WARNING: This chapter contains some of the factors concerning the death of my dog, Dutch. I want to state that I do not support cruelty to animals, but I feel as if I'm trying to grasp at shadows. Dutch's maladies were originally inflicted by a van.
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne and you guys don't own Koyo, Riis, Cuero or Ceciline. I do :3
Hall of the Mountain King
"You WHAT?" Van exclaimed.
"I had to, Lord Van," Solace exclaimed. "If I hadn't, Koyo might not be alive now. But that's not why I came here."
"Why did you come here?" Van slapped his head at Hitomi's denseness. Yeah, she had her brilliant moments and she was relatively smart, but at times she surprised even him with her stupid uncomprehending moments.
"Lord Van," Solace started, "I know where the young shadowfox is." Before anyone could open their mouths to form a coherent phrase, a knife was pressed against Solace's throat and light blue eyes were staring into the two toned eyes of Cuero.
"Where is she?" Cuero's growl was barely audible over Dutch's growl.
"The Hall of the Mountain King," was whispered so as not to cut his own throat with the sharp knife that glinted in the firelight. Despite his valiant efforts, a fine line of crimson welled against the silver of the blade. It withdrew and Hitomi advanced with a bandage to wrap up his wound.
"Where is the Hall of the Mountain King exactly?" Van asked, a somewhat shrewd expression gracing his features. It didn't help he was wearing a torn, blood soaked shirt, his chest throbbed, and his breathing was painful and constricted. He hadn't changed his shirt since that little incident with the dragon.
"The Hall of the Mountain King is a catacomb in a volcano. No one is sure if the volcano is still alive or not. Dragons off all kinds have taken residence in the caves for hundreds of year," Solace explained. "Mishi, unfortunately, killed them all or chased them out and took over the catacombs for himself." He paused uncertain whether or not to continue. "The young shadowfox is in these catacombs."
Again, Solace was on his back with a very angry shadowfox above him. A strong, tanned hand was grasping his neck. The menacing shadowfox looked ready to rip out his jugular, or torture him for the information. Solace just looked at the angry eyes of the shadowfox as it growled and bared its teeth at him.
"Let me explain a few things first," Solace whispered. He was dropped and Dutch barked a few things. Cuero reluctantly went and sat by him. With the reassurance that he wasn't going to get mauled by something, Solace started his story.
"So my offspring is in the back of the catacombs," Cuero mused. Dutch looked thoughtfully at Cuero.
"Mishi isn't exactly an...um..."nice" person I guess I could say," Solace said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Koyo asked, sparing Solace another attack by Cuero.
"Well, he's really materialistic," Solace started. "He likes power and possessions."
"The Beg," Cuero ground out. "He has her for the Beg."
"What's the beg?"
Everyone looked at Hitomi. Her green eyes alight with firelight looked from one incredulous face to the other. The expressions irked her.
"Yeah, I was here for a while, a year maybe, I don't know, but it was during a war! A WAR, PEOPLE! Those can be just a little BIT DISTRACTING, you know!" She crossed her arms in a huff after her spiel was done.
"You have a point there, Majesty," Solace replied as she blushed prettily.
"Now," Cuero said with a dangerous light in his eyes. "We need a plan."#!%(!#!#%!#$Her shoulder was on fire. Riis was positive it was infected. Tayoru still brought food to her room and she painfully crawled out of her hiding place twice a day to eat it. But every time she left, Riis' shoulder seemed to get worse and worse. One day after eating her meal, she looked back to the wall. Deciding to conserve her meager energy supply, Riis crawled over to a dark, dank corner to await her strength.
She needed to get out of hear. More than ever Riis wished that her mother was there to help her. It was always, "If only Mother. . ." Thinking of her mother reminded her of Hitomi, Van, Koyo and the others. Hitomi and Dutch especially. Something surfaced in the pool of her thoughts, something shining and green, something her mother had told her. Looking into that memory, Riis got a shock.
Her mother, Ceciline, looked down at her, snuggling into bed in her favorite night shirt.
"What should I tell you tonight, kit?" the black shadowfox had asked her.
"Something magical!!" she had happily replied.
"When I was younger, I met a Seer. . ."
"Maybe if I can get a hold of Hitomi," Riis whispered to the dank straw. "I might be able to get out of here. . ."#!%(!#!#%!#$The first thing she noticed was that it was dark, and then the stench of the place hit her full force, making her gag.
"What is this place?" Hitomi asked as she vainly covered her nose.
"It's my prison," a voice responded.
"Wha........." Hitomi trailed off as events played out.
The door burst open, sending in cascades of light and heat.
"A week, until the Mountain King returns to his castle," the voice stated. "This is where I'll be..."
Colours exploded into her vision. Trees, plants, streams, ponds, and glades that faded into more rugged terrain: rocks, crags, and boulders. A waterfall caught her attention, as did the gaping maw in the side of a mountain of some kind. The winding passages of the mountain were burned into her mind as she flew through them, pulled by an unseen force.
