Okay, thank you thank you for the reviews!! And oh yeah, Folken lovers
unite! Admit your obsession with the lovable gothic cyborg! Alright, I'm
done being a spaz, just had to get that out ^_^. Just a warning : I have a
feeling this chapter is going to be very dark and angsty, so be prepared.
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, blah blah blah, and all that legal stuff
Chapter six: Dark Reflections
It was late morning and the sun had chased all remnants of the chilly evening back to the gloomy and tangled heart of those ancient woodlands. Every now and again a small, furry creature scurried across their path, a a bird searching for food, but other than that they seemed to be quite alone. They had stopped for a short rest, Folken had told her his shoulders were getting stiff from carrying her.
"I know you're looking at it."
Hitomi was startled out of a daze, watching the metal of his right arm reflect the sunlight as he munched on an apple, and began to blush with embarrassment. "I'm-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to stare, I've.. just never seem anything like it before."
Folken closed his eyes, and bowed his head slightly. "Its alright, I know it must look strange to you. I lost my real arm a long time ago......" Folken became very quiet then, eyes still closed, the half eaten apple clutched lightly by his claw-like fingers. Minutes later he raised his head and stared at her from beneath his hood with empty, emotionless eyes. "We should get going, only about an hour or so and we'll reach the Fanelian border. Do you feel you can walk on your own?"
She nodded and stood up, looking at the ground beneath her. "I'm sorry, Folken. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."
He rose as well and continued to stare at her with the same guarded expression. "You didn't. Lets go."
It didn't take long before the forest began to thin and the ground rose sharply ahead of them. Folken informed her that they were entering the highlands that surrounded the valley Fanelia was built in. The earth was rocky and uneven, the plants of the hearty variety, but flourishing in a healthy green none-the-less. Very few clouds dotted the sky and the sun shone down on them in all its glory.
Within the hour their climb came to an end. They were standing on what appeared to be the edge of a cliff.
Even though Folken made an effort to hide it, Hitomi clearly heard the breath catch in his throat as he gazed down on the ruined paradise. What had once been a beautiful emerald set in the mountains, and veritable sea of color and life was now charred and dead.
Folken could feel tears of rage and guilt building in his eyes and was thankful for the cover of the cloak. All that he had known in his youth, the country he had loved, the palace that had been his home, all destroyed, burnt and crumbled. Through his agony he could hear Van calling to him from the depths of his mind, asking him why, why he had allowed this to happen, why ......
He clenched his fists and stifled a cry of pain and he continued to take in the destruction he had caused, the high winds snapping the rim of the hood against his cheeks. Hitomi was watching him, and he knew this, but he didn't care, it no longer mattered.
Without a word to the girl, or even an acknowledgement he started down a path that was cut into the cliff's side and towards the fallen city
The feel was similar to that of walking over a freshly dug grave as they made their way through the debris-filled streets of Fanelia. Hitomi Shivered. She kept her eyes to the ground, fearful of the horrors she might see if she let her eyes wander.
Folken had not said a word since they had reached the valley, and his silence was beginning to become disturbing. There was a lot more to his story than what he had told her. He was an enigma to be sure, and too many pieces of the puzzle were missing for her to draw any kind of conclusion.
*He seems so troubled,* Hitomi frowned, * He and Van must have been very close......*
Her foot brushed against something solid. Hitomi turned to look and let out a High-pitched scream that shattered the unnatural stillness. She then feel to her knees and began to wretch uncontrollably. Underneath a piled of ashes, burnt timber and debris, a badly scorched body lay sprawled across her path, its mouth frozen in an eternal scream. The scent of cooked flesh still hung in the air and the victim's skin had turned the color of charcoal.
Folken had come to her side the moment he heard her cry out. His expression had seemed to darken my the minute since they had reached Fanelia, and now to accompany that, his face was starkly pale. He helped hitomi to her feet, wrapped his left arm around the trembling girl's shoulders and led her away from the corpse; she buried her face in his cloak and cried quietly.
Don't dwell on it," he commanded, "You'll only upset yourself more." His voice was flat and unbroken, but all was not well with Folken and this could be heard only by the well trained ear. "Perhaps you should wait for me just outside the city, I sense this is too much for you."
Hitomi raised her head, wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded.
Folken led her back the way the had come and left her under the blackened remains of a tree. "I'm going to search for survivors..... I'll come back for you." And with that, he was gone.
He proceeded back into the fallen country, taking in all death around him. The charred bodies and decimated buildings, all the result of his nievity. "So this is the result of Dornkirk's policies..... how could I have been so stupid."
