VIII. A Darkling Plain

We are here as on a darkling plain,

Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,

Where ignorant armies clash by night.

Matthew Arnold

Van has never questioned why Orion always made the most puzzling statements, nor has he ever wondered how Orion seemed to be able to prophesy the advent of great change. But that morning, when Orion mentioned the name of Escaflowne, Van was agitated. "Have you always known this was going to happen?"

Orion frowned. "Of course not. Van, you know that I have always been able to sense certain things. I can't really explain it. I am by your side, in all battles, you know that!"

"You're right, I'm sorry. It's just that, perhaps I feel less secure now that we no longer have Escaflowne. Perhaps I should try calling for it. Fifteen years ago, I used to have a telepathic connection with Escaflowne, but time has stretched and distorted everything. I don't know if it would work anymore."

"Don't worry. You might not even need Escaflowne."

"But I just feel like I do. At least, I cannot let Branimir get his hands on it, wherever it may be. No guymelef fights like Escaflowne, and if this is to be an Atlantean battle, we need it!"

Van obstinately stomped out of the room, and down to the garden. Though the dawn was still fresh, the dew has evaporated, and from beyond the highest cliffs, Van could see a heat wave descending. He sat down by the fountain, and watched the water catch the flame of the rising day.

Orion quietly came forward and sat down beside him.

"Orion," Van said, "Do you believe that Griffon is really Branimir?"

"He is and he isn't," Orion replied. "Look at our wings, they are signs of our draconian blood, and they are also useful tools. But sometimes I don't know if I've been brandished or blessed with these wings. It's simply ambivalent. Always remember this, Van, good and evil are confounded in this world, and there are no such absolutes. Surely you've learned that from Folken. Evil is perhaps not inherent – people will it into existence."

"There you go with your wisdom again!" Van sighed. "But you are right. Hitomi has always believed that Branimir has some tragic reason for acting this way, and that, behind his dark exterior, there is an impossible sadness. Perhaps this is why he has been reincarnated as her son."

Upstairs in the castle, cradled in the royal chamber, lay Hitomi. Celena and Hermione sat by the bedside, taking care of the recently traumatized Hitomi. Merle, along with her daughter Vianne, has arrived at the castle upon hearing the news of Griffon's attack. With her characteristic flamboyance and wit, Merle has composed songs to aid in Hitomi's convalescence. The four gathered around Hitomi's bed, sang, and strung together flower wreaths; they gave the ravaged room a semblance of utopian ruins, rising up resplendent from the remnants of violence.

But Hitomi, though surrounded by warmth, remained chilled in her soul. Her tired eyes gazed out at the loved ones around her, and saw only the malignant shadow of Branimir, crouching over her. Images of Griffon as an infant, as a child, raced across her mind; no amount of wisdom could inform her how her own child was morphed into her nemesis.

Hermione grew weary of the sick room, and invited Vianne to go into the garden. Celena and Merle remained behind, holding icy towels to Hitomi's burning forehead.

"Hitomi," Merle said, "You have to get better soon. Lord Van is beyond worried."

"I know," Hitomi whispered in her failing voice. "I wish he did not have to witness everything."

Merle sighed. "Well, what's done cannot be undone. If it could, perhaps none of us ought to have met fifteen years ago."

"Merle!" Celena chided. "How could you say such a horrid thing!"

Merle glanced at Celena then stormed out obstinately.

"Celena," Hitomi called. "Leave her be. I understand why she would act this way. It is not her fault. I think we've all been through a lot. You should get some rest too. Can you call Van for me?"

Celena tenderly smoothed her palm over Hitomi's burning head. "Rest well, my friend. I will go get Van for you."

A few moments after Celena left the room, Van came in quietly, shutting the door firmly behind him. He approached the bed, and found Hitomi sitting there, her arms hugging her legs, and her eyes looking out the window, fixed on the heat waves that gathered above Fanelia.

"Looks like it's going to be hot again," she said.

"Yeah. Nestor had predicted that heat would be intense this colour. Let's hope it does not amount to a drought." Van sat down beside Hitomi, and put his arm around her. "How are you, my love?"

"It's hard to say. I don't really know how to describe it, Van," she placed her head on his shoulder. "There are times when I feel we are no longer obliged to describe our experiences in words. We have already been through so many wonders and turmoil, surely it is enough to say that I feel."

