Chapter 13 ~ Cat and Mouse
"Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Her footsteps echoed softly on the chequred carpet of the hallway; footsteps that seemed to scream out guilty, and then proceeded to relate in detailed terms the conditions of the guilt. The deed was done and the evidence remained hard and incriminating. The mere confines of a room held the whole world from tumbling down on the head of one very calm thief.
Hitomi was walking down the stairs of the inn, the few droplets of red blood on her shoe passing unnoticed by the other tenants. With her head held high, her shoulders squared and the dark cloak ominously wrapped around her body, she looked like the heroin of a gothic novel rather than the bodyguard of the Fanelian King. Her face was a mask of collected coolness, with her sharp green eyes repelling those that dared approach her. Hitomi Kanzaki was not in a friendly mood. Every inch of her body expressed that.
"This is all so much more complicated." Hitomi thought grimly, as she entered the common room looking for Yukari. Her red-headed friend had to be let in on her little discovery. There was no way she could handle a crisis of such proportions alone, and although Hitomi hated the prospect of outside help, she knew she had to talk to somebody.
The sandy haired young woman gave no thought to the circumstances under which she had committed the murder, because in her mind she had not killed a person, but a thing. That thing had deserved its death, and no one of Gaea would ever dream of calling her a murderer.
"I killed again." The thought did not serve to ease her, adding yet more tension in her body.
Hitomi was repulsed at how easy it had been to take a life away. The frailty of it all still seemed like a dream to her. Time and time again it was the same sensation of overwhelming power that washed over her. Hitomi was afraid of that power, afraid of what would happen when her control ceased to exist. It had been so easy to just slide the sword through the flesh and split the doppelganger in two.
"I am savage and should have never forfeited control, not even for that one split second. That's all it took. Then I was lost to my bloodlust."
A forfeit of control was one of the greatest sacrileges to the young woman. It was a silent vow that ruled her existence: always keep a cool head. The rule was there to guard against unexpected outcomes, which could ruin the basis of a well thought out strategy. Always plan for the worst and hope for the best, a motto she had caught somewhere…
The power to kill was hers, but it was a much too dangerous thing to harbour. From a young age Hitomi had understood that the right to take away a human life rested only in the hands of fate. However, the power was given to man, and man employed it to his benefit. She had only done the human thing.
"I had no choice."
Was that really the truth? Was there really no choice? No, there was always a choice in everything one did. It's the perspective from which one views one's obstacle that takes away the choices. So she had had a choice…
Acutely aware of the trembling in her hands, Hitomi ceased thinking about the past and focused on the present. The hilt of the sword of Fanelia dug into her side, a faithful reminder of her deeds.
"I hate swords." The past surrounded her whether she liked it or not, with memories she was better off forgetting.
The room felt too crowded for a moment, and Hitomi inhaled deeply, trying to hold herself together. She was Van's only hope for survival. If the vision was true, then the same people that had chased them the previous night - the ones that undoubtedly were behind Van's assassination attempts – held him captive. This meant that the information he was carrying from Asturia was of value, and that they did not want it reaching Lowenia. She silently cursed, wishing she had caught the beginning of the conversation between Aston and Van. That way she might have been able to deduce what it was they were after.
The strange woman and her words came back to Hitomi, and she shuddered deeply. There was no one in the world who understood her, and that woman had no right to give her unasked for advice.
"I don't need to change. I'm fine as it is." Hitomi's jaw clenched in a firm line.
"Hitomi, I see you're ready to leave this place." A voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and caused her to turn around inhaling sharply.
The emerald eyed thief was face to face with Van's Guard Captain, Dilandau. She very well remembered his bloody eyes and silvery hair, for every time their gazes met, Hitomi was overrun with icy shivers. This time was no different, and Hitomi fought against taking a step back. She would not give Dilandau any satisfaction of her retreat. Their mutual dislike rippled through them running so deep that you would have thought the floor would crack to separate them from each other.
"Do you happen to know where Lady Yukari is?" she asked him, ignoring the fact that he had addressed her by her first name.
According to Fanelian polite society one used a first name when addressing someone if they were on intimate terms such as a friendship or a relationship, or if the addressed was a servant or someone lower on the social scale. Since Dilandau and Hitomi were most definitely not on intimate terms, it was very obvious that he had meant to insult her by using her first name. Forced to keep a low profile, Hitomi had to swallow the blow to her pride, as Dilandau knew she would. What irked the emerald eyed girl the most was that he was perfectly aware of it all, and was perversely enjoying the power he had over her.
Power… all of life's little actions result to a battle for power…
"My revenge will reach you soon…" Hitomi glared at him poisonously.
"What about Lord Van? Is he ready too?" Dilandau continued his inquiry, oblivious to Hitomi's questions.
"He's ready to be buried, that he is…" "He is…resting. Lady Yukari?" Hitomi asked with angered urgency.
Dilandau smiled faintly, mockingly. "She is doing the same."
It was all Hitomi could do not to strike him in the face. Without another word, she spun on her heels and headed in the direction that she came from. Insufferable jerk! He had won the round of verbal sparring, without so much as getting irritated. She would have to try harder to get him to lash out next time. Victory would be hers, and he would walk away with his tail between his legs! Grinning faintly, Hitomi thought of how easy Van was to irritate. The young king took her bait every time, creating an argument from which Hitomi would emerge victorious. She too was a slave of power. Victory meant power, and power meant control…
"Speaking of which, I should take care of that corpse I have in the room… I wonder how I'm going to get a hold of Yukari." Hitomi mentally groaned when she realised that Dilandau had conveniently forgotten to mention where he and Yukari had rented a room. "I could ask at the Information Desk." Hitomi hated the prospect of talking to the snotty innkeeper as much as she hated the prospect of having another conversation with Dilandau.
Already at the top of the stairs, the thief made a decision. She would not go back and admit further defeat to the silver haired guard, nor would she go talk to the innkeeper. The thief decided that she would first take care of the corpse bleeding inside her room, then she would inform everyone of her discovery. Van had to be found, and he had to be found as soon as possible.
Room 313 was located right beside the staircase, to the left of Hitomi as she walked up the stairs. The young woman distinctly remembered closing the door behind her as she left in search of Yukari. Now, as she examined the surroundings, she found the door slightly cracked. Someone had entered her room during her absence. Hitomi frowned and crept near the wall, her hand clasping the hilt of Van's sword.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in there?"
Through the slightly cracked door, Hitomi could see a figured kneeled beside the body. It was doing something to it, though she couldn't see what it was.
"Great, now I'm going to have to either give explanations, or kill someone else. It could be one of the people surveying the new Van to see that everything went all right." She thought, as she gently clasped the doorknob and soundlessly opened the door.
