Chapter 8 ~ The Mission
~*~ Knowledge is power ~*~
10 years before…..
The night was peaceful as the stars shone over the small roofs of the houses; no sounds except for than the occasional croaking of the frogs. The village was asleep, the tired sighs of men and innocent breaths of children echoing everywhere.
No one heard them come, no one heard their steps echo on the dirt road, no one heard their whispered voices.
A loud explosion awoke the sleepy villagers. Their peaceful slumber was interrupted by a world full of flames, smoke and cries of pain. The eastern side of the village was completely devastated. A huge fire rose like a demon amongst them. The cackling and the heat spread through the village, consuming their petty houses, turning all their belongings to ashes. A thick column of grey smoke formed in the air, marking the end of the village.
The children woke up screaming, mothers scrambled for their babes, and men tried to put the fire out. All their feeble attempts were useless. From atop the hill, a darkly cloaked figure watched, his eyes cold as stone.
"Report!" he commanded to a person that just walked beside him.
"No chance." The man told him. "They're dead."
"Good. When the fire consumes them all, search the village for survivors." He told him.
The man saluted and left.
Back at the village, the fire continued to spread, oblivious to the desperate attempts to stop it. The screams of the children filled the valley, and the adults shuddered at the thought of the small ones dying in the fire. Casualties however, were unavoidable. The fire chewed through the wood quickly, and the beams holding the houses together soon gave out. The screams of the frightened children now mixed in with the screams of the dying and the screams of the injured.
In the night, amidst the blood like sky, a spectacle of grim death played a symphony of unforgettable wails. Two big red frightened eyes, belonging to a child of five watched the horror unfold in its mightiest splendor. Shielded by a large rock, the child watched as the adults ran around like ants around an anthill. He whimpered as he saw the fire come closer, and closer, and closer.
"Get back here! Momma told us to stay back here!" a girl came forth from behind the rock. She was dressed in a pale blue nightgown, and her silvery hair was tied in two pigtails. She looked about three, with a cute rosy face and an adorable smile.
The boy turned back to look at her, his red eyes meeting her blue.
"Anna, get back there! I told you to lay low!" he hissed.
"But I'm scared big brother!" she said with tears in her eyes.
The boy came close to her, and she flung herself on his waist, holding him tight.
"It's ok, don't act like a baby!" he told her in a big brother tone.
"I can't help it! I'm scared!" she whispered.
"It's ok, I'm here." He whispered stroking her hair.
The little girl went silent in his embrace. Still squeezing his waist as hard as she could. With his free hand the boy pushed back the rebellious strands of silver hair and continued to look at the fire.
So mighty, so invincible, so… tempting. He licked his lips, grinning widely, as the shadows of the fire played on his face. He had never seen anything like it. The flames reached high above him, flicking away at the sky, making it redder and redder yet. Nothing stood in the path of the fire, and no matter how much the others tried, it still destroyed everything. It was… the ruler of their universe. It was something that couldn't be controlled. The boy laughed, amused by their feeble attempts to save their life.
"Don't they see it's useless?" he asked in a cruel and cold voice.
"Don't speak like that! We must believe in mother and father!" his sister hissed.
The boy said nothing, but his small chest shook with an unearthly laughter. Something far beyond the grasp of anything human. It was an animal instinct so far buried in their common past, that his sister shook with fear at the sound of the laughter.
A quick glance above him told the young boy that they were in danger. The trees around them had caught fire. Their trunks had begun to burn, turning their green leaves a sickly scorched shade of brown. For the first time, the boy understood the impacts of the fire on his life. He looked around, eyes big, round and frightened; there was no escape. They were trapped in a fiery pit in which death ruled, with chaos along as his bride.
The loud noise of something breaking brought him back to reality, and as he looked up, his horror- stricken face only turned more grotesque and inhumane. The fiery remains of a powerful oak were headed towards them. Within the next heat beat, they would be crushed. Squeezing his sister to him, he began to duck out of the way. She cried in horror, too afraid to move. They boy, using all the strength his age allowed him, pulled her after him, as they both tried to make a run for their life.
The world suddenly turned black, and they boy felt how his knees failed him. Hitting the ground, with what seemed like a horrible boom, his jaw contacted a rock, making his vision hazier than before. The only thought in his mind was his sister.
"Anna! Hold on!" he heard himself yell. However, his consciousness was far away, and the reality of the world only broke through in some places.