"I am so sorry, Hitomi, I'm sorry that I was not here to protect you, that I didn't prevent Branimir from violating you. How could I have been so stupid? I should have seen it coming!"

Hitomi squeezed his hand in hers. "Don't blame yourself, Van. It's not your fault! It is not anyone's fault, even though we did bring Griffon into this world. Could it have been prevented? No, I don't think so."

"Hitomi, if you feel misery, let it out. Don't feel like you must be strong for my sake. And don't worry, I've fortified the castle and the city, he will not return here."

"I'm not upset, honestly. Do you know why I am so calm?" Van shook his head. "It is because I know where Branimir is going. We would not have to fear for his return."

Van gaped and sat up straight. "What do you mean? Has he said something to you?"

"No. When Griffon – no, I mean, Branimir, when he attacked me, I received a vision. It was of a place, a place that is on his mind, it's deeply associated with him."

"Where, Hitomi?"

Hitomi cleared her throat and said dryly, "Earth."

Van paused in disbelief. "The Mystic Moon? What could he possibly want there?"

"I don't know. But I saw Stonehenge in my vision. I told you, remember? It is the circle of stones?"

"Right….where the dragon and the phoenix flew in the sky," Van said ominously. "You know, last night, Hermione told me she had a sort of…revelation in relation to the Phoenix card in your deck. And then Griffon called her the Phoenix, do you remember?"

Hitomi did not appear shocked. "I had long suspected that Hermione would be the phoenix, and Val the dragon. I had wished that they would take no part in this destined tragedy of ours, but it seems that it is inevitable," tears blurred the intense clarity of her eyes.

Van rushed to her side. "Hitomi, I promise you that nothing will happen to them! This Atlantean war will come to an end, I know it!"

"Yes, it will," she said wistfully. "Though at what expense, I do not know. Van, I think what we must do now, is find a way to go to Earth. We don't have Escaflowne any longer, but once I am well, we can attempt to use the pendant."

"What are we to do once we arrive at the Mystic Moon?"

"I don't know yet. I think we have to find this place called the Hearth of Creation. We have some clues, such as the constellation of Orion, but Van, we really just have to take this one step at a time."

"Hearth of Creation," Van muttered. "Branimir said he was going to destroy it. What is this Hearth, and why is it so important?"

"Van, perhaps we are getting old. Everything seems so hazy and I'm too tired to see beyond the moment. There isn't a sense of vastness anymore, like we used to feel, do you remember? Remember when you came to find me at Zaibach, and all the soldiers dropped their arms? At that moment, I thought for sure the war had ended. But here we are, nearly two decades later, still fighting the same battle."

"That was long ago, Hitomi. And yes, it has been a tiring journey. But I've never regretted meeting you. Don't mind what Merle says; she is just being anxious. Remember that lark song we once heard when we were in Freid?" Hitomi nodded. "Well, I think I heard it again last night, just before I was informed of Branimir's escape."

"Too many things seem inauspicious in hindsight, and they've made us so paranoid. I don't want anxiety anymore, Van. Why can't birdsong just simply be music for us?"

Far off, beyond the cedars in the palace garden and the bird nests that were cradled in the branches, there were two larks. They lived in the Blue Mountains, behind the Fanelian Valley, and sang their song only when the winds portended some great change in the world. That day, the birds had tired of their singing from the previous night, and rested on the stout branch, overlooking a plateau on the steep mountainous terrain.

As they fluffed their feathers and rested side by side, there came into their view a human. The creature was clad in dark-colored rags and walked with a wooden staff; the face was concealed beneath a heavy hood. The man sat down near the edge of the plateau and stared intently downward towards Dragon's Valley. The birds chirped; the man turned around, and the larks saw his eyes: angry and sorrowful.

Some time passed, and the man still sat motionlessly looking towards the valley. The positions of the trees' shadows changed, but he remained, as a stone indistinguishable among the mountainous background. The two larks, the only form of life near him, soon fell into a deep sleep.

After the descent of the noon sun, the man began to see some stirring in the trees. Another man was climbing up the steeps, towards the plateau. This other figure was equally cloaked, and walked uphill with the aid of a steel rod. The two men soon stood face to face upon the plateau.

"My Lord," the first cloaked man spoke, and pulled down his hood, revealing a youthful visage and luscious golden locks.