Stifling her gasp, Hitomi stepped in, shocked at the image before her. Of all people in the world she would have never pictured Yukari kneeling close to the body mopping up the blood with a nondescript cloth. For a second, all that Hitomi could hear was the violent whirling of the blood rushing to her head. Could Yukari be a spy for the people that wanted to kill Van? Or was she there by chance? No, Yukari couldn't be a spy. Yet… they knew nothing about her other than her destination. Could the meeting have been conveniently placed so that she'd get attached to their group? Hitomi shook her head, with a violent motion, wanting to erase all the questions from her mind. No! Yukari was there by chance!
"So quick to defend someone you don't know." A voice in her head piped up.
"What are you doing here?" Hitomi asked, her voice sounding gutted and harsh, as she let the door close with a click.
Yukari squealed – in a most ladylike fashion - and stood up wanting to distance herself from the corpse. In the confusion, she tumbled over the bed and became tangled in the mass of bed sheets and petticoats.
"Sheesh, you don't need to get that startled." Hitomi told her walking nonchalantly past the dead body and poking it with the tip of her boot.
"Hitomi!" Yukari exclaimed breathlessly as she struggled for composure. "What are you doing here?"
"It's my room, and his." Hitomi added looking at the dead doppelganger. "I should be asking you what you did to him. I left him in much better conditions." Hitomi muttered, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Don't joke Hitomi." Yukari told her, looking down a little flushed. "Well, I wanted to talk to you. I asked at the registry where your room was, and I came here, and saw this. So I decided to clean it up." Yukari told her boldly, starring into her deep green eyes.
For the first time in her life, Hitomi feared the next question to spring from Yukari's mouth. She feared the impression Yukari had about her at the moment, and feared the association with the lowest scoundrels that walked Gaea. She wasn't like that! What had happened here had been a lack of choice!
"Aren't you a scoundrel? Aren't you a thief?" A disloyal little voice asked inside her. "SHUT UP!"
Hitomi felt her heart shrink, and try to hide away from Yukari's bold gaze. Within that knowing look, the thief could see the reproach and the blame. They seemed to fall on her like weights tying her down and slowing her progress. Progress towards what? She had no idea what she was in the first place. How could you progress unless you knew where you were at the beginning?
Yukari's stare made Hitomi look down herself and examine the tips of her boots. This shrinking away from the implications made Hitomi realise that she did not want to lose Yukari as a friend. In the short time they had spent together Hitomi had felt freer and stronger. Now, when she was face to face with harsh reality, she found that she wanted to lie to save her blossoming friendship.
"When did I start caring about her as a friend?"
Hitomi didn't know, or actually didn't want to admit that she knew. Preferring to leave the subject of Nadya's death untouched, she just simply shrugged it off as another of those "life occurrences". However, she was forced to admit the feelings of bubbling apprehension and shame inside her. Why she felt obligated to act in a certain way for Yukari and Yukari alone she did not understand. She did however know that her occupation and past made her feel dirty and disgusting.
"No! No regrets I promised myself that much." Hitomi's mind was quick to retaliate. The reasons sprung before her eyes like flowers in the early spring.
"Are you going to help me clean this up or are you going to stand there moping around?" Yukari asked her after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.
"Huh? What? Sure." The thief bent down and picked up the body of the doppelganger, so that Yukari could soak the blood underneath it.
"Thanks." The red head told her simply.
"So what, you're not going to ask any questions?" Hitomi asked, not being able to stop herself.
"About this?" she asked pointing at the body. "This is a spy for the government of Solaria. I don't need to ask where he came from. You did well to kill him."
"So she knows this? How? And is she saying it's ok that I killed?"
"How are you so sure?"… "that he's from Solaria." she added quickly.
"Uh… we were… told that… back in our village. It was something you first learned as a child. This brand is the power symbol of Solaria." Yukari bared the body's neck and indicated a half moon inside a pentagram.
"Then you also know that Van is missing."
"What? What do you mean Van is missing?" Yukari jumped to her feet her previous task forgotten.
"Check the clothes." Hitomi pointed with her chin.
Yukari took a moment to examine the body, and afterwards looked at her sandy haired companion somewhat haunted by what she saw. "No way!" she exclaimed shock clearly displayed on her face.
"So it's not her. You can't fake the disgust and shock so well." Hitomi thought relieved. "I would like you to meet doppel-Van." Hitomi sighed and let herself fall down into a chair.
Yukari retreated to the far corner of the room, shivering in terror. "This is bad." She concluded after a few minutes of silence.
"Yeah, especially since we don't know where the real Van is." Hitomi told her, still looking down. She did not want to see the unasked questions in Yukari's eyes.
"I don't want to answer them."
"Can we find out?"
"How? I had no idea where to look. However, Van must be found." Hitomi told her clasping her head between her hands. "He… he's in danger." She whispered reliving bits and pieces of the vision she had seen.
A current of cold air passed by her, and Hitomi could hear muffled footsteps on the carpet. Yukari had come to stand by her, most likely full of questions, questions Hitomi had struggled so hard to avoid.
"It's all right dear. We'll find him somehow." her small hand squeezed Hitomi's shoulder in a reassuring mother-like manner. "No need to shed tears over the matter." The swish of the silky dress told Hitomi she was kneeling beside her.
"She thinks I'm crying? Gods this girl is a saint!"
Slowly, the thief rose her head and stared at Yukari, her green gaze bewildered and confused. For a second Hitomi's haunted look did not recognise the young woman. She was still inside the corridors of the vision.
"I'm not crying. I was just thinking where that idiot might be." She retorted promptly as she returned to reality.
Yukari just smiled at her, a wide smiled that looked very fishy to Hitomi. The thief was forced to add better depth to her statement.
"He is an idiot, getting himself taken prisoner and then putting me through all this trouble." she muttered.
"Well, we should call Dilandau in here and figure out a way to find King Van." Yukari told her.
"No!" Hitomi exclaimed rising half way out of her chair.
Yukari looked at her startled by the thief's definitive exclamation. Her big brown eyes widened in surprise and her mouth fell agape, with her eyebrows rising in confusion. "Why not? He is part of King Van's guard isn't he?"
Hitomi frowned profoundly, not knowing how to explain to the red head that it was her pride combined with her distaste from the man that kept her from employing his help. Yukari however brought forth a very interesting point, one that Hitomi hadn't considered. In order to gain the King's trust and become part of his personal guard, Dilandau had to have lived at the Fanelian castle a few good years. One did not become entrusted with the safety of the King so easily. During this time he would have got to know Van reasonably well, and would have learned his habits. Hitomi guessed that the King had been trained for situations where his life would be threatened. Dilandau might point out some clue the real Van would have left them behind to help locate him. The realisation that Dilandau was a key component to Van's rescue made the frown on Hitomi's face turn into a scowl.
"I hate relying on me. Especially this one." she thought angrily. "Fine, call him over here. He might as well help us dispose of the body." she motioned.
"Don't worry 'Tomi. He's trustworthy." Yukari answered before leaving.
"She'd deem a snake trustworthy." Hitomi reasoned, ignoring her new nickname.