Something he caught out of the corner of his eye made Folken freeze mid-stride. It was a hand-made doll, a small child's toy. Barely touched by the fire, it stared at him accusingly with its button eyes, a smile permanently sewn on the rough fabric of its face.
Folken collapsed to his knees and held the doll to his chest, fighting back suffocating waves of regret, he punched the dirt below him with his fist.. He could see it all in his mind, the chaos and destruction happening all over again. He could even imagine the little girl who must have dropped her beloved toy, screaming with fear, tears streaming down her cheeks as her mother carried her away, leaving the doll to burn.
Folken stood and tucked the doll away in his pack with a deep sigh. "Not even the young are immune, war knows no age or innocence."
"Hello?!?" It was faint, but Folken jumped when he heard a voice, probably that of a child, break through the dead silence. "Is someone there?!? Please Help me, I'm trapped!." ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ............................................................................ .....................................................
An airship was docking on the south side of the Vione flanked by many Alsiedes guymelefs that could only be interpreted as guards. It seemed most of the Vione's personnel was there to greet there visitor
I large man dressed in full plate armor stepped out of the ship and the soldiers filling the hanger snapped to attention and reacted in one simultaneous salute. The man had a thick and scraggily brown mustache and beard and his eyes were like black ice, frigid and heartless.
He walked down the carpet that had been unrolled for him accompanied by a few chosen, elite fighters, his scrutinizing eye inspecting every inch of the men assembled. He came to a halt before poor Mallis Reidi, the fortress's commander in Folken's absence, who promptly saluted.
"Lord Adelphos, sir! We welcome you to the floating fortress, Vione."
Adelphos Gein frowned in annoyance. "Whats this all about? I heard something about Strategos missing."
"Yes sir, Lord Folken has gone missing and the entire fortress is in chaos, this is why we called on your assistance, sir. It was a recommendation by Lord Dornkirk. Please, sir, you must be tired, I will show you where you may freshen up." Mallis bowed, then turned and led Adelphos to his temporary quarters.
The general could be vaguely heard mumbling something about his time being wasted as he exited the hangar, and the soldiers breathed a collective sigh of relief. ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ............................................................................ .........................................
Alright, just a few notes here. Mallis is a character made up because I have been unable to find any information on who serves directly below Folken. If anyone knows who this person is, feel free to let me know. Hope that wasn't too depressing.
Don't forget to review!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, blah blah blah, and all that legal stuff
Chapter six: Dark Reflections
It was late morning and the sun had chased all remnants of the chilly evening back to the gloomy and tangled heart of those ancient woodlands. Every now and again a small, furry creature scurried across their path, a a bird searching for food, but other than that they seemed to be quite alone. They had stopped for a short rest, Folken had told her his shoulders were getting stiff from carrying her.
"I know you're looking at it."
Hitomi was startled out of a daze, watching the metal of his right arm reflect the sunlight as he munched on an apple, and began to blush with embarrassment. "I'm-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to stare, I've.. just never seem anything like it before."
Folken closed his eyes, and bowed his head slightly. "Its alright, I know it must look strange to you. I lost my real arm a long time ago......" Folken became very quiet then, eyes still closed, the half eaten apple clutched lightly by his claw-like fingers. Minutes later he raised his head and stared at her from beneath his hood with empty, emotionless eyes. "We should get going, only about an hour or so and we'll reach the Fanelian border. Do you feel you can walk on your own?"
She nodded and stood up, looking at the ground beneath her. "I'm sorry, Folken. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."
He rose as well and continued to stare at her with the same guarded expression. "You didn't. Lets go."
It didn't take long before the forest began to thin and the ground rose sharply ahead of them. Folken informed her that they were entering the highlands that surrounded the valley Fanelia was built in. The earth was rocky and uneven, the plants of the hearty variety, but flourishing in a healthy green none-the-less. Very few clouds dotted the sky and the sun shone down on them in all its glory.
Within the hour their climb came to an end. They were standing on what appeared to be the edge of a cliff.
Even though Folken made an effort to hide it, Hitomi clearly heard the breath catch in his throat as he gazed down on the ruined paradise. What had once been a beautiful emerald set in the mountains, and veritable sea of color and life was now charred and dead.
Folken could feel tears of rage and guilt building in his eyes and was thankful for the cover of the cloak. All that he had known in his youth, the country he had loved, the palace that had been his home, all destroyed, burnt and crumbled. Through his agony he could hear Van calling to him from the depths of his mind, asking him why, why he had allowed this to happen, why ......
