This is definitely the longest chap I have ever written (more than 5000 wrds). I decided to give you guys a break this time and not leave it at a cliff ending. Aren't I wonderful?
Anywho, before I get with the chap, here's a few things to make reading easier:
1) Van thinking
2) ~Hitomi thinking~
3) Dream woman talking
Enjoy
Van sat up, wide awake at the break of dawn. He fumbled out of his covers and stood up from his bed, walking towards the window. Opening the shutters, he looked out from his room to the city stretching far beyond the castle walls. The sun was just coming over the distant hills and it cast a warm orange glow upon the rocky walls of the valley and the city nestled within. Fanelia itself was still asleep, but soon it would be up and bustling, preparing for their future king's ceremony.
The young king shuddered at the thought of entering the forest on the outskirts of the city, beyond the great gate. He remembered being cold and hurt, slumping through the dense vegetation only the night before and he was not particularly keen on returning there in such a short while. In three hours, Van would be heading back to the forest, decked out in armor and brandishing a sword and crossbow, in search of yet another land dragon; only this time the raven-haired prince had no choice but to find and slay the hideous fiery beast.
There was no turning back now. Van's path was set before him and he had to follow it through. Shortly, his entire country would be in an uproar, urging their future king on with their wishes of good fortune in his quest. Van couldn't let them down and although he had fought for his right to follow the dragon slaying ceremony, he was beginning to have doubts whether or not he was really up to the challenge.
At first he had been relieved that Balgus was not allowing him to take the rite, and then angry that he would be denied something he had trained so long for. Now that Van had proved himself worthy to continue on his path to taking up the throne, he found himself dreading what was to come.
Brother...how did you do this? Van flopped into a nearby chair, still staring out the window, eyes held to the sky and rising sun. A flock of white birds drifted peacefully in and out of view. A sudden longing to join them caused Van to jump up and slam the shutters closed again. His room fell to darkness once more. Only a thin stream of light from a crack in the shutters offered any sort of illumination. The raven-haired boy fell back into his chair.
How did you ever feel ready to become king? Where did you summon up the courage to take the rite? I'm scared, brother. I have never dreaded anything more in my entire life...And it isn't the dragon. I'd like to think it was...at least then I could find comfort in the words of others. Everyone is afraid of dragons...but no...Dragons aren't what scare me.
Van started at the sound of a large bang outside his window. Somewhere below the castle, in Fanelia's streets, the air rang with cheers. The celebration had already begun.
Van scowled, refusing to listen anymore to the sounds of his people's happiness. He rested his head in his hand. I can't face them, brother. I can't be king. Why did you have to fail? Why did you have to force me into this? I don't want this...I don't wanna be king. How dare you, Folken...how dare you!?
"Lord Van," a knock came at the door followed by Balgus' deep voice. "My prince, it is time."
Van stood up and walked towards the door, hesitating as he grasped the handle. He pulled back slightly and then shook his head. Stupid...You have no choice now. Open it!
Taking the day in stride, Van opened the door to his grim-faced master. "Morning Balgus," he said in a meager greeting.
"Good morning Prince Van. Are you ready for the ceremony?
No, but since I have no choice, "Yes," answered Van, forcing himself to meet his sensei's eyes. Balgus looked back with concern but quickly hid his feelings from his student. There was no need to pass on any more troubles to the boy.
"Well then, come with me your highness," said Balgus, "We must get you prepared."
"Are your men ready, Dilandau?"
"Of course Strategos," said the white-haired captain, standing beside the taller man in the control room of the Vione.
"Good," answered Folken, admiring the sunrise stretching before the large windows of the floating fortress. "See that your slayers know their mission and do not stray from my orders. I want them on their best behavior when picking up Fanelia's king and Escaflowne. No one can know that Zaibach is behind this attack."
"Don't worry, Strategos, we'll get your little brother and his ancient guymelef...both unharmed of course," added Dilandau after seeing the glaring look on the draconian's face. "And nobody'll know that Zaibach had anything to do with it. My men know how to obey commands."
"...I know," said Folken coldly, "But your men aren't what concern me." He stared hard at Dilandau, who flashed him a mischievous grin in return.
