Title: Learning to Love, Chapter 11, Planning a Trip
Author: angelwarriar
E-mail: crystaldreamer06@yahoo.com
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Hitomi tossed and turned in her sleep. The creature with dragon eyes plagued her sleep. He kept calling out to her. Hitomi tried to get away from him, but everything was covered in darkness. Everywhere that Hitomi ran it seemed that the creature was always in front of her. Just when Hitomi didn't think that she could handle it any longer, she felt two hands on her shoulders, shaking her awake.
"Hitomi, wake up!" Van cried to his wife. For the last five minutes, he had been trying to get her awake. He was sleeping soundly when he felt a movement beside him that woke him up. Hitomi was crying out in her sleep and was tossing and turning every which way.
Finally, Hitomi stopped moving. She opened her eyes. Van looked down at her worriedly. Hitomi was breathing hard. She raised her head up and looked around to get her bearings. When she was satisfied where she was, she dropped her head back down on her pillow and closed her eyes. Her breathing began to return to normal.
"Hitomi?" Van asked her with concern.
Hitomi opened her eyes again and found that Van hadn't moved from his position over her. She looked at him. Then she threw her arms around his neck. Van held her close. She was trembling. Van whispered soothing words to her and held her tightly. Hitomi began to calm down.
"Hitomi," Van said softly to her, "what happened?"
Hitomi explained to him about her dream. "That creature that I saw in my vision when I touched the Goluff has been haunting my dreams. It's like every time that I close my eyes, I can't seem to get him out of my head."
Van held her even closer. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly in her ear.
"Oh, Van," Hitomi said. "What are we going to do?"
"Well," Van said after a minute, "we need to first find out about this pendant that he is after. Then we'll go from there."
Hitomi raised her head up and looked at him. Van smiled at her kindly. Hitomi smiled back at him. "I love you, Van," she said to him. She raised her fingers and wiped a rebel lock off of his forehead. Van gently guided her fingers down to his mouth and he kissed them.
"I love you, too."
A knock sounded at the door. "Your majesties," a voice said.
Van sighed. "Yes?"
"Sir Balgus says that you should come to the counsel room immeadiatly. He says it's urgent," the voice said.
Van's brows drew together. "I'll be right there," he said.
After a moment, Van and Hitomi heard the person's footsteps fade. Van got up and put his clothes on. He noticed that Hitomi had done the same.
"Hitomi," Van said to her. "I don't want you to come to this meeting."
"Why, Van?" Hitomi asked, confused.
"Because I have a feeling that some things may be out of hand if Balgus said that it was urgent," he said to her. Then he quickly added before she could interrupt and change his mind, "Besides Eries, Celena, Millerna and the children are here, and I'm sure that they would love to have your company again today."
"Oh, all right," Hitomi said, exasperated.
Van smiled and kissed her. Hitomi wrapped her arms around his neck. When they parted, Van brushed her lips with his. Then he got up and walked out the door with one backward glance. Hitomi kept smiling after he left. All of a sudden, Hitomi began to hear a voice. It was faded, so Hitomi opened the door and spotted a maid.
"Mari," Hitomi said to get the woman's attention.
"Yes, ma'am?" the woman replied.
"Were you talking to anyone just now?"
"No, ma'am."
Hitomi shook her head and smiled at the woman. "I must be imagining things. Thank you."
"That's all right, ma'am," Mari said and then continued on with her duties.
Hitomi went back inside her room and closed the door. She leaned up against it. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her head. Then she heard it again. The voice was still faded, but she could hear it. Hitomi began to walk around the room and the voice got louder. Hitomi made out that a woman was singing. Hitomi walked toward her vanity and heard it more clearly. It seemed to be muffled by something. Hitomi looked around and spotted the small box that she had recently purchased at the antiques shop two days ago. She gently picked it up and held it in her hand. Then she was thrown into a vision of the past.
VISION OF THE PAST
A young girl of the age sixteen was sitting down at the vanity brushing her hair. She was smiling and humming a strange tune. She had long honey colored hair that went down to her waist. She had on a long plain dress that went down to her ankles. It was a light blue. When she finished brushing her hair, she put it up in a bun similar to the one Hitomi had hers in. Then she went outside on her balcony and watched the people hurrying around the village below. Hitomi realized with a start that the village was the place that she saw in her vision when she touched the Goluff. The young woman turned around suddenly and Hitomi saw huge dark green eyes like hers. Hitomi also noticed that the woman was wearing a silver teardrop pendant around her neck. Hitomi followed the girl's line of vision and saw a huge man in the shadows.
"Good evening, princess," the man hissed. Hitomi recognized the voice. It was the creature in her vision.
"What do you want, Terian?" the princess asked boldly.
"Why, princess, you have such hatred in your voice."
"You tried to kill my family, Terian. That should be reason enough to hate you."
"Now, now, princess. You were taught better than to hold a grudge. I'm sure that your mother would be very upset with you and your behavior."
"What do you want from me?" the princess asked.
"Why, just a little something. You won't even miss it." He looked down at the pendant around her neck.
The princess covered it with her hand. "Never," she declared.
"Very well, princess, have it your way, but you will regret your decision. I guarantee it."
"Guards!" the princess shouted.
The creature laughed. "You shall not be protected forever, Princess Nyla. There will come a time when you will see me again, and then you will cry out in anguish and pain for defiling me."
The guards rushed through the door and the creature dissolved into smoke.
