Van felt it immediately as Hitomi feel into unconsciousness, and felt his
connection falter. It hurt, making him drink in great breaths to steady
himself. His sword clattered to the ground, and lean against the scarred
column of wood he had been using as an imagined opponent.
It had never hurt so much before, what if she is dying because of my blood? he thought. Shots of pain traveled up his legs with each trembling step he took to his balcony. He tripped, falling to his hands in knees. The ground blurred, becoming a pattern of gray to his mind.
"HI-TOMI!!!!!"
Van launched himself in the air, a wheeling figure of white in the air trying to reach the third story balcony from the pebbled courtyard. Almost there his wings dissolved in a flurry of feathers and he began to fall. One last thrust with the last remnants of his wings and he tumbled onto the slate stones, stopping at Hitomi's graceful feet.
He crawled his way up til he could cradle her in his arms, slowly saying her name over and over. "Hitomi, Hitomi, Hitomi" he whispered calling her back from the dark recessed she had retreated to. "Hitomi, your safe, come back to me."
She stirred, choking. Oh, van, she thought, you have no idea what pawns we all are. She opened her mouth to tell him what she had seen in her vision, and heard that same horrid voice in her mind.
"oh darling, my hooks may be weaker than I had expected but years of acceptance do WONDERS for one's power. Do you want a little demonstration just how far you and he are both gone? Here let me show you" An echoing laugh left Hitomi shivering.
"Hitomi, what's wrong! Hito-" His words stopped abruptly, and his muscles seized up, crushing Hitomi against his chest. She squirmed and began to struggle even harder yet nary a sound escaped her lips.
Van's eyes were blank, and his movements jerky as his wings sprouted yet again. Merle, until this time forgotten by the two, ran frightened to the corner. She huddled in her hard won silks, watching two of the people she cared most about turn against each other by some outside hand. Something was going on here, something beyond her power to stop, she could but watch and observe, and perhaps get help later, "dear god, help them now" she whispered.
The whistle of the air and the flapping of her clothes alerted Hitomi that she was flying, yet she was still not able to speak. A mute slave to this creature's mercy through van's stregth she could only clutch desperately and try to connect with Van through her mind.
Nothing - or wait, he is there, just bonded so tightly I he cant control anything. If only there were a way to cut his bond! Hitomi thought frustrated at her predicament. She couldn't raise a hand against the one she loves, but neither did she think that she would survive this.
The pendant suddenly flashed in her mind, and with its lightened edge she grasped the sword. Sending of herself into van her body went limp, but in that nether space she sliced at the bond's that Van hung from captive. Each strand was a heartstring, stretched white strands resembling the worms that bore their way through flesh, which cut into his very soul, making the image that was him bleed, that candle in the darkness.
"Just what do you think your doing miss? You can see the state he is in? You should know, you put him there. He sacrificed just enough of his strength for you." Hitomi jerked to a stop, wondering if this woman could be right.
"He saved your life by sharing his strength, and look where it got him. The more you drink of his strength the weaker he gets. Look where he is now, not even able to fight of the most basic of bonds. And it is all your fault, little seer." The slicing voice cast itself from the darkness.
"NO! you are the mistress of lies. I DEFY YOU" Hitomi screamed and slashed at the bonds that held Van.
Forced abruptly back into her body she had but a few moments collect herself. White? Snow? What, why am I so cold, where am I. It came to her. I'm falling, she thought with an air of resigned sorrow. There was nothing she could do now, she would die, and Van would become that woman's pawn-
"Hitomi, spread your wings" a voice sounded ,"you must save him Hitomi, you can save him, by his own sacrifice you must.
What? Hitomi thought. Varie? But I don't have wings. An image appeared in front of her, a raven haired woman in shimmering robes. The woman was holding out her hands, and expression of anger on her face. "Hitomi!" She cried. Hitomi felt a slight shove against her shoulders, and a coldness traveling along her back. With a gasp she saw Feathers falling, and then she was gliding. Rejoicing upon the air she stretched her newfound wings. Varie's chiming voice rang in the air again. "Look below you Hitomi, you must save him." And then her presence receded into nothing ness.
Oh van, she thought, how could I have forgotten you? She dove stretching reaching, praying to whatever god might be listening that she would catch her beloved in time, for she could not exist without him.
She reached for him, as he almost was speared bloodily on the treetops, and curled herself protectively around him, trying to gain height with this extra weight. She succeded in slowing them down until they cleared the forests, landing in a huge field of slowly drifting golden flies which surrounded them curiously in the shifting meadow.