The second stranger likewise removed his hood, and beneath was an equally ravishing appearance, though marked by a malicious gaze. He looked around at his environs carefully, and then whispered to his companion. "Dares, I trust that you left everything in Serenus in a good state?"

"Indeed, Your Greatness. We have been awaiting your arrival for quite a while now, and we have had ample time to prepare. The grounds of Serenus have been destroyed, and now, with Fanelia's knowledge of your identity, we can consider it apt to proceed with your plans."

Branimir sneered and patted Dares on the back. "Well done, Commander. It is time, indeed." He turned to face the valley that lay beneath his feet. "By my calculation, this crucible shall prove metamorphic. We shall transform the fate that for millennia has been holding the banner for Vannius. Undoubtedly, his son will be easier to break."

Dares nodded, "Yes, we have observed the young prince. He alone promises victory for us."

"The girl is just a succulent surprise. She will make it all the more possible for us to destroy love. Yes, that will be the destination of our pilgrimage, to burn down that adytum that for so long has been possessed by Vannius and his whore!" Branimir drilled the steel rod into the soft soil.

"So let us begin then, My Lord. Preparations are already made, and access into the Dimensional Gap has been cleared. We can journey to Serenus and Earth at your will."

Branimir let out a heinous laugh. "Do you hear the knell in the wind, Vannius? It tolls you to destruction, and the Beloved you prize so much shall become dust in the whirlwind." Branimir then held out his palm and blew some invisible material towards the direction of the valley, as if breathing contagion upon the land.

The two men pulled up their hood again, and with hurried steps climbed up the hill once more, and disappeared among the mists.

……………………………………………………………..

For the ensuing weeks, Fanelia engaged in fortifying her defences. The Triumvirate and Gaean Council had been called upon to aid in the efforts. Asturia, situated strategically in the Asturian Bay that opens out into the Mare Borealis, had been commissioned to strengthen its naval forces. Zaibach contributed new weaponry and vehicles, Daedalus the funds, while Freid and Cesario offered their elite fighters.

While the entire country bustled with anxiety, Hitomi remained a convalescent in her quarters. Van, being preoccupied with national affairs, had not been able to look after her. Instead, Merle had temporarily moved to the castle for the sake of aiding the royal family.

Even though the general atmosphere in Gaea had, in that period of time, been one of endurance and strength, fate had not deigned to aid in the efforts. The sun had burned mercilessly over the ill and the labouring alike. The rain in which the children of the castle had rejoiced had been the last drops of water that fell on Fanelia for two colors. A drought fell upon the green land and famine soon followed. The disasters were not confined to Fanelia, and had spread to the rest of Valasia. By the color of Lilac, the Council had declared famine in the continent.

As a result of the famine, the war efforts were halted, and the various governments attempted to distribute enough food and water for the ailing citizens. In southern Fanelia, in the village of Arzas, there came rumours that the villagers had begun to ingest what was called "rice meat," which was, in fact, human flesh.

On Lilac, 15th Moon, the King marched down to Arzas with soldiers, intent on ending the macabre activity of eating "rice meat." Van had been livid for two days since hearing the news, and had delayed other duties so that he may personally attend to the matter. By that time, Hitomi had recovered her strength, and had been researching on the Hearth of Creation. The urgency of Fanelian politics had prevented them from journeying to the Mystic Moon.

From afar, the village of Arzas did not elicit any suspicion of morbidity. Van remembered the village as the place where he and Hitomi landed when he had first brought her to Gaea. The thatched roof cottages still stood the way they always did, surrounded by fields of tall, uncouth grass.

As the King's procession slowly entered the village, it became apparent that the majority of the dwellings were abandoned. No villager was in sight. The soldiers searched the houses, and came back with only forsaken farming tools and torn clothing.

Orion, at the head of the procession, turned his horse around so he could talk to Van. "There is something foul in the air."

Van frowned. "Hmm…Let's go further into the village. Expand the search parameters!"

Orion motioned for the soldiers to go forward, and he followed them. Pretty soon, a captain shouted to Orion and pointed to the direction of an open field that lay behind the village houses. Everyone quickly proceeded to the spot.

All the morbidity of battle could not surpass what the visitors beheld: villagers, men, women, and children, crouched around a limp corpse, their heads and backs bent, their mouths feasting ravenously.

