I bet you thought I forgot about this little story, but I didn't. It's been forever, I know. But here's a new chapter, and more are forthcoming. I just have to type the darn things up.
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. With good reason, too.
Forbearance
Part XI
By: Penybright
As with anyone who's been in a drugged sleep, Van awoke feeling less than wonderful and as though his mouth was stuffed with cotton. His eyes refused to focus until he blinked several times. As reality slowly began to seep in, he noticed the dull pain in his side. Glancing down, he was momentarily confused to find gauzy white bandages bound around his chest. Before his mind could fully begin to comprehend things he dimly remembered, the door to the room opened.
"Can you stand on your own?"
Van looked curiously at the man standing over him. He thought he recognized him, but his brain didn't seem to want to work. Slowly sitting up, Van slid his feet onto the floor and stood up. The room tilted at odd angles for a moment before steadying and coming into focus. The man nodded in satisfaction as he cuffed Van's wrists together.
"For your own safety. This way," he commanded gruffly, tugging on the chain that connected the metal bands.
Entering the large throne chamber he was lead to, the fog cleared from Van's mind. He awoke from a dream, only to find himself in a nightmare. Or was it? Looking around, he discovered he knew where he was. This place was all too familiar. But the dank, dingy place he had been held captive in, surely… He had no memory in his eighteen years of any such place existing in Fanelia, and most certainly not on the royal grounds.
"What…?"
There was no mistake. This was his throne room. The floor was the same pristine marble, the walls made of sturdy limestone. The family crest was laid in the floor as a mosaic just below the throne. And upon that ornately carved cherry throne…
He sat there as if he belonged. His posture was elegant, and any eye could tell he was royalty. His features were somewhat angular, dark hair framing clear, intelligent eyes. Van couldn't help but feel that he knew this man. He seemed so familiar…
"The girl is safe from harm."
Van started at the man's voice. Hitomi…
"There's no need to have him shackled like a common criminal. Release him," the man ordered, an hint of anger in his voice. "It seems that there was a sizeable faction that wanted you dead. Being King always seems to automatically put a bounty on your head. But tell me… what did they want? Their leader would offer no information, not even when threatened with torture and death."
Raising a shaky hand to his temple, Van tried to accept what he was being told.
"You… you're not my enemy?"
"Of course not," the man chuckled. "I could never be your enemy, my boy."
"Then… the people that wanted to kill me…"
"Are gone."
"And you saved me from them and killed them all?"
"I wish I could say they were all gone. A number of them escaped. I can't say for certain, but one of them appeared to be the real mastermind behind the plot. This is just the beginning, Van. War threatens Gaea once again."
"War!? But how is that possible? Zaibach is gone, the technology they possessed lost in the rubble that was once Dornkirk's palace."
"This is an enemy far worse than Zaibach."
"But who?"
"The past has come back to haunt us it seems. Those who saw to the destruction of Atlantis now seek to destroy Gaea."
"That's why they wanted Hitomi. Oh gods… She has the pendant, and they need it. They were using me to get to her…"
And there you have it. So, who do you think this new mystery man is?
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A.N.- Okay ::takes a deep breath:: Forbearance is the first installment of this story. There's another fic that will stem from this one… It starts out with our mystery character, and will give some background info on him and such. Now… I'm gonna wait to get some of my other fics done before I start posting the second half of this. I've already typed out and edited chapter one, and chapter two is about complete. I hate to set a date, but I'd say to look for the next fic in about 3-4 months… It'll be titled Tentai. If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me at penybrighthotmail.com. Just be sure to put the fic title in the subject line so I don't think it's junk mail.
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