Disclaimer: I own not any rights to the wonderful world of Escaflowne, nor
do I take any credit for its creation. I merely adore most of the
characters and get slightly emotional during the series. Is this a good
enough disclaimer for all those nice little lawyers out there?
~ ~ ~ ~
"Win dain a lotica..."
The ethereal melody swirled and invaded every nook and cranny of the mind, lulling one into a lethargic state of silence. It wrapped around and penetrated every fiber of one's soul, sending chills racing up and down the spine as it grew in volume and strength. No one could escape its affects, though very few were allowed to hear the seer sing it. All in all there was only a single person in the Black Dragon Clan besides Lord Folken that was allowed to hear it.
"Win chent a lotica..."
A feathery soft sigh escaped the normally restless spirit, half closed eyes clouded over as the being gave in to the flow of the melody. Clawed hands were still for once, the wicked scythes harmless for the moment. Acid green eyes were half closed in drowsy contemplation as the words were translated in the mortal's mind. Leathery pinions drooped from their furled position while a whip-like tail curled loosely around scaled feet composed of three 'toes' ending in wickedly curved talons. The Human- like face wore a rare look of tranquility; Sora's Folktale had soothed the restlessness of the Ryslen once again, a restlessness that would return as soon as the spell was broken.
"Rykuu."
The mere utterance of her name was what broke the magical hold the melody held on the being. Lifting her head, the one dubbed as Rykuu turned inquisitive acid orbs on the speaker. "Yess Masster Folken?" The reptilian creature inquired in her hissing speech, her face twisting into a grimace as the words were spoken; the Human language was bitter to the tongue of a Ryslen.
"What was it that you saw?" Came the cold reply from the man seated on the throne situated atop a short stair case. Rykuu narrowed her eyes ever so slightly in concentration, intent on remembering even the smallest detail of what she had seen and heard at the Torushina pub.
"A messenger wass sent to locate the Abaharaki rebels. Ssomeone hass told the man known as Lord Dryden about your predict on the location of the ssecond armor. That iss all they know." She reported after a moment, slowly uncurling from her position on the floor and crouching on all fours.
"Is that all?"
"Yess Masster..."
"You are dismissed."
~ ~
"I'm going to kill Dryden!" Kentory screamed to no on in particular. Tahaku let out an annoyed screech from his place overhead, fed up with the girl's constant complaining. Frowning, Kentory kicked her horse into a gallop; an adrenaline rush was a good enough cure for the common boredom. What was supposed to be a day long journey had turned into three days. Why did that blonde bimbo Allen have to move all over the freakin' countryside so much!?
"I'm never going to find them!" Kentory hissed into the wind. Then again, irony seemed to follow the poor lass wherever she went. As she turned the horse down a twisting canyon path she was met with the sight of a landship being pulled by four giant yaks bearing down on her. "Why do the Gods hate me so!?" She questioned herself as the horse veered off to the side and narrowly missed running headfirst into the lead yak. The ship moved a hundred or so yards more before finally stopping, the door to the open air deck opening as a man wearing a belly shirt stepped out and looked around.
"Gaddess you MORON! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!" Kentory screeched at him as she prodded the horse into moving closer to the ship. Gaddess blinked and looked around for a long moment before finally looking down. When he saw who it was he couldn't help but grin. Leaning his forearms and elbows on the railing he replied to her comment.
"Well look who we have here. A little harpy comes to sing for us. You'll have to excuse Kio's driving." He jibed. Oh how he loved to annoy her.
"I'm warning you Gaddess! Mark my words. One day I'm going to HURT YOU!" Kentory screamed. After riding a horse for three days straight anyone would have a short temper... but this is Kentory that you're talking about.
"Consider them marked." A new voice replied as another man stepped up to join Gaddess, only the barest hint of amusement in his voice.
"Why if it isn't Allen descending from on high to annoy me. My week just keeps getting better and better!"
"Get to the point Kentory."
"I'm getting there! Just hold on a minute! Seesh! Who died and made you king? No, wait. Don't answer that. I'm here to give you a message from Dryden, who is going to be dead by the time I get done with him!"
"Someone got out on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Gaddess stated.
"I haven't slept in a bed in two nights so just shut up!"
"No wonder you're grumpy..."
"I'M NOT GRUMPY!"
"Kentory! Get a hold of yourself! Just come on board and get some rest. Then we can worry about your message."
As the ramp was lowered, Kentory pouted and rested her now hurting throat. Though she hated to admit it Allen had given a valid point, as proven by the fact that she didn't protest when Pyle appeared to lead her mount up the ramp. Gaddess had already returned to his post in the ammunitions room by this time and managed to miss another opportunity to tease the jaded Kentory.
Three days of riding had turned her legs into jelly and made her body stiff. As a result she found herself fumbling for the saddle horn and reins when she removed her feet from the stirrups. Exhaustion was another factor, for her muscles trembled as she slowly eased herself out of the saddle and towards the floor. Her weakened legs couldn't bare her weight anymore in her current state and her vision blurred. Distantly she was aware of someone catching her as she stumbled backwards and then nothing more then a blissful darkness devoid of dreams or sensations.
"Put her horse in the stable with ours and make sure he is fed." Allen instructed Merle as the cat-girl appeared to see what all the commotion was about. She frowned for a long moment before grabbing the reins and leading the weary beast down the hall towards the stables. "The rest of you get back to work. We need to catch up with Van." He added to his men before turning and carrying the blacked out Kentory to a spare room where she could rest. There was no doubt in his mind that he would be receiving one of Kentory's patented tongue lashings the next time he saw her.
~ ~ ~ ~
A/N: Please excuse Rykuu's grammar mistakes. And yes, I did type her speaking parts like that on purpose. And excuse Kentory's grumpiness, but three days of riding through a desert to deliver a message to a band of people that you don't like can get on your nerves, no?
