Disclaimer: Vision of Escaflowne and its characters and likeliness is copyrighted to its respective company(ies). But the characters I created and this story is copyrighted to me.
Rating: PG-13
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FATES' JUDGEMENT
By Cosmos (ml_eclipse@hotmail.com)
Chapter 5: Cursed Souls
The tall dark trunks of massive trees passed by him in a blur of shadows as the pale face of a half-moon followed him in the heavens. With eyes burning fiercely of anger and a heart trapped in fear and anxiety, he raced across the dim landscape as silent and as swift as a hunting wolf. The carpet of grass absorbed the noise of his footsteps as well as hid his tracks. It would have been much faster had he been able to fly but he did not want to risk revealing his hidden secret. The danger of that would be too great.
As he got closer, Van could sense the ever-heightened strength of this new power as it struggled against a darker force. Trapped and chained, in his mind's eye he could see the images this power was sending to him at a fast and frantic pace. He knew not how but he could see everything this individual was seeing. He could feel everything this person was feeling. He could sense the panic, the pain, the fear, and the desperation as this great force fought to be free.
He was running incredibly fast with his feet barely touching the ground before it stepped again but even at this swift pace, it felt an eternity before he could see anything that indicated he was nearing his destination. Nonetheless, what seemed hours of constant running soon ended in a small clearing surrounded on all sides by thick foliage deep in the centre of the park. A spectral of pale grey-blue light flooded the entire area whereby a ring of men cloaked in dark brown robes stood at the light's boundaries; their lips constantly chanting a powerful spell to overwhelm their captive held at the heart of the sphere of power.
Fortunate for Van, in all their concentration, these men did not detect his presence as he crouched behind a thick brush of wild roses. With the naked blade of his sword blazoning dangerously by his side, Van quickly took in the scene of battle. There were seven men forming the centre ring; they were most likely the sorcerers. Another seven stood guard around them with weapons brandished and ready for any possible attack. By the sharp looks in their eyes and the way they held their weapon, Van knew these men were very skilled fighters. It seemed almost impossible to penetrate these soldiers to attack the heart.
Looking beyond The Hunter, he could faintly make out a slender form through the sphere of light. Strange rings of dark blue stars were floating swiftly around the captive, like chains to withhold its prisoner. The limpness of this individual's position floating at the centre of the sphere told Van that he must act quickly.
He had no other alternative but to make a direct offensive. In a burst of rage and speed, Van leaped out of the brushes and quickly finished off his first opponent with a mad swipe of his sharp blade. Hearing an attacker from behind, Van swiftly turned around with his sword held out defensively in front of him to block the incoming attack toward his chest. Using all his strength, he shoved his attackers sword to one side then quickly duck to avoid another one aiming at his head from behind. At the same time, Van crouched down, swiped his feet in a circle and knocked the two attackers off balance. Using his fist on one and the hilt of his sword on the other, he knocked them both unconscious. And, without skipping a beat, he quickly jumped over the two bodies and flipped over the sorcerers' heads to land squarely at the centre of the ring of power. The imprisoned individual was now only an arm's length from his reach.
A few sorcerers immediately broke off from the others and began to chant a powerful spell against him. Instantly, Van felt the full strength of their powers slam into his body forcing him to fall onto his knees in pain. The three sorcerers smiled when they saw him falter, but their victory was short lived. Being a descendent of Etheria, and especially of the royal family, Van, too, held phenomenal powers of his own, which he now called upon to defend himself against the dark forces trying desperately to overpower him. A crimson aura appeared surrounding his being, shielding him from the sorcerers' dark magic. However, Van quickly realized he must act fast. His strength alone could not withstand their combined powers for any great length of time. This was only a temporary shield he managed to create to buy him some time. A brief glance at the power, which surrounded the prisoner, told Van that it was much too strong to simply slice through. However, he noticed that it took at least four of the seven sorcerers to maintain this prison. With narrowed eyes, Van chose his target.
His next move came unexpected to the sorcerers. Without warning, Van struck out his sword at the nearest cloaked figure and ran him through. Their ring of power immediately dissipated, and without the energy to hold the figure aloft, the prisoner began to fall quickly to the ground. Not allowing the sorcerers any time to react, Van swiftly dashed over to catch the falling individual, swung her over his shoulder, and retreated into the woods to be hidden by the darkness of night. Behind him, he could hear the outraged cries of his foes as they struggled after him. Despite that, Van kept his focus in front of him and his legs pumping beneath him. He knew there was no way to outrun them but there was another mean of escape. However, he must try to distance himself from his enemies as much as possible in order to apply this alternate mode of retreat. As soon as he sensed that he was well hidden from his opponents' views, Van shifted the individual to rest in both of his arms in front of him while simultaneously calling forth his wings. With a strong flap of his majestic wings, Van and his companion were immediately airborne. Silently and stealthily, Van flew higher into the sky in the hopes that the dark grey clouds above would conceal their presence from the sorcerers long enough to make their escape.
Higher and higher they flew. Briefly, Van glanced down to look at the girl lying limply in his arms. He gazed at her with expressionless eyes as he thought, So it is you. He could sense her soft breathing but he knew he must find shelter for her soon. She has grown quite weak. Frowning, Van thought, What did they do to her? His hold on her tightened as he glanced up at the approaching heavenly body of mist, Don't worry. You're all right now. I am here to protect you.