He clenched his fists and stifled a cry of pain and he continued to take in the destruction he had caused, the high winds snapping the rim of the hood against his cheeks. Hitomi was watching him, and he knew this, but he didn't care, it no longer mattered.
Without a word to the girl, or even an acknowledgement he started down a path that was cut into the cliff's side and towards the fallen city
The feel was similar to that of walking over a freshly dug grave as they made their way through the debris-filled streets of Fanelia. Hitomi Shivered. She kept her eyes to the ground, fearful of the horrors she might see if she let her eyes wander.
Folken had not said a word since they had reached the valley, and his silence was beginning to become disturbing. There was a lot more to his story than what he had told her. He was an enigma to be sure, and too many pieces of the puzzle were missing for her to draw any kind of conclusion.
*He seems so troubled,* Hitomi frowned, * He and Van must have been very close......*
Her foot brushed against something solid. Hitomi turned to look and let out a High-pitched scream that shattered the unnatural stillness. She then feel to her knees and began to wretch uncontrollably. Underneath a piled of ashes, burnt timber and debris, a badly scorched body lay sprawled across her path, its mouth frozen in an eternal scream. The scent of cooked flesh still hung in the air and the victim's skin had turned the color of charcoal.
Folken had come to her side the moment he heard her cry out. His expression had seemed to darken my the minute since they had reached Fanelia, and now to accompany that, his face was starkly pale. He helped hitomi to her feet, wrapped his left arm around the trembling girl's shoulders and led her away from the corpse; she buried her face in his cloak and cried quietly.
Don't dwell on it," he commanded, "You'll only upset yourself more." His voice was flat and unbroken, but all was not well with Folken and this could be heard only by the well trained ear. "Perhaps you should wait for me just outside the city, I sense this is too much for you."
Hitomi raised her head, wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded.
Folken led her back the way the had come and left her under the blackened remains of a tree. "I'm going to search for survivors..... I'll come back for you." And with that, he was gone.
He proceeded back into the fallen country, taking in all death around him. The charred bodies and decimated buildings, all the result of his nievity. "So this is the result of Dornkirk's policies..... how could I have been so stupid."
Something he caught out of the corner of his eye made Folken freeze mid-stride. It was a hand-made doll, a small child's toy. Barely touched by the fire, it stared at him accusingly with its button eyes, a smile permanently sewn on the rough fabric of its face.
Folken collapsed to his knees and held the doll to his chest, fighting back suffocating waves of regret, he punched the dirt below him with his fist.. He could see it all in his mind, the chaos and destruction happening all over again. He could even imagine the little girl who must have dropped her beloved toy, screaming with fear, tears streaming down her cheeks as her mother carried her away, leaving the doll to burn.
Folken stood and tucked the doll away in his pack with a deep sigh. "Not even the young are immune, war knows no age or innocence."
"Hello?!?" It was faint, but Folken jumped when he heard a voice, probably that of a child, break through the dead silence. "Is someone there?!? Please Help me, I'm trapped!." ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ............................................................................ .....................................................
An airship was docking on the south side of the Vione flanked by many Alsiedes guymelefs that could only be interpreted as guards. It seemed most of the Vione's personnel was there to greet there visitor
I large man dressed in full plate armor stepped out of the ship and the soldiers filling the hanger snapped to attention and reacted in one simultaneous salute. The man had a thick and scraggily brown mustache and beard and his eyes were like black ice, frigid and heartless.
He walked down the carpet that had been unrolled for him accompanied by a few chosen, elite fighters, his scrutinizing eye inspecting every inch of the men assembled. He came to a halt before poor Mallis Reidi, the fortress's commander in Folken's absence, who promptly saluted.
"Lord Adelphos, sir! We welcome you to the floating fortress, Vione."
Adelphos Gein frowned in annoyance. "Whats this all about? I heard something about Strategos missing."
"Yes sir, Lord Folken has gone missing and the entire fortress is in chaos, this is why we called on your assistance, sir. It was a recommendation by Lord Dornkirk. Please, sir, you must be tired, I will show you where you may freshen up." Mallis bowed, then turned and led Adelphos to his temporary quarters.
The general could be vaguely heard mumbling something about his time being wasted as he exited the hangar, and the soldiers breathed a collective sigh of relief. ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ............................................................................ .........................................
Alright, just a few notes here. Mallis is a character made up because I have been unable to find any information on who serves directly below Folken. If anyone knows who this person is, feel free to let me know. Hope that wasn't too depressing.
Don't forget to review!!!