"Her hand… it's so cold on mine. I feel like I'm on fire. And yet… she's so cold. Like a relief from all this heat, all this suffering." He thought, the words in his mind forming slowly, and dissipating within the moment.
A vision of his sister's tear-streaked face while flames consumed her body came to him, and he felt himself scream in shock and horror. Then, it all went black.
"Yeah! This one here! He's still alive!" he heard a gruff voice above him.
The boy came about, his silvery hair now an ashen grey colour. Coughing as he felt someone throw a bucket of water over him, he shivered at the cold. Blinking vigorously, to adjust his vision to the surroundings, he gave a yelp when he realised he was holding a small scorched hand. The burning smell of the flesh entered his nostrils, and his stomach contracted violently at it. He threw himself against the ground, vomiting strenuously.
A few moments later, he looked up, or rather down, to see ashen blond curls, and the blue lifeless eyes belonging to Anna. The boy heard himself give a startled yelp, which turned into a scream of terror. He backed away, into a nearby man, tears streaming down his face. The man picked him up, roughly, and shoved him along. The boy didn't resist, the tears still flowing down his cheeks.
"Is he a survivor?" a voice asked.
"The only one." The man holding him hostage replied.
A man in a dark cloak turned around. It was not yet day, but the faint traces of it showed upon the horizon. The boy looked up, and thought he saw the man smile. A malicious and evil smile.
"Welcome, young apprentice." He said in a cool and collected tone. "You, apparently, are the only one worthy of me." He continued.
The man behind him, pushed the boy down to his knees. He winced in pain as his hand made contact with the dusty ground. He looked and saw his palm bleeding, burned from the contact with his… sister.
"Bow to your new emperor!" the man snarled.
The boy looked down, his red eyes cold and unfeeling. He felt nothing, he was nothing. Everything he knew and held dear had just died tonight. By the hand of this wretched man, his universe had ended. All the safety and security had vanished, leaving only a poor frightened five year old. Looking up, through his locks of singed hair, the boy's red eyes starred at the imposing man rebelliously. He caught a glimpse of his face, and for an instant thought he saw the mark or a tear on his face, but then it was gone, like a mirage. He blinked repeatedly, not sure of what he saw. Whoever that man was, for now he needn't be crossed.
As the boy was hauled away, given in care of the man that found him, he realised a new life for him had begun, and everything, everything would change.
"I'm sorry Anna!" he whispered softly, as they left the scorched village. From atop his horse, the boy looked at his bandaged hand. "I will never forget. That, I will make sure of." He thought angrily, as more tears streamed down his cheek.
Present Time…
Dilandau Albatou, soldier in the Fanelian armies woke up, or rather jumped out of bed. Breathing heavily, he pushed the bed covers aside, as he stood up and paced about the room. They were back. The dreams were back, tormenting him like always. Only now, he wasn't a little scared boy any longer. He was a full grown man, and he would not be frightened of some petty dreams!
"Dreams are for losers. Goals are for winners." He thought, clenching his fist so hard his veins bulged out. It was then that he noticed the blood on his hands. Bringing his palm to his lips, he sucked the red nectar, enjoying the feel of the liquid as it flowed down his throat. When his wound stopped bleeding, Dilandau licked his lips, and broke into a satisfied grin.
"Soon, I will have none of this! Soon, I will be able to be free of my duties and find rest." He spoke to himself. "But until then, I've got a job to do, whether I like it or not." He continued.
Taking his sword out of its sheath and shining it in the new daylight, Dilandau felt happy. It had been a long time since he had felt happy, but the beauty of the day was infectious. A sly smile on his lips, he went down to breakfast.
The others were already seated at the table, that odd woman Hitomi, and the woman with the red hair chatting merrily. Dilandau narrowed his eyes when he looked at Hitomi. He didn't trust her. She was a threat to his plans nonetheless. He couldn't understand why Van took her on the trip. When he asked, he said something about a bodyguard. Dilandau had insisted that he was a good and loyal bodyguard, and that bringing a stranger on their trip might compromise things. Who knew, maybe she was the one behind the attacks. However, stubborn Van wouldn't hear of it. He kept on saying that she saved his life, and that he owed her, and that he would help her, if she would help him. Dilandau knew not to argue with the hothead, no, Van Fanel had to be manipulated by other means. More subtle, more dangerous, and much more satisfying. Thus, Dilandau dropped the subject and accepted her on the trip. But he still didn't trust her, or that hidden gleam she held in her green eyes. The way she so silently followed, not saying much, but merely observing all of them told him that she knew, and was more than she let off. No, the innocent Hitomi Kanzaki was merely an image of the more complex being she was. In time, Dilandau hoped to unmask her, and bring her out into the light. Who knows, maybe Van would allow him the pleasure of cutting off her head. Smiling, the albino sat down at the table, not acknowledging anyone.