Before she knew it, Hitomi was standing before a green door, the only green door in the place. Protesting, the door opened and before her at a table sat Riis, one arm held close, the other, fumbling with a spoon to eat some kind of soup. Tri-coloured eyes tinged red turned to her. Her mouth moved as the eyes narrowed...
"Help me........."
Hitomi fainted.#!%(!#!#%!#$A brilliant flash of light made the travelers stop. When their vision cleared, Hitomi muttered something and collapsed on hands and knees with something glowing faintly in her hand. Van, upon kneeling for further inspection, found that in her hand she held the pendant that he had left on his chest of drawers back at the castle in Fanelia. How had the powerful trinket found its way into the middle of the woods?
His answer came when the recently acquired drag-energist pulsed. In the distance, an animal howled something sad to the listening world while another something roared. Van sighed. Hitomi came around. Dutch was sniffing the wind. Cuero was tense while reading the wind. Solace just looked lost while Koyo was looking at the stars and the distant horizon that was blocked by a huge, hulking figure.
"It seems," he said, breaking the tense silence, "that we have reached the Hall of the Mountain King."
After eating a cold meal, Hitomi told Van her vision in as much detail as she could remember, for they would need the information when they infiltrated the strong hold of Mishi to retrieve Riis, hoping the girl was still alive............and if not, then she prayed for those that would surely meet their deaths on the morrow.#!%(!#!#%!#$Mishi's men were uneasy, and he'd like to think that it was because of his anger, but due to the fact that he was nervous too, he knew it wasn't. A tremendous roar of pure, primordial anger echoed down the corridors. Gathering those he could, Mishi headed towards the area of the caverns where he had first placed the shadowfox girl.#!%(!#!#%!#$"Damn," Solace cursed. "He returned." The troupe looked at the blood and gore that the dragon had left behind. It was plain that a powerful dragon had gone through and by how the attacks were carried out, it was a water dragon, and Van wondered why a water dragon would be so far away from water. Ever wary, the small group made their way into the catacombs.
The acoustics in the cave were amazing. Their ever carefully placed footsteps echoed in the huge cavern. The further in they went, the damper and dirtier the air got. Everything was stained red, the substance polluting the water creating puddles of red throughout the cave as the troupe ventured further into the catacombs of the cave. At a point where the puddles gathered were ankle deep, their path split into several different tunnels.
"Sooo..." Solace replied. His statement echoed.
"Where do we go?" Koyo asked. Van seemed deep in thought. He walked from the mouth of one cave to the other, feeling the air and sniffing trying to find something that would lead him to his enemy. He was soon joined by Dutch and Cuero. Dutch whined. He probably couldn't scent anything but the different bloods that painted the ceilings, walls and floor. Cuero, in his pacing, stopped in front of a particularly bloody one.
"This way." The black shadowfox pointed. Van seemed to hesitate for a moment before he started down the path, his hand on his sword that was loose in its scabbard.
They walked for what seemed like an eternity in their wary and tense states. They eventually came to a pool. Water fed it through various springs that cascaded down the walls. The pool emptied somewhere in a thundering rush. But in the middle of that pool lounged the biggest dragon Van had ever seen: the biggest dragon that anyone had ever seen. It was probably safe to say the dragon was at least a hundred some odd years old. They, following Cuero, slowly edged their way around the pool.
Almost to the continuation of the tunnel, the great blue dragon lifted its head and revealed malicious, evil eyes. The group froze, unsure of what to do. Attacking would surely get them killed. The dragon looked from one to the next, seeming to size them up. Van felt as if his soul was being read. Cuero felt as if his mind was being shredded. The dragon, apparently found them unthreatening for he returned to his head to whence it came. Exhaling a breath they hadn't known they'd been holding, the group hurried into the next tunnel.
#!%(!#!#%!#$Riis was hiding. She had scented Mishi and a few of his men drenched in anger tinged fear as they headed her way. She had dragged herself back into her crevice so as not to put herself in another compromising situation. Mishi had cursed extensively upon finding her absence. He had only a handful of men and Tayoru with him in her room.One of her magics were triggered, confusing her to no end. Only someone else who knew magic could trigger it. Thinking, she could only come to the conclusion that the magic recognized Hitomi's Seer magic.
Scenting the air to get an idea of what Mishi and his boys were up to, she was struck by fear. Her ears erect and forward, listening to the rustle of straw. They were looking for her. Changing into fox form, Riis limped to the back of the crevice, silently thanking her smallness. With a random thought on how she should get a growth spurt soon, Riis fell into a light sleep.
#!%(!#!#%!#$Hitomi and Cuero shivered while Dutch paused mid stride as they started uncertainly down a fork in the path. Cuero paused momentarily to converse with Dutch. Hitomi just watched the two. Van, thinking it was just something Dutch had smelled, dismissed it. Koyo was looking around. He seemed to feel caged this deep in the catacombs. Solace looked like he wanted to get this done and over with. Van's eyes softened. He probably had a family somewhere he wanted to get back to.When they continued walking, Van suddenly became curious. Wanting to know what had transpired, Van approached Hitomi on the subject.