Without further ado, the thief stripped one of the beds of its silken cover, and began wrapping it around the doppelganger. They would have to carry the body out somehow, and it was best if they passed it off as a rather large package.
As she was binding the body tightly with rope, Hitomi realised that covering its features had improved her disposition. It was almost as if a weight has been lifted off her shoulders, now that she wasn't able to see its face any more. At the scene of the crime, there existed nothing more than a tightly bound package. No more body, no more evidence, no more questions. She smiled to herself, content with that fact. The cold wetness on her fingertips however, was a treacherous reminder of her deed.
"Will this blood never wash off?" she asked looking at her reddened fingers.
The door opened, and Yukari stepped in followed by the silver haired guard. Hitomi immediately clasped her hand in a fist, struggling to look impatient, and cover for the uneasiness she was feeling.
"When did you kill him?" Dilandau asked coolly, unfazed by the fact that Van had turned out to be a fake, and the real Van was missing.
"About an hour ago." Hitomi answered matching his exact tone.
"Well, it was very stupid of you. But then again, I can't expect you to do the sensible thing and come talk to me." Dilandau burst out, and dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
"What, you knew Van was a doppelganger?" Hitomi squeaked.
Yukari gasped in shock, remaining silent, and letting the two run the course of their argument.
"But of course. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out." He said, looking at the both of them with an air of icy superiority. "After all, you can't expect the King to treat his bodyguard so decently, almost seeming as if he fell in love with her over night." Dilandau explained grinning devilishly at Hitomi.
"He's enjoying this too much…" she observed silently.
Hitomi frowned deeply and was about to trigger the march that would result with her slapping him, when she decided that the trouble wasn't worth it. Dilandau had to be tricked into defeat, and trick him she will. You caught more flies with honey than with vinegar. Thus, changing her attitude completely, she asked in a sugary voice.
"How wonderful! When were you planning on telling us about it? Before, or after he killed us?" her tone dripped with a sugar-filled sarcasm, not quite the way she had wanted it, but certainly a change.
Dilandau smiled at her with a poisonous and evil smile, while Hitomi gripped the hilt of her sword – when had she come to think about it as her sword? "I was planning on convincing him to lead me to the real Van. Or at least to reveal to me the location where the real King was being held."
"How noble." Hitomi spat, her hand ready to unsheathe the weapon.
"Sarcasm really doesn't suit you well Hitomi. And it would be best if you left that sword in its hilt." Dilandau warned decisively. Hitomi eased her grip on the article. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"Both of you stop it!" Yukari screamed in the end. "You're acting like a bunch of three year olds! We still have no solution to our problem! The more time we waste, the slimmer our chances get!" She yelled again.
"We would have had a solution if she wouldn't have killed it!" Dilandau answered calmly, folding his arms on his chest.
"Not a word out of you Hitomi! And you," she said pointing at Dilandau, "stop acting like a magnanimous ass and help us!" She ordered.
Both Dilandau and Hitomi starred at each other in disbelief. They had never seen Yukari mad, and now she was fuming. Her cheeks were coloured by a soft blush, and her breathing was accelerated while she had her hands on her hips in a most royally subduing manner. For a moment a flash of an angry blue blood passed before Hitomi's eyes, and she smiled congratulating her friend for the commanding power she mustered. The thief however, refused to back down until Dilandau reconciled. It would be a small victory, but never the less one battle won would even out their bumpy score.
"Very well…"the albino capitulated with a tired sigh.
Hitomi flashed him a victorious smile, and nodded at Yukari. "Now here's what I saw. I saw Van in a cage, chained to a wall in unconsciousness." she told them, not certain they believed her about the vision. Hitomi wasn't certain she believed it herself, but she had no other explanation for what had happened. She had heard tales of women gifted with the sight, but those were just legends of times long gone.
"Is there anything else you remember from your vision? Anything that could provide us with a location?" Yukari asked, completely showing her trust in Hitomi's precognitive powers.
The thief sighed and shook her head in denial, going over the vision in her head inch by inch. All she had seen was a huge granite corridor. How many prisons did not have granite corridors? In a surge of anger and her inability, Hitomi pictured Dilandau in her head mocking her.
"Well you just see. I'll find Precious and bring him back!" she exclaimed, realising far too late that she had spoken aloud.
Her audience seemed shocked, and somewhat amused. Yukari cracked her a grin, and Dilandau continued fuming.
"We'll do it if we work together." Yukari said, trying to maintain a positive side to the whole situation.
Dilandau did not bother to answer them, seeing as how he did not like their non-existent plan, nor their non-existent approach to make a plan. If they were ever to find Fanel – not even he knew where he was - they would need to go back to the castle, and that was out of the question. Since the doppelganger had been discovered, Fanel would have to be rescued, putting him – Dilandau – in a rather unpleasant situation. The albino had no desire to be caught and tortured by the Solarians, because there was no doubt that was what going to happen. He would receive no special treatment despite it all. Thus, his was a one way road, so he would better get going on trying to rescue Fanel.
"Bring me a map." He bellowed in the silence.
Both girls looked at him surprised, as they had not expected him to take such decisive control of their mission. Silently, Yukari went in search of a map, since both Hitomi and Dilandau's social skills were questionable. The blanket of shaky silence enveloped the room once more, as Hitomi occupied herself with the final preparations of the body.
"How do you plan to carry it out of here?" Dilandau asked, sounding as if he did her a favour by engaging her in conversation.
"Out the front door of course." Hitomi replied absent-mindedly. "Not so high on your pedestal now, eh?"
The two lapsed in silence once again, a show of emotions playing on Dilandau's face. Hitomi was quite surprised to see this change from the icy guard into the passionate fighter. There was hot blood raging behind Dilandau's cool exterior. There was hope for her yet!
His stiffled rage, so well played out on his features puzzled Hitomi greatly. It surely could not have been at the discovery that his king was missing. Hitomi had known many people like Dilandau before, some she had even trusted and almost paid for it with her life. Their loyalty could be bought one way or the other. Hitomi guessed the albino just hung around Fanelia and Van because it was benefiting for him, not for Van. Such people were dangerous allies to have, and an even a greater peril when they embodied loyal perfection – such as Dilandau.
"You don't fool me Dilandau. You don't fool me."
"There we go! It took some convincing, but I have it!" Yukari burst through the door waving around a map of Gaea. She was breathing hard as she spread the map on the table, a sign that she had run back without wasting time.
Hitomi and Dilandau gathered around the map, starring at it curiously. "So where is he?" the thief asked with an ironic smile.
Dilandau pursed his lips in silence and continued to examine the map, not bothering to respond to her. Hitomi too stared at the map, a weird tingling feeling taking hold of her.
"Come on Van, where are you?"
She felt her eyelids heavy and lead-like, a trace sweeping over her. Hitomi felt as if she were asleep, but awake and aware at the same time. She balanced precariously on her feet, and her eyelids sealed completely, her breathing becoming barely audible. In her trance, Hitomi felt peaceful and collected, knowing precisely where Van was. All she had had to do was point it out. Her pendant began to glow a bright pink, and it slowly floated from her neck to her hand.