"My orders go for you too, Dilandau," warned Folken as the silver-haired boy headed for the door, "Don't force me to make good on my threat."
The dragon slayer did not turn back, nor pay any attention to the reminder of the threat. He walked out the door, laughing sinisterly under his breath.
"Balgus, is all this really necessary?" Van squirmed uncomfortably under the many layers of armor he was forced to endure on his mission to become king. The straps of his armored vest and shoulder guards were digging into his skin but Balgus assured him that the tightness of the bindings was necessary and that the discomfort would pass.
"Yes, Lord Van," said the sword master sternly. "You must prepare for the worst when confronting a dragon. You will need all that you are wearing and all the weaponry which I have given you. Now," Balgus moved back, checking over Van's appearance. He nodded, seemingly satisfied, "You are ready, my prince. It is time to take the rite."
Van bowed his head solemnly and followed his master out the door to address his people briefly before he began his quest.
~Wha-where am I? What is this place? How did I get he-...Oh I remember...that strange blue light. But...this doesn't make any sense...That boy...I wonder...~
"Stupid dragon...stupid ceremony...stupid country," Van mumbled to himself as he trudged along the path to the forest. The road was all too familiar to him; the dirt path, the soft grass, even the wind had picked up and turned cool, reminding the young prince of his travels across the plain the day before. He was not happy about the rite and even less happy about coming face to face with a dragon. His hand grasped his sheath in a tight fist that hid his trembling fingers inside his leather gloves.
As he walked along the road, about to turn off to the forest, Van caught in the corner of his eye, a flicker of movement in the bushes ahead. A pair of yellow, cat-like, slanted eyes peered from behind the growth. Van quickly turned his head, changing his focus to the approaching trees. He recognized the steady gaze of a wolf man and whether or not it was his friend Ruhm, the young prince was in no mood to face any of the Arzas inhabitants after how he had reacted to their chief and how they had seen him at his worst the previous night.
Van kept his pace quick until he was safely within the trees, or at least safe from prying eyes. Now that he was in the forest he would have to keep up his senses. Dragons very rarely prowled the outskirts of the dark woods, but chose the keep their haunts deeper in, where they could hide in ominous caves. They brought immediate death to any and all who were caught unawares by them.
It would have been in Van's best interest to keep his mind sharp as Balgus had taught him to; to not really listen or see his surroundings, but to feel them; feel for the tremors in the earth from the thundering steps of a large, approaching beast; feel for his breath to come short and the air to get hot and stuffy from the heat of a dragon's flaring nostrils, but at the moment, Van's attention was not fully on the task at hand. His mind was drawn into thoughts of pity for himself and his misfortune at being brought into the world as a prince, destined to become king of a country he wanted nothing to do with.
He marched along in solitude, through the brush and over tumbled trees until he was nearing the center of the wood; the darker spaces, not for lack of light, but for the creatures that dwelled there. He came round a large tree and immediately heard the rapid rustling of bushes. It didn't sound very big, but something was definitely heading his way in a hurry. Van crouched low and swung himself behind a large trunk, pressing his back against the rough bark and listening for the moment to make his move.
The crackling stopped and Van felt his heart pounding in his chest. Whatever had been coming had now crashed through the trees, near to where Van stood. He could hear heavy panting.
Strange, I didn't know dragons got short of breath. But still-
The young prince leapt from the cover of the trees, yelling as he pulled his sword from its sheath. He came around the massive trunk and halted in his tracks, leaning too far forward on his toes and toppling right onto the unexpected intruder.
"agh...Get off me!"
Van quickly stumbled off of his would-be aggressor and sat back in shock, staring into frightened green eyes. The strange girl looked back at him unsteadily, keeping some of her focus on his sword. They exchanged curious glances for a short period, and then Van stood up and brushed himself off. He turned from the girl and began walking away. He stumbled forward again as his foot caught on the strap of a duffle bag lying on the forest floor.
He angrily whirled around and yanked the bag up, holding it before his eyes. The girl jumped up and reached out her hands as he did so.
"Hey, that's mine," she said meekly, still weary of Van's sword.
