Hi! Sorry I haven't updated for a bit, been busy with college stuff. Hope you enjoy this chappie!
Chapter 1: Fire and Ice
"She can't come back to you."
Van cradled the lock of toffee coloured hair in his rough, scarred hands as if it was a newborn baby. The deep golden brown colour reminded him of happier times, times of when the war was over, Fanelia was rebuilt, and the moment he held the love of his life in his arms. The green ribbon that ties it together is the perfect match for it, just like they are for each other. Every morning when he woke, he would stare at her sleeping form like a besotted teenager. Losing his childhood to things beyond his control, Van was content with being the man she would cherish. That she would love, and be loved by in return. Those were the happiest days of his young life. For him, this small lock of hair was a reminder that all was not lost.
"If you love her, then you'll have to fight for her."
"I know, and I do, love her." Van replied.
Zara was about thirty, but had the face of someone much younger. With rich chocolate curls and pale grey eyes, she was quite intimidating to some for she was also tall and lithe. She tells people the only reason she is still alive in this 'wilderness' that is Gaea, is because of her fiery nature. Zara looks at Van with a concerned expression, puzzled at his obsession with the hair. Kneeling to his level, she too stares at it. Gleaming in the sun like a piece of brushed dusty gold, it is rather pretty.
"Look, Van, just... get it together." Zara sounded exasperated, rubbing her temples.
"You don't understand...." Van trails off again.
"I'll fix us some lunch - again."
Zara trudges away, while Van is oblivious to her sarcasm. Watching it shine, the hair reminds him of someone who still has possession of his heart. The one woman who has shown him what it is to love, to deal with things without using aggression, training him to be an expert in diplomacy. But at the same time, to keep up his swordsmanship and use of a guymelef. His aide, his best friend and lover; Hitomi Kanzaki, is gone. The spirited young woman from the mystic moon who scared the bejesus out of his councillors, brought a smile to Van's thin lips. The shocked looked on their faces when he announced their news to them, is one he will treasure. Okay, so there is a slight rebellious streak in the King of Fanelia. When he was not deep in discussion with his council, he could be found glued to the lips or side, of Hitomi Kanzaki. Some found it revolting that their King should dismiss traditional values so readily, while others cheered at the newfound happiness she brought to him. Regardless of what the public thought, where there was Hitomi, King Van was not far behind.
"HAH! GOT ONE!" Zara shouted jubilantly.
She was swinging a dead dear in her gloved hand, with bits of twigs and leaves tangled in her chocolate mane. A broad smile showed how pleased she is. Dumping it in front of Van, she got her dagger out to start skinning it. Van turned to study the creature, and took the weapon from her hand. Zara raised a brow in question.
"I'll cook for a change. If you trust me."
"Yeah, that's it – I don't." She shot back sarcastically, happy he was making lunch for a change.
Zara walked off to a lake some five minutes away to clean herself. Stripping her armour, clothing and weapons, she slipped into the cool clean waters. It was like an alcove type of place, so there was no danger of peeping toms. The gentle ripples she made expanded and bounced back, gradually disappearing with each band. Submerging, Zara resurfaced feeling fresh.
The shade provided some shelter from the intense sun. Daydreaming, her thoughts wondered to dangerous territory; the past. Like how they met, what they did and how he made her feel, the inner demons creept from the shadows once more. Just when she thought she might be blessed, everything was taken away from Zara.
"DAMN YOU ALLEN!!"
Thumping the water, it only caused a big splash that did nothing to ease the pain inside. Admitting defeat to her ghosts, she surrendered to the impending tears.
Van managed to get a fire going, and was turning the deer over on a stick. It was a yummy colour and ready to eat. When he heard footsteps he took it off the fire and on a flat stone to cool. Zara was back, fully clothed, but her red eyes worried him, especially as she sat down beside him without uttering a word. Just as Van was going to start cutting the meat, it was snatched from him and she began hacking pieces off.
"I thought I could let go." Zara suddenly began. "I thought I was stronger than that."
"You are only human, stop beating yourself up about it." Van soothed.
"Usually, I'm okay, I'm alright. But y'know those moments when you just want a break, to breathe and sit back even for a minute? That's when it gets to me. When my mind goes for a walk, it makes me acknowledge memories I'd rather forget." She says, gazing into space.