"What's going on with me?" She wondered, feeling like an internal observer to a part of her that she did not know existed. A cold current of electricity washed through her submerging her into the trance.
With the glowing pendant still in her hand, Hitomi made a fist, and released the pendant to dangle over the map, with the thin gold thread hanging on a finger.
"Come on Van, reach out to me!" she pleaded silently.
The King's fresh field smell invaded her nostrils and flashes of Van began to fly before Hitomi's eyes. She shook with the power of them, the colour draining from her cheeks and the pendant swinging vigorously over the map. Both Yukari and Dilandau were hit with a pang of cold that seemed to chill their bones.
Chains… pain… chains… pain… Van…pain… chains… rage… pain…pain…pain…
With a sudden halt, the pendant stopped swinging and Hitomi's green eyes flew open. For a moment she stood starring into space, a glossy gleam reflecting off the emerald green. Then, she seemed to return down to Gaea.
"Van!" the words escaped in a croaked whisper from her cracked lips. Weakly, she pointed to a place on the map, and the collapsed into a nearby chair. Her eyes closed in exhaustion, and she was breathing hard, as if she hadn't breathed at all before.
"Hitomi! Are you all right?" asked Yukari hurrying to her side and fanning her tired features.
The thief didn't answer her. She had done it. She had found Van. However, this did not bring her relief. It chilled her soul for a reason she could not understand.
"Pain, your talent will bring pain!"
"Yeah… I'm fine." Hitomi answered in the end.
"Grief to those you care about!"
"What just happened?" Yukari asked, a note of fearful hesitation in her voice.
The emerald-eyed girl looked at the red-head with glimmering eyes. She felt her heart sink at her friend's tone, and a rebellious part of her wanted to deny what she had done only to bring her friendship back to safe grounds. All she wanted to do was hide from the accusatory questions of her audience. Her true self however, disconsidered the possibility of retreat. It demanded that she stand true to her vows and accept yet this other aspect of her persona.
"I don't know." Hitomi answered grimly.
"Death! You will bring death!"
Insane cackle filled Hitomi's ears, bringing about a deadlier pallor than before. Even gone, he still haunted her life, and terrorized her thoughts.
"Will I ever be free?"
"It is possible that Van is held at Urn'lera." Dilandau announced scratching his chin silently. How had she done it? In any case, she had saved him from an unpleasant situation and he was glad.
"Is that the place that Hitomi indicated?" Yukari asked.
Dilandau nodded and proceeded to explain himself. "The Urn'lera pass is actually more than a regular pass. Inside the mountain, the Freidians carved the most exquisite and intricate high-security prison."
"Undoubtedly it's the secret of their government." Hitomi frowned.
Dilandau grinned and began folding the map. ""It's our best guess yet. We better try."
"Politics. This world is all a jumble of politics." Yukari spat angrily. "I guess it's good that he's there. This way we can continue onto Lowenia."
Hitomi was silently and deep in thought. She would have to go inside and rescue Van. There was no one else that had enough expertise for a mission of this caliber. Only the skills of a thief could penetrate a high-security prison. That meant that she had to find a Black Market and procure a few items, two of which would be a plan of Urn'lera and schedule of the guard change.
"Well, he'll pay for this damage later…"
"I'll be back soon." Hitomi told them and headed out the door before any of them could say anything else.
~~~~
Naria sighed profoundly as she slashed through the thick bush. The vegetation atop the mountain was rich in both trees and flowers, clustering together to form a dark canopy obstructing all sunlight. They had been travelling in the dark for most of the morning, and the cat's yellow eyes were dilated to the maximum.
The morning had not begun well for the Solarian general. Definitely a bad start as she had awoke with Chesta's arms curled around her waist. It would not have been so bad – she could always slap him – were it not for the treacherous shivers that had run up her spine. She reasoned that it had only been the shock of waking up in that position, seeing as it had been something new. As the Princess Grolash, she had led a life of physical purity, while the politics and social coups had shredded her mental innocence. Of course she never showed her weaknesses to anyone. Years as a monarch had taught her that lesson well. There was no Grolash anymore, nor would it ever return. Naria's loyalty stood with Lord Folken until death.
The cat had surprised herself at the strength of the feelings she mustered for the ruler of Solaria. Hers was a platonic love, but nevertheless a form of worship. This miraculous transformation had happened in the course of a few months, some of which she had spent trying to kill him. It was only later that she had seen the benefits of life as a General, not a Grolash princess. The influence of the council and her country's rituals had taken a while to disappear.
"Why have you stopped? Do you think we have all the time in the world? No! We need to be there by nightfall!" Chesta exclaimed angrily, from behind the next sage bush.
Naria came out of her pensive reverie, and began walking again. Definitely not a good day. The search for the Dark Druid had been fruitless so far, and the company was impatient and lecherous. She trudged on silently, a little upset by his pressing insistence. It wasn't like they were going to find him so easily.
"Come on sugar, it's not really that hard to put one foot in front of the next." Chesta hurried her forward by grabbing her by the waist and pushing her.
"Hands off or you lose 'em." Naria growled and glared at him.
"So the kitty talks again. My, my, the honour I feel is infinite." Chesta chuckled.
"Aw, shut up!" Naria pushed him out of her way angrily and stomped on ahead.
The blond soldier loved angering the princess. She was still arrogant and pompous – just like all princesses- and took heed only of what she wanted. She had to learn that a man allowed a woman to push him only so far. Princess or not, he was a man, and she was a woman, and he wasn't anybody's toy to command. He only played that role because it suited him for the time being. Although she was unaware of it, he was the boss and head of their little operation. Lord Folken had given her to him, for him to keep out of the Emperor's way, and he had no choice but to accept. That did not mean that he had to accept her bossy behaviour. She might be forced to act that way with the uncultured armies, but he was part of the special Slayer Force and he would not tolerate her. He answered to another, much stricter commander.
"Hey Princess! Wait up!" he called out when he didn't see her ahead, and sliced through the bushes hurriedly.
"Don't call me Princess, Blondie. I have a name you know…" she told him popping up from around a thick Maple Tree.
"Don't call me Blondie, Princess." Chesta was quick to retort.
"Blondie."
"Princess.
"Blondie!"
"Pr—aaah!" Chesta screamed as the swish of ropes cut the silence around them. Moments later, a net sprung up from underneath them, trapping them securely a few feet above ground. It had all happened so fast, that neither of them realised they were trapped until after a few minutes of dizzy silence.
"Look what you did!" Naria yelled angrily as she struggled to free herself from the tangle. In the confusion, Chesta had landed on top of her and was no squeezing her with all his weight.
"Hush, Princess." Chesta commanded, listening intensely. The forest was silent and undisturbed, no sign of what had happened anywhere.