Van shoved the duffle roughly into her arms and walked past her, stupid girl.
"Hey! Come back!" The blond girl shouted but Van did not stop. "Hey! You...Boy! Wait up!"
Boy? Did she just call me boy? Van breathed heavily, feeling his shoulder grabbed from behind. Gah, What does she want now? He whirled around angrily. "What?"
The girl staggered back a little but quickly regained her composure. "Well...I'm lost and I was wondering if you could show me the way out of this forest." She looked hopefully at Van, who frowned.
The boy shook his head. "I'm busy right now. Find your own way. I don't have time to deal with little lost girls."
"But I don't know where I am!" she protested.
"If you managed to get in here by yourself, then you should be able to find your way out again," Van said shortly, and was about to leave when the girl ran in front of him, blocking his path.
"Get out of my way!" he cried.
"No!"
"Move!" Van raised his sword, irritated by the blond girl's persistence.
"I need your help," she answered in an apprehensive, yet stern tone.
"Look," he yelled, "I almost didn't make it here and I'm not about to stop because of some girl. In case you haven't already noticed I'm on a mission that does not involve being a tour guide for you. It's not my problem your lost, so get out of my way, or I WILL go through you."
The girl's breathe faltered but she stood her ground. "I'm not gonna let you go until you help me."
Van's arm fell. His sword dropped to his side and he grabbed a fistful of his raven locks. It doesn't matter...I can't kill an innocent girl; even if she is an enormous pain in the ass. Van eyed the young blond woman, aggravated. But what can I do? I can't go back empty handed, with this-this stranger? I need to slay a fuckin dragon, not baby-sit some whiny girl!
This is bullshit. Van stamped the ground and unceremoniously seized the blond girl's arm, dragging her in the opposite direction of where the young prince had been headed. I can't believe I'm doing this.
The young woman was caught off guard but after a few seconds of being pulled between trees, she quickly snapped back to reality. "Hey," she ripped her arm free from Van's tight hold, "You don't have to drag me. I can walk well enough on my own, thanks."
"Whatever," huffed Van, returning his hand to his hilt as if nothing had happened, "Just keep up, cause I'm not going to go search for you if you get lost again."
Hitomi stuck out her tongue.
"Oh and by the way," Van glared back, "You said you wanted help getting out of the forest...Well that's all I'm prepared to do for you. After we reach the border, you're on your own, girl."
"That's not fair!" cried the blond woman, "What I'm going to do after that?"
"Hm, let's see...don't know, don't care," said Van, unabashed. "It isn't my problem."
Van went back to leading the way and the girl fell silent, realizing that further protestation would be just a waste of her breath. The boy wasn't going to listen.
~What a spoiled little brat. If I didn't need his help right now, I swear I'd hit him.~
"My name's Hitomi," the girl said, forcing herself to speak cheerfully; wanting to break the silence that had fallen between her and the strange boy, "Hitomi Kanzaki." She reached out her hand in greeting.
Van glanced at it and kept walking. "That's nice," he said, "I'll have to take your word for."
Discouraged, Hitomi slung her bag higher on her shoulder and jogged to catch up. "Well?" she said expectantly.
"Well what?" shrugged the prince.
"Well, what's your name? I told you mine."
"Yes, and that was your choice," dismissed Van, "I didn't ask you. And there's no point in me getting familiar with someone I won't be seeing again. We're close to the edge of the forest now, so I suggest you start figuring out what you're going to do after I leave you. The plains inhabitants aren't welcoming to strangers."
Van grinned at the lie, almost bursting into laughter as Hitomi's eyes widened. She stopped and leaned against a tree for support. "Are you serious?" she asked timidly.
"Very," assured Van, half-grinning. "Not many people survive out there by themselves." Hitomi sank to her knees. The raven-haired boy walked up to her, scrutinizing her with his eyes.
"Wh-what?"
"Oh nothing," pondered Van, "I suppose you'll do."
"D-do what?"
"Well, there haven't been many visitors on the plains recently, so the tribe must be pretty hungry and..." Van watched Hitomi's face go deathly pale.