Van studies Zara, the sharpness of her pale grey eyes subdued by emotions. To the world she is a fearless female fighter, skilled in the art of battle and piloting guymelefs. But to him, she is an ordinary human being, prone to mistakes and faults just like everyone else. Van may be a 'cursed' Draconian, a King to a small but growing nation, though like her, he too is not perfect.
"But sometimes I just can't stop thinking about him Van! If only we never met..." Her eyes welled up and she brushed them away harshly.
"Come here."
Van pulled Zara against him, offering some comfort. In her weak state of mind she takes it, sniffling and crying some more. He tells her stories he was told when he was a child, hoping to make her think of something else.
Starting with the story of Faroe, a girl who is the main character. She is orphaned as a baby and lives a tough life on the streets. Then one day, when she was about nineteen, she was captured and forced into slavery. Not long afterwards, a wealthy but ugly tyrant saw her and wanted to marry her. To the girl's horror, it was arranged that they would marry at once. So in the dead of night she tried to escape. Luck was on her side for she managed to reach the city gates. But the night guards saw Faroe, and they re-captured her. The next morning a priest married her to the ugly tyrant and for the next six years, she would wait for an opportunity to escape. The tyrant was not stupid, however, and kept her watched day and night. Over time countless other girls just like her were forced to marry the tyrant. Unlucky for some, they even bore his children. She prays to the goddess Artemicia every night for sparing her of such hell.
The chance to escape eventually came, when the ugly tyrant fell ill. By now he was an old man, with many a young wife. None of them were at his bedside though. Everyone was busy either keeping them there, or attending to his needs. In all the commotion Faroe seizes the opportunity and runs for her life. Turning a corner she bumps into someone – a guard. He looked at her, wondering why she wasn't crying and begging for mercy. Instead, she simply stood there, equalling his stern gaze. She told him to shoot her if he so wishes, thinking her life was over. But he surprised her by stepping aside, allowing her to pass. Caoutiously, she walked passed and ran away.
Faroe may have escaped a hell hole and be back on the streets, but at least she was free. One day while she was begging for food, she saw a wounded man slumped against the side of a house. He was dirty and injured, many of his wounds infected. Wearing rags, his only weapon was a walking stick. Checking that she had her own weapon, a short sword, she went towards him. It was only when he lifted his head to see who it was, that she reaslised she had to help him – it was the same guard who let her go.
Taking him back to her wooden shack, he told her they had found out what he had done. He was subsequently punished and thrown out. Soon after the tyrant died, and all his wives wept for joy. That was when chaos began; because the wives joined with the men who worked for him, and his children were never seen again. Over the months his strength returned, and he was able to walk. Faroe and the guard, who was called Tenus, built up a strong friendship.
One day a group of men arrived at the city they were living in, searching for a 'lost prince'. As soon as the leader clapped eyes on Tenus, he knew they had found him. and after speaking to him about his background, the search was over. Faroe knew she wouldn't see him again, and knew he would never go back to find her anyway. So she slipped away.
A year later, Faroe was buying vegetables at a market stall when there was a tap on her shoulder. Quick as lightning she spun round and put the blade to their neck. They joked it was a great way to welcome an old friend, and she reaslised her mistake. It was Tenus. She had heard how he was made King the day they discovered him. his guards promptly kicked her behind the knees to make her fall, forcing her to bow down to him. Immediately he punched them and helped her to her feet, apologising endlessly. They went to a food vendor and sat to eat some food, just the two of them. Tenus asked her why she left without saying a word. She replied it was because they could never be together. At that he took her hands in his, and said they're together now. Faroe was confused, and he clarified it by asking her to marry him. he asked her to give it a chance, and to have faith in them.
Faroe walked away. Tenus understood, but would not give up so easily. He would wait for her, even if it takes a lifetime.
"Why did she walk away?" Zara said.
"Because she didn't believe that something good would happen to her. Now let's get on with the story." Van said.
Thirteen months later, there was a knock on Tenus's door. He was in the study room, analysing some reports. He got up to answer it, and was shocked to see who it was; Faroe. He embraced her and they kissed. But there was something playing on her mind. She asked him if he has married yet, and if he lies to her she will burn the palace to the ground. Luckily for Faroe, Tenus has yet to find a queen. Soon they were married, and lived happily ever after.
"Van this is a fairy tale that sounds abit like my life story..."
Zara looks up at Van, who proclaims innocence.
"Okay, so the only thing we have in common is living on the streets; my prince charming is... never mind."