Their conversation died as the two of them regained their mobility. Naria broke free of Chesta's weight, the motion causing the net to dangle dangerously. Both frowned and sat still, waiting for the dangling to stop.
"I can't believe you stepped into such an obvious trap." Naria hissed shaking her head. "Any solider would have found the thick carpet of leaves suspicious."
"You didn't see it either." Chesta bit back.
"Well, I'm getting us out of here, since you're pretty useless." Naria informed him and in the next heartbeats cut the net with her sword.
"Don't do that!" Chesta yelled, a bit too late. They both plummeted towards the ground, Naria spinning graciously in the air and landing on her feet. The blond soldier however landed roughly, hitting his back and bottom pretty hard. The carpet of leaves hid a hard rocky soil.
"You fall like a rock, Blondie." Naria laughed as she brushed the dust from her clothes.
"I'm glad you like it, Princess." Chesta groaned as he checked if all his bones were still intact. "Next time give me a 30 second warning."
Naria couldn't help it and smiled as they both trudged on. There was no need for words, as nothing had happened that needed discussion. Both Chesta and Naria tacitly supposed that the net was one of the defence mechanisms of the druid. He was probably in alert by now, and thus they were moving through the forest rapidly. They needed to complete the mission without further ado. Lord Folken had told them there was no time to waste.
The cat had to admit her curiosity towards the reason why the Emperor needed a book, and what that book would do for him. She was however in no position to as, and hadn't. For someone who hadn't been denied any information before, Naria proved to be very understanding.
Truth be told, Naria had been sick of her royal responsibilities for a long time. Just because she had the information didn't mean she had the answers. Everywhere around her country the people were unhappy and demanding of improvements. Whatever she and her sister did was never enough for them. Maybe it was better that Folken had annexed Grolash when he had. The way she and her sister could live lives free of Grolashian superstition and tradition.
"I'm selfish." The thought sprung up in a most natural fashion, and it did not surprise Naria. She was accustomed to being honest with herself.
She was selfish, but at the realisation of the fact, Naria didn't know if she should be angry, sad or happy. All she knew was that she loathed the life she had lived in Grolash. Ladies in waiting, rituals, ceremonies, parties, politics and no time for anything but staying on top of all the gossip. There was no way you could ever be yourself and express your true feelings and beliefs. Social standings left no room for variety, embracing the stereotypical image of all its members. Differed was instinctually excluded. Lies, deceit and diplomacy had wove her universe back then. Both she and her sister had been pawns at the hands of the council; an excuse for them to run wild and spread more corruption. As twin Princesses they were expected to rule until they reached the age of twenty-eight, and then abdicate for a life in the Convent of the Mystical Oder. There they were stuck in secluded prayer and cleansing until they would become sacrifices to the Goddess of the Moon and God of the Sun. (1) Folken had freed them from their cursed existence, and Naria loved him for it. A shiver ran through her as she realised she had always wanted to be free. Ever since the silver crown had been placed on her forehead. Now that she knew what freedom was, she never wanted to relinquish it.
"I fought him to protect ideologies I now hate."
Happiness surged through Naria, like a boiling river of lava that warmed up her body. All the fire, the life and the feelings she was experiencing surged from one word: freedom. She was free, and her selfishness didn't matter anymore. The people of Grolash, especially the council was wrong when they tried to lead a life in a cultural and mental state that had no application to reality. They were unreasonable, they were foolish, and they were no more. Folken had obliterated their traditions. No pang of sadness registered in Naria's mind, as she realised the country where she had spent the first twenty-one years of her life existed no longer. Washed on the waves of happiness, she had no guilt over her betrayal. All she had now, was her freedom.
Glancing over to where Chesta was half walking half limping, a new thought breached Naria's mental horizons. He was selfish too, but it didn't matter. He was free. Free to be selfish. They both were. Giggles burst out from Naria's lips. She couldn't help laughing like crazy.
"What's wrong with you?" Chesta asked, turning around, alarmed by her stiffled giggles.
"We're both selfish!" Naria managed to mutter between deep breaths.
Chesta looked at her as if she was crazed. A moment ago she had been silent and grim, while now she was laughing like she had heard the funniest joke in the world. A second girl's giggle erupted through the trees. The smile faded from the silver cat's lips as she fretted her ears frantically.
"Something's here." Chesta murmured.
"The Druid?" Naria asked under her breath.
"That's right Princess!" the girl's voice answered.
"Where are you? Come out where we can see you!" Chesta bellowed.
"We come in peace and only wish to make you a proposition!" Naria added.
There was silence while the wind rustled the leaves giving them the sensation that their words were being discussed. The cat and the blond sat still and unmoving, as if waiting for their judgement.
Suddenly, a cloud of smoke enveloped them, and when it cleared, they were face to face with a woman. She was of medium height, with long black hair that reached her ankles. Dressed in a large black dress, whose folds hid all other parts of her anatomy, she looked like a head out of a void, a genie that had come to guide them.
"Congratulations, Princess, Blondie, you have passed my test." She spoke, her childish voice gone, and replaced with mature undertones. Her pitch black eyes stared at the two, as if searching through their souls.
"Test? What test?" Chesta asked.
The Druid laughed, but said nothing, and turned to Naria. "You my dear, have more power than you give yourself credit for. I hope the discovery you made in my forest will always replenish your resources."
"Thank you." Naria managed to say, and she bowed before the woman.
"We are sent here by…" Chesta began, but the Druid cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"I know why you are here!" she exclaimed in a low dangerous tone. "Follow me so that we may discuss the conditions of our trade."
~~~~
Hitomi aimed the bow, gently pulled the chord and released the arrow. The rope beside her swished violently as it uncoiled, and the faint buzz of the arrow indicated that indeed it had hit the wooden ledge.
The thief sighed as she put on her gloves, and clasped the rope. Slowly and carefully, she began escalating the stone wall of the prison fortress, under the guiding light of the moon. The time was just a little past midnight, and the place was the Urn'lera pass. The objective of the mission was to rescue the King of Fanelia.
Her foot slipped, causing a few small rocks to slide down towards the ground. Alarmed, Hitomi hugged the wall, protected by the shadow of the balcony's edge. This was the only balcony of the prison, and the only other point of entry other than the underground passageway. At all times, two soldiers guarded it, one patrolling the balcony and the other patrolling the small hallway outside it. What she had to do, was knock out both of the guards, so her escape might be guaranteed.
After she was inside, she had to descend two levels – the prison ran for the most part of the mountain – and find Cell Block A, the most vigilant of all Cell Blocks. A few guards patrolling the cellblocks and one that held the keys and overlooked the prison from above and Van would be free. Finding Van and releasing him would be the easy part. The hard thing would be getting him to the balcony and then down the rope. Hitomi and Dilandau waited their return in the forest, their horses masked by the thick vegetation.