Hitomi Kanzaki stopped the conversation, and let her fork drop to the plat with minimal sounds. The atmosphere had suddenly chilled when Dilandau came and sat down. With his red eyes and condescending smile, Hitomi felt compelled to stop talking and wait in silence. Dilandau frightened her more than she let off. He was like one of the figments of her imagination; scary, hidden and dangerous. However, Van seemed to trust him, and she couldn't do anything but swallow the lump in her throat. Her heart was beating faster, and her hands felt clammy. Why did the man scare her so much?
"No! I will not let him get to me. I've been through hell myself. I refuse to be scared of a child like this one!" Hitomi thought, closing her eyes and squeezing her fists.
"Are you ok?" Yukari asked, and placed a hand over Hitomi's trembling fist.
The thief looked back at her, and smiled, her green eyes sparkling as light reflected off them. "Yeah, I'm perfectly all right."
"Hmm… well breakfast will be over soon, do you think we can go visit the city?" Yukari asked.
"Well, whatever Van… I mean the King decides should go. But I think he wants to talk to King Aston before we leave." Hitomi told her.
"Well, we'll have plenty of time to visit the city then. These things take rather long and tedious hours!" Yukari exclaimed smiling.
"How would you know?" Hitomi asked.
"Err… I heard something like that. Back home I had a friend that worked as a palace maid. She used to talk a lot about what was going on in the palace. I happened to be there for most of her talks." Yukari said, and looked away quickly.
"Sure… we'll go visit the city." Hitomi said absently.
Her gaze focused on Van, who was sitting at the royal table. On his left and right were the two younger Asturian princesses. Princess Millerna and Princess Eries were doing their best to make the young king laugh, and he was laughing heartily. All the other nobles were also very amused with their guest. The atmosphere seemed carefree, and joyous. Hitomi for one, didn't like the look of it. Where it was true that her experience with nobility only consisted of her stealing money from them, she couldn't stand their mocking faces, and their childish use of fashion language. A rose by any other name, is still a rose. Why complicate yourself in useless terms. Just call the thing as it is. Simplicity was marvelous. She looked back at the princesses. Eries looked like she had swallowed a sour plum, and Millerna's eyes looked like she was about to cry any minute. No, nobility was not happy. They were merely faking an illusion of it. Van on the other hand, was leaned back on his chair, a smile pasted on his face, and he was attentively listening to his companions.
Hitomi's eyes lingered on his face, searching his features for any sign of boredom. There was none. The young king listened, and absorbed like a sponge everything King Aston was saying. The conversation was spoken in lower tones, only faint whispers reaching Hitomi's ears.
"Let them share their secrets. I do not care." She told herself.
Van looked up, and saw Hitomi looking in his direction. He gasped inwardly, and then looked at her. For a mere second their gazes were locked, Van's heart skipping a beat of two. Then, she broke the gaze, as if embarrassed and turned to talk to Yukari. Oh how much he longed to be sitting there at the table, along with his companions, to eat and to drink happily. Royalty was rather boring, and King Aston sure wasn't interesting. An old man, talking about nonsense. Van hoped he kept up appearances and that he looked interesting.
"King Van, I think it is time to go. We must have private counsel." King Aston cleared his throat.
Van snapped out of his reverie instantly, his head turning towards King Aston.
"Private counsel?" he asked, his voice a little high pitched.
"Yes, I have important matters I must discuss with you King Van, and you must leave for Freid immediately. Your voyage to Lowenia is of most importance to the Inner Circle Alliance. Come, we must talk." He said and stood up from the table.
All the other nobles stood up, in a sign that breakfast was over. Hitomi was watching from her table, and she heard the last words uttered by King Aston.
"So… private counsel eh? I wonder if I can sneak into the room and hear what's going on. It shouldn't be too hard…" she thought.
"Come on Hitomi. We can go explore the city. I'm sure we've got lots of sightseeing to do!" Yukari exclaimed cheerfully.