Van hollered and all the soldiers rushed forward, swords unsheathed, and pulled the villagers away from the gaunt, half-torn man, lying in an ocean of blood. The villagers promptly screamed with repulsive misery, and were restrained by the soldiers.

Van and Orion cringed upon the macabre sight. "In the name of all the heavens!" Van shouted. "How is it possible that such a horrific act can take place upon my land!" Enraged, Van unsheathed his sword, and began waving it manically in the direction of the prostrate villagers. "Fanelia, my father's Fanelia, has never known such monsters as you! What have you done? What great crime have you committed against all of Gaea? This is cannibalism! It is more gruesome than the worst battles I have seen! Do you wish for your children to live on knowing that their lives had come from the blood of another who was mercilessly slaughtered? Do you, do you? Answer me!"

Exhausted and confused, Van fell a few steps backward and slumped down onto a boulder. He sat, leaning tremulously upon his sword, and began weeping. The villagers and soldiers alike were silenced by the sobs of the King. Orion came over and placed a hand on Van's shoulder.

"Orion…" Van whispered in a shaking voice. "Look at all that blood. I have not seen so much blood since the last battle against the Fireans. Somehow I think this is all Branimir's doing. Do you think Fanelia will be punished for this?"

"Van, there is never any way to stop blood from flowing, you know that. Sadly, that is the fate of all human worlds, especially ones in which the likes of Branimir roam."

Van looked up at Orion with a painful gaze. "Do you suppose that….that when we killed people in battles, it was just another form of cannibalism?"

Orion did not answer. He looked towards one of the captains, and motioned for him to bring forth a cargo they had carried all the way from Palladium. The soldiers moved rapidly and brought forth a massive carriage, with numerous wooden boxes stacked on top. The cargo was unloaded and placed in neat order before the villagers.

The King staggeringly stood up, holding onto his sword for support, and approached the cargo. He caressed the boxes, as if they had been children, and leaned against them, sighing. "Villagers of Arzas, the tragedy and horror of your act weigh heavily upon us all. There is no reversing what has been done…I cannot pretend that I fully understand the nature and reason of your act, but I suppose I must take some responsibility." Quiet mutters spread through the crowd. "The drought and famine I cannot control, but as your king, I should have controlled food distribution more efficiently.

Van looked over to Orion, and the latter nodded. Van continued, "For reasons unknown to you, the food has become like money over the past color, and I have been unable to control the flow. Therefore," Van gestured to the boxes, "I have brought with me food supply taken directly from the grainary of the royal palace."

Excited shouts of glee and gratitude overtook the villagers, and the soldiers were compelled to stop them from rushing forward towards the food.

Van raised his hand to silence the crowd. "However, I must ask of you to repent for what you have done. Give this man a proper burial. Seek forgiveness from those whom you have slaughtered. I ask you, as your king, to give me some sign of remorse."

Silence. No one moved or spoke. Van waited in pain. Then, much to everyone's shock, the King knelt down in front of his subjects.

At first, nobody motioned towards Van, not even Orion. Then slowly, as all the adults froze in their places, a little girl came forward. She cautiously walked across the distance, stepping through the blood pool, and came up to the King.

Van looked up at the little child, her porcelain face besmeared with blood. Van wiped the blood away, and the child, as if representing the entire village, knelt down beside Van, and embraced him.

From that day forward, all of Gaea would speak of the horrific 'rice meat' of Arzas, and how the macabre village was reformed by the tears of a kneeling king.

………………………………………………….

Van returned to the palace that evening, torn and fatigued. Hitomi found him resting in the arboretum, next to the amaranth plants that were yet to bloom.

"Van, I heard about what happened in Arzas. It was a very noble thing you did."

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm lucky that they didn't start an uprising. At least in such cases, emotion can move them to stop killing. I'm not sure we would be so fortunate with the Fireans."

Hitomi took out some pieces of paper from her pockets. "I took some notes on the Hearth of Creation. I think, as soon as the problems in Fanelia subside a little, we should embark on our journey."

"I'm not sure how soon the problems can be settled. But I must say, I somehow feel like these problems in Gaea are related to Branimir. It's inexplicable, but when I saw that mangled body today…I thought of him."

"I have a similar sentiment, which is why I believe we must find a way to Earth. Do you think the pendant will still work?"