Like an ethereal picture seen only within a dream, Van and his companion burst through the clouds in a splash of silver feathers and soft grey mists. The unhindered radiance of a quarter moon fell fully on them now, bathing their entire bodies in its luxuriously pale light. Using the clouds as cover, Van and his companion remained above the sea of mists while they made their escape. Although the clouds hid their presence for the time being, Van knew this shelter was only momentary, because after twenty minutes into flight, his wings already felt stiff from the cold temperature usually found in high atmospheric air. As well, the jets of wind at this particularly high altitude were extremely strong, forcing him to use all his strength to simply maintain aloft and not drift off course to plummet to the distant grown below. Fortunately for Van, it was not long before the earthbound sorcerers were left far behind. Only when he could no longer sense his foes' intruding powers did Van begin his search for a place to land. Now floating beneath the clouds, Van soon noticed the flat top of his school quickly approaching them. Not knowing where else to go, he decided it would have to do for the time being. Swiftly, he dove down from above to make a silent landing upon the hard gravel top.
He gingerly placed the unconscious girl down and noticed, with concern, her shivering body and sweat-covered face. She has grown far weaker than he originally thought, and having her lie here on the open rooftop with the sweeping, chilly night wind was not helping her at all. Without hesitation, he took off his red, sleeveless shirt to cover her frail body. In the rush, he had left his black coat behind on the bench. It would have been better to cover her with that than his shirt, but this would have to do for now.
He stood up and strolled over to the ledge overlooking the track field below. With alert eyes, Van scanned the distant horizon to ensure that they were not followed here. Seeing and hearing nothing but darkness and silence, he turned back to the girl satisfied that they were now safe from The Hunter. He sat cross-legged next to her and watched her gravely, noticing every sigh, every sweat, and every flicker of pain passing through her feverish body. Frowning, he thought, Where can I take her? I can't take her back to the park; that's where The Hunter will be waiting. But I have nowhere else to take her. If we were on Etheria, I could take her back to my palace and…no. I must stop thinking of such nonsense. My only place now is that weather-beaten wooden bench. Giving a tired sigh, Van lowered his gaze to the ground beside her clenched hands; instantly, he noticed the edge of a piece of paper peeping out of her shirt pocket. He reached over and pulled it out. Unfolding the small note, he read silently: Amano Susumu…3421 Leisure Avenue. Surprised, he thought, Why does she have his address in her pocket? Glancing back at her, his brows furrowed with concern. It is the only other place. Gathering her in his arms, he strolled carefully to the edge of the rooftop and jumped off. Immediately, their two bodies began to descend as gravity took hold. Soon enough, however, a pair of large silver wings unfurled from his back and slowed their descent. Silently, they flew through the darkness as he took her to the one person he knew she would surely be safe and cared for…Amano.
Searching for a particular address at night proved to be extremely difficult, especially when one was unfamiliar with the city itself. Nonetheless, Van did manage to find her friend's house within a relatively short period of time. He flew up to the gate of a large beige manor set atop a low hill a short distance away. Van took in the scene with pain-filled eyes. A large, beautiful Roman-style fountain bubbled tranquilly a short distance from his left with delicate stone carvings of nymphs and Pegasus rested upon its large mouth. A smooth reddish-orange stone driveway led from the gate to the majestic manor, surrounded by a thick carpet of green grass with bushes cut into many amusing forms of various animals. Pale yellow light could be seen through heavy velvet curtains adorning the numerous large windows cut into the face of the house, which indicated that it was currently being occupied. For a brief moment, he forgot about the burden lying within his arms. All he saw were reminders of what he once had and now lost. Here was someone who has a home, a family, a past, and a future. In comparison, he has nothing but a heavy burden placed upon a cursed fate.
Lost within his own grievances, Van did not sense the soft stirring of the individual he carried until her soft, painful murmur awakened him from his sorrows. Looking down at her, he remembered his promise to his mother and the fate he accepted. With a quick flap of his wings, Van carried the unconscious girl to the front doorsteps of the manor. Placing her carefully down on the cold ground, he reached out to pull his shirt higher up her shoulders to keep her as warm as possible. His hand unintentionally brushed against her chin, which caused her to suddenly awaken. Her eyes slowly flicker open for a brief second to notice someone hovering above her. She barely made out a fuzzy face with dark maroon eyes and ebony hair, but another wave of pain soon overcame her. Quickly, she slipped back beneath the tides of darkness.
Busily wrapping her carefully in his shirt, Van failed to notice her brief awakening. When he did look up, she had already fallen unconsciousness once again. "You'll be safe here," he stated quietly. Turning his back to her, he raised a pointed finger and rang the doorbell. Upon hearing footsteps coming down the long hallway toward the door, Van flew off in a flutter of feathers and wind. "I promise I'll protect you," were words he left behind as darkness engulfed his fleeing form.
Immediately after he left, the front doors opened to reveal the tall frame of a well-built young man. With the light behind him, his face could not be discerned but the sound of his shocked voice was enough to convey the distress he felt upon seeing the bundle left on his front steps.
"My God! Hitomi!"
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Next: Chapter 6: "Façade"
Cosmos 2004