"Uh… sure, but can we wait a while? I need to take a bath, I am feeling rather… sweaty. Darn the moist air over the city." Hitomi said quickly.
"What a great idea! I hear Asturian baths are the most pleasurable baths in town. We can go into the hot spring, and enjoy wonderful spa's…." Yukari trailed on excitedly.
"Umm…. I've got a rather annoying rash…." Hitomi turned and whispered something in Yukari's ear. Yukari's eyes widened in surprise, and she giggled.
"Now I see why you want to take a private bath. With a rash there… Sure, no problem. I'll wait. As a matter of fact, I think I'll do the same!" she exclaimed.
Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief. She hated to lie to Yukari like that, but she knew she had to get inside that council room. Curiosity was at its peak, and Hitomi thought she might find out something interesting about Nadya's assassin. So, she pretended she went up to her room, but instead made a right at the intersection with another hall, following the echoes and sounds of Van's footsteps and voice.
The counsel room had a big wooden door, made of oak, beautifully carved with pictures of what Hitomi guessed was Asturian history. The doors creaked when they opened, hiding the last of Hitomi's footsteps. She hid after a huge statue of a Knight, watching and waiting for a chance to get inside.
Van and King Aston disappeared inside, and Hitomi was left outside the doors. She stood still for a moment, contemplating her options. No windows, only those creaking doors…. Not much choice but to wait and hope they called for refreshments. Then she could go invisible and follow the servant in. It was a hard task for a thief, to go invisible, but nonetheless rewarding. Going invisible meant matching her footsteps and echoes to the one of the person she was following. It required a lot of concentration, and a lot of muscle control. Hitomi had only done it twice before, both missions ending up successfully. However, that was in the time when she was trained, when her muscles were in top shape. For two years Hitomi had done only minor pilfering. No big jobs, nothing the magnitude of the overlords she robbed while she was his possession.
Inside the council room, Van was seated in a large armchair, starring in the wrinkled face of King Aston. He wondered why the king brought him here, and what he was going to tell him.
"I know about Fanelia's economic situation." Aston began.
"Oh?" Van said, a pinch of sarcasm in his voice.
"Yes, we know that since Grolash fell to Solaria, everything's been going haywire in the Outer Circle. I think Folken is planning to move against us soon. Anyhow, I know that his spies infiltrated Freid, Asturia, Fanelia and all the countries of importance. Our secret service here got a hold of most of them, however Fanelia's been inaccessible. All our attempts to warn you have been diverted. A similar situation is happening in Lowenia. King Amano's having difficulty with the opposition. He's in a tougher position. I have here some information for him, that I want you to get, but before, there's a strange woman who came here a few days before your arrival and said she must talk to you. We also need to strike another deal." King Aston said.
"What deal?" Van asked.
"Well, you are a new king. You need a wife. My daughter Millerna will serve you as a good a loyal queen. I merely suggest an alliance between our countries." King Aston said with a cruel smile.
Van gasped. The old man though he was going to bully him into getting married. He didn't feel the slightest attraction to Millerna. The stunning blonde haired princess just wasn't his type.
"But I don't…." Van began.
"You don't what? You don't love her? My boy, if you're so naïve that you can think you need love in a marriage you're wrong. All I want you is to marry her, to give her the status she deserves, maybe perform your conjugal duty once or twice, and that's it. She's more than capable of running your castle, and I know Fanelia would do her good. Get her mind of stupid childish things." King Aston said, looking at Van seriously.
"You're wrong! You need love in a marriage. I refuse to lead your daughter on, and ruin my chance at happiness. I will marry for love, and for love only!" Van told him passionately.
"My dear boy," King Aston leaned forward on his chair. "I never said you had to be faithful to her. You may have as many mistresses as you want on the side. I just want her to have the formal position of queen, and I want you to consummate the marriage. That is all." He said in a low whisper.
"I will not do it!" Van said slamming his fist on the table, causing the glasses of drinks there to tip over and spill. "You cannot force me!" he cried.
"Oh yeah? Well, if you want your precious information, and if you don't want Fanelia burned to a crisp, I suggest you take my offer, I won't make it twice." Aston said in a sly malicious tone. He then rang for the servant to come clean up the mess.