With a grunt, Hitomi grabbed the wooden ledge and hauled herself over onto the balcony. Still in the shadows, she crawled into a far corner of the balcony to await the guard change. The soldier that was patrolling the balcony did so in small steps, and only covered half the ground. He looked tired and yawned many times.
"That's it, just fall asleep and don't come near me." Hitomi thought, looking at the stars. Just a few minutes more and guard change would come.
Footsteps echoed in the hall, and Hitomi heard whispered voices. A new guard came onto the balcony and changed the sleepy one. As the two tired guards left, the others began their shift. The thief waited until the footsteps had faded away, and silence reigned queen. Slowly, she rose from her place, and came behind the guard. With lighting speed she hit him with the hilt of Van's sword and caught him while he fell. After she gagged him and tied his hands, the thief stuffed him in a dark corner of the balcony.
"Sleep tight beautiful." She muttered as she crept out into the small hallway. Moments later the muffled sounds of something falling, and someone fumbling in the dark stopped.
"Now, to find Cell Block A."
Hitomi hurried through the hall, sticking to the darkness and avoiding the light of the torches that flickered on the walls. The corridors were huge but simple, made of heavy granite stones. The fervent insistence that she had done this before haunted Hitomi as she made her way deeper into the prison. She only paused once to look at her map and make sure she wasn't off track. She had approximately four hours before the next guard change.
At the end of the corridor, Hitomi made a right and headed for a metal door at the end of the new corridor. According to her map, this was an abandoned staircase that led down two levels, and left her two corridors away from Cell Block A. However, the door was bolted shut, and Hitomi had to pick it. Extracting her pouch with her lock picking things, Hitomi examined the lock. It was big and fairly simple. Not much security for a secret prison! She chose the bigger of her three lock picks and began to twist it, looking for the combination that would release the seal. In the silence, the odd clicking of the lock was all that indicated Hitomi's foreign presence.
The thief was calm and collected, her hot blood seeming to have frozen once she had shot the arrow and began her mission. "Rule One: Never Fear." Her hands froze as the lock refused to budge. Slowly, she extracted the tool and picked the finest one. A few more tugs and twists and the door opened with a creak.
"Easy as pie."
Hitomi straightened the bow on her back, fastened her sword and entered into the staircase, nearing the door, but not closing it behind her. She and Van would use it when they would return. The thief soon saw that a part of the stairway had collapsed, leaving only a frail ledge that did not look very safe. She crossed slowly, a few rocks and sand fell into a dark ominous pit.
At the end of the stairway was another door, this one too was locked, but under the thief's experienced hands the door opened in minutes. Hitomi ducked and hit in an alcove as a guard passed the hall. She breathed deeply, a bit startled by how close she had come to being discovered.
"I wasn't careful. I focused too much on the outcome and not enough on the present situation." "Rule 2: Never think the ahead. Always stay focused. "
Once she had made it down two levels, finding Cell Block A was easy. From then on Hitomi was tense and focused. She saw the doorknob twist and immediately faded into the darkness.
"Yea. I'll git ye something. Dunn worry." She heard a guard say, and felt his hot breath on her cheeks.
He was a heavy brute dressed in clanking armour, with a helmet. Hitomi cursed silently, realising that this one she couldn't knock out. It would alert all the other guards inside. Thus, she let him pass, but not before putting her foot in the door to stop it from completely closing.
"Here we are. I've got to work fast. I've wasted enough time navigating this prison."
Hitomi looked around the room, to examine her opponents and her options. The room was made of granite, like the rest of the prison, with four cells made of thick iron bars. She could see faint movement in three of the cells. There were two guards patrolling the floor and one guard up in a glass office looking over everything.
"Three guards. It's not so bad."
A loud rumbling noise caught Hitomi's attention. A side door opened, and two guards came in carrying a person. He didn't walk, but just let them drag him on the floor. His head was sunk, and he didn't look like he was conscious. Hitomi recognised the boots and the tattered red shirt – his pants were a nondescript grey colour.
"VAN!"
She didn't know why, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw the young king so battered and broken. There were bruises of recent beatings on his arms and legs, and a huge one right on his jaw. "Damn you all…" Hitomi thought angrily.
"We brought him back. He still won't talk." One of the guards told them.
"Still? After 8 hours of torture and drugs? My, this one's a tough one. Maybe we should send for the mind probe?" One of the guards on the floor asked.
"She's indisposed at the moment, but she'll be here shortly. There's nothing else to do but probe his mind." One of the guards on the floor asked him.
"It's a pity. He's been a brave chap. Didn't cry out once." The other guard that was holding him sighed.
"Marlock, you're getting soft." The other guards laughed, and one of them opened the cell door and they shoved Van in without bothering to cuff him. The king made a weak attempt to get off the floor, but collapsed and hit his head harshly.
"That's gotta hurt."
The side door opened again, and the two guards exited chatting about other matters. The room fell so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Hitomi sat still, and considered her options. Could she do this without bloodshed?
"Three guards, one ready to sound the general alarm, and two ready to kill the prisoners in the cells. I can't possibly move with enough stealth to knock them out. Once the upper guard sees that his floor guards have disappeared, he will hit the alarm. If I kill him first, then the other two might be confused enough not to kill all the prisoners. They'll first try to find me." Hitomi thought.
Soundlessly, she let her bow fall off her shoulder and readied an arrow, when her hand felt the two smoke bombs she had with her.
"But of course! I could confuse the floor guards with the smoke bombs, and knock them out, killing only one of them!" "Rule three: Always be aware of your resources!"
The string of the bow creaked imperceptibly as Hitomi readied the arrow and took aim. Moments later the arrow was flying through the air, cutting it with a loud swishing noise. The glass that protected the third guard shattered into pieces and fell to the floor, while the arrow stopped right in his neck, a stream of blood gushing out and spurting the whole room. The man staggered forward and fell over his worktable. He was dead. During his fall however, he had fallen on the alarm bell, which began to sound at a deafening volume throughout the whole room. Hitomi heard it in the halls outside of their little room.
"Damnit."
The guards had been too shocked by the sudden attack to begin judging properly, and the sound of the alarm brought them out of their shock. Before they could reach for their swords the steel bomb rolled on the floor between them and began spurting out the choking substance. In a few seconds the cloud of smoke in the room was so thick that Hitomi couldn't see two feet in front of her. She tied her bandanna over her nose and mouth and plunged into the foggy surroundings. Two darker areas clearly showed in the smoke, and Hitomi headed for them without losing any time. She hit them both with the hilt of her sword and retrieved the keys.
Coughing herself, Hitomi tried the keys one by one until they fit in the lock. The doors opened with a tired creak and Hitomi stepped into the cell, chilled by the image before her. The manacles and the wall in front of her were squirted in blood, and the cell reeked of urine and other bodily functions. Skulls and bones –also reddened with blood – were stashed in a corner, and in the middle of it all was Van.
The thief kneeled beside Van and checked his breathing. It was regular, and he was groaning softly.