"Dutch and I felt something," Hitomi responded. "Cuero had recognized the type of magic as that of a shadowfox. I had a flash from my vision, and Cuero had recognized the spell weave as that of Ceciline. Riis set the magic there. She wanted us to find her. I know were to find her from the vision."
"So that's why the three of you are at the front?" Van asked. His curiosity was quenched and kindled at the same time. If shadowfox could use magic, certainly other creatures could. He started to wonder on how dragons used their abilities as they continued down tunnels, passed crags and waterfalls, through overhangs, and over various types and manners of seeking magic.
They eventually came to a tunnel that looked civilized. Torches burned, albeit low, in sconces on the walls. There were doors to the caverns and rooms off of the main tunnel, each a different colour. They looked at all the doors, each with straw poking out.
"Sooo. . . which door is it?" Koyo ventured, the hair on the nape of his neck standing up.
"The green one, at the end of the hall on the left," Hitomi told them matter-of-factly. Hitomi retreated to the back of the group as they cautiously made their way down the hall, their carefully placed steps making little sound on the hard packed dirt floor. Cuero, at the head of the group, was the first to the door. He looked back at the others that had their swords drawn. They each gave him a nod. With that, he turned back to the door, opened it, and leapt in, a mass of black furred hate.
#!%(!#!#%!#$Mishi and his boys were playing cards on Riis' table, waiting for the obstinate fox to show itself. They were unprepared for the sudden light and didn't realize they were under attack until one of their number, Jenks, fell dead to the floor. The people who were at the table jumped up, swords drawn and launched themselves at the first person they saw come through the room: Van.Koyo found himself being circled by two enemies that were easily twice his size. They soon entered a complicated dance of destiny. The outcome would decide who lived to see the sun and moon rise the loser to face death. With battle cries, the two launched themselves at Koyo who met their attack with the singing of steel.
Solace found himself killing those that attempted to leave or hurt himself and Hitomi while Mishi found himself staring at vulpine and canine eyes. Silver-sienna and perfect amber stared evenly at angry blue. Muscles were taunt with tension, ready for dodge or attack. Mishi took a step forward. The shadowfox seemed to disappear as the dog lunged. Mishi, sword forgotten, found himself battling with fur and teeth.
#!%(!#!#%!#$Van was not doing well. His ribs were cracked or broken and he had involved himself in swordplay. He scowled darkly as he again blocked a complicated attack from his opponents. Sweat beaded on his forehead and ran down his neck. His breathing was his shallow pants. If something didn't happen soon, he'd be dead. He knew if he didn't do something or someone helped him, he'd be killed.Van had managed to get his opponents down to one, and they circled each other warily. Catching his foot, Van fell hard. Mentally cursing, Van turned and redirected the sword from a vital area. Blood stained the straw as his enemy stared into his eyes with something close to victory in hers. Van felt the energist pulse.
Time seemed to slow as his enemy brought her sword up intent to kill him. A sword blossomed in her stomach. She looked down, her sword falling from her hands. The sword was pulled out and she fell to her knees. Coughing, she beckoned Van forward. She hastily wiped blood off her chin before she spoke.
"She's in the crevice," the woman state. "Halfway . . . up the back wall . . . near where it meets the . . . the right one." The woman closed her eyes and smiled as death took her.
Van looked up into Koyo's eyes. His son helped him to his feet. A sharp yelp turned them sharply around. Hitomi could be heard gasping from the hallway. Mishi had knocked Dutch painfully on the head. As the dog struggled up on three legs, his right front one had been rendered useless, Cuero launched himself at Mishi's back. The group watched in horrified fascination as Mishi turned and attempted to get the clawing mass of sinew and fur off his back. All his action did was expose his throat and throw himself off balance. Mishi fell as Cuero clawed his way to Mishi's throat. Van felt Hitomi bury her head in the back of his shirt as Cuero killed how predatory animals killed.
With his fangs dripping blood, Cuero spoke in harsh, grating tones. "Where is my kit?"
"In the crevice," Van started to repeat, "halfway up the back wall near where it meets the right one."
The fox turned and clambered up the wall, sniffing around for the crevice. Practically in the corner of the two walls did the fox disappear from sight. Cuero emerged sometime later, with a small black bundle in his mouth. He silently headed for the door.
#!%(!#!#%!#$
While Cuero searched for Riis, Koyo and Van went to see to Dutch. The dog was panting, holding his right foreleg up. When they neared him, they saw that his foreleg was severed quite badly and he was bleeding profusely. Koyo applied pressure as Van took his shirt off and wrapped it around the dog's leg. Picking the dog up, Van slung Dutch as carefully as he could over his shoulders and followed Cuero out of the cave.