Hitomi was in luck. A servant showed up, and made her way through the empty hall. Tiptoeing behind her, Hitomi concentrated on making her footsteps match the girl's. She was a scrawny little thing, and Hitomi dreaded the fact that there be lots of light in the room. She doubted she could hide behind her and not be spotted. But even if she was, she could say she got lost or something, it didn't matter.
Lucky for her, the big doors opened into a semi dark hall. The carpet was soft under her feet, muffling any sound she would make. Huge stone columns defined a round windowless room. A single thick candle lighted the two heated debaters. Hitomi made her way through the darkness, like a child of darkness, she hid behind a column which provided her the most protection and was closest to them. Through her half closed eyelids, to diminish any light reflecting off her pupils, she saw Van, his fist clenched, his eyebrows bent down in frustration, and the veins in his neck close to popping.
"Fine. Damn you, just so you know, if there's any way I'll get out of this, I will. I hate you for making me choose between my loyalty to my people and my conscience. Damn you!" Van swore in a low voice, loud enough for Hitomi to hear though.
"I knew you would do the right thing. I will take your word on this Van Fanel." Aston replied, a satisfied smile crossing his face. "And now, as promised, here are the documents that must get to Lowenia, and you may meet her now. She is anxious to warn you." Aston said, and snapped his fingers.
At the loud pop that echoed through the room, another secret door opened, and the figure of a woman walked through. Hitomi watched amazed, as she seemed to float over the carpet not walk on it. She blinked, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her. The woman stopped in front of King Aston. Hitomi gasped, when she saw how much she looked like the late Fanelian queen, Varie Fanel. Minor discrepancies existed, but overall, it was the save peaceful oval face, the same laughing eyes, and the same black hair. However, her hair reached all the way to the floor, and her face was older, more matured, the faintest signs of wrinkles showing at the end of her eyes. The dress she wore was a dark forest green, with pictures of the sun and moon sewed on it. What was different from Varie, was that she had two blue dots right above her eyebrows, dots which only added to her mysteriousness. She bowed to both of them, and then turned to King Aston.
"You may leave now. What I have to tell the boy is for his ears and his ears alone." She told Aston, and dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
The king immediately retreated, closing the door beside him with a muffled thud.
"You…" Van was speechless. For a moment, he thought he saw his mother in that woman.
She turned to him, and smiled. "Young Van Fanel. Do not be depressed. Love will prevail." She told him.
"Huh?" Van asked confused.
"You need not understand. You need only listen and remember my words. The human being lusts for power. They hold more power than they guess, and maybe them not knowing about it is best. When the line between sheer wish and pure greed dissipates, the scales of nature tip. Since man is the protector of this world, man must take care and see that the scales are always equal. However, man is not God, thus man is not perfect. Three sacred armours were created, to help keep the scales of power in balance. However, because of man's lust for power, two of them were cursed to bring nothing but war and pain into the world. The third remained unscathed, the light within it growing brighter as darkness closed around it." She paused for a moment.
Van was speechless. The whole story just blew his mind. He had heard something of ancient fighting armours, but he always dismissed them as rumours. Was this woman for real? Or was she a farce meant to scare him off his course.
"Oh, I am real Van Fanel. I am very real, and I suggest you pay good attention to what I am about to say. The third armour, you must find, however, it was locked away by the ancients, sealed with three seals of power and luck. A golden seal, a silver seal, and a bronze seal. You must find the three seals, and then go with them to the Tunnel of Hope. If you succeed, and you have the right seals, the armour will show itself to you." She finished.
"Why to me?" Van asked.
"Because that is your destiny." She told him quietly.
"Why? I never asked for this! I don't want to fight!" Van told her.
"If you don't, who will. The others are already searching for the other two armours. They're looking for the other armours, and they're pretty close. You must take up your destiny, or else Gaea is doomed." She told him.
"Who are the others? How can I stop them?" Van asked, one question after another escaping his lips.
"Enough, you need to find things on your own too. I have interfered enough. Just know this. You are surrounded by two snakes, with poisonous fangs. You have only one true ally. One person you can trust. One person that can help you reach your goal in time." She told him.
Van was speechless. "This is impossible! No human being can do this!" he exclaimed.
The woman got close to him, and whispered slowly. "That is why we came to you Van Fanel. You will do it. It is your destiny. Just remember, you and I, we've got the same blood flowing through our veins." She whispered hoarsely.
Van gasped. What did she mean? Crazy old lady talking in riddles.
"Now go, there is another I must speak to." She told him.