"Come on, you've got to wake up." Her voice was softer than she had ever heard it. Why was she being nice to him? After all, he had put her in a load of trouble.
"Hitomi?" Van asked faintly, his voice sounding broken and harsh.
"Ssh, we've come to get you out. Can you walk?"
Van nodded his head. "What's that noise?" he asked.
"The alarm. Stay here. We need to get disguises." She told him, and hurried back into the cloud of dissipating smoke.
Moments later, she returned, clothed with the basic armour of the soldier and a helmet. All her things had disappeared, and with the visor down she looked exactly like one of the guards.
"Stay here. I'll be right back." She told him. Van tried to sketch a grin but failed, the attempt turning into a pained grimace.
Running up the stairs to the cabin two at the time, Hitomi stripped the dead soldier of his bloodied armour and headed back to Van. Gently she dressed him in the armour, with the blood soaked helmet and breastplate. She stuffed the tattered ends of his now grey pants in his boots and closed the visor down on his head. Gently, she picked him off the floor and put her arm around his waist.
At Van's first step he faltered and almost fell, disastrously endangering both he and Hitomi, but the thief managed to prevent it from happening. She was dazzled at how much strength she seemed to have all of a sudden.
"Come on Van. You've got to try! Just lean on me and try again." She whispered.
"Don't try to encourage me if you don't mean it." He told her faintly.
"You're so pompous you can't even say thank you. We all risked our lives to get to you and now you're not even trying to save your life. I didn't come here to lose and you're going to get out of here whether you like it or not!" Hitomi yelled and forcefully dragged Van after her.
The raven haired young man stifled a cry of pain and tried to walk again. Leaning most of his weight onto Hitomi, he managed a few steps.
Progress was hard, and Hitomi could feel herself sweating under her clothes and the heavy armour. They had to get to the balcony, they just had to! After the longest fifteen minutes of her life, they reached the abandoned staircase. There, Hitomi left Van to lean against the wall, as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Are you ok?" he asked her, his voice sounding changed by the visor that covered his features.
"Yes. Be quiet and save your strength." She told him. Then she turned with her back to him and instructed. "I doubt you're able to climb stairs. Here, grab onto my neck and shoulders and I'll carry you." She told him.
"I'm too heavy. You'll never make it, and it's best that you too save your strength to defend the both of us."
"Van, shut up and climb on. In all of this confusion I can say you're mortally wounded and I need to take you to the infirmary. Why do you think I gave you the bloodied armour?"
The young king did not have a replica to Hitomi's sound reasoning. Slowly he hung on to her shoulders and they began their ascent. More than halfway up the stairs, they encountered the gap and the thin ledge they had to cross on.
"I hope this holds…"
The small pathway shook under their combined weight as Hitomi first stepped on it. Sand and rocks tumbled down into the pit, announcing their dreadful fate if Hitomi lost her balance.
"It's useless, we can never cross together. You go first and I'll try to make it on my own." Van told her, his haggled voice echoing in her ear.
"And see you fall into the pit? I haven't risked my life to leave here without my prize Van. We'll do this my way." Hitomi told him, and continued her advance.
The ledge shook and trembled, but held, until they were almost at the end. It was then that the first major cracking noise reached them. Her green orbs widened to the max, Hitomi watched as the end of the ledge began to crack and collapse.
"Van, hold on tight to me." Hitomi told him, and waited until the king signalled that he was anchored to her properly.
"I must be crazy to try to do this with so much of the pathway still left." Hitomi thought. "Rule four: Never take unnecessary risks. You can get a double prize next time."
There was no next time. All she had was now and this one option to save the both of them. Without any warning Hitomi leaped off the shattering ledge and tried to reach safe ground. In the moment that passed she felt as if she was watching this from a safe distance, hearing everything that she was doing as a far off echo. Her breathing was accelerated, and she was sweating hard. On top of that Van's grip on her was choking.
"I don't want to die. I haven't lived yet."
Her feet reached the ground, and she collapsed to her knees to absorb the shock of jump. Hitomi took a few moments to clear her head before standing up and looking down. The ledge had collapsed completely.
"We made it." She whispered.
Van didn't answer, and Hitomi finished their ascent and entered the small hallway. There, she paused to catch her breath again.
"You can get off now Van. We'll continue like before." She told him.
The king let go, but as he let go his legs gave out on him. It was very obvious he had no strength left. Hitomi wondered how he had managed to live through the hours of torture in the prison.
"I guess I'll carry you all the way." She muttered and continued their piggy back ride charade.
Almost a half an hour had passed from the time they had reached the top of the stairs until they had reached the balcony. The alarm was still blaring, and she guessed the guards had organised a search for the escapees. From time to time a guard in a hurry passed them, and inquired about what they were doing. Hitomi explained that he was wounded and she was carrying him to the infirmary – which happened to be on that exact floor. The guard nodded and apologised for having to go assist in the search rather than help her.
Hitomi thanked them and trudged on. When they had finally reached the balcony Hitomi felt ready to faint. Extreme exhaustion had taken hold of her, and her body just functioned mechanically.
"Just one more rope to descend on and you're free." Hitomi told Van.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
Hitomi's heart gave a little yelp of compassion and something else, something she had never felt before. Camaraderie? Or was it more? She didn't know for sure, but for a moment she had felt Van's pain. The exhaustion in his voice mirrored the exhaustion she was feeling. On top of that he had suffered of an unspeakable torture. They could do much in a day. Hitomi heard a strangled cry in her throat.
"He's been there now. There's no going back."
Only the knowledge that she had to go on kept Hitomi's body animated. Her body was aching with the burn of over stress, and her mind was shredded by new realisations. She had never thought that Van and she could have something in common, and she dreaded that now they shared a similar pain. Hitomi hated the fact that she had not been able to prevent what had happened.
"No Van, I'm sorry."
The only solution Hitomi had for their descent was pretty risky. They would just have to free fall with the rope as a weak anchor. It was the only, and the fastest way the both of them could get down.
"This is going to be a bumpy ride." She announced.
Van did not respond, and Hitomi didn't wait for a response. She grabbed the rope, and jumped off the balcony's edge hoping that the arrow wouldn't break. They were not much luckier the second time, as the arrow broke with what seemed to Hitomi a dooming noise, and they found themselves free falling for real a few meters above ground.
A heavy thump shook the earth and Hitomi found herself flat on her stomach. They were free, and the armour had attenuated most of the shock of the fall. She hoped Van was safe and sound.
"Hitomi? Is that you?" she heard Yukari's voice ask.
"Yes! Come here and help get Van off of me." Hitomi called out.
Within the next moment, Hitomi heard horse's hooves, and Dilandau appeared with their animals. Yukari was still struggling to untangle them, and the albino jumped to help her.
"He's unconscious, be careful." Yukari told him.
