Melef." Suddenly, the door to the Council room burst open. "That is where you are wrong!" Millerna stood in the doorway, her face flushed. "What-" Lord Vordon rose in protest, but he was cut off. "Sit down." Van glared at the councilor. "Yeah!" said Merle, appearing from behind Millerna. She stuck her tongue out at Vordon, before looking up at Van. "You'll never guess what happened, Lord Van! Kendai is-" Millerna put a hand over Merle's mouth. "Hush." She approached Van. "While treating Lord Kendai's wounds I made a shocking discovery." Van's stomach dropped. "What's wrong with him? Is he going to be okay? Will he-" Millerna held up a hand, laughing. "Don't worry Kendai is fine. It's just that. he's well. Kendai is a woman."
!!__!!__!!__!!__!!
Van charged through the castle, rage giving him speed. //How could he do this to me?! I thought we were friends! He lied to me!// By the time he reached his room, his vision was tinged red. He flung open the door so hard, it bounced of its hinges, almost slamming shut again. Kendai, //Or whoever she is.// was propped up in bed, being tended by a healer. The healer looked up when Van entered, and shrank back from the anger that rolled off the King. "You!" Van screamed, pointing a shaking finger at Kendai. "You bitch! How could you do this to me?!" He crossed the chamber with angry strides. The healer drew back, terrified of Van's fury. Van grabbed Kendai by the shoulders, his face contorted with rage. "Van." Kendai said, only it wasn't Kendai. It was some totally different person. "You lying. Cheating. Piece of shit!" he punctuated each word with a hard shake. "You took advantage of me!" He shook Kendai so hard, the young man screamed and collapsed against Van. "How could you do this?! Why did you lie?! I trusted you!" Van was getting angrier and angrier. He shook Kendai violently, and the boy screamed as Van reopened the wound. There were pounding footsteps in the hall, and Allen burst into the room, injuries forgotten. Gaddes and the crew charged in behind him. "Van!" yelled Allen. He ran forward, and grabbed Van's arms, pulling them behind him. Van was screaming at Kendai, tears of anger coursing down his face. "How could you do this to me?! Why?! You used me!!" Allen dragged Van out of the room, with the help of Gaddes.
The healer looked at her charge. The young woman was slumped against her pillow, unconscious. She tsked at the King, and got out her medicines.
__!!__!!__!!__!!__
//Kaiyari looked around. She was surrounded by darkness, a void so quiet it was deafening. She closed her eyes, and plugged her ears in pain. Some invisible force drove her to her knees, pressing down on her shoulders and back. Suddenly, everything was gone; the silence, the pain, the pressure. She sat up cautiously, and looked around. It was still dark, but not the unbearable darkness of before, but more like the night sky. An aqua-haired man in a black cape stood before her, regarding her with solemn violet eyes. "Wh-what? Who are you?" she stuttered, eyes wide. A small smile grew on his lips. "You may call me Folken. As to your first question, you are dreaming, do not worry." She relaxed, and stood. "If this is my dream-or rather nightmare, why are you here?" His amused expression disappeared, to be replaced with a solemn mask. "This is not a natural dream. More of a warning, sent from Fanelia's enemies." She blinked. "Why are they sending it to me? Why not Van or Allen, or someone who actually matters?" Folken leaned forward, and gripped her shoulders. She shivered as she noticed that one arm was a metal claw, extending from shoulder to fingertip. He looked into her eyes, ignoring her shock. "You matter, Kaiyari no Saira, Knight of the Caeli, of Asturia and Fanelia." He pinned her gaze with his own, almost as if he was searching for some obscure answer in her eyes. "You are a fulcrum on which fate turns." Kaiyari stared at him, uncomprehending. "What? What do you mean?" Folken sighed. "Choosing to bring your father to justice saved the lives of millions. Your decision to trust Van saved just as many. Leaving the safety of the castle to aid Van and Fanelia on the battlefield also saved countless lives from being lost. But yet these choices had consequences. You made powerful enemies, your father and Zaibach on the forefront. But also many unspoken benefactors for your main enemies rise, and may prove more powerful than Zaibach and your father combined." Kaiyari frowned, but nodded. "I understand. Somewhat." He smiled a little. "You are quick, Kaiyari. This may prove as an unpleasant shock to your enemies. Now, there are some things I must tell you."//
!_!!_!_!!_!
!_!_!_!_!_!
Millerna winced as she peeled Kendai's blood-soaked shirt away from his wound. The sight of his mangled skin, interlaced with streaks of cruel- looking silver took her breath away. "Dear gods." She frowned as she recognized the spattered silver. /A Crima Claw!/ Gingerly, she probed Kendai's body for more injuries. "What?! How can that."