"...and what?" She was almost too terrified to ask.
"And I just hope you can run fast."
Hitomi stared out into the forest, not seeing the trees or the boy, almost exploding with amusement. She was too terrified to move and almost too scared to even think. She hadn't noticed Van grinning and she wasn't sure if the boy was telling her the truth or not. She couldn't find a reason that would make her not believe him. The boy was a jerk, but would her really trick her and try to scare her half to death?
~What am I going to do? If this boy is telling the truth, I'm in big trouble. I may be on the track team, but I don't think I could outrun a tribe of hungry people...or things, whatever they are. I just can't...~
Hitomi snapped back to reality and immediately noticed the young prince staring at her. The boy had finally sheathed his sword and was leaning against a large tree. His arms were folded with difficulty across the armor on his chest.
~I wonder if he would take me someplace safe if I told him I had a dream about him...No, what am I thinking. That would just scare him away. He'd probably call me a freak and leave me right here, by myself to be picked off by god-knows-what. No, Hitomi shook her head, I can't tell him, but I need his help. I don't know where I am, how I got here, or even why I'm here. ~
"What is this place?" Hitomi inadvertently spoke her thoughts aloud.
Van pushed off the tree, returning his arms to his sides. "A forest," he plainly stated, "And one I'd like to get out of some time today. So could be please get moving?"
The raven-haired prince did not wait for a response or a sign that Hitomi was ready. He marched up, bent down, and took the blond woman's hand, pulling her to her feet. He did not let go and once again began to drag her through the trees, faster than before, a quick jog as he tried to make up for lost time.
"C'mon, can't you go any faster Hit-Hit-Hit-something?"
"Hitomi!" the girl corrected, "And yes I can go faster, if you'd just let me go. I already told you I could walk by mys-"
"Obviously you can't," Van interjected, "Otherwise I wouldn't have had to pry you off the ground just now."
"It's only because you scared the heck out of me...uh, Boy!"
"Don't call me that," warned the prince.
"What's the matter, Boy?" Hitomi retorted, pleased to finally get Van riled up. "You don't like being called Boy? Well that's too bad, Boy, because until you tell me your real name, I'm gonna keep calling you, Boy. Okay, Boy?"
"STOP!"
Hitomi felt herself yanked forcefully towards the young warrior. She slammed into his chest and gasped as her shoulder collided with his armor. She looked up at him, their faces inches apart. "It's Van," the boy hissed as he held Hitomi's arm above his head, keeping the distance between them very minimal. "My name is Van," he glaringly repeated, "Got that?"
The young woman nodded her head, barely breaking eye contact with the boy's fiery orbs. Something about Van's gaze made her unable to look away. There was something in those eyes that captured her attention, drawing her into their scarlet depths. Hitomi shook on her feet and collapsed.
She could see a pair of great walls rising up in the darkness, out of nowhere...then light, exploding from cracks in the shadows. She was falling; falling deeper into a dream that did not belong to her.
Hitomi hovered in a great void of light, straining her eyes to see through the absolute brightness. ~Where am I? ~
It has returned said a soft voice as the form of a woman came into view, her bright eyes glowing a pale blue. The key has come home to Gaea.
"What key?" questioned Hitomi.
The strange woman held out her hand, her flowing white robe swaying in the dreamlike breeze. Hitomi felt a warmth by her chest as the ruby teardrop she wore as a pendant began to glimmer. She stared down in wonder.
The key said the woman All will be lost...or spared according to the path you choose. You must choose wisely, for the fate of this world falls upon you Hitomi, of the Mystic Moon...
"Me? But how...what am I supposed to do?"
The woman smiled disappearing in a blinding flash.
"Damn it girl, wake up!"
Hitomi's eyes shot open and her head jerked back and forth. Van was shaking her. "He-hey st-stop th-that," she managed to stutter out. Van let go and stood up, a bewildered look still on hi face.
"Would you mind telling me what the hell just happened?"
~Should I tell him that a strange woman talked to me about saving Gaea? Probably not~ "I guess I just passed out," Hitomi lied, fanning her face with her hand, "You know, the heat and all."