Van looked at the jewel hanging from his neck. "Its lustre has been returning lately. I guess we can assume that its former powers have also returned. But I just don't know if I can leave Fanelia in such a time of need."

"You will have Val here."

Van was stunned. "Hitomi, you cannot possibly be serious about letting Val govern the country? He hardly understands anything about ruling Fanelia, especially not in such dire times!"

"Van, I don't mean to let him rule! I honestly believe that these troubles are related to Branimir, and that he has caused them in order to chain you here! But we must follow him, Van. Don't worry, the problems will lighten, giving us a chance to leave."

Van sighed. "We will see. In the mean time, I will consider the prospect of letting Val take over."

Prince Valorick, so long viewed by Fanelians as the torchbearer of continued prosperity and peace, had thought of himself as unfit for rule. The image he had always constructed in his head was one of an ironclad warrior, watching the sun rising above the battlefield; the smokes would rise too, and from the ashes, his white wings would burst free of all chains, and fly towards his beloved. That was how Valorick imagined his father's youth to be.

Escavlon, Valorick soon understood, was to be the key of his own growth and transformation. Next to the vanished Escaflowne, Valorick was convinced that Escavlon was the greatest guymelef in the universe. To pilot it would mean to take wing against the destructive forces that threaten Gaea's peace. In the advent of his brother's sudden change, Valorick accelerated the finishing touches on Escavlon, and Endymion pondered the decision to venture into Cesario for the energist.

That afternoon, while the King was away in Arzas, Valorick hid in the cave, polishing his prized guymelef.

"Endy," Val said, "Do you suppose we ought to tell our parents about Escavlon?"

Endymion put down the map of Valasia. "Perhaps that would be wise, they are in need of a guymelef. With the sudden flood of danger, they must be feeling threatened, and without Escaflowne, I can imagine your father must be in need of security."

"But remember how they resented war? That was the reason why Escaflowne was sent away, wasn't it? The God of War was no longer needed."

"Val, I think that has changed. The God of War has returned, in the guise of Griffon…or Branimir. It is a little late to attempt to avoid war, for I believe it has already found us."

"Yes…I suppose you are right. And we must fight on. But now is not the time to reveal Escavlon, I shall wait for a more apt time. My parents are struggling with affairs in Fanelia."

"I've also overheard my parents talking. They say that there is to be a journey to the Mystic Moon."

"Yes, my father has told me about that. But if they leave, I will be left to rule the country temporarily."

"Really?" Endymion exclaimed. "But that's wonderful, Val! Think of what a great experience it will be! You on the throne! It'll be like a premonition of the future!"

"Don't say that, Endy, for the day that I ascend the throne would be the day my father passes away," at that thought, Valorick suddenly remembered an image from a half-forgotten dream, in which all the citizens knelt at his feet, bowing to him as king, while outside, the bodies of his parents lay in ruins along with Fanelia. Valorick screamed and fell back against the walls of the cave.

"What's wrong, Val?" Endymion ran to his side.

Valorick took a moment to recollect himself. "I….it's nothing. I just had this strange vision, it's something from that dream, the dream where I met Persephone, and where Fanelia was destroyed." He shuddered. "I don't want to be king, Endy, I don't want to sit on the throne. I can't imagine what would happen if I do."

The image of the cave crowded with citizens once again sprang back into his mind. And in each dark corner of the visionary chamber, there was the silhouette of a woman, holding within her hands, the fate of a universe.

……………………………………………….

The following two weeks brought a subsiding of the disasters that had reigned in Gaea. Some rain was bestowed upon the land, and the famine ended. Van was able to regain control of the food distribution, and had duly terminated the 'rice meat' crisis. The defence plans were consequently put back on track.

In the interval of peace, Hitomi pressed for her plan to journey to Earth. It was on a cool evening, after a day of rain, that Hitomi asked Van to join her in the dell where the royal tombs lay.

Van arrived at the hour when the great cedars infused the air with the most fragrant aroma, and the birds sang a farewell to the setting sun. He found Hitomi kneeling before the tombs, her hands laden with bags she had intended for their journey.

"This is where we parted for the first time, remember, Van?" she said to him without turning around.

"How could I forget? I spent so many sad hours here afterwards, staring into that opening in the sky, hoping that you'd fall back down and return to me."

Hitomi laughed, and walked to his side. "I do not want this tragedy to hurt us again. I believe we must finish this war so that we can be together always. I would not be able to bear another separation."