"The morale of the story, is to have some faith; you will get you're chance."
"And don't you forget the morale either mister." Zara said, poking a finger into his chest. "You two will be reunited. Someday. Gotta have some hope."
They were seeing eye to eye for once. They also noticed they are very close to the other person's face, only inches apart. Eyes closing and the gap shortening, their mouths almost touching. Their breathes were warm and it tickled. Suddenly they both jerked away, untangling from the cosy embrace.
"No it did not." Van agreed.
They both looked away from each other, feeling a burning shame takeover them. For a while the two of them just sat there on the grass by the river, listening to the cheerful calling of the birds. The water quietly trickled past as it made the long journey downhill. Finally hunger overcame the will, and forced them to communicate.
"You hungry?"
"Very."
"Let's eat."
Van unsheathed his sword and chopped off a leg, handing it to his comrade. Zara took it gingerly, trying not to make contact. It was not like she was afraid of catching a disease from him, but right now things are awkrward.
eating in silence, the delicious roast deer made a hearty feast.
"So how d'you plan to rescue Hitomi?"
"I'll find a way."
Then fear struck like lightning striking a tree; the tremours pierced their hearts, spreading throughout the body like ripples in the water. Blood was being pumped at ground breaking speed, so when they're movements were
unsteady. Shakily getting to their feet, they scanned the area for any signs of danger, anything that would give somthing away.
But nothing moved, nothing changed beyond recognition. The trees stayed still, the birds still sung their love songs trying to attarct a mate. Zara sat back down, though Van held his guard. Gripping his sword firmly by the rotting handle, his burgundy eyes were sharp and alert. The wind timidly ruffled his messy coal-black hair, sweeping it in and out of his line of vision. With tensed muscles, he strained his ears to pick up even the tiniest of sounds. even the smell of the roast deer was not enough to tempt him to relax and return to his food. To survive in the now hostile Gaea, letting your guard down is not an option.
Ever.
Eventually, Van succumbed to kneeling, cautiously taking a piece of meat and chewing it, sword still in one hand. Because at the end of the day, although he was part Draconian, he was also part human. Humans were prone to faults,
as are Draconians. Zara was looking at him worriedly, and he forced a brief smile to put her at ease.
CRUNCH.
Quick as a flash they both turned to where they heard the noise; nothing there. nothing suspicious. But that was it, it was suspicious. There can't just be a noise like that and not knowing what made it. If they were near or in a forest, then it could be an animal.
As it is, they were not. They are in an open clearing, a huge meadow which remained in its naturally beautiful state, unlike the rest of this world. Van and Zara waited, anixously, to know what it was. By now the birds had stopped singing, and even an ordianry person would know that means trouble. For a fighter, this could mean death. The wind carried on playing around them, blowing bits of grass up into the air.
W OOSH!
Van had jumped ten foot into the air, somersaulting backwards as he did so. While he was turning, he saw a brief flash of brown, and knew Zara had also jumnped. Although he was unable to see what it is, Van managed to get a foothold on something solid, and kept jumping to propell himself into the air to remain a hard target. Somehow he put his sword back into its sheath, while continuing to spin like an acrobat.Suddenly a grey metal hole appeared from thin air, and it was aiming for either Van or Zara. It swerved to follow yet could not lock on target because they kept moving. Two metal hands shot out and were trying to grab them.
Then two more, and more.
"YOU CAN JUMP BUT YOU CAN'T ESCAPE!" A male voice shouted. They should have guessed who it is.
Dilandau Albatou.
"I think we should have roast monkeys for dinner. MEN FIRE!!!"" He ordered.
No sooner had he ordered then streams of fire were billowing from the guymelef's arms. But Zara and Van were too good, and kept dodging them with ease. Though they had been jumping, spinning and turning for some time now, and the strain was beginning to tell. It was taking more effort to get out of the way, to stay alive. Surrounded by a cage of fire streaming around them, the heat was becoming unbearable.
Finally Dilandau made a second command; to use the ice cannon. When it was used, all the lines of fire turned into solid ice. Van saw this and stayed down when he landed. Zara was not so fortunate, as the sun reflected by the ice blinded her, causing her to crash into the frozen wall. The impact dazed her a little, though it was enough to allow an enemy attack; a guymelef hand broke the cage and got her, while Van seized his chance to escape.
A bright light eminated from Zara's neck, before exploding to cover both parties.
To be continued...