"...the heat," Van stopped, feeling the air grow heavy and thick. The ground rumbled beneath his feet and he heard the distant cracking of trees rapidly making their way towards him.
Shit, he turned to Hitomi, "It's coming."
Van held his ground, sword gripped tightly and dark eyes piercing. "Get out of here," he commanded. Hitomi didn't move. "Now!"
Van leapt past the frightened girl, nearly knocking her to the ground. She stumbled to the edge of the thicket, catching her step just before she crashed headlong into a tree. She fell to her knees, huddling by the trunk while she watched the strange boy on his guard, through terrified eyes.
~What's coming?~, she wondered, but it didn't take her long to find out.
The deafening destruction of trees and the thundering footfalls of a massive beast obliterated the silence as Van waited for his opponent. Already he could feel the cool trickle of sweat by his temples, the numbness in his hands and the wobble of his legs as he stood in the defense. The dragon was coming.
With a roar of flame, the creature erupted through the trees, leveling the forest in a circle around the prince with its fiery breath. Van ducked below the blast and quickly rolled to avoid the dragon's two enormous clawed feet that threatened to trample him. He shook wild, jet-black hair from his eyes and darted his eyes around as he stood once again. The formerly dense forest was now smoldering ash; here and there sputtered a few catch fires.
Van took labored breathes through the smoke, Definitely more than I had expected, but I can do this.
The raven-haired boy ran almost fearlessly towards the dragon, swinging his blade into the air as he hurdled into an attack. His sword glanced off the creature's thick hide, sending blue sparks into the air. Van dropped to the ground and twisted out of the way of the dragon's bucking head. He ran around and swiped at the beast's leg. His sword quivered from the vibrations as it failed to mar the skin another time. The young warrior jerked around the body and slipped behind a blackened tree trunk, needing to catch his breath. He crouched low and panted.
"Just like...the statue," he wheezed, "My sword won't pierce...its thick hide."
The prince shot a look from behind the tree where he was concealed. The dragon was searching for him with cold, reptile eyes. Its soulless glance weaved along the trees, scanning for some sort of movement. They trailed in Van's direction, and the dragon sniffed the air, catching the boy's scent in the wind. It made a step towards his hiding place and stopped short, wheeling its head in the other direction. Van followed its movements and caught the flicker of somebody scrambling, running through the bushes far ahead.
"Fuck!" Van cried, scrambling to his feet, "HITOMI!"
~Sure, now he gets my name right, ~ thought Hitomi grimly as she heard Van's frantic cry behind her. She didn't need to turn around or to have heard him yell desperately to know that she was in trouble, and that the dragon had found someone else to play with. She had realized the seriousness of the situation the moment she had seen the flames come towards Van mere seconds before she bolted into the forest.
Hitomi sprinted through the trees as fast as her legs would allow her, not even hazarding a glance behind. She knew from the rising heat and quaking ground that the dragon was in hot pursuit.
She clenched her teeth, feeling the burn in her legs as she pushed herself harder. The dragon was rapidly gaining, blundering through the woods. Hitomi let out a cry as the creature swung its mighty head in an attempt to knock her down. She darted ahead just in time to miss the brunt of the attack, but yelped as the dragon's scaly face dug into one of her ankles. She fell onto her hands and face, sprawling on the ground. The dragon roared in triumph, flashing its eyes at his prize as Hitomi turned over, shrinking with fright.
Damn, the girl can run. Van marveled as he took off after the dragon. The beast was fast on its two powerful legs and the young prince had difficulty keeping of with its long, somewhat lopsided, stride. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't catch up.
Van gritted his teeth in frustration and awkwardly sheathed his sword as he ran, realizing that it was only hindering his movements and was doing no other good. Even if he did manage to catch up with the dragon, he had seen from before that the blade wouldn't help him, not unless he could find the creature's weakness.
"Shit!" the young warrior exclaimed
Hitomi had just been gaining some distance on the creature when Van saw it swipe at her with its head. The girl fell to the ground and the dragon was immediately on her, looming above, breathing down with foul steaming breath.
No, I'm too far away. I won't be able to get to her in time. I have to get its attention somehow and then...Ah hell, I don't know.