END VISION OF THE PAST
Hitomi was brought back to her room. She was standing out on the balcony. She put her hand to her forehead and sighed. The situation just got a lot more complicated. Hitomi looked at the box in her hand. That's when she noticed that there was a dent in the side of the box. Hitomi ran her fingers over it and saw images in the back of her mind.
*****
Hitomi was standing in the woods of her home. She smelled burning. She turned around and saw two people, one man and one woman, burning a fire. Both the man and woman were wearing black. The woman had long honey colored hair and deep green eyes. The man had dark brown hair and light blue eyes. Over the fire was a box-shaped iron molter. Hitomi walked closer and saw that the man and woman were pouring a liquid inside of the molter. The molter sizzled and groaned in delight. After a moment, the man took out the item that the molter had made. He handed it to the woman. The woman took a deep breath and laid her hand on the side of the small box. The woman bit her lip to keep from crying out. When she lifted her hand, Hitomi saw a small indent where her hand was moments ago. Hitomi gasped. That was the same box that she currently held in her hand. Hitomi continued watching the man and woman. The man took the box from the woman and gently kissed her burnt hand. It was easy to see that the woman and man were lovers. Hitomi watched with interest as the two lovers talked to one another softly.
"You must deliver this box to the Mystic Valley. It will be protected there until the time comes for Geia to be restored to the light," the woman said to the man.
"I know, love. Soon, we will be free," the man said and moved some of the woman's hair off of her forehead. He then moved his hand and cupped her face. The woman closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. Even with her closed eyes, Hitomi could see the worry lines on her features.
"Don't worry, Nyla," the man said gently to the woman. "Everything will turn out all right in the end."
"I know, Cale," Nyla said, "but I wish that there was another way."
The man kissed the woman gently, then he got up and began to walk away. The woman watched his retreating form.
"Please, be careful, my love," Nyla whispered softly as Cale disappeared from view.
*****
Hitomi was brought once again back to the land of the present. She walked back inside and sat down on the bed. She took a deep breath. Then she got up and walked out of the room. She made her way to the solarium. She had to talk to Merle. When she got there, she found the woman all talking in hushed tones because the children were sleeping. They all stopped talking when Hitomi came into view.
"Hitomi!" Millerna gasped. She quickly guided her to a seat. "You are as white as snow."
"Yes," Eries agreed. "You look like you have seen a ghost."
"I think that I have," Hitomi said softly.
"Whatever do you mean, Hitomi?" Celena asked.
Hitomi explained to them about her visions. When she was finished, Merle asked, "What makes you say that you have seen a ghost, Hitomi? Do you know any of these people?"
"All of them, I think. But one for sure."
"Well, which one?" Eries asked.
"Cale," Hitomi replied.
"Who is Cale to you?" Millerna asked.
Hitomi looked them straight in the eye. "My grandfather."
~~~~:)~~~~
Van was sitting at the counsel table listening to his counsel members complain about the money that this investigation was costing Fanelia. It wasn't like Fanelia didn't have anything to spare, but the counsel members thought that they were spending way too much on something that could just be a figment of imagination. All of a sudden, the doors to the counsel room opened and in walked Millerna and Eries, who were carrying Aston and Christina, Celena, Merle, and Hitomi,who looked pale.
"What's wrong?" Van asked, rising out of his chair when he saw how pale Hitomi looked.
"Hitomi has something that makes this investigation a bit more complicated," Merle said timidly.
Van walked over to his wife. "What is it, Hitomi?"
Hitomi looked at him and answered in a monotone voice, "The pendant that we seek is located in the woods that trapped it."
"What do you mean?" Van asked, confused.
Hitomi didn't answer. She began to sway and then she fainted. Van caught her in his arms. He turned and looked at Merle and the other women expectantly.
"What she means, Van," Celena said, "is that in order to learn about who this guy is you have to find the pendant that he wants."
"I know that," Van said aggravated, "but-"
"She didn't finish, Van," Merle said quietly. "In order to get the pendant, you have to go to-"
"Where?" an over eager counsel member interrupted.
Merle looked him straight in the eye. "Ronise."
Everyone was silent. Then before anyone could began to shout, Dryden said to Van, "Van, why don't you take Hitomi to your room?"
Van nodded his appreciation to him and walked out of the room. Millerna followed. When they got to the King and Queen's room, Van gently deposited Hitomi on their bed. Millerna then came over and examined Hitomi. When she was finished, she turned to Van said, "Van, she's going to be fine. She just needs to rest for a few hours, then she'll be good as new."
"Thank you, Millerna," Van said.
Millerna nodded, smiled, then left. Van walked over to Hitomi and sat beside her. Hitomi began to stir. She opened her eyes and looked at Van. Van caressed her face.
"Van," Hitomi said quietly. "We have got to go to Ronise. I have to understand this."
"Then I guess that we will be taking a trip then, won't we?" Van smiled at her gently.
Hitomi smiled back. "Thank you, Van. Thank you so much."
~~~~~:)~~~~~
Later that night as Hitomi slept soundly in her husbands arms, darkness hid the creature in its castle. A door opened and in walked a woman with long black hair. She had two daggers at her hips and cold grey eyes. She walked up to the creature and bowed.
"My Lord," she said.
The creature turned around. "You know that you do not have to do that, love."
The woman stood up and smiled coldly. "But I like to. It helps remind you of how powerful you are and you will be."
The creature captured the womans arm in his grip. He pulled her to him. The woman wrapped her arms around the creature's neck as they kissed. When they parted, the creature said, "Soon, love, soon we will have the Powers of Eternity and all will be ours."
The woman smiled coldly once again.