Finally, Hitomi was free, and she threw the helmet on the ground, cursing softly. "Thank god we didn't die." She added afterwards. "Come on! What are we waiting for? The alarm is on inside, we best hurry before they find out tracks." She told them, and mounted a horse.
Yukari did the same, and Dilandau supported the unconscious Van on his pure breed. The four faded off into the night, the echo of their hooves getting lost amongst the cricket songs.
~~~~
Red splashed onto the blue sky as the sun began to rise over the horizon. The grey cliffs towards the east became illuminated by a golden aura and night gave in to day.
Looking down at a sleeping village were three lone riders. Two women and a man, who seemed to be carrying someone else. Hitomi, Yukari and Dilandau had ridden hard all night long, passing the Mountains of Freid in a crazed gallop. Now, as they stood at the border with Lowenia, neither could believe they had left hell behind. The horses were breathing hard, white foam forming at the corners of their mouths, and the riders looked like they had survived Judgement Day.
"Come on. I know a healer close by here." Yukari told them, and guided her horse on the soft forest path.
Dilandau followed, with Hitomi keeping an eye of for people that might follow them. The night still protected them, but it was fading fast, and they were all hurrying to get to a shelter as soon as possible.
Not long after they had come out of the forest, Yukari guided them to a neat little hut right on the edge of town. She jumped down from her horse and went to knock on the door.
"Ma' Kitsune! Are you in there?" she called out loudly.
Pots crashing and indistinct talking echoed from inside, a sign that indeed the resident of the small white house was awake.
"Yes, yes, I'm awake. I was just preparing the tea and the healing herbs for the young king." An old thin woman with grey hair opened the door. She had on a kitchen apron and looked as if she had burned her hair to the side.
"Ma' Kitsune!" Yukari exclaimed and ran to hug her friend. The old woman smiled, and then turned to Hitomi and Dilandau. "Ah, the Seer and the Dragon come to see me in the end. It's very nice to meet you. Please, come in. I've been expecting you." She told them and made way for them.
Hitomi dismounted, and helped Dilandau carry Van inside, to a room Ma' Kitsune showed them. "He'll be comfortable here once I dress his wounds. He's got two broken ribs and lots of lacerations from those whippings." She whispered softly. "Yukari will pour you tea while I take care of the King."
With that, she dismissed them to the kitchen, and closed the door behind her. Hitomi was somewhat surprised and mistrusting of her, and hung around for a bit, staring at the closed door.
"Come on. I'll pour you some tea." Yukari came and grabbed her by the arm, gently guiding her to the kitchen.
"I don't trust her." Hitomi stated blankly.
"She's a very powerful seer, healer and witch doctor. She had probably had visions about what happened. She told me before I left Lowenia that next time I would see her I'd be accompanied by a seer and a very important person and someone she couldn't identify."
Hitomi sipped her tea silently. As she felt the substance warm her stomach, she felt her muscles unclench, and for the first time realised how tense she had been throughout their journey. Every part of her body ached, and her eyelids felt heavy. She was sleepy, but knew she couldn't sleep until she was assured that Van was all right. So they all sat in silence for a while, until Ma' Kitsune returned.
"The seer may go see him now."
Hitomi rose from her seat and hurried for Van's room. There, the curtains were drawn, and a few scented candles were burning. It was all so peaceful and calm that Hitomi felt her mood immediately improved. She drew a chair, and sat to watch the sleeping figure. The bed sheet was drawn around him, and the bruise on his jaw stood out blacker than ever. Hitomi stretched her hand to touch it, and caress his face, but she stopped abruptly, a few inches from his face.
"What am I doing?"
She was about to retreat her hand, when Van's flew up and caught hers. She gasped, as he slowly opened his eyes, and looked at her, a faint grin twisting his lips.
"So you're still here after all." he whispered.
Hitomi couldn't speak. It was as if something had sewed her lips together, and she couldn't mutter a word. She couldn't yell at him, she couldn't call him names, she couldn't do anything but stare.
"Thank you."
The warm hold on her hand was gone, the chocolate eyes closed, and Hitomi could feel the tears burning under her eyelids. She struggled to dam her emotions, but couldn't, and after a tear trailed on her cheek, a few more dropped, like diamonds staining the ivory bed sheet.
She fell on her knees by the bed, and buried her head in her hands, weeping. Hitomi didn't know who she wept for. Did she weep for Van, or was she weeping for herself and for the memories this whole night had brought back? Did she weep for his pain or for hers? Was she weeping for both? The thief didn't know, and the tears kept falling, unrestrained by anyone.
"Don't cry I tell you!"
"You're not allowed to cry! Do you hear that?"
"Not one tear! Not one TEAR YOU HEAR ME!"
"Only weaklings cry! You are not allowed to cry!
"You're not allowed to cry! You're not! You're not!"
"I'm, not allowed to cry. I'm not allowed to cry. I'm not, I'm not! I mustn't cry." Hitomi whispered, and the flood of tears was renewed. Rocking back and forth of the floor of the small room, Hitomi kept repeating the words over and over again, until they had no meaning, and the tears kept on falling. Outside the wind began to howl, and the rain beat against the window, keeping the beat of her tears.
When she finally fell asleep, exhausted by everything, the rain still raged on, and the candles in the room wavered slightly, but continued to light their sleep.
To Be continued…
Footnotes:
The people of Grolash worship two gods. The Goddess of the Moon and The God of the Sun. Grolash is a country formed of mostly antro (cat, dog, fox, rat) people. The cult of the Goddess of the Moon originated amongst them and over time spread around all of Gaea.
Grolash society lives in reverence of the two gods, and has many rituals and celebrations. The one Naria refers to takes place when the first heirs of the Royal House is female. In their case females. She rules as sovereign until she turns 28 (age of wisdom for them) and is then sent to the Convent of the Mystical Order where she prays and purifies her soul for 28 more years (the years she has lived in sin) and is then horrifically sacrificed by the priests to the Sun or Moon. In the case of Naria and Eriya, they were to be a double sacrifice.
Author's Note:
I was away because I was in Spain for 3 weeks and had no access to a computer. That is why chapter 13 was written so slowly. It is also the reason why Chapter 13 is the longest chapter I have ever written in my life. 20 solid pages written in 10 point Tahoma Font. You do the math. I have spent 6 hours today finishing it. I feel dead. I hope you've liked it, and thank you for your comments and persistance. I won't even go on ranting because I feel like I'm going to pass out right here. Oh yes, I also revised chapter 1, and throughout the course of this story I will revise chapters 2-9 because they suck. I apologise for grammar and spelling mistakes. I'll fix those later. Now I go eat and sleep. Thank you soooo much for your comments, and I'm so sorry I've kept you waiting. I hope I made up for it. Questions, Comments and Criticism is highy appreciated. I love you all for having the patience to stick through with me. You've been with me from the beginning and you have my utmost respect and praise. It's been almost a year since I started writing this story. This chapter is my summer's tribute, to all of my patient readers. It is double all other chapters. Consider it two chaps stuck into one.