_!_!_!_!_!_
Van strode into the council room, in such a black mood, he didn't even acknowledge the councilors greetings.He threw himself into his seat, glowering from under lowered lashes. The councilors stared at him, obviously waiting for him to say something. Van slammed his fist on the table. "What?!" Lord Vordon rose to his feet. "We are here to discuss the young Lord Kendai." Van frowned. "What is there to discuss?" Vordon gestured to Allen, who was sitting next to Van, showing the effects of the battle. He had several bandages wrapped around his numerous injuries, and a crutch propped next to him. Allen shifted himself to rise, but Van waved an impatient hand at him. "Stop dancing, stay sat, and tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Allen blinked slightly at Van's outburst but didn't seem disturbed. "As you know, Kendai appeared on the battlefield, in a Guymelef. I asked Lord Karo to see if he could place the Guymelef." Allen gestured to Lord Karo, who stood. "This is the reason we called the council. The Guymelef is the ancient Aresis, made by clan Ispano, sister to Escaflowne." Van sat down, shocked. "S-sister to Escaflowne?" Karo nodded. "She was given to the race of Rei, the ancient Amazons. All knowledge of her vanished for almost fifteen hundred years. Suddenly, she appears again, in the midst of battle." Allen shook his head. "What puzzles me, is that Aresis may only bear women. Just as Escaflowne was created for the King, Aresis was created for the Queen. Kendai should not have been able to use the Melef." Suddenly, the door to the Council room burst open. "That is where you are wrong!" Millerna stood in the doorway, her face flushed. "What-" Lord Vordon rose in protest, but he was cut off. "Sit down." Van glared at the councilor. "Yeah!" said Merle, appearing from behind Millerna. She stuck her tongue out at Vordon, before looking up at Van. "You'll never guess what happened, Lord Van! Kendai is-" Millerna put a hand over Merle's mouth. "Hush." She approached Van. "While treating Lord Kendai's wounds I made a shocking discovery." Van's stomach dropped. "What's wrong with him? Is he going to be okay? Will he-" Millerna held up a hand, laughing. "Don't worry Kendai is fine. It's just that. he's well. Kendai is a woman."
!!__!!__!!__!!__!!
Van charged through the castle, rage giving him speed. //How could he do this to me?! I thought we were friends! He lied to me!// By the time he reached his room, his vision was tinged red. He flung open the door so hard, it bounced of its hinges, almost slamming shut again. Kendai, //Or whoever she is.// was propped up in bed, being tended by a healer. The healer looked up when Van entered, and shrank back from the anger that rolled off the King. "You!" Van screamed, pointing a shaking finger at Kendai. "You bitch! How could you do this to me?!" He crossed the chamber with angry strides. The healer drew back, terrified of Van's fury. Van grabbed Kendai by the shoulders, his face contorted with rage. "Van." Kendai said, only it wasn't Kendai. It was some totally different person. "You lying. Cheating. Piece of shit!" he punctuated each word with a hard shake. "You took advantage of me!" He shook Kendai so hard, the young man screamed and collapsed against Van. "How could you do this?! Why did you lie?! I trusted you!" Van was getting angrier and angrier. He shook Kendai violently, and the boy screamed as Van reopened the wound. There were pounding footsteps in the hall, and Allen burst into the room, injuries forgotten. Gaddes and the crew charged in behind him. "Van!" yelled Allen. He ran forward, and grabbed Van's arms, pulling them behind him. Van was screaming at Kendai, tears of anger coursing down his face. "How could you do this to me?! Why?! You used me!!" Allen dragged Van out of the room, with the help of Gaddes.
The healer looked at her charge. The young woman was slumped against her pillow, unconscious. She tsked at the King, and got out her medicines.
__!!__!!__!!__!!__
//Kaiyari looked around. She was surrounded by darkness, a void so quiet it was deafening. She closed her eyes, and plugged her ears in pain. Some invisible force drove her to her knees, pressing down on her shoulders and back. Suddenly, everything was gone; the silence, the pain, the pressure. She sat up cautiously, and looked around. It was still dark, but not the unbearable darkness of before, but more like the night sky. An aqua-haired man in a black cape stood before her, regarding her with solemn violet eyes. "Wh-what? Who are you?" she stuttered, eyes wide. A small smile grew on his lips. "You may call me Folken. As to your first question, you are dreaming, do not worry." She relaxed, and stood. "If this is my dream-or rather nightmare, why are you here?" His amused expression disappeared, to be replaced with a solemn mask. "This is not a natural dream. More of a warning, sent from Fanelia's enemies." She blinked. "Why are they sending it to me? Why not Van or Allen, or someone who actually matters?" Folken leaned forward, and gripped her shoulders. She shivered as she noticed that one arm was a metal claw, extending from shoulder to fingertip. He looked into her eyes, ignoring her shock. "You matter, Kaiyari no Saira, Knight of the Caeli, of Asturia and Fanelia." He pinned her gaze with his own, almost as if he was searching for some obscure answer in her eyes. "You are a fulcrum on which fate turns." Kaiyari stared at him, uncomprehending. "What? What do you mean?" Folken sighed. "Choosing to bring your father to justice saved the lives of millions. Your decision to trust Van saved just as many. Leaving the safety of the castle to aid Van and Fanelia on the battlefield also saved countless lives from being lost. But yet these choices had consequences. You made powerful enemies, your father and Zaibach on the forefront. But also many unspoken benefactors for your main enemies rise, and may prove more powerful than Zaibach and your father combined." Kaiyari frowned, but nodded. "I understand. Somewhat." He smiled a little. "You are quick, Kaiyari. This may prove as an unpleasant shock to your enemies. Now, there are some things I must tell you."//
!_!!_!_!!_!