"I wouldn't be able to either," Van kissed her on the forehead.

She took his hand and walked to the centre of the dell. Above them, the zenith was beginning to darken and slight twinkles could be espied. "It is time," she said.

Van looked worried. "I've left instructions for Orion and Celena. Val would not be alone."

"Don't worry. Even the children are aware of the gravity of the situation; they understand that this is something we must do alone."

After garnering some courage and resolution, Van took the pendant off and held it in his palm. The gem burned scarlet against the green hue of the trees, and harkened its bearers on their journey. Van put one arm firmly around Hitomi, and held up the pendant high above them, almost thrusting it into the sky.

Nothing. No pillar tunnelled its way through the air, and no force of destiny levitated them from the ground. Van and Hitomi remained standing, dumbfounded and agitated. He looked at the pendant once more, and realized that it had ceased to glow. The stone once again became a lifeless thing, attached to a delicate golden chain.

"It didn't work…" Van whispered.

Hitomi weakly put her hand over the pendant. "We are meant to find another path. We can't rely on the pendant any longer."

"Do you still mean to go to the Mystic Moon? But how, Hitomi? We don't have Escaflowne, and with the pendant being useless, we have no means of travelling through the Dimensional Gap."

"There must be another way, Van, there has to be!" She shouted passionately. "We will find it! Come on!" Hitomi grabbed his hand and ran back towards the castle.

For the rest of the night, with the help of everyone in the castle, they searched the books for clues about entrances into the Dimensional Gap. The royal library was turned upside down, and pages flew down the ladders and out the windows. Even the children, exhausted from inadequate sleep, came to help.

Eventually, it was Hermione who found an entry in the book, The Ispano Clan and Speculations on Time Travel. As soon as she read the words, she sprang up in delight, and raced through the aisles of the library, tripping over the sleeping Amadis, and shouted from the top of the stairs. "I've found it!"

Everyone was quickly aroused from sleepiness. Hitomi speedily took the book from Hermione, and motioned for everyone to gather around her. Pair after pair of expectant eyes fell on the picture of a waterfall. Hitomi began to read:

"The Castalian Falls, located in Etolia, has been a centre of Etolian mythmaking. It has been said that the Falls bear an entrance into the Dimensional Gap, the vortex of timelessness through which only the legendary Ispano clan have been said to travel. The gateway, however, is not open at all times. Etolian stargazers observed that upon the rising of the Tears of Time from the west, in conjunction with the sunset, the light from the constellation will pass through the crevices in the mountains, pass the waterfall, and will create a magnificent prism in the cave behind. That prism reveals the gateway. The delicacy of the opening is also complicated by the fact that the Tears of Time rises from the west only three times in a given year."

The passage ended. Everyone looked up at each other, bewildered and flushed with excitement. Hitomi closed the book and gestured for everyone to sit down. "I've been to the Castalian Falls," she said. "I never knew there was such a legend."

"So are you going to go there?" Valorick asked.

Hitomi looked up at Van anxiously. "Yes, we've worked so hard to find this information. We cannot give up now. Children, you should go to bed! Look," she pointed out the window. "It is nearly dawn!"

Hermione yawned and asked Endymion to walk her back to her room. Amadis simply found a corner in the library, and began snoring. The rest gradually left the room, shelving some books as they go. Valorick looked with concern at his parents, and decided that perhaps they were meant to travel through the Falls, and not by using his Escavlon.

In the end, only Van, Hitomi, and Orion were left in the library. The three gathered around a table, with the book open in front of them.

"This is all too surreal," Van said. "The Tears of Time…it gives the sound of destiny. I don't like it."

"We do not have a choice, Van. Branimir will not stop. We cannot let him find the Hearth of Creation. We don't even know what it is!" Agitated, Hitomi stood up. "I'm going to find a calendar and determine when is the next time the Tears of Time is going to rise from the west." She then went up the stairs to the upper level of the library.

Van rubbed his eyes and put his head on the table. "Orion, I don't even need you to tell me that great darkness is upon us."

Orion heaved and paused for a minute. "Tell me, what stirs first when the tempest comes?"

Van looked up. "Trees?"

"No, birds, because their nests are imperilled. Their panic is a premonition of the storm. Branimir is the wind, and we are the birds in the nest of Fanelia."

End of Part VIII