~ ~ ~ ~
"Win dain a lotica..."
The ethereal melody swirled and invaded every nook and cranny of the mind, lulling one into a lethargic state of silence. It wrapped around and penetrated every fiber of one's soul, sending chills racing up and down the spine as it grew in volume and strength. No one could escape its affects, though very few were allowed to hear the seer sing it. All in all there was only a single person in the Black Dragon Clan besides Lord Folken that was allowed to hear it.
"Win chent a lotica..."
A feathery soft sigh escaped the normally restless spirit, half closed eyes clouded over as the being gave in to the flow of the melody. Clawed hands were still for once, the wicked scythes harmless for the moment. Acid green eyes were half closed in drowsy contemplation as the words were translated in the mortal's mind. Leathery pinions drooped from their furled position while a whip-like tail curled loosely around scaled feet composed of three 'toes' ending in wickedly curved talons. The Human- like face wore a rare look of tranquility; Sora's Folktale had soothed the restlessness of the Ryslen once again, a restlessness that would return as soon as the spell was broken.
"Rykuu."
The mere utterance of her name was what broke the magical hold the melody held on the being. Lifting her head, the one dubbed as Rykuu turned inquisitive acid orbs on the speaker. "Yess Masster Folken?" The reptilian creature inquired in her hissing speech, her face twisting into a grimace as the words were spoken; the Human language was bitter to the tongue of a Ryslen.
"What was it that you saw?" Came the cold reply from the man seated on the throne situated atop a short stair case. Rykuu narrowed her eyes ever so slightly in concentration, intent on remembering even the smallest detail of what she had seen and heard at the Torushina pub.
"A messenger wass sent to locate the Abaharaki rebels. Ssomeone hass told the man known as Lord Dryden about your predict on the location of the ssecond armor. That iss all they know." She reported after a moment, slowly uncurling from her position on the floor and crouching on all fours.
"Is that all?"
"Yess Masster..."
"You are dismissed."
~ ~
"I'm going to kill Dryden!" Kentory screamed to no on in particular. Tahaku let out an annoyed screech from his place overhead, fed up with the girl's constant complaining. Frowning, Kentory kicked her horse into a gallop; an adrenaline rush was a good enough cure for the common boredom. What was supposed to be a day long journey had turned into three days. Why did that blonde bimbo Allen have to move all over the freakin' countryside so much!?
"I'm never going to find them!" Kentory hissed into the wind. Then again, irony seemed to follow the poor lass wherever she went. As she turned the horse down a twisting canyon path she was met with the sight of a landship being pulled by four giant yaks bearing down on her. "Why do the Gods hate me so!?" She questioned herself as the horse veered off to the side and narrowly missed running headfirst into the lead yak. The ship moved a hundred or so yards more before finally stopping, the door to the open air deck opening as a man wearing a belly shirt stepped out and looked around.
"Gaddess you MORON! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!" Kentory screeched at him as she prodded the horse into moving closer to the ship. Gaddess blinked and looked around for a long moment before finally looking down. When he saw who it was he couldn't help but grin. Leaning his forearms and elbows on the railing he replied to her comment.
"Well look who we have here. A little harpy comes to sing for us. You'll have to excuse Kio's driving." He jibed. Oh how he loved to annoy her.
"I'm warning you Gaddess! Mark my words. One day I'm going to HURT YOU!" Kentory screamed. After riding a horse for three days straight anyone would have a short temper... but this is Kentory that you're talking about.
"Consider them marked." A new voice replied as another man stepped up to join Gaddess, only the barest hint of amusement in his voice.
"Why if it isn't Allen descending from on high to annoy me. My week just keeps getting better and better!"
"Get to the point Kentory."
"I'm getting there! Just hold on a minute! Seesh! Who died and made you king? No, wait. Don't answer that. I'm here to give you a message from Dryden, who is going to be dead by the time I get done with him!"
"Someone got out on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Gaddess stated.
"I haven't slept in a bed in two nights so just shut up!"
"No wonder you're grumpy..."
"I'M NOT GRUMPY!"
"Kentory! Get a hold of yourself! Just come on board and get some rest. Then we can worry about your message."
As the ramp was lowered, Kentory pouted and rested her now hurting throat. Though she hated to admit it Allen had given a valid point, as proven by the fact that she didn't protest when Pyle appeared to lead her mount up the ramp. Gaddess had already returned to his post in the ammunitions room by this time and managed to miss another opportunity to tease the jaded Kentory.
Three days of riding had turned her legs into jelly and made her body stiff. As a result she found herself fumbling for the saddle horn and reins when she removed her feet from the stirrups. Exhaustion was another factor, for her muscles trembled as she slowly eased herself out of the saddle and towards the floor. Her weakened legs couldn't bare her weight anymore in her current state and her vision blurred. Distantly she was aware of someone catching her as she stumbled backwards and then nothing more then a blissful darkness devoid of dreams or sensations.
"Put her horse in the stable with ours and make sure he is fed." Allen instructed Merle as the cat-girl appeared to see what all the commotion was about. She frowned for a long moment before grabbing the reins and leading the weary beast down the hall towards the stables. "The rest of you get back to work. We need to catch up with Van." He added to his men before turning and carrying the blacked out Kentory to a spare room where she could rest. There was no doubt in his mind that he would be receiving one of Kentory's patented tongue lashings the next time he saw her.
~ ~ ~ ~
A/N: Please excuse Rykuu's grammar mistakes. And yes, I did type her speaking parts like that on purpose. And excuse Kentory's grumpiness, but three days of riding through a desert to deliver a message to a band of people that you don't like can get on your nerves, no?