Van stopped a short distance from the fiery lizard. From where he stood he could see Hitomi's terror stricken face and feel the dragon's hot breath. As he watched, trying to figure out his next move, the dragon reared up, preparing to blast his prey with another wave of fire.
It's now or never.
"HEY UGLY!" Van shouted at the top of his voice, "I know you're hungry." The boy held out his arms as if defenseless, "Well here I am. Come and get me!"
Without a second thought, the dragon twisted his head around, blowing out a torrent of flame at the cocky warrior. A shield opened from his left armguard and Van had just enough time to crouch behind it before the hellfire reached him. As the rage dissipated, Van quickly leapt to his feet, shooting an already fitted arrow from his crossbow. The projectile flew into one of the dragon's eyes, destroying it in a haze of blue blood.
The dragon shot its head up wildly. Van took this opportunity to run up to Hitomi. "Are you okay? Can you walk?" he asked hurriedly, unsure of how long the beast would be out of commission.
"Y-yes, I think so," wavered Hitomi, "Only, my ankle," she pointed to her bruised leg.
"Hm," Van stared with concern, "Well you're gonna have to find someplace to hide then. I don't think that eye is going to slow down the dragon for much longer. But I think he'll leave you alone. It looks like he's really pissed at me."
The dragon bellowed as Van hoisted Hitomi to her feet. She stumbled into his arms and he held her upright until she could stand on her own.
"You good?" he asked quietly.
Hitomi was about to nod, but stopped as she looked over the boy's shoulder, her eyes going wide in alarm. "Van! Look out!" she cried.
The young prince sensed the danger and tossed Hitomi out of the way. He drew his sword and flipped around all in an instant, but was too slow. The dragon's tail swung round and smashed Van in the side, sending him flying as if he were a lifeless doll. The boy had just enough time to struggle to his feet before the tail came round for a second pass, catching him in the chest and stomach with brutal force.
Van collapsed to his knees, coughing, unable to see through bright sparks before his eyes. His arms wrapped around his stomach as he spit up a mass of blood. He stared at the pool of crimson liquid as he urged his eyes to refocus.
"This isn't over...just yet," he whispered hoarsely, a sinister gleam in his eye as he rose to face the dragon. It was already raising its head to finish him off with fire.
"I don't think so."
Seeing the creature temporarily blinded, Van forgot his body's agony and charged. He clutched his sword out in front of him as he went for the kill, aiming his weapon at he dragon's soft underbelly. As he got near enough, he raised his sword to strike down at the creature's heart.
"THIS IS FOR FOLKEN!" Van cried.
"Van! No! Above you!" answered Hitomi hysterically from her hiding place in the bushes.
The dagger-like end of the dragon's tail ripped down at Van. The boy had been startled back to reality just in time to glimpse out of the way. The tip sliced Van's armor in two, miraculously leaving the boy intact. Van fell back on one knee, still clutching his sword. He stared dangerously at the dragon from beneath his jet-black mane.
That was too close, Van glanced fleetingly to Hitomi, seeing her peek with worry from behind a tree, how did she know?
Van shook his head. "It's time to end this," he growled as he sprang up with a rekindled fury. He raced towards the dragon, springing high and over the dragon's lowered head. He ran along its body and jumped off the back, tearing down with his sword. A flood of blue blood escaped from the fresh, sickening wound. The dragon roared and snarled in pain, lifting its head to the sky.
Van wasted no time in running around to the front of the beast and with one great lunge, plunged his blade into the dragon's chest, pulling down and slicing the cavity wide open. Another surge of blood came out and Van jumped back, prepared to fight but hoping it wouldn't come to that.
With one last vibrating screech, the dragon's head crashed to the ground. Van cautiously approached it and once he was sure it was not getting up, he stuck his sword in the chest wound and cut through the tissue until he was able to pull out a round red orb with snaking curved grooves along its surface.
"At last," he panted, "this is for you brother."
Well that's it for this chap. Hope you guy's liked it and sorry for the long wait in getting this up. College's been hectic but I'll try to do better in my updates.
And of course, REMEMBER to REVIEW!