Van didn't wait to be told twice. He walked out of the room, head down, shoulders sagged.
When he was gone, the strange woman turned around, and faced the exact spot where Hitomi was hiding.
"Kanzaki Hitomi! You can come out now. I need to talk to you!" she yelled out.
Hitomi didn't know why, but before she could stop herself, she walked out into the light of the candle.
"I am she, what do you want?" she asked.
"You have another great destiny ahead of you. However, you must learn to love yourself, before you can give your love to others. Your past must be left behind Hitomi. You are a new person. There is one thing you need to keep from the horrible experiences you had. The memory of your mother, and her promise. That you must seek out and find, for you to leave the ghosts of your past behind. For you to fulfil your destiny along him." She told her in a melodic voice.
"I don't understand." Hitomi stammered.
"You need not understand now child." The woman came close to Hitomi and caressed her cheek. "You have had enough suffering. It is time to let it go. Give warmth, and you will receive warmth in return." She said softly. "Now go, the halls are empty, you will not be caught." She said.
Hitomi headed for the door, no other words uttered. She was completely confused.
"Oh, and another thing. Your occupation will be very useful later on. Don't go sloppy on it." She said, as Hitomi exited the room.
As soon as the young girl was gone, the image of the raven haired woman wavered, and in turn was replaced with the older, smoother face of another. This one however had long white hair, and the once blue dots on her head were now close to black. She smiled knowingly, and then with a mere whisper faded from the room.
"Did you tell them?" a voice sounded behind her.
"Yes, I did. He will come see me soon." She replied.
"Then you will tell him?" the voice asked.
"Yes, I do not think she showed him yet."
"Oh god…" the other voice muttered.
"Thank you for lending me your appearance today." The older woman said.
"No problem. We take care of our own." The younger woman smiled from the shadows.
"Yes, we do. We take care of ALL of them."
"Let's go now. We must not be found here."
And with that, the two voices faded into a back alley, the castle grounds remaining calm and peaceful.
~~~~
Breakfast had been a horrible meal for the cat general, and she walked out of the mess hall a raging hissing mess. Those insolent boys, the Dragon Slayers, had absolutely no manners. With their leader gone on some special mission, the elite forces were on their butts, doing nothing but wasting their time. It was "vacation" as they called it, and they behaved like ruffians. Naria wouldn't take this sort of disrespect from anyone, even if they were the elite fighting force.
"Get off your butts NOW, if you don't want to be scrubbing latrines for the rest of your so called vacation." She snarled at the boys.
Immediately the laughter faded and the warriors stopped snickering.
"Now that I have your attention, and since you have nothing better to do, how about we go back to reviewing the basics? How about, guard duty?" Naria said with a cruel smile. Guard duty was the worst, especially with all the underground tunnels and sewers in the castle. Their faces dropped.
"Yes, I think guard duty would be best. Half of you will clean the stables, half of you will do guard duty. At two past noon you switch, so you get to do both the work." Naria told them, and walked out of the room, ignoring their protests. "By the way boys, if I find you haven't done what I told you, you will be doing this all week." She added.
Naria left the protesting teenagers behind, and hurried around the castle trying to find Folken's Consultation Chamber. He had told her the night before she was to report there for some sort of new assignment.
"Hey there love, where are you going?" she head a voice behind her.
Naria stopped cold in her tracks, and turned around. The smiling face of Chesta greeted her. His blond hair was all over the place, his pants and shirt were scrunched up. Overall, he looked like he slept like that.
"How dare you show yourself like that in the presence of Lord Folken?" Naria guessed. She had a feeling Chesta had something to do with the meeting.
"What's it to you? Can't stand to see a man all greasy and dirty?" he asked her with a ssecretive smile.
"You're going to see the emperor like that!" Naria exclaimed.
"Emperor schmemperor. I don't care, but if you'd like to come over by my apartment later, maybe you could remind me how to keep myself clean." He offered, the same smile on his face.
"You only wish." Naria said, raising her head up, and straightening her back. "I will not set foot in your apartment." She told him.
"That's what you say now." Chesta whispered silently.
"That's what I'll always say." Naria told him. "Anyhow, you're here, because the emperor want you. I don't want any lip from you, or else." She told him.
"Oh, you're pulling rank now?" Chesta asked dangerously.
Naria hesitated. She could see that dangerous gleam in his eyes. Maybe it was best not to provoke an enemy of unknown capacities.