It had never hurt so much before, what if she is dying because of my blood? he thought. Shots of pain traveled up his legs with each trembling step he took to his balcony. He tripped, falling to his hands in knees. The ground blurred, becoming a pattern of gray to his mind.
"HI-TOMI!!!!!"
Van launched himself in the air, a wheeling figure of white in the air trying to reach the third story balcony from the pebbled courtyard. Almost there his wings dissolved in a flurry of feathers and he began to fall. One last thrust with the last remnants of his wings and he tumbled onto the slate stones, stopping at Hitomi's graceful feet.
He crawled his way up til he could cradle her in his arms, slowly saying her name over and over. "Hitomi, Hitomi, Hitomi" he whispered calling her back from the dark recessed she had retreated to. "Hitomi, your safe, come back to me."
She stirred, choking. Oh, van, she thought, you have no idea what pawns we all are. She opened her mouth to tell him what she had seen in her vision, and heard that same horrid voice in her mind.
"oh darling, my hooks may be weaker than I had expected but years of acceptance do WONDERS for one's power. Do you want a little demonstration just how far you and he are both gone? Here let me show you" An echoing laugh left Hitomi shivering.
"Hitomi, what's wrong! Hito-" His words stopped abruptly, and his muscles seized up, crushing Hitomi against his chest. She squirmed and began to struggle even harder yet nary a sound escaped her lips.
Van's eyes were blank, and his movements jerky as his wings sprouted yet again. Merle, until this time forgotten by the two, ran frightened to the corner. She huddled in her hard won silks, watching two of the people she cared most about turn against each other by some outside hand. Something was going on here, something beyond her power to stop, she could but watch and observe, and perhaps get help later, "dear god, help them now" she whispered.
The whistle of the air and the flapping of her clothes alerted Hitomi that she was flying, yet she was still not able to speak. A mute slave to this creature's mercy through van's stregth she could only clutch desperately and try to connect with Van through her mind.
Nothing - or wait, he is there, just bonded so tightly I he cant control anything. If only there were a way to cut his bond! Hitomi thought frustrated at her predicament. She couldn't raise a hand against the one she loves, but neither did she think that she would survive this.
The pendant suddenly flashed in her mind, and with its lightened edge she grasped the sword. Sending of herself into van her body went limp, but in that nether space she sliced at the bond's that Van hung from captive. Each strand was a heartstring, stretched white strands resembling the worms that bore their way through flesh, which cut into his very soul, making the image that was him bleed, that candle in the darkness.
"Just what do you think your doing miss? You can see the state he is in? You should know, you put him there. He sacrificed just enough of his strength for you." Hitomi jerked to a stop, wondering if this woman could be right.
"He saved your life by sharing his strength, and look where it got him. The more you drink of his strength the weaker he gets. Look where he is now, not even able to fight of the most basic of bonds. And it is all your fault, little seer." The slicing voice cast itself from the darkness.
"NO! you are the mistress of lies. I DEFY YOU" Hitomi screamed and slashed at the bonds that held Van.
Forced abruptly back into her body she had but a few moments collect herself. White? Snow? What, why am I so cold, where am I. It came to her. I'm falling, she thought with an air of resigned sorrow. There was nothing she could do now, she would die, and Van would become that woman's pawn-
"Hitomi, spread your wings" a voice sounded ,"you must save him Hitomi, you can save him, by his own sacrifice you must.
What? Hitomi thought. Varie? But I don't have wings. An image appeared in front of her, a raven haired woman in shimmering robes. The woman was holding out her hands, and expression of anger on her face. "Hitomi!" She cried. Hitomi felt a slight shove against her shoulders, and a coldness traveling along her back. With a gasp she saw Feathers falling, and then she was gliding. Rejoicing upon the air she stretched her newfound wings. Varie's chiming voice rang in the air again. "Look below you Hitomi, you must save him." And then her presence receded into nothing ness.
Oh van, she thought, how could I have forgotten you? She dove stretching reaching, praying to whatever god might be listening that she would catch her beloved in time, for she could not exist without him.
She reached for him, as he almost was speared bloodily on the treetops, and curled herself protectively around him, trying to gain height with this extra weight. She succeded in slowing them down until they cleared the forests, landing in a huge field of slowly drifting golden flies which surrounded them curiously in the shifting meadow.