"No, I was just telling you." She told him smiling.
By this time however, they both reached Folken's Consultation Chamber, and entered without knocking.
"You're late." Folken said coldly.
"Sorry." Naria's ears bent down.
"Don't sit, just stand. What I will tell you will not take long." Folken said harshly.
Naria nodded.
"I need you to find me two more books. The Book of Knowledge, and the Book of Death. You will work with Chesta on this assignment. These books will not be as easily found as the Holy Book. I wish you to bring them to me." Folken told them.
"Lord Folken?" Naria asked her voice wavering.
"You will not ask questions. I just called you here to tell you that you are leaving as soon as possible. Chesta will show you the way to the Book of Knowledge. I expect you to work together." Folken said, looking at her sternly.
Naria didn't argue, she walked out, slamming the door behind her.
"Hey love! Wait up!" Chesta ran after her, before grinning and winking at Folken.
"I will have a most interesting trip with the fiery cat girl." Chesta thought as he walked out.
~~~~
A light summer rain settled over Palas, forcing most of the Asturians inside their residences. Hitomi and Yukari returned to the Palace. Hitomi had asked Yukari to leave her alone for a while. What that woman told her still disturbed Hitomi to a great extent. She was angry and scared at how easy someone could read her heart. What did they know? They knew nothing! She thought angrily. She paced the top floor, looking at the rain pelting down on the city. The third floor was sort of an open hallway, with columns and a flimsy ledge supporting a hallway. In a desperate attempt to find rest, Hitomi sat on the ledge of the veranda, leaning with her back on one of the stone columns. Lost in her thoughts, she contemplated the green beauty of the panorama unfurling below her. It was all breathtaking, and the sound of the rain in the silence around her sounded like a song of joy and peace. Hitomi closed her eyes, and just listened to the rain, tears burning under her eyelids. She felt so sad, but she didn't know why.
Van Fanel was walking through the halls of the Asturian palace, deeply disturbed by what he had to agree to. He couldn't believe King Aston forced him to marry his youngest daughter. And what that woman told him, that was an extra worry. However, in his heart, he knew she was right. He had to find the third armour in order to save Fanelia. He clenched his fist, and as he turned a corner, he saw a small figure huddled on the veranda, looking out at the view. For a moment, Van's heart skipped when he saw it. He didn't know why, but he felt connected to whoever was sitting there. He continued his walking, and came in front of Hitomi Kanzaki, the mysterious emerald eyed woman. Her eyes were closer, and her sandy hair fell on her face giving her an air of tranquility and beauty Van had never seen in any woman.
"You should be careful. You might fall." He said gently.
"The rain will catch me." She replied.
"That's not strong enough to catch you." Van said.
"Yes it is. It is only our perceptions that make rain look weak." Hitomi told him, opening her eyes, and staring at him through green orbs.
Van just nodded and sat down. "I hope you don't mind if I stay here for a while." He said.
"No, go ahead. Listening to the raindrops falling cures a troubled heart." She told him.
Van was amazed she could see he was troubled. No one else had noticed. He sat down, imitating her position.
They sat together in silence, not saying anything, yet understanding each other perfectly. At one point, Van opened his eyes, and saw Hitomi in the same position he had found her. Her eyes closed, that radiating strength around her. He smiled, and tried to go back, when a step of hurried footsteps stopped him.
Princess Millerna was angrily pacing the hall, when she came to the two figures on the veranda. She stopped for a moment, surprised to see the King of Fanelia there, with that scrawny girl he brought along. Before she could make her greeting and walk by, Van jumped at her. Seizing her hand in his own, he brought it to his lips, and with a bow, began.
"Sweet and fair lady, your father has asked me to take your hand in marriage, and I have agreed, for nothing could hold me back from such a celestial beauty as yourself. As of today, we are engaged to be married, as soon as situations allow us to." Van told her, and bowed deeply.
Millerna was shocked, and before she could control it, tears of unhappiness ran down her cheeks. Muttering a clumsy excuse, she ran out of their sight. Van looked back at Hitomi, who starred back at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open in surprise.
Author's note:
Dun dun dun… cliffhanger. Sorry for the lateness of the chapters, exams plus cold killed my inspration. I pray it's not too horrible and that you guys still enjoyed it. Thank a lot for the comments and criticisms. They're all very very very good and useful. Thank you, and please leave a comment about what you think it's gonna happen next. Thanks, cya next chapter.